Light of the World

Well my life has changed significantly since my last post.  Allow me to explain, I have been living my life for God and striving every day to become more Christ-like.  I am sorry if talking candidly about Jesus is uncomfortable for anyone reading this, but then again this is likely only going to be read by my mom and sisters, so right on.  Anywho, I have been living 'sold-out' for the Lord (as it is often coined in the contemporary Christian community) and my life is absolutely fantastic.  I have been devouring a bunch of books on Christianity (and of course the Bible), or perhaps more accurately, devouring books based on God and the revolutionary love that Jesus Christ brought to this planet.  You see, the word 'Christianity' has become a word very often associated with hypocrisy and corruption, and its implications are very far from the message of God.  It can be difficult to come to know the real living God if your perspective of Christianity is tainted, as it almost invariably is, because of all the banners of hatred and intolerance that people fly under a facade of Christianity.  Suffice it to say, such intolerance and narrow-mindedness is not of God, but is very much of man, don't let those who profess Christianity but peddle archaic prejudices deter you from having a relationship with your Creator, because He loves you and wants to have a relationship with you.  I implore anyone on the fence of accepting Jesus Christ to read the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and to absorb very carefully what Jesus Christ had to say in his short time on earth, and ask yourself if his ideals and truths are being acted out and practiced by the 'Christians' you know today.  If your answer is upsetting, don't worry, there are genuine followers of Christ's teaching and message, but there are certainly a lot of fortune cookie Christians as well.  Fortune cookie Christians are people who believe in God, and think that is enough, people who think that walking as Jesus did and having a personal relationship with Him is not necessary in order to be a Christian.  Such a belief is moot, it says in the Bible that the "demons also believe, and shudder."  Satan, too, believes in God. Belief is not enough, the terrorists who flew planes into the World Trade Center towers believed ardently that they were doing the work of their God.  Their belief that what they were doing was just led them to take their own life and the lives of others.  Belief is truly a frightening thing, what do you believe? In whom do you put your trust?  Is there a cause you are willing to die for? Who is your master?  

These are trying times, it could be argued that we are living in the darkest of times that mankind has seen.  There are many who believe that the end of days is approaching and will be seen maybe even in our lifetime.  I have no clue whether or not the end of time is encroaching, i only know that we are alive in a time in which the world is falling, not yet fallen, but falling.  There is a multitude of immorality that insidiously seeps into our American culture, we are idolatrous, spoiled, prideful, lustful, greedy, selfish, and ultimately ignorant.  I am speaking of course collectively, and certainly not every individual falls into this morbid categorization, but if a chronicle of our culture was to be examined four hundred years from now, I believe these characteristics would abound.  However, I also believe that God is the light of the world, that the church has the lofty responsibility of bringing that light into the darkest of times, that believers and followers of Christ have the responsibility of being valiant, courageous and bold in sharing their faith, in being true followers and disciples of Christ.