We spent the last week with our grandparents in the Wild, Wonderful, West Virginia, since we hadn’t been up to visit them for the past two years! Those who have been following me on Twitter were able to read all that happened to us, while we were up there. Everyone else probably just thought I stopped blogging!

I took the laptop along with us and my new 50$ 56k dialup modem so I could connect to the internet to update/read twitter, post pictures and read emails. It was still slow, but it was better than nothing

I also took the camera along with me (how could I leave without it?) and took 1300+ pictures in just one week! Generally about 200-300 pictures a day, but sometimes less than that. So needless to say, I have a ton of pictures on my hand that I’ve got to dig through to post. I’ll just make a separate post with pictures, and give some of the details of the trip in this one.

The day after we arrived, Pap had an appointment in Winchester, VA at 5:30am for them to pump some cement into his cracked vertebra. They left early in the morning, so we didn’t get to see them leave (err, at least I didn’t….). He is doing a tad bit better, but still has lower back problems.

We did make several trips to my Aunt’s house where we took pictures, met with the rest of the family, and was able to connect to her wireless network with highspeed internet!!

We ate out at several different restaurants, such as Ruby Tuesday’s, Linda’s Restaurant, Hobo’s, Dairy Queen and Chick-fil-a. We helped Gran clean the church (since they are janitors), and we went bicycle riding down the Great Allegheny Passage Bike Trail, with Uncle Wayne, Aunt Mel and Kyle.  We had a fun time doing that (since it was all downhill!) and getting to see the steam locomotive that rides from Cumberland to Frostburg with passengers.

Overall, we had a great time up there visiting with our grandparents and relatives, along with the bike riding and sight seeing!… apart from me getting car sick a few times

I’ll be making a follow up post that contains some pictures

June 1st, 2009, this day last week, I told Mom that maybe I should just go ahead to the DMV and see if I could pass the test. (I just took a practice test online and only missed 1 question).

So when we went to Richmond that day, and our first stop was the DMV. Of course, as always, the place is jam packed full. It was difficult enough to find a section of three seats that were not being used. The place was very cold (probably to keep people’s tempers from flaring) and the automated loudspeaker was annoying.

We had probably sat there for an hour before they called our ticket number, and then we went up. We gave the woman my birth certificate, Social Security Number, and Mom’s driver’s license. Then she found out that someone else had already been using SSN, and had to fax the SSN department to ‘force’ my name to my number (which took about another half an hour compared to her estimate of 10 minutes…).

Finally, after that, they had me go up and get my picture taken, and sign my name on the digital pad that doesn’t show you what you write. Then I was told to sit down over in this group of chairs and wait for my name to be called.

I had only sat there a minute or two, an older man behind the desk called up another person. “You’re on computer 4, closest to the window…. Err, I mean computer 5… Good luck.”

So I waited, beginning to get nervous like I do with any tests. “SELF”, called the older man. I was somewhat taken off guard, because I was expecting him to say my entire name, I walked up to the desk and said “Yes sir.”. “You’re on computer number 4. Good luck.” “Thank-you, Sir”, I replied, and walked into the row of computers, clean to the back at computer number 4.

Now is when the nervous frustration really began. I started to sweat, and my legs began to shake. The computer was a touch-screen system; No mouse or keyboard. I began reading over the initial rules, stuff like “You are not allowed to ask for assistance, or carry a cellphone into the testing zone. If you are caught, in any way, requesting for help, your test will be immediately terminated.”, and “You are only allowed to take one test per business day.”

“Great”, I thought, if I fail this test, I don’t get to take another one today, and have to go through all of this over again.

The computer gave me a few practice questions so I could get the feel of how the machine operated. Then after that, I really began the test. Everything was multiple choice with big buttons beside the choices. Pressing continue told you whether or not your got the correct answer.

I was continually asking the Lord for strength and wisdom to pass the questions. Then I got to one like “What is the speed limit for a residential area with no speed limit posted?”, I chose “35MPH”, I think. Incorrect. Then the next one was “What is the speed limit for a business area with no speed limit posted?” I chose “45MPH”. Incorrect!

Bah. I went through a couple more questions, and there was “If you change your address, how soon must you notify DMV?”. For some reason, 45 days stuck out to me, so I selected that one. Incorrect!

By this time, I already have it set in my head that I have failed. Utterly failed. I completed the last several questions, and then the score screen appeared. I didn’t look at the numbers. All I saw was “Passed”. WHEW!

I slowly walked back up to the desk with the older man. He looked at his computer screen and then congratulated me for passing. After that, we waited a little bit more and then they gave us the forms so Mom can be the one teaching me driving, instead of some in-car training program in Louisa or something.

But, they didn’t print off and give me the card right then and there. They said that they would mail it to me. Five days later, it showed up in the mail. So then this past Saturday, Dad made me drive out the road to the trash place, to and from.

Overall, I am just glad that I actually passed the test, so I don’t have to go back there and do all of that over again. The next person in line is Lacy, now that she’s 16 years old and 3 months

There are three types of people that will call themselves Christians (possible more, with strange and perverse doctrines, but I am not going to deal with all of those, just these three). Only one of them is truly converted and a follower of Christ, whereas the other two are complete opposite ends of the spectrum and still think that God will accept them.

First off, you have the “carnal Christian”. A person who believes that once they are saved, they are eternally sealed, Christ’s blood covers them, and a mystical grace comes upon them, allowing them freedom to live a lascivious lifestyle, more wicked than when they were “lost”.

Romans chapter 7 is their favorite chapter of the Bible, the highlight of the Christian walk. “but I am carnal, sold under sin.  For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.”, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

Does this sound like a truly converted Christian, in the highlight of his faith in Christ, or does it sound like a sinner, under the conviction of the law, wrestling against his flesh when he knows that he should be doing right?

Having Grace does not give us a license to sin, it is not some mystical power that protects us from God’s wrath and eternally seals us. For we see just one chapter before, that Paul clearly tells us that our liberty in Christ and Grace is not be used to sin.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
(Romans 6:1-3)

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
(Romans 6:14-16)

Then, we move forward two chapters, and we find more verses proving the point:

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
(Romans 8:1-9)

So, since Paul is so very clear that to be carnally minded is enmity against God, and those that are in the flesh cannot please God, how does Romans chapter 7 fit in, between both of these chapters?

It is very simple. Paul was giving an account of his life before he met Christ, of how he struggled with the flesh, and his members warred against his mind. To say that this was the best that Paul ever got, and that every Christian must follow his example is both blasphemy and contradicts Chapters 6 and 8 of Romans, along with many other chapters and verses in the Bible.

So then we have another type of person that goes completely to the other end of the spectrum. A doctrine that they teach tells us that we are not under Grace, but under the law, and we must keep the Jewish feasts, sacrifices, and ceremonies in order to be a Christian.

They turn to the verse in Matthew 5 that says “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” and base their entire doctrine upon this. Yes, they are correct that “one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law”, for without the law, we could not come to Christ.

Yet they base this verse for them to keep the feasts, ordinances, sacrifices and ceremonies of the Jews. But this is nothing new, for even Paul himself had to deal with this kind of false doctrine in his lifetime, and it came from the Galatians…

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
(Galatians 1:6-7)

Here we see that the Galatians have quickly removed the gospel and grace of Christ into another gospel. We move over to chapter 2, verse 14 and  see that Paul asks Peter and the rest of the Jewish Christians:

But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
(Galatians 2:14)

Apparently, Peter was compelling the Gentiles to live as Jews (observing the law, the passover, the sabbath, the feasts and ceremonies) and yet here is Paul rebuking them all.

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
(Galatians 2:19)

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
(Galatians 2:21)

Chapter 2 was an entire illustration and example to the Galatians. Because when we step back over to Chapter 3, he is directly addressing them in his letter.

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
(Galatians 3:1)

Shall we call that a strong rebuke? The Galatians had erred in their faith, and Paul had this revealed to him by Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:12). They were teaching that salvation comes by the works of the law, and not by the grace of Christ. This is the other extreme.

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
(Galatians 3:11-14)

Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
(Galatians 3:19-26)

The Scripture is very clear that if we are under Grace and justified by faith, that we are not under the law. When we walk in Christ, we are not a Jew, we are a Christian (meaning, Christ-like).

Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
(Galatians 4:8-11)

In truth, the law places us in bondage. By the sacrifices, ordinances, feasts, and observing the Sabbath and Passover, those that do so are in bondage. Not a bondage to sin, but a bondage to a servile obedience in the law, an obedience that God finds no pleasure in.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
(Galatians 5:1)

Christ made us free from the yoke of bondage which is through the law. But now, he has a much higher expectation level of those who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. “That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. ” Matthew 5:20-48 shows Christ’s new expectation level of a Christian. A filial obedience, where one desires to be in obedience to the Father, not one of servile where you follow the letter of the law for self-glory.

Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
(Galatians 5:4)

Whosoever believes that they are under, and justified by the law, they have fallen from the Grace of God “that bringeth salvation” (Titus 2:11), deny his power and he died in vain (Galatians 2:21).

So, the True Christian is one who must balance between these two false doctrines. Either extreme is wrong, whether you claim that Grace gives you a license to sin, or deny his Grace and live under the law. Both are wrong.

The True Christian is one who loves the Lord his God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his mind, and with all his strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, (Mark 12:30-31) remaining sober, righteous and godly in this present world (Titus 2:12), and remaining holy, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:16).