Spirituality or Religion: Don't Let Other People Control Your "Beliefs"

We all have to follow rules and laws for the sake of community. However, refrain from being someone you're not just to be popular. This includes going to someone's church just on account they want to save your soul. If that's the case your soul can be saved anywhere.Just talk to God. Disreguard those who harp on and on about religious truth if you truly don't want "no religion." Am I telling you not to worship God? Let's clarify here... belonging to an organization doesn't make one a good Christian. Anyone can be a Christian... not all will be good at it. You do the best you can and keep trying. Many churches don't care if you really believe as long as you're scared silly and put on a make-shift face though some do care about god's people. By the way we're all god's children. Pretending won't get you to heaven.

You know how they ask you if you're going to heaven? That's a bunch of bunk. Only Christ himself knows if you're headed for paradise or waiting to boil for eternity. You don't get rewarded simply for believing or acting as though you believe. If that's the case some nut job could kill a hundred people and just before shooting his or herself call out to Jesus. You do have to learn from your mistakes and you can't learn if you're dead.

In response to being called a hypocrite my friend used to say,"heaven is full of hypocrites. There's room for one more." When we're little children we all think we know how our lives are going to turn out with minimal thought into the fact that we spend our lives turning... into who we are. If you've done something before you might do it again. True. Only time will tell. There is no instant salvation. God saves us everyday if we're willing to save ourselves. Being dunked in water by a holy man won't change your heart if we're hell bent on hell. Redemption is a process. "Getting saved" is no more than a symbolization of the change taking place on the inside where what's going on really does count. You can get down on your knees and be baptized by the light yourself. In short the lord saves people. Can people save people? Certainly, we are all capable of influencing each other, but we're not getting anywhere when we force it.

If your brother wants to become a mormon let him. Pray to God; not to your brother.This doesn't mean you can't pray with someone who wants to pray with you. Somehow we trick ourselves into believing we can play God. If we're not directly involved in our neighbors' salvation they won't burn in hell because of us. Should anyone ask for your hands on assistance by all means it is your duty as a Christian to be there for them. Just remember that salvation is a spiritual matter as well as a personal one. Sometimes by muniplating someone into going to your church all you're doing is getting in the way. Inviting a wayward soul to your church is a kind gesture, but the second time they should contact you if they want to join you for Sunday service or show up all by themselves. Pray they will and then what you have is faith in God rather than blind faith in your ability to turn people over to a God they don't yet believe in. Spread God's message; not your own. So, does this mean you shouldn't go into the ministry. As long as you work for God and not just your church go ahead, but if you really want to beg for lost souls go ahead. Who am I to stand in the way? The best street preacher will carry a bible, set up a sign and watch 'em flock to Jesus. When they see an invitation first they'll be more likely to listen to one. Don't be afraid to tell a lost soul God loves them, but leave it at that unless they want more. Modern day Christianity lacks a nesessary, discretionary sort of common sense.

People will say they're better off than you spiritually when they're as lost as the next guy. Think Richie Rich who spends all his money and winds up broke, but in his sports car [the last thing he has left] he assumes society won't have a clue]. Many persons go spiritually bankrupt and still they walk around with their noses up in the air. All those priests who've had affairs know the truth better than most of us as far as what it means to wear the clothes belonging to yesterday's preacher .We may think the priest is cheating on God, but anyone who has ever particpated in infidelity has cheated God. It is possible to loose salvation or you never really had it in the first place. None of us are exempt from back sliding. If your an alcoholic, falling off the wagon doesn't mean you don't believe in God anymore. It means you've lost your spirituality ; not your religion.

God will forgive. He doesn't even see you any differently than he did the day before you slept with your best friend's husband. Everytime you winked at that guy across the street God already knew what you were going to do
Heaven is a pleasant place. Don't take it personally if you don't get in. You don't have to hate an intravenous drug user to keep him or her out of your home. So, what really keeps people out? State of mind... if you have a bad attitude you can read that bible until you're blue in the face and you're still not getting into a pleasant place. Hate. ...the inability to forgive....spite... extreme jealousy... all may be cause for expulsion. So- called -christians who are always pointing the finger may find themselves burning in hell. Luckily, I have no say over gets in or not. You can thank God for that, but how we treat others has a lot to do with where we'll spend eternity.

If you "believe" in God because you fear hell what you really believe in isn't God. You well might believe in hell, but God is in heaven and all around us in our daily lives. Faith is in fact knowing deep down. Please, don't be swayed backwards on your spiritual journey just cause non believers don't agree that "everything will work out." The miracle is free in God's eyes. We are actually paying the world when we work extra hours in order to pay the electric bill. God requires no payment; only faith. However, without faith God can do very little for us. He helps those who are willing to help themselves. Pray for a better job if you need one and be willing to work. Just know that we all have to pay the world at some point. If you work hard and are poor the world has more to do with the situation than God. Making a long term dream come true may not seem like work to the faithless, but let them be. Often we do have to disconnect from the world in order to be one with God. Does this mean you should quit your job as a fry cook? No. Yet, if you don't have a job as a fry cook and you're getting by barely instid of dedicating all your time to the daily grind write that book you've been planning on if you know you're not getting off your butt anytime soon. People have been known to waste away complainging their dreams have never come true while they're not doing a damn thing. If you have always wanted to be a writer and both of your legs are broken you don't have an excuse. Truth.

Of all the spiritual mistakes I've made the one I'd like to change might surprise you. I wouldn't have let anyone pursuade me to worship the way they do. I'd have allowed God to decide through prayer and meditation.