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Benaiah killed his lion. Its time for the American church to kill theirs!!!

Sunday, July 27, 2008
I'm sure you're wondering what is up with that title. Let me explain.

2 Sam. 23:20: "Benaiah son of Jehoiada from Kabzeel was a vigorous man who accomplished a great deal. He once killed two lion cubs in Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he climbed down into a pit and killed a lion." (The Message)

Benaiah chased a lion into a pit and killed the lion. Oh, and it snowed that day. So, he chased a lion into a pit, in the snow, and killed the lion.

Coincidently, the American church has a lion of their own to kill. That lion is poverty. The church was created to dismantle the idea of poverty. The American church has changed that image. The American church has said that other people need to worry about poverty, cause we don't have time for such a thing. Don't get me wrong. There are a lot of American churches out there doing their part to help fight the poverty crisis. But there are so many more that are sitting back hoping that those few churches can take care of the issue. The American church is so focused on fasting and praying that God will help those in need, that they have forgotten that God is the one who is asking for help.

When a crisis like poverty affects billions of people every day, the church is proned to ask, "Why don't You help them God? How can You let them suffer?" All the while God is in Heaven going, "Why don't you help them church? How can you sit back and watch them suffer?"

In Isaiah 58, God tells us what He is interested in seeing us do and it goes something like this: "What I'm interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families."

How's that for a kick in the face? Or how about in Isaiah 1 where God says, "Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless."

So here's the challenge American churches: Get up off your tails and start chasing the lion that is facing the entire world. Chase poverty into the pit and kick its face in until its dead. If Benaiah can do it on a snowy day, then we can do it any time we choose.

Jesus Didn't Preach the Gospel - Part 1

Tuesday, May 27, 2008
No matter what you believe, no matter what you've been taught, Jesus didn't preach the gospel. Jesus lived the gospel. A lot of Christians seem to be getting up set because of pastors that don't always preach the gospel. They believe that no matter where you are, you should only be trying to win people to Christ. Don't get me wrong, I believe that that is a vital part of the Christian ministry and we should at every opportunity tell others about Christ, but I also believe that if we are only out telling people about Christ, and not showing people what Christ is like, then we have missed the point all together. Jesus didn't go out into the community and say, "Let me tell you about me." People would have ran away from Him. Instead Jesus went out and and said, "Let me show you how to love so that you can go out and love, then, you can come and follow me and live like me."

We are called, not just to tell the world, but to show the world who Christ is. A lot of people know who He is, but they want to see Him. It's time we get up out of our comfortable chairs and start spending time with the people that need love. Our ministry is to the world, and the people who need the most. And just who are those people? Everyone who is on the face of the earth. That's who our ministry is for. Everyone wants to experience love and Christ wants to give them that love. In order for Him to do so, we have to show everyone we meet, the love of Christ so that they can in turn, show it to others.

"Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God." Phil. 1:3 (The Message)

Just a few things

Saturday, May 24, 2008
So, for starters, I'm writing a book. Yeah, I know. Not my area of expertise. But, we'll see what happens.

I also may be starting my ministry a little different than I had planned. I've been asked to prayerfully consider taking the Youth Minister's position at a local church here in Anderson. I've already told the pastor to do whatever he needs to do to take the next step. And I know that he had lunch Wed with the youth minister at the church I was attending, and helping with the youth.

That's it for now. Hopefully I'll be back up and running once I get some stuff sorted out.