Radical Christianity

 Do Others Think We Are Radical?

 Are we living a radical life?

Here is some food for thought. Let us examine the verses below.

 Chronicles 21:2-7

So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, “Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring the number of them to me that I may know it.”  … And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel.

Let’s start with King David. Why did he want to know how many people made up Israel?

The bible does not really say but we know that God was not pleased with it. This tells us that David’s motives were not God’s and therefore was not right. Maybe he was feeling some pride by thinking that Israel’s growth was because of him, or maybe he wanted to see how big his army was to determine who else he could conquer. Whatever it was, it was related to some need he had and not to God’s will. Do we do that in our lives? Do we take on projects and ministries based on our counts or do we do it based on God’s directives? Do we do and take on things that would cause non-Christians to ask how in the world do we expect to accomplish it with what we have or do we calculate things the same way the world does? Are we radical in our approach?

What about our churches? We count our congregation every Sunday. Why? Is this to gauge our progress? Is it to see how much revenue we can expect, or Is it to see what else we can do to grow the congregation? After all, who is responsible for growth? Is it us or is it the Lord? Are we too caught up in numbers and figures? Do we not know that if the Lord wants to accomplish a task He will provide all the resources for it? The questions we need to be asking ourselves is:

• Are we working on the tasks that the Lord has called us to?
• What are we doing wrong spiritually?
• In what areas are we outside of the Lord’s will and how can we get back on track?

Some of us when reading the bible gloss over certain things we read by thinking “Oh that’s just a manner of speaking and not meant to be taken literally”. Well I have news for you, God is into details. If I have learnt nothing else from reading the Old Testament I have learnt that. There is no word in the bible (original text) that is not there with specific intent. We as Christians cannot afford to overlook anything the Word says because it does not fit in with our pre conceptions, how we want things to be, with our comforts or because we think the world will look on us strangely. Maybe those scriptures we are overlooking are exactly what are keeping us from getting back on track.

1Kings 17:12-16

So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” … thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’ ” So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.

In this second passage, (1Kings 17:12-16), is a widow who is living a radical life. She has only enough food left for one more day for her and her son but when she learns that God wishes her to share it with a stranger she simply does it without complaint. She followed in God’s will and so did Elijah and as a result God provided the resources and so they never ran out of food. We think we are in bad times right now but Elijah and that widow were in even worse times. You see when we are in God’s will what is happening in the world around us just does not affect God’s plans. His resources are infinite and bad economic times will not prevent Him from accomplishing what He wants. If things are not being accomplished in our lives or in our church, it is not because of any physical or material reasons. It is because of a spiritual reason and we need to be on our knees continuously speaking with the Lord asking Him to reveal what He wants us to do so we can get back on track and fully into His will.

To be radical Christians we have to earnestly seek God’s will in our lives. I mean, we set aside quiet times each day to speak with God, we read his Word and ask Him with all sincerity  to reveal what He has for us to do that day and then do it. As we begin this process, it may seem superficial and empty at first but continue to pursue it and to try to make it more sincere and heartfelt and pretty soon you will be enjoying the sessions. Just as when you are trying to develop a new friend, the first few times may be a little uncomfortable but as you get to know each other better, you begin to look forward to time spent with each other.  It’s the same process getting to know the Lord.

WARNING!!! This is not a bed of roses and if we are sincere and we listen to the Lord; What He asks of us, will not always be easy or will not always make sense to us but this is where that radical living comes in for ours is just to obey. Remember the Lord uses the foolish things to confound the wise. He also knows what’s best for us and when we do what He asks of us, we will find that we will have the best life possible and will find a joy and peace that is unexplainable by man and has no bounds.