marklewis777-blog

[marklewis777-blog]

The day it all changed...

At the age of 53, today I celebrate my 27th birthday.  Hang with me.  

Perhaps some friends with very different world views will find this thought provoking…and not preachy…perhaps even dialog worthy. You know where to find me. 27 years ago, on April 7, 1991, Jesus gave me new life and started a "new thing" in this human being. I hadn't hit "bottom" or anything...that came 10 years later. He BEGAN the work in me...and it continues each day. Today, I see His hand in my life more than ever. There are still plenty of challenges, but I face them with different perspective...an eternal(long term) viewpoint. I see the dark parts of my soul and thus my need for him more than ever. I am more grateful than ever. I love him more freely…and more deeply than ever. I am humbled by the 27 years worth of people he has sent to sown into my life. I am in awe that he has used me to do the same for others. I've seen and personally experienced physical healing and watched peoples lives that were in bondage(serious emotional/chemical/spiritual) be set "free". I've seen very broken relationships healed. I've seen "coincidence" that is NO WAY coincidence, but nothing short of answer to prayer and/or miraculous intervention/insight. I trust that those of you with different world/faith views know I care for you deeply, and you don't see me as a nutcase(well, at least not spiritually:)...and know I respect your viewpoints. We can dialog and disagree without offending one another(what a concept). I am grateful for the wisdom I often receive from you! Here's the deal: Jesus is not a placebo. Not a crutch. Nor is he a guarantee of an easy life. Relationship with him is life-giving, transformational and catalytic. Our western idea that "all religions are basically the same" is just, well…western. This idea doesn't work when one looks at the facts. I believe we disrespect other faiths by throwing them in one bucket so we can stay comfortably on the fence. BUDDHISM holds that life's suffering is caused by desire, so the "goal" is to rid oneself of any worldly or personal desire(kinda impossible in 2018 America, huh?). At it's core, it denies a "god" and holds to reincarnation and/or nirvana (not heaven). HINDUISM is polytheistic with no personal god, but millions of gods that must be pleased. It holds to reincarnation and karma - you get what you deserve(which, if we are honest, puts each of us in a very precarious position spiritually speaking). ISLAM, like Christianity is monotheistic, and though it recognizes Jesus as a prophet, it is blasphemy to consider him to be God. Also, one must earn his/her way into paradise...without really knowing if one has done enough "good".  Exhausting.  JUDAISM is also monotheistic, and though it points to Jesus all through it's own writings, the Jews are still awaiting their messiah. ATHEISM takes the huge leap of faith that there is no creator(though they often get offended by people worshipping this non-existing god). No ultimate meaning to life. No afterlife.  All truth is relative(except for the "truth" that all truth is relative.  Whoops).  NEW AGE exalts self to "god" and oneness with an impersonal universe (As far as I've seen, humans make pretty bad gods who fight primarily for their own little kingdoms, and the universe doesn't "know" me personally…nor does it, or can it love me.) There is an innate response in the human being to worship SOMETHING. All through history… human beings have worshipped something or someone. It sure seems we are hardwired for relationship with a "higher power" or entity. Always searching for "it'. CHRISTIANITY is monotheistic and has a relational God. It is not based on do's and don'ts or earning one's way to God. The believer lives in RESPONSE to Gods gracious and loving response to him/her. God came TO man as Jesus…as a servant. He left eternity and ended up on the cross. God became SERVANT to man in order to build relationship. Let that sink in. Does any other faith that has thrived have a servant, sacrificial creator? With Christ, there is GRACE, not karma (AKA - you get what you deserve). No deeds needed to gain favor. No need to "find God"…he was never lost. He reaches out to us. This is love.

Now…before your knee jerks too fast... Early in my faith, I was still skeptical at times. The more I studied, the more I saw that even liberal historical scholars acknowledge the following about Jesus: 

1 )He did exist. 

2) He claimed to be God incarnate(One cannot call him a "good teacher" or a "moral man" if he falsely claimed to be God, and that HE was the ONLY way. What do you do with that?! Either he was God or he was a nut job). 

3 )His opponents did not deny his miracles which they SAW and HEARD about, but blamed them on "demonic powers". 

4) The religious leaders crucified him for his claim of being God. 

5 )He died by way of crucifixion. 

6) He was VERY much dead. 

7) His tomb was found empty- which was guarded by Roman soldiers (highly trained killing machines who, if they lost the body of Jesus, would be executed) 

8) Historical accounts show he appeared to over 500 people AFTER his death. 

9 )He appeared to men walking on the road to the town of Emmaus. This was a 7 mile walk from where he was crucified. Remember, he died with spikes through his feet and hands. Flesh ripped from his back. Spear into his heart. Massive blood loss. He was dead…and days later, appeared alive walking on this road (this story is told by previously cowarding disciplines who were eventually killed because they would not recant. 

10)After seeing him alive again, His followers, who scattered like cowards while he was being beaten and crucified, were suddenly emboldened and all but one died as martyrs for what they stood for. 

11)People will often make up and follow something they know is a lie, but they will not die for what they KNOW is something they made up…at least not en masse.

12) The historical apostle Paul was not only considered to be one of the brightest, influential and intelligent religious leaders of his day, but he was a hired gun sent out to persecute and kill people of "The Way"(Christians). He would gloat over his victims. Today we would call him a terrorist. His historically documented conversion has got to make one consider what he experienced when Jesus appeared to him.  Paul became, arguably, the most influential voice of Christianity aside from Jesus himself.  

13) Immediately after Jesus' alleged resurrection, people became part of this movement (now about 1/3 of the world's population - it all started from a homeless "peasant"(?). 

Lives and cultures have been transformed for over 2000 years because he is the real deal.  

27 years ago, I got to a place where, if I believed there was some sort of Creator(which makes a lot of sense if I was being intellectually honest), this Jesus made a lot of sense. It is not a matter of one spiritual bent being right or wrong, but a matter of one that makes sense. One that yields ongoing good fruit. If one is going to hold tightly to a "faith" of any sort…which will ultimately greatly influences how they live, it ought to hold up to hard, objective scrutiny. If God is real, it makes sense to discover what that journey would look like. Even if it challenges one's status quo, personal preferences or life-long held beliefs.

One might say, "well what about the crusades"(etc) and all the bigoted and violent things done by those who claim to follow Jesus.  Not to mention our current day “far right” culture that wrongly marries nationalism and so-called “conservative politics to Jesus.  I will say without hesitation that they do not represent the historical and biblical Jesus.  Sadly, there are people and groups from all faith streams that bring shame to what they claim to believe. Don't let "church" or professed Christians be your (only)example of what the Creator of the universe is like. The truth is, all humans are hypocrites at times and misrepresent what they say are their personal convictions.  Don't let politics dictate your view either. Believe it or not, there are true Christ-followers who are republicans, independents, and yes, even democrats.  Yep…I know some Jesus lovers who where "feeling the BERN" in the last election cycle:)

Look to the source - Jesus. Do some objective research. There have been much smarter, more highly educated skeptics, more vehement “God-haters”, more vicious murderers, more broken addicts, more promiscuous adulterers, and more wretched sinners than you and I who have come to love this Jesus.  

So...here's my happy bday card to me:) Thanks for the 27 years. Looking forward to the next.