To All Unbelievers, Seekers, the Beaten Down and The Church Alike

As i was driving home from St Cloud today, i had time to spend time meditating and worshipping God. He laid something huge on my heart - how badly, how horribly we portray His unfathomable love to others that have yet to encounter it - to unbelievers, to seekers, to those that have been hurt by the church, turned away, beaten down by US - so called "followers" of Christ.

To Christians, Christ-followers, Catholics, Protestants, The Body, The Church:
We, as the church, the Body of Christ seem to forget that we owe it all to Him. We allow our minds to resemble the religious Pharisees - focusing on living a rigid lifestyle free from sin. At one point or another, we all fall prone to this way of thinking. And when we live our lives focused on the laws and regimented lifestyle, we allow our hearts to believe we have to earn God's love, God's affections - it is up to us and our good deeds, what we do.

And how, then, does this look to those on the fringes, those beginning to dip their big toe in to test the waters of church and God and faith, before they really jump in? Our need for perfection, to live a life that God would be "satisfied" with or "proud" of, our need to earn love, to live a regimented life grounded in the strictness that is religion and LOOK DOWN ON those we deem outcasts - Homosexuals. Addicts. Druggies. Alcoholics. Prostitutes. Sluts turns people away and turns them off from wanting to know the Author and Perfecter of Love Himself!

Who are WE to turn people away because of their visible sins and "unclean lifestyle"? And the King will say, "I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me! ...I was a stranger and you didn't invite me into your home. I was naked and you didn't give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me." - Matthew 25:40,43

Here is the truth we all need to face: we have all sinned, and all fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). The human race is depraved. We are disgusting sinners, filth, SCUM, full of selfishness and damned without Jesus Christ intervening on our behalf. Had the Lord not stepped in, had He not been the perfect, spotless sacrifice and given His life for us, we'd be...screwed, for lack of better words. There is NOTHING we can do to earn His love, no good deeds are ever enough. For what we give back to the Lord, He has already given us. Without His mercies, His unending grace, His presence in my heart, my soul would not be accounted for. It is by His grace alone that we are promised everlasting life. So we, the church, need to reflect that depravity by claiming what we really are: Disgusting sinners, Poor in Spirit, yet LOVED and REDEEMED by God's grace alone. Every time we feel a need to perform, to "do" good, to earn His affections, to wear a mask, remind yourself - hiding behind perfection and not claiming our brokenness is disheartening, misleading to those that do not know the Lord. Embrace the broken pieces of your life, EMBRACE your depravity and sin, for they are reminders of how much we need God. Not religion, not a regimented lifestyle, but the Lord's love overflowing. We need to REFLECT Him - not our 'need' to do good.

To All Unbelievers, Seekers, Those turned away, Struck Down, Hurt and Beaten UP:
I cannot apologize enough for how much i have misrepresented God - in my judgement, in my stereotypes, in my feelings that i am better than some, in getting caught up in my own feelings of having to do good to earn His love. I am sorry. If you have been hurt, turned away by the church or beaten down by someone proclaiming the Lord's name, I beg you, do not give up. Do not build walls up, hoping to defend yourself from a God that loves with unfathomable greatness, to a God that knows you and has loved you and will NEVER fail you or forsake you, even if you have turned away from Him.

The so-called church? The Body of Christ? We are absolute hypocrites. We live like we have it all under control, like we've done something that sets us apart from you. But you want the truth? We are broken, we are disgusting, we have sinned and messed up and failed. Please, do not let the church and our own...humanness turn you away from knowing the Greatest Love of All. Because here's the truth - we are all the same. This body is imperfect and has failed countless times. The only thing that's different, is that we have chosen to know and seek Jesus Christ and accept Him as our Lord and Savior. We have made a choice, that despite our brokenness and our pain and our imperfections and sin, we choose to trust in and follow after God. And this God is what sets us apart! Why? Because He forgives. He loves perfectly - God is LOVE. He accepts us right where we're at. Do you believe it? You better.

Absolutely NOTHING can EVER separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below - indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:38-39

Please, do not allow the imperfections of the church as a body of believers to turn you away from the Greatest and PERFECT Love, our Good & Merciful God and and the everlasting life we find in Jesus Christ.

If you do not know the Lord as your Savior, all you have to do is ask Him:

Lord Jesus, forgive me for all of my sins. I believe that You died on the cross, and You were buried and on the third day, God the Father raised You from the dead. Right now I open the door to my heart and I receive You into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me. Amen.

Here's the catch: once we invite Jesus into our lives, our lives are not all about rainbows and sunshine and complete happiness. In fact, we may face more trials and persecution. But it is worth it. He is worth it. We must lose this life to gain a far greater one. As followers of Christ, when we encounter hard times - divorce, financial problems, confusion, hurt, heartbreak, cancer, disease, death, etc. - we know that nothing is greater than God. Nothing is too big for Him to handle. He will use all things for our good, He holds all things in His hands. He loves us and He has promised us eternal life with Him, in heaven.

To All That are Reading:
I'd like to end this post with an excerpt from one of my favorite books. I encourage you to check it out - The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I may not be able to answer them, i may not be completely 100% knowledgeable about the bible or theologies, but i have tasted the goodness and perfect love of the Lord and caught glimpses of His glory and redemption. Ask someone, seek encouragement, find a church - keeping all of our imperfections in mind. Regardless of your decision, know the Lord loves you. No, it's not cliche, because we all forget it time and time again. He loves us. HE LOVES US. He loves you. Right there, as you are.

Hyperbole, bloated rhetoric, and grandiose testimonies create the impression that once Jesus is acknowledged as Lord, the Christian life becomes a picnic on a green lawn - marriage blossoms into connubial bliss, physical health flourishes, acne disappears, and sinking careers suddenly soar...The New Testament depicts another picture of the victorious life [we have in Christ]: Jesus on Calvary. The biblical image of the victorious life reads more like the victorious limp. Jesus was victorious not because he never flinched, talked back, or questioned; but having flinched, talked back, and questioned, He remained faithful.
What makes authentic disciples is not visions, ecstasies, biblical mastery of chapter and verse, or spectacular success in the ministry, but a capacity for faithfulness...After life has lined their faces a little, many followers of Jesus come into a coherent sense of themselves for the first time. When they modestly claim, "I am still a ragamuffin, but i'm different," they are right. Where sin abounded, grace has more abounded. - Manning [Ruthless Trust, 181-182].

We need God. We have all sinned and all fall short. But He loves us, right where we're at, where we've been, despite what's to come and how many times we turn away from Him. He forgives, He redeems, He renews, He revives. He conquers, He reigns, He loves loves LOVES something fierce. So let's fling off the masks and facades that we have it all under control. Let's tear down walls of hurt and run to Him, as imperfect and broken human beings SO in need of a Savior.

Check it:


"Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do..For i have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who KNOW they are sinners." - Matthew 9:12,13