For: Jesus, From: Me (Truths from a Kid's Gift to Jesus)

This past Sunday at our church we had our annual “Christmas gifts to Jesus” service and offering. This is a service/offering where we can give either monetary or tangible items “to Jesus.” After the service I helped move many of the tangible gifts out of the auditorium and into a room for temporary storage.

 As I was grabbing the gifts one caught my attention and my heart. It wasn’t wrapped in fancy paper or a pretty bow, it wasn’t even that big. In fact it was wrapped in brown paper with a generic red and green ribbon and was about the size of the envelopes gift cards come in. So what was so special about this gift? Well on the top left corner in little kid writing were the words:

 For: Jesus
 From: The Child's name.

 There was nothing truly remarkable about that gift, but the simple childlike faith touched my heart. I wonder if that kid really believed he was giving Christ a present. I bet he did. I wonder if the adults who gave really believed they were giving to Christ. They most likely didn’t. I don’t know what was in that tiny little package. I most likely never will. But the lesson will live with me forever. I wish I had taken a picture of it. Of the simple childlike faith. Here's the truth:

Recently I wrote a poem on what it truly means to “Keep Christ in Christmas.” [Here’s the Link: The Religion Revolution: Getting Christ in Christmas (A Christmas Poem) ]The point that I’m trying to make through the poem is that we Christians are too adamant about saying “keep Christ in Christmas” rather than living “keep Christ in Christmas.” I explain that the true way to “Keep Christ in Christmas” and live it out is by living out Christ.

That is done two ways: sharing the good news of Christ, and by giving to others. Christ told us in Luke 19:10 that He came “to seek and to save.” Our first priority this season concerning “keeping Christ in Christmas” is telling others of the greatest Gift ever given − salvation.

Our second priority in “Keeping Christ in Christmas” is to give back to Jesus. Now here’s where it gets tricky. Let me try to explain. Christ gave unto something we can never repay. The least we can do is give some back. But we can’t give tangible gifts to Christ. Not really. He’s in Heaven preparing a home for us. Yet we still can give to Christ tangible gifts.

So how do we give back to Christ? By this: giving unto others. Sure we can give to others that we love. But that’s not enough.  People in the world can do that. We need to give to those who are unlovely. That’s what Christ did for us. While we were unlovely, Christ still loved us. Not only should we give to unlovely but we should give to those who can never give back, who can never repay us. It’s easy to give when we know that we’re going to get something back. But it takes a real Christian to give with no expectation of returns. And again, Christ did that for us. He gave what we could not pay, and cannot be repaid.

His gift is final. Salvation once received cannot be lost, returned, exchanged or voided. What an amazing thought! That’s how our lives for Christ should be. And our love for others.

 You may be wondering what does this have to do with giving back to Christ and keeping Him in Christmas. Well, here’s the deal: By giving to others we giving to Christ. Jesus told His disciples:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.(–Matthew 25:35-40)

In this parable Christ is the King, the servants are the disciples, and us-21^st century disciples. What we do unto the “least of these” we do as unto Christ. It can also be said this way: what we give unto to others, we give as unto Christ.  That is how giving unto others especially those who cannot repay us, is how we “Keep Christ in Christmas.”

As Christians our goal, our model, is Christ. Because of that we must live as He lived, therefore, this Christmas, we must give as He gave- unconditionally, freely, and indiscriminately.

It’s easy to read all that I’ve written and say, “That’s so true!”or “Hmm I’ve never thought of it that way.” The hard part is putting it to action. It’s a personal choice that must be acted upon. So here’s my challenge: Act! Do something! Keep Christ in Christmas by sharing the message of His Gift, and give unto others who cannot repay you. Give out of love and with the heart of Christ.

I’m going to do it. I challenge you to do likewise. Before you argue with the cashier for saying “Happy Holidays,” focus on the person in line behind you who can’t pay for all their gifts. Find a low income family that needs gifts, give an hour at a soup kitchen on Christmas day—yes I said ON Christmas day. Buy some bikes and toys for the foster kids on your block, give that homeless man more than spare  change. Whatever you do, do it with the attitude of “I don’t expect anything from this for me. Not compensation, recognition,  or even inward peace. Do it for the fact that you are doing it for One and One only, the King of Kings, Who became a baby and gave us a gift like no other. Do this and I believe you can truly say “I kept Christ in Christmas.”

For: Jesus

From: Me 

Getting Christ in Christmas (A Christmas Poem)

The Christmas season is here!
Lights sparkle and shine on every street.
Share joy and spread the cheer!
Family and friends we all will greet,
Some come from far, and some from near,
But we all know, they’re here to eat!

The halls are decked,
The tree decorated.
The sled‘s been wrecked,
The carols slated.

Why do we celebrate this “Christmas” season,
Emmanuel is come, that is the reason!
God here with us --is why we give.
He came to die, so we can live!
His gift is free and precious indeed,
To accept the Gift is all you need!

Yet, do we really focus on what he gave?
Or are we focused what we get?
Born in a manger, died on a cross,
Yet the third day rose from the Grave!
Oh! We must never forget-
We gained from His loss.

We all proclaim: “Keep Christ in Christmas!”
“Don’t ever forget!”
Yet it’s the very truth we miss.
“Pass me the present, What did I get?”
  Oh sure we’ll give Him time … a minute will do.
After all, we need to read Luke 2!
We give Him that moment then we move on,
We open the present- the one from Uncle Don.

He got His moment, now put Him back in the box,
With Mary and Joseph and Santa too,
Mom again? I told you I don’t need socks!!
Yes! A dirt bike and this one brand new!
See Dad I told you, Grandma Rocks!
Did you see the I-Pod, oh, is it from you?

He’s in the box now, with reindeer around,
He’ll stay that box, the one on the ground.
The garage for months will be his domain,
For the King−− who as a baby he came .

“We kept Christ in Christmas”--
Well that’s what we say.
Yet the hard truth is this:
It’s all a play.
He’s not in Christmas.
Definitely not this way.

To Keep Christ in Christmas,
Entails much.
To honor Him from above--
Who died so we can live.
The key is this:
 We share his touch.
We spread his love.
But most of all – Give!

And not only to those who give back.
Give to those who need, those who lack!
Christ gave to us what we could never repay.
So that we’ll live in heaven one day.

We keep Him in our celebration.
This is my summation:
The challenge to us who believe:
Get Christ in Christmas! To Him We must cleave!
Share His love to all on earth!
Tell them of the Savior’s birth!
Give to those who can never return,
For Christ love, we cannot earn.
It is a gift one we cannot fathom,
From the perfect sinless second Adam.

Before we can keep Him in our holiday,
we must give Him adoration.
That’s what I say.
So Christ I invite you to our celebration.
The honored guest is who You’ll be,
Who cares what’s under the tree!
Your love I’ll spread, hope, peace and joy.
Forget if I didn’t get that toy.

Happy birthday to Christ  our King,
The very reason that we sing!
Your in my heart, and Christmas too.
My only Christmas wish is to be more like you.

Keep Christ in Christmas it’s a truth.
One I’m getting in my youth.
He needs to get in it from the start.
Get him inside you, yes in your heart.
Share it and shout it out loud!
“Jesus is the reason!” Yes be Proud!
Most of all remember this
Get Christ in your Christmas!

Why I wrote this:

I’ve realized that during the Christmas season people get all wrapped up in the “Keep Christ in Christmas” drama that they focus and lose opportunities to share Christ. We (yes even I was) were focused more about arguing about businesses saying “Happy Holidays” and us telling them “Merry Christmas.” We forget to share the reason we say “Merry Christmas.”

I admit that when I looked at the calendar and saw that this year Christmas was on a Sunday I was disappointed that I Had to go to Church on Christmas! How dumb was that! Then the Lord spoke to my heart and showed me how stupid−−yes STUPID −̶ it was to think that. It’s Christ birthday and He’s inviting me to His house to celebrate it!

Another thing I thought was how can we “Keep Christ in Christmas” if He’s not in it to begin with. Let’s get real for a second. We really don’t focus on Christ on Christmas. Sure we give Him the few minutes it takes to read Luke 2 -- and if you’re really spiritual Matthew 1 as well. But that’s all of Christmas He gets.

If we want to “Keep Christ in Christmas” he needs to be in it first. Christ came to seek and t save the lost. We must accept that Gift to get Christ in Christmas. We must then share that news of salvation with others. Finally we must do as He did and give. Not only to those we love and how will give back, but to those who are our enemies and those who are less fortunate than we. That’s what Christ did. He gave knowing full well that some would hate Him. He gave knowing full well that we could do nothing to repay Him.

He left his throne, left his crown, left his home, to become a baby, laid in a manger, to later be nailed to a cross, laid again this time in a grave, but rose again and conquered death. That is the message of Christmas.

How do we “Keep Christ in Christmas”? By giving him more than two minutes.  By keeping all that in mind I said above in mind.  By getting Christ in your Christmas.

The Destruction of Judgment

A Progression of Perception

As stated in earlier posts, the Distortion of Religion is a progression of perception. As one develops the perception that Christianity is about “religious ritual” (The Distortion of Religion: The Distraction Called Religion) he will soon develop the growth of pride and self-righteousness for adhering to that “ritual” (The Distortion of Religion: The Deception of Self-Righteousness) and will inevitably transcend into the attitude of judgment.

Having the perceptions of “religious ritual” and “Self-righteousness” will inevitably lead to being judgmental. As someone follows the rules and then judges himself as being good according to those rules he will invariably judge others to those rules and to his keeping of those rules.

I must admit that I, myself, have fallen into that attitude before. Just this past month I was talking to a friend and she asked me if I thought myself to be better than others and if I looked down on others. I asked why she would ask, which led to her telling me that someone had told her that I act as if I do. I felt horrible! Here I am writing about “Returning to Biblical Christianity” and “Living the Authentic Christian Life” and I’m living against my own writing! I’ve done my best to live authentically and yet someone still feels as if I’m being a judgmental fake. I wonder, do people feel the same way about you? Do you come across as thinking yourself better than others?  

The Destruction 

This stage of the Distortion of Religion is the most harmful. I believe it is because this is the stage in which people are turned away from Christianity the most. I don’t even know how many times I or a friend of mine has been told by people we have invited to church that they won’t come because they don’t have a tie or a dress. This alone proves the perception that people are afraid that they will be judged for not wearing the proper church attire. This is a silly illustration, but very true. How far from authentic, Biblical Christianity is that? I think that when we look at the Bible and saw the company with which Jesus surrounded Himself, we will find that those we would cast out are the very ones He called unto Him. Christ did not surround Himself with politicians, or religious leaders. When Christ ministered and fellowshipped with people, He chose to do so with tax-collectors, the blind, the deaf, the dumb, the lame, the leprous, prostitutes, and the demon-possessed. People we would call the very least of these. And Jesus purposed to minister to them.

 A Problem of Perspective: Two Fitting Illustrations by Jesus

I find it ironic that we are no better than any of them were it not for the Grace of God. Christ found it equally ironic. In fact He found it so ironic that He illustrated it in two very fitting, very different ways.

The Mote and the Beam

The first illustration that I find is a very humorous way. (if you have my imagination that is. You see I am a visual learner. I learn best by putting a picture to what I need to learn.) Matthew 7 is no exception. Here’s what the passage says:

Judge not, that ye be not judged. ²For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. ³And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? ⁴Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? ⁵Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Now here’s how I picture it: Jesus is giving the soon-to-be-famous Sermon on the Mount. He comes to this part and pulls out a small bag. In it is sawdust* that he got from his step-dad’s shop. He pulls one of His disciples, pours a bit of it into his hand and tells him to grab a speck and hold it near his eye. He tells them: “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye.” With the disciple holding the small speck of sawdust near his eye, Christ at this point goes to a nearby tree and picks up a large branch that has fallen off the tree, or  to a broken down building and grabs an old cross-beam, He holds it up to His own eye and says: “but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye;” (He throws the branch/beam down then says) "and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.” Do you get the picture? Christ wanted to show us very clearly, “HEY! You have too much about yourself to fix. Don’t worry about your brother!” We many times look at the faults in others and blow them out of proportion, when our problems are much more severe.

*(Note when I would read this passage before, I always thought that the word mote meant splinter. But I looked it up and realized it means speck, dust, sawdust. God showed me that what we judge in other people isn’t even a splinter, it’s a speck.)

The Pharisee and Publican

The second illustration given by Jesus isn’t as humorous, but is equally true. Jesus is again, teaching His disciples when He realizes there are some who have the attitude of self-righteousness and judgment. (v.1) So he told them a parable:

⁹And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ¹⁰Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. ¹¹The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. ¹²I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. ¹³And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 

This attitude was not foreign or novel to the disciples. They saw it every day with the Pharisees. But the lesson that Jesus taught them was. It was revolutionary. Christ showed them that the man who walked away justified was the Publican – the dirty sinner, not the Pharisee- the (outwardly) clean saint. Have you ever caught yourself saying the Pharisee’s prayer? “God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are.” Or in our vernacular: “Thank God I’m not like them!” I’ll be the first to admit I’m guilty. When that person with tattoos and pericings all over comes into the church and wants to sit by me.. Don’t we get that same thank-God-im-not-like-him attitude? I fear that we are guilty of seeing them as the Pharisee sees them and not as God sees them. I’m reminded of 1 Samuel 16:7

⁷But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

How are we looking at them? Do we see just the appearance? Jesus shows us that although the Pharisee was clean on the outside he was unrepentant and therefore dirty on the inside. The Publican, however, although dirty on the outside, was repentant and was therefore clean, or as Christ described: Justified. Christ points out and, in essence, says, "He is repentant and wants to be made whole, while you just puff yourself up. He is the one I will forgive, while you will stay in your sin. The one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Which are you? The prideful judgmental Pharisee or the humble justified Publican?


A Disturbing Modern Example 


One of the most famous groups in this present day that not only show judgment but also endorse judgment is the Westboro Baptist Church. They are the epitome of this false perception. Their message is one of hate and eternal damnation. I researched their websites and would not recommend anyone to visit. The attitude and message was so anti-Bible it made me feel sick. The only reason I use them  as an example is because the detriment their agenda is having on Christians of all stripes. Picketing at funerals of soldiers, shouting "God hates Fags," "America is doomed," "Obama is the Anti-Christ," and much more is now what people think of when they hear Baptist. As a Baptist I understand that their message is the very antithesis of the message of the Bible. God loves the sinner but hates the sin. I'm pretty sure that John 3:16 still says: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (emphasis added) And 2 Peter 3:9 still says: " The Lord is... not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (emphasis added) Romans 10:13 also still says: "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." The "God hates sinners" message of WBC grieves and disturbs me to the core. And it is wrong!


We may not be as extreme in our judgment, but we can too fall into the same vein of judgment. We must hate the sin, love the sinner. No matter how sinful we think they are. We must view them as Christ does. - Souls in need of a loving Savior. 

The Challenge

So here’s the challenge: Examine your life. Do you judge others by their appearance, by your list of rights and wrongs, do and don’ts, or your own righteousness. Have you turned others away from Christ because of your judgment?  If so I challenge you to see others as Christ sees them. People He loves. People with whom He wants to have a relationship. Love others. -Christ does.

One Final Word

And one last thing. Are you someone who has been the recipient of judgment? Have you left the Church because of someone’s judgmental acts toward you? Have you been a recipient of hate like that given by WBC? If so I hope this post showed you that that is not the heart of Christ or His church. I hope you will turn back to Him Who loves you so much. I know that some hurts are hard to heal, but I also know that Christ is the Great Healer. He loves you and wants to have a real relationship with you. I pray that you will turn back to Him and get back into Church. His people do love you. And you can’t judge Him or His people by one action no matter how hurtful it was. I hope you see  the Heart of Christ. He Loves you and wants to have an authentic relationship with you. If you would like to know how to have a relationship with Him message me. I would be thrilled to show you how!

The Deception of Self-Righteousness

When one gets the mindset, the perception of “religion,” as discussed in the previous post in this series, The Distortion of Religion: The Distraction Called Religion, they effectively fall into the deception of self-righteousness. The progression is pretty easy to track. When a Christian believes that the Christian life is a “religion of rules” it is easy for him to compare his progress or his “righteousness” to that standard- which is always a manmade list and almost always one he set up himself. And since he made that list, he most always abides by it and therefore, he sees himself as a pretty decent, if not perfect Christian. Soon enough that person thinks very highly of himself.  In fact, he’s the best Christian he knows.

The mindset of Self-Righteousness is a dangerous one. One reason it is so dangerous is that it is an easy one to fall into.  The reason it is easy for us to fall into is that, oftentimes we don’t even realize the fact that we are falling into it. In fact, most of us don’t intend to. But intentionally or not, having this mindset and attitude is still a sin. Proverbs 16:18 tells us “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” God takes the issue of pride very seriously. In fact He hates pride. In the famous Seven Abominations listed in Proverbs 6:16-19, the first on the list is “a proud look.” “16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” (emphasis mine)

An Eminent Example

The most popular account of one falling by pride is when Lucifer himself was thrown out of Heaven for the sin of pride. Isaiah 14:12-15 “12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”

When I read that account again there were four words that jumped out at me ─words that I never took much note of till this last time I read them. They are words that are very easy to miss. Yet they mean a lot.  Those four words are “said in thine heart.” Look at verse thirteen. See it there? The verse starts out; “For thou hast said in thine heart…” then it lists his famous “I Wills.” I never noticed those four words before, but for some reason they hit me right between the eyes. I mean, when I would hear and read about this account before, I pictured Satan, called Lucifer then, standing in front of a legion of angels rallying them up for a revolution. I pictured something like in a war movie pre-battle scene, where the general(in this case Lucifer) rallies the troops tells them to draw their swords, and then, while stating the “I Wills,” he charges the throne room of God challenging his authority. (ok I’ll admit I have too vivid an imagination sometimes, but I blame that on my reading obsession and love for war movies.)  But that’s not what the text says, (and I’m nowhere near a theologian, so I may be wrong about this next detail.) but he was not a Russell Crowe, or Mel Gibson rallying troops and calling the charge. From what I read from the Bible the sin of Pride (self-righteousness) the reason Lucifer was cast from heaven was that it he said it in his heart. That’s very serious. It shows that a heart problem is jus as bad as an outward problem. But…

Two Detrimental Consequences

…The harsh reality is that Pride never stays on the inside. Just like with Satan, our inward pride and desire for recognition will manifest outwardly. It starts on the inside, but as we look at our righteousness more and more, we can’t help but let others know how good we are. Our piousness overwhelms us and we must let everyone around us know it. Most of the time, we point our “righteousness” to people whom we think we are better than. And that’s why it can be so detrimental. It can be detrimental, I believe, in two ways.

The first way I see is that it can be detrimental is within Christianity itself. When Christians get the attitude of self-righteousness they can cause division in the Church. Let’s be honest for a minute, No one likes a self-righteous, prideful, of arrogant teammate. No one wants the ball hog on their team. No girl likes that guy who thinks he’s “all-that,” and no guy likes that girl who thinks that she’s “all-that.” It’s just human nature. We hate pride in others, yet when it comes to pride in our own hearts, it’s excusable.

The second way self-righteousness is detrimental is that it causes outsiders to resist it. If teammates don’t like a show-off on their team, then certainly no one else will like him either. In fact that show-off will cause outsiders to resist, and hate him. The same is with Christianity. There are many people who don’t come to church because they don’t feel good enough to come. They look at the Christians, the deacons, and members of the choir, see their pride and arrogance and are immediately turned off. Does this sound familiar to you?  If you know your New Testament, you know that that’s what the Pharisees did. They took the Perfect Law of God and twisted It to conform to their lifestyle and to make them seem very godly.  The self-righteousness that the Pharisees exhibited made the Hebrew people hate the Law. Self-righteousness can, in our day, can cause people to hate Christianity─ which is the exact opposite of the Great Commission.

A Personal Examination                                                                                

Now let’s look at you, actually let’s personalize it for a minute. Let’s look at me. (You look at yourself and read the “I” for yourself.) You/I follow all the rules, check things off the list, don’t do the “Forbidden” pleasures─ you/I  feel that you’re/I’m a pretty good Christian. No, you/I know that you’re/I’m a good Christian. So sure, maybe you/I don’t even say to others that you/I think you/I are/am a “good Christian.” But even “knowing” (pridefuly thinking) that you’re/I’m a good Christian can be harmful. It starts with a thought.  That’s how Satan started out. He was the highest created being in the universe and he knew it. His beauty and power were spectacular! ─ Second only to God. In his eyes, he was the best he could be. And to be perfectly honest, he was. There was no other created being that even compared. Yet he was not satisfied. His pride and desire to be “best” is what ultimately caused his downfall. His inward desire became an outward manifestation of that desire.

And the same can be true with us. We follow the rules and strive to be the “best Christian”-ever! We want to be the Best-of-the-Best! And to achieve that goal, we push and try to put ourselves out on a pedestal so the world would see, not our love for Christ, but our own “greatness.”  (Now please don’t misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with following the rules and striving for Christ-like perfection. But when our motives move from living as to honor Christ and being a light, to self-perpetuating and applause receiving, then we are in sin.)

Does the description in the previous paragraph sound like a good description of someone you know? You probably have someone in mind right now. That guy who thinks he’s all that because his dad is  a Deacon in the church, maybe that girl whose parents buy her all she wants. We all know someone like that. But in reality we’re looking in the wrong direction. Do you remember what I put in the very first post of the blog? For whom is this blog written? Look it up, here’s the link: A Different Kind of Blog; A Different Kind of Revolution. Did you find it? It was under the “Different Kind Of Revolution” paragraph. Found it now? Good. See it says right there─ “This revolution is a revolution of self… The Religion Revolution is a call for Christians to revolutionize our thoughts, which, in turn, will revolutionize our attitude, which, in turn, will revolutionize our actions, which, in turn, will revolutionize our very way of life and when our way of life is revolutionized, the way people view and perceive Christians will change.” Remember now? This blog is not to point the fingers or to say “so-and-so really needs this one.” No. This is for you/me. The only one you/I should focus on is your/myself. Examine your/myself. Ask God to examine you/me Psalms 26:2- Examine me, LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart (emphasis mine). And ask Him to help change you/me so that you/I can lead people to Christ and not away from Him. 

The Rapture Came and Passed.

Yesterday was predicted to be day of the Rapture. Since I'm writing this today, it's fairly obvious that that prediction was wrong (either that or I'm not truly saved, but I know that I am). Now I could  make many jokes, but honesty it's not worth it. However I find this entire predicament very sad. The name of Christ and of His people are once again tainted by a false teacher. Many people once again have a negative and sarcastic attitude towards Christians.


It hurts me to see how detrimental one false "Christian" leaders prediction can be to the name of Christ. Although he may have meant well, and even believed with all his heart that the Rapture was to occur yesterday, people now scoff at the mention of Christ. This tragic event has just fueled the fire of criticism toward Christianity. As Daniel Brady commented on my last post, some people think that "Christianity doesn't even seem plausibly true." Well, when "Christian" leaders make predictions or teach other false teachings it can be easy to see why they think that. No wonder people think Christianity is not true! May we show to the world that Christianity is real. But not only with our words but also with our actions.

Mark 13:32-33 "32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. 33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. 35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the housecometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." We don't and won't ever know the day that the Rapture will occur. Only God the Father knows that. So may we now, with more passion than ever, reach out, go out, and preach out the name and Gospel of Christ! Let us show the world what true Christianity is all about. May we be witnesses for Christ so that when the Rapture does truly happen, there will be people that will go that otherwise would not have gone. May we not be found sleeping, but eagerly waiting for His return and preparing others for it as well.

The Distraction Called Religion

One of the most prevalent mindsets that plague modern Christianity is the mindset, the view, that Christianity is just another “religion” that focuses only on rules and regulations. Many people both Christian and non-Christian view Christianity in this light. This view of Christianity is, I believe, the most detrimental view of the Christian faith. People, both Christians and non-Christians, view Christianity as another “religion” bent on controlling people. Christians are viewed as people who are robotic and plastic in their faith merely conforming to the rules of their religion.

Jack was a young man who fell prey to this same mindset. He was brought up in a Christian home in Ireland and did all the Christian “rituals.” Yet, when he reached the age of fifteen he completely abandoned his faith and became an atheist. He, later in life, stated that the reason for his abandonment and denial of his faith was that to him Christianity seemed a “chore” and a “duty.” Tired of the “rigors” and “duties” of the Christian life he abandoned all faith and became a staunch atheist.

As I read Jack’s story, I thought to myself of how many people have been turned away from Christianity for the same reasons.  Undoubtedly, there are many people who have grown up in a godly Christian church but because of people who made the Christian life seem like a “chore” they gave up on it. They were pressured and told that if they don't follow every commandment  and follow every tradition they wont go to Heaven or be happy in life. Others may have never even entered the Christian journey for the same reasons. Many Christians are so focused with looking “spiritual” and following the rules that they literally drive themselves to exhaustion. Others fail to realize that they affect others in the church as well. They don’t see that a visitor to the church is shunned by that “rule oriented” attitude. When Christians focus on being “religious” and “spiritual” they effectively drive people away from the church.

Rules and regulations are an essential part of the Christian life. The laws and commandments found in the Bible help us to be the best Christians and citizens we can be. So don’t misunderstand me and think that I don’t believe in following rules. However, when “following the rules” and “conforming to the regulations” becomes the focal point how we live our lives, we have drastically shifted from Biblical Christianity. But this mindset, as with the other mindsets to be discussed in this series, does not just affect those in Christianity. The “religion” mindset is a detriment to the very name of Christianity and causes people to attach a stigma to and grow an aversion toward Christianity. “Religious” Christians instead of drawing people to Christ achieve the opposite and drive them away.

As I think of people who are persistently focused on “religion,” I can’t help but think of the First Century Pharisees. The Pharisees during the time of Christ had been so reared in the “rituals” and “traditions” of the Jewish Law that it had become purely ritualistic to them. They were so focused on their “religion” and the “keeping of the Law” that they took the Law and conformed it to fit their hypocritical way of life. The Law that had been given by God to help men live holy lives had now been distorted into a ritualistic chore of the Pharisees. Christ saw this flawed mindset in the Pharisees and preached against it. In Matthew 23:25-28 we read Christ’s rebuke of the Pharisees. He told them: “25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.  27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity."

 

Here Christ rebukes the Pharisees because He realized that the Pharisees only saw the Law as a “religion.” He knew that they did not have, or even want, a true relationship with God. Christ saw that the conformity on the outside was different from the conviction on the inside. They just merely went along with the traditions and rituals that had been handed down from generation to generation. He saw that what the Pharisees had was only an outward conformity, and not an inward conviction. The religion of the Pharisees was a ritualistic mundane chore to them. And Christ preached vehemently against such religion.

Are you someone who sees Christianity in this light? Does Christianity seem to you like a chore, ritual, or religion? Are you so concerned about looking and acting “spiritual” that you lose focus on Christ? Are you exhausted from trying to be perfect? Do you have an inward conviction or merely an outward conformity? Is Christianity something you just do on Sundays? If you continue to think of Christianity in this way you will soon lose faith. You will be like Jack – tired of the “mundane rituals” of the Christian life and you will eventually turn your back on Christianity and on God. Living for the “Law” did not satisfy the Pharisees, and it won’t satisfy you either. John Newton once stated: "The religion of some people is constrained: they are like people who use the cold bath, not for pleasure, but necessity and their health; they go in with reluctance, and are glad when they get out. But religion to a true believer is like water to a fish: it is his element, he lives in it, and he could not live out of it." 

I wonder, is Christianity a label or a lifestyle to you? A chore or a cause? Your statement or your stand? A religion or a relationship? An outward conformity or an inward conviction?

I encourage you, if Christianity is any of those first words to you, to make Christianity real in your life. The Christian life is worth living, but only if you are living the Authentic Christian life. 

The Distortion of Religion

In this next series of posts I would like to identify the areas of modern Christianity that I collectively call the “Distortion of Religion.” Each topic of the “Distortion of Religion” is an area in which, I believe, modern Christianity has strayed from Biblical Christianity.

These issues, mindsets, attitudes, and lifestyles all lead us away from Biblical Christianity. Not only do they lead us astray from Biblical Christianity, they also hinder us from being affective witnesses for Christ. In fact, all of these mindsets and perceptions lead into each other. You may struggle with one more than you do with another, but in all likelihood if you struggle with one, you struggle with the others as well. This series will just address these issues; solutions to the issues will be discussed in a later series.

Now, I again feel it imperative to reiterate that this revolution is not a revolution against the church. The issues discussed in these posts are all issues that are personal issues that every Christian faces to some degree. The only way we can have a true “Revolution” is if we take it upon ourselves to understand and fix them in our lives.

I hope that through this series, together we will see the issues in our own lives. From understanding what issues we struggle with we can then (in the next series) learn the proper way to get rid of them. I believe that that is the key to the Religion Revolution—seeing the problem, and then taking steps to fix them. If we do that we can return to Biblical Christianity.

So when the next posts are posted, read them knowing that they are designed to convict you. If you face any of these mindsets, admit it. But don’t just admit it without wanting to change. If you see a problem, be willing to change it. And you don’t have to wait for me to tell you what I believe the steps to change are. Take the initiative to read your Bible and see what It says about the issues. Maybe you will find passages that I didn’t. If you do, leave me a comment or email me.

Together we can start a revolution! But it starts one person at a time, seeing his faults and changing his ways—all according to the Word of God and the teachings of Christ. That is how the Revolution will start and spread!

Why Do We Need A Revolution

You may be sitting there staring at your computer screen thinking to yourself, Why do we need this "Religion Revolution"? To me things seem pretty good. I don't see anything wrong with Christianity. And honestly you would be right. If you read my first post A Different Kind of Blog; A Different Kind of Revolution you would already know that I don't believe that Christianity as a whole should be the focus of our revolution. What I believe the focus of our revolution should be is ourselves and our thoughts. But you may now ask what exactly about our thoughts do we need to "revolutionize"? Well, I'm glad you asked.


Hypocritical, judgmental, self-righteous, and intolerant --- the fact these words are used to describe Christians offends and convicts me. It offends me because, as a Christian, I know that these words describe only some Christians, and even then only some of the time. Yet, it convicts me because those words do describe some Christians. Those words should never be used to describe a Christian. However, especially in this cause-oriented society, Christians are concerning themselves more with what cause they are fighting for or against, that they sometimes fail to realize how they are straying from Biblical Christianity. Even I have found myself guilty of having those attitudes. But those attitudes are the very antithesis of Christ's mission and ministry. 


Also, many people think of Christianity as a religious sect focused on rules and regulations. Christianity to some seems like a religion of pious "super saints" who care not about human emotion, but on conformity to a set of rules. Although I believe we as Christians should have convictions, and standards, I don't agree with Christians who get so involved in their "cause" that they have lost focus of what Christ has called us to do. We are so agenda driven that we neglect to remember that "God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:17)


When we get to the point where we are entirely consumed with our cause and fail to live the authentic Christian life we have strayed from biblical Christianity. I admit that it is easy to fall into this mindset. I have even found myself at times having a cause and judging the people against it as reprobate sinners. Our sin nature is to judge and compare ourselves to others. It is natural for us to do that, but it is still a sin. Whenever I catch myself with this attitude I remind myself, Before I judge these people, how does Christ see these people? What does Jesus see when He looks at them? Does He focus on the sin in their lives, their appearance, their "outward man"? Is Christ looking for these people to conform to a set of rules? Does Christ see these people as I see them? Or does He see something different?  And then I'm reminded of I Samuel 16:7 "...the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." I must constantly remind myself when I feel like judging others, to not focus on their appearance, but to see them as Christ sees them-- as lost souls needing a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

That is ultimately what the Religion Revolution is all about. It is about putting away our prejudices, our pride, our pious, pharisaical ways and seeing others --whether lost souls needing salvation, or wayward Christians needing to come back to the Savior-- through the eyes of Christ. Before we judge others to some human standard or set of rules and puff ourselves up for being so "spiritual," let us remember that without Christ we are nothing. It is not the easiest thing to do, but it is essential to living the authentic Christian life.


So join the Revolution, prepare to change your thinking. If you allow yourself to "return to Biblical Christianity," and see others as Christ sees them, I believe that you can be a more effective witness, and thereby greater fulfill the Great Commission.