Another Jesus, Another Gospel or Another Spirit???  by Marietjie

We were in South Africa at a ministry that trained many young people to be missionaries. I was pregnant and had a toddler running around. I heard the young speaker over the the loud speaker say something that made me pick up my kid, wobble into the meeting tent, taking the diaper-bag and telling my husband that we can leave; I've heard enough. What did she say? She said: " We don't need Jesus any longer."

There have since been so many strange, odd and weird things coming through the church (global) that I am starting to loose feeling in my face from the centriphical force. If it isn't some plastic Jesus that cannot ever offend anyone or a Jesus that is some mystical force instead of a person, then we are fed an image of God that have little to no base in scripture at all. The portrait of God is distorted about as much as if Picasso, Van Gogh and some abstract artist all shared the same canvas. No wonder the church is empty and the New Age orgies are turning crowds away at the gate. We can't even agree on our God. At least in places like India, they openly say that it is many gods. Christians pretend that they all worship the same God but all you have to do is listen, really listen and you will find a cacophony of different gods.

The gospel that seemed rather simple and straight forward to me at the beginning of my journey, now seemed to have sprouted, secrets, mysteries and implications that boggles the mind. You need more than faith to believe some of the theories and fallacies that is sold as doctrine; and I mean sold. You actually have to loose your mind and crucify common sense. It seems like every Dick, Tom and Jane sucks a new teaching out of their thumbs and it almost always ridicule and/or contradict something that has been historically believed. Have we really become so brainwashed and hypnotized that we can't see that the Emperor is REALLY naked?

There is also a new sort of spirit in Christians or I dare say, supposed Christian circles. It used to be that the believers were recognised by a sweet spirit of gentleness and humility. It used to be that they would have an atmosphere of goodness, kindness and honesty around them. The value nowadays is on who can be the sharpest tongue and the best at making money or who can have the greatest attitude of slander, sarcasm and ridicule. Arrogance, pride and boasting is rewarded with lots of money and the people keep giving even when it is openly known that the leaders are sinning. Not only do we not humble ourselves, we see it as our right to swarm down like vultures on every one and anyone that we can tear to pieces. The atmosphere of suspicion and distrust is billowing like black factory smoke from the internet.

How far have we fallen?
Is the gift of God in Jesus Christ not good enough, wonderful enough, precious enough that we have to add, twist and re-interpret it. How long has it been since you have heard a simple Gospel message? The Bible that has been miraculously preserved all of these years, has become outdated to some and replaced with their own ideas and words. Why is it not good enough anymore? What is this spirit that is masquerading as the Holy Spirit? I do not know it, do you?

Simple devotion to God through Jesus Christ by the enablement of the Holy Spirit is to un-exciting for some, but it is the only thing that will last. This pool has been muddied enough.

I overheard a mail clerk at the post office while sorting the mail, when the Christian Book Distributors catalogs came out: "I don't get this" she said " how many different ways can you tell that story?"
I am starting to wonder if she was right or maybe the story that is being told is not the real thing.