Jesus and why I believe

I am going to start the post with a little information on my religious background so you know where I have been and where I am coming from.   My first religious memories include a pastor accused of having affairs with several women in our church.   It was very hush, hush and my parents tried to shield the topic from us children but not all doors are very thick.    The church sent him on his way and on to another church to hurt more people.   Apparently they where more afraid of scandal then what he would do next.    My next memories include a church split.   My parents with others were tired of the Old Guard at the church running things and decided to go with the younger people to start a new more charismatic approach to God.    This started 6 long years of confusing, heartfelt attempts at knowing God on my parents part but a very scary and confused introduction to myself and my  siblings.     Everything from casting out demons, 5 hour church services, satellite viewings of Robert Tilton and Marilyn Hickey (early word of faith preachers), new pastors from the South (yicks) and a small private school..      The church recombined with the other side after this and a new batch of southern preachers marched through adding more confusion.   We left that church and went to another church with the same big issues.      The thing these churches all had in common “Topical preaching”.   This type of preaching is derived from the pastor getting an “unction” and deciding on a topic.    The problem with this type of preaching is how they support their message by pulling random verses out of the Bible to support their topic.    Throw context and caution to the wind and boy was it windy.   During this time I met my wife and went through college.   My wife and I then left the Pullman and blindly picked a church in Boise that fit the mold as we knew it.    BUT…at this point we were both starting to look at the Bible and starting to question what was coming from the pulpit.    When the “super giving Sunday” (you give 90% and keep 10% to live on) came from the pulpit we finally had, had enough.   Twenty- six years of the same lies and deceit from people who were either ignorant (most) or just plain evil.    In 2000 everything changed.  Friends from my wife’s work invited us to attend a church that was being held in a tent…I reluctantly went thinking “great here comes a tent revival”.    I walked in and within 30 seconds was felt completely at home.    The peace of God that surpasses all understanding existed and I melted into my seat.    We had landed at Calvary Chapel Boise.    This church was so different from the staunch, overdressed, pious churches we had endured.    There were bikers, hippie’s, lawyers, drug addicts you name it.    It was like walking in the park.   We finally felt like we fit in and had found a church that Jesus would go to (real people).      When pastor Bob got up to speak he did not waive his arms around and yell….and when he said we would be covering verses 1-14 today I about fell over.     For the first time in my life a pastor did not have an agenda.   He was preaching straight from the word of God and boy was it good.      

Now that you have heard of where I come from I want to address why I think the word of God is real and true.   I am going to use two stories from the Bible that are my core reasons I believe.   I am very suspect of anything religious at this point but these two topics are beyond question for me.   

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Ever see the 1990’s bumper sticker “Question Everything” ?    I recommend you do that.   Look at both sides of the topic and get your facts together before making your decision.