I truly believe MANY Christians believe….the Bible is a fairy tale.
I personally believe the Bible is completely true, inspired by God and written for our instruction on how…now…to live.
When I read it, I don’t think “Oh, that is Paul…he musta been super human.” Or “I can’t do what they did, because, I’m JUST Teresa.”
No, instead I think “This is normal….Christian life.” So when my life doesn’t look like what I read in my devo time in the morning, the discrepancy BOTHERS me.
I love Acts. When I read it, I get fired up and discouraged all at the same time.
Fired up because I am like YAS YAS YAS! Discouraged because I know vast majority of believers don’t really believe it.
Teresa, how can you say that?
One example (and I could give way more) is when I share the gospel in the darkest parts of the world, it is the Christian “missionaries” who tell me things like “Hey be careful. Don’t share the gospel here…it’s illegal. You might get the organization kicked out the country. We could be arrested if you do that. Just “show the love of Christ” because they are hostile to the gospel.”
And fear drives. And TT just about explodes.
And I’m like “We reading the same Bible, playa?” or is it just a fairy tale? Is it not meant to be a prescription for how to live, not simply a good story to read while sippin’ coffee in the morning?
I know head knowledge of “I got my 10 minutes of reading ‘in’ today” is simply head knowledge when it doesn’t reflect in the life of a believer.
To believe is to do. We have become comfortable with to “believe” is to read. That is why Jesus will say to some shocked people “Depart from Me, I never knew you.”
When I KNOW the head to the heart switch has happened, that is when people read scripture and it is ALIVE. Because Jesus is the Word and He is alive. He gave us His Spirit…we too can live what we say we believe.
I don’t think anyone reading this blog, that professes to be a Christian, would actually say “The Bible is a fairy tale” but our lives live it.
Instead of releasing control and living a life dependent on Jesus, who only did and said what the Father did and said, we hold on to our control of life and do our own thang.
Then we sit in our “quiet time” (if we have that) and read about Paul being persecuted and the gospel spreading…and will walk away from that time making sure we 1. don’t offend 2. mention anything politically incorrect and 3. hold onto the fear of man like it’s a teddy bear we grew up with…without blinking an eye.
That’s what I mean when I say we really show what we believe to be true in the Bible by how we live.
It’s like when we say our values…for instance, someone will say “I value discipline” yet their lives reflect it horribly. They “believe” they love discipline but don’t live it so they are deceiving themselves.
That convicts me.
Show me your walk and I will show you what you value.
As I learn to truly apply what I believe, I will look crazier and crazier to people. I know this. He is preparing me for this. I can’t have any fear of man.
He told Isaiah to walk naked for 3 years. (Isaiah 20:3)
He told Ezekiel to lay on his left side for 390 days. (Ezekiel 4)
He called Moses up to a mountain where we neither ate nor drank for 40 days. (Ex 34:28)
Those are just three things.
Modern day, Isaiah woulda been arrested.
Ezekiel might be deemed psychotic and locked up.
Moses coulda been considered wanting to die with self starvation.
But they were all beautifully following the Lord. They took God at His word.
So be careful with what you read, study and memorize and make sure it is making it’s way from your head to your heart. Otherwise, you might miss out on the Adventure that awaits totally trust and obedience to the Lord.
This is “normal” Christianity.
