90 Days w/Jesus....Day 51

(action points Luke 9:51-56)

Consider- When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?" (v.54)

Try to describe spiritual pride in its most awful terms. What does it look like in others? What does it look like in you?

What surprises many people to hear, and what surprised me when I heard it as well, was that during World War II, most members of the Nazi Party we Christians. They believed in God. They believed in Jesus Christ.
And with that belief, they believed as well that what actions they were taking were justified, that they had God's favor upon them.

When we hear of such things, it's almost unbelievable to us. To think a human being could commit such acts, and yet, at the same time, be a believer in Jesus Christ. It was clear they were misguided, but driven by so much pride in Nationalism and belief that they were the long-lost descendants of a 'master race', that there was justification in their minds for all the things they did.

So often, in this country, I hear stories of Christian pride, or Christian Nationalism, even Christian fascism. As a great quote once implied "When Fascism comes to America, it will be be draped in the flag and carrying a cross."

All too often, we hear stories of how brothers and sisters in Christ twist and distort His word, how they mold it or take a single piece of scripture and seek to encompass everything it means to be a follower of Christ from one simple verse. To be sure, that's like you taking my eyeball from me, presenting it to someone, and saying "this is Tim. Either accept that as truth or be lost."

I see pride everyday among Christians who seem to only focus on homosexuality, and wish to eradicate it, wipe it out, make sure all those evil sinners are judged for their wicked ways. Judgement comes from God, and God alone. We, as Christians, have no right to judge anyone's life. We are even told it is a sin for us to make judgements on our fellow men.

The author of this 90 day journal makes a wonderful point-

"Oh, God, give us a longing-not for the sin of this world to be judged-but for the sinners of this world to be forgiven."

Sadly, I don't see much evidence in the country, throughout the Christian faith, in dealing with forgiveness. I see Christians making judgements on anything that doesn't fit their truth.

Problem is, it isn't their truth, no more than it's my truth, or your truth. It is the truth of Christ to be listened to, none other.

I never hear Christians up in arms talking about the adultery problem in this country. By which I mean, the Word instructs us if a man or woman divorces and remarries, they are living in adultery. Yet, I know many Christian men and women who have married, divorced, and re-married, though I never hear preaching in the pulpit about curing these people, or having fundraisers and sit-down meetings to deal with the "re-married" problem.

Christ tells us simply, plainly, and truly. Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor as yourself, as I have loved you. As the Pastor who's been speaking on the Book of Revelation last week pointed out, I would not wish hell or eternal damnation on the worst of my enemies. To wish, pray, or hope that another soul would forever be separated from God is as far from being a Christian is as the south pole is to the north. Leave the word in the ears of all those who we come in contact with, and God will take care of the rest. If the person hears, they hear. If the person rejects, they reject. It is my obligation to love them still, and pray that they may come to know His ways as I have come to(and am still learning to) know them.

Gauge your heart right now for the lost and unbelieving. What would it take to quicken in you an urgency for sharing Christ and grieving over others' souls?


I sometimes imagine and wonder if God or Christ ever gets impatient and wants to say "screw this. Let them die then." But I know that's just my little human brain trying to find a way to connect with how I think God would think.
I have several friends in my life who I know do not believe in Christ. Not only do some not believe in Him, but some openly hate what He stands for, believing it is Him who is at the root of all their suffering. And it pains my heart and soul to no end to know they willingly reject Christ. I'm not talking about the Christian faith, the words of scripture, or how one should live a life of righteousness.

I'm talking about just talking to Christ. Being willing to say to yourself  "okay. I want to tell you some things. I know you're listening. Can I just talk with you for a moment." Talk to Him. Don't be afraid to tell Him your hate towards Him, your pain and judgements you have against Him.

I hated God. I hated Christ. I hated the very idea that some being, some grand being, could say I was made because I was loved. That there was someone/something up there who was all love, yet I found no love in the world.

But because I actively sought Him, even perhaps without knowing I actively sought Him (I mean come on, I was going to Church, and talking to people, but looking for God? Naaaah not me), and I learned from Him and through Him that if you truly seek Him out, He will find you.


I know there are people who read this blog, who see these words, who hear my thoughts. I am not perfect. I fuck up. I make mistakes. I get things wrong. I sometimes still have problems in believing I can amount to anything, or that I'm a good person.

But I know, at the end of each day, at the beginning of each sunrise, and with each breath I take, Jesus Christ is there, ready to take me in love, ready to share with me the gift I'd been so long-ago given by Him without ever knowing it.

I can't tell you to believe in Jesus. I can't tell you to believe in God. But I can tell you, look for something to believe in. I was looking without even knowing, and Christ showed me that once I believed in Him, there was nothing else I'd never need to seek, nothing else I'd ever need to look for in my life, for He is all that I am, all that I have, and all that I'll ever be.


If you are unsure of God's grace and His power, take my life as an example of His greatness. He measures the span of existence on a thumbnail, and yet I am a greater treasure in His eye than all of that could ever be.


Glory be to Him. Amen