A Serious Case of JDD

I have a syndrome called JDD. It afflicts me in several different ways. My psychiatrist can give me no meds that would help me. It weakens me and makes me vulnerable to a host of enemies. I have Jesus Deficit Disorder.

I wonder about this thing called “Christianity”. After over 2000 years, have we veered off course? Is the Church of Jesus founded even resemble the one we have in the US? As I ponder about these questions, I honestly am not sure anymore.

Being a Christian without the presence of Jesus is a frightening possibility. We don’t realize that we have shifted to another track, things seem so ordinary and smooth. It is spiritually disturbing that we are diverted so easily. We end up with the Christian religion, but without Christ. How did this happen?

When you have Jesus Deficit Disorder (JDD) you end up with a Christianity without Christ; a form of religion, but without its inherent power. It all appears legit and acceptable, but it is a sham. It is not what Jesus intended for us. The intimacy has lifted. We speak about Him, but not to Him.

There is a deficiency in a heart that does not claim Him as an intimate friend. It frightens us so that we avoid the presence of the Lord. The children of Israel had absolutely no desire to meet with God face-to-face. They insisted that Moses should go on without them. What prompted this?

We have an untamed God. On any given Sunday, out ushers seating us should be handing out life vests, and issuing flares and whistles. We would be tied to our chairs. For we are in the presence of a God who is awesomely loving, and faithfully unpredictable. He is a Lion, wild and untamed, and hanging out with Him also turns us into a wild disciple, who is a bit edgy and untamed.

Having JDD will revert us to a soft domestic soul, disengaged from a spiritual authenticity. Oh, we travel to what we believe the general direction of good religion. We are missing the attitude of “more Jesus”. It’s old hat stuff, but I must say it anyway– more Jesus–less religion.

Photo: Night Sky

The heavens tell us about the Glory that God has. We look up and see a universe that was created, and is now on display. I remember on an isolated beach in Mexico. One night, the entire Milky Way was revealed. I laid on the sand transfixed by it all. Suddenly, I got afraid and had the sensation of being very, very small. That awareness has never left me.

Resting in God, Completely.

The Lord my God hath given me rest on every side.
1 Kings 5:4

This was part of the preparation for the building of the temple. Times of quiet in one’s life should not be idle times. There is other work to do then. These are days for temple-building.

True living is not all activity – struggle, conflict, gathering money, toiling with one’s hands.

Building of character is the great work of life. This goes on best in the quiet. We ought not to wait for idleness to compel us to be still; we should get the quiet into our life even in our busiest times. We must have a restful spirit if we would build up the inner temple. There should be “silent times” in every day’s life.

The secret of Daniel’s noble character, while carrying a great part of the burden of the kingdom of Babylon was that he never forsook the place of prayer. Not even fear of the lion’s den could make him neglect devotion.

There is no other secret of a true and noble life amid the world’s strifes and trials. We must keep quiet within, that we may build up in our hearts the temple of God. -JR Miller

Creeds that Guide & Protect You

At Broken Believers we hold a simple faith in matters of spirituality and encourage other to do the same. I could delineate and develop an intense SoF, but I have neither the time or inclination to see this through. I believe that most of us are pretty fluid on these faith issues, but there is also a definite cohesiveness in the lives of believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Here are the two creeds that Broken Believers uses to guide and direct this ministry.

Apostles’ Creed

1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:

3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:

4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell:

5. The third day he rose again from the dead:

6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:

7. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:

8. I believe in the Holy Ghost:

9. I believe in the holy Christian church: the communion of saints:

10. The forgiveness of sins:

11. The resurrection of the body:

12. And the life everlasting. Amen.

NOTE: The reference to Jesus as having “descended into hell” appears to be based on the Bible passage found in 1 Peter 3:18-20. In the introductory pages of “The Self-Study Bible NIV,” an explanation of the Apostles’ Creed says that Jesus descended into hell “not to suffer or to offer deceased souls a second chance, but to proclaim his lordship.” The Apostles’ Creed is not contained in the Bible. It is the work of early Christians who wanted to create a summary, based on various Bible passages, to explain to others what it means to be a Christian.

Nicene Creed

The Nicene Creed was written hundreds of years ago by Christians, as a summary of what it means to be a Christian. It is often recited in Christian churches today. The Nicene Creed is not found in the Bible but is intended to be a summary of Christian beliefs. Below is a translation of the Nicene Creed as it appears in a Lutheran hymnal.

“We believe in one God, the Father, Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is,
seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and became fully human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen”