I've Been Absent...But I'm Back

I have definitely been absent from the blog for a while.  Some of you know that the past few weeks have been something of a serious spiritual struggle, and I really have not felt as though I had anything to share.  But I do have some things that God has shown me in my classes that I would like to share with y'all.

My world missions class is probably my favorite class this semester.  At least it is for now.  But this week we looked at how missions is a central theme throughout all of Scripture.  From the very beginning, man was supposed to share the message of God and make God's name known to all nations and to all people.  Israel, God's chosen people, were to make God's name known to all people and all nations.  In the Old Testament, you can find references where the faith of Israel and their obedience would lead to others knowing about God, because Israel would be an example for God.  Through their example, they would learn about the God they served, the one True God.  Israel did not do this though.  Instead of proclaiming the name of God whom had shown favor on them, they instead viewed their election as a privilege.

What has really stood out to me is that we should not view the election of God as a privilege, and by that I mean, we should not look at God's election as something that places Christians on a higher level above everyone else.  That is what the Pharisees did.  They viewed God's election of Israel as something that put them above everyone else.  Instead, as Christians, we need to look at God's election as an opportunity to serve Him and share His message.  

We need to remember that what God has done for us is for the benefit of others.  Does God do specific things in our lives for us?  Yes, I believe that He does.  At the same time, I believe that everything God does for us, no matter how specific, is ultimately in regards to His plan of redemption.  This something else that I think is really cool that you can see throughout all of Scripture.  God has had a plan of redemption since before the beginning of time.  Think about that for a minute.  Now that you have thought about it, think about it while you read the Old Testament.  It is really cool to see the many passages that speak to God's redemptive plan for all people, in all nations.

Finally, I would like to recommend a book to everyone.  I do not do this very often, but I thought it was pretty good.  It is Let the Nations Be Glad!  The Supremacy of God in Missions by John Piper.  Piper does a good job in showing why we need to go into all nations, while at the same time, emphasizing the central message of Christ and His redemptive work.  

So what's new in y'alls lives?