Relationships or Bust!!
I received an email today from a loved one,with good intentions of course, but I really feel there is a twisted message included in the email... I'm getting ahead of my self... Here's the email message first, then we will discuss...
So this is the email I received. Although I believe the intent is good I think there are several messages in here that are twisted... First of all,
"I would rather live my life as if there is a God, and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't, and die to find out there is."
The world is full of "good" people. Living a "good" life is not the answer. To me this statement sounds like you live your life as a "just in case". I'll go to church, I'll take communion, I'll sing in church, or even say prayers, Just in case there is a God, I've covered my bases and I'll be ok. WRONG!!!!
Matthew 7: 15-23
15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Ephesians 2:8-10
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
We see in these verses that we are not saved by our actions. No amount of "living as if there were a God" can save you. Only by Faith can this be done... The works or actions come from, as we see in vs. 10, what God has planned for our lives and by living in His will we produce works and fruit.
How do you have this "relationship"? How do I know Jesus? We have an easy to remember method at our church, that is not too dissimilar from the "8 second prayer" above...
S Sorry... Lord I know I am a sinner and that my sin keeps me away from you. I am sorry for what I have done. Please forgive me. T Thank you... Thank you for sending Jesus to pay the price for my sins on the cross. P Please come into my life and make me new and whole.
Pretty simple... S.T.P.
The second thing that bothers me about this email is the very end...
"Pass this message to 8 people (EXCEPT YOU AND ME). You may receive a miracle tomorrow. I hope that you don't ! ignore and let God bless you."
It is good to share the message of Christ... Do not mistake me on that. The thing that bothers me is the implication... "Pass this to 8 people and maybe receive a miracle..." Miracles happen everyday in many places on large and small scales. Being saved by Grace is a wonderful miracle which the prayer mentioned in the email could accomplish if prayed with a genuine heart, so by praying that prayer one has already received a miracle before passing the email along... How many people would pass this on simply because they want or need a miracle? Miracles comefrom God, again NOT from our actions. We pray and ask for miracles, but His will for our lives determines our blessings and miracles. I count waking up each morning a miracle. Why is it that our society has gotten away from talking to people? I am guilty of this myself as I write this blog...
Think about it... It is so easy to forward an email or pass a tape or CD, or anything else than to sit down with someone you know and simply tell them about Jesus and how your own life has changed from knowing Him...
I want to reiterate that I believe the intentions of this email were good, probably all the way back to whomever created it. I certainly know that the family member that sent it to me had good intentions, and copied it to 9 people... fantastic, great... Don't you think it would be better to call these people and say something like, "Hey ______, I've been thinking about you lately... why don't we go get some coffee or something?" Then sit down with them and talk. Isn't this what our heavenly Father wants from us? Or does he want us to be so involved in "Church activities" that we have no time for relationships. "I'm in choir, I teach Sunday school, I'm on the drama team, I'm in the Orchestra, I have practice on Monday Nights, I keep kids in Day care... I don't have time to sit with you Jesus and talk about what's going on in my life... I'll call you when I need something..." What's wrong with that picture? I think the best example of how our relationships with people should be is Jesus. Go figure.
He was all about relationship in the Bible... He wanted to talk to people, hug them, love them, touch them to their soul... The books and letters of the Bible were not written by Jesus... These books recorded what Jesus said to PEOPLE... 
The letters of Paul are invaluable to us, but I can't help but thinking that Jesus would have gone to see these people and tell them things face to face... I don't mean to babble on and on. I know it was 1 email laced with good intentions...
I will say this to those of you reading this... I have been thinking about you lately, wether(sp. -1) I know your name or not, and I'd love to get together for some coffee or something and talk about what's going on in your life and how mine has been changed...
-Patrick
I would rather live my life as if there is a God, and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't, and die to find out there is.
You are my 8 in 8 seconds. I am not breaking this. No way! I'M TOLD THIS WORKS!!!!! Bishop T.D. Jakes "8 Second Prayer." Just repeat this prayer and see how God moves!! "Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen."
Pass this message to 8 people (EXCEPT YOU AND ME). You may receive a miracle tomorrow. I hope that you don't ! ignore and let God bless you.
So this is the email I received. Although I believe the intent is good I think there are several messages in here that are twisted... First of all,
"I would rather live my life as if there is a God, and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't, and die to find out there is."
The world is full of "good" people. Living a "good" life is not the answer. To me this statement sounds like you live your life as a "just in case". I'll go to church, I'll take communion, I'll sing in church, or even say prayers, Just in case there is a God, I've covered my bases and I'll be ok. WRONG!!!!
Matthew 7: 15-23
15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
Here we see in vs 16 that people will be recognized by their fruit... What does that mean? It is the effects of that persons life on others coming to Christ because they have a personal relationship with Him and are living their daily lives in His will, but we are then cautioned in 21-23 that there will be those who do things in Jesus name, miraculous things even, but they truly do not know God... I feel that this statement to "just in case" live your life as if there were a God is wrong for this reason, but not just this one. You could live your life doing things in Jesus' name, and still be completely lost and in trouble.Ephesians 2:8-10
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
We see in these verses that we are not saved by our actions. No amount of "living as if there were a God" can save you. Only by Faith can this be done... The works or actions come from, as we see in vs. 10, what God has planned for our lives and by living in His will we produce works and fruit.
How do you have this "relationship"? How do I know Jesus? We have an easy to remember method at our church, that is not too dissimilar from the "8 second prayer" above...
S Sorry... Lord I know I am a sinner and that my sin keeps me away from you. I am sorry for what I have done. Please forgive me. T Thank you... Thank you for sending Jesus to pay the price for my sins on the cross. P Please come into my life and make me new and whole.Pretty simple... S.T.P.
The second thing that bothers me about this email is the very end...
"Pass this message to 8 people (EXCEPT YOU AND ME). You may receive a miracle tomorrow. I hope that you don't ! ignore and let God bless you."
It is good to share the message of Christ... Do not mistake me on that. The thing that bothers me is the implication... "Pass this to 8 people and maybe receive a miracle..." Miracles happen everyday in many places on large and small scales. Being saved by Grace is a wonderful miracle which the prayer mentioned in the email could accomplish if prayed with a genuine heart, so by praying that prayer one has already received a miracle before passing the email along... How many people would pass this on simply because they want or need a miracle? Miracles comefrom God, again NOT from our actions. We pray and ask for miracles, but His will for our lives determines our blessings and miracles. I count waking up each morning a miracle. Why is it that our society has gotten away from talking to people? I am guilty of this myself as I write this blog...
Think about it... It is so easy to forward an email or pass a tape or CD, or anything else than to sit down with someone you know and simply tell them about Jesus and how your own life has changed from knowing Him...
I want to reiterate that I believe the intentions of this email were good, probably all the way back to whomever created it. I certainly know that the family member that sent it to me had good intentions, and copied it to 9 people... fantastic, great... Don't you think it would be better to call these people and say something like, "Hey ______, I've been thinking about you lately... why don't we go get some coffee or something?" Then sit down with them and talk. Isn't this what our heavenly Father wants from us? Or does he want us to be so involved in "Church activities" that we have no time for relationships. "I'm in choir, I teach Sunday school, I'm on the drama team, I'm in the Orchestra, I have practice on Monday Nights, I keep kids in Day care... I don't have time to sit with you Jesus and talk about what's going on in my life... I'll call you when I need something..." What's wrong with that picture? I think the best example of how our relationships with people should be is Jesus. Go figure.
He was all about relationship in the Bible... He wanted to talk to people, hug them, love them, touch them to their soul... The books and letters of the Bible were not written by Jesus... These books recorded what Jesus said to PEOPLE... 
The letters of Paul are invaluable to us, but I can't help but thinking that Jesus would have gone to see these people and tell them things face to face... I don't mean to babble on and on. I know it was 1 email laced with good intentions...I will say this to those of you reading this... I have been thinking about you lately, wether(sp. -1) I know your name or not, and I'd love to get together for some coffee or something and talk about what's going on in your life and how mine has been changed...
-Patrick
posted by Patrick J. Mehaffey at 1:37 PM
2 Comments:
Sounds like Ed Buggs at the end of his radio show every day. He says, "If you're living your life as if there ain't no God... you'd better be right." There's actually a name for that, you know? It's called Pascal's Wager. Isn't that funny? I think Pascal was the first to come up with that idea... or at least the first to say it out loud.
good point, Patrick...when hubby and i come into town in the spring of 2006 we'll count on having coffee with you and your wife. ;-)
oh and jason.....stop hovering around everyone elses blogs and change yours!!! come ON!! we miss your witty intellect, haha! give us all something to debate! you're elevating our expectations here...you're really gonna have to post something good...
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