How many Gods are there?

A recent discussion in my Home Team class has had me thinking recently about the commandment "You shall have no other gods before me."  These gods are often described as things that take your time like sports or work or money, etc.  These are also referred to as idols.  What God showed me this week though is that another god does not have to be any of those things.  Even when one thinks they are worshiping God, they may be following another god instead.  How?  Well, the tendency I see among Christians is that they will often create a god in their own image.   Whatever is important to that person, that is what their god stands for.  When we hold on to things contrary to scripture, we create our own god for ourselves and in so doing, break the first commandment.  God wants us to follow Him, not the god of our own ideas or desires.

God's Healing Choices

We are going through a series in Home Team called God's Healing Choices.  The book is supposed to talk about how to be free from our hurts, habits and behaviors that keep us from being healthy in Christ.  It occurred to me on my drive home that what so often happens is that people will have a hurt or a pain and they will apply Christ to it as though applying a salve to a wound.  But then they go back resuming where they left off.  It makes as much sense as a stunt man applying a bandage to an injury and then going right back into doing dangerous stunts.  If you are to be fully free from the bondage these things bring, then you must do more than apply Jesus to the wound.  You must be willing to accept a complete transformation.  God may not choose to fix the problems you come to him for, but instead he may choose to address some other area in your life.  You must be willing to accept his guidance as he brings it and let him deal with the hurts and hangups in his own time and manner.

Secondly, you can't expect God to act in your life to heal the brokeness without you first becoming obedient to him.  He may do it, but he may not.  Even if you don't see him working in the areas that you ask him to, be open and willing for him to work in other areas.  Begin in obedience to his word, even if you aren't "feeling it."

Welcome post

I really don't know if anyone will read this, but I wanted a place where I could put all the different things that God is showing me and has been showing me lately.  I thought it would be nice also to have a log where I could look back and see how he has worked in the past and how he continues to work in my life.  I don't know if I will post any ponderings really.  This is mostly just to share the things God is revealing to me.  If you read it, I hope you enjoy it and I hope God will use something to bless you as well.