A friend of a friend...

A friend of a girl I used to work with had a baby prematurely. On facebook the girl I worked with had her status and such as something about how God loves that baby. Now I'm not going to say that God doesn't love that particular baby (how would I know)...I'm just going to say that we simply cannot know.

One day about a year and half ago (or so) I was driving with my friend. We passed a church and I was talking to her about churches. I mentioned that God doesn't love everyone. Her response was, "God doesn't love everyone? But, if God doesn't love me then who will?"

I remember when I was younger talking to my mom about God and who he loved. I remember asking, "So God loves everyone? Even a robber?" And she said, "He loves everyone, even a robber." And of course it probably wasn't in those exact words.

At the end of my grandparents' answering machine my grandpa says very plainly, "And remember, God loves you."

Okay, so you put all of these anecdotes together and what in the world am I trying to say?

Simply, I'm saying that God does not love everyone.

Malachi 1:2-3
I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? said the LORD: yet I loved Jacob.
And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

Romans 9:13
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Psalm 139:22
I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

Psalm 5:4-5
For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

Proverbs 15:29
The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

John 17:9
I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

Okay, so I'm sure this idea throws everything off-kilter. Generally it is said that God loves you and it's up to you to become saved. Whoa, wait just a second...back it up.

Ephesians 2:1-9
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Titus 3:4-7
But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Not by works which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing and regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

John 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Lamentations 3:26
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

So, it's not up to us. It's all up to God. The question is, do you trust God to protect and call his elect?
(My next update of sorts will be election/predestination oriented.)

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIYXHLlxD8U

That's the link to the video for "Lovestoned/I Think She Knows" by Justin Timberlake. You can pretty much skip the first 3.5 minutes. But, from approx. 3 minutes and 45 seconds into the video it gets to the "I Think She Knows" part. I just love it! I keep listening to that part. It's just so pretty.

Today we're going dress shopping. Originally it was going to be me, Cassie, Amber, Aimee, Mandy, Miles' mom, my mom, possibly my grandma, Kris and Kenzie. As of today it is going to be me, Cassie, Amber, Mandy, Aimee, and Miles' mom. My mom is sick (excusable, she's coughing up a storm and I know I'd be miserable). Kris and Kenzie are babysitting. My grandma I think just doesn't want to go. The good news is that we'll have fun.