Why I hate religion, but love Jesus.

This video says it all...



 

I Want to Walk on Water!

So a few years ago my wife and I as well as a bunch of friends went camping.  This was my first camping experience EVER and I was pum-diddley-umped!  We had everything set, all the drinks and food packed and we were on our way there, I was excited about the whole experience, cooking our food over the fire, sleeping in a tent, and I wasn't even dreading the cold showers, it was all part of the ''camping experience''...or so I was told!  I was most excited though about being out on the lake.  Not only did I need a tan, but I had never been on a pontoon, and I was pretty sure this was going to be EPIC!  Well the time had come, we were out on the water, time to do what I had been dreaming of...to sprint the length of the boat and jump off the end and out into the water.  Well....I froze.  What was in that water anyway?  Bodies? Lake crud? Lockness Monster? Yeah, I know.... a HUGE pansey, and I don't even know why!  After much, much, taunting and a few false starts I finally went for it, I jumped and landed in the water.  And you know what?  I did it again, and again and again...yeah I was hooked!  All it took was for me to do it just once and get past my fears.  Then the next time was easier, and the next time even easier!  There was probably 50+ jumps that took place that weekend by me alone, and with winter here I'm looking forward to this summer where hopefully we can get a group to go back and do it again!

This past Monday I got to go and have lunch with some great friends that currently live out of state, but were in town visiting for the Holidays.  We had a great lunch and great conversation, we discussed everything from my hatred of chicken, to New Years Resolutions (running in particular).  The convo then shifted towards Gods calling, one of my favorite topics mainly because God has given me some very cool testimonies.  We talked about the logistics and fears, the timing of it all, the joys and triumphs, and also the timidity and nervousness that goes along with it.  During this conversation I truly believe the Holy Spirit dropped a Word in my spirit that said "we can never walk on water if we never get out of the boat".  The more and more I think about this, the more and more I am reminded of Peter.  In my own walk with Christ, Jesus has beckoned me to get out of the boat and walk on the water with Him in faith, the first time this happened I was so scared that I didn't dare to move.  I ignored Christ as He continued to call me out, all the while the storm around me only increased.  When I eventually stepped out of that boat everything seemed to change.  I was at peace and I had never felt more in the center of Gods will, even though there was still some waves splashing up against me, my eyes were fixed upon Jesus and that made ALL the difference.  The next time He called us out, well it got a little easier to obey, and it continues to be that way.  It's quite an experience walking on the water, sometimes easy, sometimes very tough, either way though it's very rewarding! It's worth the leap of faith and the sleepless nights.  I am never more scared than when I am strattling the edge of the boat and about to take my first step, at that point you are inches away from playing it safe, and also inches away from leaping into the unknown and there is so much waiting in the unknown!  SO many questions will flood your mind, "How will we pay for this", "who would come", "how would we do it", "where will we go"?  I have learned though that as long as Jesus is the object and center of our focus...well, it will all be okay.  I'm not saying it will be all unicorns, lollipops, and rainbows, but IF Jesus is the one calling you to do it, then it will be worth it none the less!  What is God calling you to do and are you prepared to walk on water?

I'm Not a Fan of Jesus

SO....Let's kick things off, we are doing a Not a Fan series at our Church.  In a nutshell it is all about not being a fan of Jesus, but rather a Completely, Committed, Follower of Him!  It not only is a powerful message, but it is also a movement/revival that is taking place.  Below I have placed my own Not a Fan story that is full of my confessions.  It may leave you scratching your head in some areas, but no worries I will expound in the near future!
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I’m not going to lie, being raised in church my whole life was a huge blessing, it gave me a foundation and some good Biblical knowledge, at the same time, though, it was also a problem. My problem was that I was raised in church, but I was not raised in Jesus.  I learned very early in life how to follow all the rules, most of which were man made.  I was bilingual in Christianese and I had mastered what I like to call “motionology”, the art of going through all the churchy motions and doing it in a public manner, which would make me look spiritual to those around me.  I was under the impression that I was working my way to Heaven, I was doing it all on my own, and I was applauded for it by those around me. I had become a professional fan, and just like the religious rulers of Jesus’s day, I couldn’t have been more proud.


The Bible says that “pride comes before a great fall,” and how true that is.  I will never forget the day my religious balancing act collapsed from the load I was carrying.  The final straw that broke my back came, my castle in the sand crumbled, and I was crushed underneath it.  I was certain Jesus was disgusted with me, that I had brought Him shame and I had merely earned myself a one-way ticket to hell.  That day placed me on a journey in which I learned the very thing that broke me was also the very thing that saved me from myself.  

I was nothing more than a fan of Jesus.  I heard His words, but I didn’t listen to them.  I came to church to support Jesus, as if He needed it, but I never allowed Him to support me.  I had to unplug my former view of Christianity, and I had to learn who Jesus Christ really was.  What I found was a Jesus I didn’t recognize.  I found a Jesus who wasn’t waiting to beat me up and punish me for every small thing, but rather, a Jesus who would pick me up when I would fall.  When I truly experienced Jesus, I also experienced a complete overhaul in my life that brought a freedom exceeding my understanding. I found a Jesus I had never known before, and that same Jesus is the one I have picked up my cross to follow. 

He has never left me, but once I have started following Him, He put me in places where I never dreamed I could be. I am currently a Student Pastor who gets to weekly invite my students to be Completely, Committed, Followers of Christ. I also have the opportunity to be a host on a Christian radio station that issues that same invitation on a daily basis.  It’s amazing what happens on this Journey once you decide to follow Jesus, it’s not a perfect life, but it is a blessed life.

My name is Michael Booth, and I am not a fan.