Food for thought...

Here's something else for me to write about and procrastinate studying a little further...

Being saved doesn't make you a Christian.

Unfortunately the word "Christian" has been thrown around, dug in the dirt, trashed and sometimes put too high on a pedestal. One of my first publishes to this blog was a poem about being a Christian, and I still hold on to that as ringing true.

Being a Christian is not about being a better person. It's not about looking the best in a crowd. As D Sheed says, it's not just a ticket to heaven ((check out his blog, http://notjustatickettoheaven.blogspot.com)). It's certainly not a 'get out of jail free' card. Being a Christian should be about following Christ. That's why the 'Christ' part is in there. At the front of the word, no less.

Just because you've said a 'sinner's prayer' ((and I totally disagree with most of these because they're just one person repeating another person's prayer, which could be totally irrelevant to the new believer. Jesus said the truth would set us free, to believe and we would be saved.))
, doesn't make you a disciple. Just because you believe Jesus died to save you from yourself is not enough to be called a follower of him.

This is what Jesus had to say about it:
"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate by comparison of his love for Me his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot by My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."
-Luke 14:25-27.

That was not the overly happy Jesus you saw on a picture on your Sunday School wall
talking. That was a commander and King.

I realise this is beginning to look a lot like my notes from Invasion last Tuesday...but it must be said.

Before you decide to convince your friends into this 'religion' or perhaps you're thinking of jumping in, yourself make sure you know what you're getting yourself into.

#Realise the cost. And there is a great cost, not just for those living in China or North Korea, although I'm sure they could tell you all about it. Think of what the 12 disciples had to give up to follow Jesus around.

#Be willing to hand things over.

#Be willing to surrender.

#Consider it a partnership, not just a one way love triangle...yeah, that one didn't work... =).

If you don't keep focused on the King, you'll burn out. Remember Peter stepping out of the boat to walk on water ((Matthew 14)).

Dan's questions that I wrote down ((because I'm basically just going from my Invasion notes now, haha.)):

# What do I want to be/achieve in the next 6 months...a year...a lifetime?
#Who is that ambition centered on?


Wow, I put a lot of bold stuff in there.
Cool.
BYE.