Freezing!

So I went to Magic mountain yesterday and did one of the things I love doing, freezing like a statue. People react to this in all sorts of ways, it is really interesting. Every time a person walks up to me I am trying to predict what their actions will be, that dosen't go so well. People are unpredictable, each one is sooo different. Some of the people can really annoy me when they pinch me, pick me, slap my butt. But those are some of the odd ways people react to me standing there frozen. So despite it just being fun and wanting to tell you about it (whoever "you" is). It kinda is such an example of the body of Christ. People are diverse, people are going to be different. They are going to react to things very differently. Sometimes it will be annoying. But WE have got to love them. Face it, we do a terrible job of loving people. No not just terrible we are failing. YOU AND I ARE FAILING! It's time you and I stop learn to love, we need to love the diversity inside and outside the body of Christ. We may not agree with what they are doing, but WE HAVE GOT TO LOVE THEM.

We Let the Fallen Die

Recently, I watched an episode of a show on ABC called What Would You Do? The show experiments with different situations and sees how people react to them, using hidden cameras to catch their reactions. The particular episode I watched included a section about people falling while walking on sidewalk. How long would it take before someone would reach out and help? The video below is a news clip showing security cameras at a hospital emergency room. In this video a lady collapsed in the emergency room and was ignored for 45 mins.

In New York a homeless man was beaten and then laid on the ground for 19 minutes as people ignored him, walked around him, and a couple of people even loaded groceries in a car as he lay next to it dying. Because no one made an effort to save him, when medical help finally did arrive he was already a dead man.

In the episode of What Would You Do? an actor who was dressed as a homeless man walked along a sidewalk, stumbled and fell to the ground. Person after person walked by and ignored the collapsed man who appeared to be in desperate need of help. After over 110 people walked around and stepped over the man finally a lady stopped and called 911.

When I was thinking about all of this I couldn’t stop wondering a couple things. Who in our own churches have fallen (spiritually), but we are choosing to step around them. Is there someone who is in deep need that you are ignoring? 110 people walked around and over a fallen man on a sidewalk, a woman collapsed on the floor of an emergency room and died because she was ignored for 45 minutes, a bleeding homeless man was walked around for 19 minutes and died because people didn’t stop to help. Who around us are bleeding spiritually? Who are we stepping over, trying to ignore their need? How long will it take for someone to stop 19 minutes? 45 minutes? Will you be one of the 110 people who pass by?

But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’

- Lk 10:33–35.

Are we going to be a people of compassion? Stop ignoring those who hurt! Bind up their wounds! Take care of them. Oil and wine were not cheap in bible times, but he chose to use them anyway. Do whatever it takes to heal those who are hurting, even if that means using precious recourses. Will you care for those around you who are broken (physically, emotionally, spiritually)? Or will you step over those who have fallen and let them die?

Credit Card Christians

Do you put sacrifices on your card?

I had the opportunity to spend a little time "alone" with God. I was sitting in our mall's food court praying for people silently as they walked by. It was a very intimate time with God. It was the first time for the past couple of weeks where I prayed for a long time but I didn't ask for ANYTHING FOR MYSELF. I only praised God and asked him to bless others. It's something I want to learn to do more often. But while I was sitting there, snacking on some french fries and praying, God brought something to my mind. This was it: What do we spend cash on and what do we put on our credit card?

Let me explain. When we use a credit card we are not paying upfront for what we receive. I think this credit card mindset has gotten ahold of our relationship with God. We want God to fulfill all his promises now. We want to be blessed by him NOW, but we are not willing to obey him until later. We like to try and put sacrifice on our card, so we can get the blessing's now. I am not trying to say that we pay for our salvation, we don't. Salvation is a gift from God. This is simply an analogy to help us see our selfishness. What we need to start doing is offering our lives as holy and living sacrifices to God (Romans 12:1).

Jesus already payed the cash upfront. Now we have to love God and love others. Right now we need to stop swiping the credit card and completely hand ourselves over to God and then, only after that, will we have the opportunity to live with God for eternity. So are you going to put everything upfront and allow God to work miracles through you or are you going to keep going with the credit card Christian mindset? Please don't leave a cent in any other place, for this isn't an investment, this is love.

Thanks for reading this and please comment on this or send me an email: magicbymaddux@gmail.com

Brandon Maddux