Speak Love, Not War

This is not about "us and them" it never has been. We were promised that we would be persecuted. We always have, and we always will be persecuted. That's what we were promised!

These ridiculous arguments don't mean a thing. WE DO NOT NEED TO STICK UP FOR GOD. He is God. He can stick up for himself.

People create this war that they believe we have to fight. Christians vs Atheists. Christians vs Scientists. Christians vs Homosexuals. Christians vs Muslims. Christians vs The World. WHY?

Is this what you think our mission was supposed to look like? Debating whether someone broke this law or that law, on Facebook? Do you think our mission was to win an argument and belittle a social group?

We all know what the answer to that is. I don't even have to tell you.

But I am reminding you.

Jesus told us to make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that he commanded.

God cares about the laws he sent us. They are important to keep us safe and keep us from falling away. But you know what is most important? You do. It's LOVE. Love the Lord and love others as you do yourself.

You believe these people are our enemies but right now you are your own worst enemy. Christians continue to shoot themselves in the foot with the things they say and do.

Are we baited with loaded questions?

Yes.

Are we the victims of judgement and ridicule on each and every one of our mistake?

Yes.

Let me tell you, the outside world doesn't understand that we all sin. That you and I sin. They don't understand the concept that there is nothing we can do to be perfect, and that claiming the title of Christian doesn't magically give us powers to never mess up, break rules, or sin.

They truly believe that by being Christian, we claim to never ever sin again; so when we do we're seen as hypocrites.

Which is why pointing fingers at the other people in the world is the biggest mistake we could probably make. When we tell the world they are sinning, we are expected not to sin ourselves. Doesn't that sound familiar? It almost sounds like we're trying to pick the speck of dust out of our brothers eye while we have a plank in our own.

I am SO TIRED of the "hate the sin not the sinner" schpeel. Why? BECAUSE THE OUTSIDE WORLD CANNOT TELL THE DIFFERENCE. To them it is one in the same. And although you feel like you have your phrasing and your vernacular down to a perfectly harmless politically correctness, it doesn't make a difference to non believers. It just doesn't. 

The Bible calls us to judge our Christian neighbors. In the sense that if they are sinning, you're supposed to approach them and tell them their fault. And if they don't listen you're supposed to have an intervention with him with a few people, and if he still doesn't listen, you bring it up to the church leaders. Like, this is real. This is really, really real and in the Bible. (Matthew 18:15-17)

When is the last time you have done this? When have you EVER brought up faults to your brother or sister in Christ? Probably never. I know I haven't. Why? "because it's impolite". You know what else is impolite? Telling a gay person that you hate their sin and not the sinner. What in the world would you do if someone said to you "I don't hate you, I just hate that you're a Christian."

Could you even be friends with someone who said that to you? I most likely couldn't.

You say we are called to honesty and not to water down or dilute The Word. But refraining from saying offensive things is not doing that. In fact, we do it all the time!

When we are spreading the Gospel we start with the basics, which I'm sure you all know. Sin, repentance, forgiveness, revival, love, Jesus, resurrection, prayer, mercy, grace, etc. We don't just jump into theological talks about nephilim, demon possession, Calvinism, old earth vs new earth, submissive wives, or Revelations. Are all these things holy matters? Yes, but they are not really making disciples.

We must take the same care and discretion with choosing our words and what we share with non believers.

There was a time when people could say to a random stranger: "You are a sinner. If you do not repent an ill fate awaits you. But Jesus has already taken your deserved punishment, all you must do is have faith in Him and call him your Lord" and people would totally just go for it. But times have changed, and as Christians we must be aware of that.

As the culture and society shift, so must we to make disciples and spread the Word.

But isn't that going against the fact that God and his Word are never changing? That He and His Word are the same yesterday, today, and forever? No. We are not changing our beliefs. We are shifting our approach to the world.

Here's the big idea (as Bob and Larry would say):

-We need to take a serious look at what our objectives as Christians are.

-We really need to think about what we say and how it's going to be understood.

-We need to pay attention to society and see how the people need to be fed.

-We need to be very serious about loving others as we do ourselves.

-We need to stop fighting a war, and start loving the lost and the broken.

Although this term is used a lot (and usually as a the Christian catch-phrase), I think we should accept it with sincerity..

What would Jesus do?

Choosing God

I've had so many ideas and epiphanies lately. Let's see if I can stay focused and coherent enough for it to make sense. 

Seasoned Christians are extremely familiar with the idea that being in a relationship with Christ isn't always about a physical feeling. After a series of unpredicted events (including reading my bible, reading a section in a bible study guide, watching a cartoon that mocked Christians, responding to controversial facebook statuses, and meeting with a mormon missionary today), I have felt the idea of "choice" being super duper heavy on my heart.

From the beginning with Adam and Eve we have always been able to choose God. That is what love is! Love isn't a feeling or something we can't control! Love is a choice!

Love is sacrificing your career so you can stay at home and raise your children. Love is giving a hefty amount of money to someone in need, even if it might set you back a bit. Love is choosing to stay with someone and provide for them, even when you don't currently feel a romantic feeling for them. Love is so many things, but the number one thing it is is a choice.

Jesus chose to die for our sins. He didn't do it because he was forced to.

ANYWAYS.

Some times God will step back from your life and be distant. Some Christians call this a "dry season". You don't feel a whole lot of emotions and you might even feel disconnected. But can I say that it is impossible to be disconnected when you are in a real relationship with Jesus Christ? The Holy Spirit LIVES INSIDE OF YOU. The Holy Spirit doesn't leave you because you feel distant!

God makes himself distant so you can learn to have faith and CHOOSE him. Otherwise, your faith could just be given to the highest bidder that can make you feel the most.

There aren't just good spirits in this world that can affect your emotions. Satan (our Enemy) can also affect us in certain ways. And we have all probably experienced temporary fixes for our hard times. Alcohol, drugs, sex. Maybe not even something that hardcore: cuddling, exercise, partying, dancing, reading. These things are not bad!! They are all great in moderation and at the correct time. But some times they can be our quick fixes for joy or happiness, but God is the only thing that can give us that everlasting joy. Even when life is down and terrible things are happening to us.

During dry seasons, things like changing religions, changing relationships, quitting your jobs or other drastic things can seem so appealing because they will make you FEEL something.

But these times are so important to our Farther. Because these are the times that we have to make a conscious effort to choose him. To say to him "God I feel far away. Doubt is surfacing and my faith is starting to sound confusing and foolish, but I will wait patiently for you. I choose YOU Lord. This is hard but I know that you are there and you are waiting patiently for me too. Thank you."

And out of situations like this is our faith grown. Our love for him can blossom He will show us new things through our perseverance. 

I hope this makes sense.

The moral of the story is that being in relationship with Christ is ALWAYS a choice. You don't make the choice once and then your set for life. It's constantly having to choose him over life and mostly over yourself. 

The Me I Want to Be

I recently watch the documentary: Hungry for Change. Firstly, if you haven't watched this: DO IT. DO IT RIGHT NOW.

The documentary really makes you think about what you put in your mouth.

Poison.

That's the only word that comes to my mind.

Somehow it made me think of not only my diet, but my life as a whole. I've recently been very attracted to the lifestyle of eating healthy, exercising, seeing nature, smiling, not wearing makeup. I want it so badly.

The documentary ends advising you to keep pictures around of how you used to look. Pictures of what you want to become. They said to visualize yourself being the you that you want to be.

Last night I decided that I am not the me I want to be. I feel like I deserve better than what I'm allowing myself. I deserve to be fit. I deserve to be healthy. Why do I treat my body the way I do?

I get nervous around really attractive people because I feel like they're grossed out by me. I get SO uncomfortable I can't even tell you. I want to stay around other people like "my kind". Even people who I consider my close friends, I feel like I burden them with my presence.

I just want to escape.

I want to escape from my weight and from the me that I don't want to be.

I started drawing a picture of the me I WANTED to be. The person I envision myself as. Both physically and emotionally.  I don't know why it made me feel a little better but it did. I almost feel like the girl I've drawn in this picture is just trapped inside of me, waiting to come out.

I'm not saying my life has completely turned around and from this moment on I vow to make a change. I don't know what it means. I'm afraid to even try because I fail SO OFTEN. I try to no diet but change my lifestyle, but in the end I go back to the same ole song and dance.

I have no idea where my life will take me. Maybe I'll be fat my whole life. I AM happy. I'm SO happy. I love my life more than I can say. I enjoy every day of it... I just want better for myself I suppose.