salvation – Counted Faithful

My Salvation Story

Awhile back I posted my salvation story on my podcast. I have been thinking about how I got saved and when I accepted Christ as my Saviour! It is something that I hope I never get over!

Listen to My Salvation Story

Share your testimony here!

I can tell you that I am saved but I am the only one who really knows what I did at that moment and whether I truly accepted Christ. And the same goes for you if you are saved, you are the only one who truly knows.

Our salvation and our love for Christ is made known by our works. Don’t confuse this as our works saving us, because it doesn’t work like that!

Once we accept Christ, we should grow in our Christian life and draw closer to Him every day.

This brings me to a hot topic in Christian circles and that is the conversion of Kanye West. You and I don’t know whether he truly accepted Christ as his Saviour nor is it our right to judge him. I pray that if he did accept Christ, that he would continue to grow in Christ. That he would surround himself with people who are scripturally sound to lead him. I pray that his influence on others would point people to Jesus Christ.

With that being said, I am still not going to listen to his new album because I believe you can’t mix the world with spiritual and be pleasing to God. I still wouldn’t attend his church because I believe he still needs to grow spiritually. But I will continue to pray for him.

Can you imagine where you would be if people criticized your salvation testimony and experience? Would you still be in church or would you still be serving God? Let’s pray for those newborn Christians that they would grow in Christ and point others to Him!

——————————————————————————————————————————

Thanks for your continued reading! If you would like to support us but love shopping on Amazon more, just click on this link to shop! When you do, we get a little kickback, it is just something that helps keep this blog going!!

——————————————————————————————————————————

Listen to the Counted Faithful Podcast!! You can also support us by supporting the podcast!!

***********************************************************************************************************

It is my dream to one day be creating content full-time, inspiring and motivating people to be faithful to Christ through different streams of media.

Please consider making a donation through PayPal.

—————————————————————————————————————————–

We appreciate your support!

Let Us….Assemble Together

Have you ever wondered why you go to church?

Have you ever thought about the reasons why you make church attendance a part of your life?

I was thinking about the Biblical reasons why I go to church. To me, these aren’t really reasons but commands. Commands from God for the Christian that should be obeyed.

As you have probably noticed, this blog is ad sponsored. I am an Amazon affiliate and any time you click on this Amazon link and purchase something, I get a small commission from it. Audible is the audio app by Amazon. Right now, when you sign up for a 30 day free trial, you can get 2 FREE audiobooks! Also when you sign up for a free trial you help me out immensely!!

Go check it out!!! Thanks for reading and thank you for your continued support!!

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

This is one of the most recognized verses when it comes to church attendance. We are command to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. I have always thought and believed that this verse was about church attendance Sunday morning, Sunday night, and the mid-week service.

Over the last few months, I have started to question this verse and what it actually means. In Sunday School a while back, my teacher stated that he believes it means everything that a church has to offer, you be there and be a part of it.

So no, I haven’t question my church attendance and whether I should go or not, I have question how faithful I am to other church events and activities.

It makes sense if you think about it. The Bible states “…and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” That day is the day of the Lord, the Return of Christ! We should want to assemble with our fellow believers whether it be in church or soul winning or activities and events.

This verse tells us to exhort one another. Exhort one another to do what? To be faithful in assembling in church and its ministries and events. Exhort means to strongly encourage or urge to do something. In this day that we live in, it is hard to get people to attend church faithfully, especially with all the worldly things that we have in our lives. That is why God used the word exhort, so that we can STRONGLY encourage people to be faithful!

If you don’t faithfully assemble with your church and your do more forsaking instead of assembling, I am exhorting you, encouraging you, begging you to find a good church and get involved. Why? Because the Day of the Lord is coming and we need as many people as we can to spread the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to this lost and dying world!

I want to focus on verses 22-24, the verses that proceed the well-known verse of “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…” What is being said that is leading up to this verse?

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22 What are we to draw near to? It is talking about the house of God as mentioned at the end of verse 21. When I read this verse, I think about salvation. I see that as we draw near, we should do it with a true heart, full of assurance of faith. When accept Christ as your Saviour you have to be true with yourself. You have to know and believe that you are a sinner who deserves Hell. You have to know and believe that you Christ and Christ alone is the only way to Heaven.

The first step in assembling is association by salvation. Yes, I know and I believe that everyone who goes to church isn’t saved. For 27 years, I was one of those unsaved church goers. Judas Iscariot served alongside Jesus Christ Himself, yet still was lost. When I look for a church to attend, I want to assemble with people who are saved followers of Jesus Christ. Yes, it is our job to witness and and lead people to Christ but I believe church is for the fellowship of the believers. The Bible says in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” When looking for a church, the first thing you should look for is how the church presents the Gospel. You need to look for a church that presents the Gospel biblically, that the only way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ. Because this is how I believe, why would I attend a church that believes different? Why would I attend a church that believes that salvation is through baptism or that good works are the way to Heaven? Why would I attend a church that believes if I give my life to Christ, I will be saved?

If I am going to be a part of a church, I want to make sure it lines up with what the Bible says about salvation. The Gospel presentation that a church endorses should be Biblical and line up with the Scriptures with no man-made guideline in the presentation. I want to make sure that I am associated with a church that believes salvation is through Christ alone!

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” Hebrews 10:23 In the next verse, I see what I call our association by stand. The church you attend and the stand it takes helps define you. When I talk about the term ‘stand’ I am talking about the stand a church takes on separation from the world, the stand a church takes doctrinally. It is like that old saying, “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” I want to be a part of a church that takes a stand for right, that takes a stand against wrong. A church that takes a biblical stand on separation and standards we should live by. It is alright to have guidelines and rules in place in your life to help protect you from the evil and the wickedness of this world. I want to attend a church and surround myself with people who are living a separated life and standing against wrong also. Now, I do not believe that everyone that even attends my church lives a separated life according to the Bible, and if we were all honest with ourselves, we all have room to grow. But I know that I am able to go to church and for the most part escape the world and its influence because of the type of church members that also attend.

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:” Hebrews 10:24 The last thing that I see that we should consider is our association by service. I want to be associated with a church that believes salvation through Christ alone, I want to be associated with a church that stands for right and stands against wrong. Lastly, I want to be associated with a church that has a desire and a heart for serving others. What good is a church if it isn’t concerned about reaching others for Christ and being a blessing to those in its community? I want to be surrounded by people with a heart of loving and serving others. A church that is concerned with loving, serving and witnessing to others is a church that is growing. Find a church that will provoke or stir you up and encourage you to love and serve others. Each one of us individually also need to encourage those around us to serve and be a witness.

Where we go to church matters! I have stated it in previous posts that I am an Independent Baptist and I wouldn’t have it any other way. But in choosing which Independent Baptist church I am going to attend and be a member of, I want to make sure my association with that church is Biblically correct in salvation, stand and service.

——————————————————————————————————————————

***********************************************************************************************************

If Amazon isn’t your thing, then head over to our t-shirt shop to get your very own Counted Faithful t-shirt!

——————————————————————————————————————————

Listen to the Counted Faithful Podcast!! You can also support us by supporting the podcast!!

***********************************************************************************************************

It is my dream one day to be creating content full-time, inspiring and motivating people to be faithful through different streams of media.

Please consider making a donation through PayPal.

—————————————————————————————————————————–

We appreciate your support!

My Rant About A Rant

This past week, I have seen some social media posts and videos about Christians and Christianity that have rubbed me the wrong way.

Before I speak my mind, I will be the first to tell you that I am not perfect. If you know me, than you know that is the truth! I know I have a long way to go in the Christian life, but it is a journey and I am on that road…even though I have been and still get side tracked a little.

I get tired of hearing everyone else push their agenda and their opinion so I am going to push mine…which I try to line mine up with the Bible.

So this video I saw was a guy talking about how a lady judged him about his tattoos and he spent 6 minutes ranting on Christianity and religion and judging the lady that judged him….and the title of his video was “Don’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover.” I think that is ironic but whatever.

The first thing that got me was that he said he was a Christian but he hated Christianity and religion because they were man-made and man run. So you are telling me that you are something you hate? The statement about Christianity and religion being man-made really got me because Christianity isn’t man-made. To become a Christian, you have to have Christ as your Saviour. Once you have Christ as your Saviour, you should live and follow what He teaches throughout the King James Bible, that is Christianity. Religion on the other hand is man-made…anything that replaces or adds to Christ as the one true God is a religion and is made by man.
The next thing that got me is the statement about he made about church. He said that the most self-centered people in the world “go to this place called church.” Sounds like he is degrading the church. Now I understand that there all kinds of churches out there, but since I am a Baptist that goes to a Baptist church, I take this personal. Last time I checked Matthew 16:18 was still in the Bible. This verse says, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Going to church is still important. If Jesus Christ, the author of our Christianity, made it important to go to church that Sunday night of His resurrection, than we should still make it a big deal to go to that place called church!
So I had to get this next statement word for word so I can make my point. Here is what he said… “Christians fall into this world cycle where you can’t hang out with this person or you can’t associate with that person because they are not of equal yokes as you are. Or you can’t listen to that music, or you can’t be friends with that homosexual couple over there. Because they are not equal as you in the Christianity standpoint! Now I also understand that if you believe Christianity in the book of the Bible, there are certain things that you cannot support, because of your religion. I get that. But to separate yourself from those people entirely that you claim are the main reason, the main focus of Christianity which is to reach people that do not know God, have never heard the Word of God, or aren’t living the way the Bible says they are supposed to live. How are you going to do that if you consider yourselves better than them and you never associate. You see the Jesus I have a relationship with and the Bible I read teaches a much different message than that” – Graham I know that is a long statement and I tried to get it word for word as he said it…the link to the video is here, but continue to read and come back and watch. Well, the message that my Bible (King James Bible) teaches, is that to not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. “Be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” II Corinthians 6:14-15, 17 My Bible teaches not to be yoked with unbelievers. My Bible teaches that if I am trying to live a righteous life, not to fellowship with unrighteousness. My Bible teaches light doesn’t have communion with darkness. My Bible teaches that Christ has no concord with Belial. My Bible teaches what part does have a believer have with an infidel. My Bible teaches to come out from them and separate myself from them and to touch not the unclean thing. You see, we are called to be witnesses of the Gospel to the sinner, that doesn’t mean I have to yoke up with them to win them….that is where you get lifestyle evangelism. I don’t have to associate with the homosexual crowd, the drunk crowd, the high crowd, the lustful crowd, to preach the Gospel to them. So yes, one of the things to being a Christian, to being a follower of Christ, is to be separated, to no be unequally yoked…that is the message my Bible teaches me.
He wraps up his video “quoting” John 3:16 and he talks about God’s love. He says that we need to love the way God does and not judge people. I agree, we shouldn’t judge others, because we have to much in our own backyard to be pointing out the trash in someone else’s! Yes, God is love. God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us and for our sins. Why did God do this? Because, He hates sin so much that He created a place called Hell for that sin. We forget that God is a just and equal God. As much love as God has, He has hate. As much goodness as God has, He has wrath. So if God can love the sinner and hate the sin, don’t get mad when I try to do the same. We as Christians have lost our hatred for sin, in our quest to love others. If we truly hated sin and how it destroys lives, than we could truly love the sinner and be the witness they need.

I know some may like this and some may not, but like always, I try to back up my thoughts with the Word of God.

So I will end my rant with this, I will continue going to that place called church and I will continue to follow the message my Bible teaches by not being yoked with the unbeliever and I will do my dead level best to hate sin and love the sinner like God does.

Oh and by the way, the Bible still says, “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:28 The Merriam-Webster definition of tattoo is an indelible mark or figure fixed upon the body by insertion of pigment under the skin or by production of scars. Notice the word in common between the definition and the verse…the word ‘mark.’ I will let you come to your own conclusion on what God says about tattoos!

Check out our store for your new t-shirt!

Prime Day is coming!!!