Ronnie Rasmussen

You Got To Risk It, To Get The Biscuit!

A while back I was talking with some junior high guy students... For those of you that have ever worked with junior high guys, I feel your pain. Only kidding, junior high guys are the bomb! So we were talking about the typical things junior high guys love to talk about: sex, girls, & well sex again. One of the students suggested that when it comes to getting girls you have to "Risk it, to get the biscuit". Of course everyone laughed because let's be honest that's hilarious, and if you're not laughing I'm sorry you don't have a sense of humor. I'll be praying for you. I began to think about it & how there could be two ways this could go, either straight to someone being a pervert or it being leveraged for Jesus. Most of us probably didn't choose the high road at first, saying "I'm going to risk it to get the biscuit for Jesus". And you know that's okay, I didn't, we're not perfect. Here's the deal, God began to speak to me about this & how it could be used for the kingdom. Get your seat belts on, here we go. We as "Christians" have to be willing to risk our: lives, popularity status, comfortable Christian lifestyle, jobs, relationships, ect... To get the biscuit: PEOPLE REACHED FOR JESUS! That's what it's all about gang, it's about giving up our selfish ways & desires so that other people can meet Jesus. Here are three questions I started to ask myself...

Am I caring about what people think?

-For those of you that struggle with insecurity this is a big deal, been there done that. We should only care about what God thinks not man. That's straight Galatians 1:10!

What is getting in the way of me & God?

-This could be anything: having sex before marriage with your girlfriend(be a man & treat her right, respect her!), Being obsessed with money, alcoholism, drug addictions, you get the point. Sin separates us from God, That's why there is Jesus & what he did on the cross! Whatever is getting in the way of you reaching a full life in Christ, get rid of it! You have freedom over it! I will use this verse a million times, Galatians 5:10 it never gets old! 

Would I give up EVERYTHING to live for Jesus?

-I'm SO serious about this! Sell your house! Actually give it away! Some of you are thinking would you really? ABSOLUTELY! If it meant someone getting saved or that's what I felt God was leading me to do, I would do it! Doing what God wants is far greater than what we want, & His plan is better than ours! Plain & simple. Let's use the story of the rich young ruler. (Mark 10:17-29) This guy wants to follow Jesus & Jesus straight up says in verse 21, "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." This guy walked away looking like someone just told him his pet dinosaur died. I'm sorry if Jesus was like go sell everything you have, I would do it in a heart beat. Fact of the matter is most of us wouldn't and that kills me. Do you really think your life here on earth is better than what God has for? It's not & if you do I'm sorry & I'm praying you have a true encounter with God.

You got to risk it, to get the biscuit. My translation: We need to be willing to abandon EVERYTHING to live for Jesus & to reach people for Jesus. Isn't that what being a Christian is all about? I Love you all! You're in my prayers!  

Yelling At Non-Christians For Acting Like They're Not A Christian...

So many times I've seen this happening in our churches, especially in youth ministry. "Christians" get mad at non-christians for acting the way they do. Ha! Go figure! How about instead of yelling at them for not acting like Jesus, you tell them about Jesus! Besides you sin too! I sin, you sin, we all sin. Stop putting yourself above other people. It's like pastor's who preach about sexual purity but yet they can't keep it in their pants. HELLO?!

 Matthew 7:3-5 3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

If "Christians" worried about their own sins & not everybody elses I truly believe that we would see more people running to the church, not from the church. Don't get me wrong nobody is perfect, but if you can't handle a situation where you might fall into sin, then don't put yourself in that situation! What would be your motives in "calling out" somebody's sins who isn't saved...  Here are four questions to help you figure that out...

-Do I want to catch them?

-Am I trying to control them?

-Am I trying to crush them?

-Do I want to cover them?

I would say if you answered yes to any of these questions you probably are doing it to make yourself feel better because of an insecurity. I would reccomend you read THIS!!! Our motives should never be to catch somebody, control anybody, crush them, or to be a cover for them. We should always point them to Jesus! In fact isn't he a professional at saving souls, healing hearts, & changing lives.  

Let's be Christians who: Walk in grace(God gives never-ending grace, shouldn't we?), Love like Jesus loves, & live passionately for him! Examine your heart, find your struggles & overcome them through Chrsit. Kill your sin! Love you all!

Religion Is Like A Diaper Filled With Burnt Indian Food.

In fact pharisees were about religion & last time I checked Jesus wasn't the pharisee's biggest fan. Jesus is about a true authentic relationship where there is no condemnation, no hate, just love. If I could sum up what Jesus is all about in one word it would simply be love. Religion can't save you(sorry to disappoint) but Jesus can. It's sad to think that Christianity is suppose to be about being like Christ but we get caught up in the religious crap that doesn't work! Let's see what Jesus says about religious people... Matthew 23 has some awesome example!

 Matthew 23:13 say's that because of the religious life the pharisees were living they shut the kingdom of Heaven in people's faces & they aren't going to enter. Sucks for them! I don't know about you but I don't want to be like the pharisees.

Matthew 23:15 Jesus calls the religious hypocrites & sons of hell! Ouch!

Matthew 23:33 He hits it out of the park with this one! He calls them a brood of vipers!

Let's strive to be about Jesus not religion! The more ministries I observe that are just straight Jesus there are so many more lives being saved & hearts being changed. In other words God is doing HUGE things when it's Jesus centered! I look at the lives of the disciples & they were all about Jesus. Look at Peter at the end of Acts 2 he preached about Jesus' story & 3000 people were saved! That gets me SO jacked! So I leave you with this question... If Jesus hungout at your ministry would he be calling you & your leadership the things he called the religious in Matthew 23?

Love you all! Religion sucks! Shaba!   

Greatest Story Ever.

True Love by Phil Wickham from Steve V on Vimeo.