Jesus is a Paradox. He was a carpenter who later left his home to never own another possession the remainder of His earthly life. He went from an heir of an established Jewish family to a vagabond who had no home but heaven. He exhorted all those that followed Him to embrace the same surrendered life and encouraged them to walk as He did. He was offered fame, fortune and great honorary positions while he was in public ministry and each time He shunned it to take a road less traveled. Because of this, many of His closest followers and friends turned away admitting that His way of life was too difficult and sacrificial. At a defining moment in His ministry one disciple exclaimed, "We have nowhere else to turn for you have the words of eternal life!" Those were the words of true discipleship.

Those that followed Him carried no merit, money or reputation. They could not add to Jesus' ministry or bring Him any wealth or personal enhancement. They brought their tears and broken dreams as an offering and they were gladly received. Jesus offered no guarantees in this life only the promise of a life to come. He had no stock or investment value; if you followed Him you would probably lose everything and give it to the poor. His code of conduct was unbecoming to most and yet millions still persisted in following Him. Can you imagine? He offered you no fringe benefits, no insurance or promise of any earthly success, He could not guarantee retirement or security but only to say, "In this world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer..." He could not give you a tax break if you fed him or helped Him along the way. His only reward was a life discovered in death.

Is it any wonder then that our greatest allies in our own personal lives is a widow in California who works 9 to 5 and still finds it within her life to help? Or the loyalty of a burned out biker turned Jesus freak who drives a broken down outdated hand me down mini-van and yet works countless hours in the streets? Is it any wonder that these are the kind of people that reach down when we are low and lift us up to give us the needed strength to carry on? How could it be that more rejects, widows and seemingly unemployed give more of their finances, time and energy to help us labor for revival than the more established and better equipped to? Let me tell you why, because its the "Jesus Way" and it will always be that way. He has chosen the weak of this world to confound the strong, the foolish and broken down to blow away those more able to do the job, and the poor of this world rich in faith to forever change this present world.

We are not college bred but we know what it means to sleep in the cold and have nowhere to lay our head. We know what it means to be hard pressed on every side and seemingly no place to turn but upward. To lay on a hard prison cell mattress counting the pock holes on the ceiling until your only recourse is to fall on your face and pray. That is our resume and somehow by an unexplainable logic that only Heaven can decipher we are accepted and blessed walking in the favor of God. He calls us beloved and that my friend is worth its weight in earthly accolades and what men deem as success. We live each day as if it was our last realizing that it very well could be. Our greatest desire as human beings and as a ministry is to see a robbed ripped off world restored to the Father. Why? Because nothing, absolutely nothing brings more joy to Heaven than when we do that for them.

In some eternal invisible way you were there in the dirt with the prostitute as the rocks of self righteousness fell in slow motion to the ground. You were there on the beach when legion saw the light piercing his own personal darkness shattering the insane sounds of his sin and in one perfect second he was free. You were there as they nailed those pieces of iron into Jesus' hands and you heard the scorn of one thief and the love and acceptance of the other. Do you realize that the thief next to Jesus that accepted His eternal life was not only being ministered to but he was ministering? In Jesus weakest earthly moment when ALL had forsook him, closest confidante and friend, even His own family, a murdering thief sentenced to death became His minister. In that holy moment grace was defined. In that hallowed exchange between sinner and savior we saw the inexpressible relationship between God and man and the divine gesture that we are co-laborers. We will never be perfect and we will probably never stop trying. But in your moment of greatest duress and utter hopelessness, when you have been mortally wounded in the house of your friends - remember that you are in divine company.

To those visiting us for the first time know to we will continue to lift a clarion call of the lost and downcast and we will continue to be priests that are not untouched by their sin and suffering. Let's launch out one more time and cast our nets on the other side! What awaits us I believe is more glorious that what is behind us and if we can grasp this reality we will see the coming of the day of God! To our judges and scorners we stand with our backs to you and offer no defense. We raise our hands not in a posture of battle but rather worship and ask you to join with us. It is the "Jesus Way."

With love and honor, Chad Taylor info@consumingfire.com