The Idea idea of this blog

Musings on the way of Christ and the original sin that plagues humanity and continues to haunt followers of the way. A celebration of the freedom we have found in Christ that eradicates the guilt and destruction of sin, along with encouragements and heartfelt thoughts to get me and you through this life with Christ as the Center.

Gospel of Individuals?

WHy is the Jesus of the Bible not followed correctly in the American Church? It seems to me, myself included, that we worship and serve a Christ who wants us to live good lives and abstain from "moral ills" such as alcohol, sex, tobacco, dancing and drugs....oh and dont date girls who do...ha....For real, our Americanized Christianity has become such a fabricated, individualized, self-help religion that we dont serve the same Christ is see in Scripture. Our society presses a glamorous religion of health and wealth in all churches (some more obvious than others) All you have to do is read your bible, pray and go to church...disgusting. These things are vitally important disciplines for the christian life, but we have so distorted the overall concepts of Christianity. (we includes myself) Part of this stems from the enlightenment era and the Cartesian principles of "I think therefore i am". This quote has formed us into a society of individualism and community has been forgotten until the recent Post-Modern movements have began to pop up. This individualized religion of "how can i better myself for Christ" would be a foreign concept to Christ Himself. Christ came to serve the needy and marginalized people of the earth. He did not come to the rich, although he surely welcomes them into his arms as well for we are all needy in some form or fashion. The part that offends me is that we need to be a community of servants who not only serve Christ, but also serve others out of love. By others i particularly mean the forgotten people. The Poor. I sit and write this, knowing that i will more than likely be working in an affluent suburban church one day, but i also am aware that i will emphasize the social justice to the needy, particularly the inner city children.i refuse to be a part of a church body that focuses within and pushes an individualized gospel that promotes self renewal, but not the renewal of society and the needy. The christian life is not about living a life that is "good" and "pure" or , dare i say, "Holy". Instead we must lose ourselves for the sake of the gospel that Christ preached. The FULL gospel was completed upon the cross and resurrection, but the rest of the gospel has been forgotten. the part of it where Christ came to save men....in particular the poor.

Approval of Men

As i sit and read a reading for Seminary, i come to realize that i have been creating a false self that i put on when i interact with others. This false self is a man who seeks approval of all people through qualifying myself as a "popular man". I do this through the image of a fraternity man and try to be this person that i think i should be, not the person that i am. This has held me back in the realm of a spiritual relationship with Christ because i seek the approval of men by running to the frat boy image. Drinking Bourbon Whiskey and picking up the ladies, while being an arrogant Son of a Bitch. Sounds kinda like a country song, but it is instead the sad reality of the image that i feel that i must portray to others. I must realize that this man is a false creation of insecurity and i must run to Christ. For in HIm i receive all of the approval i will ever need. Running to this safe image of a shell of a man is the last thing i wish to do anymore. I must cry out to God to save me and help me put to death this superficial, approval seeking act that i put on. Until i do this, i will self sabotage the riches of Christ that i could know and reach others with. My self-worth should be found in Christ alone...

Life of Loss or Life of Gain

A book i am reading has brought to my attention the lost art of dying of ones self for the advancement of the Gospel. I know what your thinking, "Getting stoned to death for Christ or being shot for my Faith isnt going to happen in the US." Yes, you may be correct, but there are ways to die to one's self that is not physical. All of my life i have lived for others, even when Christ is not the center. But when i live for others without Christ in the middle, i tend to live for their image of who they think i am or i tend to be a people pleaser. A promulgator of appeasement to others, if you will. Now to think that i can DIE to this part of me for the sake of the gospel is not a new concept, but it is one that must be revisited if i am to maintain Christ in the center. Without suffering my place in popularity, i will never be a true Christ follower. Christ calls us to die to ourselves and take up the cross. I think that this means we should die to the old man, die to the things that hold us back from intimacy with Christ. This may mean suffering in some kind of way, whether it is physical or socially. Maybe it means one must remove his self from worldly popularity and becoming as a pauper to the princes so to speak. Maybe we need to die to our own selfish ambitions and swallow our pride. This rings home for myself as a strong willed, independently defiant sinner. Too often i look to my needs first, too often i want to do what i want to do. This leads me to my current state of being. Due to my selfishness and lack of dying to myself, i am currently in a barren desert of spirituality, wandering for the crystal clear waters of the pure love found in Christ. Intimacy is what i long for, but i have forsaken my love for Christ for love of the world. If Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice to move me from darkness to light, from death to life, then why can't i simply deny myself sometime and sacrifice my needs for the needs of others. Ministry is about relationships...and relationships, true relationships, are firmly based upon sacrificial giving to one another and looking to the other's needs before that of my own. When will i realize that the Christian life is not about me, its about Christ. A life of gain in this world means nothing but success in this current world, but a life of loss for Christ is truly a life of gain as we should live for the hope of glory that is found in Christ at his return.When i do realize this, others will be first and i will truly be seeking what's best for others and sacrificing by doing whatever it takes to take the gospel to the lost and allow God's grace to do work!

Mein Leben, für Ruhm des Gottes.

My life, for God's glory.