NowTHINK!AboutIt

Avoiding Hackneyed...Making Sense

What Kind Of Savior Is Jesus? Precise!

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Salvation isn't like your favorite parking spot, sometimes available, sometimes not.

Jesus Could Do
Anything And Everything
But He Hasn’t
Promised To

Jesus isn’t a rabbit’s foot, four leaf clover, wishbone or lucky charm.

Plastic replicas of Him on the dashboard will not keep you safe.

Any one of those things may salve you psychologically, and I’m happy for you if they help, but trinkets around your neck do not save.

I don’t doubt Jesus wants all of us to be safe. I also don’t think it’s His wish or will for anyone to hurt, get sick or die ever, for any reason, but we do. He doesn’t prevent these pains. Bad things happen occasionally. It’s inevitable.

Honesty Helps

We need to be honest with the facts. To believe Jesus is the Savior for every possible bad experience, makes Him a failure and us dupes.

But if our understanding of salvation is a little more focused, if we allow limits on what we expect, then we can eliminate several things from salvation’s list. For example: [Read more…] about What Kind Of Savior Is Jesus? Precise!

What Kind Of Savior Is Jesus? Personal!

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A crowd should be a gateway to Jesus not an intermediary.

The Popular Savior Didn’t Work
The Personal Savior Did

Jesus was and is a personal Savior.

Not a celebrity Savior. Not a professional Savior.

You don’t need an appointment with Jesus. You won’t need to locate Jesus or travel to where He works because He’s never far away. He doesn’t maintain office hours and He isn’t limited to one location.

He’s mobile. He finds you and hangs around.

He’s very hands-on. He ministered to people individually in the New Testament and still does that today. Mass meetings weren’t His style. He spent most of His time teaching small groups of people. Often it was just the 12 disciples.

He drew big crowds but not on purpose. Even when surrounded by masses, He remained focused on individuals.

  • He spoke to and healed the man born blind in Jerusalem.
  • He healed the Centurion’s servant, and although He never saw or spoke directly to the Centurion or the servant, the healing sent a very personal message to the Centurion.
  • He healed Peter’s mother-in-law while staying in Peter’s house. The place of healing can’t be more personal.
  • Jesus touched a leper to signal a healing. That was seriously personal. Lepers were touch starved. It couldn’t have been more psychologically (personally) medicinal.

In some cases He took individuals away from the crowd to do His work.

  • The deaf mute along the Sea of Galilee is a good example.

He was celebrated but His celebrity never influenced how He conducted His ministry. He could work quietly in the background or in the middle of a crowd. He maintained focus in all situations. When surrounded and pressed by onlookers, He managed to single out the needy person and minister to them individually.

Crowds were a barrier but not for Jesus. They got in the way of individuals seeking for Jesus.

  • The woman who suffered with a medical problem for 12 years. The crowd was so problematic, her only option was to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment.
  • The bed bound cripple carried by four friends who was barricaded from Jesus by the crowd.
  • Zacchaeus whose short stature made him climb a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus as He walked by.

The crowd isn’t an intermediary. In fact, salvation requires no intermediaries. Jesus doesn’t work from a distance. He doesn’t save in person but He always saves personally.

THINK!AboutIt

4 Reasons Seeing Jesus Won’t Produce Faith

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Jesus was often not present when miracles occurred.

Would A Visible Jesus
Be Easier To Believe?

I know some of the places Jesus traveled and the roads He walked on but I’ve never walked those roads with Him.

I know He traveled by foot and the roads were dusty, but I’ve never observed Him washing the feet of others.

I know Jesus ate fish, honeycomb, figs, olives, bread and lamb, among other things, but I’ve never shared a meal with Him. I’ve never observed Him while He ate.

I know what Jesus taught and what He said in prayer but I’ve never heard the sound of His voice.

I know He had face to face conversations with individuals but I’ve never had the benefit of reading the approval, the concern or the frustration in His eyes.

I have no visuals of Jesus. I don’t know the shape of His beard or the length of His hair. I can only guess at how tall He was or how much He might have weighed.

I’m guessing He wasn’t overweight but I have no visual to prove that.

A limited number have claimed to have seen and conversed with Jesus on earth following His ascension. Some claim His healing powers are just as active today as they ever were.

I know it may seem negative to say it but I’m skeptical about those claims. Before you criticize me too sharply I would qualify my skepticism by saying I’m not cynical.

I have no doubt that Jesus could do all the things I’ve mentioned – walk with us, talk with us, eat with us – and I don’t blame people for wanting that to happen.

I just can’t figure out why He would do these things so sparingly now, when He was so generous with His presence or powers in the first century.

I also think His physical appearance may not be as much of a boon for Gospel as many think.

People often exclaim:

It would be easier to believe if Jesus would just show Himself to us! If He walked with us and talked with us, belief would be automatic! How could we deny Him in the face of His physical presence?

But there are several reasons I’m skeptical about that too. [Read more…] about 4 Reasons Seeing Jesus Won’t Produce Faith

8 Truths About Baptism

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Baptism announces your salvation but only after the fact.

Is Form More Important
Than Heart

Should you get baptized or should you not? That’s one question.

Another question, and one that is a little more difficult to answer is if you do get baptized, which baptism is best?

Those are important questions because Baptism is a Christian basic. It’s universal. It applies to every believer but there are differences of opinion on this practice.

Some believe baptism saves or at least puts one in the right place to be saved. Others believe it has nothing to do with salvation.

Some believe infants should be baptized. Others believe they shouldn’t.

Some believe baptism can be administered by pouring or sprinkling. Others believe full bodily immersion is required.

Some believe baptism can only be administered by qualified individuals. Others believe any Christian can baptize any Christian candidate.

Some believe only their denomination’s baptism is legitimate. Others believe that’s an unnecessary restriction.

Some believe the form is all important – only immersion is allowed. Others believe the heart of the individual is more important than the form.

Like belief, the decision to be baptized is individual. Unlike belief, you can’t fake it.

Probably no Christian basic has been debated more than baptism and the debates weren’t lighthearted. History records much feuding over this issue even to the point of drawing blood.

The Bible says much more about belief (faith) than baptism but what it says is important. Here are the facts:

  • John the Baptist initiated the tradition of baptism.
  • The high number of baptisms was evidence of John’s effectiveness.
  • Jesus was baptized by John, even though John questioned this.
  • Jesus first disciples were baptized by John.
  • Jesus taught his followers to continue the tradition of baptism.
  • From the Day of Pentecost onward disciples new believers were baptized. The practice stuck.
  • Paul taught that baptism symbolized the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

From these facts we can isolate several takeaways: [Read more…] about 8 Truths About Baptism

4 Friendship Lessons From The Bible

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Friendship is God's tool to make us better people.

Friendships Are Deepened
Through Trouble

Friend is a happy word. It makes us feel safe. It evokes a sense of support, love, security, connection and more.

If you have a good friend you’re better for it. It’s a comfortable place to be, or so the thinking goes, and the Bible makes statements that support these flowery ideas:

  • A friend loves through all kinds of weather – Proverbs 17:17 (MSG).
  • This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends – John 15:13 (MSG).
  • Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor – Ecclesiastes 4:9 (KJV).
  • Better is a neighbor (friend) that is near than a brother far off – Proverbs 27:10 (KJV).
  • A sweet friendship refreshes the soul – Proverbs 27:9 (MSG).

But these verses represent the ideal. They describe friendship at its best. Can we really expect that? Is any friendship 100% no fault? Or does reality provide a different perspective? [Read more…] about 4 Friendship Lessons From The Bible