"PUTTING CHRIST BACK INTO CHRISTIANITY"

JESUSISM: A type of Christianity in which belivers adhere to the life and teachings of Jesus as the true and perfect foundation for their spriritual walk.

While in theory every Christian believes this, modern evangelical Chrisitianity mostly adheres to the teachings of Paul. A Jesusist holds the words of Paul and all others scribes of the Bible as wisdom gleaned from that person's encounter with God, but believes that the words of JESUS are esteemed above the words of ANY other person.

Jesusism views the LIFE, the TEACHINGS and the WORKS of Jesus as the only infalliable way, truth and life by which we should live. It is our life, our path, our guide and the only source by which we place our faith.

In short- what Jesus said and did is more important than what anyone else said or did in the Bible and if there seems to be any contradiction between words of Jesus and another person's words in the Bible; then what Jesus said is what stands as THE truth.



Friday, December 17, 2004

The Sermon On The Mount

If there is a foundation for following the Jesusist Way, it would have to be the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is probably Jesus' most important and most well known speech. This speech is used by Jesus to teach the listener what it takes to be his follower. He took well known tradtional laws and redefined them to show the people that even more was expected of them. Rather than to do a revamp of everything Jesus covered in the sermon on the mount, I would rather talk about the spirit of Jesus' words. He soke of His followers being the salt and the light of the world. We add flavor, we illuminate, we purify and we help others to see. He talked about fulfilling the law. Jesus' ministry was to complete, and make perfect the law. Jesus spoke of Murder and adultery that begins in the heart. Perhaps this is because all sin originates in the heart. By not controlling our thoughts and not keeping our desires under wraps, we invite sin into our lives. "I think therefore I am." If this statement is true, then that means if we dwell on sinful thoughts then we ARE in sin. Jesus goes on to speak about many other topics including not taking oaths and going the extra mile for others, and loving our enemies. All in all, the sermon on the mount can be taken as a guide for living the life. It explains to us how to have a right relationship with God and with our fellow man. It shows us the true way to be a follower of Jesus. If studied and followed the sermon in the mount has the potential to change lives.

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

The non-religious Jesus

When most people say they are Christians, they really mean they are Paulians. Jesus Christ did not start the Christian religion , Paul did (more about Paul, later). Jesus' teachings were never about starting a new religion, his teachings were about having a true and intimate relationship with God, being completely baptized in the Holy Spirit, letting the Holy Spirit be your guide in all matters and learning how to truly love God and our fellow man not in words but actions. These three sentences are a quick summation of what Jesus taught and stood for. There were no divisions taught, no one was appointed head, no one was esteemed as more or higher than anyone else. Everyone was admonished not to seek to be a leader but instead be each other's servant. There was no judgment, no room for treating anyone as less based on race, class or gender. In Jesus' teachings, LOVE IS THE LAW. When Jesus spoke of building his church, he was not speaking of a building or a place of worship. Instead when he spoke of church he was speaking of His "called out ones." So Jesus' church is the people themselves who believe on him, not a building or a religion and the proper place of worship is as he told the woman at the well, "in spirit and in truth."

THE BIBLE

1. I believe that the Bible contains some of the Words of God but cannot be accurately called THE Word of God.

2. I believe that the Bible is a collection of writings in which each author described and recorded his or her encounter with God.

3. I do not believe that the Bible is infalliable becuase it was written by falliable human beings.

4. I believe that all scripture when rightly interpreted and used can be beneficial for edification, but I do not accept all the words of the Bible as God's Divine Word nor do I accept every teaching found in the Bible as God inspired. After all, Jesus himself quoted Isaiah as being correct in saying "In vain they do worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." I believe that there are many places in the Bible where commandments of men are being taught as God's divine doctrine.

5. As a Jesusist I see the life and teachings of Jesus as my guide book and my point of reference. The teachings of Jesus are the cornerstone of the Bible and ALL OTHER TEACHINGS contained in the Bible can only be validated by weighing them against what Jesus taught. In every situation, what Jesus taught takes precedence over what the anyone else in the Bible teaches. If there is ever a contradiction, then what Jesus says stands as the final authority.


I AM A JESUSIST

I am a Jesusist. I was raised in a Christian household and until about five years ago, I knew exactly what I believed........what I was taught. So do most Christians. Historically Christians have accepted the teachings of the church as factual and God breathed without seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit to find out if the church's truth is actually God's truth. Why should they? After all even questioning the church's teachings are considered heretical. It is so much easier to blindly follow whatever is being taught. I, like so many other sheep, willing followed whatever was said to me whether it bore any resemblance to Christ's teachings or not.
Sometime in late 1999 I had a crisis of faith. I spent a few years re-evaluating all my spiritual beliefs. I questioned everything I believed and why I believed it. After stripping away decades of religious indoctrination, I soon realized that I can no longer call myself a Christian with a clear conscience. My faith, my personal creeds and my relationship with God are no longer in line with the teachings of the Christian religion (and yes it IS a religion). After much prayer, studying and soul searching, I have become what I can only call a Jesusist. To put it plain and simple, I am a person who studies and practices the teachings of Jesus. I even go further to state that I am a Messianic Jesusist. I not only study and practice Jesus' teachings, but I also believe on Him as the Messiah, the Christ, God's only begotten son. I created this blog to spread the message of Jesusism as a way of life.