Journal of Faith: Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling Philippians 2:12

Last post dealt with the Faith side of the faith vs works discussion. For those who don't understand this discussion, there are some who believe that you have to act a certain way to be saved while others think that is their faith in Jesus that justifies them rather than doing good. The most extreme of the faith argument is that our behavior no longer matters. One of the scriptures that team faith quotes as their argument is the Ephesians 2:8-9 scripture from the previous post. This scripture states that salvation is the gift of God through Jesus. The works side of the argument lifts up James 2 and this is what we are going to deal with in this post. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without [f]your works, and I will show you my faith by [g]my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is [h]dead? 21 Was not Abra...

It has been years since I have written anything here, but I am so glad to be here today. As I was on a prayer call, the LORD showed me something to help me better understand the faith vs works concept in scripture. There are two scriptures about faith vs. works that seem to be opposites, but in actually go together perfectly. First is Ephesians 2:8-9 and it says: New International Version 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. This scripture reminds us that we can not save ourselves but that is our faith in the savior, Jesus, the gift who lived, died, and rose again to pay the cost for our sin debt. When I share this with people there is almost always the question of "good people" who don't recognize Jesus. What if someone follows the 10 commandments, but doesn't believe that Jesus is LORD? The answer is simple and sad. John 14:5-...

There are many experiences that I have not shared because of the embarrassment or potential loss of face that I could experience. I am sharing one of those today to help someone experiencing an identity crisis. This story is in no wise pretty and it is the result of my skewed view of self. It may be triggering or offensive, but it is meant to be an example of what can happen when we see ourselves as anything other than God's masterpieces. I once sold myself for $45 and some chinese food. It was Valentine's day and the man I was dating wanted to take me out so we planned a few things. One of those things was sex. Yes I was saved at the time. Yes I had already messed up and had been restored. Yes I was serving in ministrty. Sin doesn't care where you are or what you are doing right. We got some delicious Chinese food and then headed to someplace I never imagined. It was a slimey looking Motel. It didn't look totally filthy, but it felt dirty. The small tab...

 July 4th is my wedding anniversary.  My husband and I who met when we were 16 got married after several years of us dating and not dating.  He asked me to marry him at least 3 times, and the last time he just told me we were getting married and proposed after we had almost completely planned the wedding.  I suppose I shouldn't be surprised since, according to him, we had been dating for 3 months by the time I finally realized it.  He asked me to "roll with him" and this girl right here thought he was asking her to go somewhere together not be his girlfriend!  Our marriage journey wasn't ideal.  I was pregnant for the second time (insert eye roll here).  I didn't marry him though just because I was pregnant.  I had already turned him down once while pregnant.  I married him because I could see that he was all in and I was ready to be all in too.  He was offering me his whole life and he seemed to know what that meant.  He was r...

 Today, I was in prayer and realized that my faith life is changing.  I finished writing my prayer this morning which consisted of thanking God for creating in me the type of wife, mother, daughter, kinsman, friend, and business woman that he wants.  When I was done,  I looked back at some of my earlier entries.  Previously I had been asking God to do a lot of things and thanking God for things that he had done. When I compared the entries I saw my growth from asking God and being unsure as to the outcome, to thanking God for what he was going to do because according to his word it IS done.  This is why I love writing.  You can see your growth where you might miss it if you have to depend on your memory alone.  I was able to see my faith growth!  Some of you feel like you are in the same place that you were six months ago or a few years ago even, but if you are in Christ, he is growing you.  We are called to grow up into Christ and that ...

 I struggle with talking to good people about their need for Christ.  They don't cheat, steal, lie, judge, curse, drink, or do drugs.  They aren't sexually driven, or greedy for gain.  Why would good people see the need for some "god"  to guide them when they know how to be good on their own?  Scripture gives a simple answer to this question.  No one is good.  Psalm 14:1-3 1.The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is  none  that doeth  good .    2.The   Lord   looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.   3. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Mathew 19: 16-17 16   And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17   And he said un...

  I often have found myself looking at my parents and trying to see what about me resembles them; my eyes are like Mom, my lashes like Dad.  I would take such pride in finding them in me.  It made me feel like I was a part of them and they a part of me. Others around me also took joy in arguing who they think spit me out.  "You look just like your daddy!" some person would say while another next to them would readily disagree.   Other times I would get "Wow you look like your mom!"  to which others would roll their eyes in disagreement.  People can't quite seem to agree.  Maybe its because my parents have been together for so long that they have started to look alike. I suppose building a life together tends to do that to people.  You start to resemble who/what you have spent the most time connecting with.  Now I sit down and think about how I might resemble Christ.  Is my heart shaped like his?  Does my patience stre...

 I have talked with so many Christians who feels trapped.  Some fell into a trap while others made their own with their decisions.  I have felt this way too, and even recently.   When I got home with my youngest child after being in the hospital for almost two months, I found that I almost immediately needed to start  packing because our lease was expiring.  I talked to a friend about it who said, "I thought you had another year."  I did too and so it was unsettling that I had overlooked such a huge thing as housing!  We had one hope for a little house in the area, but when I went to see it I was heavily disappointed.  Even the foundation was cracking.  We found a housing program which seemed like a great opportunity, but then they told us that we made too much money to qualify.   So my lease ended and my rent was bumped up significantly where we were with no possibility of extending our lease because we didn't receive the...

 I've donated blood before.  I remember being scared, but knowing that what I was doing was worth the discomfort.  I was a little dizzy and the needle stung.  It was faster than I thought it would be, and when I was done, I felt so proud that I was able to help someone.  I don't know who got that blood and they won't ever know that it was me.  My blood could have saved a life.  That is amazing to me. I know someone whose donated blood is guaranteed to save whoever accepts it.  This blood doesn't have a type, and it doesn't run out.  Anyone who gets this donation is healed from the worst disease to ever hit mankind.  This donation is the blood of Jesus, the only begotten son of God.  The disease the one that we are all born with is depravity.  It is the deadly sin nature.  We are all born wrong.  We are selfish, we hate, we envy, we lust after things that we can not and should not have.  We go chasing after false ...

  2 Peter 1:2-4 2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. We are not helpless and we are not weak.  This scripture declares that God has given us everything that we need to succeed and dominate in this life and in his Kingdom.  Our power is a result of our knowledge of who God is.  When we come to know and accept who God is through the person of Jesus Christ, we become a reckoning force to any evil that might come against us in this life. (see James 4:7)  If you feel weak, spend time in your Bible and prayer to get to know who God is better...

 There are varying levels of acceptance in churches for shouting (yelling, screaming, dancing, running in response to a word from God or move of God).  I have found that it is a part of how I communicate with God.  Just like doing the wave at basketball games, stomping at football games, or yelling "charge" at baseball games.  Sometimes I just have to shout because it is the only adequate way that I can express who God is to me, what God has said ,or what he has done in that moment for my life.   I mentioned in another post that I once found myself shouting in my son's hospital room.  That was two months ago.  My youngest son was hospitalized for 6 weeks after waking up paralyzed suddenly by a condition called transverse Myelitis.  Nothing that he did or we did caused it.  It just happened, and my bouncing baby boy stopped walking, talking, and even crying because his muscles were too weak.  An MRI showed swelling on his spine....

Put your hands up.  The bible gives us many examples of lifted hands.  In my search for spiritual and social meaning in everyday life, I have found myself thinking about what it means to put my hands up.  People put their hands up at concerts or sporting events; when an officer is about to make an arrest they tell the suspect to put their hands up. There are even songs telling us to put our hands up. Church people put their hands up too.   I even saw my one year old putting his hands up last week while listening to some good preaching online.  Here is why and when I put my hands up.  Worship:  noun reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred. formal or ceremonious rendering of such honor and homage: They attended worship this morning.   (dictionary.com June 24,2020)   Worship requires a recognized, permanent, and direct imbalance of power. One is above and one is below by a defini...