Empty Wallet and a Heart of Gold

A K-Mart store in Kentucky is going out of business.  A man decided that he was going to buy up the rest of the stock, and donate it to charity.......Read the article below.....

Kentucky Man Buys Everything

We as Lutherans see the only way to righteousness is through faith.  That's all hunky-dory and everything, but what does God REALLY think?

If you regularly read my blog, you know that my church hands out water bottles to people stopped at red lights in town.  We are also encouraged to pay for the meals of other people in the restaurant or fast-food drive thru.

This man, however, BOUGHT AN ENTIRE STORE'S STOCK and donated it to charity.........I used to say doing good deeds makes you a real Christian.  Is this true?  I want to think so, but the Bible doesn't.

Romans 3:21-26 

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood —to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished — he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

This man has a big heart, and an empty wallet now.  I'd like to see him as a true Christian.....

Justin Bieber Doesn't Need To Go To Church

I saw this posted on another blog (here).  Apparently, Justin Bieber doesn't feel the need to go to church.  Here's an article on it.

In a coming of age cover story photographed by Inez & Vinoodh, the soon to be 18-year-old pop singer discussed his rising fame, paternity suit controversy, and his views on faith and religion.

Bieber, an unabashed Christian, is known not to shy away from his beliefs in public, seen in his candid declarations of faith in Jesus, whom he believes died for his sins, to his visits to the holy land of Israel.

Most recently, the Canadian star turned heads again with a new tattoo – the face of Jesus Christ adorning the back of his calf.

With more to say about his faith, Bieber, who is currently recording his next album Believe, told V Magazine, according to the New York Post, “A lot of people who are religious, I think they get lost. They go to church just to go to church.”

“I’m not trying to disrespect them ... but for me, I focus more on praying and talking to Him. I don’t have to go to church.”

Responding to his statement, Dan Kimball, pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, Calif., told The Christian Post that he agreed and disagreed with what Bieber was saying.

“[E]very Christian according to the New Testament is to be in some form of structured local church, whether a house church or large church,” the pastor stated. “We are not meant to be following Jesus without being in a Christian community, where if we are not there part of it, we are missed and noticed.”

“I do agree with him that some Christians can see ‘going to church’ as the basis for their faith, and that then becomes incorrect theology too,” Kimball noted.

Justin has got this all wrong. 

Matthew 18:20“Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them”

There's a verse in Hebrews that states,

"And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. "

I have spent about half an hour searching my Pastor's blog that features a sermon he gave to my church just weeks after being installed as pastor back in 2007.  I think I found it.

I hope he doesn't mind I copy and paste this here.

Preparing For Jesus