Authentic Jesus

If a "christian", is defined by imitating Christ, then I wonder if Jesus walked into any church today, would He see himself?

I think about that a lot.  Because it seems to me that a lot of churches are filled with good meaning people, but covered in religion.  Now what do i mean by that, well...most people today outside of the church look inside and they see a falsness about the people, they say they love others, yet they stab each other in the back.  They say they love the lost, yet condem them for being "less."  I don't mean to imply that all in the church are like this, but many sadly are.

Many of the things we do in church are done out of habit, or tradition, but I wonder how many things are "Christ approved?"  We come to church in out best suit...Jesus wore his everyday cloths.  We only associate with other christians...Jesus said I have come to heal the sick, and not the well.  Churches think only the pastor should "go"...yet Jesus sent everyone he touched.  We have to use "religious", words....Jesus used words, people understood.....

For the next several weeks, we are breaking this all down, and changing our lives to be more like the, "authentic Jesus."

A Mother's Love

In 2 Tim 1:5, Paul commends Timothy in his faith because of the influence of both his mother and grandmother.  Timothy's mother was a Messianic Jew, and his dad a Greek. There was no church in his community, and so the only spiritual influence came from his mother.  Today, though it is hard, we have churches on every block, but seem to be empty cold buildings, all but dead.....(not true in every church, but most..), both parents are working, or living in a single parent home, with the parent working....the children left to be raised by the television....It was a surprise to see the faces of those sons of the mothers and grandmothers of the church as they walked in sat down in the front, and listened to what God had for them, about the love of their mothers.  I could tell if even just for a moment, they "got it."  Hopefully its enough for God to start to work in their lives.  Hopefully I will be able to talk with them and pray with them, as they walk their "road."

Love God, Love Others

Jesus was asked, "what is the greatest commandment."  We are not talking just the ten that everyone thinks of, but over six hundred that governed their everyday life.  His answer was simple...He said to love God with everything that is in you, to your center core.  Have you every loved something so much that it hurt?  Well, this is the love that Jesus was talking about.  If you love something or someone that much there is nothing that you would not do for that person.  Nothing would be more important to you than that person.  Well, that describes the relationship you are required to have with God.  And why not?  This is through private intimate time, and public worship.

Second is that we are to love others.  First, other Christians.  This is done by uplifting and encouraging.   We in church today spend more time criticizing our Christian family instead of loving.  What is wrong with us???  Church should be an oasis from the world, not the world personified.  Sometimes I think if I was not a Christian today, and was soul searching and walked into church....I would see back stabbers, and gossipers, and people with fake smiles... Luckily this is not true in every church, but it should be enough for each us to ask...is it mine?  Is it me?

Walk with Christ to the Cross

Well the past five weeks we have been walking along side of the Savior.  The most important week of His life...It's really a good study.  I have been breaking down each day of the last week of His life into a five week study.

Two weeks before His death Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.  This was important because the the Jews this was a sign that he was the Messiah. 

Sunday (Palm Sunday), Jesus was at Bethany at the home of Simon, with Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  This is where Mary annointed his feet, and Judas started to consider other options.  A large crowd came to see him because of the miracle with Lazarus.

Monday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem as the "King".  It's no wonder that at the time of Passover that the Jews would be looking for a physical king, after all a week earlier Jesus just did that amazing thing with Lazarus.  He went to the temple was disappointed with what he saw, then retreated to Bethany.  I suppose as he walked back to Bethany that night he couldn't get that out of his mind.  I don't think he slept all that much either.

Tuesday, he went to Jerusalem and on the way saw a fig tree.  he cursed that tree, a picture of the current generation.  This is the day he cleansed the temple.

Wednesday, on the way back to Jerusalem, they saw that the fig tree was dead.  Jesus spent this day teaching, and giving the kingdom parables.

Thursday, was the day of preperation.  This is when they had the last supper, and then retreated to the garden....the arrest!

Friday, all through the night taken through the mock trial...the beatings....the torture.  Then the walk to the cross...he hangs there with the sin of the world...mine...yours...We have all sinned, there is none that are rightous no not one...no matter how good that you think that you are...we have all sinned if not only in our hearts...well that prevents us from being connected with God, and although God loves us, someone has to pay for our sin...so he came in the form of a man, and died in our place...all we have to do is accept him...how cool!  Do that today, before its too late.

Sunday morning when they came to the tomb to prepare him...he was gone....He was alive!!!!!!!!!

Gooooooooooooood Morning! :D

Well good morning!  the alarm goes off and the first thing you think is, noooooo I just went to sleep!  Well that's what it feels like, right?  We stumble around trying to find where that clock is, and by the time we do everyone in the house is surely up by now.  One would think.  But no, they are just as asleep as you were, but now you get to wake them...and well you become a living alarm clock.  


Does that seem to picture your daily routine?  Praise the Lord, thats not everyday.  But in life God has a way of giving us wake up calls, where at first, we are startled, even alarmed, and confused.  But as time goes by we clean up, wake up...we see that it was just the start of a beautiful day!  


So get up get walking your road in life...just don't walk it alone....take Jesus with you.  And if you left home without him, or never even had him...well this is a good day for you too.  Realize that none of us, no not one get do this world alone.  That hard as you try you fall short, and well God is a perfect God, and with those standards, none of are going to make it...and you see a long time ago, God well he saw that he loved us sooooooo much that he wanted to make a clear path back to him so we could be with him for ever...so he did something drastic, he sent his son  Jesus to pay the penalty for the mistakes, or sins that we do and have done, and to die a horrible death in our place...but thats not where it ends.....he, Jesus, being God in the flesh, well he came back....from the grave...sounds like a great movie, right?!?  Only this is real!!  Yeah!!  Once you realize this, and accept that fact, put on your coat of salvation....then go and walk your road!....thats it for today, from portfmc

What? A gift? Whats that?

What are your gifts?  Some people either confuse natural talent and abilities with spiritual gifts or think that gifts are just for leadership?!?

Let me just say that talents and abilities are things that we can either be born with or God can give us, however, these are things that we can do for God or we can do for ungodly purposes.  Gifts on the other hand are things that we wouldn't naturally be able to do, but for some reason in the right setting (spiritual), it all comes together.  But because of that reason, many people will often try to plug into to service in a church in an area they feel comfortable in, but might not have any gifting in...the result is they get frustrated and walk away...Does that sound like something you have done?  When all you really needed to do is find a service that highlights the gifts that you have.  Now spiritual gifts are given to all believers, not just pastors or lay leaders.  And we are told in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 that every gift is important, and that we all need to use the gifts that we have to build the body of Christ, which is the church.  There is no gift that is greater or less than any other gift.  The important thing to remember is to do that gift in the spirit of love...So, what are your gifts?  Do you know?  Find out, ask your pastor and plug in!

God's Spirit and gifts

Well, we begin a study in the morning about "spiritual gifts."  this is exciting due to the fact that my church is moving into the realm of full active body.  I have found that most Christians think that gifts are just for some, and never for most?!?  However, scripture states that gifts are for all believers for the edification of the body of believers.  This week we are looking at what gifts are not.  Next week we are discovering our gifts, and the members are taking a spiritual inventory.  The following week, we will learn how to empower our gift, I am going around and plugging everyone....awesome!