The Jesus We Love

The Huffington Post ^ | 8/19/15 | Richard Stearns, World Vision president

[Faith Presses On]

Jesus is becoming less and less a figure to whom people commit their lives. A Barna survey earlier this year found that while 65 percent of Boomers made a personal commitment to Jesus, only 46 percent of Millennials had. They are also 10 percent less likely to believe Jesus was divine, compared to Boomers.

Jesus may be losing his luster in our culture of decreasing church attendance and religious beliefs. Still, I find there is a Jesus who everybody loves, the Jesus who modeled what it means to show compassion to the stranger, care for the widow, bind up the wounds of the hurting, and heal the sick. This Jesus continues to attract admirers and followers.

(snip)

If Christians are more and more disliked, perhaps it is because we are behaving like those people Jesus so often rebuked. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices -- mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law -- justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former." (Matt 23:23) Jesus says issues of morality are important -- they shouldn't be neglected -- but broader issues of justice and mercy are also essential.

Our job isn't to make America look like Jesus. Our job is to look so much like Jesus that America says, "Wow!" The Jesus everybody loves is full of justice, mercy, and faithfulness, not only outward aspects of morality. These Christians feed the hungry and comfort the grieving. They fight for the persecuted, the poor, and the victim.

[Faith Presses On]

I believe in following Jesus's words and example, though this piece seems to distort them, even if not everything said here is completely wrong, in a way. The Gospel seems to be completely missing, however, and overall it reads like the doctrine of the PC-USA.

[theoldmarine]

You are right. World vision and most of these groups certainly do a lot of “Good Works”, but so does the Aga Khan, the Moslems, USAID, the B’hai’s, the Catholic (schools, hospitals, and etc.) Jesus said go and proclaim the Gospel. Those who proclaim should be walking the walk. But just handing out seeds to people that are not called to repentance toward the God of the Bible and Faith and Obedience to His Son is a tragedy.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Matthew
6 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

[LALALAW]

And do not confuse Government for charity, or use “charity” as a means for promoting Government. Got that Kasich?

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Exactly. Good point.

[aposiopetic]

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Jn 14:15.

[Maudeen]

This Jesus continues to attract admirers and followers.

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I think they forgot about the part where the one and only Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, will ultimately judge the world. We are seeing right before our very eyes the total destruction of America. . .no conscious, no repentance. For Such a Time as This http://www.patburt.com/