What about you?

"Who do the crowds say I am?" Luke 9:18
"What about you?" Luke 9:20

These two verses come from the narrative in Luke's Gospel where Jesus is asking who everyone thinks he is. You know, I have never focused as much on what everyone else thought than on Peter's reply "The Christ of God." I think that is because what the other people think, really is irrelevant compared to the question, "What about you?"
Sometimes we become too focused on the first question in our daily lives. What does everyone else think about Jesus? Do they think he's God or do they think he's a man? "O, this world is burning to the ground because of its rejection of Jesus as Lord and Savior." Okay, that may be true, but "What about you?"

What does it mean to you that the world is going by the way side? Does that harm your faith? Does it distract your faith? Does it make you look down on those who do not believe? Do you focus so much on the sins of others that you are no longer mindful of your own sins? We need to first be responsible for our own short-comings before we start calling others to be accountable for their own.

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant..."
-Philippians 2:5, 6

That's powerful. That's transformative. Do not take upon the attitude of the world. If Jesus tells us that the greatest among the Gentiles lord over their people, don't you think we ought to take upon a different attitude toward them? Let's put on humility, submit ourselves to God, and let the light of Christ shine through our lives.

Blessings and Peace.

Call Me Crazy

If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ~2 Corinthians 5:13

I'm crazy, and I hope that you realize that. Not in the sense that I believe in things that aren't real; or that I believe in things that are irrational. According to the world, I am out of my mind because I believe in the God of the Bible. What does that mean? It means that I believe in simple principals like, turning the other cheek when persecuted, giving liberally to those who ask, walking the extra mile with those who need encouragement. Sure, I might not accomplish these things to the best of my ability at times, but by the grace of God I intend on living out the faith that has been passed down to me by my parents,but more importantly by the foundation of the Church, Jesus Christ and his Apostles.

The most popular method today for non-believers to attack Christians today is to ostracize them, mock them, and make them feel stupid for believing in what they believe. Fear not fellow Christians, it is okay to be called crazy. The Bible tells us, "Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength" (1 Corinthians 1:23-25). See, we should expect the world to look down on us because we have a hope that they cannot explain.

However, do not leave your brain at the door. Faith is based on truth and the truth always leaves a trail. I hope that your faith is not blind; that you do not merely follow someone who claims to know the truth. But that you follow the truth, in full confidence that what you have placed your faith in is real.

Blessings