Fear God?

Yes.  Not fear of an unjust tyrant, but fear and awe for a remarkable, infinite, breath-taking God.

Or ... fear of what man thinks.  Fear of standing out from the crowd.  Fear of "offending" someone with truth that has not changed for many millennia.  Fear of ignorant ridicule.

Your choice.  Choose this day whom you will serve - the thoughts and opinions of men (that are forever changing) or God's unchanging wisdom.

You Worship Something ....

Everyone worships.  We were created to do so by the One who created us.

No denying it - we see it everywhere:

• We worship a sports team or a specific athlete
• We worship a celebrity or a band or some other famous figure
• We worship money, alcohol, drugs, sex (I've been very guilty of this)
• We worship a person we love or with whom we're infatuated
• We worship the "Universe" (Huh?  Yea.  Whatever that means ...)
• We worship a political figure or party (whichever side on which you stand)
• We worship a philosopher, scientist or other intellectual ... or we worship the philosophy, the science (a.k.a. educated theory) or the ideal emitted from them

So which is it?  What combination of the above do YOU worship?  You know you do.

And how's that working out for you?  Does it provide you peace and freedom?  Does your target of worship give you hope?  Is it eternal and inherently good?  Will it make you a better you?

If not, here's a straight-forward and reasonable suggestion:

Look for something or Someone to worship that will give you peace, give you hope, never fail and never perish, and make you the "you" you were intended to be.

If you'd like to know Who that target of worship is, let me know.  Happy to share.  And by the way, He's waiting patiently for you to seek Him and find Him.

Up to you.  Don't let your pride get in the way of peace, hope, and freedom.

Christianity is a pyramid scheme

Yes, Christianity is a pyramid scheme... and it's not working out nearly as well as the Founder intended.  You see, as followers of Christ we're supposed to be engaged in "reproductive discipleship".

Reproductive Discipleship:  Discipling people to disciple others who will disciple others. (2 Timothy 2:2)

Did you know - as one study has indicated - that merely 20% of all self-proclaimed "Christians" consistently tell others about Jesus Christ?  Fewer still actively disciple new believers.  The study also reveals 95% of those who claim to follow Jesus have never led even one other person to the Lord.  (paraphrased from The Four Priorities, Tolson)

If even 50% of all self-proclaimed Christians actually did as Jesus commanded via the Great Commission ...

Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  (Matthew 28:19-20)

... everyone on earth would have been given the correct information necessary to accept Christ by now.  In fact, our world would be a very, very different place than it is today.

Yes - in case you weren't aware - Christianity is a "pyramid scheme" in essence.  Unfortunately, the majority of "Christians" either don't understand that, or are unwilling to obey.

My God, in whom I trust.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."  Psalm 91:1-2 (NIV)

In who (or what) do you trust?  Do you believe in safety from financial wellness? Do you believe in a given government official, a candidate, or the government overall to take care of your needs? Do you believe a man or woman, respectively, will fulfill you?  All of these things will fail you.  Count on it.

If we are not looking to God for our fulfillment, we are looking somewhere else that is infinitely less.  Unfortunately, we'll still seek these lesser things.  That's just how we are ... fallen and flawed. 

For me, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."  He is sufficient without adding anything from me, others, or this world.

Grace wins ... every time.

To the Prodigal Son:  grace wins.
To the woman at the well:  grace wins.
To the thief on the cross:  grace wins.
To you and me and every one of us, all of whom are sinners:  grace wins.

There's a war between guilt and grace. But grace wins every time.

"Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more!"  -Paul

Jesus, you know just how far the east is from the west.  I can't stand to see the man I've been, rising up in me again. In the arms of your mercy I find rest.  Can you show me just how far the east is from the west? From one scarred hand to the other. -- Casting Crowns

Stay with it to the end!

"But these things are nothing compared to what's coming.   

"And watch out!  They're going to drag you into court.  And then it will go from bad to worse, dog-eat-dog, everyone at your throat because you carry my name.  You're placed there as sentinels to truth.  The Message has to be preached all across the world.  

"When they bring you, betrayed, into court, don't worry about what you'll say.  When the time comes, say what's on your heart - the Holy Spirit will makes His witness in and through you.  

"It's going to be brother killing brother, father killing child, children killing parents.  There's no telling who will hate you because of me."

Stay with it - that is what is required.  Stay with it to the end.  You won't be sorry; you'll be saved. 

Mark 13 (From The Message paraphrase of the Bible)

See it starting to happen?  I do.  But stand firm.  Don't worry about what man says, what man thinks, what man does.  You will have your reward.  Stand up and speak truth!

God bless.

The Intoxication of Existence

G.K. Chesterton had a true zest for life. He saw life as invaluable, an incomparable gift. He wrote a poem entitled, "By the Babe Unborn".  In it, he pictures a baby, laying in the womb of his mother imagining a world of bright blue skies, grassy hills, beautiful trees, still water ... which to him is just a beautiful dream.

But if he could actually be there, to attain that dream, and see such a world and live in it, his gratitude would be unending.

They should not hear a word from me
Of selfishness or scorn,
If only I could find the door
If only I were born.

Babies remind us to be in awe of the world. We should never stop being in awe of babies.

Chesterton said each time a baby is born, it is as if a whole new world has been created, because the world is being seen for the first time by a new soul as if it were the first day of creation. Inside that little head, there is a new system of stars, new grass, new cities, a new sea.

All the true things about happiness have been said and are always being said, and yet we have managed to ignore them.

We put so much emphasis on the pursuit of happiness rather than on the happiness itself. All the things we need to make us reason to be happy live within our grasp. If we pause in our frantic pursuit of happiness, if we stop and try to picture happiness, it is something different from the fuss and frustration that fills our pursuit.

Happiness is something simple and basic. And everyone knows this, if they would only stop and consider it.

From Common Sense 101: Lessons from G.K. Chesterton