I would tell you that your only lasting hope is in Jesus Christ. We create a lot of functional saviors for ourselves - drugs, sex, alcohol, money, food, etc. A lot of those things aren’t even bad, but they’re not God. Or they shouldn’t be. Jesus is God, and Jesus is the ultimate answer and fulfillment of every weary longing or hopeless, cyclical sin or struggle.
I think that it’s worth saying that I know a lot of people will write me off as soon as they read that. That’s fine, but it’s worth it for you to know that I don’t just run off at the mouth about Jesus because I’ve been brainwashed into recruiting people for my religion. I proclaim the name of Jesus Christ because he’s the only hope that I have. The Jesus of the Bible is a God - the God - that loves you, and that understands you, and that knows you by name. He sympathizes with you because he knew pain like you know pain. He knows hurt like you know hurt. He knows loss like you know loss. And for the Christian, he defeated Satan, sin, death, hell and the wrath of God by dying in your place and, like my dad used to tell me, we can unclench our fists, hold out our hands flat before him, and allow him to take our burdens away.
That is not mindless squawking off at the lip. That’s not stupid oral or written tradition for the deceived, naive, or ignorant mind. I think that anyone, if they took a good look at their lives, and took a good look at Jesus’ life and life-giving teaching and fulfillment of Scripture, would know that Christ speaks into the very depths of our heart’s desperation for him. His word does not return void: if you seek, you will find, and what you find will be the Jesus that has been knocking on the door of your heart all along.
It is a shame to think that even in the eyes of Christians, the gospel can become cliche. It is not cliche, and it cannot be over-spoken. That’d be like saying oxygen is over-rated.
christianity and the on-going tattoo debate.
i recently got myself into another one of those christianity and tattoo conversations with a few adults. it’s quite amazing to me that people still have such extreme opinions and stereotypes regarding body art. i get it—you’re not into it, that’s fine. i respect that. but why can’t you respect me?
i realize that’s not how it works though. i was reading some articles on this topic and felt i should share just for the fun of it to remind my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, that there are worse things than inked skin and no, i am not going to hell for having said art on my body.
[what i am tired of is the preoccupation and controversy within my faith concerning perceived “evils” that are debatable at best. so much energy and time spent combating the “evils” of this culture and their influence on God’s elect, while we ignore our own poor character and concern for those around us. while we have sworn off cigarettes and rated r movies, we allow pride, greed, selfishness, envy, anger and lust to remain hidden under the surface. we have cleaned up the outside of the cup to make it presentable, yet the inside is filled with filth. maybe it’s easier for us to prescribe to a short list of activities that hardly interested us anyways, than to sell out completely and focus on developing solid character within us. the truth is however, that people are drawn to those of strong character and integrity regardless of whether they choose to order off the wine list or not. in the end, isn’t God more concerned with our heart, our character, and our spiritual lives? as much as we try to avoid it our bodies will perish and all that will be left is spirit. i have wasted enough of my life trying to look like a good christian and say and do the right things. thank God for the larry normans of the world. we need more christians who can go into the world and not stick out like a sore thumb. christians, who can relate with the world, be friends with the hurting and God willing lead them to faith.] —excerpt from an article in relevant magazine this is the typical argument that i hear: the old testament law commanded the israelites, “do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD” (leviticus 19:28). fair enough. but may i remind you that anything you read in the bible you cannot take out of context. and if you look at the rest of the passage, it tells you not to cut your hair a certain way, wear certain fabrics, eating meat, etc. the author is simply saying avoid the religious practices of the surrounding people groups during that time in history. believers today are not bound to that (romans 10:4; galatians 3:23-25; ephesians 2:15). as i was looking to see what scripture says regarding tattoos, i came across a bunch of “christian” sites condemning our culture for becoming so accepting of body art. really? really. are we going to be that close-minded, people? let’s remember that we are living in the year 2010. not all tattoos are gang symbols or demonic witchcraft. yes, tattoos are permanent. so is God’s love. yes, my body is going to get wrinkly and weird someday and my tattoos may not look quite so perfect. but outwardly, we’re all wasting away (2 corinthians 4:16) “tattoos of today can describe images that merely please the wearer, or have deeper meaning to the owner. many christians today are tattooing themselves not in tribute to a false idol or anti-christian deity, but with love for the one true God and Creator. many today utilize this permanent marking a way of giving glory to God. some find that christian tattoos attract questions about faith and provide opportunities to give God glory by allowing the story-telling of His Love to those who aren’t convinced yet.” —http://www.sacredink.net/tattoo_and_the_bible/ i apologize for this rant. i just wish people would stop wasting their time worrying about what’s on the outside. what matters is the heart. we’ve been told this from day one yet nearly everything we encounter seems to try and tell us otherwise.
a good test is to determine whether we can honestly, in good conscience, ask God to bless and use that particular activity for His own good purposes. “so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 corinthians 10:31) — every single one of my tattoos has a story. each has a message of the hope, redemption, and love we are given in Christ.
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the most beautiful people i have ever known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, & have found their way out of the depths. they’re the ones who have developed an appreciation, a sensitivity, & an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, & a deep loving concern. beautiful people don’t just happen.
your broken heart will mend. & yeah, it can take a long time, but something that was once so powerful & beautiful should give you that pain…otherwise, you didn’t surrender your whole heart. i’ve been learning a lot about living in a lukewarm state of being. & believe me, sitting on the fence is worse than being on either side. what’s the point of doing anything if you’re only going to give it half of you?
even in christianity—i never really understood this before, but i think i’m beginning to—why say you’re a christian but live a completely different lifestyle outside the realm of church? God doesn’t have boundaries. for example—people in china are dying & going to prison for owning up to their belief in God. would you be willing to sacrifice your rights to follow Christ? clearly there are those who think He’s worth dying for.
i understand it takes a lot of time & searching & faith to accept the whole concept of Jesus. & believe me, it takes faith. there are so many questions that will remain unanswered until his return. but if we did have God all figured out, what would be so awe-inspiring about him? obviously we can’t wrap our minds around stories like noah & the ark or how the earth was created in seven days, but he’s all-knowing, all-powerful. God can do whatever the heck he wants. you just have to believe he’s going to catch you when you fall into his arms.
ahh. back to the whole lukewarm faith subject. i’m not judging anyone or telling them they’re wrong for how they live, because only God can reach the depth of our hearts, but can i ask you why would you claim something so incredible & not want to follow his footsteps? i’m not even talking about going to church every sunday. that doesn’t necessarily make anyone a christian. many churches are more concerned with lifting up man than lifting up God—ranking their success by population, revenue & such petty matters. that being said, it’s still great for finding fellowship—just be sure to test everything with a humble heart.
why wouldn’t you want to be a part of the most epic story of eternity we’re all wrapped up in? & to be on the hero’s side? & to already know the hero & his children live happily ever after? christianity is that simple. it’s that story we’re told when we’re five years old sitting in a sunday school class. it’s not about how impressive your resume is & doesn’t come with a bunch of loopholes—it’s about your heart & who you let it belong to.
dude. i don’t understand how you can’t think that sounds absolutely mind-bogglingly thrilling. living for Christ isn’t as bland as organized religion might make it out to be. it’s not about all the rules & restrictions; i mean i suppose, as a follower, you should want to be obedient & holy which comes from sacrificing certain worldly pleasures. but more importantly being a christian is all about living without worry or fear because God’s got it under control & spending all of your days loving on everyone you encounter, inviting them to embark on this epic quest as well if they so desire.
i’ve noticed i tend to start off with one intention & completely end up in a different world. lo siento, mis amigos.
this too shall pass.
& you’ll come out more radiant than ever.
