Jesus and Teenagers (A Youth Ministry Blog) - Benjer McVeigh

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Video of the Week: Faint Not by Jenny and Tyler Posted: 29 Jul 2011 11:59 AM PDT Amazing, thoughtful song from Jenny and Tyler. Their music has been medicine to our (Jennifer's and my) souls at times. This song's a great work of art on poverty and how a follower of Jesus should engage the issues surrounding poverty.

To Good Not to Share: Reverend Fun Posted: 29 Jul 2011 07:27 AM PDT If you've never checked out Reverend Fun by Dennis Hengeveld, I recommend you head on over and read a few of the cartoons, especially the "Best Of" page. Sometimes Dennis really nails it, as he does with today's offering:

To Evangelize or Not to Evangelize?

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 04:58 AM PDT

This week, CNN "Belief Blog" blogger Carl Medearis posted an article titled "My Take: Why evangelicals should stop evangelizing." In our culture, this is a common sentiment from many (both Christians and non-Christians) who are turned off by evangelism. Often, the sentiment gets boiled down to, "I don't mind you (Christians) having your own beliefs, but why do you have to bother others by trying to convert them?" Medearis has done well to lay out his argument in a relatively short blog post. Since his objection is a common one--and therefore an objection that followers of Jesus ought to be prepared to answer--I thought I'd devote a post to answering his objections and some of his claims. I'll do so by choosing and commenting on a few quotes from his post:

"When I tell my Christian friends in America that some of the fiercest militias were (and are) Christian, most are shocked. It doesn’t fit the us-versus-them mentality that evangelism fosters, in which we are always the innocent victims and they are always the aggressors." Not all Christians are ignorant of the fact that terrible acts of violence have been in the past and are now in the present committed by those who claim to be followers of Jesus. Such acts ought to be renounced by followers of Jesus. In addition, not all Christians who are passionate about evangelism espouse an "us-versus-them mentality." To choose the worst examples of evangelism and paint all attempts at evangelism with the same brush is unfair, and amounts to a straw-man argument.

"This us-versus-them thinking is odd, given that Jesus was constantly breaking down walls between Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, men and women, sinners and saints. That’s why we have the parable of the Good Samaritan." Yes, Jesus broke down such walls. However, those walls are broken down through a relationship with Jesus. Paul speaks of the division between Jew and Gentile--who were, humanly speaking, adversaries--and how that division has been obliterated through the cross. Paul says that Jesus died that he "might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility" (Ephesians 2:16). In addition, in Paul's letter to the Galatians in which he writes on the great extent in which we are reconciled to one another, he makes it very clear that such reconciliation occurs in Jesus: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28, emphasis added). Such reconciliation occurs when people accept the grace and love of God that comes through faith in Jesus. How does one learn about Jesus? primarily through hearing it from another person: evangelism.

"I believe that doctrine is important, but it’s not more important than following Jesus." When Christians put more time and effort arguing the finer points of Christian theology and doctrine more than they do actually living out Jesus' commands and telling people that Jesus loves them so much he died for them, yes, that's a sin. But doctrine--literally, "teaching"--should really be about trying to understand who God is. Medearis' statement is one that sounds agreeable because of how hurt people have been by institutions that care more about doctrine than a relationship with Jesus. But you can't somehow sever a relationship with Jesus from what we believe about Jesus. To make a statement of belief in our about Jesus is to make a doctrinal statement--which Medearis himself does throughout his post. What we believe about God is important, because it informs our relationship with him. You cannot have a relationship with someone you know nothing about, which is why Medearis' statement doesn't make sense when you get right down to it.

One more...

"Encouraging anyone and everyone to become an apprentice of Jesus, without manipulation, is a more open, dynamic and relational way of helping people who want to become more like Jesus — regardless of their religious identity." I agree with Medearis that our task is not to bring people into a particular religion, but rather to send people to Jesus! Here are two critiques of this statement: 1) the most important thing that happens in a relationship with Jesus is not just that we become more like him as we follow him, but that through faith in him and his death on the cross, we are given (because we could never earn it) eternal life. To paraphrase Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:19, if we follow Jesus only that we might be more like him in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied! 2) When we learn who God is through his son Jesus, we are called to renounce all false representations of God (both those that exist within Christianity and outside it). For some, this might mean renouncing their previous religious convictions that are incompatible with what Jesus taught.

My response to Medearis (who is a brother in Christ): The heart of the matter is this: does eternal life come only through Jesus or doesn't it? The answer to this question (whether yes, no, or I don't know) will inform one's view of evangelism. If the answer is yes, than by all means, we ought to love people enough to tell them and try to convince them that Jesus indeed is the only way to be reconciled to God. To not do so would be unloving. Have some used sinful, manipulative, and awful ways to do this (or for some, done sinful things trying to cover them up by using the name of Jesus)? Yes. For some examples of such un-love, one only needs to read a few of the comments by readers at the bottom of Medearis' post! Does this mean that all attempts at evangelism are wrong? No. Telling someone about Jesus--even pleading with someone to follow Jesus--is perhaps the most loving and grace-filled thing we can do.

Conditional Love - How To Love

I think that every emotionally healthy person wants to love and to be loved. We want people to love us as we are. We want to feel accepted no matter what we may say or do. When we make a mistake, we want to be forgiven and we don't want to experiance rejection. We want to be loved unconditionally.

A problem comes though when we do not reciprocate unconditional love. For example, there will never be real love expressed between two people if both individuals are seeking to have their needs met. How can two people make a relationship work if both define love as, "if you love me then you will do what I want"?

There is only one person who can truly love unconditionally. His name is Jesus. See, God is perfect and demands perfection from us. But, we all have fallen short of living a perfect life and that is called sin. The penalty for sin is death. But, this penalty is too great for us to pay! The Bible says that God demonstrated the meaning of love to us in this that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus laid down His life for us as the ultimate act of unconditional love.

He accepts us for who we are, for what we have done, and even for what we have neglected to do. But, now He is asking us to accept Him unconditionally as well. He wants us to accept His love by giving to Him our heart, mind, soul, and strength. He wants all of us. When we give ourselves over completely to Jesus then we are "fully known, fully accepted, fully loved, fully valued, and fully celebrated."

Jesus will never leave you, quit on you, belittle you, or even condemn you. Did you know that the Bible says that Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world but to save the world? He came to show you what love is.

Once we experience His love, we must step forward quickly to embrace it. The Bible provides an excellent description of unconditional love and gives us a pattern to follow. What is real love? Here is an example,

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, … Love rejoices with the truth. Love believes and endures all things. Love never fails."

The longing of your heart to be loved unconditionally can be fulfilled only through Jesus Christ. You must admit your sin, believe in Jesus, and follow His ways. If you do, you will experience unconditional love. Once you have experience love unconditionally, you are then able to know how to love as well.

As you travel life’s journey, you can take the road from conditional love to unconditional love. Pray this prayer with us...

"Dear Jesus, I want real love and to be loved unconditionally. Please forgive me of my sin and show me what is real love. I surrender my heart to you and ask that you take control of my life now. Thank you."

Taken form Journey Answers . com

Brokenness

Are you broken hearted? Have you been shattered with no hope of putting it together again?

If I could write the script of my life, I would be successful, wealthy, and admired by all. But, the truth is that each one of us encounters failed plans, broken dreams, misery, and even tragedy. We break down. We can be broken by circumstances, by poor relationships, by physical trials, and even by the consequences of our own actions.

If you are experiencing brokenness right now then you can identify with what I’m saying. You feel like you’ve been kicked in the gut so hard and so often that you are just a shell, a faint shadow, of what you used to be. You feel isolated and alone. No one seems to care and no one is able to rescue you from your sea of despair. This intense pain paralyzes your heart, enslaves your every thought, and robs you of the joy of life that once brought you pleasure.

If you are like me, you try to avoid pain at all cost. Some turn to alcohol to drown their sorrows. Others deal with the pain by filling their lives with hyper activity. They will do anything they can to avoid the pain and to ignore the pain. The problem when you take this road is that you never really deal with the brokenness. The heart ache is still there and will even intensify when the anesthesia wears off.

If you sincerely want to move from brokenness to wholeness in your life journey then you must take courage and deal with your pain. You must attack your brokenness with such intensity that you will not accept defeat. The key to wholeness is to find healing by a power greater than ourselves. This power exists and His name is Jesus Christ.

Jesus understands brokenness. He knows what it is like to be betrayed and ridiculed. He had His words twisted. He was called demon-possessed. He was tortured physically and was nailed to a cross to die as a common criminal. He was sinless and yet died as one who was the worst of sinners. But, Jesus overcame His brokenness by being obedient to God at all times. As a result, Jesus rose from the grave on the third day after his death and is alive today. He chose the road to wholeness by giving His life to God the Father and allowing God to bring healing.

And now, Jesus is asking you to give Him your brokenness. If you choose to do this, then remember that He does not want just your pain, He wants all of you. He wants your heart, your mind, and your strength. For the only way that you can receive healing from the pain and to be placed on your journey to wholeness, is to give Him the entirety of your being. You follow Him as your Savoir and friend…. and you play by His rules. Your brokenness was meant to destroy you. But, when you give your heart to Jesus, you will find that He is the King of mending a broken heart and you will find true healing and life.

Are you broken hearted in spirit today? Do you live with a broken heart? If so, I urge you to come to Jesus. Believe in Him as your Savior. He is the healer. He is the one who will bind up your broken heart and give you abundant life.

As you travel life’s journey, you can take the road from brokenness to wholeness. Pray this prayer with us...

"Dear Jesus, I need you to rescue me because my heart is broken. Please heal me and bring wholeness to my life. Please forgive me of my sin and bring meaning and fulfillment into my life. I surrender my broken heart to you and ask that you take control of my life now. Thank you."

taken form Journey Answers .com

Help With Anxiety

Do you need Anxiety Relief? Does it prevent you from thinking straight and enjoying life?

As you travel life’s journey, you can take the road and recieve anxiety relief.

There are many issues in our lives that cause us anxiety; issues such as our financial security, our relationships, and our future. We can become anxious about the unknown, anxious about the potential of what might happen, and anxious about what happened in the past and how that impacts our present. It’s one thing to be uneasy about a situation. But, if you do not address that feeling, it can grow into doubt and fear and rob you of the joy of life.

The problem with anxiety is that life presents situations that you cannot manipulate or fix. You cannot control every situation or every person in your life. You cannot twist every situation for your desired outcome. And you have to admit that there are times that you cannot control even your own emotions and feelings. When you are faced with issues that cause anxiety, you can try to follow your feelings and your own personal standards. But who is to say that your feelings are true or that your standards will bring the results that you want?

Life would be so much easier if he had someone to journey with us and to show us how to overcome our anxieties with perfect peace.

I am here to tell you that person does exist! His name is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came to earth over two thousand years ago to show us the love of God the Father. He did not come to set up just another religion. He came to pay the penalty for our disobedience to God and to give us a new life. The Bible quotes Jesus as saying, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you … Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."

See, Jesus is the only person in the history of the world who is qualified to make that statement. He knew what it was like to be in situations that were out of His control. He had close personal friends who thought that he was crazy, who walked out on Him, and who betrayed Him. If anyone in the world had reason … good reason to feel anxious, it was Jesus. But, He overcame anxiety and the feelings of not being in control by giving His Will over to God.

Jesus prayed to God the Father, "not my will be done but your will." What Jesus did was to humble Himself and was obedient to God’s standards, and God’s will. And that is the key! The road to peace was not found by seeking control but by giving up control to God and following God’s direction.

As you travel life's journey, you can take the road from anxiety to peace. Pray this prayer...

"Dear Jesus, i need help with anxiety please replace it with your perfect peace. Please forgive me of my sins and bring meaning and fulfillment into my life. I surrender my heart to you and ask that you take control of my life now. Thank you."

Taken form Journey Answer .com

Millions around the world are searching for answers to the problems they face throughout life’s journey. Many end up disappointed or disillusioned.

Others, however, have found the answer. These fortunate ones are able to rise above hurtful circumstances and enjoy life at its fullest. Hopefully, you are one of the fortunate; however, if you are not, there is still hope.

We are providing answers to your life issues: anxiety, brokenness, conditional love, death, emptiness, falsehood, guilt, hopelessness, illness, insignificance and shame.

So, we encourage you to look through this Journey Answers’ website and discover the answer for yourself.

You are the favourite of Jesus

I believe in youth! You are the favourite of Jesus; You are the future and promise of the church. You are my favourites. Thus spoke John Paul II, the Pope for our pop generation. No wonder he has been called the ‘Superstar’ and John Travolta of the Holy Spirit. Pope John Paul believed in Youth; in their eyes he had seen the years to come. In the lives of the young he foresaw the spring time of the church and of the world.

Youth are part of his life. He loves them and is deeply concerned about all that happens to them. Hence he seizes every opportunity to meet them, speak to them, to listen to and share their hopes, anxieties and aspirations. He places a tremendous confidence in their capacity to shape a better world for man.

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Love Jesus present in the Eucharist.

Jesus is not an idea, a sentiment, a memory ! Jesus is a person. always alive and present with us !

Love Jesus present in the Eucharist. He is present in a sacrificial way in Holy Mass, which renews the Sacrifice of the Cross. To go to Mass means going to Calvary to meet our redeemer.

Iminent Search

Power of Reading

The power of reading can be understood and perceived only when one has a love for reading and learning. It is often said that we become what we eat. We eat with our hands and mouth. But this is not the only eating that we do. We eat through our eyes through our ear, through our touch. What we eat with our mouth is processed in our stomach and other parts of digestive system. And it is transferred to different parts of our body for further digestion and consumption and storage.

But what we eat through our eyes, our ear, through our touch is processed in our brain. And what we eat we become. Thus what we eat through our eyes as we read is digested in our brain and processed and accordingly our system function.

When we have a healthy reading, within the cover of the single book are ideas if acted upon have the power to re script every part of our life. It helps us to be a better thinker and develop a stronger mind. Relentless learning is one of the main traits of an open and powerful person. It is often said that an obsessive and ongoing self education is one of the greatest survival tactics to get through turbulent times. Perhaps this is the reason for the best people to have the biggest libraries.

Iminent Search

love you jesus

Committed and Permanent Relationship

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Love

Faith promise Hope Carries Love Gives

Even in our darkest hour when meaning seems lost on behalf of our own heart’s desire faith still fights Hope still holds Love still lives

The question in hand is this; is loving really the way to human fulfillment? If I choose to love as my personal life principle, will I find satisfaction and true gratification? Are all the Gospel paradox about love really valid in the laboratory of life? If I seek myself and my own happiness, is it certain that I will loose both? Is the Gospel beatitude of unselfish and unconditional love really the path to true human joy?

Is a life of love which involves a permanent and unconditional commitment to happiness of another, really the way to personal fulfillment and personal satisfaction? Must one rather stay free and unencumbered from all such relationships in order to experience the pleasure, the power and the variety of sensations which life can offer? Is personal satisfaction and gratification the most fulfilling life goal or is it the deepest meaning in life to be found only in a committed and permanent relationship of love? Should we lay our lives and our persons on the line or is it better never to say forever?

How do we love each other? Romantic illusions make us believe that we are ready willing and able to heed the call to intimacy with each other. Our secular literature, websites, facebook , my space, orkut , twitter, films etc. instructs that when love calls we go dashing off across the field into awaiting arms of the beloved. Love may not really call the way we imagine that it should. The disembodied, erotic, ethereal love of either profane or spiritual fantasy may have us go tripping freely among the daisies or floating among the clouds. But when we are touched by the love on the plane of human existence, we undergo both blushing enthusiasm and considerable pain.

Love as the life principle of a meaningful living has not been given the status of a beatitude by present society. In fact there are recent websites films and library which challenges the life principle of love.

It has been an experience that a meaningful life can result only from the experience of love. It implies commitment and dedication to another. Love rejects the question “What am I getting out of this?” as the only criterion of fulfillment. Love understands by direct experience those often quoted words of Francis of Assisi “It is in giving that we receive”. Egoistic concerns and concentration on self can lead only to loss of self. It is a strange and painful paradox we must all learn.

If we never value ourselves we can never value others. When we value ourselves and when we value others we live a sweet memory of having contributed a gift of love to the lives of others.

Love takes time and demands a history of giving and receiving, laughing and crying, living and dying. It never promises instant gratification but ultimate fulfillment. Love means believing in someone in something. It supposes a willingness to struggle to work, to suffer and to join in the rejoicing.

Love should be supported by favourable feelings but it is not by itself a feeling. If it were a mere feeling it would be very fickle reality and those who construct it to be a feeling would be a very fickle people. However one cannot enter into an actual and ongoing love relationship with everyone. One must decide and it must be a careful choice to whom and at what level of commitment one wishes to offer ones love. There love is a decision and a commitment.

Having made such decision on the presumption that my offer of love has been accepted and reciprocated, I am now by my own free choice committed to the happiness, security and well being of the person I love. I will do everything I can to help that person build whatever dreams he or she has. I must ask myself about the place of love I have in my life. If there is any person in my life whose growth and happiness is real or more real to me than my own; if so, love has truly entered my life.

One must be attentive to what the other say and what the other does not say. This means my love is tough not sweet and coddling. I must be able to say empathetic no. but when needed my love will also be tender.

It means, if you have tried and failed and you just need a hand in the hours of darkness and of disappointment, you can count on mine. I may read you wrongly on occasion and misjudge your needs. I have done this so often to so many in the past. But know this that my decision is to love you and my commitment is to your true and lasting happiness. I am dedicated to your growth and fulfillment as a person. If I should fail you for the lack of wisdom or because of the abundance of weakness in me, please forgive me. Try to recognize my intentions and know that I will do better.

In relationships there is no third possibility; love is either conditional or unconditional. Either one attaché’s condition to ones relationship or one does not. To the extend, one attaches a condition one does not really love. One only offers an exchange and not a gift. True relationship must always be a free gift.

One does not win a contest or prove oneself worthy of this gift. It is not a question of deserving ones love. It means, I have no delusion that either of us is the best person in the world. I do not even suppose that of the all available persons we are the most compatible. I know somewhere there is someone who is better for you or me. That is not the point. The point is that I have chosen to give you my gift of love and you have chosen to love me. We gonna make it together.

The very important message of unconditional love is one of liberation. You can be whoever you are, express all your thoughts and feelings with absolute confidence. You do not have to be fearful that love will be taken away. You will not be punished by your openness or honesty. There is no admission price to my love, no rental fees or installments payments to be made. There may be times and days when disagreements and disturbing emotions may come between us. There are times when psychological or physical miles may lie between us. But I have given you the word of my commitment. I have set my word to you. So feel free to be yourself to tell me of your positive and negative reactions, of your warm and cold feelings.

Thus the presence of someone I can love is a call. A call to be true to the best in me. A call to celebrate what I am. To express myself to the truth without fear. To provide a safe heaven for one I love. To give what money cannot buy. To see love behind every gift to grow together towards heights now hidden by fears. To trust the unknown. Thus if we do not nurture what is best in us, aren’t we cheating our loved ones of the best he or she has a right to?