I absolutely love the barriers Jesus breaks. Racial, social, economic. That anyone can worship Him. That culture doesn't stop the true worship of Him. Below is a funny clip on the difference between a black and white church. This may be in house humor I don't know. Thought a little humor would lighten the blog a bit. Thanks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XU-0BoLeis
Galatians 3:28 (New Living Translation)
28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Lent Day 11 - Authenticity part 2 - If Christopher Hitchens can recognize you.
Below is a great short video clip that even those who don't believe in Christ can separate those who truly believe in Christ , from those who claim to be christian but ignore what the Bible says. I think this does point out what "authentic" faith in Jesus is as opposed to unauthentic. Enjoy the short clip, and thank you for reading.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B5BemlHdIM
Romans 1:16-17 (New International Version)
16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
* the word gospel literally means "good news."
Luke 9:26 (New Living Translation)
26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.
lent Day 10 - Authenticity part 1
(please watch short video clip)
People know when someone is authentic or not. People know if you treat them like a trophy or not. I am not shy about my faith, my friends believers and non know I am a Christian. But what use is my friendship to those who don't believe like me if I simply want to win them to what I believe. That's interest in me not them.
Proverbs 17:17 (New International Version)
17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
I wanna be a friend thick or thin. It is my genuine hope my friends and family will come to the faith I embrace, but even if they don't I want to love'em.
Colossians 4:6-7 (New Living Translation)
6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.
6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.
I don't want to give canned answers either. Life isn't a script why should my faith be one.
Believe me I have failed so many times at being genuine and have failed at being the type of friend I should be. So don't get me wrong I certainly can't toot my own horn.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Lent Day 9 - Do you love gay people?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRPieL7BeS0
( to get the frame of reference I am coming from, please watch short video)
Do you love gays? That's the question I'll answer. My answer is Yes. Now I know this is a hot button issue. I will not go into the politics on this. My first point will be to define what the Bible thinks of homosexuality. I will not be preaching or lecturing anyone who is a homosexual or who agrees with homosexuality. I am simply showing what the Bible has to say.
My second point will be how I .....as a Christian respond to a homosexual. Plus the wrongs and rights in how the church at wide has treated homosexuals.
First let me say that I am not going to point out homosexuals as these "supreme sinners" because all of us....are equal in terms of sin.
Romans 3:23 (New Living Translation)
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Let me be very clear in saying that I do believe the Bible and it's standards on what homosexuality is. What does the Bible have to say about it as far as it being a sin? I'll comment more after each verse is read.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (New Living Translation)
9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11
Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Scripture is pretty clear that Homosexuality is sin ( along with many other things mentioned) but it's also clear that scripture says one can change! Not just from a sexual lifestyle but from sin's grip all together.
Romans 1:26-27 (New International Version)
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
The above verses do not leave it open to suggestion that the Bible says the homosexual lifestyle is not natural. Romans chapter 1 is essentially summed up in how we traded God's TRUTH for our own "truth."
2. How do I as a Christian respond to a person who is homosexual.
Well I first ask what would the Bible or Jesus have me do?
Matthew 7:12-13 (New International Version)
12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Christians haven't always lived up to this standard. Especially in the face of politics and "culture wars." Some have ungraciously forgotten RESPECT.
Matthew 5:46-48 (New International Version)
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
I have to admit I am really good at loving those like minded with me. While I am imperfect at it I strive to love others who aren't like me even if I disagree with them.
Philippians 4:5 (New International Version)
5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
It doesn't say ....let your gentleness be evident to some, or to those who agree w/ you......but to ALL.
Ephesians 4:15 (New Living Translation)
15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
As Christians we do have standards , but there is a way to present them.....which often disagree with the secular culture......in grace and love. To often those in the church at large forgets to do that.
3. How the church responds to homosexuality.
1 - Extreme hatred - Fred Phelps is a pastor out of Topeka, KS. He and his followers go around protesting with signs saying things like "Fags burn in hell", "God damn America" , etc. If you look at the above examples this isn't right.
2 - Balanced approach - Augustine I believed coined the phrase " Love the sinner and hate the sin." Many or most churches I think strive for this. Loving homosexuals but not accepting the lifestyle.
In my own life I have a few interactions with people who are gay. We talk a lot and know we have our vast differences, but there is a deep respect between us. Just because someone is gay doesn't mean they don't have genuine hurts and experiences. One person I talk with on a regular basis has all but been shunned by her "christian" family, and i think to myself how could they be like that. Christian or not your kid is your kid. I can't lie it would be difficult for me if I had a kid in a situation like that, but I would never deny my flesh and blood. Anyway even if this person never comes to agreeing with me about Jesus etc. at the very least they know I am genuine about trying to show Jesus through grace.
3 - Siding on the error of grace or totally denying the Bible.
Many liberal denominations have openly embraced homosexuality and ignored anything the Bible has to say on the issue. Anglicans, Episcopals, a branch of Lutheran, and some in the United Methodist Church. To me that's as equally wrong as # 1. If you look at the above examples in scripture again 1 and 3 aren't right.
Thank you for reading. I hope I approached this with gentleness and respect. This is an aspect of faith and a pretty divisive issue in our culture. Again my point was to present the biblical case for its view on homosexuality, but also a biblical case for how homosexuals should be treated. Again I don't zero in on them as these super sinners, but I zero in on the topic because it's a big one in our day.
( to get the frame of reference I am coming from, please watch short video)
Do you love gays? That's the question I'll answer. My answer is Yes. Now I know this is a hot button issue. I will not go into the politics on this. My first point will be to define what the Bible thinks of homosexuality. I will not be preaching or lecturing anyone who is a homosexual or who agrees with homosexuality. I am simply showing what the Bible has to say.
My second point will be how I .....as a Christian respond to a homosexual. Plus the wrongs and rights in how the church at wide has treated homosexuals.
First let me say that I am not going to point out homosexuals as these "supreme sinners" because all of us....are equal in terms of sin.
Romans 3:23 (New Living Translation)
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Let me be very clear in saying that I do believe the Bible and it's standards on what homosexuality is. What does the Bible have to say about it as far as it being a sin? I'll comment more after each verse is read.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (New Living Translation)
9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11
Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Scripture is pretty clear that Homosexuality is sin ( along with many other things mentioned) but it's also clear that scripture says one can change! Not just from a sexual lifestyle but from sin's grip all together.
Romans 1:26-27 (New International Version)
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
The above verses do not leave it open to suggestion that the Bible says the homosexual lifestyle is not natural. Romans chapter 1 is essentially summed up in how we traded God's TRUTH for our own "truth."
2. How do I as a Christian respond to a person who is homosexual.
Well I first ask what would the Bible or Jesus have me do?
Matthew 7:12-13 (New International Version)
12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Christians haven't always lived up to this standard. Especially in the face of politics and "culture wars." Some have ungraciously forgotten RESPECT.
Matthew 5:46-48 (New International Version)
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
I have to admit I am really good at loving those like minded with me. While I am imperfect at it I strive to love others who aren't like me even if I disagree with them.
Philippians 4:5 (New International Version)
5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
It doesn't say ....let your gentleness be evident to some, or to those who agree w/ you......but to ALL.
Ephesians 4:15 (New Living Translation)
15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
As Christians we do have standards , but there is a way to present them.....which often disagree with the secular culture......in grace and love. To often those in the church at large forgets to do that.
3. How the church responds to homosexuality.
1 - Extreme hatred - Fred Phelps is a pastor out of Topeka, KS. He and his followers go around protesting with signs saying things like "Fags burn in hell", "God damn America" , etc. If you look at the above examples this isn't right.
2 - Balanced approach - Augustine I believed coined the phrase " Love the sinner and hate the sin." Many or most churches I think strive for this. Loving homosexuals but not accepting the lifestyle.
In my own life I have a few interactions with people who are gay. We talk a lot and know we have our vast differences, but there is a deep respect between us. Just because someone is gay doesn't mean they don't have genuine hurts and experiences. One person I talk with on a regular basis has all but been shunned by her "christian" family, and i think to myself how could they be like that. Christian or not your kid is your kid. I can't lie it would be difficult for me if I had a kid in a situation like that, but I would never deny my flesh and blood. Anyway even if this person never comes to agreeing with me about Jesus etc. at the very least they know I am genuine about trying to show Jesus through grace.
3 - Siding on the error of grace or totally denying the Bible.
Many liberal denominations have openly embraced homosexuality and ignored anything the Bible has to say on the issue. Anglicans, Episcopals, a branch of Lutheran, and some in the United Methodist Church. To me that's as equally wrong as # 1. If you look at the above examples in scripture again 1 and 3 aren't right.
Thank you for reading. I hope I approached this with gentleness and respect. This is an aspect of faith and a pretty divisive issue in our culture. Again my point was to present the biblical case for its view on homosexuality, but also a biblical case for how homosexuals should be treated. Again I don't zero in on them as these super sinners, but I zero in on the topic because it's a big one in our day.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Lent Day 8 - Life is short
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu8456pVSLI
(The video above is a great example of just how short life is.)
Yeah this blog is a little depressing. Death or lifes shortness is hard to think about. However I think there is wisdom in remembering that we aren't here forever. The verses below really indicate just how short life is, and the wisdom in thinking that we one day won't be here.
Psalm 89:47-48 (New International Version)
47 Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all men!
48 What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave. Selah
Ecclesiastes 5:15 (New Living Translation)
15 We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.
Psalm 90:12 (New International Version)
12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 (New International Version)
6 Remember him—before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken;before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well,
7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Psalm 39:4-5 (NIV)
4 "Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.
5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath.
Selah
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Lent Day 7 - An affair, divorce, a new marriage
Psalm 34:18 (NIV)
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 147:3 (NIV) He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
I do believe God can heal the broken hearted, situations, and mend shattered pieces.
As always testimony speaks for itself. Thanks for following the blog. Please click on link below.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Lent Day 6 - Nietzche or Jesus?
This is an excerpt from Phillip Yancy's book called "What's So Amazing About Grace."
"In his autobiography, the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche told of his ability to "smell" the inmost parts of every soul, especially the "abundant hidden dirt at the bottom of many a character." Nietzsche was a master of ungrace. We (Christians) are called to do the opposite, to smell the residue of hidden worth."
I am not always the best at finding the worth in anyone. I strive to be like that but would be a liar if I told that its easy for me. In short I am reminded of a God who found me a sinner to have worth, so much so that he died for me when I didn't deserve it. I want to reflect that kind of love in my life. This is one reason why Christ is out of this world, because even in our failures we are still of great worth to Him.
Romans 5:6-9 (NIV)
6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Lent Day 5 - Testimony
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
The video clip speaks for itself. Have a great day.
Lent - Day 4 - The Begining
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
( please watch short video above)
The above verse is the very first verse in the Bible. Now in our day there is a lot of politics between creation and evolution. I simply won't go there. As Randall Niles states there is a difference between the two theories of how it all began. "Something did it, or it did itself."
Lent Day - 3 - The Gap of Eternity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV13qMpv6Z4
( please watch short video)
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
To be cliche....I agree with the statement that there is a God shaped hole in all of us. Mankind is restlessly searching for completion or fulfillment. We chase many things to try to fill the gap. We chase relationships, more things, a better job, the collection of stuff, hobbies, sex, pleasure, education, social status, religion etc. Only to find those pursuits futile or hopeless.
Now don't get me wrong many of those things are good. In my view many of the above mentioned are gifts from God. We ( myself included) just tend to reverse the order.
To sum it up I'll borrow from something I read today. "Just as a square peg cannot fill a round hole, neither can the “God-shaped hole” inside each of us be filled by anyone or anything other than God. Only through a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ can the “God-shaped hole” be filled and the desire for eternity fulfilled."
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Lent - Day 2 - Jesus wants the rose .....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-zR3h2UsR4
( please watch this short video before reading, click on clip above)
Jesus doesn't desire our perfection. He doesn't demand that we "get right" or "cleaned up" before we ever take a look at Him. Jesus loves us if we are washed up, burnt out, wore down, simply confused, addicted, afflicted, or just in a habit of making mistakes, big or small.
Branching off from the first blog a bit.....He didn't come for those who think they have it all together. He came for those who knew they didn't.
I started believing in Christ at the age 15. At that time I was in Juvenile Detention, very angry, a failing student, a drug user and very confused. At the same time coming to Him doesn't have to be this dramatic thing, it could be a person realized they had a hole in their heart that only He could fill.
Below is a statement Jesus made a long time ago for those to come to Him. The thing I love about this is there are no prerequisites in coming to Jesus. Or at the very least taking a look at Jesus. Wherever you are in life high or low .......Jesus wants you."Something to think about."
Matthew 11:28-30 (New Living Translation)
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Lent - Day 1 ( Ash Wednesday)
During Lent many Christians ( Catholics, Lutherans etc) give up something to focus on God. I don't really participate in Lent as a Christian myself, but deeply respect it. So in solidarity I wanted not to give something up but to put something into Lent. I would simply just like to share my faith, attributes of Jesus and the Bible for 40 days. This will not be a time for me to preach, judge, lecture or the like. Just to simply share my faith. Thanks. Day 1 is below.
Lent – Day 1 (Ash Wednesday)
Matthew 9:11-13 (NIV)
11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
I find in the Bible that it’s often the “religious” or “holier than thou” kind of people that are the furthest from Jesus. I think even those who know very little about Jesus know that extremely religious people (those who are joyless finger pointers) aren’t following the model of Christ. It seems to me the only people Jesus scorned were those who were self righteous. I think the incredible thing about this story was people were attracted to Jesus, he wasn't this "dry" or boring teacher. But in my view this living water they were thirsting for.
* while I will put these blogs on my facebook in general , I have selected certain readers with various backrounds. One's similiar to mine and others who a vastly different. All with deep resepct to everyone I picked.
Lent – Day 1 (Ash Wednesday)
Matthew 9:11-13 (NIV)
11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
I find in the Bible that it’s often the “religious” or “holier than thou” kind of people that are the furthest from Jesus. I think even those who know very little about Jesus know that extremely religious people (those who are joyless finger pointers) aren’t following the model of Christ. It seems to me the only people Jesus scorned were those who were self righteous. I think the incredible thing about this story was people were attracted to Jesus, he wasn't this "dry" or boring teacher. But in my view this living water they were thirsting for.
* while I will put these blogs on my facebook in general , I have selected certain readers with various backrounds. One's similiar to mine and others who a vastly different. All with deep resepct to everyone I picked.
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