Am I better than Christ?

Mark 6:26-29  The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. On hearing of this, John's disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

I must admit I am at times jealous of people. My jealously is not because of material things that people have (even though I struggle with that from time to time.) but I am jealous of those who can suffer and still rejoice in God. I was thinking back to hearing some friends who went to Haiti following the earth quake, the fact that people were coming to Jesus right and left because of their suffering. This was a country was already in poverty and for this to happen was just simply to much. But when you hear people talk about the revival that is taken place it makes we question my faith as an american.



You see I must admit I am not sure I can go through what is true suffering and not become bitter and angry with God. When I read about John having his head cut off and served on a dinner platter make me question my own faith.

The Bible tells me to bear my own cross or I CAN NOT BE HIS DISCIPLE?? Luke 14:27 Now that angers me! Not because Christ tells me that, but because the world says the opposite. I use to think that the gospel was simply there to make me feel better about me. The point of the gospel and Good News is that we are the lowest of the lowest and that he still loved me enough save me and bring be everlasting life.

This is and should be a life of suffering. Is is easy NO! This is why God has called us to be the church that walks with one another. We live in a time that is not fair and things will happen.

We celebrate and sing about the cross, but do we truly understand that we are to take up our own cross. No because we serve a God that is angry but because we serve a God that has a desire for our heart and for others to see the desire we have for him.

What makes me better than Christ? Is it about him? or is it simply about me? Not sure! Would love any input that you have in your own walk!

my prayer is simple but yet complex, Jesus help me not make it about me!  

Be a Hero Part 1

 

The word hero is a word that we throw around when we speak about our military, public servants, or anyone that does something that is extreme. All of those are actions and jobs that should be noticed, but I want to spend some time showing how we all can be a hero to someone else.

It's amazing to how God places the wrong people to do a job that they are not equipped to do. Maybe lack of skills, knowledge, or will power. God will take that person and give them a task that they can only do through the strength of God.

Nehemiah was no different, he was a cupbearer to the king. His job was to test the wine to make sure their was not any poison in it. What could God do with this man. Chapter one we read his prayer and plea with the Lord.  

Chapter two is the most beautiful to me for many reasons. What I find is a real hero, this is a guy who is really not all that much. But this guy didn't allow his status to stand in the way of his heart and he was able to go to the King to get permission to go and be the person to help rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. His wish is go and help these people see something that seems impossible to most. 

 ¹¹ I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days ¹² I set out during the night with a few men. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on. 

Nehemiah 2:13-16 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. ¹⁴ Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; ¹⁵ so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. ¹⁶ The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work. 

I love the fact that he went first and then after verse 16 he gives the vision to the people and even though not everyone was with him he went ahead and used the people to build a team to change the world as we know it. Chapter three goes through all the people that helped rebuild this wall. You read about business men, families, priest, and others make repairs to this wall and help rebuild this wall.

This reminds me of what is taken place in Haiti right now. Also what took place in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. We saw cities go town with in just moments and people questioned is this the end. Sometimes we think as Americans our job is to go in and fix the issue. That can be so far from the truth. Our job as people who love God is to go in and use them to rebuild whatever has been taken down.


I have this deep concern at times for our way of thinking. Many times we see the issue but yet do nothing about it. We will encourage Godly people to move out of neighborhoods, put our children into christian schools, or look for Christian jobs. When we do that we separate ourselves with those who have lives that have been knocked down by drug abuse, anger, family issues, or whatever else. We can't be the person to rebuild them back to what God wanted, but we can be the person that gives them the vision of what God has for them.

So here is what I believe a Hero is, someone that is the most unqualified person taking the job to help rebuild someones life. He/she sits quietly in the church, he really don't have role but they see and need and it breaks their heart. Because of the broken heart they take action. I believe we need more people like that in the world.

But we have to keep in mind that this is not always popular. Tomorrow we will learn that people became upset and said it wouldn't work. But God had other plans.    

Do we have it right?

Most people don't know this about me because I choose not to fight about it allot, but I have a love for news and the world of politics. I watched on Sunday as the news was focused on the new health-care bill. Now I have my opinions and I will not voice them here. I am not into the game of fighting and getting upset because the reality is is someway we are all right and we are wrong.

What I would like to voice about is the amount of disrespect we show towards those who are in the spotlight. I love my country for many reasons. As I was in New York looking at lady liberty it was amazing to think of how people fought for what she stood for in front of the most popular City is this country and world. I must admit it was a bit emotional for me. As we stood at where 911 took place in 2001 and listening to someone who lived that day give us the facts made me think about that day and how those people went through something I would never be able to understand. Walking through the chapel and seeing where George Washington worshiped and how that place became a ministry to those who were the first responders on September 11, 2001. George Washington pew became a place where people would give aid to those in need.

Now it's 2010 and my question is have we really understood what our roles are as Christian's in this country? We must understand we are blessed. We have taken our hits and it has been hard but we are blessed. What does it mean to take a stand? I have seen it become more difficult for us to really take a stand for Christ. We have people who will try and water down the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Luke 10:27 ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’"

Now we will focus on on the last part because we fill that is our calling. We must love people, but can you truly love the way Christ loved if you don't have a love for God?Sure we can say we do, but do we truly love? In 2001 is when I took the step to say that God was my father and his son died for me. Most of my friends grew up in a christian home and understood things I didn't. I was trying all I could to show that I loved God. I started to see that God was looking for love from me and that would start leak out into the world. So taking a stand what does that look like?

• What breaks God's heart should also break ours. 
• It's one thing to have a broken heart but what are we doing to bring people out of situations. 
• I believe God wants us to do more than handouts, he wants us to teach his people to stand on our own two feet and to fight the good fight. 
• Teaching people to love not just attend worship service. 

I am not sure but I am going to continue and add to this list, just some thing I have been asking God to show me.

Watch this video!