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Posts tagged with: christian

Is it okay to be passionate about politics?

As a pastor, I’ve noticed a lot of the following discussion…

Christian Trent says to Christian Ben–

“You sure talk and post alot about this election stuff, Ben. You clearly are idolizing politics above the Lord. You are more focused on a wordly empire than the Kindom of Heaven. You should repent.”

Then Christian Trent turns to Christian John and says–

“Hey John, did you see that Kyler Murray has thrown for 5000+ yards with 30+ TDs while rushing for 1000+ yards with 10+ TDs…all in his first 24 career starts? Man, I cant wait for Church to end, Im ready for football all afternoon!”

Whats my point?

Kingdom prioritizing should not be understood as a priority list from 1 – 10 with Jesus at the top. i.e. (In a linear priority of Jesus #1, your spouse #2, and your daughter #3…what happens to your priorities when, while reading your Bible and praying to Jesus, your daughter is injured and you must leave your Bible time with #1 Jesus to take your daighter #3 to the ER? In a linear priority list…You made priority #3 more important than #1…and if your spouse #2 stayed home, your #3 took priority of #2 as well.

So is there a better way to live? This all might be better understood and lived as what I call Circular Prioritizing…like a wheel of priorities with Jesus as the hub. (In this instance, its honoring to Jesus to stop your Bible Time to run your daughter to the ER as it is an act of worship to steward the things Jesus has given you.) And your act is honoring to your spouse too.

The goal is for Jesus to remain as your center AND live life stewarding and enjoying all good things around Him that He has blessed you with.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing.” Praying and never stopping is impossible to do in a linear priority scale, but it is easy to pray continually in a circular priority scale.

Jesus talked about Pharisees all the time, but that doesnt mean He idolized them or that He had his Kingdom priorities out of order. Jesus said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 Jesus teaching on this would be best understood and lived when it is not taught from a linear perspective…and is best understood and lived circularly with Jesus as THE center.


A follower of Jesus’s job description

 

Maturity in Jesus is best described as a joyful friendship with Him.

I am mature in Jesus. It’s my  job to make others want to become mature in Jesus. It is my job to remain mature in Jesus.

I must never stop continually maturing in Jesus.

It’s my job to keep the attitude that I am not the owner of anything, and simply a faithful steward of all things owned by God.

It’s my job to look after the church family and be the standard for obeying Jesus’s teachings and commands.  I pray others will see my example and be inspired to replicate it. 

It’s my  job to keep my act together.  

It’s my job to keep my faith like a child’s.

It’s my job to keep finding new ways of looking at the world, getting in the world, and helping others of the world want to experience the remarkable forgiveness of Jesus.

Even if all my friends believe they’ve arrived and it’s time for someone else to sacrifice. Even if all my friends have quit and left me. I will keep my job, my focus, my determination. 

I must never settle.  I will never retire from the work of changing the populations of heaven and hell. 

There are so many who will be separated from Jesus for eternity if I choose to ignore the above standard.

This is my Job.  It is my choice.

I am a Follower of Jesus.



The Bible vs The Quran

quran-vs-bible-2I can understand the perspective of those who say that both writings have awful verses that demand awful things.

The Quran can only be somewhat comparable to the Bible’s Old Covenant. Only one of the books pictured has a New Covenant.

Jesus of Nazareth ushered in a new way that overrules the old way. Love the Lord AND love thy neighbor.

The Bible teaches us to love even those who won’t convert. The Quran teaches its followers to destroy those who don’t believe its teachings.

I’m so grateful for Jesus.

I wish more of His followers would behave more like Him.


having Done in room 1501

Room 1501 pic It’s about to begin!

I am just 2 full days away from entering Room 1501 at Joy Christian High School in Glendale Arizona.

I am about to face 120ish Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors in the valley of the sun!   I will be teaching Bible to these amazing people.  I have no idea what God has in mind and I am faithfully preparing my heart and mind for whatever He brings.

Here is what I know.  I am grateful to have been entrusted with more than 160 days of impacting High School students this school year.  Each class is 40 minutes long!

As a full time preacher at Parkway, CCV, Metro, and/or PulsePoint… I would have 40 minutes every seven days with the people God allowed me to teach on the weekends and I believe God accomplished a lot in that short time.

As a full time preaching pastor… 40 minutes a weekend, 52 weekends a year, = 35 hours a YEAR of Bible Teaching.

At Joy Christian High School, I get 40 minutes a day, 5 days a week through a whole school year. That =’s 107 hours of Bible focus and relationship building in that school year! TJoy Coat of Armshat’s a big diff.

What is God having Done in room 1501?

It’s crazy to think…He already knows!

Only time will tell and I will tell through this blog!

Stay tuned for the web blogs that come under the title… “having Done in room 1501.” And…while 1501 is in full function…Return Hope International moves forward with full force and I’ll also be taking on as many preaching opportunities as churches will give me anywhere USA.

As I like to say, “It’s all good!”

I am deeply curious of what I’ll be blogging about soon!

Stay tuned.   🙂


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