Christianity Unplugged - following Jesus beyond the construct of religion

Your Life Matters

Eric Canaday — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 19:14:07 GMT

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10

Around the age of 13 I often wondered why God placed me on this planet. My face was blemished, the girl of my dreams did not know my name, and I desperately longed to be a part of the in crowd. Like many kids going through the transition to young adult hood, I wanted to know with certainty that my life counted for something.

20 years later I am sitting here with the stark realization that I was uniquely created for a time such as this. We live in a world where hopelessness abounds. Millions of people around the world are crying out for a meaningful existence that only the healing balm of God’s unchanging love can provide. In response, I have committed my life to declaring to the world that every human life matters to God.

I don’t know what you are passionate about and I know nothing about the dreams that make your heart soar. But God does. In Jeremiah the bible says "I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

Are you walking out those plans? Have you discovered your life’s calling? No matter where you are in your journey the fact is that you were created to transform the world! Decide today to become the uniquely wonderful person you were created to be, made by God for good works.

Written by Eric Canaday. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes in any medium, without applying for permission. © Laborers In Action, Inc.

Finding Our Place

Eric Canaday — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 18:08:35 GMT

How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. Psalms 36:7

Have you ever had an intense desire to be a part of the in crowd? Do you know what it feels like to be denied the opportunity? If you answered yes to both of those questions you probably have a clear understanding of what it means to be rejected. We all have an innate desire to be a part of something greater than ourselves. Yet in the face of rejection, it is easy for even the best of us to succumb to the idea that we are not good enough.

Many will never pursue Gods best for their lives because they struggle with believing that anyone could truly accept them. For a time I thought the total solution lied in helping people find their place in the local community of believers. I reformulated my thinking after a friend told me that he found more acceptance at the bar than he did at church. While his comments may not have been 100% fair, they helped me to understand what is truly important.

Is it OK to attend Church? Absolutely! Should church attendance be the goal of the Christian walk? Absolutely not! Psalms 91:1 says, "He who dwells in the secret place (shelter) of the Most High will rest under the shadow (protection) of the Almighty." Our #1 goal as believers should be to find that secret place in God’s presence tailor made for us.

Imagine for a moment a young father holding his new baby for the first time. As the baby begins to cry the father instinctively pulls the child close to his chest and begins to sing a soft lullaby filled with love and adoration. In the comfort of her father’s arms the child falls asleep somehow knowing that everything is all right.

If you have ever been hurt or rejected, God desires to quiet you with his love. Like the father that cares unconditionally for his child, when you cry out, God will be right there to rejoice over you with singing! (see Zeph. 3:17)

Somewhere, someone, somehow will fail or disappoint you (even "Church folks"). Be reminded however, that favor with God is always better than favor with men (see Romans 8:31). You do not have to struggle with fitting in when you realize that there is a place in God’s arms that has been prepared especially for you.

Food for thought: The greatest gift you will ever give the world is your intimacy with God. -Dwight Robertson

Written by Eric Canaday. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes in any medium without applying for permission. © Laborers In Action, Inc.

The Father's Love

Eric Canaday — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 18:09:00 GMT

I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Jeremiah 31:3

About four years ago I was standing in my basement unloading wet clothes from the washing machine. I was not big on prayer at the time because I wasn't sure that God was really interested in anything that I might have to say. As I was transferring the clothes from the washer to the dryer I overcame the urge to remain silent and prayed a simple prayer. I said "God, I thank you that you love me more than I love my son". The prayer was random and unintentional but it changed my life!

As a baby my son crapped in his diapers, kept me up at night, and for the first couple of months gave blank stares in response to my affection. He has never paid one bill and I could probably drive a Lexus if caring for him wasn't so expensive. He does not cook, clean, or mow the lawn. Based upon all of the inconveniences that he has brought to my life there is almost no legitimate reason for me to love him.

But I do...with every fiber of my being. When I prayed that prayer I pondered the reasons why I loved him so much. In that moment I realized it was because he belongs to me.

When my son cries I comfort him. When he is concerned, I listen. When he has a task that is greater than his ability to handle, I am right there helping him do what he could not do alone. He is 10 now and he doesn't always think that I know what is best for him. But I will never abandon him.

Like my son, I have occasionally made a mess of things. I have failed and created problems bigger than my ability to handle. But my Dad (God) loves me more than I love my son. He has been with me through good times and bad. Why? Because I am His son and I belong to Him.

Recommended Reading:

Love Beyond Reason: Moving God's Love from Your Head to Your Heart
By Zondervan

How do you explain a love that has no explanation? What will happen if you let it touch your heart? God loves you neither because you're flawless nor because you're perfect, but just because you are. In Love Beyond Reason, John Ortberg reveals the God you've longed to encounter: a Father head over heels in love with you, his child, and intensely committed to your highest joy. After exploring how this love has been revealed through Jesus, you'll learn how you can love your family, friends, and the world around you with the same transforming love. Dispelling your fears and misconceptions of God, Love Beyond Reason brings you face to face with the love of God that frees and empowers you to love.

Written by Eric Canaday. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes in any medium without applying for permission. (c) Laborers In Action, Inc.

Taming Time

Eric Canaday — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 10:10:38 GMT

Time is precious. Ask the coach whose team is behind in the final seconds of a game. Ask the air traffic controller in charge of scheduling takeoffs and landings at a major airport. Ask the news reporter who has just received a breaking story from the AP wire. Ask the cancer patient who has recently learned they have only two months left to live.

Time management is an oxymoron. Time is beyond our control, and the clock keeps ticking regardless of how we lead our lives. Priority management is the answer to maximizing the time we have. Our days are identical suitcases—all the same size—but some can pack more into them than others. No one has a magical ability to make time, but if our lives have direction, we can make the most of the moments we have been given.

Time is more valuable than money, because time is irreplaceable. “You don’t really pay for things with money,” says author Charles Spezzano in What to Do between Birth and Death. “You pay for them with time.” We exchange our time for dollars when we go to work and then trade our dollars for everything we purchase and accumulate. In essence, all we possess can be traced back to an investment of time. Time stewardship is perhaps a leader’s greatest responsibility. In the words of Peter Drucker, “Nothing else distinguishes effective executives as much as their tender loving care of time.”

In this edition of LW, we’ll look at five characteristics of people who use time wisely. The goal of the lesson is for us to understand how to maximize the precious minutes given to us each day.

Five Characteristics of a Wise Steward of Time

#1 Purposeful

People who use time wisely spend it on activities that advance their overall purpose in life. By consistently channeling time and energy toward an overarching purpose, a person most fully realizes their potential.

We cannot reach peak performance without a peak purpose. Purpose enlivens all that we do. In fact, I believe the two greatest days in a person’s life are the day they are born and the day they discover why. Uncovering purpose helps to refine passion, focus efforts, and sharpen commitments. The cumulative result is to amplify the achievements of the wise steward of time.

#2 Committed to Values

People who use time correctly underscore their values with the time they spend. By acting in accordance with their beliefs, they find fulfillment. Failure to identify values leads to a rudderless existence in which a person drifts through life, uncertain as to what they hold dear. Clarity of values is like a beacon of light, guiding the way through life’s twists and turns.

When extended to an organization, values inspire a sense of broader purpose. They make work worthwhile. In an organization, if vision is the head and mission is the heart, then values are the soul. Values endow day-to-day operations and transactions with meaning.

#3 Attuned to Strengths

People who use time correctly play to their strengths. By doing so, they are most effective. People don’t pay for average. If your skill level is a two, don’t waste substantial time trying to improve since you’ll likely never grow beyond a four. However, if you’re a seven in an area, hone that skill, because when you become a nine, you’ve reached a rare level of expertise. As Jim Sundberg says, “Discover your uniqueness; then discipline yourself to develop it.” You are blessed with a unique set of skills and talents. Find them, refine them, and let them carry you toward success.
I have identified four main strengths in my life. I lead well, create, communicate, and network. That’s it. I stick with those strengths and avoid getting caught up in commitments outside of those areas. By narrowing my focus to four strengths, I gain the greatest return on my investments of time.

#4 Choosers of Happiness

People who use time correctly choose happiness by prioritizing relationships and recreation. While choosing happiness may seem simple and obvious, far too many leaders are trying to prove themselves and validate their worth. These leaders chase after power and prestige, and along the way, their friendships wither, their family is ignored, and they skip vacation after vacation. In the end, any success they earn is a hollow and lonely achievement.

Family and friendships are two of the greatest facilitators of happiness. Prioritizing time to cultivate relationships is a hallmark of a healthy leader. Likewise, scheduling leisure combats stress and allows us to delight in the hobbies that bring us joy. However, in the end, happiness is an inside job. We are wise to surround ourselves with family, friends, and fun, but ultimately we determine our internal response to the people and circumstances in our lives.

#5 Equippers

People who use time correctly equip others in order to compound their productivity. They realize the limitations of individual attainment, and they build teams to expand their impact. By developing an inner circle of leaders and investing in them, wise time-users multiply their influence.

Equippers recognize that legacies are carried on by people, not trophies. They pour themselves into the lives of others and watch the ripple effect of their leadership spread through those they have taught and mentored. Equippers seek significance over the long term, which causes them to have a vested interest in the success of their successors.

Review

As much as we would like, we can’t find more time—it’s a finite and constantly diminishing resource. However, we can learn to spend time wisely.

People who use time correctly are…

1. Purposeful
2. Committed to Values
3. Attuned to Strengths
4. Choosers of Happiness
5. Equippers

Written By: John Maxwell

This article is used by permission from Dr. John C. Maxwell's free monthly e-newsletter 'Leadership Wired' available at www.injoy.com.

You Dont Have to be Perfect

Eric Canaday — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 18:10:06 GMT

Last year my father was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. When the doctor gave us the news I was stunned, but I can’t say that I was surprised. You see, for as long as I can remember, my father used alcohol as a way of coping with the demons of his past. For this reason (and others), we were never really that close. Still, I always loved him deeply and I didn’t want him to be alone during his final days on the earth.

After discussing the situation, my wife and I made the decision to provide hospice care for him in our home. He died on Thanksgiving Day, about two weeks after he was diagnosed. It was one of the most trying experiences of my life, but I was grateful that he was able to transition peacefully amongst family and friends.

My father developed a strong faith in Jesus Christ during his latter years so I am certain that life is much better for him now. Sadly, he lived most of his life in turmoil because he never realized just how much his life really mattered.

From what I have seen and heard, his mother was a lot like the foster mother depicted in the movie Antwone Fisher. His father was never an active part of his life, and he was consistently forced into the role of being the caregiver for his younger siblings. His daughter distrusted him almost until the time that he passed away. My mother divorced him because of infidelity and his second wife left him because of his drinking problem. He died with $45 dollars in his bank account, minimal assets, and no insurance policy. By all worldly accounts he was a failure.

However, at his wake I met people from his past and present who were profoundly impacted by the love he shared with them during everyday encounters. At his funeral, people spoke of him as if he had been a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

I never really thought much of him when he was alive. I think he had trouble thinking very highly of himself. But as I listened to the remarks being given about my dad I learned a valuable lesson:

God uses imperfect people because there aren't any perfect people around.

1 Corinthians 1:25-27 says "For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."

In arrogance, I thought of myself as better than my dad. In his dying, I was brought to my knees by the realization that he was someone to be respected and admired. He was not perfect…but he made a mark on this world that I believe will be recorded in the annals of eternity.

I received the following letter in the mail after my fathers funeral. It is a testament to his legacy and I pray that it will inspire you to live transforming the world the way he did. -EC

_________________________________________________________

Dear Eric,

Your father was a cherished friend. We met over two years ago when I approached him about providing care for the old mansion and grounds at the rape crisis center I manage. Two years is merely a blink in a lifetime, yet knowing your father changed my life in ways difficult to explain.

At his service today, I was grinning when you and Mr. Stovall noted his early morning "connections." I, too, am a very early morning person, arriving at the office around 6:00-6:30 each morning. Don knew the coffee would be on and he’d often pop in to fill his mug, or sit and chat for a bit before he tackled his day’s agenda.

Those conversations are precious to me. Your father was a great educator. I refer to him as a political scientist and historian. We talked history (rather he did, while I learned), politics, race relations, sports, music, spirituality, and even addictive illness.

I mention that because your father was a great humanitarian. I never, ever, heard him say an unkind thing about anyone. He spoke so fondly of you and Simone, his grandchildren, and his church community. And he always went the extra mile in his work, without expectation of notice or reward.

In an office of 20+ women, Don was like an anchor for us; a man we trusted, admired, enjoyed immensely, and depended upon. He was the epitome of respect and goodwill. His passing rocked our agency. I still look for his white van each morning.

Eric, I know your father had demons he fought probably most of his life. That could not have been easy for you and your sister...family dynamics are so complicated. But what touched me deeply was your father’s determination to keep trying to do what was right. That was inspiring. He lived fully, yet humbly.

I want to add one more thing. In the courtyard of our office building was a pathetic hibiscus plant no one took the time to care for - until your father entered out lives. He nurtured that plant for two years to produce magnificent, stunning, enormous blooms! What a lovely legacy he has left for our clients who come for trauma recovery, for those of us who need frequent reminders of the beauty in life. Each spring and summer as those blossoms unfold, I will feel your father’s presence and celebrate the richness of his extraordinary spirit…

I wish you peace,

-SI

Note: The mission of the Rape Assistance and Awareness Program is To eliminate sexual violence by providing services that assist victims of sexual assault and programs that educate the public about preventing sexual violence. To learn more or to get envolved, please visit them today on the web at www.raap.org

Written by Eric Canaday. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes in any medium without applying for permission. © Laborers In Action, Inc.

What I know for certain

Eric Canaday — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 18:10:43 GMT

I know that we live in a world marred by selfishness, greed, and hardness of heart.

But You care.

There are times that I feel overwhelmed by the darkness and despair presented by the reality of this existence.

Yet, in the valley of the shadow of death You are strengthening me giving me the power, courage, and the tenacity I need to stand in the face of my enemy; watching him tremble in fear because the radiance of Your power burns in my heart and emanates from my very being. I am weak....but You are strong!

Yes, I will stand firm because You are with me.

There are many things in this life that I cannot control or change but my resolve will not waiver because You...remain the same.

I am safe. I am secure. I am fulfilled and satisfied in Your presence. You are my armor and my shield. Your love anchors my heart ensuring that the winds and waves of this life do not carry my soul into the abyss.

Yes, in the valley of the shadow of death You are with me and I know for certain…That now and forever...I can find joy and rest in the comfort of Your arms.

Written by Eric Canaday. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes in any medium without applying for permission. © Laborers In Action, Inc.

Take Up Your Cross

Eric Canaday — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 10:11:13 GMT

“If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me” Mathew 16:24

Over the holidays I had the opportunity to watch the newest Spiderman movie. The story was about his desire to throw off the responsibility of being a superhero. The burden of Spiderman’s extraordinary ability to fight crime stood in the way of him living the normal, everyday life of his alter ego Peter Parker. In the face of a menace that threatened the lives of every person in his city, he made a decision. Instead of utilizing his unique talents gifts and abilities to change his world, he chose to live each day responsible only to himself and his immediate circle of friends.

Although no one I know has the power of a comic book hero, we all are challenged with the same choice. Let’s face it…most of us are fine with leading a lifestyle that comfortably suits our own interest. But during the course of any given day we all have encounters with people whose lives are being threatened. Enemies of hopelessness, disappointment, and uncertainty are constantly lurking in the dark shadows of our areas of influence waiting to take hold of their next victim.

You may not have the ability to jump tall buildings in a single bound. But you do have the ability to compassionately share your life with at least one person in need. Even in your weakest moments, God can empower you to do the impossible (see Acts 1:8 & 2 Cor. 12:9). It is God’s power working through your talents, gifts and abilities that can transform someone’s life for all eternity.

In Mathew 16:24-26 Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?”

This scripture is clear in letting us know that the responsibility of following Christ is great. Jesus rescued our lives from sin and death, so that we could partner with Him in doing the same for others. None of us individually has the ability to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. However, Christ is not asking us to carry the burdens of the world. That is ultimately his job. He only asks that we deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him.

So that you know, Spiderman rose to the occasion and saved the day. While that makes for a great story line in a movie, he will never show up in your neighborhood and change one thing. Which means, the people in you sphere of influence need a hero. Maybe that hero is you. Will you take up your cross?

Written by Eric Canaday. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes in any medium, without applying for permission. © Laborers In Action, Inc.

Preaching for a Profit

Eric Canaday — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 13:42:00 GMT

My friend Larry Robinson, host of www.gospelinterviews.com recently posted an article where he asked the question "Should preachers and evangelists charge to preach?" Without making an immediate assessment, I would say it depends.

I am a big fan of the Matrix Trilogy. When the first movie hit the big screen I saw it twice at the theater in addition to buying it on DVD. I repeated the process with the second and third movie, bought the cartoon, picked up a copy of the video game, and I also own the Morpheus and Niobe action figures.

I am ashamed to admit it, but I have probably spent $225.00 on the Matrix franchise. When I was spending the cash I didn’t think twice about it because there was a message in the movie that inspired me to live my life differently. In the same way there are some phenomenal preachers\evangelist who are extremely effective at giving people hope and a new outlook on life. They can make you laugh, cry, jump, shout, and dance within a matter of minutes. Many of them are masters at revealing the biblical secrets of wealth and great blessings in this life AND the life to come.

That being said, if a preacher or evangelist MAKES IT CLEAR that they are in the business of providing inspirational Christian Entertainment, they should charge. If Oprah, Doctor Phil, and Tyra Banks are getting paid to inspire audiences, Christian Entertainers should get paid too! Custom made clothes, luxury cars, and new homes in gated communities all cost a great deal of money. It is only appropriate that they should be able to cover these expenses as well…right?

On the other hand, there is no biblical evidence that Jesus, the apostles, or the prophets preached for profit. Jesus would preach to people who had nothing to give. After preaching, he would feed up to five thousand of them and he would not ask for a cent.

Paul, who authored several of my favorite books, never charged the churches for his letters and he took pride in the fact that he would do manual labor for the privilege of being able to share the gospel with them for free. Paul collected offerings to meet the needs of the people, not to revel in a life of pleasure and overindulgence. In one of his letters he told a preacher named Timothy:

"People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness"

Every preacher and evangelist would do well to follow this admonition.

Yes the workman is worthy of his wage and we all have to make a living. But if someone demands money in exchange for a word from the Lord, they are not preacher or an evangelist. They are a demagogue who lives to uphold the legacy of men like John Tetzel.

I have spent a great deal on Christian resources that have helped me to grow in my walk with God. I have hundreds of Gospel CD’s, and I own almost every DVD that Tyler Perry has released (no Tyler they are not bootleg copies). But I refuse to support individuals who exploit the children of God by preaching for a profit. What about you?

Written by Eric Canaday. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes in any medium without applying for permission. © Laborers In Action, Inc.

Jesus Angst

Eric Canaday — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 19:02:31 GMT

"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding." Proverbs 4:7

I have couple of friends that have been instrumental in helping me to understand the love of God. I am certain that they did not do this intentionally, but their influence has been life changing. If you asked them about their faith they would tell you without hesitation that they were not Christians. Still, they are reasonable and caring people. With what I know about them, and with all that I have learned from them, I have often wondered why they wouldn’t follow Jesus Christ.

In an effort to discover their angst I asked them what (if anything) Jesus had done to piss them off. Due to the length of their individual responses, I am posting this as a two-part entry. As you read through their words please do not judge them. You do not have agree or disagree. Just take some time to hear their hearts and understand their points of view.

I have learned that in order to live like Jesus, we have to be genuinely empathetic. I pray that God would use these entries to solidify this value in your hearts.

______________________________________________

Part 1
I am not pissed off anymore Eric, but I used to be.

I was a very skinny kid, I am large now and nobody would even dream of picking on me now, I actually go to some really rough bars and nobody picks a fight with me due to my bulkiness. They always seem to pick on skinny guys. But either way, when I was the thinnest and weakest kid in grade school, and covered in acne earlier than anyone else, and had unkempt hair and clothes that only the poorer kids wore like "tough skins" I was one of the most made fun of and picked on kids in my school. There were kids who didn't pick on me, but were afraid of being picked on if they associated with me. I was alone most of the time, I think that in some ways that being ostracized by nicer kids was more painful to me than the bullying. In school I had no one. Really public humiliations in places like the lunchroom or the hallways were almost weekly, minor humiliations were daily.

But I belonged to an evangelical church in the next town, Assemblies of God. In the youth group I found kids my age who treated me kindly, wanted to spend time with me. They liked me. For the seventh and eighth grade when school was at it's worst and loneliest for me the kids from the next town that went to my parents church were the only friends I had.

But my school district had a regional high school where in my freshman year my friends in the youth group would be in classes with the kids from my school district that humiliated and bullied me every day. On the first days I sat with them in lunch, hung out with them during the period of recess. The bullies that knew me, the people who ridiculed me, they went up to me in those groups and humiliated me and these friends did nothing to stop it. Later I saw them making friends with some of the kids that gave me a hard time, and they just laughed along when I got picked on and pretended it was okay. I was not welcome hanging around with them, or at their lunch table. It's not like some of them didn't have the popularity or the strength to do anything to help me out, one of them was a first string football player and the other was on the cheerleading team. None of them did or said anything, they wanted nothing to do with me in school, they didn't want to be seen with me. They pretended to be friends with me like nothing happened in the youth group, but then they started bringing some of the people who picked on me to the youth group that were their new friends. The same crap I had to endure in school was imported there and I found myself being the object of ridicule.

My parents went to the pastor about it. He felt that I was bringing the ridicule on myself because I wasn't really conforming well to my peers, felt there was something to artsy and weird about me, that I couldn't relate with my peers and that this was my problem and not the youth groups problem. Because of this I left and my parents didn't force me to go to church, outside of that cluster of towns on Sunday was a regular game of dungeons and dragons during church hours where my parents would drop me off. I was around other "nerds" even though playing the game was thought to be a sin I didn't care. Metal heads who were accused of being "satanic" in high school were more morally outraged and stopped the people who bullied me, they were braver than my christian friends who wanted nothing to do with me, the metal heads didn't mind me sitting with them at their table. It was at that point that I lost all religious faith for a while and had nothing but hostility toward chrisians for a very long time.

Time heals all wounds however, and I can't stay pissed off over my childhood and teen years forever, I don't need anyone to defend me now. But I will always remember that when I was at my weakest, insecure, and most outnumbered the people who claimed to be so holy and Christian didn't do anything for me, joined in the ridicule, and the pastor blamed everything on me for being a nerd. I know better than to paint all Christians with that brush, and I am sure that with maturity some of the people who I felt totally betrayed their friendship to me aren't really bad people today, but the point is that it hurt a great deal and left a very sour taste in my mouth towards Christians. In response to that hurt I attacked their faith for many years with a certain amount of vindictive relish.

I don't know if I could ever be a Christian, but that is an intellectual decision now rather than an emotion driven one, I don't hate all Christians or Christianity and I am not out to stamp out all Christianity. I do feel that some Christian sects teach that some kinds of bigotry are okay and that it's okay to dehumanize certain people, my church dehumanized everyone that was a non-believer and maybe that is why it was so easy ultimately for the kids in my youth group so easily go from being friends to dehumanizing me. I do know that if they had been a community of friends who had stood with me I probably would have never lost my faith at that early time in Christianity, perhaps later I would have made an intellectual decision to be an agnostic... I don't know, maybe not if it had been associated with something in my life that had been more positive rather than negative.

Part 2

Speaking for myself personally - Jesus and YHWH as characters in literature have offered me reading material and a historical family of cults that I find fascinating, neither has personally done - so far as I'm aware - anything, to or for me.

My qualms and anger are reserved for the cults, in specific, the philosophies they promote, the behavior of their members, and the culture and philosophy they inspire in others. I try - I strain, really - not to let my politics and philosophical leanings color my interactions with individuals too badly, but it's pretty difficult, especially as I get older and more and more abuses and wrongdoing pile up on my memory.

What *professing followers* of Jesus or YHWH did to me personally to get me so pissed off will have to be quickly edited down into a list I can type up in the short amount of time I have to do it in:

- Called my mother "nigger lover" and attacked her twice; would have raped her if she hadn't been saved (by a gay neighbor with a gun) (I was 5)

- Called me "fagot" and attacked me more times than I can possibly count

- Killed my best friend

- drove many of my close friends to become rage-filled hate-engines themselves

- sexually enslaved at least two close personal friends *when they were children*

- tortured and finally killed a woman I worked with in an attempt to get her to get some help in escaping another similar group

- teach the killing of witches

- teach the abhorrence of homosexuals

- teach the glory of war

- teach that huge populations of people worldwide are less than human

- teach the existence of a Hell where people are punished brutally for eternity

- teach the concept of "original sin"

- quash non-Christian festivals

- legislate solely Christian laws with no purpose other than to perpetuate the observance of Christianity

- destroy non-Christian books

Gotta stop somewhere. I hope you get the picture, and can understand that I don't blame *you* personally for anything. I do want you to understand how and why a person who is compassionate and open-minded can grapple with a lifetime of coping with Christian culture. I also want you to know that I do see a lot of good in church communities and the *internal* social benefits it provides to people. I also am aware of certain good things that Christianity was directly responsible for (from 1600 - 1000 years ago).

I strongly suspect that my life, especially my childhood, would have been far happier and more beneficial to others if Christianity had *never* been a part of it. I see no facet of Christianity per se that could ever redeem it in the face of all that I find horrible about it, from its scriptures to its practice.

Written by Eric Canaday. Anonymous letters used with permission. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes in any medium without applying for permission. (c) Laborers In Action, Inc.

Building the Kingdom...One Life at a Time

Eric Canaday — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 10:13:37 GMT

Editor's Note: Before reading this article, grab a pen and write down the names of the five people who've had the greatest impact on your life. We'll have you come back to this list later in the article.

We live in a mass-produced society. Long gone are the days when most furniture was hand-crafted, clothing was hand-stitched and meals were homemade from foods that were raised on the family farm. The industrial revolution changed all that. It introduced an era of mass-produced cars, furniture, soap and nearly every other thing you can buy. And now, more than a century later, mass production is a way of life that's ingrained in nearly every part of our lives.

But as efficient and cost-effective as mass production is for making products, it's not the best model for people-oriented activities like evangelism and discipleship. Kingdom laborers simply cannot be mass produced. They're raised up one life at a time by other laborers who build relationships with them and pour into their lives over time. Raising up laborers is a slow, relational process that cannot be by-passed through "mass-production" ministry.

Maybe that's why God chose to express His love for the world in the form of a person--His own Son, Jesus, "the Word who became flesh." And maybe that's why in His three years on earth, most of Jesus' recorded ministry happened, not in large-venue events, but in life-on-life encounters and relationships.

(Note: Of course, large events and mass-media ministries can also have a meaningful place in our spiritual growth. Jesus Himself spoke to the multitudes with great power--and as an itinerant ministry, we fully believe in the power of itinerant speaking! But we'd be the first to say that it's not a substitute for the life-on-life ministry of one person mentoring another.)

One life at a time
By today's standards, it could easily look like Jesus' ministry was a failure, because He didn't reach enough people. He seemed to spend a lot of time with a relatively small number of disciples--teaching them through His words, actions and life. It doesn't seem very time-efficient. But in Jesus' relational model, heaven seems to be shouting to us about a different strategy for ministry. It seems to be saying that the most powerful form of ministry happens up close, over time, in a relational context. At Kingdom Building Ministries, we've summed it up this way:

More time with fewer people equals a greater Kingdom investment.

This idea, of course, goes against the logic of our mass-production mindset. It logically seems that speaking and televising programs to as many people as possible is the best way to reach the world for Christ. This approach--which works on the rules of addition--may reach more people in the short run, but it actually reaches fewer people in the long run. And it reaches them less effectively.

The math of spiritual multiplication
To find out the capacity of life-on-life, spiritual multiplication to reach more people, just grab a calculator and do some simple math. If you were to speak to 100,000 people each year for the next 25 years, you would reach 2.5 million people. If you were to invest regularly and deeply in the lives of two different people each year for the next 25 years, and you taught each of these people to pour their lives into two more people each year (who would do the same), you would together reach more than 50 million people in that same 25 year period. Obviously, it wouldn't play out quite this perfectly in the real world, but I think you get the point: Over time, multiplication (an idea that one movie has called "paying it forward") is a more powerful strategy than addition. And it's the one that Jesus seemed to put most of His stock in.

Spiritual multiplication is a strategy to reach more people more deeply.

Let me use a story to further explain how spiritual multiplication works. It's said that the man who created the game of checkers was summoned by the Emperor of China to be his guest for a celebration dinner. At the end of dinner, the Emperor told the man he could have anything he asked for. (The Emperor apparently loved checkers.) The man asked for one grain of wheat, multiplied and compounded for each square on the checker board. The Emperor was insulted by such a small request and had the man expelled from his presence. What the Emperor did not realize was that he had just been asked for enough kernels to cover the whole country of India in a foot of grain. That's the power of spiritual multiplication. And it has the same power when it's done the context of one person investing in the life of another. It seems small at first, but the influence multiplies over time.

The Impact of Life on Life Ministry
The idea of relational, spiritual multiplication is clearly a strategy to reach more people, but it's more than that. It's also a strategy to reach them more deeply. In other words, it's both deep and wide!

Editor's Note: At the beginning of this article, you were asked to write down the names of the five people who've had the greatest influence on your life. Now take a break for a moment and answer a few questions:

"How many of the names listed are people with whom you've had close proximity and relationship?"

"How many are speakers, authors, or others with whom you've had little or no relationship?"

Our experience in having others do this little exercise is that more than 90 percent of the people who have had the greatest influence on our lives are those with whom we've had a substantial relationship.

Passing the baton
Despite the power of the life-on-life ministry, a recent Gallup poll shows that it isn't happening much in the church. According to Gallup's survey, 90 percent of people in the chruch say they've never been discipled in a relational way. The church is clearly in desperate need of mature (but ordinary) Christians who will follow Jesus' model and build relationships with others, passing on to them the experiences, resources, wisdom and understanding they themselves have received from God (often through others).

It's what Timothy received from Paul, who called him "my dear son" and "my son in the faith." And it's what Paul had received from Barnabas ("Son of Encouragement"), who took Paul in after his conversion and helped prepare and launch him into the ministry God had called him to. Barnabas mentored Paul and Paul mentored Timothy. It's a lineage of faith that Timothy them passed on to others.

In a sense, that's what mentoring is. It's the empowering ministry of passing on what God has given us into the lives of another (who, ultimately, will do the same). It's like the act of passing the baton in a relay race.

And it's what Paul meant when he said to Timothy: "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, teach to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others" (2 Timothy 2:2).

It's what Jesus was talking about when He left His disciples with these words: "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations...and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you..." (Matthew 28:19-20, Italics mine). Notice the progression here: I (Jesus) teach you. You teach them. And to go back a step, Jesus said He was passing on to them what the Father had passed to Him (John 17:7-8).

One of the clear hallmarks of Jesus' ministry was that He passed on to His disciples (and ultimately future generations) what it looks like to be a lover of God and a Kingdom laborer. He lived in close proximity to a group of ordinary men who were able to, not only hear the Kingdom principles He taught, but also see what it looks like when those principles are lived out in a life. They heard from Him that the greatest commandment is to love God and love others. They then watched Jesus as He visibly and daily lived out that commandment.

A mentoring relationship allows us to see what faith, and hope, and love, and so many other virtues look like.

That's the power of a mentoring relationship. It allows us to see what faith, and hope, and love, and so many other virtues look like. And, just as important, it allows us to see others in their struggle to live out this faith, hope and love in the midst of their humanity and imperfection.

We've all heard the phrase, "Seeing is believing." But seeing is not just believing, it's also the key to receiving. (For do we truly receive a truth that someone is trying to pass to us unless we see it at work in their lives?)

To say it a different way, "More is caught than taught."

Thinking ahead to the end
There are many examples of animal and bird species that, for one reason or another, stopped reproducing and became extinct. When you're gone, will your spiritual lineage also become extinct? Will you leave this world without reproducing other laborers, or will you pass on the wealth of spiritual blessings and resources that God has given you?

I leave you with the words of writer Dennis Exeley: "It's not enought to run the race; you must also pass the baton."

Written by Dwight Robertson © 2003 Kingdom Building Ministries. www.kbm.org

size=2>For an in depth understanding of what it means to live a life of ministry, pick up Dwight's new book "Plan A"

The Fathers Love

Eric Canaday — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 12:53:13 GMT

I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Jeremiah 31:3

About three years ago I was standing in my basement unloading wet clothes from the washing machine. I was not big on prayer at the time because I wasn't sure that God was really interested in anything that I might have to say. As I was transferring the clothes from the washer to the dryer I overcame the urge to remain silent and prayed a simple prayer. I said "God, I thank you that you love me more than I love my son". The prayer was random and unintentional but it changed my life!

But I do...with every fiber of my being. When I prayed that prayer I pondered the reasons why I loved him so much. In that moment I realized it was because he belongs to me.

Recommended Reading:

Written by Eric Canaday. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes in any medium without applying for permission. (c) Laborers In Action, Inc.

The Warning Against Desiring Spiritual Success

Eric Canaday — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 10:14:38 GMT

"Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you . . ." Luke 10:20

Worldliness is not the trap that most endangers us as Christian workers; nor is it sin. The trap we fall into is extravagantly desiring spiritual success; that is, success measured by, and patterned after, the form set by this religious age in which we now live. Never seek after anything other than the approval of God, and always be willing to go "outside the camp, bearing His reproach" (Hebrews 13:13 ). In Luke 10:20 , Jesus told the disciples not to rejoice in successful service, and yet this seems to be the one thing in which most of us do rejoice. We have a commercialized view— we count how many souls have been saved and sanctified, we thank God, and then we think everything is all right. Yet our work only begins where God’s grace has laid the foundation. Our work is not to save souls, but to disciple them. Salvation and sanctification are the work of God’s sovereign grace, and our work as His disciples is to disciple others’ lives until they are totally yielded to God. One life totally devoted to God is of more value to Him than one hundred lives which have been simply awakened by His Spirit. As workers for God, we must reproduce our own kind spiritually, and those lives will be God’s testimony to us as His workers. God brings us up to a standard of life through His grace, and we are responsible for reproducing that same standard in others.

Unless the worker lives a life that "is hidden with Christ in God" ( Colossians 3:3 ), he is apt to become an irritating dictator to others, instead of an active, living disciple. Many of us are dictators, dictating our desires to individuals and to groups. But Jesus never dictates to us in that way. Whenever our Lord talked about discipleship, He always prefaced His words with an "if," never with the forceful or dogmatic statement— "You must." Discipleship carries with it an option.

Written by Oswald Chambers excerpted from his daily devotional "My Utmost for His Highest"

Tired of Church

Eric Canaday — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 12:51:36 GMT

What comes to mind when someone mentions the word "church"? For most of us a church is a building where you go to worship or serve God. Most people go to church to get the answers that they need to deal with their personal problems. Participating in church related activities has always given me a sense of closeness to other believers and refreshing in the Lord. I am the first to admit that a good sermon can provide the perspective needed to overcome the adversity we face in life. I have lead praise and worship, served as a deacon, taught Sunday school, and performed in several church plays. However, I have a confession to make... I am tired of what we call church.

Before I get to far along in this article I need to make it clear that I am not recommending a mass exodus from traditional "churches". God has called us to unity and the last thing that I want to do is add to the damage that has already been done. However, I am disturbed by the common misconception that "going" to or serving in what we call church is the greatest expression of Christian duty.

I am tired because I can’t take another worship service that ends with the impression that I wont be able to experience the presence of God

until I show up for the next service.

I am frustrated with how we make people feel like second-class citizens

because they are not a member of the elite class of "ordained" ministers who serve in modern day "temples".

I am tired of hearing statistics that communicate that the average church size in America is less than 100 people when the reality is that there is only one church, headed by one King that numbers in the multimillions.

I am tired of contributing more than 10% of my income every year without a say in how those funds will be distributed.

I am dumfounded by those who believe that they have legal jurisdiction over the sacramentsas if God Himself gave them an everlasting patent on those rites.

I am tired of hearing the answers to my problems without receiving the additional training needed to be a part of the solution to the world’s problem.

When are we going to realize that people want genuine relationships with individual members of our community more than they want a turkey dinner or a backpack for school? How long will we allow our pastors to preach to us year after year while we sooth our conscience with the idea God is satisfied because we showed up, sang a song, and placed some money in the offering plate? I am sick of watching people experience spiritual starvation while we glory in becoming spiritually obese.

Church is not a building, a Christian social club, or a registered non-profit corporation. It is a worldwide community of people who have committed their lives to sharing the love of Jesus Christ everyday! I have spent the last 25 years "going" to church and I am tired of the routine. I long for something so much more. I want every member the body of Christ to know that they have the power to make a difference. I want them to find the courage to take action.I want us to BE the Church...

Recommended Reading:

Revolution
By George Barna / Barnabooks

World-renowned pollster George Barna has the numbers, and they indicate a revolution is already taking place within the Church - one that will impact every believer in America. Committed, born-again Christians are exiting the established church in massive numbers. Why are they leaving? Where are they going? And what does this mean for the future of the Church? Using years' worth of research data, Barna predicts how this revolution will impact the organized church, how Christ's body of believers should react, and how individuals who are considering leaving (or those who have already left) can respond. For leaders working for positive change in the church and for believers struggling to find a spiritual community and worship experience that resonates, Revolution is here. Are you ready?

Written by Eric Canaday. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes in any medium without applying for permission. © Laborers In Action, Inc.

Your Life's Purpose

Eric Canaday — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 11:42:00 GMT

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35

A close friend of mine has been attempting to convert me to Islam over the last couple of years. During one of our many conversations he told me that Christians did not know their purpose. He went on to explain that the purpose of every Muslim is to obediently submit to the one true God in every act of worship. After sharing a few more of his perspectives he confronted me with a question that he thought I could not answer...What is the Christians Purpose?

The answer to this question is something that I have wrestled with for more than 20 years. When I was about 12 years old my parents were going through a divorce. Even before my father left, he was rarely home and I always missed him terribly. When I went into the basement and saw that his clothes were not in the closet, and his toiletries were missing from the bathroom, I literally wanted to die. I was to afraid of hell to commit suicide, but the emotional pain that experienced certainly shook my faith.

That night as I cried in the darkness of my room I asked God, "Why are we born to go through hell, only to die and go to Heaven?" In Sunday school I learned that God sent Jesus so that when I died, I could go to heaven and live peacefully with God.

No more pain...no more rejection...no more disappointment.

It seemed logical to me that it would be better to skip the middle passage. As I fell asleep that night I asked God to take me to heaven while I slept. Needless to say, God did not grant my request.

Over time, he gave me the answer to my question and a response to my friend’s inquiry. I told him that the Christian’s purpose in life is to love God with all of his heart and to love his neighbor as he loves himself.

In Luke 10 Jesus gives us a template for living (in the words of Rick Warren) a Purpose Driven Life. Starting in verse 25 it says:

...behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."

And he said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live." But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied,

"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite (one who served in the Temple), when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back. Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

We live in a world full of people that are broken, hopeless, and hurting. The root cause of the suffering in the world comes from mankind’s collective unwillingness to live by the 2 commandments given by Jesus. Revolution begins with your decision to utilize your time, talent, and portion of your income to impact change. The love of Jesus Christ flowing through the hearts and hands of every Christian is the world’s greatest need!

Heaven is not your reason for living...it is the icing on the cake. Your purpose in life is to experience the satisfaction and fulfillment of loving and being loved by God. Your responsibility is to compassionately share that love with others through the things you do everyday.

If you would like to know more about entering a relationship with God, please visit www.needhim.org

To learn more about love, check out the reading resources and scripture references listed below.

Recommended Reading:

Love Beyond Reason: Moving God's Love from Your Head to Your Heart
By Zondervan

How do you explain a love that has no explanation? What will happen if you let it touch your heart? In Love Beyond Reason, John Ortberg reveals the God you've longed to encounter: a Father head over heels in love with you. After exploring how this love has been revealed through Jesus, you'll learn how you can love your family, friends, and the world around you with the same transforming love.

Made to Count: Discovering What to Do With Your Life
By Bob Reccord / Thomas Nelson

When Bob Reccord and Randy Singer posed the question, "What is your greatest fear?" to people across North America, the most common response received was "My greatest fear is coming to the end of my life without making a significant difference." Made to Count drives straight to the heart of that fear. This astonishing book can change your life...then you can change your world. Read and learn how you have been divinely made to count.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient & kind.
It does not envy or boast
It is not proud, rude, self-seeking, or easily angered.
It forgives (keeps no record of wrongs).
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, trusts, hopes, & perseveres.
Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge
If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing

1 John 4:7-21
Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his own Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

In this is love perfected with us, that we may have confidence for the Day of Judgment, because as he is so are we in this world.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love.

We love, because he first loved us. If any one says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also.

John 13:35 - By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Romans 13:10 - Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Galatians 5:16-26
Walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. But if the Spirit leads you, you are not under the law.

Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another.

Written by Eric Canaday. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes in any medium without applying for permission. © Laborers In Action, Inc.

Why the Bible?

Eric Canaday — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 12:02:43 GMT

"All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" 2 Timothy 3:16

I was in a forum recently where someone said

"I can grasp the idea of a loving God, salvation through Jesus Christ's sacrifice, but the Bible itself is problematic --it seems so violent and horrific and disjointed and weird."

Here is how I responded:

...The bible is violent and horrific at times, but if you look closer you will find that the bible clearly outlines the problem with the human condition. In James the 4th Chapter it says:

1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Human history is violent horrific and disjointed because we have made a decision to pursue everything accept for love.

I am not criticizing but...

Buddhism teaches compassion while encouraging emotional detachment from everything. Marriage is a relational attachment that contradicts this idea. I am married and have two beautiful children and I believe that the love we share is God's gift.

Islam teaches submission in exchange for love. However, Allah only loves those who submit to the rituals prescribed by Mohamed. That being the case, there is no assurance. You can submit to the rituals and still be condemned if Allah wills it.

Hinduism upholds a system of inequality in India that keeps the elite in power and the poor in poverty. If re-incarnation is a reality Karma is busted because all of us have been here several hundred times (at least) and we still haven’t figured out how to love one another.

I rejected Christianity because of the classism, racism, elitism, and outright hypocrisy that I saw in what has been called the church.

While every religion and political system has made an effort to bring about world peace, Jesus is the only prophet that has provided a solution. He died in a violent, horrific and disjointed way to pay the penalty for every unjust act that we could commit. By believing that the sacrifice that he made is sufficient to place us in right standing, God gives us the power to love.

I have to admit...it is a foolish message; maybe even a little bit weird. But I can say without question, I am completely satisfied and fulfilled in my relationship with God through His son, Jesus THE Christ.

Do you have any questions about the Bible or Christianity beyond the confines of religion?
Then join our discussion group on Tribe.net called...

                                             "Christianity Unplugged"

                                                  Click Here to Join

Written by Eric Canaday. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes in any medium without applying for permission. © Laborers In Action, Inc.

Gandhi and Christianity

Eric Canaday — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 11:25:36 GMT

Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most respected leaders of modern history. A Hindu, Gandhi nevertheless admired Jesus and often quoted from the Sermon on the Mount. Once when the missionary E. Stanley Jones met with Gandhi he asked him, "Mr. Gandhi, though you quote the words of Christ often, why is that you appear to so adamantly reject becoming his follower?"

Gandhi replied, "Oh, I don't reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ."

Apparently Gandhi’s rejection of Christianity grew out of an incident that happened when he was a young man practicing law in South Africa. He had become attracted to the Christian faith, had studied the Bible and the teachings of Jesus, and was seriously exploring becoming a Christian. And so he decided to attend a church service. As he came up the steps of the large church where he intended to go, a white South African elder of the church barred his way at the door. "Where do you think you're going, kaffir?" the man asked Gandhi in a belligerent tone of voice.

Gandhi replied, "I'd like to attend worship here."

The church elder snarled at him, "There's no room for kaffirs in this church. Get out of here or I'll have my assistants throw you down the steps."

From that moment, Gandhi said, he decided to adopt what good he found in Christianity, but would never again consider becoming a Christian if it meant being part of the church.

How we treat those others tells people MORE about what we believe, and what following Jesus means to us than all tracts we pass out, or all the fine sermons we deliver.

© John Mark Ministries

All I Ever Wanted

Eric Canaday — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 14:17:00 GMT

On August 21st of this year I turned 35 and realized that it was the best birthday of my life. I expressed that to someone at work and they asked me what I got. I told them that for the first time in my life:

I am not seeking satisfaction in meeting the unrealistic expectations of others.

I have forgiven everyone that has done me wrong which means that I no longer carry the burden of anger disappointment and resentment.

I have the answers to every "why God" question that caused me to doubt the relevance of my existence.

My wife and I love each other deeply and we have finally figured out how to maintain that love for the rest of our lifetime.

When I was a kid my mother taught us to say this simple prayer before each meal..."The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want". I did not fully understand that scripture until my co-worker asked the question.

I let him know that I received a reminder that I have everything that I could ever want.... the satisfaction and fulfillment that comes from being loved by God.

It took me 35 years but I realize that I have "got" a peace that money can’t buy. I have a clear sense of purpose and calling and I intend to spend the rest of my life helping others obtain the treasure that I have found.

Written by Eric Canaday. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes in any medium without applying for permission. © Laborers In Action, Inc.