So Basically...

So Spenser and I were talking about Calvinism vs. Armenianiam vs. Open Theism today... O my. I love debate. It gets out my need to argue that I feel like is deep in my soul. I will sit for hours over a very strong cup of coffee and talk to anyone about the finer points of theology and what I would like to classify as the "periphreals." But they are just that... periphreals. I know some might not agree with me, but seriously... People spend they're whole lives trying to decipher this awesome, sovreign God we serve. Is that what He would have us put our time into? Now don't get me wrong, I love to study and read and learn. But I think it's important to keep the Main Thing the main thing. Sometimes we worship our denomination or our teachers or other authors and not Jesus.
I keep up with a pastor named Francis Chan out of California. Most of you probably know him. He's quite popular these days. Part of his testimony is that a few years ago, He got back to the basics. He "through out", if you will, all of his preconceived notions about God and what He's like and just started reading the Scriptures. Just the Scriptures. To see what God is like. What he came away with was very different than what he'd been taught by his denomination or his parents or sunday school teachers or whoever. I've tried to do that in my life too because though I didn't come up in a crazy denomination and most of what I believe and was taught is theologically sound, my view of God is skewed at times.
So I still love to argue :) But for now, I'm getting back to basics... What is God like? I want to know Him SOOO much better than I do now. I know He pursues me and I'm pursuing Him right back.