Hey guys, sorry for the gap in content. Good news! I got my new computer charger in the mail last night. That mean's I can get back to work on the blog. Thank you so much for bearing with me as I awaited the charger's arrival. God is good all the time. :)
"Jesus... if you'd just make her like me... I would serve you!" "Lord... if you would just get my mom and dad back together, I would believe." "Father, please, let me get my books published and I will follow you to the ends of the earth." Do these quotes describe your relationship with God? If it does, then you may not be as close to God as you think. Did Jesus ever say, "bargain with me, and I shall make you happy by providing every little comfort, job, girlfriend, book deal, and selfish desire of your heart"? NO! God is there to serve us, right? NO! WE are here to serve Him by serving others in His name! I had the honor of listening to my close friend, Pastor Stephen Holley, speak to the youth of Seabreeze Church last night. "There are two kinds of Jesus we worship in America and I want to debunk them." He said. He went on to explain that, in this country of selfish indulgence, we have created a Jesus to fit our needs, a Jesus who serves us and gives us everything we want with nothing being given in return. We call this the "Genie-in-a-Bottle Jesus". We have also come to expect the physical presence of God. The Pastor used this example, "I had someone come tell me, and I'm not going to use their name, 'Pastor... I was in church last week and my song came on, my song. I thought, Man, this is my moment, and I raised my arms, but... I didn't feel him man, I didn't get the goosebumps... God can't be real."
The Genie-in-a-Bottle Jesus is probably the most dangerous thing anyone can believe on. Let's say you've been through a parents divorce, it's likely as a child that at some point you prayed and said, "God, please..." A tear streams down your face, "Please... if you make my parents love each other and make them stay together, I'll serve you... prove yourself to me, God..." I know that at the age of 8, I did. You know what didn't happen? My parents didn't get back together. In fact, my mother married a man that I was quite certain hated me and my younger brother. What happens when we try to impose our will on God's decisions? Nothing good. It is the biggest cause of doubt in America today, all because of our selfishness. We are raised up in a culture of self-service. "You deserve this, take this, take that, you've earned it, you are entitled to it." What a joke. Jesus said in Mark 10:25 "It is easier for a camel to go trough the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." If Jesus said that... where do we get off telling him to give us riches and possessions. Pending our belief on the God who BREATHED THE UNIVERSE INTO EXISTENCE on something as petty as money or a good grade on a test or on a promotion at work is ridiculous. Realize that God DOES love you and Jesus DID die on the cross so that you don't have to burn in Hell, but He doesn't owe us ANYTHING... WE OWE HIM EVERYTHING.
The "Goosebumps Jesus" is a great way to describe a kind of false way of believing in Jesus. It's dangerous for a few reasons, chiefly we become reliant on God moving us emotionally in every worship session, every time we raise our hands. I can attest to the fact that most of the time I feel the presence of God moving in me when I worship. I get a sensation like waives gently washing over my senses, causing a euphoria better than any drug I was ever hooked on. Do I feel that every time? No. Would I like to? Yes. Does it affect how much I believe in God? Absolutely not. I completely agree with Pastor Stephen, as he closed the service he said the most profound and touching thing I have ever heard. "Even if I went the rest of my life without feeling so much as a tap on the shoulder from God... I would still lay down my life for him and serve him with everything that I am." I couldn't agree more.
We need to kill these two figures in our mind and return to the bible. Stop looking at what other men and women say about who God is and look at the Word of God to discover him. It is extremely dangerous to believe in these two Jesus's who are American-created. 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 says "But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted." Paul is telling us that, even though we call him Jesus and we believe in what he did in the bible, if we are creating extra things to add on to him, such as the examples above, we are listening and excepting a "Jesus whom we have not preached."
Thank you guys for reading. I know some posts like this one may be a bit hard to get through, but trust me. This is biblical information. If you ever have any questions or recommendations for future posts, go ahead and send me an email or contact me on Facebook.
Love and blessings from God the Father on all of you,
Jimmy
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