Saying No to Religion, and Yes to Jesus

Part of my family and I spent the morning volunteering at a local food pantry.  I spent the time getting to know people, hearing their stories, and re-introducing them to Jesus.  I say re-introduce because Jesus is so familiar, and yet so unknown.  Most people have been inundated with religious jargon, that seems completely irrelevant to our lives.  We've heard that Jesus died on the cross on our sins.  People know they should go to church, pray, read their bibles and try to be good people.  Religion is all about trying to be good.  Over and over I've heard  people talk about going back to church so they can start living better, or get themselves right.  Others go to church so that they hear an encouraging message that will jump start them for the week, then they go back to life as usual.  I spoke with a lady today who was more concerned about God answering her prayers than God himself.  "Yes, I believe God answers my prayers because I always see a rose when he does."  That's cool, but do you know God?  Why would God do something so personal, if he didn't want you to know Him intimately? 

(Many of us want God to answer our prayers, but we're uninterested in actually knowing Him. He's just our Genie-in-a-bottle.)

The American culture is full of religion.   So many of us put on religious masks that keep us from encountering the real Jesus.  We can say the "right" words.  We pray the "right" prayers.  We can quote scripture, and sing the "right" songs.  We go to church and participate in church activities.  But... do we know God(aka Jesus)?

How, you ask?

Great question.  How do you get to know anybody you want to know?  It's quite simple.  By spending time with him or her.  Get alone and spend face to face time getting to know God.  That requires, quite obviously, a recognition that there is a God to be known.  If you don't believe that God exists, why would you ever attempt to spend time with Him?  Once alone, talk to God.  We call that prayer.  If you're going to talk to God, you must believe that He's listening.  Why would you waste time talking to someone who can't hear you, or who doesn't care to listen?  Next you must listen to Him.  That's right, listen.  Of course, that means that He speaks.  Not only does that mean He speaks, but He wants to speak to each of us personally.  He speaks through His words.  Many of His words are written in the Bible.  He reveals to us who He is.  He shows is ways of working in the world.  He gives us examples of others who were His friends.  He teaches us much about ourselves and the world. 

He will speak specifically to us.  About our lives. About our destiny.  About our circumstances.  About who we are.  His words aren't simply printed words on a page, they are words that are overflowing with life, and meaning.  They are relevant and true.  They go beyond our natural understanding. They go deeper than deep.  Those who continue to dive into His word daily find themselves discovering treasure after treasure. There's an endless supply! 

God also speaks to our Spirits in ways that cannot be explained in words.  He speaks in our minds.  He speaks through creation.  He speaks in dreams and visions.  He speaks  in the silence.

And once He's spoken, we must believe His words to us.  What's the use in listening, if you won't believe? And what's the point of believing, if you won't do what He tells you to do?

We can also know Jesus by being around others who know Him--His children.  His children are also known as "the church".  God wants us learning together, praying together, and serving together.  TOGETHER is the key word.  He doesn't want us on our own.  In fact, He promises a special manifestation of His presence when we gather together.  I can't completely explain it, but I've experienced it many, many times.  When we come as humble seekers of the true and living God, expecting Him to speak to us and to do something special among us, He does.  Often, we come with our own agenda, that we expect Jesus to follow.  We often gather with others in order to check off our, Went-to-church-this-week box, rather than with the desire to meet with Jesus, and pour out our love and devotion to Him.

Don't abandon gathering with other true followers with Jesus.  Just find some true followers to gather with.  God will guide your search. He doesn't want you alone.

I'm currently reading a book that is encouraging me in my search to know the "real Jesus".  I want to know Him for myself.  So I'm reading the gospels with new ears, and new eyes, asking God's Spirit to show me the real Jesus.  The author of this book encourages His readers to do the same.  We've painted this flat, uninteresting, powerless, and quite frankly, impersonal Jesus.  We've made Him distant and unapproachable, sorta like the Pope.  That's not the real Jesus!  The real Jesus was continually surrounded with sinners.  Prostitutes. The despised. Thiefs. The sick. The demon possessed--crazies. The destitute. The broken. The  poor. Jesus welcomed these people in His presence.  Jesus isn't somewhere up in the clouds, unapproachable by us.  He wants us to know Him and to live in a continual relationship with Him. 

The last lady I spoke with today talked about her frustration with her church.  She wants more.  She thought that there was more. 

There is.

Religion doesn't fill the deepest longings of our souls.

Jesus does.

Say yes to the real Jesus.

He wants you to know Him.

Do you Measure up?

We live in a country that is trying to create a paradise here on earth, only to have the cold water dashed on its dreams.  Aging, losing jobs, death, divorce, etc.

If only we can work, work, work harder to belong, to achieve, to live up to some unattainable standard.  Why would people even care about Heaven if they can attain it here through their own hard work?   The lie is that paradise comes to the one who works hard enough. Isn't that the American dream?  The one who works the most hours. the one who studies the hardest.  The smartest.  The fasted. The funniest.  The prettiest.  The one who practices perfectly, becomes perfect.

And if we can't be the best, be the worst.  Even that seems to pay off.

And in spite of all we do, we never seem to arrive. Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes calls it "chasing the wind".  It always seems to be within reach, but we are never able to grasp it.  The "it" I speak of is "a full and satisfying life". Paradise.

Of course, the experts unequivocally promise that if we do this or that, we will finally have that utopia.  You know:  good health, financial success, a beautiful home, great kids, a great career, a great marriage-- no problems.  No sin.  We'll finally be satisfied.  We'll finally have inner peace.  Everything will be perfect.

 The solutions seem so clear, yet no one can seem to execute them. 

And christians have believed the lies too.  In the name of being a good christian, I've found myself trying to be good, and feeling guilty because of my constant failures.   I've listened to the experts too, and I've continually added to my "to do" lists.  Since I want a good marriage, I must... If I want my kids to feel loved, and to reach their maximum  potential, I must... If I want to have financial success, I must... The list just grows and grows.  If I want to be healthy, I must...

And don't you love it when the "expert" changes his or her recommendation or when the "experts" have opposing views?

Why are we listening to these people and who made them experts?

I long for a simple life.  A life where I am free.  Free to fail.  Free to take risks.  Free to love. Free to dream.  Free to live out my convictions.  And life won't come to a crashing halt if I'm wrong, or if I fail.  

I need forgiveness, and redemption.  I need a remedy for my "not measuring up".

Our Creator, understanding the gravity of the situation far better than us, provided the remedy.  Jesus is that remedy.  I know His name is familiar, but hear me out.   Because He knew that mankind struggles with an endless  pursuit of that which we can never attain, Jesus came and achieved for us what we could never do on our own.  He measured up.  Not to human standards of being handsome, or funny, or rich... but to this perfection that we're all trying to attain.  He did it.

He never sinned.  He didn't even contemplate it.

Then He transfers His perfection to us.  At least He transfers that perfection to those who will receive it.  It's free.  And it's yours if you want it.  That's what His life, death and resurrection was all about.  It was about our Creator loving us so much that He gave His One and only son so that we wouldn't have to live apart from the source of life, hope, joy, contentment, peace, goodness, beauty... 

Jesus died so that we might be free. From what, you say?
Good question.

From ourselves.  From our "not measuring up".  We are like hamsters on the perpetual wheel of life going no where FAST. We all know we don't measure up.  Even if we consider ourselves good people or others consider us good, we know we just can't seem to get it ALL right.  There is always more to be done, with no end in sight.  Even those who have chosen religion to help ease the burden, often find new burdens heaped on.  Go to church. Give to the poor. Pray. Read the Bible.  Attend Bible Study. Volunteer at church. ..And the list goes on and on.

But Jesus offers the remedy.

"Come all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.  Matthew 11:28-30 

Are you tired of the hamster wheel yet?  

Jesus offers you a free gift.  FREE and no strings attached.

He offers you everything you've been working for today.  EVERYTHING you long for. EVERYTHING!

Whoever is thirsty, let him come and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.  Revelation 22:16

Only Jesus offers this free gift.  We can "measure up" because He offers us His perfection.   

40 Days of Discovery- Day 10

Wow!  I'm a quarter of the way through my 40 Days.  It's been so good!  I feel like I'm being deluged with so much.  I'm having to take a step back to take it in a little slower.  The question I'm asking God is, "What do you want me to do with this information?"  I'm just a mama.  Nobody special.  Why is He showing me so much?  It's BIG picture things.  I have gotten one clear answer, "Pray".  He's even given me someone who is committed to pray with me.  That is a gift and I thank Him wholeheartedly for it.

I'm experiencing more of God's power in my life than ever.  It's humbling, and I'm not sure what to do with it.  I feel like a 2 year old learning to walk, talk and feed my self.  I feel like, more than ever, I'm saying, "Holy Spirit, teach me."  I'm currently reading the book of Matthew, and as I read,  trying to gleam everything I can from the life of Jesus.  I want to understand how He lived, because I want to emulate His life.  By the power of the Spirit!  Apart  from His Spirit--forget it!!!

I'm encouraged that there are many others who seeking to do the same.  Oh, Majestic, Supreme Ruler, be glorified through your people.  Awaken us to Higher things.  Give us your thoughts.  Give us your mind.  Teach us how to walk confidently in your  power.  Teach us.

Today I was reminded how it important it is to communicate clearly.  When I was in college I interned at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and IBM.  I remember feeling like an idiot when I first started.  I'd hear all of this jargon:  P-14 and such.  I'd hear all of these acronyms flying around.  Everyone seemed to understand perfectly what was being said, and I didn't have a clue.  It was like I was hearing a foreign language.  But everyone acted as if I should understand, so I couldn't let on that I was clueless.  I just had to keep listening, until I was able to decipher the code.  I'm wise enough now, to just ask questions.  Who cares if others think I'm stupid.  If you don't know, you don't know.  Anyway, I wonder if much of our christian jargon is the same with people.  Words like salvation, repentance, resurrection, born-again, etc. fly from our lips as if it's common knowledge in our culture.  I think many are familiar with the words, but the bigger question is, do they understand what we mean?  I can ask, "Do you believe in Jesus?" and many will say yes.  Yet scripture says demons believe as well.  So what do we mean when we say believe?  Living in a culture where Christian words are pretty common, and people think they know what they mean, we need to step back a define our words.  I'm asking Jesus to  help me to speak in language that the general culture can understand.  God certainly knows how to speak to each of us in a way that we can understand and respond to.

I pray that He will give me that gift of communication.  I have ideas for stories I'd like to write that could do that.  My art can do that.  I just pray that it will.  Supernaturally, enable me to communicate with such clarity, love, and grace, that people are compelled to respond.  Compelled.  May the words you give me never be ignored.  I have no ability to do this.  I am just a woman.  Yet I am the servant of the one is fully capable of doing this through me.  I am willing, Master.

40 Days of Discovery- Day 2

Recently, I've been reading two very different books.  One book is a collection of essays and articles written on the "inner spiritual life" or meditative prayer.    I thought the book looked interesting.  I'll be honest, you almost have to have a PhD to read it.  It is a book written by intellectuals to intellectuals--though it continually encourages the reader to engage the heart in prayer rather than the mind.  It takes the most simple concepts and describes them in such complexity that they become unrecognizable.  I am gaining insight into other sides of Christianity-- Eastern Orthodox, and Catholic faith.  It's good to hear other perspectives and see what nuggets of wisdom can be gleamed.  But there is MUCH sifting to be done.  MUCH!  I am honestly most disappointed with the lack of devotion to Jesus.  It's Jesus and...  It's "the Christ" or "the Christ in us" or "the divine is us".  One article even proposed that Jesus came so that we could become God.  There is no gospel message spoken.  If meditation doesn't compel us to "Go and Make disciples..", then Christianity simply becomes one of many paths that one can take to somehow achieve the "divine is us"--as some say. 

On the other hand, I just finished reading Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand(www.persecution.com).  What a powerful and passionate book!.  It talks about the author's experiences in Communist Romania working in the Underground Church and his 14 years in prison being tortured, as well as giving lots of stories of others who have been persecuted for the name Jesus.  What a stark contrast to the other book I've been reading.  This book isn't some theological discussion about higher plans, and such, but a book written about people who have fallen deeply in love with Jesus.  It's plain and simple.  People are going to prison, refusing to renounce their faith, refusing to hate their enemies, and refusing to STOP preaching the gospel.  And the Church continued to grow in spite of the intense persecution they are under.  This book inspires you to support our brothers and sister who are being persecuted around the world through prayer, and financial support.  It's also convicting!  People around the world are excitedly sharing the gospel and publicly declaring their love for Jesus amidst intense opposition! What excuse do I have?

Oh Jesus give me such intense love for you that I long to live in your presence, allowing you to fill me to overflowing that I may be a fountain for a world that is thirsty for your redeeming grace.  Amen.