I write this blog with fear and trepidation. Please read the whole piece before responding.
About 6 years ago I was experimenting with Facebook to tell people what my sermon will be on the Sunday following. Boldly I posted this pic on our church Facebook page.
The responses surprised me and came from people far away with whom I never had any contact before that post. Here are some responses.
Believe it or not, I only kept some of the gentler responses since I showed it in church that Sunday. It warmed my heart that many people took offence to the statement I made and that they felt so strong about it. I just wish they expressed their opinion in a gentler and wiser fashion... :-) And I hope you find it funny that Jesus can be defended in such crude terms. I have never been called a retard before and definitely not this particular kind of retard.
However, I do think there are ways in which Jesus is not the answer. Would you consider them with me?
1. Jesus is NOT the answer when you are looking for a quick fix.
Our God has a way of focussing on higher and deeper purposes than our immediate comfort. Take a look at this.
... We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next.
Rom 5:3-4 MSG
Walking with God entails submitting to His purpose in us and the process through which He will accomplish that purpose. He is never late but it often feels like He might be this time.
You are barking up the wrong tree if you expect God to walk into your life and wave a magic wand, fixing everything in an instant. He is growing you and growth takes time and comes with some discomfort.
But those who wait upon GOD get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind.
Isa 40:31 MSG
2. Jesus is NOT the answer when you are looking for a get-rich-quick scheme.
You need to understand that there is great blessing in serving our Lord. He will provide everything you need to accomplish the task He has for you. Abraham was the richest man of his time. So was Isaac and Jacob and Joseph. Solomon was the richest man of all time. He will provide everything you need to accomplish the purpose for which He created you.
However, His will for you can take you to some tough places. Joseph endured slavery and time in jail in God's purpose for him. Paul wrote the immortal words, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" He penned these words in a jail cell and this is what he meant by 'all things' as written in just the previous verse.
I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.
Php 4:12 NLT
Following Jesus is not like winning the lotto and now you wonder what to do with all you have. Following Jesus is not for the person seeking a get-rich-quick fix for his greed. He just is not the answer if that is what you are seeking.
3. Jesus is NOT the answer if you want to control everything.
Sometimes it seems to me as if people think that with God on their side they will be able to dictate to their circumstances and the people around them. And then their prayers sound as if they are telling God what to do.
The Christian life is one of submission to God and His will for us. It is saying, "Not my will, but Your will to be done." I surrender my will freely to His and pursue His purpose for my life. And yes, because I bow before God I do not bow to anyone or anything else.
My biggest battle is not against the devil, sin or my circumstances. Jesus won those battles on my behalf. My biggest battle is within myself and I only get to win that battle through surrender to my Lord. I'm reminded of the words of the old hymn.
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Saviour
I surrender all
If you thinking following Jesus is a way of being in control, you are sadly mistaken! You follow Him. Not the other way around.
The good news is Jesus IS the answer if you ask the right questions!
Jesus IS the answer
1. To all the love you need
"I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love."
(Joh 15:9 MSG)
No one will ever love you more than the One who is love. No love will ever satisfy you the way being loved by Him will fill you up.
2. To your eternal destiny
"The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out--but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity."
(1Jn 2:17 MSG)
You are an eternal being. An eternity that you will either spend with God or without Him. Jesus is your answer!
3. To fulfilling your purpose
You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.
Joh 15:16 NLT
You were not invited to the meeting when God decided to create you. He knows how He shaped you and why. The essence of your purpose and the source of your greatest fulfilment is hidden in your Creator's heart. Seek it until you find it!
The things that Jesus is the answer to is a very long list. These three will suffice for now. I hope I got your attention for a moment and appreciate that you read my thoughts. Your comments will be appreciated.
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Jesus is not the answer forthose who are looking for the meaning of life.
Hi @hatoto. Thank you for your contribution.
I realise this might be a typo but if your statement is correctly written, I find it fascinating. And I could not disagree with you more. Jesus has filled my life with amazing purpose and meaning. And knowing Him and getting to know Him more every day has been the greatest adventure of my life even given that my life thus far has been anything but boring.
I know organized religion has a well-deserved bad reputation. But there is a vast difference between the things people do to please God (religion) and the joy of responding to God reaching out to us. I cannot imagine greater joy. And I cannot imagine my life without a relationship with Jesus.
If you do not know Him yet, I pray that you will discover Him soon.
Am in luv with this...I almost passed. It exposes our human frailties and how judgemental we can be as humans. We really need to look before we leap.
Jesus definitely is not the answer to a lot of rubbish. We won't get answers with the wrong questions. Thumbs up to this...
Precisely @abeludotu. We need to ask the right questions.
I'm glad you stopped by.
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Thank you for this! I was a bit feeling lost with my life right now. And I'd often ask God to put me in the place he needs me to be or lead me into that direction. I just want to make sense with everything I am going through right now.
Thank you @indayclara
I pray that you will find what you seek and that you will have great wisdom in the choices you need to make. Thank you for sharing here.
You can trust Him!!
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He is the answer!
I also completed your task in kryptonia... @dhencarp
Agreed @dhen2!
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Dear @reonlouw,
The title to your post was very provocative and evoked emotional responses. It is a shame that so-called Christians would launch verbal attacks on you without taking the time to read through what you had to say.
Your teaching is biblical, correct and thought provoking.
Thank you.
Blessings in Messiah, Steven Sherman @lastdays
Hi Steven (@lastdays). Thank you for your contribution.
To be fair, it was the Facebook community who reacted adversely. The Steemit community is a different and more considered community. I have enjoyed people's responses.
Thank you for the affirmation. I started following you.
Dear Pastor,
Although I lived in New York at the time, my first pastor was originally from South Africa.
Thank you for taking the time to reply to my comment and for following me. I have returned the favor and I am now following you as well.
Shalom, Brother Steven
Hi Steven (@lastdays). I look forward to our conversations going forward. You seem to be an interesting person with interesting insights.
It is best to use a person's Steemit name with the @ sign. Discord, Busy and other applications then pick up that you are addressing that person and sends that person a message.
Dear Pastor @reonlouw,
Thank you for your advice.
As a Jewish believer in Christ, I have a unique understanding of the Hebrew festivals and biblical prophecy.
I have a short video that I would like you to view. It was the last in my series called, "Revealing the Mysteries of the Bible." It is available on my post:
VIDEO: ALL OF CREATION BEARS THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF OUR DIVINE CREATOR
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/video-all-of-creation-bears-the-image-and-likeness-of-our-divine-creator
Shalom, Steven @lastdays
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If Jesus came back and saw what was being done in his name, he'd never stop throwing up....The moment God is figured out with nice neat lines and definitions, we are no longer dealing with God..
Agreed @prince121. God will never fit into our box. It is the greatest adventure ever to journey with Him and to discover a little more each day.
Thank you for contributing.
Welcome buddy .. Your writing skill about religion is precious.. @reonlouw
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The truth I that any people came to Jesus not to surrender to be used by God! A lot came to church to get familiar with God so they can use God!
Use God to achieve their ambitions, use God to make money, use God to expand their scope of influence.
No one wants to go through process!
We forget that God i s almighty and He does only His will!.
Thanks.
Thank you @rabiuaudu. I think that no one ever come to God or church for the right reasons when we first come. But as we come to know Him we fall in love with Him. So it is ok that people come for the 'wrong' reasons. They just need to get close enough to discover who He really is and they will be hooked!
Well said! Simple and short! There's a saying that says "No one will ever taste honey and spit it out"
I totally agree with your post. It's so on point. Sometimes, you can hardly differentiate between a true Christian and someone who isn't with the way they aggressively "defend" Christ.
I met an atheist 8 years ago, and after we had talked for like 1 hour, he said something shocking. In his words "Amaka, you are the only Christian that I have met, who treated me well and preached Christ without making me look stupid"
We don't need to be aggressive whenever we feel someone has "Insulted" our Lord and Master. There's no point using abusive words on someone you are trying to win over. It doesn't make sense.
I love this. Will be using it!
And I so agree with your comment.
If someone discovers the real Jesus they will be unable to resist Him. We were made for Him.
People only say 'no' to Him because they do not know the real Him.
Thank you @ammyluv
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Very well said! Other people will freak out by just reading the headline. Sometimes we need go deeper and hear the real message behind that front text.
Coming from kryptonia @wilsonblue5
Thank you @wilsonblue5. I appreciate the affirmation.
this post have given me a great reasoning about churches and those who attends churches and how so called pastors.... it is not everybody serving the lord for heavens sake ,, some are serving the lord for pockets sake and a way of been righteous which they are not..... from kryptonia@everdope
Hi @awosode. I find it very difficult to discern why other people serve God. The only heart I can see is my own and that is the heart I must guard. Sometimes I struggle to see clearly into my own heart's motives and I need to make sure I see all there is to see.
David prayed this prayer and I think we should all pray it often.
You better read from start to finish to understand. You will burst into anger if you dont.. upvoted, read and commented by rubelynmacion
Thank you @rubelynmacion. I'm glad you read enough to get the message. I do not think everyone did... And I'm glad you are not angry with me...
I agree with you.
God does not work for the benefit of anyone, God help us all, justice.
I agree @ziggypepper. God does not have favourites. Jesus came for you as much as He came for me. He loves you as much as He loves me.
Well, you definitely show the power of a headline with this story! At least you got their attention. I know a lot of people who use the excuse of God being in charge for their own lack of action. I think we have to make our own way and trust in God to provide the means and the path.
I'm coming to you from @kryptonia with the same user name.
Agreed @fitinfun. We sometimes think Jesus should act like Superman who flies into our lives to save the day. It is not what He does! In Him, I find strength I do not have on my own and I can do and accomplish more than on my own.
I'm sure you deal with people persevering stubbornly in bad habits while praying to lose weight. He is definitely NOT the answer when we are looking for a quick fix!
I was also a bit up in arms on the heading, but what a great post with so many truths - thank you
Thank you @anneke for being up in arms. We should be. And thank you for reading the great things I was able to say about Jesus in this. And for celebrating them.
A bounty of 2.000 SBD has been set on this post by @reonlouw! You can read how they work here.
I actually came into this post from steemd while going through my upvote through trail, my intention at first was to minus my vote from this post but decided to go through the post content, then in a gentle manner with love engage you but thank God i did.
But the headline of your post is marketing 101
Thank you @enm. I'm glad you read all of it. And I'm very glad you do not agree with the headline! :-)
I was very addicted to control everything, then life teaches me to let things go as they have to go.
Dalai Lama once said,
I completely agree with him... and you?
Hi @crmilazz. Thank you for contributing.
I visited Tibet years ago and I'm not a big fan of the Dalai Lama. Mostly we are only exposed to the Hollywood and/or political version of him. I do, however, enjoy how his mere existence upsets the communist regime in China.
Whoever actually made the above statement, I do strongly agree with it. We were made for love. To be loved and to love. Without it, we become versions of ourselves that is very far removed from what we were made to be.
What a great write up
But jesus can speed up the rate he answers you when he have trust in you and he knowns that you won't mis used what he's giving you..
Yes!! He is more than able to do things in any way He wants to. I love the story of Jesus' friend Lazarus who died. His sisters were upset because they knew if Jesus had arrived in time he would have healed him.
Jesus arrived four days after the funeral and went right ahead and restored Lazarus to life!
The old song says, 'My God is always on time, even when He is four days late!
Thank you @christianolu!
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This post was presented in the last TCCNS and was featured in the recent report here.
Thank you @seyiodus. I enjoy your show and can recommend it to everyone who writes to the church. I have met some interesting people there and have received great encouragement from other participants.
funny I like your post, true Jesus is not the way when you want a get rich quick scheme. ID @grace234
Thank you @grace234. So glad you like it!
Thank you for this very true thought provoking post! God bless!
Thank you @forgodsglory. You are appreciated!
Amen! Not the Jesus you want, but the Jesus yo need!
Daddy William
Amen Daddy William (@mhm-philippines). Well said!
Am in luv with this...I almost passed. It exposes our human frailties and how judgemental we can be as humans. We really need to look before we leap.
Jesus definitely is not the answer to a lot of rubbish. We won't get answers with the wrong questions. Thumbs up to this...
Jesus is always the answer. very nice post, I came from kryptonia to read it @darthgexe
Thank you @darthgexe!
I think we are all entitled to our own beliefs and frankly it isn't anyone else's business what they do or don't think. Sadly the internet has caused a mass of keyboard warriors and I find it quite disgusting. What ever happened if you don't have anything nice to say don't say it at all. There is a real lack of respect within society now a days... on a positive note... the community here within steemit I found found to be nothing other then a joy! And I wholeheartedly agree with you!!
it's interesting to note that while Jesus is not considered the answer in get-rich-quick schemes while cryptocurrency is? PEACE:)
Hahaha.... Well, if only you had written "Jesus is not the answer......"
Nice post. Enjoyed it.