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| There's a short-circuit in the system-Electrocution imminent |
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    About 8 to 10 years ago I was thinking about Jesus and what he had accomplished. I was pondering the wonderful gift that his death on the cross had won for us. I had studied other religions enough that I had become aware that other religions are basically religions dependent upon works to obtain salvation. In Judaism there is the law, that is to say, a heap of laws and requirements that must be kept so that you may be holy. As Christians, we know the law is too hard. It is impossible for humans to obey. Then in the religion of Islam, Muslims must do certain things (the five pillars of Islam) fasting, praying, pilgrimage, profession of faith and almsgiving. But even at the end of a Muslim's life he still doesn't know for sure that he has been good enough to warrant his acceptance into paradise. Buddhists have a doctrine of the "Noble eight fold path". This path tells you that to reach enlightenment you must view reality as it is (an illlusion), intend to be harmless and free, speak the truth without hurting others, make a living without harming others, try to improve (make an effort), stop craving, and meditate. Hinduism has a multitude of god's who govern different aspects of life and each one has to be appeased in some way. Even Roman Catholicism which claims Christ as it's head emphasizes works as necessary for salvation.
As I considered these things and looked at Christ and what it means to have a relationship with Him, it was readily apparent that a relationship with the risen Christ is unlike any other religion of the world. This relationship in its truest and purest expression is not even a religion when it is compared to the other faiths.
The other world religions require humankind to work toward salvation, to take steps toward God, to try to tip the scales so that a persons goodness outweighs his bad deeds, in essence to make an attempt to reach up to God, but our God reached down to us and gave us a way to find him. He gave us The Way to become acceptable in His eyes. He gave us the possibility to approach his throne boldly and fearlessly as a prince might approach his father, The King. God did something very unique for us, and not just for us, but also for those who are striving toward God with their own forms of religious practice. God made himself accessible, he gave Himself to us. The Word, God, became flesh, and dwelt among us and spoke to us in the language we understand. He lived a perfect life, he showed us The Way. He did not write a rule, he did not make a list of requirements. God only asks us to have Faith, that is, to believe that He is God, that He does love us, that he loves us so much that he became flesh and came down to us in the form of Jesus Christ. This perfect Jesus became the perfect Lamb of God who was sacrificed to pay the penalty for our sins so that now, All we have to do is believe and say so with our own mouths. He did all the work and only asks us to believe. We don't have to work for salvation. We don't have to work to become acceptable to God. All we have to do is BELIEVE. It is so simple, and yet as Jesus said, it is so simple that many will not be able to perceive the Truth. Many will be unable to accept it. Many will insist that they must work for salvation. They will say, "not that way" but "my way". It is a hard thing for some to accept God on His own terms. He has made himself as close to us as our own breath, but we are able to convince ourselves that he is as far away as the east is from the west!
Humans are stubborn and arrogant and yes, stupid, like pitiful sheep who have gone astray. We cannot save ourselves. Every human attempt to attain salvation and acceptance from God "our own way" is truly a slap in the face of God!
There are so many people walking on the path, trying to find God, trying to please God, trying to become acceptable and holy. The religions of mankind are hindering us from finding God, even our precious Christian Religiosity is a stumbling block that separates us from the Truth.
I realized one day long ago that if I wanted to search for God, I could spend my whole life looking for Him. I could waste my whole life searching. I realized that seeking God is just an excuse for not finding Him. Once I really wanted God, once I really wanted to know the Truth, once I was ready to face the reality of what I am...... God was there waiting for me with open arms. I had to apologize, no, I had to repent and cry bitter tears for all the time I had wasted, searching, but not finding. My search had been a continual rejection of God's free gift. If you are ready to encounter God, you will find Him. If you only want to look for Him, that is as far as you will get.
Jesus is unique, God said this is so. God called Jesus His only Son. God gave His Son to us, so that we could come to God, the Father, simply by Faith. Not by steps, not by stages, not little by little......but INSTANTANEOUSLY!
That is when it struck me. That is when Jesus shocked me. Jesus is THE "short circuit". Jesus cut out all the manmade garbage that separates us from God. Jesus placed himself in between that insurmountable, incalculable, immeasurable, unfathomable, vastness that separates heaven from earth, the distance between God and man. With His own body hanging on the cross, he occupied that vastness. And like a bolt of lightning, like an arc of electricity, like a short circuit, He  accomplished it, He made it so, It is finished! He made for us a way to touch God, to be touched by God, a way to know Him. How can anyone turn his back on a gift of this magnitude? Once you have heard of the life and death of Jesus, how can you go on searching? Jesus is the "Short circuit". If there is a fast way to be "right with God" what fool would choose a slow path?
Jesus as the "short circuit" is an illustration that God showed to me. Some one else may have described him in this same way, but I am not aware of this. If it helps you look at Jesus in a new way, if it gets you off the path and into His arms any quicker, that is fine and good. I'm sorry I waited so long to write it down, but I'm even more sorry that I stayed on the path so long without finding Him. I walked down every path I could find and every one of them brought me to the same place..... I found myself standing alone at a DEAD END. This tree was struck by lightening many years ago, or so the story goes, the lightening went right down the middle of the olive tree, now if you look you will clearly see jesus. |
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| To add a comment to "There's a short-circuit in the system-Electrocution imminent" |
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| December 23, 2008 |
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 This the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio De Janeiro. |
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| December 26, 2008 |
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Thanks. I get a new shock everytime I read it, myself. Lots of wasted time to make up. Gotta get a move on.
Neil |
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| January 31, 2009 |
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| Wow! I so enjoy reading your words Neil. I always learn something and am blessed. The precious Holy Spirit tickles my heart and fills my eyes with tears as I relate to some of your feelings. Jesus truly is alive in you and praise Him in me. I am a happy soul! I love you...brender |
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| March 09, 2009 |
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| These are some fascinating thoughts....really spiced up my day. Great blog Neil! |
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