We're not "Pod People"

[ReginaForbes]

A couple of things I've noticed when speaking to non-believers is that they often assume 2 things:
1. Christians are supposed to be perfect
2. Christians were always Christians
While it is very flattering to be held to a standard of human perfection, it is a fallacy. Nobody is perfect. NOBODY. Christians come from all walks of life. We're former atheists, anti-theists, drug addicts, alcoholics, satanists, liars, thieves, and on and on... What we all have in common is that we're FORMERLY those things. But we're still in the process of being made whole...and we won't be ever fully completed until Jesus takes us home. You see there's a reason why Christ is referred to as "the great healer". It's because Christianity is like a hospital for the soul. One doesn't go to the hospital because they're in perfect health- they go because they NEED help. And that is why we trust in Jesus. We all came to a point in our lives where we recognized that we can't do it on our own- nobody can- and we put our faith in Jesus who was the ONLY living being to be totally perfect, who worked miracles of healing, who conquered death at His resurrection. Ask any one of us about how we came to Christ and you'll get a story of one who finally hit rock bottom and reached out and took Christ's hand and from that something fundamentally changed who and what they were. They became a new creation. So when someone who isn't a Christian starts talking to me as if I've never known anything other than Christianity I point out that I came from somewhere. I'm not a "pod person". I've struggled with sin. I've hit rock-bottom. And the only thing that helped lift me out of the darkness was Jesus Christ. He saved me, He changed me. I'm not perfect, but I'm definitely better than what I was before I met Him. And I have hope. Hope for a better tomorrow.
If you are struggling with something, drug addiction, hatred, sadness, alcoholism, whatever it is, know that you CAN reach out to Jesus. He WILL heal you. I can't guarantee you'll be a perfect goody-two-shoes, but you'll be better than what you were.

 

[WIP]

The difference between a Christian and non-Christian is that a Christian is a sinner that has put his/her faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. A non-Christian is only a sinner.

 

[jasonc]

then why do Christian movies make it seem we are so stereotypical?

 

[Ricko]

It's actually the opposite. The Christian realizes he is lost and needs a savior while the non Christian thinks he can save himself.

 

[for_his_glory]

A Christian is someone under construction by Gods grace that as Jesus being the potter and we the clay we are molded, perfected and put through the refiners fire

 

[Willie T]

Some of you will not understand this, but I am not a Christian because I believe in Jesus. I am a Christian because I believe He died for me AND that He was raised from the dead. Even many people like the Beatles believed Jesus was, perhaps, a good man to emulate. But if we don't have our focus on the fact that the cross is where the power is, then we may only just happen to have a good friend.

 

[for_his_glory]

Some of you will not understand this, but I am not a Christian because I believe in Jesus. I am a Christian because I believe He died for me AND that He was raised from the dead. Even many people like the Beetles believed Jesus was, perhaps, a good man to emulate. But if we don't have our focus on the fact that the cross is where the power is, then we may only just happen to have a good friend.

Even the Disciples only saw Jesus as a Prophet/teacher, but it wasn't until Pentecost that their Spiritual eyes were opened to know Jesus was/is the Son of God, Messiah.

 

[Rick W]

Even the Disciples only saw Jesus as a Prophet/teacher, but it wasn't until Pentecost that their Spiritual eyes were opened to know Jesus was/is the Son of God, Messiah.

Well, not exactly.
And it may be true most hadn't known who He was until then.


Mat 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Mat 16:20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

 

[ReginaForbes]

then why do Christian movies make it seem we are so stereotypical?

Good question. I guess it depends on the point of view. From the outside looking in, maybe we all do "look alike" because we share a common set of values that we strive to live up to.

 

[for_his_glory]

Well, not exactly.
And it may be true most hadn't known who He was until then.


Mat 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Mat 16:20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

They knew Jesus as Messiah, but only thought He had come to reestablish the Kingdom of Israel taking them out of the hands of the Romans. It would not be revealed to them until the time was right for them to know as in Matthew 16, but Jesus charged them not to tell no man for His time had not yet come.

 

[Rick W]

Even the Disciples only saw Jesus as a Prophet/teacher, but it wasn't until Pentecost that their Spiritual eyes were opened to know Jesus was/is the Son of God, Messiah.

They knew Jesus as Messiah, but only thought He had come to reestablish the Kingdom of Israel taking them out of the hands of the Romans. It would not be revealed to them until the time was right for them to know as in Matthew 16, but Jesus charged them not to tell no man for His time had not yet come.

I suppose I may have been confused

So the Father revealed to them that Christ was the Messiah but not revealing the capacity of what God revealed to them?

I'm trying to understand them getting two meanings is all. I'm having trouble with God holding back the true capacity or intent for Christ as the "Messiah" allowing them to think the wrong idea.

Anyway, i'll catch you later. Work calls, I work evenings. Have a good day and God Bless !

 

[for_his_glory]

I suppose I may have been confused

So the Father revealed to them that Christ was the Messiah but not revealing the capacity of what God revealed to them?

I'm trying to understand them getting two meanings is all. I'm having trouble with God holding back the true capacity or intent for Christ as the "Messiah" allowing them to think the wrong idea.

Anyway, i'll catch you later. Work calls, I work evenings. Have a good day and God Bless !

Mat 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

Jesus asked them who they thought He was and Peter responded, thou art Christ, the son of the living God. That's pretty much all the knowledge they had as they thought He only came to establish a new Kingdom of Israel and take them out of the hands of Roman authority. It wouldn't be until the upper room experience that they would see Jesus in all His fullness and purpose of being with them as He gave them the commission in Matthew 28:18-20 after they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

 

[jasonc]

Good question. I guess it depends on the point of view. From the outside looking in, maybe we all do "look alike" because we share a common set of values that we strive to live up to.

I understand and expect that but just idk. some times in our films we are so cliché. it would be nice to have a movie within limits showing the real way we are with all the wharts and failures and grace.

 

[Kim McLendon]

Christianity is vastly misunderstood, and Jesus himself is misunderstood in modern life. It is not because people don't know about Jesus, but because his story is overly familiar and traditional theological ideas cause our minds to gloss over the scriptures. We forget how truly revolutionary Jesus was, and how strange and new his words must have sounded the first time he spoke them. Sure, we've heard all his best quotes a thousand times, but just think what it must have been like to hear them for the first time! The theologians of his time were utterly shocked by the groundbreaking nature of his ideas. Sometimes I feel that modern theologians do their best to gloss over some of his statements because they do threaten the status quo.

I used to shake my head at those WWJD bracelets. Who knows "what would Jesus do?" In his lifetime he must have been vastly unpredictable. His behavior and speech got him crucified because he spoke out against the status quo. Today, we try to make him a voice for the status quo, and when we do, we risk becoming just like the Pharisees. Jesus shook things up, and we as Christians also need to do that sometimes.

Jesus was unique and everything he said was without precedent in his time. He treated prostitutes with reverence and the reverent he lambasted, calling them full of dead men's bones. How sad he must feel when he sees his church acting dead, as if he gave us no new information since Moses! WE are saved by GRACE. We are loved as God's children, because he gave us the power to become the sons of God, and we are supposed to be performing miracles in his name. We are supposed to be led by the spirit, not guessing WWJD! Do you ever wonder, "What do we think we are doing?" When are we going to stop playing Jewish temple II, and move the real Church back to the second chapter of Acts! When are we going to take this to the next level?
I have been troubled for quite a while that my own life isn't just like Acts. I look around and we are all in the same boat. I can remember times like maybe 30 years ago that I felt I was on the right path, and so was the church, but now... well, It all seems way too vanilla for me too. Jesus was amazing, and we should be too... it's frustrating to be so... human and so bland.

 

[ezrider]

I suppose I may have been confused

So the Father revealed to them that Christ was the Messiah but not revealing the capacity of what God revealed to them?

I'm trying to understand them getting two meanings is all. I'm having trouble with God holding back the true capacity or intent for Christ as the "Messiah" allowing them to think the wrong idea.

Anyway, i'll catch you later. Work calls, I work evenings. Have a good day and God Bless !

I think if you read the account in Luke 24 you might get a better picture of this. Even the disciples did not know whom was with them until He made Himself known unto them.