Why I
Believe
I believe in Jesus because in Him, and nowhere else, I find sublime beauty and eternal truth. His words bring life to my life. Faith in Him brings joy, love, and peace to my soul. When I see the destruction sin and hatred bring, I run to Him.
I believe in Jesus because through His power, and nowhere else, I see hardened hearts soften, chains of dependency broken, and torn relationships restored. Those having been so touched, worship Him in spirit and in truth. Jesus continually changes my life. He makes all things new.
I believe
in Jesus because without Him I am incomplete. In Him I discover the person God
designed me to be. I do not think I am unique in this regard. It's the way
God made us - "in His image." We do not need to settle for less than
the perfect plan God has for our life. He only asks that we put our trust in
Him and see that He is Good.
I believe in Jesus because even though I have failed time after time by
insisting on doing things my own way, I have not once been disappointed when I
did put my trust in Him. God has been patient and loving in teaching me to
trust Him more and more. Life with Jesus is a wonderful journey. One I’ll
never regret. Come aboard.
1 Corinthians 1. 18-25 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world?: hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? Since in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom did not know Him, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness: But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than Men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Carl Sagan after searching all the universe proclaimed that the cosmos is all that is, all that ever was, and all that ever can be. I believe to Sagan admitting the possibility of there being a supernatural would have been tantamount to admitting an intelligence in the universe greater than his own. He conceded no such possibility. Nor would he concede a God was needed; Carl stating nature and nature's man were the end all, and the do all. Meaning, of course, Carl was alpha and omega himself, and could do all things. Now that Carl has met the real omega, I wonder if he recognizes the sign of Jonah?
Darwin took a long boat ride, saw that finches on various exotic Pacific islands had different beaks, stole material from another Englishman, Wallace, and wrote a tome hardly anyone reads, but nevertheless swear in the highest courts that it must be all true. Unfortunately, many ordinary people mistakenly think that the Scope's trial settled matters in Darwin's favor once and for all. That misimpression was purposely fomented by the Hollywood fabrication Inherit the Wind. While Spencer Tracey may have given the performance of his career, the movie bears little resemblance to what really happened. John Scopes pled guilty to violating Tennessee law. The lengthy debates and speeches dramatically portrayed in the movie never happened. The shaky facts Darwin presented to support his theory of evolution were not validated by the trial. Nor since then has any viable evidence been discovered proving man evolved from lower life forms. God haters, eugenists, political tyrants, bigots, bullies of all stripes, abortionist and other genocidal types, all find comfort and take refuge in Darwin. Hitler and his henchmen loved Darwinian thinking and applied it copiously. It's OK to hate, rape, enslave, abuse, slaughter, and kill; because with Darwin there is no higher authority than one's self, and it's eat or be eaten - you know, survival of the fittest. Darwinian thought ultimately leads to nihilism. It really is a dead end religion.
John Dewey, like a manure spreader hurling dung across a field, splattered secular humanism across the 20th century landscape. It was enthusiastically received by the educational community. The social experimentation and atheistic indoctrination taking place in today's public schools can be traced back directly to Dewey. John didn't so much deny God. He just didn't think God mattered. According to Dewey, what is true and good is whatever works. How can you know something? Don't seek eternal truth. Just keep experimenting - trying stuff. When you find something that works - Eureka! well you found it. But don't expect any ultimate knowledge, because someone is sure to come along and find something else that works even better, and situations change. Facts, and truth, after all, evolve. Our constitution is a living document. The Bible was true in its day. "We all have truths, are yours as good as mine??"(Pontius Pilate & Andrew Lloyd Weber) It feels so good, it must be right. (Debbie Boone) "It's alright, ma, I'm only bleeding." (Bob Dylan)
I challenge everyone to read Ecclesiastes. Solomon, a most wise man, searched the secular world for meaning and saw, "it was all foolishness, chasing the wind." But of the truth that exists in God he said, "Here is my final conclusion: fear God and obey his commandments, for this is the entire duty of man. For God will judge us for everything we do, including every hidden thing, good or bad."
His way is truth.
Wash me
Jesus, wash me!
For Me to wash you, you must first come near.
Jesus, tell me how I can come near to You.
Feed the hungry,
Clothe the naked,
Befriend the friendless,
Love the unlovely,
Show the blind the way,
and you will begin to come near to Me.
That will not bring me all the way?
Those are only the outward things. I also want your heart.
But Lord, how can I give You my heart?
Your heart is a book. One I will not open, nor turn a page.
One day My Father will. But now it is up to you.
I will take each page you willingly share with Me,
and I will remove the words that lead to death.
and replace them with words of life.
On that Day My Father reviews it, He will see only Me.
Will I now be near to you?
Very near, but next you must sit still while I wash you.
How can I sit still when I have so much to do?
There is nothing you can do, for I have done everything.
All you want or need is in Me.
What matters, what brings life, peace, joy, and happiness the
Father has given to Me, and I give to you.
So be perfectly still and know with total conviction that
that
I am your God.
Hear my voice in a wilderness of voices.
Keep on surrendering your life until you want only Me,
and when I have washed you completely; your spirit will be free.
Paradox
Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,
let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess everything,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive.
Let me find thy light in my darkness,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty,
thy glory in my valley,
thy life in my death.
Arthur Bennett, ed., The Valley of Vision (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth,1975), introductory prayer.
Read any good books lately?
The Bible tells us there is but one important question in life. Joshua puts it this way 24.15. "... choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
Some may wrongly
conclude there are more
choices, but in fact a person is either living for the One True God or chasing after
false gods. Claiming no faith and living for self is merely following the
tenets of Humanism, a false religion that proclaims man as god.
Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of the priest Eli, tried living
apart from God. As a result God's blessing was removed from Israel, Hophni
and Phinehas were both killed in battle, and Israel's army was defeated by
the Philistines. Worse yet, the Philistines captured the ark of the
covenant.
The Apostle
Paul tells us in Hebrews that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and
forever. For this reason we should shun any teaching or practice
inconsistent with that of our Church Fathers. It is in Christ's body we
receive grace and holiness unavailable to apostates. By partaking Christ's
blood we are sanctified.
Choosing to follow Jesus means forsaking this temporal world
in order to receive life everlasting. As Christ's followers we must
continually praise God and earnestly seek to act always according to His will.
Hebrews 13
7. Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.
8. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
9. Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.
10. We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.
11. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp.
12. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
13. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
14. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
15. Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
16. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.