What must I do to be accepted by God? Read my Bible daily? Worship constantly? Pray without ceasing? Feed the poor? Evangelize my neighborhood? Attend church regularly? Tithe? The Apostle Paul tells us this: “I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ.” (Philippians 3:9 CEV). “He [God] made us accepted in the Beloved.” (Ephesians...
The Invitation
We come… Nothing or no one can prevent us… There are not obstacles that can stop us… The admission price has been paid. The invitation extended. There is no barrier between us and Him. We come boldly… Awed by His majesty… Humbled by His Presence… Yet knowing His scepter is always extended. Knowing we are accepted. Knowing we will not be turned away. We come boldly to His Throne of...
Perform
About a year ago, something happened that caused me to question my calling, question my motives, and generally caused me to loose confidence in my ability to speak. In retrospect, I know it was an attempt by the enemy to shut me up. But nevertheless, in the moment, it was hurtful. As I look back over the past year, I see how God used that wound to strengthen me, teach...
Hamster Wheel Life
For most of life, I had a spirit of “religious duty”. I thought the more good things I did, the more faithful I was, the more I attended church, the more God would love me. In essence, I was working for my salvation and acceptance. The problem with that is if I can “earn” God’s acceptance, then I could “lose” God’s acceptance. So I lived this dual life. On the...