Passion

So this is going to be a little different but it is something that God laid on my heart and I am following Him. So here goes.

So Two things have been plaguing me. The first is the complete lack of evangelism in the church today. When I say that what I mean is that no one shares the Jesus anymore. We don't live in a way that shows who our savior is.

Sure we wear t-shirts and carry bibles and go to church but is it enough? I don't think so. Every person we pass in the mall, on the highway, on the way to the bathroom, every person is either going to heaven or hell. If you don't say something, show them who Jesus is and they go to hell, it is your fault. Period. It may be other peoples fault, or even that persons, also but you take part of the blame and will have to answer for it when you get to heaven.

If you have a bible with you in public, read it. If you got to church, invite people, if you are about to pray before you eat, ask the people around you if they have any prayer requests.

It isn't enough to say it. It isn't enough to just believe it.

James 2:14-17 Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

We have to live it, and passionately.I want to look at a few commands from Christ.

Matthew 10:5-8 Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge:

"Don't begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don't try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.

Check this out. Heal the sick? Raise the dead? We can't do this can we? But Jesus is commanding in so evidently we can. So why aren't we? We lack passion. We have become lukewarm. All of us.

Revelation 3:15-17 "I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You're not cold, you're not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, 'I'm rich, I've got it made, I need nothing from anyone,' oblivious that in fact you're a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless.

That is us. Don't think so? Go out to a hospital right now and heal someone. If you can't then you are lukewarm. Period. We lack the passion that the men and women of the bible showed. We lack the love that was shown.

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."

We don't love people like we love ourselves at all. We let people go hungry and without clothes and without shelter and drive by people on the street all the time without so much as praying for them. It is not ok and needs to stop now. We wouldn't let that happen to ourselves so we can't let that happen to others.

We need the passion that is lacking in our faith and in our lives right now. We live just like God is something that is a natural thing and not a big deal.

Luke 7:40-47 Jesus said to him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."

"Oh? Tell me."

"Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?"

Simon answered, "I suppose the one who was forgiven the most."

"That's right," said Jesus. Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, "Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn't quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn't it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal."

I don't know about any of you or your life story but I know mine and I was forgiven of so much and I never want my praise, thanks, passion, or love for God to be small.

That is all I can say. It has be plaguing my heart and I felt the need to show so I just pray that all of you would grow in your passion for the Lord and think about what I have said.

God bless you and keep you,
God smile on you and gift you,
God look you full in the face and make you prosper.

Smith
Bond Servant of Christ
Phil. 1:3

I need to move.

Hokay so, first you all need to know I read the paper in the morning. I just do. And this morning I was skimming the local section when I found something that made me want to punch babies.

The proposal of an anti-gay bill in NC.

Now most of you guys know my view on homosexual marriage but if you don't let me sum it up. I do not agree with it and when I become a pastor will not perform it but also do not think there should be laws for or against the subject. The first amendment protects our right to freedom of religion, which includes freedom from religion. So if we take the freedom from religion away from the atheists we are in fact taking away our right to practice our own faith.

Now that you understand that let me talk about why this bill bothers me personally. First off it is not needed. North Carolina has state law that already defines marriage as between man and woman. I do not see the need to add to an already clear law.

Secondly, I do not see this as anything but a scapegoat as to how poorly our state government is handling the economic crisis. We need to focus on what is important and in my honest opinion that means making sure people have a place to live, food to eat, and a job to help them support themselves. Not if the gays are holding hands in the street.

Finally, and in my opinion most importantly, how is this gaining people to the kingdom of Christ? How will this bill make us look anything other then over-zealous bigots? How many gay people will come to know Christ because of this bill? I don't think very many at all to be honest with you.

But of course I may not fully understand politics...or idiots.