Like I've said before, I am friends with several academics.
The definition of academic is 1.of and or relating to education and scholarship. 2. not of practical relevance, of only theoretical interest
Academics are people who are so smart their brains just don't work like everyone else's.
My friend Randy, the man who helped me get out of the streets, is an academic. He used to be the computer professor at Georgia Tech, his ex wife works for the CDC, their children are immensely intelligent.
He's written me a composition about how the tribe of Israel committed genocide and it was so complicated I had to have a dictionary to look up words to understand what the heck he was talking about. Yet, I had to walk him through Facebook on the phone, because it was so simple he couldn't figure it out.
Yesterday I watched a video by one of these such people and he was talking about discrepancies in the bible. The mention of scripture in one place mentioning it being said in another and it appearing no where in said scripture. One priest's name used when it was actually another priest who held the office as the time those things happened.
These people absolutely amaze me, teach me something new every single day and reveal to me a knowledge of scripture I never had before. Stuff so deep yet so simple I can't understand why it all hasn't made sense before now.
These friends of mine put up the most stunning thoughts about God, things that really make you step back and challenge every single thing you've ever been taught, because believe me when I tell you it's been taught completely wrong to a lot of people, for a very long time.
Good Lord!
I thought God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit were three separate entities until I was grown, because no one took the time to explain this, they were too busy preaching hell fire and brimstone!
When my friend Lucy explained it to me and helped me to see Him better, my mind was blown!
No one ever taught me that!
No one ever told me Jesus loved me and nothing could separate me from His love. I was raised in the bad God, good Jesus generation of wrongly taught people. Turn or burn! "They're all headed to hell......", "God loves you but......", "Your best is as filthy rags."
Then came the stupid stuff.
Do you know where you're going if you die tonight?
Did you lead them in the sinner's prayer?
If you'll take one step He'll take two.
Love the sinner, hate the sin.
How could a people hand picked by God from the foundation of the world be so dumb and ignorant?
If you'll sew a seed, you'll reap a harvest.
Give and it shall be given to you, pressed down and running over.
Lies told for so long and so loudly, generations of men carrying the same lies and dumb church sayings?
Why?
Why take something so beautiful and twist it up to control others?
Why lead people to slaughter with judgement and condemnation.
When I was a kid, going to church, growing up in the church, I always felt terrible, wondered if I would ever be good enough to make it, without ever knowing I had believed a lie.
I was a wretch, a filthy sinner, how could God possibly love someone like me?
Jesus sets you free!
Oh but wait, you must be saved.
You must repent of your sins and pick up your cross.
You must die to self daily.
Nero burned christians in his garden as torches.
The christians are the ones carrying the torches now.
No matter how many religions there are, what people think about God, their god, or other people's gods. There are really only two divisions and isn't it sad there is division in the body?
Those who believe God unto salvation, that its a free gift, it can't be earned and nothing can separate us from His love. His love is unconditional, it doesn't change with our behavior, whether it be good or bad.
Then there are those who don't believe us.
They are a vehement as hungry snakes.
They attack every new idea they could possibly have with the lies they've been taught since they first heard about Jesus.
They attack those they don't agree with.
You couldn't possibly know Jesus, you need to repent.
All of a sudden this person is making assumptions, throwing out accusations, beating you over the head with scripture and telling you all about yourself from somewhere else in the world, on the other side of a keyboard. A christian, a brother or sister. Someone who doesn't know you from Adam!
Damning you to hell because they don't like your ideology .
This madness takes them over and they go nuts with it. They take it to the extreme. They begin to twist what you said and making assumptions about it and you. They have to have the last word about how horrible you are and God couldn't possibly love you.
It's so dumb.
It used to make me mad, still does frustrate me sometimes, but in the end it makes me sad they are so blind and lost and miserable they have to come along and beat up on me for a while. If they were drowning and I was there to save them, they wouldn't take my hand and just drown, they are that determined to disagree.
I don't block people like I used to, but lately I'm having to put repeat offenders on the list and they won't be coming back off it. This one guy in particular kept coming after me, again and again and again.
Most of these rooms are think tanks. The statements being made are for great thought and insight, not controversy. The people in these rooms are expected to be of a certain intelligence and open mindedness.
God's people have been hard headed and hard hearted from the start, I don't know why it still surprises me today.
We've all been slighted or assaulted by one of these God fearing bible thumping people and half the time even they don't know what they are talking about.
It's a comedy of errors.
I've encountered more of these people in that last year than ever before, mean nasty hateful people who claim they love God.
Really?
Seriously?
Cause I can't tell buddy.
God's really been dealing with me about them and giving me lots of practice being persecuted by them.
I'm getting much better at it.
There are times during the courses of these conversations when I simply say things like "Jesus is amazing!" something contrary to what I really want to say.
Jesus is the game changer.
His love saves the world.
Jesus loves you.
Lots of times these simple beautiful statements shut them down.
Then there are those who just have to have the last word.
They aren't going to stop no matter what.
Other times I keep moving and say nothing at all.
You can't tell a fool anything.
I know because I used to be one.
There are days when I am so discouraged and frustrated I want to scream and I'm sure my eyes have awesome muscles from rolling them so much.
Those are the times I have to remind myself Jesus loves them too, even in their stupidity.
Love wins.
Love doesn't attack others, or have to be right.
Love doesn't tell someone all about themself and condemn.
Love.
Show them love.
I know they're dumb as a truck load of bricks, but they can't help it, they've been wrongly taught.
They don't have the freedom of heart and mind to understand the mysteries yet.
They've been chained to a mixed message of half truths and rules their entire lives. They don't know any better.
I know for a fact I've embraced many lies in my life.
When the truth about Jesus' love for me was revealed, no one would ever be able to lie to me again, and expect me to believe them.
I know who I am. People are always going to talk, some of what they say is true.
At the end of the day, none of this matters, it's Jesus and me. It's my Daddy, the creator of the universe loving on me, having a relationship with me and all the bibles in the world couldn't even begin to describe what that's like! That's an experience for me and me alone, being with Him.
I love to learn but how much of it is really necessary?
I love Him.
He's so much more than anyone could ever even find the words for.
He created the universe! Let's get for real on this one!
Be patient with others, you don't know what their struggles are.
Walk away from disagreements, because no one wins.
Pray for those who curse you.
Love your enemies.
These people aren't supposed to be our enemies, they are supposed to be our brothers and sisters.
Loving people and being a gold digger I know there's some good in there, I just can't see it past their fear. Fear has two responses either fight or flight, these folks are looking to fight.
They've been beaten down with lies and half truths for so long, they believe all of it and you're crazy if you don't. They've probably been hurt, a lot. Hurt people hurt people right? We always kill that which we don't understand. There is good in there, Jesus loves them.
It's hard to see that when they are beating and kicking me down, but I can take it, I'm a tough cookie.
When ever you are given the choice to be right or be kind, always choose being kind it's going to get you so much further with absolutely everyone.
Billy Graham just passed and he was what they say he was, but I can't sit through an entire sermon of his without cringing half a million times because it's so evident he believed the lies that were handed down by preacher after preacher. I can't receive any of the things he's talking about because he was seeing through a lens of distortion.
Do I think he loved Jesus?
Of course I think he loved Jesus.
Do I think his message was one God wanted going out into the nations?
You'll have to ask the Big Guy about that one, it was between them.
One thing is for sure, I've got a better message and so do all the people I'm running with.
I don't care what anyone tells you, nothing can separate you from His love.
At the end of the day it's just you and Him.
You and God and nothing else matters.
His love is not affected by your behavior, He's not a love me or else kind of God.
Rather than arguing begin to pray for these people every time you encounter them. Begin to bless them to know the truth.
Leave them and let God sort them out.
They are His masterpiece just like you.
Let's love the dumb out of the church.
