salvation lost in translation?

i just got done with a conversation about how serious we should take the bible. the person i was talking to basically said the bible has flaws and believes that not everything within it is the truth. i just do not see how you can believe that jesus was ressurected(sp?) from the dead when you find other things so hard to believe. in many ways it bothers me for someone to say the bible is not perfect because it is what much of faith is based off of. of course times have changed and many old testament practices maybe a bit outdated. i do not like
it when people will pick one verse and use that to form an agrument. the bible is like a scrapbook or photo album. in order to get the whole story you can not just look at one picture. but each picture reveals a little bit more of the story.

there are a few bible verses that have always given me some trouble. one is hebrews 10:26. it reads:

"for if we are willfully sinning after receiving the full knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice concerning sins."

after first reading it i instantly thought i had just booked my one way plane ticket to hell. to me it says if you know what you are doing is wrong and you do it anyway you can forget about repenting because you are out of luck. but i think that willfully sinning means more that you are saying... well jesus i do not really care what you think or that you died on a cross i am going to do this anyway.

it is hard for me to think of where to draw the line. i guess it really isnt mine to draw in the first place. all christians will fall away and sin. paul perhaps was not addressing your ordinary sin. like that of the apostates. people who once knew christ but then openly deny him. but i think a true apostate would not even try to repent. but it is confusing because if you have already given your life to christ and then become an apostate does that mean that you never where a christain to start with. or what.

or is this verse saying there is no sacrific for sins because you only need a one time sacrific. but the bible also says all sin is the same in gods eyes. hence this stuff confuses me. i could talk in circles all day. it comes down to that god knows where your heart is. and he will be the final judge. it is hard for me to believe that you can not be forgiven. i can not see god doing that. this is where you must look at the whole story. the bible is about the ultimate love. and i cant see a loving god doing that. this goes back to my first thought. is everything in the bible supposed to be taken word for word. maybe not.
.

dreams.

dream. a succession of images, thoughts, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep. i do not really think i believe in the whole freud dream thing. but at the same time dreams must mean something. like maybe what you really want. or perhaps it is just what has been on your mind. i keep on having all this god dreams. and i wake up so happy but seriously it is weird. i think my dream last night was because i was talking about how i was thinking of dropping out and being a missionary. and i got into a in depth convo about what i thought i should do with my life. which will be a whole different blog when i have time.

so i am wasting time googling dreams. i have a chemistry test tonight. not fun. life is great. i got a job yesterday at macy's. i am switching colleges. i am giving up science. but yeah i have to save this for when i have time.

here is a cool bible verse i like.
if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? even "sinners" do that.
luke something.

follow the leader.

one thing i have started to realize since the school year is what really matters in life. supposively time management is everything in college. and it really is because nobody is going to stop you from sitting on facebook for hours or from staying up too late or skipping your boring lectures. i used to be attracted to the superficial things. the temporary things. superficial junk is not always bad. but when it gets in the way of relationships it becomes a problem. for example right now i spend every moment working on something related to school. i wanted to go volunteer at this homeless shelter but i was advised against it because it would not fit into my schedule that needs to be career orientented. so that was frustrating.

i am not going to sacrific relationships and what i am passionate about. people are what matters to me. people think that i think too highly of others. that i should not be so trusting. but that is one thing i learned this summer. every deserves the benefit of the doubt. no matter who they are. sometimes it is the people that you least expect that end up becoming your best friends.

this is a bit off topic but for example with payton. i did not think i could ever date someone that was not from my suburban setting. most of all who was not a christian. i had scripture thrown in my face about how we are supposed to be yoked with people that are of the same faith. but in reality you can not shelter yourself around the same people your whole life. i do not think that is what the bible is all about either. i mean if early christians would have confined themselves and not reached out what would christianity be like today. personally i feel hypocrital to not hang out with someone because of there beliefs. at one point in my life god definitely was not on my top ten list. where i would be with if people would have not wanted to be friends with because i was angry with god.

i view the church, by saying the church i dont mean the four walls. i mean more the universal church or the body of christ.
as this long chain of blind folded people and at the front is jesus. you can't see him. so it is all about trust. not only of him but of other people. even though you can not see him, his presence is obvious. in the chain there are always people in front of you and there are people behind you. the people in front of you help guide you forward. while you help along the people that are behind you. without the people around you, you would be lost. i think some people try to remove themselves from the chain and the community. be there for the people that may not be as strong as you in their faith. everyone has those days when they feel like they are not part of the chain and feel alone. and you just want to rip off the blind fold and tell god to reveal himself and move a mountain or burn some bushes. you know some old testament stuff. so help them back in. and follow the peoplein front of you. let them help lead you. most importantly remember who is in front.