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".

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.

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!

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!

I've been following an old Bible school friend on Facebook with great interest. Since our Bible school days, he's changed his belief system quite a bit and now calls himself an "agnostic". I put that in quotes because an agnostic is someone who says that they don't really know what they believe, whereas this friend of mine is starting to turn into more of an atheist. It seems like every day He has a new quote on His wall about why believing in God is misguided and foolish.

The other day, I responded to one of his posts with a couple of reasons why I believe in God. I was hoping to be able to open a dialogue, but instead I received what I think was intended as an intellectual beat down. Some other folks who agree with my "agnostic" friend jumped on me my response like moths to a flame. They were bringing up a host of objections to my belief, including quotes by Carl Sagan and references to Quantum Physics. It seemed like they were trying to drown me in a sea of knowledge and show me that my flimsy belief would not float. Basically they were saying, "we are smarter than you and we don't believe in God, so neither should you."

Now, I do not argue with the fact that these guys have a lot of brains. I myself don't do much armchair reading on Quantum Theory. But simply being smart doesn't mean that you can write off the idea of an almighty God, because part of being truly smart means having the wisdom to admit that there are things you don't know.

I'm going to be really generous and say that the guys who tried to out think me on Facebook are so sharp that they posses 1% of all the knowledge available in the universe. I mean everything, all details of history, the number of stars that exist, every scientific discovery ever made...all of it. And these guys know 1% of that (in theory). That would be pretty amazing! I would not want to go toe to toe with someone like that in any kind of debate. Think of the knowledge that would flow from a person like that! But guess what, there is still another 99% to learn!

In all reality, probably the smartest person on the planet only knows .000000000000000001% of all the available knowledge in the universe. There is simply too much for one person or even a whole group of people to know! If that is the case, how can anyone say for sure that God does not exist! Isn't it possible that in the 99.99999% of knowledge that we don't know, there is room for a God who has a plan and purpose that we might not understand completely? How arrogant would you have to be to say that you have obtained all the knowledge in the universe and are 100% sure that there is no room for a creator?

I'm not saying that I can prove God's existence, because I don't think that is possible either. After all, the tiny fraction of knowledge I possess is not enough to even begin that undertaking. But I can at least admit that there are many things we don't understand as limited human beings. And if God does exist and is truly almighty, He is under no obligation to explain Himself to us. He is so far above our understanding that our finite human minds cannot even comprehend Him. So is it really "smart" and "intellectual" to deny the existence of God? Judge for yourself.

It still totally blows my mind that the Lord has placed me where I am today! He has me preaching and teaching in front of public groups, counseling teens and adults, and doing things that were way outside my comfort zone only a few years ago! What an amazing testimony to what God can do with someone who wants to be totally submitted to Him!

Now I'm certainly not saying that I am a perfect example because i am sooooooooooooo far from perfect (as any of my close friends or family can certainly attest!). And I'm also not saying I have arrived at my spiritual destination because I quite frequently stop and/or take steps backwards! But the point is that God has made progress in me, and it is all His doing, not my own!

God has brought me to the place where I have a real love for people rather than a desire to run from them. He has given me a burden for the lost so that I seek out witnessing opportunities instead of dodging them. He has made me want to reach outside my comfort zone and be challenged. These are not things that were originally written into my emotional or psychological DNA. But as I have tried to surrender myself to the Lord, He has been working on me.

I love the verse in 2 Corinthians 4:7 that says: "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us". That's what we all are, jars of clay. Chipped pottery. Cracked pots if you will. We don't have much to offer on our own, but when God gets His hands on us, He fills us with some pretty amazing stuff! When we submit to Him, we get to watch as He pours out His glory through us. That's how a shy guy like me can actually be used by God in the lives of others! It's not me that does anything special, but God through me!

I hope you desire this for your own life. It doesn't matter what your weaknesses or failures are, if you submit to God and let Him use you, you will be amazed at what happens! One day you will wake up and think "How in the world did I get here!" and the answer will be, "God brought me!".

Here is a link to a great song that explores this topic. It's a pretty powerful concept that God wants to use us to share His glory with the world! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxaR2sR9dD0

There was also an article about Ardi in the Sun Journal yesterday, on the back page.

Some scientists have now called all the hype around this discovery "overblown". Further investigation of the fossil evidence has led some to doubt that Ardi could even be related to the human species. Funny how so called solid evidence for evolution can sometimes turn out to be so flimsy. I love how time and investigation always seem to back up what God has already told us. I think I'll keep my faith right where it is, on something solid and unchanging.