In whom the god of this eon blinds the of the unbelieving so that the illumination of the evangel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of the invisible God, does not irradiate them.
Paul to the Corinthians (2) 4: 4, Concordant New Testament
Have you caught Jesus? That was the comment a good friend made to me the other day after reading my last post of how the Father has been working through me. His statement of, Jesus is caught and not taught got me thinking on just how the church conducts its various ministries. Make no mistake, the mainstream church spends a good amount of money each and every year in their efforts to "Bring" Jesus to the masses. They run the gambit from conferences to video presentations to feel good Sunday sermons. All of this to bring Jesus to the people. But there's a hitch. In my experience, hearing about Jesus did not bring me any closer that I am to Him today. It was not by the concerted efforts of the church that I came to know Christ as I now do. The truth of Christ I now know in my heart was brought forth by the revelation of the Father unto me. The seed had been planted some years ago by a good friend who had shared with me his own experience of knowing Christ Jesus in him. This is the knowing which the apostle Paul speaks of in Galatians {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}. This is why I now believe that the Jesus who is "Taught" through the mainstream church is not the One who we now live in union with today {Johns Account 14:20}. To be fair, I learned about Jesus when I was still attending church. I learned that He died for my many sins. I learned that He came for the forgiveness of sins of all mankind {Johns Account 3:16-17}. I learned a lot about what He said, but I came away never truly knowing Him. I came away no closer to knowing the Jesus who lives in me today. I would say that this is the result of the efforts of the church to introduce Jesus to the masses. They speak and preach and tell us "About" Him, but they stop short of telling us of the truth which Jesus is today. The truth that we are alive in Him {Johns Account 14:20}. The truth that it is Jesus who died to sin on that cross {Paul to the Romans 6:10}. Instead, the mainstream church speaks to sin standing in our way of knowing Christ Jesus. This has been the theology spoken by the church for centuries. That Jesus died upon the cross for the cleansing of sin, but that same sin now stands in our way of having a relationship with He and the Father. Anyone else see the contradiction in this teaching? This is why Jesus is not taught...but caught.
Religion has actually convinced people that there is a invisible man living in the sky watching everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever until the end of time! But he loves you. He loves you, and he needs money. He always needs money. He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow he just can't handle money
~George Carlin~
There is a saying out there about those who have been through the ranks of the college system. Some see these graduates as being "Book smart." They know plenty about the materials they studied in school, but know precious little about the world they are now entering into. I suggest that these are the same followers of Jesus that our mainstream church ministries produce. They know plenty about the various sermons and seminars talking about Jesus which they were fed while in church. However, when it comes to knowing the truth of the living Christ today they are often clueless. I know this by the blank stares I get from so called Christians when I attempt to relate to them what it is I believe in. Their understanding cannot comprehend that Jesus could be united with sinners. I don't blame them, for they were simply fed the lies. The fault for this falls on the religious system that is the mainstream church. Anyone who has read my posts knows all too well that I don't pull any punches in my critique of the church. For good reason. The church often celebrates Jesus' "Woes to the Pharisees," where Jesus calls out the misdeeds of the religious leaders of His day. I wonder what His reaction would be to the religious system of todays church. Would we see Jesus speaking out against the "Woes of the church?" Well, the answer to that can be found in the book of "The unveiling of Jesus Christ" (Revelation). It is here where God speaks against the evils of the church (More on that later). If you've never known a relationship with Christ Jesus, there's still a chance for you to "catch" Him. Understand that Jesus gave Himself for the death of all sin {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}. Know that sin is no longer a barrier between you and He, as He has given Himself as a sacrifice "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}. Above all, know that being "Book smart" in Jesus has never produced a relationship in Him.
~Scott~
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