sweet & sour.
we talk about rejoicing in the Lord, always meditating and dwelling on the things that are praise-worthy; but how can i have joy when the people that i love the most don't believe in Jesus? because i'm talking about my aunts and uncles, my cousins, my high school friends, my faculty friends, these people that i am crazy about and it kills me everyday knowing that they deny Jesus.
revelation 10 describes where an angel takes a little scroll and hands it to John saying "take it and eat it. it will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." this preacher in California, Francis Chan says that its like the picture of the end time events, like how its so sweet when Jesus comes, how we can't wait for that moment where Christ returns, that glorious moment where i'm united with Jesus. but at the same time there's that sick feeling you get, realizing that, ok His wrath is here also on those who deserve punishment. we all deserve punishment but Christ took it for those who accept Him, but there are those who don't accept Him.
your heart breaks when you love, and when you love, and when you take the time to love people, to spend time with people, when you hang out with people and invest your time and love in relationships. that's when that godly, that great sorrow like the apostle Paul describes in Romans 9 takes place and you say, man, i love these people, and your heart breaks for them.
so what do we do? we gotta somehow change our lives, no? 'cause that's the way Christ lived. He was amongst the people, He hung out with people. He went to the craziest parties, with prostitutes, thiefs, sinners, where they're laughing and drinking -- and Jesus was with them. church people would accuse Him, but He says, man, these are the people that need me. Christ attracted people by His lifestyle, He loved people, He gave to people, He met their needs, that's why people wanted to hang out with Him. He lived His life amidst the culture where everyone wanted to hang out with Jesus, now once He started giving the message, people were turned off (but we're not talking about that yet).
point is, Jesus attracted people by His lifestyle, and then turned people off by His message. today, we, or i guess speaking only for myself, i, am real good with the second part. so maybe i need to get into their world, so i'm not so offensive to them. maybe i need to engage in the cultures of unbelievers, and even just believers, and to know them -- and not only the already-followers of Jesus. i'm not talking about engaging in sin, but to simply get amidst them and know them and love them. and i can do that, i have freedom in Christ. don't get me wrong, yes there's a line, but i can say no to those things, and there's a lot of things that i can do. i just need to figure out how to do that, without encouraging things that i don't accept, without being weird.
it really hits my heart. what i really care about, and how i'm showing it. life is short and life is about relationships. with God. with people. and i gotta make more time for that. i'm not sure how i'm going to do that yet. but i thought maybe people who read this can more or less remind me and keep me accountable in some way.
i need to just, love again, to hang out again, and care again. and hurt again even.
just like the Scripture commands us to. still use the opportunities given to tell of Jesus. but also to be like Jesus, to just hang out and live my life among people, being at the parties, laughing at the parties, hanging out. to take time to love my friends. to be someone that's not weird, someone that laughs, hang out, cares, loves, and enjoys God.
revelation 10 describes where an angel takes a little scroll and hands it to John saying "take it and eat it. it will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." this preacher in California, Francis Chan says that its like the picture of the end time events, like how its so sweet when Jesus comes, how we can't wait for that moment where Christ returns, that glorious moment where i'm united with Jesus. but at the same time there's that sick feeling you get, realizing that, ok His wrath is here also on those who deserve punishment. we all deserve punishment but Christ took it for those who accept Him, but there are those who don't accept Him.
your heart breaks when you love, and when you love, and when you take the time to love people, to spend time with people, when you hang out with people and invest your time and love in relationships. that's when that godly, that great sorrow like the apostle Paul describes in Romans 9 takes place and you say, man, i love these people, and your heart breaks for them.
so what do we do? we gotta somehow change our lives, no? 'cause that's the way Christ lived. He was amongst the people, He hung out with people. He went to the craziest parties, with prostitutes, thiefs, sinners, where they're laughing and drinking -- and Jesus was with them. church people would accuse Him, but He says, man, these are the people that need me. Christ attracted people by His lifestyle, He loved people, He gave to people, He met their needs, that's why people wanted to hang out with Him. He lived His life amidst the culture where everyone wanted to hang out with Jesus, now once He started giving the message, people were turned off (but we're not talking about that yet).
point is, Jesus attracted people by His lifestyle, and then turned people off by His message. today, we, or i guess speaking only for myself, i, am real good with the second part. so maybe i need to get into their world, so i'm not so offensive to them. maybe i need to engage in the cultures of unbelievers, and even just believers, and to know them -- and not only the already-followers of Jesus. i'm not talking about engaging in sin, but to simply get amidst them and know them and love them. and i can do that, i have freedom in Christ. don't get me wrong, yes there's a line, but i can say no to those things, and there's a lot of things that i can do. i just need to figure out how to do that, without encouraging things that i don't accept, without being weird.
it really hits my heart. what i really care about, and how i'm showing it. life is short and life is about relationships. with God. with people. and i gotta make more time for that. i'm not sure how i'm going to do that yet. but i thought maybe people who read this can more or less remind me and keep me accountable in some way.
i need to just, love again, to hang out again, and care again. and hurt again even.
just like the Scripture commands us to. still use the opportunities given to tell of Jesus. but also to be like Jesus, to just hang out and live my life among people, being at the parties, laughing at the parties, hanging out. to take time to love my friends. to be someone that's not weird, someone that laughs, hang out, cares, loves, and enjoys God.