Sunday, September 10, 2006
Jesus is Missing...
Has anyone else even noticed? Jesus is missing. From Christianity. From the Church.
Has he left us? no. We evicted him. We'd rather have a Christ-less Christianity, a Church that's about us and not HIM.
What do I mean?
Well. When was the last time you heard something True about Jesus? Have you ever heard this preached:
"Jesus loves you and has a difficult plan for your life. You'll never be able to get your act together, and if you look to your left and your right and see folk who have their act together, don't worry. They don't. They just look that way.
You see, Jesus didn't come to let us know that Salvation with him would be easy. He didn't come to let us know that Salvation without him would be difficult. His message is that Salvation without Him is Impossible.
Remember, Acts 14:22 tells us that we MUST thru many trials and tribulations inherit the Kingdom of Heaven."
When was the last time you heard that sermon? You probably haven't.
How else is Jesus missing? Look at 'mainstream Christianity'. How do they reconcile a Jesus how told them "Love not the world" "Go and sell all you have" and "if you see your brother in need, help him" with most of Christianity's cozy relationship with wealth and unjust economic systems? How do we Tell the world to "Come out from among them" when we are The Among them?
When we look just like the world? When we know more about current events, what's at the movies and who's on first base than what is between the pages of the Book?
And where is Jesus when most folk who know alot of bible are bigger asses than those who don't? Where is Jesus when we have on average 5 to 9 bibles in a home and don't read them and worse don't LIVE THEM?
It's no wonder Luke asks the question:
"..Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8b)
Has he left us? no. We evicted him. We'd rather have a Christ-less Christianity, a Church that's about us and not HIM.
What do I mean?
Well. When was the last time you heard something True about Jesus? Have you ever heard this preached:
"Jesus loves you and has a difficult plan for your life. You'll never be able to get your act together, and if you look to your left and your right and see folk who have their act together, don't worry. They don't. They just look that way.
You see, Jesus didn't come to let us know that Salvation with him would be easy. He didn't come to let us know that Salvation without him would be difficult. His message is that Salvation without Him is Impossible.
Remember, Acts 14:22 tells us that we MUST thru many trials and tribulations inherit the Kingdom of Heaven."
When was the last time you heard that sermon? You probably haven't.
How else is Jesus missing? Look at 'mainstream Christianity'. How do they reconcile a Jesus how told them "Love not the world" "Go and sell all you have" and "if you see your brother in need, help him" with most of Christianity's cozy relationship with wealth and unjust economic systems? How do we Tell the world to "Come out from among them" when we are The Among them?
When we look just like the world? When we know more about current events, what's at the movies and who's on first base than what is between the pages of the Book?
And where is Jesus when most folk who know alot of bible are bigger asses than those who don't? Where is Jesus when we have on average 5 to 9 bibles in a home and don't read them and worse don't LIVE THEM?
It's no wonder Luke asks the question:
"..Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8b)
