Letters From The Loft

Stuff From The Desk Of Chuck Thornton

The Stuff I Have To Share

Depending on who you are, this section runs the risk of being boring, offensive, preachy, an exercise in self-indulgence… in general, the kind of thing that drives readers away in droves. But since I don’t have droves to drive, I guess I'm not taking much of a risk.

 

In a nutshell, I couldn't set up a website that is, after all, about me, me me,  and not mention the most important thing in my life... and ultimately, the most important piece of truth in everybody's life: that we all are sinners in need of the saving work of Jesus Christ.

 

I attempted to lay out the details in my own words, but it became an incredibly long-winded and clumsy treatise. So I decided to let someone else do the heavy lifting in a much more eloquent and concise manner. Below is a link to a page at the website of the church I attend. I urge anybody who isn't sure about what the Good News of the Gospel is (or who thinks they know, but doesn't buy into it) to start here. It lays it out in bullet points. From there, you can explore the site and get free downloads of messages by (in my humble opinion) the best living Bible teacher on the planet.

 

Here's the link:

 

Who is Jesus?

 

On a personal level, I'll just say that understanding the answer to the above question is the most important thing to happen to me. It doesn't just give me comfort...  it defines who I am; it’s my life’s cornerstone. Having Christ as my Lord doesn't make me a better person than someone who hasn't... we're both still sinful human beings with nothing to offer God. The difference is that I’ve experienced the grace that God offers to us both, and the resulting perspective is life-changing.

 

I know it's probably easier on one's self-image to be open-minded about the true nature of existence, deciding that there's no way for any of us to be sure of what The Truth really is, or even if there actually is an ultimate Truth. But deciding that's the way of things doesn't make it so. The Truth is out there (as Mulder's wallpaper used to say) and God's given it to us, through both His Creation, and the Bible.

 

So for those of you who think this is too simplistic; who think that if there's a heaven, there's many ways to get there; who think that just doing the best we know how and trying to live a good life suffices; who think that the Bible can't be relied on as an actual communication from the Creator of reality; who think Christianity is a set of rules, rituals, and codes of conduct rather a personal transforming relationship with God... in short, for those of you have no idea what I'm talking about, or think I should go jump in a lake: please give it some more thought.

 

In our popular culture, I'm amazed at how often the basic beliefs of Biblical Christianity are misrepresented. So please, if you're going to reject the message of the Gospel, be sure you know what it is that you're rejecting. Don't rely strictly on others to tell you what the Bible says about Christ. Read the words yourself before deciding. I promise you, what you decide about Jesus Christ is the most important decision in your life. Whatever you decide will have eternal consequences.

 

Whoa, when did this soapbox appear underneath my feet? I'm through now, but if there's any questions or feedback you want to give me, just click on the Feedback link at the top or bottom of this page and send me an email. I'm no Bible expert, and although I've often been called a wise guy, it's never been meant as a compliment. But I'll do my best to share why I believe the way I do, and how it's affected my life, if it will help.

 

But honest, the Who Is Jesus? link above does a much better job than I can do.