Imagine | Playing For Change

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Comment by KUUIPO MAKALANI ~HUNAPRIESTESS~ on January 27, 2011 at 10:22pm

Freedom From Religion Foundation asked me to imagine a world without religion they were under the impression I would see a world which would be clean and bright and beautiful, where people would live in peace and harmony and everyone, without a busybody accusatory, narrow-minded God, would be free to reach their complete and total potential.

In fact, just the opposite occurred. Rather than rejoicing in the possibility of no religion, I gave thanks for my faith and prayed others may be similarly blessed by the Lord. The Freedom From Religion billboard was designed to show a world without God... it did and that world just isn't all that attractive.

Let me explain. Once, long ago, when the Lord had complete control of His creation, things had been good. In fact, they had been very good. One might say, without fear of contradiction, that things were perfect. There was no pain, no tears, no sickness, no death, no fights, nothing bad. God had a perfect relationship with His people and the harmony and peace between them was a wondrous thing to see. And it was right about then that Satan showed up and whispered, "Adam, Eve, I'd like you to imagine a world with no religion, a world without God, a world where you'd be as smart as He is, a world where you, not He, would be in control." Adam and Eve did imagine that world. They bought into Satan's suggestion and they disobeyed God. They revolted against the Creator and they did the one thing He had asked them NOT to do.

They sinned, and because they sinned, we are living in a sinful world and our children will reside in a decaying, dying universe. Which, quite amazingly, takes us to the one place where the Freedom From Religion people and I agree. We both think this world, as it stands right now, is pretty messed up, and if things are going to get straightened around and fixed up, somebody is going to have to do something. Although I can't speak for those folks, I think we agree on that. What we don't agree on is which somebody is going to fix this broken world and how this fixing is going to happen.

That's where the people of this world and the people of God have always disagreed. The rebellious world says to the Lord, "Leave me alone, stay out of my life; let me be; let me control my fate, my future. You have nothing to offer me; nothing that I really want. Let me imagine a world without You; a world without religion, a world without Your laws; a world without all the pains and problems theology has produced. Let me make my world the way I want." Such enthusiasm, such courage, such dedication! This is the familiar cry which has come out of every godless generation since time began. To this cry I can only answer: Who is stopping you? Please, feel free to create your utopia, your godless Shangri-la.

Better yet, why not join one of those groups of liberated souls who have already created a society without religion. Over the centuries there have been many such groups who have come together in an experiment to live without God's hand or rule. I wonder, where are those groups now? I would like to point out their successes, because all of these groups I've read about soon broke apart. I would dearly love to hear an explanation on how the mutineers from the Bounty faired on Pitcairn Island. Those souls had every advantage. They were living in a place with a temperate climate, where there was food, water, and land enough for everyone. Certainly if any group ever had a chance to imagine a world, live in a world without God and religion, it was that group of mutineers. Tell me how long did it take before they started killing each other off? Tell me, why did they not, on their own, reason out a peace? Tell me, why did it take the gentle preaching of Christianity to restore harmony to the survivors?

In contrast to residing in a world without God, I welcome the prospect of living in a place which preaches

Comment by KUUIPO MAKALANI ~HUNAPRIESTESS~ on January 27, 2011 at 10:20pm

 I welcome the prospect of living in a place which preaches the Christ and shares the Saviour. I prefer God's alternative to our fallen situation. You do know that alternative, don't you? Please, let me explain. Seeing our helplessness, knowing our faults, our flaws, and our failings, the Triune God sent His Son into this world to save us from our sins, to rescue us from Satan, from our shortcomings, from ourselves. Realizing we could never extricate ourselves from sin's web-like entanglements, the Lord Jesus was born of a virgin in Bethlehem. From that moment on, and for the next 33 years, Jesus went about the Father's business of saving us. Every place we have failed, there Jesus succeeded; where we have been befouled and besmirched by transgression, Jesus remained untouched and untainted; while we have lived for ourselves, Jesus existed completely and totally for the salvation of others.

All this He did so that anyone, everyone who believes on Him as Saviour might be rescued, redeemed, and restored. By His life of sacrifice, through His innocent death on the cross, by His glorious resurrection from the dead on the third day, Jesus Christ Our Lord and Saviour has proven Himself the world's Saviour. With nail-pierced hands He, and He alone, beckons the lost world to a new and Eternal Life. Imagine a world without religion; imagine a world without a Saviour? Not me. I have seen what happens to the hearts of men when God is banished. I have seen what happens to nations and neighborhoods, communities and countries when the Lord is exiled. Far better for us to recognize our sin, to fall before the Saviour in repentance of that sin and to be raised up forgiven, free, and saved.

That is what the crucified and risen Jesus can do for us. It is what only the Saviour can do for us. These are facts that you dare not doubt. Please, my friends, don't doubt Him. Years ago, when Jesus was walking this earth doing ministry, His cousin John had such a moment of doubt. That moment came when the Baptizer was locked away in prison for having condemned the sin of a king. Alone, facing the possible loss of his life, John wanted to be sure, absolutely sure, Jesus was the Saviour of the world. To get an answer, he sent some of his friends to ask, "Jesus, are you the One?" It's a reasonable request, one that every human being ought to ask. "Jesus, are You the One? Are You the One in whom I should trust; the One who will save me; the One who has redeemed me and wishes to rescue me? Are You The One and Only Redeemer?"

The day John's disciples asked that question, Jesus was very busy. He was busy with those who were sick, those who were hurting; those who were mourning. He was busy with people like you and me. When Jesus finally spoke to the Baptizer's men, He said this: "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me." Earlier in this message we talked about a sign which said: Imagine No Religion. Now God would like to ask you to imagine something.

He'd like you to imagine what it would take for someone to convince you He is the Saviour of the world. Tell me, what would it take? What would He have to do? I can tell you what Jesus did that day John doubted. Men and women who had been blind, legitimately, long-term blind, all of a sudden could see. Those who had hobbled to Jesus on crutches and with canes, those who had to be carried because they were crippled -- they went home that day under their own power. What doctors had not been able to accomplish, Jesus did. In a second. Impressed? Good, but Jesus wasn't done yet. Lepers, outcasts, dying, doomed lepers were made well. But there's more; the deaf were given the ability to hear a baby's cry and the Saviour's words of healing and hope.

Comment by KUUIPO MAKALANI ~HUNAPRIESTESS~ on January 27, 2011 at 10:18pm

" Saviour's words of healing and hope. And there's more. What would it take for you to believe that Jesus is the One who can save you? The dead were raised to life. Not sort of dead, not kind of dead, not mostly dead, but dead dead. Would the raising of the dead do it for you? Imagine. What would it take?

ACCEPT THIS DAY JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOUR!

PEACE BE WITH YOU ALL
IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST
OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR,
KUUIPO MAKALANI

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