One Way

How is there only one way to Heaven? What if Jesus "isn't right for me"?

Picture this: it is exam day at school. You turn in your paper with most questions unanswered. Your teacher asks why. Your reason? "It just wasn't right for me to answer every question." Do you really expect that to be an acceptable excuse? No! Your teacher isn't going to accept your incomplete test simply because it "was right for you." The only way that you can pass a test is to answer every question (and study).

What if you are over at your friend's house, and he leaves the room for a few minutes. While he is gone, you steal his iPod and jet back to your house. When he notices that his iPod is gone, he calls you up and asks you if you took it. "Yes, I took your iPod, but it was the right thing for me to do," you reply. Is he just going to say "Okay, man, if it was the right thing for you, that's fine." Absolutely not! There must be some universal, indiscriminate standard for what's right and what's wrong. Likewise, the only way to Heaven is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and to accept the free gift of salvation that He gives. Besides, who wouldn't want a gift that has already been paid for?

I can't keep this inside. Too exciting.

How can I NOT share this joy, which can only be found in Christ alone, with others. That would be far too selfish of me.

But Jesus said, "Go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful He has been." (Mark 5:19, NLT)

Stop Praying

"To just read the Bible, attend church, and avoid "big" sins -- is this passionate, wholehearted love for God?" - Francois Fenelon, The Seeking Heart

This was the opening quote in Crazy Love by Francis Chan, a book that I am currently reading for my Sunday school class. The first chapter in this book is entitled "Stop Praying." At first, I was taken aback by this, as it is an unexpected phrase in the status quo "Christianese" that we have become so used to. This is the first paragraph in the chapter:

What if I said, "Stop praying"? What if I told you to stop talking *at* God for a while, but instead to take a long, hard look at Him before you speak another word? Solomon warned us not to rush into God's presence with words. That's what fools do. And often, that's what we do.

Basically, I think what Francis is challenging us to do here is to stop worrying about always having the "right" words to say to God, and let Him have center stage. Stop trying to impress God with big, churchy words and, every once in a while, just listen. You just might fall crazy in love with what He has to say.

I tend to ramble often, and sometimes even stutter. How comforting to know that I don't always have to be perfectly eloquent in talking to God!

I, myself, am guilty of having close to a thousand Facebook friends. Of those thousand, I hold actual conversations with only a select few. I don't want to let God become one of those Facebook friends that I never talk to or listen to. I want to be CRAZY in love with Him, so CRAZY, that He's all I can think about. I want to be so in love, that I can't go a single day without talking and listening to Him.

Listen. You just might be surprised by what you hear.

If home is truly where the heart is...

"Thinking back when we first met, I remember what You said: You said You'd never leave me. But I let go of Your hand, built my castle in the sand, but now I'm reaching out again, and I'm not letting go." - Home, Joy Williams

God, I've spent too much time away from You. I knew You said You'd always be with me, but somehow, I still felt empty. I have longed to be closer to You, but when my heart grew weary, I guess I just gave up. But You were that little cat at my heels, following me around, just waiting for me to let you in. Just give the cat a little milk, and it will stay with you forever. God, I don't know why or how, but I left the cat inside while I went out and did my own thing. You went out of Your way to find me and bring me back with you. And now, I am here to stay. I am NOT letting go this time.