Reminiscence

I was in my early twenties when I received an email asking me to reject this guy called Jesus who was nailed to the cross. It stated that if I did so, I would have lots of money. Otherwise, the reverse would be true.

At that point in time, I was happily painting the town red as a young adult. Where got time for any religious stuff. Accept or reject. I could not be bothered. Who cares? Strangely, I felt a sense of indignation. How could anyone reject a guy who died such a terrible death? In the end, I ignored that email.

From that point forward, things happened the way they did and eventually, the Lord Jesus found me. I did not find Him because He was not lost. I was!

Looing back, my Lord Jesus saved me from many dangerous situations and evil schemes of people whom I trusted wholeheartedly. It was before I officially accepted Him as my Lord and Savior. Even after that, I did not really know Jesus for Who He really is. I tried to follow the man-made Christian traditions only to find them utterly sickening! From my experience, there is more compassion outside the church. Very sad!

It was not until my Lord Jesus led me to a church where the pastor taught the congregation how to crack open the Bible to see and know Jesus for ourselves. This pastor told us to not accept what he said hook, line, boots, and fisherman but to check to the Bible for scriptural soundness (Acts 17:11).

I appreciate the way he brings out the Person of Jesus from the Bible. Instead of reading the Bible as mere narratives, he taught us to be there in every Biblical account as if it is happening right before our very own eyes.

From then on, I began to dive deep into the Bible even to the very letter of the word. Truly, when I begin to see Jesus in every letter and word of the Bible, a sense of strength rises from within. The excavating of Jesus from the Bible has become so addictive!

We study the Bible not to puff up the mind or become theologians. We do so with only one purpose; to see Jesus. This is because Jesus Christ and Him crucified is the definitive display and proof of God’s unconditional love for us (Romans 5:8, 8:39).

Christianity is not a religion. It is indeed a personal relationship with a loving and wonderful Savior. Others can say and feel all they want about how I relate to Jesus. None of their opinions amount to anything because God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7; Acts 15:8). My standing before God is based entirely on what the beloved Son of God has done for me as Christ and Him crucified. Never mind if you are not happy (buay song) with me. You having a wonderful relationship with Jesus is all that matters. As it is with you, so it is with me.

I have said it before and I am saying it again. Do not judge God’s love for you based on the behaviors of Christians. As believers, we are ever growing in God’s love for us that is in Christ Jesus on a daily basis. In all likelihood, our behaviors do not measure up.

I have people saying to my face,

“As a Christian, how can you talk or behave like that?”

My reply is simple. You have no freaking idea how worse I would have become if I were not a believer. And in my heart, I said, “So buzz off before I rearrange your face until your mother cannot recognize you!” God heard that and He still loves me! Father, help me do better next time.

Having said that, matured Christians who let the love of Jesus flow through them do exist. Even so, their love for others fluctuates but God’s love for you is always a constant. Let not your eyes be on believers but on God, Who is in essence love (1 John 4:8, 16)!

Christians do fall into sin and we rely solely on Jesus to not remain in sin by living a sinful lifestyle (footnote to 1 Corinthians 6:9, Amplified Bible). We boast of His love for us and not our love for Him. We exalt His goodness and not ours because it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance, which is a change in thinking about God (Romans 2:4).

God is not waiting to deep fry us when we fail. On the contrary, He is waiting eagerly for us to turn to Him for help whenever we need it (Psalm 46:1, Hebrews 4:16). God helps those who help themselves is not from the Bible. It was Benjmain Franklin who said it.

Sin not before you come before God. It is akin to telling someone to clean up before taking a bath. Ludicrous! I say this reverently. If I can sin not by my own efforts, I do not need God. As stated in Romans 5:6-8 (New Living Translation),

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”

Check that out and let it sink in!

Another misnomer is penance as a prerequisite for salvation. The criminal who was crucified with Jesus said,

“Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” -?Luke 23:42

And Jesus replied,

“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” - Luke 23:43

?If our Lord Jesus had asked the criminal to make good the bad that he has done, he would have probably said,

“Lord, I would love to but I am kind of stuck.”

Or if our Lord Jesus had demanded that he be water baptized first, he would have likely prayed for rain.

No! Our Lord Jesus did none of that. The moment the criminal confessed Jesus as Lord, he was saved right there and then (Romans 10:13).

Let not man-made traditions distort the unconditional love of God for us that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 5:8, 8:39; 2 Peter 3:9).? Attend a church that exalts Jesus Christ so as to learn to see Jesus in the Bible and get to know Him from there. This is so that you will not be robbed of a wonderful relationship with the Savior Who loves you with all His heart. Also, you will not be conned by religious fraudsters who use the Bible for personal benefits. There are many of such out there who resort to the hinting ministry, spiritual “blackmail”, and telling of sob stories, among other means.

Do not let your relationship with Jesus be limited by the experience of others for it is written,

“Let it be done to you according to your faith” - Matthew 9:29

We are learning to let go and let God. This is an on-going process. Some can let God more and some less. The more you let go, the more you find God taking over. Cast ALL your cares upon Him because He cares for you as in, He loves you so much to take over all your cares and concerns (1 Peter 5:7). What matters to us, matters to Him. He feels glad when we are glad and He feels sad when we are sad.? Jesus is our High Priest who can sympathize with our every weakness (Hebrews 4:15).

Our loving Father God is a real Gentleman (John 16:27, Amplified Bible). He will not force us to do things against our will because He honours the gift of free will that He first gave us. Every good that we do stems from knowing just how much He first loved us (1 John 4:19). How much we let God is in direct proportion to how well we know that He first loved us. For this reason, the apostle Paul prayed for us,

“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ?May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” - Ephesians 3:18-19 (New Living Translation)

Therefore, look not to men but to God alone. He has shown and proved His unconditional love for you and me through Jesus Christ and Him crucified (Romans 5:8, 8:39). Amen!