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Jan. 23rd, 2006 10:30 amMy mom woke me up trying to get the old washer out (she's gone to get the new one now), so while I sit her freezing my arms off, I figured I'd write something.
I'm considering reading The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel again. You'd think I'd have had enough of it the first two times through, but I haven't. If any of you don't know what the book is about, basically this former atheist is piecing together information that brought him to a relationship with Jesus. He has all these evidences that, yes, the Bible is historically accurate and, no, Jesus wasn't crazy and neither were his followers who claimed he rose from the dead.
I enjoy reading these things because, sometimes, even though I know He's real and He is Who He says He is...life can bog me down, and doubt creeps in. People would say I'm not supposed to doubt, but I think it's good for me. If I never doubted, how would I know my faith was real? Besides...if you ask me, someone who never doubts needs to go get a mental checkup.
The funny thing with Jesus is that, if you actually read in the Bible about what He said and did, you can't really be neutral about him. You can't really say He was just a good teacher, because He claimed to be the Son of God, the only way through which to have a relationship with God. So there are only three choices: He was a liar, He was crazy, or He was actually all those things He said He was. I haven't seen a whole lot of crazy people in my life, but the ones I've known with mental problems...well, they didn't go around healing the sick, making the blind see or raising the dead. They were kinda too worried about what the world was going to do to them...or maybe the aliens, I'm not sure. So anyway, for me, that throws that option out. He was a liar? Well...no, I don't think He was. He prophesied that Peter would deny Him three times, and what happened. Yep, Peter did it, even though he said he never would, and might have been paying attention to his actions so he could stop it. There are lots of other examples, of the normal sort and prophetical, so...yeah, don't think He was a liar. Only one choice left. I think I'll go with that one.
Then there are the evidences in my own life. My "conversion" if you really want to call it that. It sounds so religious, though. I like to call it "the day I met Jesus" or my "rebirth day". There's a reason for that. When Paul says the Bible, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation," (2 Corinthians 5:17) he's not kidding! For one thing, Paul was a murderer of Christians before then, so I think he changed a butt load. But back to me. As some of you know, I used to be a Wiccan witch and a lesbian. Well, I was attracted to men, but I didn't really want one. Anyway...some people will be like, "how can you 'used to be' gay? It's not something you choose, and you can't change who you are." OK, I don't agree with you, because I think you are who you choose to be, but I'll play along. You can't raise the dead, but somehow He still did it. So I don't see any reason why He can't change my sexuality, even if it's something I was born with (there's no scientific evidence that it is, anyway).
I also used to be an asthmatic, but He healed me of that. No more inhaler, whoohoo! Been that way for...four years now. Last time I checked, asthma doesn't go into remission.
And the joy! Oh man, that's the best part! Never in my life have I been able to wake up and be glad to be alive! I'm not sure I even really lived before Jesus. Not in the way I've always wanted to. It's an inward thing, to really feel alive. And when I'm scared or worried or lonely, He's always here to say, "I'm here, Liz. Even if everyone else leaves you, I won't." And I need someone like that. We all do. And I'm convinced He's the only one out there who will really live up to that. I know I can't. I can try to be there for you, and I'm darn good at it most of the time. But there are times I can't be there, for whatever reason. That's the reason I want everyone to know Jesus. Not so they'll agree with me all the time, because even my Christian friends disagree with me on some issues. I want everyone to know His love, because it's the most precious thing you will ever find. I would give up anything to have it, and I do mean anything. I've given up witchcraft, my former sexuality...even a good thing like dating. And in the back of my mind, as much as I want to get married someday, I know He might ask me to give that up as well. But ya know what? If He asks, I'll do it. I don't have to. But I know He loves me and wants the best for me, and I love Him to...so I'll give it up.
Anyway, I'll stop writing before my tears get too heavy to see the screen. I hope I didn't bore everyone to death.
I'm considering reading The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel again. You'd think I'd have had enough of it the first two times through, but I haven't. If any of you don't know what the book is about, basically this former atheist is piecing together information that brought him to a relationship with Jesus. He has all these evidences that, yes, the Bible is historically accurate and, no, Jesus wasn't crazy and neither were his followers who claimed he rose from the dead.
I enjoy reading these things because, sometimes, even though I know He's real and He is Who He says He is...life can bog me down, and doubt creeps in. People would say I'm not supposed to doubt, but I think it's good for me. If I never doubted, how would I know my faith was real? Besides...if you ask me, someone who never doubts needs to go get a mental checkup.
The funny thing with Jesus is that, if you actually read in the Bible about what He said and did, you can't really be neutral about him. You can't really say He was just a good teacher, because He claimed to be the Son of God, the only way through which to have a relationship with God. So there are only three choices: He was a liar, He was crazy, or He was actually all those things He said He was. I haven't seen a whole lot of crazy people in my life, but the ones I've known with mental problems...well, they didn't go around healing the sick, making the blind see or raising the dead. They were kinda too worried about what the world was going to do to them...or maybe the aliens, I'm not sure. So anyway, for me, that throws that option out. He was a liar? Well...no, I don't think He was. He prophesied that Peter would deny Him three times, and what happened. Yep, Peter did it, even though he said he never would, and might have been paying attention to his actions so he could stop it. There are lots of other examples, of the normal sort and prophetical, so...yeah, don't think He was a liar. Only one choice left. I think I'll go with that one.
Then there are the evidences in my own life. My "conversion" if you really want to call it that. It sounds so religious, though. I like to call it "the day I met Jesus" or my "rebirth day". There's a reason for that. When Paul says the Bible, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation," (2 Corinthians 5:17) he's not kidding! For one thing, Paul was a murderer of Christians before then, so I think he changed a butt load. But back to me. As some of you know, I used to be a Wiccan witch and a lesbian. Well, I was attracted to men, but I didn't really want one. Anyway...some people will be like, "how can you 'used to be' gay? It's not something you choose, and you can't change who you are." OK, I don't agree with you, because I think you are who you choose to be, but I'll play along. You can't raise the dead, but somehow He still did it. So I don't see any reason why He can't change my sexuality, even if it's something I was born with (there's no scientific evidence that it is, anyway).
I also used to be an asthmatic, but He healed me of that. No more inhaler, whoohoo! Been that way for...four years now. Last time I checked, asthma doesn't go into remission.
And the joy! Oh man, that's the best part! Never in my life have I been able to wake up and be glad to be alive! I'm not sure I even really lived before Jesus. Not in the way I've always wanted to. It's an inward thing, to really feel alive. And when I'm scared or worried or lonely, He's always here to say, "I'm here, Liz. Even if everyone else leaves you, I won't." And I need someone like that. We all do. And I'm convinced He's the only one out there who will really live up to that. I know I can't. I can try to be there for you, and I'm darn good at it most of the time. But there are times I can't be there, for whatever reason. That's the reason I want everyone to know Jesus. Not so they'll agree with me all the time, because even my Christian friends disagree with me on some issues. I want everyone to know His love, because it's the most precious thing you will ever find. I would give up anything to have it, and I do mean anything. I've given up witchcraft, my former sexuality...even a good thing like dating. And in the back of my mind, as much as I want to get married someday, I know He might ask me to give that up as well. But ya know what? If He asks, I'll do it. I don't have to. But I know He loves me and wants the best for me, and I love Him to...so I'll give it up.
Anyway, I'll stop writing before my tears get too heavy to see the screen. I hope I didn't bore everyone to death.
