Tuesday, January 11, 2011

bible thumpers

Hello fellow bible thumpers. That is the title many of us Christians are given and I wonder why? Does it come across like we are head bangers using what we have learned from reading “The Word of God” the "Bible"? Many times that interpretation is probably not far from the truth. Yes our great commission is to go out into all the world and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Key word is "teach" not pound over people’s heads). I don’t think God meant for us to to go out and try and impress everyone with how many scripture verses we have memorized.

I imagine, some may argue that we are just trying to save the souls of the lost. We are passionate and we don’t want to see our loved ones go to hell. After all we are living in the end times. Christ’s return is imminent. I have to tell them so they will repent. (I envision - after reading the last couple of sentences that half the readers just clicked on the delete button.)

Did anyone notice that bible thumping is not working? To hear the word of God might mean we have to change the way we live, think and breathe. Our churches are emptier than ever. While many of these scriptural truths stare us in the face, people don’t want to be made to feel like they are any less important than the next person. It sometimes seems that churches only want perfect people. Hello, Jesus came for the sick, the weak, the poor in spirit – he came for the sinners which is every single one of us. When we Christians begin to think we have it all figured out and that we are saved and they are not – I say be careful lest you might fall. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that who ever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of the Lord.” I memorized those two verses. Don’t pat me on the back yet. I still have 1,949 more pages in the version of my bible to memorize. Not going to happen in this lifetime unless I have a Jesus miracle. “All things are possible through Christ Jesus.” I know that line of scripture too. Impressed yet?

My solution to my own opinion: I’m talking to myself when I say these things. Christians need to walk like the shepherd, talk like the shepherd and sound like a shepherd too. Of course I am referring to the Shepherd of all creation – Jesus Christ. It is not as much that we are not to share the word of God; we are to share the good news. There is a time and a place and a leading of the Spirit. It is more that we are to live the word in our daily lives. Do we always succeed? No, Why? We are not perfect. That is why we need a Saviour every day. When we realize that we are all the same, we all have needs, desires and the same daily essentials to live this life. We are all searching for the same thing. It takes each single one of us, a different amount of time to find it. Each life journey is unique. If each of us genuinely changed the way we think, eat and breathe, if we individually looked to God for the answers, if we intuitively came to know who Jesus is in all His majestic splendour then we would joyfully share him with the example of our daily lives.

What does it take to do this? To begin, it takes time, a study bible, desire, initiative, prayer and the help of the Holy Spirit. With these six elements you will be amazed at what the Holy Spirit will teach you. I'm sure far more than any bible thumper like myself could teach you. Enjoy your discoveries.