If you have been a Christian for any length of time, it's likely that at some point you've heard a speaker do a gospel invitation. You know the one I'm talking about: After his message, the speaker asks everyone present to "close your eyes and bow your heads, with no one looking around". Once this is accomplished, He then prays a prayer phrase by phrase, inviting anybody who "really means it" to pray along with him. Usually this prayer begins something like, "Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner..." and then progresses through the finer points of the gospel message. After completing the prayer, he asks everyone to keep their eyes shut and invites anyone who prayed with him to raise their hands so he can pray for them. This part can be drawn out almost indefinitely depending on the speaker, the response of the crowd, and whether or not there is a potluck supper waiting in the fellowship hall.

Recently, my wife and I were attending a special meeting in which the formula I just described was used. We were both a little frustrated as we listened to how the invitation was given. For one thing it was a gathering that was without question geared towards Christians, especially more mature believers who have known Christ for some time. So it didn't seem to be quite the right crowd to lead in the sinners prayer. But the main thing that bothered us was how the speaker continually referred to Jesus throughout his invitaiton. Basically, he was using Jesus the way I might use a wild card in Texas Hold em.

The invitation had one only one point. Jesus will get you to heaven. He is your free ticket to escape Hell and go somewhere better. He is the only way to get to heaven. You can have peace and joy knowing that one day you will go to heaven. Don't ever let anyone tell you there is another way to heaven, Jesus is it. Don't you want a free ticket to heaven? He said this so many times and in so many ways, I started to wonder if his monopoly board at home has a picture of Jesus on the get out of jail free card.  That was basically what he was advertising Jesus to be.

The problem with this style of evangelism is that it only paints a partial picture of salvation.  In John 10:10 Jesus spoke about his followers and said, "...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." This is talking about all of life, not just the end! When we only focus on what Jesus will do for us when our earthly life is over, we are missing a big part of why Christ came! He came to restore the broken connection between man and God so that we can live out our lives in relationship with Him. That's why the veil in the Holy of Holies was torn in two when Jesus died. The barrier between us and God had been toppled! No longer did sin stand in the way of a meaningful relationship with God!

What Christ accomplished through his death and resurrection has implications not only for the afterlife, but also for our lives today! If we accept what Christ has done for us, he has promised us "life to the full"! That is exactly what it sounds like...a full life! Opportunities to serve Jesus and see others come to Him. Sweet fellowship with other Christians. Free worship and fellowship with God Himself! Peace through the trials of life, knowing that sin has been defeated and my standing before God is taken care of. And of course, the knowledge that I will one day be with my savior in Heaven. But that is the culmination of the process, not the process itself.

When we advertise Jesus as just a "get out of jail free" card, we are selling Him and the gospel short. I think a more effective way to share Jesus is to live out the full life he has promised and invite others to join us. As people see the genuine joy that marks our lives, they will come to know Jesus as a living person who can transform them from the inside out. To quote Rich Mullins, they will not look at Jesus as: "pie in the sky, that you good boys and girls get in the bye and bye".

I'm terrible at following the news, but one particualar story has sparked my interest this summer. The story I'm referring to is the decision by the Community Board of lower Manhattan to allow a Muslim Mosque to be built at 45-47 Park Place in New York City, a location that is only 2 blocks from Gound Zero, the site of the 9/11 terror attacks. This has obviously sparked a fierce debate, and many who are opposed to the idea have been pretty outspoken.

In her now famouns Facebook/Twitter post, Sarah Palin said: "many americans, myself included, feel it would be an intolerable and tragic mistake to allow such a project..." . Tea party activist Mark Williams called the project a "monument to the terror attacks". And during the meeting in which the project was voted on, many comments were yelled out and signs help up, expressing things such as, "You're building over a Christian cemetary", and "Don't glorify the murders of 3,000, No Victory Mosque". Also, the American Center for Law and Jusctice, a Christian watchdog group founded by Pat Robertson, has now sued the Landmarks Preservation Commitee for failing to allow 45-47 Park Place to become a landmark devoted to 9/11. Obviously, there are some pretty raw emotions attached to this one.

While it might be easy for us to react to this issue emotionally, I think as Christians we really need to think through our response here. We need to be careful to make sure that we are not guilty of holding up a double standard. Let me explain.

As a whole, Christians are not viewed positively in the media. Whether we deserve this or not is another issue entirely, but the fact remains. We have quite a reputation of crying foul when our "rights" are being stepped on. As a few examples, think about the outrage expressed at the possiblity of "under god" being removed from the plege. Or how about the whole prayer in schools issue? Or schools teaching kids about homosexuality? Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we shouldn't fight against some of these things, I'm just saying that in our society we have the reputation that we DO fight these things. And we consider our freedom to stand on our morals a right! After all, the founding fathers set up this country so there could be freedom of religion! How dare the government or anyone else try to take away our freedom to worship God in the way we so choose! If this right is stepped on we cry persecution!

So when a different religious group wants to be afforded that same freedom how should we react? The group that is planning to build on 45-47 Park Place is not a terrorist organization. They have no ties to Al-Qaeda. Also, the Mosque is not even the main part of the building. The entire complex is laid out as a community center including a gym, swimming pool, performance arts center, and other public spaces. The Mosque is merely a part of the complex.  And here is the vision for the center, according to Daisy Khan, the excutive director of the Muslim society:  "It will have a real community feel, to celebrate the pluralism in the United States, as well as in the Islamic religion. It will also serve as a major platform for amplifying the silent voice of the majority of Muslims who have nothing to do with extremist ideologies. It will counter the extremist momentum." It sounds like the purpose for the complex is exactly the opposite of what it's opponents are portraying it to be.

Imagine if the shoe were on the other foot, and there were some Christian missionaries trying to plant a church in a Muslim country. In many of these countries the missionaries would be killed or kicked out for their efforts and we would sympathize with them for enduring persecution. Or what if some missionaries were told that they could not set up a church somewhere because it was a "symbol of the crusades"? We would probably react by defending the missionaries and saying that the violent acts of the extremests in the crusades do not properly represent the teachings of Jesus and Christianity as a whole. After all, many of us Christians have made sure to distance ourselves from extremist splinter groups within our own sphere of faith. A couple of examples that come to mind are the abortion doctor murderer and the members of a so called "baptist" church in the south that sends out groups to protest at military funerals. We would never want our faith to be associated with such violent and distateful actions.  So why would we so hastely lable a Mosque a "symbol of terror" and tell muslims that they have no right to worship in a certain place?

I am a patriot. I love my country and I stand against any threats to our people and national security. But I'm not sure I am willing to lable a Mosque a symbol of terrorism and tell Muslims that they may only worship in certain areas. To me that has the familiar ring of persecution and I would hate to think I was imposing that on someone else. Persecution is persecution, and we should not get the idea that it is okay simply because it's happening to someone who practices a different religion. Something to think about.

As a bookworm and lover of used book stores, I found this essay very interesting and thought provoking. It makes me want to head over to "Twice Sold Tales" in Farmington and spend an afternoon browsing. Enjoy!

My wife is an avid fan of TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress", which follows brides to be and their families as they search for the perfect wedding dress for their special day. It takes place in a huge bridal salon called Kleinfeld Bridal, where a $2,000 dress is considered bargain basement. Since she graciously puts up with my rather random taste in movies and T.V., I sometimes watch an episode or two with my wife. And even if it costs me a few man points,  I'm not ashamed to admit that sometimes I even find myself getting into it a little. It can be quite entertaining watching how some of the families on the show interact as they try and get the bride to choose the dress they think she should wear. But probably the number one detail I find fascinating about it is the price range of the dresses. We are constantly shocked by how much some of the families are willing to spend on a dress. In a recent episode, one father was willing to pay $24,000 for a dress. That's right, $24,000! I didn't misplace the comma on that one. That's crazy!

While it's pretty easy for me to sit back and judge people on a T.V. show, it's not so easy to judge my own heart. The other day in my personal Bible reading, I read these words of Jesus in the book of Matthew: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." (Matt. 16:24-25) As I read this familiar passage, I felt a little bit of uneasy conviction setting in. I felt like God was asking me, "Nate, how much are you hanging on to your life? How much value are you placing on worldly things that have nothing to do with me?" If I am to answer those questions honestly, I have a problem. My heart is not totally devoted to the Lord. In fact, there are many other things I ascribe greater value to on a daily basis.

No, I may not have put down $24,000 to buy Charlene a wedding dress, but what other "dresses" am I saying yes to? Am I really "losing my life" for God or am I keeping big chunks of it for myself? We tithe every Sunday, but how much more do I spend on myself in any given week? You are all aware of my coffee addiction. If I compared my weekly coffee spending with our tithe check, which sum would be greater? My wife and I work out together every day, but how often do we spend time doing devotions together? As the husband, it is my responsibility to lead our family spiritually, but how many times have I rushed praying with Charlene before bed so that I could have more time to read, watch T.V., or do a crossword puzzle? These may seem like small pieces of my life, but when they are added up they represent a sizable portion of my resources and energy. None of the things I mentioned are inherently bad activities, but if I'm not careful, I can start to live a pretty Godless existence by omission. I simply omit God because I'm doing other things. I'm "saving my life" for myself.

I'm reminded of something else Jesus said: "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also". That's the big issue for me. Where is my treasure? Is it in God or in the stuff that I like? Where do I spend most of my time, money, and energy? I can't say that God is the most important thing to me if I don't spend the majority of my time pursing Him. I need to stop saying "Yes to the Dress" and start saying yes to my God!

"Writing and reading allow one's consciousness to find and take shelter in another. When the mind of the reader and writer perfectly and inimitably connect, objects, events, and emotions become doubly vivid—realer, somehow, than real things. I have spent most of my life seeking out these connections and attempting to create my own. Today, however, the pleasures of literary connection seem leftover and familiar. Today, the most consistently pleasurable pursuit in my life is playing video games."

The above quote comes from the book "Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter" by Tom Bissell. You can read an excerpt from it here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127597416&sc=fb&cc=fp As a lifelong video game fan, I found this very interesting.

I won't repeat the entire excerpt here, but basically this guy is explaining why video games have become such an attractive pursuit to him. He feels as though a well made game connects him to a story or a world that is outside of himself. It gives him a sense of connection with something bigger, something different than the mundane, humdrum experiences of everyday life. I can totally relate to him because I am a big fan of good stories, no matter what medium they are told in. I love reading novels, playing video games, and watching movies or T.V. shows that portray well thought out and captivating story lines. Video games tend to be the most addicting for me because they are interactive, allowing me to take an active part in the story. Of course, now that I have become much busier, I rarely have time to invest in video games (which I am not complaining about, there are many much more fulfilling things that I do with my time). But I still enjoy "escaping" into a good story now and then.

In reading this book excerpt, I was reminded of how all humans have the desire to connect with something outside of themselves. Everybody wants to be a part of something bigger than they are. We want to know that we are making a difference, that our lives will count for something. We are not just satisfied with getting up, going to work, eating, and going to bed.

Many people have to turn to fantasy to fulfill that need, because their "real" life isn't doing it for them. That's why fantasy games like "World of Warcraft" are so popular. They provide an escape from an otherwise boring existence and connection with others in a story that is bigger than themselves.

There's nothing wrong with enjoying a little bit of fantasy every now and then, but as Christians we don't have to use fiction as an escape from life. As believers, we are part of a story that God has been writing for all of eternity! Our lives have real meaning and are being used to accomplish things much bigger than us! Even the most mundane details of our lives hold new meaning when we consider how God is using us to accomplish His will! God allows us to be active participants in His huge story of redemption! We need to be inviting others who are searching for connection with something bigger than themselves to join us in the biggest and most exciting story of all!