He Who Dies With The Most Stuff Wins

We are never happy with what we have.  

We always want more; we always want 

to have more than others.  We are so 

consumed with our selves, that we don’t see 

all the suffering going on around us.

         I've been dying to address this issue for quite a while. And NOW I feel educated enough to, at least, blog about it. One day I would love to give a talk about it. But right now by "talk" I mean stutter, pull all the hair in front of my face, and cry a little before I run out of the room. (lol to Candice Taylor. Sorry I stole your public speaking story). And by "issue", I mean 3 issues.

1. Missions. How we as CHRISTIANS are called to mission. Let's not save that for the missionaries in Calcutta, hmmmm?

2. American greed. As seen at Macys, 90210, and the church.

3. Explanation to mis padres. This is my "why". Stop asking me when I'm taking the GRE so I can get into a good gradschool. I'm not.

Here's a statement: The harvest is on the other side of the wall.

"We want to impact! We want people to know Jesus! We're not content just knowing Jesus when 4.6 billion people in this world DON'T." Ehhh well that's what we say while we watch our TVs, and read our magazines, and eat our Burger King. 

Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I [Isaiah] said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Umm... ok. Send me! But only if that means a service project downtown passing out water bottles to the homeless. Because thats exactly what those people need. Packaged water.

I hate to get biblically cheesy here but what they need is LIVING WATER. Holla[!] to the Samaritan women in John 4:3-42.

If you're trying to impact your city, your campus, any place you want to help, then I got a question for you. Does your talk match your walk? You've read Matt 20: 16-20 and are convicted to be SENT OUT. But those you wish to "impact" will know if you're all here or not. 

I'm looking for a credible ambassador of Christ. 

Someone who SAYS what Jesus said. 

LOVES like Jesus loves. 

WENT WHERE JESUS WENT. 

John 4:4 says Jesus had to go through Samaria. Jews usually took the long way around the mountain and around Samaria to avoid Samaritans. Especially unwed, adulterous, Samaritan women. But he HAD TO go through Samaria. WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH SAMARIA. 

Your facebook says "follower of Jesus" where it asks for your religion, but are you following Jesus? Will you go where Jesus went? Jesus intentionally showed up in that woman's neighborhood.

Matthew 8:20. Read it I'll wait........ Yes Sir, you're right. Jesus entered into voluntary poverty. He made himself nothing when he is everything.

You can be a doctor if thats your gifting. You can be a famous artist. And you can be professional bull rider. But make yourself nothing. Find humility in that. Jesus was LORD GOD. And yet even he too could humble himself into poverty.

Sorry, but I'm tired of Christians finding worth in their paycheck and zip code. Can I get an AMEN, Pastor Hagee? Crickets.

That's not to say that families in affluent communities don't need Jesus, or hope, or prayer. I know that more than most. Fathers leave in the 78260. People cry themselves to sleep, feeling pushed aside, unloved, and abandoned in Orange County. I'm just talkin' bout what the BIBLE says. Where the Word of God calls us. 

Luke 14:13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind

So here comes the asking yourself tough questions about how YOU live YOUR life. How I live my life...

And...

How do we be Christ in our brokenness?

Truth is...

We need the Samaritans as much as they need us.

Let it flow to the nations,

[And you know I'm serious when I bring out the 'Let it flow to the nations' complimentary close]
[Wanna know more? Watch the video I posted from a couple days ago. Or ya know, read the New Testament. ]
[Lastly, I'm not saying Jesus calls us to poverty. He doesn't want ANY ONE of his loves starving so their kid can have the final slice of bread. But I'm saying he calls us to where poverty is. Thats my last edit!]