PASSION

Passion is word that I think most christians today don't understand anymore. Passion is a hard concept to conprehend. Not everybody has passion. It saddens me to say that the people that should have the most passion sit in the back pews with their arms crossed on sundays. As a christian we need passion. The definition of passionate is "A strong emotion toward something such as love." A prime example of a passionate person in the bible was John the babtist. You can read about it in Luke 2,3, and 4. He had a few qualities that I believe as passionate, radical christians we should possess. Here they are.............

1. We have to spend time in solitude. We should be in Gods' word 24/7. How else will God speak to us? In the times that we are living in, we need God to speak to the depths of our hearts. Studying Gods' word opens up the door for his presence to abide with us, and as christians we should always be hungry for the presence of God.
2. We have to feel consumed with the mission/calling that God has on our lives. We have to want to dive into what God has called us to be.
3. We have to be wired. John the baptist was a voice calling out, and exhorter. (Luke 3:4-18) Wired to win souls for Jesus. Wired to not care what people think about us. When we all get to heaven, their are not going to be judgmental people around you, so don't let judgmental people on earth hender you from doing what God has called you to do.
4. We need to strive for what is right. We need justice in this world. John strived for justice (Luke 3:10-14).
5. We need to see things as black and white. So many times as christians today we don't always see just black and white. We see the grey in things. Can I just tell you that there is not grey. It is either wrong or right. It is either sin or not sin. Grey is not on Gods' color wheel. We need to stop sugar coating everything. All we are doing is giving new names to old sins.
6. We can't settle for anything less than action. Action is what Jesus took, when he went to the cross. He was passionate about what? About saving us, because he loved us so much. As christians we need to take on that identity. The identity of Jesus that says I love you. That's what this world needs. They don't need polliester fake. We need some real people to stand up and catch a passion for God. They need realness. REAL PASSION. The passion of the Christ.

Camp.......lol......

Laughter doeth good like a medicine. :-)

Generational Impacter

Have you ever been written off in your life? Have people doubted you, and said that your not qualified to do anything for God? That is basically the story of all generational impacters in the bible. Look at the life of David. When Samuel came to Jesse's house to anoint the next king, and Samuel tells Jesse to bring all of his sons into the house, Jesse doesn't even call David into the house. But yet God knew David was in the field, and David was anointed to be king. Jesse had written off his son David. For reasons probably like he's to small, or he's not strong enough, or he's not smart enough to be a king. But I'm so thankful God uses the people who have been labeled useless by this world.

It appears to me that all generational impacters in the bible were labeled as useless. They were counted out. Take for example Saul(Paul) who killed and persecuted christians, before the road to Damascus. He was counted out by probably all christians, or priests in that era. But then he had an encounter with God, and ends up writing 3/4 of the new testament. He flipped this world upside down for Christ.

What makes a generational impacter? The first thing is this, a generational impacter must be devoted to God's word, and always have his spiritual ears open. God talks to us through his word, and if we don't read, then we are going to miss something that God is trying to tell us. Revelations 2:29, and 3:22 says "He that hath an ear, let him hear. I think if God says it twice, it must be important. Have you ever tried to talk to someone, and they are talking to you at the same time? Do you know how annoying that is? You can't hear each other and the conversation gets nowhere. I think that sometimes that's what we do with God. We talk to him, but never let him talk to us. Habakkuk 2:20 even says "Let the Earth be silent before him." Because maybe God is trying to speak to you. God will instruct us on what we are to do.

Secondly, we have to put Gods' word into action. There is a process on getting better at anything you do in life. You have to work hard. And you might even go through some things while you are working hard. Take for example weight lifting. If I want to get stronger, I have to put in hard work in the weight room. And don't always take your adversity as a travesty. Going back to weight lifting; there is a science behind it. Lifting weights doesn't make your muscles big. It is the healing process that makes them bigger. When you lift, your just taring your muscles down, and when they heal, they get bigger than what they were(stronger). Sometimes in order to make us spiritually stronger, God has to break us down, and then when we start to get built back up again, that's where we get stronger. Because we learned from our adversities. Look at Joseph. He had to go through the pit, before he could get to the palace. I think God was preparing Joseph for the palace. If God would have put Joseph just strait to the palace, Joseph might have turned away from God, thinking that he didn't need God in order to get to the palace. When as a matter of fact, that is absolutely who he needed.

Thirdly, we have to be extreme. Some christians don't like when you say extreme. But I believe that we are in a generation that will not listen to fake plastic christians. I'm just stating the truth. This world can spot fake coming a mile away. We have to be real with people. Sometimes we have to be extreme when we are being real. "Well God wasn't extreme," is the excuse of most churches in today's society. We are talking about a God who split a whole sea, fed 5,000 people, turned a stick into a snake, and if I'm not mistaking didn't he create EVERYTHING. Get the picture. It's time to have parking lot revivals. So I leave you with this question, who will be the first person to stand up in the cafeteria and say ,"I want to talk to you about a man that can change your life."?

Radical

What does it mean to be radical for Jesus? Does it mean just going to church when we can, and praising God only on Sundays and Wednesdays? That's not what being radical means to me. I've had people tell me, "You can be radical inside of the church walls, and only there." I believe we have to be radical for Jesus in an outward sense, that people can't help but realize who you serve, and are drawn to you by the holy spirit. We have to stop putting our own self in front of Jesus. Because if we do, all we are showing people is ourselves. I heard a quote the other day that struck reality into me. It said, "Church, we are Gods' plan A, and I hate to tell you, but there is no plan B." The realization of it is we our Gods' plan to save this world. You and I are apart of a bigger blueprint than we can imagine.

I was having a discussion the other day with an administrator at my school during first period. He started to tell me about how they were thinking about revising the Pledge of Allegiance. He said they were thinking about taking out the part,"One nation, UNDER GOD." I was at a loss for words. I stared at him for about a minute and a half. I was saved by the bell though. All day I pondered on that. Why would we take," UNDER GOD," out of our pledge. Then the lord spoke to me through his word. When he says,"Follow me," that doesn't mean follow yourself. We have put our own christian spin on an American Dream. All the way to the point where it makes me wounder, is God molding us, or are we trying to mold God into our own image? Because if we are trying to mold God into our own image, we are only worshiping ourselves on those Sundays, and Wednesdays.

"Suppose a nation in some distant Region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God ... What a Utopia, what a Paradise would this region be."

                   ~ John Adams

We have to be radical to get this nation back to where is needs to be. Just like some people want to put a spin on what Jesus says in Luke 9 where he tells a few young men who want to follow him to let the dead bury the dead, and he told the second young man to sell everything he has and give it all to the poor. And he told the third young man to not even say goodbye to his own family. He tells us that in order to follow him that we have to pick up our cross daily. I don't know about you but if somebody told me to pick up the very thing that people are going to try and kill me with, DAILY, I would be a little hesitant. But that is exactly what Jesus tells us to do, and I will not put a spin on his words. It's time to be radical for Jesus and save a generation!

How Can I Come?

For alot of us, walking just fifteen short steps is very easy. But that all changes when those steps can decide your eternal fate. I always used to think that I couldn't get saved because I was to scared to walk up to the alter. I was always afraid of what people might think about me. "They might figure out my past," I thought to myself. I used to think that Jesus can't and wouldn't forgive me of my sins, because I screwed up to many times. But then God came into the picture and flipped my train of thought, and here's how. First I realized that I don't have to go to the alters in a church to get saved. You don't meet Jesus, Jesus finds you. Romans 5:8 says that while we were yet sinners christ died for us. That tells me that christ found me, while I was yet a sinner. Secondly, I don't have to be afraid of what people might think of me. 2 Timothy 1:7 says for God has NOT given me the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and a sound mind. My past is just my "Glory Story." Finally, Jesus forgives me of all sins. 1 John 1:9 says that he is faithful and just to forgive me of all sins. Yeah that's right, ALL sins. So my point is this, you don't have to have an air conditioned church, with spot lights, and a giant sound system for Jesus to find you right where you are. You don't need to clean your life up before you come to christ. All you have to do is come to him. It's as simple as A,B,C.

A-Admit that you have sinned and that you have failed. But we all have. Romans 3:23 tells us that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

B-Believe that Jesus died on a cross and three days later God raised him from the dead. John 3:16 says for God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. And that's all that Jesus wanted to do, was to give us life. The bible says that He is the way the truth and the life and no man comes to the father but through him. John 10:10 says that the thief comes to kill,steal,and destroy, BUT I have come to give you life more aboundantly. Jesus told us in John 10:9 that he is the door and if any man come in (through him) they shall be saved.

C-Finally alll you have to do is confess your sins to him.Romans 10:9 says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is lord, and believe that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

That's all you have to do to come to Jesus. And if your wondering, I eventully took those fifteen short steps, and God has changed my life ever since. Trust me, accepting Jesus is the best decision you will ever make.

10 Questions to Think About.........

1.) Do we really believe Jesus is worth abandoning everything for?
2.) How hungry would you say you are for God’s Word?
3.) Would you say that you are, not merely interested in, but desperate for the power of God? Why or why not?
4.)  Specifically, how do you think God might want you to help fulfill his global purpose?

5.) Do you see yourself as a disciple maker?

6.) If Jesus were to give you the same command he gave to the rich young ruler in Scripture—namely that you are to sell everything and follow him—could you do it?

7.)  On a scale of from 1 to 10, how much of a sense of urgency do you feel inside right now about bringing the gospel to those who don’t know Christ?

8.)  For you, what is the most wonderful part of the truth that God himself is your greatest reward?

9.) Do you find it easy or hard to believe that Jesus would call us to go to danger, and maybe even to death, for his sake? Why?

10.) ARE YOU RADICAL FOR JESUS?

"Characteristics of a History Maker"

I hear people say time and time again, "You'll do something great for God someday." And over and over I wonder why I couldn't be doing something for God right now. I realize that even though they may be right, I am right as well. In  first Timothy 4:12 paul says not to let people despise you because of your youth. Meaning not to let people look down on you because you are young. That is one of the first characteristics of a History Maker, boldness. To many times we get scared and wonder what people are going to think of us if we stand on the word of God. It is to close to Jesus return to be worrying about what people think of me.

 The second point is this, people are going to dislike you and even hate you because you serve Jesus. Paul even mentions that a couple verses before verse 12. It may surprise you who those people that hate you are. It might be the person you thought was your best friend. It might even be your own family.

My third point is this, being stead fast. It is one thing to play church on Sundays, but what about the weekdays, where showing the love of Jesus counts the most. People need hope, they need love, they need a saviour. And it's going to take a History Maker to show them that Jesus is all of those things. So I put out my dare to you and ask you, who will be a History Maker? Stay stead fast in Gods word and talk to him daily and I promise you that God will start to do radical things in your life.