Misconceptions

The word "Christian" doesn't usually go unnoticed. Some people feel confused, some feel overjoyed, some apathetic, and some feel the scar tissue and remember the burns. So I feel compelled to write about some misconceptions about Christians. I prayed for God's will to be done in this blog post, so ignore me please.

Firstly let's address the concept of why we are called Christians. We are deemed Christians because we are supposed to be little Christs, or followers of the Christ. Christian is, ideally, not just a title- it should be a job description. Because I call myself a Christian, I should strive to act like Jesus in EVERYTHING. Not just when I want to, not when I see fit to, and not only when it's easy. I am a Christian, therefore I act like one.

Now we need to establish the most important idea about Christians. Christians are people. Christians are imperfect people. We are not heavenly, we are not divine, we are not perfect, we aren't the smartest, wittiest, coolest, or better than anyone else. We are not saved because of who we are, and neither is anyone else. We are saved because of who HE is and what HE has done. True, we act superior sometimes, and we should be judged according to who we claim our master is. But don't pretend that we are perfect, and I will try and do the same. Just because someone is an atheist, does that make them a bad person? No it doesn't, I won't deny that. So why does that mean that because someone is a Christian that they can't make mistakes? It is a double standard, and unfair for any man to live under. So, understand that Christians are just flesh and blood like the rest.

The Christian is, however, called to be not of this world. Christians are supposed to be working toward perfection. That doesn't mean we will ever reach perfection, because we won't. Try to understand that God's grace makes us perfect. Because Jesus took the cross that was meant for us, we can be perfect. Christians are people who are just trying to get it right... It is hard trying to come close to Jesus. The world is telling us what we need and that the only way to get it is to destroy anything in the way. Every day we hear about the easy way out. Sometimes I will cry because it is so hard to be like Jesus. This man, this Emmanuel did far to much to every try and repay. I try to live up to his glory and I fail daily, sometime by the hour, and it makes me want to cry.

Another important thing to understand is that there are genuine Christians, and there are wolves disguised as sheep. The wolves are usually the ones hurting the image of my faith. They are the fag-haters, to flag burners, the dishonest businessmen, the crooked, the liars, and the ones who just push atheists away. The worst statement an atheist could ever make is this: "If that's what Christianity is, I don't want any part of it." They say we are hypocrites. So because someone is doing something wrong, immoral, foolish, or just evil, that's why you won't come to Christ? Because if Christianity is about doing unChristian things, you won't follow? Christians don't spread to Gospel of hate and hopelessness. Those people who you claim are ruining your faith, are not acting Christian! If they are doing evil things under the facade of Christianity, that doesn't mean you deny true Christianity. If you see someone who is literally on fire, but they claim to be not on fire, you would say that they are an idiot and that they are obviously on fire. You wouldn't say, "Since he claims he isn't on fire, I don't want to be like him...I would rather die of burns." That doesn't make sense. You are witnessing a false Christianity.

Does that mean us "true Christians" don't fail? Absolutely, positively not. I am going to share some more valuable insight into the mind of a Christian-- I screw up too! I hate to admit it, but I am a failure as well. Sometimes I do things that are unGodly, because I am not Jesus.

The Crusades were wrong, the Inquisition was wrong, God does not hate people who are gay. If being gay is a sin (which the Bible says it is) and I sin also, does that mean God hates everyone? Every stinking one of us is a sinner, and God will not hold one sin greater than another. If God hates fags then we are all through. God does not hate you, he does not hate me. We don't have the right to pick-and-choose what sin is greater than the next. We are all sinners, don't forget that.

So what makes Christians any different than the next man? Christians choose to accept God's gift of grace. It is not something we earn, and it is definitely not something we deserve. Jesus paid the highest price so that I could be saved. You can be saved by the same unbiased grace. I can't say enough about this God. He has flipped my life upside down and ruined all my plans. He has caused me to lose lots of friends and status. He has stripped me of the right to worldly pleasures. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Nothing that you can offer me compares to what God has in store for those faithful to him. I don't want the money, I don't want your drugs, I don't want to be an actor or a rock star, and I don't want women. All I want is to be emptied and freed from all that mess...

A not for Christians: We are saints, so let's act like it. We have been given many chances, let's not waste another one. We have been given a platform, let's use is joyfully. We have eyes on us, and high expectations, let's not let those eyes down. Bless you all... I'm so thankful for you seeking me out, and bringing me into your family. I owe a lot to the gospel of your lives.

Something final for the unbelieving that stumbled onto this blog. I pray for you several times a day. I cry for you when I think about the grace you haven't accepted. I just wish I could will you to faith! You all have been given the perfect personality to fulfill a part in God's story. He has gifted you, even if you don't think that's possible. You are so beautiful... I love you so much, and I'm only a man- just imagine God's love for you. Life is worth living. There is a way out of what is hurting you, and it isn't a gun. I know that a lot of you think that you are not worthy to be in God's grace, and that you have done way too much to be forgiven. Please hear me now: God uses anyone who is willing to submit to him and give up their plans. In the line of Jesus there are prostitutes, David: the man who slept with Bathsheba. One of the most famous disciples, Paul, was in the business of killing the Christians of the first church. He killed men, women, and children who claimed Jesus as their savior. This man became one of the most important figures in the history of the church. He even called himself the chief of sinners...and God used a man like that. You are not worthy of grace, true. But not a single one of us ever will be. Grace is a gift, and God is in the business of changing lives. If you want proof of anything I've said, I will give it to you. If you want Jesus, ask me how bad he wants you. I love you all, and I will pray for you all the time. Please understand that I am just a man like you, trying to follow the God who came to us.

unAmerican Dream

Please understand from the start that this blog is out of my best try for humility, and my desire for urgency. I am as guilty as the next man in every regard. Please read this with an open mind and as if it were from someone important.

I’m typing this in a Starbucks. Home to the hoitiest of the toity. Nine out of ten folks here are wearing Tom’s shoes, house slippers, or those stupid shoes where the soul sticks out past the heel… Most people with laptops have Macs. Most have a $6 coffee. Is this the representation of our generation? If it is, I don’t want anything to do with it. Now, this is coming from a guy with a $200 phone, a $500 laptop, $70 shoes, and glasses worth more than necessary. What I have on me is worth more than some people will see in the year 2011. For the first time in my life I don’t want all this stuff. I want my next phone to be one of the free ones that is just “so awful…2.1 megapixel camera? Where is the twitter app?” I want to refrain from getting new shoes until my toes bust out of them.

 I almost slept in my car last night, just to avoid being a burden to someone else. My girlfriend thought that it was an awful idea. That’s a predictable reaction. I would think that would stink too! That made me think though. What is so bad about sleeping on the cushioned seat of a warm car, with a comforter nonetheless? Oh no! I have experienced poverty at its worst! I have money in the bank, a car that is paid for, and a Droid, but sleeping in the car is an atrocity. It would be easy to type a thousand facts about how impoverished other people are compared to me, but let’s just say that I flush water down the toilet that would be the cleanest some folks could ever hope to drink.

I’m tired of being safe… Why should I be scared of someone because they are homeless? I saw a man peeing in an ally way once, and I rushed Amy away because I wanted to protect her. What are the odds that he was violent and would take my money and my girlfriend? Call me naïve, but that’s too safe. I had a $50 bill in my wallet at the time that I know I should’ve given him. I didn’t think about it at the time. When someone asks you for money, and all you have is some high bill, what does that matter? They need it, and we want it to keep us comfortable, what’s the debate? What kind of broken down church do I represent by acting stingy, selfish, and greedy? I feel like such a fool for all the money I have wasted on selfish ambitions, all the time I spend dreaming of wealth, and all the trends I’ve bought into. I’m sick of living in the generation that makes helping the poor a marketable trend. No more Tom’s-shoes-help-save-the-world mentality. How about I buy a plane ticket and go give someone my own shoes (or cut them in half and give four people shoes [because size 15 is plenty big for two]).

The reason that we don’t trust our Sovereign Lord is because we don’t need to. We are doing just fine on our own. Our bank accounts, clothing, and actions don’t reflect a need for anything. Does it take terminal illness to live outrageously? I don’t want to be fine any longer. If you see me, keep me humble. I want to be a vision of Jesus Christ, not a fuzzy lens that distorts who he is. So until my death I will be fine with being a PC, having Cross Trekkers, using a not-so-smart phone, and sleeping wherever the Lord gives me to lay my head.

I hope you know that every word of this blog is, hopefully, from God and not my own arrogance. Don’t take this from me; take is as an outlet to be challenged by God.

Tragedy

This blog is directed toward girls, ladies, and/or women, but guys can read it too; it's not exclusive. My heart has been broken many times over girls, and it has nothing to do with them dating me or not. This isn't about girls leading me on, or hanging me out to dry. My heart breaks for girls because they are being let down. THIS IS NOT A SLAM ON GUYS. I really do get sick of everyone blaming problems specifically on males', or females', evil nature. I want to ask girls how much they think they are worth? I want to ask you desperately, how much do you think you're worth?

I have done through school hearing about friend after friend losing their virginity. Because virgin is a dirty work, after all, an insult. Out of the people who lost their virginity, very very few were upset. Most people will brag about such a thing. Since when do people brag about losing something? Imagine someone saying, "Dude! I lost $1000 at the casino, and it was awesome," or, "I lost my house and my marriage because of foreclosure! Yessss!" It just doesn't make sense... What about taking that from someone? If a guy takes a girl's virginity, it is some sort of accomplishment. Some people would brag about what they have stolen, but wheat kind of decent person brags about thievery? Guys, why do we think we can take that from anyone? Ladies, why would you let someone steal from you so easily? Do you value it? Aren't you scared of losing something that you were given one time?

Women, you were created by God-- your Father who loves you. Jeremiah 1 says that God crafted you in your mother's womb, and that he numbers the very hairs on your head. God has a purpose for you, and he loves you with such a special fervor. God gave you the gift of virginity and purity. The only one who is allowed to take that is your husband, because you are exchanging that gift. That doesn't mean you give it to: someone who is special to you, someone you love, someone you think you could marry, and not your fiance. What man, who isn't your husband, is worthy of getting that? Why would you value your virginity so little? That is sacred. Your body was meant to be the temple of the Holy Spirit (God dwelling in you) and you can't let someone desecrate it. Girls, please don't fall for that trap! If a boy want to have sex with you before you are married, then he is either: acting foolishly in the moment, or doesn't value you enough to respect your purity. And what about the gray areas between kissing and sex? Stay the heck away! Why test the boundaries, just be safe and remain as pure as possible. You should regret losing such a thing. God has placed such a high value on you, please see that.

A brief comment for us guys: don't be stupid. Let's not let our southern half control our lives. If you are proud of what you have taken, then you are lost. If you are lost, God is the only way to be found. Jesus Christ paid too high a price for us to be fooling around with his precious daughters.

Thankfully, if you have lost your virginity, it is not the end of the story. You are not ruined, you are not forsaken, and you are not filthy. You lost a precious gift, but what can we give away that Jesus Christ can't restore? You are God's daughter regardless of what you've done. I'm happy to say that there is hope for everyone to be restored. Please, please just avoid the spreading tragedy. Value yourselves, please. So many people will ignore purity...what a tragedy.

Through Anything

In wedding vows people tell each other all the mushiest of the mushy things to express their love for the other, and follow with the statement that they will be together forever. Over fifty percent of marriages are failing. Divorce is at an all time high. How can people say that they will love each other forever, through anything?

When the Holy Spirit sought me out, and broke my heart, I told Him that I would follow Jesus no matter what happened to me. I still feel that way, and I think a lot of Christians would say they feel the same way. There's the question, "What if someone held a gun up to your head and asked you if you were a Christian," to which most of us would would reply, "yes." For some people, that may be true (it's fairly impossible to say what you would do if the situation actually occured) but what about something other than your own death? What if it meant torture? What if it meant being ostrocised from society? What if it meant harm to your family, friends, or your stuff? What if someone at school would take you less seriously? It is too easy to think that we would die for what we believe in when we aren't even giving all we got in our life. Living for Jesus is harder than dying for Him. Why can't we give up everything we have in speech, time, music, and movies? We would die, but not give up watching Pineapple Express, listening to Weezy, or taking the edge off our jokes. I am very guilty, don't get me wrong, but it's a struggle! If we won't even give all the simple stuff to God, what about the life-altering ones? People really do take your stuff and hurt your family for the Gospel. Are we willing to let anything go for God's kingdom to be furthered? I know I couldn't yet... No one is going  to touch my family. No one steals from me without consequence. You think I'm just going to let you take my money? You don't attack America, it's my country.  What I am learning is: not a thing in this world, or the next, is mine. My family is a momentary blessing, my stuff and money are a means to bless others, and this country is a great nation, but it's not the kingdom I pledge my allegiance to. God needs to mean so much more to me than anything of this world. If I lived a life like that, how many people could I lead to Christ? This is a battle...

It's tough to follow God through anything, this life isn't easy. People are leaving the church at an all time high. How can we say we love God forever, through anything? God doesn't need us to die for him, he wants us to live for him. Jesus didn't just die for us, he lived for us.

Some things that people should be forced to do...

1. Work Retail for a year. -This would make people realize how bad retail sucks, and how we don't need people making it even more difficult with the following acts: throwing stuff on the floor, asking how much something costs rather than using the price scanner that is right behind you, assuming that i have control over the price, availability, and quality of a given object.

2. Take a parenting class.- The worst generation of parents is right now, and the one to follow is forseeably worse. I am frightened by the little monsters that are rising up...

3. Learn how to use a gun.- Maybe if people knew that guns weren't scary, they wouldn't fight to get rid of them. And those who are too stupid or irresponsible to own guns will never have the opurtunity to own one!

4. See poverty before you complain about lacking anything. -Same goes for "needing" something. Working at a toy store gives wonderful insight into such stupid behavior. We are fine here...that's why we don't call on God enough.

5. Pass extensive, difficult, and complicated driving courses before they get a license.- Don't even get me started...most people don't deserve to own a license at all.

6. Look at their life and try to find the meaning. - Why are you here? Is it to play high school sports and pursue a sexual prowess? Is it drinking yourself unconscious every weekend and get yourself into a dozier-induced comotose in between times? Some people live their lives as children with freedoms. That is why they become parents, and bad ones at that. Life is not about ourselves... I don't know if most people can comprehend that notion. IT IS NOT ABOUT US. I know...unbelievable right? Life without Jesus is worthless. If i could life 400lbs with one arm, that wouldn't make me a strong man. If I never cried again in my life, that wouldn't make me tough. If I had sex with thousands of woman, that wouldn't make me romantic.

7. Man up.- Some people just have some growing to do. High school is over, get out of mom's house. It's time to get a job and be responsible. We can't parade around like little boys any more.

My Heart (from facebook note 6/29/10)

I feel like my heart is bursting with things to say to the world...I will start wherever God wants me too. I am hurting deeply for my brothers and sisters. There are people out there who don't feel like they have a purpose, people who feel disgusting and ugly, people who feel unforgivable, people who's lives have been struck with a tainted religion or church. There are people who have had such a terrible life that God is the last thing on their mind, and nowhere close to a solution.
My brothers are addicted to foul language, course joking, drinking, pornography, sexual immorality, pride, and greed. My sisters cannot control their tongues, they run wild with gossip. They struggle with depression, and the unshakable feeling of ugliness. They struggle to find self-worth because they have sold their bodies to whichever thief sweeps her off her feet first. I thought being a Christian was supposed to be an easy life; I thought God would make all of the bad and disgusting things in my life go away. Why don't my brothers and sisters see what you see? Why can't they even see what I see?
My heart aches for my brothers, mourns for my sisters, cries aloud for the needy. My heart longs to see your face, and I wish that they could see it too! Why can't they see it? It is because of me that your heart seems so far off. It is because of my example that your love is not apparent. It is because I am greedy, a gossip, unforgiving, lustful, boastful, proud, arrogant, condescending, and wretched. Why would I hold you back?
I've waited to long, with my heart in an iron box, to tell the world about what you've done and are doing. The church has done people wrong, and I am a part of the church. One church is not an example for the entire body of the Living God. Foul language and course joking have haunted me all my life. Pornography and pride have replaced moving hands, and running feet. And my sisters? Don't you know that God crafted you so masterfully and perfectly, above all of His creation? You are so beautiful and such a work of art in His eyes. Know that you are beautiful, but don't show it. Your body is meant to be kept behind a cloak of humility and modesty, not behind a stingy piece of cloth. My brothers, flee from an unmodest woman. Don't give yourself away, ladies and gentlemen, because your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. You sin against your very own flesh and body, and of course God. Your virginity and purity is not yours to give away. Keep your foolish gossip, idle talk, and slander behind your lying tongues. Your lips have the power to tear down and to destroy in a instant.
What is more appealing than God's grace? What is more beautiful than a fresh start, a clean sheet, a new beginning? What in hell is worth giving up eternal life? I am far from perfect, and miles from understanding, don't mistake that. What I want to do is question why we as humans do such foolish things and believe such terrible lies. Satan can lie to you all he wants, but only we have the power to send ourselves to hell- that is something we can do all on our own.
My heart hurts for you all so badly, but just hurting won't do you any good. Right now I tell the world that I will make a stand for what is beautiful and holy, and that I will preach the Word until my very last breath. I will give up everything for the sake of seeing God's kingdom advance. I will be beating, tortured, cursed, mocked, and killed for God's glory. This life is not for the weak, or those who couldn't cut it on their own. No, this life is for those who are willing to give up everything and live a hard life to see grace move forward. Hate who you were, and strive to be Christ-like. Love God above all things, and love others more than yourself- don't worry about anything else. Do everything for the glory of God. I'm no psalmist, but this is my heart.