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Posts Tagged ‘John 10:30’

A MYSTERY WORTH EXPLORING

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 12, 2022| 5 Comments »

If you pay attention to the news and know anything about Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God), then you might be familiar with what Rainn Wilson is talking about.

Furthermore, if you agree with the actor (best known for the TV sitcom The Office) then it’s a no-brainer that you’ll want nothing to do with Jesus or the people who claim to follow Him.

But I can’t stress this enough: it’s absolutely VITAL that you separate Jesus from His followers (and that includes ME) because I strongly believe how you think about Him will effect your life now and for all eternity.

When He was physically on Earth, Jesus was never (NEVER!) about gun rights, prosperity theology (think of TV preachers like Joel Osteen, Paula White and the fabulously named Creflo Dollar), anti-science, limited government (that neglects the destitute) and fierce nationalism. And today, when Jesus followers like me believe He lives in the hearts and minds of anyone who claims Him as Lord and Savior, He still isn’t.

Conversely, Jesus isn’t just about what people at the opposite end of the political spectrum claim. He wasn’t just a woman’s rights advocate or a fanatical anti-poverty crusader. Nor was He a card-carrying socialist, as some might believe. And it’s a misrepresentation to claim Jesus was primarily a humble servant of the abject poor.

So what was (and is) He about? Thousands of books have tackled that question because it’s important, especially in a violent, pandemic-ridden world staggering like a drunk leaving the bar.

While we’ll never have a definitive answer that everyone can agree on, here are a few snapshots that convinced me to follow Jesus:

  • Telling religious leaders, who brought Him an adulteress woman for judgment, that anyone who had never sinned can cast the first stone at her. They all left and Jesus forgave the woman.
  • Healing a man’s diseased hand on the very day when religious authorities forbade people from doing any kind of work.
  • Revealing to His followers that “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.“
  • Informing people that it wasn’t good enough to tolerate their opponents. They must actually love them. (!!)
  • Announcing “I and my father are one” and allowing his followers to worship Him.
  • Letting a woman clean his feet with expensive perfume, then telling a critical follower, who thought the perfume could have been sold and the money given to poor people, that “You will always have the poor with you. But you will not always have me.”
  • Allowing religious authorities to arrest Him on trumped-up charges, then doing nothing to stop His execution because “The greatest love people can show is to die for their friends.“

I’m presenting a very, very incomplete picture of Jesus (that’s why so many books have been written about His life, death and resurrection). But I hope it’s enough for you to explore further. Some will tell you it’s a waste of time, but I believe your entire future is at stake. Don’t let anyone stop you.

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THE TRUTH ABOUT A ‘MORAL SICKO’

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 18, 2020| 5 Comments »

If you think about this meme, you’ll realize what it’s really claiming: the creator and master of time, space and universe is a moral sicko who deserves to be scorned by all rational people.

To that charge, let me suggest this: the meme’s creator is depending on you making a superficial conclusion and moving on with your life.

But I’m going to trust that you’re interested in spirituality, so you’re ready to consider a very different picture of God.

First, there’s no doubt in my mind that our creator is merciful. Followers of Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is God’s Son, consider God so merciful that He sent Jesus to show us how to live and, just as important, to show us the character of God.

I write that with confidence because in one of the original source documents of Jesus’ physical life on earth, He told anyone willing to listen that “I and the Father are one heart and mind.”

So does God’s mercy extend to “repentant” murderers. It depends. For those who don’t know the word ‘repent,’ dictionary.com puts it like this: to feel sorry, self-reproachful, or contrite for past conduct; regret or be conscience-stricken about a past action, attitude, etc.

From my perspective as a Jesus follower, repenting for the bad things we do — and the good things we fail to do — is very good, but it’s only part of the equation. The other part is accepting the gift of Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

When we make a conscious, thoughtful decision to put Jesus in charge of our lives, then His sacrificial death on a Roman cross wipes away our moral crimes. God sees us like He sees His Son: perfect. And it’s that perfection that opens the door to us spending eternity in Heaven with God and Jesus.

My point is this: repentance plus Jesus makes things right with our creator. I wrote a blog about one notorious man who put these two things together and saw his life transformed: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-6K.

So what about “punishing a moral person for not believing in Him”? It’s not so much punishing as it is not achieving God’s standard for entry into Heaven. To expand on what I touched on earlier, that standard is perfection. I can write that because of what Jesus said: “you must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

We can be a Michael Jordan of morality, but we’re still not perfect. Remember Mother Teresa? She was a shining rock star of morality, but she knew she fell short of God’s standard and that’s why she put Jesus in charge of her life.

So even if you believe you’re a moral person, please consider accepting the gift of Jesus. He’ll take you to a whole new place of morality and joy, starting right NOW. Interested? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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