I was recently intrigued while listening to a news cast that advised a company was offering to hire people to get their head tattooed in order to market their business. It’s a fairly simple and straightforward proposition…shave your head, have a marketing slogan tattooed on your head, and receive royalty payments as long as the company makes money. The scripture says, “….faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17). There are so many ways that we communicate “the message.” I’m glad we don’t have to shave our heads and get tattooed in order to share the message of Christ. Through scripture the message of Christ can be so vibrant in our lives that it will get more attention than even a shaved/tattooed head!
Christian
All posts tagged Christian
Where is He?
????
????
????
????
????
????
“Jesus was a homeless man.”
After coming off another Christmas season, I have to ask….has it been easy for you to forget about Jesus? I mean, it just seems when I look around that everyone has a focus; making a living, education, activities, sports, purchasing a new car or house, and the list goes on and on!
In some cases, even going to church could be placed on the list. Could it be possible that we could even forget Him there…in church? Anything (and any place or any person) can become a distraction if we allow it. Yes, even good things, good places, and good people! Whatever we do, let’s make certain we never forget what Christ has done for us…and let’s take every opportunity to get to know Him better!
Sin may be closer than it appears
Maybe we need a warning (convex) mirror in our spiritual lives like we have on our cars. The convex mirror is designed to give us a view of our “blind spots.” Just as we drive our vehicles…we also “drive” our lives! Both have blind spots and often times we need a better view to see what lies in an area of our lives that we can’t immediately see. 1 Peter 2:11 says, “….as aliens and strangers in the world, abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul.”
Better check your blind spots!
Those who have ever piloted a plane or ship will tell you the same thing when facing a storm. You MUST decide which way you will go. Your choices are: go around it, go over it or under it (if you’re in a plane), or go through it. You may not have enough fuel to go around it? If you’re flying, going above it could create altitude problems and going under it could cause you to fly dangerously close to the ground (risking a crash). Sometimes, going through the storm is the only choice! In our lives, there will be times we MUST go through the storm. It won’t seem fair, won’t be easy, will create a rough ride, and may cause some temporary disturbances in our lives. At times, it can even cause damage to your ship. During these times, trust God and ask Him to “take you through it!” You will never regret having Him with you when your ship/plane (life) faces the storm!
After some lengthy discussions with some of the finest young people I know, it has become apparent that (at least for many), Christianity has been reduced to an image of our traditions…which at times seems void of “relationship” and steeped in rules. It’s often easy to cite scripture to back our own understandings or feelings, yet today’s young people are asking deeper questions (and deserve better answers). They aren’t looking for a “mature Christian” to give them advise any more than they are looking for the janitor at their school to teach them algebra. What they want to see is the same overriding love that Jesus expressed…over & over & over again (without prejudice or judgement). The kind of love He gave in the NT…to those who society shunned. We take words from scripture (that at first glance) seem to have clear definition, but when we place them into “context” we often find that we are wrong. Be advised…our young people see and question this and become frustrated with us and the church. Somehow, we take “executive privilege” when attempting to guide people to Christ. We question, require, instruct, expect, and behave in ways that make us feel good, but perhaps may not be the (only) biblical way to live? In fact, the only real way to guide anyone to Christ is to love them as Christ did. If we are not careful, our efforts to rebuke, admonish, teach, or train could be perceived as a sense of judgement (which none of us has the right to do). So here’s the question…(now really think about this before you answer)…Could anyone (especially a young person evaluating Christ as an option for their life) construe your concern as a desire to “fix” what you may think is wrong with them? Or do your actions reveal the great, the broad, the amazingly deep love that only comes from knowing Christ? It’s just a thought…but one that needs to be pondered if we REALLY want to see our young people experience Him. My wife always poses the question: “Are you building a wall, or a bridge?” Our young people are the greatest “Kingdom”commodity there is…let’s be open to their questions without judgement! Love will pull them into a relationship with Christ…anything less will push them away.
This may come as a surprise to you: Christianity is not an invitation to become a moral person. It is not a program for getting us in line or for reforming society. It has a powerful effect on our lives, but when transformation comes, it is always the aftereffectof something else, something at the level of our hearts. And so at its core, Christianity begins with an invitation to desire. Look again at the way Jesus relates to people. There is the Samaritan woman Jesus meets at the well. She has come alone in the heat of the day to draw water, and they both know why. By coming when the sun is high, she is less likely to run into anyone. You see, her sexual lifestyle has earned her a “reputation.” Back in those days, having one partner after another wasn’t looked so highly upon. She’s on her sixth lover, and so she’d rather bear the scorching rays of the sun than face the searing words of the “decent” women of the town who come at evening to draw water. She succeeds at avoiding the women, but runs into God instead. What does He choose to talk to her about — her immorality? No, He speaks to her about her “thirst”: “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water” (John 4:10 The Message). REMARKABLE! He doesn’t give a sermon about purity; He doesn’t even mention it, except to say that He knows what her life has been like: “You’ve had five husbands, and the man you’re living with now isn’t even your husband” (John 4:18The Message). In other words, now that we both know it, let’s talk about your hearts real thirst, since the life you’ve chosen obviously isn’t working. “The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life” (John 4:14 The Message).
(The Journey of Desire, 35-36)
Before you make an opinion about these pictures, I will remind you of the words of Jesus (in the Gospel of John) when He said, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone.” I must confess (although we Christians are not supposed to judge and often times call it something else to avoid feeling so guilty) there have been times when I steered clear of people because of my own preconceived ideas about them! As I walked the fairways at the Buick Open this past summer (2008), I was struck with a sense of shame as I watched Kid Rock and John Daly golf in the annual Pro-AM event. It seemed (at first glance…judgement) neither of them looked or acted the way people should behave in public. After all, John Daly has a reputation…and so does Kid Rock…and so do you and I. (O.K. that last one hurt!). But after an entire day of watching this twosome, I was struck with many examples that I could learn from. These guys really knew how to enjoy life…neither of them were hiding anything…they were “real” in front of a very large audience. Now please don’t misunderstand, this writing is not about supporting these guys or going out and buying a Kid Rock concert ticket or a John Daly golf club. At first, I asked myself why people actually liked 2 quite controversial figures in the music and sports industry? Then as I watched…and watched…and watched, I saw 2 guys who people seemed to gravitate towards in spite of past incidents/failures. Yes, along with a beer and new stogie at every hole, these guys were incredibly friendly, courteous, and outgoing. Although these attributes won’t qualify them for a “Citizen’s of the Year” award, I was struck with how we (as Christians) could sure afford to follow suit. These guys were more transparent and friendlier than most any Christian I know. No, I’m not here to bash Christians, just simply thinking we all have something to learn here. First, be careful about the preconceived ideas we develop about others. Doing so could be equivalent to “throwing a stone.” Secondly, let’s learn that we need to also be friendly and courteous. Living a victorious life in Christ would include these attributes! You see, no one will follow an angry, disgruntled, mean spirited Christian. It’s just a thought!
