So you're a Christian? Which one?

Greetings!

As we approach Christmas and the world throws all kinds of crap at us about how to "make it a special one" and "how to please your significant other" and yadda yadda yadda, it's a fine time to reflect and remember why we are Christians in the first place.

We are human. We are created in the image of God, yet we are far from perfect. As a former pastor to our church used to say, "If we were all forced to wear a sign on our backs with the sins we've committed, the outsiders would feel a LOT more comfortable coming into our church for the first time.".

Thank God (I think...) that we don't have to do that!

Billy Graham said, "Christianity is not a religion, it's a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.".  

I like that and the more I've thought about it, the more I believe that it's true.  The more I thank Jesus for the opportunity for that relationship, and the more I thank him for having me back after each and every fall.  Which brings me to the focal point of this post.

A dear friend of mine turned me on to this article about Christians and Ted Haggard and we had a good discussion about it.  As a result, I've thought about it several times every day since then and, while I've watched others who claim to be Christians, I've paid extra special attention to my own behaviors.

In these past several weeks of this current observation, I've found myself asking...  uh... myself, "So Ted, you're a Christian, are you?  Which one of these are you?".

Again, in case you missed the link to the article above, here it is again and it is this article that sent me down that path of thinking (along with much recent New Testament reading):
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2012/december-online-only/going-to-hell-with-ted-haggard.html

And if you're not sure who Ted Haggard is and what offenses he has committed, just use Bing.com or Google.com and the search text "Ted Haggard scandal" to get a brief overview of the transgressions that brought a promising preacher down.

Read. Think. Pray. Observe. Give thanks and ask for forgiveness.

Above all, thank Jesus for what he's done for us and providing a path for a personal walk with him.

Merry birthday of Christ indeed.

Thank you, Jesus.