Is God Real?

Religion answers the question with “I think so”, then asks how can I manipulate Him to love me more than He does everyone else.

Faith answers the question with “yes!”, then asks how can I know Him more.

I read the news today…

-and sobbed over the state of the world. Young people with seemingly everything going their way committing suicide, a jogger randomly shot because some young men were bored, a man freakishly dying while on vacation with his family and an 88 year old veteran beaten to death. And that’s not even a drop in the bucket. There is so much tragedy and so much pain, it’s overwhelming.

What can we possibly do? Is there an answer? I know there is and I know it isn’t christianity. The answer is Jesus pure and simple. Not the jesus you believe in, not the jesus you control by doing this or that according to the rules. The answer is the Jesus that you know for real, personally, intimately, the Jesus that lives in you, The Jesus that the hurting world is desperate to know, The One that truly is the only answer for their/our pain.

Ask

Ask God to answer a problem or concern and very often the solution will be found in you. Only now as result of including Him, there’s power, confidence and resolve.

Jesus

He’s the whole of the matter! It really can be that simple. Whatever the issue, going through it with Him is far better than any other seeming solution. He knows you and loves you like no one else and is waiting for you to call His name. He’s the best answer and not just to Sunday School questions.

Questions

We needn’t be afraid of questions, whether asking or being asked. There is safety in asking each other hard questions and since we’re imperfect there is no shame in not having the or an answer. God certainly isn’t afraid of our questions in fact He invites them, there is nothing we can’t take to Him. He not only has the answer, He is the answer.

Is God in there?

A warm smile often gives the answer away.

Healed people, help heal people

Hurt people, hurt people is a far more common expression and unfortunately a truth. But what if we started hearing more about restoration and people being made whole. We have the answer that everyone is looking for. But we have to realize it for ourselves before we can pass it on. Only through intimacy with God can we know and therefore share the cure.

Be Ready

Scripture says to, “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you,”. Memorizing just one scripture as we talked about yesterday is a great example of being ready. Getting a passport might be another. If we’ll do our small part with Him, He’ll for sure do His part.