PATHWAY TO GOD

   The pathway to God is through the word of the Lord, which is the Bible, and nothing else.
   For the Bible says,

   "So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

(Romans 10: 17)

      If we will believe in the word of God, then we will also believe that the pathway to God is not based on my church membership, nor is it based on my affiliation with a religious institution.

     Moreover, the pathway to God is not based on water baptism, nor in participation in rites, rituals, and traditions.

     The pathway to God is not based on my entrance to a temple, shrine, or cathedral, nor in the belief that I must go to building to meet God because God does not dwell in buildings made by human hands.

     Beyond this, my pathway to God is not based on whether my shirts and pants are starched and pressed, nor by the way I comb my hair.

     My pathway to God is based on God and not me, and not in the things that I do.

    God is interested in my soul and His relationship with me.

    For when I was without God and knew Him not, He came looking for me instead of me looking for Him.   

     "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of ourselves:  it is the gift of God:  not of works, lest any man should boast."  

 (Ephesians 2: 8-9) 

   In other words, we cannot save ourselves from sin because of the things we do.  If we could do that, then we would die on a cross for our sins instead of Christ.

   The pathway to God is through the word of the Lord, which is the Bible, and nothing else.

AN ELECTRONIC GENERATION

   As long as people feed their minds from television and iPhones, they will have difficulty believing anything else.
   Has America raised an electronic generation, a generation that relies on television and iPhones to tell them everything they need to know that they believe is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
   Have we raised a generation that refuses to read, research, and study in order to gather information to make up their own minds?  Or, are they allowing others to make up their minds for them, to believe as others believe, and to do as others do?
   The attention span of people is very short these days, especially as people are watching television or holding iPhones in their hands.
    It is also difficult to share a meal with others because their iPhones are closer to their plates than the silverware.

     "Excuse me,"  they say, "but I need to take this call.  Very important."  
     Then they say, "Hi, Susie.  How was your date last night?"

   Even out on the golf course people will stop the game and brake their carts in the middle of the fairway and say,

     "Excuse me, but I need to take this call.  Very important."
     Then they say, "Hi, Johnny.  How was your first day of kindergarten?"
     They cup the phone to tell their partners and whisper, "It's my grandson."  Then they go on to talk about fishing and camping and everything little Johnny got for Christmas, item by item, while other golfers are in a traffic jam, backed up to the first tee.

   Have you ever seen people in churches clinging to their iPhones instead of their Bibles?
   Watch him.  He's flirting with the girl in the choir, left side, next to the piano:  "Brush your hair if you see me."
 
   For the electronic generation, their only interest in news is selfie news, such as selfie cars and bars, pools and pets, and selfie Christmas trees that light up the night and will surely win Tree of the Month.
   On social gathering places on the internet, if the electronic generation does not like people such as you and me, or do not like what we say or post, all they do is click and turn the page; for we are not the important people in their lives even though they call us friends and will also tell us they love us from time to time.
   How quickly will this blog post today get a click and turn the page?
   There was so much I wanted to tell you, but now you are gone.  I thought we were friends.

The Adventures of Christmas

   If we should take away the green trees, Santa Claus and presents, what would people do at Christmas?  Or would Christmas be the most boring time of the year?
   Without Christmas, there would be no office parties, no traffic jams on interstate highways, no cruises on the seas, and no family vacations at beachfront condos.
   There would be no toys for tots, no electronic games for kids of all ages to play throughout the day, no mistletoe to tack above the doors, and no shopping malls wall to wall with people.
   There would be no candlelight services in churches on Christmas Eve because there would be no "'twas the night before Christmas and all through the house."
   Above all else, there would be no football games and no pumpkin pie at grandma's house on Christmas day.
   Oh, my!
   What would people do without the adventures of Christmas in their cities, in businesses, in neighborhoods, and in families once a year?

      "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
       And the angel said unto them, Fear not:  for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."  

(Luke 2: 8-11)

CUSSING

   In my lifetime, I am amazed and astonished at the number of people, as members of religions and churches, that curse after leaving their houses of worship.
   They cuss at work, cuss while driving in traffic, cuss at school, cuss while standing in lines at restaurants, cuss while playing golf or while watching Little League baseball games, cuss on the telephone with neighbors, friends, or relatives, as well as cuss while watching politics and sporting events on television.  They even cuss in front of their children and grand-children as if their little ones need to be like them.
   And then, at their appointed times of weekly worship, such as 5 o'clock on Saturday evenings, or at 10:30 or 11 on Sunday mornings, they return to their religious institutions or churches, sit on the pews, kneel to pray, stand to sing, repeat the words they have learned to repeat since they were children, such as "the peace of the Lord," or "God is good all the time,"  shake hands with the preacher or priest---being mindful to thank him or her for such a lovely message---and then leave the buildings and quickly return to their cussing:  as if cussing to them is as normal and natural as eating gravy on biscuits is normal and natural to a hungry stomach.
   I am also amazed and astonished when I hear some of these people, from time to time, actually desire to talk about God, who is holy, while the words of the devil are still sizzling on their tongues!
   How can these things be?  How do these people justify talking like the devil yet still believing they have something important to say on behalf of God and that others should listen to them!---as of they wrote the book on "In God We Trust".
   If I should invite you to go to church with me, would you go because you would want to understand a wonderful change in my life?  Or would you think that going to church with me would help you to be better at cussing?
   Have these people never heard of the Bible, that says,

"Let the words of my mouth

   and the meditation of my heart,

be acceptable in thy sight,

 O LORD, my strength,

and my redeemer."

(Psalm 19: 14)

THE GIFT OF FAITH

   If you never set a goal to par a golf course, you never will.
   If you never set a goal to play a musical instrument, you never will.
   If you never set a goal to read the Bible, you never will.
   If you never set a goal, you will never accomplish anymore than you are accomplishing now.
   At the end of your days, however, you will look back at your life and realize all that you could have achieved had you only set a goal.

      "When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that is in thee also. 
       Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands." 

(2nd Timothy 1: 5-6)

   Faith in God is a gift from God.  

   Therefore, if we will stir up the gift of God that is in us, which is faith in God, and let God help us in our talents by setting goals, the results that we can achieve will be far greater than our own expectations.

   Faith in God is a gift from God, and there is no greater gift than this.

      "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, 

the evidence of things not seen."

(Hebrews 11: 1)