By Deborah H. Rabern
A virtual supermarket of spirituality permeates cyberspace and any store that stocks printed material. Christianity vies for space with the Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and Scientologist doctrines. The New Agers tout yoga, reiki healing therapy, and chakra tuning to bring body and soul into bliss. One can spend hundreds or thousands of dollars pursuing the path of peace through some self-styled guru and his accompanying talismans. Following severe strictures of complicated or demanding rituals becomes a lifestyle of self-absorption and obsession.
Of course there's a bit of truth in most of these practices. However, the belief that there are many paths that all lead to God is a deception that dooms the deluded to eternal darkness and separation from the One True God.
Only one way leads to God. This point blank statement of truth is unpopular and offensive to most of the world's population. Perhaps those unfamiliar with Christianity can't believe the simplicity of the Gospel. Finding your way to God by just believing Jesus?
You want me to accept some story about Jesus and believe He came to earth as the only Son of God, born of a virgin. He hung around with ordinary people, did miracles, told some stories, said some good stuff, set the religious leaders at odds with one another until they killed Him. Then, you want me to believe God raised Him from the dead and He stayed around for a while and then just floated up in the clouds to live in Heaven. That's it? Radical!
The first step of belief is simple and launches us on a fascinating, one-to-one journey with the Creator of the Universe. True spirituality is a holy bonding with Jesus Christ. That's the reason we were created - to be in fellowship with God. A passage in Ecclesiastes tells us God has set eternity in our hearts. From our birth, we have a longing to connect with the eternal. We have a void in our soul until we come into a relationship with God through Christ.
Dead rituals, repetitions of chanted prayers, and offerings to long-dead gods can never atone for our sins or make us right with the Almighty. Greedy men devise clever stories to gain either money or power. True representatives of Jesus offer truth without a price tag. Jesus' disciples spread the truth throughout the Roman world without a safety net and no fallback plan. They went as missionaries with the clothes on their backs and a walking stick. They lived with the Son of God in the flesh and it altered their lives forever. None of them were perfect, but the presence of Jesus transformed them.
Scripture reveals the character flaws of mortals. A loving Father confronts them to bring about change. God doesn't offer an easy evasion of consequences. People are required to confront their sin. Repentance releases grace and liberal forgiveness.
Moses had the privilege of unprecedented time with God. The osmosis of glory reflected in Moses' own countenance. Yet even his lengthy, frequent visits in the presence of God didn't inoculate him from sin. He had people problems.
The Israelite slave mentality alternated between accepting a miraculous provision and doubting that another divine intervention was possible. Each problem they faced seemed insurmountable. Moses was the lunatic that got them into this mess. He was responsible for the danger, discomfort, and uncertainty. Their complaints were loud and frequent. The nation was thirsty and water was nowhere to be seen. They feared death in the desert.
God told Moses to speak to the rock and water would spring out. However, Moses struck the rock twice with his rod and spoke to the people in anger, giving the impression that power came from himself instead of from the divine source.
Moses crossed a boundary. He exhibited a bad attitude during a demonstration of God's power. The pressure of leadership precipitated a meltdown. Although Moses' exasperation and frustration were understandable, God didn't excuse his behavior. God expects His representatives to reflect His character when acting on His behalf. God loved him and forgave him, but Moses' temper tantrum blocked his entrance to the Promised Land. No spiritual leader is immune from the highest standard.
Like Moses, our intimate connection with Jesus can fade over time without constant renewal through prayer, worship, and study of the Bible. Obedience to the Word of God, and the direction of the Holy Spirit draws us closer to the Almighty. Our inching toward Him accelerates His giant steps toward us. He longs for us to be pure in heart so we can be one with Him. He created us to have the same fellowship with Him as Adam and Eve did in the Garden before sin. He values time spent with His creation - humankind.
The Bible tells us as we come near to God, He will come near to us. It's all about faith. Scroll back to Abraham in Genesis, and we see he pleased God and gained favor because he believed what God said. The standard of faith waves through the throngs of history. Those who believed God received His attention and companionship. Think of Enoch, Noah, Joseph, Samuel, and all the apostles. Countless believers recorded in the Bible experienced a vital connection to the living God. Generations of subsequent believers have kept the faith. Today, the faithful sustain and continue to maintain allegiance to Jesus.
Our Lord never desired a breach in fellowship with us, but sin disrupted His perfect relationship with humanity. Sin has and will always separate us from God. However, knowing Him, listening for His slightest whisper, and experiencing Him through the Spirit of Jesus is attainable. Repentance, sensitivity to His Spirit, and spending quality time with our Creator fills our empty hearts and overflows our dry wells. Take all the time you need. Our Heavenly Father is omnipresent. He's never in a rush. He's waiting for you.
Deborah H. Rabern is a graduate of Georgia State University. She has spoken and taught in assorted venues including churches, parachurch organizations, federal prison and the public school system. In addition, she has been a spokesperson for the National Day of Prayer Committee (Cumberland, MD) and Tri-State Celebration (1999) during her employment with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Email Deborah.
