It enchains you.

It oppresses you.

It manipulates you.

It breathes fire upon you.

It is the dragon of religion.

That dragon called self-righteous religion is an enemy of the gospel of grace we find in Jesus.

The dragon controls us with fear.

The gospel compels us with love.

The dragon steals joy.

The gospel brings joy.

The dragon captures.

The gospel frees.

For far too long, we’ve allowed the dragon to dwell among us.

Some even claim the dragon is one of us.

Others say that if we ride the back of the dragon, it will lead us to paradise.

The dragon is sneaky.

Somehow this hideous creature can go unnoticed.

But it leaves a footprint.

It’s shaped like hopelessness or pride.

Some of us will hate ourselves when we don’t think we’re good enough. (Hopelessness)

Others of us will worship ourselves and think we’re better than the rest. (Pride)

Pride is what got the serpent known as satan booted from Heaven.

As recipients, bearers, and communicators of the gospel, we are to be on guard for the dragon.

When we come across that nasty dragon…

Slay it.

With grace.

After all, it’s not about what you’ve done.

It’s about what’s been done for you.

By the King of kings.

In the presence of the King…

Pride is replaced with humility.

Hopelessness is replaced with hope.

And the dragon of religion is replaced by the grace of God.

That’s good news.

Picture a little girl who wanted to fly.

She inflated a big red balloon with helium, shut her eyes, and her imagination told her she was flying.

She loved it.

Her grip on the balloon grew tighter until, POP!, the balloon burst.

The girl opened her eyes and saw her feet on the ground.

She cried because she wasn’t flying any more.

Little did she know, she never was.

The same is true for you and I.

Only the red balloon is our ego.

May we open our eyes before it pops.

Fitting the world in 140 characters or less.

Exploring the world in 140 characters or less.

This is Twitter.

Twitter is a conversation.

When you post on Twitter, you’re either continuing a conversation or creating one.

This is what many Twitter people miss- particularly businessses.

The goal isn’t to pimp yourself.

The goal is to contribute.

Twitter is a pulse.

There are millions of people (and growing) from all over the planet on Twitter.

Is there an easier way to check the pulse of the globe?

Especially without it being controlled by the media, government, or agenda-driven organizations?

Twitter is sociology on steroids.

What are people thinking at certain times of the day.

What events in the world are capturing the attention of the world.

Twitter has really become the new public opinion poll.

It’s an unfiltered collective and full of bias and opinions and that’s what makes it so wonderful.

Twitter is relational.

If you don’t have people that you know, or are getting to know, it’s not fun.

After all, who wants to talk to an empty room?

Sometimes, the best way to get to know someone is to know the little things about them.

Twitter is about the little things.

What people watch, where they eat, artists they listen to, authors they read, friends they chill with, what annoys them, what makes them laugh.

Twitter’s like a perpetual first date.

Discovering preferences, habits, pet peeves, life rhythms, characters, issues, opinions, wisdom, and absurdities.

It’s all contained in the hairball that is Twitter.

Twitter is what you make it.

It’s not Twitter’s fault if you think it’s pointless.

You just haven’t made a point yet.

That’s the beauty of Twitter.

It’s a blank canvas and we are the artists.

Find me on Twitter at twitter.com/jasonsalamun