Who is this Jesus?

Does it ever baffle you that so many people can claim to follow the same Jesus and yet live by such different standards, teach such different things, interpret his words in such different ways, and worship him in such different churches? I believe some of this can be attributed to the diversity and creativity of our God, but I also think some of it has to do with not truly knowing this Jesus we call our Savior.

It's no wonder non-believers have such a hard time accepting him.

I'm not trying to be condescending of Christians. I know a lot of great people who are living like Jesus. I know I don't always do a great job myself.

It's just interesting...what's to believe...who's really got it right?

I guess it all goes back to the Bible. May that be the only source of our Truth.

Hope & Disappointment

Sometimes I have a hard time planning things with people or getting excited about things because I'm afraid of being disappointed. This may seem silly, but I would much rather avoid the situation altogether, rather than getting my hopes up and then being let down. On the flip side, this sometimes makes me hesitant to commit to things because I don't want to be the one to disappoint others if I'm unable to follow through.

I realize that people aren't perfect, they don't always keep every commitment, circumstances change, and so on...such is life. But I have this fear, this doubt...which, as you can imagine, doesn't lead to a very exciting life!

In reading Romans this morning, I realized that I have this fear with God as well. Now, with people, it's somewhat warranted, but I know with God, it's just ridiculous. Romans 5:3-5 says, "We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

I know the truth -- Hope in God will not disappoint us because God is faithful--always and forever. He won't leave us or forsake us.

But I'm still scared.

Of praying for something & not getting an answer.

Of seeking & not finding.

Of feeling let down.

I know the truth is that this isn't a failure on God's part, it's a lack of my own faith.

I know it in my head. I need it in my heart.

The Church

Over the past several years, I have visited LOTS of different churches. Churches of all shapes and sizes and denominations with all different types of people. All have their good and bad qualities, and I know there's no such thing as the perfect church, but I'd have to say that the vast majority seem to have it all wrong. The focus of so many churches seems to be attracting people. And they will go to great lengths to make themselves attractive to the world, even if it means looking more like the world than like Christ. They want to entertain people, to make them feel comfortable, even to impress them. And they do an excellent job of this. A lot of churches are good at 'doing church' and making people feel good. But there's something missing in all of this.

I've been reading the book 'Radical' by David Platt, in which he talks about how we've so intertwined Christianity with the American Dream that a lot of American Christians don't know the difference.

About America's churches (his included) David writes, "But what is strangely lacking in the picture of performances, personalities, programs, and professionals is desperation for the power of God. God’s power is at best an add-on to our strategies. I am frightened by the reality that the church I lead can carry on most of our activities smoothly, efficiently, even successfully, never realizing that the Holy Spirit of God is virtually absent from the picture."

We're not dependent on the power of God. We've created such comfortable lives that we don't NEED him. We can fool ourselves into believing that we're living a Christian life when Christ is not even a part of it. It's frightening, really. Are we really this blind?

I'm not sure what the answer is here. It's something I've been wondering for a long time. What does a church of God's design actually look like? Where can I find one? Or better yet, how can I help my church to become one?

We need to be desperate.

We need to make room for God.

Pictures to Hold You Over

I hardly ever write on here because I'm always waiting for some great revelation that rarely comes. Or I just don't know how to write it down. I have lots of 'almost posts' in my head, but nothing that amounts to much.

So, in the meantime, here are some words of encouragement for you:



Some recent fun:




And some exciting news...debt free! Woohoo! :)



So, that's my randomness for now. I'll try to formulate something thoughtful soon. ;)

Memories of Egypt

I heard a sermon last week about the Israelites wandering in the desert and 'remembering' how great it had been to live in Egypt. As they complained about their plight in the desert and spent time dwelling on their current circumstances, they suddenly remembered Egypt with fondness...instead of remembering their slavery and oppression, they remembered being well fed and taken care of. Instead of opening their eyes to see how God was providing for them in the desert, they conveniently forgot about how horrible Pharaoh had been to them and their families.

I've been thinking about this lately in relation to my selective memory. It's easy to be discontent with where I'm at and think of how great I used to have it...living on a lake, surrounded by friends, a desk job...it sounds wonderful and appealing, and sometimes, like the Israelites, I wonder why I left. But if I'm really honest with myself, I have to remember the bad things too. I don't need to go into detail, but it wasn't perfect. When I was there, I 'remembered' other times and places with fondness too and wished I could have those things back. It's hard to be content.

Why is it that when we're in the middle of a situation, we so clearly see the bad things and find anything to complain about, but when we look back, we see the good and wish for it back or wish we had enjoyed it more? Why not focus on the good while we've got it?

At this moment, I'm sitting at a coffee shop downtown. The sun is shining, there's a nice breeze, I have no place to be for the next few hours. What a blessing. I could complain about why I have this free time...I was a bit annoyed this morning when I found out some other plans had been cancelled, but if that hadn't been so, I wouldn't have had this opportunity to enjoy one of the last days of summer. So that's what I intend to do. :)

I started this post thinking I would write about some other 'days gone by' that I've been thinking of after visiting my old neighborhood in VA, but that can wait for another day. I don't want to miss this one!