Bring Back My Pie!

I walked into McDonald's the other day to get another one of their baked strawberry cream pies. To my surprise they had stopped carrying it. Yet, somehow they still wanted me to order something. Order what?

Bring back my pie!!!

Let me tell you the power this pie had over me. First of all my family and I hadn't been to McDonald's in quite some time before I heard the pie had come out again. When we arrived I found out they had added cream cheese. Finally, I ordered and ate five of them before I my palette was completely satisfied.

Fro several weeks I found excuses to swing through the drive thru. "If everyone behaves in Walmart we will go get a pie!" I even found us eating food at one place only to end up at McDonald's for dessert. Now it is gone and McDonald's no longer has anything on their menu that would entice me to frequent their establishment.

We can be like this with faith. After going to a camp, conference, or experiencing revival we get into the word and feel close to God. Then a new season hits and we stop reading His word, and finally lose the desire we once had.

The difference is that God's word and the relationship he wants with us to have not been taken off the menu. We are the ones who stop frequenting the establishment. We live as if He has closed up shop and indulge in less fulfilling things while He still offers closeness and unity.

The flavor never changes, but sometimes our taste buds adjust to the lesser tastes the world has to offer.

How to Use Facebook for Evangelism

Facebook has become a place where gossip spreads, untruths circulate, and marriages fall apart. So is it all evil?

Actually, far from it. I believe Facebook is one of the greatest tools for Evangelism the world has ever seen. If you live your faith it is obvious to others.

However, if you do not live it out you can do irreparable damage to your testimony. A lot of Christian's lives are the very excuses for others to reject Christ. "The church is full of hypocrites" is their popular mantra.

Let me just say that posting random Bible verses is only compelling to Christians. In fact Facebook does not put some of your friends in your news feed. The algorithms that control Facebook put the people with the most in common with you in your news feed.

The people that you want to see the verses you post probably won't anyway. So how does one go about reaching those without Christ online?

Try making a "Hit List" of 5 to 10 people that God has put in your life who do not know Christ. After you have your list make sure you click on it at least once a day. You will see the news feed of only those people.

Pray for your list and interact with the people on it. Like their pictures, comment on their status, but do not preach at them.

You will earn the right to speak into their lives by doing this. They will begin to look at your feed more as well. And perhaps most importantly, you will train yourself to periodically leave your Christian bubble.

There's No Poop on my Penny!

Sharing the Gospel can be a scary thing for many believers. Especially if you are the one bringing it up. The hardest part is getting someone to understand why our sin is so bad in the first place. 

I am going to quickly teach you a method I have been using one on one and in my message invitations for years. A quick and easy way to take a complete stranger (or friend) to the Gospel in one minute without being pushy.

Have you ever picked up a penny? Of course you have.  Would you fish a penny out of a toilet or the bottom of a trash can? Of course not! I certainly wouldn’t either. I would hate to reach my hand into a toilet or trashcan more than I would love to get a penny.

Suppose you went outside and saw a fresh, steaming pile of dog poop with a penny sticking out. Would you take it? Of course not!

Now, imagine for a moment that this room (or wherever you happen to be) is filled completely with fresh dog poop and there is a penny somewhere in the middle. There is no way you would try to rescue the penny.

What if the penny is you and the poop is your sin. God is repulsed by the smell and site of it, just like you would be of the poop. The difference is that He loves you more than He hates your sin. If you ask Him, He will wade through it all, clean you off, and add you to His collection. Acts 3:19  says Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.

Now you are ready to share the Gospel and only a minute has gone by. The best part is that you do not have to be the one to start the conversation. I have developed shirts that do the leg work for you.

Christian tee shirts have become repellant to most unbelievers. They already have an assumption of who Christians are. “There’s no poop on my penny” shirts do not look like Christian shirts at all. People will ask you what it means and within a minute you will be ready to share the Gospel.

You can order your own at the InsideNatesHead store. 

(Sales from the shirts go to help my wife and I go on a mission trip to India this)

WARNING: Do not wear this shirt if you are unwilling to share Christ, because once someone’s curiosity is peaked it's too late!

Jesus the Cavity Filler

My entire family just finished up at the dentist. We were in for a check up and our 6 month cleaning.

As usual I had to get any plaque scraped off that has build up since our last visit. Unchecked this can lead to cavities.

Cavities are empty voids of decay that eat away at our teeth. Unchecked sin does the same thing to our lives.

God's word will reveal what needs fixed and then we can bring our damaged areas to the Great Dentist. He can fill any cavity in any life.

Have you had a check up lately?

Halloween and Spirit World

It's Halloween! The time when the ancient Druids incorrectly believed that the veil between the physical and spiritual world was the thinnest. Costumes and the use of pumpkins both date back to their times.

There was however a time when there was a veil between the spiritual and physical. It was a time when people needed to go through a priest to ask God for forgiveness of sins.

Jesus came to remove that veil. He was God in the form of man. This closeness is what He wants for all of us by indwelling us with His Spirit. It was not possible before Jesus because of our sins.

When Jesus died on the cross God tore the veil in the temple in two. Now anyone may come to Him and experience His unconditional love.

My Lawn Wants to Eat Me

        I could almost hear my lawn licking its lips as I walked though it last night. Long blades of grass grasped for my ankles. Getting back inside did not come quick enough. It is official: My lawn wants to eat me. It has rained here in North Carolina on every possible mowing day for the last few weeks. 


        Generally I try to keep my lawn at bay. You know, just so everyone knows who is really in charge. It is different now. There is mutiny brewing. The once tame fescue I called my friends has teamed up with the wire grass and kudzu to put an end to me. This may be my last post.


        An unkempt lawn is no different than an unkempt relationship with God. If we do not confess our sin to God as it comes, we can easily be fertilizing the sinful nature within us that Jesus died to defeat. Before you know it we may be only feet from the house but it is completely out of sight. Be sensitive to the Spirit's conviction. God wants to do regular maintenance on our lives so that we do not become a weeded tangled mess. 


1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

French Toast Gone Wrong

        I have always loved breakfast foods. Any meal, any time. Among my favorites are pancakes and french toast. I even enjoy making them and add my own "special" ingredients.


        A few days ago I was making french toast for my family and had just used up my last egg in the mix. I reached into the spice cabinet and grabbed what I thought was cinnamon. It was the same color bottle, and I  saw the 'C' at the beginning of the word as I reached for the bottle that was half way turned around. 


       I shook in just the right amount, mixed it, and began dipping my bread. As I breathed in to smell the familiar smell of french toast on the griddle, I was greeted by another scent. A familiar one. I grabbed the bottle to discover that I had used chilli powder on nearly all of the bread. There were no eggs left and very little bread. We actually ate the french toast anyway (although I do NOT recommend this recipe). 


        We all make mistakes, but I am reminded of what an older carpenter I know used to say. "Measure twice, cut once." What is done is done and although I could have gone back to the store or made something else, I chose to live with my mistake.


        The next time you are tempted to share something about someone else, measure twice and maybe you will not cut at all. James tells us "...the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark" (James 3:5).

His Strength is Perfect in Our Weakness

        I just returned from a mission trip to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. We took 24 teens and adults to do ministry in the wake of the tornados that hit this year. I was challenged by our teens as I saw them continually resort to prayer in hard situations.
        The time in particular that I want to share with you was a block party that we threw for a neighborhood in a very low income area. We had pulled out all of the stops. We had bounce houses, hundred of hotdogs to grill, face painting, basketball and a host of other activities. We even had another church bringing coolers stocked full of ice water. I was sure we had planned it well enough to be a success.
        If my plans had gone right then I may have been able to boast in me rather than God alone, but my plans went horribly wrong. The propane grill would not work, the breakers for the bounce houses and sound system kept tripping, and we had no stakes to even hold the houses down. The worst however came when the other church came an hour and a half later than scheduled. It was a hundred and two degrees and when they finally arrived there were no coolers or ice just hot water..
        If anything good would happen it would have to be God. Our teens did a couple of skits, I preached the word, students counseled, and HIS Gospel which is the power unto salvation redeemed 22 people. I will boast in Christ ALONE because his strength is made perfect in my weakness.
        One older lady noted that churches come in every year and try to do something in the same pavilion. According to her there are never more than 20-30 residents in attendance. In total over 300 came to the block party.
        The day before God had given us the opportunity to spend the entire day there. We picked up trash, hauled debris, and cut down damaged trees. We also witnessed a drug deal and an arrest (separately). None of it scared us off. There was a police chopper overhead looking for someone, but we had a job to do. We knocked on every door to invite the neighborhood to the block party. I am convinced that people don't care how much you know until the know how much you care.
        It took God's love through us for that many people to show up, and then God took over and did the rest. Isn't He awesome? What stories do you have that can only be answered with, God stepping in?

Cars 2-My Official Review

    
        "Cars 2" is one of those movies that I am divided on. On the one hand I see a movie that was not up to Pixar's usual high standards. However on the other hand I was thoroughly entertained as I sat there with my two kids laughing and enjoying the show. I do wish they had done more with Doc Hudson's death. They missed a chance to make a sad montage in the vein of "Up" and "Toy Story 3".

        This movie is more about Tow Mater than anything else and has a real clear message to be yourself. They go out of their way to show how a true friend doesn't try to change their friends, but loves them for who they are. As believers we should put this principle into practice. I am not saying that our friends should never change. I am saying that the thing that needs to change in all of us is our sin.

        Christ came to free us from our sin, not our personalities. As a believer I am to love my unbelieving friends even if they never choose to come to Christ. I cannot change them, only He can. It is my job to love them where they are.

Is Your Door Locked?-A Five Year Old's Observation

      If I was ever worried about what would happen to Randumblog in the event of my untimely demise (and I wasn't), I no longer have to. My wife Debbie shared something with me that could put my mind at ease permanently.  She was driving with my five year old son Luke when he made a profound statement.

        Now, before I share the statement with you, let me say that anyone who spends any amount of time on Randumblog should realize one thing.  The ideas may seem random, but the one constant is they usually contain an analogy that bridges the gap between the physical and spiritual world.

        Debbie saw Luke staring out the window after she hit the door-lock. She asked him what he was thinking about and he said, "Unlocking the door is like letting sin into your life, but Jesus hold the keys that can lock the door and keep out sin." Wow! Now that is the son of the Randumblogger.

        So, in my tradition of asking analogy bridging questions--Is your door locked?

The REAL Royal Wedding!

      
        There is a lot of talk today about the royal wedding. It is even a trending topic on Twitter. The funny thing is the the royal family have only been figureheads for years. Are you really ruling if you have no power? It is the equivalent of acting as if Ronald McDonald is the CEO of McDonalds.

        The church in scripture is called the bride of Christ. There will one day be a marriage dinner in heaven with all who have turned to God through his Son. Jesus told this parable (story with a meaning) to illustrate God's invitation to this royal wedding is like.


^{Luke 14:16-24} ... “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. ¹⁷When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ ¹⁸But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ ¹⁹ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ ²⁰ Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’
 ²¹ “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ ²² After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ ²³ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. ²⁴ For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’”


        Have you accepted His invitation? It is even more like a proposal. The royal wedding of all time is going to happen with or without you. God's desire is that you choose with. 

A Prayer Lesson from the Crazy Irishman in Braveheart

        I watched Braveheart again a couple of weeks ago for the first time in a while (It was definitely not the first time ever). It is one of my favorite movies of all-time. I love it for the leadership and sense of justice that is present in the character of William Wallace.

        I realize that it is not historically accurate at times and I really don't care. So any comments to this effect will be read but slightly overlooked. What struck me upon watching it again for the umpteenth time was Stephen the Irishman. He is portrayed as being a little crazy but extremely loyal. He talked to God directly for everything and in front of anyone.

        I must admit that seeing his interaction with God really made me reevaluate my ongoing God conversation. What about you? Has your walk with God become stale or formulaic? Are your talks with Him relegated to Sundays, meals, or even devotional time. When was the last time you had a real conversation with Him as if He were physically in the room with you?

        I've had some conversations like this in the past couple of weeks, and oddly enough I do not feel crazy. However, I do feel that I would be crazy to go back to the way things were.

Read this post as well:
Braveheart: A Lesson in Politics

Good Friday--The First Earth Day

        Today is Earth Day as well as Good Friday. What do these two days have in common? Well more than you may think.

        Earth Day encourages us to look around at our human made mess and take active steps to clean it up. We urge others to reduce waste, reuse items, and recycle our trash. In all it is a worthwhile effort reminding us to be good stewards of God's creation.

         There is another human made mess called sin (choosing our way over God's way). Good Friday marks the day that God sent his son Jesus to reduce the amount of people living apart from Him. Through Christ's death on the cross He can reuse those who were once serving sin. Jesus started the ultimate recycling project when He not only beat sin on the cross but He defeated death by raising from the dead. The recycling continues today whenever someone turns from their sin to God through what Jesus did for the entire world. He makes us brand new with an entirely new purpose.

        So I would like to wish a Happy Earth Day to everyone in the world that God loved so much that He would give His only son to save from ourselves.

Unevangelism: A Different Kind of Invitation

  
        I have been frustrated with a lot that goes on in modern evangelical circles for some time now, especially in the south. One thing that particularly saddens me is the invitation given at many Christian events.

        It seems that many people who "accept" Christ at Christian events are in one of two disturbing groups. The first ones are believers who are feeling convicted about sin and will pray "the prayer" again and again seeking solace from their doubts. The second group is the ones who have prayed a prayer at one time to get to Heaven. These individuals are often looking for a get-out-of-Hell-free-card, yet they have never given their LIFE to Him.

        This frustration has led me to investigate a different approach. So I thought I would see what Jesus did. His invitation was simply "follow me". Many people asked Him for eternal life who did not receive it (4 specific people in the Gospels). Why did Jesus turn people like the rich young man away? Because they would not follow Him with their entire being. People were instructed to count the cost, take up their cross and follow Him.

        Count the cost? We do not even let people open their eyes so that we can save a new believer the embarrassment of others seeing his/her "private" commitment. Are you kidding me?

        I recently spoke at an event where close to 25 people raised their hands to repent and turn to Jesus. I then asked them if they were already believers who just feel that sin has gotten in the way of their relationship with God to put their hand down. They were then instructed to talk to God about it in their seat. Over half of the hands went down.

        I spoke at an event last night where seven teens raised their hands to follow Christ. I told them of the trouble Jesus promises and the suffering that Paul said accompanies a believer. I told them that Jesus said that if we deny Him before men, He will deny us before His Father. I told them that I was going to let everyone open their eyes in a moment and to count the cost before keeping their hands up. Two hands went down. I pulled the five aside and began asking questions. It turns out three were already believers who just needed to start fresh. I prayed for them and dismissed them to pray with other believers about where they had strayed.

        The last two were serious. They were pastor's kids. They had never really followed Christ. An event that could have boasted seven souls now had two. In fact one tweet escaped that said five had accepted Christ. In the end though, I went to bed with peace in my heart. Knowing that I had no doubts about the two that had endured the most awkward invitation of their lives (especially as pastor's kids with members of their youth groups present).

        Christ has done ALL of the work needed for salvation, but lets not sugar coat the life that Jesus offers. It is tough, not for wimps, and at times all uphill. The good news of the Great commission is that He will be with us even until the end of the world.

        I know in ministry that there is a pressure for numbers. It is easy to start viewing people as numbers. My challenge to you is to present the Gospel, but also define the cost, so that one can "count it" before picking up his/her own cross to die to their old way of life.

Are You Spiritually Constipated?

        Everyone needs to eat and drink. We do it every day. However there are certain times that our hunger or thirst is masked by something else.

        At the risk of sounding gross I will say that the something in question is the need to relieve ourselves. Stay with me and I will make my point. When you have to go badly you would never think of guzzling down a glass of water. The same goes for eating a meal when you know that an extended stay in the facilities is required. We cannot enjoy a meal when our body needs to relieve itself of waste.

        Even though we would not miss a meal purposely (let alone for a day), many try to go a whole week on one meal spiritually. We sit at church gorging ourselves with what is offered, only to return with a empty stomach (spirit) the following Sunday.

        We should pay close attention to the physical needs of our body to understand the spiritual needs of our true selves. Our walk with Christ should be an ongoing time with a close friend that lasts throughout the day.  Meals are intimate. No one sits with strangers at a restaurant. We eat with those we are close to. To sell God short by meeting with him once a week is a tragedy. It is also a shame to box him into a small section of each day (devotions). We should be seeking him throughout the day, just as we eat when we are hungry.

        This brings me to the waste. When we have sin in our lives it is difficult to fellowship with God. Our bodies give us a clue as to how we should deal with sin. Flush it! There is no way to enjoy a meal (interaction with God) with sin in the way. My advise is simple: Relieve the waste and enjoy the meal. There is simply no room for spiritual constipation in a relationship with God.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

        How long has God been waiting for you to acknowledge him throughout the day. He doesn't want your Sunday, or five minutes--He wants you, yielded and open. He desires the intimacy of the meal to be shared between friends. Jesus said, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me (Revelation 3:20).

Similar but Not the Same

        On Sunday my family and I went to visit Steele Creek Church in Charlotte, NC. It has been eye opening to visit other churches since I have been on sabbatical. The address that we put into our GPS was West Arrowood. The GPS gave us the option of Drive or Road. We both believed that they were probably one and the same so we chose Drive.

        We could not have been more wrong. Initially we would have been 45 minutes early so we could sign in, drop off our kids, and enjoy a stress free Sunday morning worshipping God. Soon the illusion of punctuality began to unravel. When we got close to West Arrowood Drive the exit was no longer open. We had to take a detour on new roads that our GPS didn't recognize. We finally found a street that it knew. We followed all of the "right" directions until we ended up at a dead end. Oddly enough there was a church there, but not the one we were looking for.

        We decided to try it with Road instead of Drive. We were 20 minutes out of the way and ended up 5 minutes late to the service.

        There are so many belief systems in this world claiming to be a way to God. Some even use the name of Jesus. It is politically correct to say that all roads lead to God. This is not the case according to the Bible.  John 14:6  says, Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." 


        Just because a path looks similar or even bears a close name does not mean that the destination will be the same. We all have an inward navigation system pointing us toward spiritual truth. The Bible calls this the law of God written on our hearts.  Just because the navigation system is good does not mean that we have entered the correct address. Jesus is the only way to God--Not our works, sincere beliefs, or fulfilled religious duties. Just Him. Period.


     

The Theology of a Kindergartner

I did an audio interview with my five year old son Luke, on his understanding of the Christian faith. Here is a transcript of our interview.

Me: Luke, who made the world?

Luke: God

Me: Can you tell me what happened when God made the world?

Luke: He made grass, He made trees, and He made water, and He made animals, and He made dolphins, and He made every single fishy, and He made the sky, and He made birds, and He made people, and He made trees and grass.

Me: Were the people good? 

Luke: A little bit and then the devil turned into a snake and tricked them, that they could eat the apple and they got sent out of the garden.

Me: What is it called when people do bad things?

Luke: Sin.

Me: Is there anyway to stop sin?

Luke: Um . . . um.

Me: Do you sin?

Luke: Yes.

Me: Do I?

Luke: Yes.

Me: Well, how can we stop it?

Luke: By . . . um, fighting it

Me: Fighting it?

Luke: Yes.

Me: And if I try really really hard, I won't be a sinner anymore?

Luke: You still will be.

Me: Well, then who could stop it?

Luke: God.

Me: How would He do that?

Luke: By dying on the cross for us.

Me: Why did He need to do that?

Luke: To ... um ... take our sins away.

Me: How does that take away our sins?

Luke: Because He's powerful.

Me: Right, but why did He have to die? Can't He just forgive us?

Luke: Yes.

Me: Without dying?

Luke: But He forgived us and died.

Me: Did Jesus stay dead?

Luke: No. He came back alive.

Me: Where did He go after that?

Luke: To Heaven.

Me: What's He doing?

Luke: Watching us and . . . listening to us.

Me: Why?

Luke: Because He is watching over us.

Me: What do you mean listening to us? Does He like to listen to us?

Luke: Yes. When we speak to God.

Me: How do we do that?

Luke: By praying and singing songs about Him.

Me: You can talk to Him by singing songs?

Luke: Uh huh, singing songs about  Him.

Me: Why do we go to church?

Luke: To learn about God.

Me: Can't you learn about God at home?

Luke: Yes, in the Bible and you can read the Bible wherever you want.

Me: Then why do we need to go to church? What is different about going to church than reading the Bible at home?

Luke: There are more people at church than at home.

Me: Do we sometimes give at church?

Luke: Yes.

Me: What is that called?

Luke: Um . . . Giving to God.

Me: Offering?

Luke: Yes.

Me: What do you think they do with the money?

Luke: God takes it.

Me: Why would God need our money?

Luke: . . . I don't know.

Me: They use it to pay for the building and the lights and . . .

Luke: No! It's up in heaven when God gets it.

Me: The money?

Luke: Yeah.

Me: Why would He need money in heaven? The streets are made out of gold.

Luke: Because . . . the money is for the streets. 

Me: So, He uses our money to make more roads?

Luke: Yes.

Me: What should people who follow Jesus do when they see someone who is hurt?

Luke: Help them.

Me: What if we see someone who is homeless?

Luke: You give them a home.

Me: What if we don't have enough money to buy a new house for them.

Luke: Then we should chop down trees to make a little house for them. 

Me: But you would have to own the land that you put the house on. What could we do instead of giving them a house?

Luke: We could let them stay at our house.

Me: For how long?

Luke: Until they have enough money to buy a home.

Me: If you are a follower of Jesus and someone is mean to you, what should you do?

Luke: If you don't like what they are saying then just walk away.

Me: What if they hit you?

Luke: Then just ask them to stop.

Me: What if they don't?

Luke: Then go get a grownup.

Me: What if they are hurting someone else?

Luke: Then I would stop them.

Me: What do you think the worst sin is?

Luke: To kill.

Me: Why?

Luke: Because that's very very very bad. 

Me: Why is it worse than lying?

Luke: Because killing is making people die.

Me: Why should we read the Bible?

Luke: To learn more about God.

Me: Why do we need to learn more about God?

Luke: 'Cause if you don't know much about Him, then read the Bible.

Me: What if someone doesn't want to know about God?

Luke: Then you just . . . um . . . tell them about God.

Me: Why do we need to tell them?

Luke: Because if they don't know about God and they don't know about any other gods, then tell them about our God.

Me: What if they do know about other gods? should we still tell them about our God.

Luke: Yes.

Me: Why?

Luke: Because, there gods are fake and our God is real!

Thanks for doing the interview buddy.

St. Valentine Died for Love!

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."-- John 15:13 


      Regardless of whether or not you have a "Valentine" to spend this day with, you do have someone who loves you deeply. God sent His valentine over 2000 years ago, because His heart was broken for you. Jesus gave His life to gain one thing, your heart.


      We know very little about St. Valentine except that he was a priest and a Martyr. He is not known to be in love with a woman or extremely romantic (although some legends claim these things), but he was in love with his God. The same love that led him to his death as he would not renounce the one who died for him. 


      Are you holding back what He died to claim? How can you be His today? On this Valentine's Day carve out some time to spend with your true Valentine.

Egypt is Free. Are You?

      Egypt took its first steps toward freedom yesterday as President Mubarak voluntarily called it quits after 18 days of protests by Egyptians.  The protesters were calling for an end to dictatorship and a beginning for Democracy. As the events unfolded, I, like many Americans, watched in disbelief.
     
      I was reminded of when our former President, George W. Bush, said, "As long as the Middle East remains a place where freedom does not flourish, it will remain a place of stagnation, resentment and violence ready for export." Before anyone thinks that Randumblog is toeing any particular party line, I will also quote President Obama, who said, “And I know that a democratic Egypt can advance its role of responsible leadership not only in the region but around the world".
      
      I am excited to see this freedom taking place in Egypt and around the world. Today people in Algeria and Yemen held similar protests. We could be seeing the start of a peace movement in the Middle East  (cue the doomsday preachers). 
     
      These countries have had dictator after dictator with little change and no freedom. It reminds me of the journey each one of us is on regardless of our type of government. We are all slaves to our nature. The Bible calls it sin. It is a desire to choose our way over God's way. Even when we think we have overcome a particular sin a new dictator (sin) will step up and rule our life demanding our time and attention.
     
      When Jesus died, He ultimately defeated this enemy for anyone that will finally realize that we do not need a new dictator. We need freedom. He offers that freedom. Many of us have already protested our sin by appointing a new ruler over our lives, leaving our old dictator out of power. This does not stop sin from trying to make a political comeback in our lives, but it does stop it from attaining its goal of complete power over us. Jesus said, "Whoever the Son sets free is free indeed."

      What about you? Are you still living under an autocratic rule, or have you opted for a life of freedom? Political peace may change aspects of the way you live, but Christ changes who you are from the inside out. Do you really want to see change in this world? God wants to not only have a relationship with you, but to work through you to love others as He brings hope to His fallen creation. It is as simple as turning from your sin to Him (you will be forgiven because Christ's death paid the penalty). Tell God you are ready to follow Him and He will begin a relationship with you that will continue even after death (we have hope because Jesus was  raised from the dead). 
      
      Many of my readers are already believers, but some of you are not. I implore those of you who have not accepted Him, to choose FREEDOM from serving the same old masters, and find rest for your soul.


The pictures in this post were made exclusively for Randumblog by Laura at 
Strengthening the Chain in California

The State of the Church

Tomorrow night President Obama will deliver his State of the Union Address.  The nation will gather (or at least those without cable or satellite) to hear his perspective on how we are doing.  But my question is how are we doing as a church?  So here is my address for the church:

When it comes to unity we are divided and not just denominationally.  One thing that continues to divide believers is political party affiliation.  I have seen arguments break out in the church lobby, small groups, and even after services in the sanctuary.  When did all of this bickering begin?  Usually very early.  Think about what party your parents belonged to.  Are you still in the same party?

Perhaps our differences in ideology spring from a misunderstanding of who we are as Christians.
Jesus said,  "let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matt.5:16).  He also said we are to take care of those hurting most in our society (Matthew 25:35-39).

The problem is that we want to legislate good works or social programs depending on which party we fall into.  Remember, we cannot subcontract out our responsibilities to a political party.  Upholding our morals to better represent Christ and providing for the poor are our responsibilities.  Jesus summed it up with the Great Commandment, and if we love God and others then both will take care of themselves.  Our country needs a change of heart not law.  Let's show them who He is by how we live and love.

If you liked this post you may also like:

The Election is Over. I Hope it Starts a Gridlock

My Prayer for America