Who finds favor?

26. In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
27. to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
28. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
(Luke 1:26-28 NIV)

There is a man (we will call him Jon) that comes around our church occasionally. As with most homeless people, Jon usually comes around looking for something to eat or a few dollars to help support his addictive habits of drugs and alcohol. He is probably only in his mid-thirties, but the years of abuse make him seem around fifty. Jon has no home, no job, no family, no friends, and no hope. He drowns himself in substance abuse so that he can fill the void in his life that all of these things have never been able to do. He is truly seen as the bottom of society and an outcast in any community he enters.

This was the case on one particular Sunday. Jon came around on Sunday afternoons because of the crowds and his increased chances of obtaining something monetary. You can probably guess the reaction that most gave him. Looks of disgust and disdain came from the most faithful and tithing members. Even deacons did their best to discourage him from entering the building, so as to not "frighten" anyone. On this Sunday, one deacon got into a heated discussion with Jon telling him that, "If all your going to do is come around here and beg, then you need to go on and get out of here. Church is not for you." What an asinine statement. See, most North American churches are under the impression that Jesus is for those that 'look the part'. We treat the poor and those who are struggling with addictive chains as unworthy of the modern Church. Somehow, we have convinced ourselves that Jesus came for the prominent, beautiful, and successful.

If that were the case, then Christ really missed the mark with Mary. Many preachers will point out the fact, that Jesus came to earth in an extremely humble manner. He could have come in a glorious display, but chose not to. However, we often miss the fact that Jesus never chose followers with those same characteristics. In fact, he always chose the opposite. In the case of Mary, she was first off, a woman (definitely not the favored species during that day). She was also young and poor. No one knew or really even cared about her. The Bible does not say what the reaction was from her family, but we can assume based on the culture, that she was probably an outcast and looked down upon. This is the continued theme throughout the Life of Christ. He used prostitutes, murderers and saved a criminal next too him at Calvary. Make no mistake, Jesus favors those who are poor and have no one. It is so difficult for those who have so much to rely on him. Those who have absolutely nothing can only rely on the Savior. Mary found favor with God, because Mary probably had nothing else to rely on but God. It wasn't as if only the poor young girls wanted to be the mother of the Messiah. No, EVERY young girl wanted that privilege. Only a humble and devoted Mary could be the "handmaid of the Lord" because she desired nothing else but him.

You see, the church is and should be especially for Jon and others like him. He has nothing and needs, more than anyone else, Jesus to enter his life.

So, what is the application? It isn't the deacons or deep pocketed tithing members that receive God's favor. God truly favors the weak and the lowly. Strive everyday to put distractions away from your life. If you have been blessed with success and "things" then it is much more difficult for you to rely on Him. Don't seek out the things of this world to satisfy your soul because they won't. Seek after the life and social status of Mary. Striving to get ahead will only leave you wanting more.

Get rid of everything so that God is the only thing. Only then will you truly know Him and find His favor.

It's not all relative

37. Then Pilate said, "So are you a king or not?" Jesus answered, "You tell me. Because I am King, I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognizes my voice."
38a. Pilate said, "What is truth?"
John 18: 37, 38a (The Message)

I was pushing my son in his stroller through the mall the other day, when I suddenly realized something not so profound about North American culture. We are obsessed with ourselves. Literally, every kiosk in the walkway of the mall was selling a product or service surrounded around me. From t-shirts with my name on them to the personalized engraving for my iPod, everything was there to make me feel better about myself. To step back and look at the mall, one might say that it is almost a modern temple of self glorification. Now, I am not advocating that you stop going to your local shopping mall or start picketing the kiosks. I would, however, like you to look at this example and see the underlying and pervasive problem with our culture.

Since you were born, you have been taught that you are "basically good" and that you should seek out what you are gifted at and what will make you the most successful. You live in a culture where Paris Hilton and Britney Spears grab headlines for their self destructive behavior. More people vote for American Idol than the president of the United States (I know you can vote if you are under 18 and more than once if you wish, but c'mon, that is still pretty bad). The popular opinion is that you can be, do, like, and believe anything you want, no matter how bizarre or untrue.

In all of this, the question of truth inevitably comes up. In America truth is relative. Whatever you want truth to be is good enough. If you want to believe in Creation, fine. If you want to believe in an "Intelligent Designer", that works. If you want to believe that martians exist and are conducting tests on us with government permission, go right ahead! There is one glaring problem with this culture of relativists: Truth is not relative. You can believe what you want, but that does not make it truth. Truth is held up above everything else and is not up for debate. You may not believe that the World Trade Center towers fell to the ground, but that does not supercede the truth of it really happening. And make no mistake about it, you want to know truth just as Pilate did. It is engraved into your DNA to seek it out. As Christians, we have the truth but so many times we act as though we don't. We make exceptions to our convictions because we do not want to offend someone or we compromise on things we know are not up for debate. Lifestyle Christianity is all about holding on to the Truth, the great I AM. And believe me, it is hard. The world believes in science while you believe in faith. The world needs quantitative and qualitative proof while you put your trust(truth) in someone and something you have never seen or heard. But make no mistake, you have the truth. Christ told Pilate what truth was and how He came to provide it, yet Pilate seemed unwilling to believe. Don't relegate yourself into someone who compromises the truth. Christ is the ultimate truth and we rest in supreme confidence that He is above all things. In a lifestyle of Christianity, compromising that will only lead you to confusion, compromise, and eventual failure. Hold Christ up as your truth and He will not fail you.

"The least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousandfold" - Aristotle

70 times 7?

21. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22. Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven."
-Matthew 18:21-22 (NIV)

On Wednesday nights I meet with my Sunday school group and we discuss current topics dealing with Christianity. Recently, we have been discussing forgiveness and letting go of your sins. There are many people who feel "held back" or "unworthy" because of past sins they've committed. This is due to the constant reminder that others give them, or their own unwillingness to let go.

Specifically, we just discussed personal forgiveness for one another. So many times we hold on to our sins, but even worse we sometimes hold on to the sins of others. There have been many instances when I've heard someone talk about another brother or sister in Christ in a negative way: "Well you heard what she did didn't you?", "You remember when this happened?", "I don't know if this is a good ministry for you, considering your past." You have indeed heard these things said before. I would say that some times, people are genuinely concerned about the ministry and what is best for all. However, more often than not, Christians seem to hold on to other peoples sins as a means for justifying or down playing their own. "Well at least my child didn't do that!" "I know it's wrong, but it's nothing compared to what they did." This is self righteous justification at its worst and there is nothing Biblical about it. Obviously, places of leadership need different and special considerations. You would not put a convicted pedifile in charge of children's Sunday school or hire a pastor struggling with an internet pornography addiction. What I am talking about is the Christian who has had a struggle in their life at some point and is seeking restoration and acceptance into the flock. They are rejected because of our unwillingness to forgive them and our inability to see the wrong in our own lives.

The disciples knew better than anyone else about forgiveness. They had pasts that undoubtedly would have been looked down upon in todays circles. They were fisherman who probably had filthy mouths and bad habits; and tax collectors who were considered traders of the Jewish community. They were by no means esteemed members of society and yet they received the grace and forgiveness of a holy and righteous Jesus. This is what is so wonderful about these two verses. See, Christ never gave commands that He wouldn't keep Himself. He is our one shining example of how we should forgive. My Sunday school class leader made the point that Christ does not forget our sins, he consciously chooses not to remember them. What a huge difference, right? If Christ just forgot our sins, then what meaning would sin have anyway? It would just be a constant game of sin, confess, and forget. There would be little potential for growing, learning, and improving our walk with Him. However, with Him choosing not to remember our sins, it allows for personal growth and the desire to seek His favor. Christ will not bring up your sins because they are already laid on Him. Your sins are done with, and He will remember them no more. So stop holding on. How can you forgive others when you can't even forgive yourself? And stop holding on to everyone else's. "Well you don't know my husband, he is awful." Well you know what? So are you. Christ told Peter to always forgive his brother because that is exactly what Christ does for you and me. If you want to have a Christian lifestyle you have to start modeling your forgiveness methods after Him.

What better example could you ever find?

Welcome

First off, let me give a brief profile. I am a Christian (I believe that Christ is the only way to heaven. What He did on this earth and the cross has an everlasting effect on the one who believes and commits their entire life to pursue and live out His commands. He is non-negotiable and worthy of all praise. There is none other that is first in my life). While I believe and would give my life for that statement, I have obvious struggles. Mainly, my everyday lifestyle. Making Christianity "stick" with me has been tough. It's been more like a post-it type of relationship (it does stick but it is really easy to take it off). It is so easy to dismiss what should be so obvious. Why? I have talked with so many who have these same questions. They struggle with "living" the Christian life outside of a place of worship. I trust these posts will help those (especially me) with the struggles and questions of lifestyle Christianity.

With that said, I have had a burning passion for this selected topic for quite some time. The church I now attend is in a state of transition. Traditionalism has its roots dug in so deep, an excavation alone may not be able to uproot it. Members (including myself) seem to be repetitious in our Christian lives. Coming in to the place of worship is like stepping onto the set of the Stepford Wives. Sure, these people are different, but how so? Well, I could go on and on about dress, boring songs, and shouts of amen to name a few. And while there is nothing wrong with that, there is nothing decidedly "Christian" about them. The only Christlike lifestyle characteristics are the man-made notions about traditional worship and behavior when one comes into a Holy place. Outside of the physical building, I would say that there are very few that practice "lifestyle Christianity". Those two words are worse than cursing in some fundamental circles. Other denominations have made it their free license to do what they want under Christian liberty. With all these different viewpoints, one can be confused. And make no mistake about it, the reason most struggle with a Christian lifestyle is because IT IS DIFFICULT. But we are mandated throughout the scripture to live a Christlike life. However, practicing what we know takes discipline, consistency, and potential failure or heartache. I trust we will find some answers to help these issues.

This may be a slow process, but I know it will help me. I would love your comments and suggestions. Feel free to respond anytime.

I trust this first blog finds you doing well.