Over the past few months, I haven’t written much online or even in my personal journal. I’m feeling the itch to do so again. There are several thoughts rattling around in my brain and 3:25am on a Saturday morning is as good a time as any to get them out.
- In an effort to show that the love of Christ is available to all, some curse out fellow believers on social media. In one of his messages, TD Jakes said the the following: No one has completely overcome their hypocrisy or inconsistency. The goal is to decrease them. In Matthew 12:36, Jesus said, “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.” In an age where it is customary to express rage, especially from behind computer screens, we need to be careful how we speak. Rage is tempting because it is an emotion that makes us feel powerful and entitled.
2. When I write about Jesus, I want to be careful that I present Him as He is depicted in the scriptures. The Old testament also points to Jesus through prophecy. The New Testament reveals Him as God incarnate. My opinions about Jesus are of no use to anyone. The person who really wants to know who Jesus is will investigate the scriptures for themselves instead of simply relying on what people tell them about Him. In the New Testament, Paul praises the Bereans because they searched the scriptures to discern for themselves whether what he said was true (Acts 17:11). They did not simply take Paul’s word for at face value. In another place, Paul says, “I did not come to you with human wisdom but by the spirit.” If you read through Paul’s epistles, you’ll quickly discover that he was brilliant, well-travelled and knew at least three languages. However, he submitted all of that to God because he knew that knowledge could not save him or anyone else. Knowledge is useful but we have only to examine our world to discover that technological advancements, scientific discoveries and more knowledge have not changed the human heart.
3. Tone matters in how we communicate. I have to check myself to determine whether I am being contemptuous when I write. The spirit in which I do something matters.
4. You can’t out-Jesus Jesus. There is this idea that if we’re just nice enough, people will come to God. That sounds nice but it’s not true. A nice lie is still a lie. Jesus literally healed the sick, raised the dead, fed people, showed compassion, died and rose again. People saw that He moved with a power that was not of this world. He did all of that and yet people hated him and only a few were with him when He died. The people who saw Him after He resurrected were willing to risk the wrath of the Romans and be ostracized by family and community members. They were killed in Roman coliseums, crucified, jailed, beaten and fled as refugees into other parts of the word, taking the gospel with them. Many lost their livelihoods and others lost their lives to maintain they had encountered Jesus and nothing could shake them from testifying about him. In John 15, Jesus said, “No servant is greater than their master. If they hated me, they will hate you also.” I think we need to examine ourselves if our primary goal as Christians is to be liked instead of presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ.
5. I do believe Christians need to own the pain they have caused to others, beginning with family members (natural and spiritual). Apologies can be difficult. Sometimes, it’s easier to apologize to a stranger or coworker than someone close to us.
6. Jesus never begged anyone to follow Him. This was a great way to test people’s motivations. Some hung around him because they were looking for the next spiritual high, a free meal or the possibility of healing for themselves or their family members. I’m sure others observed Jesus because they wanted some of His power for themselves. However, once He made it clear that following Him would be difficult, many fell away (John 6:66).
7. I love that Peter is in the Bible. He is outspoken at times, self-righteous, brash, but also determined to follow Jesus. He reminds me of myself. Jesus checks Peter at various times throughout the scriptures. In John 21, Jesus speaks to Peter and asks him three times, “Do you love me?” The scriptures tell us that after Jesus was arrested, Peter denied Him three times before the rooster crowed. Before then, he also insisted that even if the other disciples left Jesus, he wouldn’t. This time, Peter simply says, “I love you. You know I love you.” This time, there is no comparison to the other disciples. Sometimes Jesus has to show us to ourselves because our walk with Him is muddied with our egos. The goal is to follow Jesus, not try to one-up other believers.
8. Sometimes I wonder what we are inviting people to when we invite them to church. Are we inviting people to our denomination? The pastor? The choir? The various ministries? Are we inviting them to find a potential mate? Or, are we inviting them to Jesus. If we do not invite people to Jesus, we are wasting our time.
9. Too many people have walked away from the faith because they felt that becoming a Christian meant they would no longer struggle with temptation or have personal issues. You will not find this anywhere in scripture. This false message is comforting but has set people up for failure. Scripture speaks about the constant battle between the flesh (human/sin nature) and the spirit. We are supposed to master the flesh but it will never go away until we die. In Galatians 5, Paul writes about this battle and says, “If you walk by the Spirit, you will not satisfy the lusts of the flesh.” Lust is not just sexual. We lust for people’s attention, praise, power, money, revenge and a host of other things.
Healing Joy Ministries 