Shayna's first bus ride!

Shayna and Adrianna love looking out their bedroom window at the school buses when they pull up at the elementary to pick up and drop off the kiddos.  Well, Shayna got her "dream come true" when we took all the kids from church on a bus ride into town (she's sitting next to her little friend, Jacie).  We sang songs for the old folks at a nice little retirement facility and then passed out little ornaments they had made.  I asked Shayna what her favorite part was and of course, she said "the bus!".

Is the "power" within ourselves??

When someone tells you that world peace is possible "if we all just love", I say...that's true, but then I ask: If that's all it takes, why haven't we done it yet?  

How many of us really WANT to love and just be at peace with one another?  But then, to those same people...how many of us mess up on a daily basis and do UN-loving things?  

You see, love IS the only thing that will change this world...but it's not going to come from us and not because we don't WANT to love, but because we are living inside sinful, wicked bodies that we can't completely escape from in this life.  Don't rely on human beings to bring peace to this world, it's a nice thought, but sadly - it is not reality.  Wave the white flag and let God take over your life:

Jesus said in Mark 10:18 "...There is none good, but one, that is God."

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:8

Let go of hope in YOURSELF and then ask God to work HIS love in you.  Trust in GOD, not human beings to transform this world one day.

We aren't saved by faith alone??

What is James saying in James chapter 2?

Faith and works are results of salvation, not conditions or means for it.  James is talking of a person or people who are ALREADY saved or claiming to have saving faith without that faith producing any works.  True saving faith produces good works (but remember, you're ALREADY saved by that point).  James says we aren't saved by faith alone and he's right because we are saved by God's grace alone.  His writings in chapter two go in complete harmony with the plethora of "saved by grace without works" passages found in the Bible.  

"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." Epheisians 2:8-9

Even faith is not ours to boast of...it is a gift from God and the moment He gifts us with faith in Him, we are saved...and that doesn't mean "after all we can do."  We are "born again" and a saved child of God at that very moment.  God doesn't make salvation a gift to turn us into lazy spoiled brats, he does it out of love, mercy and ultimately for His glory.  If we can lay claim to any part of our salvation, that diminishes God's full sovereignty and glory.

Salvation = Eternal life with God

For thirty years I was taught that "salvation" was two-fold...the general resurrection and those who receive eternal life with God or "Heavenly Father".  So, I was told "saved by grace" meant everyone would be resurrected by the grace of God...but that in order to live with Heavenly Father, one must accomplish self-righteousness...that we cannot be in God's presence by God's grace alone (we must perform a long list of "to do's" to prove our self-worthiness to God and then hope it's good enough when we stand before Him so that Christ's atonement will "make up the difference.")

For the past year and a half, God has opened my eyes to His Truth through the Bible.  When the Bible speaks of "salvation", "saved", "eternal life", etc...it all means living with God after this life.  There is never a double meaning.

Acts 24:15 Paul says: " ...there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked."

Peter 4:18 says: "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

Revelation talks about the second death for resurrected bodies who are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

So, since the righteous and wicked are both resurrected and only the righteous will be saved, then being resurrected is not the same as being "saved by grace" or the same thing as "salvation" or "eternal life".  A resurrected body cast into hell is the second death...not salvation.  Jesus said "it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.  A whole, resurrected body anywhere but with God is death, not salvation and the Bible only speaks of Heaven and Hell...nothing in between. (side note: 2 Corinthians 12 and 1 Corinthians 15 aren't talking about different levels of heaven either...something I was also taught growing up that I later found out was completely wrong after reading the Bible in context).

How are the righteous made righteous then?  "For he hath made him [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

So, when we stand before God as true believers in Jesus Christ, He won't recognize all the "good works" we've done (since they're dirty rags to him...Isaiah 64:6)...he'll see all the good works His Son did and that's how we'll be justified.  It's not about us and what we've done, it's about Him and what He did.  Praise God and let all the glory be His.

False Christs

When I hear people say they love, believe and follow Jesus Christ, but then turn around and discredit and/or disregard the Bible, it's as strange as if someone were to say they love the Harry Potter character, but they really don't like or agree with what J.K. Rowling said about him....they like the Harry Potter that was described by some other person.  If you say you believe in Jesus Christ, but you question or disregard the Bible and believe what someone else says about Him you better evaluate which Jesus Christ you believe in because the Bible lays claim to the true Jesus Christ...whether you like what it has to say or not.

"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."  Matthew 24:24

Modern-day revelation?

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines." Hebrews 13:8-9

Jesus always taught and answered with scripture.  Not only that, the scripture he used to teach and answer questions were in some cases, as old to Him as the New Testament is to us today.  If anyone could have changed scripture and doctrine with "modern-day revelation", Jesus Christ surely would have been the person to do that, but He didn't.  What makes us think we can?  Truth doesn't change to accommodate "modern times".