Like a Ball Rolling Uphill

     As Christians, we must think and act like a ball rolling uphill against gravity.  The worldly gravity of society pulls us toward it to fulfill our selfish desires.  God is spirit.  Spirit is not subject to the pull of worldly gravity; it has no boundaries.  As Christians, we should apply ourselves to the practice of thinking more in the spiritual realm without boundaries, more toward God.  We need to live in the Holy Spirit and roll uphill whenever God's love requires it.  We need to stand up and start thinking outside the Sunday box society wants to put us in.  Why would a young person want to join this lackluster group called Christians whose actions, more often than not, bear little resemblance to that revolutionary, earth-shaking, and exciting Jesus Christ, from whom it takes its name?  What are we thinking?

     Societies gravity pulls us toward hating our enemies and loving our friends.  Jesus teaches us to not just love our friends and relatives, but to love our enemies as well.  Basically, he was teaching,  if you want to know and please God, strive to be perfect like him by loving all your brothers and sisters unconditionally.  This teaching would logically include your enemies.  If you want to please worldly society, love only those who love you.  If you want to be closer to and please God, make your actions more God-like, include your enemies in your love.  By this act alone, you will begin to appear to society as a ball rolling uphill against gravity.

     Being a follower of Christ is being asked to be different.  Mankind is generally drawn toward comfort.  When one feels comfort, he or she gains reassurance and strength.  In giving  acceptance to the act of hating a person for whatever reason, society is giving comfort to its members when they perform that action; even though that action goes against the will of God.  Society is giving priority and power to itself in this case rather than to God.  Going against society in this case takes one out of their comfort zone.  Who should a faithful Christian fear, God or society?  If you go against society, you may feel awkward, you may even be ostracized, and you may be abandoned when you need society's comfort most.  In walking God's path, he may be saddened by some of your actions that are against his teachings, but he will never take his love from you nor abandon you.  Ultimately, it comes down to who do you trust?  This world is fleeting, God is forever.   Rolling uphill gives you a sense of accomplishment...it empowers you spiritually...it is your command in any situation where society attempts to separate itself from God's commandments; to separate itself from God.  

     God's Word isn't just for a Sunday glance to meet a the minimum requirements to keep your Christian membership.  God's Word is to be read, studied, and, most of all, put into practice.  Live, breathe, and lean on your faith, God.   He is our living God.  He is the God of the living.  God is spirit.  Therefore be a living, spiritual, and loving servant of a living God, our God, and roll uphill when the situation calls for it.  Put some excitement, some life into your faith.  Make others want some of what you've got.  That wealth of love God gives to you isn't going to diminish or shrink by giving it away, it will only increase in the giving.  I ask you, can you do that with material wealth?  Open up that treasure chest and make the non-Christians you encounter want to have a come-to-Jesus moment from all the exciting love from the Holy Spirit overflowing from within you.  How can being on a first name basis with God not be exciting and how can his allowing us to serve him not be worth any pitiful sacrifice we can offer?  I am not a fan of yelling, screaming preachers, but when the occasion demands it, I like a rousing call to action.  Do you think he went through the tortures of having huge nails driven through his hands and dying a horrible death hanging on that cross just so we could sit in an air conditioned and heated church on Sunday for an hour and call ourselves followers of him to wind up comfortably in heaven with eternal life with our Father?  Good God Almighty, my comfortable brothers and sisters, raise yourself up out of your easy chair, get your hands dirty in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ.

365 DAYS OF POSITIVE LIVING, book trailer

     This is my facebook page for the book I co-wrote with Rita Tarachi that is releasing soon:  https://www.facebook.com/authorjimnewton.  The book trailer is on the page and you can pre-order from there.  The proceeds as in any book we write go to missions support.  Thank you for any and all support in these matters.  As Christians, we all do our part as we can in a humble and serving manner.  May the comfort and love of our Father be yours through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

God In a Box

     Many Christians put God in a box and place him on a shelf until they have a life event that requires his help.  It's a tidy and very convenient way of being a Christian.  Their lives can go on as before, but they can still say they are a Christian.  I know I used to live my Christian life in that manner. 

     The problem with this is that we are talking about God, a living God.  It is impossible to put him into a box or throw him in a corner then call on him for emergencies only.  If you pray to him and feel he isn't answering, it is due to the simple fact that he doesn't know you and you do not know him.  Read Luke 13:22-30, the Narrow Door.  Don't let it put fear into your heart.  If you develop that personal relationship with God, he will guard your spirit, letting nothing but good through.  I assure you that once you develop that personal relationship with God, your fears will melt away whenever you lean on him.  God is loving beyond any description a person could ever set down in the written word. 

     One must first have faith; faith in Jesus Christ as the true son of God and that he was raised from the dead on the third day.  Then you must take yourself to a quiet place free of distractions and ask God if you can talk to him.  Do this with belief and faith that he is there and listening, for he is.  He will not turn you down when you ask in this manner.  Tell him that you are his as an instrument of his will, not yours.  Ask him to make his self known to you in a very personal way.  Always be truthful with God for, as your creator, he knows all about you and knows what is in your heart before you pray it.  God wants to have a personal relationship with you.  God loves you unconditionally...love him back in the same way.

     Now, go forward putting God before, within, and around you.  Jesus told us to become perfect like our Father, God.  The closer you get to God, the more you look, act, and think like him.  Read his word in the Bible, and have a long personal talk with him each and every day.  God is real, living, not a physical object we can put in a box and store away until needed such as the pagan's idol.   

My Thoughts on the French Travesty and Muslims

     I'm attempting to put the week's events in France into perspective as a Christian.  My first knee jerk reaction was, "Those damned Muslims."  But, after reflection in a more Christian sense, I came up with these thoughts and conclusions. 

     The policeman executed inside the building of Charlie Hebdo Magazine was a Muslim.  Those brothers and their accomplices were not Islamic Terrorists in my opinion, they were nothing more than common criminals disguising their deeds under the banner of a religion in an attempt to sanctify their murderous deeds.  I know the cartoons were a tough sell for Muslims, but the last time I checked, the penalty for insulting people and religions was not death.

      As a Christian, I have seen people disguised as Christians performing horrific acts in the name of Christianity.  They are no more Christians than those people in France that murdered all those innocent people were Muslims.  We want the Muslims to denounce those people, but how many Christians have openly denounced the KKK and their horrendous acts under the banner of Christianity over the years?  Today...yes, Christian leaders are concerned and shocked enough to issue paltry statements condemning them, but come out as a unified Christian body, I think not.  They are as scared of the KKK as the Muslims are of the radicals within their religion.

     I know something has to be done, but let's stand in union in a Christian non-judgmental way with the many good Muslims living in fear of retribution, and be a source of strength and support.  We cannot condemn every Muslim for thugs masquerading as Muslims, just as we cannot condemn every Christian for thugs that have twisted God's word.  We can start by educating ourselves about Muslims.  Many Muslims have died fighting in the armed forces of the United States in the War on Terror.  Surely, there are good Muslims.  I personally know many.  Yes, God forbid, they are different.  Surely, there are good Christians; Jesus told us that we should be different. 

     As a Christian, before you lash out against ALL Muslims, read Matthew 5:43-48.  Then, if you still think you have justification for your hate, check your Christian status.  Don't think I am holier than thou.  I find it extremely difficult to love my enemies, also, but it is right there in Matthew direct from Jesus' own mouth what he wants us to do.  Isn't love God's ultimate weapon, God's nuclear bomb that will destroy all hate before it? 

    

The Old Dog Learns a New Trick

     Launching my Twitter account for my books was a task for this old man.  But I was successful.  Also, I set up the Authorgraph account to sign e Books for readers.  What a changing world.  I love good change...if I can keep up.  For those aspiring writers out there,  the writing business has a lot more to it than just writing.  But it is for our Lord.  To Him, I owe everything.