Friday, February 28, 2014
Regret
Don't forget that regret is a two way street, there may be MANY things you regret doing. But there will always be more things that you can end up regretting NOT doing. Also, you have to remember that the mistakes you have made in your life were planned all along. Everything is going according to God's plan, including your mistakes and failures. So stop beating yourself up and start realizing that you are just a handful of clay in God's hands. Everything that happens and everything you do is part of the bigger picture. Ephesians 1:11 and Romans 9.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Why Does Religion Exist
As much as I have been frustrated as of late by the religious, I stopped to think about it today. Religion today is much like the law that was given in the Scriptures. Paul calls the law a ministry of condemnation.
2 Corinthians 3:6-9
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
6 who also made us sufficient [to be] ministrants of a new covenant, not of letter, but of spirit; for the letter doth kill, and the spirit doth make alive.
7 and if the ministration of the death, in letters, engraved in stones, came in glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look steadfastly to the face of Moses, because of the glory of his face -- which was being made useless,
8 how shall the ministration of the Spirit not be more in glory?
9 for if the ministration of the condemnation [is] glory, much more doth the ministration of the righteousness abound in glory;
The law was given so that we would get frustrated by how difficult (impossible) it was to keep, it is all about contrast. We were meant to TRY as hard as we could and STRIVE for perfection that we would never attain. Churches and the religious today teach the same thing. they will say that it is all of grace but if you don't produce good works too than you must not really believe or some will even say that it is grace plus works that makes you righteous. God chose to put us through the religious life before bringing us to the truth that Jesus Christ PAID IT ALL and there is nothing left for us to do but rest in the finished work of Christ.
Now take a moment to look back at your life of religion and doubt and works. Without that experience would you feel so free now that you know the truth? Would you feel as peaceful as you do now?
Picture this: A homeowner comes up to you and says, "If you work really hard and save all the money you earn you will be able to buy this house which was custom made to be your dream home." You take this advice to heart and begin working as hard as you possibly could, and you finally save enough money to buy this house. You go to the homeowner and tell him that you finally have enough. He replies,"Well I see that you have been trying really hard, but the price has just gone up." You get really discouraged but you REALLY want this house. So you keep working. Once again you have saved enough for the house but once again the homeowner has raised the price. This happens several more times and finally you are just ready to give up... you walk away with your head hung low and your dreams crushed, KNOWING you will never be able to pay for that house. Right when you are about to exit the building a man comes in. He looks at your desperation and your brokenness. He knows you have given up all hope. He lifts you chin and asks you what is wrong. You tell him the story of the house and how you know it is impossible to afford it. He smiles and walks over to the homeowner. He asks,"How much for the house?" The homeowners response,"More than you have." The stranger smiles, pulls out a check book and signs a blank check. He hands the check to the homeowner and tells him that he can fill in ANY amount at all and the check would cover it. The homeowner takes the check and signs the deed over to the stranger, then the stranger turns to you. "This is for you." He says. "It is a gift, now stop working so hard and start resting." Tears come to your eyes as you feel the weight of life lifting from you and joy swallows up your soul. You immediately fall down and thank the stranger for this amazing gift. You ask how you could ever repay him. His response, "You can't, and I don't want you to even try. I did this so you could find rest."
I was so frustrated with religion for the first few months after learning the truth about grace and God's gift to ALL MANKIND. However, today it really hit me. That wthout the legalistic religious experience I went thruogh, I wouldn't feel as free and joyful as I do today. I thank God for the religious, because they helped provide the stark contrast to make my life what it is today. Remember Winter sucks in order for us to enjoy Spring!
Now take a moment to look back at your life of religion and doubt and works. Without that experience would you feel so free now that you know the truth? Would you feel as peaceful as you do now?
Picture this: A homeowner comes up to you and says, "If you work really hard and save all the money you earn you will be able to buy this house which was custom made to be your dream home." You take this advice to heart and begin working as hard as you possibly could, and you finally save enough money to buy this house. You go to the homeowner and tell him that you finally have enough. He replies,"Well I see that you have been trying really hard, but the price has just gone up." You get really discouraged but you REALLY want this house. So you keep working. Once again you have saved enough for the house but once again the homeowner has raised the price. This happens several more times and finally you are just ready to give up... you walk away with your head hung low and your dreams crushed, KNOWING you will never be able to pay for that house. Right when you are about to exit the building a man comes in. He looks at your desperation and your brokenness. He knows you have given up all hope. He lifts you chin and asks you what is wrong. You tell him the story of the house and how you know it is impossible to afford it. He smiles and walks over to the homeowner. He asks,"How much for the house?" The homeowners response,"More than you have." The stranger smiles, pulls out a check book and signs a blank check. He hands the check to the homeowner and tells him that he can fill in ANY amount at all and the check would cover it. The homeowner takes the check and signs the deed over to the stranger, then the stranger turns to you. "This is for you." He says. "It is a gift, now stop working so hard and start resting." Tears come to your eyes as you feel the weight of life lifting from you and joy swallows up your soul. You immediately fall down and thank the stranger for this amazing gift. You ask how you could ever repay him. His response, "You can't, and I don't want you to even try. I did this so you could find rest."
I was so frustrated with religion for the first few months after learning the truth about grace and God's gift to ALL MANKIND. However, today it really hit me. That wthout the legalistic religious experience I went thruogh, I wouldn't feel as free and joyful as I do today. I thank God for the religious, because they helped provide the stark contrast to make my life what it is today. Remember Winter sucks in order for us to enjoy Spring!
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Adam and Christ
Romans 5:18
King James Version (KJV)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
There isn't much to add to this verse. This verse by itself should bring incredible peace to your hearts and minds. Thinking of loved ones that weren't given the gift of faith before they died. Speaking of death, they are not in either heaven or fiery torment, they are dead, asleep, unconscious. There are many verses that speak of the true state of the dead and I will do a post on that at a later date.
What most "Christians" say this verse says is that Adam screwed us all over and now we are all condemned to burn endlessly in a place called hell, but if we choose to believe out of our own free will in Christ's sacrifice, then we will be saved from that and we will go to heaven instead.
Their version might read:
"Therefore because of Adam's one act we are all condemned to unending fiery torment; but because of what Christ did for us we have a chance to save ourselves by believing in Him."
- ACV (Apostate Church Version)
However, what we actually see in this verse is a parallel. We see that Adam's sin affected all of humanity. Then we see that Christ's action also affects all of humanity.
Unless you are ready to admit that Adam's sin was greater than Christ's sacrifice. You must submit to the truth that Christ really is the Savior of the WORLD.
There isn't much to add to this verse. This verse by itself should bring incredible peace to your hearts and minds. Thinking of loved ones that weren't given the gift of faith before they died. Speaking of death, they are not in either heaven or fiery torment, they are dead, asleep, unconscious. There are many verses that speak of the true state of the dead and I will do a post on that at a later date.
What most "Christians" say this verse says is that Adam screwed us all over and now we are all condemned to burn endlessly in a place called hell, but if we choose to believe out of our own free will in Christ's sacrifice, then we will be saved from that and we will go to heaven instead.
Their version might read:
"Therefore because of Adam's one act we are all condemned to unending fiery torment; but because of what Christ did for us we have a chance to save ourselves by believing in Him."
- ACV (Apostate Church Version)
However, what we actually see in this verse is a parallel. We see that Adam's sin affected all of humanity. Then we see that Christ's action also affects all of humanity.
Unless you are ready to admit that Adam's sin was greater than Christ's sacrifice. You must submit to the truth that Christ really is the Savior of the WORLD.
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