Christians wouldn't act that way - really!

Really: How do they act:

You have a “I love Jesus sticker on your bumper” and you pass me going twice the speed limit in a school zone.

I look in my rear view mirror and I cannot tell if you are pushing me or following me, but you do have a cross hanging from your rear view mirror.

You have a “What would Jesus do?” sticker on your rear window and I am sitting behind you watching you blow your horn and shoot the finger at someone taking too long at the stop sign.

You leave church an when you get to the parking lot you see someone has parked too close to your car and the first thing that comes out of your mouth is “Goddamn fool”.  I witness that two Sundays ago.

Its almost laughable when I see people at church (my neighbor) treating others as if they were mortal enemies. Gossiping behind others backs, silently and verbally wishing for their failure, and coveting their possessions.

There’s nothing wrong with a friendly debate among people of the same or different denominations…but when you end up telling me I am not a Christian because I am Catholic and insist on holding it against me…then you have forgotten what Christianity is all about.

When you post Bible verses on my email and go to church each week and I know you are married and using a singles site on the Internet. It makes me question if I even want to be a Christian.

How do you think you’ll ever be able to convince someone that they should investigate Christianity if their only interaction with Christianity is you and you demonstrate qualities even the unbeliever does not want to have.  Have you ever considered that you’re actually hurting Christ more than helping Him with how you treat others? Do you really think that showing up on Sunday and listening to the band or singing in the choir is going to bring others to Christ?

Christ said that you should “let your light so shine” so that others will want to come unto Him. Is your shining light a a red warning light to avoid Christians? Perhaps you are like a fire hydrant extinguishing any light that might be burning faintly within others.

If you call yourself a Christian…then just start loving others and overlooking their faults. Stop trying to make everyone else pay for their sins. God’s got that under control. Become an ambassadors of mercy instead of trying to replace God by being judge and jury. If you make that change you’ll never have to beg someone to listen to your message about Christ again.

There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t see some conservative going on and on about how the Republican party is the party of “good Christian values” and everyone else (specifically liberals) is waging some kind of war on religion. Going to church doesn’t make someone a Christian. Christianity is based on a belief in Jesus Christ and one’s attempt to live their life based on the values for which He taught.

I have really noticed from the comments following the Orlando shooting on social sites and media sites how many conservative Christians base their devotion to their faith on how strong their opposition is to homosexuality.

These are some other things that I have really noticed over the last eight years -Prosperity minsters make all Christians sound like our religion is based on GREED. It seems some Christians believe Jesus Christi would have an AR-15 strapped to His back - that is not a Christian issue that is a political issue. Christians should be  teaching acceptance and tolerance of others, but many are not.  That we’re all humans and it seems some have forgotten that - we all sin.  That we should treat each other with respect and kindness - calling others derogatory names does not seem to fulfill that Christian obligation. Some of the comments certainly do not reflect love and kindness.  Many Christians seem to have forgotten that whole “love our neighbor” thing. Do we should think we should try and FORCE our beliefs on others and judge them stupid heathens if they do not agree with us - God does not - that is why God gave us ‘free will". God gave us the right to choose to believe or not believe. God said “fear not” why are so many Christians on social media sites expressing fear of those that do not agree with their beliefs – I have faith God will prevail. 

Our actions outside of church are what matters the most to others wanting what we claim to have.

What do you think God requires of us?

God requires all people to practice justice, kindness and humility.  Everyone, even the poor and weak, are to be treated justly. The word kindness is found 247 times in the Bible. There is no question that God requires us to help (serve) others. Humility is to be at the core of our character. We are to give God the credit for the good in our life and God does not like people who boast. We should all ask ourselves regularly how we are living out God’s call for justice, kindness and humility. We make a choice to obey or not.

If God requires justice, kindness and humility from the people then God requires it of the church, since the church is the people of God and not a building. The church should serve members, non-members, believers and non-believers.

Churches that serve those outside the church grow and example of this is Resurrection Methodists Church in Kansas City, Kansas. They give millions of dollars and members time each year to provide services for people outside their church and over the past twenty-five years have become the largest Methodist Church in the world. They live their faith with their pastor setting the example.

Not all churches are like Resurrection Methodists instead of focusing on serving others they are focusing on lighting in the church.  The battle of the music worship war lasted thirty years and was a focus on self and personal preferences instead of God and others. Let’s hope bright lights or subdue lights do not do the same.

What will be your reply when you meet Christ face to face and He asks ‘what did you do for the least of my people’? The choices you make now will determine what you say then so make wise choices. Choices made, whether bad or good follow us forever and affect everyone in their path in one way or another.

Your legacy will be based on the choices you made! If your legacy is based on the choices you made then it is obvious that your choices can affect future generations. Are you making choices that you want your children and grandchildren to model? Choice after choice will write the story of your life.

Unfortunately we are tempted to make emotional choices that satisfy our immediate need or want. We read in Jeremiah, “The heart is deceitful above all things and can be dangerous.” It is easy for us to deceive ourselves to get what we want. We all have talked ourselves into things that we knew in the end might not be good for us. Making debt (buying on credit) is a perfect example of this.

Be honest with yourself and you will make better choices. Ask yourself do you really need that new house or car at this time? Regrets are related to bad choices and bad choices can bring shame and pain that will last a lifetime. Any choice that brings honor to God is a good choice! Any choice that is just, kind and done with humility is a good choice!