Do you think people can "earn" their way into heaven? Why or why not?
Simply said, no I do not think that people can earn their way into heaven. It is not about what we do, because as humans we can do nothing. It is acknowledging the fact that Christ did everything on the cross. That is what gets us into heaven. I think that after we have accepted Christ as Savior and ruler of our lives there are things that happen because of the change of our hearts. I think things like serving the homeless, giving to the poor, or any type of ministry really are things that God cares about. Once we are seeking God’s will I think that those things become our passion because they are so close to God’s heart. After being redeemed we realize that we are worth nothing and we can do nothing. As humans we are worthless, but Christ gives us that worth in the world by sacrificing himself. So we could never attempt to earn our way into heaven because we don’t have the power, and that’s not what it is about. The bible makes it clear that it is not by works but by faith that we get to experience the kingdom. I think that your heart transforms because of your faith, and you then seek to build the kingdom because you realize that is what God wants. You can do nothing to earn heaven but simply accept the free gift that Christ offers by knowing Him.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
My Thoughts About Tithing...
There are certain habits that are necessary for a Christian to grow in depth in their relationship with God. Things like prayer, spending time in the word, and serving others are all important in furthering a relationship with Christ. While all these things are very good, I feel that tithing is also just as essential.
It is a physical acknowledgement that everything we earn and everything we have, is not our own. Sacrifice is important in recognizing that God is in control. At times money may seem nonexistent and hard to give up, but I think that it is in those moments that our faith can be grown in unimaginable ways.
I think that ten percent of a person’s earnings should be given to either a church or ministry of calling on a regular basis. If there are other causes, and ministries that you feel lead to contribute to I say go for it. Those extra things should be prayer-fully considered and thought about before giving. In my opinion I think it is important to first contribute your initial ten percent consistently to a specific cause. The church that you attend on a regular basis should be considered when tithing. I feel that this topic can be divided in complete opposite directions. Many are very passionate about only giving to your home church, while other don't give their tithe to the church at all. In my opinion I feel that the church you attend should absolutely have a percent of your tithe. However, I also think that there are benefits to contributing to a particular cause.
I would just like to state before I continue, I say the following things not for my own glory. I will also be upfront and honest in saying that even though I try my best I often fall short in my goals for giving. Tithing is something that should be done in private. My personal priority is to tithe directly for the church with my initial ten percent. Then when other opportunities are given as far as supporting other people or giving money to a particular cause arise I pray and think about how much to give and seek my motivations behind the giving. Another thing that I like to do is to keep a container to toss spare change into in my room, after a while it adds up. I am then able donate it to supporting a child.
The motivation behind giving is the most important thing here. Telling people how much you tithe for your personal glory or just to make yourself feel better isn't okay. So once again I don't mention this to brag. This is what I try to do, and it isn't perfect. But after prayer and talking with people much smarter than me, I have found this works best for myself as an individual.
In conclusion I think that tithing only enriches your relationship with Christ. Habits take awhile to develop, and it is important to be persistent in developing a routine. I have found that so many times God is faithful to you when you are faithful to Him. He will provide and astound you in ways you could never imagine. Tithing is a biblical principle and it is my opinion that each person that calls themselves a Christian should give. To a certain extent it takes more than just saying, "I'm a Christian." The relationship can only go so far. Getting in the word, spending time in prayer with God, and giving are all sacrifices that we must do in order to deepen and enrich our faith.
It is a physical acknowledgement that everything we earn and everything we have, is not our own. Sacrifice is important in recognizing that God is in control. At times money may seem nonexistent and hard to give up, but I think that it is in those moments that our faith can be grown in unimaginable ways.
I think that ten percent of a person’s earnings should be given to either a church or ministry of calling on a regular basis. If there are other causes, and ministries that you feel lead to contribute to I say go for it. Those extra things should be prayer-fully considered and thought about before giving. In my opinion I think it is important to first contribute your initial ten percent consistently to a specific cause. The church that you attend on a regular basis should be considered when tithing. I feel that this topic can be divided in complete opposite directions. Many are very passionate about only giving to your home church, while other don't give their tithe to the church at all. In my opinion I feel that the church you attend should absolutely have a percent of your tithe. However, I also think that there are benefits to contributing to a particular cause.
I would just like to state before I continue, I say the following things not for my own glory. I will also be upfront and honest in saying that even though I try my best I often fall short in my goals for giving. Tithing is something that should be done in private. My personal priority is to tithe directly for the church with my initial ten percent. Then when other opportunities are given as far as supporting other people or giving money to a particular cause arise I pray and think about how much to give and seek my motivations behind the giving. Another thing that I like to do is to keep a container to toss spare change into in my room, after a while it adds up. I am then able donate it to supporting a child.
The motivation behind giving is the most important thing here. Telling people how much you tithe for your personal glory or just to make yourself feel better isn't okay. So once again I don't mention this to brag. This is what I try to do, and it isn't perfect. But after prayer and talking with people much smarter than me, I have found this works best for myself as an individual.
In conclusion I think that tithing only enriches your relationship with Christ. Habits take awhile to develop, and it is important to be persistent in developing a routine. I have found that so many times God is faithful to you when you are faithful to Him. He will provide and astound you in ways you could never imagine. Tithing is a biblical principle and it is my opinion that each person that calls themselves a Christian should give. To a certain extent it takes more than just saying, "I'm a Christian." The relationship can only go so far. Getting in the word, spending time in prayer with God, and giving are all sacrifices that we must do in order to deepen and enrich our faith.
Monday, October 5, 2009
What if...
What would your parents or other family members say if you brought home a person from a different race than yours and said you were in love with that person and thinking about marrying him or her?
I don’t think the initial problem would be the fact that the man I was bringing home was from another race. I think the problem would be that they had never heard about the person and I was thinking about marrying him. I am very close with my family and I think they would be more hurt by the fact I was hiding something that huge from them.
I grew up in a family that was around and accepted many different races. There was never a negative stigma towards anyone with different colored skin. As cliché as it sounds, we were truly taught to judge by character and not color.
However, I do think that there would be some concerns. The first problem my parents would have would be that the fact that it would just be hard. There are different cultural backgrounds that are often hard to mesh. Then when children are brought into the mix there are whole other sets of troubles that are added to the big picture.
I know that as a whole my family would definitely have some things to get use to. I know that their feelings would never stem from racism, but at the same time, there would be an awkward elephant in the room at first.
In the end if I were truly in love with a Godly man, and we both were certain that it was God’s will for us to get married… we would. And after my family observed our relationship and realized it was meant to be they would eventually accept it.
Yes, they would be concerned at first. But I have so much hope in all of them that if they knew it was what I wanted, and God’s will I would with out a doubt have their support.
I don’t think the initial problem would be the fact that the man I was bringing home was from another race. I think the problem would be that they had never heard about the person and I was thinking about marrying him. I am very close with my family and I think they would be more hurt by the fact I was hiding something that huge from them.
I grew up in a family that was around and accepted many different races. There was never a negative stigma towards anyone with different colored skin. As cliché as it sounds, we were truly taught to judge by character and not color.
However, I do think that there would be some concerns. The first problem my parents would have would be that the fact that it would just be hard. There are different cultural backgrounds that are often hard to mesh. Then when children are brought into the mix there are whole other sets of troubles that are added to the big picture.
I know that as a whole my family would definitely have some things to get use to. I know that their feelings would never stem from racism, but at the same time, there would be an awkward elephant in the room at first.
In the end if I were truly in love with a Godly man, and we both were certain that it was God’s will for us to get married… we would. And after my family observed our relationship and realized it was meant to be they would eventually accept it.
Yes, they would be concerned at first. But I have so much hope in all of them that if they knew it was what I wanted, and God’s will I would with out a doubt have their support.
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