Thursday, August 20, 2015

JESUS IS THE PROBLEM SOLVER

It is written in 1st John, "greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world." Mary Mary had a song called "God In Me." Side note: should we really be surprised that I Luh God was released then? Just saying...Anyway, what I can't understand is why is it that in church we hear more about how bad the world is than how great God is? I thought we go to church to hear about the Gospel, but mostly we hear about how jacked up the world is. If somebody from the world comes into your church, the last thing they want to hear on a constant is how bad they are. 99% of the time they already know how bad they are, they want to know how to get out.

Whenever I hear, "You know in the world today, blah blah blah..." I roll my eyes. Don't get me wrong, I know we don't live in the most civilized society, but my thing is the "world" has been jacked up for years. I mean if the "world" today is so bad, then the world yesterday had to have it's problems as well, right? Today's generation learned it from somewhere, didn't they? Even if you blame the media of the day, the seeds had to planted by someone of yester-year, right? I always go back to what my dad told me, "You can't throw rocks from a glass house."

Let's go with that then, the world today is jacked up, but does that give you an excuse to be jacked up? I thought we were supposed to be "salt and light in the world?" I thought we were supposed to come out from among them and be ye separated? Talking about the world without offering a solution seems pretty "worldly" to me. That's like a math teacher teaching you that there's a math problem on the board, but has spent no time showing you how to solve it, but all the teacher has told you is that, there is a problem on the board. If you don't know how to solve a problem, then the problem will still be a problem that will grow into a major problem that will drive you crazy until you can get it solved.

Jesus is the problem solver. If we don't introduce Jesus to this world, the problems will never go away. We talk and talk about how bad the world is today, but if we never introduce Jesus to a dying world, then what have we don't to solve the problem? We talk and talk, but we got to do. I believe it's written that we need to be doers of the world and not hearers only.

You hear it all the time that, "Everybody is a Christian now." And we just accept it. We let it continue. We talk about it in our Sunday Schools and expect things to change. If we continue to treat this life as just another religion, that's how the world is going to see it. I was taught that this is a relationship not a religion. Can't we really be mad at the world making fun of the church, when we give them material? Maybe if the church will start showing more Jesus and less trying to keep the seats full...

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

I DON'T REALLY CARE IF THEY LABEL ME A JESUS FREAK

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:  for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith:  as it is written, The just shall live by faith." Romans 1:16-17

As I type this, a few days ago, I commented a status on FaceBook that was condemning "Jesus Freaks" by saying they all happy about going to church on Sunday then going back to the regular "B.S." by Tuesday. And I commented the status saying that some go back right after the benediction. At the time I thought nothing of it. Then I started thinking about it. I started to feel some discomfort about the whole thing. Then an old song came to mind that I first heard in Elementary School when this kid did it for a talent show thing we had to do in music class. The song was called Jesus Freak by dc Talk. Before that, I didn't know a gospel song that didn't have a choir or an organ in it. I heard that song and I was amazed at the sound of the music was putting out a message like Jesus Freak.

As I got older I liked the song more and more. And there's a part of the song that says, "People say I'm strange. Does that make me a stranger that my best friend was born in a manger." So why are we ashamed to be "Jesus Freaks." Atheist are unashamed. Gay and Lesbians are unashamed. Some celebrities are unashamed of how they live. Yet, you find some believers ashamed of their lifestyle. When most of us were "out in the world," as it is said in church, we were unashamed. Some of us made it known. We didn't have social media growing up yet people knew what y'all were about. Now with social media people REALLY know what you're about.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable, unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world:  but be yet transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:1-2

Stop worrying about what people think. It's funny how the world today is all about anti bullying yet the world tries to bully you into a "politically correct" way of thinking. Saying you have to accept everybody the way they are...except if you profess Jesus Christ. Interesting isn't it?  Even with all that being said, be ashamed. David said it like this, "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear:  what can man do unto me?" I believe that's another verse that says, "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Lord will lift up a standard."

Stay saved. Stay Unashamed,

Daniel Richerson