The Lion of Judah
"Life is yours to be spent. Not to be saved." -D.H. Lawrence
The modern American church has emasculated Jesus. I know. It sounds sick, and it really is. When Jesus is portrayed, he is usually profoundly Caucasian, has a thin build, speaks in a soft sing-song voice, and turns the other cheek in a wishy-washy milquetoast way at every opportunity.
I’ve read my Bible and it’s not the picture I get. I see a carpenter that has had to manhandle heavy wooden timbers since he was 10. I see an orator who speaks loudly enough to engage the attention of an entire crowd of over 5000 men not including women and children. (For comparison, the Falls Creek tabernacle can seat 7,253 people – and it uses lots of amplification.) I see a man powerful enough to drive businessmen away from their businesses when they were cheating people in the temple. I see someone bold enough to confront the most powerful men in the country and call them “whitewashed tombs”, and a “brood of vipers” when they were hindering people from coming easily to their God. I see the bravery of a man who approached a deranged demon-possessed man when others watched from a distance. I see a man who had the courage to knowingly walk into his own impending torturous doom head-on to save the people he loved.
My Jesus isn’t afraid to confront evil. He’s not afraid to protect the people he loves. Although he won’t squabble over details that aren’t critical, he doesn’t back down from a righteous fight and he isn’t afraid to correct when it’s a major issue. He aggressively spreads the good news of God’s redemption even when it isn’t safe.
This is the last day of camp. Tomorrow you will be home. Tomorrow, the enemy will use everything he has to bring you down and keep you there. Tomorrow, he will try to limit your influence and keep your camp experience at camp. You need a plan and today is the time to make it. Develop a strategy. Make a list of the things you need to do to integrate what you’ve learned into your daily life and to maintain the closeness you’ve developed with God this week. It’s going to take guts, determination and commitment.
My Jesus isn’t a wuss and he’s called me not to be either.
Deut. 31:6 (NIV)
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
John 16:33 (NIV)
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
James 1:22 (Msg)
Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear!
Challenge: Develop a plan for when you go home. If you need to eliminate a habit, make a plan. If you need to develop a new one, make a plan. Tell a friend so they can help you stick to it!
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