The Seed Blog: It's Time For Big Boy Britches

ur world has gone nuts—we knew it would happen...  God's Words says it will in the last days—but I never dreamed it would happen this quickly. Protesting everywhere, safe zones from free thinking, sniper attacks against cops on the streets, entire States being governmentally and socially shunned over bathroom etiquette, pastors being ordered to turn in their sermon material, loss of businesses, jobs, finances and even imprisonment for following your religious beliefs, major division over race and gender identity everywhere, churches everywhere declaring that God's Word is not inerrant… And trapped in the middle of all of this mess are Christians who are hurt, attacked, misled, and scared, and a world of lost people (who unfortunately are treated the same). People led to believe they are worthless accidents, people led to believe they can find happiness in lies, people who have no idea of what Jesus is really like, or what it means to truly love Him. It seems like everyone has been infected with the, "You'd better agree with me, or I'll silence you!" mentality. And, for those that do actually get to hear and understand God's Unaltered Word, it seems that every time it isn't exactly what they want in their life, they are ready to write off the pastor, the church, and God, rather than listen to the love, reasoning, and wisdom behind what God says (which I do not understand, when the world's wisdom surely doesn't seem to have brought anyone peace or joy).

We have to stop winning arguments, and start living the Life of Jesus Christ to the world! I don’t think Christ is proud of how we are representing Him. We are going to step away from my opinion, your opinion, and the world's opinion today, and look without bias, at what God Himself, directly says to us all about how He sees the sinners, and the church today. Because there's been a lot of twisting from both sides; we're going to look at how God, when all the prejudices from both sides are removed. His is the only opinion that matters.

To all ‘Unbelievers’ and ‘Christians’ alike: (‘Unbeliever’, in religious terms, being anyone who claims to have no relationship at all with Jesus Christ; one who, through their own admission, is living in and for this world. ‘Christian’ being anyone who claims to have accepted Jesus Christ, and be living for Him in this world, but not of this world.) It is true, much of the anger and resentment towards Christians today, is because the world wants to live a certain way, and they don't like the fact that Christians can't be a part of that world; but, also true is the fact that many have anger towards Christians because though they may know nothing about Jesus Christ, His love, or His ways, many Christians isolate them, dislike them, and judge them because their lifestyles and choices are not in line with a faith they don't even claim (never showing a genuine interest or love for them in any way, while proclaiming God is love).

To the ‘Unbelievers’: I want to first, tell the unbeliever that I am sorry; sorry for the way Jesus Christ has been portrayed to you in any way other than, He completely adores you, and I ask this of you, "Don't judge who Jesus is, by the actions of the fallen people who try to follow Him—because we are imperfect, and in need of His forgiveness as well. Jesus is the God who is powerful and masterful enough to imagine and create, this entire, wondrous Universe around us; created us as His crowning achievement and when we turned our backs on Him instead of giving up on us, as He had every right to do; He came down to us. He took on the very flesh we wear as His own so we would never see Him as, "the God up there." so we’d never see Him as the God who is distant, and could never feel our pain, or understand our temptations—He has been hungry, cold, tired, betrayed, tempted, frustrated and has stooped to the level of allowing Himself to be scared, despairing, lost and hopeless.  He did this so He could experience everything you and I feel. 

When you need to go to Someone who can relate and understand, He can be the One. When He allowed His Body to be literally ripped to pieces, and was hung totally naked on a cross, to become death in our place, He even suffered a completely desperate loneliness, shame and despair that most of us will never have to experience—He suffered that way, so we would never have to face HIM with that pain, in our day standing before Him, because He loved us too much to let us experience what our rebellion should give us.

Scriptures say He died for the whole world, and that's exactly what it means! When He came physically to this earth, He spent almost all of His time searching out those people that were so bad, so lost, that religious people wanted nothing to do with them—these are the people that he burned with passion for; went looking for; spent his time with, because He adored them. He knew that many who were farthest from Him had no idea how much they were treasured, how special they were.  They were the ones that were most hurt, misled, alone, angry, confused, and empty. And His whole reason for being here, for dying on that cross, was for those people.

He saw beyond sins, beyond lifestyles, to their pains and needs. He saw individuals, not labels. He ate with the worst of sinners; He called some of the lowliest, nobodies to be His closest friends, even women who had just previously sold their bodies as prostitutes were in His closest circle of friends. (Luke 15:20-24) Jesus isn't the holy man's God, the religious, or righteous man's God; He is your God, if you will let Him be! You could be His trophy; His Beloved. (John 3:16-17) The only reason we are still here on earth, is to reach out and love these people to Jesus: Luke 4:18-19.

Just because Jesus absolutely does not consider what you've come from, who you are, or what you are currently doing as anything that decides your incredible worth to Him, does not mean that it is right or acceptable to remain where you are, after you come to Him and say you want to be His.

1. He loves you so much, and that is exactly why He hates the sin in your life in the first place (whether you and I understand why, or not; whether society is doing it, and excusing it or not; anything that Jesus Christ calls sin in His, "Unchanged-Meant-What-He-Said-The-First-Time-Word..."—He said with much wisdom and love because it will hurt you, hurt others, destroy lives, and turn your heart towards self only. It doesn't matter if you feel like that sin is just a part of who you are or not; it may very well have become a part of who you are—maybe even for reasons beyond your control at one time—just because it has become, "A part of who you are" absolutely does not mean it is who you are supposed to be; it does not mean you can find the most happiness or usefulness in life that way; it does not mean you won't hurt yourself and others; it doesn't mean there is not something better for you to make, "a part of who you are”. Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:21-24. 2) not trusting God when He says, "Your ways are sinful, hurtful, and not the best way..."; not trusting God when He says I can help you find a better way, is to simply call Him a liar, or a weakling. Which means that, just like these unfair Christians, you've started with a Jesus that is not the Jesus of the Scriptures either—and it screams to God that you love yourself and your life more than Him. John 8:9-11, John 5:6, 14, Isaiah 53:3-9 (Yet you would silence and ignore God, so you can keep these sins). To love God with all that you are, is to love what He loves; to want Him with all you are, is to want what He wants. To the Unbeliever: Look at the Power, Wisdom, and Knowledge of Our Creator, Jesus Christ; look at the humble way He gave up all, and loves you just as you are, and stop calling Him judgmental, unloving, and selfish, and realize that He is always there with open arms for you; realize, it is you, who have decided that your way, your wants, your life, are more important than loving Him.
   
2. To the Christian: Stop judging and avoiding people just because they are broken and in sin, when they don't even know Christ; just love them where they are; it is the whole reason you are here, but when dealing with those who claim to know Christ, and His Word, as individuals, and as churches, never accept as good, what Jesus Christ calls sin, in His wisdom; never think you are helping someone by letting them live in their sins; never take the easy road of passiveness. You are giving them over to a lesser life here, and possibly a missed eternal life with Christ. hold the line—in love and perseverance.
   
3. To the ‘Poser’s’ (the ones who proclaim Jesus as your Savior, but only if He is a picture of the God you want): John 15:9-11, John 14:23-24. Don't fool yourself, and lie to God one more day; by doing whatever you see fit, and proclaiming that you love Him; it makes you falsely secure, and it breaks His heart. He is always there for you—but you have left Him.
   
4. To the ‘Brute’s’: (“Et Tu, Brute?” (Shakespearean Play: Last words of Caesar to Marcus Brutus); the churches in this Country that are calling yourselves followers of Christ): You've somehow gotten the idea, you are bigger and smarter than the God that Created our Universe; so smart that you alone can determine what parts of His Ancient Scriptures are true, what parts are false, and what parts just need to be reinterpreted to suit the times. You that would avoid persecution, by tickling an ear with messages that bring you success and popularity; at the cost of crushing souls, and taking away their only True hope—I ask you to wake up and stand up. You are not helping anyone by avoiding conflict and feeding them lies. You are not loving or representing the God that died for your souls and theirs; you have become a tool of the enemy you were created to fight against with your last breath.
   

In these darkest hours of our generation, be spoken of by our Christ as the ones that stood boldly and in love—for Who He really is, to a lost world. 2 Timothy 4:3-5, 2 Peter2:1-3, Revelation 2:4-5.

Remember that Jesus Christ is the humblest, accepting, unconditional Lover of who we all are in the Universe; but, remember that He is God, not us; He knows better, and He does not change to make us happy. He loves us too much—the question is:

                                                                  Do we love Him?

To everyone who claims to follow Christ today—no matter your stance on all of the politically charged issues of the day—you are supposed to be a Christian first: before your race...before your gender...before your denomination. The secret to stopping the madness, to joy again, is to realize you live for Christ; it is not about you. It doesn't matter if they don't like you, mistreat you; you’re not what counts, glorifying Christ is what counts. And He has called you to suffer, so you can glorify Him. That means you love those who don't treat you equally; to SHOW them, the love they need to find for others; to show them, they are worth it, even if they don't think you are; that means you follow God's Wisdom, God's Laws, God's way of love, in trust, above anything the world has taught; no matter the cost. And you absolutely will find the greatest love, joy, and peace you've ever known. Look what true love cost Jesus Christ: true love for Him... will cost you something as well!