risen star

As a Christian, I simply need Jesus. My Savior came and shed his blood upon the tree on Calvary because he loved me. He was buried and subsequently resurrected unto life again by the Holy Spirit of the Living God. He came again and taught his disciples before he was raised bodily into Heaven and received of a cloud where he stands at the right hand of God our Father. He sent Jim Shaffer unto me to preach and teach the Gospel to me after I was made ready to hear it. The Father revealed unto my heart that Jesus was in fact his Son who has been made Lord over all and is the express image of his person. And now I have the Spirit of God in me and he teaches me the truth about the word of God and empowers me to do all his will. I have received a love of the truth and desire to walk in all his ways through the power of his Spirit and not according to my own strength. The love of God is being perfected in me and shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit and I have no fear of standing before him when judgment comes. I simply need Jesus as both Lord and Savior. I need to love God and hate evil. End of story.

Amen Brother! That is as good of a Christian pledge as I have ever heard.

How will we be judged when we enter God's presence?

I believe that the answer is as simple as understanding the words of the two thieves who were crucified with Christ! One thief mocked Christ and the other seems to have repented and accepted Christ as God! This accounting from St. Luke speaks nothing of baptism nor works.

Luke 23:39-43

New International Version (NIV)

³⁹ One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”^(A)

⁴⁰ But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹ We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”^(B)

⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.^[a]”^(C)

⁴³ Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”^(D)

Yes I have accepted Jesus, I have always been a Christian...I am just in a seeking period of my life where I am striving to better understand my faith. I don't think that every person is good, but that every person has the potential to BE good. And anyone with the potential to be good should be allowed eventual release from their tortur

It is not a matter of being good or bad but rather do we accept Christ as our savior? We all have the power to save ourselves as the thief on the cross who accepted Christ and was promised salvation. John 3:15 "that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

20 years in the Air Force from 76-96. The last 11 in the Reserves. I actually found the reserves the more difficult. On active duty I guarded nukes and B-52's, all quite routine, day in and day out, through the cold of South Dakota to the snow in the upper Peninsula of MI. I thought finishing up in the Reserves while raising a family would be a cake walk and I was wrong. Many do not realize what the Guard and reserves really accomplish in their required service days. The training and commitment was more than I expected and I often think that those men and women do not get the respect that they deserve. Do to cut backs these soldiers and airmen are being tasked above and beyond the call of duty. Lets not forget these men and women because their commitment is stronger than ever. God Bless them all.

I also wanted to remember my grandfather who I barely knew who fought in WWl and had is life impacted from mustard gas and my Father who served during Korea. Both have passed and their proud service will always be with me.