The Right Hand of God

I have a new interest that has turned into a hobby. I search the Internet for the newest craze in religion. I know it's sick but actually it is quite interesting. Some things never change.There is a desperate human need to be Gods right hand man on earth. It's nothing new. It is age old and for some has been very profitable.

I feel sorry for most denominations these days. It really isn't cool to be in a particular denomination. With every new box of Sunday School books and controlled Itinerary sent to the Pastor from the powers that be... these denominations get a little closer to Spiritual Bankruptcy. This new free range Christian is now the thing to be. Organically grown and free of denominational fertilizer which is considered hazardous. I am inclined to agree...

Currently the newest craze is to be a lone ranger for Jesus. Again, this is nothing new. These lone rangers for God will still have to have a following if they are to be Gods right hand man and so....the leaven leavens the whole lump...again. The debates will start, the name calling, line drawing, chip on the shoulder Christianity we have all grown to abhor.
Jesus himself knew the danger in this human need to be the right hand man and shot it down as often as he could. Who doesn't want accolades from God himself? I have spent most of my life doing a shuck and jive for God hoping he would tip his hat my way. I am not any different....just human. I want a pat on the back too.

A couple of things come to mind that I read in the Bible. Jesus had just given the disciples a taste of his power and they went forth healing the sick and raising the dead etc. They all came back on such a high they wanted to bottle and sell this power...(not really but you get my drift.) They were not in love with the change the power brought to those in need...they were in love with the way that power made them feel. Jesus cautioned them by making reference to Satan himself...falling from the sky for just that kind of feeling.

Another time it is mentioned that a couple of disciples were having a debate over who would sit next to Jesus when he finally took power. Of course their ideology was Kings and Kingdoms...not in the spiritual sense but the power on earth kind. That was the only thing they really knew. They didn't have the capacity at the time to realize that his baptism, death and resurrection was the power he was talking about. Even after he explained the upcoming events they still didn't get it but they thought they could do it with him better than anyone else... obviously. That started a whole other ball of wax and all began another debate...indigent with each other...looking suspciously wondering just who Jesus right hand man was anyway..I am sure Jesus walked away shaking his head.

When I go to the websites some of them have chat rooms. I learned real quick that these were nothing more than people comparing themselves among themselves. They appeared to be jockeying for position next to Jesus. Ten dollar words flew around like ticker tape at their own parade. I just wanted to meet other Lone Rangers...and I got ambushed.

I love the whole Lone Ranger thing. I take my relationship with God to heart and not to church. There has always been a lot of Lone Rangers out there but it never has been popular. Now that it is becoming the next "thing" to be, I wonder what will happen.
One thing I wish...that the Body of Christ would stop becoming cutters...when you cut me...you are really cutting you....all have something to contribute. In a real and perfect world.....right

"Who Do You Say That I Am"

I found this guy on the Internet that I am watching with great interest. The website is called "The Free Believers Network." It is a kind of site for Christians who have had it with organized religion. It's consists of blogs and pod casts which main content and mission appears to be about helping us untangle our mind because we have been led astray by organized religion over the years. His name is Darin Hufford and I am grateful for his mission. I never forget that he is a man.....I just write this in appreciation for the site.

The Freebelievers Network is a great site and I always get a thrill when I see a new blog posted. I know that it will be thought provoking. For those of us who took our beliefs out of the church building and into our heart, we have had to stuff how we believe. In small towns we are the outcasts with both believers and non believers. Those who are bound to the bricks and stone of church believe that we are rebels and trouble makers because we question everything. Non believers don't want to hear our beliefs or want to argue us out of them. To me...both are religious.

We have been starving for a way to express how we feel. This site is like a grand buffet and consists of topics important to us who have been out of the churches for years.
His most recent post has given me a lot to chew on. He does a great job of turning God into something other than the boogeyman. For years I rebelled against the God of my parents. As a child we hear all these different views and beliefs and form our opinion of God. I had a kind of Franken God. I had a little bit of mothers...some of Dad....aunt myrna...guy on TV...but they were all opinions and views of fellow humans...the question was never posed as...who do you say that he is? No one had ever given me that freedom. Living in the buckle of the Bible Belt hasn't helped. One size does not fit all....

I didn't want the God portrayed by most anyway. It was like...ok...I died for your sins ... you owe me your life...I'm always watching...waiting...just go ahead and do something wrong....you'll see...oh by the way...give me your money...I am your new mafia boss...there will be hell to pay if I don't get my money...oh yeah..I am sending this Holy Spirit...to spy on you...to make you feel bad all the time...go ahead...do something bad...you'll see...bad bad human...
Who doesn't love the cross...the sacrifice...and all the love that comes with the birth...reserection..and the forgiveness of sins? It all got lost....in the Franken God. I am finding God to be much more than bricks and stone. Much more than a Sin Detective.

So the question is and will always be..for me..."Who Do You Say That I Am?" What I believe he is will not be what you believe he is and that is what frazzles the mind of the religious and non believers as well. The religious have built there empires banking on the fact that you will believe exactly what they say God is. The non believers are banking on the same thing.

"Who Do You Say That I am?" is actually a scripture in Luke. Jesus posed that question to Peter. Peter answered him with something like...The messiah...the son of God...Jesus answered...only God could have revealed that to you...it was all in the personal revelation...wasn't it?
Now, what if Peter would have seen Jesus turn a mushroom into a hot dog one day when he was hungry. When Jesus asked him "Who do you say that I am?" what if Peter would have said "You are the mushroom God...the provider to the hungry."..I believe Jesus response would have been the same...Only God could have revealed that to you...because....he made Peter think about it on a personal level. It wasn't what someone else was saying he was and to me...that is the point.

Before Jesus asked the question "Who do you say that I am?" he asked "What do all the other people say I am"....and he was given the rundown of what everyone else was saying...he brought it home to Peter and gave him the freedom to believe...his way.
So I killed my Franken God one day and started over. I took a big eraser and got rid of the all of the gazillions of crap stored in my head about what I thought God was...and have been bonding with the God of my understanding...and in turn...I will give you the same right...the right to freely believe..