When I first started this I thought it would be easy to post something every week, then I switched to every other...and so on. Soon it became something I did every so often, an afterthought. Time really does get away from you, my last post was early in January. So does this mean God hasn't been revealing or speaking to me like he used to? No, I think reality has set in. God has a better sense of time than I do. He also is a much better manager of time than I will ever be.
Well, I've been doing some reading. I'm finding out I enjoy Mark Driscoll books, specifically "Vintage Jesus". I also read "Confessions of a Reformation Rev", good too but mainly a fun read. In the book Vintage Jesus, chapter 7, titled "Did Jesus Rise From the Dead?" I'm stuck on something. He waits till the final page of the chapter to drop a bomb on you. I need to quote it for you, hopefully I won't get in trouble. It says this...
"Sadly, there is apparently a great deal of confusion on this matter. Every year people celebrate the resurrection of Jesus at Easter. Nonetheless, many people believe in the historical fact of Jesus' resurrection but have not become Christians by placing their personal faith in him. Even some who claim to be Christians oddly deny the historical fact of Jesus' resurrection. For example, a poll conducted by Newsweek magazine asked the question, 'Do you believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead after dying on the cross?' Of those who answered, only 88 percent of people who claimed to be Christians answered yes. But, fully 32 percent of people who claimed to be non-Christian answered yes." Taken from Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears book "Vintage Jesus".
Are you kidding me?
In an election 88 percent would be considered a landslide. When the difference is more than 8% they call that a skunk. But this isn't an election. This for lack of better terms is an abomination. I do understand it's hard to know everything about a topic. For instance, I'm a Braves fan. Right now I'm doing the tomahawk chop while typing with one hand...it's a special talent I have. I can't tell you their batting lineup or even remember the name of the coach that replaced Bobby Cox but I consider myself a fan. It's like denying they won the World Series in '93. Even though I watched till the final out and bought a silly hat. Even though you can go to Atlanta and see the trophy in a case and talk to players on the team you still deny it ever happened. I guess after a while people forget it ever happened then before you know it a generation comes along that didn't experience it and...it never happened. Sounds pretty silly. Here's the sad part, people know more about the game of baseball than they do about Jesus Christ but we're not talking about baseball. Baseball didn't pay for your sin. Baseball didn't die on a cross and rise three days later to prove its power over death. The resurrection of Christ is the reason we can call ourselves Christians; it's a staple of Christianity. The cross by no means was the end, it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
The second number mentioned, 32% non-Christians, to me is a positive. These people may be closer to understanding God than the 12% who claim to. My biggest problem with all this is the fact we have people claiming to be Christ followers (Christians) but don't acknowledge or believe in the resurrection. I have to assume they are immersed believers or they would claim to be attenders. Shallow Christianity or ignorance is no excuse. It shouldn't surprise me when the world has doubts when the members doubt our own core beliefs. I don't have an answer for this, thankfully God does. When all else fails, pray. For starters, pray for our churches. Pray they may help their members fully understand God's power. Pray that our churches are being led by men called by God to be leaders and teachers. Pray that our leaders will be given understanding to help our members to know the importance of the resurrection. Pray that Satan will not get a foothold in churches around the world.
1 Corinthians 15:12-19 "Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied."
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20corinthians%2015&version=ESV
Till next time...
peace,
totalheel
Well, I've been doing some reading. I'm finding out I enjoy Mark Driscoll books, specifically "Vintage Jesus". I also read "Confessions of a Reformation Rev", good too but mainly a fun read. In the book Vintage Jesus, chapter 7, titled "Did Jesus Rise From the Dead?" I'm stuck on something. He waits till the final page of the chapter to drop a bomb on you. I need to quote it for you, hopefully I won't get in trouble. It says this...
"Sadly, there is apparently a great deal of confusion on this matter. Every year people celebrate the resurrection of Jesus at Easter. Nonetheless, many people believe in the historical fact of Jesus' resurrection but have not become Christians by placing their personal faith in him. Even some who claim to be Christians oddly deny the historical fact of Jesus' resurrection. For example, a poll conducted by Newsweek magazine asked the question, 'Do you believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead after dying on the cross?' Of those who answered, only 88 percent of people who claimed to be Christians answered yes. But, fully 32 percent of people who claimed to be non-Christian answered yes." Taken from Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears book "Vintage Jesus".
Are you kidding me?
In an election 88 percent would be considered a landslide. When the difference is more than 8% they call that a skunk. But this isn't an election. This for lack of better terms is an abomination. I do understand it's hard to know everything about a topic. For instance, I'm a Braves fan. Right now I'm doing the tomahawk chop while typing with one hand...it's a special talent I have. I can't tell you their batting lineup or even remember the name of the coach that replaced Bobby Cox but I consider myself a fan. It's like denying they won the World Series in '93. Even though I watched till the final out and bought a silly hat. Even though you can go to Atlanta and see the trophy in a case and talk to players on the team you still deny it ever happened. I guess after a while people forget it ever happened then before you know it a generation comes along that didn't experience it and...it never happened. Sounds pretty silly. Here's the sad part, people know more about the game of baseball than they do about Jesus Christ but we're not talking about baseball. Baseball didn't pay for your sin. Baseball didn't die on a cross and rise three days later to prove its power over death. The resurrection of Christ is the reason we can call ourselves Christians; it's a staple of Christianity. The cross by no means was the end, it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
The second number mentioned, 32% non-Christians, to me is a positive. These people may be closer to understanding God than the 12% who claim to. My biggest problem with all this is the fact we have people claiming to be Christ followers (Christians) but don't acknowledge or believe in the resurrection. I have to assume they are immersed believers or they would claim to be attenders. Shallow Christianity or ignorance is no excuse. It shouldn't surprise me when the world has doubts when the members doubt our own core beliefs. I don't have an answer for this, thankfully God does. When all else fails, pray. For starters, pray for our churches. Pray they may help their members fully understand God's power. Pray that our churches are being led by men called by God to be leaders and teachers. Pray that our leaders will be given understanding to help our members to know the importance of the resurrection. Pray that Satan will not get a foothold in churches around the world.
1 Corinthians 15:12-19 "Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied."
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20corinthians%2015&version=ESV
Till next time...
peace,
totalheel
1 comment:
I understand what you mean by "immersed believer". The main problem is that most have believed a shallow gospel. It's high time that we proclaim the whole counsel of God especially the whole of the Gospel. One word that is not mentioned in the quote above is the word, "bodily" resurrection. Some affirm the resurrection only in a spiritual sense. If you said, "do you believe that Jesus was raised bodily from the dead?" the numbers would be even worse.
Thanks for posting the 1 Corinthians 15 passage, our faith is contingent whether or not Jesus rose from the dead. The "bodily" resurrection changes everything! I believe.
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