When Faith Doesn't Work


   Faith.  It's a standard in many religions.  You have to believe what you
cannot prove.  It's the way to find God... or whomever they claim rules this
universe.  But there's one small catch to faith -- it needs to be placed in
the truth, and not in mere supposition.  That is.. in order for faith to truly
"work".. in order to truly find any real benefit in faith, that faith must
rest on something that really has substance... even if that substance is so
great that our eyes cannot see it.
   In Christian circles.. we all know that faith is the way to God.. we are
saved (from sin) by grace.. through faith.  But.. there's one slight problem.
And if you're of any real age as a Christian.. you can't help but notice it.
It's the simple fact that people hold onto varying supposed substantive ends
of their faith.  In other words.. even though many people may claim Christ as
Savior, or even Lord.. beyond that, many diversities of belief still exist as
to what Jesus truly wanted, what He truly meant when He spoke, why He died,
and the like.  As many nonChristians are so sick of.. and say often.. "I'd
hate to be one of you Christians, you're always arguing with one another."
Which is so sad.. but so true.
   So why does this happen?  Why is it that so many people have such diversity
of belief about something as absolute as Christ's truth?  The reasons are
actually very simple.. the problem is, most people refuse to apply these
reasons to themselves.. but prefer to apply them to each other instead.
   First hand.. comes misinterpretation of Biblical wording.  The Bible..
since it *is* a spiritual book.. is like a the diary of God.. that only those
who are truly willing to come to Him on His terms actually get the key to
open.  Oh anyone (if it's handy) can pick up a Bible.. and open its pages..
but.. getting to the actual meaning is something that you can only do if you
truly are heartdeeply interested in knowing what it's saying.. in order.. not
only to accumulate knowledge, but in order to learn how to love God.
   You see.. many people have called the Bible a love letter.  And it truly
is.. but it's more.  It's moreso a manual for those who are truly interested
in learning how to love God, who truly desire to love God with their own
lives.  If you only want to get to know how.. but not apply it to your own
life, you won't find out what it's truly saying.. cuz the Bible is such a
powerful book.. even alive in many ways.. since it is in filled with access
points to God's Word, or.. Jesus' eternal form... it will actually *react*
differently to what you put into the seeking action of your heart.  To those
who are totally submitted unto God.. or who seek Him out of a pure heart, it
is a direct passageway from our heart to His.  But to those who want anything
else out of the Bible than the warm, tender, yet unyielding truth of God's own
Word, it is a book that will only bring you confusion and frustration.  All
because it.. is.. alive.
   Second in line for the confusion in faith.. is what I'll call pseudo-
Christian ancestry.  Over the past nearly 2 millenia, specific groups of
people.. professing to be Christian.. have left a somewhat indelible imprint
upon society.. claiming to have a perfect revelation of God's truth.. or a
"better" revelation than many if not all others.  These groups of
"Christians".. are not so much Christian, but are loaded with heresy.  Yet
this heresy has not been unearthed so much in these sects themselves, as the
sects are often full of manipulation and other forms of social control..
designed to keep the leaders in control, and the laity in submission.  When in
fact, these leaders and their dogma are tools of satan to suppress the truth
of Christ.  Such anti-Christian yet professing faith believers have spawned
such horrendous acts as the Inquisition.. the Crusades, and many other such
movements.. that are all contrary to Jesus' actual teachings... but are found
to be popular enough to be called "a move of God" by those who follow such
sects.  Even today.. their influence continues.  They are more interested in
squishing the human soul than bringing it the true freedom that Christ died to
give.  For truly free people will stop at nothing.. including their own
deaths.. to procure the freedom of others.  Yet truly free people will also
refuse to constrict the freedom of those they are assisting.
   But what about death?  Is it right to pursue Christ's agenda to the point
that people are harmed.. or even killed.. in the process?  Hardly.  Jesus,
Himself, said.. "He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.", and "Love
your enemies.. do good to those who hate you.. bless those who curse you"..
etc.  A man (or woman) who is truly following Christ will never consider
taking the life of another.. or harming another.. for to do so would be
holding onto a selfishness that this world procures.. but which is not to be
found in the Body of Christ.  But... in this world of false doctrine, many
sects of so-called "Christians" have chosen to adhere to such a selfishness..
in order to procure an easier time in this life.  And yet.. Jesus promises
that those who do not do the will of God (His Father) shall not inherit
Heaven.. no matter how easy they managed to make their lives.  Real
Christianity is something that is guaranteed to shake everyone and everything
around you..  until nothing is left but a total unity with God's Word..
something nobody seems to truly want.
   Thirdly.. is simple sin.. pure and simple.  Mankind is naturally drawn away
from God.. and towards his own destruction.. by his own heart.  Mankind is
naturally running further and further away from God.. the more it pursues its
own ends rather than His.  Mankind was never meant to rule itself totally.  Oh
yes.. we were given dominion over the planet.. charged to take care of it..
yes.. but.. God never relinquished His ownership of our hearts.. and our
universe.  He made everything in it.. He set it all moving... and one day,
it's all gonna stop.. and He's gonna show up.. and show everyone what His
truly was.. without any form of questioning involved.  He will make it plain
as day.  So much so.. that everyone who didn't acknowledge it before shall
then realize how stupid they were not to.  But of course.. then it will be too
late.
   But back to the Bible.  How does sin creep in and distort God's truth?
Simply put.. it clouds our own desire to pursue what is good.. and makes us
want to pursue what is selfish, rather than what is helpful / righteous.  It
makes us want to ally ourselves with satan.. who was thrown out of Heaven for
wanting to be worshipped as God was.. either alongside or in His stead.  That
old "Look out for Number One" phrase.. is simply a twisted version of satan's
original deception in the Garden of Eden.. "you shall be as God".  All of
mankind naturally prefers to be worshipped.. and wants it more than anything..
but the ironic thing is.. they only find real peace of mind in being humble
and service minded.  Oh.. you can get a lot of whizzbang pleasure from being
on top.. but only those on the bottom truly know how things work.. cuz only
those on the bottom take the time to see the issues of the heart that make
everyone tick.. seeing them from the proper perspective.. one of personal
smallness rather than personal bigness... and personal importance rather than
personal unsubstantivity.  In other words.. doing like Jesus did.. and
becoming the servant of all.  Without this pursuit.. to exalt others above
ourselves.. (using most of our effort to help others, and only a small amount
to benefit ourselves).. we naturally stray away from the way this world was
designed.. yes.. designed.. by The One True Designer.. to work.  
   Fourth.. and finally.. human opinion works its way in much of the time..
because mankind wants its own words in place of God's.. and wants to rule
instead of be ruled over.  It's simply put in Psalm 2.. where the kingdoms of
this world are shown to be totally contrary to God and His Christ.. desiring
at all ends to throw off their "chains".. chains that are actually protecting
us rather than hindering us in any harmful way.  Mankind wants to speak up..
rather than shut up and let God speak.  This is not to say God doesn't want
mankind speaking.. for He gave us our mouths.  But.. He does want us speaking
what is in alignment with His Will and Word.. and nothing that is in any
slight bit contrary.  People in this world are far more apt to speak first..
and listen never.. cuz listening takes real heart and submission.. whereas
speaking is something any baby learns how to do.. and does it well.. crying
out any time it desires anything.  Learning to love requires learning to
listen.. learning to show compassion.. taking the time to get to know the
person you are hearing.. and pouring out affection accordingly.  It takes
EFFORT!
   And that's really it.  Effort.  Submission.  Trust.  Humility.  You take
out these, and all you get are people who want to be waited on hand and foot
and who expect to be served.  You put them in, and you get people who work for
the common good.. as defined by the One who wants all people to enjoy what is
good.  You keep them in, and you get people who serve God in Jesus.  For..
that's what real faith is.  It's serving the real God and real Jesus for Who
they really are.. not who we merely want them to be.  It's taking a turn for
the reverse.. and deciding to no longer make God in our image.. but to
acknowledge the image we were made from.. and to pursue Him with all we are.