Religion
The last few nights, I have been reading late into the night. And if my mind would settal I would be reading now, but I my mind will not stay on one thing. I can not keep my mind focased on a book. My life would have no meaning if it was not for my Lord. I would be so useless with out him. And I do not understand how people that do not know my Lord like I do get through each day. How do they do it? How can you rely on yourself? How can you rely on your mood? When that is constently changing? How can a person make it in life without the Lord. Surely only by His grace, but what if they knew that. What if they realized and accepted that the only way they get through life is by God's grace. It's the only way any of us get through. What is the sence of living without Christ? Why get out of bed? There is nothing to get out of bed for! The World looks at life as who can get the most money, to live the best, while they are alive. But then you just die... leaving everything you have behind. What sort of reason is that to live for? I live for the glory of living for Christ. I live to serve him. I live because he gave me the priviledge of living. I live so that I can tell others there is a reason to live. You don't have to continue living a life that is not worth living. We can finally have a deep meaning for living! A reason to ge out of bed! A reason to be joyful! A reason to smile! A reason to laugh! A reason to live life to it's fullest! What can get me down when I have the Lord on my side? Oh, I know... this life surely isn't a bed full of roses... it's not all walking on clouds... but... we have Christ... to lift us up on high! Such a great fullfillment! We will struggle... especially when the world mocks us. When the world throws things at us to make us fall. But the Lord always helps us to our feet. Who is there to help the world up when they fall? Who do they turn to for help? Themselves? What a let down! Humans fail... and at some point they will realize they have no one who is strong enough for them o turn to. What utter dispair they must live in. Oh, how I want to help the world... show them to the person who will always be there for them. To help them back to their feet. We had the first snow of the year today... oh how beautiful it is. It's like the world is covered in a blanket of crystal. The Lord is tucking us in to keep us warm and cozy for the winter. The world seems silent... a single sound would shatter everything. Our one light is dimmed... to my "girlish" mind it's very romantic. Yet, it is a picture of our Lord. We stay in this shelter the Lord has given us... blessed us with. And we watch through our glass window as the storm rages around us! God's mighty wrath poaring out on the world. But we are in this shelter, a shelter called salvation! The Lord is keeping us... only letting things happen when it is needed. Trials and tribulations... but of course he can stop all of that when he deems the right time. And then bring us back safely to his shelter of love again. You know... I fail the Lord so many times... but if you've heard the song "Come Just as you are" The Spirit is calling us to come to Him... so he can give us the Living water so we will never thirst again. He will give us this gift called eternal life. And he asks nothing of us. Except sincere obediance! And we can forever bask in his love... this eternal life he offers us. I'm so happy... no words could ever tell you... could never explain.... what it is like to take the Living water... nothing can tell you what it is like when you never thirst again! Nothing can tell you how I feel nothing I'm safe in the arms of my Lord! Nothing can put into words what this relationship with the Lord is like! Never before have a I had a friend that never fails me.... never argues... only loves with a love deeper then I can begin to take in. How happy I am... I know that I know that I know... I am going to heaven to be with my Lord!!! hat I will spend eternity with him... How horrid it would be to think I have to earn my way... oh not I do not have to earn my way!!! Ephesians 2 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Oh I must Obey... but even if I fail... I do not loose my salvation... oh no I can not loose my salvation! My salvation is forever! All I have to do to claim this gift the Lord is offering is ask... Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. All I have to do is ask him for the gift... confess I have sinned... and I understand that Jesus died for my sins... and he rose again... he conquered death because he is Jesus... God... and able to conquer death! And now he has asended and is is heaven with my God... on his right hand!!! I know that any one... anyone at all can come to the Lord... no person is to sinful... (THANK GOD!) No one is predestined to heaven or hell... but the Lord loves the world!!! So that any of us can go to heaven... the Lord does not choose! He loves each of us! And... my Bible is sufficant for me... I do not need to speak in tongues or lay on hands in order to receive salvation or be a better Christian.... MY GOD IS SUFFICANT FOR ME! No need for any other thing! No need for religion! No need for tradition! No need for anything except a personal relationship... Ahhh... but so many put so much emphasis on other things... so many people put emphasis on what religion your believe... Oh I am not part of a religion... I am not part of a cult... I am not part of a denomination!!! Oh no you say? I am not penecostal I am not Calvanist I am not Baptist I am not Catholic I am not Buddist I am not Medodist I am not any religion... oh how can that be... you say you are a Christian how can you not be of a religion... the first chruch did not call themselves anything... they were followers of God... servants for Christ... this world is so corrupt!!! Takeing and becomeing "Oh so religious!!!!" RELIGION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!!! It's a personal relationship with the Lord!!!!! And nothing more... Oh yes... I am a SERVANT OF MY LORD! That is how I label myself, if I must! Why are you against religion you ask? I am not so against it... I'm not against the names your label yourselves with... it's what's behind the labels I despise so! Baptist... so bound to tradition that tradition often comes before the Lord now... you have put far to much emphasis on it! Penecostal... you are so bound up in your speaking in tongues and healing that you put far to much emphasis on it at times... when the cruix of your relationship with the Lord is not these works but through prayer and reading the word! Calvanist... you think only certain people can go to heaven... God loves each of us... not just picked few... what if he had not picked you? What would you say to that? God loves EVERYONE! Buddist... you worship a god that is not real... what about the one true God? Medothodist... do you not realize that the words of man will fail? What is this book you hold so high beside the Bible? Nothing is as powerful as the Bible! Catholics... why do you put so much empathist on Mary? Mary was just a human like you and I... she failed... she stumbled in her walk! Do not put your faith in a woman, put your faith in JESUS the one that died for you.. did Mary give her life for you? NO... God only used her for His service! She is not worthy of anything... ONLY JESUS IS TO BE WORSHIPPED!!! Oh... I know... we are not all perfect... but if we were to search deep into the word of God... we would find that it isn't about what religion you belong to! It's the matter of the heart! It's the matter of what the Bible says! We cling to such trivial things... and fail to grasp the truth! The truth that goes far beyond anything man can come up... no rules and religios works. Do not think me rude and obnoxious... but think of what I say... think of the first church... they spread out through the world and preached the gospel! They gathered together had hours of prayer and worship. We limit ourselves to certain amount of times... and get angry when the Pastor goes over. When will we finally see that GOD IS THE ONLY THING WORTH LIVING FOR!!! And the only thing our focas should be on... we shouldn't get bored or angry... we should be excited and joyful! Let us stop putting so much emphasis on religion and begin to think out of the box.. look towards serving our Lord... UNLIMITED! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Let us look at God as though He is finally the most important thing in our life!!! How would it change our lives? If we really believed that the Lord knows our every thought would we change our thoughts? Would we work to change our heart? Are you ready today to meet Jesus? Can you say to Him "It is Well With My Soul" Can you say... "Lord I did not waste my Life... but lived it fully for you" Can you say... "I did not put emphasis on trivial things, but put my faith to work by serving you wholly" What would happen if today Jesus came to your house? Would to run around trying to hide things from Him? Or would you run around dusting off the Bibles so they looked like they are being used? Or would you camly meet him at the door because you have nothing to hide? WHO ARE YOU??? DON'T BE THE ONE WHO ACTS LIKE A CHICKEN WITH HIS HEAD CUT OFF WHEN JESUS COMES TO VISIT YOU!!! Oh by the way... Jesus visits you every day! Did you open the door for him today? Or did you just ignore him? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- God makes everything beautiful in His time... I know my heart is rough around the edges... but God will make my heart beautiful in his time! He brings spring after the snow has made the earth soggy... he bring crystal snow after the fall has made the earth dreary and miserable... The Lord makes all the trials and tribulations we go through beautiful IN HIS TIME... not in our time... but HIS TIME!! TRUST HIM... OH WE MUST TRUST HIM!
