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My Knoxville “Christ” mas
25 December 2008 No Comment
Who dat, who dat, who dat say gonna beat JC? Okay, silliness is permitted in Christian life, this I am sure! Many times in a walk of faith, we are tested, ridiculed, misunderstood, and even mis-representative of our beliefs. Some say, “what a hypocrite” as they watch a man stroll out of the neighborhood bar after a pint then he is spotted on the front pew on Sunday morning. Many agnostics, I believe, think Christians see themselves as perfect. It is just not the case. To clarify, a glass of wine or a beer is not a sin! The Church is full of sinners however, because Jesus came to save the sick, as the word clearly says. Many say the Church is a Holy Ghost hospital. Does that mean we go on sinning, of course not, as Paul (writer of many books in the new testament) says. But we are humans in an Earthly body. Christianity is a difficult walk for a lot of Christians, a lot of times. The main theme; we asked God to forgive us, and seek to do much better in learning from our mistakes.
Most pastors and teachers simply say ” if you just do as the word says, you don’t have sin problems”. Ironically, many pastors are caught up in the same sin’s themselves. I admit it, I have been down on the “Church”, but I have learned it is not about the Church first and foremost, it is about a personal relationship. The world looks through double lensed binoculars hoping to say “see I told you that Christ thing isn’t real”, look at what that Christian did. But you know, pessimism is not widely held up in any act of faith, nor is tearing someone down. Most people who hurt deeply and struggle with addiction, are the ones who are closest to God. I know, sounds oxymoronical. I am not going to quote a ton of scripture but here are a few: Psalm 23–”yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death”. Lamentations 3. Proverbs 3:11–my son do not despise the chasten of the Lord, for in who he loves, he corrects”. Psalms 118:18. Please take a look at them.
My writing here today is an attempt at a paradigm shift. I get frustrated at Baptists, Church of God, Catholic, Pentacostal, Presby’s, whatever your denomination. It is like democrats and republicans. We wonder why our world is turned up side down, and wonder “where is God”? We are supposed to celebrate the same savior but are divided in our own theology. In my humble opinion, there is no denomination in love. That is what Jesus preached…faith, hope, joy…and the greatest of these are love. Love thy neighbor as thyself, one of his commands as a disciple. So how do we do it? How do we get the world to love one another, just he is first loved us? You can’t sway a died-in-the-wool atheist, just as you can’t tell a Christian his Jesus isn’t real. An atheist believes in a world of artifacts, history, and big-bang theories, which is certainly their right! A loving creator gave us a right to choose, all the way back in the garden. A Christian who has seen the miracles in their own lives, well, you can’t tell him Jesus was a great teacher but isn’t the real deal, no matter what you may show him scientifically.
The debate could go on endlessly, as it probably will. If we could all try to love a little more, care a little more deeply for others, and respect each other a little greater– the world could be a better place, and we could all see God for he truly is: A great light that shines in the darkness. A wind of hope on the stillest of days. A hug from my child when I have no peace. Parents who give way more than they ever receive. A dog who jumps on you and licks you to death, on your toughest days. A bumper sticker that says “I love you and I am always with you”, even when your afraid. The presents that we got to open today and the laughter on my child’s face. Embrace the present, it flies by, yet there is eternal hope in him, he cares for you. What a sad thought to believe we have such beauty and majesty all around us, but it ends upon death. We pass from death to life, when we rest our hope in a God that said “For God so loved the world, he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in him, shall not perish, but have eternal life. I could write all day on this subject, but I only really wanted to say one last thing: Happy Birthday Jesus, it was good feeling your presence this morning, no one can ever take that gift away.
My Knoxville “Christ” mas
25 December 2008 No Comment
Who dat, who dat, who dat say gonna beat JC? Okay, silliness is permitted in Christian life, this I am sure! Many times in a walk of faith, we are tested, ridiculed, misunderstood, and even mis-representative of our beliefs. Some say, “what a hypocrite” as they watch a man stroll out of the neighborhood bar after a pint then he is spotted on the front pew on Sunday morning. Many agnostics, I believe, think Christians see themselves as perfect. It is just not the case. To clarify, a glass of wine or a beer is not a sin! The Church is full of sinners however, because Jesus came to save the sick, as the word clearly says. Many say the Church is a Holy Ghost hospital. Does that mean we go on sinning, of course not, as Paul (writer of many books in the new testament) says. But we are humans in an Earthly body. Christianity is a difficult walk for a lot of Christians, a lot of times. The main theme; we asked God to forgive us, and seek to do much better in learning from our mistakes.
Most pastors and teachers simply say ” if you just do as the word says, you don’t have sin problems”. Ironically, many pastors are caught up in the same sin’s themselves. I admit it, I have been down on the “Church”, but I have learned it is not about the Church first and foremost, it is about a personal relationship. The world looks through double lensed binoculars hoping to say “see I told you that Christ thing isn’t real”, look at what that Christian did. But you know, pessimism is not widely held up in any act of faith, nor is tearing someone down. Most people who hurt deeply and struggle with addiction, are the ones who are closest to God. I know, sounds oxymoronical. I am not going to quote a ton of scripture but here are a few: Psalm 23–”yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death”. Lamentations 3. Proverbs 3:11–my son do not despise the chasten of the Lord, for in who he loves, he corrects”. Psalms 118:18. Please take a look at them.
My writing here today is an attempt at a paradigm shift. I get frustrated at Baptists, Church of God, Catholic, Pentacostal, Presby’s, whatever your denomination. It is like democrats and republicans. We wonder why our world is turned up side down, and wonder “where is God”? We are supposed to celebrate the same savior but are divided in our own theology. In my humble opinion, there is no denomination in love. That is what Jesus preached…faith, hope, joy…and the greatest of these are love. Love thy neighbor as thyself, one of his commands as a disciple. So how do we do it? How do we get the world to love one another, just he is first loved us? You can’t sway a died-in-the-wool atheist, just as you can’t tell a Christian his Jesus isn’t real. An atheist believes in a world of artifacts, history, and big-bang theories, which is certainly their right! A loving creator gave us a right to choose, all the way back in the garden. A Christian who has seen the miracles in their own lives, well, you can’t tell him Jesus was a great teacher but isn’t the real deal, no matter what you may show him scientifically.
The debate could go on endlessly, as it probably will. If we could all try to love a little more, care a little more deeply for others, and respect each other a little greater– the world could be a better place, and we could all see God for he truly is: A great light that shines in the darkness. A wind of hope on the stillest of days. A hug from my child when I have no peace. Parents who give way more than they ever receive. A dog who jumps on you and licks you to death, on your toughest days. A bumper sticker that says “I love you and I am always with you”, even when your afraid. The presents that we got to open today and the laughter on my child’s face. Embrace the present, it flies by, yet there is eternal hope in him, he cares for you. What a sad thought to believe we have such beauty and majesty all around us, but it ends upon death. We pass from death to life, when we rest our hope in a God that said “For God so loved the world, he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in him, shall not perish, but have eternal life. I could write all day on this subject, but I only really wanted to say one last thing: Happy Birthday Jesus, it was good feeling your presence this morning, no one can ever take that gift away.
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