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Written by Gabrielle Guthrie for “See, there’s this thing called biology…~insanitybytes” @ https://insanitybytes2.wordpress.com/
Original post found @ https://insanitybytes2.wordpress.com/2024/02/07/revelation/
Revelation!
07WednesdayFeb 2024
Posted by insanitybytes22 in Uncategorized
Tags blogging, culture, faith, insanitybytes22, love, opinion
Sometimes it really does feel as if we are living in some kind of apocalyptic dystopian nightmare that is downright Biblical. However, never mind the “Left Behind” series, I wanted to return to the word “revelation” and its original definition. It means, “a surprising and previously unknown fact, especially one that is made known in a dramatic way” or, “the divine a supernatural disclosure to humans of something relating to human existence or the world.”
I call a revelation, “a close encounter of the God kind.” It has absolutely nothing to do with aliens, it is just a woefully inadequate phrase attempting to describe, “a divine supernatural disclosure.” All in good humor here, some people like to mark the day they found Jesus or were born again, and nothing wrong with that, it’s a good thing. I just happen to prefer to be born again just yesterday, kind of like one might claim to have just fallen off the turnip truck. That’s how I try to remain open to the idea of ongoing revelation. While it’s true that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, my own ability to understand and perceive things is always growing.
Recently Chado from ConnectHook shared a comment and linked to a poem about Drowning versus Dead that I really appreciated. I think sometimes there is a lot of confusion about what it means to become a Christian, but it really is like becoming alive. Being resurrected, finding new life. We are not going from a “bad person” to a “good person,” we are going from dead to alive. I hate to use the term “woke,” because that carries such cultural baggage, but it really is kind of like waking up. Coming out of a coma. Depends on how romantic your personality is, but some people have described finding Jesus as having found, “true love’s kiss.”
We tend to have a close encounter of the God kind in a somewhat individual way. It is unlikely one will encounter God with thunderbolts and Charleston Heston parting the Red Sea, although anything is possible. Some people actually do have “Road to Damascus” experiences.
For the most part, however, I’d say God is very gentle in softly making His presence known to us. “Be still and know that I am” is one of my favorite verses. The modern world sometimes tries to place value on what has the loudest, biggest, grandest special effects and that is not true at all. That is really just Hollywood.
So I just wanted to put this out there, I just wanted to reaffirm the idea that Christians do not really go from a, “bad person” to a, “good person,” it is more like stepping from death to life. I still love the hymn “Amazing Grace” for that very reason, “I was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.”
Jesus said, “I come that they may have life and life more abundant.” Romans 6:4 tells us, We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.“
These are challenging concepts to put into words and also they are spiritual notions, and analogies. It just makes me sad sometimes when non-believers (and even sometimes believers) think that our faith is all about what happens after we die. Or that it’s just all about having your sins put on a scale next to your “good works” and seeing if you have scored enough gaming points to reach the next level. Or that our faith is somehow about depriving ourselves of everything in a punitive manner because one is a miserable wretch. Or that it’s somehow related to being “good” or “bad” with a Divine parental authority figure ready to dole out punishment.
Something that often makes me laugh, a point I like to try to make, “judgment” in ancient days was not criminal court as we see in the modern world. We are not criminal defendants being sentenced, we are receiving a judgment like one might get in civil court. “Judgement” was once about restoration, restoring freedom, restoring property, or giving one back their rightful children as we see in King Solomon’s tale. The Persistent widow was eager to go to court, so eager that she made a nuisance of herself just to get heard. That’s a much better analogy for what “judgment” actually looks like in a Biblical context.
Sometimes a few Christians get cranky with me, they worry that without the perpetual threat of judgment, hell, without using fear to force people to be good, the world will just go to hell in a handbasket. Well, all I can say is, so how is that working out for you? Is the faith growing? Are we producing good fruit? Is there an epidemic of Christ-like behavior going on out in the world?
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P.S. (from bruce) When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !! If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ?? Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ… https://godsmanforever.com
To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…
You say you are a “born again” believer… BUT is your soul “ON FIRE” for the Lord ?? If not, open this link – https://godsmanforever.com/2020/08/01/are-you-a-christian-in-gods-eyes-and-on-fire-for-the-lord-or-not/
God's group 
Thank you for your kindness and the reblog. Much appreciated.
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