What Happens When You Find Christ in Christianity?
Christianity is the most beautiful union that a human can enter in to. When followed correctly, (that's a scary thing to say because of the connotations!) it is literally going to tear you to pieces in order to make you something greater than you ever thought you could be. This is hard to write in a a blog because I want to keep it reasonably short and yet I feel like every sentence I write could lead to years of potential debate. This is not because Kelly is so intelligent and spiritual, but simply learned through the studies I have performed regarding church history and modern church dynamics, which is a PhD subject on its own that I really have no interest in wasting large amounts of valuable time on. So, as I usually do, I will simplify this lesson to the portion of what I feel that I have been learning from God as of late...
When I first became a Christian I was so excited, and maybe even a little blinded to the fact that the world around me hated the things of this man Jesus. I was enamored by the fact that Jesus was not only a real person who clearly and historically lived, but that He was also God in the flesh as He, and Many others witnessed and claimed. Because my first two years of this new faith seemed so great, when I finally was attacked spiritually it was a doozy, and it led me to try and run back to my old life. As messed up as it was, that life was familiar to me (See Familiar Spirits Lesson... We tend to still go to those places even if they were dark). This lasted 4+ years with story after story of God pursuing me while letting me make a mess of my life. When I returned to Him and was sick and tired of running from Him it was like I had just found the place where my spirit had been broken, and His Spirit was stepping in. This is a great place to be, and ultimately a requirement in the walk with God if one desires to belong to Him. It generally does not come at the time of salvation and is a separate occurrence in the process of ones walk with God. I have kept a quote with me that I heard somewhere from someone a long time ago... "God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to let you stay that way." He literally died for this process to exist and to function, and once you are saved, the game is just beginning. You were created for "good works" that God Himself designed you to do before you were ever saved, possibly even before you were ever born! This process is beautiful, and yet has been by far my personal greatest struggle along the way. Being "good" in the way that God sees it does not come natural to me in any way and contrary to what some of you reading this may think, it doesn't for you either. My favorite is when I see those raised in a church environment look at me, the bull in the china shop, and think they are better because they are the cat in the same china shop. This is no longer something I allow to concern me like it used too, but just remember that pride is one of the worst sins out there because pride is literally placing oneself above God, or self idolization. It is therefore a breaking of the first command of God! So as I break a few dishes, please be careful how hot you build the fire under your own altar. I would much much rather struggle my way closer to God with you along side, but I will not need you or your help to get there.
I am writing this to plant a seed that will cause you to ask yourself some questions. Has church, your beautiful cross, and the lie you have believed that love somehow equates to your personal happiness led you astray? Is Jesus your puppy dog, or is He your King? The Gospel is literally the most offensive message that has ever been spread on the planet we live, and for that matter throughout the galaxy. (The galaxy part will be made evident in the very near future.) The message of The God of Heaven is clear and painful to the the fallen ones as well as our human nature, since it too is fallen in the same way. After all, it was the fallen ones who threw fuel on the burning fire of sin that men had agreed to follow in the beginning. Every aspect of Christianity has been difficult for me. It started before I was a Christian... to believe that Jesus was real, that He was God, and that there is a literal Creator was a very tough pill to swallow. Thank God for making it easy when He came along by showing me some things to help solidify the importance of believing in His existence. But then there was this thing... Those who love Me will obey My Commandments! spouts Jesus the Messiah. Those who love Me, will be loved by My Father and We will make our home with, and in, them. The Holy Spirit will come in My place after I leave, and He will teach you what you need to know. The fight getting here is hard, and once you meet Him, The Holy Spirit of God, you have literally met the most cherished and sensitive part of the King who is your Father and Friend. Guess what... He wants you to be a good son, and fight as you should for His Kingdom of which you are an heir! This fight is even to the death of your flesh at His command! We talk a big talk, but I have met very few that I felt were confident in that mission, I do not hold that within myself, so I will keep training and fighting. The thought seems simple that if our country was under attack that we would stand and fight if called upon as our duty to do so. Though much of that rhetoric is likely lip service, it would be the right thing to do most of the time. With Jesus it is absolutely the right thing to do 100% of the time, especially when done His way.
If you come to a church meeting that is seeking to bring the presence of the Holy Ghost to the center of the room, there is a 100% chance that you will get irritated and beaten at some point along the way. I have seen it in my previous Bible Studies and I see it in the church we are forming now. You will hate the speaker, or some of the participants. Your pride from your religious past will make you feel as though you are better and have it figured out all the while you are running or simply seeking to find your most comfortable place where you feel "loved and welcome".Your demons will have their scales standing on end and their guard will be up. Unfortunately, and though I see this more predominantly in the church raised crowd, it is just simply part of human nature, "loved and welcome" are defined differently into "makes me feel "warm and fuzzy", as well as "heard and validated". The simple fact of the matter is this... when the Holy Spirit begins to arrive, your junk begins to vibrate and remind you it is there. If Hell can keep you focused on you the devils, you will become offended in a society where offense, and its sister victimization, is the common fruit of satanic labor. How do you think your physical body will feel in the midst of spiritual attack while the fire of God is heating you to a boiling point in order to rid you of the junk hidden within the gold you are asking God to purify and refine. If you sing about the refiners fire and yet hate the refiner or His messenger for lighting you up, then you are missing the central part of Christianity that says that God will not let you stay the same as you once were. He is literally doing this out of pure love and most of us are babies when it takes place.
There is no substitute for God. There is no medication, no twelve step process, no drug, no law, or book, or amount of money, or psychobabel that will fix your junk. God is the literal and only solution to the problem. If you find a band aid along the way, great, but you are and will remain broken until you come in to the presence of the One who can fix you, and it will often be pain and difficulty that leads to healing. When our daughter died because she jumped off of a freaking cliff to her own demise what do you think healing looked like and how easy do you think it has been? This next concept may be hard to understand, but your own personal sin and the devils attached to them are worse, and more difficult to overcome. It just doesn't seem like it to you because her death is something that is physical and we can seemingly more easily relate to it and comprehend it. But your sin is leading you to permanent separation from God in an attempt to erase you from His will for you. It has been confirmed to me that Lexi died and is with Jesus. This is not always the case even though many assume they or their loved ones went to be with Jesus because they are sad about the loss, but its a lie that many believe.
If you are looking for Christ, you have come to the right place. If you are looking to walk in the power, and authority of God, please keep coming. If you want to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, then say so and let's make that happen. If you are coming to find hugs and band aids for your boo boo's you will hate me and all that I teach. Nor will you ever find that where Jesus is. Don't get me wrong, He will absolutely hold you, He will protect you and bring you to peace in the midst of ugliness. But if your cry is to be a strong and effective representative of His, you will absolutely be put through ringer after ringer and your challenge will be placing your flesh in the trash while you feed your Spirit with the presence of God. I hope you are looking for Christ and not for a sweet happy church that you just fit in so wonderfully. Please realize that in the end times there is a crowd of people who will deliver you up to the churches in order to have you flogged or even killed in order to do their service to God. The only people who would do this are calling themselves Christians. Follow Christ, See the Holy Spirit, get baptized and set on fire for the Gospel!
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