A Peculiar People...

According to the Strong's Concordance, the word peculiar in the verse below actually means to be "preserved", to be an acquired people who have been bought by Christ. To me that sounds like a people who are His possession, who are by faith sustained and have put their trust in God alone and are the beneficiaries of His great promises. A people who are grateful, and who are eager to express their gratitude!

1 Peter 2:9 (King James Version)

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light

I read something recently I feel is related that really resonated with me.

"Jesus is looking for people who can display the fruit of the Spirit, not religious nuts"

Don't misunderstand me, I'm always interested to hear other peoples interpretation's of scripture and I try to keep an open mind because I definitely have a great deal to learn! I also greatly enjoy enthusiastic praise and worship that's done by people who're really seeking to glorify and praise God! I believe in the Holy Spirit and in the manifestation of His presence through the spiritual gifts. I'm a person who appreciates my freedom in Christ and fully extends that right to others, who's not trying to limit God, keep Him in a box, or reduce His blessing's to any formula.

What I'm attempting to describe here is something different, something along the lines of when peculiar becomes "Weird"...

I doubt that there's a single person who'll read this who doesn't know exactly what I mean! We've all known (or perhaps have been) people whose "Christian" beliefs are perhaps a little off the mainstream or even downright strange. And as we listen to them explain the biblical basis for their "revelation" or describe to us the angle that we must tilt our heads at to see it, somehow we just can't seem to shake the feeling that based on the lack of apparent "fruit" in their lives they must instead be "nuts". Have you ever noticed how little children seem to have an uncanny ability to recognize "weird" people and will instinctively get away from them? I'm not talking about people who just have a naturally off-beat personality, I'm talking about people whose weirdness is instead an intentionally contrived facade wrapped in a cloak of religiosity.

One thing that's been made very clear to me on my "spiritual journey" is that what I really find attractive are those Christians who display a committed, sustaining, genuine and balanced approach to their faith.

I just want to be an average person who's allowing God to do extraordinary things through me!

Everytime I encounter people who's belief's have more to do with emphasizing the differences between them and others it just seems as though the motivation is to glorify them, not God!

The God who's grace is responsible for them perhaps being any different than anyone!

I believe that what draws people to Christ is the expression of our empathy to them in that we openly recognize our own past and present "brokenness" while at the same time sharing with them what is our great hope in Christ in this moment and for eternity. That we've surrendered to the love and forgiveness of our Savior who while we were yet hopeless sinner's chose to die for our sin's to restore our souls and redeem us before the Father!

Now that's "Good News" everyone should be eager to hear!

1 Corinthians 1:2 (King James Version)

Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:

Sanctification is a process, and to be a saint of God is a choice...A choice that we're empowered to make through the Holy Spirit's presence in us! At some point in our walk we learn that there's only one rule, and that rule is love! It would help if we were taught that initially, it would save us from following those spiritual "rabbit holes" and from the discouragement of false starts.

I've been wanting to write about this subject for some time, maybe even years! It's based on the frustration I've felt as I see people being spiritually stalled by one particular issue or being in bondage to some doctrinal understanding that keeps them spinning in circles preventing them from moving forward and from being more effective ambassadors for Gods Kingdom.

I have a fantasy about being in Heaven and of the first moments of my realization of it. I'm talking to some people who confirm to me that "yes, I am in fact in Heaven" so naturally my next question is, "Where's Jesus?' to which they reply "Oh, that's Him over there talking to those people at the table" I spin around and scan the room noticing a man standing next to a table full of people, He's a man, in a glorified body just like me who manages to catch my glance and lock's eye's with me for just a moment and smiles. He excuses Himself and begins to walk toward me...and that's where the fantasy ends. It always makes my hair stand up on my neck and gives me chill bumps to think about someone who is the equal of God who loves me so much to not think it wrong to talk to me like just another person, who even though He IS too Holy chose to meet me and to reveal Himself to me.

Yes I know I'm peculiar, perhaps even weird! But I must admit I couldn't be happier about it!