Jesus.

Happy late Easter.
In celebration of this fine holiday, the topic today: Christianity.

*For the record: this is no attempt to Convert anyone to my religion. Though it'd be great if you did, do not feel as if I am forcing anything upon you, because I am not all. Thank you*

Don't worry, I'm not going to bash Christians. Most of them anyway, mainly because I happen to be one of those Christians. I don't have a problem with Christianity in general anyway. Some small logistics are a little confusing, but overall I'd say I've got the hang of it. I know for sure I could tell you more about the bible than your preacher could, especially if you're Catholic. Not boasting, simply stating what I know.

I was/am being raised in a Christian household. Father was a minister, mother sings in the choir (but I refuse to spoil this blog with talk of her), and I've been in the church my whole life. Though I believe in Christianity, I have a problem with the church, in general. Not mine though; my church kicks arse. Though I beleieve the bible to be true, the indoctrination from such an early age bothers me at times. So many times, if I ask someone why they partake in what religion they do, the answer is "I was born into it". Not neccessarily a bad thing, but if you don't know anything about religion other than your own, you are a drone; simply participating in a religion because it's all you know. You have blind faith, which is not very strong at all. Now as for me, the proof lies in simple things. Evangelists healing people with tumors and deformities (I had the opportunity to see Benny Hinn once, and it was quite the experience), for one. I saw people pushing their own wheelchairs out of that building, because they didn't need them anymore. Crooked legs becoming straight, tumors shriveling up and dissapearing, and countless other miracles. Now, either it's all part of some mass conspiracy, in which they must have loads of money for special effects, of it's an actual modern-day manifestation of the healing powers of God. You tell me.

Another thing I find interesting about Christianity's validity is the tangible evidence. For example; Buddha is dead. We know that. Confucius is dead. Muhammad's grave is even a holy site for Muslims. But go to Israel, and show me Jesus' corpse. Oh, wait HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. The fact is, we know he lived, and we know he died. I know he was ressurected, but if you don't, then oh well. You can't argue the power an affect this man had, when in only three years of ministry he became the most influential person to ever walk the planet. And yes, though Jesus is part of the Holy Trinity, he is, in fact, a man.

Even if you don't believe in Jesus Christ, the Bible itself cannot be reasoned away. It's power and authority is practiced daily by hundreds of thousands of Christians. True Christians anyway, ones who know and excercise their authority. (For Christians who don't know their authority; Luke 10:19 KJV says 'Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Those words are written in red, by the way.) Even simple things, like the book of Proverbs, show the vast wisdom and knowledge of God. Example: Proverbs 26:11 (I believe) says "As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." Does a fool repeat his foolish actions? Does a dog eat his potentially poisinous vomit? Is this scripture wrong?

Lastly, I close with my personal favorite passage of scripture, Isaiah chapter 53 NIV, a prophecy concerning Jesus' crucifixion, written hundreds of years before Christ was born.

1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors. '


Song of the Day: Jesus (of Nazareth) by (hed) p.e.