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Whats up my dear family and friends. I continue to miss all of you but it is not long before I return to the emerald isle. I have had a slight chnage of plans since my last blog entrance. I am still returning to Ireland and will be arriving into Dublin on friday the 8th of June, only two weeks away! Father G has told me to put my plans of planting a Church in Cork on hold for a few years but I believe that it is something that will take place at the right time. No need to rush into it! I will be in Ireland for three weeks before I return to Perth at the end of June. Presently I am staying in Auckland with the Moses, a Christian family that Peadar introduced to me during the world cup when we stayed in the summer flat on the beach in north Auckland. I am staying with them till Monday when I fly to Perth. In Perth I will be staying with my cousins for the ten days that I am there and hope to organise a job for when I return in July.
The main reason for me writing this particular blog though other to give you all a cheeky update is to fill you all in on the difference between Christianity and Religion. I have been Christian five months now and one thing I can say with certainty is that I am not religious! Many of you have presumed to think and call me very religious now that I am Christian but let me explain exactly why I am not. Christianity is unique in the fact that it is the only faith which is not a religion- as a 'religion'- by definition means "to be bound" by rules and regulations and rituals in order that one may attain salvation.
This is in stark contrast to the teachings of the most anti-religious person there ever lived- Jesus the Christ.
Jesus taught that the truth would set you free and that it would be faith alone in his sacrificial death and resurrection for our sins which would save us and not our good deeds.
"For it is by God's grace that you have been saved, through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God's GIFT, so that no one can boast about it." (Ephesians 2: 8-9)
This means that (although good in themselves and recommended) it is not by attending 'church', being baptised or even believing in God!
To put it plainly: We are saved by faith and demonstrated by good works- but it isn't the works themselves that actually save us.
"His choice is based on His grace, not on what they have done. For if God's choice was based on what people do, then His grace would not be real grace." (Romans 11:6)
You see, religion is humanity trying to reach God by their own efforts whilst Christianity is God paying the price Himself- in essence- reaching down to us it is a RELATIONSHIP with our creator.
That about sums up the difference with the main point being that Christianity is a relationship with Jesus. I hope this encourages all of you to think that I am not religious and to be honest I hate that word altogether. I can't wait to see all of you. Blessings of peace and love.
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