Easy Believism

I heard the term, "Easy Believism" today for the very first time. Of course, I googled, youtubed, etc to try to see what others out there are saying about the term. Believe it or not, I was even more confused by searching for a definition because it was complicating to even figure out what some of the people were talking about, and I am fairly certain that the term, itself, may very well be one of the best descriptions that I've ever heard before as far as being a Christian goes...despite it's "complexity".

Let's make this "easy".

Easy: not hard or difficult; requiring no great labor or effort

Believe: to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something (I don't think "believism" is a real word more than just an idea -- it wasn't on Dictionary.com).

There are people out there, Christians, that feel like they have to "do" certain things in order to be saved: tithe, be a good person, wear a dress to church, live right, use a certain version of The Bible, pray to Mary, recite certain prayers in unison, not eat meat for a couple of months, or for that matter, go to church on a regular basis! Some people don't even feel like they are even "saved" unless they do certain things.

These "things", according to the Bible, are called "works". Remember that word...

Let's break this down a little.

Ephesians 2: 8-9 --- For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not that of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Read it again...slower....

For by GRACE you have been SAVED THROUGH FAITH.......and NOT that of yourselves.......it is the GIFT of God......NOT OF WORKS....lest anyone should boast.

NOT. OF. WORKS.

That seems pretty straight forward to me, doesn't it?!

So, is it that "easy" that all we have to do is "believe?"

YES.

Wow! That's pretty awesome! What an awesome God we have!

So, HOW do we get saved? Say a prayer? Go to church? Be a good person?

NO!

What's it say? "...through FAITH," right?

Hmmmmm......

Faith: belief that is not based on proof

Look at that, would ya?! Faith = Belief

Easy. Believism.

Yes! It is easy!

You should look these up for yourselves, and use the "20/20 Rule" (Read 20 verses before, and 20 after), but here are a few snippets of Scripture that point to EASY BELIEVISM!!

John 1:12 "...the right to become children of God to those who BELIEVE in His name."

John 3:16 "...that whoever BELIEVES in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 3:36 "He who BELIEVES in the Son has everlasting life..."

John 20:31 "...and that BELIEVING you may have life in His name."

Hebrews 11:6 "...for he who comes to God must BELIEVE that He is..."

The only place in the Bible that there is more than the requirement of "believing" is written in Romans.

Romans 10:9 says, "that if you CONFESS with your mouth the Lord Jesus and BELIEVE in you heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

So, basically, you have to BELIEVE, and then, acknowledge that you BELIEVE!

Once you've gotten this straight in your heads, you'll realize that, by BELIEVING in Jesus, all of the "WORKS" just kinda happen. Not because you feel like you HAVE to, but because you WANT to!

By Grace.....through Faith....not that of yourselves...

It is the GIFT of GOD!

No one truly has to WORK for a gift that is given from the heart! Especially from the heart of God!

Finding Peace

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

I do grant you My peace, My child, as I have promised. My peace is often hidden in the inner depths, under the turmoil of your thoughts and fears. To find my peace, you must choose to go behind and beneath those troublesome waves. Your human reasoning tells you such an abandonment of "reality" is foolish if not impossible. But I tell you that it is neither foolish nor impossible --- and that true peace can only be found here. In the world you will have tribulation - the "surface" will often be turbulent. Sink beneath and discover.

11-18-2009
~daily devotional~

I Got Your Back

I've thought a lot about this blog post over the last few weeks. The Perfect Friend, of course, is Jesus, but we have been given Sisters in Christ to help us to, first and foremost, grow in our walk with the Lord, hold us accountable for our actions, laugh at us, cry with us, and just to LOVE us for who we really are. Not for just the surface love, no! The deep down love that no one else really even knows exists; the stuff we wouldn't even share if we were playing "Truth or Dare." That's what my Sister in Christ knows! And I wouldn't have it any other way. She has one of the largest chunks of my heart, and to be able to share that with her, makes me smile!

My sister is struggling right now, Lord. Be with her and hold her close. Give her peace. Give her an open heart to receive the things that you want her to receive. For as much as I love her, You have loved her SO much more, and you have her life in the palm of Your hand.

11-11-2009

~prayer journal~

"We both cried that day. I realized that I had been blessed with a friend, but more than just a friend, a sister in Christ! She prayed with me Saturday, and afterward, she cried. I could see her love for me was deeper than any other friendship."

~~***~~

"Lord, thank You for Your perfect timing! Thank You for answering my prayers after all these years. I've wanted a friend, and boy, did You deliver! Guide us in our lives as Christian women, wives, and sisters in Christ. Help us to remember to put You first in all that we do! Help us to be the examples that You have required us to be for other women, and be with our children. Give us patience and endurance for now and the years to come, that we may love our children the way You have loved us."

02-28-2010

Thank you for my friend.

No matter what you are going through, your friend, your Sister in Christ, will be there for you, and that is one of the most comforting feelings in the world!

Forgiveness, in a Nutshell

If your forgiveness doesn't visit the emotional core of your life, it will be incomplete. We acknowledge that it hurt, that it mattered, and we choose to extend forgiveness to our fathers, our mothers, those who hurt us. This is NOT saying, "It didn't really matter;" it is NOT saying, "I probably deserved part of it anyway." Forgiveness says, "It was wrong. Very wrong. It mattered, it hurt me deeply. And I release you. I give you to God.

- excerpt from "Captivating"

How Does This Little Mind Work, Really?

Sam has renamed us...notice the difference between the girls and the boys...

Mommy "Uno" Corley

Rachel "Uno" Corley

Emily "Uno" Corley

Sarah "Uno" Corley

Daddy "Fwamingo" Corley

Cody "Fwamingo" Corley

Samuel "Fwamingo" Corley

I know that the "Uno" part comes from watching Dora and Diego, but I couldn't even begin to tell you where "Fwamingo" comes from. I guess that just the "mystery" of Sam.

I love how he still struggles to pronounce his "L"s! Soooo cute!

Never Apologize for Your Faith

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

~Hebrews 4:16

Boldly –adjective, -er, -est. 1. not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring: a bold hero. 2. not hesitating to break the rules of propriety; forward; impudent: He apologized for being so bold as to speak to the emperor. 3. necessitating courage and daring; challenging: a bold adventure. 4. beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action; imaginative: Einstein was a bold mathematician. a difficult problem needing a bold answer. 5. striking or conspicuous to the eye; flashy; showy: a bold pattern. 6. steep; abrupt: a bold promontory. 7. Nautical . deep enough to be navigable close to the shore: bold waters. 8. Printing . typeset in boldface. 9. Obsolete . trusting; assured. Idiom  10. be / make(so) bold, to presume or venture; dare: I made bold to offer my suggestion.

Synonyms

1. fearless, adventurous, brave, valiant, intrepid, valorous, dauntless. 2. Bold, brazen, forward, presumptuous may refer to manners in a derogatory way. Bold suggests impudence, shamelessness, and immodesty: a bold stare. Brazen suggests the same, together with a defiant manner: a brazen liar. Forward implies making oneself unduly prominent or bringing oneself to notice with too much assurance. Presumptuous implies overconfidence, effrontery, taking too much for granted.

In Case You Were Wondering...

There's a Scripture in the Bible that really just sums it all up...but you have to read it in little sections and really think deeply about what each section is REALLY saying. Let's see if I can break it down a little.

Jeremiah 29:11-14

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity...

________________________________

The Lord is perfect, first and foremost.

He knows EVERY thought that He thinks about you, and they are only good thoughts (..of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope). Praise God for a future and a hope!

The Lord is PERFECT and everything He thinks about you is good and intended to give you a future and a hope? WOW! Who else looks foward to your future like that? And we know that it's gotta be GREAT. This is the Lord we're talking about here.

Call Him, and He will LISTEN. That doesn't mean that He'll only listen when He feels like it, or when you are calling on Him about a more pleasant subject, or even when you don't even know why you are calling on Him. He's Listening. He said so. He's perfect! Just talk... 
 
Another promise: When you search for Him with ALL your heart, you WILL find Him. That's HUGE! That doesn't say anything about going to church every Sunday, wearing the right clothes to church, giving enough money, no....NOTHING like that. You SEARCH --> You FIND! It's that simple.

Searching isn't always easy. Sometimes it may feel that you are searching all over the place like you're playing flashlight tag with dead batteries. You LOOK everywhere, but you just can't see. I completely understand this. I've totally been there.

But, it doesn't say to just "search", does it? It says, "...search for Me with all your heart."

So, grab your flashlight, plug in some super strength, long lasting batteries, strap on a helmet lamp, and SEARCH! You wouldn't go hunting without your gear, would you? You wouldn't go fishing without your nets, would you? You may find it difficult to search for anything in complete darkness, but if you begin your search prepared, it will be so much easier to find the Prize. The only item needed when searching for Christ is an open and accepting heart.

***Remember this***
"...And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."

No More Waiting

Acts 22:16 

'And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'

I decided to stop waiting. The cool part about it, is that Rachel and I stopped waiting together. I never would have imagined that I would be getting baptised....and especially with Rachel! Ang's Kate also got baptised, so that was a very special day for us all to remember. Immediately after we were baptised, I cried uncontrollably for nearly 15 minutes, in Rusty's arms.

I have never felt so close to God in my entire life. Ever.

What an awesome day!

Sad, Mysterious, & Hard Core Me...

Harley

Piano Chics

Me!

So Purdy!

Look at the Change in a Year

Say After Me....

We are adults. We are adults. We are adults...

Hats Off!

No words can explain...no words.

Hard Core Kiddo

What's That in My Teeth?

Destin did us right as far as the crab feast was concerned! Well, actually, there's NOTHING that I would change about the trip. As soon as Angelyn decides to get the pictures out, I'll update the blog.

Yummmmmmm.....

Heeee's Baaaackkk!!

Snuggles is back! He's here for the week, and I swear, the Littles could care less about anyone's existence...other than his. Rusty and I have been calling him Snowflake...which just makes me chuckle a little. We've also called him Sampson & Snuffleupagus.

Bitty

It's quite entertaining to find the littles in some often strange places.....this one, I blame on her Dad!

Sweet Little Emmy

Emmy is almost two years old!! She is 21 months old today. In the last few months, little miss has really grown up! She is talking. She is talking ALL of the time! Her vocabulary list is quite extensive these days too! She'll pretty much say anything you say to her, and, be careful....she repeats things that you may not want repeated!

Lots O' Littles