I have been putting off this blog...

For the longest time I have been studying my Bible, half heatedly, to find what God thinks of me. It is something that has been important to me but honestly I was afraid to find out. I know that I am a failure to the standards of the world and if I cannot measure up to the world's expectations how can I measure up to God's? My biological Father thinks I am wasting my life so how could my Abba Father feel any different? When it comes to my worth, it is trampled and spat upon without many people knowing it. To make matters worse the "stampeders" are people who are really, really close to me. Family, friends and even my pastors have just made me feel worthless.

I love you all and I am not writing this to make you feel bad but rather to let you know I have found what God thinks of me and you. First let me say it again, I love you all and I forgive you for all you have done, please do not feel bad about the past.

"...to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir."
(Galatians 4:5-7)

God does not have to call us his children but he chooses to. His love for us is just that pure and great that he wants us to be his children.

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

Read that again. God takes great delight in me, he will quiet or comfort me with his love and he will sing about me! I am honestly dumb founded how God could sing a song of praise about me. Along with being dumb founded I am relieved because God still loves me. I do not know what I was expecting to find today but I did find my heart. A love for God that I have not felt for a long, long time.

" 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' " (Jeremiah 29:11)

What else could I ask for?

I have been thinking...

I have been thinking and if Rick Warren is right when he says, "That Christians are educated past their obedience..." then we should reevaluate our faith. We should take a hard look at our own walk with Jesus Christ and find out where we are. I believe if Rick is right and we are educated past our own obedience, then we need to find out what we are not willing to do.

Jesus said that two commandments where the greatest.

He said to, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "

If we are unwilling to, Love the Lord our with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind, then we need to start there. We need to spend more intimate time with God and really come to peace with him. No more motions, just a pure relationship with our God, Jesus.

Once we accomplish that pure relationship with Christ then we need to, love our neighbor as our self. We need to get active in the lives of those who our Society, Government and Friends have forgotten. No more excuses, just love for our fellow man.

If we do those two things then the other will come.

Burn in Hell...

I had this urge to listen the song Awesome God by Chris Tomlin, so I shot over to youtube.com to listen to it. I do this often with a variety of songs and I always like to read the comments at the bottom of the page. They are often funny because most of them do not make sense but there was no laughing as I read a comment left by a Christian to telling an Atheist to burn in hell.

It is really sad, that some people think that they have the authority to say that. God really is the only person who has the right to say that and yet the combination of the words "burn in hell" are not found in the Bible.

Funny, huh?

Maybe that is because we are supposed to LOVE OUR ENEMIES AND PRAY FOR THEM! Who are you reaching with hate? Who are you saving with your anger? Brothers and Sisters in Christ I urge you to compassionate with those who are love by Christ! Just to fill you in that is everybody.

Breaking the Mold...

I have been told that I break the Christian mold on multiple occasions. I used to like that concept. It meant I was different from any other Christian, I stood out among my fellow brethren. Then I started to think about it and if I in deed did not fit the Christian mold, it was not by my doing. God created me (and not with a mold by the way...he "knit me together in my mothers womb..."). Also I was not trying to be different, I was trying and still am trying to be like Jesus.

I have been told I break the mold because I have long hair. Have you ever seen a picture of Jesus? Those lovely locks where made to head bang!

I have been told I break the mold because I care about the lowly. Jesus lived with the lowest of the lows, dining with prostitutes and tax collectors. Jesus lived then died on a cross in Golgotha so that all people, even the unlovely could find life in Him.

I have been told I break the mold because I interpret the bible in a "fresh new" way.

So I believe that we are obligated to help the needy and when I say help I do not mean give them a little money that you do not need. I mean give them what they need; food, clothing and shelter.

So I believe Jesus when he said "whoever believes in Him (Jesus) shall not perish but receive eternal life." Yes I believe if you believe Jesus is the Son of God and if you confess your sins you will receive eternal life. It does not matter if you are black or white, gay or straight, a killer or a saint, if you believe and confess you will be received into Heaven!

So I believe that it is okay to be a sinner. I am not saying go out and sin but rather it is okay because "all have fallen short of the glory of God." It is okay, Jesus loves you anyway!

So I believe that the Devil is as real as Jesus. A lot of people like to think Satan is this nominal force that does not matter hecause Jesus already defeated death. To an extent that is true. Satan is not a big deal, TO JESUS because he did not sin!

When it comes down to it, the statement anymore makes me sad, upset and utterly sick. If I am sticking out because I am acting like Jesus that means the majority of other Christians are not acting like him.

Here is a list of other Christian (Christianos rather but I do not want to explain that right now...) that "break the mold."

Amber Biddle

Ande Thomas

PM

Tim from Majesty who moved to California (sorry man I do not know your last name...)

Andrew from Majesty (ya if you work or worked at Majesty your last name turns into from Majesty.)

Dan Turny (I think I spelled it wrong...)

Brendan Berkley

Eric Phillips...I do not have a link but he is starting a Church in Pittsburgh!!!

There is a lot more out there and to list you all it would take so much time...

Ordinary Radical...

I was invited to a protest the other day and I opted not to go. The main reason why is because I do not like protest. Personally I believe protest do not get much done, all that time you spend making a scene could be spent making a difference. Of course some protest are okay. I am not putting down the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks but I believe some people just protest to be seen.

Protesting at its core is a great thing but when it comes down to it, it does not get much done. I mean you can have an upward of 10,000 people at a rally but what gets done? Nothing really, a lot of people jump up and down while some one speaks getting the crowd hyped. You can raise a few eye brows, maybe turn a few hearts but could not all the people in the crowd get together and do something? If 10,000 people helped to rebuild parts of the ghetto, would that not leave an impact?

When it comes down to it, I think we like the romantic side of being an activist. I have had dreams of marching down Birmingham holding hands with a person of different race but not caring because I know we are all one. Marching onward even though I was getting sprayed with the fire hose and the police let the dogs go. That would be exciting!

Some people think everyday life has to be boring and not radical. That you are suppose to conform to the norms of the world unless you are with others that share your same views. Who are changing if you demonstrate your views with people who believe the same exact thing as you? Everyday life is radical and I am writing this today to tell you that I will be a protester, demonstrator and activist everyday.

No, I will not be caring picket signs or wearing shirts that say what is on my mind. Simply I will demonstrate love to one person at a time, slowly taking over the world as an ordinary radical.

What I Did for Jesus Today...

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Mathew 25:40

I have started giving guitar lessons to a couple of students that go to my church. One of which does not have her own guitar so I told her I would help her find a good one to get her started. We where supposed to go the other day but we were not able to because I got held up at work but today I went to Guitar Center to scout out a few possible guitars for her. Okay, I really just wanted to check out the new Gibson Humming Birds they got in (awesome by the way)!

So after completely following in love with a guitar that cost more than I make in a year...not kidding...I started to drive home a little bummed. I exited the mall parking lot and began to think about where I was going to eat lunch. Then I noticed someone in the distance holding a cardboard sign.

"Please Help...God Bless"

I pulled up to this lady and ask her what I could do. She told me how she was stranded in the area and needed to get to Erie. I told her that I was not going that way and rolled up my window and continued to drive off. My heart was heavy as I sat in my warm, safe and dry truck as it started to rain. How could I leave someone Jesus died for stranded in the rain?

The light turned green and whipped into a parking lot and went to her and asked her if I could buy her lunch. Without hesitation she said anything would do and asked if I could get something for her friend who was working the other side of the intersection. So I walked down to McDonald's and got four burgers, two Fries and two coffees for them. Walked on back and handed the food to her friend and walked back to the other women with whom I spoke.

I was ready to leave but some where between my walk to the other women, I knew lunch was not going to cut it. Jesus did say "when I was hungry you fed me" but he also said "when I was thirsty you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." These women needed so much more and no one was helping them.

When I got to the other women I told her I gave the food to her friend and then I told her I did not have any cash but I had to find an ATM because I wanted to buy them their bus tickets. So I walked around and eventually ended up and K-Mart and I bought two ponchos and used the cash back option to get them some cash. I got back to them and gave them the cash and ponchos and stood with them for awhile and found out that their names are Monica and Heather.

I did not write this to say I am better than you because I helped these people (and by the way it does not make me a better person). The thing is the USA is a Christian Nation and is populated by Christian People and in the time I was with Monica and Heather only one person besides me helped them. I saw plenty of "Jesus Fish" bumper stickers on cars driving past, avoiding eye contact with us.

And we wonder why we are called hypocrites.