Yeah...this is another one of those 'don't ask' things :s!!!

Hello one and all !!

This is going to be a short blog, and its going to be about a very challenging piece of writing I read recently.

My friend Liam (who is ridiculously talented and gifted) talked about how passages from the Bible can sometimes be taken out of context, in order to fit our own personal views. This challenged me immensely on how I as a Christian view what the Bible ACTUALLY says, and not just what I think it says.

When this challenge came to me, I decided to have a long hard look at my bible, and read what its says...We (as Christians) in Ephesians 5 v 1 and 2 are called to be 'imitators of God' and to 'Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us...'. We are also called to be imitators of Jesus ( i kno same thing...but there is a point..), and I find this quite intriguing.

If you read the old testament, and all the parts where Jesus is mentioned (such as Daniel), He is shown to be a being of power and might (Daniel chapter 10). After His crucifixtion (such as in revelation), Jesus is depicted as a mighty warrior on a white steed. But my question is...what was Jesus like on earth, when He was fully man and fully God? How did He conduct Himself, not only in the way He related to believers, but also to unbelievers, and also what was His relationship like with the Father?

No one would accuse Jesus of being weak and feeble. He showed Himself to be a man of character and a warrior, and man who stood by what He believed until death. But the way He showed He was all these things was quite different to the 'norm'. Instead of striding around with a massive sword in His hand, slaying any evil-doers who crossed His path, the qualities He displayed where those of gentleness, kindness, mercy, love, forgiveness. Look at 1 Corinthians 13, these are the qualities Jesus portrayed to every person He meet. These go against everything we as humans would associate with a real warrior, yet Jesus was clearly the mightiest man that ever walked this earth.

Don't get me wrong, I understand what people are trying to say when it comes to this issue, that we are called to be warriors and strong and mature in the LORD and not jsut sit back and be lazy, and I do not dispute that. What I DO dispute is HOW we show strength and maturity to this world that so desperately needs Jesus.

Jesus showed discernment in situations, He knew when to get mad, and when to stay gentle. Even when people were jeering at Him, when He was to be crucified, He CHOOSE to honour God and show love and strength through His silence and actions.

Jesus was a man like no other, because He showed His warrior qualities in a way that was foreign to this world, and is STILL foreign to this world. He was completely 'counter-cultural'. He showed He was a man of stature and strength through silently and meekly getting on with His assignment on this earth, not by puffing up His chest and making sure there was a fanfare whenever He did something.

It is THIS quality we as Christians are to imitate. We are called to be 'counter-cultural'. That means showing ourselves to be warriors in a way that is so different to the way of the world that it baffles and shocks.

Just 2 more things....I want to publicly honour Liam for his words of wisdom. I believe he has really hit the nail on the head, and I pray that his words of wisdom and power reach a lot of people. Also, just to say sorry for lying...this is once again ANOTHER long blog :$.

Anyways, I pray that Christian men and women read this and are challenged by it, I also pray that non-Christians read and are intrigued by it.

Well, good night and God bless.