Christianity is not exclusive

“And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.’”


“And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.’ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”


Some have said that Christianity is exclusive. I don’t believe this. . .


Christ asked for another way. Jesus asked God, “if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me”. Christ was in agony as he prayed, so much so that He sweated blood. If there was another way, he wanted it. And if it were possible, it would have been done, for Christ's prayer would have been answered, by a Father who loved his Son. Christ went to the cross and experienced God’s wrath because it was the only way to bring about our salvation. There was no other option. Our salvation was bought at a great price. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God loved us and did what it took to save us by paying a high price, the only price, He gave His Son, so that whoever believes in Christ should not perish but have eternal life.


Yes, Christianity does say that only those who are in Christ will be saved and those outside of Christ will experience everlasting torment. But this is not exclusive. The calling is not exclusive, it is for everyone who comes. What should be said is that it is the only way and the greatest way for the salvation of mankind. and instead of being exclusive, it is God making a way for anyone and everyone who believes in Christ. His arms are open wide and He calls out, “Come”. And anyone who hears His voice and does come is accepted.

He opens our ears to hear.

A friend of mine came to me and we were talking about how sometimes I get frustrated, not so much because people disagree with me, but because people won't listen. I have known him for years, and he is a much loved brother to me. He told me that it is not so much that people won't listen, as much as they can't listen. He said that has been the case with him. Many of things I have said he was not capable of hearing it at the time. This was good for me to hear, and I hope it will help me to be more patient. God reveals His word not me, as much as I desperately long for people to hear it.

Daddy's little gift

Dare to Love

Love . . . Let it bring us to our knees.

LORD, in loving others, may I lock the door behind me and throw away the key and commit to never leave. And may You send angels to guard the door. Abba, give me wings of eagles to soar in Your love and renew Your strength in me, so that I might run where young men fail; and love and not grow faint. For Love is not a fight; it is something worth fighting for.




Love is not a place to come and go as we please. It is a house we enter in and commit to never leave.

"I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

Dare to Love

Love. . .
Lord, as I love others, may I lock the door behind me and may you send angles to guard the door. G

He opened my eyes to beauty

Love them as I have loved you

A letter written to a friend July 21, 2005

I wrote this in my journal right before you asked me to pray for you last night:

"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." - John 15

This gives us a glimpse into the heart and life of Jesus and how he treated those around Him. They must have been shown much love by Jesus, because they showed much love for one another. Christ loved personally those around Him.

Abba, put this heart in me, allow me to faithfully and fully invest in the lives around me. Let me hold nothing back nor hold on to things that are fleeting, but abandon my life to give. Reveal to me your love. Let me come close to the love of Jesus, in a real and personal and intimate way."

I need prayer for the same thing, to be able to come face to face with the reality of Jesus's love, to experience His tenderness and strength of love, the lion and the lamb. I need to know a love bigger than my own.

Pray fervently for both of us,

Your brother

Saying, "I love you"

There was a little talk, tonight about saying, "I love you" to someone you just started dating. Now, I don't mind saying this to my brothers and sisters in the Lord, but I do believe in a courtship relationship, what I communicate to the girl should reflect my commitment to her; and therefore, I will probably not say these words till I am committed to marriage. In the courtship that I had recently, I found this to be healthy, not just from the perspective of protecting her heart, but also in learning how to communicate with her. I also refused to touch her. It was good. I couldn't just revert to a simple, "I love you" or embrace her. I had to learn to tell her that she was special and that I cared for her in creative and healthy ways. I gained so much. I had to learn to communicate, something that takes work and makes a marriage stronger. Anyways, this something to think about, what do we cultivate in our relationships?

perspective of an outsider

When I was overseas, I was told what to expect about the culture I was entering. Although it was helpful, what I heard was from the perspective of an outsider, and I had to throw a lot of it out. I learned very quickly that I had to get to know the people that I encountered and lived life with, and not an analytic societal evaluation of who they were. I had to allow them to teach me who they were and on my part join them and live life with them.

How often do I not really get to know someone, because I think I already know. We assume someone is angry, sad, needy, weird, depressed, antisocial, or whatever. I assume the socially awkward person will be a burden, or perhaps, I assume I will be the burden to someone and don't reach out. I think I assume a lot, when perhaps I should be learning to love others and making an effort to get to know them, getting in the mud and living life with them. Listening and loving more than coming to conclusions. And when I speak; speaking the truth in love, not assumptions.

"Gracious words are like a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and health to the body."
--Proverbs 16:24