| it has been a while but yet again i have been inspired! question, would appreciate all answers, Do you gain your salvation by what you do or by what God did for you? am i going to heaven because i prayed and read my bible every day or is it because Jesus died on the cross? will i waltz through the pearly gates because i waltzed through the church doors every time it was designated to meet or is it because a man who was perfect walked a long road dragging a cross to the top of a hill? these are just a few questions that i was pondering. another question, are we responsible for what others do? i was told by a wise man and friend that we all have little red wagons and if we try to pull other people's wagons that eventially we will fall down from all the wait. my biggest struggle used to be what do i have to do to go to heaven rather than who should i be to live for God. my other struggle was i wanted to know everyone's problems and help them out or tell them what they were doing wrong and those wagons got really heavy, i found it easier to just pull my own wagon, but greater still, and i am still learning, is to let Jesus pull our wagon for us. |
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| here it is a long over due post..... on wed. at bellwood we are studying the book of James. last week was chapter two and it was good stuff. i have had this verse on my heart and some other things since then and, well i want to share. the verse that has stayed with me is James 2: 10-11," And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God's laws. For the same God who said, Do not murder also said Do not commit adultery, So if you murder someone , you have broken the entire law, even if you do not commit adultery." wow that is pretty straight forward.. and on to the next thought.. i have a cd i got for my b-day by derek webb and it is incredible. he does a lot of talking on the cd too and my favorite is his intro to his song repent. he says he is disgusted with present day christians including himself that all we seem to do is hide. we hide from one sin to the next trying to be different people every place we go. he says the best thing that could happen to him, me, and yes you would be that our deepest darkest sins be revealed on the 5 o'clock news. i agree with him.... now to tie all this together so it makes sense. i have broken the law of God in my life.. i do it often wither it be a lie, laziness, gossip, or any other random things we do that are just not right in God's sight. the big thing behind all this sin is that if i tell a little lie or gossip, God is just as disgusted with me if i had comitted murder or adultery. its amazing as humans we justify sin by saying well i didnt do something to bad... its all bad,,, good news Praise be to God for a thing called grace. so here is my 5 o'clock news special i have sin in my life, i have baggage and i know Jesus is weighted down with it right now. i want to be more real, i don't want to hide unless its behind the cross. i want everyone to know me as a sinner who loves my God and that when i fall i get right back up to do what he wants me to do. from two entries ago i had a quote i coined myself, and i think it applies. i cant at all change my past but i can work on right now being who i need to be. we need to all remember we all deal with sin and what truelly makes us "Christians" is how we deal with it, does it teach us lessons, make us stronger, builds our faith, allows us to help others struggling, or do we look for people worse the us to compare with. maybe its time for all of us to openly admit that we don't have it together but our faith is in Christ to keep us from falling apart. there it is my thoughts, feelings, and confessions... |
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| here is a quote i came up with last night and since so many have begged for an update, here it is.... tell me what you think.
"what is past is past i can't do anything to change it and neither can you we can only live to make the best of the future."
cory bransford |
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| God works in strange, awesome ways sometimes! but i like it! |
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