The True Seriousness of Saying You Are a Christian

If asked, millions of people in America and the world would describe themselves as being Christian, and that is certainly a nice thing to say. However, have we ever considered the seriousness and responsibility that comes with such a profession of faith? Do we recognize that we are living examples to others around us of our faith? Sadly, I believe many have forgotten or don't realize this.
Far and away the two biggest reasons I get for people rejecting Christianity are:
 1.Bad things that have been done in the name of Christianity.Things like abusive cults or clergy, violence, injustices,oppression,etc.It only takes a moment to see how bogus these reasons are. You can't blame a faith for the bad behavior of one person or group just as you can't condemn a whole race or culture because of the actions of one of its members.
Now for the second reason, one that should cause all Believers to have genuine concern: People will often say something like this: "most Christians I see or know are phonies."
Unlike reason #1, this complaint is something we as professed Christians have control of. It leads to the question we all need to ask ourselves, are we walking the talk of our faith?
Are we living as called out believers in Jesus? Are we trying to follow His teachings each and every moment of our lives, or, do we live,dress,talk and act as if we are "in the world" as opposed to not being "of this world"? (paraphrasing Jesus' words here).
Scripture tells us in Romans12--"And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
I could go on and on about how our behavior influences others and their view of the Christian faith but let's finish with this, what does Jesus have to say about people who say they are Believers but don't live and act as if they are?
Jesus said in Mark7--“Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."
And finally, Our Lord has this to say: "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven."
May we all walk the talk of our faith. In doing so we achieve genuine peace in this life and paradise in the world to come.

The Age We Now Live In and the Frog in the Pot of Water Analogy

The Frog in the Pot of Water Analogy:
Is there anyone who doesn't know this one? The frog is sitting in a pot of slowly heating water on the stove, it is oblivious to the fact it is getting hotter and hotter till it finally reaches the boiling point and the frog is........dead.
This analogy is applicable to what is going on in America (and parts of the world) today. Events are happening that are so contrary to what is right, decent, and moral it's unreal. Add to that our safety and well being are potentially in danger. It seems as if the majority of people don't realize this, they are like the frog.
However,before we blame them for their lack of insight, lets look at some of the reasons this might be occurring. There is no need to go into a lot of detail but it is important to take note. Many Americans are preoccupied with making a living and "keeping their head above water" financially. The cost of living has never been higher. Also, people have become voracious consumers, often overspending on things that make them slaves to debt. We then have the people who are overly preoccupied with being entertained and satiating every imaginable desire they have. While we are at it, let's not forget those people who rely on the Media to tell them what to do,how to think, and reassure them that everything is OK. There are probably more reasons I could mention but I think you get the picture.Suffice to say we are a distracted nation.
Here is today's message to you, Wake Up People! There are things happening in this country and the world that are going to impact you at some point in the future. They may effect this country first but you will experience those effects eventually.
So what are you to do?
First, become aware and informed about what is going on in this country and the world. Get your information from non-partisan sources and outlets, AVOID the outlets I call conspiracy/whack job speculators.
Secondly, get yourself together, if you are overspending and drowning in debt, stop! Are you drugging, drinking and eating to excess? Stop! People, do things to excess because they are either unhappy or frustrated.
Thirdly, Simplify your life, relearn to appreciate the simple pleasures. A walk in the woods or by the ocean, spending time with your family, you know what I mean here. For those who are interested in getting high or lit on alcohol, these activities become their "simple pleasures," anything else seems boring.
Fourthly, reassess your spiritual status. In a world that is dominated by cynicism and outright contempt for anything connected with a Judeo-Christian belief, I understand the reality that millions have abandoned the faith of their childhood. As you may have read in one of the earlier posts, do not allow what is said or done in the name of "religion" to taint your perception of the timeless truth and wisdom contained in the Bible.
If you are one of those cynics, begin a kind of Biblical reconciliation process by reintroducing yourself to the practical wisdom contained in the Old Testament Book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes as well as the New Testament Epistle of James. These will provide you with insights and guidance that are applicable to your life and relationships right now.
Forgive me for editorializing, but, DO NOT substitute listening to TV/radio evangelists for your reading and studying Scripture on your own. Nothing can compare to what happens when you read and study alone or with family.
As you implement the above suggestions you will notice a distinct change in every aspect of your life. You will look at things differently and more aware of what is really going on around you.
More to come on this subject in future posts.

Dr.Charles Stanley's 30 Life Principles

In an era of "smooth words" and dumbing down the Gospel, Dr. Stanley is a treasure.
I just came across this and thought it was so relevant for the age we now live in.
The following is a guideline for living the Christian life.


1. Our intimacy with God – His highest priority for our lives – determines the impact of our lives.
Genesis 1:26
2. Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.
Exodus 19:5
3. God’s Word is an immovable anchor in times of storm.
Numbers 23:19
4. The awareness of God’s presence energizes us for our work.
Deuteronomy 20:1
5. God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable.
Joshua 3:8
6. You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.
Judges 2:1-4
7. The dark moments of our life will last only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish His purpose in us.
1 Samuel 30:1-6
8. Fight all your battles on your knees and you win every time.
2 Samuel 15:31
9. Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees.
2 Kings 6:17
10. If necessary, God will move heaven and earth to show us His will.
2 Chronicles 20:12
11. God assumes full responsibility for our needs when we obey Him.
Job 42:7-17
12. Peace with God is the fruit of oneness with God.
Psalm 4:8
13. Listening to God is essential to walking with God.
Psalm 81:8
14. God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.
Isaiah 64:4
15. Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness.
Jeremiah 15:19
16. Whatever you acquire outside of God’s will eventually turns to ashes.
Ezekiel 25:6-7
17. We stand tallest and strongest on our knees.
Daniel 6:10-11
18. As children of a sovereign God, we are never victims of our circumstances.
Hosea 3:4-5
19. Anything you hold too tightly, you will lose.
Amos 6:6-7
20. Disappointments are inevitable, discouragement is a choice.
Habakkuk 3:17-19
21. Obedience always brings blessing.
Luke 11:28
22. To walk in the Spirit is to obey the initial promptings of the Spirit.
Acts 10:19
23. You can never outgive God.
2 Corinthians 9:8
24. To live the Christian life is to allow Jesus to live His life in and through us.
Galatians 2:20
25. God blesses us so that we might bless others.
Ephesians 4:28
26. Adversity is a bridge to a deeper relationship with God.
Philippians 3:10-11
27. Prayer is life's greatest time saver.
2 Thessalonians 3:1
28. No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith.
Hebrews 10:24-25
29. We learn more in our valley experiences than on our mountaintops.
James 5:10
30. An eager anticipation of the Lord’s return keeps us living productively.
Revelation 22:12

Being A Witness For Jesus in This Modern Age

Jesus asks us in Luke 18:8--"But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on Earth?"

I have been thinking alot about witnessing for Jesus lately. Proclaiming the Gospel is something Believers are told to do. There is no question about this, it's all over the New Testament.

So, I can't help but feel some guilt that I have not been doing it like I should. With that said I should add this, there has never been a time when people have been either so cynical,uninterested, or just plain hostile to anything about Jesus and salvation. The reasons for this are probably more than I wish to innumerate but a few are worth mentioning.

1.Misdeeds and horrible things done by clergy, churches and people identifying themselves as Christian. Of course--as I wrote in an earlier post--don't confuse the Christian faith for what has been done in the name of religion.

2. The changing moral climate in America. What was once thought to be totally unacceptable behavior is now accepted as being acceptable. When you match this behavior up with the Bible's teachings you immediately see a conflict in beliefs.The intolerant Christian is the label put on anyone who actually believes the Bible.

3.An aggressive agenda to marginalize and disparage the Christian faith by the media and a wide variety of groups, not the least of which is the ACLU. If you don't believe this then you have not been paying attention.

4. I guess I should throw in our schools,colleges and universities while I'm at it. I am also including colleges and universities that were founded on faith and faith principles. They have either left Christianity behind or watered it down and compromised it to such a degree it is worthless.

Brothers and Sisters, it's grim out there.

So what are we to do? Stand on a street corner or outside a stadium and pass out generic Bible tracts? Now, that is a good and honorable thing to do but I have seen how mostly ineffective it is,again, in this day and age.

I will give you what I think we should do but let me give you this admonition by Jesus regarding witnessing first. In Matthew Chapter 7:6 he says: "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine....." The rest of this quote pertains to endangering your personal safety by witnessing to certain types of people. if you look at most commentaries the words "pearls" and "that which is holy," represent precious biblical truths, principles, commandments of God, and directions, which God speaks to your heart. Jesus says we are not to offer them to those who are aggressive and/or openly hostile to the Salvation message.

Now that doesn't mean we shouldn't pray for this person or that we won't have an opportunity to withess sometime in the future, it's means just not at this moment in time.

What to do in regards to witnessing? I make it personal.I find opportunities when a co-worker or someone I come in contact with asks me what I've been up to. I might say, well I went to Bible study last night, or, I had a Bible study at home with friends, it was really interesting. We studied how what you say can sometimes get you into alot of trouble (from the Epistle of James). Notice how I mentioned a totally relatable subject. It's better than saying, "Yeah, we studied how everyone who is not saved will burn in hell.......eternally." I think you see what I am getting at. Pick your scenario to reference something God related.

Something else. People I know will occasionally mention to me a personal issue or trial they have been going through. I will say that I get insighs and strength from reading Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the words of Jesus when I am troubled. More often than not I get the following reponse or something close to it--"I am not into religion, I had enough of that in the past." I respond with, "forget about "religion", check out Proverbs for starters, that has timeless wisdom and common sense. You really won't believe how relevant it is."

Many times we need to get a person's foot in the door faith wise. Then, they can be gently led to the Gospel of Jesus.

Any suggestion readers have on witnessing would be much appreciated. If you know anyone who might be interested in this Blog, please tell them about us.Also, feel free to share any of the articles I have posted so far.

The Absurdity of Portraying Jesus As a Hippie, pt.2

It is of course a no-brainer as they say to read Part 1 of this article below before reading this one.
There is a depiction of Jesus today that I would label, "the kinder,gentler" Jesus. Although not called a hippie, this Jesus encompasses all the same qualities mentioned previously. It is the,everything is OK if it is done in love, non-judgemental Jesus.
To this I would say that you either don't know the Gospels or you have chosen to to ignore what we call His "hard sayings".
Let me provide some examples of Jesus being anything but non-judgemental.
In Matthew 23:33 we read of Jesus condemning the Scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy saying: "You snakes, you vipers' brood, how can you escape being condemned to hell?"
My advice would be to read all of Matthew 23, Our Lord minces no words in his condemnation of those who have misused their religious position.
To the Jews who repeatedly challenged and tried to use His words to justify having Him killed He had this to say: " You are of your father the devil and the desires of your father you want to do."
One more, from Mark 16:14 which gives a description of Jesus being very critical of His followers. After He was resurrected, He appeared to His disciples and as they sat at the table "He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen."
I could go on and on but suffice to say that a reading of the Gospels will dispel the Jesus was the first hippie myth.To close this all out I will add the following.
This is a quote by Jesus that many people either don't know or have explained away or misinterpreted. It is from Luke 22:36. As Jesus spoke to His disciples regarding their mission to spread His Word to the people He said: "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack: and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one."
Hold on there, Jesus advocated being armed and potentially dangerous? In a way yes. Our Lord recognized that the areas His disciples were going into could be quite dangerous.The sword was for protection, not aggression. It is amazing how many religious teachers try to explain away this by saying ithe sword was a metaphor for "spiritual" warfare. Utter nonsense.
There has been a tendency over the years to portray Jesus as a benign, almost effeminate man. He was anything but. This was a man who worked as a carpenter with His earthly father Joseph, walked great distances and often slept outside. He was a rugged man.
So Brothers and Sisters, let us not only proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ but also remember that He was of flesh and blood just like us and suffered and died for our sins. Amen

The Absurdity of Portraying Jesus As a Hippie, pt.1

The Absurdity of Portraying Jesus as a Hippie, Pt.1
Back in the early 70's there was a phenomenom that occurred called "The Jesus Movement." Perhaps some of you out there might recall it. It was made up in large part by young people, many of whom you would call hippies. It had the noble plan of restoring first century Christianity. While it is not my intention to go into alot of detail about this movement, I will say that although it eventually died off, quite a bit of good came out of it. Not the least of which was that thousands of people came to a knowledge of the saving Grace of Jesus. I'd be remiss not to add that an incredible amount of great Christian music came from this era. Music of a passion and quality we have not heard since.
The 70's was the first time I ever heard of Jesus being referred to as a hippie.
 The reason given for this description was that Jesus was said to be all about love, peace and harmony. Fast forward 30 years or so and we see that the 'Jesus as a hippie' portrayal is still with us and shows no signs of going away.However, what has been more prominent in recent years than the peace, love and harmony Jesus is the portrayal of the non-judgemental Jesus.
 Promulgated primarily by the "spiritual but not religious" crowd,and, pretty much every Christian Church and denomination that has watered down what the Bible says, this portrayal is a sad distortion of reality. It only takes reading the words of Jesus found in the Gospels of Matthew,Mark, Luke and John to see how wrong this is.

In part two of this post I will look into Jesus' own words in regards to the areas of being "non-judgmental", accepting of everything if it is "done in love", as well as protecting your own well being (what would Gandhi have thought?).

Modern Worship?

We must remember that real Christian faith changes lives. However, in this day and age, it has morphed into changing Christianity and the Bible to fit modern society.
Consequently, we see the acceptance of lifestyles and behavior that are quite contrary to Biblical teachings.
I also think of "contemporary" come as you are worship, church seminars that revolve around today's "Christian" authors as opposed to Scripture, "praise and worship" that includes worldly music, and much more.
As an aside--Christian rock or  Christian rap, is an oxymoron folks.
The harsh reality is this: we have become a society that is dependent and even addicted to being entertained and this mindset has infiltrated the Church.
We must not forget Jesus' admonition: we are to be, "in this world but not of this world."
The picture below continues this theme: