Defined//Saved

When the Church first started, people started calling this peculiar group of people "Followers of the Way." People didn't know much about these people, all they knew is that they lived in a way that was totally different than everyone else and that they were offering people a whole new way to live. And this bothers me because...

Are Christians, in our days, offering people a whole new way to live?
Or...
Are we just offering them the "you're saved" title and a promise that one day "you will be in heaven"?

We the Church have not shown this world another way of life. Most Christians look pretty much like everyone else...they just sprinkle a little Jesus in whenever they need it. The question we need to answer is...

What are you saved for???

I am convinced that Jesus didn't come just to prepare us to die (sit in the pew till heaven comes), but to teach us how to live.

People are looking for a new way to live their lives and that's what Jesus offered. Jesus didn't touch the leper so that the leper could say, "I'm saved" and attend Sunday School. Jesus touched the leper so that the leper could dance--so that he now could live a whole new way of life. A life that is abundant (John 10:10)--one full of forgiveness, freedom, grace, and love. That's what being "saved" is all about--it's loving our God for this new life that He offers and loving our neighbor so that they can see that new life that He offers.

"There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them." (Acts 4:12)

You see, in the Greek, "saved" means..."one"--to be made one again. Cause aren't we all broken inside? Don't all of us know what it's like to have our lives shattered? Don't we all need someone to pick up our pieces and put us back together again?

Isn't that what Jesus did--put our lives back together and make us whole (one) again?

And since the Church is His Hands and Feet, aren't we suppose to go out into the world and pick up all the broken pieces in people's lives and show them that Christ can put them back together again?

Salvation is more than the sinner's prayer.
Salvation is more than "with every head bow and every eye closed."
Salvation is more than raising a hand.
Salvation is more than just heaven.

Salvation is being made one with God again and living in that oneness to the point that this world wants to be one with God too.

Cause we all want to be whole
Cause we all want to be one again
Cause we all want to be saved!!!

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Sources
The Bible
UnChristian by David Kinnaman and Kyle Lyons
True Story by James Choung
Irresistibe Revolution by Shane Claiborne

Jesus(Love)//Love Revolution

Everyday about 4,100 men, women, and children die in Sub-Saharan Africa from this preventable, treatable disease...Just 2 pills a day that costs about 40 cents can keep someone with HIV and AIDS alive and healthy.

Every seven seconds, a child under the age of 5 dies of hunger.

One billion people in the world do not have clean water.

More than half the world lives on less than $2 a day and the average American teenager spends nearly $150 a week.

Jesus said that if the Church doesn't cry out, then the rocks will scream (Luke 19:40)... or at least the rockstars because they seem to embrace Jesus' teaching of justice more than His Church.

Rockstars and Celebraties are standing up and shouting...

Bono has started the (Red) Campaign and does whatever it takes to take on AIDS, Poverty, and Third World Debt.

Angelina Jolie not only speaks about poverty and orphans, but she herself has gone for months at a time to start orphanages in places where there are none. She herself has adopted 3 orphans and said that she and Brad have thought of adopting up to 14 kids.

Brad Pitt said, "Let us be outraged, let us be loud, let us be bold."

Nickelback singing about poverty states, "If everyone cared and nobody cried. If everyone loved and nobody lied. If everyone shared and swallowed their pride then we'd see the day when nobody died." And the music video for this song is all about justice fighters that have stood up and made a difference in this world.

Lenny Kravitz sings about starting a new love revolution.

The Church has said...nothing. I haven't really heard the church speak out about any of this. There are a few that are starting to catch on, but as a whole we sit very quietly in our pews and say prayers for them. This world is wanting to start a love revolution. Jesus was the first one to do that...so shouldn't His Church be the one heading up this love revolution.

I've heard many Christians say, "When I get to heaven, I want to ask God why there is so much suffering in this world." I'm kind of afraid to ask that question because I'm afraid Jesus will look at us and say, "I don't know why there is so much suffering in the world because you are my hands and feet. Weren't you suppose to do something?"

Because...

Isn't "faith without deeds dead?" (James 2:26)

Isn't true faith, "Caring for the orphans and the widows in their troubles, and refusing to let the world corrupt us." (James 1:27)

Isn't it true that "If you have faith to move mountains...but not love,"(1 Cor 13:2) then it's worthless.

"Isn't this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice...to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" (Isa 58:6-7)

Jesus' love was absolute insanity to the religious people of the day because He was offering salvation to the "unclean." He would touch the people that no one else would touch. He would hang out with the ones no one else would hang out with. He would fight for the "image of God" that is inside of each person. And this love that has no limits and this love that is for everyone and this love that fights for what is right should be seen in His Church--and should start with His Church.

What are you doing that is showing Jesus' love?
Is the Church changing the world, like Jesus did?
Do you bring love where there is suffering, or do you just pray for them and walk away?
Where is the Jesus(Love)?

"It is time for a love revolution.
It is time for a new constitution."
--Lenny Kravitz

Let us start the love revolution, Church.
Let us cry out.
Let us bring Heaven down.
Let us be the Kingdom of God.

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Sources
The Bible
Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne
Jesus Came to Save Christians by Rob Bell
Joinred.com

Jesus(Love)//Wine

Have you ever wondered.....

Okay Jesus enters the scene for the very first time--His "first miracle." Jesus stops by a wedding and joins in the celebration. Now if you thought that Greeks had a big fat wedding, then you should go to a true Jewish wedding because it is a week long event--they knew how to PARTY!!! So Jesus comes in and becomes the life of the party. For His first miracle, He turns water into wine to keep the party going. Why??? (John 2:1-12)

Maybe He was celebrating two becoming one.
(since He was coming to make us one with God)
Maybe He was celebrating true love .
(since He, Himself, is true love and was coming to show us what love is like)
Maybe He was celebrating the marriage covenant.
(since God was making a love covenant with us through Jesus Christ)

Maybe He thought that love is something worth celebrating.
Maybe love is the miracle.
Maybe the reason He came was because of love and for love.

Now let's fast foward >> >>
From the first thing Jesus did to the last thing that Jesus did before the cross and resurrection...the Last Supper (Luke 22:7-30)

Now in Jewish tradition--when a man loves a women (like the song) there was, of course, the engagement. But they didn't use diamonds like we use today. They did something else. The man would set his future bride at a table and go get a bottle of wine. (and maybe turn on a little Barry White--just joking lol) He would pour a glass of wine and sit down at the table with her. He would then take a sip from the cup and slide it over to her basically saying, "Will you be mine? Will you join me in my love?" She would then take a sip herself and hand the glass back to him. From then on they were engaged. And the man would go off and build a house "to prepare a place" for them to live.

Now the Last Supper...Jesus sits across from His Beloved (His disciples) and pours a glass of wine, takes a sip, and offers it to them saying, "Will you be mine? Will you take of My cup? Will you join me in my love revolution because I'm fixing to show you what true love is?" No wonder we call it communion (two becoming one). No wonder the New Testament church called it the "love feast."

Now let's fast foward one more time>> >>
From the Last Supper to another communion, to another place where two became one, where two Spirits were joined...Pentecost (Acts 2:1-15)

Jesus goes "to prepare us a place" (John 14:2) and God sends down the Holy Spirit to live inside His Church, His Beloved, His Bride. The church starts to PARTY because of this wonderful thing and what does everyone begin to say???

"They must be drunk. They just had a little bit too much wine."

And Peter says, "We're not drunk...let me tell you what this is all about!!!" And then Peter shares the gospel with them. But from that point on the Church, Jesus' Bride, is known for this radical love and this insane joy. They don't have to use wine to get that way because they have drunk of the wine of their Lover, Savior, and God...and they will "never be thirsty again." (John 4:14)

I don't know about you, but I want Jesus' Bride, the Church, to be like that again. Where we are so in love with our Bridegroom that we worship Him to the point that people think that we are drunk, which we are..."drunk in the Spirit." (Eph 5:18)

Let's Celebrate!!!
Let's Worship!!!
Let's keep the PARTY going, like Jesus did!!!

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Sources
The Bible
Followtherabbi.com
SexGod by Rob Bell
Jesus Came to Save Christians by Rob Bell
Reimagining Church by Frank Viola