Monday, October 17, 2005

Christianity (Read further please, thank you!)

I believe in Jesus. I believe He is the way, the truth and the life. I believe he died for our sins. I believe he lived a perfect, sinless life here on earth. I believe in God and stand in awe and respect before Him. I know my relationship with Him is still "in-the-works" today but I'll get there. I don't have a religion. I have a relationship with God through Jesus with the aid of the Holy Spirit and that my friend is more than enough.
I read Rumours by Philip Yancey. The first chapter is as far as I have read as of now. It's pretty amazing. Such questions imposed on the book are the ones repeated by humanity from the age of humanists (Renaissance) to the Philosophers and writers of recent. He presents thoughts that answers most of the questions that disturbs most Christian believers of today's church. The resonating thoughts that provokes most followers to stray and sometimes lose their faith as more doubt is accumulated from the questions unanswered. Or are they? Natives of some country saw Magellan's frigate approach their island. They just continued with their daily lives. They continued fishing, farming, playing with their kids, etc. They thought it was just an apparition. The limits of their imaginations is the cause of this. We fail to see what is obvious because of the overly logical mindset we have. While reading this, I want you to look around you. Take in every sight you can. Isn't everything as miracle? Reflect the amazing beauty and perfection God has originally planned for us. You haven't realized that, haven't you? I thought so. We are so distracted by our daily, consistent, meaningless chasing of something or someone on our lives that we forget to stop and enjoy the life that we already have in front of us.
Questions? Like "Why is it that the world of now doesn't seem to be the world our heavenly Father created?" Why do you think so? I know words like "biased judgement, corruption, incapability, mortal sins, dissatisfaction of life standings and poverty" will always appear in all of your answers but these human issues are always complained of since the beginning of time. When the first man and woman walked the lands our God created. They wanted something more when they already have everything. When you have God in you, you already have everything. No one and nothing else is further needed. He alone will give you the salvation you have been pursuing for all your life. Only He will give you the security and happiness that you have admired from other solid believers. You know, when you could have sworn an unknown, ethereal force is working in your friend because of the problems he/she have surpassed with a smile. That force, my friend is the Holy Spirit. Go to a Bible-based church or ministry. Look around you. You will feel something that will touch you no matter what you are. Something that will revolutionize your life into something that is the best. I know, its the provoking feel of being a Christian, of following the Christian way of life. And I know its sometimes bumpy and exhillarating, but our pastor told us to think of the road as excessively exciting as we go around the rollercoaster of the Christian life. The RCF (Richmond Christian Fellowship, a four-square based church) Ministry's interpretataion of the part when the Lord calls his two to-be disciples (I think it was Peter and his brother, I can't recall the exact details so sorry) from their fishing with their father and told them that He would make them fishers of men. They quickly left their boat and their father and followed Jesus. At that time, young Jews at the age of 6-10 are required to memorize the torra (the first five books of the Old testament). If they were unsuccessful to do such astounding, near-impossible feat they are forced to learn the business of their respective fathers. But those who are the "cream of the crop" will be asked to further their studies till age sixteen (or is it eighteen???). Their "studies" are the other books of the Old Testament. They will memorize it as, similar to what they did when they were still innocent children. Then at the coming of age, they are tested. If they fail, they will, like before, be forced to learn their father's business. But if they passed, they will become rabbis. At that time, rabbis were the most respectable group of society. They were the big shots. They were the "pioneers" (???) of their time. They are given the advantage of interpretting the Old testament and form their respective yokes which will be followed by the people who want to. But different rabbis and people have oftentimes a different perspective of the Bible. That's why we socialize in learning the Word, to share different, interesting insight, right? So their interpretations were crappy. They didn't have the right amount of knowledge needed to preach such delicate (for them because they memorized it instead of meditating on it, vastly distinct words in the religious sense) matters. Like the commandment to rest on the Sabbath day. Some will say that you will only be allowed to walk five mile and further would be an abomination and disrespect of the Bible. Some would say that you can walk for as far as you want but you have to rest for 50 minutes for each mile that you walk. . .and all those stuff that will NOT make any sense. Back to graduation day, fast-forward to yourself being the idolized (literally idolized rabbi). You will be accepting letters from other young rabbis that they want to be like you. You answer a potential "talent" and ask him to present himself before you for testing of where he is at in his studies and see his capabilities. Then when you or he (the rabbi) sees him capable, you or he says to his or your apprentice : "Follow me." Remember after close scrutiny and intense testing do you accept him as your or his student. Only when you have summarized and known his intellectual achievements do you be satisfied. But God isn't like that. He doesn't care if your IQ is 180 or if the best thing you did in your whole lofe is to learn how to read. What matters is who you are inside. Who you REALLY are inside, without cover-ups. And He will not call to you if He doesn't believe in you. He will not call your attention and wake you up from your senseless slumber if he does not believe in your strength and your capabilities of following the path He had planned for you. That just touches and moves my heart so much that I can't stop tears from my eyes. The King of Kings believes in me? Of course He does.
Knowing that fact is more than sufficient for anyone to continue his/her Christianity. The pursuit of wisdom, knowledge and understanding of the Word starts here. . .As long as you are seeking, you will find. . .Praise be to God. . .Amen

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