How Did Jesus Do It (Part 2)

So I had written a post a couple of weeks ago entitled, "How Did Jesus Do It." Well, Melissa had commented on it and got me to to thinking. I also commented, replying to her comment, but I don't know if many people read comments on old posts...so I wanted to write a new post of those comments...(for fun?!) :-)

Melissa's comment:
------------------------

This post has been making my brain hurt for the past two weeks, and I'm a bit disappointed that nobody chimed in to the discussion....

The fact that (some) sinners were drawn to Jesus makes perfect sense to me. Picture yourself living in a land where almost everybody hated/condemned people for being an adulterer/tax collector/something else socially unacceptable and then Jesus comes along and isn't a jerk like everyone else... it seems kinda obvious to me that you would want to be around him. Add in the excitement of him telling the leaders of the day that they were buttheads and not nearly as smart as they thought they were. That must've been a pretty sweet sight for the outcasts.

This could be a really interesting discussion if more people actually commented....


And here is my "response" stemming from her comment...
------------------------
I had never quite thought about it how you put it, about how everyone is rejecting these people, and there is one person who doesn't! I began to picture that...and OF COURSE I would be drawn to that one person, that one person who sees me as someone else, someone who I know I'm not. Somehow he sees something else in me, something that no one else sees. I would want to do anything to live up to that person's expectation of me, to not let Him down, to not disappoint Him anymore than I already have or could do, to try to prove to Him and myself that I can do it. I'm not who I appear to be...I can be better, I promise. Thank you for believing in me, I don't understand how you can.

Yeah, I can picture EXACTLY how they were drawn to Jesus.

I guess my question is...HOW do I do that for other people? I guess really, it's simple, LOVE them, care for them, see in them what they can be, not who they are now (have a vision for them). Spend time with them, share my life with them, tell them the truth, share Christ with them. I know those things...but do I do them? Can I do better? Do I just not see where I do these in my life?

That list up there is still generalities and not specifics applied to specific people. Why can't the Bible just say, Chris go and do this or be this for this person? That's where the Spirit comes in, if I am able and do listen to him, that is where the specifics will come.

I guess I've answered some of my questions (through rapid jumping), but for some reason that doesn't feel good enough. I know many of the answers. What comes after that? Putting the answers into action....(sigh)...

Slow Fade

So I accidentally knocked a button on my CD player and it starting playing the song "Lifesong" from Casting Crowns. Because it was unexpected noise and very quickly and promptly turned of my CD player when I realized what happened. (THAT reminds my...I still haven't given back Kendra's CD I borrow for the Valentathalon. Someone come do this for me or remind me to do so...) But just then Blake said something to the effect of, "That's a good song." So I turned it back on and listened to the Lifesong CD. But then I wanted more of Casting Crowns, so I got on my computer and began listening to their newest CD The Altar and the Door. I really like this CD!

So it came to the song "Slow Fade". For some reason, I stopped and began to think about this song. And at that moment, I thought, I need to write a blog about it! So I will pause for a little while and figure out what I need to write...
_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.

(Me pausing...possibly for several hours/days...I have to go play Volleyball at 10...:-) )

_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.

As Casting Crowns wrote about this song, "This was inspired by the spreading cancer of moral failure in the fathers of this generation. As believers, we must guard our hearts and understand that no one crashes and burns. They just slowly fade away one little compromise at a time."

I do not take quite as specific of a message from this song, most likely because I'm not a father. But what they say in this song really makes sense, "People never crumble in a day." It is a pattern of evil thoughts and a pattern of unwise choices and actions that leads to a destructive lifestyle and essentially to destruction. Not just one.

This pattern of slow decay can be very deceiving. As we live out our daily lives, those small "insignificant" thoughts and choices do not appear to be making changes within us. However, they all add up to build and shape who we are. Have you ever just been going about life and looked up and noticed something (or someone), and thought...Woahh...this is (you are) different, when did this (you) change? We tend to not notice the small things and even begin to accept them as normal. It's like if you were concentrating on something and someone next to you were to take one small step away from you every few minutes. For quite a while, you'd probably not realize that they have even moved away at all. But when you take a break and look up, you realize they are across the room.
_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.

This clip from The Office does not completely apply, but I was wanting to find a way show it in a post. In this scene Jim simply asked Dwight if he wants an altoid after his computer beeps...something very insignificant. Over time, Dwight becomes accustomed to this and at one point has no clue why he is craving an altoid and reaching his hand out to grab one from Jim.

_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.

The same thing happens in our spiritual life. We make one small choice not to spend time with God today. It's only one day...out of a possible 31,025 days in our life. That's NOTHING, just 0.003% of our life. (And when we compare that to eternity, it doesn't matter!) However, it is SOOO easy for that one day to turn into another day, another week, another month: and the slow fade has begun. This happens with so many things, spiritual and otherwise. I sleep through or skip class this one day. I don't need to meet with this person this week. I'm busy tonight...I'll just not go to Core this one week. I really want to tell this joke, but it's not appropriate...just this one time. I know I've procrastinated now, but I'll do better. I'll spend just a little more money this month on eating out or on myself. It's just one night of looking at pornography on the Internet, I'm not going to make a habit out of it. I'm just tired tonight...I'll make sure I pray twice tomorrow. I'll make sure to tell Jonathan about Jesus next time I see him. I don't need to call and talk to my family today...I'll do it later. I can get serious about God in the summer when I don't have to worry about exams.

All of those things start out small, but it is incredibly easy for them to snowball out of control. We will not realize it at first. Once something has already been done, most times it is increasingly easier to do it again. Once you've done something twice, more times than not, it's easier to do it a third time. However, one day, weeks/months done the line, we'll look up and think, "Why am I here?!!!??!?!" This is why in Proverbs it mentions how important it is to keep your foot from evil, to not even take one step that is not on God’s path. It is important that we fix our gaze on Christ.

Proverbs 4:23-27 -- Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

In the same vein, the "slow fade" can occur in another way as well. It can be good. I wish that once a person starts believing in Jesus or "becomes a Christian" that they could just be perfect. I wish that for myself. I wish that I could just get things done right the first time without any practice or grief or making mistakes. However, this is NOT the case, we cannot just go from living for ourselves to living for Christ overnight. It takes time. That’s why Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross DAILY and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it (Luke 9:23-24)."

This is frustrating as well as a great encouragement. It’s frustrating because I look at my life and the only things I do daily are breathing and eating and sometimes many times sleeping… But it’s encouraging because if you’re not where you want to be, just like I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago, it simply requires you taking small steps toward your goal or taking small steps toward becoming who you want to be. As I mentioned above, once something has already been done, most times it is increasingly easier to do again it again. Once you've done something twice, more times than not, it's easier to do it a third time.

Now, all that said, I think most of that is the result of what this song is talking about. The actions produced from it. The keys lines in the song are “Be careful little eyes what you see/Be carefully little ears what you hear.” (And the more action parts “Be careful little feet where you go/Be careful little lips what you say.”) But it is so important that we watch what we are taking into our body. Of course in the physical sense that’s important to stay healthy, making sure you’re eating the right things, not staring into the sun, etc… But even more so, it’s important for our spiritual lives as well. We have to make sure we’ve “eating” and “staring” at the right things to make sure that our spiritual body is healthy. We must be careful what we are watching on TV, in movies, on the computer, other people. Just watching something harmful does not typically produce an action right there. But through a continual pattern, our mind begins to become filled with these images, and they are all we can think about! All the violence and sex and dirty joking and lies about how life works and lies about what we should be doing DO begin to affect us whether we realize it or not. (And I know y’all’ve heard that many times.

We must be careful what we listen to. I think this most directly applies to who we choose to listen to, not necessarily what we choose to listen to, as far as music or what not, which is usually what I hear this applied to. Lies are so easy to believe. Lies that people spread about others whom they are angry at or envious of. Lies meant to bring division. Lies, claiming to be God’s truth and God’s Word. Satan is a master at spreading these lies through the world and through the body of Christ as well. “[Satan] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).” However on the surface, these lies are not exposed. “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (II Corinthians 10:8).” It is much easier to believe them. And while one lie, about someone, what they did is not going to make that much difference. But that begins the slow fade. These things we take in can and will eventually come out of us and will turn into actions. “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean (Mark 7:20-23).’ “ These simple things we see and hear, turn into thoughts, affect our hearts, and come out in our actions.

(I might write more or edit this a bit later, but I wanted to get it posted...)
_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.

(And just for y'all, I've pulled some strings and hopefully done something not too illegal. Since I can't upload songs, I made a "blank" video with the song....I can upload those!)

"Slow Fade"

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

Relaxation, It's a Curious Thing...At Least for Me (Wait that's the first "sentence", and this title is long!)

Relaxation is a curious thing, at least for me. For example, just before some “long” break arrives, that is all I can wait for, a little time to relax. Yet as the break draws to an end, I can hardly wait to get back to “life” and back to the routine of school, work, etc. And when I start back into the routine, I almost feel guilty because it seems I had been doing absolutely nothing. I wish I had actually done something productive or worthwhile while I was “relaxing.” Maybe, though, I really don’t know how or what relaxing means. To me, it seems like in order to relax, it has to be a long period of time. A day or so hardly seems like enough time to unwind from a busy semester (or part of the semester when Spring Break is concerned). And also, relaxation has seemed to me to mean essentially doing nothing.

However, like I said, I think my definition of relaxation is a bit off. According to the dictionary, relaxation is a form of activity that provides a change and relief from effort, work, or tension, and gives pleasure. It can also mean a lessening of something that was previously intense. When I look at this, the first thing that jumps out to me is the word activity. So relaxation is a form of activity, one that provides change, relief, and pleasure.

Looking back over the past few years, I have come to realize that at the end of the day, the days I feel the best after are the ones that I have been the most busy or rather the most productive. The day itself may have been stressful, but it is a good feeling when I’ve accomplish something or completed/done something that is challenging or what I consider beyond my means. (Which when I think about it, even unproductive, busy days feel better than days I have absolutely nothing to do. This is especially true at work.)

So when I combine these two thoughts on, relaxation and busy/productive days, I see that maybe my days of relaxation should be “filled” which activities. The other component of relaxation is where it says relaxation should give pleasure. So these activities should be things that I enjoy doing that bring about change and relief. Perhaps this should exactly include being busy, but include projects or things I have been wanting to work on for a while but haven’t had time. And this relaxation can happen for just a day or two or part of a day. It doesn’t need to be for weeks at a time. (And especially looking at life after school, that is what relaxation is going to have to be…no more summer and winter break or even Spring Break for that matter.) I have just come to realize that being lazy all day, waking up at noon or later is just not too attractive to me anymore. It feels nice at the time, but later on, I begin to regret it. And some of this goes back to just not being as selfish with my time and trying to use it to please God, for His kingdom.

(I have a feeling I am suppose to be writing about my Core on this blog a bit too. “Next week” I will try to do just that!)

How did Jesus do It?

I don't remember what I was thinking a few hours ago...Ahh...(Well, what I'm writing about here isn't it.)

I have had this in my mind for a week or two and at different times I have wanted write more about this but I think I'll just mention it right now. I just don't understand how Jesus could be such a friend of sinners. I've heard this soo many times that Jesus is a friend of sinners and that's great and all, but He was perfect! How could he feel comfortable to be around people with disgusting lives? He must have really, really loved them. That must be it, but what does that look like in practice? I think how uncomfortable I feel when I am around people doing things that I don't approve or that I think are bad/evil. I wonder if that's how Jesus felt, very uncomfortable and wanting to just leave their presence. If He felt that, He sure didn't listen to it. What is even more remarkable to me, is that "sinners" (well some of them) loved being around Jesus. (Maybe it wasn't exactly that, but they were absolutely drawn to Him, and their lives were definitely changed.) That again doesn't completely makes sense to me

I guess my whole life I have not really had friends who were too controversial or friends just did bad things. Most of my friends have been in some way Christian. Those are the people I like being around, those are the people I spend time around. No "sinners" are drawn to me it seems. (Albeit, I'm not Jesus...even if Christ is in my name. ;-) ) Should some people like that be drawn to me or want to be around me or have their lives changed by being around me? What does that look like? Is it less obvious but more little encounters that when all put together add to something?

I guess some of these thoughts come to me when I think about challenging people to live more of their lives for God and to help them try to see things that are in their life that should not be there. I am not too great at this and at times have a tough time figuring out what the issue is at the heart of someone actions. It is just Amazing to me how Jesus did this! Of course, Jesus did pay a price for this. There were those that were drawn to him and loved being around him, but there were also those who had the opposite reaction. Jesus definitely polarized people. But, I guess that's when people truly experience Him in some amount.

That's all for now, I suppose. I'll hopefully write soon about what I was actually thinking today.