The Prodigal God

I loved this little book. It had me weeping at the lavishness of my Father's love for me, a Pharisee at heart. Tim Keller calls the parable of the prodigal son the "parable of the two lost sons". The Father pursues both. He runs down the road to greet the one and lavishes him with kisses even before he hears any kind of repentance. He leaves the party to go out to the older brother and tells him "everything I have is yours." We are all doomed if our Heavenly Father does not pursue us! We would never come to Him! He isn't waiting for us to get our act together or prove our repentance. Keller says, "It is not the repentance that causes the Father's love, but rather the reverse. The father's lavish affection makes the son's expression of remorse far easier." Repentance is so much more than just confessing to a list of sins, many of us have to repent of our "goodness". The older brother didn't think he had done anything wrong and was actually worse off than the younger brother at this point who knew he was a sinner in need of a Saviour. We need to repent of our own righteousness which are all filthy rags. I have to do this. I see myself as the older brother, was never very rebellious, people pleaser, wanted to do everything right, but at the same time very proud. Every day I need God to rescue me from my "goodness" and help me see my need for HIM!
"To truly become Christians we must also repent of the reasons we did anything right...It is only when we see the desire to be your own Savior and Lord--lying beneath both your sins and your moral goodness---that you are on the verge of understanding the gospel and becoming a Christian indeed. When you understand that the antidote to being bad is not just being good, you are on the brink. If you follow through, it will change everything: how you relate to God, self, others, the world, your work, your sins, your virtue. It's called the new birth because it is so radical." (Keller)
There were so many parts of this book that I love. The next section than tells us not what to just turn from but who we turn to...very powerful little book. As a follower of Christ, I need to hear the gospel every day to remind myself of who I am and who my wonderful Father is and live out of that! It's so powerful. I hope you know this Father as your own.
On to the next book...It's called "Get Outta My Face". by Rick Horne. He went to Westminster Seminary is Director of Guidance at Delaware County Christian School and the coordinater of the Graduate Concentration in School Guidance Counseling in the M. Ed. Curriculum and Instruction major at Columbia International University. If I ever wanted to go back and get my masters in something, I think it would be some type of counseling. Christian school guidance and counseling is very appealing to me. If you are still reading, thanks for bearing with my as I posted my thoughts this morning.
VERSE TO REMEMBER (thanks, Meredith)

"The Lord says, 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name;
you are mine.' " Isaiah 43:1
Remember that this Valentine's Day.