I am amazed today how quickly people forget. So much money is spent on getting people to
remember but give it six months and no one seems to recall or remember a
thing. Messages that seem so important
fade with furious speed, unless it was in their “iThingy”.
It amazes me, especially when I examine how fast we lose
information. Now I get the lack of
memory retention if it’s the mundane daily tasks or the weekly deal dash in the
paper, but what I don’t understand is when people forget the real important
things. Important things like
anniversary dates (guilty as charged), birthdays, money for Christmas (comes
same time each year) or the teachings of Jesus.
What? Yeah, have you noticed how
many people today claim Jesus’ as who they follow but their lives reflect very
little what His looked like.
Now if you think this problem is new and due to our pace of
life, think again. It plagued the first
round of believers also (I guess we forgot that as well). It’s almost like we intentionally abandon
what we know for what we don’t know.
Well if that’s you, then you are not alone. A group of Christians did that same thing…
(Galatians 1:6-7) “I am astonished that you are so quickly
deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a
different gospel-which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are
throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.”
What is that Gospel they are forgetting? Well, it’s the belief that Jesus is God (His
Son) and He is the only way to heaven. It's the claim that only one road leads to heaven. And
that is where many people get stuck. As a person people might like Jesus or even
love Jesus, but the moment He claims to be God you and I have
to make a choice. He is either nuts, lying or is actually God!
And to be honest that is a big claim, one that can’t be
backed up just by my words. Proof needs
to be given that Jesus is who He claimed to be.
And God does provide that, in His way!
But that’s the kicker right?
Finding God is usually attempted our way, on our terms, in our parameters. It’s typically called religion and there are
plenty to choose from today. But if you
look close at everyone you will find a common thread, “DO” (It's even in Christianity). Yep, in order to find or please God you must
do something for God and that puts us in an awkward place because we can’t find
His actual “To-DO” list. So we either
make it up ourselves, toss it and stop seeking or just plain forget about it. Jesus said this about those trying to do it their own way…
(John 5:39-40)
“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess
eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to
come to me to have life.”
Finding God and His life is not about doing, it never
was. It’s not about our attempt to reach
God. Instead it’s about accepting what
God has already done through Jesus Christ for us. But that means you have to take Jesus by His
claims and be willing to explore God’s proof that Jesus is who He claimed to
be.
What is that proof?
Well I am glad you asked, it’s His promise that we can experience His
power, His presence and His peace in our lives.
Not what you were expecting was it?
Well, I wish I could provide a scientific trial that proves Jesus’
claims and produce you a set of "white papers" but I can’t and really no one can.
You see, God does not focus on the external, but rather the
internal which makes it hard to complete a set of experiments to prove a
theory. It’s really up to the individual
to consider Jesus’ claims. As you consider
your choices about Jesus’ claims let me leave you with a few words from God
Himself through the voices of those that came to believe God on His terms.
The Apostle Paul (Romans 5:8)
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.”
God Himself speaking to the Prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 16:7)
“The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward
appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Praying
you bust every myth in your life, especially the one surrounding who Jesus is.
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