I have been praying for years to know, really know and love Jesus; without all the "church stuff" and religiosity and pressure from different religious groups. Without all the junk in my own head and deceptive heart.
(Don't get me wrong- I love Church-it's just the mentality I don't like)
Prayers get answered...did you ever laugh at the way they sometimes get answered in a way we totally would not think (or choose!).
God has been doing some major renovation with me, and that's good. Painful, but good. I have really needed it. Who doesn't, but like Paul, I feel like "the chief of the sinners"...
I have read a few good books lately, and they offer some insights and new points of view. I have determined though, to seek God with His leading. By prayer, His word- which I read from cover to cover at least once a year, and a concordance and dictionary. *U* This is what gets me in touch with the real God. This is where I get faith, peace, power, joy, and comfort.
So many people who say they are Chrisitians don't believe God. They pray for something but really expect to get it answered. They say Jesus is the answer and then look for truth everywhere elses but Jesus.
They don't even really know what He has to say to them; they rely on someone else to tell them. I should know- that's where I was, along with most everyone else I knew...but listen, God has alot to say to you and me- and it's not being repeated, or not repeated accurately! Find out for yourself. Believe me, you have got nothing better to do, than to know your God and mine. The only way to know the Bible is to read it/hear it for yourself. Don't rely on someone else to regurgitate it for you.
I'm tired of superficial stuff. I'm tired of a religion preached to me that has no real power to change...or to do anything else, either. God is real. Jesus is who He said- I know this. I just crave more. More than rules and good morals, Christian clubs that leave some out and allow only certain kinds in- those are usually clubs I don't like and never have. It shocked me to realize once I was in one, and jealously guarded it, just as much as the others. Jesus would never have done that. I felt deeply ashamed of that. Don't we all want to belong and feel important? yuck. Let's belong to Jesus and not a phoney club built on the memeber's own self righteousness (or what they percieve as their own).
I crave the fellowship of the believer's, but so often they are the only ones I really fear of being judged and critisized by...wow- what does that say?
So, anyway, I have read a few good books as I said, and the theme I'm interested in is usually a radical belief in Jesus and what the Bible says. What it actually says.
I just ordered a new one today...
Here's the description:
Polyester People (Book)Polyester People - This is the latest book written by Pastor Ron Vietti. Available now. This book is for people who are tired of religion and are brave enough to go back and reexamine the scriptures to see what they really say. It's not for the spiritually content. This book will cause you to rethink what it means to be a follower of Christ. It's so simple that multitudes of Christians have missed it. If you don't mean business with God, then this book isn't for you.
Sounds good, huh? We'll see- I hope so. I'll let ya know :)
You can find a copy at
in case you are interested too.
This was a problem at my congregation several years back. There was a group that insisted that the men serving communion be dressed a certain way so that it would be appropriate and not distract those taking communion. Well that excluded one of the most God-fearing, Jesus-loving, kindest young men I knew because he was very large and didn't have what was "acceptable."
ReplyDeleteMany of us argued that it wasn't scriptural, and that they should stand in back prior to delivering the trays. Fast forward several years to a congregation that has finally healed from that rift. A preacher who is very strong in following only the scripture, and our men stand in back before delivering the communion trays.
I'll still get annoyed when people forget to be a follower of Christ and instead are a church member. Thanks for the book recommendation.
I was thinking about the greatest commandment, you know the one about loving God and loving others.
ReplyDeleteThere's another book I'd like to recommend called "Messy Spirituality" by Michael Yakonelli (don't know if I spelled that right). It's been years since I've read it, but it seems like the completion to the thought you expressed. We ought to LOVE AND ADORE JESUS! Everything else stems out of that.
This book is very encouraging to not only break down the walls that we often erect between us and God, but also us and other humans who we often cause to stumble, rather than bring to Jesus because of "polyester" things.
When I walked into "our" church, almost 9 years ago, I was a travelling through town (or so I thought), and smelled of a month's worth of body odor and pot. I was a very un-grounded christian, who had a serious distaste for the church. Immediately, we were welcomed into "the family".
I long to see radical christians that adore and treasure Christ, saturate their hearts and minds with His word, are humble and contrite before an Almighty God, and authentic and sincere enough to get beyond people's appearance and issues, to bring them to Jesus. It's not easy, but I think we need to SHINE in this dark age, and knowing Jesus for ourselves and realizing that we're all cut from the same cloth (even the guy next to us, who offends everyone with his sharp tongue, because he's lived such a difficult life, or the guy who is still struggling to stay sober and yet keeps coming to Christ for help). It is so easy to see things that are more external, surface sins and judge others harshly, but what about our food-addictions, gossiping, pride, impatience.... None of us fear God as we ought, it just looks more obvious in some than in others. And our job is to LOVE not convert! People will come to Jesus because He draws them, and if we are faithful to love them in all their messiness, we may just get to be a part of that.
Anyways, I'm supposed to be homeschooling. Thanks for listening!
Space Welch
Arcata, CA