Vintage21 Jesus Video

This was a video in a series that Vintage21 did to help relate with the modern thought of church and Christianity. I think it really provokes thought while hitting a real point in the way the world views church. I feel the reason why it's so funny is because it's so true, a jokes not all that funny without a little truth.

Check out their other videos at vintage21/vids and their website at vintage21.com

"What if We Really Loved Jesus?"

I was just contacted by another blogger and told to never contact him again. He said I was harassing him and that he was going to send my information to the FBI. Fine, so be it.

If me sharing with him my heart felt convictions of Jesus is harassment and him professing that Christ is his Savior then I suppose something is slightly wrong. I respectfully emailed back my apologies and let him know I meant no harm. Then I began to wonder.

I began to wonder what we would look like if we really loved Jesus. What would we look like if we really represented Him right? How would we change who we are to benefit those around us for the sake of Christ? What way would we be willing to reform ourselves to bring glory to God and humility to ourselves?

I am so influenced by Paul when he says in 1 Corinthians, 19-23 ,”Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!” (MSG)

So how is it that when we profess to love Jesus we tend to rather oppose others that are not in the same boat as ourselves. We spend quality time with those that are as narrow-minded as we are and yet we much of the time care less for the others around us. I hate that type of person. And in all reality I find myself in that position more often than not. And it’s when I get a reality check from some no-named blogger that I realize I am at just as much fault as they.

Should it start with me? Should I begin to love Jesus and try to be humble in likeness with Him and then wait for others to tag along and try the same? I probably shouldn’t even worry what others think. But then again maybe I should at least try to see from their perspective.

I want the community of theemerge.com to be a place that is tolerant. Not to sin but to people, people that aren't like us. Other people with shady backgrounds, other seekers with broken families and sin so deep it looks unforgivable. I want theemerge.com to reach the broken churched of our modern culture. The believers and seekers that have no family because all their brothers and sisters do is cast their starry gaze at them in contempt. I want theemerge.com to be a place of safety and solitude and also a place of rebellion and revolt against the status quo. I want the community of theemerge.com to actually love Jesus and to be simply changed by that.

Are you willing? Willing to lay down your life for another that probably isn’t even worth it; for someone that you probably would even want to talk or dine with. Don’t you want to represent Jesus rightly?

What if the community of theemerge.com really loved Jesus? Who would come and who would go and what would we all look like? In spite of all our shortcomings and frailty I implore you all; let us love Christ Jesus. In all that we are and all that we do let us practice Jesus. In our work, our play, and our leisure let us wear Christ wherever we are; not preaching, not judging, not condemning, but rather charitable, unspoken, and commending. Let us give preference to others before we give precedence to ourselves. Let us follow our King and try our best to allow Him to mold us into who He wants us to be. And my friends, in doing this, may we persistently and in all authenticity love Jesus with all we have and with all we are. Thanks for listening...

"The Modern Age Of A Fundamentalist"

Theologically, I bet that their church would agree with the majority of the rest of the fundamental nation, hard to believe. So why are these fundamentalist so hardcore? I have heard this lady on the xxxChurch.com podcast in the past and it’s always the same crap. Even Alan Combs thinks this lady has gone off the deep end and he’s an atheist. The funny thing is that every interviewer always tries to bring it back to her sin or her faults. And it never works.



I would like to see a really good bible expositor go up against her and make her cry. It’s honestly people like this that make Jesus out to be the punk that haters think He is.

And then I found this one. This journalist does a better job but man the lady is crazy.



It’s extremely unfortunate to be associated in even a small aspect with dogmatic religious fanatics as this one. Thus, this is one voice that we at theemerge.com would have to draw the line. All I can say is good luck Westboro Baptist Church on your chances of dinner with Jesus.

These guys being persecuted, If you want to call it that.(2.3 MB)

the guys says, "Kiss Fag Ass", in this one, unbelievable...

"The Mars Hill Experience"

This weekend I made my way to Seattle. Now that it’s only about 3 hours away I was destined to travel there sooner or later. My wife lived in Seattle for a year so it wasn’t hard to convince her to go. We primarily spent time in downtown by the fish market and the space needle. We got to experience the first Starbucks coffee house and all the other gross stuff you get in the middle of a big city. However, the experience was fun and amusing to say the least.

The main reason for my wanting to go was to see and experience Mars Hill Church. First, let me say this I have never been to a church that was this amazing. I believe that it is a place that almost anyone would feel comfortable. From the security you feel starting at the children’s ministry to the weekly participation in communion, it’s an awesome place of community. I was expecting something to be wrong or something that I would not agree with but to my surprise I was blown away by the hospitality and the friendliness of all the staff. From every angle and every side I felt comfortable, something that doesn’t happen much too often at a church service for me. I figured if all this was so good than the teaching would be good but not great. I have heard Mark Driscoll teach on many occasions just never in person. One of the usher “ladies” got my wife and me a seat in the second row, something I am also not accustomed to but I was willing because of the welcoming atmosphere. I am a back row kind of guy.

As Driscoll got up to teach I was hoping for the best but expecting a mediocre sermon. As he began I wasn’t so taken because he started with the story of Adam and Eve and linked it all way to Jesus though the meals that have been eaten (Adam and Eve, the fruit in the garden, Passover, Jesus the last supper, and then communion). I’ve heard it a million times before and I began to lose interest, then that’s when something started to happen. Accompanied by the comfortable atmosphere, the dim lighting and the passion of a preacher there’s no wonder why this church is making headlines. Mark Driscoll blew my mind, he almost had me in tears, built me up, beat me down, made me laugh and got me more excited to be going to heaven than I have ever been before. Now that is something very few preachers and pastors can do, mostly when I am the one listening. From the time that he started on the applicable part of his talk I didn’t miss a beat. Almost every allegory, every word, and every story he told was captivating. I was literally humbled. Not because of Mark but because of the One that was speaking through him.

The one thing I was more amazed with than anything was the substance of the sermon. For an emerging missional church there was more talk about Jesus, sin, and the need for repentance than there was anything else. He had to at least reference the name of Jesus 50 – 75 times, something you don’t hear to much these days. And in all that I felt refreshed and revived by the time we participated in communion.

So why is it when I go to almost any local church I find myself uncomfortable and annoyed? Seriously, what’s the difference; dim lights, a few candles, passion maybe? Maybe it’s an anointing? But even the children’s workers were thoroughly great. The people were warm and so inviting. It seems that we are so focused on the “Senior Pastor” that we lose focus on everything else. The greeters seem fine but they’re not on the same mission as the church. The worship singers are good but they seem to be struggling and it’s hard to listen, they’re in their own world. Finally the “Senior Pastor” has arrived, hopefully it will be good. Oh no, we’re in Leviticus again and I am going insane. I can’t handle it; I can’t keep going day in and day out, torturing myself just to be here. I want rest, I want to be revived. I want to experience church for what it really is, fellowship with Jesus. Can’t we please make Him the “Senior Pastor” and let the other guy just be a leader or something. Can our focus be upon Jesus and repentance instead of the one man show?

I believe that when we move away from focusing all our attention on what the main guy has to say then we will have community centered on and around Jesus. It seems that is what Driscoll has done with Mars Hill, you can see it, inside and out. I do also think that movements and churches are lead and started by a one man as they are moved by God, history would teach us that. But when we place all our grievances upon him, that one man, we lose the credibility we had when we used to lay them upon Christ.

Church should be community built in and around Jesus, not a monarchy built around a man.

The church I experienced this weekend was not centered on Driscoll, with or without him the church would thrive. Although he is the man and the name associated with Mars Hill, I saw a church body participating the way it was always meant to, as a whole. From the time I parked my car, walked through the coffee shop, hung out in the foyer, check my kids in, grabbed a cup of coffee, pleasantly seated in the second row, blessed by the music, the dim lights, the powerful communication, and quality candlelight communion, I would have to confess that I had the greatest church experience in my entire Christian walk of almost ten years.

I can’t say that I agree with all that is Mars Hill but it’s the closest I have ever come to an authentic Christian body of believers meeting together congregationally and having Church. I only wish it was a reality in every city of the world. Mars Hill, you rock…thanks for the good times

"Real Reality"

I was reading the headlines this evening and I was intrigued by an article on the amount of Americans killed in the war with Iraq and the protest against it. According to the press 2,526 US soldiers have died since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, according to a tally based on Pentagon figures, the impact of the deaths has rarely dominated headlines. We have grown used to the war headlines and it seems not to effect us the way it did in the beginning. But the amazing thing to me is when we actually give ear to a news break or a statistic, we seem alarmed and surprised.

Think about it. 2,526 soldiers have been killed. They’re dead, gone, by by, no more. When you sit and think about for a moment, it’s a little frightening.

You see, I believe that we as human beings get so used to the daily culture that we live in. We get so comfortable with our daily lives that we don’t seem to be phased by real reality. We live in our cultured bubble and we feel fine, no one will hurt us.

Then that’s when tragedy strikes.

Maybe it’s a death of a loved one, a loss of a spouse, it could be a life long injury or even a huge hit financially, maybe it’s a hurricane or a plane crashing into a building, a bomb on a bus, a child committing suicide or an accident that leaves pain and grief. Whatever it might be, I believe it’s when these events take place that we begin to think in terms of real reality. We begin to soak up what our life is really all about and we begin to ask ourselves the lifelong question, saying, did I live the right life.

It seems also that most people in American culture have been so blessed that we can’t take it any longer. We get so feed up with this life and we want to call it quits.

Its true 2,526 soldiers have died since 2003 but statistics show that 79,137 Americans have killed themselves since 2003. Now, when I hear of people like Cindy Sheehan, being joined by actors such as Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon, going on a hunger strike to bring the troops home I begin to question. I don’t question their purpose or passion but I question their motive. When we have over 30,000 people killing themselves every year here in America what are we doing making headlines by not eating our McDonalds for the day or a week. When there are millions dying each year from disease in the world why do we care to make a political stand? Why not continually raise money to fight cancer and disease here and across the globe rather than crying about who’s right and who’s wrong. Think about it, 2,526 compared to 79,137. I’m not trying to downplay the war in Iraq, I just can’t help but to think in terms of real reality. I am sick and tired of hard core none realist who think so selfishly about their own agendas when there are millions dying without hope annually.

I only pray that Christ would come oh so quickly, that He would bring an end to our pain and our sorrow, so we could be where He is.

Friends may we begin to think in real reality, may we take a moment out of the day and begin to ponder what it is we are really doing. And may we walk upright, making good use of our time, as the day of Christ draws near.

People are in desperate need. What are we going to do?

"Am I really a Heretic?"

As I study church history I see many in the faith took risk that were damaging to their relationships with others that once agreed wholly with their doctrines. It seems that these revolutionaries were once pupils to their fathers in the faith, but with a rebellion to the status quo, these so-called heretics cast off all and desired a deeper calling in their faith toward God. They understood and experienced what the norm was at the time but they wanted more and knew that something was in store for them in the future. They knew that God wanted to move, they seemed to not really know where or what God was doing but they were willing to take those steps which so many seldom take. And I find excitement in this. Why? Because I see people taking risk for the kingdom of God, I see people saying I want more, I see people partaking of more. Christ is everlasting and He is never changing. He is deep, He is so much more than we could ever think or imagine. So why not experience more of Him? Why not go beyond any place we’ve ever been before?

Are we considered heretics, when we say we need change? Are we heretics when we shout out for more, just because our way of believing doesn’t meet up to your standard? Are we in the wrong when we say we want something beyond what we have at this moment? Doesn't Paul say to press on toward that upward call? Doesn't he say to walk circumspectly, redeeming the time? Doesn't Christ say occupy until I come? I feel that we are wasting our time arguing about whose right and who’s wrong, when we argue over meaningless words rather than focusing on our purpose and passion which is Jesus. And why must we defend our stance in such a way that it puts our brother or sister on the sideline and outside of the game entirely?

I believe that there is a passion within our time here and now, a passion that goes beyond who we are and what we are all about. Jesus wants more. Jesus desires more than just our Sunday best. I want to be holy; I want to shine before Christ in everyway possible. And in so doing that I know that I will offend some along the way and I apologize for that, I will try to live Romans 14 to the best of my ability. I want to say that I am more in love with Jesus now as I am considered a heretic according to the status quo. I am for Jesus, His Word, His Revolution, and His Church.

"There but for the grace of God go I."