Religion, the Election, and God

Vice President Biden and VP nominee Paul Ryan Photo Credit:CC

Religion versus Relationship

I often encounter people who do not have favorable opinions of "religion". 

I want to tell you something: neither did Jesus.

When He talked to everyday people he was kind and compassionate. To the prostitute he was forgiving and gracious. 

When He encountered the religious people, those who shunned the poor and the lonely, but walked around as if they were better than everyone else, He called those people "vipers".

Paul, encountering Athenians who loved religion (though they worshiped false gods) he found it necessarily to point them back to God.

Religion is the system of ritual, not real relationship with the God of the universe. Relationship is a one-on-one knowing who Jesus is, what He did for you, and trusting in Him for everything you are.

Ritual and religion do not move your heart to compassion for the needy, they do not heal you from your brokenness, and they do not free you from your pain. Only God does that.

The Case of Religion Today

I heard on the news last night learned men debating on who was a better Catholic, Paul Ryan, who is the presumptive Vice Presidential nominee or Vice President Biden, who is on the 2012 democratic ticket with President Obama.

The arguments for one man or another were based on political view points and whether or not those view points lined up with the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church.

Neither man scored perfectly.

No one would and that in part is why I believe the argument is moot.

I will  not debate with you who to vote for. That is not why I write this. I write this because I want you to realize two things.

First, "man" will always mess up the sauce. 

God has a recipe for relationship with Him. It is this: 

a. Recognize you are not perfect and need help to live 

b. Call on Jesus and ask Him to forgive you for any wrongs you have committed

c. Live in God's grace while striving to "sin no more"

When we try to add a bunch of hoops to jump through before we can have a relationship with God, we count what Jesus did as nothing. When we add a bunch of self righteous rules afterwards we get stupid debates and divisions like the story from the news.


The second thing I want you to know is this:

God does not use religion to give you purpose, God uses Jesus to give you purpose. 

God's desire for man has been the same sense the Garden of Eden: to have a relationship with mankind. When sin slithered in and stole the hearts of man, God set in motion a plan to redeem those hearts. Jesus was that plan. In Christ we have freedom and we have purpose. Our purpose is now God's purpose: to point the way back to Him to all of mankind.

We do not do this by walking in ritual and religion, but dwelling in relationship.

You may use your talents as a singer to point the way to Him, or your talents as a writer, an artist, an accountant, a speaker, an encourager, or whatever God has gifted you with in order to fulfill your purpose.
But without relationship there is no point. 

I know this may seem harsh, perhaps even a little unlike me, but I cannot stand when people point to God to justify their bad behavior, as I saw last night on the news.

I believe we should account for faith when we go to the polls, but if we focus on politics and religion more than relationship with God then we miss the point.

Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's (your vote) and unto God that which is God's (your heart).

Join the Conversation: 

 Do you agree or disagree that religion (faith) should be a part of political discussion?


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Freedom, Fireworks and Jesus

I Surprised Myself

I am always trying to learn new things. On the fourth we celebrated America's Independence Day. 


I did not plan attending this fireworks display. I was actually dragging the family to a local grocery store to coupon...think Extreme Couponing but with less savings and less crazy- hey, I am a beginner! 


Anyway, the kids wanted to hang around for the fireworks and so, bug spray and soda in hand we found a great vantage point and waited for the show. 


One thing about fireworks, love them or hate them, they are pretty much the same every time. (Unless you live in San Diego and got the 20 second version this year!) 


So I wanted to put the last few minutes to music. Which I have NEVER done before. The thought of video makes me so nervous it is kind of gross. (Sweaty hands were involved--)


Anyway, this was the result. 

The Message Behind the Video

Real freedom shouldn't be celebrated one day a year, but everyday if you are in Christ! 


The freedom the Father provided is real and tangible. In Christ there is no fear. I am no longer afraid of what the world thinks. In Jesus I live, I breathe, I have my very being!

I will live an extraordinary existence because God created me to be extraordinary! In fact, He created me to live so opposite of the world and their ordinary ways that I look alien to them! 

In Christ the freedom I have prompts me to share personal stories so people will look at Him and to Him in ways they never have before. 


In Jesus there is freedom from sin, from pain, from heartache, from depression, from doubt, from oppression and from death! 


In Jesus there is power. There is power to become more than what you can be on your own! In Jesus there is more. 


So I made this video to remind you that there is more. More than what you know right now. More than you feel right now. More than you think.

Jesus is the "more" you need. 

Cry out to God and ask Him to make Himself real to you right now. God hears the cries of his creation. He longs to adopt you into the family. Call on Him in the name of Jesus and you will be saved. 


Now... yes, now, you have a reason to celebrate. Fireworks cannot compare to the celebration in heaven over you right now! You are FREE! 


What do you like most about your life in Jesus? 

Who Are You?

She Needed His Mercy

I am Mary Magdalene, adulteress, and prostitute. I met Him after He saved my life. He was the reason I am free from my old life. He is the one that loved me, though I was so unlovable. 

He did not want what other men did. 

He wanted my heart, not my body. 

He wanted me whole, not broken and used. 

He was my Savior and they have killed him.




He Washed His Hands

I am Pilot, governor over the territory of Jerusalem. This back water town is full of trouble, but every place is. I have to keep order and maintain the Roman way, but walk the line and keep the Jews happy too. 

Now they send me Him. Jesus. He is blameless. I find no fault. My wife is weeping in the other room. She has begged me to stay out of this. How can I? It is my job. I have to judge Him. 

He is innocent. 

The people want him dead. 

How can they want Him dead? What has he done? 

I will give them what they want. I cannot deal with an uprising if they become unsettled. 

I know they are wrong but I wash my hands of it all.



He denied Him

I am Peter. 

He just asked me to watch and to pray. I couldn’t stay awake! I should have seen them coming. I could have gotten him away from there! 

After the soldiers took him, I followed to see where they would take him. The courtyard was packed. They wanted Him dead. 

He knew. 

He told us last night. 

He has been telling us. 

Someone called me out! “Aren’t you one of his?” they asked me.

No!

“Yes, you are!” NO!

NO!

When that rooster crowed, I knew He had told me the truth.

What have I done?

When He asked me to follow Him, I did. When He asked me to walk out to meet Him on the water, I did. I watched him feed 5,000. I saw Him heal the blind. 

He even raised our friend from the dead. He washed my feet. 

He loved me like no one has ever loved me. He saw me: me, with my bad temper and big mouth, and He loved me anyway. I just deserted him. I left Him to them. Now He is dead.



He got a second chance

I am Barabbas. I was on death row. I was all set to die. I had been killing men and boys for years and I had finally been caught. The truth is, I was a little mad. 

When the soldiers brought me before Pilot, I thought, “This is it. I am going to die today.” I was prepared. 

Then I saw Him.

He just stood there, with his body bloody from a beating, looking at me. 

I felt like He saw everything I had ever done.

 I had heard about Him. He was all I would never be. 

Perfect. Holy. 

Pilot asked “Who do you want to be released?” and I cannot believe what I heard. “Barabbas! Barabbas! Give us Barabbas!”

He took my place. I deserved to die. I still deserve to die, but instead, He is dead. 

Him: not me. 

Jesus.




He did his job

I am just a soldier. A Centurion, proud to serve Caesar! I show up every day for duty and do what I am told. 

Today, well, today I wish I had any other job in the world but this one! 

I usually have guard duty, but today I got put on crucifixion detail. 

Why today of all days did I get ordered to do this? 

He was so beaten, so bruised. His body looked like a bloody animal carcass.

Through it all: the mocking, the spitting, He hung there, drowning as His lungs filled with blood, praying for us. 

He asked God to forgive us! 

Who is this man? 

Surely, He is who He says. He is the Son of God. What have I done? I just killed the Son of God!

I am Mary, adulteress

I am Pilot, judge

I am Peter, deserter

I am Barabbas, murderer

I am a Centurion, executioner



He was a carpenter, a builder, and architect

He was a brother, a Rabbi, a friend

He was a lamb and a Shepard

He was the bread and the wine

He was giving and He was given

He was offered and He offered

He was man and He was God

Today is Good Friday. 

Today we remember what Jesus did for us. He died for us, as a stand-in for us, so we could have relationship with God. 

It was always the plan. God's way to redeem us back to Him. 

Are you Mary? Are you Peter? Maybe you are Pilot, indifferent to God? 

Are you Barabbas, filled with hate and anger and not sure why? 

Maybe you feel like you are a pretty good person, just keeping your head down in life, doing your "job" and not doing anything too bad- that would make you the Centurion. 

Jesus died for every one of us, no matter who you are, or what you have done. If you have not acknowledged Him as the only way to God, won't you do so now? 

Ask for forgiveness. He gives it freely. 

He loves you, if He didn't none of this would have been necessary. 

Thoughts: Who are you? 

Tell Me Your Story

"I came for your story, I came for your wounds, to show you what love sees when I see you." 


These are the words that so moved me from this song. As a writer, I love that Jesus came for my story. I love that He sees me, all my brokenness and lack and He loves me anyway. Not only does He love me, but He wants to make me whole and fill the emptiness in my life. 


God loves you just as you are too. Maybe you thought Jesus was just another fairy tale or fictional character like Santa or the Easter Bunny, but He is real! 


The Son of God, made flesh, came to be the atonement of our sins. He laid His life down, so that we could have life. If you don't know Jesus, and you stumbled upon this page, won't you ask Him to make Himself real to you right now and to come into your life today! 


Each person's story may be different, but each story needs Jesus! 



Don't know how to pray? Just talk to God. Like you would a friend or a parent. Something like this would be fine: 


"Lord, I know I am a sinner, a real mess, and I cannot continue to live my life on my own. I need You in my life. Please, Jesus, come into my heart. Take my broken pieces and make them into what you meant me to be. Fill me, and help me live my new story with YOU. Amen."


If you prayed this you are now a Christian. Welcome to the family! Two things you should know. First, your new life has begun. Like a baby needs milk to live, you need the Bible, the Word of God to grow. So read. It can be with or without a Bible Study, like this one, but not necessarily. 


Secondly, you need to pray. Just talk to God. Communication is important in any relationship. If you want to read more about prayer, click here. These two things will change your life tremendously  and I would love to hear about it. Tell me your story.  Leave a comment below. Already a Christian? Then share with us a part of your story and let's get to know each other, as brothers and sisters in Christ. 



Be blessed and be a blessing and remember God showed us His love through the gift of His Son Jesus! God's love in verb form.