GIFTS OF LOVE OR GIFTS OF OBLIGATION?

DYING BOY'S FINAL WISH COMES TRUE
We feud with our families and refuse to forgive and forget before the holiday. We feel our Christmas is just not right because we don’t have the funds to spend the way we want to. We train our kids to expect great gifts for Christmas. As adults, we secretly get disappointed when we don’t get the gift we were hoping for. We eat enormous meals and watch the leftovers go rotten in a few days. We go through the holiday thinking we understand the meaning of Christmas because we focus on Jesus’ birth, yet most of us fail to sacrificially give a gift that can make an impact on someone who really needs it. We make sure we tell our kids about the gift of Christ but don’t show them the gift of servitude that came with the birth of Christ.
Jesus came to the earth as a gift of redemption.
I celebrate Christmas by giving gifts of obligation.

May the Lord grant me the heart of this young child.

CHRISTIANS ARE SO UNCHRISTIAN: TRUE OR FALSE?

I've been reading Dan Kimball's book "They Like Jesus, But Not The Church". And it has inspired me to repost an old post. I don't want to forget where Christianity is today and the severity of what is happenening to the Body of Christ in North America. Here it is:

A gentleman came up to me the other day and told me how he had asked a fellow coworker why he didn’t come to a bible study that was open to all the employees at their job? The young man told him to get lost (with more descriptive words) and take his religion crap elsewhere. This blew the man away because his coworker was a man that was always showing others respect and love. But when it came to a Christian trying to have a “Christian conversation”, he was turned away like he had some nasty plague.

In Dan Kimball’s book, “They Like Jesus, But Not The Church”, he tells us how the issue is not Jesus, but rather His followers. Though Christians need to hold onto the Truths Jesus gave, it’s how Christians have handled that Truth that has scarred so many into turning them away from Jesus.
JESUS VS. CHRISTIANS


Judgmental, antihomosexual, hypocritical, too political and sheltered. According to the book “UnChrisitian”, written by David Kinnaman, these are the words of those outside of the church from the late teens to early 30 somethings when asked to describe Christians. According to Kinnaman's Barna study, here are the percentages of people outside the church from that age range who think that the following words describe present-day Christianity:

* antihomosexual 91%
* judgmental 87%
* hypocritical 85%
* old-fashioned 78%
* too political 75%
* out of touch with reality 72%
* insensitive to others 70%
* boring 68%

Kinnaman believes that these are not stereotypes with no basis of reality. Each person in the poll gave specific details on why they believe such things about Christians. This morning, after I read one of those “Christian-fowarded emails” that determines how solid of a Christian you are by forwarding it on to as many people as possible, I could only laugh and think of what a person outside the church would have thought if they read it. It was about keeping America a Christian nation because that is what the founders intended it to be. The last words read something along the lines of “If you’re a Christian, then remind people of what our country is by telling them to SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!!” Wow.

Christians have two ways to react to this. One way is to justify every critique that has been given us by those outside the church and point the finger back at them. The other way is to evaluate how we want to be perceived by those outside the church and how can we change that perception without compromising The Truth. One thing is certain: those outside of the church hate us....and sometimes, I don’t blame them.

JUDGING A BOOK

Several months back I was hearing all this hoopla about the “Twilight Series”. I read magazine articles about it. Some saying it will be the first series to sell on the scale of Harry Potter. It was the next hot thing out there. So I decided to check it out. When my wife and I were in the check out lane at Wal-Mart, I told her I forgot something and then ran and grabbed the book. When I brought it back to the check out lane, she looked at the book and said, “Are you sure you want to get that? It looks and sounds like a girls book.” I kind of agreed, so I put it back and grabbed a different book.
Over the next couple of months, we kept coming across that book and the youth of our church couldn’t keep their mouths closed about it. Needless to say I regretted not getting it. So I went out and purchased it. While I was being drawn into the book, I was waiting for something vampireish to happen. Some fighting, action, garlic, stakes, crucifixes. But all I was coming across was some really cheesy teenage love story. IT WAS DRIVING ME CRAZY! I wanted to see these amazing, super-human tough vampires go to action. And it finally came……..in the last couple of chapters. My thoughts of the book? Sappy and disappointing.
She seems to have all her stuff together. She’s a beautiful young girl. She’s very personal and doesn’t lack friends. When we talk, she makes sure she tells me about how she told someone about her faith. She lets me know what book of the Bible she’s reading. Every Wednesday she’s one of the few girls who bring her Bible. But every now and then I have to approach her with something I’ve heard. Parties where she’s wasted. Several guys that she’s crossed boundaries with. Smoking weed. She is a young gal that is trying to do the Jesus thing, but has a problem of being transparent. She feels that her job is to make people believe her life is good, but has not come to understand that being a Christian means that we’re just not good.

One of the most exciting youths in our youth group is a young gentleman named Brian. If one was to look at him, they would probably be scared out of their pants because he has a pretty rough image. He has a head full of crazy out of control hair. He has a tough (yet handsome)mug on his face that looks like he could chew your face off. He’s not a small guy. He dresses to his own liking, not to impress anyone. And he has his own rock band. But if you were to have one conversation with this young man, you’d thing you just had a conversation with someone that has the heart of Mother Teresa. He’s by far one of the most loving gentlemen I have ever known. He goes out of his way to make his beautiful girlfriend know she's loved by him. He asks the serious questions. He wants to grow deeper but recognizes his struggles. When we worship, he’s screaming off the top of his lungs. This youth gets all the leaders excited and has much potential (along with his girlfriend Candace) to do great things for the kingdom of God.

We hear and see things and we assume it’s true. We see a book and we figure it has to be good because it looks good or that’s what people are saying. But sometimes we pick it up and read it and it is nothing we were expecting. We judge to quickly. We need to make sure that we don’t assume the book is good or bad until you know for yourself. The hearts of each individual has its own motives, and we don’t know what it is. All we can do is see the fruit of someone and let it be what it is.

“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” 1Cor. 4:5

WHY SHOULD I BE THANKFUL?

My car battery keeps draining due to the weather. My newborn baby keeps me up late and wakes me up early. My two year old is acting like she’s seven and rebelling like a 17 year-old. Our bank account is low on funds. We’re looking for a new house and trying to figure out how we’re going to pay for it without me having to find a second job. The heat in our van doesn’t work. Our dog keeps pooping in the house. My cat keeps sneaking out of the house and tearing the farm cats into pieces. I’m overweight. I have parents of kids in the ministry who do not like the way I do ministry. I have youth who do not like the way I do ministry. I have non-Christian youth falling further away from Christ. I have Christian youth who are making worse choices then the non-Christian youth. I have youth who think other kids are faking their faith. My new Blackberry is not working like it should, considering I wasted hundreds of dollars on it. We can’t find our WIC coupons to get the free food the government gives us due to are income. I haven’t seen any of my close friends in months and years. I miss my family.
AND TO TOP IT OFF, I CAN’T STOP SINNING.
Looking at the list above, I can’t help but to wonder; why am I the happiest I’ve ever been in life? Why do I love life more then I have in the past? How can I be so excited to come home and relax with my family? Am I crazy for looking forward to coming to work everyday? Why do I long to spend more time with the youth in the ministry?
WHY DOES GOD GIVE ME THE GRACE TO FACE EACH AND EVERY DAY? WHY DOES HE SHOWER HIS LOVE ON ME AS IF I AM HIS ONLY LOVE? HOW CAN HE GIVE MY HEART THE REST IT SHOULDN’T HAVE WITH ALL THINGS CONSIDERED? WHY IN THE HECK DOES JESUS WANT TO ROMANCE MY FAMILY LIKE WE’VE BEEN FAITHFUL TO HIM AND NEVER BROKE HIS HEART OUT OF OUR OWN SELFISH REBELLION AGAINST HIM? WHY AM I LOVED BY GOD?
Bottom line, how can I not be grateful in life? All things may fall, but Christ remains faithfully crazy in love with us. This thanksgiving, above all things, let us remember how great the Father’s love is and how loved we are by Christ.
Romans 8-35, 37-39- “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword...Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

THE INFLUENCE OF MUSIC

Some looked at him as a god, some viewed him as the devil. Parents were cringing, while daughters were drooling . Whether you like him or hated him, In the 1950’s, Elvis Presley brought Rock-n-Roll to the forefront of culture and music hasn’t been the same since.
In the 60’s, they took over the British airwaves. Then they conquered America. After that, the world was at their feet. Instead of duplicating the sound of previous pop-culture hits, The Beatles were so unique, record labels kept slamming the door on them because they never heard anything like it and they just weren’t what the music industry needed. This led to be one of the biggest music industry blunders in history. The Beatles have sold over 1 billion units world wide.
They helped tear down the 60’s free-love movement. Rumors of Satanism and mysticism plagued their image which they welcomed. A band of mystery that people really had trouble figuring out. Led Zeppelin set the bar for Rock-n-Roll. Their number one hit “Stairway to Heaven” is the most played song in the history of album oriented radio.
He was no longer Little Michael. He was a young man who taught the world new dance moves while he serenaded everyone with his soft voice. Michael Jackson has the most
# 1 hits in music and the album “Thriller” is the world’s best selling album. No single person dominated the pop-culture scene more then Michael Jackson did in the 80’s.
In 1990, Nirvana was the final blow to the hairband era. They didn’t care for makeup. They didn’t want to look good. They just wanted to do music. They wanted to do it loud and with a message: “look at what you’ve made me”. They became the voice of the post-boomer generation and they were tired of the world. The music scene was in desperate need of a makeover, and Nirvana delivered in every aspect.
Music is the most powerful tool in the shaping of youth culture. It shows the world what’s to be worn, what words are to be used, and how to dance. Youth desperately look to the music world to help shape their image and define who they are. Music is the mirror to how we view ourselves. And artists have helped us put an image in that mirror.
When was the last time we sat down with a youth and asked to “see in their mirror”? Granted, the music may be extremely horrible and may resemble the sound of a cat getting its face smashed in with hammer (with a tight beat in the background). But have we taken the time to see how these kids view themselves? We become so quick to introduce these kids to artist like Stellar Kart, Switchfoot, Lecrae, or Skillet. If we want to be edgy, we give them P.O.D.’s newest album. Instead of passing onto youth what you believe they may like, first take a journey into their world to see who it is they are. Evaluate their culture first, as Paul did in Athens.

“Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.” ACTS 17:22-23

"HAPPY" PEOPLE

I’m really hesitant to write this blog because I know if I use certain words, certain people could get offended. And I also know some parents do not like to hear such words. But bottom line, the reality in every middle-school and high school across America is that there are certain kids that are......how should I put it.....that are attracted to the same-sex. So knowing some people do not like to hear those "vulgar" words and so I don’t offend people, instead of using the oppropriate words, I’ll use the word “Happy” to speak about the males and females of this groups.

How should we, lovers of Jesus, react to HAPPY people that enter the schools, the work place, the restaurants, etc….? What should we tell a HAPPY person if they want to go to a Bible school? What if a HAPPY person came to our church and was praising God with outstretched arms? Would we doubt their “realness”? How would we react if our kids were hanging out with a HAPPY person on a Friday night? What if they were invited to a party full of HAPPY people and we knew there would be no drinking or drug use?
If we saw an old woman that attends our church getting harassed, we most likely would stand by her side and defend her. Would we do the same for a HAPPY person we don’t even know?
What if 9 out of 10 HAPPY people that attend middle school or high school feels as if they are harassed and mistreated by others? Would you stand up for them?
What if 3 out of 5 HAPPY people in middle school or high school felt like their lives were at risk on any given day at school? Would you defend them?

The middle schools and high schools of our cities have HAPPY people in them. They form groups like GLSA, HAPPY Student Alliance, and they protest the mistreatment they face day to day. Do we you feel such a group in uneccesary? Some HAPPY people walk around with HAPPY PRIDE symbols, whether it be a rainbow scarf, or a pin, to let people know they are not scared of what public opinion is regarding their lifestyle. Do we see this pride as obsurd? Do we question why someone can take pride in being "different" form what is "normal"?

If Jesus were around today, could we see Him being overly vocal about HAPPY people and the choices they make? Or could we see Him spending time with them to show them they are loved by the Father? Can we see Jesus sitting with them at a lunch, work, the mall, their homes. Or do we see Jesus at a rally protesting and telling HAPPY people they are destroying our families?
Bottom line, do we see Jesus leading the way for us to throw stones because WE are the perfect people? Or do we see Him kneeling next to a HAPPY person that's lying on the ground, writing in the dirt looking at us?

TEENS FINDING VALUE IN MAKING BABIES

The things I'm willing to tell you just so I can write a blog. I do admit and confess, sometimes I watch the Tyra Show. Alright, I LOVE THE TYRA SHOW! THE SHOW IS AWESOME! I'M ADDICTED TO IT! SHE’S SO STINKIN CREATIVE AND FUNNY!!!!
Alright, now that I’m officially look at as a tender creampuff, let me move on.
The other day, I was heartbroken (yet fascinated) to hear what this 14 year-old girl was saying. She was letting Tyra know that she was very, VERY sexually active. Not just sexually active, but extremely anxious to get pregnant as well. And not JUST anxious to get pregnant, but TAKING FERTILITY DRUGS! At the age of 14. MIND BLOWING! She came from a family without a father and a single mother who has had several men living with her through this young girl’s life. So whatever this girl’s perception of boys is, she’s picked it up from her mother. But I couldn’t help but to laugh when Tyra asked her who her role model in life was. The little girl beamed with joy as she said, “Jamie Lynn Spears, who I hope I can be as good of a mother as. Compared to her sister (Britney Spears) she’s a way better mother.” Wow. A 14 year old girl wanting nothing more in life then to be like a 16 year old mother she doesn’t even know. I got one word for that: LACKOFPOSITIVEINFLUENCE!!

Since that episode, I can’t stop thinking about that girl. Not necessarily the girl from the Tyra Show, but THAT girl in today’s society. When I look at a 13 or 14 year-old, it’s hard to imagine that they even know how to ride a bike yet, let alone make a baby.
The Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit organization that focuses on sexual and reproductive health research, policy analysis and public education, reports that “Teenagers in the United States are more likely to have sexual intercourse before age 15 and have shorter and more sporadic sexual relationships than teenagers in Canada, France, Great Britain and Sweden. As a result, they are more likely to have more than one partner in a given year.” That to me is the recipe for BABY.
With pop-culture influencing kid’s into making bad choices the norm; with a single-parent struggling to raise their child in a positive manner; with Christian’s being to scared to teach about sex; No wonder kids want to make babies. They have become oblivious to the depth of God’s love for them.
ROMANS 8:35,37: “Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.”
When THAT girl can embrace THAT truth, then they can finally understand the true beauty and purpose of an intimate relationship.