Shrimpin'

The Missus and I spent many winters in South Texas after we retired. One day we were walking along the beach when we saw a man poking a device into the sand, sucking up clumps, and dropping them on top the sand. He was hunting ghost shrimp.  We inlanders had never heard of such a thing, and as he explained it to us, he brought up another clump and several little creatures were wiggling in it.  Miz Warr, always delighted with new things, and always helpful bent down and helped the man pick out the critters and put them in his bucket. . And about that time, a Texas Park and Wildlife ranger strolled up.  "Catchin' any?" he asked.  Man handed him his bucket, Warden quickly counted eleven shrimp, said, "Lookin' good; you can pick nine more, May I see your license, please?"  Man digs in pocket of his shorts and show him his license.  Officer turns to the Wife, says, "Your license, please."  "Oh," she said, "I'm just a tourist walking along the beach." Ranger says, super-politely, "Ma'am, I observed you picking shrimp from the sand. If you have no license, I'll have to write you up." And he did.  Then he turned to me, I was standing about eight feet away, and asked for my license,  "For what? I asked. I'm just strolling along the beach, saw this weird activity and stopped to see what was going on.  "You're not with these people?" "Oh, I said, "you got that right."

Doghouse, doghouse, and a deep hole in my billfold where the money used to be before I paid her fine.

Did you take up your Cross?

 Salvation cannot be earned, it is a free gift from God through the blood of Jesus.

This is truth, biblical truth. Yet I am weary of those teachers who proceed from this to "You do not have to do anything to be saved." This they base on the argument that if we have to do something it limits God. These people should study the Bible instead of cherry-picking verses that support their notions.  

First, God limited himself when he created mankind and endowed the creature with free-will.

Second, look at scriptural examples of the requirements on man in obtaining salvation.

Salvation is a gift, but the gift must be appropriated.  If you give me a birthday present and I do not open it, have I received a gift? No; I have been offered a gift. In every instance of Jesus' performance of healing or granting of new life, the recipient is required to do something. "Come see," he said. "Follow me," he said. "Go and wash," he said. "Take up your bed," he said. "Come forth," he said.  In every instance an action is required. He even upped the ante when he said, "Take up your cross and follow me;" and when he said "Go, and sin no more."

Sadly, these people who say, "Well, I think I'll just go ahead and follow the devil, because he knows all the fun places, and I'll be okay in the end because God loves me," are in for a rude awakening.  Just saying.