RADICAL

 I don't particularly enjoy being in uncomfortable positions, as I am sure, no other average human does either. This week I finally was able to get my hands on a devotional book that I have been wanting to read for the past six months that's called Radical by David Platt. 

 In Radical, David describes how to really go about being "radical" for Christ and how to live a "radical" life in Christ's name. It's all about "taking back your faith from the American dream." In this book, the cost of discipleship and the cost of nondiscipleship is expressed immensely. 

  
  How many of you find it hard to be obedient to Christ, -or- to even know when God is really talking to you and your not just being deceived by your own wants and thoughts? *raises hand* I know I struggle with that, actually both of them. As much as I don't want to admit that I struggle with obeying Christ, or knowing when He is talking to me, I know its a weakness that I have in my walk and relationship with Jesus. So...

  What does it mean to be radical? 

  Jesus was a radical and, hence, countercultural and, as Christians, we are to be radical and countercultural as well!  We are never to be satisfied with a status-quo that allows assorted social ills such as poverty, corruption in institutions, discrimination of any kind, or the creation of out-groups that are then demonized and discriminated against “in the name of God,” to go unchallenged. 

 As Christians, we are called upon to “…destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2Corinthians 10:4-5)  These “proud obstacles” come from a variety of sources, some of which come from much of the organized Church itself, and much of these posts will reflect concerns and critiques of such obstacles that are felt to thwart God’s will for our lives and for His Church. To be “radical” denotes going to the “root” or origin. It doesn't mean to be crazy and wild and unstructural.

BEING RADICAL

 Could it be that you wear a T-shirt that says “Jesus is my homeboy”? or maybe it’s because you go to all the christian concerts that come to town. You know what it is and what that looks like! Along with all of your “Jesus Rocks” T-shirts and your vast ticket stub collection that proves you were at all them concerts at the Alive Fest or Kingdom Bound.Is this what it really means to be radical for the Lord? To have all the  memorabilia and outward appearances of being a Christian? But what if your actions don’t coincide with what you're portraying through your wardrobe? I mean, what if you're wearing your favorite “Jesus Rocks” T-shirt, yet you're going around talking and acting like the rest of the unbelieving world? What if one week you're lifting up holy hands with all of your church buddies at a HillSong or David Crowder Band concert and then next week, you are with all of your worldly friends banging your head at a KISS concert? What if people can see your “Jesus Saves” bumper sticker on your car, but do they see the “Save two dollars on your first shot at City Slickers Bar and Grill” coupon that is in your pocketbook?...
  In other words we can all portray something were really not. I can wear a police costume, does that make me a cop? Of course not!It’s not what we wear on our bodies or what we put on our cars or what we have in our homes that make us radical for Christ, it’s our obedience to Him and how we live our lives for Him that makes us RADICAL for Christ.

LIVE IT OUT.

LOVE THE LORD.

BE RADICAL.