Why is it that only people in the desert who are spaced out on some sort of hallucinogenic drug have ever seen a UFO (unidentified flying object) or have been abducted by aliens? You would think that as long as aliens have been secretly observing us that they would eventually stop and talk to someone normal. Maybe that is the problem . . . . . they can't find one (Ha Ha!). I don't believe in green men with big eyes exploring our planet or planning a hostile takeover, but I have seen aliens before. They are called Christians. 1 Peter 2:11-12 says that, "You are foreigners and aliens here. So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls. Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God when he comes to judge the world." If you are a Christian, you should not act like someone who is not one. It is perfectly acceptable to share common interests, foods, sports teams, etc. with unbelievers. That is not what I am talking about. I am talking about how we live our lives and what our goals are. Do we strive to achieve the work that Jesus has charged us to do, which is share His love and His incredible story with the world or is it all about us? Before you nod your head in agreement, do your actions back that up? Look, there is nothing wrong with having nice things, a good job, a big house, big bank account, or expensive car. If God has blessed you with any of those things, thank God for them everyday and enjoy them. If those things take priority over God's priorities and you are not giving God what He calls for and deserves, then that is where things gets out of whack. Peter warns us not to get to comfortable in this world. We need to have a "tent mentality" without actually leaving in a tent. A tent is temporary. Its intent is not to stay in one location for an extended period of time. That should be our mindset as believers in this world. We are way too comfortable with our corrupt condition. We need to understand that in the grand scheme of things, our life is very short. Everything that we accumulate throughout our life will belong to someone else when we die. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be successful or having a good career that provides for your family, but don't let material possessions or a thirst for power overcome your desire to see God make a difference in people's lives. It is easy to fall into that trap. We have a LIFE GIVING message that our world desperately needs to hear. We have hope and joy in Jesus Christ despite the circumstances that we are going through. Why do we not want to share this with others? The answer is that we are afraid of rejection and what people might think of us. Who's opinion matters more, the person at work or God? People rejected Jesus. They thought He was weird, but they were drawn to Him because they saw something in Him that they didn't see in their own lives. People should see a difference in our lives. If they do not, it might mean that we have too much of the world in us and it is time to re-prioritize. Live like an alien and share LIFE with those in your circle of influence. If people start to look at you differently it might be because your starting to look more like Jesus than you ever have before. 
I have a question? Can we be real with each other? We live in this fast-paced, crazy world and it seems like all we do is try to get to the next destination with no concern for anything else. We never slow down or stop to see what is going on around us. We never take time to appreciate anything. Unfortunately, that attitude has worked its way into our churches. We want to get in and get out. We want to go through the spiritual drive-thru and order a watered-down version of God's Word and hold the spiritual conviction. The guy who died for our sins deserves that kind of awesome worship, right? (Please tell me that my sarcasm can be detected.) People enter our churches hurting and in pain and we blow by them because we are so busy and self-absorbed. We like to say, "Hello, how are you?" and get a "Good. What about you?" in return. We don't want to know the truth about what is going on. That might be inconvenient for us. Putting someone else's needs first has become a foreign concept. The truth is that behind the smiles and outward appearances are hurting people. We want everyone to think everything is good. We would look weak or burdensome if we really were just honest with each other. So, we put on our mask, enter the worship service, and act like everything is great. However, behind all that marriages are in trouble. Teenagers are causing major problems for their parents. A spouse finds out that they have cancer or has lost their job. They don't know what is going to happen next and they just want someone to care. We cover it all up because someone might not think we are spiritual enough if we ask for help. Is that what a church is supposed to look like? Read the following passage from Acts 2:42-47: They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers. Everyone around was in awe - all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met. They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved. The "they" in this passage was the first church. A lot of new, exciting things were happening during this time period, but they genuinely cared for one another. They were concerned with the needs of their brothers and sisters in Christ, not their own. They spent time with each other, ate together, and got to know one another. The meaning of the word authentic is "not false or copied; genuine, real." We've all been done wrong in some way, especially in the church. We can get bitter and resentful because of that. What happens to me is that every time I hear about how Jesus died for me, it refreshes my thinking about the purity of God's love and the relationship He wants to have with us. The pure, authentic relationship that I have with Jesus Christ is the same relationship I should have with others in the faith. It's hard enough to make it in this world and God doesn't want us to do it alone. There are plenty of things and people who are fake in this world and the church should not fit into that category. So, let's be real with each other. We need to share our hopes, dreams, struggles, failures, and successes. We need to pray for each other. Start small and get to know one person and let it grow from there. The love and excitement that the first church had is something that can happen again. People all around will be drawn to it because it is something that we don't see very often. . . . Something real. 
In the 2011 NFL football season, Tim Tebow was all anyone could talk about. His unorthodox style of play from the quarterback position coupled with his fourth quarter comebacks made him one of the most popular people on the planet. The picture of him on one knee praying also became very popular. "Tebowing" was imitated by athletes in all sports, celebrities, and everyday people. People would take to Facebook and Twitter taking pictures of themselves "Tebowing". More recently people took to the Internet and social media taking pictures of themselves "Te'oing" after the Manti Te'o story was reported. That consists of taking a picture of yourself with an imaginary person (hilarious). In America, we love jumping onto the latest fad and riding it until the newness and fun wear off. Jesus made a statement in his time that people have used as a fad ever since. It is not a new fad. However, it is one that people like to associate with for a while and then toss to the side when it gets old or too tough for them. In Matthew 16:24 (also in Mark 8 and Luke 9), Jesus said "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." What does that mean? This is going to be very difficult for most people in today's society to understand. What I am about to say may be shocking. It is "breaking news" type stuff. Are you ready for this? Okay, here goes. . . . . . . .It is NOT about you and it is NOT about me. When we give our hearts to Jesus, we follow Him and put aside selfish ambition. We understand that the Christian walk is not an easy one. We understand that we will suffer for Christ at times. We understand that we will go through things that are painful to make us more like Christ and less like ourselves. We slide over into the passenger side of the car and let Jesus drive. We surrender to Him. When you lose a war knowing that complete destruction is coming if you do not, you do not partially surrender. You don't surrender for a while. You surrender completely. The problem is that we like saying that we follow Christ, but we put our cross down when it gets to heavy or when carrying it starts to hurt or inconvenience us. It is not easy to deny yourself. It is not easy to put others needs above your own. We don't mind Jesus being our savior. That's easy. It is the fact that we must accept Him as Lord that we struggle with. I like being in control of things just as much as anyone else. The problem is, I mess things up when I am in the driver's seat. I must realize some things about myself everyday that are difficult: I do not have everything figured out. I think more highly of myself than I should. I'm selfish. I am not as good a husband as I should be. I make things that really aren't that important as priorities. I have a biased opinion of myself. Wow! That was tough and just starts
to scratch the surface of my faults! I obviously have some things to work on. Does anyone else need to be more focused on Jesus like I do? The Christian walk is not easy. Anyone who tells you that is a LIAR. Following Christ is not a fad. It is a lifestyle. Have the courage to see yourself as you really are. . . . . flawed. Don't be a part of the "Jesusing" fad that is so popular in American religion. Take up your cross and allow Jesus to lead the way.
Like many American families, our family loves to go to the
beach. My wife enjoys the pool more, but my kids and I love the ocean. The
ocean is very powerful and can be dangerous at times. When we go out into the
ocean, I try to keep everyone lined up with where our towels, beach chairs,
flip flops, etc. are located on the beach. What happens is that as we are
swimming and playing in the ocean, the current starts to pull us away from our
entry point into the ocean. I will periodically look back toward the beach and
get everyone moved back to where are things are located. It does not take long
to get pulled down the beach. Trying to move against the current is tough. The
power of the ocean current is trying to move you in a direction that you do not
want to go. It takes a great deal of effort to swim against the current. It is
the same way when trying to swim or wade upstream in a river. It is almost
impossible. The same can be said about our walk with God. The world, in which
we live, pulls us away from the life that God would intend us to live. Jesus
had a different way of describing this situation in Matthew 7:13-14 when he
said, "Enter through the narrow
gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road
that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and
narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” What does that
mean? Well, if you call yourself a follower of Jesus Christ and can go through
life with minimal resistance, then you are not swimming against the current.
You are rolling right along with it and you might not be where you think you
are spiritually. That road leads to destruction. Too many of those in the
church have chosen the path of least resistance. It is easier to “go with the
flow.” Not only do we have to worry about the world pulling us in the wrong
direction, but our own flesh pulls us in the wrong direction. Paul described
this in 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 when he said, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do
it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will
last forever. Therefore I do not run
like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to
others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. It is not enough for us just to acknowledge or
recognize the sin in our lives. WE MUST OF REPENT OUR SINS DAILY. We will never master our flesh on this side
of eternity, so we must fight against our sinful desires. This happens through
a closer, more intimate walk with Jesus. It happens through reading His Word
and recognizing and praying for help in conquering areas of our lives that we
struggle with. God gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us in this. I want to put everyone at ease. . . . .We all
struggle. The awesome thing is that grace and mercy abound in our Lord and
Savior. I am not giving free gift certificates to sin. I am simply stated that
ALL of us are on a spiritual journey and some
of those in the church need to stop acting like they have it all together and
have all the answers. We need to be honest with each other. We struggle. We
fall. We are on the mountaintop at times and we tumble down into the valley at
other times. Some people in the church (especially leaders) are scared to admit
that they struggle with life and have faults. Someone might not think that they
are spiritual if they did. Paul reminds
us in Romans 3:10, “As it is written,
there is no one righteous, not even one.” We all have things that we need
to work on in our spiritual lives. It’s not easy to swim against the current.
The world thinks you’re weird for going in a different direction. Fewer people
swim against the current. It can be lonely, tiring, and discouraging at times.
We need fellow believers to encourage us and to help us on our journey. Here is
another thing that is really helpful: Everything that either you have gone
through, are going through, or will go through, Jesus went through. He felt
abandoned. He was ridiculed. He suffered loss. Etc. He tells us in John 16:33,
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the
world." He overcame the world. What do we have to be afraid of if the
King of kings overcame the world? My youngest son is a bit of a daredevil. When
we swim in the ocean, he likes to ram into the waves like he is breaking them
apart. He also likes to swim out as far as I will let him (I am always very
close to him). He is just having fun and not paying any attention to how the current
is pulling him. I tell him to swim back to me if he starts to get to far away.
Even at his young age, he has a choice to listen to me or not. However, if he
does not listen, destruction could be waiting. I might not be able to help if a
big wave crashed down on him or something like that. Don’t walk too close to the
line where obedience ends and sin begins. You could get pulled in the wrong
direction without even knowing it. Just like I try to line us up with our things
on the beach, align yourself with the Word of God. It will keep you focused on
God as the current of the world tries to sweep you away.
Are you tired of going through the motions in your spiritual
life and in your church? Does everything seem a little too routine? Have you
tried to make a difference in your church, but been shot down because it
challenges the status quo? If any of these questions resonate with you, then
you are where I am. I want to make a difference and impact lives. I have a
“whatever it takes” attitude; whatever it takes to reach people with the gospel
of Christ. I, in no way, will compromise
anything that the Bible says. I believe that the Bible is true and accurate in
everyway. I am not one of these people who try to make the Bible say what they
want it to say by adding to it or leaving something out of it. I am simply
tired of lip-service and I know that God is too. I do not claim to “know it
all” and I am a sinner who God graciously loved to repentance. I do have a
burning passion for the church to be meaningful and effective again. I have a
passion to see true repentance and an awaking of those who have nodded off into
apathy. I have heard people speak and
give testimony about what God is doing in a ministry or what we (as a church)
need to be doing and I see a lot of head nodding in agreement or “amen” being
said, but then try and get people to actually do what God has called us to do
and the result is much different. We agree with what we ought to be doing, but
not with actually doing it. I get it. Time is important to us. It is important
to me. However, our time on earth is limited as is our time to impact people’s
lives. That is why I am writing this blog: to make a difference and to
challenge the status quo. Too many people are just “doing” church. It has to be
about more than just going through the motions. A dear friend helped me come up
with a name for this blog. The word propulsion is “the act of driving something
forward.” My hope is that likeminded people can drive a passion for Jesus back
into the church. When I read in the book of Acts and see how the church should
look and then look at the American church, very few churches look like that. My
goal is not to criticize, but to speak truth and life that motivates the true
believers of Jesus Christ. We have
gotten into this mode that if you don’t have a certain number of services a
week, a certain style of music, or a certain format in the service that God
won’t be pleased and will send us all to hell, I guess. I know that is
dramatic, but that is how people in the church act. If you don’t believe me,
try and change a service style, time, etc. and see what happens. I am for organization. We serve a God of
order, but we have organized God right out of the equation in our services in
many cases. It is about worship, true worship. If you show up at your church
without a heart of true worship, hear God’s Word, and leave unchanged, then
you’re wasting your time. God’s Word challenges us to be different than the
things we see in the world. It makes us uncomfortable and it should do that. My
hope and my prayer is that this blog challenges, makes us uncomfortable, and brings
us to a closer relationship with Christ. 