Not a Fan. (Part 5)

     Some people think that being a Christian is defined by religion. They think it is about following the religious rules and principles. Following the rules keep them focused on the outside, but who they are inside is what Jesus pays attention to. Don't confuse following the rules with following him. Many fans get caught up on what people see on the outside, but it's just a mask. What we see is not who they really are. Some people play the role so well that they even fool themselves.
     Jesus wants someone who doesn't pretend like they have it all together. Sadly, that's what most people, including myself, do. How easy is it to act like everything is alright? It is so much simpler than letting people in on your struggles. That would show that your life isn't so simple, isn't so stable. But it's okay to no be okay. The fact of the matter is that Jesus doesn't expect us to be perfect, He just wants us to be genuine.
     When we truly follow Jesus, our obedience comes from the inside out. Your actions will begin to reflect your true feelings about and for Jesus. His love for others will shine out of you. Fans simply give their time and attention to following rules, but they neglect to show God's love to others. They use God's law to beat up people who are already hurting. Instead, we should lift people up because of our beliefs. Laws should never be more important than love.
     It's not enough to just say and do the right things. Jesus doesn't want the fake you. He wants the real you: the sinful, messed up, broken person that has faults and regrets and is in desperate need of a Savior. The keyword for guilt and fear is 'do'. We try to do enough to make up for our sins and earn God's favor. Well, that will never be possible. There is nothing we can do to earn God's favor. God has given us the gift of eternal life, we just have to accept it. The keyword for grace is 'done'. Our punishment was taken by Christ. He has made a way where there was no way so we could live with a freedom and appreciation for what He has done for us.
     Fans will sooner or later get exhausted and grow tired of trying to keep up outer appearances that don't match an inner passion. If you are plagued by the constant fear that you need to follow every single rule just to keep up religion, worry no more. Jesus came to free you from religion. He doesn't care about those things. He just wants a real relationship with you. One that is built on love and trust, one that will last an eternity.

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,

and I will give you rest. 

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, 

for I am gentle and humble in heart 

and you will find rest for your souls. 

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Day of silence

Remembering, honoring & praying for the families and friends of:

Charlotte Bacon, 6

Olivia Engel, 6

Dylan Hockley, 6

Jesse Lewis, 6

Ana Marquez-Greene, 6

Grace McDonnell, 7

Emilie Parker, 6

Noah Pozner, 6

Jessica Rekos, 6

Daniel Barden, 7

Josephine Gay, 7

Madeleine Hsu, 6

Catherine Hubbard, 6

Chase Kowalski, 7

James Mattioli, 6

Jack Pinto, 6

Caroline Previdi, 6

Avielle Richman, 6

Benjamin Wheeler, 6

Allison Wyatt, 6

Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, 47

Anne Marie Murphy, 52

Mary Sherlach, 56

Lauren Rousseau, 30

Victoria Soto, 27

Rachel D'Avino, 29.

Not a Fan. (Part Four)

     What Jesus is most concerned about is our level of commitment. When Jesus tells us what he expects, he isn't just talking to one specific group. He is talking to all people who want to follow him. Jesus is always honest when it comes to what following Him will cost us.

     

Luke 14:25-26: If anyone come to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters- yes even his own life- he cannot be my disciple.

     Now he doesn't literally mean that you must hate those people, because that would be going against all that the bible teaches. What Jesus means is that compared to Him, you must hate everyone else. That's how much he should mean to you. Jesus wants to be first place, but He wants to be the only one. He doesn't want there to be a second place. Don't make Jesus one of many, make Him your one and only. Fans want a loving, committed relationship, but they don't want to make it exclusive. Jesus will not share your affection; you must follow him wholeheartedly. There are many things that compete for Jesus' attention, and you may not even realize it. So ask yourself these things:

     1. For what do you sacrifice your money?

What you spend your money on is the true desire of your heart and it is usually what you follow. Money is Jesus' number one competition. People sacrifice time and money for things because they think they will find satisfaction. For many people satisfaction has a price tag. But Jesus wants to be our lone satisfaction. Money promises to do what God wants to do for us and unlike Him, it cannot fully deliver. Matthew 6:24- No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

     2. When you're hurt, where do you go for comfort?

Things have the potential to compete with Jesus over our devotion and affection. It's not wrong to be comforted by friends, but they do take the place of Jesus. When the first response is to turn to anyone or anything besides Jesus, it shows we are following something other than Him. When we go through pain it shows who has our affection.

     3. What disappoints, excites, or frustrates you the most?

When you are overwhelmed with these emotions something has become too important. When things have the power to determine who we are and how we act, it's more important than it should be. Some level of this is okay, but getting too emotional shows that Jesus isn't necessarily your one and only.

     Following Jesus means following him alone, He's not interested in sharing our hearts. When Jesus says he will not share our affection or devotion, he isn't just saying how He wants to be loved. He is describing how He loves us. Jesus puts us first, He loves us with His whole heart, and nothing gets in between us. Trying to follow Jesus part-time is impossible. Being a Christian isn't easy; before you commit, make sure you understand what it costs. It isn't cheap; you can lose, and lose big. From the day you become a follower, Satan will be after you. It will be an everyday struggle, but it will always be worth it.

Matthew 16:24-25

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it."

Nothing and Everything- Week Two

Finally getting around to posting this! Sorry for the long delay! Definitely a good post to read though! Full of awesome truths of how much we are loved and mean to God!

     So this was the second and final week of our series, Nothing and everything. The mood has definitely improved from the first message. The main point of this week was I am everything.
     The key verse was Luke 19:10: For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. The whole rest of the night was based around this verse.
     1. Came- Jesus came to Earth because He thought we were valuable. The God of the Universe thought we were valuable. That within itself should make you feel full of worth. No matter what people may think, you are loved by God, and that it is all that matters.
     2. Seek- Jesus never waited for people to find Him. He would always go look for people. The truth is He is calling us by name, right now, at this very moment. We may not be listening though. We need to open up our heart and let Jesus enter it. How will you respond?
     3. Save- The value of something is determined by how much you are willing to pay for it. So how valuable are we? Well, Jesus gave his life for us. That is worth a lot. He was willing to pay the ultimate price for us, shouldn't we be able to give ourselves to Him?
     When you think about it we're not nothing or everything, we're nothing and everything. We must remember that God is what makes us everything, we aren't capable of doing it ourselves. In our nothingness, the God of the Universe gave everything for us.

Matthew 10:29-31

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? 

Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 

So don't be afraid; 

you are worth more than many sparrows.

Not a Fan. (Part Three)

     It's been awhile since I have posted on the book I'm currently reading, so I'l just go ahead and dive right in. Fans SEEM to know more than followers. They can tell you all of these random facts and recite whole paragraphs, but that's not the point. They don't really know God, they just know about him. In Matthew 15:8 it says "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." many fans give their minds to studying God, but they never surrender their hearts.
     Fans tend to confuse knowledge with intimacy. Some churches have even developed systems of learning that only result in knowledge, not intimacy. Don't get me wrong, studying and learning is a good thing. Knowledge isn't the problem, but it can falsely indicate intimacy. Where there is intimacy there should be growing knowledge, but far too often there is knowledge without a growing intimacy. The best biblical word for intimacy is "yada". This word is also used to describe the type of relationship that God wants with us. It is defined as to know completely and to be completely known. A good example of this is in Psalm 139:

Oh lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it Lord.

God knows us completely and he wants to be known by us. Some people consider themselves followers because of what they know about him, but you are true follower when you know Jesus.

     One of the best examples of this is in Luke 7. Jesus is invited over to dinner at Simon's home. He is obviously the guest of honor, but he doesn't receive the usual treatment. Back then, the honored guest was greeted with a kiss, had his feet washed, and his head was anointed with oils. None of this was done for Jesus. In fact, he was openly ignored. All of the sudden, a village prostitute enters the room. Everyone falls silent. They all know what she is, and they can't believe that she is there. Jesus sees her and knows that she has been changed. She had listened to him preaching and had decided to become of follower of him. His eyes light up and he gives her a warm smile. He views her with the pride of a father watching his beautiful daughter. That's how he feels about all of us. Now, no man had ever looked at her like that before. She taken so taken aback that she began sobbing and falls to Jesus feet. As her tears coat his feet, she notices that they haven't been washed. She lets her hair down (which is a sign of extreme intimacy) and wipes his feet with her hair. She pours her perfume on them and she kisses his feet. Jesus then addresses Simon and tells him how Simon neglected him and how the woman shows such respect. in the end, Simon is the fan and the women is the true follower. And who are we most like?

     So, ask yourself this: When's the last time you...

           had one of those moments?

           poured yourself out before God, to God?

           expressed your complete love for him?

           demonstrated your love with reckless abandonment?

Hebrews 4:13

Nothing in all of creation is hidden from God's sight. 

Everything is uncovered and laid bare 

before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.