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Personal thoughts and meditations on Bible selections

They come from every nation, tribe, people, and language. And I am one of them: the Christians.
There is no "Christian nation" anymore, and for the sake of the spiritual health of the Church I think that is a good thing. The idioms and expressions based on Biblical allusions are used less every day; partly because so many in the general public have no idea what they mean.

Why then do people continue to become Christians, some in the face of brutal persecution? The answer I think is that "it just works." The reason is that a Christian's life is that of intimacy with God. Only Jesus can provide that; no other religion or spiritual practice claims anything close to it.

Humans in our weakness may wilt under various pressures and influences to recant, but the Truth that is God our Creator remains unchanged and looks after those who love Jesus in any circumstances.

Contained herein are what would be my markups in the margins of a well worn Bible. Usually I will follow Lectionary readings for a particular Sunday or weekday; but if I encounter something especially inspiring in a particular context, I could share that with you as well.

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Though I have by no measure reached the perfection God meant for me, I know there is no better life for a mortal human than the fulfillment of being in God's will. It is very difficult sometimes, especially when many Christians themselves are far from the image of Grace.

It is humanly tragic that many associate the wrongdoing of errant Christians with the Lord Jesus. No one is 100% pure, including me and you. As the certain impurity in each of us is established beforehand, seeking evidence of it will result in a sure find. And being absorbed in a personal sense of righteousness is no guarantee of its attainment. A lot of evil is done by those who think they are doing good. Jesus knows the falsehood and error in us before it even forms as conscious thought. Associating that human error with the divine Christ is itself an error.

Unlike the human wickedness around us, Jesus is not about clever manipulation of any kind, but rather the straightforward communion of God with His creation. Therein is the only way to life, both present and eternal. Blessed are they who truly "get it" about this.

You know you “get it” about Jesus when you have the desire to be an actual blessing to those you can touch. By “actual” I mean both the spiritual and the tangible; the one cannot exist separate from the other. There is no political doctrine, economic theory, social code, or form of government that can solve the problems of human suffering separate from the spiritual substance provided by the Creator, namely the Holy Spirit of Jesus. A narrow righteous cause can be won only through application of the whole Gospel; although this is humbling it also is empowering. Humans are incapable of imagining this on our own; it's too contrary to our inherent selfish nature. Being humble before Jesus is the only way we may become bold to overcome the evil in ourselves and our fellow humans. In doing so we become instruments of the richest blessings to all humans, all in the name of the Lord of All, Jesus Christ.

So let me share my thoughts with you, and pray that God Himself will speak to you directly and lead you into His will for you.

mcw