All primary religions are equally true and present the same teachings?
False.
The biggest factor that sets religions apart is who they believe Jesus was.
If Jesus wasn’t God, and was just a man, a regular ol’ nice guy, that was murdered, then you and I are still under God’s judgement. Someone has to pay for our sin and if you don’t believe that Jesus did it through his death and resurrection then, oops! We’re screwed!
If we believe that we can win your salvation by doing good deeds and by following some weird “check list” to live by then, oops! We’re screwed!
If we believe that Jesus is who he says he is, then we believe that through his death and resurrection that he took our sin upon himself, so that we may find our salvation, free of charge, in him.
What do you choose to believe? Are you calling Jesus a liar or do you believe him?
More and more I’ve been discovering how crucial it is to pause and just observe the Lord. This morning I walked outside while the stars and the moon were still out and it, and at the risk of sounding corny here, took my breath away. It was a quick reminder of just how small I am and how big the Lord and the things He’s done and created are.
Again, Pause for the Lord. Recognize His good work in everything around you. Whether it is something as beautiful as a dark sky filled with stars or something as simple as a smile from a stranger. The Lord is good and He proves it to us everyday.
Pause for the Lord. Remember the sacrifice that He made for us in sending His son, Jesus Christ, to earth to take the great burden of our sin on Himself and to die, just to give us hope. Jesus died for us and then rose again carving a path for us to take salvation free of charge.
Pause for the Lord. He is loyal to us and He will never leave us, as in Deuteronomy chapter 31 Verse 16:
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Pause for the Lord. Admire His beauty and His good works. Acknowledge His free gift to us and rejoice in it. Be comforted by His presence and speak to Him like a friend, telling Him your worries and praises. As we’re told in Philippians chapter 4 verse 6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Today I stumbled upon a young friends Facebook page and I found this quote:
“Religion is like Wal-Mart. It is everywhere. It treats its people horribly. It sells its products cheaply. A lot of people shop there. It takes no intelligence to shop there. Has millions and millions of dollars. Doesn’t have enough checkers. And has a dead founder with devoted followers.”— Calvin Cormier
It really disturbs me how a person could come to feel this way, to make this analogy and firstly if there is a believer out there reading this I just ask you to pray for Calvin Cormier and for the young person that re-posted his quote.
First of all I would absolutely like to say that God is everywhere. Everyday everything that we wake up and see is the creation of God and it is good just as He says in Genesis. So yes Calvin, you are right, it is everywhere. Everything we see, touch, smell, hear, and etc is from God. It is impossible to escape Him.
Secondly, the view that Christianity and religion in general treats people horribly is nothing but a misunderstanding. A lot of people think that Christians lead boring lives and have to live by some set of rules, but this is just not true. Believers are meant to enjoy modern culture, art, movies, music, etc, not to avoid it, for everything that is created is from God so it must be good. Genesis chapter 1 Verse 28 goes as follows: “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” We are MEANT to live a full life taking of advantage of every aspect of the world, because it is the GIFT of God. As a believer I am not unhappy and I am not treated horribly.
Moving on. The “product” that Christianity sells, I agree, is indeed cheap. Why? Because Jesus paid for us. My salvation is free because of Him. There is nothing that I have to do to gain it. There is no amount of money that will buy it for me. It is simply free for those who can believe in Him. Don’t be swayed by those who tell you that you can earn it. That simply isn’t true. Remember, your debt is paid.
Moving on again. To say that Christianity is unintelligent is an ignorant statement in itself. I think the vast majority of people can agree that C.S. Lewis was a pretty intelligent man given the success that he had. It’s also a pretty interesting fact that C.S. Lewis was actually an atheist at one point in his life, who eventually gave his life to Christ. C.S. Lewis also said this:
“My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of “just” and “unjust”?… What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?… Of course I could have given up my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if I did that, then my argument against God collapsed too— for the argument depended on saying that the world was really unjust, not simply that it did not happen to please my private fancies… Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple.”
As I said before, I think most people will agree that C.S. Lewis was a pretty intelligent guy. His quote here is just one example of an intelligent person speaking intelligently about Christianity and more simply, just God Himself.
Lastly if you think that my Lord is dead, then I have to beg to differ. You can look at any other major religion in the world and check out the tomb of their so called “savior”. But if you can find the tomb of my Lord and show me his remains, his very bones, then I’ll agree that my Lord is dead, But something tells me that you will never succeed.
My Christ is very much alive and He is absolutely around all the time. As Nancy Pearcy Puts it:
“Creation: God’s fingerprints all over.”
I am just a very small person in the scheme of things and what I’ve written here is because God is using me to send this message. I am nothing but his instrument and I am nothing without Him. If any of this makes you ask some questions then please remember that you can see Him everywhere, all around you and His gift to us is free. So, if you like free stuff then I absolutely encourage you to check this out. It’s the most important thing you will ever do in your life.
Do not be afraid to speak openly about God. This is something that I have certainly fallen short on. But there is absolutely no reason for me to be fearful. How is it right for the non believer to speak in such an evil way, but at the same time how is it right for me to keep silent? As a Christian it is my duty to spread the gospel of God in any setting. I need to let go of my fear of being public with my faith. In Ephesians Chapter Six Verse 19-20, Paul says:
“Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
You and I should be fearless in spreading the gospel and speaking about our Christ, the Lord Jesus. Do not be afraid. Do not let the fear of what others might think stop you from speaking of your Christ. Paul says, “Finally be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.”*
I say again, do not be afraid. God is with you always, and with Him with you, what is there to fear? Be confident and strong in your faith and in your Lord and express it among everyone you meet. Everyone should have a chance to see just how great our God is. The next time you feel that urge to speak up when you’re among those who do not know Christ, act on it and act on it fearlessly. God might be using you to plant a seed that might blossom into something beautiful. Don’t pass up the opportunity to share the gospel. Don’t make the same mistake I’ve been making.
Do not be afraid. Share how glorious and how beautiful your God is. Tell the world how great He is. It might just open the door for Him to change someone’s life.
Recently I was blessed to have separate conversations with two young co-workers. Each of them had a different outlook on Christianity and what the believe. One says he believes in God and the other doesn’t. While the conversations I had with them were certainly different, they were equally important.
During the conversation with the believer we briefly touched over what I believe is the foundation of Christianity: The Resurrection. The sole belief that Jesus gave his life on the Cross and then rose again, is it. If you can believe that then you are on your way to getting Christianity on the whole. For if it wasn’t for that crucial event you and I would be doomed. Jesus died to pay the debt for our sin and I believe the Resurrection to be the total truth.
And since I believe this to be true I also believe that there is absolutely nothing that I can do the earn salvation. In the conversation I had with the non believer she said that she had attended church before. I asked her if they told her about all the things she had to do to get salvation and she answered yes. This is where I feel a lot of people let go of God. They’re given a list of things that they have to do and that just makes them weary on the whole subject of God and Christianity. Perhaps you happen to be reading this and you’re one of those people that experienced this, but I’m here to tell you that there is absolutely, 100%, nothing you can do to earn your salvation. Why? Because you don’t have too. Jesus died and paid your debt. Your salvation is FREE. There is nothing that you have to do to acquire it. Just take it.
My non believing friend also asked me how I knew the Bible was true, which in essence is asking me how do I know that God exists. I think there are a couple of good answers there. And if these aren’t good enough or they don’t make sense there are a few books that explain it much better than I.
The first bit of proof of God’s existence comes from the Creation itself. Every single thing that surrounds you is beautiful. It could be anything from a sunset, or a luscious tree, or the sight of an infant. All of these things are beautiful. They’re gorgeous. How can you say that all of that beauty could possibly come from evolution or from some big bang? The Creation is beautiful and it is proof that God exists for things as beautiful as the world that surrounds you could not have possibly come from anywhere else.
The second bit of proof is the fact that you can never feel “full” without God. It doesn’t matter how much joy we get out of money, our family, our friends, our workplace, our new tennis shoes, or our new cell phones. It doesn’t matter how much of any of it that you have, none of it can fill the void inside you and me where God belongs. How can I know this to be true? I’m living it. I can tell you that I am happiest with God, with God with me I’m smiling.
These two young friends of mine might not know how much I appreciate the time they spent talking with me. I am encouraged by them. I am encouraged by the believer, because I feel he may be questioning himself and may come closer to Christ and I am encouraged with the non believer because she is also questioning herself and questioning God, seeking answers. If you are reading this right now please pray for God’s guidance for these young people and pray that God lets them know that there is hope and that their salvation is waiting for them.
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
I am lost, I am filthy, and alone. I am breaking, crumbling beneath sheets of guilt and wrong-doing. I have betrayed, ridiculed, spoke hastily. I have thought disgustingly. I have swam in muck and grime and it has covered my body, so that I am nearly unrecognizable. I have eaten poison, making me tired and unsteady in my steps. I have slept on a bed of nails leading me to wake disgruntled. I am just like you. I am a sinner.
I admit that was a bit dramatic, but it is not far from the truth. In fact it is so near truth that it’s a tad scary, given it may be a bit metaphorical. I have been stomping on such an unstable ground lately. I’ve let my head be filled with lies and trash, so to speak. Picture a giant pile of rotten fruit and imagine it in the shape of a brain and it’s covered in maggots and all other kinds of insects. It’s disgusting right? I think we can all agree on that at least. That’s what has been in my head.
As for my body, it has been filled with poison. Poison is a metaphor for unhealthy food. McDonald’s, Sonic, you name it and I probably ate it. Do you know how many calories that stuff has? A lot! One big mac, 600 calories later, you get the picture.
And lastly, after a day of rotten fruit and poison, I have fallen asleep on a bed of nails. And it’s not to say that sleeping on a bed of nails is comfortable in the first place, but sleeping on a bed of nails after consuming rotten fruit and poison is much worse.
So to sum up, from the words above, I am a body covered in muck and grime with a head full of rotten fruit, a stomach full of big macs, with a bed of nails to sleep on. The image is humorous is it not? But the reality is anything but humorous.
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”
~1 Corinthians CH 6 Verse 19
My body is a temple and I have failed to treat it as such. The bed of nails I sleep on is my own sexual immorality. The poison that I eat has made me disgusting and ugly in it’s own way. The rotten fruit I have consumed comes from the thoughts of free thinkers, whom I shouldn’t have give a second of my time. I have spit fire from my tongue, and I have rolled in dirt. I share these things, not to bring shame to myself, but to show you that I am a sinner and that I am not perfect. I call myself a Christian, but I have not talked the talk nor walked the walk. I am confessing this to you because perhaps you and I are not unalike.
But there is good news for you and I. That is that God sent his only son, Christ Jesus, to die. Let that resonate for a moment. To die!. What did he die for? He died For us, for me and you. And what did he also do? He rose again.
I will say again that I am a sinner and I am not unlike you, but we have been given the opportunity for salvation and it is there for you to take, and you know the greatest thing about it? It’s something you have to earn. It’s free. Completely 100%, totally free. And it’s for you and it’s for me, so grasp it and hold on to it.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
