Back to the purple book! (2 Pet 1:2-4)

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (NKJV)

“Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you— your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.”(MSG)

Broken down:

• Grace and Peace are multiplied through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ
  • experiential?
• God has given us all we need to live a godly, abundant life (thorough his power) (through knowing God)
  • We are to attain to the glory and excellence of God (goal)
• God has also given us, out of his glory and excellence, great and precious promises so that we can attain to his glory and excellence
  • Thus, the promises of God are God’s own virtue and excellence expressed on paper so that we can join him in His virtue and excellence

Application:  I’ve been meaning to assemble a list of promises to pray over myself and Abby.  There is a power to confessing and agreeing with the Word of God, while asking the Holy Spirit to make these promises come alive.  I need to take hold of the virtue and excellence of God for myself.  So, my goal will be to have a list for  tomorrow night!

In the last week, I ‘ve recieved three books in the mail as part of the Catalyst Filter package thing I paid for ;). It’s pretty cool to get books in the mail out of nowhere. Friday, I received the book, “Looking for God” by Nancy Ortberg. Today I read it straight through, only breaking for a meeting with the Influx Leaders.

I have to say this book was perfect for me right now. The inside cover states, “…We box God up and compartamentalize Him into thirty minutes each morning. But in reality, He is waiting for us to realize that He invades all the parts of our days…if only we would just pay attention. That is what Looking For God is all about.”

The book started off pretty basic. I went into the book craving a list of “how-to” meet with God, but instead you just get stories. Stories that send you back, essentially, looking for God again. I am hungry for God.

I feel God’s presence a lot. I’ve learned how to reach out and tug on God’s Presence to come. The problem I have is that I am the one reaching out to tug on God. It’s almost like grabbing Abby to hug her when I need her to hug me. I’m the one putting my arm around her and pulling her close. I can’t really call that her reaching out to love me. The moment that I stop pulling on her, and she reaches out to pull on me and embraces me so much that I can completely rest my head on her shoulder, is the moment when she is loving me.

I just have a hard time trusting that God will reach out and love me like that. I’m trying to change. I know where it comes from though. It comes from a father who was working while I was a child, doing what he that was best–providing for his family. It also comes from a father who isn’t really affectionate, a father who almost never expresses emotion. It seems as though we all have a problem reconciling our natural father and our Father In Heaven.

I know that it’s possible to know that love that I missed as a child, and I’m determined to stop pushing and grabbing on God. I’m resolved to just wait, and believe that He will come and love me, even though I don’t know what that is like.

Here’s a few quotes from the book:

“If we ignore the longings and cover them over with platitudes about blessings, we lose. We mis a chance to apply God to our lives. He becomes a cliche’ and we, a joke” (154) .

“If we face them, our longings, aches, and pains take us to an alone place. Perhaps that is why we avoid them. But if we refuse to avoid them, we find what is true about the alone place.

That is isn’t alone” (155).

John 16:32 “You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.”

Conclusion: “Looking for God” is one of the best books I’ve read as a Christian. It reignites the simplicity of a relationship with God, reminds you of the simplicity of loving God and loving each other, and it requires you to again go back and be with God…all day long.

Tonight I am hanging out with Abby at the B&N in Altamonte.  We went on a walk around Cranes Roost Park, we ate at Bahama Breeze Restaurant, and now we are sharing a Caramel Macchiato in the B&N Cafe’.

Tonight I’m in a sort of deep mode.  I’ve been walking around the lake, the restaurant, and now the bookstore, looking at all the people, and thinking about how the whole human race (including me) is looking for connection.   We are all looking for that genuine care and love that looks you in the eye and says, “you are the most important person in the world right now to me, and I am here for you.”  We are all looking for that perfect love.

Sure, I know that God is the only one that can give it, but we all can taste it through personal contact.  We were made to give and receive love, even though I don’t know how it’s expressed fully without God giving it and helping us.  I know I need all the help I can get.

Tonight I just can’t help to think that my purpose in life is just to give others that connection, to express God for just a moment, if I can.  Hopefully, if I can express that love from God enough times, eventually I can introduce someone to the Source of all the love I have.