Why I Love Jesus AND Religion…

The video “Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus” is quickly becoming the newest viral video for Christians to repost on Facebook or retweet via Twitter. I watched the video for the first time last night, and was initially pleased with my viewing. The video is clearly well made, professional and evokes high levels of emotion within the viewer. And I will  be the first one to admit that many of the individual points the speaker makes are valid and should challenge and convict Christians. However, after a second time watching the video this morning, I was left with grave concerns regarding the potential implications this video can have not on Christians, but for non-believers and the unchurched we as Christians are called to reach with the gospel.

My primary concern with this video is something I doubt the speaker did intentionally, but even unintentional neglect can carry with it very negative ramifications. While certainly no one would doubt that Jesus did in deed speak out against the Pharisees and their outwardly driven religiosity, this is by no means the full scope of meaning that Scripture covers when referring to the word religion. The religion of the Pharisees is one that Jesus did condemn and is a false religion that finds its assurance in the outward working of man rather than the inward, indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

But there is also religion that is true, genuine and is close to the heart of God Himself. James 5:17 says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” The word religion cannot be covered by a simple blanket statement in reference to loving Jesus more than we love religion. For by living our lives in accordance with this verse, there is no way we could be loving Jesus any more than by striving to live a life of religion that is pure and undefiled before Him. Religion must always be seen in two distinct categories, that which honors God and that which attempts to glorify man. We as Christians must be in constant desire to achieve the former while speaking out against the dangerous pitfalls of the latter.

Living out the Christian life is not as nearly as simple as condemning religion in light of loving Jesus. The two should and must co-exist together in our lives. Organized religion has sadly been responsible for many atrocities throughout history, however, this was never the intended purpose when given by God. Organized religion and the church as we know it today is advocated by God throughout Scripture. This is not to say that our attendance or participation in church merits us favor or grants us righteousness before God, but it is that structure that keeps us on the path of the Christian life and encourages us to keep moving down the road and to remind us why we are on the road to begin with. Hebrews 10:25 shows us that we need church and organized religion; not in order to mark it off our spiritual checklist, but that our religion is what gives us the encouragement and support system necessary in order to endure the day in and day out struggles that will befall the Christian.

It is this automatic connection with “religion” and the church that carries with it dangerous conclusions that many unchurched and non-Christian people can reach upon viewing this video. In a world in which the church has inherited such a negative reputation, many will find any way possible in order to avoid it no matter the cost. And such a staunch tirade against religion will leave many feeling validated and justified in the way that they live their life, rather than being drawn to the life-transforming power of the gospel. If religion and church are the problems, then avoidance would seem the easiest solution.

But this is not what the church and the religion of Christianity has been called to do. It has been called to be a light in a sea of darkness, a city set upon a hill. And simply because false religion has existed in our past does not mean it must continue to reign in our present and in our future. We as Christians and the church of Christ have been called to be agents of change in the world, taking the gospel to the multitudes and allowing the Holy Spirit to draw men and women to Himself. And our religion and our churches must exist to be that beacon to our communities and to the world that there is a place of hope, comfort, safety and security for all who enter through our doors. And that through a true relationship with Christ, true religion can exist. Life transformation can exist in place of mere behavior modification. A group of people can encourage one another to continue to live the life Christ has called them to rather than their own life of self-interest that merely adds God to our list of priorities. He must be our driving force and motivation in our lives and in our churches.

We as Christians cannot simply say religion is the problem. False religion is the problem and this must be a truth we proclaim with freedom and urgency so that the world we see we no longer live by our own standards, but God’s alone. True religion must be seen as our undying passion and that for which we strive to achieve. Our hearts must be so in tune with God’s that we forsake everything else except for knowing Him more, loving Him more, and spending our lives caring about that which He cares about most. And such true religion finds its culmination in the church of Christ, a group of called out believers who are on the same journey of Christ-likeness every single day.

We MUST begin to see ourselves as those who can be the difference today and not simply call out or condemn the shortcomings of the past. And we must become wise and discerning to see how what we say and what we post will do to a world that seeks after any reason to reject Christ and to denounce the church that He has instituted. Our call is to go and reach the lost with the gospel, and it is time we begin to think what that means in their hearts and their minds, more than what it means for ourselves. What a lost world needs to hear is that the church has fallen in love anew with the gospel of Christ, and that the false religion of our past will never be seen in our future again. And that when the world sees the church they no longer see the hypocritical Pharisees of Christ’s day, but it sees a group of people whose lives have been radically transformed by Christ, striving to live up to a religion that pleases the very heart of God.

 

Out of the Abundance of the Heart…

Every time I decide to hop online and write something on my blog, I always have to reset my password because it has been so long since I have logged in that I have long since forgotten what I set it to the last time. However, I hope to make this the beginning of a more weekly activity to chronicle and journal my thoughts. We will see how that goes.

There is no telling how many times I have read Jesus’ words to the Pharisee’s in Matthew 12, however, as I sit back today, one verse in particular keeps coming to my mind: Matthew 12:34-”…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

I think these words are resonating with me so heavily today because today marks the beginning of the World Series, the culmination of the baseball season that began back and April and one that I have followed closely every step of the way. One that has seen the team I have grown up loving so much back in the World Series in back to back years. There is no doubt I am an obsessive baseball and Rangers fan (one needs only to read the title of my blog to figure that out.) But over the last couple weeks as I have been privileged to be at every Rangers’ home playoff game, I have been struck with the reality of the fact that each and every person has priorities and passions concerning their lives.

I have been part of crowds of 50,000+ people, standing and screaming at the tops of their lungs as Nelson Cruz hits a walk-off grand slam to win game 2 against the Tigers or watching a 9 run inning help seal our return to the World Series, and the energy and the passion present in that stadium was literally deafening. I can only speculate how many of those people present in the stadium are Christians, but one would hope that I am not one of only a few Christians who also love baseball. But as I think back to those moments as the World Series begins today, I wonder when the last time any of us were as excited about what God was doing in our lives and the life of our church as we are about the Rangers making it to the World Series for a second consecutive year. How many people in that stadium will raise their hands and yell for a home run, yet sit in a pew on Sunday morning, cold and dead by comparison when it comes to worshiping their Lord and Savior. Louie Giglio tweeted two weeks ago: “Let us never cheer more loudly in the sports stadium than in the sanctuaries of our churches.” What a punch in the gut this is to us all, myself included.

For some it may not be a sport, it may be another activity, hobby, or even something good such as their family. But God has called us to honor Him above ALL else, without exception, and to have no other God’s before Him. We live in an idolatrous world where Satan has been able to use good things to rob Christians of what is best in their life. We can become blinded and sidetracked for the love we have for things in the world yet find ourselves worshiping them with more passion and energy than we have for Christ Himself.

As a minister and preacher of the gospel, I pray that the people God allows me to speak to will never question the passion and desire I have to follow Christ and make His name known throughout the nations. I want them to know and to see that above all the cross of Christ has made an eternal difference in my life once and for always, and that is what is continually sustaining me every single day. And I pray that the fervor and passion I have for the gospel will encourage them and inspire them to always remember that above all else we are called to worship and love our Savior in Spirit and in truth. And the people in our world will know what we worship and what we love by where our energies and passions lie, “for where your heart is, there your treasure will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

I want people to know that I am a die-hard Ranger fan (but between my shirt, jersey, jacket and hat I am wearing today, I feel like I have left little doubt), but above that I want people to see and hear and know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I am in love with Christ and the gospel has completely transformed my life and my mind. I want them to be able to see an excitement and an energy about my relationship with Christ that shows the outward reflection of the inward transformation Christ has done in my life and in my heart. I want my heart and my mouth to speak of Christ first, and other things second. I want the abundance of my heart to pour out nothing else other than the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mission Honduras-Night #7

Good evening everyone! We just awoke from a nap from our day today and I wanted to write about our last night of mission work here in Honduras. We weren’t able to go to the CTC this morning because they are only open Monday-Friday so we spent our last morning of work at the orphanage getting to see our kids one last time. It was a great day, but was also very sad as well. We spent the morning sharing the gospel with the kids. Most of my group are too young to really be able to understand and make a personal decision to follow Christ, but I know we planted seeds for those children that will last a lifetime. We are the second group of Americans at most that these children have gotten to interact with and the privilege to share the gospel with them today left me floored at God’s grace and mercy on my life and overwhelmingly thankful that He has given me the opportunity to share the best possible news with those who have such a hunger and a desire to love and be loved. We left our kids with bracelets reminding them about the story of Jesus. My prayer is that they hold them close to their hearts and that the message of love that we shared with them would be something they never forget and that as they grow older they would choose to follow Christ above any other option because a group of American teenagers and adults loved them enough to share the love of Christ with them.

It was also so awesome just to be able to spoil our kids today with so many of the toys and things that we take for granted back in the states. Seeing their eyes light up to have a little squishy pool ball that they could call their own, jumping for joy to be able to blow up their own balloon, smiling so big to be able to have their own bubbles to blow and their own marbles to play with. The necklaces and the bracelets that so many American kids wouldn’t even consider wearing they loved more than anything. It didn’t matter what color, what size, or anything except that they had something to call their very own in a life where so little is theirs. Their very own spiral and crayons to draw on. I could go on and on but seeing such pure thankfulness and gratitude pouring out of those kids left me sitting there appreciating all that God has blessed me with like I never have before. I pray that both myself and the rest of the group would return home Monday with a new set of eyes and a new mindset, never forgetting all that He has blessed us with and never forgetting the children He gave us the opportunity to minister to and fostering in us a love for them and for millions of other children around the world who need to hear the love of Christ.

As grateful as I am to have had the opportunity to minister to these children, saying goodbye to them today was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I would give anything to trade in my day of shopping to be able to see them and play soccer, color and give them piggy back rides one more time. I never imagined the attachment that could develop in a few short days. But when you see the amount of love that they have and how much they are truly glad you are there, you can’t help but fall in love with them. I will pray for each of them every day, for their safety, for their health, for their parents, for their life in the orphanage but most importantly that as they grow that they will accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. I would love to come back to the same orphanage again next summer if that is God’s plan for our group. However, I know even if we don’t that God has His eyes over those children and will care for them and love them like only He can.

I pray that each member of our group comes home changed as much as I have been to how the world truly is. I pray that it would begin to cultivate a mindset and a lifestyle for missions rather than simply a trip. I pray that we would see our schools and our friends and our families as our mission field every day while never forgetting the children like we have been blessed to meet this week.

I ask that you continue to pray for our group. We have a couple different people now battling health issues. Pray that God would heal them over the next day and a half and that we could all be healthy and feeling well enough for our flight back home. I am ready to be home and see my family and friends but honestly would give anything to be able to stay here longer. I hope that as we return home and share the pictures and stories of our trip that it would encourage you to fulfill the command of Christ to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. Thank you again for all of your prayer and support, we couldn’t have made it thus far without you.

Humbled by His grace and mercy,

John

Mission Honduras-Night #4

Good evening everyone! It is about 5:15 here in Tegucigalpa and we just returned back to the hotel from our day of ministry today. The last two days have been an awesome thing to see and to experience as our group continues to be the hands and feet of Christ both at the CTC in the mornings and Casitas Kennedy Orphanage in the afternoons.

Perhaps one of the most amazing things we have seen is the continued willingness of the children at the orphanage to welcome us with open arms more and more every day that we return to work with them. All of us left the first day very discouraged upon leaving but God has truly opened the hearts and the minds of the children there and now their eyes just light up to see us upon our arrival, even some of those who wanted to have nothing to do with us when we showed up on Monday. Their purity and unhindered ability to trust in people has been a lesson to all of us. Now it is extremely common to see one child from one group just hugging and loving on one of our team members who hasn’t even been their primary leader throughout the week. All of us have been encouraged by this transformation and truly believe that through the power of the Holy Spirit He is allowing our good works and the love of Christ to shine through us and be a light in the darkened spiritual lives of these children. Continue to pray that God would continue working in their hearts and minds these next two days we have to minister to them.

Our last two mornings at the CTC have just been incredible and so much fun. We have had such an amazing opportunity to minister to the students at the schools and have so much interaction with them. We have grown close to a group of older students who attend the school who have been with us just about every day. They have taught us a lot and we have taught them quite a bit as well. Be sure and check Facebook for the videos to see what I mean!

Please continue to pray for our team. We are loving doing God’s work but many are starting to become tired and weary. Pray for God’s strength and endurance that they would be able to continue through these last two days of ministry effectively. Also, please pray for Courtney, she got extremely sick to her stomach last night and had to stay back at the hotel today. She is feeling better but is extremely weak. She wanted so badly to be back at the orphanage this afternoon but her body was just not ready. Please pray for healing that she would be able to rejoin us soon. Several other team members have been battling more minor physical ailments the last couple days. Please pray that God would bind the sickness from our bodies so that we would be able to minister in His name as effectively as possible with no possible distractions. Thank you all for your continued support and we will see you soon!

-John

Honduras-Morning #3

Good morning everyone! Everyone should be getting up here in the next few minutes to start getting ready for our third day of work at the CTC and Casitas Kennedy Orphanage. Yesterday went very well. We went to a different location for the school during the morning time and got to spend time in the 1st and 2nd grade classes, sharing with them the story of Noah and the Ark and how God loved Noah and protected Noah and how He loves us and wants to protect us as well. The kids at the school are so awesome, they open up to you so quickly and it’s amazing how attached you can become to them as well. We had the chance to bring a guitar yesterday and sing some songs for them in English but also sing some children’s songs for them in Spanish. They absolutely loved this, during their recess time we brought the guitar back out and within a minute or two we had a huge group just sitting and watching. We are going back to the same school today but will be working with 3rd and 4th graders. Pray for us as we begin working with these older children that the message of Christ would be able to be communicated to them clearly and without confusion and that the hope that Christ brings will resonate in their hearts and minds and they would desire to have a relationship with Him.

Our afternoons are always much more challenging than our mornings for a variety of reasons, but it was awesome for me to see yesterday how much my group of boys immediately gravitated back to us when they saw we were back again to spend more time with them. The smiles on their faces when they saw us walk back in the door were just incredible. It continues to amaze me how even the most simple things that we continually take for granted back in America are the things that makes these children’s day. Just the opportunity to hold a marker in your hand and to write your name or draw a house or a tree leaves them smiling ear to ear. We made maracas yesterday and they were so happy to have something they could hold in their hand and just play with, no matter how simple and not fancy or ornate it was.We have so much to learn from these kids. They truly are thankful for what they have been given and greatly appreciate it because they have so little. God has blessed us with so much oftentimes we forget the source of our blessings and become to expect those things and lose the attitude of thankfulness and gratitude we ought to have knowing God is the ultimate supplier of everything we have. The innocence of children often teaches the most valuable of lessons.

After our craft and Bible study we got the chance to do what these boys love to do more than anything in the world: play soccer. We pulled our soccer ball out of our backpack and their eyes just lit up. We walked down to their soccer court and you could immediately tell this was what these kids were made to do. Even the smallest kid looked like he had been kicking a soccer ball around since he was able to walk. Needless to say we Americans were a little outmatched, but seeing the smiles on their faces when they scored a goal and we celebrated with them was absolutely priceless.

I wish we were able to take pictures at the orphanage to show everyone, but unfortunately, government regulations prohibit us from doing so. If you have looked at the pictures on Facebook, all of those come from our time in the mornings at the CTC schools. Once again, I want to thank everyone for their prayers. Our devotion time last night was from Colossians 1:9-14 and I told our group the privilege we have that so many people are continually lifting us up by name and asking God to bless us with the strength and endurance needed to carry out His mission this week. We feel like progress is being made in the building of relationships at the orphanage and if we had a specific prayer for today that those relationships would continue to be strengthened and that the love of the Father would pour forth from us in such a passionate way that these children would not only seen a group of students and adults that care for them, but also a Heavenly Father who loves them so much and desires to have a relationship with them. We are expecting God to do just that today in a great and mighty way that only He can.

I better get downstairs and get some breakfast before we head out. Jeremy has notified me that we have fresh pineapple this morning, which is my absolute favorite! Thanks again for reading and for your continued prayer and support. Talk to you soon!

-John

Honduras, Morning #2

Good morning everyone! I am so sorry for not posting last night, by the time we got back to the hotel from dinner and had our debriefing and devotion, I found my Wifi password wasn’t working so I had to go to the front desk this morning to get a new one. This one will last for the remainder of the time we are here though, so we should be all good to go! Please forgive the brevity of this post, we are leaving to head out for day 2 in less than 10 minutes but I just wanted to give you guys a brief update on how things went yesterday.

Considering it was our first day, everything went very well. We got to tour both the Buckner CTC and the Casitas Kennedy Orphanage before beginning our time of ministry. At the CTC we worked with around 50 or so children, mostly ages 4-10. They were such awesome kids and had the most amazing spirit about them. We shared the story of creation and Jesus with them, colored some of their favorite animals and of course played soccer with the boys. We are heading back this morning to do the same thing, however, we will be with a different group of students each day.

After lunch we arrived at Casitas Kennedy and to say the least I was blown away by what I saw. The government ran facility was extremely dilapidated and run down, but the kids we saw upon entering were so happy to see us. They ran up and immediately began hugging us and did not want us to ever put them down. Our tour of the facility however showed us that not everyone there is so joyful and so happy. We will be working with a large group of teenage girls who are forced to be kept under lock and key  all day every day because they are a constant threat to run away from the orphanage and either become criminals or become prostitutes. The amount of spiritual darkness I saw on their faces both blew me away and broke my heart at the same time, that somehow selling your body for sex would be a better alternative to where you currently were is still baffling and saddening. Pray for this group especially that our students would be able to be a light in their world of darkness and that they can begin building relationships and interacting with them today so that by the end of the week the good works we have laid before them show them no one else but Christ and Christ alone.

Our prayer today is that we would not sell God short of what He wants to do through us today, that our expectations would be His expectations and that even today we would see great and mighty things worked out before our eyes by God and that through His grace He would allow us to be a small part of it.

Until tonight,

John

Honduras Night #1

Night #1 can best be summed up in two words: sheer exhaustion. After an early morning at the airport, brief flight delays, and the always interesting baggage claim process, we have safely arrived in Tegucigalpa and are checked in to our hotel. We had lunch at a local restaurant and then had orientation with our Buckner representative to get ready for tomorrow morning when the true work begins at Casitas Kennedy Orphanage and the CTC here in the capital city.

Maybe the only thing I really enjoy about flying is the inevitable time that it gives me to do some much needed reading that I often can’t find the time to do at home or at work. On the flight from Miami in to Honduras today I was finally able to finish reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan, a book I started months ago but for some reason could never find time to finish until today.

During my reading I came across a passage that I think encapsulates a truth that many of us need to evaluate in our Christian walk on a daily basis, and especially as we begin to serve Him on mission tomorrow morning. Chan says, “I question whether American churchgoers are really in love with God because they are so hesitant to do anything for Him.” This statement may seem harsh at first, but when I stopped to consider it, it is so true. Often times we try to find any excuse or reason we can to not step out in faith and be a part of the plan that God has for us. And there is no telling the blessings we have missed throughout our life because we have been too scared to step out of the boat and actually trust in God with our actions like we will so easily say we do with our lips. Do we as Christians really love God enough to put into action what we say we believe so quickly and so easily? I am so thankful for a group of students and adults who found a reason to say yes to God’s call when they easily could have found every reason to say no. I am so thankful that their love for God and their passion for the gospel brought them here to share that with the people of Honduras, when undoubtedly all of them could have found any number of reasons to stay home. I know God is preparing a huge blessing for each of us on this trip as we seek to be obedient to His calling and begin sharing His name and His gospel with the people of Honduras tomorrow.

My prayer for each of us on this trip is simple. Sometimes I think we cloud our prayers with so much fluff and extra filler that we often times forget why we even need to go to God in the first place. I could think of line after line or super spiritual sounding stuff that sounds super holy, but what my heart desires more than anything is really quite simple. For each of us here as we begin our journey tomorrow, I hope we can earnestly pray and sincerely believe the following: “God, bring me closer to You on this trip, whatever it takes.” I pray that being able to be a part of God being at work in Honduras would change these students and these adults forever. And that more than a trip, the attitude and the heart of missions would become a lifestyle, and that when we return home next Monday night, we can no longer see our family, our co-workers, our friends and  our classmates in the same way any longer because we are so consumed with how much Christ loves them and longs for them to have a relationship with Him. And our church would feel anew the desire to go outside the walls of our church and impact our community and the world with the gospel like we have never done before. And we would expect God to move in a mighty and a powerful way like only He can.

I have so much more to share and so much more going through my mind, but I will save plenty for the rest of the week. Thank you to all for your prayers and your support. We continue to covet your prayers as we set out tomorrow morning to allow God to us however He sees fit for His glory, His honor and the furthering of His kingdom.

Until Tomorrow Night,

-John

Waitin’ Time…

It’s 5:30 in the morning and we are waiting to board our plane to Miami. It’s hard to believe that all the months have finally come to fruition and we are actually leaving for Honduras in mere minutes from now.

So many thoughts are going through my mind, primarily an attitude of thankfulness. Thankfulness for students and adults who have a desire to spread the gospel, thankful for God’s plan falling into place like it always does, and thankful that God would allow someone like me to be a part of making His name known to the nations.

Pray for our group that God would begin even now opening the hearts and minds of those we will be ministering to this week. Pray that the passion and compassion of Christ would shine through us in such a way that others would see the difference in us that only He can make. Pray that lives would be touched beginning today and that we would see lives added to the Kingdom this week. And pray that these students and adults would return home with a passion to spread the gospel like never before, both at home and to the nations.

Lord we give this trip to you and pray you use us in a powerful way this week like only you can.

From Riches to Rags to Riches…

From Rags to Riches. The American Dream. Start with nothing and finish with everything. Isn’t this what we all want? Isn’t this the best of all possible worlds?

So many times in my life, I get so caught up in the “good” things that I think I do. I go to Seminary where I am learning more about being a minister of the gospel. I work at a church. I work with students on a weekly basis. These are all really good things, and few people would argue otherwise.

But the Christian life isn’t all about the tally sheet of good works that one can accomplish during their lifetime. Good works are important, don’t get me wrong. God thought so when he said, “you shall know them by their fruits.” But the significance of the good things we do doesn’t boil down to mere action, but the heart  and the attitude behind the action. Jesus pointed this out to the Pharisees on many occasions, telling them that their actions had already received due reward because they were doing it for personal gratification and recognition rather than to bring glory and honor to God. So many times the “riches” we think we are building up on Earth are really nothing more than acts done out of personal interest, advancement, and ambition. This is not the lifestyle God wants. He doesn’t need our actions whatsoever. In fact, He says that “all our works of righteousness are nothing more than filthy rags to God.” (Isaiah 64:6) God is infinitely holy and we are equally as fallen. The best we can do pales in comparison to God’s perfection. God knows this. It is no surprise to Him. Therefore, He only asks we strive to do our best and serve Him with a pure heart.

One day, the “riches” we have will be tested by fire by God to show whether they were done with genuine Christ love. Those done from other motivations will be burned like wood and hay. But those that are genuine and done with the mind and the heart of Christ will be refined like precious jewels. So the question to ask yourself today is, what are your actions going to be? One day, will you stand before God with ashes or with diamonds? Are you living your life to gain accolades or are you sincerely trying to truly further the kingdom of God?

Remember, keep your self and your actions in perspective! Even your riches are nothing more than rags in the eyes of the awesome God we serve! Riches to Rags might not be the Christian dream. But it’s the Christian reality on this Earth. Therefore, strive daily to produce rags! Because one day in heaven, we will truly have a rags to riches story of our own to share!

A Long Time Coming…

It has come to my attention from several people close to me who have said to me, “John, it’s a good thing you have that blog…that you never write in…” For the people that actually read this (few as they may be), I apologize for the lack of entries over the last few months. School and work have given me more than enough projects to keep my head spinning and my fingers typing away like crazy. But finally, with yet another semester of graduate level study behind me, I am going to try and make updating my blog more of a priority. Most of the entries will be about passages of Scriptures that I have read recently and the insights God has allowed me to glean from them. But from time to time I’ll probably write about some other things going on in my life as well as things that interest me!  So I look forward to being able to have to time to write down some of the things going on in my head and hope that you will enjoy it as well!!!

-john