“Jesus’ Gospel reveals the primal, disruptive, inspiring, terrifying, shocking, hopeful worlds and ways of a revolutionary who seeks to overthrow the status quo in nearly every conceivable way.”

-Brian McLaren

So here’s the revolutionary [Jesus], but where’s the revolution gone? The one thing that is hardest to come to grips with is this: the gospel is here to mess up your life! Completely.Are we willing to do this? Some days I’ll say yes and step out. Other days, I bow down to the god of routine and enter his flow for my day. But if we really want revival [revolution] to happen, we must be willing to lay down all that we have to step forward into it. Whether or not Peter knew it, he left all he had behind as he joined Jesus on the open waters for a walk. He soon noticed that he didn’t have anything as he sunk. But we must come to that point of 1) seeing where we need to be {where is my Revolutionary at?} and 2) casting aside everything to join Him there {less of me and more of Him}.

These words:

primal, disruptive, inspiring,

terrifying, shocking, and hopeful…

Do they describe your life? Do they even describe your Savior? Do you want them to ?

I know that’s a stupid question, but why do we act like he was?

Pharisee {a self-righteous or sanctimonious person }

How many time (me, soooo  included) do we come to our Lord, expecting to be chastised for something we have done? How many times does that feeling keep us away from Him? Too often for me. We expect Him to brow beat and guilt us into submission.

How does Jesus deal with the woman caught in adultery? The Pharisee answer: stone her, she’s committed evil!

His answer: go and sin no more. Freedom and repentance go hand in hand.

But have we forgotten that we have salvation through Him and it was a FREE gift?

Have we forgotten that we did nothing to get this? He loves us first. We did nothing to earn it.

Now I’m not advocating that we live in sin, but I’m saying that we should embrace the newness of life. Live the life that we have been called to. Take that breath of fresh air the way a prisoner does when he’s released from jail for the first time.

So relax, the pressures’s off. The new life is here. Live it.

[continued from part 1]

To best sum up their state of being, their hurts and pains and need for something more… I refer to the lyrics from Sanctus Real’s song “I’m Not Alright”.

If weakness is a wound
That no one wants to speak of
Then “cool” is just how far we have to fall
I am not immune
I only want to be loved
But I feel safe behind the firewall
Can I lose my need to impress?
If you want the truth, I need to confessI’m not alright
I’m broken inside, broken inside
And all I go through
It leads me to you, it leads me to you

Burn away the pride
Bring me to my weakness
Until everything I hide behind is gone
And when I’m open wide
With nothing left to cling to
Only you are there to lead me on
Cause honestly, I’m not that strong

I’m not alright
I’m broken inside, broken inside
And all I go through
It leads me to you, it leads me to you

And I move, and I move, and I move…closer to you
And I move, and I move, and I move…closer to you
And I move, and I move, and I move…closer to you
And I move, and I move, and I move…

I’m not alright
I’m broken inside, broken inside
broken inside, broken inside
And all I go through
Leads me to you, leads me to you

I’m not alright, I’m not alright, I’m not alright…that’s why I need you

[continued in part 3]