The past couple weeks have given me some good thoughts to reflect on. Many of them have been about how God advances His kingdom in this world. I've seen 2 examples of this lately that made that picture more clear.
One person was a guy named Nic. I saw him on TV and he is a man with no arms and no legs, yet he can stand up and move around using twisting motions of his torso. The only time he does this though is when he is speaking to groups of people. Nic travels the world, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, telling his story of hope and waiting on God.
The other example in Brian “Head” Welch. Formerly the lead guitar for the almost satanic group, “Korn”, Welch was into the rock and roll life of drugs, alcohol, parties not to mention, being addicted to meth. Yet, Welch found himself searching and, long story short, he found Jesus. Since, he quit Korn, kicked drugs (cold turkey) and has been pursuing a solo career, writing “metal” songs about God, forgiveness and love instead of drugs and sex. God is using him to do some powerful things in an arena most of our churches could never reach.
The way of the world is to find a charismatic, fine-looking leader; one who is big and strong and knows all the right answers. We flock after people who can talk their way out of any jam and who hold power, but in God's kingdom he uses a man with no limbs and the last man I would have expected to see come to Christ. Why? Because it doesn't make sense. Nothing human can explain it! God can use whoever, whenever and often, he uses the last people we expect to bring forth his kingdom.
To you “last people,” weak, burdened, broken and hurting... shine on! God has big things for you!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Burning the Koran
Today, I saw a news report that tore the heart from my chest. The past few days, on the news, there has been a story about a pastor from Florida who is planning on burning copies of the Koran on September 11 to prove some kind of point to extreme Islam. This man claims to be a Christian. Now the good thing, from my perspective, is how different church faces, such as the pope and Franklin Graham have publicly denounced what this pastor is doing. Yet, the fact still remains is that a man that claims to be Christian is doing something so anti-Christ. What does he hope to accomplish?
The other thing that made me happy and yet extremely sad was how an Islamic church leader, went over to this man to offer him some explanations and support. He reached out to this “Christian extremist” in order to diffuse the situation. Thanks be to God for that! Yet, it makes me so angry because he is doing exactly what Christians should have been doing all along, ever since 9/11/01.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Rom. 12:21
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Proverbs 25:21-22
Why haven't the Christians stood up and embraced Muslims, especially those who live right next door? Where has the power of the gospel gone that one “Christian” man wants to repay evil with evil and where a Muslim embraces him in the love, fulfilling the very mandates in our own Bible? Stand up, Christians! Bring the Love of Christ to the world!
To you Muslims and others who have been hurt by Christians, I apologize from the bottom of my heart for “Christians” like this preacher from Florida. Our king, Jesus the Christ, does not teach what this man teaches. Jesus teaches a love that is so deep and so wide, we can't even express it in human words. The two passages above are a glimpse of what Jesus taught.
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned.” John 3:14-18
Jesus, God's only Son, loved us so much, that he took all our sins, placed them on his shoulders, and became a sacrifice of atonement for everyone who believe in him. That is the love that Christians are supposed to be showing. We are supposed to give our very lives, in order to save our brothers and sisters around us.
Again, to those of you who have been hurt by the church and Christians, I apologize. Please forgive us.
The other thing that made me happy and yet extremely sad was how an Islamic church leader, went over to this man to offer him some explanations and support. He reached out to this “Christian extremist” in order to diffuse the situation. Thanks be to God for that! Yet, it makes me so angry because he is doing exactly what Christians should have been doing all along, ever since 9/11/01.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Rom. 12:21
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Proverbs 25:21-22
Why haven't the Christians stood up and embraced Muslims, especially those who live right next door? Where has the power of the gospel gone that one “Christian” man wants to repay evil with evil and where a Muslim embraces him in the love, fulfilling the very mandates in our own Bible? Stand up, Christians! Bring the Love of Christ to the world!
To you Muslims and others who have been hurt by Christians, I apologize from the bottom of my heart for “Christians” like this preacher from Florida. Our king, Jesus the Christ, does not teach what this man teaches. Jesus teaches a love that is so deep and so wide, we can't even express it in human words. The two passages above are a glimpse of what Jesus taught.
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned.” John 3:14-18
Jesus, God's only Son, loved us so much, that he took all our sins, placed them on his shoulders, and became a sacrifice of atonement for everyone who believe in him. That is the love that Christians are supposed to be showing. We are supposed to give our very lives, in order to save our brothers and sisters around us.
Again, to those of you who have been hurt by the church and Christians, I apologize. Please forgive us.
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