Ebenezer Scrooge had a hard time grasping and embracing the spirit and message of Christmas. The rich and self-sufficient always do. Their own personal kingdoms loom so large that they have a hard time making room for God’s Kingdom—and all the poor and lowly riff-raff to whom it belongs.
The Bethlehem Revolution is for all who find themselves at the end of their rope; for those who have hit the wall; for all who have climbed to the top of the ladder only to be pushed off, and can’t find the strength to start climbing again.
“I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we posted Christian memes and Bible verses on our Facebook page, we bashed the demons and online trolls, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking and tweeting about us on social media.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat.” -JESUS
“You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister [on social media] is guilty of murder…Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister [via Twitter] and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.” -JESUS
In this 4-part series we ask, “How would Jesus conduct himself on social media?” Listen to this adaptation of Jesus’ most famous teaching — Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7) — applied directly to online interaction.
We live in rigid and graceless times. “Cancel culture” is the new fundamentalism, and fire and brimstone is preached from many media outlets.
We’ve never needed Mr. Rogers-like leaders more than we do right now.
Here’s the good news for weak and well-intentioned “quitters” like you and me: God will never quit on us!
Nobody wants to die alone, and it’s a gift to be surrounded by family and friends when you go.
Jesus died in the same way he lived: extending grace toward others. He invites us to follow his example.
Ready or not—let’s journey to the cross and let Jesus’ words both woo and rattle us a bit as we remember the night Heaven shed tears on that hill far away.
