How DId I Miss That???

I am reading The Divine Conspiracy, by Dallas Willard (Yes, I recommend it, but be prepared to be blown away!). Willard begins each chapter with a quote. Yesterday was C.S. Lewis from Mere Christianity.

"The command 'Be perfect' is not idealistic gas. Nor is it a command to do the impossible. He is going to make us into creatures that can obey that command."

Why would Jesus tell us to do things that are impossible? He wouldn't! That means it is possible for me to change. He will change me, over time, to be like Himself.

For the first time in a while I feel a sense of hope. All my life I have tried to "be good" using religious "do's and don'ts." But all that did was change my actions (and most of the time not even that!) while my heart was left untouched. Jesus wants to change my heart!

So, Jesus means what He says...How did I miss that???

(I encourage you to leave comments, but anyone wishing to discuss this on a more personal level is welcome to contact me through Facebook)

Faith of my Fathers...NOT!

OK, why do I have to go through this process? For the past 20+ years (accelerated in the last 7), my "faith" has dropped off. The things I once believed I no longer did. But now these same things are coming back into my life...??? Why couldn't they have just stayed in my life all along? Wouldn't that have saved time, not to mention immense frustration on my part?!

I think I am catching a glimpse of why I have to go through this process. If I hadn't my faith would be my parents faith. Their faith is great for them, and it worked for me the first 20 years of my life. But as an adult I have to have my own faith. Otherwise I am believing in someone else's faith, and not in Jesus! And when life gets hard someone else's faith just doesn't cut it, does it?!

Off Road Trucking

Years ago I was driving my father-in-law's module truck (for those not in the south a module truck picks up huge loads of cotton from the field). I got lost and ended up driving off road. I hit a ditch that threw me into the roof of the cab...felt like it broke my neck (Probably didn't do the truck's axle any good either)! But that is what happens when you get off road...people get hurt!

This morning I was reading in John 12 how the Pharisees (religious men) wanted to kill Jesus. I thought, "Here it is again, religion killing God!" And I was all set to write today's post...until I realized I was pointing out someone else's sin rather than dealing with my own! And that is religion in action! ...Rats!!!

Don't get me wrong, these Pharisees were dogs. They wanted to kill God for the sake of their position and religion. But the point of this blog is not to find where someone else's religion kills God, but rather to find where my religion kills God! I will try to stay on road from now on. 
 

WARNING: Religion has been known to cause blindness in Californian mice!

I just read the story of the man born blind (John 9). Jesus heals him and causes a stink with the religious leaders (Pharisees). Why would they be upset about this? Because Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest. 

• “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work..." Exodus 20:8-11

So it is true that God told the Jews not to work on the Sabbath. But did He really mean they couldn't do good deeds? Obviously not, since Jesus IS God and here He is doing a good deed on the Sabbath. So the religious leaders had been blinded by their own religion to the truth of God!

How many car accidents happen because people don't realize they have a blind spot in their vision? How many religious accidents have happened because people don't realize they have a blind spot in their vision?

If my religion has given me a blind spot do I even I know it?

Life is Hard-2

You know what I think messes me up? Culture. I was sold a bill of goods that only makes sense if things are going well. By bill of goods I mean that - God always blesses His people materially (stuff). Well, that's easy to believe growing up as a middle class white male in the United States. How do Christians in the radiation area of Japan feel about God? Should they expect less of God's joy because life sucks right now? That doesn't make sense, does it? Or those suffering in Haiti or Africa, or an inner city in the US for that matter. I am complaining about my current situation while they don't have anything near the material blessings I do. Does that mean God love them less and they should expect less joy?

So I go back to being "in" Him. That has to be it, doesn't it? Does anything else work???