A few favorite Religionators - Vol 01

["Chapter 20) on Bigotry & Exclusivism 251","252","253","254","255","256","257","258","259","260","261","262","263","264","265","266","267","Chapter 21) on Repentance (Loving the enemy) 268","269","270","271","272","273","274","275","276","277","278","279","Dear evangelicals: Either God demands social bigotries and backwards-thinking misogyny, or He desires us to Love others without condition or limitation \u2026 Which is it going to be? 280","281","282","283","284","Chapter 22) on Walking the Talk 285","286","287","288","289","290","291","292","293","294","295","If we want to fully embrace the Kingdom Jesus invites us into, we must enact principles of living that free us from the key things that keep us out of the Kingdom: self and possessions ... While there are several practices that can help us approach the level of selflessness required by The Way of Christ (e.g. purging superfluous possessions, ceasing to acquire needless acquisitions, delaying gratification, extended fasting etc), there are two practices that provide immediate entrance into Jesus\u2019 \u201cKingdom \u2013 two practices that douse the mundane with sacredness and that transform avarice into altruism \u2026 Consider: 1. Radical Generosity \u2026 Find opportunities to give money and possessions away, and do it with a good attitude. If this is hard for you, start small (like we learned in fasting) and let the satisfaction it brings spur you to be progressively more generous. Research some causes that you\u2019re passionate about and find ways that you can give to the cause. Find people in your local area who have a need you can meet, and go meet it. Challenge yourself each year to be more generous than the year before, and even become willing to sacrifice so that you can maintain a lifestyle of generosity. The want to be generous is the only want you\u2019ll never have to fight\u2013 just give into it. If you try this long enough you might actually discover that you enjoy giving your money away more than you enjoy spending it on yourself. 2. Radical Hospitality \u2026 Hospitality is a form of generosity but goes a bit further. Hospitality is what generosity looks like in a relationship. Make your home a place where people can gather and where you serve them. Increase the frequency that you invite guests over, telling them that they don\u2019t have to bring anything \u201cother than themselves\u201d. Through hospitality, you\u2019re not simply being generous but you\u2019re also developing meaningful relationships which are essential to Kingdom living. Furthermore, if you want to show hospitality the way Jesus describes, make sure you\u2019re inviting people over that you normally would not think to invite. One time Jesus told a story about the Kingdom and in the story he says to \u201cgo out into the streets and invite the excluded to come in and sit down at the table\u201d. So, be hospitable, but be hospitable with people who are often excluded. ~ via Benjamin L. Corey (Amen ... Let it be so.) 296","297","298","299","300"]