WHAT ARE CHRISTIANS ABOUT?

     When certain political and other influential people complain about Christianity being under attack in this country while they complain about the bothersome poor and their sucking the life out of our society, let's revisit what Christianity is all about.

     If we Christians in this country are going to yell, "persecution", then let's do something worth being persecuted for - speak up for and come to the aid of the poor and rejected within our society. Our faith was never meant to be fair-weather or humdrum. 

HOPE

I have hope for and am excited about the future of mankind because my Lord Jesus had that attitude when he saved rotten me.

 It's tough to exude the confidence of hope developed through 

a solid faith if we do not have that same hope for our own lives. 

My hope is with God and my prayer is that I become daily capable of carrying heavier loads for my God.

I'M A CHRISTIAN

I'm a Christian!

We shouldn't have to tell people we are a Christian. It should be obvious by the way we live our lives and our actions. In other words, we should be living an active faith. So many recognized Jesus as the Messiah while he walked upon this earth, but too many others did not for they did not know God. While they stood with heads tilted back toward the sky, a carpenter, our Messiah, walked up behind them and they knew him not for they were looking in the wrong direction and believing God cared about fashion and worldly titles. So take this into account when you model yourself on what you believe are Christian examples Love God, your Father, with all your heart and soul just as he loves us and learn to serve as he served and serves.

If you are too good to serve anytime to anyone, then you are not good enough.

2016, THE NEXT BEST YEAR TO SERVE

     I failed miserably as a walking-talking and living example of Jesus Christ in 2015. I brought this up to him in my prayers. His answer came back like this while sporting that trademark loving smile of his, "So quit whining, get up, and do better in 2016. When did I ever promise it would be easy and when was I not right here beside you? You'll never be finished till I tell you, you are finished, and with me, you will never be finished. Have you not read what is written about this? Learn from your mistakes and go forward from there. What if Paul spent his time in prison feeling sorry for himself? What is done is done, and you are forgiven. Go and serve."

     Indeed, my Lord.

WAS YOUR CHRISTMAS SEASON HORRIBLE?

     If your Christmas season has contained or been overrun with bad events, stay positive by finding a blessing within the event(s). God often hides his greatest blessings within horrific events. Don't judge a book by its cover or a person by his clothing or looks. Look inside to find the beautiful gift hidden within. How often I have made the mistake of seeing only the bad in an event or person to have it or them turn out to be a tremendous blessing. Let's be positive to follow the example of our Lord Jesus.

     Who in ancient times would have thought torturing and then nailing our Lord to a cross would turn out to be the greatest life-changing event, the gift through faith to live forgiven and know personally our God, that mankind has ever witnessed?

     Tragedy, turmoil...? You cannot examine an unwrapped gift. Give it time to be unwrapped and examine it more closely before you jump to conclusions. In the interim, you may need to ask God for a stronger back - a gift every Christian could put to good use.

A VICIOUS WEAPON

     I went to the Bible searching for a vicious weapon to destroy those dastardly atheists that are like poison to a Christian. The weapon I found was love. Love a weapon? Think about it before you scoff. Let's make atheists our best friends and love them. Let's be a living-loving example of Christ around them. What good are we doing in this world hanging around and befriending only Christians? After all, they already have the Good News. Let's hang around some bad-to-the-bone people, let's hang with some outcasts, and let's find the good beneath that facade they put around themselves while piercing our learned assumptions. Those people were created with great love by the same God that created you and me. Those dirty and awful-looking people on street corners are scary - love them.

     Do you see how far this crazy love thing is taking us? We started with atheists and ended with homeless people. You see, some people want to play God, while missing and not practicing the greatest attribute of God - unconditional love, his nuclear bomb.

     "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be the children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."   (Matthew 5:43-48 NIV)

      See how far God wants you to take this crazy love thing of his. That revolutionist-carpenter son of his just tears at the fabric of societal values. Want to be a revolutionary? Want to be out there and really different? Want to do the opposite this upside-down so-called civilization surrounding you so often does? Then - love - love everybody you meet. Love everybody in the whole-wide world. Love and see it begin to change the world around you. Love and see the ripple effect over life and feel it as the waves of love pour back over you - the same love that you spread is coming back over you a thousand times more powerful than when you first sent it. Love! You can live on it.

     And you newbies thought God and that wild son of his were boring and oh so main stream or establishment. You had better put on your seat belt and prepare yourself for the most thrilling ride of your life if you choose to become a follower of our loving and wild God that loves all unconditionally. But never think you are or will be asked to do it alone. Our God leads and died as a mortal by example. Don't worry, he came back to life three days later just like he promised. Told you he is exciting. But through it all, he just loves us. Thank you for you Father.

WHICH PERSON DO YOU WANT TO BE?

Some people only look for the bad in others - and always find it.

Some people only look for the good in others - and always find it.

So, which person are you? Which person do you want to be? Which person enjoys life more? Which person best exemplifies our Lord Jesus? 

And last - which person would you rather be around?