Regarding Christian Liberty

There is a good chance you have heard this title before. Christian liberty. It's a wonderful little thing that means once we are saved, we have the liberty to do whatever we want while still safely under Scripture's promise of eternal security. Right? 

No. A thousand time NO (I seriously considered copy/pasting "no" 1,000 times.)

Liberty is about Removing Chains

The biggest problem with people's view of Christian liberty, is that they view it as a license to do things that other Christians might not approve of. For example, they use this title as an excuse to watch raunchy movies, read books that satisfy their sex drive, get drunk, or "little things" like use their time how they wish and talk to/ignore whomever they wish. 

Liberty is about being set free from chains. It's not an excuse to do things. 

Galatians 5:1 says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do nto be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."

That was the New King James Version. Here is the average person's paraphrase:

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has given us the right to do whatever we want, and try not to sin while you are having fun."

Paul speaks of bondage. He states that Christ set us free so that we would no longer be weighed down by the world's way of life. Our goals and desires would no longer be fame and sex and money and pride.

Paul does not use the word "license." He doesn't say that when Christ saved us we were given a 3X5 "Christian Liberty" card with our name and a caption reading: "This card gives the holder the legal right (given by God based on the death and resurrection of Jesus) to do whatever they want, as long as it isn't a really bad sin."

Christian Liberty is NOT about the Flesh

Galatians 1:13-15 says, "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another."

Paul sums it up much better than I can. Liberty has nothing to due with fulfilling our desires. It has everything to do with loving others (something we could not truly do before we received liberty).

Liberty (or lack of) Without the Spirit

No doubt many unbelievers you have spoken with look down on Christianity as a bunch of rules. They think we are the ones in chains, and that they are the ones free to do as they choose. In a sense, this is true. We are in chains, and we are less free - but so are they, and our slavery is much better. 

Galatians 5:17 says, "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish."

A person who is not led by the Spirit is consequently led by his or her flesh. One cannot be led by both. 

So as you are reading this, you are either a slave to your flesh or a slave to the Spirit. 

If you aren't sure which you are, let's take a look at the fruits of the flesh based on Galatians 1:19-21. The fruits of the flesh Paul includes are:

• Adultery (which according to Jesus includes lust - Matthew 5:27-28)
• Sex outside of marriage
• Idolatry (putting anything above God)
• Sorcery
• Hatred
• Arguing (the unfriendly kind)
• Jealousy
• Outbursts of wrath
• Selfishness
• Envy
• Murder
• Being drunk
• and more... 

Do any of these sound familiar on any level? My guess is that most of you fall into just one of the more "minor" of these categories. Though, some of you may be guilty of many. It matters little, because my fear is that many fall somewhere between this and the next list - a place of complacency. 

Liberty With the Spirit

Here is Paul's list of the fruits of the Spirit:

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Longsuffering
• Kindness
• Goodness
• Faithfulness
• Gentleness
• Self-Control

Let's look at this list a little more practically. 

• Love: Not to be confused with lust or attraction. This is completely putting every single other believer's need above your own - whether you like them or not. 
• Joy: This means not complaining about every little area in your life. This means not getting caught up in gossip. This means smiling when life stinks because you don't need the world's happiness to keep joy. 
• Peace: This means not gossiping. This means not cutting others down. This means giving up mindless arguing and just letting others be right.
• Longsuffering: Suffering a long time. Patience. 
• Kindness: Hopefully self explanatory, but it's for everyone - not just people you like. 
• Goodness: Refer to kindness.
• Faithfulness: If you are part of something (like a relationship) stick to it. Don't dump your boyfriend because he has a weird habit. If you continually bail on relationship after relationship, nothing will change when you are married. You will continue to remarry.
• Gentleness: Just be nice to people. Don't get on their case so hard. 
• Self-control: This falls into so many categories in life. Be in control of your body and mind. Make sure you aren't addicted to anything. 

Liberty with the Spirit is being free enough to stop the life you once lived, and living a pure life that the people in your life will want. 

Let Me Sum Up

So here is my definition of Christian Liberty. 

"Christian liberty is when a human is set free from their own flesh by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They no longer are slaves to the their own desires, but have been given the freedom to live in the Spirit of God, in which they will (not might) bear the fruits of that same Spirit, which include only good things - with love at the core. "

Remember that you must fall in one category or the other. You are either a slave to the flesh or a slave to the Spirit. If, after looking at the two lists, you feel that you fall somewhere in the middle, you admit to being a slave to the flesh. Being set from the flesh doesn't mean being set mostly free. 

It means being set free. Let us continually examine ourselves to make sure we are slaves of the Spirit. 

God Bless.

Run The Race Well - Or Don't Bother Running At All

I've been writing a lot recently about sin and accountability and what it means to actually live for Christ. I will be continuing that today (hopefully this is greeted with enthusiasm and not groaning). If I have been writing in a negative tone, I apologize. I have only done so as to show the seriousness of the topic. 

Today, though the conversation still of incredible seriousness, and despite what is sure to be a negative sound, I hope to end by showing the kind of life which ends in "well done." The kind of life which ends in a prize no man, fire, flood, or amount of time can take away. 

What is Sin?

I fear that I may have written too much already regarding the area of sin, without in fact defining what sin is. According to the Online Webster Dictionary, sin is defined as "a vitiated (spoiled) state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God." 

Another definition simply states that sin is a "transgression of the law of God."

These are both fine definitions, however neither is fully understood by many (if not most) of the Christian Church today. Think of a list of sins. Write them down if you need to. Your list may resemble something like this: murder, lying, envy, lust, vanity, pride, or swearing. 

These are sins, of course. Read Galatians 5:19-21 if you can't take my word for it. 

However, there are a great number of sins not listed in this passage, a great number of sins hidden beneath the surface, a great number of sins that Jesus spoke of far more often than the ones listed above. 

James 4:17 says that "to him to knows to do good, and does not do it, to him it is sin." 

If you have read any of my most recent posts, or if you have read any of the Gospels, you might realize how little Jesus talks about sinning, and how much He speaks of doing good. If you do something God told us not to do, you are affecting your own walk with Jesus. 

If you do not do good toward others when you know you should (sit by the "losers" at the lunch table, work at a food shelter, etc.) you are affecting not only your own walk, but others as well. 

These are called the sins of omission and commission. Neither can be taken lightly. 

Sin in the Life of Believers

Again, if you have read anything I have written recently, you will know how little New Testament writer's speak of sin. The reason? Most of the New Testament was written for the believers, and these authors wanted to show the believers that a life in Christ was a life free from sin (Galatians 5:1). 

The book of 1 John emphasizes over and over again that a life made new in Christ is new. The old is not leaving. It is gone. We are a new creation. Our old life is gone, and it is never coming back (2 Corinthians 5:17).

We are promised continuous paths of escape from temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13), as well as the Holy Spirit, which will guide us in all things (John 16:13). 

To sum up, the only promises we are given regarding sin, is the ability to conquer it. 

But the question arises, why do Christians continue to sin? Why are believers still caught up in addiction?

Preparing for the Race

I'm sure many of you have read the passage regarding our Christian walk being like a race (Hebrews 12:1). It tells us to lay aside weights and sin that keep us from running. 

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 also talks about life as a race, but from a slightly different perspective. This passage speaks of the training necessary to run the race, something we often don't think about. 

Here is the whole passage:

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."

Think for a moment of something you were really excited about; something you had to prepare for. For me, this passage rings home. I was both a Track and Cross Country runner in high school. We ran about eight miles everyday for Cross Country. 

Now, I enjoy running, but I'm not one of those people who lives and breathes to run. Needless to say, I didn't enjoy running every day. I didn't enjoy the shin splints or the burning calves, and especially not giving up sweets like my beloved Coca Cola. 

But I did just that because it was a necessary part of disciplining by body for each race. However, I wasn't good enough to ever win a race, so I wasn't even running for a prize. I was just running because I enjoyed the social atmosphere and staying in shape. 

Think about what people are to do, to give up, for something so small as staying in shape, staying social, or at the most winning a medal they will eventually throw away. 

Use the Weights, Don't Carry Them with You

Somewhere down the road, Christians twisted this passage to mean something completely different. Instead of preparing ourselves with weights before the race, we just carry the weights with us hoping that will be good enough. And all they do is slow us down. 

Being a Christian isn't asking Jesus into you heart. It's putting Him in every aspect of your life. Living the Christian life isn't about running a race in which we continually take weights people offer us, and then take them off when we remember they slow us down. 

The Christian life is discipline. It's hard work. It's preparing for the race with hours and hours of discipline. It's giving up things that you have the right not to give up, but you choose to because they will slow you down. 

The Disqualified Believer

 

Paul wrote that he disciplined his body so that he would not become disqualified. What does that mean? Does that mean we don't have eternal security, and that we can be disqualified from the race? 

No.

It means if we are not careful, our lives will end and we will realize we were never really running at all. 

This next matter may surely lose me some readers, but I need to say it all the same. 

A man or woman who shows up to a Cross Country race wearing boots, snow pants, and a backpack is not a runner. They are an obstacle. 

Let me rephrase. A "believer" who runs the race of the Christian life with the "weight" of addiction is most likely not going to hear "well done." They are most likely not going to receive the Kingdom of Heaven. They are most likely not a Christian. 

What About Grace and Repentance

Contrary to what Christians might like to believe, grace is not God forgiving you every time you apologize for your sin or your addiction. 

Grace is when God saves us from the weight of sin once and for all. 

But doesn't the Bible say God will forgive me when I repent? Yes. But what is repentance?

According to the Greek, the word "repentance" comes from the two words "meta" and "nous". Meta means "after," and nous means "mind." In other words, repentance is a mind that has changed, and ultimately, a life that is changed, for if one has truly purposed in their mind to change, change will come. 

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God says the following:

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Notice that God does not promise to forgive the people's sins if they simply seek His face and pray (ask forgiveness). Why? Because that isn't repentance. God promises the forgiveness of their sins if they "turn from their wicked ways." In other words, if they actually stop sinning and choose to follow Him instead. 

No one can be a slave to sin (addicted) while simultaneously a slave to Christ. You can take that to the bank (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13). 

If you cannot run without a backpack, you can never run. If you are a slave to sin, you cannot be a follower of Christ. 

Caution - Not Condemnation

I do not write this to condemn anyone, or to judge, or to assume you are not a Christian. I write this to warn you, as Paul warned the early Christians in Corinth. Examine yourselves to see whether you are truly in the faith. 

Our enemy, Satan, is not roaming around seeking whom he may drag into sin. He is roaming around seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Satan doesn't care whether or not you are a drunk, or on drugs, or get kicked out of school. 

There is a good chance Satan wants you right where you are - safe. He wants you surrounded by Christians who never challenge you. He wants you assuming you are a Christian. He wants you to read your Bible mindlessly, not expecting anything new. He wants you in church raising your hands and weeping at emotional songs, and never truly understanding grace or repentance. He wants you in accountability groups that encourage you to get back on your feet, but never get in your face and tell you to stop sinning because light can have no part of the darkness. 

The biggest lie of the evil one is that you are safe from him. 

The Good News: A Life of Discipline

Finally we have arrived at the good news, for we were never meant to dwell on the bad, but we were meant to understand it. 

God loves you, and He has a wonderful plan for your life. 

I'm sure you've heard that before. I know I have. But we must understand that this wonderful plan comes at a great cost. It comes at the cost of our very lives. 

In Luke 9:23, Jesus says, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."

If you are holding a cross, walking toward your death, there is no place for sin. There is no opportunity.  However, there is all the opportunity in the world for a great prize. A prize which cannot be stolen, cannot be broken, and cannot wear away with time. 

No great victory, no great prize comes at no cost. We seem to understand this in every area of our life - save our faith. 

And whether for fear of preaching works, or laziness, or pride, we have put away spiritual disciplines altogether. 

A race run well is a race in which the runner is prepared - in which they have trained - in which they have laid down every weight and hindrance. 

Run Well

Believers, we cannot go on sinning (Romans 6:1, 1 John 3:9, 5:18, Hebrews 10:26). We cannot be addicted to pride and vanity and lust and laziness and idolatry. We must be addicted to feeding the poor, helping orphans and widows, visiting those in prison, and being kind to strangers. 

I do not write of a life of rules. I write of a life of true freedom. My pastor calls it "the freedom of bondage." It's the perfect kind of slavery. It's the kind of slavery where your daily task is to do good. 

By grace we are freed from a life of slavery to our body, and made servants of a Good God. We are the servants of the God who created waterfalls, a baby's laugh, the sunset over the ocean, the depths of the Grand Canyon, the heights of Mount Everest, the blue of the ocean, the black of night, the mystery of space, the wonders of the human body, the joy of helping those in need, the love of family, and the peace in forgiveness. 

Our history as a nation and as a planet have put a bitter taste in our mouths for the word "slavery." Christ came to change that. He came to remove the chains of slavery, and to offer the chains of freedom. 

Despite any negative tones, this post is one of great joy. You and I no longer need worry about sin. We need no longer worry about the chains which have so long entangled us. Despite our family, despite our past, despite the weights we held for so long - we are now free to run a race.

This race is hard, and there will be times where we slip and we stumble. But we run as free men and women. We run with a smile, knowing with absolute certainty - we will win this race. 

Do not give up hope. Christ has overcome every obstacle you will ever face. 

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us fun with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1)."

And just what is this prize we are running for?

You will find a glimpse of it in Revelation 21.

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen

Words Are Just Words

Words are just words.

Jimmy and Patrick

Let's say there was a man who had two sons. Jimmy and Patrick. The dad had a garden and asked both of his sons to go pull weeds. 

Patrick said, "Sure Dad! I love you and do everything you tell me to do!" Jimmy, on the other hand said, "Are you kidding me? I hate getting my hands dirty. Go weed it yourself!"

However, after a couple of minutes Patrick, who promised so much just goes downstairs and plays video games. Jimmy, however, remembers all the things his dad has done for him growing up, and changing his mind, goes and weeds the garden.

Which son actually did what the dad wanted him to do?

Jesus tells a very similar story and asks the same question to the Pharisees in Matthew 21:28-32.

The Problem with Pharisees

You see, the Pharisees were the religious leaders during this time. The people were supposed to look to them for how to live - how to appease God. 

However, the Pharisees were the worst of them all because it was just a show. It was just words. 

They looked good on the outside, but inwardly they were just prideful men. 

Whitewashed Tombs, Hypocrites, and Dirty Dishes

Jesus spends basically all of Matthew 15 yelling at the Pharisees. It's a good chunk of text so I'll let you look it up yourself, but here is the gist of what Jesus says:

He calls the pharisees "hypocrites" for their lifestyle. They laid all sorts of laws on the people to keep so that they could be viewed more Godly, when all along, they themselves didn't keep many of the laws, and when they did was only to be respected. 

They would pray loudly on street corners so people would see them. They would fast and make themselves look like they were severely famished so the people would respect them more.

But when it came to "pure and undefiled religion" (James 1:27), they fell far short. They didn't help the poor and needy or even their own parents (Matthew 15:1-9). 

Here is a list of names that Jesus calls them in a single chapter:

• Blind Guides
• Blind (four times)
• Fools (twice)
• Hypocrites (seven times)
• Dirty Dishes
• Whitewashed tombs
• Snakes (two times)

Perhaps the most alarming thing Jesus says to the Pharisees, however, is found in Matthew 23:13, because He actually blames them for sending people to hell. 

The Pharisees had taken rules which God had meant to lead the people to Him and twisted them to turn them into a religion in itself. 

In other words, the Pharisees convinced the people that keeping the rules were more important than actually loving God. They had taught them to be clean on the outside, but impure on the inside. 

Jesus shatters this idea in another story found in Luke 18:9-14. Again for space sake I will sum up. 

The Righteous Man and the Sinner

Two men came before God in prayer. One was a Pharisee. He prayed casually, telling God all the great things he did for Him, and thanked Him for not making him like the sinners. 

Another man, a sinner, fell to his knees, unable to even lift his head. He simply said, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!"

Jesus says that the sinner, not the righteous man left that time of prayer justified. 

Word are Just Word Without Whacking Weeds

The Pharisees are Patrick. Dad told them what to do, and in front of all their friends, neighbors, enemies, family, and God, they boasted how well they were going to weed that garden. At the end of the day they only pulled two weeds, and that was just because they wanted to prove how good of sons they were.

That sinner was Jimmy. He spent a long time not caring what anyone thought. He flat out said he would not pull weeds. But it didn't take long for him to see his faults, and while everyone was staring at his brother (the Pharisee) he humbly pulled weeds with no one watching. 

There's a Lot of Good Talk

There's a log of good talking in today's world, especially from Christians.

Both you and I have heard it from our friends and family...

"I just really have a heart for youth. I just really wish my friends would see the light. I just want to go to Africa. I just love Jesus so much."

I'm not going to do any condemning, because that's not my place, but here are a few suggestions. 

If you have a heart for youth - help youth.

If you want your friends saved - pray for them ALL THE TIME.

If you have a heart for Africa - be willing to help people right where you are, and when you are able, go to Africa.

If you love Jesus "so much" - lay down your life every single day, pick up your cross daily, and actually have a clue what that means. Because it doesn't just mean reading your Bible and praying. 

There's a lot of talk...

(The entire book of James has a lot to say on this subject as well...)

Who Do You Imitate?

Hey everyone,
so it's 12:21 AM and i have church in a couple of hours, so i'm gonna keep this short. But i was just reading my devotions and i found something interesting i thought i'd like to share.
Okay, so you know all those books about like "100 keys to success" and "how to spend your money" and just blah blah blah about handling your money, and how to become successful and what not? Well, that makes sense right? Nobody wants to be in debt. Everyone wants to be rich, or at least in good standing or what not. And at bare minimum you want to be respected...even if you are poor. I mean...as a Christian we need to be respected by the world, right? Otherwise they won't wanna be Christians?
Well, please turn your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 4:8-16. But just in case you don't have a Bible nearby here's what it says....

^"8 You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us—and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you! ⁹ For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. ¹⁰ We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! Weare weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! ¹¹ To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. ¹² And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; ¹³ being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.¹⁴ I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. ¹⁵ For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. ¹⁶ Therefore I urge you, imitate me."


 Wait a second!!! Paul has just gone on rambling about how the people of Corinth are rich (like kings), strong, and distinguished, and how he himself is dishonored, weak, poor, persecuted, defamed, and FILTHY! And Paul has the nerve to tell the people of Corinth to follow HIM?
Let me ask you a question? If you are witnessing to someone? Do you usually begin like this...?
"Hey, can I tell you about being a Christian? You will be poor, defamed, weak, and persecuted! So what do you say? Wanna pray and get started?"


I laugh when I think about the people who say Christianity is a crutch. If Christianity is a crutch, it's a crutch that keeps hitting you in the head until you are bleeding to death. No friends. Christianity was not meant to "help you" in this world. It's gonna hurt. You are going to lose friends. You are going to cry. You are going to hurt. Feel weak. Become disowned. Defamed. Is this for everyone? I used to think no, but I'm not so sure anymore. In the last verse Paul "urges" the people of Corinth to "imitate" him. 


I'm not really saying anything here. Not saying being rich, popular, or powerful is wrong. Pretty much just thinking out loud here. But who are you imitating?

The Consequences of Freedom

Hey everyone,
First of all I just want to apologize for how long it's been since I was on here.
Well now that we got that out of the way...:)
Well, as you may have noticed, yesterday was the 4th of July. So theoretically, since today is the 5th this post is kind of late. But that's just the story of my life so i guess we will all just have to deal with it. I'm sincerely hoping today is the start of blogging regularly again (but now i'm getting off track).
The Fourth of July is probably one of the most over-looked holidays there are. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter pretty much all take precedence over this holiday. After all, besides a couple of fireworks there is nothing much to it. However, the 4th is one of my favorites. And no...not only because i happen to love fireworks more than oxygen, chocolate, and mac'n'cheese combined. But because my dad raised me a patriot. I love this country very much, and singing patriotic songs, watching fireworks (remembering the bombs bursting in air), and hearing that star spangled banner sung is just amazing. But people don't get as excited about this anymore. Why is the celebration of the greatest country on earth the least celebrated?
I'll tell you why...
People no longer love America like they used to. Sure they talk about it a lot. All the time in fact. But mostly they are complaining. Complaining about the economy, about the leadership, about politics, about the war, about the border, about taxes, about pretty much everything there is to complain about. You know what I hear very little of? I rarely hear people just sigh and say, "Boy I love the United States of America!" Sure, people thank God for freedom. But you don't hear people thanking God for the current economy, taxes, leadership, etc.
The problem...?
You see, freedom is important. It's amazing. I love it. I praise God for it. But freedom also makes us forget. It makes us forget that sometimes you have to fight. It makes us forget that God is the one who gave it to us. It makes us forget to be grateful. It makes us forget to thank God for people who give their lives for it. It makes us forget to be grateful for those who sacrifice to lead our country. It makes us complain...complain...complain. One could say that I am now the one complaining. Yes. I am. But I'm NOT complaining about my country. Because I love it. I praise God for it. I am only complaining that the people God has BLESSED to live in this great country are not grateful enough to say thank you.
~
It's a lot like our faith. We live in a free country where we are free to worship. Am I thankful for this? Yes. But it's just the same. Christians just complain about others Christians! They complain that they are too liberal, too strict, they dance, they don't dance, their hair is too long, they are republicans, they are democrats, and on the list goes. It's like the 50 states all hating each other when they are all living under the same flag. You see...Patriotism and Christianity have a lot in common. We are misusing our freedoms. One of two things must happen.
1. We must suffer persecution. When in U.S history have we come the most together? Trade tours falling, World Wars, fighting the depression, The War for Independence. And where are Christians not only standing firm but growing in numbers uncontrollably? Christianity spreads the most where it is persecuted. Now...I do not desire war for my country or my faith. But it seems sometimes like it is necessary to pull us back together. Hopefully their is an option #2.

2. Realize the place we are in. Realize that we must unite before persecution forces us to. Before you focus on loving your unbelieving "neighbors", make sure you are loving your brothers and sisters in Christ. LOVE them. Don't talk behind their backs, persecute them with your judgments, and ridicule them. DO things for them without expecting anything in return...especially for those other Christians who you can't seem to get along with. Pray for them. Praise them when they do right. And the same goes for our nation. Love your nation. Praise God for it. Pray for it. Pray for your leaders. Write them and tell them you appreciate their sacrifice. Write to a soldier. Hang a flag outside your house. God put you here, and don't forget how blessed you are!

This doesn't mean you can't stand up against things you don't believe in. I realize things are happening in this country that are NOT Godly. But this nation was founded on God, and it will only stay that way if we keep living Godly lives, and showing this nation the love of God THROUGH our love for the United States of America.

God Bless

God's Ways are Perfect

So I'm gonna make this short and sweet because the time is 2:30 AM and I have class in the morning. But i did want to write this while it was deep on my mind. To make a really long, complicated story short and simple I am in a real pickle. I'm debating heavily between two colleges. I want to stay here in Cali but a school back home has a way better program. There's also other complicating things like my job, housing, and stuff like that. Anyhow, I've been trying to figure out what I want to do for months, and I HAVE to know by 2 PM today (cuz its my interview for work). Now, in case you didn't think it through....this is a really big decision as it could effect my future job, wife, family, people i meet, EVERYTHING. So...pretty much I've been freaking out (which is rare for me...i'm usually a no worry guy).

Anyhow...tonight i left for a walk at 1 AM. Around 1:30 AM i wound up at the prayer chapel here on campus where i stayed until 2:10. I spent a few minutes praying...begging God for a sign, an angel, a bright light...anything supernatural to tell me what to do. And you will not believe what happened....
absolutely nothing.
Figures.
Same as usual.

I got off my knees and just sat in the pew (pretty much just moping). Suddenly, I got an idea. I sang a hymn. I can't remember what it's called, but the lyrics are
"I love you Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you. Oh, my soul rejoice. Take joy my King in what you hear. May it be a sweet sweet sound in Your ear." I sang it again. Then I sang "When we all get to Heaven." And then "Amazing Grace." Then "The Doxology." One of the best worship sessions I've every had. Add in some background angel's voices from Heaven and it sounded amazing. :)

It was a very peaceful time...singing those songs....short as it was. But I had gotten off track of worrying, so I went back to my begging. "God! Speak to me!" Psh...as if I can tell God what to do.
Well, He did tell me what to do. No...not audibly. But I just figured the thoughts that came to mind were from Him. But they were also confusing. My first thought was...

"Are you loving people, James?"

Am I what!? What does that have to do with anything? But I really didn't have to ask. That's all that matters in life. That's what Jesus came for. That's what the New Testament is all about. Shoot...that's what the entire Bible is about. Love.
Love.
Love.
Love.
Love.
"Yes God. I believe I am loving people. At least I am trying."

"Do you love Me, James?"

"Uh...can you just tell me if I am supposed to stay or not?"

"James...do you love Me?"

"Yes."

"Then read My Word."

That was the last thing I "heard" from God tonight.
Love and read. Hmmmm...that has nothing to do with my problem. And everything.
You see....I have a hunch about life, and the hunch is this:
Maybe God doesn't need to start "lighting my path." Maybe he lit it before the foundations of the world. Maybe what i choose to do doesn't really matter. Maybe I'm just supposed to focus of loving and getting closer to Him. After all...what could be more important than that? Maybe I don't need to keep asking if I'm "supposed to be here." I KNOW I'm supposed to love. So I'm just gonna focus on that.
As for my future. I'm just gonna stay the course and let God shut and open doors as He wills.
I guess I don't really care what He does.
God brought something to my mind as I walked back to my dorm tonight...and it wasn't even Scripture. It was from a very unlikely place.

Veggie Tales.

"God made you special, and He loves you very much."

For some reason that brought me so much peace. :)

Anyway...maybe this will speak to one of you in your current situation. :)
God bless you and make His face shine upon you, and give you peace.

James Knoop
Psalm 18:30 (This was a verse I read in the prayer chapel. The Bible in the chapel was opened to this page).

So Called "Christianity"

So this is something I've wanting to write about for a long time, but school got in the way. Okay, I thought of it monday night...but when you have a blog that is FOREVER to wait. I actually should be starting my paper for English that's due tomorrow, but I don't even remember what it's supposed to be about and its not due for 15 hours so I can put that on the back burner for now. Okay...enough jokes. Put on your serious faces, cuz this is actually kinda a heavy issue (in my humble conservative opinion).

A Very Thoughtful Tuesday Indeed

Okay, thoughtful tuesday....here we go.

First I'll start out with the basics of what today is supposed to be about...provoking thoughts of things we haven't thought about before. I had in mind what I was going to write about, but I changed my mind after a theology class I had tonight. By the way, this is the best class ever. Anyway, the pastor was talking about evangelizing. Something I don't even come close to doing enough of. In fact, I probably haven't done true evangelism since 2nd grade.

Anyhow, you know how sometimes when you evangelize people ask questions like,
"Why would a loving God send people to Hell."

More On Purity

Hey everyone,
So how's your weekend. Mine has been very relaxing. After this post I am going to take a walk to town in the pouring rain. I can't wait. I love walking in the rain. Especially since it's snow and ice back home. ;)

Anyways, with this being February, there is lots of Purity stuff going on. Um...because of Valentine's Day if you didn't catch that connection. Anyway, there is this one blog on this topic that I've been following lately. You should definitely check it out. I hope you don't mind Lexi. :) This is something we cannot neglect. Yes, I realize many teens are probably sick of hearing about purity all the time. But the fact remains that the reason it keeps getting preached over and over and over is because we aren't listening.

So, right on this topic here is the link the the short dating book I wrote a while back. I realize most of you already read it. But maybe some haven't or you just want a refresher. I read it today and corrected a lot of grammatical errors, so maybe it's easier to read now too. :)

Hope you are having a splendid February. Don't be eating too much chocolate. Oh, and a little hint from a shopping savvy college kid. Candy is on sale AFTER Valentine's Day. Sh....keep it on the DL.

Frying Friday

Hey folks. So I'm really sorry that i keep writing these the morning of the next day. It's a visit weekend for my college, and since I'm an ambassador I haven't had a ton of time. Okay, i lied. I took a nap today, played madden, and watched you tube videos. I have no excuse. But it's here all the same. 


So in case you forgot, Friday is "recipe day". Today i bestow a recipe for you. Today's recipe is a MUST for that special holiday coming up in 8 days. You know what I'm talking about men. That's right. Valentines Day. Time to impress that significant other of yours in a way she did NOT expect. You guessed it. Cooking for her. 


Now now...before you freak out, let you put your mind to ease. This is a very simple recipe. However, if done right, will blow her taste buds away. Next thing you know...she's yours forever. Or...at least until next friday. But fret not...i'll have another recipe then. But for now, let's get to today's recipe.


"Chocolate turtle cheesecake". Not to brag or anything, but I am a master at this dish, and it has proved to bring the house down come dessert time. I've never had a girlfriend try it though because well...never had one but...you know that. Anyways...here are the steps to the best cheesecake your taste buds will ever....well....taste.


Phase 1: Gather all of your ingredients. Being:

2 c. ultimately smashed oreos
6 tbsp. butter, melted
1 (14 oz.) bag caramels
1 (5 oz.) can evaporated milk 

(Guys, this does NOT mean that you try to make the milk evaporate!!! You'll find this in the cupboard next to the soups).
1 c. chopped pecans
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese 

(Make sure they are 8 oz. I added 4X too much cream cheese once. NOT a happy ending.
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla (for you guys who don't know...this is a liquid...NOT an icecream. It's the bottle in the fridge that you've never noticed before and smells awful).
2 eggs 

(The part INSIDE the shell).
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate pieces, melted

(This means you have to melt the chocolate chips yourself. Don't go searching the isles for melted chocolate chips. You won't find any).

Phase 2:

Congratulations, you got all your ingredients. Now comes the fun stuff. The actual cooking part. Follow these steps IN ORDER.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt the butter in the microwave until it is utterly melted.

3. Combine ultimately smashed oreos and utterly melted butter.

4. Bake this combination for 10 minutes and 12 seconds. 

5. In a 2 qt. sauce pan, melt caramels with milk over low heat. (on the stove...not in the oven). Stir frequently until its as smooth as a bald man's head. 

6. Pour this smooth concoction over the crust you previously made. 

7. Add pecans to smooth concoction.

8. Combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Mix them with an electric mixer and medium speed until well blended. If you don't have an electric mixer, buy one. If you don't have the money use a spoon and stir as fast as you can.

9. Add eggs (without shells) one at a time while mixing. 

10. Then blend in the melted chocolate chips.

11. Pour this entire bowl of deliciousness over the crust.

12. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

13. Loosen cake from rim of pan; and let it cool down for a while before removing it from the pan.

14. Chill (this means putting the cake in the fridge...not you going downstairs and watching tv).

15. Add any additional toppings your little heart desires (more oreos, pecans, whipped topping, etc). 

16. Cut two pieces.

17. Sit down with your special someone.

18. Give her a piece of cake WITH A CARD.

19. Wink.

20. Eat.

PS. Be sure to leave comments on how this works out for ya. ;)

"Wisdom Wednesday"

Hey. What's going on folks?
Welcome to wednesday. Actually i'm writing this at 12:53 Thursday morning. Forgive me.
Anyway, here is my first wednesday of my daily blog. Wednesdays are going to be like a mini Bible Study. So here we go...

So basically I'm just using one verse mainly, but I might throw a couple others out there for good measure...we'll see.
Turn your Bible's to James. Ah! What a coincidence. Great name. Now. Turn to Chapter 1 (that's at the beginning). Verse 22 (comes after 21). It's pretty short and to the point so I won't be keeping you long.
AHEM. Let's read:
"But..." Let's stop right there. Now, you may not be an English major like me, but the fact that this verse starts with a "but" means that James is contrasting this verse with the previous one. So....
you guessed it! Let's read verse 21 first.
"Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. "

Okie smokey. Let's put that verse in a nut shell. James is telling these people to
1. Stop sinning
2. Read and accept the "word" aka Scripture.

So let's keep that in mind when we read verse 22 now. Your Bible better be open by the way reading right along with me. Have it? Okay. Let's continue. Verse 22:
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."
Great verse, right? Right. Also a very over-looked verse. Here's why.
There seems to only be 2 things that pastors and speakers are teaching our generation.
1. STOP SINNING. We have purity after purity conference until purity is coming out of our ears. Is purity a good thing? The best. But keep listening.
2. BELIEVE! After the speakers have us on our knees weeping for our sins they tell, "all you have to do is believe."

Now, before you start throwing tomatoes at me, let me assure you that these speakers are right. I am saying nothing bad about them. After all. Read the verses for yourselves. John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, and the biggy...Ephesians 2:8-9.

Now, with that said, I believe that there is a most CRITICAL area #3 that is not being spoken. Our generation is trying to sin less, they are trying to believe more, but they are DOING nothing (i speak as always for myself). What did James 1:22 say. Be DOERS...not just hearers. Why? James uses the example of the mirror. If you stand in front of a mirror right before a date and you have a pile of dandruff on your black shirt, paint on your face, and snot coming out of your nose....you can SEE that you need to do some major work before you meet your significant other. But what good is it if you look in that mirror and think "wow! I look pathetic." but then you do nothing about it! That's the same when we read the Bible, know what we are supposed to do, and do nothing."

Sermons today preach grace and mercy and faith all the time. What they fail to preach is works.
"OH MY GOODNESS!" you think. "Did he just say the W word? But James, you just quoted Ephesians  2:9 which says "not of works!"

If you couldn't catch by the slight sarcasm, I get sick of how scared we are of good works. We preach "not of works" so much that we forget the word in front of works. "GOOD". Now, is salvation of works? No. But did you forget to read the VERY NEXT VERSE? Shall we?
Ephesians 2:10:
"For we are His (God's) workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
Whoa! Wait a second. The W word was just used in a positive sense right after a verse which used it in a bad way. Which verse is right? They both are.

We were CREATED for good works! God made Adam to DO things. He didn't create Adam to believe. Adam couldn't NOT believe. He talked with God all the time. God didn't create Adam to stop sinning. Adam hadn't ever sinned. God created Adam to work. He created mankind to work. He didn't create us to be saved. We didn't need saving when we were made.

Now...here comes the part that I don't know if you'll agree with or not but here goes.
In this "Christian world" that is so obsessed with teaching others how to stop sinning, I would argue that sinning isn't our problem. In fact, I would go so far as to argue that even if a person never sinned, he still wouldn't go to Heaven apart from being made alive by Christ. Sinning isn't our problem. Our problem is that we are doing nothing, and that includes falling in love with God.

Example: You are in a relationship. Which option do you like better?
A. Your significant other loves you deeply, but has a problem with flirting with others.
B. Your significant other NEVER flirts with anyone, but also never wants to be with you.

Does God want you to stop sinning? Yes. But that's not the most important thing. Let's get away from my own opinion, and get to some of Jesus' words. At one point, Jesus was asked what the most important commandment was. Now, in case you don't know, the laws back then were all about rules rules rules. Here is what Jesus said (Matthew 22:37-40)
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
So basically, when Jesus was asked what rule was the most importance, He answered, "Love."

When we think of rules, we tend to think of "Do nots". Not Jesus. Why? Because ITS NOT ABOUT RULES ANYMORE. It's not about the 10 Commandments. It's not about don't do this and that. It's about love. Love. Love. Love. Love. Love.
And you wanna know what happens when you fall utterly and completely in love with Jesus?

I don't know. I'm not there yet. But how about I speculate.

I would say once someone falls madly in love with Jesus, sinning is the last thing on their minds. They don't need conferences on purity. Becoming impure is simply an idiotic idea. They don't need to be told to believe. When you are engaged, you don't need to be reminded that your future spouse is real. When you fall in love with Jesus, you are so overflowed with love that it naturally spills onto others. It pours on them. A ginormous flood of love comes crashing down like an avalanche, crushing despair and pain and loss until they are no more.

Let me end with this. The last verse of James 1.
"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."

Thoughtful Tuesday 1st Ed.

Happy Tuesday Folks,
Well, just in case you forgot...you made it through Monday!!! Unless you died, and you can still read my blogs in Heaven which would be pretty tight.
But anyways, today is Thoughtful Tuesday (in case you didn't read the Title). Just so you know I won't always title my blogs after the day...just the first week or two to get you in the swing of things. So let's dig into some thoughtful thinking.
I'm going to title today's thoughts as "What if God was Bad?"
It's something I've thought about a decent amount lately. Not that I think He is bad. I know He isn't. In fact, it's impossible for God to be bad. But that's the climax of my thought so I won't give that away yet.
What if God was bad? Think about that for a moment? Well, what exactly is "bad". Here are some decent examples.
1. Killing people.
2. Adultery
3. Lying
4. Stealing
5. Cheering for the Yankees.
Stuff like that. So, think about that for a moment. What if God was these things?
1. What if God killed people just for fun. "Muahaha!" *Lightening bolt* "You're Dead!"
2. What if God told us to commit adultery, and staying with one spouse was a sin?
3. What if God lied to us, and we never knew when He was telling the truth?
4. What if God commended us for stealing?
5. And dare I say, What if God was a Yankees fan?!
~
Let's take this another step. What if God condemned "good things"?
What if God hated love, loathed peace, destroyed honest people, laughed at the poor, homeless, and orphan? Don't just read this. Actually think about that. Think about a world like that.
~
Bad, right? Yeah its bad. At least "bad" as we know it. But let's not jump on this too fast. Let's take a step back, remove our regular thinking caps, erase the memory from them, and look at this in a completely new way. Why are "bad things" bad? Because what God created was Good and these things came AFTER the fall. Think about it. No one died before the fall. There was no adultery. No lying. No thievery. No Yankees. These things came AFTER the good God created. So this begs the question. If God had created all the "bad" things and not the good things...would bad things be good, and the good bad? After all, who decides what is "bad"? God. So really, if we didn't know better, and we grew up with bad as good, would we even notice? Perhaps I would be writing this same blog saying outrageous things like, "What if love was a good thing?" And you would be thinking..."that's outrageous!"
~
I get so sick of people saying "that's not fair" in reference to God. "Why would God allow this?"
"Why?" I get sick of myself asking this. God can do whatever He wants. He is God. If God suddenly decided to send everyone to Hell would that be "bad"? I won't answer that for you. This is just thoughtful tuesday. A day to get your mind working in ways maybe it hasn't before.
Praise God He IS good.
~
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!!! Leave comments please.

How To Be An Un-Boring Christian

Let me begin with several quick thoughts. First of all, my title is grammatically horrid. Secondly, thanks to all of you who read and commented on my blog. I appreciate all comments, even ones that don’t agree with me. :) Lastly, before I begin this blog you should realize something about me. As I mentioned in my previous blog I am a proud man. However, you should also know that I am extremely stubborn (German), and I don't really care if people agree with what I write or not. Now, the latter two of these may easily be mistaken for pride, though I assure you that they are not. I am working on becoming humble, but I'm quite content with being stubborn until the day I die. :) So, if I come across arrogant or prideful, just dismiss it...it's not personal. I sometimes just get excited about a subject and exaggerate it to make a point. I assure you that I love you as a person, and let's hit up a movie next week, okay?

I would like to apologize for the length of my last post. It was meant to be short, and it was anything but. I will try to be more sensitive in this one, but I will make no promises. The point of this blog is to bring an upside to my last blog. My last post was solely about how American Christians are boring. This blog is about how to not be a boring American Christian, but one on fire for the Jesus Christ. Let me begin by talking about the comments I received.

1) One person said, "Because our culture is so accepting of people's 'religious views', it should give us the courage to be all the more bold in our faith." This is a very interesting thought. With so many new immigrants coming to America, we are becoming a nation of many religions. So much so, that our new president told the American people that, "We are not longer a Christian nation." Breaks my heart. To some extent I agree with the idea of America being open to new religions. Because, we are still a nation with freedom of religion. However, I don't think people have changed all that much in how tolerant they are with different religions. Sitcoms still make fun of different religions, as does regular conversation. I believe the greatest reason that it seems other religions are being "accepted" is because Christianity is being attacked. I don't see how one can argue this. It's evident all over. After all, we are just a bunch of rednecks who "cling to (our) guns or religion." I may be wrong (rare), but I really don't think America is at all accepting of Christians. The problem is, once in a while a movie like "Blindside" comes out which is semi-fair to Christians, and we jump on it as proof that America is tolerant of us. First of all, if you are satisfied with America being just "satisfied" with Christianity, your priorities are way messed up. So is it an advantage that we are religiously free? Not in my opinion. You see, the US is no longer a Christian nation, but our faith is still allowed. We're stuck in a lukewarm bucket of tolerance.

2) Another comment I received mentioned that we should witness in relationships...not in 5 minute "Do you know Jesus" conversations. I completely agree, BUT obviously I won't leave it that easy. If you have an unbelieving friend, he'll see you living a dynamite Christ-like life. He'll like what you have-the peace, the hope, and the love. After a couple of years he may even become a Christian. But what if he dies before your life convinces him? My simple point, a relationship involves talking. So, don't just let your life lead him to the Lord. Tell him about Jesus all the time. Tell him what He's doing in your life. And you better be letting Him do amazing things or you'll be a pathetic witness. But what about those 5 minute "Do you know Jesus" conversations? "Of course not!" you say. After all, what is a bigger turn off than a nerdy kid holding his Bible in the school hallway trying to witness to the basketball point guard? But here's a thought. When that nerdy kid gets to Heaven, what do you think God will tell him?

"You stupid human! He would have believed in Me if you hadn't done that stupid 5 minute witness session!"

I doubt it. I'm thinking more along the lines of "Well done thou good and faithful servant."

The world needs to hear about Jesus, and God can use 5 minute witnessing from nerds.

3) I also received a comment telling me it's actually not about being a rebel or just being different, but about following Jesus, because if we follow Jesus we WILL be different. I'm sorry if you took what I said wrong. That is what I meant. Obviously we don't always have to be rebels. Our nation began as an amazing Christ-following nation. We had major problems too, yes, but we wanted to do the will of God. To rebel from that would be idiotic, stupid, and not at all helpful to Christianity. But we are no longer that same nation. So, following Jesus has BECOME different, almost rebellious. 

4) I got one comment from someone who didn't agree with me at all. Thank you so much for that comment, because I'd love to address what you disagreed with. This person said that they "couldn't disagree more about praying for persecution", and that is was "totally unbiblical." I am confused by this slightly, because I thought I used enough Scripture to prove my point. I won't repeat them all, but let me refresh our memories. Philippians 1:29 says, "For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake." It has been GRANTED. Mr. Webster says that "grant" means to "allow fulfillment of." 2 Timothy 3:12 says "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." So, I'm not Einstein, but if the Bible says we WILL suffer and we don't, pretty sure something is wrong. Lastly, In Matthew 5:11 Jesus says, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake." Well, why can't we have this blessing too? Like I said, I appreciate this comment, but I don't understand how it can be unbiblical to ask for persecution when the Bible makes it look so appealing! If anyone has a problem with this, please attack me with Scripture (common sense won't convince me).

5) The final comment (which brings me to the point of this blog) was this:

"Very interesting thoughts, now my question for you is how are you going to put this into application? I don't think it's a very real expectation to be martyred in America, unless maybe you're doing inner city ministry... but I certainty like the fearless attitude to act as if you were."

It's very true. America isn't exactly the #1 country in the world for getting persecuted. And please don't misunderstand me. I thank God all the time for this. I love living in America. We are the greatest nation on earth. We are free, rich (and don’t think we aren’t rich because the economy is bad...if you have food, you are rich), and you can become whoever you want if you're willing to work for it. So if we are "supposed" to be persecuted, what can we do?

Well, you could start with waving a Bible above your head in China. :) 

Yes. I am exaggerating. The point of being a Christian is not to just get killed (sorry if I've come across that way). 

Let me try to give you an example of what I'm talking about. Let's talk football (sorry if you're not into sports). Let's say your name is Bret Favre (what an honor!). Your coach worked really hard to get you on his team. He took extreme ridicule just so that you could be his quarterback. No one else thought you deserved the position, but coach asked you to join anyway. A couple of months later, you are in Super Bowl 44. If you had two options, which would you choose? 

1. You hand the ball off every play to Adrian Peterson because it is safe, and you don't have to worry about getting hurt. He's the best running back in the NFL so it's not like what you're doing is wrong, right?

2. You put everything on the line. After all, Coach put everything on the line for you. Why shouldn't you do the same? The game comes down to the wire. There are 5 seconds left. You get the snap. Drop back. Scramble. Percy Harvin has his man beat deep. You pump fake to Bernard Berrian, and take a step forward to launch it deep to Harvin. Just as you release the ball, Daniel Muir from the Indianapolis Colts defensive line smacks you helmet to helmet. The ball sails straight into the arms of your receiver for a touchdown. The hit you received sends you to the ground, and you have to be carted off the field. You never play another game, but because you were willing to give it all for your team and your coach, you are a Super Bowl champion. 

Now, this may not be the best example, but hopefully it helps. 

You know it's interesting, another comment I received informed me that the early church had problems with people WANTING to be martyred. Do you think these people just hated their life and thought this would be a cool way to "go out?" No. I don't even know what to say about it. Were they "too" passionate? Is God going to punish them for not staying alive? Now, I don't think you have to go try to die. But I honestly think that if nobody hates you, there's got to be a problem. This world isn't Godly anymore. 

Okay, I believe I have officially kicked this topic to death, thrown it over Niagara Falls, stabbed it through, and blown it up. If you don't get the point now...you probably just skipped to this paragraph. 

So, you'll be glad to know we're almost done. I am going to finish with giving you three examples of what a un-boring Christian could look like.

1. (An Un-Boring "American Christian). This is someone who decides not to leave the greatest nation on earth. God does not call everyone to leave their home. If he did, then there wouldn't be such a thing as home. Everyone would be traveling and there would be no one to witness to cuz they'd be traveling too. So, how do you live a persecuted life for Christ in an un-persecuted America? It's actually incredibly easy. Only 1 step. Be willing to be persecuted. I can almost guarantee that if you are willing to be persecuted, that you will be. Now, you don't have to ASK for persecution, but Jesus said the person who is persecuted is blessed, so it may not be a bad idea. What does this mean for you? Let's say you have a nice job. High pay. Let's say your business asks you to compromise one tiny area of your faith. Don't agree. "But if I don't, I'll be out of a job, and my family will suffer!" Oh, yeah, you're probably right. It is definitely a smart idea to put your family before God (note the sarcasm used). The same goes for school. If you are popular, you are going to have unbelieving friends (most likely even if you aren't). If your friend keeps using God's name in vain, tell him/her to shut up! "But he won't be my friend anymore!" 

Let me ask you a question. What would you do if your best friends made fun of your dad every other sentence? And if that doesn't apply to you for whatever reason, fill "dad" in with the person you most care about. What if your friends talked smack about this person all the time? Would you tolerate that? At the very least you would ask them to stop! I guarantee that! But we don't. We let them make fun of our Savior all the time. We do nothing about it. How are our friends supposed to believe that our faith is a "relationship" when we don't care what people say about our "best friend"? These are just two examples of an un-boring American Christian. I'm sure there are better examples, but this should be enough to get your thinking.

2. (An Un-Boring Missionary Christian #1) This is someone who is a missionary in a country where it's legal to be one. Two thoughts come to mind for this scenario. First of all, if you're a missionary, it means that these people already have a religion. They worship someone besides the true God. Maybe it's the sun, Buddha, Allah, etc. Usually, not every single person in a village is thrilled to see his people losing their faiths. How would YOU feel if some guy/girl came to your town/city and started convincing all of your friends and family that Jesus was just made up? If someone was starting to convince my sister to waiver in her faith, I'd give HIM some persecution. So, you will probably get persecuted that way. If you don't, why not persecute yourself? I'll explain. All I mean by this is give 101% in everything you do. Don't accept any money for what you do. Give it all away to those in need. "But that's stupid!" Yeah, it's definitely idiotic to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." If you haven't realized this yet, following Jesus isn't about "making sense to the world". This last idea works for an un-boring American Christian, as well as my last option.

3. (An Un-Boring Missionary Christian #2) This is someone who takes my advice to the extreme, and spreads the Word in a place that will most likely get them killed. I don't know what all places this includes. I should find out. :) China for sure, but I know there are many more. Possibly even in America in certain areas. I think what these people do is pretty obvious. Preach the Word, live for Jesus, and try to stay alive doing it. Notice I didn't say "trying to get killed." After all, the longer you stay alive. the more you can lead to Jesus! But, everyone dies, so why not die with a Bible in your hand in a place where it's illegal?!

Conclusion. I was told in a speech class to never say "in conclusion". When one does so, people's thinking minds automatically shut off. So just stick with me for a little longer. 

I was recently asked what these idea I have been writing mean to me. How am I supposed to suffer when I am going to a $40,000 college, and studying English to be a High School english teacher? Simple answer. I have no idea. Right now I'm just praying. In all honestly, I thought about the idea of dropping out of school. That would bring about persecution for sure, because Mom would kill me. :) But seriously, why not go to another country right now? I'm pretty sure I know enough about my Savior to tell others about him. "But I'd run out of money and food?" Sure would! And then I'd be suffering! 

Now don't think I'm trying to make you look up to me or something. If I were, I'd be on a plane right now for China. As it is, I'm still planning on four years of college. All these posts have been, are thoughts. Just a lot of maybes. BUT...they are maybes that I'm not just "getting out of my system". I am praying for God's guidance, and I hope you are as well. If God has suffering and persecution in my future, I'd love for Him to show me what to do. 

If God wants me to be a wealthy teacher, and the greatest suffering He has in store, is not getting the promotion I deserve, I will thank Him. 

If He wants me to be a missionary on very limited income, I will thank Him. 

If He wants me to die one year from now with a Bible in my hand, I'll thank Him (in Heaven). 

But whatever happens, there are three things I need. 

1. I need Jesus.

2. I need suffering.

1. I need to hear my Savior say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of the lord."

So here we are. Your eyes are tired, your mind is spinning (hopefully), you've finished four bowls of popcorn, and your coca cola is long gone. What do you take away from this? I'll skim it all down to 5 things.

1. Wanting to suffer does not mean "trying" to suffer, but rather accepting it with joy when it comes.

2. One does not have to leave the country to suffer, just his front door. 

3. Ask for persecution.

4. Read your Bible (this seems random, but how are you supposed to know God's will if you don't listen to what He has to say?).

5. Philippians 4:11

Thank you for reading. The LORD bless you, and keep you. The LORD make his face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. The LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. 

James Knoop

Matthew 5:14

Christians Are Boring

Okay...before I dive into this let me say something. I realize I'm a fallen sinner. I do not claim everything I have written as truth, because I claim nothing but Scripture as complete truth. But...if you find fault with my writings, prove it to me by Scripture. And if you make it all the way through, please leave me a comment or shoot me an email or message on facebook or whatever. I would love to talk to you about the subject and hear your input on the matter.
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Let my first remark be to say that "Christianity" is not boring. With that said, let us begin.
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Christians are boring. Let that sink in for a second. Most likely you cannot. "No I'm not!" you say.
Yeah, that's what most say. That's what I said. And when I say "said", I don't mean I alone received a vision on the topic, but I obviously think differently since I'm writing this blog. 
Now, I have a tendency to write a lot...a LOT...when I am excited about a topic. With that knowledge about my self, I will try to scrape off all the jargon (love that word) from this post, and give you only the meat off the bone. However, if you are still hungry you can chew on the bone for a very long time before it's gone (I have no idea if that visual helps you at all).
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So...right to the point. Christians (myself included....as always) have made Christianity out to be extremely boring, and it is no wonder that our friends don't want to become Christians. From the very beginning (birth of Jesus) Christianity has been about a rebellion. To steal the idea from *Lecrae*, Jesus was a rebel. For thousands of years the Jews had been set in their ways and then BAM, one man comes and says things are gonna be different. Do you know why the Jewish leaders hated Jesus so much? Because of what he taught? Somewhat. But I think it mostly had to do with pride. All eyes (which had been on the priests) suddenly turned to Jesus, because he was different. He was going against the grain.
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Christians today are not going against the grain. At all. What is the most radical thing you have ever done for Jesus (this question directed mostly at myself). Preached in church once maybe? Helped at a VBS? Worked at camp? And maybe....MAYBE even worked up the courage to talk to someone about Jesus. Maybe. It strikes me funny how we have entire conferences devoted to teaching young men and women how to tell their friends about Jesus. Personally I like Jonah's technique.
"Repent or you're gonna burn!"
You scoff at this and say, "Well that would never work, and they would hate me (and Christians) if I said that. I have two things to say to that. 
1) It worked rather well for Jonah. Ninevah was just about the most evil place on the planet and the entire city turned from their wicked ways. 
2) Do you know why Ninevah repented? Because it didn't matter what Jonah said. God is the one who changes hearts. I could take this point to go into why I'm a Calvinist, but I'll save that for later. But I think most people agree that God is the ultimate one at work through salvation. 
~
Now...I don't want this to distract from my main point by people asking me if this is really the ONLY way to tell others about God. Yes. Christianity is about grace, love, and forgiveness. Try to stay on my main point. All I mean by this is that it's not about the way you say it.
~
Christians have forgotten that it's God who does the saving...NOT the person telling their friends about God. Not you. 
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Read Matthew 10:19 or Luke 12:11. These verses deal with persecution, but sadly relate to us today as we are more afraid of hurting our reputation than the early church was of getting burned in hot oil, or burning at the stake. Read 1 Corinthians 2:1. Who do we look to more to than Paul in the New Testament (besides Jesus), and he wasn't a spokesman. Who do we praise in the Old Testament? Moses! He hated talking to people. He was so afraid of talking to Pharaoh that God had Aaron do the talking for Moses. 
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As my acting professor says often..."It's not about the words!" Life is not about words. If it were I'd feel really bad for the mute. Life is about actions. Paul wasn't an eloquent speaker, and his works still brought (and are currently) bringing thousands to Christ. I'm pretty sure if his works weren't doing much that he wouldn't have gotten his head cut off for what he was doing. Moses wasn't the bravest man on earth. He was definitely more brave than most give him credit for, but all the same. He didn't want to go to Pharaoh, and he did very little talking when God finally "convinced" him to go. BUT...he did indeed go. And God used Moses to be the leader of the largest event in Israel's history. 
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There are two things I find extremely......odd. The first I already mentioned.
1) We have entire conferences devoted to witnessing. 
2) We pray for the persecuted church.
Let me explain...
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Christ told us that in this world we would have persecution (John 16:33). We are told many other times that life is about suffering (James 1:2-4, Romans 8:16-17, 1 Peter 4:12-14, 2 Corinthian 12:9-10).  Now, since I know many of you won't look up those verses I'll put a couple on here.
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Philippians 1:29 says, "For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake." I want you to notice a little word in that verse that never ceases to blow my mind. "granted."  Paul says that is has been GRANTED that we suffer. Paul is like the drive-thru banker who not only gives you the money for you check but also says, "not only am I giving you this money, but here's a free sucker." (The story behind that is I loved going to the bank for free suckers when i was little....and still). 
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What would you say if someone offered you an amazing job with the stipulation that you would get flogged every day before work, and burned in oil before you left? That was rhetorical by the way. But Paul gives this offer with a completely sincere smile.
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If you are not 100% committed to following Jesus than do not read this next verses. 
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"But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.  Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. "
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Paul mentions 9 things which Timothy has "followed" about him. How many of them have to do with what Paul said? None. He mentions doctrine which COULD be what he said directly, but most likely refers to planned/thought out writings. 
But the thing about this passage that will hopefully change your life, is verse 12. I'll repeat it.
"Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. "
Let me ask you a question. Have you ever suffered for Jesus Christ? Don't answer yes without thinking about it. I'm talking about real suffering. Not "Johnny won't be my friend anymore" kind of suffering. I know I haven't. Not even close.
Let's read some more verses.
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2 Corinthians 4:8, "We are afflicted in every way." Are you? I'm not.
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1 Peter 4:12-14, "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified."
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What is the first thing that we pray when we feel like we are suffering?
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"God! Why? Why are you letting this happen? There must be a purpose!"
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That is a good question, but also one that was already answered a....couple thousand years ago. Peter is basically saying "Why are you surprised that you're suffering?" Suffering is just kinda "the thing" for Christians. When your friend asks you what you want to do, don't say "I don't know." Next time try, "Let's get into some serious suffering." Tell me what reaction you get.
~
We are told to REJOICE in suffering. We are told that suffering brings blessing. We are told the Spirit of God rests upon the persecuted. And we are told that we shall receive glory. GLORY. If there is anything in this world that I am looking for, it boils down to about three things.
1) Love (which I have already found)
2) Answers (which I will ask till the day I die)
and
3) Glory
I am not a humble man. So badly do I want glory. Glory in the life I live. Glory in the way I die. And glory in the way I am remembered. This verse promises me that glory I so desire. Though, all glory that i receive is ultimately given right back to God. Glory rarely comes in the form of an easy life. Tell me a movie you've seen where the glorious character is a bum. My favorite characters are from Gladiator, Brave heart, Lord of the Rings, 300, etc. To put it simply...they were not bums.
~
I love 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Paul is speaking about a conversation with Jesus (probably in a vision).
~
"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecution, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
~
Now, I don't want to take this verse out of context. Paul is talking about a "thorn in his flesh". Some speculate that this was a physical disability or illness that Paul had. So in verse 8, Paul begs God three times for this "thorn" to be taken away. God replies that Paul is better with it. The reason I have not taken this verse out of context is because Paul uses God's words and transfers them into every area of his life. Paul decides that not only his infirmity, but everything "bad" that happens to him (persecution included) makes him stronger. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Anything Satan throws at you, God can use for good. And since he knows that, Paul says that he will "take pleasure in it." Amazing.
~
So let me sum this up so far. Early Christians not only suffered greatly, but they were used to it. And not only were they used to it, they counted it an honor and joy to do so.
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Now I know what you're thinking. "I...I...well I'm not afraid to suffer. I...well see...I just don't want my friends to get the wrong idea about Christianity."
~
Let's go back to the Scriptures.
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In Matthew 5:11 Jesus says, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake."
~
Do you think Jesus would have said this if He expected people to accept our words with a joyful smile? Doubt it. 
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In John 15:18-19 Jesus says, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."
~
If you didn't believe Paul earlier, Jesus says it too. Suffering is a guarantee...NOT a possibility.
~
So the question arises, "Why are we NOT suffering?" The answer is found in the verse I just gave to you. Jesus said that the world would hate us because we "are not of the world". Time to wake up folks.
~
The reason we are not hated by the world is because we ARE of this world. 
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Now, I have zero problem with "NOTW" apparel. I was just on their site today. But you know the funny thing about it? All it is...is emo clothing with the word "God" or "Truth" or something on it. Once again, I have no problem with it, and I think it's a great ministry, but I also think it helps my main point. Christians are boring. But why be creative? Let's steal mainstream clothes ideas and put "Christian" words on them! Let's get a green shirt that used to say Sprite, and make it say "Spirit!" That'll bring people to the foot of the cross for sure!
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I seriously can't believe they sell that stuff in Christian book stores. What a joke. Once again, don't boycott your local bookstore if they sell these. Just making a point. Look at our Music. "Christian" music used to mean that the lyrics would lead you to Jesus Christ. Not anymore. Now, it's anything that doesn't blaspheme Him. Example: "Daughtry". GREAT band. But please...why is he in the Christian music department? My favorite band in the world is Switchfoot. They are all Christians, and were under a Christian label for a long time, and did not like it. Why? Because they weren't Christians? No. Because they didn't feel that their lyrics were worthy of the label "Christian". They don't just sing about Jesus. They sing about politics and love also. One big reason they worked so hard to be independent was to be free from being under a Christian label. Kudos to Switchfoot.
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The word "holy" means "set apart". Christians are striving to be holy right? We are "not to be conformed to the ways of this world". But we could ask for nothing more. When I look around me all I see is a desire for conformity. My brothers and sisters in Christ are seeking every single way in which they can be a Christian yet be JUST like their unbelieving friends. I'm about to make a comment that may lose me some friends, but I believe it's true. Feel free to quote me in your gossip circles.
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If you go to a public school and are popular, you are probably not living for Jesus.
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Now, there are exceptions. Jesus could be doing great things through you, and leading others to Christ. If so...good for you. But...I doubt it.
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You want to know the two biggest reasons I hear over and over against Christians?
~
1) "I don't see a difference."
Few things should strike terror into a Christian more than this. Remember what I said about "Holy"? 
Set apart. The opposite of this says that if we are NOT set apart we are "unholy". When a person whose eyes have not been opened to Christ looks at us they should only think one thing.
"I HATE that person!"
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You should have way more enemies than you have friends. I asked the question earlier, "why are we praying for the persecuted church?". Well, it's good to pray for them, but not the way we have been. We always pray that God would protect them. 
Why? 
To ask for protection would be to rob them of the suffering and persecution that they have been granted. Maybe we should start praying that God would grant that they might suffer greatly for the sake of the cross. Put "maybe" aside. We SHOULD be praying this. 
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We often thank God for living in a free country where we can worship freely. I too am thankful to God for living in the greatest country on earth. But...maybe we should add a little to that prayer. 
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"God thank you for this free country where I can worship freely...but I'd appreciate it if you'd send someone into my life who hates me and wants to hurt me." This sounds humorous, but I'm completely serious. Do you want to know where Christianity is growing the quickest? Where it's outlawed. Christianity is growing like a wildfire where people get killed if they believe it. You want to know what country is declining rapidly in Christians? The United States of America. Why? Because Americans have made Christianity look extremely boring.
~
The second reason unbelievers give for no being interested in Christianity is
"It's just about rules."
Sadly, this is true, and it goes hand in hand with not being able to see a difference. You see, the only difference unbelievers DO see in us is our rules. It's so sad because it's NOT about rules...at all. But Christians obsess over rules. We have entire conferences devoted to whether or not dating is right, and "how far" to go in a dating experience. What a waste of time and money. Maybe if you read your Bible once in a while you'd figure it out. 
~
Now, if you take the two reasons the world isn't interested, you can boil it down to one thing.
1) Christians in America are boring!
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I've never heard anyone make fun of a Chinese Christian, or a believer in Korea. Why? Because they are DIFFERENT. I don't make fun of the terrorist who ran into the trade towers. You know why? I'm not bitter at them for attacking my country. I'm mad at Satan who has betrayed them by telling them what they believed was right. To be honest, I greatly respect those men who attacked me. They believed in something with all their heart, and gave their life for it. They didn't care what people thought about them, or what happened to them, because they "knew" what they were doing was right. What great, misled men. 
~
In my fallen mind, it's a shame they aren't the ones making it to Heaven, when we American "Christians" sit in America complaining that a movie just came out making fun of Christians. Well, to be brutally honest there is a lot to make fun of! It's sickening! Christians are swearing/cussing, having sex outside of marriage, divorcing, lying, cheating, stealing, lusting, back-talking, and hating at the same rate as everyone else. You know why? It's because we are trying to get as close to "the line" as we can without sinning...and then we trip.
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You know what happens when you go to the edge of a cliff and you trip? 
You fall and die. 
One of the saddest things Christians do is make fun of conservative Christians. Oh how we are breaking 1 Thessalonians 5:11! 
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"Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing." 
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I am more guilty than many in this area. How often do we make fun of the family who makes their boys wear nice shirts and ties all the time, and makes the girls wear dresses? Oh how I wish I were more conservative! Every day I try to become more conservative in some way. Here's why:
If you go to the edge of a cliff and you trip...you die.
BUT
If you stay far far away from the cliff to begin with, and you trip...
you are still far away from the cliff.
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An easy concept, but not easily practiced. I respect conservative families so very much. They are actually DIFFERENT. In a small way yes, but all the same they are set apart. 
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You see, all we have ever been taught in church is that Christianity is about faith and not about works. FALSE!!!!!
False.
False.
False.
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Have you never read the book of James?! Try reading James 1 and 2 and saying Christianity is not about works. Now, do works save us? No. Of course not. But just like suffering is a given to ours lives, so are works. James says that faith without works is dead. Another way he could have said this is that faith without works is pointless.
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Have you ever walked on a treadmill? If so, when you walk, how far do you get? Nowhere. What if you walk REALLY hard, flailing your arms like a drunk speed walker? Still nowhere. That's what it's like to be a Christian without works. You are still in fact a Christian, but you're getting nowhere. I feel as if Christians have become afraid of works with all this anti-works preaching. If becoming a Christian was just about being "saved", then why wouldn't God just kill us and get it over with?
I can just see it. 
"Jesus...please come into my heart."
*BAM* Lightening bolt from God and you're in Heaven. 
~
God wants us to DO things for him. Christianity is the only religion which leads to eternal life. It's also the only religion that's not doing anything about it. Muslims are crashing planes, Buddhists are giving up all desires of the flesh, and Hindus go on pilgrimages. 
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Christians attend Bible Study sometimes when they aren't at track practice, because their parents make them. In my opinion, other religions have just about everything going better than us except for their Theology. Why aren't we going on pilgrimages, fasting, and living in caves to better experience God? People notice those things. I recently did a study on world religions. Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) was born an extremely wealthy prince. There was nothing that he lacked except the knowledge of evil. When he discovered this knowledge he sought answers. He left the comforts of home and went on a journey to find these answers. It was then that he received his revelation. After receiving his knowledge of Nirvana, he gave up all earthly desires for his faith. His life became about giving up everything of himself, all earthly desires, for what he believed in. 
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Does that sound familiar to you? Sounds a lot like Christianity to me. The truth is, Siddhartha was not far from the Kingdom. After his death, Siddhartha's followers changed a lot of things. Siddhartha never desired to be worshipped. 
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Now, don't worry. I'm not turning Buddhist. What I'm saying is that we need to learn from these "wrong" religions. We must take the good they have, and add it to our faith. We have Jesus, but they have so many of the things Jesus talked about. 
~
Christians need to stop sending missionaries to other countries. Other countries understand what it means to take up their cross. America is in need of some missionaries. Maybe we could get some people from China in our arenas speaking about how awesome it is to live every day of your life under the threat of death. 
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You think we have it easy as Christians here in America? You're wrong. The hardest country on earth to be a Christian in is the United States of America. Why? Because it's easy. 
When you wake up in your American bed you pray, "God help me take up my cross," and then you go to school with all your unbelieving friends who think you are the coolest kid on earth.
When you wake up in your Chinese bed you pray, "God help me take up my cross," and then a police officer walks in the door and puts a gun to your head asking you if you're a Christian. You smile and whisper a silent "thank you." 
~
People in America turn to God because they had too much fun and got in trouble. 

People in China turn to God to have some fun getting in trouble. 
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Oh God! Please let America has some fun too!
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I don't know how often I hear Christians say they are scared of "what their friends will think." 

My first thought is, "who gives a *alternative word*.
My second is this: If you really want to be respected by your friends. Die. 
It's that easy. Go find some guy with a gun in a dark alley. Tell him about Jesus. BOOM. You're in Heaven and you're friend back here is thinking, "Wow. He was actually serious."
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You want to know why the polls show that America has more Christians than there seems to be? Because most of them aren't Christians. I think our revivals should only consist of preachers who warn people that if they become a Christian they will most likely get skinned alive. There would be much fewer converts, BUT they would be sincere about following Jesus. 
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Everyone is trying to make Christianity look like this Barbie doll religion where everyone is happy happy all day long. It's not. There is pain. Hurt. Suffering. We are called to give up everything. Never look back. Though none go with me, still I will follow. How far we have strayed.
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I want you to think of the best friend you have right now who is not a Christian. Realize this right now before it's too late. They are going to Hell! Hell. Where they will burn in the Lake of Fire, tormented day and night for eternity. But most importantly, they will be unloved and alone. They will think all day long how they wished they would have come to Jesus. And they will curse you for not telling them.
~
So stop you whining about "what they will think of you." Give it your best shot. Maybe al that will come out is:
"Uh...so I'm a Christian and going to Heaven but...uh....you aren't."
God can use that.
~
The saddest thing is that you probably won't even do that.
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Everybody loves a rebel. Everybody loves a radical. Everybody loves a martyr.


American Christians are none of these.