PART ONE
I believe that the number one mistake that Christians make is that their lifestyle is not authentic and their so-called "Christianity" becomes null and void. This is what gives us the reputation that we have to the world.
Judas was one of the twelve disciples. He wasn't just a Christian, he was one of the ultimate Christians. He walked with Jesus physically, watched Jesus' many miracles, and even witnessed His death on a cross. I could only wish to have been there; how deeper their faith must have been to have seen it all happen! But what made Judas different from the other eleven disciples is what he did on that last night he spent with Jesus. I believe that counterfeit Christianity started with Judas Iscariot and his actions to betray Jesus to the chief priests.
Mark 14:10&11 ~ Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.
I think this is when the temptation begins to stir in Judas' mind. The chief priests offer Judas money if he betrays Jesus so that they can arrest Him. Once they "promised to give him money," Judas "sought an opportunity to betray" Jesus.
[SIDE NOTE: Judas betrayed Jesus for money- don't we (Christians) do the same? Anything that we do that involves instinctively choosing to earn money over serving our Lord falls in this category.]
But Judas' example of counterfeit faith doesn't come until verses 17-19, after the temptation had already begun in his heart. ~ And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me." They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, "Is it I?"
At this point, Judas had already plotted in his mind to betray Jesus when he got a chance. He knew that he was going to do it. And so when he's sitting at the table with the rest of the disciples and Jesus tells them that he knows one of them is going to betray him, it seems predictable that he would join in the unbelief of the disciples and try to cover it up this way. Judas conceals his plan to betray Jesus by falsely joining the curiosity and wonder of the other eleven disciples at the table. He obviously didn't want them to know what he was planning on doing. Judas wants them to think he is something that he's not. Isn't that what most of us do? Act a certain way around our Christian friends because we want them to think we're something that we're not?
Judas' actions supporting his counterfeit Christianity continued to grow, and with that came spiritual apathy in his life. This growth is evident more throughout the chapter, as Judas' actions go down hill from here. I urge you to continue reading as I continue to write about this Christian trend that I believe began with Judas all these years ago.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Counterfeit Christianity - DISCLAIMER
DISCLAIMER
Christians have a bad reputation. I'm going to put myself in with this so-called stereotype. They call us hypocrites, corny, out of touch, naive, boring, you name it, they've said it. And maybe you too are reading this and find it all to be a bit hypocritical and fictional. Well, I hope these next few entries clear some confusion up for you and that you understand a little more about what Christians believe and why others have this negative view towards us. I don't care if you agree with me; I'm not going to judge your beliefs. All I ask is that you don't judge mine. In these next few posts I hope to clear up the stereotypes and the reputation that the world puts on Christians.
What you need to know before you start reading is that as a Christian, I know that I am far from perfect, and most Christians would agree with me. The difference is that even though I make mistakes all the time, I believe in a God who forgives me and who forgets my iniquity, all in the same instant. Counterfeit Christianity is a struggle that many Christians battle their entire life and don't even realize it. I honestly believe that what I am about to address is the sole reason that the word CHRISTIAN has the negative connotation that it does.
Please give me a chance and commit to reading the posts that I will upload within the next few days. Christians AND unbelievers will likely gain insight from the words that I believe the Lord has given me.
Christians have a bad reputation. I'm going to put myself in with this so-called stereotype. They call us hypocrites, corny, out of touch, naive, boring, you name it, they've said it. And maybe you too are reading this and find it all to be a bit hypocritical and fictional. Well, I hope these next few entries clear some confusion up for you and that you understand a little more about what Christians believe and why others have this negative view towards us. I don't care if you agree with me; I'm not going to judge your beliefs. All I ask is that you don't judge mine. In these next few posts I hope to clear up the stereotypes and the reputation that the world puts on Christians.
What you need to know before you start reading is that as a Christian, I know that I am far from perfect, and most Christians would agree with me. The difference is that even though I make mistakes all the time, I believe in a God who forgives me and who forgets my iniquity, all in the same instant. Counterfeit Christianity is a struggle that many Christians battle their entire life and don't even realize it. I honestly believe that what I am about to address is the sole reason that the word CHRISTIAN has the negative connotation that it does.
Please give me a chance and commit to reading the posts that I will upload within the next few days. Christians AND unbelievers will likely gain insight from the words that I believe the Lord has given me.
Think about it.
I was driving to work this morning, and I heard an ad on the radio for a Scientology church in DC. Of course they said "we would love to meet you" and "there is a place for you here" like most advertisements for a church would say. The interesting thing about this ad, besides the fact that it was promoting Scientology, was the way they invited people. They introduced themselves by saying "I know you've probably heard about us, but we want you to find out for yourselves," or something like that. The man then proceeded to list off a few times during the week that people can come for a tour and an introduction into what they are all about. He also gave the service times, but said to "come and learn about us" before they attend a service.
When I heard this I thought to myself, "this advertisement is kind-of appealing." If I didn't have Christ in my life, I would probably want to go and check it out. I mean, you'd get a download of their beliefs before you get involved. I almost wish that churches offered an "introduction and tour," kind of like one that you'd get when you visit a college. It would basically be asking people to come and hear the story of what Christ did on the cross for them. People would be coming to find out what God's love is all about. They are getting something that they wouldn't necessarily get if they visited one of the weekly services.
"I know you've probably heard a lot about Christianity, but we want you to find out for yourselves. We won't require you to sit through one of our services, but we'll take you through our beliefs in one short introduction. We just want to get to know you. Come check us out, see what we're all about, and then you decide where to go from there."
This is how we should be with our faith every day. How are you advertising your faith to others? Think about it..
When I heard this I thought to myself, "this advertisement is kind-of appealing." If I didn't have Christ in my life, I would probably want to go and check it out. I mean, you'd get a download of their beliefs before you get involved. I almost wish that churches offered an "introduction and tour," kind of like one that you'd get when you visit a college. It would basically be asking people to come and hear the story of what Christ did on the cross for them. People would be coming to find out what God's love is all about. They are getting something that they wouldn't necessarily get if they visited one of the weekly services.
"I know you've probably heard a lot about Christianity, but we want you to find out for yourselves. We won't require you to sit through one of our services, but we'll take you through our beliefs in one short introduction. We just want to get to know you. Come check us out, see what we're all about, and then you decide where to go from there."
This is how we should be with our faith every day. How are you advertising your faith to others? Think about it..
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Baptism by fire.
I've met a lot of my fellow staff members at RBC this week at work, and they've all told me that I started this position with "baptism by fire". This is because I was only here a few days before I left for the Winter Retreat with the students in the youth group. I guess what they're saying is that as soon as I got here I basically jumped right in and immersed myself into work and into getting to know the kids. What is ironic is that it seems like with everything I do, that is the way it always begins with me. I'm still trying to figure out if that is a good or a bad thing.
I took this weekend to be a way as a time for me to build relationships with most of the senior high girls. I went into the trip knowing four or five names, and came out of it knowing at least 50. I really wanted to focus on at least learning as many names as I could, and I even built some deep relationships along the way. For those of you who think youth ministry is easy or that it's not time consuming, I beg to differ. I just learned the names of about 50 girls, the background story of about 25, and the struggles and inner emotions and thoughts of about 10, and this was all in the span of 3 days. You best believe I was exhausted!
Even though the fatigue caught up with me fairly quickly by the time Sunday and Monday rolled around, I really was extremely encouraged by the girls and the growth that I could see within the group, and also by God Himself speaking and pouring into my life. I managed to find a lot of time to spend with the Lord, even if it meant reading my Bible with the light from my cell phone while everyone else was asleep. He taught me some really thought provoking lessons through those cell phone lit conversations with Him. One of the passages of Scripture that He brought me to during a night-time devotion, was this:
Mark 10:13-16: And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
My question from this is, how do I receive the kingdom of God like a child? This is an answer that the Lord has slowly been revealing to me, and I don't have it completely down yet, but I do know that it has to do with our faith. Children are always so eager to learn, they believe things easily, and they have an imagination. Children don't need facts or proof. They don't need you or me to like them or to accept them, and they don't put concepts in a box and simply leave them there. They don't worry about what other people are going to say or how they are going to be treated if they make a certain decision. Children have a mind of their own.. and a world of their own at that!
So everyday I am reminded of how Jesus says that whoever does NOT receive the kingdom of God like a child will not be able to enter it. Right now my daily prayer is for the Lord to show me how to receive the kingdom of God like a child and approach his throne with a childlike faith and humility. I trust that He will continue to show me what this looks like and that I too, may receive His kingdom without hindrance.
I took this weekend to be a way as a time for me to build relationships with most of the senior high girls. I went into the trip knowing four or five names, and came out of it knowing at least 50. I really wanted to focus on at least learning as many names as I could, and I even built some deep relationships along the way. For those of you who think youth ministry is easy or that it's not time consuming, I beg to differ. I just learned the names of about 50 girls, the background story of about 25, and the struggles and inner emotions and thoughts of about 10, and this was all in the span of 3 days. You best believe I was exhausted!
Even though the fatigue caught up with me fairly quickly by the time Sunday and Monday rolled around, I really was extremely encouraged by the girls and the growth that I could see within the group, and also by God Himself speaking and pouring into my life. I managed to find a lot of time to spend with the Lord, even if it meant reading my Bible with the light from my cell phone while everyone else was asleep. He taught me some really thought provoking lessons through those cell phone lit conversations with Him. One of the passages of Scripture that He brought me to during a night-time devotion, was this:
Mark 10:13-16: And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
My question from this is, how do I receive the kingdom of God like a child? This is an answer that the Lord has slowly been revealing to me, and I don't have it completely down yet, but I do know that it has to do with our faith. Children are always so eager to learn, they believe things easily, and they have an imagination. Children don't need facts or proof. They don't need you or me to like them or to accept them, and they don't put concepts in a box and simply leave them there. They don't worry about what other people are going to say or how they are going to be treated if they make a certain decision. Children have a mind of their own.. and a world of their own at that!
So everyday I am reminded of how Jesus says that whoever does NOT receive the kingdom of God like a child will not be able to enter it. Right now my daily prayer is for the Lord to show me how to receive the kingdom of God like a child and approach his throne with a childlike faith and humility. I trust that He will continue to show me what this looks like and that I too, may receive His kingdom without hindrance.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Getting good at this winter thing..
This weekend I went on a youth retreat with the teens at RBC. It was my first big event with the youth group and my first time meeting many of the kids. The weekend was definitely encouraging for me. The youth here have been very welcoming to me as the Youth Associate so far, and it hasn't been very hard to connect with girls as of yet. Most of the ones I spent time with have been very open and willing to chat. It's been a lot of fun so far. It's hard to believe that I've been here for a week already!
I am also pleased to say that I made it down Elk mountain multiple times on a snowboard and my body is all intact! No broken bones for me. I'm getting good at this winter thing.
One thing that really summed up my weekend, was the fact that when I got home from the retreat yesterday, Tommy had sent me flowers that were waiting here for me. Since we couldn't spend Valentines day together, it was definitely a special gesture. It was really sweet, mostly because I wasn't expecting it, and because they are absolutely gorgeous AND my favorite flower: TULIPS! He did good, and I hope he knows it. I'm so lucky to have him.
I am also pleased to say that I made it down Elk mountain multiple times on a snowboard and my body is all intact! No broken bones for me. I'm getting good at this winter thing.
One thing that really summed up my weekend, was the fact that when I got home from the retreat yesterday, Tommy had sent me flowers that were waiting here for me. Since we couldn't spend Valentines day together, it was definitely a special gesture. It was really sweet, mostly because I wasn't expecting it, and because they are absolutely gorgeous AND my favorite flower: TULIPS! He did good, and I hope he knows it. I'm so lucky to have him.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The white out & a snow bank
So, I guess you should probably know that I made it up to Northern VA safe and sound. I got here late afternoon on Monday and worked for a few hours in the office. My drive up here wasn't too bad, although I did hit a lot of ice as soon as I got up to Fairfax County! The drive was a little emotional however, because every time I've taken the drive up to NoVa I've done it knowing I was going to return home eventually. This time I knew it was for good, and that was a little scary to face for about an hour of the drive. The Lord calmed me down though, and luckily I made it to the office safe and sound, despite the little bit of sliding I did on the icy roads.. yuck! I think what made the drive worse was that I had my car packed to the brim with my life, and stuff kept falling on me and obstructing my vision as it moved around.
Yesterday was my first full day in the office and I have to admit, I really enjoyed it. It is so nice to be a part of a team again, all assembling together and working to complete one task. I am honestly very excited to begin this new ministry with the rest of the Reston Bible youth team. Meeting with the 5 other youth staff members in the morning for our planning meeting was where I realized that maybe I can do this. I mean, obviously I can, because I'm here and I'm doing it, but sometimes its hard for me to actually believe that I am ready. But I know I am, the Lord keeps revealing that to me, I just need to accept the encouragement already!
Obviously the blizzard here has not ceased, and we're all snowed in yet again today. It's about 2pm and the snow is still going strong! A lot different than what I'm used to, that's for sure. I'm definitely not a fan. Yesterday I had quite an adventure on my way to work in the morning.. to say the least. I was about halfway there and my car lost traction on the 2-inch ice they call road, and my car spun around into a snow bank! Don't worry, my car is okay, and I am too. Luckily there were 3 trucks behind me, all with men in them, who happened to have shovels. They immediately helped me get my car out and on to work. Needless to say, I may have been okay, but boy was I embarrassed! I could have died. The Lord sure had my back.
The snow started pouring out of the sky starting at around 4:30 yesterday while I was in the office, and by the time I left around 6pm the roads already had about an inch, especially since they weren't completely plowed to begin with! On the way home I didn't wreck again, fortunately, but I did get stuck at one point. My car just wouldn't make it up one of the hills on a side street. I kind of had a minor freak out session, where I completely broke down crying and asking God what am I supposed to do?! I don't know anyone here that I could call and get me out! But God shushed me up real quick and I just stopped, thought about it for a minute, backed my car down the hill, and tried again. And guess what... it worked! I was free, and I made it home safe!!! Now, I looked outside this morning & wondered where my car went. Then I realized that the snow whited it out.
Yesterday was my first full day in the office and I have to admit, I really enjoyed it. It is so nice to be a part of a team again, all assembling together and working to complete one task. I am honestly very excited to begin this new ministry with the rest of the Reston Bible youth team. Meeting with the 5 other youth staff members in the morning for our planning meeting was where I realized that maybe I can do this. I mean, obviously I can, because I'm here and I'm doing it, but sometimes its hard for me to actually believe that I am ready. But I know I am, the Lord keeps revealing that to me, I just need to accept the encouragement already!
Obviously the blizzard here has not ceased, and we're all snowed in yet again today. It's about 2pm and the snow is still going strong! A lot different than what I'm used to, that's for sure. I'm definitely not a fan. Yesterday I had quite an adventure on my way to work in the morning.. to say the least. I was about halfway there and my car lost traction on the 2-inch ice they call road, and my car spun around into a snow bank! Don't worry, my car is okay, and I am too. Luckily there were 3 trucks behind me, all with men in them, who happened to have shovels. They immediately helped me get my car out and on to work. Needless to say, I may have been okay, but boy was I embarrassed! I could have died. The Lord sure had my back.
The snow started pouring out of the sky starting at around 4:30 yesterday while I was in the office, and by the time I left around 6pm the roads already had about an inch, especially since they weren't completely plowed to begin with! On the way home I didn't wreck again, fortunately, but I did get stuck at one point. My car just wouldn't make it up one of the hills on a side street. I kind of had a minor freak out session, where I completely broke down crying and asking God what am I supposed to do?! I don't know anyone here that I could call and get me out! But God shushed me up real quick and I just stopped, thought about it for a minute, backed my car down the hill, and tried again. And guess what... it worked! I was free, and I made it home safe!!! Now, I looked outside this morning & wondered where my car went. Then I realized that the snow whited it out.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Thankful
How often do you stop and reminisce on all that God has done for you? I must say, I do not stop and reflect on the entirety of God's grace and mercy for me very often. I acknowledge it and leave it in the back of my mind very frequently, but rarely do I pull it out and ponder it. After reading Leviticus 26:11-13 today, I have this sudden urge to do so.
In this passage the Lord is making known his presence among the people. He is convicting them to remember all that He has done for them. He says: I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. According to dictionary.com the word abhor means: to regard with extreme repugnance or aversion; detest utterly; loathe; abominate. So reading this verse again we can conclude that the Lord lives among His people and His soul does not detest or loathe His people. Well that is good. I definitely do not wish to be loathed or detested by my God! The next verse says: And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. That means He experiences day to day life with His people because He is our God. That is His pleasure. It reminds me of how I am His and He is mine. In the rest of the passage God reminds the people of why He is their God--what all He has done for them and brought them through.
So what has the Lord done for me? What has He brought me through? I believe that this is the greatest testimony of any Christian. Telling of how the Lord has been there personally for me and the proof that I have in my life that He is my Lord. And don't think that you don't have any amazing stories of what the Lord has done in your life. Even before I was a believer and understood what Jesus did for my sins, I can look back and see that God had His protection on my life and that He led me through many great trials. So think back, hard and deep. What has He done for you in the past? What has He done for you this week? I am going to dedicate the remainder of this post to thanking the Lord for what He has done for me just this week.
In this passage the Lord is making known his presence among the people. He is convicting them to remember all that He has done for them. He says: I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. According to dictionary.com the word abhor means: to regard with extreme repugnance or aversion; detest utterly; loathe; abominate. So reading this verse again we can conclude that the Lord lives among His people and His soul does not detest or loathe His people. Well that is good. I definitely do not wish to be loathed or detested by my God! The next verse says: And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. That means He experiences day to day life with His people because He is our God. That is His pleasure. It reminds me of how I am His and He is mine. In the rest of the passage God reminds the people of why He is their God--what all He has done for them and brought them through.
So what has the Lord done for me? What has He brought me through? I believe that this is the greatest testimony of any Christian. Telling of how the Lord has been there personally for me and the proof that I have in my life that He is my Lord. And don't think that you don't have any amazing stories of what the Lord has done in your life. Even before I was a believer and understood what Jesus did for my sins, I can look back and see that God had His protection on my life and that He led me through many great trials. So think back, hard and deep. What has He done for you in the past? What has He done for you this week? I am going to dedicate the remainder of this post to thanking the Lord for what He has done for me just this week.
- I thank the Lord for the snow, for the beautiful white blanquet around me, reminding me at every moment of His grace and love, and how He washes me clean of my sins, making me white as snow.
- I thank that Lord for an amazing boyfriend, one who pushes me, respects me, and loves me through his actions.
- I thank the Lord for an exciting new job opportunity working with what seems to be a wonderful church, doing what I love and feel led by Him to do.
- I thank the Lord for my sweet and kind roommates, who inspire me daily and who I will miss living life with.
- I thank the Lord for my parents, for their encouragement and support through growing up from a college student, to finally starting my career in a ministry they don't understand. I thank Him for their love for me through it all.
- I also thank the Lord for giving me an entire week without work. It is such a blessing to not have to work while I'm trying to pack up my life into boxes this week. I thank Him for the time to get it all done.
The Preface
Last night someone asked me if I ever considered writing as a part of my ministry. My reply to her is what brought me to start this second blog. My friends and I always talk about writing down all of the many crazy stories that make up our life, but procrastination is what always kicks in at this time of life.
I'm a recent college graduate, and am moving up state this weekend to begin my first full-time ministry opportunity, what most graduates would call "a real job." While I do understand and respect the fact that even retail or food service jobs that are full-time should be considered a real job, my definition of this term is mainly based on the achievement of working a job that does more than pay the bills. A job where you thrive, a job that helps you live and breathe. I am hoping that starting this new beginning in my life will cause my heart to beat a little faster. I just want to be used by God.
What I am meaning to do by telling you all of this is to explain what I mean by "this time of life." Mentioning that I am a recent college graduate and that I am beginning a new and first "real job" next week, is implying that I am still young. In fact, I am 23, thus I am still learning how to grow up. So as a preface to the rest of my ramblings included in "A Stranger Parable," I would like you to know that I am learning not to delay this period of much needed "growing up," but that I also wish to remain true to my name, Jillian, which means "youthful" in Italian.
I do hope that you enjoy the various stories that will encompass this parable of my life. All I ask of you is that you not judge me because of "A Stranger Parable", but rather let the stories of my young, crazy life inspire and enhance yours. I can only expect that my ramblings will resemble faith, growth, and laughter as I embark on a young journey leading to new beginnings. May God be with you. :]
I'm a recent college graduate, and am moving up state this weekend to begin my first full-time ministry opportunity, what most graduates would call "a real job." While I do understand and respect the fact that even retail or food service jobs that are full-time should be considered a real job, my definition of this term is mainly based on the achievement of working a job that does more than pay the bills. A job where you thrive, a job that helps you live and breathe. I am hoping that starting this new beginning in my life will cause my heart to beat a little faster. I just want to be used by God.
What I am meaning to do by telling you all of this is to explain what I mean by "this time of life." Mentioning that I am a recent college graduate and that I am beginning a new and first "real job" next week, is implying that I am still young. In fact, I am 23, thus I am still learning how to grow up. So as a preface to the rest of my ramblings included in "A Stranger Parable," I would like you to know that I am learning not to delay this period of much needed "growing up," but that I also wish to remain true to my name, Jillian, which means "youthful" in Italian.
I do hope that you enjoy the various stories that will encompass this parable of my life. All I ask of you is that you not judge me because of "A Stranger Parable", but rather let the stories of my young, crazy life inspire and enhance yours. I can only expect that my ramblings will resemble faith, growth, and laughter as I embark on a young journey leading to new beginnings. May God be with you. :]
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