Baron Batch is a Texas Tech graduate, a running back for the Steelers, a creative mind, and a pretty great writer...check out the guest writer page too.
baronbatch.blogspot.com
10.20.2011
10.16.2011
A Christ for the Rich and Famous
I've been thinking a lot about who Christians witness to. Mission trips are focused on poor populations 99% of the time. We feel bad about the way they live, what they eat, what they wear, their health and so to add some joy in their life and to give them hope for an eternal life filled with blessings, Christians tell these "poor" people about Christ- His love, His mercy, His power. We tell them all He can do because we feel like their earthly life is in such destitution that they need a Provider.
What about those that are rich? What about celebrities, CEOs, managers...the people we see everyday who seem to have it all? How often do we feel the need to tell them about the love of Christ? The rich need a Savior just as badly as the poor do.
Steve Jobs died on October 1. He was 56. He was a billionaire. He was a buddhist. Steve Jobs could have had anything he ever wanted in this world. He was idolized, admired, respected, and loved, but he wasn't saved. I wonder if anyone told him about Christ. He was an intelligent man, I don't doubt he knew of Christ. But I wonder if anyone sat down with him and told him about Christ, and told him that Christ could offer him a life beyond this one.
Maybe he wasn't the first on anyone's list to witness to because he seemed to have everything. Christians usually go for those who are depressed, weak, and poor first. I think it's time for that to change. The richest people you know may seem to have everything they need and you may be intimidated to speak to them about Christ, but pray for courage and wisdom and spread the good news of a loving Savior, who loves the rich man just as much as the poor man and whose blood equally pardons the sins of both.
Proverbs 22:2- The rich and the poor have this in common, The Lord is the maker of them all.
What about those that are rich? What about celebrities, CEOs, managers...the people we see everyday who seem to have it all? How often do we feel the need to tell them about the love of Christ? The rich need a Savior just as badly as the poor do.
Steve Jobs died on October 1. He was 56. He was a billionaire. He was a buddhist. Steve Jobs could have had anything he ever wanted in this world. He was idolized, admired, respected, and loved, but he wasn't saved. I wonder if anyone told him about Christ. He was an intelligent man, I don't doubt he knew of Christ. But I wonder if anyone sat down with him and told him about Christ, and told him that Christ could offer him a life beyond this one.
Maybe he wasn't the first on anyone's list to witness to because he seemed to have everything. Christians usually go for those who are depressed, weak, and poor first. I think it's time for that to change. The richest people you know may seem to have everything they need and you may be intimidated to speak to them about Christ, but pray for courage and wisdom and spread the good news of a loving Savior, who loves the rich man just as much as the poor man and whose blood equally pardons the sins of both.
Proverbs 22:2- The rich and the poor have this in common, The Lord is the maker of them all.
8.30.2011
Wishes or Prayers?
Why do we equate the disappointment/failures that we feel from this world to mean that there is no God?
Is God a genie or a King? Does a God exist to grant wishes or to be served?
Is God a genie or a King? Does a God exist to grant wishes or to be served?
8.10.2011
Christians or Christ Followers?
Unfortunately, too many of the the loudest supporters of Christianity have the wrong idea of Christ.
He did not come to make bad men good, but dead men alive. - Shane Claiborne
Many Christians act like the acknowledgement of Christ as the Son of God gives them moral superiority. Why is that? The acceptance of Jesus as your savior doesn't mean you are given a right to judge or condemn the lifestyle of others because the acceptance of Christ does not take away your ability to sin or make you a "good" person.
What Christians, who really believe in Christ as their savior should be doing is living as if this world is not their home and prepare their hearts, minds, and souls to a life that is meant for them.
You are more convincing with your actions than you are with your words.
He did not come to make bad men good, but dead men alive. - Shane Claiborne
Many Christians act like the acknowledgement of Christ as the Son of God gives them moral superiority. Why is that? The acceptance of Jesus as your savior doesn't mean you are given a right to judge or condemn the lifestyle of others because the acceptance of Christ does not take away your ability to sin or make you a "good" person.
What Christians, who really believe in Christ as their savior should be doing is living as if this world is not their home and prepare their hearts, minds, and souls to a life that is meant for them.
You are more convincing with your actions than you are with your words.
5.08.2011
The "But" Prayer
I caught myself praying a but prayer.
Lord, I know that I’m a sinful person. My sins are no less than theirs. I lie too, but…..
Then I fell silent. I realized the “but” voided my prayer. My intent was to say that I too have sinned and realize my sin is as bad as person “x” “but” mine were done with good intentions and mine was for a different reason, therefore God is validated in not judging me the same as person “x.”
WHAT NONSENSE! How easy it is to lie to ourselves. I even tried to rationalize my prayer and I sat there silently go through my vocabulary of how I could rearrange the sentence to make it so that I could still pray my intended prayer.
What a relief to the whole world, that I am not God and I am in no position to judge someone else, because if I set myself as the standard for the people I am around now, how much higher my expectation would be if I were God. The earth would have been destroyed every year because I would be so disappointed in the people.
I am so thankful that when God looks upon me, He sees that I can be a liar, judgemental, angry, stubborn, and unforgiving and yet His response to me is BUT I still love her. She still hasn’t learned what I’m been trying to show her, BUT I will give her another chance. She still holds on to that hurt, BUT I will forgive her. She still …BUT I will save her.
My prayer was going to be a prayer that God would show others how they have faulted, but instead He should me how much more I still have to learn.
Lord, I know that I’m a sinful person. My sins are no less than theirs. I lie too, but…..
Then I fell silent. I realized the “but” voided my prayer. My intent was to say that I too have sinned and realize my sin is as bad as person “x” “but” mine were done with good intentions and mine was for a different reason, therefore God is validated in not judging me the same as person “x.”
WHAT NONSENSE! How easy it is to lie to ourselves. I even tried to rationalize my prayer and I sat there silently go through my vocabulary of how I could rearrange the sentence to make it so that I could still pray my intended prayer.
What a relief to the whole world, that I am not God and I am in no position to judge someone else, because if I set myself as the standard for the people I am around now, how much higher my expectation would be if I were God. The earth would have been destroyed every year because I would be so disappointed in the people.
I am so thankful that when God looks upon me, He sees that I can be a liar, judgemental, angry, stubborn, and unforgiving and yet His response to me is BUT I still love her. She still hasn’t learned what I’m been trying to show her, BUT I will give her another chance. She still holds on to that hurt, BUT I will forgive her. She still …BUT I will save her.
My prayer was going to be a prayer that God would show others how they have faulted, but instead He should me how much more I still have to learn.
4.24.2011
More Like Falling in Love
Give me rules
I will break them
Give me lines
I will cross them
I need more than a truth to believe
I need a truth that lives, moves, and breathes
To sweep me off my feet
It ought to be
More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance
Caught up, called out
Come take a look at me now
It's like I'm falling, oh
It's like I'm falling in love
Give me words
I'll misuse them
Obligations
I'll misplace them
'Cause all religion ever made of me
Was just a sinner with a stone tied to my feet
It never set me free
It's gotta be
...It's like I'm falling in love, love, love
Deeper and deeper
It was love that made
Me a believer
In more than a name, a faith, a creed
Falling in love with Jesus brought the change in me
I will break them
Give me lines
I will cross them
I need more than a truth to believe
I need a truth that lives, moves, and breathes
To sweep me off my feet
It ought to be
More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance
Caught up, called out
Come take a look at me now
It's like I'm falling, oh
It's like I'm falling in love
Give me words
I'll misuse them
Obligations
I'll misplace them
'Cause all religion ever made of me
Was just a sinner with a stone tied to my feet
It never set me free
It's gotta be
...It's like I'm falling in love, love, love
Deeper and deeper
It was love that made
Me a believer
In more than a name, a faith, a creed
Falling in love with Jesus brought the change in me
4.17.2011
Matthew 6
We all worry. Few people walk around with their possessions on their back and their eyes closed, waiting for the path to be made for them- without a steady job or wordly security. When worrying is bad and ineffective, and almost sinful- is when it dictates your actions. If while in school, instead of learning material you constantly wonder how you are going to learn it all and pass the test, that is ineffective worrying. We all have natural concerns of finding a good job to support the lifestyle we want, but if we sit around all day and make no progress finding that good job or changing our lifestyle to fit the income we have, then we are not productive worriers.
If you skip on your tithe this month because you don’t know how you are going to pay rent without that extra 10% in your bank account, then your faith is in the bank that is holding your money. If you give to God, He can give you a higher interest yield than any bank can.
If you skip out on church this week, because you need more time to study for your test, then you are putting your faith in yourself. You think your mind will remember the information better if you leave God and go to your notes.
What if we replace worry with fear. What do you fear? Failing? Being bankrupt? Evicted? Car payments? Rent? Dinner? Clothes? Being a good spouse? Good parent? Good child? sister? Friend? Teacher?
Have you ever worried about the Kingdom of God and being a good steward? Have you ever feared losing a soul? Have you ever feared if your actions have caused someone to fall from God? Have you ever worried if you are doing your ambassador duties?
What we worry in is what we pour ourselves into. Those who worry about a good marriage, spend their energy and time building it up (to their expectations of what up is). If we worried about telling others about Christ, and loving others as God loves us, would we be more productive in that arena?
A concern is different from worry. We all have concerns. Everyone. Even a child wonders about what they are going to eat for dinner, but they don’t worry about it. They aren’t afraid of not having food at all. They just want to know if what they are going to have is what they want.
Are you concerned about your life or are you worried and fearful? Worrying doesn’t change a situation or an outcome- action does. Quit sitting around and biting your nails, and get on your knees and pray. Leave your concerns at the feet of God. He is more than willing to take your burdens and carry them. No weight is too heavy for Him, no thought is too daunting.
He has the best track record for being my problem solver, so I’m cutting out the worrying middle man and going straight to my Father, just like I did as a child when I wanted something. I never sat in my room and sulked over the picture of a bike. I took the picture and confidently asked my Daddy for it. Take your tests, your marriage, your spouse, your job, your relationships…anything that is causing you to doubt, and leave it at the glorious throne of the one that has made all. But most importantly Leave them THERE!
Your gift to God is trusting him enough to handle all your problems. Don’t walk out with your gift. LEAVE IT THERE.
If you skip on your tithe this month because you don’t know how you are going to pay rent without that extra 10% in your bank account, then your faith is in the bank that is holding your money. If you give to God, He can give you a higher interest yield than any bank can.
If you skip out on church this week, because you need more time to study for your test, then you are putting your faith in yourself. You think your mind will remember the information better if you leave God and go to your notes.
What if we replace worry with fear. What do you fear? Failing? Being bankrupt? Evicted? Car payments? Rent? Dinner? Clothes? Being a good spouse? Good parent? Good child? sister? Friend? Teacher?
Have you ever worried about the Kingdom of God and being a good steward? Have you ever feared losing a soul? Have you ever feared if your actions have caused someone to fall from God? Have you ever worried if you are doing your ambassador duties?
What we worry in is what we pour ourselves into. Those who worry about a good marriage, spend their energy and time building it up (to their expectations of what up is). If we worried about telling others about Christ, and loving others as God loves us, would we be more productive in that arena?
A concern is different from worry. We all have concerns. Everyone. Even a child wonders about what they are going to eat for dinner, but they don’t worry about it. They aren’t afraid of not having food at all. They just want to know if what they are going to have is what they want.
Are you concerned about your life or are you worried and fearful? Worrying doesn’t change a situation or an outcome- action does. Quit sitting around and biting your nails, and get on your knees and pray. Leave your concerns at the feet of God. He is more than willing to take your burdens and carry them. No weight is too heavy for Him, no thought is too daunting.
He has the best track record for being my problem solver, so I’m cutting out the worrying middle man and going straight to my Father, just like I did as a child when I wanted something. I never sat in my room and sulked over the picture of a bike. I took the picture and confidently asked my Daddy for it. Take your tests, your marriage, your spouse, your job, your relationships…anything that is causing you to doubt, and leave it at the glorious throne of the one that has made all. But most importantly Leave them THERE!
Your gift to God is trusting him enough to handle all your problems. Don’t walk out with your gift. LEAVE IT THERE.
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