Daily writing prompt

If your future self could send you one sentence, what do you hope it would say?

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So, what is Christianity? (The conclusion of “The Misunderstanding of Christianity.”)

The New Testament is about the beginnings and the beliefs of Christianity. To read it with a humble and receptive heart is to notice a great difference between the persecuted Christianity of the first century and the popular Christianity of the 21st century.

When I, as a freshman at the University of Tennessee Martin, encountered, fell in love with, and was drastically changed from within by Jesus Christ, I started reading through the New Testament. I noticed several interesting things.

Over the centuries, Christianity has drifted away from being directly Spirit-led to being humanly programmed; from being spontaneous to being tightly controlled. It has shifted from “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” to “having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.”

Most contemporary Christianity has lost the early Christian focus on active, never-ending surrender to and faithful obedience to “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” It has turned away from helping people have and maintain a heart-to-heart relationship with the ever-present, living Jesus. Instead, it puts most of its effort into getting people to regularly attend religious services.

Christianity has changed from continually expecting and relying on supernatural revelations, manifestations, and miracles, to doubting or even denying them. Rather than training people to listen to and to daily obey God’s “still, small voice,” it unintentionally shows people how to ignore, resist, and quench the Holy Spirit.

Modern Christianity has mostly abandoned the gifts of the Spirit and the New Testament commands to encourage, exhort, and minister to one another. Instead, it depends on the personal charisma of just one gifted preacher while the rest of the congregation sits idly by.

As you have seen, I’ve never been able to settle into and be satisfied by the formalized and controlled style of Christianity that is sometimes referred to as “churchianity.” From my first encounter with the living Jesus until this very moment, I’ve hungered, thirsted, and searched for a different version of Christianity. I want “the faith that was once delivered to the saints” — that gives people practical, hands-on training (discipleship) in how to listen to and obey God the Holy Spirit throughout each day and then sends them out to actively demonstrate Christ’s love and presence wherever they go.

Continually seeking to listen to, follow, and obey the living Jesus is an incredible adventure! I stand in awe of what I’ve see Jesus do! Christ can and will do even more than we can ask or think, if we who say we believe will simply step aside, let Him take the wheel, and obey Him throughout each day. I can’t wait to see what He is going to do in, though, and around me today.

If you don’t think that Christianity is misunderstood, try this: Read the book of Acts and compare it to today’s version!

Find one or two or more people who want to listen to and obey Jesus. Then obey Hebrews 10:24-25: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the day approaching.”