They will know you are Christians by your LOVE!

I am a news junkie and it is hard for me not to listen and read the news daily. I also like the social media because I want to know what others are thinking. But, it is  getting difficult for me to read and listen to so called Christians espousing their hate, bigotry and hypocrisy these days, especially on social media. Many proclaim homosexuals cannot be Christians, well I have news for them they themselves are not Christians. 

Christians were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26).  Christians at the time did not call themselves Christians. The term Christian was created by none Christians to define a group of people that followed Jesus’ teachings. It may have even been a term used in a derogatory manner.  The non-Christians (pagans and Jews) noticed how the people that followed Jesus acted. They saw that these “Christians” tried to mimic the life of Jesus.  The title “Christian” was given to the followers of Jesus it was not a term they chose for themselves. The term “Christian” actually meant “little Christ.”

The Christians in Antioch were not known for their hate, venom, being judgmental,  religious pride and good theology. Instead, They were known for acting and behaving like Jesus Christ. I no longer believe that is true for many Christians today.

And they will know you are my disciples by your: rules, traditions, rituals, theology, right wing power, rhetoric, purity, denominations, your condemnation of those you think are evil, and your disgust of those who do not believe as you do.  I do not think that is what John 13:35 says, at least that is not what it says in my Bible. “And they will know you are my disciples by your LOVE” (John 13:35).

If you do not have unconditional love for others they will never know that you are a Christian no matter what you say or do.

What name would non-believers give us “Christians” today? I hate to think of the words that would be used to describe us today, but I am sure it would not be “Christian” - Christ like or little Christ.

If you are truly a Christian you do not have to tell people that you are. They will know by the way you live your life. They know you are by your love of ALL of God’s creation. Where did this idea come from that Christians can use words that make people hate them and in doing so Christ is proud of them?

Telling your gay co-workers they are destine for hell, you are destroying our society, you are trying to convert our children to your way of life, God hates you, God cursed homosexuals with AIDS, God is punishing us with storms because people are beginning to accept your life as normal and the list goes on and on and on - does not win souls to Christ and I do not think it makes you a Christian or a better Christian. Some Christians actually believe telling gays that God hates them is standing up for Christ.

I do not know where you stand on homosexuality or gay marriage and I do not care, but I think the response God wants us to share with those that differ from us is to tell them “God loves you.”  The same is true of how we feel towards Muslims. We cannot hate ALL Muslims because of the actions of a few Radical Islamist Terrorist. A man posted on social media following Peter Theil’s speech at the Republican Convention, “I hope the queer dies before he gets home”. If that is not Radical Christian Terrorism what is? People words like that are RADICAL CHRISTIAN TERRORISM!

Love is the proper (and only) response to ALL people, no matter what they believe or do, if we are followers of Jesus. If you want to represent Jesus to people, don’t do it by hating or condemning them and don’t use the line about how you “Love the sinner, but hate the sin.

How many Christians that are espousing this hate have stopped to think about the fact that the only people who really hated Jesus were the religious people. Those who were condemned and judged by the religious people loved Jesus and were accepted by Him. Could it be possible if the world hates you, but religious people love you, you might not be following Jesus. I pray that never comes to be a reality.

God’s love is UNCONDITIONAL love and it is getting harder to find Christians that have UNCONDITIONAL love.  I am beginning to believe those who love unconditionally, but do not claim to follow Jesus are closer to the Kingdom of God than those who claim to follow Jesus but only have conditional love. If God is love then it only makes sense to me that love must define the character of a Christian or anyone that believes in the one true God.

I have stated many times on this blog it is not what you say, post on social media or how many Bible verses you memorize or how often you attend church, take communion or attend Bible studies that makes you a Christian. Christianity is a lifestyle you choose and try to live 24/7, 365 days a year.

I do not care if you call me a Christian or not, but I do care if you cannot see Christ in me, for if you do not, I have failed my God. I refuse to sit back and say nothing and pretend what some are doing in the name of God (Christians and Muslims) against those that do not believe as they do is okay and that God called them to do it or that they are representing Christ on earth.  

The tragedy in Orlando will define our Christian faith - love/hate

I am sorry, but I simply do not understand some Christians and I am a Christian. We preach ‘grace’, forgiveness, love, not to judge, compassion, humility and etc., but let something horrible happen in the Gay community or let a terrible act of Mother Nature happen and there are some Christians (a minority) that immediately start blaming the Gay Community.  I am saddened by some of the comments posted by Christians on public sites regarding the Orlando terrorist attack – they are totally without any ‘grace’.

I have read, “They got what they deserved”, “I am glad it was a bunch of queers and not black folks”, about the ones trapped in the restroom – “They probably forgot to try and knock a wall out because they were too busy having sex with each other”, “God got those that are destroying our children”, “May they all burn in hell” and “I wish he would have killed them all and someone would attack every gay bar in the United States.”

It is a great time to read Luke 13:1-5. 

Do you think God finds our self-righteous judgment of the Gay Community acceptable? We all sin and come short of the glory of God.  Our righteousness does not come by our deeds it comes through Christ paying our sin debt on the cross. Our heart  is not any less obstinate and wicked than those at the gay bar in Orlando.

If you think God takes delight in the death of the wicked (sinners) maybe you should read Ezekiel 18:23 and neither should those who claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit take delight in their death.

If you believe the Bible states emphatically that homosexuality is a sin before you start talking trash about Orlando and the Gay Community read  Luke 13:34 - Weep over death and the widespread grief that accompanies it and  John 11:35 - But don't utter a word of condescending judgment — because your own sinfulness earns you no less than an eternity under God's anger.

Now is the time to help and pray for fellow human beings who have been hurt. The shooting was a hate crime against the Gay Community carried out by a radical Islamic terrorist, but more importantly it is a crime against human beings made in the image of God, and this should be the only reason Christians need to help those effected by this tragedy. Human beings were hurt and as a Christian, we are called to love and help our neighbor.

I am aware there will be some calling themselves Christians who will celebrate this tragedy. Westboro Baptist Church has already responded by saying, “God sent the shooter,” and, “God still hates fags.” Please do not join them.  If I believed these lies I could not serve the God I do.

As Christians, our marching orders are clear. Jesus tells us, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). Our neighbors have been attacked, and we need to show love to them. Paul tells us that true love “does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres” (I Corinthians 13:6-7). “The Lord is . . . not wishing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9).

I would like to add I do not believe Christians are responsible for this happening as some in the media have claimed. The terrorist that carried out this act did not care what Christians believe concerning homosexuals. He was in no way influenced by Christian teachings. I also do not believe gun control was a factor regardless what gun laws we have he would have gotten his weapon of choice one way or the another. How we respond in this crisis is not a conservative or liberal issue, Democrat or Republican issues it is a CHRISTIAN issue.

Christians must be part of creating a world where the kind of hatred and intolerance which motivated Omar S Mateen simply cannot prevail. We should not listen to men like Pastor Steven Anderson. He said the victims deserved to die. This is the same man that ask Christians to pray that President Obama would die.

Just hours after American’s worst mass shooting came to an end, Steven Anderson, pastor at Faithful Word Baptist Church in suburban Phoenix, unleashed a sickening tirade in which he said the victims deserved to die. The man is a bigot, a lunatic, a bitter/angry man, with a poisoned heart and a disgrace to the Christian religion. As they all do he quoted different scriptures from the Bible that suited his needs and the Book of Leviticus as he tried to justify the terror attack at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub. Let us not forget Leviticus tells us to kill our children if they talk back to us. Christians should not listen to these voices and not just react, but respond in love to this tragedy.

What will history say about today's Christians?

There once were Christians that people may not have understood and did not follow, but they were interested in what these Christians had to say. They were inspired by these strange people called Christians. People would stop and listen to what they had to say instead of running away as they do today.

People were astonished at the courage of these early Christians. Just two months after Jesus’ crucifixion they were willing to preach the gospel to anyone that would listen knowing they could be executed for doing so.

Peter and John were arrested for spreading the words of Jesus. They were jailed and brought before the religious leaders. They stood strong and refused to back down. Fearing a riot the religious leaders let them go with a warning to stop speaking of Jesus. They refused to accept the religious leaders terms.

They leave and immediately meet with a group of followers of “The Way” Christians. The first prayer meeting ever recorded was held on that day. They prayed for God to give them the strength to continue to speak of Jesus with great boldness, fearlessness and confidence in spite of facing all kinds of percussion. They prayed big prayers unlike us that tend to pray small prayers.

Will history say we faced difficult times, but did not fear?  Will history say we remained confident, engaged, not divisive, not judgmental, loving and kind? Will history say the worse things got the better we got and the world was a better place because we were among them? 

Christians today need to remember we do not just go to church we are the church. We may be the only contact nonbelievers will ever have with Christ. We have to let them know we are Christians by the way we live our lives. Will history say people wanted to listen to us or that people wanted to avoid us because we were prejudice, judgmental, selfish, prideful and condemning.  Are we giving people a reason to want to be a Christian or not?