The Six Toed Jesus

In my quest to find my home church continued today, as I went to another church. The only reference to the name, of this place of worship, will be the denomination. It was of the United Methodist denomination. I don’t know if I have ever been to this particular branch, of the Methodist denomination. I know that I have been guilty of sitting under the teaching of the Methodist people with no problem, several times in my life. When I was growing up I was friends with a Methodist minister.

Let me start by telling you about the Sanctuary. It was huge, with several, very tall stained glass windows. I was blessed with being able to sit by the one, of Jesus on the cross. There were several with Jesus one the cross, but somehow I think this one was special.

I am really a stickler for detail. I tend to notice the small stuff that others don’t tend to see. The first thing, that I noticed about, this special window is that it had a very special Jesus.  What do I mean by a very special Jesus?   This Jesus had six toes on His foot!!  I kept thinking that one of them had to be on the foot, behind the front foot. However, the bone structure would not allow that to be true. Sure enough I sat beside a six toed Jesus!!

The Sanctuary was absolutely immaculate. The ceilings were approximately forty feet tall, with columns running throughout. The pews were long, and padded for comfort with a red fabric. The music was supplied by a great pipe organ, and a grand piano.
I really got excited when I was looking at this extra-large program of events that were offered throughout the week. They had a mission statement, and their vision, on the front cover. The vision included such word as, passionate worship, intentional discipleship, salty service, extravagant generosity, and radical hostility.

Sound pretty good so far. The people that came to greet me, where really, I have to use this word, they were really sweet people. They were all older than me, but older folks tend to be the most friendly I find inside, and outside of the church.

I think that it is time to talk about the service.  It opened with music, and then the pastor, or the reverend; both titles were on the program. He welcomes us into the presence of God!!   There were two folks that walked down the aisle, on carried a cross, and one carried the fire. The cross was planted up front, and two candles were lit.

Then the choir came while singing, and took their place, in the back of the staging area. This is actually the last good thing that I have to say about this service. I did enjoy looking at all the windows, and listening to the way that they praised their version of God. I quickly understood that this was not the way, which I choose to worship Father. I had this amazingly peaceful feeling as I waited to hear the Word.

They read scripture from the Old Testament twice and, from the New Testament twice also. I really like to hear the scriptures read, in a worship service. Everything that they did was written out of the program. The only thing, which diverted from the program, was when the crowd clapped twice.

They took up the offering, and then sang the doxology. They sang more songs, and then had what they called, a responsive litany. If you don’t know what that means, like I didn’t know, it is simple. The pastor says one thing, and the crowd follows with a response. Then the pastor prays a written out prayer, and we have another song.

I am growing weary by this time waiting for the Word. I am almost at the point of aggravation, but I knew that it had to be next. Once we were finished singing that song the pastor stood behind the pulpit. He raised his hands above his head, and spoke these words, “Go in peace.”

This was the first time, which I was in a worship service, where the Word of God, was not preached!! I was more than a little upset. There was not a mention, of the blood shed by my Savior. There was not a mention, of the cross that He gave His life on, for the sins of the world. There was not even a mention of the word sin. I was beginning to understand, the six toed Jesus hanging on the cross, on the window.

They had not even mentioned the name of Jesus. They had not said the name Father, or Holy Spirit freely. They might have said the name in one of the readings, but not in a loving way. They didn’t seem to know Jesus in the way that I do. They didn’t act like Jesus had Saved them, from the sins, and consequences, that Jesus has Saved me from. Was there one person in that church that knows who Jesus is?

I left immediately when the pastor said, go in peace. In was so upset, that I simple had to get out of there. I didn’t process all of this, until I had been home, for a couple hours. I really feel sorry for them, because apparently they don’t know Jesus. That is probably the reason that the sanctuary was less than a quarter full. This is proof that it really don’t matter how grand a sanctuary that you have, if you don’t know our Savior, who was born in a stable!! I believe that these folks need our prayer!!         Ain’t God good?

                   ….Much Love  

Our Great God Almighty

I have a serious question for the readers of this blog, that is, and always be inspired, by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Who is so great that He has beast who do nothing but give Him praise forever!! Revelation 4:8  And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Is our God Awesome or what?             I think that He is, and I can post a verse to back me up!!       In this verse we have twenty-four elders, who give the Lord praise.       I can’t imagine what an elder in Heaven is like, or how old that they may be, I only realize that this is awesome!! Revelation 4:10-11  The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,11  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

I am convinced that Jesus Christ is the true star of my future home, which is Heaven.         Please allow me to prove this truth to you, in the Word of God!! Revelation 5:11-13  And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12  Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13  And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

What a testimony to His Greatness, and goodness!!   Do you want to see something that is totally awesome?  Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.   Has this scripture become mundane, and lost it’s true effect among  most Christians?     If so, then how about this one.     Genesis 1:3  And God said,… This is how our Father created most things that we know. He spoke them into existence!!  Ain’t that Awesome?

He didn’t create everything, simply by speaking a Word. There was one thing that he took the time, and care, to create one thing. Genesis 2:7  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

We were formed from the dust of the ground. That is really the best part, of the soil that Father created. This is not the top soil. It is a little above the top soil. It was the only and best part, which Father could take us into His hands, and form us.     Let’s break this down, and get really real with this.

Do you remember when you were a child?   Ok,….Now we can move on a little farther now that you do remember. Can you recall the times that you set outside, and made mud pies, mud people, and mud anything that you could imagine?     Have you ever thought of where that came from?

It came from the Father that created you, and you were trying to mimic His behavior because He is so deep inside of you, that He simply must ooze out!!   You were the creation of the mud pie, which He made at the beginning of creation.  We try to be like Father, whether we accept Him for whom He really is or not. Father is our creator, and in His image we carry, on the process of creation. Yes, I can prove that also.

Genesis 1:27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. I have tried to show you how awesome that my God is, by the Word of God. I think, but I can’t say for sure. I think that I have two more things to show you, about the awesomeness of our God.

This is something that Jesus said in the book of Mark. Mark 12:29  And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:  That wraps up the separation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Is there any questions left about that?

The last thing I want to say about the awesomeness of or God, in this post is this. I believe that this has to be the truth, and proof, of where we actually stand.  John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I rest my case.     Ain’t God good?

      …..Much Love   

Getting Real

I think that it is totally amazing, the difference Jesus can make, in the life of a believer. My life is so different now, and I really love the change!! Love is the key word. I really love people now, and I never have been guilty of loving much. I never had love in my heart, because there was way too much fear, in my heart.  1John 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

I don’t think that I have a perfect love yet. I can’t walk up in the middle, of a bunch of folks, that appear to be thugs. Honestly, this can cause fear in my heart. Maybe I am simply being cautious, because I know what these people are like.        I used to be one!!   I can only hope Holy Spirit ever asks me to walk, in a group like this group, that I can find the courage to obey.

The first thing that I know for sure is that if Holy Spirit is telling me to endanger my life, then there is somebody in that group, who need to hear about Jesus. There is somebody that is on their way to Hell, and I might be the only ambassador, of my Lord Jesus, that this person will ever encounter.

Can I share something with you?  This is a scripture that I really don’t want to have happen in my life. I can’t skip it though. It has to happen. The first part of this verse I have no problem with, and confess it often. The second part is the part that I really don’t think that I am prepared to have happen.
Romans 14:11-12  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.12  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

That doesn’t mean that we give account of our sins. Our sins have been covered, by the blood of Jesus. That was taken care of when we accepted the sacrifice, which Jesus made on the cross, for the atonement of our sins. This is an account of our works that we did, after we received Salvation.

Just to be honest with you, I don’t think, that writing this blog, will pull me through, for the things that I have missed. There have been many times in my life that Holy Spirit was beckoning me to witness to a person, and I didn’t. Fear filled my spirit, and I just couldn’t bring myself to find the courage to speak.

I feel the need to share some brutal honesty with the readers of this blog. This is one of those situations that I truly hate to admit, but somehow, I feel that it is necessary. I will go ahead, and show how ugly this really is. At least it is to me. 

I was Saved at the age of seven, and now I am fifty. That means that I have had forty-three years to promote my Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is the part that really hurts. I have witnessed to a select few people in my life. However, as far as I know, I have never led any one person, to the foot of the cross. In other words, nobody has ever been Saved on my watch.

I have told really dear friends, about the love that only a relationship with Jesus can produce. They are dead now, and I don’t know where that they have gone. I don’t know if my words remained on deaf ears, or that accepted Jesus, as the only sacrifice for their sins.

I hope that you realize, that these issues in which I write about, affects more people, than just myself. A lot of us have a general fear about certain things, that we have done, and even more that we haven’t done. We realize that we love, and serve a serious God. We know that we still can’t stand in front of our Father, without the Blood of Jesus, draped over us for protection!!

The Blood, which Jesus shed on the cross at Calvary, is the only protection that we have, while standing in the presence, of our Father. Do you remember the words that Jesus spoke to Father, while hanging on the cross? Matthew 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

This was the most damaging time in the like of Jesus. It was the first time, and the last, which Jesus was separated from Father. He had taken on our sins, and Father turned His back on Jesus. Isaiah 59:2  But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

I don’t know how long this separation lasted for, but this was the first time, that these two had been, in this dire situation. I believe that it was just as heart-breaking, for Father, as it was His Son. If you will think about it, all those already in Heaven, were probably beside themselves. They had never saw Father in this way before.

Lets look at the verse prior to Matthew 27:46. Matthew 27:45  Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. I am not going to tell you what to think. You are intelligent readers, and you need to form you own opinions, by reading the Word.

I believe that the sixth hour is when the sins of the entire world were placed on our Savior, because of the darkness that came upon the earth at that time. I can’t help but wonder if that event might have dimmed the lights in Heaven?       Just being real…..

   ….Much Love    

Blues is Blues

A great big ol’ congratulation, kudos, or whatever the normal celebration theme is, when a person officially has graduated an achievement!!      Just joking.   The truth is that I supposed to walk the stage, wearing a cap and gown, for the completion, of the life builders program. That was tonight, and I never gave them any reason to include me, in the festivities.

Do you want to hear what happened?  I feel the need to write this down, simply for clarity. I probably won’t even post it, but if you are reading this, then I did post this letter. All this started a couple months ago. I received a letter, addressed to where I live at, with my name, and the complex address.  It was strange that I got it, because usually addressed wrong mail, generally gets returned.

The first thing that I noticed was my name was not spelled correctly. I really thought after spending twenty-three months, in this life changing program, they would have made sure to spell my name right. When I opened this letter, I quickly noticed that is was nothing more, than a generic cover letter. As I read the first line, I had to laugh. “Congratulations, you have met all the requirements to graduate, the life builders program!!”

I laughed because I was thinking, that I might have met their requirements, however I knew that they had not met mine. One of the reasons that I was attracted to this program, was because of the fact that offered free dental. It took them eighteen months to pull out my teeth, and that was it. A lot of folks had their teeth removed, and fitted with dentures.

The last time, which I called the woman in charge, of the dentistry department.   No,….I need to back it up.  I called this woman, and she never returned my call, until six weeks had passed. My answering system picked up and she left a message. “Mr. Crumly, I pulled your chart, and there is no reflection of any other services needed. Call me back, and I will tell you what you need.”

I was calling her back within five minutes of her call. I knew that I didn’t need to blow my witness, by getting angry. However, I was thinking that one, of the two of us was acting stupid, and I didn’t think that it was me!! She was the one that did the charts, and if it didn’t reflect, that any further work required, and then she messed it up. Besides that I was sitting in the office talking with my counselor when he added my name, to her list.

I called, and go her answering machine. I was furious by this time, but somehow I maintained my composure. I told her to call me back, and please tell me what I need. When I hung the phone up I knew what I needed, and what I needed was teeth, like the rest of them had got. This was sometime in the month June, if my calculations are not wrong. Now it is a few days short of the month of October, and she has never returned my call!!

You know that program did change my life, in the way that it gave me time. The time that I desperately needed to restore, my relationship, with Jesus Christ. I can be a knucklehead at times, and it took me a while, not to accept the work of the cross, nor most anything about God in Itself. I was having a major problem with forgiveness.

I had actually been beat down fairly bad. I wasn’t holding grudges against anybody anymore. I had forgiven all that I had thought that had done me wrong. I wasn’t even holding, any anger toward Father by now. I have been furious at Him, especially the morning that I woke up, after taking that really large dose of medication!! I thought that He was picking on me, and just being cruel, so I threw a duck dying fit!!

The anger that I was harboring was at me. I simply could not forgive myself, because of all the evil that I done. I knew that my actions had affected others, and caused great damage to the lives of some. People kept saying this to me: “If God forgave you, what makes you think that you can’t forgive yourself?” I simply had no answer to that question. I just knew that I could not forgive myself at that time, and didn’t know if I ever could.

I am a difficult person at times, and this was one of them. Not only was I hesitant to forgive myself, I still had issues of trust. I grew up in an environment of not trusting anyone. It came from my parents. I am just telling this story like it was. I have absolutely no animosity towards either of my parents. They did the best that they knew to do, with what they had to work with.

It took every day of those two years, to get myself to the point, that I am at today. I started trusted the Lord, a little at a time, and surprisingly, I believe that I started forgiving myself, in the same way. I really wanted to love folks. This was one of those things that were nagging at my Spirit. I felt like I would never be complete without loving others, and I was right.  Mark 12:30-31  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Either way you can cut into true Christianity, you will find love at the core. I finally got a hold of that truth, and allowed it to change my life.      That’s great James, but why didn’t you really graduate last night?

That is a great question, and here is the answer. I am not mad, about the dental thing. I have already talked with Jesus about this, and I told Him that He was in charge of this situation, and what happens..happens. I have prayed quite often, about going to the ceremony, and the Lord left that up to me. If I could share a hope, or my personal blessing, on the ones that go through the Life Builders Program. I would have to say that my sincerest hope would be that everyone grabs hold, of what I found in Jesus Christ!!

                   ….Much Love