Skip to main content

A Morning View From the Patio

Perhaps there is something wrong with me, but as I look around at the "Christian" world, I wonder where Jesus has disappeared to? I ask myself what has happened to the followers of Jesus of Nazareth? There are times I question myself and wonder if the Jesus who lives within my heart has taken up another residence, or at minimum has gone on a very long vacation?
 
Seriously look around, First we hang white Jesus pictures in our churches. Jesus was born and raised in the Middle East. Our politics have Jesus wearing a campaign button supporting the Democrats, Republicans or other political parties. Nationalism proclaims God is favoring the good old USA. There is a very unhealthy prosperity gospel in our culture and society. The Church is focused more on numbers of people we can attract to come in and sit in our pews to become one of us instead of inviting people to come in and be one like Jesus. We are comfortable with change as long as those new people come in and change to be like us. I am right and you are wrong leads our conversations. Perhaps we all need to step back and change to be like Jesus. 

As I take a personal inventory, my soul is such a mess. I am selfishly focused on just surviving the turmoil of life and as I said earlier, I think Jesus has gone on vacation because he is not welcome in my heart. 

We want Jesus to look and act like us, whomever us is, when in fact we should be the ones to desire to look and act like Jesus. The christian nation is not a Christian nation, in fact I wonder is Jesus weeps because people who proclaim the gospel are fighting over silly selfishness while the world around us is dying and going to hell. 

Is this something new? NOPE! John the Baptist called out the Pharisees and Sadducees.

“But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
“I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”  - Matthew 3:7-12 NLT

I need to repent of my sins and live like the one who is coming. How about you? 

Peace? 
Maybe Not,
PB

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Morning View From the Porch at Lakeside

I typically am not a big breakfast eater. Every year at Lakeside for Annual Conference there is a group of men who invite me to breakfast at The Patio. Every year I go one time and enjoy talking and joking with this group and every year I order the same breakfast, a plain toasted bagel with cream cheese and a glass of water. It is tradition, you know! I often get asked why I do not order something different? My answer is, "if something is good and satisfies my hunger, why should I order something different? Besides, I like a plain toasted bagel with cream cheese!"  I wonder why some people have a salvation experience with Jesus Christ but wander away from the most amazing relationship possible with the Creator of all? They seem to have a taste for many different flavors of seeking to fulfill their Spirit hole in their lives. Often people bounce from one religious experience to another without a deep connection and commitment. They order something different from the menu each ...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Morning View By the Patio

When I was a young boy we lived in the country and I had to become very creative in how I played. Much of the time I was alone and hd to create imaginary situations so that there were "others" around me. I would also "become" someone else and emulate everything they did. I would know them, study them and learn all I possibly could about them and then become them. One of the people I "became" was Wilt the "Stilt" Chamberlain. At the time he was a famous Los Angeles Laker NBA star. I always wanted to become Wilt. I practiced his famous hook shot, watched him play on TV and learned all of his moves. I had some of the most amazing NBA battles all alone in my uneven gravel driveway. In my mind I was Wilt the "Stilt" Chamberlain. There were a few drawbacks in becoming Wilt. First, my skin pigment was as white as could be. Wilt was African American and I was never going to become Wilt. Second, Wilt was over 7 feet tall. At my peak of vertica...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Morning View From the Patio

I have been gently encouraged by someone who was nudged by the Lord to make a list for the next week of positive characteristics which make me who I am.   Today I begin with compassion. I truly strive to be compassionate with everyone I encounter. I desire to reach out and care when others are struggling. Even if I encounter someone who has hurt me in the past or I may not connect with, I try to put aside differences and find a way to share compassion with them. After all, Jesus was compassionate all the way to death. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” - 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 Peace, PB
Post a Comment
Read more