Don’t Kony 2012!

Kony 2012… I’m sure by now I don’t need to explain what it is. Everyone has seen the campaign and I’m sure you’ve all seen the video. I’m not up for Kony 2012 and here’s why…

Ask yourself this question. What will happen to Kony if he’s caught? What do you actually think will happen to him? They are obviously going to kill him. They will find him and give him a sentence and he will receive a death penalty. Well that’s if they don’t just shoot him right away.

So when you support Kony 2012 you support the death of a man. That’s what the Kony campaign is all about. Give Kony a wanted tag and lets find him and then he’ll get punished (killed).

The argument against this is that many people are getting killed because of Kony. If he died then many others would be saved. You could say that killing Kony would be the best thing to do as you save many others. But I want to think what Jesus would do if he was he in person.

Would Jesus be up for the death of a person, even if they deserved it? In John 8 a woman is brought to Jesus. She had been caught in the act of adultery. By the Law of Moses they should stone her. Now remember to Jesus, all sin is unbearable. She is a sinner and she deserves death. She deserves eternal death. Did Jesus send her there? Did Jesus say stone her? No her didn’t. He was more interested in showing her love and saving her.

I’m sure at the time there were men like Kony on the earth. I don’t read any stories about Jesus killing any one or any of the early disciples. Paul could have saved so many people by killing some of the Pharisees but he didn’t.

I also think it’s safe to assume that Kony isn’t a Christian. So if we support in the killing of him then we support sending a man directly to hell. A soul lost for eternity. If Peter or one of the other disciples had killed Paul that would have been it for him. An eternity in hell. But they didn’t. They cared more about him coming to follow Jesus than their own lives. Paul was just like Kony; a man that deserved to die. But he wasn’t killed and he became a follower of Christ. Wouldn’t it be cool if Kony became a follower of Christ?

Let’s pray for Kony and his men. Let’s pray that they find plenty of Christians. Let’s pray that Christ’s love gets shown to them and for a complete change of heart that Kony and his men may fall and the cross in submission and give their lives to follow him. Let’s pray for young Christians that are willing to die themselves before they kill another so that they message of Christ is shown to them. Let’s pray for the invisible children.

As Shane Claiborne might say, I would die for the invisible children but I wouldn’t kill for them.

The Great and Humble King (2)

This is a little extra bit relating to The Great and Humble King.

As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.

Acts 5:15

I thought this verse was really cool because it is what Jesus said in John 14 taking action.

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 14:11-14

We can’t deny this fact. When Jesus says something you can be assured its true. Throughout all Jesus’ time on earth people drew near to Jesus. At the most people would have said something like, ‘if I could just touch his cloak I would be healed’. Then we look at Peter and people are saying, ‘if Peter’s shadow would just fall on me I would be healed.’ Now I’m not making up anything here. Read it for yourself. But I feel this next bit might sound very odd.. Peter had greater works that Jesus. This is something that people struggle to believe. ‘It can’t be! Jesus was God.’ Well it’s true and Jesus said it himself in John 14. Do you actually believe this scripture? Because I look about the place and we should have more than a few people that have greater works than Jesus but I look about and I don’t see it. I look at myself and I don’t see it. Our faith is so weak. Like if it only takes a mustard seed’s worth of faith to move a mountain then my faith must be smaller than a mustard seed.

Again I don’t want this to put Jesus down in your sight. We need to understand that we aren’t greater than God. If you’re reading this and still haven’t read the Great and Humble King post then read it now. Because you really need to understand that Peter isn’t greater than Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit that does these miracles and it is Jesus that is with the Father and it is Jesus’ name that we ask these things by. Peter’s miracles were only greater than Jesus’ because of Jesus.

Again this just fills me with awe of a creator so humble that he would let others do greater works than he did when he was on earth. His humility is humbling and inspiring. But at the same time it makes me question my own faith. I know people always use the excuse about the different gifts the Spirit gives and that not everyone can do miracles. But when I read the John 14 text I see the words ‘WHOEVER BELIEVES’. Not ‘whoever believes except the ones that aren’t gifting in that area.’ As usual, the problem is with us. I feel a need to go and spent time to pray. I feel the need to pray for faith and the Spirit to help me with this. And I think you should as well.

Lastly, our lack of these greater miracles might be because we seek his Spirit for our own needs. His Spirit wasn’t sent to us so that our names could be glorified and praised but it was sent so ‘that the Father may be glorified in the Son.’ So maybe it’s because were so self-obsessed and we want things to satisfy our own ego and pride. Have you ever thought that just maybe, this could be you? That you could be praying, ‘Lord heal this person so your name may be praised,’ and God listens to you and hears, ‘Lord heal this person so I can be praised.’ I’m not saying this is you but it could be. Pray that his Spirit would show you if this is you or not. I don’t want you to go away and let this verse destroy your faith, but instead I pray that this would drive you to have a passion for your life to be all about Christ. After all that’s what it’s all about anyway.