perhaps John Wesley understood depravity better than we thought

In our time and culture, Christians are in need of communal accountability.  John Wesley came up with this set of self-examination questions for a spiritual accountability group while he was a student at Oxford.  His desire to be holy (Leviticus 20:26,  1 Peter 1:16) was soaked in sincerity and humility.  Imagine what would happen if our Christian communities (churches) were this open and accountable with one another.

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Do I privately pass on to others what has been said to me in confidence?
3. Can I be trusted?
4. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
5. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
6. Did the Word of God live in my today?
7. Do I give the Word of God time to speak to me every day?
8. Am I enjoying prayer?
9. When did I last speak to someone else of my faith?
10. Do I pray about the money I spend?
11. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
12. Do I disobey God in anything?
13. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
14. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
15. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
16. How do I spend my spare time?
17. Am I proud?
18. Do I thank God that I am not as other people (as the Pharisees despised the publican)?
19. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard?  If so, what am I doing about it?
20. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
21. Is Christ real to me?

After his time at Oxford, Wesley developed other small groups.  In order for an individual to join a group, they had to be willing to answer the following questions (if asked) at any time.  

1. Have you the forgiveness of your sins?
2. Have you peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ?
3. Have you the witness of God's Spirit with your spirit that you are a child of God?
4. Is the love of God shed abroad in your heart?
5. Has no sin, inward or outward, dominion over you?
6. Do you desire to be told of your faults?
7. Do you desire to be told of all your faults?
8. Do you desire that every one of us should tell you from time to time whatever is in his heart concerning you?
9. Consider!  Do you desire we should tell you whatever we think, fear or hear, concerning you?
10. Do you desire that in doing this we should come as close as possible, that we should cut to the quick, and search your heart to the bottom?
11. Is it your desire and design, to be on this and all other occasions entirely open, so as to speak everything that is in your heart, without exception, without disguise, and without reserve?

These next question were asked of every member at every meeting.

1. What known sins have you committed since our last meeting?
2. What temptations have you met with?
3. How were you delivered?
4. What have you thought, said, or done, of which you doubt whether it be sin or not?
5. Have you nothing you desire to keep secret?

the upside-down role handed to the youth pastor

I don't know the detailed political positions of Nick Clegg, but this quote has something to say in regards to the church culture in the U.S.  His original statement was focused on teachers; below, I've replaced "teachers" with "youth pastors."


"We already expect our youth pastors to be social workers; child psychologists; nutritionists; child protection officers. We expect them to police the city, take care of our children’s health; counsel our sons and daughters; guide them, worry about them, and, on top of that, educate them too.  When you consider that list, it is phenomenal that so many rise to the challenge. But it is too much to ask. Youth pastors are not surrogate mothers and fathers; they cannot do it all."

Are You A Good Christ?

by Francis Chan...


I think it's time we stop asking ourselves the question: "Am I a good Christian?" We live in a time when the term "Christian" has been so diluted that millions of immoral but nice people genuinely consider themselves "good Christians." We have reduced the idea of a good Christian to someone who believes in Jesus, loves his or her family, and attends church regularly. Others will label you a good Christian even though your life has no semblance to the way Christ spent His days on earth. Perhaps we should start asking the question: "Am I a good Christ?" In other words, do I look anything like Jesus? This question never even entered my mind until a friend of mine made a passing comment to me one day.
Dan is a long time friend of mine. In fact, he's the pastor who performed my wedding. He was talking to me about a pastor named Von. Von has been working with youth in the San Diego area for decades. Many of his students have gone on to become amazing missionaries and powerful servants of God. Dan described a trip to Tijuana, Mexico with Pastor Von. (Von has been ministering to the poor in the dumps of Tijuana for years). Dan didn't speak of the awful living conditions of those who made their homes amidst the rubbish. What impacted Dan the most was the relationship he saw between Von and the people of this community. He spoke of the compassion, sacrifice, and love that he witnessed in Von's words and actions as he held these malnourished and un-bathed children. Then he made the statement that sent me reeling:
"The day I spent with Von was the closest thing I've ever experienced to walking with Jesus."
Dan explained that the whole experience was so eerie because he kept thinking to himself: "If Jesus were still walking on earth in the flesh, this is what it would feel like to walk alongside of Him!" After that discussion, I kept wondering if anyone had ever said that about me-"The day I spent with Francis was the closest thing I've ever experienced to walking with Jesus." The answer was an obvious "no." Would any honest person say that about you?
What bothered me was not that I hadn't "arrived," but that I wasn't even heading in the right direction. I hadn't made it my goal to resemble Christ. I wasn't striving to become the kind of person who could be mistaken for Jesus Christ. Isn't it ironic that a man can be known as a successful pastor, speaker, and CHRISTian even if his life doesn't resemble Christ's?

1 John 2:6 "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."
When John made that statement, he wasn't speaking about how to be a church leader or even how to be a "good" Christian. He merely stated that anyone who calls himself Christian must live like Jesus did. So how did Jesus live? You could make a list of character traits to compare yourself to, but it would be far more beneficial to simply read through one of the Gospels. After you get a bird's-eye view of the life of Christ, do the same with your own. Are you comfortable with the similarities and differences?
It's easy to get caught up in the pursuit of "success" as American church-goers define it. The thought of being well-known and respected is alluring. There have been times when I've been caught up in the fun of popularity. I've even mistaken it for success. Biblically, however, success is when our lives parallel Christ's. Truth is, there are many good Christs that you'll never read about in a magazine. They are walking as Jesus walked, but they are too focused and humble to pursue their own recognition.
May we make it our goal to someday have someone say of us: "The day/hour/15 minutes I spent with ______ was the closest thing I've ever experienced to walking with Jesus."
As Christians in America, we often complain about how antagonistic people are toward Christ. Personally, I'm not sure that Americans are really rejecting Christ. Maybe they just haven't seen Him.
Try to be COMPLETELY honest with yourself right now. Is the following true of you?
You passionately love Jesus, but you don't really want to be like Him. You admire His humility, but you don't want to be THAT humble. You think it's beautiful that He washed the feet of the disciples, but that's not exactly the direction your life is headed. You're thankful He was spit upon and abused, but you would never let that happen to you. You praise Him for loving you enough to suffer during His whole time on earth, but you're going to do everything within your power to make sure you enjoy your time down here.
In short: You think He's a great Savior, but not a great role model.
The American church has abandoned the most simple and obvious truth of what it means to follow Jesus: You actually follow His pattern of life. I pray for those who read this article- that we don't become cynical or negative toward the church. Instead, let's make a personal decision to stop talking so much and begin living like Jesus. Then we can say as the apostle Paul, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). My guess is that you've never had someone say that to you, and you've never said it to anyone else. Why Not?

Drive - Thru

I love Taco Bell, especially in my college days. Any restaurant serving drive-thru tacos at 2am to hungry college students gets an A in my book. Recently Kelly and I went in a drive thru at Taco Bell.

Imagine a picture of three loaded tacos full of the works, with cilantro and lime to top it all off. Adding to the picture was a name which made my mouth water even more: “Cantina Tacos!”

I couldn’t resist. I ordered the Cantinas in hopes that they would be perfect goodness.  I opened up the foil around my tacos as fast as I could in hopes of biting into a delicious treat.

Laying inside the foil was the smallest, most unsatisfying tacos I have ever gotten from Taco Bell. These three tacos could hardly cover my taste not to mention my hungry, grumbling stomach.

Has our idea of church become like this?

We drive in, expect to be given something great and to be fed, only to drive away wondering why our appetites weren’t filled like we expected. We often wish church would feed us, when really it was never meant to function as a fast food restaurant. We expect programs to offer us something, and when the programs don’t meet our expectations, we wonder what’s wrong with the church.

Are we Christian consumers?

Does our mentality of church fit that of a drive-thru restaurant?

In the book of Acts, a scene is described in which the Spirit of God moved upon a group of people. These people were concerned with two main things, the love of God and love of each other. The two went hand in hand. They weren’t interested in what they could receive from the community, they were interested in what they could contribute to the community as God contributed His Spirit to them.

Many people who attend church possess this consumeristic mentality.

This bothers some of us. Some of us feel a pull to bring back church in its original context. Some of us are sick of being church critics; we're ready to be solutions.

stereotype with vertical dimensions

[This is a blog from "the Weekly," our youth group's handout.  We're starting a series based on 1 Timothy 4:12]




Stereotype: A popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals.

Vertical Dimensions: A way of seeing the world around you based on a scale where the higher is better and the lower is worse.



Some people view "young" as a stereotype with vertical dimensions.  To them, to be young means to be irresponsible, selfish, disrespectful, reckless, clueless, out of control, and etc…  Some say, "The kids these days!"  And yet others rhetorically ask, "These young kids are our future?"  Some think that young people have less (or nothing at all) to offer.  Some people look right over the younger generations, as if they don't matter.  Some people view you this way.


The apostle Paul had something to say to "young" people.  He told us to set an example to anyone who would look down on us (have a stereotype with vertical dimensions).  Paul knew that the only way this vertical dimension would change, is if young people stepped up and proved that they don't fit into the molds of negative stereotypes.


A wise man once said, "There are only two things you can control in this life: your attitude and your actions."

This means something that impacts our lives.  It means that ultimately, we can't have control over other people; what they do or say.  It means that at the core of reality, the only thing we can truly control is ourself.


As young people, it is your responsibility to prove (through your attitude and actions) that this "stereotype with vertical dimensions," is wrong.  Being that you can only control your own attitude and your own actions, what are you willing to do?  Are you willing to set an example?  Are you willing to resist conforming to the stereotypes you've been placed in?


Remember, it's up to you.  
The ball is in your court.
It's in your hands.
People are watching to see what your next move is going to be...

Fr Alvin Kimel

"God doesn't give a damn about our sin.  It is we who give the damns.  We damn ourselves because we would rather justify ourselves, than be taken out of ourselves by the infinite love of God"

prove it on the court

A few years back, I lived in a town that had a Lifetime Fitness.  Now, if you don't know what Lifetime is, think of a huge facility that supports activities such as swimming, weight lifting, basketball, racquet ball, running, yoga, cycling, stretching, and tennis.

A group of my friends and I would make daily trips to Lifetime.  Our usual pattern was to lift weights and play basketball.  Sometimes we'd spend two or more hours a day "working out."

After lifting, we'd play basketball.  The tough part about playing basketball at lifetime was that you didn't know who was actually good and who was bad.  Strong athletic-looking people would come in and give the impression that they were good basketball players.  The first few trips up and down the court would usually give away the truth of their skill level.

So, imagine trying to put a team together.  Perhaps you ask the question, "Who plays basketball?"  Obviously everyone plays to some extent, otherwise they wouldn't be there.  The quality of their playing is what you're trying to get to the bottom of.  Therefore, the former question wouldn't really help narrow down who to pick for your team.

Perhaps you decide to pick players who look like they play basketball.  Perhaps you choose the strong and tall ones.  The problem is, just because a player is strong and tall doesn't make him a good basketball player.  Perhaps you choose the players wearing the nicest clothes and shoes.  Then again, this player may simply have more money to spend on "gear" than the others.  Unless you've seen a player play the game, you can't truly know if their good or not.  There may be clues along the way, but the truth comes when the game gets going.  I've seen guys able to talk the talk like no other, but when it comes to actually playing, they're horrible.  A person's "game" speaks for itself.  Their size, clothes, look, and ability to talk the game is extremely misleading.


The same sort of thing happens in our modern Christian communities.  Our churches are inhabited by those who own the nicest Bibles, sport the best clothes, wear religious jewelry (crosses and the like), and are able to smoothly talk the Christian lingo.  Believe it or not, their are pastors, priests and church attenders alike who demonstrate this kind of Christian superficiality.

        

 Jesus once said, "By their fruit you will recognize them…Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree              bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit…Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."

Essentially, whether someone says they're a Christian or a basketball player, the truth comes in how they play the game.  A true basketball player will demonstrate fundamentals (skills that are like building blocks) and they'll be able to implement them into a fast-paced game.  Likewise, a follower of Christ will possess characteristics that mimic that of Jesus.  A follower of Christ should be focused on Christ as his/her pattern or guide.  

Lately, I've personally been challenged.  I've come to the honest conclusion that most of the time I talk the talk better than I walk the walk.  I'm convicted, ashamed, and disappointed.  How is it that I can talk about the love of God with such excitement and passion, but it's not seen in some of my closest relationships?  How can I pursue to show the love of God to my community when I can't accomplish this objective in my own home or in my closest social circles?  This kind of thing keeps me up at night.  

These questions seem to linger over my head: 

• "Do people recognize me by my fruit?"   
• "Does God recognize me by my fruit?"
• "Do I walk it better than I live it?"
• "Is the love of God spilling out, exploding, reaching, and filling the every moments of my life?"

As Jesus finishes his "sermon on the mount," he concludes by saying this:

• "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

In basketball language…

   Do I "prove it on the court?"  Does my "game speak for itself?"

In the language of Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount"…

   Do I live what I believe?  Does my life produce "good fruit?"  Am I "building my house  on the rock?"   

As Christians (no matter what stage or phase in the Christian life you may find yourself), my hope is that our heart's desire is to pursue to follow the Christ.  That we will follow Him today more than we did yesterday, and more tomorrow than we did today.  That we will continue to take steps in surrendering our hearts to the Lord.  And that we'll look at our world with an eager anticipation to see His Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

Segregation

It's interesting how young people naturally segregate themselves.  Today, I spent time with junior high students on their lunch break.  I find it fascinating to see the variety of ways that kids group themselves.

Preps, goths, band members, video gamers, farmers, skate boarders, guys, girls, grade levels, drama queens, jokers, etc…



Adults are great at this sort of thing as well.

Financial status, hunters, sports fans, church members, Rotary, occupations, farmers, ages, neighborhoods, family dynamics, etc…


Segregation.
We find people with common interests, values, goals, and life directions.  These people are often our closes friends.  We golf together, shop together, and barbecue together.  Our common interests unit and bind us.  At times, our commonalities can become the foundations of our fellowship.  We're comfortable around people who are like us.


-   Some of us segregate because we're opportunistic.  We're friends with some people merely because they have money, power, or some sort of success.  The high school girl who wants to date the starting football quarterback for popularity.  The student who becomes the teachers pet in hopes of a better grade.  Relationships built on the basis of business and/or money.  Friendships made for selfish ambition.  We seem to love creating opportunities for ourselves.


-   Some of us segregate to fit in.  The Hollister wearing junior high student who is friends with other Hollister wearers.  The senior high student who plays football and has primarily football player friends.  Jaycees.

-   Some of us segregate because of social status, success-based segregation, intellectual segregation, appearance-based segregation, and etc...





This seems to be a tendency of human nature.





2000 years ago, the highly-ranked religious people were the same way.  They took pride in the way they obeyed and followed the 613 laws in their religious scriptures.  They spent time with others who kept the Law.  In fact, they went out of their way to avoid being around people who didn't have the same values as themselves.

Some people have referred to this as the "politics of holiness."

We know this sort of mentality well because we participate in it everyday.




Jesus…

...he couldn't be understood by the highly-ranked religious people.  While the religious went out of their way to avoid those who didn't abide by their Law, Jesus went out of his way to be with them.  While the religious dodged the uncleanliness of the sinners, Jesus had dinner with them.  The religious commented, condemned, and at one point even called Jesus a drunk.

Some have referred to Jesus' methods as the "politics of compassion."




So…

This Jesus, the Savior, the way/truth/life, God in the form of man, the infinite knowledge of God finally communicated to man; he doesn't care about our social status, whether we're fat or skinny, whether we're a prep or a band geek, whether we're straight or gay, whether we're rich or poor, whether we're a highly-ranked religious person or a tax collector, whether we're good looking or ugly, whether we're self-proclaimed sinless or sinful, whether we have it figured out or not, whether we're blue collar or white collar….


Jesus meets us in whatever mess we find ourselves.



It is at that point when He invites us to enter into God's Kingdom.
It is at that point when He shows us the availability of God.
It is at that point when His Spirit enters, fills, and convicts us in the ways of God.




Jesus has no interest in segregation,
because He is more concerned with compassion.



The social categories and boundaries have no purpose in Jesus' world
because He is looking for anyone who will listen and believe.



This is our Savior.
This is His pattern, rhythm, way, method, perspective…







Unlike our obsession with segregation,
this is Jesus
and He loves you no matter who you are or where you come from!
          








*Luke 15 : 1,2

green light storm

The water is rising.

Along the coast of the Mississippi River, as you read this, the water is rising to record highs.

The crests have been measured at:
   47.8 ft in Memphis, Tennessee
   58 ft in Natchez, Mississippi (and it's predicted to go up to 64ft)


People's houses, businesses, farmland and overall livelihood has been swallowed by this thing.  Some of these people are still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.  One can't help but feel compassion for the people having to deal with the disaster.  It's awful.  It seems as if they just got done with one natural disaster, and now they're facing the adversity of another?

(Personally, I can't imagine what people are going through.  Folks, they need our prayers so much right now.  As this thing continues, please continue to stay updated on particular ways you can pray and give aid in relief.)




Why do the "storms of life" seem to hit some people more than others?



   ...the father who lost his job and cannot find work to support his family.
   ...the family who has learned of a loved one diagnosed with cancer.
   ...the person who suffers from depression.
   ...the parents who lost their child.
   ...those of us dealing with the pressures and expectations of others.
   ...the kids trying to work through their parents divorce.
   ...pressures of conformity.
   ...issues at work.
   ...finances.




"Storms" seem to come in all shapes and sizes
        ...Big and small.
        ...Physical, mental, and spiritual.


And they will come
   …it's not an "if" thing
   …it's a "when" thing.


So the question isn't, "How will we handle the storms if they come?"
The question is more like, "How will we handle the storms when they come?"


Jesus understood this.
He knew the human condition.
And He knew something that we don't.


-----------------------------


This is Jesus' conclusion, ending, closure, and wind up to His mountain sermon.
Let us not forget that these words are interconnected with the rest of Jesus' teaching on the mountain.


Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house, and it fell with a great crash.


This part of the teaching is directed to those who have heard him.  This has huge implications for "Christians."  Jesus doesn't tell us to simply know the right "way," he challenges us to live the right "way."  It's almost like he says, "Simply listening to me isn't going to get you anywhere."  According to Jesus; the foundation, the core, the bottom line in our lives will fall apart if we don't apply his words to our lives.



It's the when, not the if.



Because storms tend to change things don't they?
   -They seem to shift the way we think about the world.
   -They can tear apart everything we know, or confirm it.
   -Through them, we either have hope for the future, or despair.
   -What we pour our lives into can either be washed away, or solidified.



Have you ever watched a wave completely erase everything you're written in the sand?
   -Are some of us writing in the sand with the way we live our lives?
   -Is everything we work for, all for nothing?
   -Do we believe Jesus really meant what he said?



Jesus understands the human condition.  He knows how easily we can build our lives up on the wrong foundations.  He knows that the storms will come.  He knows the destructive forces life can bring.  Yet in the midst of all this, he offers hope and wisdom.




So as people who have heard the words of Jesus, how will we cope with the storms of life?
      -With a solid foundation
                or
      -With a sand foundation


As we grow families, who's wisdom will we adhere to?
      -By following the advice and instruction of God?
                or
      -By following our own wisdom?





May you find hope and peace knowing that your foundation is in the Christ.


** Matthew 7:24-27

gas math

It's May 9th, 2011 and gas prices are . . . wow!

I'm 28 and I remember gas being $.79 a gallon when I was a sophomore in high school.

Since my high school days, which isn't that long ago, gas has shot up 525%. And this is only in the past 12 years. In these past 12 years, gas prices have increased like no other time in history.

Throughout the years, people have been cutting their gas consumption in some pretty interesting ways.

-I know people who ride their bicycle in the summer.

-I know people who have bought mopeds for summer driving.

-I've seen older people driving electric golf carts on steroids around town.

-Some people pay a premium price for gas/electric hybrid cars.

-Some people cut back and save money in other areas.

-They're even making purely electric cars now.

So, I started coming up with some ideas:

Last summer, I thought I'd ride my bike to work everyday.

Nope. I think I gave up after a week.

At one point, my wife and I thought we'd try having one car throughout the summer.

Um, we soon found that this was a bad idea!

Car "tug of war" isn't fun.

The other day, I found out that if I drove to a gas station 10 miles away from where I live, instead of paying $4.15 for gas, I would only have to pay $3.99. So, is it worth driving a total of 20 miles (10 there and 10 back) to save $.15 a gallon?

Math…

Now, the car I have has gets 20 miles per gallon. It also has a 20 gallon tank.

Because I get 20 miles per gallon, I would use one gallon of gas to make the trip.

If I arrived at the gas station and put a full 20 gallons in my tank, it would cost me $79.80.

If I traveled to the nearest gas station (1 block away), I would end up saving a gallon in gas.

I'd save a gallon of gas because I don't have to drive 20 total miles to the other gas station.

Instead of putting 20 gallons in my tank, I would only have to put in 19.

This means I would pay 4.15 for 19 gallons, which turns out to be $78.85.

Spend 30 minutes and pay $79.80?

or

Spend 5 minutes and pay $78.85?

Math helped me realize that this was another bad idea.

I'm all for interesting ways to cut back at the pump. Some are better than others. And some are just bad.

Ideas…?

Anyone…?

I still like the "golf cart on steroids" idea.

a letter to the disciples of Christ who gather together in Corinth

The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It's written,

"I'll turn conventional wisdom on its head,

I'll expose so-called experts as crackpots."

So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn't God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb - preaching, of all things! - To bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.

While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom [and Americans obsess with business, success, and power], we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle and Greeks pass it off as absurd [and Americans find a million exceptions].

But to us who are personally called by God himself - both Jews and Greeks [and Americans] - Christ is God's ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so tinny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can't began to compete with God's "weakness."

*1 Corinthians 1:18-25

* the words of the Apostle Paul from the Message paraphrase translation

* [ ] have been added

I Pledge Allegiance to…?

America has taken care of business.

After Ten Years…

Thousands of lives lost….

Billions of dollars….

We have finally found our revenge in the assassination of Osama Bin Laden.

The media captures thousands of people celebrating this time of victory for the United States.

Facebook status' rant and rave about the glory of it all.

We got him.

America has taken care of business.

As an American…

I'm proud that our forces have the capability of doing what they did. I'm thankful for the time and energy our troops have invested in the ideal of freedom. I hope the families who lost loved ones can find comfort and strength to continue on with integrity and virtue.

As a follower of Jesus…here are a couple things He said…

- "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

- "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." …was His response to those who tortured him.

Again and again, Jesus teaches "repentance for the forgiveness of sins."

As a Christian, I'm actually shocked to see other "religious" people celebrate over this whole thing. I wouldn't expect the first response a follower of Jesus to be celebration.

"I pledge allegiance to…?"

Allegiances...

Family?

Religion?

Country?

Political Party?

Friends?

…

What is our response to the assassination of Osama Bin Laden?

In a time such as this, where are we showing our allegiance to be?

The United States

or

The Kingdom of God

Jesus said in Matthew 7:16

"By their fruit you will recognize them."

"They will know we are Christians, not by our bumper stickers and tshirts - but by our love."

picking up trash

This afternoon, I found myself picking up someone else's trash. It was a task that I had to get done, but half way through the task, I got a bad attitude.

"This isn't my job" was the thought that kept echoing in my mind.

In the middle of the job, something inside me wanted to tell all the people that ever picked up my trash that, "I am sorry!" I absolutely hate cleaning up after people, and in the same way, I know people hate cleaning up after me.

Being a somewhat messy person at times (and if you know me, this is funny), this triggers all sorts of thoughts. So here it is: "I apologize if you've ever had to clean up my trash. I also apologize if you ever find yourself cleaning up my trash in the future."

In the middle of this whole (picking up trash) job, I had a thought.

Most of the kids and people that come to the church I work in have had some sort of bad experience with the religion we call "Christianity." I hear these genres of thought all the time:

-Christians don't represent Christ

-Bad church experiences

-Condemnation

-"They're hypocrites"

-Hate

-Plastic (fake or showy) church

-Complacency

-Negativity

-and whatever else Jesus didn't mean for us to experience in his church.

Trash.

I know Christians who leave their trash all over the place.

I've done it.

You've done it.

Without the constant presence of God, we Christians are great at littering.

I actually know people who won't lay a foot inside of church because of the hurt or pain they've experienced from "church people."

Trash

A never ending mountain of trash.

Jesus even mentions something about people who consider themselves religious. Read the 23rd chapter in the book called Matthew.

Even in the 5th through 7th chapters of Matthew (what we call the Sermon on the Mount), Jesus is continually picking up people's trash.

[ "You have heard that it was said…, but I tell you…" ]

This seems to be Jesus' favorite trash picking line.

Sometimes I sit back and wonder what kinds of trash I leave laying around.

What sorts of negative stereotypes have I created or supported?

I think this is something that needs to be addressed. I think the world has seen enough hypocrisy. I think Christians should either step up to the plate and start following Christ, or stop calling themselves Christians altogether.

Harsh?

I think so. Read Matthew 23.

We Christians have a decision. We can strive to limit our trash by refocusing our hearts and minds on Jesus, or we can continue to be neither hot or cold (and see what Revelation 3:16 says about that one). We can allow the Spirit of God to overwhelm our hearts, or we can remain in our own silly ways.

Jesus continues to resound:

"Come, follow me."

the way of life

"Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it."

What on earth does this mean? Before we probe that question, first lets make a couple observations.

- Notice that Jesus starts with the action word, "Enter." The premise of this whole teaching is not simply built upon a person knowing which path to take, but actually taking steps and entering into the right path.

- To Jesus, there is a certain way that leads to life (and few find this way). All of the other ways that don't lead to life, end up leading to destruction. Yes, Jesus breaks it down into two ways. One to life, and one to destruction.

- Jesus teaches that many enter the road of destruction. He also teaches that few enter the road that leads to life.

So according to the logic of Jesus:

- We know there's a "way."

- We also know that life doesn't come simply by knowing the "way," but by entering into it.

- Few actually enter the gate that leads to life, while many pursue on the road leading to destruction.

Let us remember that as Jesus said this, he was wrapping up and concluding a teaching we refer to as the, "Sermon on the Mount." The context behind the words about gates and paths cannot be ignored. If we ignore the rest of Jesus' teaching, we will misinterpret what Jesus was saying.

So, as Jesus finishes the S/M (Sermon on the Mount), he basically says:

"You can either follow the things I'm teaching, which will bring you life; or you can choose the path of the multitudes, which will lead you somewhere else."

Again, he is stressing the importance of his teaching on the mountain.

…following him leads to a "life" as God intended.

…not following him leads to "something" that God never had in mind.

The choice.

The path.

The way.

The decision is ours.