Tolerance v. Relativism

Main Entry: tol·er·ance
Pronunciation: 'tä-l&-r&n(t)s, 'täl-r&n(t)s
Function: noun
1 : capacity to endure pain or hardship : ENDURANCE, FORTITUDE, STAMINA
2 a : sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own b : the act of allowing something : TOLERATION
3 : the allowable deviation from a standard; especially : the range of variation permitted in maintaining a specified dimension in machining a piece
4 a (1) : the capacity of the body to endure or become less responsive to a substance (as a drug) or a physiological insult with repeated use or exposure (2) : relative capacity of an organism to grow or thrive when subjected to an unfavorable environmental factor b : the maximum amount of a pesticide residue that may lawfully remain on or in food

Main Entry: rel·a·tiv·ism
Pronunciation: 're-l&-ti-"vi-z&m
Function: noun
1 a : a theory that knowledge is relative to the limited nature of the mind and the conditions of knowing b : a view that ethical truths depend on the individuals and groups holding them
2 : RELATIVITY- rel·a·tiv·ist /-vist/ noun

Are they the same thing?

I think not.

Jesus was not relative in his teachings, but He did understand that he might need to explain something repeatedly for different people to understand it different ways. I believe that is one reason he used parables.

My understanding of relativism says that every action can be considered good by someone; tolerance says that everyone views the same story or action differently. Tolerance is good, relativism is bad. Although our country has been preaching tolerance, we have been putting relativism into practice.

I believe that we must put tolerance to practice. Certain actions we KNOW are wrong: Murder, adultery, theft, abuse of the weak. Upon those actions, tolerance must not be practiced, a firm stance must be taken. There can be no relativism when we identify these situations.

We are all responsible for our own actions. We can change our own actions, we cannot change someone else's. For that reason, when someone does something wrong, identify the problem, determine the best course of action to the greater good in overcoming that problem by looking at history and considering the results of different actions on possible future events (although not 'every' possibility can be identified).

Example: Blaming Clinton or Bush for 9/11 is unjustified. We are all to blame for becoming lazy about protecting our country. The highjackers, Al Qaida, are at fault for harming our country. Identifying our true enemy is important. Petty squabbling over how it could have been prevented should be saved for a time after the perpetrators of the evil act (Al Qaida, OSB) are brought to justice. In the same way that parents can be blamed for a child's misbehavior, but the actual action is of the child and the child should be punished whether or not their parents are bad parents.We all need to take a stand, that does not mean, "My way or the highway." It means, "Think outside the box," maybe another way is better. Stop putting ourselves and our pride first and start putting the general good first.

Evil exists in the world. We can only identify it when it is performed. When it occurs, it is our responsibility to not only identify it, but act against it in order to prevent it from occurring again.

However, if you see someone praying, and you don't understand who they are praying to, what prayer means to them (communication or worship), find out what that person is doing...ask them why they are doing it, but don't make an assumption that you know what they are doing, simply because you would do it differently.

God bless

Where is the Love?

I was just wondering tonight, where is the love of Christ, the Golden Rule, in how we treat unbelievers?

Are we not supposed to be like Christ?

Didn't he heal the ear of the servant that Peter attacked and rebuke Peter?

Did he admonish with hate and sarcasm or did he admonish with love and scripture?

Did he seek out to destroy, or did he meet them halfway?

Did he give all glory and honor to his Father or did he seek honor for himself?

I hurt when I see my sin, and I apologize to anyone whom I have hurt with my tone or attitude on this blog. May God forgive me if any post I have made has turned people away from Him.I want to be a reflection of Him. I want to know Him more. He is my rock, my redeemer, my savior, my friend. I want Him to be pleased with me when I see Him. I want Him to tell me, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

The path set out in the beatitudes is not a one time path, but a path we must consistently repeat. Humbling ourselves is not a one time event, but a lifetime commitment. A permanant recognition of what we lack before God. As we continue through our lives, Christ has taken our sins upon himself, but we still need to humble ourselves, and repent, to receive His mercy.

We are a 'work in progress' I think. The work is not complete until our death (and then, we are no longer of flesh and we no longer have that temptation). I don't necessarily agree that striving to show God's love through works does not help to conform us.

Let me explain, the more I act in God's Will, the more I see how you and I are His creation and the more miracles I witness. The more often I hear, "You were an answer to a prayer." The more often I ask God to help me bear fruit for him, the more I know Him, what He desires for me and from me. The more love I show, the more I pray for my family and friends to come to Christ and have Him intimately in their lives, the more I tamp down my pride by recognizing my humanity is what caused His death, others can see that change in me. That change makes them ask me, "What changed you?" and THAT gives me the opportunity to say, "I turned my life over to Christ!" In these ways I see how the Bible is inerrant. When I follow the path of Christ, I witness even MORE of God's grace and mercy, both in my life and in the lives around me.I trust God to do a good work in them, I merely wish to plant a seed. Eventually, I hope it will fall on fertile soil. If not from my testimony, then when they see another person living the same life, the same way, with the same blessings. That is true evangelism. That is trusting God to do a good work in them.

Sin is part of our flesh, but not one that we should be reveling in. Every sin I commit is another stripe that "I" have put on Jesus' back and I cry to think that He loves me so much that he accepted that for love of me. When I attempt to excuse my sins, those are the times that I do a huge disservice to God because I am not showing the difference between me and a non-believer. I might not always be able to help the fact that I sin, but I can make the effort to avoid it when I know I am doing it. I can ask God to help me not continue that sin. When I turn that part of me over to God, He does it for me and I am one step closer to being a reflection of Him. If I fail, I know the failure is mine and by confessing it to Him, I humble myself and accept how unworthy I am of his Love, but I can count on the fact that He still loves me anyway.

God bless and may the light of Jesus fill all of us with the warmth and beauty of his love.

The Real Presence

I was thinking about this, Sunday during Holy Eucharist.

Since I have been thinking more about Jesus and the transubstantiation of the bread, I have been going over my journey toward Christ.

I like kneeling at church, because I want to be sure that I am humble before that Lord and fall to my knees before him. Now is a good time to start. Kneeling when I come into church, recognizing his presence, is a good start. Kneeling in his presence in this life, is a good start, it is humbling. Humbling ourselves is ALWAYS good.

For some reason that I cannot understand, since I have begun to understand transubstantiation better, whenever the transubstantiation occurs, I begin crying in church, sometimes it starts when we are saying, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof, but speak the word only and my soul shall be healed." It doesn't stop until after church has ended (it has been going on for months now, my kids keep asking me, "Mom, what's wrong?"). All I can think is of the sacrifice Jesus made for me. Me, personally. It is like coming face to face with what a horrible person I am, and Jesus' love telling me that He knows I am trying and still loves me. I don't know if I am crying because He has taken my sin from me and my love for Him doing that for me hurts so much?

I don't see this as idolatry, I see this as recognizing Jesus' real presence. Don't you feel different after receiving Him? Recognizing His real presence is a humbling experience. As humans, we of flesh want to avoid humility. It 'feels wrong.' That humility is good for us though.

God bless

Fear, Love, and Trust the Lord above all else

Fear of the Lord can be a product of love.

As a child, I would fear my parents discipline for my misdeeds. This fear was not one of unjustified wrath, but of awareness that I deserved punishment for whatever I had done wrong.

That fear is born of love. The love of my parents toward me, wanting me to know that what they are punishing me for is something that I must learn from before I make it a habit that will harm me later. This fear is the same fear we should have of the Lord, that of a loving parent, not of wrath, but born of his love.

In his mercy, when he knows that we recognize our mistake and are truly repentant, he will sometimes step in and give us his grace. That grace is all the more precious to us BECAUSE we repent and recognize our need for Him to give us that grace. If we expect grace, but have no fear of lack of protection from our own misdeeds, then we are not showing love to God, but are using him as our own personal genie, "I want to do as I will, you must deal with me as I am and let me have what I want whenever I want it." That is a childish attitude to have. Instead, our relationship should be like a child recognizing that his parent will always care for him, but will allow him to suffer for some errors as a learning experience.

Thus, we serve out of love, because the fear is born through love as well.

Proverbs 3:11-12

My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Romans 6:1-4

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

God bless.

He Will be a Father to the Fatherless (and a Mother to the Motherless)

On August 13, 2005, it was 16 years since my mom died. As I am 32, that means half my life without my mother (give or take a few months).

This time of year always makes me contemplative about why God answered my prayers with a “No.” I don’t believe it was because I didn’t believe enough. I don’t think it was unconfessed sin in my life. I was attending church every Sunday, faithfully. My mom was praying, going to Bible study, attending church when she wasn’t in the hospital.

For me, I think God answered No because He knew it would be best for me in the long run. He knew the kind of person I was becoming and that instead of reaching for Him to comfort me, I needed to feel that fear and absence in my life so that I would reach for Him. Initially, I was shocked because I KNEW that my faith was strong enough for God to heal my mom. Even after she died, I knew that there must have been a good reason that God took her and I told the adults in my church that I was lucky to have her for as long as I did. Some mothers die when their babies are born, I was blessed to know my mom for 16 years.

Don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t perfect. She had fears, jealousies, anger. She was proud of me becoming a cheerleader in high school until my cheerleading interfered with her comfort. I was supposed to be allowed to date when I turned 16, but when she had to wait up for me, that changed. She was extremely emotional and had a rough childhood. She had a lot of fear and wasn’t a regular churchgoer until she married my dad. She had a lot of love and respect for Jesus and for the sacraments (especially communion, funny story about that…lol). She didn’t want my brother and I to grow up. She loved us very much and wanted to protect us from the world.

Knowing my mom led me to know God better. I know He loves me very much and that He will give me exactly what I need. He doesn’t view death the same way we do. It isn’t an ending. When He chooses our time to die, it is the perfect time for us to come to Him and be with Him. It is the time that best fits His plan here on earth for those left behind to mourn. My mom’s death helped my faith to grow because when I didn’t have her to clean up my emotional messes anymore, I had no one to turn to that would fill that empty space except God. He did and does. Although He protects me from the world sometimes, He also lets me learn from my mistakes which sometimes requires me to suffer for my mistakes. Sometimes my strength in dealing with suffering might help someone else’s faith to grow. When it gets to be too much, He knows that too and carries my load for me. In Him, I am not afraid because He is my safety net. He is always with me and will never let anything that is not truly good for me happen to me or those I love.

Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

God bless.

Miracles

"Voice of Truth"
by Casting Crowns

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
on to the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
where Jesus is
And He's holding out His hand

But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again.
"Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth
tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says,
"Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says,
"This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices
calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe
the Voice of Truth

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes
to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out my name
And he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again.
"Boy you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth
tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says,
"Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says,
"This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe
the Voice of Truth

But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
On top of them lookin' down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me

Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth
tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says,
"Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says,
"This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices
calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe-
I will choose to listen and believe
the Voice of Truth
I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe
the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
Cause Jesus you are the voice of truth
And I will listen to you, you are-

I was listening to this song this morning on the radio and I was thinking of the times that I have witnessed a miracle. Every time it was when, in the face of all logic, I did something on faith because it was an instruction from God.

Is this what Jesus meant when he said, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." or when he said, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you." When I look at the people for whom miracles occurred in the Bible, the miracles never failed to be the result of putting complete faith in God, despite what was going on all around them. How often are miracles overlooked today because we focus on what is going on around the miracle rather than the miracle itself?

I have experienced miracles in my life. Those miracles have always happened at those times that I put ALL my faith in God to get me through. In the face of all evidence to the contrary that the world gave me, I trusted God and He told me that He would bless me. He did and does.

God bless.

Taking the Nestea Plunge

He's got the whole world
In His Hands
He's got the whole world
In His Hands
He's got the whole world
In His Hands
He's got the whole world
In His Hands

I don't know if anyone remembers the old commercials with Don Meredith. The Nestea commercials where he tells everyone to take the 'Nestea Plunge' and falls backwards into the pool?

Whenever I face a major obstacle of faith in my life, I think of that commercial. Usually, it is because God wants me to do something and I am trying to avoid listening to him. I don't want to listen to him because taking that plunge is scary. He wants me to trust him and my faith is simply not that strong.

Fortunately, Jesus also tells us that our faith need only be that of a tiny mustard seed. The mustard seed is the smallest of seeds. I need only a tiny bit of faith to trust Him to care for me. I need to remember that His plans for me are much greater than my own. That I will treasure what He has in store for me, ever so much more than what I have planned for myself.

Yet, still, I am afraid. So, I pray...I close my eyes and don't think and I PLUNGE myself backwards...

Do you know where I end up?

In His Hands. Those are the times that I witness His Great Miracles. When, in the face of all reason, I choose Him. He smiles on me, He blesses me.

And yet, the next time I face an obstacle, I struggle again. But, now, I have the memory of the last time I put myself in His hands. That strengthens my faith. It still is scary to take the plunge, but I know that He is behind me, waiting to catch me. To hold me in His loving arms.

Remember in the midst of difficulties that, although it is tough to take our eyes off of the chaos going on around us, in the center of the chaos, might be a miracle. If you are focused on the wrong thing, you might miss it.

God bless.

Christianity on Homosexuality

First, please read this all the way to the end. If you read everything to the end, you will realize this is NOT intended as an attack. Please don't stop when you see something you don't like.

When you were a child, did your parents teach you right from wrong? Did they punish you when you did wrong and praise you when you did right? They did it because they know what is best for you. Before you were born, they lived and learned things. They passed those experiences on through parenting.

As a teenager, I know I rebelled! I was SURE that I knew better than my parents. I made several mistakes. I learned that my parents actually knew what they were talking about when they told me that there were things I should NOT do.

Those of us who are Christians that believe homosexuality is a sin (definition: seperation from God), are not saying when we call it a sin, "Homosexuals are horrible people, they should go to HELL". I don't think homosexuals should go to Hell, that isn't my decision. You seem like a nice person. If the decision were up to me, I would say, "Every nice person should go to Heaven." This is not saying that “I” think you are going to Hell; I have no idea if you are going to Hell or if you are going to Heaven. ALL I am saying, is that homosexuality is a sin. We ALL struggle with sin. I struggle with pride, laziness, and gluttony. Am I judged for these things by people? Yes, I am. Do I RECOGNIZE them as sins? Yes, I do. Am I ashamed of myself when I commit them? Yes. Do I make a stronger effort not to do them? To be completely honest...sometimes I do, sometimes I do not. Sometimes, I would prefer to wallow in my sin (e.g. playing on the computer when I should be getting dinner ready or doing laundry). These might seem like big sins to you, compared with your life. Those aren’t the sins you have to struggle with though. We, as people of flesh and pride, tend to want to minimize our own sin while maximizing the sins of others.

I hope you don't go to Hell. But if the general homosexual person goes to Hell, it hurts me as much as anyone else (no matter what their sexual orientation) not knowing the Truth hurts. Meaning, it is none of my business as to whether you go to Heaven or go to Hell. Not saying I won't be sad if you end up in Hell, I will be sad for everyone who ends up in Hell, but it is Jesus' place to decide who goes there, not mine. I hope I see you there as a brother or sister in Christ.

God gave us instructions, as our FATHER. He told us, "This is all right, this is not." He was very specific. None of us are saved through our own actions. The Bible does say that we will be known by those actions whether we are 'in Christ' or not. ALL of us fall short of that glory.

It doesn't matter if you are almost perfect, there are certain things that the Bible says it is NOT ok to do. It doesn't matter if you are born that way, or started to do it because of some tragedy in your life. Sin is anything we do that separates us from God. He determined what it was and laid it out in the Bible, I did not.

I want you to understand that I wrote this because the most important part of this post is that: it is not what "I" think. "I" don't care what you do with your life outside of the fact that I would like you to live in Christ as a fellow Christian. You would be welcome at my church, welcome to accept communion as well. You could sit right next to me in the pew, with myself, my husband and my family. I wrote this so you could understand that our perspective isn't the attack it seems like, it is more of an explanation of our belief of what God wants.

God still loves ALL of us. He doesn't like what we choose to do when we aren't doing what HE wants us to. We ALL stumble and fall. But, when we fall, we can’t blame God, because it was OUR choice to fall, not His.

I find it very unfortunate that your sin is made public and judged by your fellow man here on earth. We aren't supposed to do that. However, I am not going to tell you, "Hey, it's alright. Go ahead!" when it is not. Just like I don't expect you to tell me that my sins are alright when they are not. The Bible says it is wrong, just like the Bible tells me that my pride, gluttony, and laziness are wrong. God loves you as much as he loves me and his arms are as open to you as they are to me.

It might help perspective if people said, "Anyone who has sex outside of marriage is sexually immoral." That would explain it is both homosexuals and straight people who have sex outside of marriage, and really it is the same thing...as long as you continue committing the sin, you are not right with God.

I am not going to lie to you, though. I don't think homosexual marriage would make it right either. Marriage was defined in Genesis as a man and a woman, together made complete. I don't say that to hurt you, but because I really believe that is what the Bible says and how God intended it to be. Still, Jesus is the one who makes the final decision, not me. Since I don't make the final decision, all I can do is love you where you are at. I am ok with that.

And I believe God loves you very much, no matter how much you have sinned. He misses you when you are away from Him. He wants to be everything to you that you have missed out on in life. He adores you more than anyone you have ever known has adored you. He WILL fill the places that are empty within you, if you go to Him and ask. He heals the broken, makes well the sick, feeds the hungry.

If you want to respond, that is fine. If not, that is ok, too. This truly was not intended to offend, but to explain. If you still think I am a bigot, I am very sorry, but I cannot lie to you and tell you I think the Bible says that there is no sin there.

God bless.

Come and I will make you Fishers of Men

Matthew 28:16-20
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Matthew 9:35-38
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Mark 16:15
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Luke 24:45-50
Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

John 20:21-23
Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Acts 1:5-8
For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

What language does everyone speak, including all creatures of the earth?

I believe the answer is the language of action. If you treat a pet well, it will respond with love. It learns love, mercy, and discipline from receiving love, mercy and discipline. If you treat your child cruelly, he or she will learn to be cruel. If a man tells his son he should never hit a woman, but then beats his wife, the son learns two things, Dad does not mean what he says, and/or it is not ok for him to disrespect his mother, but it is ok to disrespect his wife and other women. Actions are important to teaching. Evangelism is ENTIRELY about our actions and we are called to model ourselves upon Jesus of Nazareth.

Although our salvation might not be dependent upon our works, I believe our evangelism is more about our works than about our words. If we are not evangelizing in this way, the way Jesus called us to, then we are not following the Great Commission. Words are meaningless without the works to back them up. In addition, even new believers without the word written on their hearts can evangelize in this way. It does not require full knowledge and verse of scripture, but it requires the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to love your enemy, to pray for those that persecute you, to love in the face of hatred.

God bless.

Being a Member of the Body of Christ

If We are the Body
by Casting Crowns

It's crowded in worship today
As she slips in trying to fade into the faces
The girls teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way

A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat and quietly sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances
Tells him that his chances are better out on the road

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way

Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the body of Christ

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way

Jesus is the way

How often are we NOT being the body of Christ. How often do we not reach out to those in need within and outside of our church?

My husband brought home a beautiful, sad story about a man who entered a church as a stranger. He went to the Adult Sunday School class, sat down at a table and one of the members of the congregation came over to him, coldly looked at him and said, "You took my place." The gentleman got up from the seat, eventually leaving before the class began since he had no where to sit.

Instead, the gentleman decided to go to fellowship. After standing within the fellowship hall where no one spoke to him, he decided to sit down on one of the chairs at the edge of the room. Once again, a member of the congregation came over to him and said, "You must get up, you took my place." He got up, went upstairs to the sanctuary to wait until church began.

When Sunday School let out and everyone went to the beginning of service, another member of the congregation came up to him again and said, "You took my place." So, the gentleman stood up, began walking toward the altar and as he was walking, he began to change. When he reached the front of the church, he turned and the members of the congregation saw that it was Jesus they had been ignoring. He looked upon them, opened His arms wide as though upon the cross, and said, "Yes, I did take your place."

If we are the body of Christ, are we not to BE HIM? Are we not to reach out to those who make us uncomfortable? Are we supposed to tease and make fun of those who are in difficult circumstances? HOW do you believe we are supposed to BE the body of Christ?

Romans 12:3-5

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

God bless.

The Devil in the Details

When atheists talk about science proving the absence of a creator, it tends to amuse me. If, ultimately, there was a long term effect on morality from the fact that the situation was attributed to God, it still was God doing it. Whether we are talking about an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, tsunami, or any other act of God, similar situations have affected morality in similar ways. Just because the fall of Jericho's walls could be explained by science, that does not mean it is any less an act of God.

From my perspective, 'fire and brimstone' were perceived as a primitive punishment for a primitive people by a primitive people. I don't know if hell is hot or cold or absence of feeling. I don't know if Paul wrote the epistles attributed to him. I believe he did, and I believe Jesus died for my sins, but that is because my personal experiences have led me to recognize that I am too imperfect a person to do what I am called to do without leaning upon Christ. The instructions within the Bible are a good guide for me about my behavior, how to instruct my children, how to treat my husband, how to treat my friends and most important, how to treat people I don't get along with.

I always find it concerning that people get so wrapped up in the details rather than the meat of the scripture. Whether hell is hot or cold, a lake of fire or an ice cold doorway to nothingness, I don't know, it isn't important to me. Neither is what heaven is like. The objective of importance should be what I AM supposed to be doing. If I am focusing on Hell, then I am not focusing on abiding in Christ. If I am focusing on my neighbor's behavior, I am not focusing on abiding in Christ. If I am not abiding in Christ, I am not able to show my neighbors the love of Christ because I am focusing on the world rather than my own behavior and how I am reflecting Him.

Why would anyone want to be a Christian if they believe Christians are all boring, unhappy, spiteful people? That is certainly not how I see Jesus being and it was an important part of my returning to the fold when I felt God pulling me back to Him. I told Him, "The hardest part is if you expect me to be miserable and boring now," and I heard Him speak to my heart, He laughed, told me to trust Him, and that He created me for joy, not sorrow; to show his love and mercy, not to judge; and that He would not give me a cross I could not bear.

And He was right. I have more joy now than I ever did before, and He stretches me a little at a time into more of what He wants me to be.

God bless.

The Nicene Creed

We believe in

Romans 10:8-10 (King James Version)

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

1 John 4:15 (King James Version)

Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

ONE God

Deuteronomy 6:4 (King James Version)

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

Ephesians 4:6 (King James Version)

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Father

Matthew 6:9 (King James Version)

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Almighty,

Exodus 6:3 (King James Version)

And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

Creator of Heaven and Earth,

Genesis 1:1 (King James Version)

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
and of all things, visible and invisible.

Colossians 1:15-16 (King James Version)

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

And in ONE Lord Jesus Christ,

Acts 11:17 (King James Version)

Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?

Son of God,

Matthew 14:33 (King James Version)

Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

Matthew 16:16 (King James Version)

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Only-Begotten,

John 1:18 (King James Version)

No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

John 3:16 (King James Version)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Begotten of the Father before all ages.

John 1:2 (King James Version)

The same was in the beginning with God.

Light from Light;

Psalm 27:1 (King James Version)

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

John 8:12 (King James Version)

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Matthew 17:2 (King James Version)

And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

Matthew 17:5 (King James Version)

While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

True God from True God;

John 17:1-5 (King James Version)

These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Begotten, not made;

John 1:18 (King James Version)

No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

of one essense with the Father

John 10:30 (King James Version)

I and my Father are one.

through whom all things were made;

Hebrews 1:1-2 (King James Version)

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Who for us men and for our salvation

1 Timothy 2:4-5 (King James Version)

Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

came down from Heaven,

John 6:33 (King James Version)

For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

John 6:35 (King James Version)

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary

Luke 1:35 (King James Version)

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

and became man

John 1:14 (King James Version)

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

And He was crucified for us

Mark 15:25 (King James Version)

And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.

1 Corinthians 15:3 (King James Version)

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

under Pontius Pilate

John 19:6 (King James Version)

When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.

suffered,

Mark 8:31 (King James Version)

And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

and was buried.

Luke 23:53 (King James Version)

And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.

1 Corinthians 15:4 (King James Version)

And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

And on the third day He rose again, according to the scriptures,

Luke 24:1 (King James Version)

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

1 Corinthians 15:4 (King James Version)

And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

and ascended into heaven,

Luke 24:51 (King James Version)

And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

Acts 1:10 (King James Version)

And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

and sits at the right hand of the Father;

Mark 16:19 (King James Version)

So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

Acts 7:55 (King James Version)

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

and He shall again come with glory

Matthew 24:27 (King James Version)

For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

to judge the living and the dead;

Acts 10:42 (King James Version)

And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

2 Timothy 4:1 (King James Version)

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

Whose Kingdom shall have no end.

2 Peter 1:11 (King James Version)

For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

And in the Holy Spirit,

John 14:26 (King James Version)

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Lord,

Acts 5:3-4 (King James Version)

But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

Giver of Life,

Genesis 1:2 (King James Version)

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Who proceeds from the Father; Filioque [Fil`i*o"que] clause [And the Son]

John 15:26 (King James Version)

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified;

Matthew 3:16-17 (King James Version)

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Who spoke through the prophets.

1 Samuel 19:20 (King James Version)

And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

Ezekiel 11:5 (King James Version)

And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.

Ezekiel 11:13 (King James Version)

And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?

In one,

Matthew 16:18 (King James Version)

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

holy,

1 Peter 2:5 (King James Version)

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:9 (King James Version)

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

catholic

Mark 16:15 (King James Version)

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

and apostolic Church.

Acts 2:42 (King James Version)

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Ephesians 2:19-22 (King James Version)

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.

Ephesians 4:5 (King James Version)

One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

Acts 2:38 (King James Version)

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

John 11:24 (King James Version)

Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

1 Corinthians 15:12-49 (King James Version)

Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?

I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.

As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Hebrews 6:2 (King James Version)

Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

Revelation 20:5 (King James Version)

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

and the life in the age to come.

Mark 10:29-30 (King James Version)

And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,

But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

AMEN

Psalm 106:48 (King James Version)

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.

~ Original Research done by Fr. Patrick Saint

New Covenant vs. Old Covenant

I believe that Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant

Heb 9:15
And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

I believe that God keeps the old covenant forever and ever (everlasting).

1 Chr 16:15-17
Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations; Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac; And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,

Even when some are unfaithful to it (he keeps a remnant).

2 Kings 19:29-31
And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof. And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.

I don't believe Jews HAVE to accept the new covenant, it

Hebrews 8:13 KJV
waxeth and grows old, is ready to vanish away;

but as long as they keep it, remaining faithful to it (because faith is credited as righteousness), it is still around.

From my point of view, the Jews are waiting for someone who has already arrived, they just didn't recognize Him. When we all face Him in heaven and God himself says, "I am HE" then we will all know the Truth. I know that Jesus said the only way to the Father is through Him, but the only way the Holy Spirit lights upon us is through Him, so if you have the Holy Spirit and the fruit of your life reflects that, you have Jesus. If Jews are glorifying God with their fruit (works), then they have Jesus, they just don't realize it. God knows their hearts, just like he knows ours. Whoever follows His commandments (love one another as I have loved you) and show it through the fruit of the spirit giving glory to God, loves Jesus.

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Matthew 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' "

The Father will judge those that deny Jesus

John 12:47-50
"And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak."

Jesus judges us because we put ourselves into the covenant of his blood. Their covenant is with the Father, ours is with the Son.

Romans 11:28-32
"I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery brothers, so that you may not be conceited. Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

"The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
And this is my covenant with them
when I take away their sins."

As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all."

I am sure there are others who do not read the Bible to mean what I read it to say, but that is my understanding of scripture.

God bless

But...it's not MY FAULT

I was in a discussion with my step-mother the other night. We were discussing whether or not living a homosexual lifestyle was actually 'sinful.' She has a male cousin that was born with the proclivities to behave like a girl. Eventually he had a sex change operation. She said, "That can't be sinful, because it wasn't his fault...He was born that way."

All of the sudden, I remembered all the times in my life that I have said, "It's not my fault" or heard that line from my kids.

Here are my questions for you all today...Who gets to decide what sin is or is not? If "I" get to decide it, doesn't that make ME the one in charge, since I am the one setting the rules? And if I am the one in charge, does that not mean that I am my own 'god'?

God is OUR FATHER. That father gets to decide what is our fault or not. If WE are the ones making the choices for our actions, then WE are the ones who are at fault.For no one is worthy NOT EVEN ONE.We can stand up and pat ourselves on the back over and over for what WONDERFUL people we are, but we are sinners. That makes not even one of us worthy of the gift of Jesus that God gave us. He died for ALL of our sins. That doesn't mean he only died for the little sins, he didn't die only for the big sins. He suffered, died and was buried and on the third day rose again to save the world from sin. He died to save everyone that lived and to save everyone that will live.

Now, if we take it upon ourselves to say what is sin and what is not, then we are not listening to God and trusting him. Sin is what seperates us from God. It is the door that WE slam in his face. It is a part of the free will choice HE has given us. He has told us, "I am here, ready and waiting. I am knocking at the door." We have the choice of ignoring Him or opening the door to Him. If we are ignoring him, we are not acknowledging him.

A blind man is walking down the street and is enjoying the beautiful day. He has a walking cane and is using it quite knowledgably, however, up ahead is about to be a demolition and he is going to walk right into it. You can let him know what is happening, or you can let him do as he pleases, continuing to walk toward his doom. Which one is loving? He isn't harming anyone else with his walk. What he is doing is his business, but still the loving action is to let him know, "You are in danger, I am concerned for you."

God created us. God decides what is sin or not. God knows the heart, He knows where we fall short. When we realize where we aren't living up, He is the one who can come to us and give us His grace and mercy, but we can't receive His grace and mercy if we won't open the door and acknowledge to Him what we have done wrong. Does this mean we should be cruel to those that have sinned? NO. That would ALSO be sinful. We must look to our OWN sin before judging another's sin. I used homosexuality as an example above, but it can go for any number of sins...

I chose to eat candy every day when I could have eaten salad, now I am overweight, but I don't want to ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY and go exercize to improve my health. I chose to smoke, now I have lung cancer, but I continue to smoke because I don't ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY for my actions (I blame the tobacco companies or air quality instead). I chose to spend all my extra money on drugs or alcohol, I lost my job, but I don't want to ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY for my actions and dry out, instead I am going to beg for money and use it to drink more to dull the pain. I chose to have sex outside of marriage, but don't want to ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY for my actions, so I am going to abort my baby. Although I am not ready to have kids, I chose to get married so I could have sex. I don't want to ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY for another life, so I am going to abort my baby.

Anytime we start making excuses for our behavior instead of taking a step back and looking deeper, WE are sinning. We are saying, "My own actions are not my responsibility." But, they are our responsibility. We should, if we really DO love Christ, be making every effort to avoid sin, every effort to accept responsibility for every single one of our actions. Then, we will be showing humility. Then, we will be acknowleging how short we fall. Only then, can we open the door and be in the presence of God's love, grace, and mercy.

Whether or not you believe that there was literally an Adam and Eve or you think the story of the Garden of Eden is a metaphor, there are some important points that are the basis for what goes on in the world today.

1. God wasn't enough companionship for Adam, so he asked God for a companion (Eve).
2. Eve was a part of Adam.
3. For us to love, we must make a choice. God gave Adam and Eve a choice. He gave them a resposibility. Take care of the earth, the garden, the animals, but do not eat from the fruit of ONE tree. You can have EVERYTHING else, except the fruit of that ONE tree.
4. When given the choice, they both chose to eat of the one thing God denied them.
5. When given the chance to ask for forgiveness, they BOTH said, "It's NOT MY FAULT."

Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent. The fact is, they were both responsible for their actions. Their actions led to sin entering the world. Sin entering the world changed the fabric of the world. No longer was it perfect. Now there were thorns. Adam and Eve needed clothing. They could no longer live in the Garden.God in His love and mercy still provided for them, but He also expected them to face consequences for their actions.

We will face consequences in our lives for our actions. There will also be times that God is merciful and gives us His grace, but we can't expect a loving God to just let us get away with doing everything wrong. He loves us, and loving us, He is going to do what He knows will help us to best learn to do better, to move closer to Him, to be more like Him. Instead of telling God, "It's not our fault," in humility, we need to be asking God, "How is this my fault? Please, forgive me. Please, help me be more like you."

God disciplines those whom he loves. In accepting that discipline, we accept that love. We acknowledge his dominion over us, we make Him our God. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Amen.

Grace is Truly Amazing

You know the song "Amazing Grace"?
Amazing Grace
how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost,
but now am found
Was blind but now I see.

For me, since I have turned my life over to the Lord, when I remain focused on Him, my life is filled with peace. When I had no faith, I saw the world differently. Now with faith, I see more evil and less good. I see temptation where before I saw nothing. When there is a deception, I listen to what God tells me and go find out for myself. I take no human's word for anything, because we humans are easily decieved. We have been told to 'test the spirits' and I take that to heart.

On the other hand, I see great beauty as well. I can see God vividly working in people even when they don't see it. It is like a person who never had their eyes checked thinking that what they saw was normal, then getting glasses and seeing so much more.I do not behave the way I do 'to get to some imaginary place.' Then my purpose would be 'to get to heaven.' That is not my purpose, my purpose is to love and serve God.

I do what I do because I love God, like a parent. I want Him to be proud of me, happy to be around me. I believe what I do because I can't believe any other way. I KNOW that God is here. For me, it is like explaining red to someone who has never seen, or explaining a symphony to someone who cannot hear. I know that God is with me, whether I see Him or not. Just like I know that Jesus died for me. I know that I disappoint Him sometimes, and that makes me try that much harder NOT to do that.

God bless.