Only Believe

The hope of our resurrection is renewed with every Easter Sunday.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us the same hope of our own resurrection.

Of course, none of us were there on that first Easter morning to witness when Jesus returned from the dead. There is no video of it.

Yet, we believe.

That’s what we have…. belief.

That’s all we need - just to believe. Belief is the main foundation of the resurrection.

Only believe.

It can't be that easy, can it?

Religion will tell you that you need more than just to simply believe. Religion creates standards to legalize belief.  I once belonged to a church which created an atmosphere where you felt you had to meet a certain doctrine to believe.

Yes, I will admit to you that it is a leap of faith to believe. But you won’t have every question answered and you won’t understand everything.

Only believe.

Even one of the disciples who was with Jesus and heard his promises in person still needed proof to believe that he had risen from the dead. (John 20:24-29) When Jesus gave Thomas the proof he needed, he said that blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

Then when Jesus was on his way to pray for Jarius’ daughter, he was stopped to heal a woman along the way. When the word reached them that Jarius’ daughter had died, Jesus wasn’t stressed that He was going to be late, He simply said “Don’t be afraid, only believe.” (Mark 5:35-36)

You can't accumulate enough Theological Degrees to qualify belief. People assume that education will answer their questions and prove or disprove all of this that we believe on Easter.

When Jesus was late arriving to heal Lazarus, Martha ran up to him and was distraught that Jesus was late, but He told her:  "I am the resurrection and the life.  The person who believes in me will live, even if they die and if they believe in me, they will never die." (John 11:25)

Then Jesus preceded to call Lazarus from the grave.

THAT is the belief we have in Jesus.

Years ago, I had the incredible opportunity to see the empty tomb in person.  I know some would debate whether or not it was the "actual" location or other reasons not to believe it, but I can tell you that my visit to the empty tomb didn't change anything in my belief in it.  Even though I saw the empty tomb, that's not the reason I believe.  Seeing isn't believing.  Experiencing is believing.    

Without hope in the resurrection, we live miserable lives.  The Message version addresses this in 1 Corinthians 15:12-20:

Now, let me ask you something profound yet troubling. If you became believers because you trusted the proclamation that Christ is alive, risen from the dead, how can you let people say that there is no such thing as a resurrection? If there's no resurrection, there's no living Christ.

And face it - if there's no resurrection for Christ, everything we've told you is smoke and mirrors, and everything you've staked your life on is smoke and mirrors. Not only that, but we would be guilty of telling a string of barefaced lies about God, all these affidavits we passed on to you verifying that God raised up Christ - sheer fabrications, if there's no resurrection.

If corpses can't be raised, then Christ wasn't, because he was indeed dead. And if Christ wasn't raised, then all you're doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. It's even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they're already in their graves.

If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we're a pretty sorry lot.

But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.

Believing isn't a passive thing.  You either believe or you don't.  Belief requires an effort.  A decision.

Say what you will about me, I choose to believe.

Pressing Toward the Prize

Several years ago there was a Christian music artist who wrote and performed a song named “Pressing Toward the Prize” which was my jam at the time.  I loved that song.  It was an uplifting and very encouraging song.  

The chorus went like this:

I won't stop running 'til I've won the race
I won't stop praying 'til I see His blessed face
I will not settle for a life of compromise
I'll just keep pressing toward the prize
Until I see Him in the skies

I have been a believer for a very long time.  I have never given up in my faith in God.  It hasn’t always been easy but I am committed to finishing my “race” as Paul stated in Philippians 3:12-14.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Pressing means that you have to make the effort.  Just as in running a race, you have to do something to reach the finish line even if you don’t feel like it.  I know that there are definitely a lot of reasons that people choose not to believe but that’s not my choice.  Someone’s lack of belief isn’t going to change my mind.  The bottom line is that I have gone too far to turn back now.

Am I perfect?  Far from it.  I don’t always get it right.  I mess up and sometimes I fall but I always get back up and keep pressing on.  I am committed to learning from my mistakes and striving to do better.

When I read about how marathon runners prepare for the big race, there were three things that stood out to me:

• Diet - When a runner is serious about training for a marathon, they have to eat the right foods.  They can’t just sit on the couch eating potato chips and then decide to jump up and win a marathon.  When you decide to follow God, you have to have the right spiritual diet.  Eliminate the junk in your life and make sure you are ingesting things that will help you to run the race.
• Pace Yourself - Runners will train and learn how they have to pace themselves.  In a marathon, you can’t just run as fast as you can or you will certainly burn out along the way.  You have to do the same thing spiritually.  You have to know your limitations and adjust your “race” accordingly.
• Don’t compete with others -  When you run a marathon, you can’t be consumed with what others are doing.  You have to run your own race.  In the spiritual race, we can’t compete with others.  What works for others may not work for you.  Some people need church.  There’s nothing wrong with that but that doesn’t mean everyone who is a believer has to belong to a church organization.  Some pray out loud while others pray silently.  You have to do what works for you.

The main thing to winning any race is that you have to have a made up mind to do it.  You can’t do it half-hearted.  In being a believer you either have to believe or not.  There are some days that I don’t feel like doing it but those are the days I focus on the pressing part.  I know it’s going to be worth it in the end if I don’t give up.

Growing up in the church we had a hymnal we referred to as the "Blue Book" which had the hymn "I Am Determined".   I was always excited in singing the last verse in that hymn:

When I hear the trumpet sounding in the sky

And see the mountains trembling to heaven I will fly

For Jesus will be calling there'll be no time to mend

With joy I'll go up singing "I've held out to the end"

We MUST be determined to finish our race.  

  

Using The Right Tools

I recently learned that I am 45-degree angle challenged.  It is something I never knew about myself.

This revelation came up when I helped my wife with a project to frame our bathroom mirrors.  It seemed pretty simple, just cut some mouldings that have 45-degree angles on the corners and fit them together like a puzzle.

Let me confess that I went through many pieces of mouldings and trips to Lowes.  We spent more than the amount suggested from someone in a YouTube video.

I knew well enough to know that to tackle a job, you have to have the right tools.  Sometimes you have to spend a little more to get the right tool.  At first, I went cheap and bought a miter box with a hand saw.  Well, that didn't last long.  I went back and invested in a Mitre saw.  Even with that, it was still a challenge.  It's not always easy being me.  

Eventually, I was able to complete the project.

The same thinking about this project could also apply to our thoughts about eternity.  We don't like to think about it.  We ignore it or we put it off but it's coming for all of us one day.

For me, Jesus is the only way.  It has always been and always will be.  He told us that He is the only way and that He is preparing a place for us.  The most popular verse in the Bible tells us that God loved us so much that He sent his son to die for our sins and if we believe in Him that we will have eternal life.

I know that's a lot of "preaching" in that last paragraph, but the question is:  what "tools" are you using to prepare for your eternity?  Some choose not to believe while others assume that just being a good person in this life is enough. 

We all need to be sure about the tools we are using to prepare for it.

I see countless videos where people are promoting hate through religion.  I heard one preacher call people "filth" for what they are doing.  Where is the Good News in that?  Where is the positive message about a God that loves us?  It's not about electing the right politician or political party - it is about what we decide about eternity.

Just like with the tools I bought for my project; you have to decide how much you are willing to invest to get it right.  Ignoring our plans for eternity isn't a good plan.  As I approach the later years of my life, I am more mindful of eternity now than before.  I want to have the right tools to prepare myself and those I care about.  

So, what are the right tools?  What you do with Jesus is the only thing you need.  Many like to throw their beliefs or even attending a church on top of that.  When Jesus encountered the woman at the well, He never told her to go to a church or list 10 things she needed to do.  He only told her that HE is the living water.  He wasn't talking literally but spiritually.  

What tools are you using to prepare for your eternity?  Don't ignore it or use cheap materials to prepare for it.  As I gather up the wasted pieces of moulding and tools that didn't work on my project, I am reminded of all those things in my life I thought were the right tools.  We need to throw out the clutter and be serious about our eternity.