Filled With Life And Excitement

"For everyone born of God overcomes the world.  This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4).

In considering our faith we find that true Authentic Christianity is filled with excitement. The world all around us is searching for meaning. Our faith gives us a logical and coherent explanation of reality.  Christianity is the only religion whose God reaches down into the lives of people, not with demands, rituals, and gives love. God is! He tells us through His Word how this world works. He invaded our world through His Son Jesus Christ. All people have a sense of both good and evil, only Christianity has a savior. The Son of God took on human flesh to die for the world to bring payment for sins. When we consider our faith we have every reason to have a life full of excitement. This is not to say that troubles end when we become Christians, no, the exciting part is that we have the Holy Spirit to help us through any troubles that may come our way. In Jesus the "mystery of the Kingdom" is revealed, the manifestation of the Kingdom in Glory has come among men and women in advance. The Kingdom has been established through His body, the Church.  Christ's resurrection from the dead had guaranteed our own new life.  We can now exchange our lives for His. One day Christ will come and finally establish His Kingdom on earth forever and we can enjoy fellowship with Him as was God's purpose from the beginning.

There are those who believe that the Christian faith is dry, boring, out of touch with today's culture.  How can this be? First, the culture of today has invaded the church causing it to fail in its teaching what faith is. The mystery is revealed, the Kingdom is here and should be shaping our worldview, instead too many churches are filling the ears of their members with therapeutic messages, or political messages and over time Christians lose the excitement and dullness sets in.  Second, we have become so self-absorbed, self-indulgent, and materialistic and have lost sight of what makes the Christian life exciting.  Third, our culture intimidates us, we don't want to seem extreme, declared as fanatics, and certainly we won't talk to our neighbors about such things as: Christ rose from the dead bodily, the parting of the Red Sea, and most certainly we won't speak that God spoke the world into existence. Fourth, our culture worships progress. We "need" the newest and latest "whatever", the latest trends, and we can through multiculturalism bring utopian solutions for every situation. Fifth, liberalism, enlightened, tolerant, these are the buzz words of today.  All roads do not lead to heaven. Why would anyone give credence to any faith if all faiths supposedly have truth. Truth is all inclusive, therefore all cannot have "the truth."

How then do we reclaim that joy and excitement that so embodied the lives of the early church?  Consider this; return to historic orthodoxy. Think of this, we can, and are, part of God's great drama that has been played out through history. We can believe exactly the same thing that  the first-century Christians believed, that which they were willing to die for.  Our savior is the same yesterday, today, and forever, He sustains everything, and all things were made by Him.  What joy, an intimate relationship with our God and Savior.  How do we discover this joy? Return to the faith once given to all, seek out and discover what Authentic Faith worked out through lives of Christians have done.  The rewards are immense; first, until you get over the fear of rejection for your faith you will have the joy that you have contributed to the transformation of another's life.  We have been empowered to carry the message of life, reconcilliation.  This life-changing Authentic Biblical faith is the only thing that will sustain you during trials that certainly will come into your life.  It isn't therapy that can only help for it can only help you deal with a problem; transformation fixes the problem.  Right doctrine leads to right behavior and brings with it joy, excitement for life.

Determine today to reconsider your faith. Return to the orthodox faith believed, taught and practices by the early church.  It is the same message today as then, and only through the discovery and putting this faith to work in our lives can we have the joy intended for us by our God and Savior.

Daily Prayer:

Heavenly Father, cleanse me of my unfaithfulness, I have allowed this world to dictate my worldview. Renew in me your word, change my worldview to match yours. Transform me so that I can lead others to this transformation that brings peace, and joy to our lives, and eternal life with you in your coming Kingdom.  Thank you for your forgiveness.          Amen