4 posts tagged “jesus christ”

While talking with a high school friend, I learned some things about myself. Actually, I don’t know if I learned something new, realized something old, or just remembered. But either way, it’s made me rethink the details about my conversion story. When asked, I’d always reflect on the fact that when I’d “given Jesus the chance” to take hold of me, I was coming to the realization that I couldn’t be right with God without Jesus.  This is still true.

But in terms of “being churched”, even though my mother brought me to church every Sunday; has a recording of me singing a hymn to the Lord in my toddler years; and even though I’d attended Sunday school as a child; gone to pre-school in our church; attended VBS every year that I was able and helped out when too old to attend; was a regular member of the youth group (until high school sophomore year); graduated confirmation; was involved with events within the church; and attended youth and family retreats, I’d always looked at the fact that I was neither taught nor encouraged to read the Bible (other than from my parents), felt like an outcast in youth group, and often daydreamed or slept during the Sunday morning sermons. And so I considered myself “un-churched”, or that I didn’t “grow up in” the Church, or that I grew up going to church but never came to know Jesus there. Why? Because since I’d come to know Jesus at age 21, and I mean really know Jesus, all I can say is that I must not have known Him before. But now, after the conversation with my friend, I realize that I actually had, and can only figure or understand that sometime in my life, I just fell away from Him for a while. But then, was my realization of needing Christ a real conversion experience that finally happened for the first time, or just a personal experience in sync with the parable of the Prodigal Son?

So that next Sunday morning, my wife & I went to church, and the topic of the Pastor’s sermon was the foundation on which our faith was built, and about how when we’re tested with fire, that’s when our true self comes out, and whatever foundation we’re actually built upon is revealed. During it, I envisioned a crack in the stone…the stone that was formed around my heart, and a bright, yellow light shining through this crack, breaking it open. 

I thank God for using my friend to remind me that my foundation, not just from my young-adult conversion, but from the foundation laid upon me as a child and throughout my childhood, is Jesus Christ. And since this light has been revealed, breaking forth, the rock can no longer hold it back.  I felt…renewed.  See, before serving here, I was enduring a time of healing, where I backed off some and began following Jesus from a distance…like a wounded soldier. But then, like Superman coming back to life, I felt ready to get back in and fight for what was lost during my time-out.

So often we continue to look forward for our answers, sort of like there’s a “don’t look back” syndrome. Maybe we get it from Jesus’ reply that "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” But that was in the context of somebody wavering on their call to follow, not somebody already on the journey.

I think that when we’re feeling lost, we need to look at the map, retrace our steps, remember where we’ve been and how we got here, who we were, and even ask our friends/family who remember who we were back then, and let the fire reveal who the Lord created as and brought us up to be.

Any thoughts?

-Marturo

Check out this link to understand this post: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/10/07/nepal.living.godess.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest

This past Tuesday, Hindu and Buddhist priests in Nepal named a 3-year-old girl as a living goddess.  But there are a lot of interesting issues included in this.  For instance,

1. The article said, "She will be worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists as an incarnation of the powerful Hindu deity Taleju."  Now,whenever I hear from or learn about Buddhists, they continue to say that they don’t worship anything, but that it’s about “world peace” and “being at peace with yourself”, also enlightenment and Nirvana.  Yet here, it says they’ll be worshiping her.
2. When she reaches puberty, she loses her divine status...and at that time, a new "goddess" will be named to replace her: Dude, either she’s the incarnation of the goddess or she's not...I think this is a good example of many people using another person for your their personal needs, then throwing her away when they're done with her, or when she’s no longer the perfect image they thought she was (like rape).
3. "the child will stay in almost complete isolation at the temple": I remember a story about an ancient king who wanted to know what the original language of mankind was.  So he isolated 2 babies from all people except for food…no love or sounds were communicated…and they soon died.  Babies and children cannot survive in isolation. So here, the child will stay in almost complete isolation, and at the temple, not at home.  In fact, she cannot see her family (unless they come to worship her) until puberty sets in.  So this 3 year old will survive in almost total isolation. They’re not showing her genuine love, they’re building her up to be something she’s not and plan to drop her as such at a certain age.  Talk about destroying somebody’s life.  When she gets out, she’ll have grown up to be an image of worship, but then be nothing to anybody else anymore? She won’t know love, she won’t know how to communicate, she won’t have or know anything, not even her parents for then next 9-10 years.  Why would her parents even allow this?  Is this another example of child stars?  Will they get paid for it?  Will she be like another Gary Coleman when she gets out?  I’ll be interested to see how messed up she is at that age.
4. Her parents said: "I feel a bit sad, but since my child has become a living goddess I feel proud."  I still have a problem with this whole "has become" part.  Either she is or she's not...either she's the incarnation of the goddess or she's not...there's no "becoming" of it, especially since she "loses" it later in life.  This sounds a little like the "Go-ah-oold" in Stargate SG-1...people becoming something due to the reputation of their symbiote, then possibly losing it when they're no longer needed.  But that's not the issue here...the issue is the parents. These kids are going to be SO messed up when they return home.  And what loving parent allows this to be done to their child?                       

5. Folklore tells of the men who later marry a former “goddess”, and says that they will most often die young.  Therefore, many girls instead remain unmarried, “and face a life of hardship”.  Ya don’t say?  That’s what I’ve been getting at.  These women grow up never knowing anything about love, friendship, relationships, sacrifice (personal sacrifice for another), respect, let alone who she is, or life on the outside…of course the men die young.

If you don't know what I mean by "Love Languages", then I strongly suggest you read Gary Chapman's "5 Love Languages".  Love languages are what needs to be communicated in order for us to feel worth, or loved.  Granted, he's written several books focusing on several types of people in several types of relationships, but I'm talking about the purple book he wrote that got the ball rolling. 

Now, since reading the book, I've been able to recognize these particular gifts in people:
'Words of Affirmation', 'Quality Time', 'Receiving Gifts', 'Acts of service' (when we do things for them, they feel loved),  and 'Physical Touch'.  But I've also noticed some other languages that aren't in the book.  For example, my Italian grandmother enjoys cooking for people.  When we compliment her, she acts as if it's no big deal...even complains about something about it herself.  But if we don't want to eat her food, she feels rejected and closes up...so it has nothing to do w/ the words we say, but weather or not we receive her act of service.  But since this title is already taken, I call it the language of service...she feels loved and worthy in her service to us.  I've also noticed others w/ a similar type of gift.  For instance, when we ask some people for help, they're flaming w/ excitement to help, even going out of their way and bending over backwards.  Some call this hospitality, others call it a savior role or obsession.  I call it the language of necessity...they need to be needed and feel worth/loved when asked for help.

So I was thinking today, "what are God's love languages?"  Some may say "all of them".  But I have to wonder about that.  Of course, it may also have to do w/ who your god is.  I on the other hand am I'm talking about the Lord; God of the Jews & Christians; maker/creator of everything that exists.  So here's what I think:  I think God's love languages are "Quality Time", "Service", and "Necessity".  Here's why:

One of the main differences between the Patriarchs and the rest of the people in the Old Testament is that the Patriarchs all had a relationship with God.  Adam, Eve, their son who was lifted up, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, God's prophets, Daniel...they often talked with God, walked with God, and made it a point to remain in vertical communication with God.  There was a relationship there...Quality Time.  And we know that a majority of God's people didn't, have this relationship with God, for throughout the Bible, we also read about God's continuous request for them to 'repent, come back to me, and I'll dwell among you"....'we'll be together.' That's why I believe that Quality Time is one of God's love languages.

"Service"  Jesus said in John 16:24: "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."As long as it's in Jesus' name, He'll give it to us (I'll go into what it means to ask "in Jesus' name" another time).  God likes to give us things when we ask (please be careful not to abuse what I'm saying though). God likes to bless us, and so I believe that one of God's other love languages is the language of Service.

Finally, "Necessity".  I think God needs (or at least wants) to be needed.  We know from Ezekiel 33:11 that it's not God's desire that anyone shall perish, and that God cries out to His people all throughout the Old Testament to come back to Him and to realize how much they actually need Him.  We also know that God wants us to ask Him for things.  But notice also what lengths God went through to help us come to Him...to help us to be with Him...for God came down in the form of a man (fully God, fully human), lived among us, died with our sins laid on Him, and was resurrected so that we may be with Him.  As a result, we may spend quality time with him, we may go straight to Him, we may be with Him forever, and all we have to do...is ask.