I feel like God has laid some things on my heart I need to work out, or need to find the patience to wait for God to explain them to me. In some ways, I feel I'm not doing enough to show others I am a follower of Christ Jesus, but in others, I feel like I'm a leader among my Christian friends.
God has blessed me these past few weeks. I have been shown a great number of my acquaintances are Christians. Each day, it feels like I realize another person I know is a believer. Regardless of if I'm actually seeing these people find Jesus while I know them, I am seeing the numbers of people who believe increase from what I thought was the case. It's a pretty sweet faith cushion, if you know what I mean.
I really don't know what this post was for, but I feel better having written in.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Don't call me evangelical
When I say evangelist, what images come to mind?
A Bible-thumping angry dude in a suit with a shiny fivehead. That's what I see.
Despite whatever you've been told, that is not how you're supposed to share the good news of Jesus.
Let me illustrate why. A charming man knocks on your front door, "Hi sir/ma'am, you seem like a reasonable person, would that be correct?"
"Sure, I would hope so."
"You're going to be married one day, correct?"
"Probably, I mean, I guess, eventually."
"I have your future husband/wife out there sitting in the car for you. Why don't we go ahead and get this over with right here and now, and get you two married?"
"Say what?"
"Now listen here, if you don't get married to your future spouse right here and now, I'm going to shoot you."
The man pulls out a gun, racks the slide, and points it at your forehead. "Your choice, make it a good one."
If you don't see what I mean, let me explain. Evangelists have this reputation of being all for Jesus and shoving him down your throat; they present the truth of the gospel, and demand a decision from you. If you make the wrong one, you're going to burn in hell buddy, have a nice day. If you've got questions, tough luck, you're probably going to hell also.
In the same way you wouldn't want to marry someone you'd never dated (let alone met), you wouldn't want to serve a God you've never really known.
No, "evangelicism" is not how God works. Neither is Catholicism, Presbyterianism, Protestantism, Anglicanism, or Non-Denominationalism.
God works through the individual relationships we have with everyone we know.
The earliest followers of Jesus started following Jesus because they knew someone who followed him. According to the book of John, Jesus walked by John the Baptist one day after his baptism, and John the Baptist pointed him out, "Go talk to that dude! He's God in the flesh!"
So, two of John the Baptist's buddies/followers, Andrew and presumably John went and talked to Jesus. Jesus asked them what they wanted, and they answered they wanted to be friends.
Andrew's brother Simon Peter came to know Jesus because Andrew hung out with him.
Phillip came from the same hometown as Andrew and Simon Peter, and came to know Jesus through them.
Phillip in turn went and told Nathanael about Jesus, and Jesus gave him proof he was who the others said he was.
Don't believe Jesus wants us to be friends with the people in our lives? The greatest commandment is none other than to love the Lord our God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself, right?
If you do that, you're not far off from the kingdom of God.
Those who cannot do that aren't from God.
A Bible-thumping angry dude in a suit with a shiny fivehead. That's what I see.
Despite whatever you've been told, that is not how you're supposed to share the good news of Jesus.
Let me illustrate why. A charming man knocks on your front door, "Hi sir/ma'am, you seem like a reasonable person, would that be correct?"
"Sure, I would hope so."
"You're going to be married one day, correct?"
"Probably, I mean, I guess, eventually."
"I have your future husband/wife out there sitting in the car for you. Why don't we go ahead and get this over with right here and now, and get you two married?"
"Say what?"
"Now listen here, if you don't get married to your future spouse right here and now, I'm going to shoot you."
The man pulls out a gun, racks the slide, and points it at your forehead. "Your choice, make it a good one."
If you don't see what I mean, let me explain. Evangelists have this reputation of being all for Jesus and shoving him down your throat; they present the truth of the gospel, and demand a decision from you. If you make the wrong one, you're going to burn in hell buddy, have a nice day. If you've got questions, tough luck, you're probably going to hell also.
In the same way you wouldn't want to marry someone you'd never dated (let alone met), you wouldn't want to serve a God you've never really known.
No, "evangelicism" is not how God works. Neither is Catholicism, Presbyterianism, Protestantism, Anglicanism, or Non-Denominationalism.
God works through the individual relationships we have with everyone we know.
The earliest followers of Jesus started following Jesus because they knew someone who followed him. According to the book of John, Jesus walked by John the Baptist one day after his baptism, and John the Baptist pointed him out, "Go talk to that dude! He's God in the flesh!"
So, two of John the Baptist's buddies/followers, Andrew and presumably John went and talked to Jesus. Jesus asked them what they wanted, and they answered they wanted to be friends.
Andrew's brother Simon Peter came to know Jesus because Andrew hung out with him.
Phillip came from the same hometown as Andrew and Simon Peter, and came to know Jesus through them.
Phillip in turn went and told Nathanael about Jesus, and Jesus gave him proof he was who the others said he was.
Don't believe Jesus wants us to be friends with the people in our lives? The greatest commandment is none other than to love the Lord our God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself, right?
If you do that, you're not far off from the kingdom of God.
Those who cannot do that aren't from God.
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