Walking the Talk, Talking the walk!

So, here we are. Two friends about to go on the trip of a lifetime! You and I have decided to go on a trip together and I am going to tell you all about the friends that I have in my life. All the wonderful people that love me and want nothing but the best for me. I am going to explain to you how I have the most amazing wife in the world and how I would absolutely do anything for her. I want you to know about my awesome kiddos, all three of them and the fourth beautiful child that will grace our presence soon. I am going to tell you all about my amazing pastor and how him coming to our church has been for the greater good and how his messages always speak truths from God's word. I am going to tell you all about the Men's bible study we have and how my best friend, has done nothing but show me love when I needed it most! I am going to give you examples of how my life has been just totally transformed by Jesus and what he has done is nothing short of astounding. I want to lay everything on the line and share the most awesome story of how a savior was born of a virgin, lived a sin-free life, died on a cross for me, and then rose from the dead all so we could be free. I am going to tell you all these things with a smile and making sure that you feel comfortable talking about all these things in my life and then I am going to sincerely ask about your life and I promise to listen intently to what you have to say. I am going to ask you meaningful questions that we help to make our friendship stronger and only then will you understand that I truly do care about you and wish nothing but the best for you!

Now, you have read this thinking, where is he going with this? Well, here we go. I am going to write the same exact thing, but with a few differences and I want you to see if you can - A: Catch them and B: See a change in your attitude as you read about what we are going to do on our trip!

So, It's about time. Two friends (Yah, right) about to go on the sucky trip that you scheduled! You and I have decided to go on this trip together because I had nothing better to do, and I am going to tell you all about the people that I have in my life. All the crazy people that SAY they love me and want nothing to do with me. I am going to explain to you how I have the most Crabby wife in the world and how I would absolutely drive off a cliff sometimes with her in the passenger seat. I want you to know about my kids, who on a daily basis, LIE TO ME, all three of them and the fourth child that was a mistake and we just wish it wouldn't have happened. I am going to tell you all about my stupid pastor and how him coming to our church has changed the entire structure of our church and he never even uses a bible. I am going to tell you all about the Men's bible study we have and how it is filled with nothing but liars and men who just nag about the wives. I am going to give you examples of how my life has been changed by Jesus, but he never seems to show up when I need him. I want to lay everything on the line and share a half-hearted story of the gospel to you...maybe leaving out a few important details, but who cares. I am going to tell you all these things with a smiling (only thinking about who I can talk to about you and that stupid mole on the side of your face, or that THICK UNIBROW...HeHe) and making sure that you don't know what is said about you behind your back and then I am going to ask about your life HOPING you won't say anything and I promise to wonder what the score is on the latest Auburn/Alabama games. I am going to ask you Hurtful questions in hope that you would just SHUTUP ALREADY and that our friendship will just die and go away. Who needs friends anyway...

Now, after reading the second way that I wrote the similar stories, I want you to ask yourself which one you would want to read and also which one are you saying. How many times have you DOGGED out the cashier at the grocery store because they couldn't check you out fast enough? How many times have you talked HORRIBLY about the people who are your friends, just because it might make a good story to the person you are talking to. What about this, How many times have you cussed out the guy who just cut you off in traffic. How many times have you left a restaurant talking about how that server sucked and how you wish you would have never come there?

I ask you these questions to ask you just one:

How many times have you gone somewhere or seen someone and left them in a better place than when you first saw them? 

The bible calls us to Love our neighbor, not talk about them crabbily when we leave or to badmouth them because they don't like the same football team as you! (War Eagle BTW)

The Bible says a lot about what we say, and I just want to show you a couple scriptures on this and I will leave you with a video from one of my favorite people - The Skit Guys -

Let's start by analyzing this scripture - Matthew 12:36 says -
"I tell you, on the day of Judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak."

WOW - every careless word - that's going to take a long time, don't you think. I mean I just called the guy at the grocery store -STUPID. I called the Homeless guy on the street - LAZY AND RIDICULOUS...I mean the Mom at the store that couldn't control her kids, CAN YOU BELIEVE HER? And I just had to pick up milk....I have passed a judgment on these people that they don't deserve...BUT remember that question that I asked earlier? Here it is again...

How many times have you gone somewhere or seen someone and left them in a better place than when you first saw them? 

That guy at the grocery store has been teased his whole life for being overweight and his parents called him STUPID when he was a kid....The homeless guy was in the Military fighting for our freedom to go to church, and when he came home he suffered from PTSD and lost his wife and house and everything he called LIFE....and the Mom...who could forget those kids...She was a SINGLE mom who just lost her husband in a fatal car accident...and yet we had to ask ourselves...Can you believe her?

James 3:9 says - "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness."

Now that's and interesting way to put it, don't you think? If we use our tongue to praise our God and then we talk bad about the people around us or cuss someone out or put someone down, are we not truly doing the same to our God?

My point is in all of this is that there is always someone listening, always someone around to see or hear what you have to say and if you claim to live for the kingdom of God, then maybe it's time our talk and walk actually represented what Christ would have us do. Enjoy the video highlighting the same things! Be blessed and Jesus loves you and so do I!

                        

Me and Jesus!

So you haven't heard from me in a while. Jesus, I believe in you and I want to pursue you with everything I have but I just can't seem to get it together. I can't seem to find who I am before I talk to you in the way I feel you would want me to. I know that I asked for you to live in my heart. I asked for you to be my saviour. But I never fully gave my life to you. I wanted to have my music, my life. I wanted it to be about what I need. I wanted this and that and so many other things that I felt could get me closer to what I needed. I wanted to do drugs and sink my life into a whole. I wanted so much to crawl out of this darkness but I felt helpless to it. I wanted to increase my wealth and buy and brand new car with everything in it that I could want. I wanted what I wanted - BUT THEN I REALIZED....it's not about what I want - it's about what YOU want for me to have. What you want for my life. What you want, is someone completely ready to be a follower of you. To be a true disciple. What YOU wanted is a person that would lay down there material possessions just for a moment with you. (Luke 18:22) What YOU wanted was someone who wasn't afraid to share the Gospel of you and share all you had done in their life. (Matthew 28:19) What YOU wanted was someone to LOVE...not for selfish reasons, But to LOVE for your reasons. (Matthew 5:44)To care a deep care for all the people of this world because YOU did. What YOU wanted was My eyes to see everyone in this world not as a color but as a family - Created in your father's image. (Genesis 1:27) What YOU want from me is someone who wants you to be the leader in their life. (John 14:6) Someone who is ready to walk the path that YOU have laid out before them. What YOU want is me. (Luke 15:10) You want me, which is why you took everything that I WANTED to the cross with you to say I LOVE YOU. You WANT me to be the guy in your story who chose to share. You WANT me to tell everyone the story of how you loved us more than we could ever imagine.

The above talk with Jesus was supposed to demonstrate how we sometimes sit and talk to God. How we sometimes try to justify what we want...how we sometimes feel like we should have what it is that we want. But it's all about what Jesus wants for us. I know when He came to be man, he fought for us.

John 3:16 Says: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

I know that Your conversation with God went something like this:

Jesus says: So Dad, I know your having a hard time with the people down there...but I know they love you. They just have a hard time showing it. Send me, I'll go and bring them redemption and salvation and show them a Grace they could never imagine.

God: Are you sure Son? They won't receive you, as you will be one of their own - they will reject you, they will have you murdered and put to death and there will be no way to escape this. I know you love them as do I, but are you sure. (While hiding tears)

Jesus: I LOVE THEM, that's all I need. I know that my love will show them a new way to be. I know that I can help them. Allow me to teach them and get them from their wicked ways. Father, this is my choice. Will you honor it.

(Now Emotionally Crying turned with back to Jesus) -
God: Of course, but really, I need you to understand they will crucify you! I don't think I WANT THAT....

Jesus placing his hand on God's back says - Dad, it's ok...This is the only way to show them how much WE love them!!!

Romans 5:8 Tells us "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus knew before he came to us that he was going to be rejected and persecuted and Hung on a cross to die...YET he still came to show us How much he loved us! He still came to love us, to be who we needed on an everyday basis, to seek and live for, to call upon in our times of need.  Jesus was not sent to condemn us but to bring us to light in our darkness. How about this story:

Some men: Why are you here teacher? You say you are sent by God, but you sit in the presence of these people.

Jesus: Well I would much rather be here than with a bunch of hypocrites. You say you live for God yet you turn away the very people seeking to find him. Let me put it this way - The doctor doesn't come to heal the well, He comes for the sick. (Matthew 9: 11-13)

Man I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during this conversation. The people calling him out must have just swallowed their tongues...that would have been AWESOME. I mean Jesus flat out calls them out and tells them what they need to do. This is what He has done for us. We need to stop criticizing people because they are different or have something about them that we don't agree with. Jesus loves them as should we. If we just strived to be more like Jesus, what a world we would have. WE CANNOT BE PERFECT but in his Grace we will always be forgiven. When you think to yourself that my sins cannot be forgiven or that you have done to many things to be forgiven, or that maybe you just aren't good enough. Read the story of Peter and how he denied Christ. He was called out three times for knowing Jesus and all three times he said NO...I do not know that man! (Matthew 26:69-75) The angel called Peter by name. Jesus knew Peter was scared and denied knowing Him and in this JESUS STILL FORGAVE HIM. (Mark 16:7)

NO SIN IS UNFORGIVABLE No matter what you read or see on TV...no matter what a CHURCH that's not a CHURCH claims GOD HATES...

NEWSFLASH -

HE DOESN'T HATE...

HE ONLY LOVES...

WOULD SOMEONE WHO HATES BEEN ABLE TO SEND HIS SON TO EARTH WHEN HE KNEW HE WAS GOING TO DIE! 

NO, THAT'S AN UNDENIABLE, UNFATHOMABLE LOVE...NEVER ENDING...NEVER HATING...LOVE!

JESUS LOVES YOU AND SO DO I 

Dark Skinned Israeli Jew.

Believers - and non-believers - I am going to tell you a story. There was a baby that was brought into this world having nothing at all. His parents had to search frantically for shelter, he did not have a crib, he did not have any toys to play with - he had absolutely nothing at all. They were traveling. Which meant for the birth of the child, they had to find a place to rest, yet because of what was going on they were turned away. Left in the cold or extreme heat by many people who said they believed in God but oh well I don't have a place for you in my life. Until... There was one hotel that had no room inside but they had one outside, OUTSIDE, that they allowed them to sleep in even when it was against the rules. There were bugs and animals outside that were annoying to the parents - but they made it through the night and had a beautiful baby boy.

Now, this part is where it gets even trickier, this family was middle eastern family, so maybe their skin was a little darker or lighter - depending on what color YOU are! :) We just couldn't open our doors for this dark skinned family, who had no shelter, and she was about to give birth, right? We just couldn't allow them to come in and get a shower, or pay for their room for the night, because they didn't look like us, right? Don't dirty my sheets, because you know they carry disease right! Oh, and did I forget to mention that they were Jewish?

Ok, my story is over - how many of you know who I speak of? I am talking about someone most of you know dear to your heart. Someone who loves you more than you could ever possibly fathom. That's right people, Jesus Christ was born in a manger - which is a feeding trough for horses; with absolutely NOTHING! He was a Dark Skinned Israeli Jew and so were his parents - Yet, we refuse to see men who are on the street as people created in his image as well. Yet, we refuse to see the many colors HE created as beautiful as well. Yet, we refuse to step in and be the HANDS and FEET of Jesus to a broken world. The other morning I heard a story of a homeless ministry that a lady was running. She said that it was true to her heart because her uncle was homeless. His reason? Not because he didn't have any money. It was because when his twins were younger - one of them died - and he couldn't bring himself to get over that. His WOUNDS were to great on his heart and he couldn't recover. Why are we so selfish with our Jesus? Why do we want to put him in a box and only allow him to come out when it's convenient for us? or for who WE think HE should help? Our Jesus deserves to be introduced to everyone - made known to EVERYONE no matter their pain. If someone had just given that uncle their Box of Jesus Skittles - then maybe he would have found that emptiness to be filled with God's Love!

This video below is a perfect example of God sharing his love with us. This music artist went to make a music video and had his life impacted by a soldier of Jesus that is on the streets! Remember that Jesus started his life much like the man in this video!

              

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have the faith to say to a mountain JUMP and it jumps, but I don't have love, I am nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I have gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, no matter what I believe, no matter what I do - I am bankrupt WITHOUT LOVE! (1 Corinthians 13:1-3, this version taking from for KING & COUNTRY's song - "The Proof of Your Love") (The song is the first on the playlist, but only the radio version has the scripture!)

Here is what is crazy to me - we judge so many people who walk through the doors of our church, or up to us in the park, or up to us a the store - before we even know their story. For one - It's not our job to judge - Matthew 7 says -  Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Secondly, Jesus was born to a dark skinned family - so that really eliminates the theory that Jesus was white - so, I apologize for bursting your bubble, you know when white people think other skin colors are misprints! You know, somehow their DNA strand forgot to put color in their body! OH WAIT - it did put color in their body because if I remember correctly, you can't color with  white crayons! So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 Remember, Jesus died on the cross for EVERYONE, not just you or your color. The next time someone "different" walks into your church - get up and shake their hand, issue a hug, and tell them you love them - instead of giving them judgmental glances because REMEMBER "YOUR" Jesus was "Different"! Maybe if you remember him as the Dark Skinned Israeli Jew born to a family that had to seek shelter in a barn with animals and his first night on earth he slept in a feeding trough. Maybe this will help you remember what Jesus is all about? Maybe it will help you see people not based on the color of their skin or there outward appearance...but instead you see them as Jesus does. Perfect! Lastly, remember to "Love your neighbor," (Matthew 22:7) no matter who that neighbor is, because without love we have NOTHING! I love you all no matter who you are! Be Blessed!