The "Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus" youtube video by Jefferson Bethke (link at bottom of page) recieved a HUGE global response; over 11 million views in just two weeks.
The majority of negative comments I've seen and heard are something along the lines of, "But he is a Christian, that is by definition a religion!"
According to dictionary.com religion is defined as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
Christianity obviously falls into this category, and no one could logically argue otherwise.
However, in the popular youtube video Jeffereson Bethke isn't discussing the denotion of the word religion, but it's connotation in this day and age. Religion, in casual conversation, has often been used as a synonym for words like judgment, self-rightousness, hypocrisy, ect.
I mean if someone came up to you and said, " I can't stand Beth, she's so religious." would you picture a kind, caring, devoted, graceful, humble girl who loved everyone including her enemies and tried not to judge because she knew she was also a sinner, all the while caringly sharing the word of God? Probably not. You probably picturing a judgmental, pushy, self-righteous girl who won't stop shoving the bible down your throat.
"Religion says DO, Jesus says DONE."
Many religious people often tell us to do something so that we might be recieved in the gates of heaven, STOP dressing that way, DON'T talk like that, PRAY for this long each day, GO to church every sunday...but the ultimate truth is this...
Only one act can send you into the kingdom of heaven or the gates of hell; coosing to accept or reject Jesus in your heart, as your saviour.
"See the Problem with religion is it never gets to the core. It's just behavior modification like a long list of chores."
It's true that becoming a believer means your behavior will be modified, but that isn't so that you will be worthy of God's love, it is because in Christ he already does love you! The bible tells us that the holy spirit gifts us with new desires and a new mind, and through these we DESIRE to do God's will, we DESIRE to be better and do better, to love more and love deeper, to give more and give fully. We don't do these things because they save us, we do them because God has saved us, and opened our eyes to the world and it's many lies.
When you stand before God to give an account for your life he isn't going to pull out a list of your life works and say,
Dressed modestly - Check
Never swore - Check
Prayed 2 hours a day - Check
Stayed Pure until marriage - Check
He will look into your heart... and it's there we should be looking for our salvation because that is where JESUS should reside, in our hearts.
And like the blood pumps through your heart to the rest of your body, so should Jesus and his teachings flow through your heart, and outwordly manifest in your life.
He died for you, in exchange for you... He died the death we all deserve and made the ultimate sacrifice. Because of him we can rejoice and be given new life, free from the pain and deceit and doubt of our life before.
And it really is such good, good news.
Click here to watch the youtube video "Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus".
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Stop Expecting a Knight in Shining Armor & Start Loving Your Friend
I watched an amazing sermon by Pastor Mark today called New Marriage, Same Spouse (link at the bottom), that made me realize something about most relationships, including my own.
How many of us idolize our spouse or significant other?
I confess that I am definitley guilty of this.
Without realizing it, we expect them to come in and do the work of Jesus.
We spend hours each day, screaming in rage at their imperfections, and the lack of support we feel, when what we're really saying is this...
"Why havn't you saved me?
Why havn't you filled the hole in my heart and motivated me to become a better version of myself? Why havn't you been a light in my deepest, darkest times? Why havn't you been an unending source of love, strength, and comfort in my life? Why have you let me down?
WHY AREN'T YOU PERFECT?"
The answer is simple...
Because they aren't Jesus.
They aren't your saviour and they can't come into your life, and your relationship, and do his work.
We often put our significant other on a pedestal, not simply to love and praise them, but to worship. In our minds, they become someone who will do no harm or wrong, who will never leave or forsake us.
When they fall short of our tall list of impossible demands, we are heartbroken and often become bitter, angry, and resentful.
It is hard for me to acknowledge and admit the sins and wrongs I've committed in my relationships, but I am going to put my pride and ego aside and be honest.
In my past one of my greatest sins was self-righteousness. I had a very strict list of morals that I followed, and because of it I thought, not only was I a good person, but I was better than most. My self righteousness gave me a feeling of power in my relationship. I could critique their lifestyle and behavior because I held mine in such high regard. I was prideful, condescending, and NEVER wrong.
My stepfather treated me the same way, and I came to eventually hate him for it. I hated him for making me feel as if I wasn't good enough, or would never have what it takes, that I was to stupid, niave, and weak to ever achieve anything for myself.
Now, I realize the similarities between us. I have seen that I became my stepfather in my realtionship; constantly controlling and condemning with my self-imposed authority and I know personally how soul crushing, demoralizing, and hard that can be.
I can imagine it would have been something like me telling them, in order to prove their love they must run through a brick wall (obviously impossible). I would delude myself into thinking I had done it for them so they, in turn, must bruise and break themselves doing it for me. Then as they hurled themselves against it falling down again and again, I'd look down on them and use their failure as a means of boosting my self righteousness, but also feel heartbroken that they weren't trying harder.
Now, I am not saying my partner was perfect and did no wrong. I'm also not saying that there weren't things they needed to change about their lifestyle, BUT the combination of idolizing my partner and condeming them, must have made it very frustrating and confusing to be with me.
I didn't do this because I didn't love my signifigant other and wasn't trying to be a good partner, I was simply and sincerely totally ignorant to my faults.
Through God' grace and goodness, he has given me the ability to recognize these things in myself so that I might change them.
Think about your relationship. No really, stop and think about not just you and what you
Are you idolizing your partner, and expecting them to be some super hero, or knight in shining armor, who will wipe away your tears and give you a new life?
Are you placing all the weight of the pain, heartache, and failure in your life on their shoulders?
Are you blaming them solely, for the problems in your relationship?
If so, you are setting yourself, and them up for failure. You need to invite Jesus in to heal those wounds. Ask him to replace your broken heart with a new one, to gift you with a new mind and new desires so that you may live out a new life and not be held to the tyranny of your past misgivings and mistakes. Ask him to help you identify your faults courageously, so that He might help you might deal with, and rid yourself of them.
Your spouse or gf/bf cannot do these things for you.
The hard truth is we aren't comic book characters with amazing abilities and powers. We are people.
Ordinary, sinful, mistake-making-imperfect people.
You can't have a happy, healthy relationship BESIDE and WITH your partner if
you place them in front of (idolization) or behind you (self righteousness).
Your partner should be your best friend with whom you share the deepest parts of yourself, not your saviour, on whose shoulders you place the weight of your world.
Romans 12:9-10
Don't just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH PASTOR MARKS SERMON, NEW MARRIAGE, SAME SPOUSE.
How many of us idolize our spouse or significant other?
I confess that I am definitley guilty of this.
Without realizing it, we expect them to come in and do the work of Jesus.
We spend hours each day, screaming in rage at their imperfections, and the lack of support we feel, when what we're really saying is this...
"Why havn't you saved me?
Why havn't you filled the hole in my heart and motivated me to become a better version of myself? Why havn't you been a light in my deepest, darkest times? Why havn't you been an unending source of love, strength, and comfort in my life? Why have you let me down?
WHY AREN'T YOU PERFECT?"
The answer is simple...
Because they aren't Jesus.
They aren't your saviour and they can't come into your life, and your relationship, and do his work.
We often put our significant other on a pedestal, not simply to love and praise them, but to worship. In our minds, they become someone who will do no harm or wrong, who will never leave or forsake us.
When they fall short of our tall list of impossible demands, we are heartbroken and often become bitter, angry, and resentful.
It is hard for me to acknowledge and admit the sins and wrongs I've committed in my relationships, but I am going to put my pride and ego aside and be honest.
In my past one of my greatest sins was self-righteousness. I had a very strict list of morals that I followed, and because of it I thought, not only was I a good person, but I was better than most. My self righteousness gave me a feeling of power in my relationship. I could critique their lifestyle and behavior because I held mine in such high regard. I was prideful, condescending, and NEVER wrong.
My stepfather treated me the same way, and I came to eventually hate him for it. I hated him for making me feel as if I wasn't good enough, or would never have what it takes, that I was to stupid, niave, and weak to ever achieve anything for myself.
Now, I realize the similarities between us. I have seen that I became my stepfather in my realtionship; constantly controlling and condemning with my self-imposed authority and I know personally how soul crushing, demoralizing, and hard that can be.
I can imagine it would have been something like me telling them, in order to prove their love they must run through a brick wall (obviously impossible). I would delude myself into thinking I had done it for them so they, in turn, must bruise and break themselves doing it for me. Then as they hurled themselves against it falling down again and again, I'd look down on them and use their failure as a means of boosting my self righteousness, but also feel heartbroken that they weren't trying harder.
Now, I am not saying my partner was perfect and did no wrong. I'm also not saying that there weren't things they needed to change about their lifestyle, BUT the combination of idolizing my partner and condeming them, must have made it very frustrating and confusing to be with me.
I didn't do this because I didn't love my signifigant other and wasn't trying to be a good partner, I was simply and sincerely totally ignorant to my faults.
Through God' grace and goodness, he has given me the ability to recognize these things in myself so that I might change them.
Think about your relationship. No really, stop and think about not just you and what you
Are you idolizing your partner, and expecting them to be some super hero, or knight in shining armor, who will wipe away your tears and give you a new life?
Are you placing all the weight of the pain, heartache, and failure in your life on their shoulders?
Are you blaming them solely, for the problems in your relationship?
If so, you are setting yourself, and them up for failure. You need to invite Jesus in to heal those wounds. Ask him to replace your broken heart with a new one, to gift you with a new mind and new desires so that you may live out a new life and not be held to the tyranny of your past misgivings and mistakes. Ask him to help you identify your faults courageously, so that He might help you might deal with, and rid yourself of them.
Your spouse or gf/bf cannot do these things for you.
The hard truth is we aren't comic book characters with amazing abilities and powers. We are people.
Ordinary, sinful, mistake-making-imperfect people.
You can't have a happy, healthy relationship BESIDE and WITH your partner if
you place them in front of (idolization) or behind you (self righteousness).
Your partner should be your best friend with whom you share the deepest parts of yourself, not your saviour, on whose shoulders you place the weight of your world.
Romans 12:9-10
Don't just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH PASTOR MARKS SERMON, NEW MARRIAGE, SAME SPOUSE.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The Price of Freedom
The transition from non-Christian to Christian, from the lie to the truth is a hard one.
By the grace of God, when you become filled with the Holy spirit you are gifted with a new mind, a new heart, and new desires. The way you see the world changes. It's as if someone finally took off the blinders that you weren't aware were there, and now you can see and are free from the tyranny of the world and the sin you were living in.
I can suddenly see and I'm free.
But freedom comes at a price and the price is everything.
A friend of mine Duane, says it best in his note called So If I Want That, What's It Going To Cost Me?, "
I have already found this to be true. You must give up your old habitual life in pursuit of a holy one. You must leave it all to walk with God.
You will lose friends, family, you will feel completley alone. But the truth is, you never are alone. God loves you perfectly and fulfills all needs. He is your father, your husband, your brother. He corrects every wrong and heals all wounds no matter how old or deep. He never left you and he never will.
He is wonderful and gracious and beautiful and deserves your all, he must be the center of your life so that all things are for and from him.
Easier to say than do...I have struggled with this.
Fear of persecution is my greatest sin. It is hard to publicly proclaim your love and faith in Jesus. The way his love has touched your heart and completley rearranged your life.
I am afraid of the way I will be looked at, or the things people will say. I am afraid of not being able to answer their questions logically and the ridicule that will ensue.
And I am deeply ashamed of this.
Jesus was tortured beyond belief, and hung on a cross bleeding and in unimaginable pain...he did this willingly, he did this for me...and for you.
His love was truly unconditional, and after all he went through I cannot suffer a few dirty looks and confrontations?
Being Christian takes bravery and courage. Takes unbelievable amounts of love, not just for God or your family and friends, not just for the church or even the word...but for your enemies.
It is hard and it will never be easy, but it is worth it in ways beyond our comprehension.
I am afraid. I am imperfect. I am a sinner everyday.
I feel like I have so much work to do.
But it is done.
Jesus said "It is finished" because the work has been done. He calls to us in his beautiful melodic voice to lay it down, to fall into his arms and give it all to him. He is the father that strokes your hair while you cry and tells you that there is nothing left for you to do but to love and be a light in the darkness. To let that light shine brightly so that others may see it and know the light as well.
He is my strength, and in him and with him, I have no fear.
I have nothing to do, but follow him and never hide the light he floods my life with.
I am drowning in his grace and blinded by his brilliance but somehow feel like for the first time I am opening my eyes and can just breathe.
I encourage you to search for the truth. To search with an open heart and an open mind and see where it leads you.
He is the way, the truth, and the life and if you search he promises you, he will always be the answer.
By the grace of God, when you become filled with the Holy spirit you are gifted with a new mind, a new heart, and new desires. The way you see the world changes. It's as if someone finally took off the blinders that you weren't aware were there, and now you can see and are free from the tyranny of the world and the sin you were living in.
I can suddenly see and I'm free.
But freedom comes at a price and the price is everything.
A friend of mine Duane, says it best in his note called So If I Want That, What's It Going To Cost Me?, "
It certainly will cost you an easy life. It will cost you popularity. At times, painfully, it will cost you the relationship you so desire with your family and friends. You will have to discipline yourself. You will have to buffet your body. You will have to say no to temptation. You will have to have to say NO to this world. You will have to break with the crowd. You will have to be willing to stand alone for Christ. You will have to be willing to walk to the beat of a different drummer and to step out of the crowd even if no one follows after Jesus Christ. You must be willing to stand for Jesus Christ even if you were the only person in the world for Jesus Christ. That’s the cost factor.
You would have to be willing to suffer persecution for Christ, and let me tell you…it will come. It might even cost you your life.
I have already found this to be true. You must give up your old habitual life in pursuit of a holy one. You must leave it all to walk with God.
You will lose friends, family, you will feel completley alone. But the truth is, you never are alone. God loves you perfectly and fulfills all needs. He is your father, your husband, your brother. He corrects every wrong and heals all wounds no matter how old or deep. He never left you and he never will.
He is wonderful and gracious and beautiful and deserves your all, he must be the center of your life so that all things are for and from him.
Easier to say than do...I have struggled with this.
Fear of persecution is my greatest sin. It is hard to publicly proclaim your love and faith in Jesus. The way his love has touched your heart and completley rearranged your life.
I am afraid of the way I will be looked at, or the things people will say. I am afraid of not being able to answer their questions logically and the ridicule that will ensue.
And I am deeply ashamed of this.
Jesus was tortured beyond belief, and hung on a cross bleeding and in unimaginable pain...he did this willingly, he did this for me...and for you.
His love was truly unconditional, and after all he went through I cannot suffer a few dirty looks and confrontations?
Being Christian takes bravery and courage. Takes unbelievable amounts of love, not just for God or your family and friends, not just for the church or even the word...but for your enemies.
It is hard and it will never be easy, but it is worth it in ways beyond our comprehension.
I am afraid. I am imperfect. I am a sinner everyday.
I feel like I have so much work to do.
But it is done.
Jesus said "It is finished" because the work has been done. He calls to us in his beautiful melodic voice to lay it down, to fall into his arms and give it all to him. He is the father that strokes your hair while you cry and tells you that there is nothing left for you to do but to love and be a light in the darkness. To let that light shine brightly so that others may see it and know the light as well.
He is my strength, and in him and with him, I have no fear.
I have nothing to do, but follow him and never hide the light he floods my life with.
I am drowning in his grace and blinded by his brilliance but somehow feel like for the first time I am opening my eyes and can just breathe.
I encourage you to search for the truth. To search with an open heart and an open mind and see where it leads you.
He is the way, the truth, and the life and if you search he promises you, he will always be the answer.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Pear Crisps
If you like cooked pears and crisp you'll love how this tastes and how easy it is to make.
Unfortunatley I do not like cooked pears or crisp.
Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla icecream.
Bon Appétit
Recipe Links
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/?s=pear+crisps&submit=
Unfortunatley I do not like cooked pears or crisp.
Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla icecream.
Bon Appétit
Recipe Links
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/?s=pear+crisps&submit=
Apple Berry Pie
For Thanksgiving I decided I'd attempt a homemade pie for the first time. I assumed it'd be easier than it looked... I WAS WRONG.
It is harder than looks, much much much harder. It is inconcievably hard, ridiculously hard, so hard diamonds look soft. (Diamonds are incredibly hard in case you didn't know.)
First you make the dough, (easy enough) leave it in the fridge for 15-30 minutes because it molds easier if cold and then take it out and proceed to roll. Now the tricky thing with rolling dough is you don't want to end up sprinkling to much flour, apparently it makes bad things happen, and lets face it that stuff is sticky so your CONSTANTLY sprinkling flour. To avoid this I read a suggestion to put the ball of dough on a cookie sheet, and then roll. Three hours later (not exagerating)I was covered in flour and dough, not to mention my hands had permanently assumed what I like to call the "roll position". My dough was cracking and breaking and sticking.
Pretty much everything you DON'T want it to do.
However, I was not yet ready to admit defeat. I reread the recipe and realized the suggestion was to put the dough BETWEEN TWO cookie sheets and then roll, occasionally pulling up the sheet to unstick.
Ya tried it, guess how long it took...15 MINUTES. That's it.
But I wasn't even mad, just incredibly happy that I had finally rolled out the damn dough. I imagine during my celabratory victory dance I looked something like this.
For the filling I just combined apples, strawberries, blackberries and sugar then filled the pie, dotted with butter and topped with the crust and some decorative crust-cut leaf things.
And after I took my masterpiece out of the oven.
Oh yeah.
Bon Appétit
Recipe Links
Pie Crust
It is harder than looks, much much much harder. It is inconcievably hard, ridiculously hard, so hard diamonds look soft. (Diamonds are incredibly hard in case you didn't know.)
First you make the dough, (easy enough) leave it in the fridge for 15-30 minutes because it molds easier if cold and then take it out and proceed to roll. Now the tricky thing with rolling dough is you don't want to end up sprinkling to much flour, apparently it makes bad things happen, and lets face it that stuff is sticky so your CONSTANTLY sprinkling flour. To avoid this I read a suggestion to put the ball of dough on a cookie sheet, and then roll. Three hours later (not exagerating)I was covered in flour and dough, not to mention my hands had permanently assumed what I like to call the "roll position". My dough was cracking and breaking and sticking.
Pretty much everything you DON'T want it to do.
However, I was not yet ready to admit defeat. I reread the recipe and realized the suggestion was to put the dough BETWEEN TWO cookie sheets and then roll, occasionally pulling up the sheet to unstick.
Ya tried it, guess how long it took...15 MINUTES. That's it.
But I wasn't even mad, just incredibly happy that I had finally rolled out the damn dough. I imagine during my celabratory victory dance I looked something like this.
For the filling I just combined apples, strawberries, blackberries and sugar then filled the pie, dotted with butter and topped with the crust and some decorative crust-cut leaf things.
And after I took my masterpiece out of the oven.
Oh yeah.
Bon Appétit
Recipe Links
Pie Crust
Thanskgiving Meal
My thanksgiving meal was a succes, a HUGE succes!(Cue large crowds of cheering fans.)
There's nothing more satisfying than the "mmmm's" and "ahhh's" of people enjoying the food you, let's face it, slaved over for the past 3 days.
Blood, sweat, and tears, that's my secret ingredient.
Gross mental image.
Anywho, I'd like to apologize in advance for the pictures, or lack there of. But my guests were crowding around the kitchen with crazed looks in their eyes and forks in their hands. I risked death just to snap this one for you and I'm lucky I escaped with my life.
(From left, back row to front row.)
homemade pomegranate cranberry sauce, refried beans, skillet cornbread, carved turkey, green bean casserole, corn, mashed potatoes, and mac & cheese.
Now lets talk for a minute about turkey brines. If you've never brined a turkey you need to, it makes your turkey deliciously moist BUT you really need to have a great brine recipe. Last year my brine recipe must have not had that star quality because my turkey wasn't as moist or flavorful as I would have liked. This year the turkey I roasted was the best turkey I have ever had, even four hours after it finished cooking! And I attribute it all to the brine. I tweeked The Pioneer Women's Turkey Brine recipe a bit and used...
orange peels, basil, pepper, a crap ton of sea salt, apple cider, and corriander boiled and then left to cool.
If your cooking a turkey this year for christmas, this brine is the only way to go!
Bon appétit
Recipe Links
Green Bean Casserole
Cranberry Sauce
Macaroni & Cheese
Skillet Cornbread
Turkey Brine
There's nothing more satisfying than the "mmmm's" and "ahhh's" of people enjoying the food you, let's face it, slaved over for the past 3 days.
Blood, sweat, and tears, that's my secret ingredient.
Gross mental image.
Anywho, I'd like to apologize in advance for the pictures, or lack there of. But my guests were crowding around the kitchen with crazed looks in their eyes and forks in their hands. I risked death just to snap this one for you and I'm lucky I escaped with my life.
homemade pomegranate cranberry sauce, refried beans, skillet cornbread, carved turkey, green bean casserole, corn, mashed potatoes, and mac & cheese.
Now lets talk for a minute about turkey brines. If you've never brined a turkey you need to, it makes your turkey deliciously moist BUT you really need to have a great brine recipe. Last year my brine recipe must have not had that star quality because my turkey wasn't as moist or flavorful as I would have liked. This year the turkey I roasted was the best turkey I have ever had, even four hours after it finished cooking! And I attribute it all to the brine. I tweeked The Pioneer Women's Turkey Brine recipe a bit and used...
orange peels, basil, pepper, a crap ton of sea salt, apple cider, and corriander boiled and then left to cool.
If your cooking a turkey this year for christmas, this brine is the only way to go!
Bon appétit
Recipe Links
Green Bean Casserole
Cranberry Sauce
Macaroni & Cheese
Skillet Cornbread
Turkey Brine
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Hello Again/Turkey Day
WOAH BLOG, long time no see.
Which is not my fault, we recently moved into a new apartment and didn't have internet for...
drum roll please...
SIX WEEKS.
yea, it was horrible.
But here we are reunited at long last!
And here's what is on my mind.
THANKSGIVING.
I'm so excited and dreading it at the same time, I've never made any of the dishes I'm cooking/baking before, and one of them involves a pie from scratch, including the crust. I'll be cooking for 3 days straight :/ but I kind of can't wait, new recipes are my favorite!
Six weeks of no internet and this is all I have to say?
Yep.
<3
Which is not my fault, we recently moved into a new apartment and didn't have internet for...
drum roll please...
SIX WEEKS.
yea, it was horrible.
But here we are reunited at long last!
And here's what is on my mind.
THANKSGIVING.
I'm so excited and dreading it at the same time, I've never made any of the dishes I'm cooking/baking before, and one of them involves a pie from scratch, including the crust. I'll be cooking for 3 days straight :/ but I kind of can't wait, new recipes are my favorite!
Six weeks of no internet and this is all I have to say?
Yep.
<3
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