In a Nut Shell II

There are some who have asked me that age old religious question. When did you get saved?

My reply would be, “I was born saved”.  (I was always kidding) Ever since I can remember, I have always loved God and had a hunger for Him.  My passion for knowing more of God and how I may live for him has never waned over the years.  I am even more passionate now than ever.

It has been religious systems and teachings that have complicated my spiritual growth in God.  I would be taught one thing, yet I would see something else in the Word of God.  I would ask questions, but only silenced or put aside for asking.  I have found that religious leaders and systems do not want to be questioned about anything they teach or do. Yet my hunger for God would not let me stop at what others called the norm.  You see if you will let it, religion will get a hold of you and shape the way you think and mess you up.

For years I fought that battle with my mind and how religion shaped me. I grew up in church and learned what I call the Sunday school version of God, Jesus, Bible, and the gospel message.  I found myself judging others and expecting them to live up to my standards.  I was being pious toward those who did not follow God with passion.  My testimony of life was that of purity and passion.  I never fell for worldly vices or lived a life of rebellion.  Yet; in the hidden places of my heart, I was a complete failure and needed to be rescued.  I needed God to humble me and open my heart for me to see who I was and for God to do a new work in me.

As a young man, at lest once a week I traveled across town in Lincoln, NE on a bus to sit at the feet of a wonderful man of God and just learn the Bible.  He did not teach me much doctrine, but just an understanding of God’s word and how to glean God’s truths and information from it.  It was during that time, I fully came to understand God’s calling on my life and my roll to my generation, in God’s church.  I preached my first sermon at the age of eleven, and was told that it was a prophetic word in nature.   

It was all the many struggles in life and choices I made that have brought me to the place I am today.  I have learned to forgive, and not worry about those who reject me.  I don’t worry about what others are doing, and I don’t have time to judge them.  I have been given the love and light of God and need to just let it shine.  I don’t have to be a pastor of a large group, or become a household name to make a difference in the lives of others.  It is what I do with the lives of those God have given me opportunity to share His message with that matter.  Even then, I am not responsible for what they do with it or if they change or not.  God never called me to change anyone, the only one who I need to change is me and I work on that daily.

Over the years I have found myself reading more than ever the Bible and many other books.  That is saying a lot about a person that grew up not liking to read.  God is taking me on a life journey and with new passion I am discovering Him over and over again.  His word is filled with truth and one only needs to look at it from a heart of pure passion (casting off religious thoughts) to find truth.  It has made me ask more questions and find many more answers.  I just now have to fight off the urge to get angry at religious church systems for leading us astray.

God’s gospel message about Jesus and His coming kingdom is not hidden in the Bible.  It is plain and easy to see if one is willing to take it for what it says, plain and simple. It has been religious leaders and systems that have told us that it is hard, a mystery and we need them to make it understandable.  They have laid out a system of rules, boundaries and rewards that are not truly in scriptures to keep us in line according to them.

A few years ago I was asked by a pastor to speak at his church’s men’s prayer breakfast.  Little did I know I was being setup to be questioned on doctrines by this pastor.  I spoke first then sat at the head table next to the pastor to eat my breakfast.  He began to tell me that he was offended by statements a friend of mine made in our church. He wanted to know if I agreed with my friend and let me know how wrong I was.  He presented his scriptures and I would counter.  After a time in frustration he waved at the group of men (none of whom knew what was going on) and said “you know as well as I do that they can’t live this on their own they need rules to keep them in order”.  My response to him was “that is what is wrong with the church today, man is making the rules, and that is what we call religion”

So, here is my simple message wrapped up in a nut shell.  To some I will not have gone far enough and made it to simple.  Then there will still be those who will say “I have lost my way and faith”.  Still there will be those who will not believe it no matter how simple.

God created the earth and all that is in it and he alone did so by just His word.  Then by the works of His hands he alone created man, giving all dominion and power over the earth to that man.  Life was perfect and peaceful for man and the woman God gave him.

The Devil came along and deceived them both with half truths and getting them to question God.  Satan, promised them something he could not give and by this he tricked them into giving up all authority over to him.  This is why he is called the prince of the air and ruler of this age. Sin has now entered the world of man along with suffering and pain.  Death began to take hold and by this all men are dieing.  We are all born in sin and we will all die, there is no life after death in this.

God, from the beginning had a plan to redeem man and the earth.  To restore all that was lost and return man back to his given purpose to posses the earth and rule over it.  His plan was reveled in the beginning and all through the Hebrew text called the Old Testament, that plan is reveled in every story. It is all about God’s commitment to that plan and to His promise to man.  He did this through such men as Abraham, Moses, David, and many more.  He spoke to those in that time by prophets and spiritual leaders, and now speaks to us by those written words.  God’s plan was simple and plain, there was nothing hidden other than the birth of the coming church of Jesus.  Man chose to be blinded and refused to follow God’s plan, but God did not give up on his plan.

Then in what we call the gospels God’s plan is reveled in flesh.  He begot a son through a virgin whose name was Mary.  Jesus is the name given him and he was to be called the Christ, the one who was going to be the instrument of God’s plan.  This Jesus was a man begotten of God, a Jew of the lineage of David.  He was the one to sit on the throne of David and rule God’s coming kingdom.

This Jesus lived on this earth for about 33 ½ years.  Thirty of those years he grew up in the Word of God, learning who he was through the Hebrew Scriptures.  The next three and a half years he went about preaching the gospel message “the Kingdom of God is at hand” with signs following.  He chose 12 followers to impart his message to for them to carry it on later.  Jesus then suffered a cruel death on the cross bearing all of men’s sins, shame, sickness, and death, trusting in his father to raise him from death.  God did raise Jesus from the dead three days later to become the first born of many brethren.  Jesus spent about 50 days with his followers teaching them about the coming kingdom.  He then was taken up to be at the right side of his father to wait for the appointed time of his return. Until then he intercedes for us to the Father as our high priest.

On the day of Pentecost, Jesus, kept his promise and gave the spirit of God to all believers (the manifest presence of God in us).  This birthed what we call the church of Jesus and empowered the believer to carry out the work of God.  The church was given the gospel message of Jesus to take to the whole world.  The message is the coming kingdom and its King, Jesus the Christ.  Until he comes, we are to share this message with all those we can. His Word gives life and hope to all those that believe.  They are born again by the Word and through His spirit, given power to overcome in this life.  That spirit is preparing us for the coming kingdom of God that we will experience on the day of resurrection.  Until then, we are to follow the teachings of Jesus and obey God’s Word to us.  We are to love the Lord God with all our heart, soul and strength, follow the example of His son Jesus, living a life pleasing to the Father. 

In all this I know I could have shared much more, but time and space there is not enough of.  My view of religion’s God, laws, heaven and hell has been removed.  I have seen that all men are going to die, but those who have believed and followed Jesus will rise again, take on immortality and rule with him in the coming kingdom.  I believe in the one God of the Hebrew Scriptures and His son Jesus, and that they have given us the spirit as a deposit of things yet to come.  I am a child of God reborn of His spirit through His word.  I have been made righteous, justified through Jesus, holy without blame or shame.  I am passionately pursuing Him, with a made up mind to serve Him, with all that I am.  Each and every day I am learning more about Him and still growing.  One day I will see Jesus and I will know him because I will be just like him.  One day death may take this life I now live, if Jesus does not come back soon, but I have a hope that I will rise again to live and rule with him in the coming kingdom.  That is it in a nut shell.