Points of No Return

Tom drew a line in the dust with his big toe, and said:
'I dare you to step over that, and I'll lick you til you can't stand up. Anybody that'll take a dare will steal sheep.'

The new boy stepped over promptly, and said:

'Now you said you'd do it, now let's see you do it.'

'Don't you crowd me, now; you better look out.'

'Well you said you'd do it--why don't you do it?'

'By jingo! For two cents I will do it!'

The new boy took two broad coppers out of his pocket and held them out with derision. Tom struck them to the ground. In an instant both boys were rolling and tumbling in the dirt, gripped together like cats; and for the space of a minute they tugged and tore at each other's hair and clothes, punched and scratched each others noses, and covered themselves with dust and glory. Presently the confusion took form, and through the fog of battle Tom appeared, seated astride the new boy and pounding him with his fists...

While constantly walking in the freedom of God's unlimited grace it is hard to picture going so far as to not be covered by it. It can't be done. His love is too great. The blood of Jesus Christ has always been around to sanitize our contaminated souls and give us an unblemished start. Unfortunately we must remember that we live in a world FULL of limitations. Imperfect, troubled, and confined. There are a few points in our finite life, that, once crossed, are doomed to stay crossed. There are some consequences that never go away. There is no way to reverse them. The knowledge that we can "clean up our mess" later, be vindicated for our crimes, or "dip our feet in the water" every once in a while is one of the biggest incentives to do wrong. It is much healthier for us to know now than later that some stains stay put, we aren't always acquitted, and sometimes there is a maelstrom just waiting for our temperature-testing toes. Yes citizens, sometimes when we take a dare so often flaunted by the enemy and haughtily throw our coppers down we get a whipping and "scars remain." Besides personal consequences, as we go through life we will also find that people's forgiving tendencies are not as great as those of the Almighty. We are liable to try their patience a little to far, "cross the line" if you will. To quote Matthew Thiessen of Relient K in "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been":

Stop right there that's exactly where I lost it!

See that line? Well I never should've crossed it!

Stop right there, I never should've said that!

It's the very moment that I wish that I could take back.

http://www.playlist.com/searchbeta/tracks#Who%20I%20am%20hates%20who%20I%27ve%20been%20relient%20k

I say all this not to discourage those who may have crossed a line. After all, who am I to make absolutes. With God all things are possible. As long as there is life there is hope and purpose. However, to spare those who have not made that terrible step. Heed.

Test of Time.

"Actions speak louder than words" is the adage so often applied. "Prove it," says the populace. "Show me," says Missouri. And so we do. We, being Christ-followers. Surely you didn't think the truth would be left up to dogmatism. Christianity has stood the greatest test of all. The test of time. I believe some of the greatest evidence for our Faith lies in that alone. A Biblical passage relates the wisdom of the Pharisee Gamaliel:

"When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them. But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be sent outside the council chamber for a while. Then he said to his colleagues, 'Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to these men! Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About 400 others joined him, but he was killed, and all his followers went their various ways. The whole movement came to nothing. After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee. He got people to follow him, but he was killed, too, and all his followers were scattered. “So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!'”
Acts 5:33-39

So you see the movement did not slur at the cross. Rather it was catalyzed. There had been revolutions and uprisings before Christianity with hordes of followers and radicals imagining it to be the cause that would give them passion again. There had been plenty of psychopaths, fakes, and enthusiasts but when something real finally came, it simply could not be snuffed out. It was from the true and living God. Everyone had held there breath uncertain at watching there Saviour being removed from his tree and wrapped up to be buried. Where were "the drums, the guillotine" the Roman Empire struck by divine lightening and Christ reviving back to life to yell "I told you so!" When the chips were down and everyone was scattered would the body still function and thrive? When the "powers that be" fettered there mission would it be enough to contain it? When the head was cut off would the trunk and limbs keep running? The answer of course is yes, no, and yes. Christianity was attacked from all sides, but it endured because it was tied to something, or should I say held together by something much greater than any human force. Something, someone, that defied death and all boundaries and was and is glorified throughout the earth. It's unstoppable because it is real. Nothing can stand this long without genuity. What better word could you give to the agnostic and atheist sheep? This is how we know it's from God. We are all very much together and unified. And we're winning. Not losing. We're fighting harder, but we can't pick up slack because this is WAR! We will take every avenue, every opportunity, every possible route for glorification of the Lord. Nothing has ever raided every window of our lives like Jesus Christ. In the "The Real Jesus" by Marc Martel (Downhere) we are offered a variety of places he's found transport in. Some of the lyrics read:

Jesus on the radio,

Jesus on a late-night show

Jesus in a dream, looking all serene

Jesus on a steeple,

Jesus in the Gallup poll

Jesus has His very own brand of rock and roll

Watched him on the silver screen

Bought the action figurine

But Jesus is the only name that makes you flinch

Oh, can anybody show me the real Jesus?

Oh, let Your love unveil the mystery of the real Jesus

Jesus started something new

Jesus coined a phrase or two

Jesus split the line at the turning point of time

Jesus sparked a controversy

Jesus, known for His mercy, gave a man his sight

Jesus isn't white

Jesus loves the children, holds the lambs

Jesus prays a lot

Jesus has distinguishing marks on His hands

If anybody walks behind the Good Shepherd

If anybody holds the hands that heal lepers

And if you recognize the eyes that see forever, please...Jesus, Jesus

Oh, can anybody show me Jesus

Oh, let Your love unveil the glory, the real Jesus

Oh, can anybody show me the real Jesus?

Oh, let Your love unveil the glory of the real Jesus, the real Jesus

http://www.playlist.com/searchbeta/tracks#The%20Real%20Jesus%20downhere

The list could go on. It's a force that is only getting stronger. And we are disciples to this powerful reality! We can give it all. And what a joy it is to be apart of something this big. Bigger than we could ever be. Not stuck inside the walls of a church but like a fire, everywhere and spreading. We're not letting it die. We're picking up momentum as we go, like a boulder rolling down a hill. We're obsessed to the point of annoyance and anger. Toby McKeehan had it just right in his song "Momentum":

Somebody said you better let go

'Cause they said so

But I could never let this thing go

Don't they even know what that means

They call me obscene

Say I wear my faith on my sleeve

But I ain't here to seek no glory

End of story,

I know the judge and the jury

People always gotta ask who, what, when, and why

But never wanna step to the light

So I hear you say you wanna come and get some

Should I mention I got your attention

Know that I'm a man on a mission, my position is

Momentum

Been on a roll for two thousand years or so

We've got momentum baby

Livin' on the edge of obnoxious

They call me raucous

I'm a freak, I can't stop this

Ardently enthused about God

No hand-me-down nod

Your gonna get all I got

High-steppin' from the twenty on in

Knees to my chin

I'm rollin' deep in momentum

Burnin' with the hard core flame

No shame in this game

I'm followin' my heart not my brain

Been on a roll

Cause we got souls that won't die

And this party ain't over 'til we take flight

You've been told that we come bold on this side

You ain't never known the deal 'til we testify

Cause have you ever heard of turnin' water into wine

And have you ever heard of givin' sight back to the blind

It's undeniable we're droppin' the Truth on this track

Cause once you start an avalanche there ain't no turnin' back

http://www.playlist.com/searchbeta/tracks#Momentum