God is not a Nazi.

From The Jesus I Never Knew, by Philip Yancey.

"God is not a Nazi," said Thomas Merton. Indeed God is not. the Master of the universe would become its victim, powerless before a squad of soldiers in a garden. God made himself weak for one purpose: to let human beings choose freely for themselves what to do with him."

Although power can force obedience, only love can summon a response of love, which is the one thing God wants from us and the reason he created us. "I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." God's nature is self-giving; he bases his appeal on sacrificial love.

I remember the night I gave my life to Jesus. I was at an evangelistic meeting. I found all the facts from the Bible interesting but every night when they gave a call for people to come forward I didn't feel an urge to do it. Then one night the preacher spoke on Jesus' love. I even remember now the picture of Jesus they put on the screen. I felt in awe, I felt moved, I felt a presence overshadow me. I stood up as if in a dream and walked up to the stage and gave my life to God. His love was the one thing that drew me.

Our Choice.

Moses gave a long speech to the people of Israel as then came to the border of the Promised Land:


"This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life..."
Deut. 30:19-20


There is so much good in this verse to think about.


Choose life.


Love God.


Listen to His voice.


Hold fast to Him. 


The Lord is your life.


I believe God has set this choice before every human being through the Holy Spirit. Everyone has a choice to make, for good or for evil. God has made it clear what the results will be: blessings or curses.

When the Israelites came into the promised land, Joshua had this to say.

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Joshua 24:15

Free Will.

I've heard the idea of free will discussed in college and elsewhere. Some people believe we have none, that our life is determined by circumstances. I was interested in this teaching called, Determinism. I came to believe it was true, except for one important area: God.

We do have complete freedom to believe in God or not. We have the freedom to seek for him or not. It is totally up to us. And I think the way we find him and stick with him is by setting our minds on him each day.

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot." Romans 7:5-7

"Set your mind"

 To me this means to take time to read the Bible and other spiritual books and to pray. Ask God to help you think of him through the day. Take time to thank him for the good things of life.

Setting your mind on the flesh means only thinking of the things of this world, taking no time for God at all. If we do this, we cannot submit to God's law of love because this submission comes from spending time with him.