Good Works Do Not Equal Grace

It is “religious season” right now. For all of the C & E “Christians” (Christmas and Easter) this is one of the two times each year when they clean up their act and try to do good things. Religion, by my definition, equals man made rules and regulations, created and used by those in position of 'authority', to manipulate and control others ... while attempting to force them into their perceived image of God, and their particular ideas about how to live and serve God. 

I’m not a fan of religion—I am a fan of a personal relationship with Jesus. For me there is no “season” of doing good. My challenge is 24/7-365 to live in such a way as to honor and serve God in all I do. I don’t give up trifling things for short, 'special' periods of time—calling it a fast. I don’t pray out loud before every meal. I don’t burden myself with religious traditions that do little to help me have a personal relationship with Jesus. 

This time of year is no more “holy” than any other time –God is holy, just, and righteous year round and, by the way, He is not confined to our calendar. So whether we celebrate Easter in March or April matters not to Him. He would much prefer we “celebrate” the significance of Easter every day in our lives. I’m a simple preacher. I don’t think God made the Bible to be overly complicated. Look at this section of scripture: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV).

I ran across this cute, but also poignant short clip about the difference between “good works” and “grace,” and wanted to share it with you today. Enjoy, but also consider ...



We are saved by grace—God’s grace, and God’s grace only. So while I think it is quaint—the traditions man has come up with relating to certain times of the year to give thanks and celebrate—I’m vastly more grateful for God’s amazing grace. Thanks to His grace toward me, my “file” is clean. I do good works, of course, but it is His grace that has set me free. If you are in the Saginaw area I invite you to come check out a church that focuses on a personal relationship with the living God instead of how well you dress or what you have done in your life. I will offer you the opportunity to do good works, but more importantly I will teach you about God’s grace, and how to have a growing, intimate relationship with Him. No suit or tie required—just a willingness and desire to be the person God created you to be. 

Keep the Faith ...

Pastor Dana

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'God' Explained by an Eight Year Old

Something a little different to share with you all today. I ran across this short but charming and remarkably insightful essay that was written by--get this--an 8-year-old named Danny Dutton, who lives in Chula Vista, CA. He wrote it for his third grade homework assignment, to "explain God." I wonder if any of us could have done as well?

EXPLANATION OF GOD

One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grownups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn't have to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.
 
God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times besides bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it off.
 
God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they already said you couldn't have.
 
Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any in Chula Vista. At least there aren't any who come to our church.
 
Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him preaching to them and they crucified him. But he was good and kind, like his father, and he told his father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said O.K.
 
His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his hard work on earth so he told him he didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps his dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important.

You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time. You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God Happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God!

Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway.
 
If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared, in the dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into real deep water by a big kid.

But ... you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.

And ... that's why I believe in God. 


IMPORTANT REMINDER! If you have not yet, please show your support for SLM by signing up to "Follow" this blog - you will find the "Follow" button in the upper right hand corner of this front page. Receive email updates on new posts, visit often and leave comments! - all of this helps us in our efforts to grow our readership and social network visibility. Also, if you are able and wish to contribute to our ministry with all of its valuable community outreach programs, please CLICK HERE and make a pledge and/or one time donation. We need your help! These programs cost money! Sow your seeds into the garden of the Love of Jesus that we at SLM are devoted to cultivating!

Freedom From Addiction

A Message of Freedom by Pastor Dana

 

 Is this the Jesus you serve?

Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. 1 Peter 5:8-9 (The Message)

There is a plague that has swept across our great country, a plague that has hit especially hard here in the Saginaw area – the plague is addiction. Michigan passed a medical marijuana law making it legal for medicinal use of the substance. The ensuing flood of applications for medical marijuana use cards overwhelmed the state. Really? We have that many people who have true medicinal needs to use the substance? No – what we have is a situation in which that many pot smokers have been enabled by money-seeking doctors. Physicians who are all too willing to charge $200 a person to “diagnose” a “patient” with some chronic condition. 

Since when has being lazy, un-employed because of refusing to look for work because of having a sore back, knee, or some other boo boo constituted a chronic condition? Since the passage of this law, it seems, as these doctors are now lining their pockets with loads of cash and keeping addicts well supplied with their drug of choice. I have yet to meet a person who has what I would perceive as an actual chronic medical condition that would justify the use of marijuana. What I have met are many, many addicts all too happy to flash their medical use card as if that justifies their life of bondage and addiction.

Within a five block area in what is called Old Town Saginaw you can find over a dozen drinking establishments. Multiple party stores line the city streets, making alcohol readily available; every grocery store has well-stocked alcohol products. In Saginaw County there are currently 345 active alcohol licenses in use, making this all too often abused substance readily available to continue to destroy individual lives and tear apart families.

Legally prescribed drugs also are abused and sources of addiction. Children are drugged into zombies so teachers don’t have to teach discipline in the classroom and parents don’t have to parent – just give little Johnny some Ritalin and then tell him to "just say no" to drugs. Depression and other psychological issues such as bi-polar disorder are common now as it is becoming harder and harder to find people who are not taking some kind of drug to treat something. We are the fattest nation on the planet as food addiction has also taken root, something I know about all too personally.

This Pastor doesn’t see a demon behind every bad thing that happens. What I do see is that in my area there is a demonic stronghold of addiction. In my own congregation I cannot name a person who has not either directly or indirectly been affected by addiction in a negative way. Knowing this and having a strong desire to see people get set free I decided it was time to act. No marches or public rallies. I’m not going to write a book or make TV appearances. I’m going to pray.  

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)

I’m also going to invite you to pray with me and, if you need it, to get set free from the bondage of addiction--be it physical, emotional or spiritual. Beginning this Saturday night, and continuing on weekly thereafter, we are holding an evening service that will be a night of worship, prayer, healing and deliverance. The services will start at 6 PM. Anyone is invited no matter their church affiliation or lack thereof is. These evenings will be times of freedom and refreshing – they will be a time to get set free. Addiction does not have to control your life anymore. Do you want to be free? Do you have loved ones who need to be set free? Come Saturday night and let the awesome presence and power of the One True Living God flood over you and completely set you free.

Keep the faith …

Pastor Dana Wilson

Church Location: 1215 S River Rd., Saginaw, MI 48609

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IMPORTANT REMINDER! If you have not yet, please show your support for SLM by signing up to "Follow" this blog - you will find the "Follow" button in the upper right hand corner of this front page. Receive email updates on new posts, visit often and leave comments! - all of this helps us in our efforts to grow our readership and social network visibility. Also, if you are able and wish to contribute to our ministry with all of its valuable community outreach programs, please CLICK HERE and make a pledge and/or one time donation. We need your help! These programs cost money! Sow your seeds into the garden of the Love of Jesus that we at SLM are devoted to cultivating!

Seeing All People Through the Eyes of Jesus

Welcome! This is the first post on our new blog, and we want to invite you all to visit often for spiritual food, sustenance, energy, power, and ...

FREEDOM!

The title of this post is our purpose, passion, and mission, also the title of our theme song - which will also be the background music to a new promotional video we will be posting soon here on this blog.

"Seeing all people through the eyes of Jesus." Non-judgmental, unconditional, all-encomapssing love, surpassing and breaking free from all boundaries. Here are the lyrics to our theme song:

Seeing All People Through the Eyes of Jesus

Seeing all people through the eyes of Jesus (It’s all about Love, it’s all about Love)

Seeing all people through the eyes of Jesus (It’s all about Love, it’s all about Love)

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We don’t care if you are broken – we don’t care if you’ve gone far

Up or down, stoned or sober, good or bad – We see you and love you as you are ...

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Seeing all people through the eyes of Jesus (It’s all about Love, it’s all about Love)

Seeing all people through the eyes of Jesus (It’s all about Love, it’s all about Love)

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We don’t care about your colour – don’t care what money you got or not.

We’re a family – brothers, sisters, living large – You and we are rising, shining stars!

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Seeing all people through the eyes of Jesus (It’s all about Love, it’s all about Love)

Seeing all people through the eyes of Jesus (It’s all about Love, it’s all about Love)

Come on and join our non-religious, dogma-free spiritual community, our family of brothers and sisters walking and growing in the light, extending our hands to anyone who wants true freedom from all boundaries, limitations, and restrictions in their life, with life abundant and everlasting!

Thanks for stopping by, come again often, and remember ...

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