PJ's Journal

Often times we hear the word balance in relation to how we live.  We tend to avoid extremes and label those who go to extremes as extremists.  But how does this work as a follower of Christ?  As I read about the Apostle Paul, he was a pretty extreme dude (I hope it ok to call Paul "dude").  Here is a guy who went through extreme suffering and imprisonment for the sake of the Gospel.  He writes to the churches in Galatia that he has been crucified with Christ, so his life is no longer under his authority.  He has relinquished control to the One he places his faith in... Jesus.  To the church in Philippi he assures them that he is ready to exalt Christ in life or by death.  He is one who gave up all for the sake of the Gospel.  We are inspired by Paul's example and place him on a pedestal, but we resist the idea of our life looking like his.  Paul simply took the command to follow Jesus seriously!  Do we?  Do we look at our lives and try to "fit" Jesus into them,

What does it look like to live a Christ-centered life?  I would bet that many immediately start thinking about outward activities that a person might do in order to look as if Christ is the center of their life.  For example, one might look at their Bible and think, "Well, if I read this book today then I will be living a Christ-centered life!"  We think too often in terms of doing, and we miss out on fostering what really matters... the heart and mind!  I was reminded of this as I spent some time interacting with Philippians 1:20-24.  The question is a matter of cart and horse.  Which one is pulling the other?  Which one comes first?  I look at Paul's life and see a man who is in prison, and while in prison he is discipling the believers at Philippi through a letter that is deeply personal and transparent. "20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body,

So I have not blogged in quite awhile, yet the Lord impressed on me something that needs to be journaled.  As I was preparing for my Sunday evening sermon, I was struck by some very thought provoking ideas that seemed to jump of the page to me.  I was reading Acts 4:1-31, which is the account of Peter and John before the religious elite of their day.  They were there because they had healed a 40+ year old cripple beggar.  These religious leaders demanded to know what name (or better yet "by whose authority") did they heal this man.  They courageously declared that it was by the authority of Jesus that this man was healed.  So what exactly jumped off the page?  It was the thought that this was the same group of men that Peter acted like a coward in front of just months earlier.  How does one go from being a coward who denied the Lord three times to being a man of courage proclaiming the Name of Jesus as the only one possessing the authority to save?  Well, verse eight clues us

"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." Matthew 6:1 Like most things in life, it is not what you do that is important but why you do it in the first place. This applies to things that most would consider good and things that most would consider bad. The hidden agenda is what Jesus asks us to evaluate. In Matthew 6:1, Jesus issues a warning to his disciples during the Sermon on the Mount. He tells them to be careful! Jesus is asking them to devote thought as to why they are doing their "acts of righteousness". Jesus will go on to talk about a few such acts, like giving to the poor, fasting, and praying. I think all of us can agree that these are good things, and in no way is Jesus telling His disciples to cease doing them. He simply wants them to give thought as to why they are doing what they are doing. I don't know about you, but there are t