purpose of raised to walk

The purpose of Raised to Walk is to further the Kingdom of God through the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as Savior (Isaiah 43:11, John 14:6)

While our Western culture seeks to stamp out our unique spiritual being and put up barriers to our search for communion with our Creator, our spirit, made to be an imager of God and in communion with Him, still searches for Him. His Word says repeatedly, “those who seek me will find me” and his Holy Spirit flows around these walls and fills every opening available to Him.

Conversations about the Moral Argument, the Problem of Evil, and the Ontological Argument are being held daily around us. They are just taking different forms than the philosophical essays of 100 years ago. The questions are being addressed in the movies and television shows we watch, the songs we hear, and the stories we read.

https://anunexpectedjournal.com/serenity-and-the-theodicy-of-joss-whedon/

The culture has turned its back on the church and is attempting to answer these questions and fulfill this need on its own. The answers are hollow however, because the true source is God and the answer is Jesus. So we, as Christians, must be engaged in these discussions. Jesus came to earth, to where we are and just as we are. As it is written in Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.” We must recognize the yearning of the soul that prompts these dialogues and be prepared to participate in them.

We have the answer they are seeking. We know the Savior that not only saves but restores and makes new. It is our responsibility to do our very best to communicate that effectively.

How then will they call on him in whom they have no believed? An how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:14-15 ESV

(In this passage to the Romans, Paul is quoting a portion of Isaiah 52:7. The full verse is: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’”)

Explaining the Christian Faith

While the U.S. was founded by those with Judeo-Christian beliefs (even though some try to deny this), the reality is that we are not a Christian nation today. Our leaders deny God, the Christian faith is shut out of the public realm, and even those who are profess the Christian faith do not always understand what it is.

Jesus was very clear about who is considered his followers. He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” The book of Romans also is clear, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9).

One is not a Christian because their family is Christian, because they live in the U.S., or because they clock time in church. One is a Christian because they first recognize their need for a Savior and confess Jesus as Lord. There are many who do not understand that being is more than just liking what Jesus said. There are many who don’t understand that Jesus is not just “a” way, but THE way, and the only way. However, according to a study by Pew Research, 52% of American Christians believe that there is more than one way to find God. (( Many Americans Mix Multiple Faiths. Pew Research Center. Published December 9, 2009. Accessed February 5, 2016. http://www.pewforum.org/2009/12/09/many-americans-mix-multiple-faiths/ The study shows that 24% of Americans say they regularly attend services of more than one religion. In addition, “many also blend Christianity with Eastern or New Age beliefs such as reincarnation, astrology and the presence of spiritual energy in physical objects.” ))

We must be clear about what we believe. We must be clear about who Jesus is. We must be clear about our hope in Christ alone.

Explaining the Christian Worldview

In a culture that kneels at the altar of relativism, stating that there is absolute truth can seem a radical claim. So we have several hurdles to overcome before we can even present the Gospel. We must be able to explain not only who God is, but that there is truth to be found and that he is the source of it. We must explain that any worldview must be able to explain all of life’s questions, and that in the God of the Bible and Jesus as Savior those questions are answered. All the pieces of the puzzle fit.

https://anunexpectedjournal.com/from-the-green-book-to-the-river-lewis-relativism-and-constructivism-in-education/

The Bible is the basis for the Christian worldview, not our personal thoughts that dictate what can be accepted from it. Not only is the Christian worldview and faith based on faith, history and truth, but it is through God Himself that we gain greater wisdom and understanding. God is the author of logic and reason. He is not an enemy to it. If we would be a friend of God, we must love truth and develop discernment. His command to Adam to subdue the earth is instruction to bring order to chaos. That is our mandate as well, and it begins in our minds.

Making it Plain and Easy to Understand

It is important for each individual to think about and answer theological and philosophical questions such is “Is there a God,” “Is there truth?” “What is my purpose in life?” and “Is there an absolute right and wrong?” However, unless one is a theologian or a philosopher, they are unlikely to use theological or philosophical terms to search for those answers.

When a person searches out the significance of synchronicities, they are unknowingly asking the age old question regarding the tension between providence, divine foreknowledge, and free will. They recognize these happenings and occurrences that seem to have a plan and a purpose behind them and are looking for the answer to this question.

God always spoke to his people in terms they understood. He made his words clear and easy to understand and each writer, inspired by the Holy Spirit, used cultural references the reader in that time period would understand. The writer of Genesis used an archaic figure of speech to describe Leah’s appearance saying she made a man’s eyes weak (Genesis 29:17), Isaiah referenced a popular song about a prostitute (Isaiah 23:15), and Jesus used illustrations about sheep, harvest, lamps, and water. If Jesus was on the earth teaching today, he would not use parables that had to do with sheep and growing things because we don’t understand that today. (Sheep are dumb and our corporate lack of agricultural exposure has led to serious confusion about Jesus’ analogy of grafting.) Instead, he would be making Star Wars and football references.

The goal of Raised to Walk is to make each article and teaching plain, easy to understand, and accessible to the every day believer and soon-to-be believer.

Promoting the Good

Beyond the articles and resources created by Raised to Walk, our desire is to promote others that have the same goal, to promote the Kingdom of God through a saving faith in Jesus Christ. There are many talented artists and inspired teachers in the body of Christ. We should know and support our saints, living and past, better than we know celebrities of our modern culture.

When Christ gives the rewards and says, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” we should be able to say of those who were in our path, “Yes, I was there and I saw what God was doing.” We should be able to identify, name, and share those prophesied by Daniel:

“Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.” Daniel 12:3 NLT

Jesus is coming soon! Until he returns, let’s keep our eyes on Jesus, focus on the good, and promote as many who “shine like the stars” as possible