they need me

Could you imagine a world where Christians lived the way God called them to?

What would it look like? Maybe people would start to say, "I like those Christians. Maybe they aren't all that bad." 

I understand that we are going to be hated by the world for our beliefs...but are we hated for the right reasons? 

A book by David Kinnaman, unChristian, reported that most nonbelievers said that Christians were, "hypocritical," "insensitive," and "judgmental." Is anybody surprised by this? I think it is only fitting that people think of us like this considering the way we act. I don't like it, but it's true.

Christians are arrogant jerks to say the least. 

But if we started to live radically, maybe we would start being disliked for the right reasons. I would love it if people hated me because they thought I was a weirdo. If the only thing I ever talked about was Jesus and was totally overwhelmed by this overwhelming god. People would inevitably think I was a psycho. I think it better to be considered a psycho rather than a "cool" Christian. 

At the same time, if I was radically living the way Jesus tells Christians to, maybe I could make a legitimate difference. God tells us to love the poor, care for the widowed, protect those who need protection. What if I did all of those because it came to me naturally? This should be the norm. Radically following Jesus. 

I pray that radical would become the norm. And that Christians were leading the fight against injustice all around the world, including at home. It is so much easier to be Christian overseas. Why am I not being one in America? There are people all around me who need Jesus just as much as the drug traffickers in Mexico. Just as much as the entrepreneurs in Japan. Just as much as a sex-slave in India. Just as much as the child soldier in Africa. Everybody needs me to be a Christian, dare I say they need me to be a radical Christian at that? It is pathetic that I have to add an adjective to explain what a true Christian is. 

Dollar For a Drink

Click here for an inspiring story about a daring 16 year who is not afraid to be counter-cultural.

Ryder Cup!

Do work USA! 

Tiger who?

Living on "The Fringe"

I just finished watching the second episode of a new TV series called The Fringe. The final minute or so there was an extremely profound quote that I think would be good to explore.

"The inherent pitfall of being a scientist is trying to maintain the distinction between God's domain and our own."

I feel as if the inherent pitfall of being a descendant of Adam would be not understanding the distinction between God's domain and our's. What even constitutes as "our" domain? In one of my classes we had a topic floating in the air about the reality of dying to ourselves. If you want to take it one step further you could say we are already dead. "Dead to sin, alive in Christ." 

Calvin puts it this way, "we are just sojourners in this world. Our true home address is in heaven. " [I read that today and don't have the book with me...it probably shouldn't be in quotes now that I think about it...]

So when you look at it like that, we don't own anything! We must live in this world as sojourners. I'm not saying that disciples of Christ should sell all they own and live like homeless people begging for food, but I am saying that they should give all they have up. 

Genesis 22 shows the perfect example of this idea. Abraham was so enthralled with his son Isaac that God made sure that Abraham's allegiance was still devoted to God. He asked him to make the ultimate sacrifice; his son, his most beloved possession. 

That is the total surrender of our possessions.

God has commanded us to be in this world as nomads. We own nothing but that which is awaiting us in Heaven. That is a radical call! It is something that I need to learn more of. I just don't want this to be an ideal for me; I need this to be words that are spoken through my actions. I must die to myself every morning and say, "God, I am just a wandering fool that is willing to do whatever it is that You ask of me." 

That is the true meaning of living on "the fringe". We are always one heart beat away from heaven. So let us not waste that final thump of life on the sensual. But instead,  Let us become gloriously broken and destroyed by our sin as we call on the name of the Lord for help. Let us use our last heart beat to pump as much of the Gospel into this pitfall we call Earth as we can.

The Payoff

I don't really have much time to blog, but I can't help myself. I'm addicted to writing my thoughts down on a webpage that nobody will ever read...It's odd.

But the reason why I am writing to myself today is because I just finished reading a chapter in The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This chapter was all about the gospel and it's implications for the believers. It was a challenging chapter that talked about suffering because He first suffered for us.

Bonhoeffer said that the way to overcome suffering is through suffering alone. It didn't make sense to me at first, but he continued to say that Jesus commands us to pick up our cross and follow Him. Now I see the suffering...

But how do I get over suffering through suffering? It still is a conundrum.

"My yoke is easy and my burden is light." Yeah right Jesus. I'm not really feeling the easy burden and yoke as I'm studying to, Lord willing, become a pastor one day. Hours and hours of reading each day isn't easy by any means! But the byproduct of the suffering that comes through my studying is what gets me through the suffering! 

The byproduct? Joy.

I find so much joy in spending my entire day reading theology, discipleship, studying Greek, and not being able to do things that I enjoy like exercising, watching every game of football that's on TV, and hanging out with my friends until the late hours of the night. But it's the little things that I find in God that make me happy with what I'm giving up.

Jesus suffered for me so that I can suffer for Him. I don't need a social life! The only life I need is one radically committed proclaiming the Gospel and sharing the joy that I find in Christ Jesus my Lord.

Special Music at it's Best

Click here for the coolest offertory you will ever witness. I'll happily...no...joyfully tithe during something like this!

Death By Love

Mark Driscoll, one of my favorite pastors/speakers/authors is coming out with a new book all about how the love of Christ has broken us free from the bonds of sin. It is written in the form of letters. It is sure to be one worth reading.