Jesus and Revolution

I like this quote from a book called, "The Barbarian Way". I'm continuing a series at church on change and being a revolutionary. I am frustrated with the way the Church (the body of Christ) has portrayed Jesus and the radical message of salvation. To experience all that we can in our relationship to Jesus, it will involve a radical change of who we are and what we do. Most (American) Christians never get beyond "I'm saved."

He wants us to surrender our lives to Him and follow Him into the unknown. And if it means a life of suffering, hardship, and disappointment, it will be worth it because following Jesus Christ is more powerful and more fulfilling than living with everything in the worlds minus Him. Erwin McManus

Jesus the Revolutionary

Jesus brought a message that was so different, so earth-shattering, and so challenging to the status quo, that people wanted to kill Him. Not just the religious establishment, but “normal” townspeople either wanted Him gone, or worse, they attempted at one point to throw Him off a cliff outside of town. Jesus led an uprising against a self-centered life. Why is it that the world-shattering, life changing message of Jesus has become hum-drum and mainstream?

The church must embrace and enhance change. We have to be the instigator of change rather than the anchor.

This was sent through a pastor's sermon illustration email I get weekly. Quite and ironic story:

How can you have a good anti-poverty summit with a bunch of poor people hanging around?

That seemed to be the problem for the World Social Forum, an anti-poverty event recently held in Nairobi, Kenya, according to the Feb. 10 issue of World magazine. Event organizers refused to help a crowd of hungry street kids who asked for food. In response to such treatment, "dozens of languishing street children broke into the five-star hotel's food tent and gorged themselves on cuisine meant only for the anti-hunger elite. Each plate of food in the hotel sold for roughly $7 in a nation where many live on less than $2 every day. After a series of protests by street children as well as other locals, the organizers relented and agreed not to charge for the food."

The New Blog

Justin, my son, has decided to get into the blogging thing. My dad and I farmed together to bond, I guess the next generation blogs to bond together! His blog is called TheFire. He chose that name because Jesus is the fire of his life. How can I not be excited about that!! Check out his new blog!

The Local Church

I am closing out a series on commitment to the local church. This has been a series near and dear to me, because I believe that the local church is near and dear to Jesus. He loves the church, and gave Himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25). Here are some quotes I have from that series:

Many Christian have been infected with the most virulent virus of modern American life, what sociologist Robert Bellah calls “radical individualism.” They concentrate on personal obedience to Christ as if all that matters is “Jesus and me,” but in so doing miss the point altogether. For Christianity is not a solitary belief system. Any genuine resurgence of Christianity, as history demonstrates, depends on a reawakening and renewal of that which is the essence of the faith—that is, the people of God, the new society, the body of Christ, which is made manifest in the world—the church. . . there is no such thing as Christianity apart from the church. --Chuck Colson

“Failure to cleave to a particular church is failure to obey Christ.” Chuck Colson

if the Church is going to produce the kinds of exceptional people that provide a satisfying and attractive example to a watching world then our Christian faith must be more deliberately, intentionally and inextricably communal." Tod Bolinger, from It Takes a Church"