Thursday, January 31, 2013

Colorless Christianity

Many people who will end up in heaven will discover something they could have had on earth.  Jesus said: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10b  and   "I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!"  John 15:11

If you look at the iteration of the word for abundance, it is overflowing, all that you could ask or expect. Surplus.

Many people quote these scriptures related to prosperity, the abundant life is soooo much more and is our portion.  We have no idea until we live there.

When you get to heaven you will experience extreme joy.  Hilarity.  You will see colors you never knew existed.  You will have a sense of emotion you never had on earth.  You will see miraculous things you thought were impossible.  You will in short have complete fullness of abundance.

What if I told you that was possible right here right now. Maybe not to the fullness you will have on the other side of the veil, but real fullness.  Joy unspeakable and full of glory the old song said.  It's true.

Yet so many Christians who have bought into a colorless Christianity that has been told them who are robbers of joy.  In the first part of John 10:10 it says "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;"  There are those who see it as their purpose in life to steal your joy.  Some do it by legalism.  Some by tradition.  Some by ritual.  Some by simply telling you what you believed is all wrong.  I have people come to my door to tell me that all the time.  Jehovah witness, Mormon.  When it really gets insidious is when the joy killers are very close to being in the camp.

What does that abundant life in God, colorful Christianity look like.   Here's some things I know that are a part:

  • Expectation of the Glory of God to appear
  • A sense that the miraculous is or will occur
  • Goodness and mercy will follow me
  • Joy that overwhelms sometimes.  It happens in our emotions. Sometimes laughing, sometimes weeping.  But if you have the joy of the Lord, you know it.  You do.
  • A manifestation of the Love of God inside and towards others
  • A fullness's of the spirit with all 9 of the gifts operating at one time or another
  • A deep desire to tell everyone what God has done in your life, bubbling up out of you
  • A recognition that when people are gathered together in unity will shake a place

Things come and go.  There are times when all of that is huge.  Other times will be some less.  BUT this is the nature of colorful Christianity. 

Don't let people steal your joy by telling you that things are or are not scriptural.  It's a hoax.  They don't know.   Real Christianity cannot be explained.  It can only be experienced. When you do, you have just a little bit of heaven.

It's a colorful life. 

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