There is one other picture in a frame, it sits behind me on my bookshelf. It is a picture of one of my personal heroes, the Archbishop Desmond Tutu. I have a few personal heroes, CS Lewis, Martin Luther King Jr., whoever will eventually replace Dayton Moore as Royals GM, but Desmond Tutu is the one we're talking about today. Without going into multiple paragraphs about why he is significant, I want to talk about a quote from him. (Don't worry, there's still a Bible verse. Just stick with me.)
"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality." - Dezzy T
I know. Bishop Tutu is a clever guy. But seriously, consider this. Consider the implications for your life. Are you neutral? Because the sad fact is, that there is no neutral. Cliche but true, Satan owns the fence.
"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." - Revelation 3:15-16
The thing about teaching from the Bible is that it's not all going to make you happy. It will make you a better person, it will make you holier, more blessed, and ultimately someday happier, but at the moment you read it, it will not always make you happy. There's a good chance that today's blog is going to be kind of like that, so if you're the type who likes happiness more than you like truth, I suggest you spend some of your internet time somewhere else. I would suggest icanhascheezburger.com for the remainder of your time online.
Ask yourself something, and do it honestly, wherever you are. Are you really committed to Christ? I'm not asking if you believe, I'm not asking if you're perfect, I'm not asking if you've been overcoming sin in your life, those are all related but different issues. Are you really, truly, and honestly committed to seeking God, and to being a Christian? Are you making some sort of effort to figure out what it means to follow Jesus? If not, then I have bad news.
The way it looks to me, this verse in Revelation is pretty clear on something; God is more annoyed by neutral people than he is by his enemies. And why shouldn't he be? It's not just Jesus and Desmond Tutu; every great leader in history has been more frustrated with apathy than with animosity. Read Dr. King's Letter From a Birmingham Jail if you don't believe me.
Today, unfortunately, I have to call it for what it is. An epidemic of apathy has swept through our Churches. I'm not sure when it happened, if it was before my birth, if it's relatively new, or if it's always been going on, but there are people across the world showing up on Sunday morning, Sunday night, or whenever else your Church meets, and they're not letting a single bit of what happens there bleed into their daily life.
To my readers who are apathetic, please, hear me out. God will puke you up. It's going to be gross in a way that you cannot imagine. Not only that, it's going to be painful and embarrassing. My blog today is a plea for passion; give Jesus just a little bit more of your time. Let the things you learned on Sunday morning affect your week. Start with sermons! Just start by listening to the sermon at your Church, and just one day this week, try to live out whatever it is that the preacher is encouraging. Try it, and see if your life isn't completely different as a result!
Or don't. See if I care.
I do.
(jake)
The thing about teaching from the Bible is that it's not all going to make you happy. It will make you a better person, it will make you holier, more blessed, and ultimately someday happier, but at the moment you read it, it will not always make you happy. There's a good chance that today's blog is going to be kind of like that, so if you're the type who likes happiness more than you like truth, I suggest you spend some of your internet time somewhere else. I would suggest icanhascheezburger.com for the remainder of your time online.
Ask yourself something, and do it honestly, wherever you are. Are you really committed to Christ? I'm not asking if you believe, I'm not asking if you're perfect, I'm not asking if you've been overcoming sin in your life, those are all related but different issues. Are you really, truly, and honestly committed to seeking God, and to being a Christian? Are you making some sort of effort to figure out what it means to follow Jesus? If not, then I have bad news.
The way it looks to me, this verse in Revelation is pretty clear on something; God is more annoyed by neutral people than he is by his enemies. And why shouldn't he be? It's not just Jesus and Desmond Tutu; every great leader in history has been more frustrated with apathy than with animosity. Read Dr. King's Letter From a Birmingham Jail if you don't believe me.
Today, unfortunately, I have to call it for what it is. An epidemic of apathy has swept through our Churches. I'm not sure when it happened, if it was before my birth, if it's relatively new, or if it's always been going on, but there are people across the world showing up on Sunday morning, Sunday night, or whenever else your Church meets, and they're not letting a single bit of what happens there bleed into their daily life.
To my readers who are apathetic, please, hear me out. God will puke you up. It's going to be gross in a way that you cannot imagine. Not only that, it's going to be painful and embarrassing. My blog today is a plea for passion; give Jesus just a little bit more of your time. Let the things you learned on Sunday morning affect your week. Start with sermons! Just start by listening to the sermon at your Church, and just one day this week, try to live out whatever it is that the preacher is encouraging. Try it, and see if your life isn't completely different as a result!
Or don't. See if I care.
I do.
(jake)
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