"If you don't see the real me, you won't see what love has won..." Vota

Monday, October 11, 2010

Get to know God! Don't try to figure Him out or work your way into His presence because you think you have figured Him out.

So do you consider yourself a premillenialist? Postmillenialist? Amillenialist? I won't elude to which direction I lean, but you know, it doesn't matter! How about the account of creation. Do you believe the earth was created in 7, 24 hour days or do you believe that God's days differ from our days? Do you believe that the dinosaurs lived with humans or that in someway they died before we were here?

Wow these are only a few of the many controversial issues. My next question... Who cares?

Here is the thing. People get so caught up in these details not given to us in length that they become divided and cause a rift in the church. These issues are not the meat of what we believe. You know, we have a very detailed and accurate account of Jesus. From the prophesies to the birth and to His Resurrection. We even know He will come again. EVEN Jesus Himself did not know all of  the details on this. He knew it would happen, in the future, and be sudden. He knew it would rock our world. He told us what He did know. The rest is left for the end.

Let me make an analogy that sums up my thinking on this topic:

You are reading and reviewing an awesome new, unpublished book manuscript. This book has delicious characters, moving plots, and is building you up for a great climax. The author has purposfully left out the ending, but you think you know the climax. So you stop reading it and go ahead and write your review. You tell all about your assumptions on the end. You are sure that is what is going to happen. At the same time another publisher is reading the same manuscript for this book and does the same thing. The only problem is that neither one of you have actually read the ending (maybe the author only sent you the first half as a teaser to get you interested in publishing???)

The both of you are writing your reviews and both have very different opinions on how this book ends, but you are so sure you know that you would risk your job to publish these opposing and uninformed reviews. Now this causes a huge scandal in the publishing world and everyone chooses a side. (Or more than two depending on the actual number of publishers hit up by this author.) It becomes the focus of the book. Not the new author, not the great imagery, not the great characters, not the great story, just this unknown detail.) The authors point in sending this book out was to get the book published and sold, so as many people possible could read it. Instead the book has caused good publishers to argue. It has caused potential readers to be interested, but they also are choosing sides and they have never even read the first half of the book. This becomes chaos and in the end when the author finishes the story, they were all wrong in some ways. They may each have a few correct details, but this author is so much bigger and more imaginative than these people, he throws them for a major loop. This author shocks his publishers and the readers. Some people get really angry with the author for the way the story actually turned out because it is not what they had pictured all along-- it did not end the way they wanted it too. Others realize the magnitude of the book just completed and they forget their preconceived notions and rejoice in a great book. Others who chose to wait to read the book in it's entirety are hooked line and sinker. They love the book.

Some choose not to even read the rest of the book they are so sure of their assumptions.

Now my analogy is a little ridiculous, but I believe that arguing and taking stands and positions over details we do not have a complete knowledge of are just as silly. The church has divided over these issues when all Christ wanted was for us to be united-- one church (who cares the name, who cares that everyone is a little different and thinks differently (duh!), who cares? Why can't we just be know as Christians and not by our denomination or lack there of?) He wants us to be filled with the Holy Spirit and be Him to the world. He wants us to share His love with others and teach them about Him. He does not want us to nit-pick the details and create our own opinions to the point that it causes discord in His church. It simply does not matter. He tells us what matters in the controversies I listed (there are so many more). Everything He wants us to know is there. He created the earth! He is coming back to get us and to judge the world! You have a book with 66 smaller books about the nature of God. One section of one book touches on the creation. One book on His return (along with some prophecies about it as well). There were 4 books on Jesus' life and many prophesies. Most of the New Testament was on how we are to live like Jesus and be Jesus to the world through the Holy Spirit. The rest is on the nature of God. The book is about who God -- Our Triune God is and that HE loves us. We have the decision to make to follow Him and be either for Him or against Him. There is no in between. Either hot or cold-- lukewarm is really another way of not being hot. (You take a bite of lukewarm soup and what do you say? "Oh that soup is lukewarm and good enough", or do you say, "Eeek, that's still cold" and put it back in the microwave? I will say that as soon as you take it out of the fridge it is obviously cold and you won't take a bite at all.)

So if you cling so tightly to a detail that causes a rift in the church-- Whatever causes this, I'm Baptist, I'm Christian, I'm (insert whatever your denomination)... quit. This grieves the Holy Spirit. He wants us all. He wants us to work together. We need each other! This is a sick and dieing world and it needs us as a whole spreading the love of Christ. It does not take the full measure of His love away from a debate on the details. They look at us from the outside and see we can't agree on anything and who wants to jump headfirst into a plan of salvation that has so many arguments attached. You know I really feel the Holy Spirit grieved at our behavior. We have no control, no true insight other than what He gives us. When we think we know-- satan will encourage us. This is the whole reason we fell from God's precious side to begin with. Quit arguing and just tell others about how much Jesus loves them. Stop and realize how much He loves you. Do all the details of what we believe mean anything? The only belief that means anything is that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. If you believe this then you know there is a Heaven and a Hell. Your choice in who you follow will lead you to one or the other. The nature of God proves this. Read the Bible not for the details about how things happened... read it to get to know God. He is telling you about Himself for this purpose. He does not want you to figure Him out-- YOU NEVER WILL!

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