How Would Jesus Answer #HWJA in the Debate

I've seen bumper stickers and signs saying, "Vote 4 Jesus". So I was wondering how would Jesus have answered some of those questions during the 2nd presidential debate?

Here is my take.

Jeremy's Question:  What can you say to reassure me, but more importantly my parents, that I will be able to sufficiently support myself after I graduate?

Jesus:  Listen, Jeremiah.

Jeremy:  It's Jeremy.

Jesus' Answer:  No, it's Jeremiah. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Further, I know that you are going to graduate in 2014 and you're worried about your future. Don't worry about tomorrow. Besides look at all the living creatures on this planet...I take care of them. I will supply for all your needs.


Question:  In what new ways do you intend to rectify the inequalities in the workplace, specifically regarding females making only 72% of what their male counterparts earn?

Answer:  Long before either of these two guys, I stepped across gender barriers and reached out to women.


Question:  What is the biggest difference between you and George W. Bush?

Answer:  I would say that one of the biggest differences would be that he is the son of a former president. I am the Son of the Only Living God. Booyah.


Jesus:  Lorraine. Your question please.

Question:  What do you plan on doing with immigrants without their green cards that are currently living here as productive members of society?

Answer:  Listen, the whole world is Mine. I've been accepting people into My house who are not My people for ages. I've also said that everyone that comes to Me, I will give them peace and rest. So get your illegal tails over here.


Question:  Who was it that denied enhanced security and why?

Answer:  It wasn't Me. I was there with them.


Question:  Using specific examples, can you take this opportunity to debunk the misperceptions and set us straight?

Answer:  I'm glad you asked that question. Since I haven't used any statistics yet I'd like to use some now. I am 100% man and 100% God. I know that sounds confusing and the numbers don't add up in your mind but you should know that it works out for your good. Look at it this way, I'm twice as good as anyone giving 100%.

I also am in love with 100% of the world. Regardless of race, religion, or gender. And every single person that puts their trust in Me will live eternally.

Those are the facts.

The Grace Scandal: No Right to Be Ungracious

Matthew 18:21-35 contains the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant that was in response to Peter's question, "How many times shall I forgive my brother?" A servant in this parable was forgiven of a tremendous debt he owed his master only to turn around and have an argument with another servant who owed him very little. When the master heard about this he became angry with the servant and had him thrown in prison until he could pay back what he owed.

In The Grace Scandal:  Grace Abuse I said that we are not meant to keep a count of peoples' sins against us. Here is why:

Our debt to God far outweighs the debt any man can owe us; and God forgave us of it all.

What if you've been abused mentally, emotionally, physically, and/or spiritually?

You still need to give grace.

Our actions toward others should always reflect the grace that we've been given. Not one of us is worthy before God without His grace. So we do not have the right to be ungracious.

What about people who take advantage of you?

It's not about playing dumb to peoples' actions but not allowing their influence in your life. If you know a person is abusive than that person needs to have limited access into your life. You have been given a brain so respond with intelligence and act with grace. Honestly, what rights do you really have? If your life is lived in Christ what can people rob you of here?

Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

That is one of the toughest and pointed statements about forgiveness I believe in Scripture. It clearly says that my forgiveness depends on if I'm forgiving.

That servant should have been very generous toward his friends. He should have forgiven every single debt that his fellow servants owed him. This is a major fault within the church where we received our righteousness from God and so think, whether intentionally or unintentionally, that we are better than the sinners around us. We don't have a special place in God's eyes that isn't offered to every person.

So in our search sometimes to find fault with others so we can feel better about our own faults we become angry and bitter towards those who have hurt us. It's easy to forgive someone of something insignificant; but those who leave wounds that cut deep are rarely easily forgiven. The forgiveness we're meant to show is toward all.

Matthew 5:43-48
You have heard that it was said, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I tell you:  Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The Kim Phuc Story (pronounced "fook") is an amazing story about forgiveness. You may not remember her name but you probably have seen this picture of her:

She was 9 years old when her small village had a napalm bomb dropped on it during the Vietnam War. This picture shows her running down the street naked because the clothes she was wearing had burned off. She had to have 17 different operations. She was angry and bitter towards those who caused her such suffering. She envied those who were "normal".

At age 19 she became a Christian. When she read the words "Love your enemies" she didn't know how. It didn't happen over night. She eventually learned to count her blessings instead of thinking negative thoughts: 

"Why did I get the scars?", "Why did I get burned in the fire?", I thought, "Kim your face and your hands are fine; and your feet weren't burned! You were able to run out of that fire and live!"

Kim went through hellacious pain and agony and carries quite literally the scars of her past. She could easily use them to remind her of the evil of those that did this to her. But instead those scars remind her that her freedom comes when she forgives.

Don't hold a grudge.
Don't be bitter.
Don't live in anger.

Don't let the sins of others be the thing that prevents freedom and grace in your life. You must show grace because you've been shown grace. You have no right not to.

The Best Place To Have Church

The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east...As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. He asked me, "Son of man, do you see this?...When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live." (Ezekiel 47:1-9)

I love coming out of a church service feeling pumped up for God. Many times I'd get into a conversation that would get started by saying, "We had church today!" (Waving my white hanky). I'd get so hungry in a sense for God after that service that I would go to my local Mexican food restaurant and grab a bite to eat. I'd get so full that I'd go home and take my Sunday afternoon nap before the evening service. I've come to wonder now if I'd really had church.

These verses have several implications for those who are True Christians. We could look at the depths of spiritual maturity - from ankle deep to in over our head - mostly the location of the water is what I want to look at.

The shallower the river the closer it is to the temple. The deeper the river the further it is from the temple. Now I believe church, the organization, is important to bring a foundation to its people. Where the people know where they stand in the faith (ankle deep). The church has a great place in teaching and training believers. But they still aren't deep yet. They maybe deep theologically but not necessarily spiritually.

The further we get from the church as an organization to the place where it is an organism we see great depths spiritually.

Now this scripture is telling of how the Dead Sea, which cannot sustain any life because of its salt content, will have fresh life sustaining water.

Our depth in the Spirit depends greatly on how much we impact the "Dead Sea" around us. How Christian am I if I only live my life in Christ at my local church? How much am I like Christ if all I do is hang around saints?

We seriously need to get in over our head in the Spirit of God to where the current takes us where God directs and a long that way give the life giving message to those who are dead spiritually.

Would your community weep if your church suddenly vanished or would it not even notice? A church that impacts it's "Dead Sea" is a spiritually deep community changing organism. The church that has little to no impact in it's community is spiritually dead and is nothing more than an organization.

So maybe the best place to have church is not in a sanctuary but at the local tavern.