Do You Believe in Jesus? Part II

"Reflections from Recovery" written by "Sam"


Being a human I always want more proof, scientific proof that Jesus was here and he

existed.  I can't see the wind but it makes me cold when I smoke.  I can't see my brain but I know it is there and sometimes it's working.  I read countless books on the subject of Jesus.  He fascinates me.  The Bible prophecies that were written hundreds of years before Jesus was born, came true.  Our whole calendar is based on one man's life.  BC- before Christ and AD-Anno Domini (not after death, Jesus died around 30 to 33 ad) translated - In the year of the Lord.  What influence.

10 of the 12 disciples were crucified or stoned or executed for there belief as well.  Why would they do that?  I look at people who are living a Christian life then and now and that helps me believe.

The tact for me is it’s not a matter of further evidence. I have all the evidence I need.  It's a matter of the heart. Do I want to trust God and humbly receive the gifts he offers, or do I insist on proving myself good enough and doing it my way?

I also came to this conclusion.  I didn't half step my drinking or drugging.  I was all in or I wasn't.  So, I'm not going to be half a Christian either.

When I read the Bible, the thing that stands out to me is when Jesus shows his human side the most because I can relate to it.  I can't relate to turning water into wine or raising people from the dead or healing the blind.  But I can relate when He is tempted by the devil in the wilderness.  Or, like when he cries out to God in John Chapter 12, “My soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray Father, save me from this hour but this is the very reason I came. Father bring glory to your name.”  I have felt a similar anguish though for different reasons.

If you don't agree with anything I said - that's ok - nobody gets God by having a Bible crammed down there throat.

In my first month here I probably never even really mentioned the name JESUS besides in prayer. I found that if I just believe and act upon that belief that my spirituality grows.

I know for me it was hard to sing Christian songs out loud at first because I guess I wanted people to think that I'm tough which is funny because everyone knows I'm soft.

All I'm saying here is open your mind and try something different.

Believe it or not - this works.  Really, what do you have to lose?



grace, peace + hope-Jesse

Breaking the Habit

So, you're addicted to going to church too?

Let me tell you, there is hope, and you are not alone.

God gets angry with empty ritual and meaningless tradition.  Read Isaiah.  Read the stories of Jesus confronting the Pharisees.  They had replaced their faith in God with regulations.  The Ten Commandments were never about keeping the "rules"...they were about putting God first!  That is the first commandment!

"You shall have no other gods before me."

(PS - I'm not advocating not following the 10 Commandments...just change the perspective of why we follow them.)

It is so easy to replace knowing God with knowing about God.  And that is a danger of just "going to church." A person can go to church their whole life and never know God.  They can know plenty about him.  They could even quote scripture like nobody's business.  The Pharisees were pretty good at that stuff too.  Then you get someone like the centurion with the sick servant.  This guy is a Roman soldier.  But he sees and recognizes the authority in Jesus.  Did Jesus turn him away because he was not a devout follower of the law?  No.  Look at what Jesus said, (it is really mind blowing if you think about it.)

I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.

You know the craziest part about this?  The guy didn't even come himself.  He sent people to Jesus.  And when Jesus was coming to heal the guys sick servant...more friends come and tell Jesus that the centurion didn't feel worthy enough to have Jesus come under his roof.

Man that is hitting home to me right now.  Really hard.

How often have I walked into "church" thinking I belong.  That this was my place.  That is the attitude of an addict.  I have the right to be here.  Who are you to tell me different?

Church is not a place to go.  It is people to be with.  It is the body, the whole body, of Jesus.

The body won't grow if it sits around.  Well, it might get fat, but it won't grow.  It won't become healthy and strong.  The Church isn't supposed to be sedentary.  Jesus told his disciples to, "Go."  But they didn't.  Not at first.  Then difficulty struck, and they scattered...and so did the Word.

My friends, it is high time we get out of our pews, couches, folding chairs, or whatever you sit on in your regular gatherings.  A farmer can't harvest a crop if he just sits in his barn and doesn't plant the seeds.  Neither can we prepare the harvest for Jesus if we just sit in our storehouses. 

Break the habit.  Church is good.  Christ is better.  Show Jesus to the world around you.  Don't hide your love for him behind the stained glass windows of a church or the fish bumper sticker on your car.  Let's stop just going to church and let us be the Church.

See you out there.

grace, peace + hope

-Jesse

Addicted

Addiction is a tyrannical master.  If addiction is a thousand page book, I've read the dust jacket, and maybe opened the cover.  I'm not an expert.  But I can tell you that addictive behaviour is destructive behaviour.

Let me tell you nothing good comes from any form of addiction.  Whether it is eating, sex, drugs, drinking, gambling, cutting, hoarding, American Idol...addiction is bad.  The verse below is not specifically about addiction, but many of the actions listed can be addictive.  (1 Peter 4)

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.

So these are things to be avoided.  A few words later Peter writes, "be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray."  Clear mind and self-controlled.  Not addicted.

Okay so we have established that addiction is bad.  (You know I was kidding about American Idol right?)  Well, sort of.  But there is an addiction that most Christians have.  I know I have struggled with this particular addiction for a few years now.

Going to church.

Yeah.  I said it.  Going to "church" can be an addiction.  And I'm not splitting hairs on what type of institution.  The denomination, size of congregation, size of building-facility or home, what you wear, what the leaders wear...none of that matters.  The addiction lies in you and me.  We get comfortable.  It's nice to come to a place, "where everybody knows your name..."

Come on, you can admit it.  I know it's true for me.  If I was to be 100% honest I could not say that every time I've gone to church was because I wanted to worship God.  Sometimes it was an obligation.  Sometimes it was a source of pride.  Sometimes I just wanted to see friends.  Sometimes it was the only thing to do.

Then there were the days I went because I needed to feel that spiritual high.  I didn't really want the Spirit to convict me, but I wanted to get on the worship roller coaster and feel like I had been moved.  Those days I really focused on the music, the way it made me feel, how well the worship team sang.  Could it transport me out of the mundane.  I was there for selfish reasons.  It wasn't every time I went, but it was frequent.

I was addicted to going to church.

And there can be many reasons for it.  For me it was the spiritual high and needing to keep busy.  For others it could be guilt.  Or pride.  The sense of belonging.  There are as many reasons as there are church goers.

But going to "church," be it in a huge facility or a grass hut is only a fraction of what we should be doing as disciples of Jesus.  Going to church is not a bad thing.  Being addicted to it is.
 

Tomorrow:  Breaking the Habit

grace, peace + hope-Jesse