Christ Search 2017-13

                                                                        Christ Search 2017-13

 

There are many ways to find Jesus Christ, or getting close to Jesus in life.  It is a trip or an experience of a lifetime. It is an ongoing journey that does not stop, although it probably does have a beginning, but not an end.

It could be like an adventure of life that we set out on, where we do not know the outcome, or the destination, but hope for the best.  A walk in the woods, a tour of a multi-room house, a visit to a strange city, or numerous other examples of something unknown at the time.

Where are we in our adventure of life with Jesus?   Well, it can take many twists and turns, many rooms to explore and stones to touch and find out where we are in our quest to finding Jesus Christ. Some, if not all of us, are on different paths in our quest. This is normal!

The old saying, take two steps forward and sometimes one step behind comes to mind. I don’t think anyone gets to a point where we go towards a goal and stay there, because there is usually another challenge to overcome or a setback that occurs.

Let me say this about our journey, which I acknowledge that I have a source for my thoughts. I believe we are at various stages for finding Jesus. 

Some, do not believe or are unaware that Jesus was real and a factor in our lives. I will say those that have this unfortunate place in life have not yet experienced an awakening and can look forward to the first door to pass through in this journey.  I will call this as being Unaware of Jesus. They will be surprised on what they can look forward to when they do become aware.

The second group would be after awareness occurs, comes the Exploring Christ segment of life.  This is where they DO have a basic belief of Jesus Christ, but are unsure of Christ and His role He has in their lives. I can remember being a member of this group and it was a rudimentary and uncomplicated life that I led at the time.  There was NO challenge in life regarding Jesus, for me at the time, but I did exist with a somewhat belief that there was a Son of God, just had no definite ideas about it at the time.

I finally had a beginning of an understanding that I was Growing in Christ and that involved a larger feeling of belief that the guy Jesus was something to consider in my life. I had the beginnings of a personal relationship with Jesus and a commitment to trust Him as a Savior and an inkling of learning what it means to be in somewhat of a relationship with Him.  I started to be aware of my everyday actions and what it meant to me and those around me. I realized that when I sinned, there was a God and His son that knew what I did at the time. I also started to understand what the love of God meant and that Jesus Christ died for my sins.

I want to believe that many people are at this junction in life and again, this is normal.

Then life evolved to where I became Close to Christ. Wow!!  This is where I started to depend on Christ daily in my life and to see Him as the one that is assists me in everyday experiences.  I began to turn to Him for guidance for issues that I was facing, asking Him for help, letting Him know my concerns, my fears, my joys, my daily thoughts of who I was and why I exist. This was in a quiet way, private to myself.

Guess what!  This is where I started to realize that my two steps forward in life, sometimes has a step backward in life.  I do NOT stay in the same room of life all the time.  There is always a door going somewhere, and at times, the door leads to a place I do NOT want to be in.  That is the way it is, and I have begun to live with this, as a life experience, that needs to be lived. (make sense?).

Several years ago, I had an experience that I call “The Happening”. This is where I met Jesus Christ, heard the Holy Spirit and saw the Glory of God.  I have written and told some about this and will not dwell on it now.  But, it did change me.  The neat thing is, we can ALL have an experience like what I had then; really!!!!!!

I, in my lifetime, went from being what I was called “a heathen” to a believer of God and Jesus Christ. Ok, that happened to me, so be it.  But, we can all have a telling experience with finding Jesus, and mine occurred to me and I own it. Let me continue.

The last room, or turn in life, or whatever it can be called, is where I became Christ Centered. To be honest, I feel that I go through this door and become this way at times, but am not sure I stay there very long, I am sorry to say. BUT, I feel that this has happened to me and that is good.  Here, I identify that my relationship with Jesus Christ is the MOST important relationship I have in my life. I want to fully surrender myself to Jesus and His agenda by subordinating everything to His will and desires.  It WOULD be great if I lived my life there always, but that is not the case, unfortunately.

OH, one more thing!!!  I believe that each move forward to become Christ Centered has a cost!! Crap, you say?  Well, nothing was promised to be easy and perhaps we just don’t want to pay the price of growing closer to Christ or even centered with Him. Maybe the commitment is too much, the extra effort, or any more involvement is not what we want to do. That may be the case, but if you do, I would like to hear from you and give you my advice on how to accomplish your goal . Perhaps we want to just stay in the same plateau where we are with Him and not reach outward. Guess what, He still loves you regardless! He will always love you, regardless. That is the nature of God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

OK, so I have told you where I feel my journey of life, finding Jesus Christ, has been.  Do NOT compare your life with mine. We are ALL on our individual trip of life. Some include Jesus and some do not. Some are so-so with having Jesus Christ in their lives and that is up to them. I only really care of how MY life is like with Him and hope your life also does include Jesus as part of your life in some way. Where you are in which room or turn, is up to you and my prayers are with you.., regardless.

May the peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ be with you,

Den Betts      bettsden@gmail.com

2010 “The Happening” Revisited 2017-08

 2010 “The Happening” Revisited    2017-08

 

7 Years ago on March 3, 2010— The day I was touched by Jesus Christ, found/saw the Glory of the Father and eventually heard the Holy Spirit.  This was the third week of Lent that year.

Someone I know said I was transformed then and became a child of God and disciple of Jesus Christ. Wow, what a moment and what a time period then and even now. The facts of “The Happening” are described in blog # 2015-69 and are in the archives of March of 2015 at my blog site, TheBettsDen.com

Before this date, I was a so- so Christian, going through the motions of being a believer of God and of Jesus Christ.  I was a drifter type religious person, not really committed or even believing wholeheartedly in a Divine being or a man-God who died so that I may have a chance of eternal life.

As I was in sort of a spiritual darkness previously, and as I began to see the light and life of Jesus, I was changed. I am NOT the man I was before then, and have since, become a student or disciple of Jesus in the process.

I struggled for understanding of what occurred. I tried to accept counseling of WHY and perhaps WHAT to do, or become and it was interesting for me.  But, in reality, time is a way of fleshing out the why’s and what’s of life and I believe I now know some of the answers.

My tenure as the lay leader President of the church I belong to, helped me to a degree. It gave me an insight as to the workings of the church and that was important to me at that time.  I learned and tried to lead as best as I could and in the process also found out some things; private things about myself.

Now I am basically on my own, learning more about the Scriptures, about Jesus and accepting the fact that it is about ME and my relationship with the Triune God. It is not about my possibly being an evangelist or anything like that. It is about my learning more about myself and my God and Savior Jesus Christ and I am finding it is a long process.

I had a Reaffirmation of Baptism a few years ago. That simple action meant much to me. That anniversary is coming up too and I look at that date as a milestone also. It was on the day before Easter which is called Paschal Vigil or Vigil Easter. My friend Paul, was my sponsor then and he continues to give me inspiration in my life.

As I have said before, I KNOW there is a God!    He is alive, He is active, He is aware by having His presence with us always. Praise be to God…………………………………………………………………………

Den Betts

Miracle 2015-140

A friend of mine told me that what happened was a miracle. I listened, wondered and contemplated what he said and, I guess, accepted his statement. I DO think that a miracle would be believed better, if it was seen by many and not just a few or just one. Well, maybe not believed, but at least acknowledged as something different that has happened and can be talked about at length. Oh well, God is involved and I do not want to get in a conflict of thought with Him…………..

Miracle 2015-140

When does an experience become a miracle?

Does it happen to one or very many

Why does it occur if it does?

And why does it not when it could

What is taught by the occasion?

Or is the occasion lost in time

Who is the benefactor of being?

When the being is an abstract thought

Is miracle too complex of a subject

OR can the subject be a complex miracle

Questions of life that pursue me

As I contemplate what was then and now.

So simple to just think of it

Without knowing the answer

But always believing what is known

IS what it was and is.

A miracle IS what it is, as it is, and because it is

A Miracle!!!!!!!!!

 

Den Betts