Which Jesus?

Many decades ago, I read a very odd book.  I realized at the time that God was behind my even having a copy of that book - it WAS NOT a book I would have picked up or voluntarily read.  Yeah, a God thing, you can see them coming a mile away and have no idea what it means, but if it is of God - well you better read and figure it out.

The story revolved around a young nurse working in the medical field as a volunteer in Mexico.  A story you would expect and then came the miracles.  Lots of them, always giving glory to God, never not pointing  away from Him.  Seems to be all on the up and up.  But, I was compelled to then re-read, re-read again and yet again!  Each time critically searching - questioning - studying.  I am nothing if not cautious.

The eventually I could understand the book's main question:
Which Jesus do you worship?

Everything on the mission field pointed to Jesus, yet the nurse could not shake the feeling that this was not the real Jesus being presented, being worshiped, doing the miracles.  But, why?  Why would someone question Jesus from the standpoint of a successful ministry in the process, of results being found, of a solid message?

One of my early thoughts as a Christian was the tendency American Christians to comfortably put God in a box.  'God can do this, but never that!'  Really?  And here I thought He was the Creator of the universe and you are defining what He can and can't do?  More interestingly, I observed that God, the real one, gave them exactly what they demanded and within the size of their box constraints!  It took me long to learn that God will only do what you will allow Him to do.  He will only use what you allow Him to use.  The size of the box you give God to work out of , is the size of the god you will end up with!

And most Christians today have no clue what God is capable of, thanks to our "box" theology!

Mark 12:35-37

Takes on the question of Psalms 110:11, how can David's son be David's Lord?
It made no sense to the Greek mind.
The Son of David is supposed to be the Messiah,  the military conqueror they wanted!

Is Your God Too Small?
How small of a box do you keep your god in?
Can He act freely?
Do you think He is controlled by you?

We limit God all of the time, because He is far greater than we can conceive.

Is Your Jesus This Great?
Son of God.
God, yet in the flesh.
God of all, for all, dying for all!
Romans 1: and Hebrews 1 both point the Hebrew reader back to Psalms 110.

Is Your Faith This Firm?
Heresies abound about Jesus.
- God saw Jesus and liked what He saw, adopted him
- Jesus as flesh is less than God in Heaven
- Jesus is divine but not human
- Mean God in OT, nice God in NT!
- Three modes of God - father, then son, then Holy Spirit
- We can do it all ourselves without God
- Jesus is less than God
- Three separate Gods

You have to discover the real Jesus and you will only find Him through study of the Bible (not books about the Bible!) and the Holy Spirit helping you out big time!

So, take a moment and think about what you know about Jesus and God.  How powerful do you allow Him to be in your life?  How regularly do you talk to Him - not demanding anything of Him?  We were created to worship Him, not hit Him with never ending shopping lists!

In the end, there is a God, He is your Creator, He desires your worship, love and service.  He also will use you to the extent of your faith in Him.  But, never assume that He has not already told you who you are, whom you are to be, or where you are to be.  But if you ignored Him, redefined what He told you, listened to others - do not expect retakes in the real world.  (in the make believe Western christian Religion, yes retakes are without number!).

And the nurse of the book I was reading?  She figured it out. Her testimony badly damaged Satan's work in Mexico.  Of course, when you cut off one snake head, another will grow.  But, you got the one and that is what counts in our war against Satan's claim on mankind's souls.

She was serving God, but had allowed herself to be drawn into a cult where miracles where expected and occurred.  Unfortunately, like all cults, it really was not serving God, it was serving man - receiving the worship of man - glorifying the creation, not the Creator.

Such a terribly fine line!  I could see how she got drawn in and then stopped to question, when the answers came easily and were "right".  But, it was the failure in the laying of the base for the mission, it was not God, it was on attracting people with spectacle.  And people love spectacular shows of power!

But, God, the real one, works in the quiet, without much fan-fare at all!  Counter-intuitive to the expectations of man and our desire for showmanship to draw the crowds in.  Yes, God can and does spectacular things but if someone is on the roof top heralding them - you know is it not of God - and more than likely a show being put on by the god of this Earth - Satan.