A Jesus Manifesto

Snippets from the blog: A Jesus Manifesto. I recommend reading it and forming your own opinions due to the fact it is very deep and intense.

Jesus Christ was not a social activist nor a moral philosopher. To pitch him that way is to drain his glory and dilute his excellence. Justice apart from Christ is a dead thing. The only battering ram that can storm the gates of hell is not the cry of Justice, but the name of Jesus. Jesus Christ is the embodiment of Justice, Peace, Holiness, Righteousness. He is the sum of all spiritual things, the “strange attractor” of the cosmos. When Jesus becomes an abstraction, faith loses its reproductive power. Jesus did not come to make bad people good. He came to make dead people live.

It is possible to confuse an academic knowledge or theology about Jesus with a personal knowledge of the living Christ himself. These two stand as far apart as do the hundred thousand million galaxies. The fullness of Christ can never be accessed through the frontal lobe alone. Christian faith claims to be rational, but also to reach out to touch ultimate mysteries. The cure for a big head is a big heart.

The meaning of Christianity does not come from allegiance to complex theological doctrines, but a passionate love for a way of living in the world that revolves around following Jesus, who taught that love is what makes life a success . . . not wealth or health or anything else: but love. And God is love.

More @ http://ajesusmanifesto.wordpress.com/

The Lost Get Found

Watch this brand new song by Britt Nicole. It is a really important message that can't be extinguished.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZacdiLazFks&feature=related

Wisdom and Truth

Sunday night I attended this new bible study that is primarily focused for 12th graders and college students. After the 2 hours, I knew why. It was so in depth that I felt in awe of God's intellect because I knew that I couldn't even compare to it. The Bible Study was called the Truth Project. It is a tape of a professor at New Geneva Seminary and the president of Focus on the Family who is teaching his students about this lesson of Truth.

Truth: What is Truth?
Have you ever asked yourself that question? How do we know what truth is? Do we really know what is true when everyone has their own opinion of truth? Dr. Del Tackett, the professor, states that if you ask random population more than half of them will answer "i dunno" to the vital question of truth. I mean really think about truth or at least try and wrap your noggin around it. We know as Christians that Jesus stated "I am the way, the truth, an the life. No one comes to the father except through me." (John 14:6) I believe that completely, but have never thought about it outside of any other context. The Truth is Jesus.

Truth: Why did Jesus come to the world?
Answer found in John 18:37- to testify to the truth. He came not to only save us, but to establish the right way. To establish the Truth so that we don't have to live or suffer with lies. Christians don't belong to lies any longer because He has already established the Truth.

Truth: Where is Truth?
Found in Jesus Christ. Truth is having faith in Jehova Jira, the God who provides. We don't have faith in faith or hope in hope. Have faith in Truth. Have hope in Truth. As Christians do our lives really prove that we believe that our belief is really real?

Wisdom: "Does not widsom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. To fear the Lord is to hate evil. " Proverbs 8

Wisdom: knowing what is true.

"Maybe to fear the Lord is to hate evil" is saying, to follow the Truth is to reject the lies since that is what he has come to testify.

Lord,

I am asking for you to give me your eyes. I want to serve you whole-heartedly for the glory of You.
May you teach, and I learn.
May you show and I'll go.
I am in this for you whether I get to see the results of the impact or not.
Here I am. So, please fill me with that fire that can't be quenched. Fill me with hope to give and love to show. Just so that they will know...
I don't know what is in store, but you always know before.
Send angels that will surround. May I remember that you will be with me at 6 am as soon as I awaken, you will join me in the mud and sweat, and you will certainly be there when I decide to rest my head after each day.
May I hear you whisper softly to my heart throughout the day.
May you show me the way.

Give Me Your Eyes...or maybe a blindfold??

Interesting title, I know. But here is what I was up against today. You know when you get the feeling that the world needs such help that even a rope that could wrap around the Earth wouldn't be long enough? Well, I have adopted this song to my lifestyle: "Give me your eyes for just one second.Give me your eyes so I can see.Everything that I keep missing.Give me your love for humanity.Give me your arms for the broken hearted ones that are far beyond my reach. Give me your heart for the ones forgotten.Give me your eyes so I can see".
This song is what spoke to me to go on an International mission trip. This song got me more involved in my community. It also is the same artist who was sung at church when I was the guest speaker.

Today, this song took a new spin on my life. Let me warn you, if you are asking for the Lord to show you what He sees so that you can better help and communicate from others based on where they are coming from...you better put on the shield of faith and the belt of truth (Ephesians 6) because I realized that over the past few months and especially just recently, we don't want to know how others live. As Christians it can seem scary, unnerving, or uncomfortable. So, I have to clarify what I am actually saying. What I saw in Jamaica was amazing and it blessed me. The love and welcome coming from the Jamaicans taught me a lot. I needed to learn that I don't need my "wants". But since then I have come across people in my path that live desperate lives and because of Christ's compassion I have wanted to help them. They know that Christ is the priority and the purpose in my life. But to be able to understand where someone is coming from when you are feeling great and redeemed through Christ can be difficult and painful. Sometimes you don't want to see what people go through. At one point it bothered me. It made me afraid. I was confused why they had to go through such things ore even why they chose such things.However, I realized they came to me, and I had a responsibility to endure the situation and just listen and show the love of Christ.

Now, I feel I am called to move on. I helped and did what I could with Christ working through me. Now, God has removed that specific responsibility because I already have planted a seed. Now, is the time for the Living Water to rain down.

It's tough. I listened to things I didn't know how to respond. Sometimes it made me hurt that someone could be so empty. Thank God that He gets to see everything and we only see minuscule things because we couldn't handle what goes on daily in 6.8 billion people's lives. That's why He is God. We are his workmanship. He is the Lord.

So I encourage you and warn you at the same time. If you feel called to see the world through His eyes, soften your heart yet also keep that shield up so that you stay strong because that is what the forgotten, lost, and lonely need: someone to look up to and know that there is more to life through Jesus. Sometimes they are just asking for hope. Go tell them there is and overflowing cup of hope waiting for them. If we don't, who will? (Romans 10:14). It's tough, but He will equip you for it.