What Is Genuine Religion?

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21)

James advises us to get rid of all that is wrong in our lives and “humbly accept” the salvation message we have received (“the word planted in you”), because it alone can save us.

The word of God that has been implanted in the believer’s heart should be received with meekness—describing a teachable spirit—without resistance, disputing, or questioning. Receiving God’s Word in this way will save the believer’s soul, a word meaning “life.” Sin leads to death (James 1:15).  Obedience prevents death; it protects a believer from sinful behavior that can lead directly or indirectly to physical death (James 1:15; 1 Cor. 11:30).

Do You Have Genuine Faith?

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2:14-17)

When someone claims to have faith, what they may have is intellectual assent – agreement with a set of Christian teachings – and as such it would be incomplete faith.  True faith transforms our conduct as well as our thoughts.  If our lives remain unchanged, we don’t truly believe the truths we claim to believe. 

God became man.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’”  (John 1: 14-15)

The Son of God who was from eternity became human, with limitations in time and space (Phil. 2:5–8). This is the doctrine of the incarnation: God became human. Nothing of the essential nature of deity was lost in this event; we might rephrase became as “took to Himself.” John uses the word flesh to refer to the physical nature of humans, not to our sinful disposition (Rom. 8:1–11). 

He has Risen! He has Risen Indeed!

Following is my post on 'He has Risen! He has Risen Indeed!", that I posted on Easter Morning, 2010. The story of our Lord and Savior's raising from the grave never changes and it always sends chills down my spine. Please allow your minds to envision that blessed morning narrated from the book of John. God bless and have a blessed Easter with your loved ones.

It was an early Sunday morning, after Jesus’ death, when a sad group of women made their way to His tomb. It hadn’t been that long ago when they watched in horror as their Savior, the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, had been brutally beaten and then crucified. Oh, how their hearts must have been heavy with disappointment, grief and sorrow. But soon their disappointment, grief and sorrow would turn to excitement and joy when they discover that Jesus had risen from the grave and that He was ALIVE!

And the Word was God!

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (John 1:1)

Genesis 1:1 starts with the moment of creation, “In the beginning”, and moves forward to the creation of humanity.  John 1:1 starts with creation and contemplates eternity past. The fact that the Word was with God suggests a face-to-face relationship.  In the ancient world, it was important that persons of equal station be on the same level, or face-to-face, when sitting across from one another.  Thus the word “with” indicates a personal relationship, but also implies equal status. The Word, Jesus Christ Himself, is an active Person in communication with the Father (1 John 1:2).  Moreover, the Word was God.  The word order in Greek shows that the Word was “God,” not “a god.”  This is a straightforward declaration of Christ’s deity, since John uses Word to refer to Jesus.  The Word was of the very quality of God, while still retaining His personal distinction from the Father.

Is Rob Bell a wolf in sheep's clothing?

Evangelical mega-church pastor Rob Bell

supports homosexual ‘marriage’

BY MURRAY VASSER

March 19, 2013 (MurrayVasser) - This Sunday Rob Bell, a popular Christian writer and speaker, came out in support of homosexual marriage. He stated, "I am for marriage. I am for fidelity. I am for love, whether it's a man and woman, a woman and a woman, a man and a man. I think the ship has sailed and I think the church needs -- I think this is the world we are living in and we need to affirm people wherever they are."

Bell went on to talk about love: "I would say that the powerful, revolutionary thing about Jesus' message is that he says, 'What do you do with the people that aren't like you? What do you do with the Other? What do you do with the person that's hardest to love?'"

For all his rhetoric on love, however, Rob Bell is demonstrating that he does not love homosexuals. Click "Here" to read the complete article. _________________________________________________ 

I find this to be a very interesting article about a well known Christian Evangelist/writer who has come out publicly in support of gay marriages.

As a Believer in Jesus Christ I have always been taught that we should always love the "sinner" but hate the "sin".  In God's eye one sin is no more serious or less serious than another sin.  "God hates sin!"

My question is this:  Is Pastor Rob Bell a wolf in sheep's clothing and should he be labeled a "false teacher" of God's Word?

God Loves You!

Well folks, it has been over a year since I've made an entry on my blog.  Over the past year or so I have been doing a lot of soul searching when it comes to who my Lord and Savior is.  Meditating on God’s Word and providing the TRUTH of the Gospel has always been my intentions in the writings published on this blog.

I realize that there are lots of folks out there in cyberspace that may not believe in what I have to say, but I’m here to tell you that Jesus Christ is alive and He wants EVERYONE to come to an intimate and personal relationship with Him.  God loves you.  Don’t wait another day to become a part of God’s Family.