Monday, April 13, 2009

Why I Believe

As you read this please understand, that I understand that I am a nobody in this world apart from being a simple brother "in Christ." Please understand that I am irrelevant, of no importance whatsoever, but I write this because each of us has reasons for why we believe (or not).

Why do you believe what you believe? Why do I believe that Jesus Christ is the savior of the world? I can't think of any more important question to have answered today.

As far back as I can remember, he was with me. I remember speaking to the Lord from I guess around 7 years old? I remember as a young kid being intensely interested in going to heaven. While other kids most important consideration was which toy they were going to play with, I was concerned with going to heaven. Don't get me wrong, I loved toys as much as the other kids, but I was constantly thinking about the broad questions of life.

As I grew up, the circumstances I found myself in caused me to ask many questions. Through all my questioning I always felt the guiding hand of the Lord with me. It was'nt until I was maybe 17 or 18 that the Lord brought the first person across my path to introduce me to what being "in Christ" meant. That time really started the snowball rolling down the hill, gathering momentum as I consumed the bible like a starving man getting a meal for the first time in his life. As time went on, I did a "solomon," testing the things of life with the wisdom in the bible as a guiding light, both approving and dissaproving the things I tried. I proofed the words of the bible with my experiences.

When someone argues you into a position in life, you can be argued out of that position, but what happens when you've been experienced into your position? What happens for instance when an atheist tells you there is no God, and throws every argument known to the mind of man at you, and you think to yourself "hey, those are some great arguments, but how do they account for every prayer I've ever prayed being answered?" My experience has been one of love and mercy following me all the days of my life-how does the atheist account for that? My experience has been when I pray, my prayers are answered. My experience has been when I step out of the boat to walk on water (with my eyes on Christ) I am ON the water, not below the waves.

I have tested life the way Solomon tested it:

Ecclesiastes 2 :I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. 2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? 3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. 4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: 5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: 6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: 7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: 8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

Let me say this, compared to Solomon, I'm a moron. I don't have the wisdom Solomon had, but who does? I tested the word of God and I have found it to be truth. As I look back on my life I see love, faithfulness, and answered prayer. I also see many MANY screwups, faults, and failures, and then a gentle, quiet voice speaking to my spirit pointing the way out of my own stupidity, ignorance and willfulness.

I am less than nothing, the least of the brothers who are "in Christ." I don't need to be "somebody" because I am "in Christ", one with the God of eternity. He is in us, we are in him.

The bottom line for me is this, arguments against the God of my life hold no water. Why? I have been "experienced" into the kingdom of God, not argued in. Try arguing with a man who just burned the flesh off his hand on a hot stove. Try arguing with him that "the stove was'nt really hot." Good luck with that.

In the days ahead, arguing and debating until blue in the face will be exposed as the useless excercise it really is. See for yourself how the brothers overcome the accuser:

Revelation 12: 10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

How did they overcome the evil one? Through endless debate? No...by the blood of the lamb and their testimony.

I have been saying for the past week that this is a very strange time. I have never felt the way I have over the past week or so. The only way to describe this feeling is the word "holding". That word sums it up. Hold on today is what we are supposed to do. Why? I don't know. What does that mean "hold?" I don't know. Does it mean something terrible is about to happen? I don't know. I have no inkling, no sense of what's just around the corner. Do we really need to know what's just around the corner? No. We need to do what we have already been told to do now for more than a thousand years. Be watching, be ready, be faithful, be obedient, pray that you may be counted worthy to escape all that's about to happen and stand before the Son of man. Re-connect with the fundamentals of the faith, pray without ceasing, consume the word of God like a famished man. Pray for the brothers. Be ready to leave this world today, but also be ready to wait for years.

What do you believe, and why do you believe it? Are you a product of the traditions of men or the word and Spirit of God? Have you been argued into what you believe today or have you been experienced into it?

I have been experienced in. All around us we have evidence. Look at the universe, look at the human body, look at the laws (both visible and invisible) that hold everything together. Who established the laws? We can argue about the creation all day long but who created the laws that hold it all together. Men argue that we "evolved" except they cannot explain to us where the laws that dictates how things evolve came from.

An all powerful God who knows everything goes a long way in explaining all things. What's impossible for an all powerful, all knowing God? Nothing. How much does that explain? Everything...

grace and peace