Passion...

I attended a conference yesterday with some others from Crossroads and had the opportunity to hear Johnny Hunt speak. Let me say right off, if you every get the chance to hear him preach, you should. The man has a gift for preaching the Word of God. In fact, he preached for nearly 25 minutes before he got to what he had prepared, then started what he prepared, was on stage for over an hour and a half and never once did I want him to stop. He really is that good!

He told a story that caught my attention. He said that after someone had visited his church for 3 months, they approached him and told him they were not going to be coming back. He wasn't hurt, made mad by someone, or asked to leave. No, the reason he was leaving was because he didn't believe what the Johnny Hunt was preaching. He didn't believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. He didn't believe the Bible was Truth. He told Johnny that he wanted to give Johnny the chance to convince him, but after 3 months the visitor just did not believe. Yet, he made a statement to Johnny Hunt that was profound.

"Preacher, I don't believe what you are preaching, but you sure do!"

Let me challenge you as this challenged me. Does the way you live your life, the things you say and do, show that you are so passionate about Jesus Christ that it is obvious you BELIEVE He is the Son of God? That you BELIEVE the Bible is Truth? That you BELIEVE living for Jesus Christ in everything is really the best why to live? That you BELIEVE Jesus is coming back?

Are you passionate about Jesus? Really?

In Christ,

jon walton

Being Corrected...

Missy and I have been getting ready for a youth event at our house this week. We have been cleaning, cooking (well, SHE has been cooking, I burn toast on stage in front of everyone), moving stuff around, and just in general being very busy. It can make for a stressful environment when you are doing lots of extra stuff along with everything else that is normally going on in your life. These stressful times are opportunities for us to either be encouraging or hurtful.

Last night, as we were finishing up I was talking with Missy as I was cleaning and she was cooking. We were both tired and I wasn't really paying attention to what I was saying. To be dead honest, I remember the point I was trying to make, but I don't remember the exact words I said. What I do remember very clearly is what my wife said in response: "Just shut up." That got my attention as I was quickly trying to go back over what I had just said. She was mad.

Later that night before bed I pursued her on the conversation we were having. I heard what she has told me before. It is something I constantly struggle with in our relationship. "Sometimes you really degrade me and my decisions." She said. "You hold things over my head and tell me what a bad choice it was, all while talking about the good choice you made. It hurts."

I felt like a pile of dung. I knew I was in the wrong. I was being corrected for incorrect behavior.

At this point, I have a choice to make. We all do when we are being corrected. I see it with Isaiah when I correct his behavior. I see it in a teenager when I call them down for talking during the sermon or lesson. I even see this choice being made in a dog when training it. Anytime we are being corrected, we can choose to go on the defensive, get angry, and take a stand on our point even though we know we are wrong, or we can choose to accept the fact that we are wrong, apologize, and begin to adjust our behavior as needed.

God corrects our behavior, too. Again we have a choice in the matter. We can choose to accept His correction, or reject it.

But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline; don't sulk under his loving correction. It's the child he loves that God corrects...

-Proverbs 3:11,12

I hugged my wife, told her I was so sorry. I am accepting the correction that she is giving me to make our relationship better. 11 years in and I still want to do more for her. 11 years in and I am so glad that she loves me enough to tell me when I am wrong. Today I am mindful of the words I say. That I am being a Godly husband, and loving my wife as Christ loves the church: abundantly and without restraint.

In Christ,

jon walton

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A Reflection...

I sometimes get very frustrated with people who claim to be following Jesus Christ, yet their actions, words, and thought process doesn't reflect it. Not that we don't make mistakes, anger gets the better of me at times, I can be selfish, rude, go too far, push too hard, and be a down right jerk at times. However, I have learned through, the grace of Jesus and my desire to serve Him as my Master, that whenever I mess up I should seek quickly to make a mends where possible and repent of my wrong doing. That is, not only correct my mistake (apologize to who I hurt/made mad) but to also doing my best to stop that behavior. Yet everyday I see people who don't. They only apologize, or try to correct a problem when they are caught doing something wrong.

I think this stems from the "casual" view of Christianity many have in America. The most persecution you would most likely come under in our country from saying you are a Christian is possibly being laughed at, or told "no" when you offer to share your faith with someone. So, in reality, saying you are a "Christian" in America is an easy thing to do. Yet the ease of this leads many to not take their walk with Christ serious at any point. Never taking the time to consider the entirety of one's commitment to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ & the Bible leads to a life that is just not honoring to God.

Perhaps Paul said it best in Titus 1 in his instructions for leaders:

(10a)For there are also many rebellious people, idle talkers and deceivers...
(14)They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, and disqualified for any good work.

When you look in your mirror, do you see a person who matches what you say about yourself? Does your reflection match your description?

In Christ,

jon walton

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Think About This...

I read something recently that I wanted to share. I will quote part of it here, and give you the link to the full article.

I came across a quote attributed most often to Rev. Sam Pascoe. It is a short version of the history of Christianity, and it goes like this:

Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise.

Some of the students were only 18 or 19 years old–barely out of diapers–and I wanted them to understand and appreciate the import of the last line, so I clarified it by adding, “An enterprise. That’s a business.” After a few moments Martha, the youngest student in the class, raised her hand. I could not imagine what her question might be. I thought the little vignette was self-explanatory, and that I had performed it brilliantly. Nevertheless, I acknowledged Martha’s raised hand, “Yes, Martha.” She asked such a simple question, “A business? But isn’t it supposed to be a body?” I could not envision where this line of questioning was going, and the only response I could think of was, “Yes.” She continued, “But when a body becomes a business, isn’t that a prostitute?”

How are you treating the body of Christ?

Link to full article

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