I was saved.

What does that make you think? Probably “from what?” and then you start guessing, a fire, a car crash, from drowing, from a murderer, from death…… what? You want to know. Well I was saved from death. From hell. From eternal seperation from God. Now tell me, why do you shut off your brain when I say that? If I was to say “Jesus saved me” or “Jesus saves” why do you automatically associate it with something other than what it is? Why don’t you imaginee a knight in shining armor, or a superhero, or a soldier, cop, fireman, or true hero? You automatically start thinking in the brainwashed ways of the church. Let’s give some examples of this “brain washing”

So we will start with a simple one

-Noah’s Ark

Tell me, what is it in this story that makes it seem pleasent for Children? Why do we tell kids about this story? Is it appropriate? I don’t think so. God kills EVERYBODY, and ALL the animals, except for what can fit on one boat. Now tell me that’s not gruesome. What rating do you think that would get if it was a movie? I can tell you it wouldn’t be G. There would be lots of screaming, crying, drowing and probably lots of people killing each other. It would be terrible. Let’s move on.

-Joseph and his multi-colored coat.

Here is another nice story, we have a 17 year old boy named Josheph. SEVENTEEN! It all starts with him telling his dad about how his brothers aren’t doing what’s right. His brothers start to hate him. His father then gives him a beautiful coat. His brothers really hate him. Joseph starts telling them dreams he has about them bowing to him. They really really hate him. Josephs dad sends him a while later out to find out how his brothers are doing. He gets there and they plot to kill him. “Here comes that dreamer!” they say “let’s kill him”. His brother Reuben tells them it’s a bad idea. He tells them to throw him into a cistern (well) “Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father” they listen, throw him in and start to eat. While eating along comes a group of people from another country. So Judah asks “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?” he then proceeds to talk them into selling Joseph so they can get loaded with cash. Why kill him when they can sell him? Reuben goes back to rescue him, he’s gone. His brothers dip Josephs coat in blood and lie to their father saying he was killed by a wild animal. …. doesen’t sound G to me so far. What do you think? Later in the story he’s a servant in the hous of a rich official of the Pharaoh. The rich officials wife starts to pressure Joseph to have sex with her. He refuses. She pressures him everyday. One day he goes to the house and no one else is there but her, she tries to get him to sleep with her, and he flees but leaves his coat. She lies to her husband and says Joseph tried to rape her. Joseph finds himself in jail. ……. you getting all this?

Now this is what I mean by brainwashing. We tell Children these stories and cut out the detail. The sex, violence, jail, mass death, anything we don’t like we cut. The story of Joseph would be rated R if it was a hollywood movie. It would probably do great in theaters for those reasons. People would pay to go for the hot guy playing Joseph, for the violence, for the sex and its very ineresting and powerfull story. Now why don’t we believe it like that? Why don’t we take it at face value? Why don’t we read “Jesus saves” as “Jesus is my hero who rescued me from the worst thing ever?” it’s wonderfull. Jesus had the biggest fight of life and won, he won for us. Accept the fact! Jesus saved you. He loves you and would rescue you from anything.

A final note.
Give to God your problems, he will handle them. He saved you and will save you again. He wants to resuce you. Let him.

The story of Joseph is in Genesis 37 and 39, anything in “___”’s are from the NIV version of the Bible.