Jesus Is My Homeboy Pt. 1

I want you to meet my good buddy J.C. (I call him the Jizzle Sizzle sometimes when we get crazy).  My boy J.C. rocks!  He loves me big time all the time, and I love that about him.  I talk to him just like he is one of my homeboys.  My J.C. doesn't come down on me when I mess up, he totally understands.  He misses me like crazy when I don't call for a while, and when I finally get back to him, he picks up on the first ring (it's like he has nothing else to do except wait on me!).  I love my boy J.C. because he has done so much for me.  That dude would give me the shirt off his back.  One time I asked him to walk a mile, and that crazy cat walked 2!  He is always giving me stuff and encouraging me to chase after the "desires of my heart".  It's like I just think of some desire and he's all like, "yeah man, you can do it...I'll even help you!"  What's not to love about the guy?  He's just like me!

Do you recognize this J.C. character?  It seems he is being touted all over the place these days.  This "needy Jesus" has got to be one of the most destructive concepts being taught IN CHURCH today.  When people create their own "needy Jesus" in their image, the holy and righteous God of Heaven is hacked up into pieces so that we can cram Him into our wallet like a credit card with no limit.  God becomes our little play-thing that we pull out whenever we feel like it or, more importantly, whenever we need something.  This "needy Jesus" exists exclusively for us.  When we worship this "needy Jesus" we look at sin as something that is harmful to us, not harmful to a holy and righteous God.  Thus, sin becomes something that just prevents us from "realizing our full potential".

The Lion, the Witch and the Missionary

I want to share an incredible story with you.  I know it's hard for us in the West to believe stories like this to be true, but determine for yourself if the God you worship is still capable of such things....

"Over the years, Manjula had earned the reputation of a holy woman in her village.  Many villagers became her followers and came to her for counsel.  They would bring gifts and sacrifices to her because she was known for her spiritual powers.  She had the reputation for doing many miracles, even causing sickness and death.

When Simon arrived in that area, people told him about Manjula and the powerful woman she was, with all her magical powers and her gods on her side.  But then Simon heard that three years before, Manjula had become ill and now was totally paralyzed from the neck down.  This young brother realized that this situation was God's appointed opportunity for him to preach the Gospel to her.

To Feed Them or To Teach Them

I've been thinking a lot lately about our "social" responsibilities as Christians.  Obviously, we are called to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39).  In particular, I've been wrestling with this notion that "a hungry stomach can't hear anything"....meaning someone in need of the most basic necessities of life must be cared for first (ie; fed, clothed, etc.) before they are ready to hear/receive the Gospel.  Something about this just doesn't seem to line up with Scripture.  It lines up great with how we have done things for decades.  But does it line up with Scripture?

Disclaimer: I am reading a book right now that is influencing my thoughts on this topic.  Its called "Revolution in World Missions" by K.P. Yahannan.  I would very much recommend that you go to his organization's website (www.gfa.org) and ask to receive a copy for free.  They are giving them away.  Yahannan was born and raised in India.  The man has first-hand experience of what it means to truly be hungry, poor, and hopeless.  He didn't even know what shoes were until he was 17.  God called him into the ministry and has done amazing things in his life.  But its Yahannan's take on "social" responsibilities versus "Gospel" responsibilities that has me thinking a lot right now.