I found this in the back of one of my sister’s old Bibles…and I love it.

Ben.

My Child,
You may not know me, but I know everything about you. I when you sit down and when you rise up. I am familiar with all your ways, even the very hairs on your head are numbered. For YOU were made in My image. In me you live and move and have your being for you are my offspring. I knew you even before you were conceived, I chose YOU when I planned creation. You were not a mistake for all your days are written in my book. I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. I knit you together in your mother’s womb and brought you forth on the day you were born.

Love your Dad,
The Almighty and only God.

Maybe you’re a Christian, but that doesn’t mean you’re a Christ-follower.
Christians follow the religion of Christianity.
Christians have killed in the name of Jesus.
Christians rape women in the sex trade.
Christians lie, cheat, steal, and murder.
Christians get drunk.
Christians sleep around and fool around and don’t care.
Christians form gay churches to embrace their collective lifestyle.
Christians need to meet Jesus and get saved from themselves and their religion.

I sure need it.

Christ-followers chase after a living Saviour.
Christ-followers give up their lives for others.
Christ-followers protect and love women like sisters.
Christ-followers are honest, not greedy, and do not hate.
Christ-followers live level-headed and in control.
Christ-followers don’t mess around and break hearts.
Christ-followers accept people unconditionally, but refuse to accept their sin.
Christ-followers have a deeply fulfilling relationship with the God of heaven and earth.

Take the Christ-follower quiz:
If you call yourself a Christ-follower, answer these questions very honestly.  Then ask them to Jesus, and see what he says to you:

Does my life look like that of Jesus?

Are people getting closer to Jesus because of being around me?

Am I getting closer to Jesus?

Is Jesus taking over my life? Have I surrendered everything (time, money, plans, talents) to His control?

Am I trusting Him to help me overcome my sin- and then working with the Spirit to actually change?

Does my life line up with what the Bible says a Christ-follower should look like? Am I constantly engaged in Scripture to find out?

Is the world being changed and drawn to Jesus because I know and am doing God’s will?

It’s not too late for you to stop being a Christian and start being a Christ-follower.

Jay

“There are tears from the saints
For the lost and unsaved
We’re crying for them come back home.”

These are lyrics by a band by the name of Leeland. These lyrics broke my heart when I really heard the words. God convicted me, saying, “Are your actions bringing people to Jesus?”

How desparate are you to bringing people closer to God? There are too many churches and ministries with such a small Christian circle that there isn’t any focus on the outside world. I love what Newspring Church of South Carolina uses as their slogan … “Bringing people closer to Jesus, one life at a time”.

So I challenge you as God challenged me … cry out for the unsaved. Try different things to bring others closer to God and to seeing how He changed your life. Use your story, or ask for prayer requests. You can use any small action to display compassion for other people.

You never know; small actions may lead to bigger reactions.

Aaron

You’re up north at a cottage. It’s beautiful because there is no one around. You decided to get away by yourself, completely alone. You could use the time to focus, gather, recover, learn, and listen. It’s the first night. Comfortably lazing about. Maybe reading. The normal noises from bugs and animals coming in through the screen. You’re reading.

The light flickers. And goes out. You’re alone. At the cottage. Lights out.

There is this book called “John”. Weird title, I know. Now you might think it would be about a guy named John. Incorrect. It’s just the author’s name. But it’s about another dude. Even though it’s named “John”.  Anyways, I was saying it’s about another guy.

This other guy (the book tells us) lived, died, and he lives again. He wasn’t reincarnated. He didn’t just live on “spiritually”. It wasn’t just his wise words and sayings that lived on. It says he literally lives. He walked out of his own tomb. Out of the darkness. Out of “lights out”. Pretty impressive credentials.

He’s seen by hundreds of people alive again. He lets people feel him, his scars. And he does what most of us do. He heads towards his friends. Maybe we’re not so different from this guy?

He ends up in this fishing town where his best friends are. He sits down with this guy Peter. They’ve only talked twice since he’s come back to life and probably not alone until now.

He says to Peter when you were young you took care of yourself and went where you wanted to go but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and you will go where you do not want to go.

Lights out. Why do you think we feel that kind of primal fear when we lose something like power or a light? It’s unknown. Uncontrollable. We like our control, don’t we?

We’re so used to it. We’re addicted to it. It’s “my life”. There might only be one lyric I like by Nickel back. But it’s brilliant. “Each days a gift, and not a given right”.

Don’t believe the mantra. “It’s my life”. You are hopelessly connected to thousands and millions of other. Some individuals have so much control over you that it’s just a button’s press away from ending it. Or the control you’ve lost is just a “click” away. Or just a bottle away. Or a cha-ching paycheque away.

Jesus, remember, the guy with a pretty sweet credentials? He tells his best friend- “You’re going to need to give up the control”. “God has a life for you to live”. “You Can’t Do It Alone!”. “You need me”.

I need him.

Admitting need is never weakness. It’s wisdom and strength bound together.

Be wise. Be strong.

Rich

A follow-up from the last post on glory-seeking…

As you know, last night I was in a room with some very powerful people- 3 Members of Parliament, a bestselling author, the producer of a major investigation show, some publishers, and some heads of anti-trafficking initiatives.  Some were there in genuine support of helping women.  Others were just…politicking.

If a politician or band or a writer (or blogger!) or artist or preacher or teacher or coach or home mom or businessman does their job just to gain glory or fame, their doing it for the wrong reason.  Most end up realizing it’s a lonely life, trying to get people to love you.

Here’s the problem and we MUST understand this men:

We seek glory thinking it = intimacy, love, and acceptance.  It doesn’t.

But get this- for those in Christ, glory is the end prize!  When we seek glory, we’re really just searching for heaven.

We’re trying to live like dead men!  We’re getting too far ahead of ourselves and God’s plan for our lives.  We need to back it up.  We need to be patient.  We need to live out one step at a time.

So… rather than seeking glory on earth, seek to love and invest and add value to others.  In this way, you will find, in Christ, the fulfillment you desire.  It will make for living better here-and-now, and it will mean a glorious death  in the ever-after.  Glory-seeking?  Cut it out.  Just love.