Accepting Jesus Christ into your heart as your personal Savior is your ticket into Heaven. I do not believe that people can "earn" their way into Heaven in any other way. This has always been my understanding since the day I accepted Christ and my parents and leaders helped me stay on a path that was following after him.
Examining verses in the old and new testament help shape my idea of what will lead us to Heaven. Psalm 11:7 says, "The Lord is righteous, He loves righteous deeds; the upright will see his face". Verses like this may show how some people think that it is by works alone that lead them into Heaven. This understanding is wrong. By looking at the old testament, it can seem like the focus was on good deeds. However, in addition to good deeds, people also had to make sacrifices to please God.
The new testament stresses a different importance. When you look at the new testament, you see that God sent Jesus for the purpose of saving His people (John 3:16). From this point on, it is clear that we should not depend on doing good works alone because at the same time, we are also expected to believe and accept Jesus Christ as our personal savior.
In John, Jesus explains his deity of Him and the Father as one. Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice, I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand"(John 10:27-28).
When the bible speaks of eternity, I normally think of Heaven, our never-ending home with our Father. Since Jesus was made perfect, Hebrews 5:9 clearly states how it is the only "source for eternal salvation for all who obey him". Thus, in both the good and bad times, my faith rests in him alone.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
For the purpose of immeasurable love
My overall understanding of tithing rests in the idea of giving. I was taught to give at least ten percent of my earnings. This is one of those things I always wanted to question "why?", but didn't know if it would be appropriate.
As I was hesitant to ask questions, somehow, I began to learn more about tithing. My mom used to tell me that I am easily attached to people. This was something I had to consider when choosing a career route. I was also attached to my stuffed animals and I also had to learn to give them up over time. It wasn't easy. Money was not as hard for me as I didn't really have a lot of work experience at the time. Now that I am older, however, I can admit that I see how it is difficult for people to let go of materialistic things, such as money. I'm always reminded of how holding on to things is never healthy.
Tithing is beneficial for everybody, including ourselves. It is a reminder to “teach you always to fear the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 14:22-23). This alone is clear that tithing is necessary for Christians. It helps us to set our minds on things above so that we can better serve him.
Some people have a good handle on this concept, but they should also realize that this should not just be a dutiful act. It should be something that we take joy in because God takes joy in his people. In giving, we should show love. This means we must give in a generous manner that is pleasing to God. To do so, people should quit thinking about the exact amount of money that they are "losing". Instead, they should think about how little that sacrifice is in comparison with God's immense sacrifice and immeasurable love.
As I was hesitant to ask questions, somehow, I began to learn more about tithing. My mom used to tell me that I am easily attached to people. This was something I had to consider when choosing a career route. I was also attached to my stuffed animals and I also had to learn to give them up over time. It wasn't easy. Money was not as hard for me as I didn't really have a lot of work experience at the time. Now that I am older, however, I can admit that I see how it is difficult for people to let go of materialistic things, such as money. I'm always reminded of how holding on to things is never healthy.
Tithing is beneficial for everybody, including ourselves. It is a reminder to “teach you always to fear the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 14:22-23). This alone is clear that tithing is necessary for Christians. It helps us to set our minds on things above so that we can better serve him.
Some people have a good handle on this concept, but they should also realize that this should not just be a dutiful act. It should be something that we take joy in because God takes joy in his people. In giving, we should show love. This means we must give in a generous manner that is pleasing to God. To do so, people should quit thinking about the exact amount of money that they are "losing". Instead, they should think about how little that sacrifice is in comparison with God's immense sacrifice and immeasurable love.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
"As long as he loves the Lord"
"...Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world..." As a little girl, I remember learning this song in Sunday school. The lyrics of the song gave me reassurance that Jesus finds each one of us precious, no matter what cultural background you may have . Ever since my parents taught me the meaning of this song, I know that race would not be the main concern about the person I bring home.
As an infant, the pastor prayed over me and prayed for my parents as they chose a path to dedicate me to the Lord. Thus, my parents have been committed in training me in the ways of the Lord. After setting examples of this path, they would hope that whoever enters my life would only help me grow further down this path.
In class, we were asked "what would your parents or other family members say if you brought home a person from a different race than yours? What if you were in love with that person and thinking about marrying him, what would they do?" This is a question that I have heard answered before as my older sister dated and is now married. This question came up again once I began dating.
My mom's first question would normally be, "is he a christian?" A christian that only attends church on Sunday mornings or Holidays is not enough in my mom's eyes. My parents would not care about his race; they care about whether or not he knows Jesus. My dad's hope is for my sister and I to have a marriage where we really love the other person. "Make sure you love him" is what they would say.
For as long as I can remember, my dad has always stressed that no matter who it is I choose to marry, make sure I love them and that he loves Jesus Christ. "I don't care if he is purple, yellow, or green. As long as he loves the Lord Jesus, its fine with me," he always says.
As an infant, the pastor prayed over me and prayed for my parents as they chose a path to dedicate me to the Lord. Thus, my parents have been committed in training me in the ways of the Lord. After setting examples of this path, they would hope that whoever enters my life would only help me grow further down this path.
In class, we were asked "what would your parents or other family members say if you brought home a person from a different race than yours? What if you were in love with that person and thinking about marrying him, what would they do?" This is a question that I have heard answered before as my older sister dated and is now married. This question came up again once I began dating.
My mom's first question would normally be, "is he a christian?" A christian that only attends church on Sunday mornings or Holidays is not enough in my mom's eyes. My parents would not care about his race; they care about whether or not he knows Jesus. My dad's hope is for my sister and I to have a marriage where we really love the other person. "Make sure you love him" is what they would say.
For as long as I can remember, my dad has always stressed that no matter who it is I choose to marry, make sure I love them and that he loves Jesus Christ. "I don't care if he is purple, yellow, or green. As long as he loves the Lord Jesus, its fine with me," he always says.
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