its been a while since i last blogged, but better to blog when i have something to say rather than saying something in order to blog......
Over the past few months ive been reading a good few books, books that have changed...no....MOULDED my ideas, views and some opinions on christian life. Books like "Exiles" by michael frost, "punk monk" by andy freeman, "prodical friendly church" by Jeff Lucas, "being a contagious christian" by Bill Hybels......Truth is i find that you can get so bogged down in a "contempory christian lifestyle" that you some times forget the real basics on which it is all founded on!
Here are the things i hold highest...
(in no order)
God (ok this one is in order..)
Community and people
generousity with time (and money, this is something i struggle with, but i am getting beter)
Forgiveness
LOVE (to everyone)
evangelism (not like milk box evangelism! living evangelism, through actions, relationships, lifestyle. Living as Jesus would in our culture!)
Forgiveness
All of these are as important as the other i supose but its good to think back on them.
How do all of these relate to the way i live my life?
Its all about Matthew 5:13 (NLT) You are the salt of the earth, but what good is salt if it has lost its flavour? Can you make it salty again? it will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless."
I want to be salt! i want to bring flavour to Newtownards or wherever it may be that i am called to (another blog post for another time)
I want to be a...
salty drum teacher
salty youth worker
salty photographer
salty friend
salty son and brother
I can do this, it is written...Philippians 4:13 "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength"
Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. (The Message)
Back to basics
What happened to real the christmas?
OK i have not [posted in ages! this feels wrong, but oooh so right!
so ive been thinking about christmas.....to be honest looking at the normal nativity scene boores me, it looks fake, i dont believe it, there is NO WAY it happened like that. so ive been doin a bit of research...
so here are a few questions for you....
Where was jesus born? - Bethlehem right?
Why was he born there? - Because Joseph had to go to be taxed because he was of the house and linieage of david correct?
heres a thought... Bethelhem was FULL of joseph family and relatives and friends but STILL there was no room for him? thats pretty sick huh??
ok so how did mary and joseph get to bethlehem? - on a donkey huh? WRONG
NOWHERE does it say they rod ein on a donkey. hell, they had to sacrafice a dove because they couldent afford a lamn, so never mind a donkey!! Maybe they borrowed one?
ok anoither one. How many animals were present at the birth? maybe a few goats? sheep? a cow? some ducks? a pig? NO!!
lets think about it, REALLY think about it? Jesus was born in a manjer right? so why the flip were animals not eating out of it? so most likely there were no animals ther, then again if there were no animals there then what condition was the manger in?? so Jesus was born in a crappy, smelly, rotten crib witch the farmer wouldent even let his goats eat out of?
and what was he wraped in? swadeling cloth yea? you know what that was used for? MUMMIES...wrapping dead bodies that right, Gods son was born in a crappy stinkin crib and wraped in dead man cloth........very holy yea
Who were the first people to visit him? Shepards right? correct, stinking, cold, wet, smelly, un-educated, coruce and dangerous men. people who sleep under trees and spend all day with sheep....really company for a king!
Here is a good one for you....how many wise men where there?.....3? no
Nowhere in the bible does it say there were 3.....most likely thee were loads of them!! they traveled in communities not groups of 3.,..hmm what kind of a star did they follow?
Also when did they come? what age was Jesus? , just born? arrived a few moments after shepards?...WRONG! Jesus would have been at least 6 months by then..Herod was a little desperate when he heard the news. so made a rough guess on how long it would have taken news to get to him, for him to sent the order then for it to be carried out so he estamadted Jesus was under 2 years old and ordered all 2 year olds and under to be killed.......SICK!!!
HMm so the little plastic nativity outside your local church seems a little false now too? Jesus's life was no fairy tale. he suffered from the word go for us, people who dont desirve it, people who pick and choose what part of the stories we want to hear. leave out the real things, it mat offend us. He was a hero and thats sometimes forgotten, heroes now are judged on thier heroic acts, freeing people, fighting the power, saving lives, JESUS DID IT ALL! Man we gota sort it out, give him the respect he is due!!!
think about it.
Working Girls.
Again i have been trying to work out the difference between "listening" to God and actually "hearing" from God!
Last night i Heard from God! Let me tell you the story....
I left the prayer room feeling really tired, not very excited not really very inspired.
I was with Amanda (one of the American team...thank God for her and Red bull) We prayed God would lead us to the dark places! Let our light shine etc! So as we walked we walked past a group of Prostitutes. WE said Hello but there was only glances and looks back. It is something the 24/7 team has been praying about for so long! Never been sure how to approach the situation! So as we walked past i HEARD from god, liker a voice at the back of my head saying "Chris, stop being a wimp, stop walking around & over the things i have put in your path" So i said to Amanda we gotta go and just sit with those girls, so we walked back and just sat on the bench beside them as they spoke to each other in Nigerian. I was a little nervous, not feeling well, not confident.....just not myself really. I was thinking about Jesus, what would he do in this situation? I was asking him for his strength, his wisdom, his confidence! Suddenly out of my control i turned to them..
"excuse me....can i talk to you guys for a while?"
That was it! door opened, they gathered round all smiles and wonder, i told them about who we are what we did and asked about them, where they are from,their names, and had the opportunity to be truthfully and just tell them they are beautiful! there are!
I asked them what they wanted prayer for?
"love, good lives, happiness" It broke my heart because as they said than one of the other girls came out of a photo booth followed by a man pulling up his zip. She then came over and introduced herself, we prayed together! iPrayed that no matter what happens in their lives they know God is their father, their lover, their best friend! It was truly God last night! There is too much to type about here.....i will leave it at that!
God is amazing!
I love How he works!
His design is Un-fathomable!
The two men that prayed
Today during my quiet time (which i dont spend enough time in) i was reading the parable of the two men that prayed. (Luke 18:9) If you dont know the parable it is about a pharisee and a tax collector.
Here it is:
Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
This strikes true to me more and more as days go by! Its like the pharisee represents christian culture today, praying inwardly, praying for itself and creating barrier between it and everyone. THe tax collecter represents the rest of the world, lost alone, confused and in need of help! The christian community is in danger of rising themselves about the "secular" society and culture. WE should have no barriers or boundries, we were all created in gods own image, let us find the godleness in everyone and draw it out of them, we are servents, children and part of the great body of christ!! Not saints, special ones, angels or princes! we are here to have God do with us as he will!! Let us serve and infect!Jesus did ot hang out with those who were "worthy" or saved, he hung around with real people, people god created and loved! let us to the same, what an amazing role model we have! Viva la Jesus!
