Skip the drama, worship God

“The things we make, make us.”  Wrong.  “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27).  The things we make don’t make us because God made us.  In HIS image.
Call me crazy but something tells me His image isn’t in a jeep.  Or social status.  Material possessions.  Fame.  Wealth.  I don’t know.  It seems counterintuitive in my thought that it could be so.  It’s true, we all worship something.  But there is this inherrent breakdown in society of the right perspective of what/who should get all our worship.  It’s been there throughout all of human history sadly enough.
For some it’s work.  Others are after the next fix of whatever habit or behavior has a hold of them.  Some fall for the trap of materialism…more money, more stuff, greater happiness.  It’s a sick cycle carousel they can’t, won’t or don’t get off of for one reason or another.  Some people are their own god.  Awkward but realistic.
Again there is this dillusion that the things we make can make us.  Make us what?  Happy?  Rich?  Famous?  Sad?  Miserable?  Broke?  Lonely?  Dead?  I don’t get it.  Humans didn’t make humans.  “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7)
So if man didn’t make man to start with, how do man-made things make man, man?  Are we bored with God?  Does everything have to be something that is physically there?  What about faith?  Wind isn’t visible but everyone believes in that.  Shouldn’t that make it easier to believe in the existence of God, whom we cannot actually see in human form today?
Whatever an individual worships reveals that person’s god in their life.  However, since nothing exists apart from God why not worship Him?  He did give us life after all.  “Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” (Exodus 34:14)  God is jealous…He doesn’t want to share us with anything else.  Jealousy causes drama.  I don’t know about you, but I hate drama, and I think most others do as well.  So why not skip the drama of a jealous God and worship Him with every breath?

Jesus: Soul saving hero

I cannot for the life of me fathom how this blog has been hiding in my Facebook notes for over two years.  And never made it here until now!  Enjoy.
If I asked you who your hero was, who would you choose? Why would you choose this person? How do you define someone as heroic? Is it based on social status, cars he/she drives, friends they have, or is it something deeper than all of that?
Maybe your hero is someone who has been to Hell and back. Someone who because of the hand they were dealt in life should be the most pessimistic person ever but they never are. Instead they are living proof that you should never give up no matter how hard things get.
Although I guess if you’re aiming for silly instead of serious, your hero could be the individual(s) that came up with the idea for Pepsi or Hot Pockets or something else goofy. Cause just like me, not everything about life comes out as serious and there’s nothing wrong with that.
But if you feel anything like I do right now, none of the aformentioned apply to the idea of hero in your life.
Honestly, I don’t know how anyone else can measure up to the level of hero status that Christ has claim over. There’s not a single person on this Earth I can think of who would sacrifice his/her life for the sins of mankind the way Jesus did. I mean seriously, Jesus came to Earth knowing that God had a plan for him to be killed to cover the sins of all mankind, including all those who had yet to be born, like you and I. And he went along with the whole thing. Now that’s what I call love!
Now I dunno about the rest of ya’ll but I know for me there’s nothing more heroic than a man laying down his life to pay for the sins of the world. Without question. It didn’t matter what the sins were or who committed them because Christ died to cover it all.
It is completely awesome to think about it. And it totally blows me away.

Best friends for eternity…yes please!

Jesus wants to be our best friend.  Not just another sorta-kinda ya maybe we’re friends.  But really truly…our best friend.  Mind blowing.  God…the Creator of the universe…wants to be our best friend.  Forever and ever.  Has it sunk in yet?  Doesn’t mean we have to accept Him as such.  But if we’re going to shouldn’t we do everything in our power to spend as much time as possible with Him…getting to know Him?  Like we do with people we call “friend” or more specifically “best friend”. 
When we are best friends with someone, we spend all kinds of time with them.  Talking, texting, on Facebook, solid quality face to face time, having a meal together.  Whatever it is…we make every effort to have some sort of connection with this person (or these people) as much as possible.  And sometimes those efforts make us a little bit crazy cause it isn’t always easy. 
Making time for Jesus is almost like pulling teeth or worse, it gets blown off.  Day after day.  Until we’re in a dire situation and then rather than getting know Jesus better…we’re screaming at Him or blaming Him for the latest problem that has knocked us to the ground. 
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.  I whine and complain that I miss this person or that person when I don’t see or talk to them for a while.  So I spend all kinds of energy and effort to get ahold of people to spend time with them.  Because I miss them.  Then I think about how little I even flinch when I think about the lack of effort and energy spent to spend time with Jesus.  I’m not gonna get to know someone I don’t spend time with, now am I? 
Relationships don’t grow if they’re not pursued.  And they’re certainly not gonna grow by being one-sided either.  If you want to accept Jesus as your best friend…pursue Him as relentlessly as He pursues you!  Don’t leave Him in the dust only to acknowledge His presence when you’re hurt or pissed off about something.  I mean, He’ll be there in those moments but He’s also there in the every day moments that aren’t crappy or don’t suck.  Just like any best friend would be…go figure. 
If you squirmed in your chair or told me to shut up I guess that means you know what I’m talking about.  Maybe a little too well and you didn’t want someone calling you out for it.  Well…somebody’s gotta do it.  But honestly..this was more for my own benefit and I figured I’d share it with you too.  You know…just in case.   

Can we please just stop?

I cannot wait for the day that everyone who walks this planet and breathes the air on it stops.  Stops what you ask?  Giving a crap about what other people think of them.  For real.  100% in all areas of life.  I really feel like that more than anything else is the biggest problem.  We don’t say or do certain things around certain people because they might not approve or whatever.  We don’t wear certain clothing in certain settings.  That one’s a little different and I understand it to a point though.
But really…”I can’t tell them about Jesus because they might not like me anymore”…get over it!  Maybe that’s not even  the biggest reason we don’t tell people about Jesus either.  Except there’s this little problem we have called self-absorbedness.  Thinking it’s all aobut us and we have to do what’s convenient for us…blah, blah, blah.  Um excuse me…wrong answer!  It’s not about us or our timing, convenience, comfort…nothing.  It’s about Jesus and we’re supposed to tell people about Him because He told us to do it.  He didn’t say “Yeah if you could tell some people about me, that’d be cool”.  He said “go everywhere, tell everybody, make more disciples”.  Everybody!
I’ve said it before and I’ll remind you again…Jesus didn’t care what people thought of Him.  He didn’t let their opinions of who he was affect the things he said or did.  He was who he was.  Period.  Let’s be more like Jesus then we’ve ever been before…okay?  Sounds good to me.  Easy…no…but we don’t have to do it by ourselves.  If we’re gonna get serious about it, we’re gonna need Jesus to help us out.  Every day.  There ain’t no foolin’ Him so why bother trying? 

Baptism won’t save you..

Sometimes in the afternoon at work I like to listen to messages from different pastors at different churches.  And sometimes I like to listen again to the message from church that previous Sunday.  Yesterday, though, I decided I needed a little bit of Tom Allen’s preaching in my life.  Who is he you might ask?  One of my very favorite professors from PBU, who also happens to be a teaching pastor at a church in Yardley, PA.  And yeah, they’re in the 21st century and make their Sunday messages accessible on the internet…yahoo!!
The message I listened to was on baptism.  And truth be told I picked it because it is a message that Mr. Allen delivered.  So as I listened and laughed and gathered thoughts in my head, I knew there would have to be a blog about the thoughts at some point.  Ready…here we go!
Baptism is the public profession of a personal decision to place our faith in Christ.  It doesn’t secure our salvation.  It doesn’t give us an automatic spot in Heaven either. 
God’s grace is what saves us, not the water in which we are immersed in at the time of our baptism.  Water is water no matter where it is.  A baptism cannot be invalidated because it’s not in a baptismal inside the walls of a church.  There’s nothing special about that water.  It’s the same as if someone were baptized in a swimming pool, hot tub or the ocean.  Or done by the senior pastor of the church.  The water is a symbol of dying to one’s self and being raised again in Christ. 
Infant “baptism” and growing up in a Christian home.  Neither of those things guarantee the salvation of our souls.  To accept the gift of salvation in our life is not something our parents can do for us when we are babies.  They can, and I hope will, however declare that they are going to raise us up the way God would want them to. 
Baptism is something only as an individual can we decide we are ready for.  Don’t do it just because everyone else you know seems like they are.  We aren’t all ready for it at the same time. 

The greatest of these is love

I just started reading The Irresistible Revolution, probably an hour ago.  And already, it has called my thoughts, my actions, my faith (not its existence but what it looks like)…out on the carpet.  Also it has given me a picture of the “true” non-negotiable qualities of the Church.  Don’t worry this isn’t going to be some long winded thing.  I’ll be done in about two minutes.
Love.
“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” – Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV)
“”You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” – Matthew 5:43-44 (NIV)
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”" – Mark 12:30-31 (NIV)
Faith.
“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” – Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)
““Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8 (NLT)
Truth.
“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”” – John 14:6-7 (NLT)

My thoughts in the Gospels…

Matthew
-people who think the Bible is “nicey-nice” should read Matt. 2
-I would certainly weep right along with Rachel if the children were no more in this era (2:18)
-no but you can take time away by worrying (6:27)
-”don’t play fair” (7:12)
-love how the coach uses this in Facing The Giants (7:13-14)
-be on guard for false teaching (16:12)
-He wasn’t calling Peter Satan but knew Satan was speaking through Peter (16:23)
-the humble are exalted and the exalted are humbled (19:30)
-we should not look to be served but to serve instead (20:28)
-”Your Word oh Lord is eternal, it stands firm” pretty sure that’s a MercyMe song (24:35)
-this parable may sound as if greed is the way to go but it is not…instead it is promoting diligence and resourcefulness (25:14-30)
-you either do for God or you don’t (25:45)
-Never say never Peter (26:33)
-oh to be like Jesus (26:50)
-they weren’t smart enough to know Jesus was talking about his body being a temple…foolish men (26:61)
-don’t doubt the Master…He knows it all before we even think it (26:75)
-envy is a dangerous and deadly emotion even to this day (27:18)
-the 3 days weren’t up yet… (27:40)
-oh how different things would be if things hadn’t gone this way (28:6)
-how great to know we will be able to forever count on God’s presence in our lives (28:20)

Mark
-so is a baptism by immersion that of John & Jesus? (1:8)
-rest was made for people, people were not made for rest only (2:28)
-I guess it would be wrong though to want the chatty shut up (7:37)
-”first is the worst, second is the best, third is the one with treasure chest” (9:35)
-I still can’t wrap my head around lesbian pastors being ordained (10:6-9)
-how greatly inspiring it is to know God came to Earth with the intent to serve and not be served (10:45)
-yet one more reason to give God our money…though it’s never really our money anyway (12:17)
-He did (15:30)
-Jesus is still saving others even today (15:31)

Luke
-it’s extremely telling that the Shepherd was born among shepherds watching their flocks nearby (2:8)
-if only He would increase in favor with people today (2:52)
-though God tests our faith we are not to test Him at His Word (4:12)
-He had the authority given to Him by the Father (4:32)
-”don’t play fair” (6:31)
-only Jesus can humiliate and delight at the same time (13:17)
-even the rocks know who Jesus is (19:40)
-only Jesus…(22:51)
-except it wasn’t their will but the will of the Father for Him to do this (23:25)

John
-how amazing & yet so frightening that Jesus knows what is in us and we don’t have to speak at all (2:25)
-wow I don’t think I ever heard that before (4:2)
-still true today (12:8)
-how right he was since that one man was Jesus (18:14)
-I’m sure many people say this now (20:25)
-no easy feat to do so but life sustaining (20:29)

No more chains!

It is…
Smashed.
Scattered.
Torn.
Broken.
Ripped apart.
Done.
Over.
Busted.
Gone.
Wiped away.
Conquered.
Snuffed out.
Cracked.

I am…
set free.
loved.
changed.
saved.
rescued.

I can…
start over.
move on.
walk away.

Because…
Jesus.
is.
alive.
in.
me!

Jesus is blond?!

Apparently this is what happens when I color with the kids…I don’t pay attention.   And Jesus ends up blond.  Oh dear.

Never thought of it before…

Sin is destructive in four areas of our lives.  In terms of relationships at least.  I’m not really sure it’d be accurate to say I’ve ever thought about it in quite those terms before.  But I definitely think it’s fair to say it has crossed my mind in vague and non-specific ways throughout life.
Relationship with creation.
Relationship with others.
Relationship with God.
Relationship with self.
Really I should hear those words or see them on the screen and say “no kidding” to all four.  However only two out of the four have ever been something of a “duh” to me.  I guess the other two I’ve always known as true in the back of my mind but have never really been willing to put words behind it…out loud.
Mostly…for the sake of my intentions here…I was thinking about the last one in service today.  How I’ve never said anything like that but I completely get it.  Sin is destructive to my relationship with myself.  First I was kinda thinking…relationship with self.  What the heck?  I continued to listen and continued to mull that statement over in my head.  Eventually…it made sense and I got it.   Well…maybe not so much the idea of a relationship with self but more how sin is destructive to it.
How did it make sense?  Well I started thinking about when I do something that irritates me or even someone else.  What is generally my first reaction.  How have I handled things like that in the past.  With a physically destructive behavior that, in and of itself, I have a hard time calling sin.  Although after listening to the message this morning and realizing that sin is destructive in four areas relationally…one of them being relationship with self…it definitely counts as sin.
When you really think about it, how does intentionally ripping your own skin with sharp objects or burning it not count as sin?    It’s definitely destructive…to self!