Verse of the Day - Acts 4:11-12

Scripture says that Jesus is " 'the stone you builders did not accept. But it has become the most important stone of all.' —(Psalm 118:22) You can't be saved by believing in anyone else. God has given us no other name under heaven that will save us."
~ Acts 4:11-12 (NIrV)

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I watched the film, "Malcolm X", for the first time recently. And I was given a good glimpse of some of what the Muslim faith believes, and more so, what the Nation of Islam (NOI) believes (or used to -- I was told that some of their beliefs and stances have changed some over time.) But Jesus was absent from any discussion, any speech, any ponderings. It was Allah -- the Supreme Being; yet, more prominent than even He was the teachings of "the honorable Elijah Mohammed." Although Elijah Mohammed was credited for rescuing Malcolm X from the dregs of gangs and drugs while in prison, eternal salvation was actually not discussed. Our souls in peril from the wages of sin was not brought up or addressed.

I was also recently reminded of what the virgin Mary has become in the Catholic church, and I was rather flabbergasted. The Immaculate Conception is not the conception of Jesus, but rather the conception of Mary, who according to the Catholic faith, was sinless. In fact, some Catholics believe that Jesus sinned. So, Mary becomes the Redemptress -- and Jesus becomes what? I don't know. Certainly not the sinless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, because only a perfect divine sacrifice could take away our sin.

The Church of Scientology was started in 1952 by L. Ron Hubbard, a science fiction writer who makes some extraordinary claims about our existence and our future. No mention of God at all, and from one source that I read, Jesus is considered 'fictitious' to them. After reading what Hubbard has spun into a religion, I can only say that it all sounds like fiction. No grounding in empirical facts at all -- it's pretty amazing to me that so many have gravitated to this spiritual thinking. But many, many have.

I stake my very life on these facts: Jesus is the Son of God, one with the Father and sent by the Father to rescue the dead. He is the only One who can bring us to life. He was the sinless Lamb, put on the cross altar so that His shed blood would pay our penalty.

God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. ~ John 3:16 (NIrV)

I believe what God has said in the Bible. I believe that Jesus is the only name that we can call on to be saved from our sins, and the wages of them -- which is death. It's not Muhammed,, it's not the virgin Mary, it's not our inner dimension. It's Jesus, and Jesus only.

Do you believe that? Would you stake your life on Him? If so, you have believed the truth that God speaks. If not, I encourage you to check out God's truth in the Bible. And ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you. Because He will. And then you will know the truth, and it will set you free...(John 8:32).

Love,
Joelene