Christianity is for Wimps?

What a Load of Christian Baloney!

I have a relative who is absolutely convinced, that if he becomes a ‘Christian’ then life would be terribly religious, rigid and unexciting. Let’s be honest, that’s what he believes. He’ll be stuck in church for the rest of his life, and then stuck in heaven with a bunch of bible bashers and people wearing light brown woollen sweaters for all of eternity. Wow. Sounds like something worth pursuing...

He assumes that he would have to give up the drink, sit in the church and sing hymns, offer too much of his pay-check to ‘religion’ and his life would be miserable. I bet you've thought this before.

Don't stop reading here, even though you know, what comes next may be a religious attempt to justify the church’s position on particular theological viewpoints and attempt to woo you from your current way of living. Let’s not beat around the bush – Jesus calls for a life of self-sacrifice. He calls people to live for God and others, more than they live for themselves. That goes against the grain of the individualistic, self-centred culture that is trumpeted by media advertising. They say, ‘It’s time to upgrade your TV to a bigger one’ ‘It’s time to be dissatisfied with what you wear – come and shop here...’ ‘Get all the options YOU need, when you get this insurance.’ That is what makes the whole Christian thing counter-cultural. It says, ‘Hey, stop living for yourself and live for others’.

If I’m brutally honest, I don’t like organised religion. I am uncomfortable living life under excessive rules and regulations, and Christianity is at times, a Western World construct that unknowingly burdens people into religiosity. BUT, the message behind the religion is not about rules and regulations, per se, but about a relationship. What are some words that are relevant here...? I am thinking, love God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength and love your neighbour as yourself. This is, ultimately about relationship, not religiosity, and is about living for God, and living for others.

I’m not going to sugar coat Christianity, by saying following the God who created you is going to make life all rosy and peachy. I’m also not saying, that following God still allows you to live as you please and hold onto this, ‘I’m gonna live the way I want to live’ kind of mantra. Though, I will say, that following Jesus, gives eternal purpose to your existence. It offers a counter-cultural way of living, that kicks the consumerist self-centred life where it hurts. It calls you to live for God and to focus on others more than yourself.

Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate pre-conceived ideas about religion, 'becoming a Christian' and church. A relationship is offered to you from God, through Christ, and all you have to do, is believe in him through faith. Why not consider offering up a prayer today, that says, ‘God, I want to know who you are, help me to know Jesus...’

It’s that easy.

Send me an email if you make that decision today. 

petebrookshaw@gmail.com

God bless!


Pete.

Stop Trying to Please Everyone!

How do you please everyone? You don't!

That's a lesson I'm learning right now. I shouldn't be surprised by this statement; I mean I've heard it for years. You can't please everyone so don't even try.

Could it be that the issue for me (and could I say maybe you as well), is that we want everyone to like us? We want everyone to approve of the way we complete our work, the way we run our family, the way we live our lives.

Now, if we were simply able to tune into what God thinks of us, and then act on what he places in our heart, we wouldn't be tying ourselves up in knots. 'How to please everyone' wouldn't even be a statement that enters our mind.

Focusing in on knowing Christ and understanding as much of the love of God as we can is possibly the answer. Albeit a cliché, Christian kind of answer; but I believe it to be right!

• Colossians 2:2 - 'My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ.
• Eph 3:16-19 - 'I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.' 

This idea of pleasing God first, somewhat contradicts the teachings from Dale Carnegie (How to Win Friends and Influence People), which is all about the characteristics we should show in life to build respect amongst others. I'm not saying the chapters found in Carnegie's book are not worth following, but I am saying, that following God first, discerning his opinion and knowing Christ all trump the human aspects of building respect amongst others.

 I leave you with a thought that is just as much for me, as it is for you:

STOP trying to please everyone!


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Why not follow my....
Facebook Page - Disciples in Training.

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How did the First Disciples of Jesus Die?

Ever wondered how the disciples died? Ever wondered what were the disciple's fate? Well, the next time you are feeling down, persecuted, and depressed, just remember what cost the disciples and other first century followers of Jesus Christ have paid for following him over the years. Let's have a look:

• James the apostle, the brother of John, was beheaded (a.d. 44).
• Philip the apostle was stoned and crucified (a.d. 54).
• Matthew the apostle was beheaded in Ethiopia (a.d. 70).
• James the apostle, the son of Alphaeus, stoned to death in Syria (a.d. 60).
• Matthias, the apostle who replaced Judas as one of the 12 disciples, was stoned in Jerusalem (a.d. 70).
• Andrew the apostle was crucified in Patras (a.d. 70).
• Mark, the author of the gospel bearing his name, died by being dragged to death in Alexandria, Egypt (a.d. 64).
• Peter the apostle was killed by crucifixion in Rome (a.d. 69).
• Paul the apostle was most probably beheaded in Rome, the same day Peter was crucified (a.d. 69).
• Judas, also known as Thaddeus the apostle, was killed by arrows/javelins in Armenia (a.d. 70).
• Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael, the apostle, was skinned alive and crucified in Armenia (a.d. 70).
• Thomas died by being, baked in an oven, and pierced with spears in India (a.d. 70).
• Luke (author of the Gospel of Luke), was hanged to death in Greece (a.d. 93).
• Simon the Zealot was sawed in half in the Middle East (a.d. 74).
• James half-brother of Jesus, was thrown from a building, stoned, and beaten in Jerusalem (a.d. 62).
• Timothy (Paul's mentoree) was stoned and beaten to death in Ephesus (a.d. 80).

(Cited in Dave Anderson's How to Run Your Business by THE BOOK)

Amazing, that a majority of the first followers of Jesus were killed, yet the message of Christ still spread rapidly across the countryside. They were sold out to the fact, that Jesus had died for sins, and had risen from the grave, and that this message of hope would transform lives. Ironically, a message of love, hope and peace, is confronted with death, violence and absolute cruelty.

Remember, following Jesus can come at a cost, (emotionally, physically, spiritually, etc), but we can take heart, that others have faithfully loved Jesus right to the end, and their message was still spread to the ends of the earth.