Authority and Power
I walk with the Power of God. A good statement and one I try to live my life by. I walk with the Power of God. Nothing can stand against me. We all mouth those words and we all think we live by them, but do we really. Do we walk with the Power of God in all aspects of our lives. Maybe, but probably not. At least not all the time. But God says we always have His power and authority. Always, it never leaves us. It is not invoked by saying it, it is not stronger when we pray for it. It does not go away until we want something to happen. It is always there. Always present. Because God is always present. If it helps to try to invoke that power, then go for it. But it does not make it stronger and it does not call it into being. It is always there.
I walk with the Power of God.
It is our right, our gift, our everlasting authority that God has given us. We should know that we can always use it. It is ours to command. But, you say, we have to get God involved. That we have to invoke His name to wield this power. That He is the only one who can truly use His power. It has nothing to do with us or our wishes or wants. It is He that decides when and how this power will be used.
True enough. We can do nothing without God. We are merely the vessels through which God establishes His will. We have no power or authority to invoke or command God's will. He decides when and where it will be used.
So how can I say, I walk with the Power of God. What it means for me, is I have to fear nothing. There is no force or obstacle anywhere that can stand against me. I will not be afraid. I will overcome any obstacle. I AM the power of God and he walks with me everywhere I go. I can do nothing that He does not will, but I will not walk in fear or worry about what will happen or what will become of me. He is my Lord and Savior and whatever His will is, I will accept it.
When I meet with those that do not believe, they have no authority over me. I do not have to worry about them 'corrupting' me. I hear talks of witches and evil spirits. I hear talk of walking into a den of thieves. I hear we must always battle the devil. That he is a constant threat and we must make war against him at all times, in the name of God.
There is no way witches, or spirits or evil men that can harm me. Not even the devil himself can harm or persuade me of anything. I walk with the Power of God. They have no influence over my life. I live according to God's plan and there is nothing that can get in the way of that. I AM the Power of God incarnate.
I invite them to come my way. Bring on the witches, bring on the devil, bring on anything that thinks it can move me in any way. Me and my God will not allow them to affect me. I have more influence over them than they could possibly have over me. I do not have to do battle. God is God. They cannot touch that. There is no battle to be won. God is God and nothing can stand in His way. Nothing.
I do not like it when people say we are in a battle or a war with the devil. That we must do battle against evil all the time and never let our guard down. Really? Do you really think we need to fight off evil all the time? In order to have a need to do battle, the one we do battle with has to have some kind of power or authority that we have to compete against. We are God's children. Do you really think there is something out there that can challenge that. Do you really think that somehow, God needs our help to defeat this so called enemy. My God does not need our help and neither does yours. He is God. I can't say that enough.
Stop putting man made values or structure on God. We think He can be attacked because man can be attacked. But God cannot. He not only cannot lose, he cannot be attacked. He is God and nothing is or was created that can stand against that. He is the creator of the universe, the author of all that we know and healer of all things. He is God.
So what battle is it that we need to fight? What devil is it that we need to conquer? What is it that we need to be afraid of? We walk with the Power of God and nothing can stand against us. We are not afraid of witches. We want the so called witches to stand before us. Let them do what they want. We cannot be conquered. We are not afraid.
I look forward to facing the devil. I look forward to letting him try to conquer me. I have God on my side, so let him do his worse. He cannot touch me.
So why do God's people not walk with power. Why do God's people not have authority over everything. Because we do not know God's plan. We do not know why or how or even when God wants us to do anything. All we can do is live the life we are supposed to live. Follow the path God has set before us. Maybe when we think we have lost or we think we must give in to temptation or let the devil win and move us, maybe that is part of God's will. Maybe that is part of something God wants to teach us. I do not know. We have no way of knowing. We can only try to follow God and let him guide us.
But we can act like we have that authority and power, because God said we do. I do not question it. If God wants it to happen, then it will happen and I do not have to worry about it. I am His vessel to command, and He will point me where I need to go and He will give me the power to overcome whatever stands before me. As God's children, we need to start living that. Stop worrying about what others can do to us and trust God to use us to overcome whatever we perceive to be against us. It is God's will and we only need to obey it.
So trust in God. Do not be afraid. Walk with the Power of God in all things.
Friday, July 3, 2015
Reasons for Jesus
Reasons for Jesus
This story is presented as an explanation of why God decided to send his son to earth. I am not disputing anything the Bible or anyone else has said. What I am presenting is what God told me, to help me understand, why He did what he did and why it was necessary. Please take this as an allegory or explanation that God gave to me to help me understand. If it helps you, then that is good, if it does not, then maybe, in some small way, it will provide some insight into how and why Jesus was here.
The question for me began as I was trying to understand Jesus and his life. I kept coming back the question of why it was necessary for God to send his son. After all, he is God. He can do anything. Why send his son to suffer and die like he did. If God wanted Man to change or if He wanted some lesson to be learned it does not seem necessary to send his son to die. He could just change it. He could just wave his hand and everything would be all right. He could put it into everyone's mind what needed to be done or what truth needed to be made. It did not make sense to me. Of course, it doesn't have to make sense to me. I am not privy to God's plans and thoughts. His way is far above what I can understand.
But God gave me this explanation, anyway. I do not know why but it made me believe in his infinite wisdom even more. Again, I am not saying it is true but it did help me to understand and maybe, if all or parts of this are helpful to others, then it has served its purpose and maybe it allows us to be a little closer to God.
God had created the world and all that is in it. He had created Man in his image and given him domain over the earth. But he also gave Man free will. I will go into free will and what that means at another time, but for now, it means that Man was free to chose to follow God or not. It was up to us to make those decisions. God had provided us with a way to live, but we are free to choose if we follow that path or not. It is free will.
As Man developed and began to make his way in the world, some people choose to follow His path, most did not. Most of the world was doing what they wanted, regardless if it was right or wrong. We choose to create our own idols, make our own moral choices, create harm where God had only intended good. It was God's gift to us, free will.
So God looked down upon us and did not understand. When I say that, most people immediately turn away from this story and say God understands everything. How could he not understand. The problem is, I do not have words for what God felt. It is beyond my understanding. I only know that when I asked the questions, these are the words he puts into my mind. I can feel that I am not conveying the exact sentiment he wants me to convey but that is a problem man has always had. We have to try to interpret what God is telling us into words and actions that are relative to what we understand, even if they are not the true meaning of what God has planned, we can only try. We can only interpret. God will help us but in the end, whatever God tells us, we can only interpret it for others and try to convey the meaning God has sent.
So God looked down and said, why do they not choose the right things to do. Why do they hurt each other. Why do they not follow the path I have set. You see, God gave us all the knowledge of the right thing to do. That is a fundamental of my beliefs for what God has intended. I believe he is inside us and not only inside us but He is accessible and all His knowledge and wisdom is available to us. We always know what is right and what is wrong. It is just a matter of what we choose to do. Follow Him or not. It is free will.
God, not knowing why man chooses to do the wrong things when he told them what was right, wondered what can He do to understand why we do it and why we are not following him. Was there something he was missing, not understanding, not knowing what was in the heart of man that made us choose the wrong things.
So God made a plan, or maybe it was His plan all along. He would send His son down to earth. He would allow His son to live as a man. To live the life that he had created for all mankind. He would send him as an example, but not only as an example of how to live but to experience how and why man has chosen not to follow the guidelines He has given them.
And God sent us Jesus. To live the life, to see the things as man sees them, to live and love and be all that it is to belong to mankind.
So Jesus lived our life. He was the example of how to live and how to follow God's plan. He moved from place to place, preaching the ways of God and the teachings God has provided. Jesus was a man, but he was also the son of God and new all that God had intended. In Jesus's life, we see the way to live and the way to make it possible for all of us to live as God wants us to live. Imitating the life of Jesus.
And, as I can only believe was part of God's plan, Jesus came under condemnation of man. He was seen as a man, or not as the son of God. I believe that it was in the minds of those of the time that he had to prove himself as the son of God. That people did not or would not believe that this man was actually God's representative on earth. That he had to prove himself, over and over again and in front of those who chose not to believe. His words were not enough, they wanted proof.
So they crucified Jesus, asking him to prove He was the son of God. He was put to death. And while He remained an example to those that choose to follow him He was merely a man to those that did not. And this is where the most fundamental words, in my mind, were spoken by Jesus. It means more to me than anything He ever said or did. It shows me that Jesus understood, that he knew what it was like to live as man and that he knew the hardships and cruelties and utter despair that man has and goes through in life. Jesus knew how hard it is to live life and that knowing and understanding God's plan is not always enough. That we, as man, face hard choices and hard decisions we must make everyday, and it is not always easy to make the right decisions or to even trust in the word of God. We have free will and whether it is what we call the devil or just the difficulty of the choices in our minds, we are faced with some inner thought process or inner voice that tells us we are not worthy of God's love and we are not worthy of being the children of God and no matter what we do, we cannot live the life of Jesus. We are only men.
What I believe Jesus said was. 'Forgive them, they know not what they do'. A lot of scholars or learned men will tell you Jesus was referring to his being crucified. That it was all about what was happening then, to him and he was referring to the people who did it.
But God has given me a different answer, or an alternative meaning to those words. Not that what others believe is wrong, but that God has told me that there was more meaning to these words. That we have overlooked the reasons why Jesus was here. We believe that Jesus was sent here to save man, to forgive him and allow us to live in what is right instead of being afraid of doing something wrong. And that is all true, but God has told me that he sent Jesus to live as man, and through that life, Jesus came to understand man and the reasons for what man does. He saved mankind and forgave us for our sins.
For I believe the words. 'Forgive them, they know not what they do' applies to all men and not just the situation at the time. That Jesus was asking or telling his father, man is good, he makes the wrong choices, but he is fundamentally good, as God intended. But that we do not always understand what God's plan is and it is hard to live that life not knowing and we make the wrong choices. That we are deserving of God's love and that we can only try to live His life. We are forgiven, because it is hard and we know not what we do.
Jesus then came back from the grave, as proof that there is something after life. Proof that living the good and just life and doing the right thing is a reward. We get to live with God. Nothing more, nothing less. Live your life as God has intended and you will see God. With all that happened and all that occurred for and to Jesus, doing the right thing is how we should live and how we can be God's children.
Jesus came as a way for God to know us as we seek to know Him. Jesus saw us, was one of us and He forgave us. He is our savior and our way to know God. By following His example, we too can come to know God.
I hope this has not caused anyone distress or concern. It is just a way of looking at an event. It helps me to understand why God does some of the things He does. It is not meant to be right or accurate, only a way to get closer to God, for me. If it helps you, then we share a bond. If it only raises questions, then maybe the questions and answers you receive will allow you to be closer to God. For that is our goal, to seek God and find ways to be closer to him.
This story is presented as an explanation of why God decided to send his son to earth. I am not disputing anything the Bible or anyone else has said. What I am presenting is what God told me, to help me understand, why He did what he did and why it was necessary. Please take this as an allegory or explanation that God gave to me to help me understand. If it helps you, then that is good, if it does not, then maybe, in some small way, it will provide some insight into how and why Jesus was here.
The question for me began as I was trying to understand Jesus and his life. I kept coming back the question of why it was necessary for God to send his son. After all, he is God. He can do anything. Why send his son to suffer and die like he did. If God wanted Man to change or if He wanted some lesson to be learned it does not seem necessary to send his son to die. He could just change it. He could just wave his hand and everything would be all right. He could put it into everyone's mind what needed to be done or what truth needed to be made. It did not make sense to me. Of course, it doesn't have to make sense to me. I am not privy to God's plans and thoughts. His way is far above what I can understand.
But God gave me this explanation, anyway. I do not know why but it made me believe in his infinite wisdom even more. Again, I am not saying it is true but it did help me to understand and maybe, if all or parts of this are helpful to others, then it has served its purpose and maybe it allows us to be a little closer to God.
God had created the world and all that is in it. He had created Man in his image and given him domain over the earth. But he also gave Man free will. I will go into free will and what that means at another time, but for now, it means that Man was free to chose to follow God or not. It was up to us to make those decisions. God had provided us with a way to live, but we are free to choose if we follow that path or not. It is free will.
As Man developed and began to make his way in the world, some people choose to follow His path, most did not. Most of the world was doing what they wanted, regardless if it was right or wrong. We choose to create our own idols, make our own moral choices, create harm where God had only intended good. It was God's gift to us, free will.
So God looked down upon us and did not understand. When I say that, most people immediately turn away from this story and say God understands everything. How could he not understand. The problem is, I do not have words for what God felt. It is beyond my understanding. I only know that when I asked the questions, these are the words he puts into my mind. I can feel that I am not conveying the exact sentiment he wants me to convey but that is a problem man has always had. We have to try to interpret what God is telling us into words and actions that are relative to what we understand, even if they are not the true meaning of what God has planned, we can only try. We can only interpret. God will help us but in the end, whatever God tells us, we can only interpret it for others and try to convey the meaning God has sent.
So God looked down and said, why do they not choose the right things to do. Why do they hurt each other. Why do they not follow the path I have set. You see, God gave us all the knowledge of the right thing to do. That is a fundamental of my beliefs for what God has intended. I believe he is inside us and not only inside us but He is accessible and all His knowledge and wisdom is available to us. We always know what is right and what is wrong. It is just a matter of what we choose to do. Follow Him or not. It is free will.
God, not knowing why man chooses to do the wrong things when he told them what was right, wondered what can He do to understand why we do it and why we are not following him. Was there something he was missing, not understanding, not knowing what was in the heart of man that made us choose the wrong things.
So God made a plan, or maybe it was His plan all along. He would send His son down to earth. He would allow His son to live as a man. To live the life that he had created for all mankind. He would send him as an example, but not only as an example of how to live but to experience how and why man has chosen not to follow the guidelines He has given them.
And God sent us Jesus. To live the life, to see the things as man sees them, to live and love and be all that it is to belong to mankind.
So Jesus lived our life. He was the example of how to live and how to follow God's plan. He moved from place to place, preaching the ways of God and the teachings God has provided. Jesus was a man, but he was also the son of God and new all that God had intended. In Jesus's life, we see the way to live and the way to make it possible for all of us to live as God wants us to live. Imitating the life of Jesus.
And, as I can only believe was part of God's plan, Jesus came under condemnation of man. He was seen as a man, or not as the son of God. I believe that it was in the minds of those of the time that he had to prove himself as the son of God. That people did not or would not believe that this man was actually God's representative on earth. That he had to prove himself, over and over again and in front of those who chose not to believe. His words were not enough, they wanted proof.
So they crucified Jesus, asking him to prove He was the son of God. He was put to death. And while He remained an example to those that choose to follow him He was merely a man to those that did not. And this is where the most fundamental words, in my mind, were spoken by Jesus. It means more to me than anything He ever said or did. It shows me that Jesus understood, that he knew what it was like to live as man and that he knew the hardships and cruelties and utter despair that man has and goes through in life. Jesus knew how hard it is to live life and that knowing and understanding God's plan is not always enough. That we, as man, face hard choices and hard decisions we must make everyday, and it is not always easy to make the right decisions or to even trust in the word of God. We have free will and whether it is what we call the devil or just the difficulty of the choices in our minds, we are faced with some inner thought process or inner voice that tells us we are not worthy of God's love and we are not worthy of being the children of God and no matter what we do, we cannot live the life of Jesus. We are only men.
What I believe Jesus said was. 'Forgive them, they know not what they do'. A lot of scholars or learned men will tell you Jesus was referring to his being crucified. That it was all about what was happening then, to him and he was referring to the people who did it.
But God has given me a different answer, or an alternative meaning to those words. Not that what others believe is wrong, but that God has told me that there was more meaning to these words. That we have overlooked the reasons why Jesus was here. We believe that Jesus was sent here to save man, to forgive him and allow us to live in what is right instead of being afraid of doing something wrong. And that is all true, but God has told me that he sent Jesus to live as man, and through that life, Jesus came to understand man and the reasons for what man does. He saved mankind and forgave us for our sins.
For I believe the words. 'Forgive them, they know not what they do' applies to all men and not just the situation at the time. That Jesus was asking or telling his father, man is good, he makes the wrong choices, but he is fundamentally good, as God intended. But that we do not always understand what God's plan is and it is hard to live that life not knowing and we make the wrong choices. That we are deserving of God's love and that we can only try to live His life. We are forgiven, because it is hard and we know not what we do.
Jesus then came back from the grave, as proof that there is something after life. Proof that living the good and just life and doing the right thing is a reward. We get to live with God. Nothing more, nothing less. Live your life as God has intended and you will see God. With all that happened and all that occurred for and to Jesus, doing the right thing is how we should live and how we can be God's children.
Jesus came as a way for God to know us as we seek to know Him. Jesus saw us, was one of us and He forgave us. He is our savior and our way to know God. By following His example, we too can come to know God.
I hope this has not caused anyone distress or concern. It is just a way of looking at an event. It helps me to understand why God does some of the things He does. It is not meant to be right or accurate, only a way to get closer to God, for me. If it helps you, then we share a bond. If it only raises questions, then maybe the questions and answers you receive will allow you to be closer to God. For that is our goal, to seek God and find ways to be closer to him.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Church and the World
Church and the World
I will talk about the church and the image of the church and the attitude of the people who attend church. What I really want to go into is how this image and our attitude have hurt the church and how we, as representatives of God, have sabotaged how the church is perceived. I would also like to purpose an alternative, as you knew I would.
First, it is the word Church itself. Nothing wrong with that but I think, in today's world, the word Church has a bad name. Not for people who go but for those that do not. And, it has some connotations that are negative, or maybe not negative, but connotations that are not what they should be.
When you say Church to non-believers, they conjure up a set of rules and a belief in something that may not be there. It means a place that is too be avoided. A place where people will try to talk to you about things you would rather not talk about. It is the belief that the people in the church will always try to convert you and they all feel they are superior to you and are always in judgement of you. People who go to church are different and something that cannot be related to or talked to without a lecture on how you should live and how you should be changing your life. That what you are doing is wrong and what you choose to do in life is not the right way to do things.
People who do not go to church are seen as inferior by those that do. They are treated like they are less important than those who do go to church. The attitude of those that go to church is one of superiority and not related to every day life and the people who live it.
When I say that, it is immediately rejected. We are the children of God. We do not look down upon anyone. It is the other guy, not me. That is what we try to tell ourselves. That is how we see ourselves. We wouldn't do that. We are good and kind and want the best for everyone. We believe in something and it is so powerful, we have to make sure everyone else believes in it too. It is God's will.
Jesus never said that. God never intended it that way.
God loves everyone. Everyone. No matter what their religion or non-religion or good deeds or bad deeds. Jesus Christ forgave us for out sins. (I have something further to say about that, but once again, another time.) We can do nothing that will diminish God's love for us. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Understand that. Nothing we do will change how much God loves us. It is not just 'God's people' he loves. It is not just the chosen ones. It is not just the ones who follow His path and obey His rules. It is everyone. He loves the Muslims, the Buddhist, the agnostic and the atheist. Every one has the love of God. There is nothing we can do to change that.
So what does this have to do with the Church and the connotations of that word. It means that we, God's children, do not get to judge, do not get to criticize, do not get to hold ourselves above any other of God's children. We are all equal in His eyes. We are all forgiven. Every one of us.
All we can do, as Christians, is be an example to the rest of the world. We need to be not only the followers but the image of Jesus Christ. We live by what is right. Not that we are always right, but we try to live by the principles that God has set forth. That is our only job as Christians. Do the right thing. A favorite subject of mine.
But how does this relate to the perceived bad name of the 'church' I am speaking about. Well, that is how we, as Christians, have hurt the image of the church. We hold ourselves superior and we attempt to impose our will, or what we call God's will, on others. We try to use the power of God to convert or change those around us. We think we can influence someone to move closer to God and therefore allow them to walk the path that God has intended.
And, we can. We must. But God wants to tell you that you can do it in a better way. You do it by being the example. By doing the right thing. By following the life of Christ and trying to be like Him in every way you can. We live a righteous and just life. We are not always right, but it is the effort to try to be right that others will see. That others, outside the church, will perceive. They will notice those around them that have a meaning and a purpose to their lives. The will notice that there is somehow something different about you, because you are always trying to do the right thing.
Maybe they will not see what you do as the right thing, but they will notice that you have a plan and an idea about what or how things should be done. And that plan is God's plan, as much as you can make of it. You try.
And how does this help the image of the church. Because we need to stop beating people up with God. Stop telling them what they are doing is wrong. Stop trying to 'convert' them to your way of thinking. It puts people off. It does not represent the words and life of Jesus Christ. It is your effort, by a man, to show your perceived superiority over those that do not believe as you do. It is not the work of God, it is the work of the church and of Man.
Stop it.
The way you influence and truly convert people to the ways of Christ is by example. You live what you believe. You do what is right. It is not your job or position to criticize or judge or attempt to convert any other person to the ways of God. That is God's decision. That is up to God to lead these people to you and use you as an example of how to live His life and how to be a Christian. If you live by the life of Christ, then people will notice and they will pay attention. If you try to force your way of thinking onto others, then they will not listen and they will not pay attention and they will see God as a perpetrator of rules and religious jargon that they cannot live by. It is too big of a jump to move from living without God to giving their lives completely to God. Yes, some will follow. There are people that will get the revelation and move into the body of Christ. But if you truly want to move people to a better way of life and a vision of what God has intended, then you have to be the example and not the hammer.
To get people into the 'church', do it by living a life that is like Christ. Get them into the body by being the body. Invite them in. Let them see how you live. Let them notice that you are happy and content, no matter what your circumstances. That is does not matter what is happening around you, in your finances, in your marriage, in your life, you always seem to take it in stride. You always seem to be in control. You are different.
People will notice. People will wonder. People will want to know what it is that you have that allows you to be a good person. And that is key, you have to be a good person. Always, all the time. When people become curious, when they begin to wonder how you do it and they begin to ask, that is when you tell them it is because you follow the teachings of Christ. That it is His power that you allow to flow through and control you. That the only way you can be content is to have Jesus Christ in your life and allow him to guide and help you in all ways.
People will listen. Maybe not everyone, maybe only one. But that is not what we are about. We live according God and if others are converted or not converted that is not how we measure our success. We are successful in our lives because we know what God wants and we follow that life. We are the examples of God's power here on Earth. We are the children of God.
Some will say it says in the Bible that we will know them by their works. And before I offend every Christian who reads this, I need to say I have some things to say about the Bible and how we interpret what it says. Not to say I do not agree with everything the Bible has to say, I do think there is an issue with how we as Christians interpret the Bible to fit our own needs. But that is a major undertaking for me to explain that and I hope by simply saying those words I do not turn people off from what I, or God, has asked me to say.
Saying we will know them by their works could mean we will know them in how they live their lives. Not by how many people they convert or how many churches they found or how many people they have healed. Those are examples of God but it does not diminish that the number one way we can show God's works is by living the life God has intended for us. That is how we will convert the world to the ways of Jesus Christ. Not by the flashy miracles, or the big booming church or even the success we might have in life.
We convert people to God by being the example. We show them that there is a better way of life. We show them that we have a guide and if they follow that guide, they too can be happy.
It is that simple. Because we do not have control over when the miracles happen, or when the sick are healed or when the blessings will come. When we try to make those things happen, it can only lead to failure. We have to live by what is right and if we do that, all the other things will come. Stop putting the results ahead of the efforts. Do the right thing, live according to Christ and everything else will take care of itself.
Stop beating up the world with God. They don't deserve it. They are the children of God as much as you are. They deserve your love and your respect and your help. Because that is what Jesus was all about. Helping others, whether they deserve it or not in your eyes. God loves them. We should to.
I will talk about the church and the image of the church and the attitude of the people who attend church. What I really want to go into is how this image and our attitude have hurt the church and how we, as representatives of God, have sabotaged how the church is perceived. I would also like to purpose an alternative, as you knew I would.
First, it is the word Church itself. Nothing wrong with that but I think, in today's world, the word Church has a bad name. Not for people who go but for those that do not. And, it has some connotations that are negative, or maybe not negative, but connotations that are not what they should be.
When you say Church to non-believers, they conjure up a set of rules and a belief in something that may not be there. It means a place that is too be avoided. A place where people will try to talk to you about things you would rather not talk about. It is the belief that the people in the church will always try to convert you and they all feel they are superior to you and are always in judgement of you. People who go to church are different and something that cannot be related to or talked to without a lecture on how you should live and how you should be changing your life. That what you are doing is wrong and what you choose to do in life is not the right way to do things.
People who do not go to church are seen as inferior by those that do. They are treated like they are less important than those who do go to church. The attitude of those that go to church is one of superiority and not related to every day life and the people who live it.
When I say that, it is immediately rejected. We are the children of God. We do not look down upon anyone. It is the other guy, not me. That is what we try to tell ourselves. That is how we see ourselves. We wouldn't do that. We are good and kind and want the best for everyone. We believe in something and it is so powerful, we have to make sure everyone else believes in it too. It is God's will.
Jesus never said that. God never intended it that way.
God loves everyone. Everyone. No matter what their religion or non-religion or good deeds or bad deeds. Jesus Christ forgave us for out sins. (I have something further to say about that, but once again, another time.) We can do nothing that will diminish God's love for us. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Understand that. Nothing we do will change how much God loves us. It is not just 'God's people' he loves. It is not just the chosen ones. It is not just the ones who follow His path and obey His rules. It is everyone. He loves the Muslims, the Buddhist, the agnostic and the atheist. Every one has the love of God. There is nothing we can do to change that.
So what does this have to do with the Church and the connotations of that word. It means that we, God's children, do not get to judge, do not get to criticize, do not get to hold ourselves above any other of God's children. We are all equal in His eyes. We are all forgiven. Every one of us.
All we can do, as Christians, is be an example to the rest of the world. We need to be not only the followers but the image of Jesus Christ. We live by what is right. Not that we are always right, but we try to live by the principles that God has set forth. That is our only job as Christians. Do the right thing. A favorite subject of mine.
But how does this relate to the perceived bad name of the 'church' I am speaking about. Well, that is how we, as Christians, have hurt the image of the church. We hold ourselves superior and we attempt to impose our will, or what we call God's will, on others. We try to use the power of God to convert or change those around us. We think we can influence someone to move closer to God and therefore allow them to walk the path that God has intended.
And, we can. We must. But God wants to tell you that you can do it in a better way. You do it by being the example. By doing the right thing. By following the life of Christ and trying to be like Him in every way you can. We live a righteous and just life. We are not always right, but it is the effort to try to be right that others will see. That others, outside the church, will perceive. They will notice those around them that have a meaning and a purpose to their lives. The will notice that there is somehow something different about you, because you are always trying to do the right thing.
Maybe they will not see what you do as the right thing, but they will notice that you have a plan and an idea about what or how things should be done. And that plan is God's plan, as much as you can make of it. You try.
And how does this help the image of the church. Because we need to stop beating people up with God. Stop telling them what they are doing is wrong. Stop trying to 'convert' them to your way of thinking. It puts people off. It does not represent the words and life of Jesus Christ. It is your effort, by a man, to show your perceived superiority over those that do not believe as you do. It is not the work of God, it is the work of the church and of Man.
Stop it.
The way you influence and truly convert people to the ways of Christ is by example. You live what you believe. You do what is right. It is not your job or position to criticize or judge or attempt to convert any other person to the ways of God. That is God's decision. That is up to God to lead these people to you and use you as an example of how to live His life and how to be a Christian. If you live by the life of Christ, then people will notice and they will pay attention. If you try to force your way of thinking onto others, then they will not listen and they will not pay attention and they will see God as a perpetrator of rules and religious jargon that they cannot live by. It is too big of a jump to move from living without God to giving their lives completely to God. Yes, some will follow. There are people that will get the revelation and move into the body of Christ. But if you truly want to move people to a better way of life and a vision of what God has intended, then you have to be the example and not the hammer.
To get people into the 'church', do it by living a life that is like Christ. Get them into the body by being the body. Invite them in. Let them see how you live. Let them notice that you are happy and content, no matter what your circumstances. That is does not matter what is happening around you, in your finances, in your marriage, in your life, you always seem to take it in stride. You always seem to be in control. You are different.
People will notice. People will wonder. People will want to know what it is that you have that allows you to be a good person. And that is key, you have to be a good person. Always, all the time. When people become curious, when they begin to wonder how you do it and they begin to ask, that is when you tell them it is because you follow the teachings of Christ. That it is His power that you allow to flow through and control you. That the only way you can be content is to have Jesus Christ in your life and allow him to guide and help you in all ways.
People will listen. Maybe not everyone, maybe only one. But that is not what we are about. We live according God and if others are converted or not converted that is not how we measure our success. We are successful in our lives because we know what God wants and we follow that life. We are the examples of God's power here on Earth. We are the children of God.
Some will say it says in the Bible that we will know them by their works. And before I offend every Christian who reads this, I need to say I have some things to say about the Bible and how we interpret what it says. Not to say I do not agree with everything the Bible has to say, I do think there is an issue with how we as Christians interpret the Bible to fit our own needs. But that is a major undertaking for me to explain that and I hope by simply saying those words I do not turn people off from what I, or God, has asked me to say.
Saying we will know them by their works could mean we will know them in how they live their lives. Not by how many people they convert or how many churches they found or how many people they have healed. Those are examples of God but it does not diminish that the number one way we can show God's works is by living the life God has intended for us. That is how we will convert the world to the ways of Jesus Christ. Not by the flashy miracles, or the big booming church or even the success we might have in life.
We convert people to God by being the example. We show them that there is a better way of life. We show them that we have a guide and if they follow that guide, they too can be happy.
It is that simple. Because we do not have control over when the miracles happen, or when the sick are healed or when the blessings will come. When we try to make those things happen, it can only lead to failure. We have to live by what is right and if we do that, all the other things will come. Stop putting the results ahead of the efforts. Do the right thing, live according to Christ and everything else will take care of itself.
Stop beating up the world with God. They don't deserve it. They are the children of God as much as you are. They deserve your love and your respect and your help. Because that is what Jesus was all about. Helping others, whether they deserve it or not in your eyes. God loves them. We should to.
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