She gave me pop, I gave him coffee

   The year was either 1990 or 1991. I was home for the summer from Bible college, and working for PENNDOT, Pennsylvania's road department. They had a summer work program for college students, and I worked two summers for them, mostly holding a stop sign.

   This one day was a hot day, one of those really hot July days, and it was even hotter standing out by the road with a stop sign. As I turned my sign to "SLOW", a car stopped beside me and a woman leaned across the seat and handed me a cold can of pop. I thanked her, and she took off, never to be seen by me again. That has been over twenty years ago, and I still remember it.

  I was out shopping today, and stopped at the mall to get one of my favorite things: Bourbon Chicken from Asian Chao. There was a man probably in his 50's standing in between the two sections of doors, ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. We each said "hi" and I went into the food court and ordered my food. While I was eating, I could see him walking around in that cold section between the inner and outer doors, occasionally looking through the glass into the food court. The thought hit me, "You should get him something." Uh, but what. My eyes fell on the Dairy Queen. Definitely not... he already looked cold. I kept eating, still feeling like I should get him something. I finished, and headed to the bathroom. While in there, it hit me: coffee. Well, no coffee hit me, but the idea. I decided if there was a place in the food court that had coffee, I'd buy him a cup.... and there was. I ordered a small one for $1.99, dug a bill out of my wallet, and walked out the first set of doors. I put the bill in the pot, and asked him if he drank coffee. He said he did, and I handed the coffee to him and said if he wanted cream and sugar, he could get it inside. He thanked me and said that was a nice thing to do, and I went my way.

   It wasn't much, especially in the grand scheme of things, whatever the grand scheme of things is, but the thought hit me as I got into my car, "Why don't we do things like this more often?" I don't do it often enough. I do the occasional good deed, but I don't normally blog about it or even tell anyone, which is the way it should be. The people who do something for others without expecting something in return is rare......and no, I'm not polishing my halo as I speak. Outside of my family, I don't do it nearly enough. I admit it.

   Jesus said in Mark 9:41 "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward." (NKJV)...... so it must be a big deal to Him. The verse seems to imply people will be blessed by Him if they give even a cup of cold water to those who belong to Him...... a cup of coffee would probably apply too...... so does that mean we just do good to those who we know are serving God? I doubt it. I think God would be pleased when we do good to anyone, especially someone who isn't likely to give us anything back.

  The truth is, too many of us are selfish. Oh, we'd like to think we aren't. We give gifts at Christmas to those who give us, we invite people over for a meal who have us to their house..... but how Christ-like is it to just give to those who give to us?

  When my sisters and I were kids, there were a few years that my family bought gifts for people who we knew were having it rough. One year, the brother of a good friend was overseas in the military, and his wife was having a rough time of it. We didn't know her, but bought gifts for her and her small children. That's been too many years ago for me to remember if she knew where they came from or not, but it felt good.

  We want our toys, our comfortable lives, and are willing to help those in our own family, and maybe at church if we are feeling particularly charitable, but nothing more.

  Sometimes I wonder what God really thinks of us. Christians should be the most loving, happy, charitable, giving, friendly people there are, but too many of us are unfriendly grumps who want to hold onto everything we have tightly........ oh, not everyone is like that, but I fear there are too many who are.

  If we know of someone who is having it rough financially, it would be a good thing to help out in some way. If someone we know is discouraged, find something to do for them. Take them out to eat, give them a small gift and/or card to let them know you care.

  This journey through life, headed hopefully for Heaven, is not all about us. We need to be reaching out, loving, giving. Sometimes even a smile will help, or a coffee or pop. We may never know the difference it could make.

  I heard a true story a few years ago that is sad: I can't remember what the young man was going through, or if it even said, but a young man was having a bad time of it, and felt no one cared. As a last resort, he walked into a Christian bookstore, hoping someone would reach out to him, but alas, no one even spoke to him or acknowledged him. He went home, left a note, and took his own life.

 I'm not saying the employees there were responsible for his death, but I am saying we never know what people are going through who we meet, sometimes we don't even know what people are going through that sit in the church pew across the aisle. We need to do more, love more, reach out more..... we could give someone a push towards God they need, and who knows, we could even save a life.

  This story was shared on Facebook this week. I assume it is true, but I was so impressed that I didn't check its authenticity, but shared it there, and am sharing it here:

One day, when I was a freshman in high school,
I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.
His name was Kyle.
It looked like he was carrying all of his books.
I thought to myself, 'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?
He must really be a nerd.'
 I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

 As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.
They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.
His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him...
He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.
My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.
As I handed him his glasses, I said, 'Those guys are jerks.'
They really should get lives.
' He looked at me and said, 'Hey thanks!'
There was a big smile on his face.
It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.
I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.
As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.
He said he had gone to private school before now.
I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.
We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.
He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.
I asked him if he wanted to play a little football
With my friends.
He said yes.
We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.
I stopped him and said, 'Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!
' He just laughed and handed me half the books.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.
When we were seniors we began to think about college.
Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.
I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never
Be a problem.
He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship.
Kyle was valedictorian of our class.
I teased him all the time about being a nerd.
He had to prepare a speech for graduation.
I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak.
Graduation day, I saw Kyle.
He looked great.
He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school..
He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.
He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.
Boy, sometimes I was jealous!
Today was one of those days.
I could see that he was nervous about his speech.
So, I smacked him on the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great!'
He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled....
' Thanks,' he said.
As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began...
'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.
Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends....
I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.
I am going to tell you a story.'
I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the first day we met.
He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.
He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.
He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.
'Thankfully, I was saved.
My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.'
I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.
I saw his Mom and Dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.
Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.
Never underestimate the power of your actions.
With one small gesture you can change a person's life.
For better or for worse.
God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way.
Look for God in others.

Loving thy gay, Muslim, Obama-loving, baby-murdering neighbor

   The commandment Jesus gave to love thy neighbor as thyself never really worked for me. I've never been a big fan of me. If I had to list something I liked about myself, I'd have a hard time coming up with something real. I like my taste in music, but that is not really me. Its something I like. If I were my neighbor, would I have a hard time or an easy time loving me?

   After Jesus was asked "who is my neighbor?" by a religious leader, He replied by telling the story of the Good Samaritan. As anyone who knows their Bible very well knows, the Samaritans and Jews hated each other. They were the original Hatfields and McCoys. There was a lot of bad blood between them. So here you have a Samaritan helping a Jew. Unheard of. I think Jesus intentionally used two people who normally would have nothing to do with each other to get his point home, and to give everyone to ever live the message that we should love everyone. Even those we have reason to not love.

   Muslims scare me. I really mean that. I know not all Muslims are terrorists, but I do believe all Muslims hate non-Muslims, especially Jews and Americans, and even though all of them may not actively seek our destruction, they do want us "heretics" to die. I also firmly believe that they are slowly trying to take over our country, and that Barak Obama is either a Muslim, or is very pro-Muslim is all he does and believes......

   That said, I'd have a really hard time having a Muslim as a neighbor. And yes, I get it that Jesus means more than just the people living in our neighborhood, but I'm going with that right now. I'd be worried they were working on a bomb in their basement. I'd be afraid if I looked at the wife, the husband would murder me in my sleep....... yet that doesn't give me or anyone who serves God an excuse not to love them, reach out to them, be neighborly.

  And there are others. I'd have a hard time living next to a animal rights activist, an abortionist, someone who voted for Obama. (I mean that..... he is no good and is destroying this country, and I'd ticked off at people who got us into this boat!) But does that mean I can shun them, not love them? Absolutely not.

  I was reading a book today that I got to review. It is the second book in The Windy City Neighbors Series by Dave and Neta Jackson. Each book is going to center on a different neighbor in this certain neighborhood. This book centered on a Christian black couple who has custody of the man's thirteen year old grandson, and are dealing with the man's son who just got out of jail. They have just moved into the neighborhood and the wife decides to bake a bunch of cinnamon rolls and take to all of their neighbors and introduce themselves. They get all kinds of reactions. Some welcoming, some not so, some who seem to resent them moving into the older lady's house who had been foreclosed on.

  Then they get to the house two houses north of them. A little boy of about ten answers the door, then calls for his dad. A man comes to the door and they introduce themselves. He says to wait a minute til he gets his husband. Yes, his husband. This gay couple welcomes them to the neighborhood and apologizes for not doing so sooner. The book doesn't do much with the gay couple, other than the point being made that not many people are nice and welcoming to them, and the Christian couple struggling a bit over it. There is a message though in the book that this gay couple deserves to be loved just as much as everyone else in the neighborhood.

  At the end of the book, the Christian couple has asked the elderly lady who had been foreclosed on in the house they now own, to move into the basement apartment. They set up luminaries to light the sidewalk, and ask all of their neighbors, even the gay couple, to help welcome her back.

  I shudder to think how a lot of Christians would treat gay neighbors. Even how some people in my church would treat them. I heard some comments a few years ago when we discussed homosexuality in Sunday School class....... and I pity the gay person who runs across some of the people who were sitting in that class...... but I am confident there are others in my church and other churches that would love them.

  The gay issue is a tough one. There are gay people, the ones I call militant gays, who don't want tolerated, they want accepted. They want it taught in schools that gay is OK, they want kids taught that they should experiment sexually with the same gender. I fear if they keep getting their agenda furthered, the day will come when it will be illegal to say it is wrong. The day could come when our pastors are forced to marry a same-sex couple or face fines and jail. That is why I am against Christians being forced to photograph gay weddings, bake cakes for gay weddings, etc.... for if we continue to cave, we will lose our freedoms to the gay agenda.

  Yet, we have made some sins, including that one, so bad that we are tossing out the sinner with the sin. The same Bible that says homosexuality is a sin, also says sex between an unmarried woman and man is a sin, yet no one has a problem loving those sinners.

  I don't know if Jesus would bake a cake for a gay wedding. He says homosexuality is a sin, so there is no way He would even recognize a marriage between two people of the same gender.

  I think a balance needs to be found. There is such a push on to reason around what the Bible says about everything. There isn't much left in the Bible that some church or Christian hasn't reasoned around. Murder? Yep - that's what abortion is, yet tons of people who call themselves Christians support it and vote for candidates who further its cause. The same with homosexuality. There is such a push on for the church to say its ok. Its not. It is a sin, and people are doing gay people no favor by helping to damn their souls by patting them on the back and telling them the Bible doesn't really mean its a sin........ but that doesn't mean we can shun them and kick them out of the church either.

  I think most Christians would be shocked at how many people in their own churches and families are struggling with same-sex attractions, but are scared to death to seek help. Their own families might shun them and kick them out.

  I'm reminded of a heartbreaking story Christian singer Kirk Talley told on his first recording, a live CD, made after it came out that he was gay. There was a young man who attended a fairly large church where he played a guitar on the worship team. He was struggling with same-sex attractions, and went to his pastor about it. His pastor seemed understanding and I think said he'd pray for him. The next service came. While the young man was on the platform with the worship team, the pastor told of his coming to him about his same-sex attractions - in front of the whole church - then turned to the young man and said something along this line:  "Get out of my church and don't come back. We don't want your kind here"

  Can you imagine? Any person reading that story that has an ounce of compassion should be feeling a sense of outrage, and pitying that poor guy, but yet aren't many Christians doing that from the pew? We may not order someone out of the church, or carry a "God hates fags" sign, but we are so hateful toward gay people and any other sin that we consider "bad", that we are driving the very people from the church who needs the church the most. We pull our righteous robes around us and thank God we never did THOSE sins.

  If Jesus was walking the earth today, He wouldn't be telling gay people they are OK that way, but He'd be hanging out with them, having them over for a meal, loving them. I was recently reading a blog post by a guy who I agree with sometimes, and sometimes not so much. He addressed this very issue and said we have made the gay debate us against them. Its like we have set gay people aside as a whole separate sinful group of people who needs to be dealt with differently and treated differently, but that's not the case. They are what we all have been at one point: sinners. Yes, we need to fight the gay agenda, or our Kindergartners will be taught all about gay sex from a positive viewpoint..... but we still have to love people, no matter what their sin is, no matter how much we hate what they do and stand for.

  Its not easy to love everyone. But God is love, and we are to be like Him, so we are to love. And we can't pick and choose who we love, unfortunately. We have to love everyone: the gay guy, the Muslim, the planned parenthood worker, the Obama voter, Obama........ OK, I need a lot of help with that one.

  How many people are we going to help send to hell because we shunned them for their lifestyle or something else we didn't like about them? Yes, God can send someone else to reach them, and He may, but if we turn someone off to Christianity and Jesus because we had to hate the Muslim or gay man, how can we stand at the judgment knowing that?

  I may never have a gay or Muslim neighbor. I do have a Democrat neighbor, though this past election she got her eyes opened and didn't vote for Obama, but what if I did have gay neighbors, Muslim neighbors, animal rights activists who had a fit when I grilled meat?

 I am including myself in this, but I fear the church and the Christians in the church, are sadly lacking in love for the sinner today. We don't want certain kinds of people in our church, though we may not order them out from the platform, we wouldn't make them feel welcome in the church or neighborhood.

  Just how much like Jesus are we?

The day I became an uncle

   I became an uncle at the age of 26. I was one majorly excited guy. I grew up with two sisters, and had wanted a brother in the worst way, and had even prayed for one until I decided my mom was too old to have another kid, then quit praying for one.

   When I found out my sister was pregnant, I was hoping for a nephew. I figured since I never got the brother I wanted, a nephew would be cool. As the day got closer, the more I anticipated getting a nephew. I made the statement to family and coworkers, that if it was a girl, I was having nothing to do with her. I wasn't going to hold her, wasn't going to play with her.

  The day finally came. October 25, 1995. I joined the rest of my family in the waiting room, waiting for my nephew to arrive...... but it wasn't a nephew. It was a niece. I was bummed. And a little upset. I had even prayed for a nephew. But I had got a niece. Stephanie Marie Giles.

  It didn't take me long to get over being bummed and upset. I was living in a duplex underneath my sister and her husband, and I would race home from work to hold, feed, and play with this little bundle of joy that had made me an uncle. I'd proudly carry her into where I worked to show her off, and be reminded of what I had said... ouch. So much for that.

  Two months later, I spent more money on Christmas gifts for this new little person in our family than I had ever spent on one person for Christmas, ever. I loved being an uncle, even to a little girl, and dove headfirst into it.

   A couple of years after her birth, along came another niece. Two years later, another niece. By the time I got the first of my three nephews in 2001, my nieces had me wrapped firmly around their fingers. And due to my nephews not living close by, I am to this day closer to my nieces than my nephews. I wouldn't trade them for anything. Since I don't have kids of my own, and never will, I probably have a closer relationship to all 6 of my nieces and nephews than some uncles or aunts. It makes this bachelor uncle feel very good when my nieces want to spend time with me, and I love playing games with them, taking them out to eat, shopping etc.

  Kids grow up way too fast. I can hardly believe that little bundle is turning eighteen years old today, October 25. The age we call turning an adult. I find myself a bit misty-eyed. Where have the years gone? That little baby is a confident and talented young lady who is a whiz at her studies. She plays the piano (far better than I can), the violin, viola, and cello. She's a great kid who is respectful and causes no trouble nor gets into any. A young lady I am proud to be uncle to.

So happy 18th birthday, Stephanie. I love you tons, as I do your sisters and cousins, but you are the one who made me an uncle 18 years ago. My very favorite title to wear. Why did you have to grow up so fast?!

Lovest thou the King James?

  I have blogged about this before, but had some more thoughts on it. And they may be somewhat inflammatory thoughts, but you'll have that.

  I was raised on the King James Version of the Bible. We used it in church, at school, at home. When I memorized Scripture, it was from the KJV. For most of my childhood and teen years, I didn't know there was any other version.

 I can still remember the time I was in a Christian bookstore around the age of 17 and an employee was explaining the New King James Version differences to them. I felt it was heresy.

 Then I went to Bible College and met the NIV. I had a college professor who was very pro-NIV. I bought one at his urging, and 24 years later, I am still not a big fan of it, but I have gone on to enjoy other versions. I have more than one. My two favorites are the New King James Version, and the one I used the most: The New Living Translation. I believe there are benefits in using more than one translation, especially when reading familiar passages that you almost have memorized in one translation. I never use the King James Version at home. It is still what we use at church, so I do use it there, but that is the only place.

  I have run across a lot of "King James only" people across the years. Some just prefer it, and that is OK. I do thing KJV only people are depriving themselves by sticking to one translation, but that is their prerogative. And then you have the group of people who bug me: the "King James only, and you're a heretic going to hell for using any other version" people. Well, they may not say outright that you're going to hell, but you can almost feel it radiating off of them as they pull their righteous robes around themselves. They scornfully look at even the New King James Version of the Bible and consider you a heretic for using even it.

  I had a Sunday School teacher who spend half of the lesson one time decrying the evils of the NKJV. I was offended, and thought it was out of place. Is it his prerogative to like only the KJV? Of course, but not to tell his Sunday School class what they should or should not use.

  Here is the ironic part, and where I believe these people are hypocrites with a double standard.... or does having a double standard make them a hypocrite? Anyway, they are condemning others for what they are doing. What do I mean? I'll tell  you:

   The NKJV is basically the KJV without the archaic language. The KJV uses words like "thou, lovest," and many others that we don't use. Other than that, it is very close to the KJV. So why is that hypocritical? Because that is what the KJV did. Yes, really. What people hold so sacred is not the original KJV Bible. It was put in more modern English so people could read it better. Sound familiar? It should, because that is what the NKJV did.

  I was shopping at one of my favorite stores the other day, and ran across something I bought as a novelty: a 400th Anniversary edition of the King James Version of the Bible. The original 1611 edition. It was only $3.99, and I will never read it, but it is cool to have. I will never read it because the English in it is 1611 English. Almost impossible for me to understand with my 2013 English. Good thing someone made one in more modern English. Wish someone would do that with the KJV we have now..... oh wait..... they did! Its called the New King James Version!

  I seriously don't have issues with people sticking to the KJV. But they do need to realize that it is what the NKJV is. The same version with more modern English. And no, the KJV is NOT the version the Apostle Paul used.......

Denying ourselves to help others...... or, getting off of our sanctimonious butts and spreading the Gospel

A couple of months ago, I read 4 books by two different authors that have the tendency to be life-changing books. I am in no means putting them on the same level as the ultimate life-changing book, The Bible, but it is possible for other books to be life-changing.

Two of those books, written by David Platt, are majorly convicting books I think all Christians should read: Follow Me, and Radical. Both books stirred a longing in me to truly follow God and be all out for Him, and not have a shallow profession where I seek my own desires than His will. To be willing to be used by Him and truly deny myself.

These books tell stories of people who don't sit around and wait for people who are "called" of God to go out and reach people for God. These people believe that we are all called, and we need to take some initiative, and they have taken it. Some have gone into the ghettos and set up Bible studies. Just in one church, over 100 familes - I think 150 - either adopted or fostered kids who needed a family, and not just to give kids a home, but to reach them for God.

I count myself in with this statement, so if it sounds harsh, I have 4 fingers pointing back at me: Too many Christians are willing to serve God, even give up some things that the world does, as long as they aren't too inconvenienced..... as long as they have time to do what they want and when they want....... and therein may lie the one thing we don't want to give to God: time. We are happy to toss money in the offering plate for the missionary offering, just don't expect us to do anything that will require us using our time for someone other than us.

My church has an offering they take yearly, I forget when, but it is called the "self denial offering." Good idea it would seem. The idea is to give money for whatever it goes for, that you want to use for something else. You are denying yourself of something and can go home smug that you denied yourself and took up your cross........

But here's an idea: How willing would people be to give time? Instead of putting money in the offering plate, put slips of paper with hours of time to be used for God...... whether it be doing some menial job around the church, visiting shut-ins, taking someone out to eat that may be discouraged..... the possibilities are endless. But are we willing to do that?

I had a job at church a few years ago that I didn't enjoy. Our church has two sets of books that we get credit for people reading. There are about 3-4 books and one book of the Bible for each. I was in charge of one set of books. I had to keep track of them, and try to get people to read them. I got so tired of hearing "sorry, I don't have time." I'd think "baloney!" I'd rant to my family about it. "I bet anything if we invited so-and-so over for pizza and games Friday night, they'd have time for that, but no time to read a book?!" At least I am honest about it.... I just tell them when asked that I don't want to...... :-)

Our churches have many hurting people, but not many people will take the time to reach out.... it would take effort and time, so they throw a little extra money in the offering and pat themselves on the back. And meanwhile, their brother or sister across the aisle is wishing someone had the time to ask them how they are doing, and really care about the answer.

Part of  the problem is we are spoiled here in America. We have it way too easy. We have our schedule, the things we want to do, and we don't want that disrupted, but I am becoming more and more convinced that if we truly sell out to God and quit playing church, and quit playing Christians, it is going to disrupt our lives.

And time is just one area we don't deny ourselves enough in. Its all of life. We have lost our vision, our purpose. It isn't to just make it to Heaven...... if that is all our Christian life is about, we have truly become most selfish and narcissistic in our very service to God. We are to spread the Gospel, reach out to people and win them to God. That will take time. That will disrupt our schedule and maybe our very lives. It may be messy and often involve sacrifice on our part..... but if we are simply going to church, raising our families, and making a living......what good are we? If the church is just a place to go and show up to let people know we are still a Christian, but we aren't reaching out to hurting people, winning new people to the church...... what good are we?

Christianity is more than a check list of things we do to feel we are doing all we need to do to please God: pray, read our Bible, go to church, and the list goes on. Nothing that costs us anything, but only things that let us coast along in life.

There is a passage of Scripture that we tend to breeze past and not make much of, but it seems to be one we should all spend more time thinking on, praying on, and letting it affect our actions. Matthew 25:35-45:
35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.' 37 "Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' 40 And the King will tell them, 'I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!' 41 "Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his demons! 42 For I was hungry, and you didn't feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn't give me anything to drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me no clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.' 44 "Then they will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?' 45 And he will answer, 'I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.' (NLT)

   It sounds like we are going to be judged for what we did to help the hurting....but if we can't help the hurting in our own congregation, how can we ever manage to help those outside of the church, and it sounds like it is pretty important to God that we do so.

  I have a friend who shall remain nameless, who does not go to my church. He deals with an issue that is very difficult to deal with, and has been open about it. He has mentioned to me on more than one occasion how he wishes people in his church would do more to help and encourage him. I try to make excuses that people are busy, and yes they are, but if we are too busy to be about God's work, whether it be taking time out for someone in our own church, the next door neighbor, or anyone else God might bring across our path..... we are too busy.

Jesus was all about people. He went around healing and helping people. Thank God He wasn't too busy..... and we are to be like Him, but how much are we? If we can't make time to reach out to people, to help them, point them to Christ.....how much like Christ can we be? Which message will we hear from the above Scriptures?

I know there are exceptions to every case, and that there are people who do more than their share, and like I said, I put myself in the category of not doing enough. How many of us would dare ask God to bring someone across our path to help? Or are we afraid to do so. Are we too busy to handle what God might bring our way......

Back around 1999 or 2000, I took what was a bold step for me. I enrolled in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program. I didn't necessarily do it for religious reasons. I did it because I wanted to be there for some boy who didn't have a dad. I am not an egotist. I had no grand ideas of majorly changing some kid's life. I just wanted to be there for one. And I was. For four years, I did what may be the most unselfish thing in my life. I spent time at least once a week with a 12-year old boy who grew to be a 16-year old young man when I left the program. That kid is now a 25-year old man, who has turned out to be a great man.

It involved sacrifice. I had to promise to spend at least a few hours one day a week with him, so I had to set aside time. It cost me money.... against his mother's wishes. I'd take him out to eat and she'd try to pay me back. Over and over, I can still hear her "I just want someone to spend time with my son. I don't expect you to spend money!" And I'd stick the money she gave me under a lamp and leave.

It involved discomfort. Unless you know me well, you cannot understand how much I loathe sports. Jason was into basketball and track at school, so me, the sports hater, went to some of his games and track meets. Did I enjoy it? Not really, though it felt good to be there for him, but did I feel comfortable in a setting where guys were playing sports..... something that caused me no end of trouble in school? No, but I loved the kid and wanted him to know I cared, so I went and sat in a high school gym and cheered for the skinny kid down on the gym floor.

And don't get me wrong. I don't regret any of it. I'd do it all over again. I enjoyed spending money on him, whether it be eating out, mini golf, a play, or other things we did that cost money. I don't even regret going to his basketball games. The point I am trying to make, is it cost me something in my efforts to be there for a young boy, to let him know he mattered to me. And not long ago, I got my "reward". His mom said right on Facebook for the world to see that she credited me with his turning out so well. I cried. Well, I am almost crying now.

That may not sound like a major thing to you, but that's what its all about. Being there for someone. Spending time and maybe money. Getting out of our comfort zone, putting aside what we want to do and doing something for someone else.

Its time to quit playing church and playing Christian, and time to quit with the busy excuse and start reaching people. It sounds harsh, but I for one am tired of it being all about me. I want to do more, be more, to let God use me to help someone else in any way my insecure little self can. When we do, when we love others outside of our family and cliché....... when it costs us something to reach out to others, that is when we will actually start to be like Jesus.

The god of me

    I was raised in a very conservative church. Growing up, it seemed to me that there were too many do’s and don’ts. I have sat under some preachers who seemed more focused on outward things, than the inward and a true relationship with God.



I have come to realize I don’t have to do everything I have been taught to be a Christian and live a life that pleases God, yet there is a danger of throwing out too much of what one has been taught. I have seen many people who grew up in the same circles I grew up in that aren’t any different than the world. And we should be different. What that difference is will vary, but there should be a difference.

I have run across many blogs and conversations on Facebook that concern me. Any time a question is brought up about a Christian doing something, and often it is something that has been taboo for Christians for years, and sometimes is even something that is spelled out in Scripture…..Christians will argue til they are blue in the face why it is OK for them to do it. They refuse to listen to any reasons why it might not be good for a Christian to do it, and they don’t say it in so many words, but this is what comes across “I’m not under the law, and I can do anything I want, and I will do anything I want.” No consideration is given how it might affect others, or affect their testimony. It is their right to do it, and they are going to do it. People will argue til they are blue in the face about why they should be allowed to do it, and will often resort to bringing up something totally off topic to try to prove their point.

I’ll be the first to admit churches and people can take things too far. I know of a pastor who preached against using hair spray, against women wearing sweat shirts. He even told his congregation not to shop at the local Christian bookstore because they sold Christian Rock, which he was firmly against. One has to look no further than the Amish, who have rules upon rules, all things they cannot do, and they have removed themselves so far from society and the world, that what good are they to the cause of Christ?

Yet, the general attitude of too many Christians is we are going to do and have whatever we want to make ourselves happy. So what if it causes our brother and sister to stumble. It is their fault, not ours. So what if we instill more love for the world in our kids than things of God. We deserve to dress how we want, go where we want, drink and eat what we want, indulge ourselves in the same entertainment and music that the world does. God is in our heart, we are bound for Heaven, we are not under the law, so who cares how much like the world we are. This is the year 2013, not the dark ages. We have to fit in. What was wrong yesterday, isn’t wrong today.

I am afraid too many of us are setting the standard we like for ourselves. How many of us pray and seek God’s will on how we dress, what we drink, how we entertain ourselves, what we do on the Sabbath…… and the list goes on.

Not everything is spelled out in black and white in the Bible, but there is enough in the Bible to guide us in any area of life, if we let it. But too many of us are molding the Bible around our lives and what we want to believe, instead of molding our lives and beliefs around the Bible.

God could have spelled everything out, but would it do any good? I could list a few things that ARE spelled out in the Bible, but people do anyway and reason around it. I was talking about one certain issue with my best friend and we had the following conversation:
Me: I don’t agree with people on that, but I can see their point. As someone pointed out, it is only mentioned in one verse in the Old Testament”

My friend: “Shouldn’t one time be enough, if God said it?”

Where have we gotten the idea that it is all about us and our comfort? Our goal is Heaven, and our goal should be to please God in all we do, and to not do anything that could hinder us our someone else spiritually….. But we have lost that. There is enough in the Bible to put our lives against and see what God might not want us to do, but we don’t care.

I firmly believe there are things tons of Christians are doing that they would be better off not doing. Things that don’t make us better Christians, or even better people. Things that don’t draw us closer to God, but draw us closer to the world and make us fit in with the world better.

And could that be part of the problem? We want to fit in? We don’t want to stand out in how we dress, where we don’t go, what we don’t do for entertainment, what we drink or won’t drink. Christians should be different from the world, and the difference shouldn’t be just inside, but for too many, it is. Our Christianity doesn’t affect how we look, how we talk, what we watch or read, it doesn’t affect our politics or our political views and voting….. We are just like the world, and we wonder why we don’t win anyone to Christ…. What would we win them from? If one can do everything the world does, why be a Christian?

People and churches should not dictate our beliefs…… but that goes both ways. They shouldn’t tell us how to live, but neither should they tell us we can do whatever we want.

We shouldn’t live as close to the cliff as we can. We should step back from it and have boundaries. Areas we don’t get close to, because we are Christians.

If Christianity was suddenly outlawed, how many of us could be convicted because we are different from the world? How many of us blend in so easily with the world that we would be overlooked.

Christianity is all about having a true relationship with God. It isn’t all about outward things. Yet, if we are in a relationship with God, we should all be more concerned about doing things He wants, and avoiding things He doesn’t like or want for us. If the Bible even hints at His displeasure about something, we shouldn’t reason around it and be determined to do it because we want to. We should flee it because He doesn’t want it in our lives.

We need to set aside the god of me, and make God the decision maker and true ruler of our lives, not us. We need to quit being focused on what we want and can do, and focus on what God might want us to do or not do. I know..... what a novel concept.

We are all frogs

I have never tried it, but I have read and heard that you can boil a frog to death in a pot of water, and they just sit there and let it happen. You simply slowly increase the water temperature, and they adjust to it until they are dead, boiled to death.

It seems crazy to imagine that happening, yet we are all frogs. We all, Christians included, sit back and get used to things, sinful things, horrible things, and slowly we are being boiled to death in apathy and we don't realize it.

There was day when people living together, having sex outside of marriage, was called what it is: sin. We are so used to it anymore, that a lot of Christians don't even consider it wrong.

There was day when homosexuality was hidden and was a sin. Now, thanks to the media, Hollywood, and liberals, it is paraded in our streets, shoved down our throats, and anyone who dares speak the truth is hated and called a bigot. Countless Christians are lying down and not just tolerating it, but tossing out what the Bible says.

There was day when people who cursed were looked down on. Certain words were bleeped out on TV and radio. Now they are shouted from the housetops, appear regularly on TV, radio, and books...... even Christian books, and we got used to it.

There was day when dressing, or undressing, and showing too much skin was looked down on and could get you in trouble, now even Christians show off more of their bodies than what they cover..... and you're considered legalistic or a freak if you bring up modesty.....so we got used to nudity

There was a day when a mother killing her child was murder..... now its a "choice" and a "right". If you stand against it, you are hated and ridiculed, so we shut up and got used to the idea of a mother killing her child.


We are used to crime and killing, used to sins that used to be whispered about, but are now out in the public eye.

We are used to sex on TV and movies, in books, about it being encouraged in our youth.

We have gotten used to people dressing and looking what only whores on the street corner used to dress and look like...... and we have followed along.

We have gotten used to body piercing, tattoos, people looking like freaks, and we have joined in and call it judging of anyone who has not embraced it.

We are used to teens having sex and having babies.

We are used to drugs, alcoholics, used to violence.

We are used to presidents and other politicians lying and abusing their office.

We have become used to too much.

We read about countries and societies in the past and present where things like child sacrifice is common and encouraged (basically what abortion is), where trafficking in humans is the norm, where sex between adults and children is fine...... and we are shocked...... but how long before it happens here and we become used to it? We are frogs, people who just get used to sin and evil, so what makes us think we would do any different with sins that society still deems wrong....... when society changes their views, we toss out the Bible and go with society and allow the temperature to be turned up a little more and come closer to being boiled alive.

God never gets used to sin. He never accepts it because popular opinion does...... I don't want to be a frog. I want to be awake and not used to sin. Yes, we must love the sinner, but we won't do that by clamming up about sin or patting them on the back and allowing them to believe the Bible was wrong....... its time we frogs got out of the pot, and got in the Bible instead...... it is the only hope for America to get back to the Bible and go by what God says, not what politicians, organizations, and even what the church says. Let's stop being frogs.