an introduction

First let me tell you why I am starting a blog. In September 2011 I heard and answered the call to become a preacher. Once I did, all kinds of things started happening. For one, the Devil went on the attack. He does not want me to do what God desires for my life. I think that that is cool. Why you may ask? Because it means I am doing what I am supposed to be doing.

Today in Worship service, I realized that what I have been doing for God so far, has never seen the light of day so to speak. I have kept it all to myself on my computer, so the only person it is of use to is me. I can't become much of a preacher if I am my only audience. So, I decided to start this to share with you, what it is that I am learning from Gods word, and to allow for a chance to have my work looked at and commented upon by others.

Let me say, that I have been a Christian since August 1, 1970. I grew up in a Southern Baptist Church. I have spent a great deal of time in my past, reading and learning about God, but until recently, I have not spent much time studying the Bible in an in depth manner.

So, about a year or so ago, I enrolled in a 3 year Bible coarse, and have learned a great deal. I want to make a very important statement...I am not a man who feels he has discovered new and previously unknown revelations from God. I have no grand delusions that I know everything. I believe in Gods word. I believe that if it is not in Gods word, then the information is not from God. I believe that all scripture is true, that the Bible is complete, and that it is the inspired word of God handed down to man through divine revelation. I believe that God is and was in complete control of his work, and knows what he was doing. There is nothing new that I or anyone else could or should add to Gods words. I believe that my only job is the share with you, the information I have learned from Gods word, and how it may be applied to our lives today.

Now, I know that that was a bunch of stuff all thrown together, but as time goes on, I will outline this in more detail. I have learned over the past year that some things that I previously believed was in the Bible is in fact not there. I believed it because I took at face value what other people have told me. I believed it because they were my religious teachers, my pastors, my spiritual elders. I did not take the time to check it out for myself. I did not look to see if what I was told was in Gods word or not. Boy, did I make a big  mistake.

I'm not saying that any of my teachers intentionally tried to mislead me. In fact, I believe that they might not have been told the truth, or maybe like me, they did not study Gods word to see if what they were told was really in the Bible ether. Like me, they accepted what they were told for the same reasons.

In my limited studies, it looks like many things have been added by men who may have had good intentions, but messed things up a great deal for believers everywhere. I have seen where pagan practices have been incorporated into our churches, and since they have been there for as long as they have been, we accept them as though God ordained them and approves of them.

Some of what I will be writing will make you smile, some will make you upset. But, everything I write will to the best of my knowledge, be from Gods word, and will be based upon his authority and not mans. If your religious beliefs are based on man made rituals and practices, you need to read Gods word to see if they were commanded or ordained by God.  If your religious beliefs are based on books or writings other than the Holy Bible, you need to stop reading those books, and get back into the words actually given to us by God himself. I am of course referring to the so called Lost books of the Bible, or books that were written by men claiming to be inspired by God, but who's words contradict those actually given to us by God. If your religious beliefs deny the truth of God, or paints a picture of God that is contrary to the Holy scriptures, you are being led astray. If your beliefs teach of an impersonal or uncaring God, or promote violence, you need to find a real Bible and read about the real God. If your book and beliefs teach that there is more than one way to get to heaven, or a way other than through Jesus alone, you need to reevaluate your beliefs and find the true God.

So, who am I? I am a Bible believing man of God. A man who is no longer afraid or unwilling or just plain foolish enough to not check Gods word before accepting the beliefs or words of others. I am a Christian. I am a father, a husband, a brother and a son. I am human, and as such I know that I can and will make mistakes, but I will not be led astray from the truth of Gods word. In it you can find wisdom, strength, happiness, understanding, healing and truth. No words of mere men has that power. No traditions of man can replace the truth or Gods word. Gods own word tells us how he is and desires to be worshiped. Gods Son provided the way, the only way. And, the truth of scriptures provides the only way to salvation.