The Rabbi & the Porn Star//Changed

Part 4 of a study on John 4:1-42 (Last part)

Sooo...we're still sitting at the well, right??? And Jesus just answered her question and told her what true love and true worship was, right??? Okay...good...we're caught up now...if not, then read the others first lol.

And she responds back to Jesus, "I know that the Messiah will come one day and explain all of this to us--we've been waiting for Him." Now Jesus finally reveals who He is to her, "I am the Messiah." And now it hits her...the one she's been waiting on for soooo long is finally here. He's sitting right next to her and offering her living water (a new start). So what does she do??? She leaves her water jar beside the well and ran back into the city to tell everyone. She came to the well for some water to satisfy her thirst and she leaves without her water jar because she ran into Jesus and that changes everything.

You see the Messiah was the one that everyone was waiting for because He would come in and rescue His people and make all things new. Still today all of us are waiting for something like that too. If you don't believe me, just listen to some music--it's all in it. But when you run into the Jesus--He does make all things new. He was turning a porn star into a Jesus Lover...how awesome is that.

And she runs back into the city to tell everyone. Cause when you find a love like that you can't keep it to yourself. You got to let everyone who will listen know. She went and told everyone, "I found the Messiah, or actually He kinda found me. And He knew everything about me and He still loved me. Come and see." Sooo...the town does come and see and Jesus stays there two more days. And a lot of people believed saying, "He is the Savior of the world."

So when Jesus comes to you...
One...He offers you a new life, a new start (living water)
Two...He knows absolutely everything about you, the good and the bad, and He is still crazy about you
Three...He will teach you how to really love and how to really worship with all that you are
Four...You will not be the same. He changes you. And He will use you to bring a city to His feet, if you let Him use you.

Have you crashed into Him yet???
Cause when you do...this changes everything!!!

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Sources
The Bible

The Rabbi & the Porn Star//Worship

Part 3 of a study on John 4:1-42

Sooo...the story continues and Jesus is still sitting at the well with the tramp. She's been offered a new life (living water) by Jesus and she also just realized that He knows absolutely everything about her (mistakes and all) and He still wants to be with her. When you run into a love like this, it changes everything!!! When you find a love like that you know you can ask anything in the world...and she does, but it's not what you think. She turns to Jesus and asks, "Why do you Jews believe that the only place to worship God is in Jerusalem?" Okay...I don't know about you, but that's probably the last thing that I would think that would come out of a slut's mouth. But it makes you think...

Maybe she was raised in a religious home
Maybe she was the one who always "went to church"
Maybe she was "hurt by the church"
Maybe she had religious rules instead of love
Maybe that's why she went on her wild spree...to find love

And after she has found her love in Jesus, she asks one thing...and it's a religious question. hmmm.

And Jesus answers her, "It no longer matters whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. True worshippers worship Him in Spirit and Truth. He is looking for those who worship him that way. God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and Truth!!!"

I absolutely LOVE this. You know why??? Because Jesus keeps telling the religious people that all their worship is fake because it is without love. And then Jesus tells the slut, the one who has been looking for love her entire life, how to love and how to worship. Jesus is FREAKIN AWESOME!!!

Sooo...worship (love) in spirit and in truth. What does that mean???

TRUTH--that's simple...all that means is...let your love for God be real. Sincerity. Don't be like the pharisee's of Jesus' day and the religious people of our day. Don't be fake. Cut the B.S. and fall in love with God and let that be real in your life.

SPIRIT--this is a word full of meaning...spirit in the greek means "breath." So Jesus is basically doing away with all religious aspects here. No more temple, no more only Jerusalem, no more you have to sacrifice this animal. Jesus says worship is loving God with every breath that you take. Worship is bigger than church walls and church traditions. It encompasses all of life. And we can't do this on our own. We all are dirty. We all still mess up. We all are unholy. That's why He sends His HOLY Spirit. And He BREATHES his breath of life into us because "in Him we live and move and breathe." (Acts 17:28) Sooo...with every breath He gives us we are to love Him with all of it.

Sooo...Jesus answers her question, saying places don't matter anymore. To worship, to love...all you need is the air you breathe. And God is searching for those who love him like that.

CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO!!!



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Sources
The Bible

The Rabbi & the Porn Star//Known

Part 2 of a study on John 4:1-42

Sooo...Jesus is still sitting by the well with the town slut. He just offered her a new life and a new start and a way to be one with God again (Living Water). And she says that's what she's been looking for and that she wants what Jesus is offering her. She wants living water!!! Then randomly Jesus says, "Where is your husband?" To which she responds, "I have no husband..." Then Jesus tells the girl her life's story, "You right, you've had five husbands and the one you're shacking up with now isn't even your husband." Wow!!! How in-your-face is that???

But it is at this point that she realizes something...

He knows absolutely everything about me and He's still sitting beside me. He's still here with me and loving me for who I am...mistakes and all.

Isn't that what what all of us are looking for? Don't all of us want someone that knows every single little tiny detail about us (the good, the bad, and the ugly) and still love us.

That desire has been God's plan from the beginning. When God created man, He said it is not good for the man to be alone...So God created woman (because the first time the man saw her, he said, "Whoa mannnn!!!" lol) But at the end of that chapter God said that they were "naked before each other and were without shame." (Gen 2:25) This is more than just a physical aspect. It covers everything...they knew everything about each other, inside and out, and they were without shame. All of us want something like that. Because...

To be known is to be loved and to be loved is to be known!!!

Known...let's talk about this word. In the Hebrew, the word they used for "to know" is...yada. Which is the same word that they used for SEX...oh yes we're going there. (I'm tired of the church not going there) Since the beginning of time God created us for love and for intimacy. First with Him, then our spouse, and then the world. But at the beginning, when a man loved a women and they made love...they knew each other. Sex wasn't just intercourse, it was having someone know everything about you and still want to be with you and vice versa...You knew every detail about the person you were with and you still want to share your love with that person alone.

As you read the Bible, you can see how we start preverting sex. Instead of knowing each other like God's original plan, we started taking from each other. In Gen 6:2, they stopped using the term "to know" for sex...they started using the term, "to take."

He doesn't really have to know her, he can just take what He wants from her and leave it at that. No commitments...no regrets, right???

She wants to be known by someone, but doesn't believe that kind of love exists. So she settles and starts "giving herself away" so that she can feel loved for at least a couple of moments. But she doesn't know him, she just takes from him so that she can feel better about herself.

It's just sex!!!

But that's my point, when it's just sex then it's that...just sex. There' no love, no intimacy, no connection. We can live without sex, but we cannot live without love. That's why you can be the most popular person at a party, but still be alone on the inside. That's why you can have sex with him and at the end still feel empty. Because sex without knowing isn't sex. Sex without knowing isn't love. Because...

To be known is to be loved and to be loved is to be known!!!

Sooo...she is sitting next to Jesus and she realizes what she's found in Him. She's been looking sooooo long for something like this. For someone to know her...REALLY know her from the inside-out and still love her...and still be there with her through it all...And Jesus is still sitting next to her...with her...the rabbi and the pornstar.

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Sources
The Bible
True Story by James Choung
SexGod by Rob Bell

The Rabbi & the Porn Star//Living Water

Part 1 of a study on John 4:1-42

Soooo...Jesus is sitting by Himself near a well and the town slut comes up to draw some water--Awkward. So what does Jesus do? He goes and talks to her and asks her for some water. Now this is not the norm...come on...i mean the rabbi and the porn star--that would make Entertainment Tonight. But He comes up to her despite her label and asks her for some water.

She says, "You're a Jew, why would you ask someone like me for water?" Then Jesus said, "If you would ask me for water, I would give you living water and you would never thirst again." Now let's stop right here for a second.

Living Water--what is that suppose to mean???

To the Jews, this "living water" was a ritual bath, called the mikveh. Before you could come into the presence of God, you had to be made clean. So at the Temple there was a place where you would come and wash yourself with "living water" so that you could be with God.

So Jesus is sitting with this promiscuous women and offering her...
a new life
a new start
to be able to be made clean again
to be able to be with God again

This is funny that Jesus is offering a dirty Samaritan all of this because according to the Jewish tradition, Jesus would have to take a little dip in the "living water" pool himself, because he was drinking from a jar that was handled by a Samaritan.

So Jesus is sitting next to her, becoming "unclean" to the point that he is no longer accepted in the Church, so that this girl can be made one with God again...AWESOME STUFF!!!

So she turns and looks at Jesus and says, "I want this living water. I don't want to keep coming back to this well. I don't want to be thirsty all the time--always looking for something and never finding it. I want to be satisfied."

So...
You who has been searching for that one thing that's missing
You who wants more to this life
You who walks to the well alone because no one wants you

LISTEN TO THESE WORDS...

"Anyone who is thirsty may come to me. Anyone who believes in me may come and drink. For rivers of living water flow from my heart for you."--Jesus
(John 7:37-38)

To be continued...

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Sources
The Bible
Followtherabbi.com

Randomness//I Dare You...

I DARE YOU TO THINK OF SOMEONE BESIDES YOURSELF

I DARE YOU TO LOOK BEYOND YOUR RIGHT NOW, YOUR CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCE OR SITUATION

I DARE YOU TO LOOK INTO THE EYES OF YOUR CHILDREN AND EXPLAIN WHY YOU CANT

I DARE YOU TO GROW

I DARE YOU TO GIVE LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER GIVEN BEFORE

I DARE YOU TO LOVE LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER LOVED BEFORE

I DARE YOU TO COME OUT FROM UNDER THE SELFISH ROCK YOU LIVE AND LIVE FOR SOMEONE OTHER THAN YOURSELF…

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Sources
A blog from fellow church planter in the big ATL...
Lloyd Owens @ Peculiar Place
whatispeculiar.com

Randomness//Center of it all

Here's just some random thoughts and questions from the churchplanters.com conference that Jack and I went to last week. Next week start back my normal stuff...lol

What type of church are you planting? What do you mean...type of church?
--David Putnam

I love this. Types of church???
I thought there was only one church on this earth.
It is international (not made in America).
It is interracial (yes, that means black, white, latino, asian, and everybody else all under one roof).
THERE IS ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISIM, AND ONE CHURCH. (Eph 4:5)
Denominations cut the body into pieces--no wonder people don't want to be apart of His Church...we hate each other according to our denominations. Jesus prayed that we would be one as He and the Father were one. Let's stop all this types of churches stuff and let's be His church.

What this world needs is Jesus, not an impressive church!!!
--Shawn Lovejoy

It's not about the lights, the music, or the pastor's hairstyle. We do everything we can do to entertain people into the church. I'm sorry but that is a sin. We need worship not entertainment. If we offer entertainment, we are offering people the same thing they can get anywhere else. And most "christian entertainment" sucks compared to the entertainment this world offers. But, if we offer worship and love, that is something different than this world offers. And didn't Jesus say, "If I be lifted up then I will draw all men to myself." (John 12:32) So shouldn't we worship so that Jesus can do something, or are we just gonna a settle and entertain and keep Jesus out of it???

Until you can say, "Imitate me," like Paul did...then you have no reason planting a church.
--Bob Roberts Jr.

'Nuff said...How about them apples?

Are you making momentum or making disciples?
--Ed Stetzer

Again...
entertainment vs. worship (worship)
transaction vs. transformation (salvation)
the cool church vs. the Body of Christ (the church)

So basically at the end of all this. Jesus is the center of it all and there is "one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all." (Eph 4:6)

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