Thanks, and a Reminder, and a Comment on a Comment

Thanks, all of you, for your checking out my blog and for your comments and encouragements. I am really excited about this.

I wanted to remind any of you who decided to sign up by email to receive this blog that after you put in your email and submit it you will get a confirmation email sent to the address you used with a link that you must click on to activate it. This is to protect you from having someone else sign you up. I think the email sign up is a great thing if you want to be a regular part of the blog because you don't have to keep checking back to see if I have added anything to it (you do need to keep checking back to see/read comments).

I also wanted to comment on a comment made by AMY on my posting, "God Rocked My World This Morning..." (you can read it by clicking on the comment link below that post). I think her reminder is a very valid and powerful one. Too often, I think, we emphasize faith in God to perform His Word simply in the context of His good and encouraging promises to us---and that is good and essential and Biblical and honoring to God. But, we must have equal faith in God to perform the parts of His Word that aren't so fun to hear about. Those parts, like justice for those who don't receive the work of Jesus on the cross, should bring in to our lives a deep urgency as we realize that God WILL perform His Covenant Word, and many, many don't trust Him.

Another thought, along these lines: When we stand on God's Word and promises to/for us we must make sure we have seen the context of that Word and the precepts (or conditions) He attaches to that Word. Single line verses make great bumper stickers and refrigerator magnets, but often they have conditions and context above and below them that are a part of the promise. If we stand on those single verses, apart from the rest, and they don't come through, then it is our fault for not understanding the full offer and condition God has made, not His fault for not performing His Word.