Building Bridges.....

I read in a book that I got from a friend the following sentences: A Zimbabwean young man wrote the following before he was martyred: I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit's power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of his. I wont look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still... I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till he comes, give till I drop, preach till all I know, and work till he stops me. And when he comes for his own, he will have no problem recognising me... my banner will be clear! My banner will be clear, I wont slow down. Powerful, but what stuck me most was the first sentence. "I'm a part of the fellowship of the unashamed". It is true, many Christians will and do admit personal sec

What we in the church usually preach is about Jesus and his "social work" here on earth. This is relevant and very important, but we often forget what is behind the conflicts in and outside the church. Let's be honest; If Jesus just went around healing the sick, caring for the poor he would not have been chased down and put on trial. If Jesus had been in the temple just agreeing with the priests he would have lived here on earth to be an old man. The Jews were expecting and waiting for the Messiah but not the one Jesus envisioned. Jesus did not fit who they expected the Messiah to be. In fact, most of what Jesus did ran contrary to their view of Messiah. Jesus healed people on the Sabbath, just as he would any other day. The Jews were offended by this and said that if Jesus really was the Messiah, he would not go against these religious laws, which they believed to be set up by God. Instead of condemning the prostitutes and thieves, Jesus spend time with them