Crazies
I recently found myself defending my Pentecostal views in terms of “I try to avoid crazy at all costs.” What I was trying to explain was that I think things in church should be done in an orderly manner (1 Corinthians 14:40) and that there have been a tremendous amount of abuses in charismatic circles over the years that have made a lot of people leery of anything that has to do with the supernatural.
But the more I think about it, the more I find that, while a bit humorous, my own statement isn’t really accurate.
Because as much as I don’t want to be labeled “crazy”, I’m thinking that maybe that’s exactly what I am. I do believe in order in the church and in avoiding the abuses that I have seen over the years, but I understand that what I really do believe makes me quite the minority in today’s society.
I believe in salvation through Christ alone.
I believe in a God that comes and dwells within me, and that having the power that raised Jesus from the dead in me, absolutely changes the way I am. (Romans 8)
While not a “requirement” for salvation, I believe that people today can have an Acts 2:4 experience in which “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (I experienced this for myself for the first time over 20 years ago, and this prayer language is still as mysterious to me now as it was then.)
I believe that healing through Jesus can and does still happen in our day.
I believe in heaven and hell, and a whole lot of other unpopular things the Bible addresses.
Being me just may be the new crazy. And I guess I’m going to have to be ok with that because the more I study the Bible and invite Jesus into my every-days, the more I realize He is asking me to live a crazy-life for him.
Matthew 16:24-25 “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”
Everyday Spectacular 
Great blog! “crazy” is Normal Christianity. 🙂 I’m in the book of Acts at the moment and there wasn’t anything tame about how they lived or what they saw. Also on this side of the world, in many places – crazy is the only way they know how to live for Jesus and the church is exploding because of it. YOU GO CARRIE! Cheering for you.
As long as Lucas and Rozlyn can remember, I have told them that when people tell you that you are “weird” you should receive it as a complement of your individuality. In this world it is certainly not a bad thing to stand out as unique, different, a few standard deviations from the norm. Welcome to my family, Carrie, you weirdo!
God is Spirit. When the Spirit of God touches us/humans something crazy happens. It looks so different all the time because we are all so different/different places. Its all good, when we come out of His touch, being a better person and more like Him. God help us all be crazy for you… Love ya Sandra
Love to be stretched in my thinking of God! Thanks
Great blog Carrie! I remember saying a while back to a friend “I don’t want to be seen as CRAZY” but I’ve come to care less & less what other people think. I’d rather live like King David did “I will be even more undignified than this. I will be even more humiliated in my own eyes.” {2 Sam 6:22}.
I’d rather be crazy & recklessly abandoned to Jesus than confined to the control of the fear of man. I’m ok with crazy now- I want ALL His kingdom brings 🙂
LOVE YOU!