ex-clu-sif especial edition! Religious Awakenings

Please know that I am not an expert or anything and that i don't speak for my church..I am just speaking my heart

Ok y'all first of all i am proud to say this...I am a Christian...i always have believed in God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, but i feel like i live it far better than I used to. Now i am not affiliated with a specific form of Christianity, but if you are...thats totally cool. My church is Trinity Interdenominational in omaha, ne and i friggin love it and the service Terra Nova on sunday nights...its so eclectic and what really turns me up about God...that he is different and all kinds of different people love Him. From the grunge, to the hip hop, the prep, to the throw back...its all there in that community..but today's article isn't about trying to sell anything to anybody (but if you would like to go see how we do it...let me know), its to talk about my belief system in what the "religion" and the "former" belief of Christianity has been to people and why alot of the world doesn't care to listen to us about life.

This is the definition of Christian: of, pertaining to, or derived from Jesus Christ or His teachings: a Christian faith. Thats it, in a nutshell its to believe and follow it. Christians today, and myself in the past (and sometimes present) seem to lose this message. Being a Christian is about being a servant to others, being humble enough to think and pray for others that you know and you don't, and to make decisions as Jesus would have...or atleast try and do that. This means out with the pride, the "i have to have this now" mentality, and the "i only care about things in my scope".

I feel we have lost this message. Throughout history you can blame the ignorance of Christians for wars, death, and the like just because people chose not to believe the same way as they did (i fear islam might be going through that in about 1000 years from now as well but thats another paradox). It took Jesus to come here die for us and forgive us of these things as well as his disciples after Him. If you can't see it, its happening again...and its not like it JUST started...but it is happening...and what I am referring to is Self-Pride and Personal glorification.

I have been to a variety of churches in my time and ofcourse there is singing and worship, offering (which if any Christian doesn't think that its needed...they need to read there Bible), then a message, an alter call maybe and then its over. You feel good about yourself and feel really good about yourself.....but thats the problem. I have to say it...we turn our noses to what Jesus has taught us for the past 2000 years: we aren't serving the meek, but serving ourselves...heck, we aren't even serving each other. We are JUDGING..thats right JUDGING everything and everybody that isn't the same as us based off of what the media has done to us and we come off as stuck-up, narcisstic, egotistical...well you know where i am going with that. We have people like Jerry Fallwell fighting our battles, Pat Buchanan, even G-dub who SAYS he is a Christian...in what respect is what i want to know? Are you doing anything about South Africa (they are undergoing a religious/racial holocaust), Jerry, can you unwrap your mind away from Gay marriage and stop judging them ( i am against it, its just me..but at the same time its 1% of the population of America and God judges everyone, gay or not gay..cuz we are all sinners) and spread a message of love to the slums and gang ridden parts of America? Pat Buchanan....can you just stop talking all together?? Alot of Christians take these people and follow them, not on their ignorance because i believe Christians need someone to believe in....how about the dude who wrote the book on how to live himself...Jesus. I know "Christians" (not in my group) who say they go to church groups (first of all the definition of church is a body of believers of Jesus Christ..nothing to do with a building)and that they keep each other accountable about how to be better Christians...thats fine, and good i have that too..but what do you do for the Gentile around you? (gentile is a biblical term that pretty much today means...unbeliever or someone who doesn't know)Are you feeling pretty good about yourself and all the things you aren't doing thats a sin...because if you are...you need to reevaluate some things. I remember when i was a child in College Station, TX i had kids church in the morning and there was a puppet show involved (greatest church...ever)it was about two people: The one that boasts to God in prayer about all she is doing better then the other people at her Church and in general, then there is another lady who doesn't have much but she stays meek, and sincere and she doesn't tell God about the little she had that day and she gave it to someone who didn't have shelter, food, etc....she wanted forgiveness, and just gave thanks for what God had given her already and that she were to be used to continually bless those who need it.....who do you think is valued in God's eyes? Yeah, the 2nd one fa'sho. I feel like there are too many of the 1st type: you might go to church, be apart of some groups, and might not do somethings that you think are "bad"...but if you are judging those who do those things...what makes you so much better?

I asked my Pastor at church (he is awesome) about what has happened to Christian beliefs and the like that we get such a bad wrap in the media, and its so bad that Jesus himself gets into cartoons, skits, purely for satire. He answered..."dude..its all our fault..and by us I mean Christians". He let me in on all the things we have done about turning our noses up on the non believer and just busying ourselves with worldly things and aspirations such as shopping, gossip, and personal wealth...and all of that leads to haughty-ness and the world now doesn't feel connected to that like it did back in the day. Thats so true....i know alot of Christians that think they are sweet and will only care to be friends with Christians. If this is our way..then we are facing a downhill battle boys and girls for Christ. "love your neighbor as I love you" Its Jesus' 11th commandment (i think, but its in the Bible i know for sure)...it doesnt matter if he or she is gay, an alcoholic, islamic, and yes..even morman (joke)....but if we, as Christians, don't get out in the world and let them know that "hey, i want to be your friend" because regardless...we are all sinners in the end and if we don't friend these people and stay in our shell and just worry about who we are friends with, well i cant be friends with them if they do this or that, or its not even my duty to have anything to do with them...we have missed the picture. The stereotyping of people that we as Christians do has got to stop. I mean..there is almost a negative connotation to being a Christian now..and its our faults as Christians. I keep reminding myself as i right this joint about the parable about the Good Samaritan and the Jews: i believe it was a Jewish man was hurt and Jew (meaning Christian)after Jew walked by not helping..it took a Samaritan (non-Christian) to help the Jew and was instantaneously convicted after that from God..thats how i envision what i like to call the "neo-christian" movement...helping/blessing others that need it, no matter what kind of life they lead or have led because you love Jesus and you want to do as He would have. We have been stuck-up, snobby, and judgemental about everyone else way too long...Its time to focus on whats important.

The final note i will leave you with is another story in the life of Jesus, its about when he went to the Temple to pray but saw tax collectors and betting, basically a place of trying to gain personal wealth, and not a personal relationship with God. He stormed in there and just tore it up and screamed at all of them: thats what alot of Church needs right now...and rude awakening from the Man himself, or ballsy Christians that take a stand that "its not about you" its about everybody. Thank you for letting me indulge myself in this....like i said, these views are mine and mine alone and that i myselyf struggle with these things as well and its something i ask God to relieve me of and i repent from it. If it got any Christians curious...awesome....if it got any Christians upset...........: ) Awesome