If I Had One Shot

If I only had one shot to tell people about who Jesus is, this song would do it perfectly.

I know that the church isn't real reliable but Jesus never leaves us.

A Good Christian?

I'm turning 41 and starting my 6th year as a full time comedian. Undoubtedly I started later in life than a lot of others who perform comedy. It is overwhelmingly a young persons game.

When I was 25, 26, 27 I was weighing heavily going into the ministry in the role of Pastor or Evangelist. I was encouraged to pursue this by several around me until they "discovered" that I didn't have a college degree. When they found that our I was told that I would simply be "too old" to start in ministry by the time I got my bachelors degree and seminary credentials.

If I would have started back to college studies at 28 and followed the usual path of studies I would have finished seminary by the time I was 34.

But I always wondered why all of that stuff qualified you for ministry. Does Christianity require those who pastor and teach about Christ to have a college degree? Is it a prerequisite for me to have a college degree to be able to understand and read God's word and then share it?

I don't know. My gut says no.

I do know that there is NOTHING of demerit to having a college degree at all. Academic study gives you the ability to have exposure too and dig into volumes of historical documents to sort out the twists and turns of the faith since the first century. But does it give you a key to seeing more truth? Does it allow you more common sense to understand what is being said?

I still wrestle with this and can see both sides of the coin, here is an example.

A Preacher at a church I recently performed at gave a message on the "Six Essential Steps of Being a Good Christian".

These six steps included reading the Bible, prayer, tithing, Wednesday night attendance, Sunday School attendance and telling others about Jesus.

This man was seminary trained with a Doctorate in Theology. In my not so humble opinion, that list is primarily, nonsense as it is heavy on "works" and light to nondescript on faith and legitimate substance. Certainly prayer and bible study are important in the life of a Christian but none of the "Six Essential Steps" listed will automatically make someone a "Good Christian".

Christianity cannot and must not be reduced to a list of activities.

Also, if there are "Good Christians" are there then also "Bad Christians"? Those who will just barely limp through because they didn't get the same amount of grace from the blood of Christ that has been portioned out to those people who are "Good Christians"?

The Christian faith is built on and sustained through nothing that you or I can do but simply on the one act of unselfishness by the one who has the right to be called "Good".

Why is it then that we as followers of Christ put so much effort into being perceived as "Good" when we know that at the end of the day nothing we DO will make us "More Christian" than simply Loving God and Loving our neighbor as ourselves.

If that means we simply buy a cup of coffee or open a door or encourage someone, then so be it. If that means we help a neighbor with their roof or shovel snow off the sidewalk, fantastic. Christ is in all of that as much as and potentially more than He is in the routine of being someplace just to convince others and ourselves what a "Good Christian" we are.

Am I off base on this? Would a couple of degree's correct me? Would I be more godly with a degree?

Maybe. What do you think?

Marty Daniels is a Christian Stand Up Comedian from Columbus, OH. You can learn more about his comedy on his website at http://www.MartyDaniels.com.

One God or Another

Is it possible that we have many Gods in the Christian Church?

Sadly, a lot of times we do.

We worship the church that is growing and the pastor that leads that church. Of course there is also the worship minister who deserves to be worshiped for selecting arranging and preforming such beautiful music and then there are the singers and musicians who are so talented...then we worship the goosebumps we get when we hear a certain song and we worship that moment when FELT God was so near...we worship our traditions and we worship our friends and our feeling and almost as much as anything else our position in society and our possessions.

Unfortunately we don't recognize that we do this...I know I don't and it is troubling to me that I can be so blind to this sort of thing impacting my life so deeply and then also to see it many times as an acceptable norm of the "church".

I have done some soul searching and after many years of thinking I disliked the church and the Christian Music Industry, I have discovered that that isn't the case...I love the church and I love the people in the Christian Music Industry but I am convinced that the majority of those people are so busy pursuing their dreams or "call"...they've gotten so deep into the forest that they cannot see it because of all the trees in their way...so it is not DISLIKE it is grief.

I don't have it all figured out and I certainly have my own idols I am struggling to lay down but I want to be reminded of my idols...I want to be reminded that Only Christ can save me...I DO NOT WANT MY HEART TO BE DISTRACTED FROM OR DISOBEDIENT TO the one and only true and living god because it is enticed by another god.

It is not my purpose to point fingers at anyone or anything but I want you to ask God where your idols are and how to lay them down...I also want you to help me see my idols that may be blindsiding me and my walk. Above being a goof ball comedian or a radio guy or whatever else I have been in my life I want to be faithful to the one I owe everything and I want that for you too.