Defined//Witness

Witnessing...you know the "christian" formula we invented to tell others about Jesus...since we got to make an event out of it. We have to take classes like F.A.I.T.H and know our "Christian Alphabet"--Accept, Believe, Confess--before we're allowed to witness. Yeap, even Jesus did the study Share Jesus Without Fear, because He was scared of Himself. We've made witnessing into this massive thing-to-do and we've totally screwed up what Jesus originally planned.

Jesus said, "you will be my witnesses." (Acts 1:8) He did not say go and witness. It's not something you go and do. It's something You are. Everything you do witnesses Christ to this world. The question is what kind of witness are you? Does your witness--your life--lift Jesus up and allow Him to draw people to Himself (John 12:32) or does your witness--your life--make Jesus want to spit you out of His mouth? (Rev 3:14-22)

If you witness a crime, what happens? Did you do something? No, you just saw it. What happens? You become something. You become a witness. You become a part of a bigger story. Jesus didn't tell people about a bigger story. He lived out the bigger story, God's story of redemption. Then whoever came in contact with Him witnessed it and they became a part of God's redemption story because of it.

This world is looking for a bigger story, a redemption story. They are wanting to witness that there is more to life than this. They are wanting to witness that there is such a thing as faith, hope, and love.

We would rather show somebody a diagram, than to show them Jesus alive inside of us. We would rather walk the "Roman Road" with them, than walk down life's road with them hand in hand so that they can see that Jesus makes a difference.

We've made this witness thing into something so impersonal. (so we don't have to get close and so we don't have to get our hands dirty) When Jesus walked into people's lives, he was very personal. He didn't go up to Zacchaeus and say, "If you were to die tonight, would you go to heaven or hell?" No, he went up to Zacchaeus and said, "Stop hiding up in that tree. Come on down. Let's go eat and hangout at your place. Come follow me." And this changed Zacchaeus' life because no one wanted to hang out with him and now this Jesus dude comes in and shows Zacchaeus what heaven is like, instead of just asking him about it. Now money, which controlled his life earlier, didn't even matter anymore and he gave it all away for he found the "treasure in the field." (Matt 13:44) He found the greatest love ever and he was willing to give it all away just to be apart of that love.

This world is looking for a bigger story, a redemption story. They are wanting to witness that there is more to life than this. They are wanting to witness that there is such a thing as faith, hope, and love.

All we have to do is...
Love God.
Love God's redemption story.
Love people.
Be God's redemption story.
"For you will be my witnesses..."
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Sources
The Bible

True Story//Katie

*Explicit Content--the story is true and real and the church needs to see where the world is at so that we can run to them with the hope that we have inside of us--like Jesus did. It's time to get messy*

The first time I met Katie was the second day at my new job. She was in the back fixing to fall apart as she just found out that her uncle had died the night before in a tragic car accident. Since I was new to this place and didn't really know anybody, I didn't know exactly what to do. But I sat down with her for a moment, let her cry, and then made her laugh. (like milk, laughter does a body good lol) We got off about the same time so we set down and drank some coffee as she told me her life story...

Divorse. Step-parents. Death. Sickness. Cancer. Worry. Depression. Anti-depressants. Poverty. College Full-time. Working two jobs. Cancer again--this time herself (age 20). Weed. Alcohol. Questioning. Broken heart. Empty sex. Sucidal thoughts. Tears. No hope.

At the end of all this she was asking God why??? Her grandfather was a pastor, but her home was filled with a bunch of religious rules and not Jesus' Love. My heart was broken for her. We would hang out after work all the time and she would let me know how her week was going. I'd just let her vent, but she would always come back to asking questions about God and Christians. She was trying to find some kind of answer.

One day while we were talking, she was shaking all over and smoking more cigarettes then her norm. I asked her what was wrong and she rolled up her sleeve. "I just couldn't take it anymore," she said as she showed me her 48 scars where she had cut herself the night before. Then she asked me another question about God that has never left me. In her desperation and tears she asked, "If Jesus is such d@#* good news then why don't it change anything? If it is such f@#*ing good news, then why don't christians act like it is f@#*ing good news? I don't believe a God d@#* thing!!!" She looked at me for an answer and I couldn't say anything.

I went home that night in anger, not at her, but at myself cause I didn't know what to say. Her question haunted me and made me question things.

What is the gospel?
Is it good news?
Why is it good news?
Why don't I act like it is good news?
Why doesn't it seem like good news to other people?
How is the world suppose to see this good news?

I mean really think about this for a moment. When we have something good happen to us, most of the time we tell someone about it and our whole attitude changes. And we have the greatest news ever in Jesus and we're scared to tell people about him and christians are some of the most depressed people i've ever met.

If you were in my situation, what would you have done? What would you have told Katie? Most of us would say, "Well, I'll be praying for you," and then just walk away. Is that showing her good news? Is that showing her Jesus?

"We often ask God to show up. We pray prayers of rescue. Perhaps God would ask us to be that rescue, to be His body, to move for things that matter. He is not invisible when we come alive. I might be simple but more and more, I believe God works in love, speaks in love, and is revealed in our love." (twloha.com)

You see, there is good news...it's Jesus. It's not heaven. (one day there will be...) No, the good news is that Jesus is here...which means...that love is here and hope is here and healing is here and forgiveness is here and it's here NOW!!! We need to show Katie that.

This needs to be our response...

She is ours to love.
We will be her hospital.
We will be her hope.
We will be her healing.
We will be her CHURCH,
the body of Christ coming alive to meet her needs,
to write love on her arms..." (twloha.com)

Now that's good news--that's the gospel!!!

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Sources
To Write Love on Her Arms

Prayer//May God Bless You

MAY GOD BLESS YOU…with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships so that you may live deep within your heart.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU…with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU…with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and turn their pain into joy.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU…with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

–A Francescan Benediction

Defined//Repent

REPENT--oh yes, the famous "christian" word that we use to bring down hellfire and brimstone. It comes packaged with protesters holding up signs saying, "Heaven Yes. Hell no. REPENT." And the old pastor types screaming at the top of their lungs, "Turn or burn, I say, turn or burn." But the thing is...that really doesn't look a lot like Jesus, but more like the pharisees--the ones who killed Jesus. So this got me thinking (I know scary thought lol)...

What did Jesus mean when HE said Repent?

Repent is not a word of condemnation (do this or die).
It's not a bargaining chip (if you would just do these four things, then God will...).

In the Greek (the original language), Repent translates into "rethink your life." So when Jesus showed up on the scene and said, "REPENT for the Kingdom of God is here," (Matt 4:17) He was saying, "Ok it's time to reevaluate everything. It's time to rethink your life cause the Kingdom of God is here. Yes, the Kingdom of God is here and this is gonna change everything."

And He has changed everything--absolutely everything--he's "made peace with all things." (Col 1:20) So when Jesus was going around touching people's lives, he was not going around and saying, "If you just do this, then God will do this." He was going around saying, "The Kingdom of God is here. I've made peace with all things. Do you realize that you can have peace, REAL peace!!!"

Repentance is not trying to get God to do something (maybe if I just do this, then God will do this...). If you are just doing this "Christian Walk" just so that God will do something for you, then you do not know who God is and what He has done. Cause He's already done EVERYTHING--he's made peace with all things!!! Do you realize what this means??? This changes everything. I don't have to do all these things to get to God, cause God came down to get to me. I don't have to make up for my sins, cause he already nailed them to the cross. Cause He's made peace with all things.

What about turn or burn??? What about the change???
HELLO!!! Who wouldn't change when you come to the realization of what all God has done??? Like Rob Bell says, "Of course you're gonna live in a different way. Of course you're gonna reorder your life. Who wouldn't, when they came to the awareness that peace has already been made." All that is left to do is celebrate what God has done and to trust in it--For the Kingom of God is here!!!

Rethink your life--cause this changes everything!!! Repent.
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Sources
The Bible
True Story by James Choung
Jesus for President by Shane Clairborne
The God's Aren't Angry DVD by Rob Bell