What are some of my other favorite movies you might ask?  Oh, that’s simple.“8 Track Guy in an I-Pod World”  or “Hug yo momma” or “Bail out plan”. What! You’ve never heard of them?  What’s your problem?  They are movies written by and starring the one and only Dennis Swanberg.  He jokes at times and says how the more refined church goers had possibly frowned on his comedy “in the name of the Lord.”

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=J21B1NNU

You know I am sure that these two were not always embraced or understood bytheir parents, peers, teachers, communities.  In fact, I’m sure at times they were ridiculed.

I’ve been ridiculed.  I’ve been misunderstood.  Those feelings have made me want to quit.  Perhaps at times I’ve allowed those feeling to cause me to quit.

 Last week I listened to Kay Arthur on TV and she challenged me.  Because throughher sharing her own life story and struggles, I realized that truthfully the temptation I suffer really is common to man.  The temptation to be angry or bitter, the temptation to quit, the temptation to cheat, the temptation to whatever. Human beings face this. It’s not the facing of it, but it’s the decision of what will I do when I’ve been told “it’s hopeless” or “you’re a failure” or “it’s over” or when I feel like I can’t go on.

I was listening to some Christian Hip-Hop from a couple years ago, and it was like putting a glove on.  I love it.  I get it.  I like all kinds of music.  So, I can just as easily say the same thing when I listen to Southern Gospel 100.1 Joy FM!                      At this moment I’m listening to my favorite group. You know it-DC Talk.  The lyrics and melody of their songs are the first time I realized Christian music can be gut wrenching and cool and deep. I am sure Dr. Jerry Falwell may have needed a few moments to decide what he thought of this out of the box of professing Christian rock-star wannabees.

I remember in Narnia, the first night Lucy sleeps at her temporary residence of the Professors she says “the sheets are scratchy.” It just didn’t feel right.  Many of us are wrapping our lives in a scratchy existence of who we think we should be based on what we’ve succumbed to.  We know it’s not right; we’ve just given in to the idea that we just can’t do any better.  You’ll feel more comfortable admitting who you are in Christ, than trying to be who you’re not in the name of Christ.

Exodus 4: ¹³ But Moses said, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.”                                                                                                    I Samuel 16:¹¹ So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”    “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered, “but he is tending the sheep.”                                                                                                                                                                                     Matthew 3: ⁴ John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

What is God calling you to do that you haven’t done? Who does God say you are that you continue to deny?There are no limits to what He can do.  Why are we trying to put Him in a box?

Out of the box? Freak?  Yep. That’s me.

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=0MCFNNNU

Like a few weeks back when he described in detail the particulars of his recent eye surgery.  If looks could kill as Shelle glared at me!  He talked about how it was basically painless, and then someone else chimed in about how something they had done to their heart was painless and that the Dr. had explained that these parts inside of our body had no nerve endings.  How strange.  The areas that you would think couldn’t tolerate that type of procedure without being unbearably painful can indeed handle it.

Made me think about how I handle my pain.

I got my feelings hurt last week.  It was the kind of thing that it stings it hurts so much.  I began to process it.  Think about it.  Stew over it.  And at some point God spoke to my heart: forgiveness is better than revenge. I wasn’t thinking “Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord” “God’s gonna get YOU!” But, it was just that God was speaking to me that unforgiveness truly is not an option in the life of a believer. That’s tough to hear when you are hurting.  Doesn’t seem fair.  You are there for them.  They aren’t there for you.  You put them first.  They put you last.  You didn’t talk about them.  They talked about you.  You always want them to be comforted.  They have allowed and even caused your hurt.  I really believe that the following scripture
³⁵ It is mine to avenge; I will repay.
In due time their foot will slip;
their day of disaster is near
and their doom rushes upon them.”

may be misused for us today.  I believe that first of all God isn’t saying “come on my favored child; watch me punish another believer on your behalf.” First of all, in the body of Christ, just like in our own homes, when one kid does wrong, he gets in trouble, but isn’t spited, or hated or cast out.  We act as if God is going to do this.  Second of all for those outside the body, God wants them in the family, so yes He will punish, yes He will protect you, but our attitudes are often spiritually smug and prideful, and that is not God’s attitude.  I have resolved that what God is saying to me is “you do not need to be at all concerned with them “getting theirs”.  You have no options here but forgiveness, and the payback you need to be concerned with is your own-that will keep you busy full time as you work on your own character.  Loves covers a multitude of sins, and Jesus said “forgive them” so I know this is true.

But the letting go, it hurts so much. The humiliation.  The feeling inferior.  I began to think about those surgeries.  The inner parts not hurting.  I also thought of a paper cut.  Is there anything more painful and yet more minimal as far as a cut?  But the inside of a person can be painless?

When I am in self-defense mode that’s what I get.  The power of self.  There ain’t much there.  I’m afraid.  I’m looking around.  I’m wounded and think I will die.  But if I lay my weapons down and allow that inner part to be exposed and maybe sacrificed, Who is in that place?  Who takes that pain and helps me?  I can handle more in God’s full power than the tiniest hurt on my own.

There are attacks that only God can take and either walk us through or destroy.

Dear God, I give you my hurt because you gave me your heart.  All of it.  All of you.  God forgive me for trying to keep any part of my being.  I pray for my friend reading this.  Lord we feel so pressed down, squeezed, lifeless.  God, please accept our full being, problems and all so that we can accept Your help in this moment.

We love you Lord!

Amen

Yes, you heard it correctly, there’s an habitual sin problem in the church.

I’m sure you’re drawing your conclusions about which sin I might be referring to.

Gossip? Cheating? Stealing? Lying? Overeating? Vanity? Abuse?  (You fill in the blank) But no, none of these are the one I personally believe may just be the most prevalent amongst today’s Christ followers.

Roger talked about it in Sunday morning’s service, and I was reminded of my conviction of a few weeks back.

James 4:17

¹⁷ If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. NIV

We want to be known for what we “don’t” do.  I didn’t kill him even though I really wanted to!!  I didn’t steal my co-worker’s TV Dinner, and I could have! I was honest when my boss wanted to know if I thought he was a jerk!

That’s quite commendable.  No, really.

We’ve become good, safe, responsible-and sterile and lukewarm, and we could be making SomeOne sick over it. Revelation 3: ^5-17“I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, ‘I’m rich, I’ve got it made, I need nothing from anyone,’ oblivious that in fact you’re a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless.

God help us!

Are you being hit upside the head by the Holy Spirit telling you to “wake-up”? I sure am.

Mark and I were in a car accident April 3.  After weeks of not much improvement my Dr. suggested physical therapy.  Well, it turns out I was not going to get a one hour massage at each session as I had originally thought!  In fact, waiting to be seen for the first time I read posters on the wall and wondered if I was at boot camp or physical therapy. It’s been painful-I don’t like pain.  It’s been sweaty-I don’t sweat.  It has required me to take a change of clothes on therapy days-I’m not that organized.

The result: I can sit down better on my injured tailbone. I can do those goofy neck exercises and my should pain will go away or at least be a lot better. I can do a number of other laughable stretches and exercises that are improving my quality of life.

It’s been hard. Real hard.  But is it worth it?  Oh yes, yes, yes, yes.

Not doing bad things is definitely a good thing. But, not doing that good thing is ALWAYS a bad thing. I Samuel5:22 ²² But Samuel replied:

   “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams. God is not “rejoicing” over us declaring “Well Lord, I know that you told me to call them and tell them I am praying for them, but I’m just gonna pray to You, and that way I will be more humble because they won’t feel indebted to me.”  NOT. He wants me to do what He says to do.

What are those good things we’re not doing?

Well I can only speak for myself. Forgiving.  Accepting.  Expressing sympathy by sharing in someone’s hurt, not speaking pity to make them fall into more isolation. Giving eye contact. Being truthful.

Just like my physical therapy-these do-good exercises will probably be different than you’d think.  People don’t always understand or embrace the good that God instructs us to do, but that’s ok.  It will get easier as we realize that we are doing good for people in order to please Him.  I read a wonderful thing today in  Purpose Driven Life® “You are not responsible for everyone in the Body of Christ, but you are responsible to them”      Day 18.

God is just not going to allow us to have the abundant life without this important part of His character expressing itself through us.

Things are different than they were fifty, forty,thirty, twenty, even ten years ago.  But………….what would it look like for girls, who will one day become teens, who will one day become aunts, and cousins, and wives and mothers and grandmothers to realize who Christ says they are, rather than telling them if they meet or even better exceed expectations, they just might have a shot at becoming “something.”

Women for many years now have been told that independence is a great thing.  As a result of being “self-sufficient” we won’t owe anyone anything, and won’t be accountable to anyone.  Yet many, many women I’ve met who never wanted to be dependent are just that.  But, it’s  more an enslavement than dependence.  What’s  worse are the children I’ve seen on TV, as well as encountered who must become independent to survive.

I have had an innate desire to prove to individuals that I could do “it”.

Achieve that dream.

Change who I was.

Not care what people thought.

The result……………..feelings of inadequacy, rejection, failure.

I’ve realized I will not ever be freed from the need of being loved and accepted and cherished.  And, I’m not meant to be.  Neither are you.  Neither are your precious little girls.

Does your girl know today that they are of utmost importance to someone?  I have a twenty one year old sweetie, and a ten year old who brings me joy and laughter.  But, I can promise you that with both of them there have been, and still are times when they feel anything but special or beautiful.  They have felt the sting of unkind words, and the fear of failure.  So has their mom.

Please join us for this year’s Princesses, Boys and Jesus at the Hampton Inn Gastonia.

This Friday-Saturday event will include an overnight hotel stay, two meals, snacks, and most important: time for you to pour truth into the hearts of your special girl(s).

This event is for K-6th grade.

Things are different than they were fifty, forty,thirty, twenty, even ten years ago.  But………….what would it look like for girls, who will one day become teens, who will one day become aunts, and cousins, and wives and mothers and grandmothers to realize who Christ says they are, rather than telling them if they meet or even better exceed expectations, they just might have a shot at becoming “something.”

Women for many years now have been told that independence is a great thing.  As a result of being “self-sufficient” we won’t owe anyone anything, and won’t be accountable to anyone.  Yet many, many women I’ve met who never wanted to be dependent are just that.  But, it’s  more an enslavement than dependence.  What’s  worse are the children I’ve seen on TV, as well as encountered who must become independent to survive.

I have had an innate desire to prove to individuals that I could do “it”.

Achieve that dream.

Change who I was.

Not care what people thought.

The result……………..feelings of inadequacy, rejection, failure.

I’ve realized I will not ever be freed from the need of being loved and accepted and cherished.  And, I’m not meant to be.  Neither are you.  Neither are your precious little girls.

Does your girl know today that they are of utmost importance to someone?  I have a twenty one year old sweetie, and a ten year old who brings me joy and laughter.  But, I can promise you that with both of them there have been, and still are times when they feel anything but special or beautiful.  They have felt the sting of unkind words, and the fear of failure.  So has their mom.

Please join us for this year’s Princesses, Boys and Jesus at the Hampton Inn Gastonia.

This Friday-Saturday event will include an overnight hotel stay, two meals, snacks, and most important: time for you to pour truth into the hearts of your special girl(s).

This event is for K-6th grade.

Please visit link for more information. 

Dolls and Fairy Tales are still around

God revealed thus truth to me out actually out of Genesis with what He said to Abraham.

Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:6

I have read this and heard this many times throughout my life, but as you know, God’s word is fresh and the Holy Spirit gives revelation.  I got it, maybe for the first time.  My perception had been:

Abram believed God could do miracles, and because of that, God used Abraham, and because of his faith, the Lord put stickers and highlighted Abram’s name and he would get extra credit on heavenly quizzes.

But I didn’t understand, which explains my usual state of feeling like a “less than” regardless of what I do to try to be good, or do nice things, or whatever.

Light-bulb moment: Abram believed God-Abram trusted God-Abram declared-God is God.  Abram didn’t put his faith in what God could do, he put his faith in God, and that was exactly what God required to declare him righteous.  The belief.  Not the belief in the thing he could do.  Not the belief in the creation.

Now……….he was righteous.  It was done.

So as I read this with a new understanding, I felt a burden to share it.  I understand some of your anxiety.  You think “wait, if I tell my friend Bob who’s new in His faith that God loves him no matter what, he’ll think I’m saying it’s ok to keep doing the stuff he’s doing that goes against who God is.” I had struggled with that also (and still do sometimes), but I believe that some people continue to fail, because they continue to believe their righteousness is in their behavior.  When you think that, you are not living in the FACT that your righteousness is in Him.  Often times when sharing this people (Christians) say “Yes, your righteousness is in Him, but…………………”.  Guys there’s not a but.  Abram believed God and he was righteous.

So, as I shared recently out of the book of Job, my focus was on Job’s friends or enemies I guess.  On the fact that he was misunderstood by those guys.  How they pounded him with false conviction, and that sometimes we will not get answers to things that happen that we don’t understand.

But, there was a fourth man amongst the friends who has given me yet another revelation.

Elihu

Job ¹ So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. ² But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. ³ He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.

Wow.  See the problem that Christians have with this entire behavior thing is our understanding that we desire to please God and feel an urge that in some way He wants others to do the same, but our misunderstanding of how to communicate it.  I’m there with you.  Elihu knew that to rebuke without reason, articulated reason would leave a feeling of rejection and confusion in every way.  So he didn’t do that.  He had a reason to have issue-his God was not being given ultimate authority by Job, and he found a way to glorify God and declare God righteous.  He didn’t condemn Job, he spoke truth.

There are two extremities in Christendom today-

1.    Scare the Hell out of people

2.    People can live like Hell, but if they are going to Heaven, it’s all good.

Both are wrong.

I John 4:18 screams that abiding in Jesus love frees us from fear.

Ephesians 5:8 says that when His loves abides in us that the light we live in bears fruit in the way we live.

But how can both come from the same God?  One says “God’s love casts out fear” and one says “⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.”

But this is what God has revealed to me.  God loves me and you, no matter what we do, no matter what we don’t do. His love for us is influenced in no way by our behavior.  None.

What we are doing, or are not doing by our ACTION AND DEEDS is saying, or not saying “Father, I love you.”  We love God by the things we do.  He loves us no matter what we do.

So, for that reason, what we do matters.  It’s just like out own kids, we love them even when they are less than.  We can’t not love them-but we can however not like them.  If our kids act up and rebel and disrespect and say “But I love you” something about that seems a little empty.  Hello?  If we ask them to do something and they say “But I love you.  Oh, and I need $75.00 by tomorrow for that school trip.” Something about that feels like being used not being love.  It’s this way with God.  God always love.  His corrects in love, he rewards in love, he heals in love, and he allows us to wait in love.

Righteousness in Him first through belief in Him, living in His love comes after.

Maybe in the next blog we can talk specifically about some ways in Scripture He says to love Him.

I really crashed last Sunday. You see last weekend Unbound spoke at Ridgecrest and it was truly wonderful.  But not because of us, because of HIM.  Because God is constantly pursuing and wooing us to Him in every circumstance.  Good.  Difficult.  Desert.  Blessed.  In every moment He’s saying “Come to me.  I’m right here.”  I read this verse and shared it with several people after we got there.

The Unforced Rhythms of Grace

^{Matthew 11:20}Next Jesus let fly on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way.

^21-24“Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you.”

^25-26Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”

²⁷Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.

^28-30“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Isn’t that beautiful?  It’s God saying “You won’t find rest without me, and I want to give it to you.”

I can’t speak for everyone, but at least for me, I was physically drained, and literally felt spiritual warfare.  I didn’t feel stress, I just felt an intense awareness that if God wasn’t God, I was in trouble!  Shauna had relatively major health issue, but went because God had given her a word earlier in the week and she felt God wanted her there.

Kate Carlson and her mom Melissa were at the event.  Kate is an amazing worship leader and artist, who also has cute hair and clothes!!  Melissa has a testimony somewhat similar story to mine. So that was sort of neat, since I didn’t know prior to the event.

http://www.katecarlsonmusic.blogspot.com/

Kathryn Foy spoke along with UNBOUND and said something quite profound.  She talked about the Potter and the clay, but she talked about how it is to be the clay.  People usually focus on the Potter.  She talked about how scary it is to be the clay.  Being molded and not knowing exactly what was happening to you.  How a dried piece of pottery that has been “messed up” has to be broken and begin that molding process again.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2018:%201-5&version=NIV

I want brokenness in my life.  See, I think lots of people are broken for lots of reasons.  But it’s what we decide to do in our brokenness, with our brokenness that makes the difference.

I am so thankful for the trials and struggles in my life.  These are the things that give me the advantage of truly giving compassion and being able to say “I understand.”

The event had a lot of brokenness and raw truth, and I think that’s what God wants.  I was listening to Chip Ingram today and he talked about Adam and Eve being naked and feeling no shame. He said that the deeper meaning of what this meant was not hiding and covering up who they were.  Not hiding, or being ashamed, or avoiding.

Are you hiding and covering up yourself from your Creator?  I try to sometimes, and yet the reality is that is impossible.

I am EEEXXXCCCIIITTTEEEDDD about a study Vision is starting.

What if God wants something more than a safe and predictable life for those who love Him? In his second Bible study from Threads, author Mark Batterson furthers the themes of his book Wild Goose Chase by exploring the idea of reclaiming the adventurous spiritual life God intended for His followers. Maybe life with Christ should be a little more like a wild goose chase … mysterious, unpredictable, and even dangerous.

Ideal for small groups, Chase the Goose is a six-session study that encourages young adults to take hold of the passions God has put in all of our hearts, while learning about the very nature of God Himself in the process. True goose-chasers will glean wisdom from studying the lives of Nehemiah, Moses, Abraham, Peter, Paul, and Jonathan as they are challenged to leave behind the cages of responsibility, routine, guilt, failure, assumptions, and fear that have held us back in the past. Join the journey of never knowing where you’ll end up, who you’ll meet, or what you can do as you follow the Holy Spirit into the spiritual adventure God has planned for all Christ-followers.

Chapter Topics Include:

• The Cage of Responsibility—Practicing responsible irresponsibility with Nehemiah
• The Cage of Routine—Learning the danger of empty ritual with Moses
• The Cage of Assumptions—Breaking out of the eight-foot ceiling with Abraham
• The Cage of Guilt—Reconditioning our conditioned responses with Peter
• The Cage of Failure—Experiencing shipwrecks and snakebites with Paul
• The Cage of Fear—Climbing the cliff with Jonathan

Study Length: 6 Sessions

CAN NOT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How much money did you spend on last year’s clothing, shoes and accessories?
$100 or less
$101-$499
$1000-$2000
$2000+

How much of what you’ve purchased in the last 12 months has been worn less than 5 times?
1-5items
6-10 items
11-20 items
20+items

In general, how many months before you consider clothing out of style?
6 months
12 month
24 months
24+months

Have you ever refused to purchase an item of clothing because you believed or suspected it was made in a sweatshop?

Do you believe that most churches expect dress style to be more formal or casual, or that it doesn’t matter to the church?

Your age
18-24
24-39
40-55

One of my favorite things about when we’d go to the lake was the boat ride to wherever we were going to fish, or where we were gonna ski.  I absolutely loved when we only went to ride in the boat.  That was a rarity though.  You felt so free.  You could just let the sun beat down on you, and relax.  No effort.  It was great.

Roger has been preaching a sermon series “How’s your Passion?” since the beginning of 2010.  I’ve really felt challenged and inspired.  Yesterday’s sermon was “How’s your passion for lost souls?”

^{Matthew 4:19}“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

Roger asked us how we feel if we go fishing and nothing happens?  He said when you go fishing you want to catch fish.  I’m telling you at that moment I had quite an epiphany.  Most Christians (dare I say) are not going fishing.  They are out for a leisurely and relaxing boat ride.  They have no idea that cruising is not the goal of Christian existence.

n the book  “Blue Like Jazz”  http://www.donaldmillerwords.com/bluelikejazz.php Donald Miller talks about people not knowing why they do like someone, or why they don’t like someone, that we just “do” or just “don’t”  and how we often follow along with a group of friends, or people of influence absent of our own belief.  I think our Christian life and daily walk is all too often this way.  Our friends come to follow Christ, so we want to be like our friends, so we claim to follow Christ.  A popular secular figure changes their life, and we so admire them so we decide we will change too.  We are bored and want to feel better about ourselves so we busy ourselves in the church (which is very easy) without real purpose.

We can have ten million committees and meeting after meeting, but a lot of this serves as an unholy distraction.  Jesus lived a simple, radical life.  Can a life be simple and radical at the same time?  I think the key is keeping the main thing the main thing.  Being completely in love with Christ and being sure that everyone around you knows it.

Ben challenged Vision to do the exact thing that Roger said yesterday.  Know your testimony, so that you can share it.  Have you thought about it?  Do you know what you’d say when someone asks you about your hope?

Write it down, or at least think about it.  It may be the simplest sentence ever, or it could be like mine-a miniseries.  The point is God strategically places people in your path who need to hear YOUR story.

And to the person reading this who does not know Christ, or who has known Christ, but found his church to be a place different than full of His love, I’m sorry.  I am not apologizing for “them.”  I am saying “I’m sorry” for me.  I am the hypocrite.  I am the selfish Christian who’s been too busy. I am the one who had pointed out your failures so I didn’t have to deal with my own.

The boat ride is over. It’s been fun for a while,  but it’s time to fish.

You may be abused, mocked, or experience death.  But, in Christ we will be vindicated.

I had to read the beginning of the chapter and mention it in class even though it wasn’t in our lesson material.

Mark 15

Jesus Before Pilate

¹Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

²“Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.
“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.

³The chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

⁵But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

As I read I realized-Jesus only reply was to state who He was, not to defend who He was not.

I thought of me, I thought of you.  We are trying to live for Christ, and we are attacked literally out of nowhere.  Maybe from a person we thought was our friend, maybe from a person we assumed had a like mind, but nonetheless we are attacked.  The natural reaction is to come out spiritually swinging.  But like you’ve heard said “a good offense is the best defense.”  When Jesus said “Yes, it is as you say” that covered everything.  Notice he didn’t respond to all the other accusations.  Do you?  Oh, I do.  I want to rightly defend myself.  I mean we can’t be walked all over, right??  Well, that’s right, unless we want to do what Jesus did. When your answer is “Yes. I’m a Christ follower” that covers every accusation.  But, the catch is that is answered more than by words.

We are so often dumbfounded when the exact thing Jesus promised us would happen actually happens.  When we are attacked because of our faith by the religious or by whoever, but still proclaim Christ love by our actions-we are worshipping God!

The hope that I think many of us miss is in that Jesus is ALWAYS faithful.  We try to defend ourselves and step outside of what God wanted us to do and everything falls aparts.  We say “God, why didn’t you do your part?”  Oh, He did.  He always does.  But my part is letting Him defend me. Maybe you are wrongly being accused of many things today.  Just make sure that you are rightly accused of being totally committed to your Savior.

Be encouraged today.  God wants to do great things through YOU.