I've been thinking a lot about "Crazy Love".  I've been thinking a lot about what my goals and dreams are.  I've been thinking a lot about my plans and my securities.  I've been talking to a lot of people and can't seem to find many who don't think that salaries and retirements and investments and plans to relax are contrary to what Jesus would have us do.  I just can't find in scripture anywhere that people came to Jesus and he made it as easy as saying...just go to church once a week, sit and take it easy, do the safe thing and have a great retirement fishing.  When Jesus talked about fishing, He talked about fishing for men. For souls.  When He sent them out...He told them not to even take a change of clothes!  I've always heard preachers say that there is nothing wrong with being rich...that God blesses some that way.  But how do you reason that with the early church giving all that they had so that none would be in need.

I don't know...I'm really struggling with this one.  Every time I take my family out to eat at a nice restaurant I sit and think about someone on the street that doesn't have a meal at all.  I'm not saying i'm right...I'm just saying I don't know....

1 Corinthians 3:18-20

Let no one deceive himself.  If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.  For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness."  And again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."  

So I finished "Crazy Love".  Man, I have never been impacted by a book so much!  And the amazing thing about it is that all it really did is pointed you to scripture that I have read for years!  I just had the wrong perspective as I read it all this time.  I mean things that I just thought were for the church of Jesus time that were never...how to say...rescinded or done away with.  I always thought that it was OK to live in the burbs, have a good paying job, have 2.5 kids, a pension, investments and nice cars.  Now...I just don't know...how does that line up with what Jesus commanded us to do.  How do we slice that when the early church sold all that they had so that none were in need.  How do we put our current lives up against that and come away as obeying?  How do we settle into being luke warm "christians"...first of all, what gives us the term luke warm "christians"?  There is nothing "christian" about being luke warm.  God said that He would spew us from his mouth!  How do we call that "christian".  How do we live our lives day in and day out buying all of our pleasures and passing by homeless and hungry?  I just can't do it anymore.

I know this sounds cliched...you know...feed the hungry and homeless.  But I don't think Jesus meant it as a tired cliche to just ignore.  I mean...I want to feed and clothe Him.  Just like He said.  The only way I can do that is to do it for those in need.  

I am really trying to come to grips with all of this.  My dream has always been to lead worship at a big church with a big budget that can put on big services.  Now...I'm not so sure that is a worthwhile dream.  Now...I'm just not sure about anything that I have held dear for so long.

Crazy Love

So I'm reading a book called "Crazy Love; Overwhelmed by a relentless God" by Francis Chan, who is now my new hero.  This guy and this book have me completely re-thinking everything I think about doing ministry and doing life.  The book is basically talking about how we have perverted what follower of Christ should look like.  I really can't put into a blog right now what he is saying because my head is still spinning and trying to slow down enough to wrap my heart around these truths.  But I can say, that no other book besides the Bible, has impacted me the way this one has.  There are changes going to be made in my life because of the Scripture that he expounds on and leads you to in this book!  My life has been safe so far, job, house, retirement...well that is going to change!  I want my life to look like the life that Jesus called the disciples to!  I'll just give you one quote from the book right now that I almost can't flip the page past..."Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers."  Chew on that one!