Holding On To The Simplicity and Truth of the Gospel

I have been on a journey of faith. For a while, I was a woman without a church because the church I was attending started teaching things that were not in line with the Bible. When a pastor says “If God exists…” we have a problem.

I have been doing a lot of research and reading. And then a trusted friend recommended that I watch a two-part documentary titled, American Gospel. The first part if Christ Alone, and the second is Christ Crucified.

As I was watching the documentary, what I was most amazed at was how many “Christian” scholars are trying— and have been trying for decades— to redefine the Gospel. I am not a theologian, just a simple woman. But I am also of the belief that the Bible was meant for the common man to read and understand. These scholars are twisting the Bible’s words to fit their world views, by redefining foundational tenets of Christianity in a way that aligns with schools of thought like Buddhism, New Age and other post-modernist movements. And in the process, what they come up with anything BUT Christianity. The belief by these men and women is that anything outside their way of thinking is “outdated.” It was scary to watch. One of the points that stuck with me was the arguments that the Gospel isn’t about Jesus because He himself talks about the Gospel in the Old Testament, therefore— He cannot be talking about His death on the cross. At that point I thought I was being punked because it makes no sense when you understand the Trinity.

But I love how beautifully one of the traditional pastors interviewed put it:

“Jesus IS the Gospel. In the Old Testament He is predicted; in the Gospels He is revealed; in Acts He is preached; in the Epistles He is explained; and in the Book of Revelation He’s expected.”

Again, I am a simple person who wants to understand the simplicity of God’s love for us. I do not need a theologian who does not agree with the Words in the Bible, to bring confusion and chaos into my simple woman faith. I choose to believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and His love for us. His sacrifice for us. I do not take that lightly. But these past few months I have been on a rediscovery journey and I have been heartbroken at so many professed Christian leaders who are teaching something that doctrinally is not Christianity. So I continue to pray for discernment and clarity about my life, but above all against the false teaching of wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Have a blesses week, friends.

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I may link to some of these linkups—

Mondays Inspire Me Monday, Hearth & Soul
Tuesdays Insta Encouragements, Tell His Story, Anchored Truth Tuesdays
Wednesdays Worth Beyond Rubies, Welcome Heart, Wonderful Wednesday Soaring with Him
Thursdays Imparting Grace, Heart Encouragement, Be Thee Inspired
Fridays Friendship Friday Grace & Truth, Farmhouse Friday
Saturday Amanda’s Books & More, Pink Saturday

Weekly Run Down ~ Hello September!

Hola friends! Well, you are probably confused as to what is happening.— it’s simple. I closed my Trail Bound blog and stayed with this one, since I post mostly about gardening these days. Plus I really do not have time for two blogs. :) But I’m still here.

The last you heard about me at Trail Bound was that I was recovering from gallbladder surgery. That was 40 days ago and I am finally on the mend, especially having more energy and stamina. Enough that I have a better physical fitness routine now. All the incisions are healed which is great because with incisions in the belly button and stomach, my core strength is none existent at this moment. I am still not up to running, but I can now walk 3-4 miles without getting dizzy or nauseous, and it feels great.

Plus I have to tell you that being able to go for walks has been a God-sent for me and my husband. The past few weeks have been heavy for us with the situation in Afghanistan. None of my deployments were to Afghanistan, but my husband did deployed there. And watching all this unfold has been baffling. Let me clarify something because I have been asked about this— we service members knew that this was would come to an end. We wanted it to come to an end. But the execution was disgraceful. This is not about politics because all the presidents since this war started are responsible for how we got to this point. But the chaotic execution of this withdrawal is embarrassing. For us personally, its been busy. Thankfully, all the interpreters my husband had during deployments are in the U.S., but their families remain there. So he spent the past two weeks connecting with the interpreters and checking up on them, and getting updates on their families. One of them had his brother arrested in retaliation and another cousin killed. From emails to Senators to phone calls with their staff, it has been busy. But above all, emotional for so many brothers and sisters in arms who are still questioning if their sacrifices were worth it. So, I am sure you understand how being able to get outside has been saving my sanity by being able to step away and breath. I am thankful for the ability to do so without fearing I will be arrested or shot because I am a woman out on my own wearing shorts and a tank top. But anyhow…. sorry for the rant.

So this is the weekly recap for this past week:

• Monday: Walk 45 minutes (3 miles). It was so great to just get out and get some fresh air!

• Tuesday: Gym— light strength training, stretching

• Wednesday: Walk 45 minutes (3.5 miles— although that last half mile was rough). It is important to note that Fall is definitely in the air, because the temperatures have really cooled off in the mornings (low 50s) and I am actually not hating it.

• Thursday: Stretching, Light Core Workout

• Friday: Decluttering— Marie Kondo style— the bedroom and finally tackled the garden. This was quite a workout! Phew! Afterwards I had a new favorite beverage, Athletic Brewing Company’s non-alcoholic beer. I am one of those people who likes the taste of beer, but I do not like the alcohol part, so I very rarely drink.

• Saturday: Light gym workout

• Sunday: Trail walk ~ 30 minutes. It’s the first time I’ve been to the trails since… I forgot when the last time was. It was gorgeous and so wide open. I really enjoyed walking there especially because it is not steep, so it is great to ease back into it.

And that is all for this week. Here is to a new week full of blessings, prayers of thanksgiving for life, and the ability to move our bodies and stay healthy! Joining the Weekly Run Down with Kim at Running on the Fly.