Easter is almost upon us and for many Christians--it's a day of rejoicing because Jesus Christ, the Son of God, rose from the dead, as He said He would.
"Then the angel spoke to the women, "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn't here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying." (The Bible Matthew 28:5)
While most of the western world recognizes that Jesus Christ died on Good Friday and rose on Easter Sunday over two thousand years ago, that constitutes much of the world's understanding. But Jesus' death and resurrection was more than that.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, took human form and became man so that we could regain right standing with God once again (our right standing was lost when the first man, Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden). Since that time, the world has awaited a Savior in the person of Jesus Christ. During Jesus' three year ministry, He preached the Gospel or Good News and established a religion called Christianity which has radically changed the face of the planet--even today.
Jesus knew He was destined to die a horrible death, yet He accepted it as His fate because it was the only solution to the problem--the only way to appease His Father's wrath and divine sense of justice. Just as we expect a just sentence against any criminal act, God the Just Judge, exacts the same kind of justice. As humans (and sinners) we were incapable of standing rightly before God. Only Jesus, His Son, was able to make all things right with Him. So, in a sense, Jesus was the Fall Guy. While He didn't deserve to die on the cross for anything He did, He took our accountability on His shoulders. He suffered so we wouldn't have to suffer and carried our cross so we wouldn't have to carry it ourselves. Jesus was the Fall Guy to the Nth degree.
During His ministry, Jesus often pointed to Himself as the way, the truth and the life because He was trying to lead all people back to the real truth--not the world's version of it.
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." (The Bible John 14:6)
Jesus also dared to challenge the political, religious establishment of His time. His straightforward and unorthodox ways got the attention of the religious leaders who saw Him as a serious threat--which opened the door to His betrayal by one of His disciples, His subsequent arrest and finally, His death on the cross.
Jesus' resurrection on Easter Sunday shows us that we too, like Him, can live forever. Easter is not just a celebration of Jesus' triumphant victory over death but the promise of eternal life (heaven) for anyone who can say in truth, "Jesus Christ is Lord".
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Spiritually Speaking
In the days before I began my journey of faith, I was very much into the New Age Movement. Once I discovered astrology, I poured myself into this new found discovery with everything I had and became something of an expert in "reading" friend's and family's horoscopes. I was curiously drawn to anything supernatural and to the occult and even joined in following a popular local ghost hunter by the name of Glen Grant, who exposed me to the world of "mysteries beyond the grave" as he liked to put it.
But all good things must come to an end and as I began my journey in search of truth, I discovered that many of the New Age teachings I had so completely immersed myself in were not in line with God's teachings. Even though I tried to convince myself otherwise, I knew that once I made the commitment to become a Christian, I had to give up anything that smacked of New Ageism. I reluctantly threw out my collection of "spiritual books ", Feng Shui mirrors, healing stones and other mystical paraphernalia and tried hard not to look back. Believe me, it wasn't easy.
In the beginning I found myself straying back to my old ways. Once I found out what a person's astrological sign was, I couldn't resist giving them a quick "read", and took pleasure in the astonished looks on their faces when I "got the reading right". But even as a part of me held on to my estranged New Age beliefs, my thirst for truth and for God consumed me so much so that I eventually lost interest in the occult and my love for all things "mystical" took a back seat.
When I made the decision to search for the "ultimate truth" I didn't realize it would take me from a form of "spirituality" to "true spirituality". Finding God in Christianity opened my eyes to the knowledge that all real power comes from God and God alone and that everything else is just a "copycat" version of it.
Many individuals, in their search for "truth" or "enlightenment" turn towards the occult and New Age practices, not really knowing or understanding where the power that it generates comes from. While a lot of New Age teachings focus on the "power within" or the "power from above", it does not recognize God as the ultimate power source. If God is not behind the healing or manifestations within the New Age practices, you have to ask yourself "who is"?
There is a real "power" however, that Jesus Christ His son manifested when he walked the earth, preaching the "Good News" or gospel to all peoples. There is a parable or story where Jesus fed five thousand travelers who had come to hear Him preach on God's kingdom--from just five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus also healed the sick and raised the dead--an incredible feat even back then. He did this, not by any means of His own, but under the power of the "Holy Spirit" or under the power of God. And, two thousand years later, the Christian church today walks in that same kind of power when they follow in Jesus' footsteps and do all the things He commanded them to do.
God alone is our creator. God alone is omnipresent (everywhere), omniscient (all knowing) and omnipotent (all powerful). Everything else falls by the wayside and even His most amazing creation (human beings) "fall short of the glory of God". When you begin your journey of truth, you will find God there and in Him you will find all that you have been searching for.
Faith Rocks
C Willson
But all good things must come to an end and as I began my journey in search of truth, I discovered that many of the New Age teachings I had so completely immersed myself in were not in line with God's teachings. Even though I tried to convince myself otherwise, I knew that once I made the commitment to become a Christian, I had to give up anything that smacked of New Ageism. I reluctantly threw out my collection of "spiritual books ", Feng Shui mirrors, healing stones and other mystical paraphernalia and tried hard not to look back. Believe me, it wasn't easy.
In the beginning I found myself straying back to my old ways. Once I found out what a person's astrological sign was, I couldn't resist giving them a quick "read", and took pleasure in the astonished looks on their faces when I "got the reading right". But even as a part of me held on to my estranged New Age beliefs, my thirst for truth and for God consumed me so much so that I eventually lost interest in the occult and my love for all things "mystical" took a back seat.
When I made the decision to search for the "ultimate truth" I didn't realize it would take me from a form of "spirituality" to "true spirituality". Finding God in Christianity opened my eyes to the knowledge that all real power comes from God and God alone and that everything else is just a "copycat" version of it.
Many individuals, in their search for "truth" or "enlightenment" turn towards the occult and New Age practices, not really knowing or understanding where the power that it generates comes from. While a lot of New Age teachings focus on the "power within" or the "power from above", it does not recognize God as the ultimate power source. If God is not behind the healing or manifestations within the New Age practices, you have to ask yourself "who is"?
There is a real "power" however, that Jesus Christ His son manifested when he walked the earth, preaching the "Good News" or gospel to all peoples. There is a parable or story where Jesus fed five thousand travelers who had come to hear Him preach on God's kingdom--from just five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus also healed the sick and raised the dead--an incredible feat even back then. He did this, not by any means of His own, but under the power of the "Holy Spirit" or under the power of God. And, two thousand years later, the Christian church today walks in that same kind of power when they follow in Jesus' footsteps and do all the things He commanded them to do.
God alone is our creator. God alone is omnipresent (everywhere), omniscient (all knowing) and omnipotent (all powerful). Everything else falls by the wayside and even His most amazing creation (human beings) "fall short of the glory of God". When you begin your journey of truth, you will find God there and in Him you will find all that you have been searching for.
Faith Rocks
C Willson
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Is That You God?
When was the last time you talked to God? I mean, really talked to Him-- not just asking for favors or giving Him a piece of your mind--but an honest to goodness one on one with the creator.
Sadly, most people, even those who profess to believe in God, rarely give Him the time of day. It seems our encounters with God are mostly in church on Sunday and then for the rest of the week, we put him back into a box until the next time we take Him out all over again.
Well, God actually wants more than that. God wants to really know you and for you to know Him, but for that to happen you've got to take a leap of faith and believe this is the truth. Religion sometimes makes God out to be this omnipotent, all powerful force that is so far removed from our lives that we wrongly assume He doesn't care about us at all. But God created man and woman in order to have a close relationship with them, the same way we experience close relationships with our family, friends and loved ones. God is no different. God doesn't need us, but He deeply desires to know each one of us in a one on one encounter.
And in order to know God, you've got to understand who He is. God is a Spirit and when He created the first man, Adam, He breathed life into him, making man in His own image and likeness.
"God is a Spirit." (John 4:24)
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:...So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him..."(Genesis 1:26-27)
That makes us a spirit as well and it is here, in our spirit, where God tries to communicate with us. For instance, you may be sitting at home thinking about nothing in particular, when a random thought comes over you to turn on the TV and there, surprisingly enough, is a Christian pastor preaching about God. Or maybe the name of a friend you haven't seen in a long time comes into your head, and you soon bump into this person, who has found Jesus and wants to share His findings with you.
Now, I'm not saying God is trying to take over your thought life, but He's definitely going to use every means available to reach you--through your dreams and inspirations, people you meet, Christian music, Christian books, the bible, nature, etc. Until the day you leave this planet, God will never leave you alone. But don't depend on religion or anyone else to help find Him, just go after Him with all you've got. The world offers fame, wealth, fortune--all fleeting illusions, but God is the real deal. He has been there since the beginning of time and He will be there waiting for you, for that amazing moment when you suddenly realize He is the one you have always been searching for.
"No power in the sky above or in the earth below--indeed, nothing in all creation will...separate us from the love of God." (Romans 8:39)
Faith Rocks
C Willson
Sadly, most people, even those who profess to believe in God, rarely give Him the time of day. It seems our encounters with God are mostly in church on Sunday and then for the rest of the week, we put him back into a box until the next time we take Him out all over again.
Well, God actually wants more than that. God wants to really know you and for you to know Him, but for that to happen you've got to take a leap of faith and believe this is the truth. Religion sometimes makes God out to be this omnipotent, all powerful force that is so far removed from our lives that we wrongly assume He doesn't care about us at all. But God created man and woman in order to have a close relationship with them, the same way we experience close relationships with our family, friends and loved ones. God is no different. God doesn't need us, but He deeply desires to know each one of us in a one on one encounter.
And in order to know God, you've got to understand who He is. God is a Spirit and when He created the first man, Adam, He breathed life into him, making man in His own image and likeness.
"God is a Spirit." (John 4:24)
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:...So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him..."(Genesis 1:26-27)
That makes us a spirit as well and it is here, in our spirit, where God tries to communicate with us. For instance, you may be sitting at home thinking about nothing in particular, when a random thought comes over you to turn on the TV and there, surprisingly enough, is a Christian pastor preaching about God. Or maybe the name of a friend you haven't seen in a long time comes into your head, and you soon bump into this person, who has found Jesus and wants to share His findings with you.
Now, I'm not saying God is trying to take over your thought life, but He's definitely going to use every means available to reach you--through your dreams and inspirations, people you meet, Christian music, Christian books, the bible, nature, etc. Until the day you leave this planet, God will never leave you alone. But don't depend on religion or anyone else to help find Him, just go after Him with all you've got. The world offers fame, wealth, fortune--all fleeting illusions, but God is the real deal. He has been there since the beginning of time and He will be there waiting for you, for that amazing moment when you suddenly realize He is the one you have always been searching for.
"No power in the sky above or in the earth below--indeed, nothing in all creation will...separate us from the love of God." (Romans 8:39)
Faith Rocks
C Willson
Saturday, January 5, 2013
God Encounter
If I were to ask the question, "Do you believe in God?" I think it's safe to say I'd get the backing of a few individuals. If however I asked those same people to prove to me that He's real--I would probably be left standing alone.
Well, you don't have to prove to me that God exists, because once I began to seek God with everything I had, I experienced a real, personal encounter with Him that you only just read about. But for most people, encountering God is not something they can easily relate to--possibly because they weren't raised with a concept of God or maybe had issues in their lives that left little room for God. But the reason I believe most people don't get God is because of religion. Religion, like all institutions, was created for a sole purpose--in this case, to bridge the gap between God and man. But religion can only go so far to make God real because religion is founded on man made ideologies or doctrines and at some point, will fall short in the long run.
As I stated earlier--in my quest for truth I was led to Christianity and once there, I found the ultimate truth I was looking for. And while religion offered me a place to belong and a place to come to know God, I felt there was more about God that I needed to know. So, even as I attended church and bible studies, I took it upon myself to seek God, to go after Him the way you might go after a dream job or that perfect relationship. And it was when I started to look for God anywhere and everywhere--through philosophical conversations with friends, surfing the web, reading anything I could get my hands on, listening to inspirational music, and even crying out to Him--that I finally found the real God I had been searching for. And the surprising thing I uncovered on this journey of discovery is that God wanted to be found and that He was always there, but that I had to first move out of the box that is religion in order to encounter Him in a heartfelt one on one relationship.
Now I know this all sounds very cliche, but just as you can only learn so much through book learning or head knowledge, you've got to discover and relate to God on a more personal level in order to really get Him. And religion, unfortunately cannot always give you that, because sometimes religion's focus on doctrine paints a distant picture of God, one that is far from the truth. The truth is that God not only wants a one on one relationship with you, but He also wants to be the one you come to when you have problems and He also wants to be the one to bless you so that you can know how much He really cares. But until then, God remains in the background, an omnipotent power that holds the world together, an unseen force that guides our lives-- all the while waiting for that moment of discovery when you come to the realization that He does exist and that He is more than religion has ever made Him out to be.
God has placed a deep desire in each of our hearts to want to know Him and it is when you take that first step to go after Him with your whole heart and soul that you will find Him waiting there for you.
Faith Rocks
C Willson**********************
Well, you don't have to prove to me that God exists, because once I began to seek God with everything I had, I experienced a real, personal encounter with Him that you only just read about. But for most people, encountering God is not something they can easily relate to--possibly because they weren't raised with a concept of God or maybe had issues in their lives that left little room for God. But the reason I believe most people don't get God is because of religion. Religion, like all institutions, was created for a sole purpose--in this case, to bridge the gap between God and man. But religion can only go so far to make God real because religion is founded on man made ideologies or doctrines and at some point, will fall short in the long run.
As I stated earlier--in my quest for truth I was led to Christianity and once there, I found the ultimate truth I was looking for. And while religion offered me a place to belong and a place to come to know God, I felt there was more about God that I needed to know. So, even as I attended church and bible studies, I took it upon myself to seek God, to go after Him the way you might go after a dream job or that perfect relationship. And it was when I started to look for God anywhere and everywhere--through philosophical conversations with friends, surfing the web, reading anything I could get my hands on, listening to inspirational music, and even crying out to Him--that I finally found the real God I had been searching for. And the surprising thing I uncovered on this journey of discovery is that God wanted to be found and that He was always there, but that I had to first move out of the box that is religion in order to encounter Him in a heartfelt one on one relationship.
Now I know this all sounds very cliche, but just as you can only learn so much through book learning or head knowledge, you've got to discover and relate to God on a more personal level in order to really get Him. And religion, unfortunately cannot always give you that, because sometimes religion's focus on doctrine paints a distant picture of God, one that is far from the truth. The truth is that God not only wants a one on one relationship with you, but He also wants to be the one you come to when you have problems and He also wants to be the one to bless you so that you can know how much He really cares. But until then, God remains in the background, an omnipotent power that holds the world together, an unseen force that guides our lives-- all the while waiting for that moment of discovery when you come to the realization that He does exist and that He is more than religion has ever made Him out to be.
God has placed a deep desire in each of our hearts to want to know Him and it is when you take that first step to go after Him with your whole heart and soul that you will find Him waiting there for you.
Faith Rocks
C Willson**********************
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