disciple .. it's more than tagging along .. .

we thought christianity was something we subscribe to
like the morning paper or a political party
we may even argue for our party, fight for our football team
wear all the stuff with their logos and tags ..

but disciple isn't anything like that at all
disciple is who you are, not what you are
there's a difference
the one is a tag, an association, a label we proudly wear
the other - well, when you're cut open and your heart sliced-through, you bleed Jesus ..
that's the colour of your blood, the context of your mind, the more-than-anything identifying marker that courses through you like .. your genes
when your dna is coded it comes out Jesus

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it stands to our shame that what we christians know about the christian scriptures is so paltry it amounts to virtually nothing .. almost nothing
that is so sad ..
most christians have no first-hand knowledge or experience in the scriptures they claim as their own
they hardly know what's in there, and what they know they borrowed
it's a derivative knowledge
heady stuff

we 'believe' the scriptures to be revelations of the God we claim
inspired by the spirit of God
given for our knowledge of who God is and what God likes and dislikes
as our example, our instruction in the ways of God, particularly revealing the person of Jesus, the perfect revelation of God
.. that person we say we 'follow'
the person we supposedly want to be just like
the person we will each meet one good day
in person

right ? ..

it's astounding then how little we know
while we can relate intricate details of this or that tv series or video game or nba team ..
just sayin' ..

doesn't that make us feel like .. shame ?
shamed

it does me ..

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thing is this
what does that say about how much we care ??? ..

how much do we care ?

'cause check this ..
its not those who know, but those who do that are acceptable in God's sight
it's not those that profess, but those that manifest Jesus in their living
it's not an-hour-a-sunday subscription, it's a living as-you-go on-going walking in the light, as He is in the light
it's not cross-tattoos and fish t-shirts and church bumper stickers, but the word of the living God inscribed on our heart
moving us
motivating us
engaging us
calling us
counseling us
breaking us down
building us up
changing us from inside, and burning through our skin to erupt on the outside as we speak and listen and look and touch and relate to the world in which we live ..
energized and illuminated by the spirit of the God that had those scriptures penned
for us
for me

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further to that we have converted the living word of God (Heb 4:12,13) that inspires a christianity concerning a life of Christ, about Jesus, for Jesus, in Christ
into subscription to a set of beliefs and doctrines, a veritable checklist of identifying "know's" which mark us as christian vs jew vs muslim vs hindu vs ..
in vs out
us vs them
and that particularly in evangelicalism, more particularly in conservative evangelicalism, perhaps most particularly in fundamental evangelicalism ..

cognition as opposed to recognition
knowing as opposed to experiencing
lists instead of life
do in the place of be

christianity is existential
it transforms us progressively into the image of the Son
it converts us from one person into another person
it translates our relation with the world into a vital connection through Jesus, where love filters everything
it re-creates us
we are a new creation (2Corinthians 5:17)

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there's something drastically wrong with someone who claims to 'be' christian, yet knows almost nothing about the christian scriptures
and want to convert other people to a christianity they have not experienced in the depths of who they are
dreadfully wrong

`|`

how we spend our time
what we devote our energy to
what runs through our minds
who we think about
what come out of our hearts and pops up in our minds
defines us
it so does
that absolutely is who we are
think about that

who are we in there ?

`|`

All Scripture is inspired by God, and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
(2Timothy 3:16,17)

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so then ..
let us commit to it ..
not like a new year's resolution commit, or a lose-weight thing
but a commit that emanates from inside, deep in the womb, fed by the umbilical cord
our GodMother nourishing us with strengthening energizing food
the word of God
the bread of God
feed on it
don't be satisified with regurgitated food
get it fresh direct from God's pasture
watered by the spirit of the living God

breathed to you
in you

do it

do it ..

peace ..