In church today I had the most amazing time. No, I wasn’t promised a new car and house, and I didn’t get my “shout” on. Actually, everything I was promised today can’t be seen with the naked eye. And I liked that.
When I arrived home, I immediately put on some worship music that exalted the Lord Jesus in all his majesty. There were no lyrics about blessings and stomping the devil into the ground. Everything was about the goodness and glory of God. And as tears streamed down my face, I was reminded of the Jesus I first met, the one who answered my prayer for God the Father to reveal himself to me. I remember with that introduction there was such a childlike innocence I espoused as I dared to go against what I’ve known all my life and actually believe in something bigger than myself. I felt such love, such care, and such a wave of warmth because I found something new and wonderful that could not be let go.
That train of thought then led me to think about the “Jesus” I was introduced to as I decided to become baptized and officially joined a church. I learned many good things, but I also learned many bad things as well, one of which was this doctrine of God as a taskmaster, one who only wants people to suffer all the time. Many of the hardships I experienced were justified as being the price I had to pay for the calling on my life, but as I grew stronger and wiser, I began to challenge that belief and realized the fruit of the Holy Spirit is not just longsuffering, but love, peace, and joy as well. And that’s where the honesty really came in as I began to dissect my experiences and realized a lot of my suffering was due to ignorance.
As I continued along in my walk with Christ, I was introduced to another “Jesus”, the one who is portrayed as Santa Claus. This Jesus is at our beck and call, teaching us that the purpose of our faith is to become materially prosperous so that we can show people how blessed we are. I never got along with that Jesus, and I remember coming home from a service angry over the rhetoric that has people jockeying for stuff and not recognizing the gem that Jesus truly is whether he blesses us with a five bedroom house or not. I told the Lord, “I don’t want that Christianity! My faith is too good for that. I just want YOU!” And I boo hooed, and boo hooed some more, because I just thought it was so beneath my reason for being a Christian in the first place to spend all of my time waiting on miracles. The fact that I am the woman I am today is a miracle in itself.
So after my long-winding road of a thought process today, I now find myself still in my kitchen on the laptop corresponding with a good friend of mine who loves Jesus for the same reason I do, because he first loved me. I said to the Lord, “Now THAT’s the Jesus I want to know!” And I’m glad I do.
Bless you!
*photo credit-www.lifegivingspring.info
Now that’s a word right there Nikkele!!!
Thank you! I am holding on to it for dear life!
Thks for this post… Oh, that we would all know this Jesus!
Amen to that!
I love the God in you!
Bless you, sister!
Well said! Love it!
Thank you!
I can truly relate to your loving and heartwarming rendering about the Man Christ! He is awesome and altogether lovely! He gives such a peace that science and other theoretical musings cannot begin to understand.
I know the God that you are so heartily praising; sometimes I wish that I, like Enoch, can just walk with Him in the quietness of His unfailing presence–a presence that envelops His people with immeasurable contentment even in the midst of turmoil!
The real Jesus gives us blessed assurance and unsurpassed love even when there seems to be no way out of our fiery furnaces; the real Jesus comforts our sorrows, He heals our hurts, and He fortifies us with the zest that we need to live, to breathe, and to thrive!
Thank you, Sister, for such a resounding honor to our God and Father!!!
I love this response. It sounds like a devotional…hint hint!!!
The real Jesus is standing. Those who want to know him and see Him, will after a while, after muddling through the mess. It is unfortunate that the new believer today has to try to find the real Jesus. Many get caught up in the hype of a so-callled holy man’s garment and get’s stuck looking for the transfer from his (the holy man’s) garment, instead of looking to Jesus, the Lord who wakes the holy man up every day.
Too many people see Him through the perspective of others: Egotistical vain self-absorbed personalities that see God as they see others–who He is, to me. We ought to see God as who HE IS and let Him be to us, GOD. The narcissistic mentality has now bred a narcissistic gospel, whereby Christ and His ministry is all about what He has done for me and what He will do for you if you tithe, give generous offerings, all of course in connection with MY vision, so YOU can be blessed and oh yeah, love Him.
You have hit the crux of a big head in the church today which, by the way, will be dismantled (be-headed).
Narcissistic gospel is right. We have infused the church with capitalism and made it our gospel. The love of money truly is the root of all kinds of evil. Additionally, we have cult of personality in the church, where the humble servant has been exalted into the untouchable leader. There are many good churches out there who get a bad rep because of the one’s who have perverted the true mission of Christ. I hope when the big head in the church today is dismantled that I will be looking down from above when it happens!
Nikkele, you are blessed to be a believer!
I have never experienced anything like you describe. If I did, I would have never shared it. I am happy to know that there are people like you!!!
Your comment really made my day. I so appreciate your kind words, and ditto!!
Well word spoken.
Nikkle, took me a long time to respond but I am right there with you. I love the Jesus who loved and cared about me and for me when no one else did. All I can say is “Amen sister”.
Hey there! Thank you so much for going through the archives! I really appreciate the fact that someone as seasoned as you can get something from little ol’ me! Bless you!
Thank you for sharing your faith.
You are quite welcome!
You really described what takes place in many churches. Many attend with the hopes of material gains and being rescued from a crisis. We must appreciate all of the non-material things we already have such as the ability to walk see and hear. We have to start there.
“Many attend with the hopes of…being rescued from a crisis.”
YES! I actually thought about writing about that, how many Christians tend to live a crisis Christianity. There is more to the Christian lifestyle than climbing up the rough side of the mountain.
You too! Thanks for stopping by!