What if for one second we put aside our political views?

What if for just today, we viewed each person as someone Jesus Christ died for?

What if we focused on our brokenness as much as we focus on the wrong-doing of others?

What if we personified problems in todays world instead of chalking it up to statistics?

What if we were told when we die, we’ll be judged as humans, not Americans?

What if the illegals are here to support their families just as we are working to support ours?

What if Jesus Christ was an illegal in a lot of the places he went?

What if the Son of God had no place to rest his head?

What if the Son of God was in America, but didn’t have a green card?

What if we all had a little compassion for people not of our country, and realized for a second life is not ALL ABOUT America.

What if we realized we raped, murdered and displaced tons of people to make this American Dream?

Worse yet, what if God realizes it?

God have mercy on us all.

“May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.”

It’s been explained to me by my father in law as an old adage people used to say when a student left to follow their rabbi.  It meant, basically, follow your rabbi so closely that his dust can’t get anywhere besides all over you.

Can you imagine a world where all ‘Christians’ followed Jesus so closely, that we were all covered in the dust from His footsteps?  I even think there are some churches that if we were to follow that closely, we would not be allowed through the front doors!  My goal is for my life to be covered in the dust of Jesus Christ.  Not just certain parts of my life either.  Not just the convenient parts.  All parts.  The parts that hurt a little($$$), all of it.

Because when you get down to it, you can’t pick and choose dust particles.  You’re either covered or you’re not.  My prayer is that we will all be covered.

I was telling Andrea yesterday that when I was younger, I honestly did not plan on living past 20.  Every action I took and every decision I made was on the thought that I was going to be dead by 20.  I wasn’t planning on offing myself when the day came, I just assumed that my lifestyle didn’t really have room for more than two decades.  I knew that how I was living was going to kill me, and I was ok with that.

I told her that every year past 20, I considered ‘bonus years’.  Years that I had never planned on living.  Today is my 6th bonus year. This year is a little different for me, because now, I am not only living, I have a life!  I have a wife that loves me, I have a family that cares, and I have friends that seem to give a crap.

Days like today, I do one of two things.  I look back on my life, and think about how I haven’t really done that much with my life. (Ultimately I realize I am only XX years old, and that my life has been SO full by now that most of the stories from my life I tell, people don’t believe.)  Or, I sit down and really praise God.  I mean, REALLY praise him.  I was not supposed to live past 20.  It wasn’t in my game book.  I have died.  My heart has stopped.  More than once.  I have been to the slums, lived there, been at rock bottom.

Jesus Christ came down, picked me up and pulled me out.  Jesus Christ was my intervention.  Because of Him, I am living my 6th bonus year.  Because of Him I sit here this morning, not just worried about being 26 but I actually think about when I turn 30 and 40 and 50.  I think about my children, and my children’s children.  I think about spending the rest of my life with a beautiful woman.  I think about living, I think about serving, I think about HIM.

Today, on my 26th.  I am not going to get down on myself because I haven’t done this, or I haven’t done that.  Today, on my 26th, I am going to move forward to live a life of serving Jesus Christ with my whole being.  Today I am going to celebrate the life that He has given me, (and it is a BEAUTIFUL life.) Today, I am going to look forward to serve.  Today, I am going to appreciate every heartbeat, every breath, and every thing, good or bad that happens.  This life is in ‘bonus years’.  I am not going to sit around and waste any more of them.

Thank you Jesus for saving me.  Thank you. Thank you.  Thank you! I love you God!

Amen!

As some of you know our church, “The Point”, came to an end recently, for at least a month.  What is certain is that our building is sold, (Which we knew was coming) and we will no longer meet Sunday Mornings at the building formally known as ‘The Point’.

Over the last week, I have had the…. uh…. privelege? to see this unfold.  To see how people react, and to see how people handle themselves.  I understand some of the confusion, and I even understand being upset.  I spent many hours up there, working, trying to fix things, hanging out, praying, thinking.  That place was like my second home.  (And really was Andrea’s)

All week on Facebook, I have seen statuses similar to ‘whoever’s name “Misses The Point”‘.  I have to agree.  We are missing the point.  We are upset about a gathering place.  We are upset about a building built by hands even though the scripture tells us, “.. God does not live in a building built by hands.”  Somehow we still insist that he does.

I’ve heard, (first hand) a lot of assumptions and attacks launched against our Pastor, for a decision God laid on his heart.  People saying that they know it wasn’t God.  (wow)  I’ve heard people tell blatant lies, I have heard people get angy, upset, manipulative, and just plain silly.  I’ll say this right now.  I grew up on the streets, and I can say without a doubt I have a harder time trying to figure out who is trying to manipulate me in the name of God.  If Jesus Christ were still in his tomb, he’d be turning in it.

With all of this going on, I have a peace.  A peace that God is showing me his redemptive love.  God is showing me that nobody is perfect.  In all of this, God is showing me that I won’t lose my faith in him, and is showing me that with all change comes hurt, betrayal, and suffering.  God is showing me that ‘Christianity’ is not a safe religion. (And he never said it was) God is showing me the undying love of Jesus Christ.

Through all of this, I have not lost faith in Man, because my faith was never in man to begin with. During this time I am reminded that we all have sin.  I am reminded of Luke 18 9-14.  I am reminded that in that story the tax collector went down among men, justified in God’s eyes.

Perhaps we can all walk away with something from that.  Perhaps, as a community going through trials, we should all be standing on the mountain top, not even looking towards the Heavens, pounding our breasts, screaming out our sins and begging for forgiveness, instead of pointing out others.

So I encourage you to join me.  I encourage you to beat your chest with me, screaming out our sins, and begging our Father for forgiveness.  Begging God to redeem us all and our community.

Jesus, forgive me.  I am a sinner!  I have anger in my heart, and in the midst of sharing your love, I hold grudges.  I judge.  Lord, I need your love now more than ever, and I ask that you open the eyes and hearts of people who are hurting.  I pray that the ones who are lost, become found, and Lord, I pray, in the ways that I am lost, I become found as well.  Thank you God for this beautiful love story.  Thank you for shining your light on the darkest situations.  Thank You thank You thank You.  God I love you, I love that You love me, even though I’m a rough, abrasive man.  Lord.  You’re just too awesome to comprehend.

-Amen.

He died for you.

But He didn’t just die for you.

He died so we ALL had a chance at redemption.

Not just you.

Not just me.

All.

Every Sin.

Not just the ones we deem ‘forgivable’

It’s Pretty amazing.

We have all been saved and forgiven by HIS mercy grace and infinite Love.

Jesus Christ.

What a Mighty God we serve.