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Musings on Faith #1
The Good News of Faith | |
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Dear Readers, Beginning this week, the old Tuscaloosa Shopper is being transformed into the "good news" Tuscaloosa Sun, and I have been given the wonderful opportunity to write the Christian column for each week's paper. And what greater Good News is there than that we can have Salvation by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ through simple faith! I have determined that this will not be an article about religion, but about Faith and our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit. I thought about naming it Reflections on Faith, but believe the word "Musings" will more accurately reflect where this column will be going.
I am old enough now, at age 59, to understand that our relationship with God is a journey, and on any long journey we encounter all sorts of unexpected twists and turns. Therefore the word "musings". My faith now is not the same as my faith when I was saved and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior in my mid-twenties. And as our relationship with God is a journey, I know that my faith will evolve and grow even more as I continue to grow older. Because it is written in modern English, and a literal translation and not a paraphrase, I will |
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primarily be using the NIV Bible. However, sometimes the King James is so beautiful, and a passage so familiar to us from that time-honored translation, that I will quote from the King James instead, or perhaps from both. I have been reading in Ephesians lately, and the first Scripture I want to share with you comes from Ephesians, Chapter 5, verses 19b through 20, "Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ". You know, the Book of Psalms is replete with references to singing and dancing in celebration of God's love and watch-care over us, but here is Paul, telling the Ephesians to "sing and make music in your heart to the Lord". Sometimes, when I'm feeling a little down in the dumps, I'll listen to hymns, or old Southern Gospel or Bluegrass Gospel singing. Not just listening, but singing along, my spirits are lifted and my direct link to the Lord God is restored. Why? Because I am singing and making music in my heart to the Lord! Next week, we'll talk about verse 20, which conveys one of the most important aspects of the Believers walk with God. Yours in Christ, Tom |
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