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.  

We are divided as a Country and as Christians.

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”  Abraham Lincoln is most known for that quote, but actually Jesus Christ said if before Abraham Lincoln even thought of it.  

Our Nation is more divided today than I have ever seen it in my lifetime. It is worse than during the turmoil of the 60’s when Vietnam and Love-Ins were festering topics.

How are we divided well let us count the ways: 

We do not listen to one another any longer. If someone does not agree with us we question their motivation. Immediately anyone who does not agree with our religion or our politics or our views in general are judged stupid and evil. We are no longer willing to have reasonable discussions and reach a consensus on what we have in common and work from there.

There was a time when Republicans and Democrats had difference in opinions on how the country should be run. But, we did not hate one another and try to destroy one another. We had political differences and that was it – simple.  The elections came and went and the losers accepted their loss and we moved on as one supporting the elected candidates. What is ironic is there are far fewer differences in the two parties than ever before and we do our best to destroy each other before and after the election and nothing productive is ever accomplished.

One only has to follow social media to see that we no longer have thoughtful, and respectful discussions. We no longer are interested in trying to win anyone over to our way of thinking, instead with our words we do all we can to turn them away by attacking their sincerity, intelligence and faith.

What happen to LOVE!  Mention homosexuality to some Christians and you will see the most vicious, vile rhetoric come from their heart and their mouths. The Orlando massacre shined a light on the bigotry of some lay and some ministers within the church. For example, “I wish one Saturday night a group of people would organize all around the country and go to every gay bar in America and kill ever single queer in there and that would stop them from leading our children and grandchildren astray”, “They were not afraid in that restroom in that queer bar in Orlando. They were too busy having sex to be afraid”, “My only problem with the dumb terrorist in Orlando was he did not kill them all.”  The list goes on and on and on and the people vow up and down they are CHRISTIANS.

I think some Christians are going to be shocked when they reach the Pearly Gates and find them padlocked. I do not think the words some Christians are using in speaking of homosexuals are the words God wants them to use.  

I realize some Christians say they are  tired of being made into the bad guys. They’re tired of being called the bigots, the haters, etc. I was told by one Christian,  “If I do not speak out loud and clear now to stop the homosexuals one day I may lose my right to do so.” I do not think it is the agenda of homosexuals to prevent Christians from believing as they wish or to take away their right to free speech, but it is their agenda to be able to speak and live as they believe. There are bigots on both sides of the issue and if you do not want to be called a bigot then do not act like one.

At the Indiana Statehouse, Rev. Ron Johnson Jr. of the Indiana Pastors Alliance addressed a roaring crowd: “We’re not here today because we’re angry. We’re not here because we hate people. “We’re actually here,” he said, “because we love Jesus.” He went on to say, “How can government force people to act against their religious consciences — against an unshakable belief that marriage is between a man and a woman?” Has the government ask any Christian to do that?  There are laws about discriminating in a PUBLIC business. The government has only ask that we respect the rights of others to believe as they want, just as the Christians opposed to homosexuality do. 

I heard similar arguments at my Grandmothers church, First Baptist Church of Pratt City, Alabama against integration and interracial marriages. The only words coming from his mouth that I agreed with was, “I’m not asking for special protected class status. I’m asking to be left alone, for crying out loud.” Rev. Ron Johnson that is all the gay community really wants.

For some evangelical Christians, who are led by ministers like the Indiana Pastors Alliance there is no compromise. Expanding the state civil rights law to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes would effectively feel like a betrayal of their constitutional rights.

Not all Christians share their views. Some Christians agree with enacting nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people, including a coalition of mainline Christian denominations and a group of 141 faith leaders who signed onto a letter of support. Bishop William Gafkjen, who oversees Indiana and Kentucky congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said he doesn’t feel that adding to the civil rights law threatens his religious freedom.

Christian’s are more divided today than ever before in my lifetime. There has always been some that thought if you did not belong to their church or denomination you could not go to heaven. There has always been some that thought they were the only ones that knew how to interpret scripture. But, there are some Christians today that are nearly or they are militant about their opinions.

If you believe me to be wrong then next Sunday after church start a conversation with those you just worshiped God with about immigration.  If one person does not explode like a stick of dynamite has been ignited in them - I would be shocked.  A recent National Public Radio report noted, “Immigration is shaping up to be one of the most contentious and emotional topics in the 2016 presidential race.”  Even among us Christians.

We seem to forget that all Americans have immigrants in their genealogy if they take time to go back far enough.  The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 banned racial criteria for immigration. From that time on, people would be admitted “on the basis of their skills and their relationship to those already here” and to find refuge from oppression. The problem is not immigration the problem is that our immigration laws are not being following by our politicians. The law never intended to allow illegal immigration into our country.

 There are approximately 11.3 million persons in the U.S. today without authorization—without some kind of Visa or Green Card. Of these, roughly half came here on a Visa or Green Card that has now expired, and half came into our country by crossing the border without authorization. The problem is not all immigrants the problem is illegal immigrants and whose fault is that they have freely crossed our borders and overstayed their visa’s without any repercussion. If I was from a depressed country and could get to the Promised Land legally or illegally I would. I would especially do so when the President of that country encouraged it. Now this is the question that will set fire under some - would it be legal or illegal today for the Jewish people to take the land of the Canaanites, which is now Palestine? Would the Jewish people at that time be consider illegal aliens today?

The Bible has many references to immigrants—in fact, foreigners, strangers, and aliens are mentioned more than 150 times.

In Leviticus, God says: “When immigrants live in your land with you, you must not cheat them. Any immigrant who lives with you must be treated as if they were one of your citizens. You must love them as yourself, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 19:33-34).

The question of immigrants is complicated today by the extreme radical Muslims. I think the main solution to that problem is strict enforcement of our Immigration Laws. I am not convinced discrimination against any one particular group of people is the answer.

All people that desire to enter our country should be vetted and required to meet stringent guidelines regardless of their religion or country of origin.  I think people should prove they can contribute to the betterment of the United States in the future in order to enter and that seems harsh to a lot of liberal thinking Christians. I think there should be set time limits as to when they must demonstrate they have a command of the English language.  But, I am no longer for discrimination against a certain group of people.  I once was because I feared radical Islamic Muslims.

I disagree with many other Christians on taking in refugees. I am for HELPING and protecting refugees in their own homeland. I do not think as Christians we can stand by and not offer assistance, but to bring their problems to our shores when we already face so many problems I simply cannot support it. If we do allow them to enter the United States I think we have a Christian obligation to treat then as  fellow citizens of the United States.

TO BE CONTINUED

Kim Davis is 'NO" Christian hero!

Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis, who spent five days in jail for defying federal court orders and refusing same-sex marriage licenses, was given tickets to the president's final State of the Union address, an invitation-only event. Why?

Regardless if her religious beliefs are right or wrong she is divisive. Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio, who leads the conservative House Freedom Caucus, acknowledged that his staff gave Davis a ticket. Was it a childish ‘tit for tat’  political move because First lady Michelle Obama invited Jim Obergefell, lead plaintiff in the case in which the United States Supreme Court effectively legalized gay marriage across the nation. A lot of our politicians and religious leaders act like school yard bullies. They continue to perpetrates ‘us vs them’ in America.

After the Supreme Court's decision, Kim Davis cited "God's authority" and refused to issue marriage licenses, despite a series of federal court orders. She quickly became the hero of some in the religious right. Politicians, including presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee, flocked to a rally on the jailhouse lawn during her brief stay behind bars to be seen supporting her in hopes of gaining a few votes. The very two candidates that complain the most on Fox News that President Obama does not obey the law or the constitution was supporting someone who advocated breaking the law.  

Mat Staver, founder of the law firm Liberty Counsel that advocates against gay rights, said he and Davis would be seated in the House chamber "to stand for religious freedom and to represent Judeo-Christian values." Whose religious freedoms were they representing and whose Christian values were they representing – not mine! Kim Davis violated the First Amendment by trying to force her religious belief on everyone. Kim Davis violated a ruling of the United States Supreme Court. Kim Davis violated a number of legal court orders.  

Where was Mat Staver? I guess he had a better seat because he was not shown with Kim Davis. Kim Davis is nothing more than a pawn being used by some in the religious right.  

She took an oath of office to serve the people of Rowan County she violated that oath. A Christian who felt they were being forced to violate their religious beliefs should have resigned, not violated her oath and not violated the law of the land. I would have respected her resignation, but I do not respect her defiance of the law. I think Jesus said, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” The law of the land belongs to the ‘emperor’ not any particular religious group. Kim Davis took an oath in order to work for the ‘emperor’.

She chose to work for the government and she vowed to uphold the law and serve people. When you take an oath for the ‘emperor’, you are also swearing to play by the ‘emperor’s’ rules. If you do not like the rules you try to bring about changes in the rules. You do not ignore them or disobey them. That is what Obama does and people like Kim Davis do not like it, nor do I.

Kim Davis is no Rosa Parks. It does not advance Christians in the public arena to have one of our own attempting to enforce her illegal bigotry and then being rallied around like a modern-day Joan of Arc by our religious leaders. Kim Davis is not a hero; she is a law-breaker, a criminal and a poor role model for Christians.

Kim Davis told a reporter on Tuesday that she attended, Obama's State of the Union address to provide "encouragement" to "all Christians." What is she trying to encourage us to do – revolt, disobey the law, ignore laws we do not like or disregard our promise and oaths? If Kim Davis can violate her oath then why is it wrong for Obama to do the same? If Christians are going to glorify Kim Davis for ignoring the laws she does not like then we not attack Obama when he does the same. 

The three Supreme Court Justices who dissented to marriage equality and who probably did not approve of Obama’s childish attack on the Supreme Court in the 2015 State of the Union  — Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas — showed class and maturity by not attending Obama’s address. Their absence spoke louder than Kim Davis’ presence.

Let us not forget Kim Davis does not always tell the truth, she has a tendency to embellish the truth. Do you remember she and her attorney once boasted of a private meeting with Pope Francis and he embraced her and blessed her? The Vatican later clarified the secret rendezvous was a public meet-and-greet with Pope Francis where a dozen or more participated.

If homosexuals are allowed to marry or not in no way “tramples” on my religious liberties as Kim Davis stated. I am not forced to participate in same sex marriages; I am not forced to change my religious beliefs one way or the other; my denomination is not being forced to perform same sex marriages. I’ve become increasingly convinced that there is no Biblical justification for Kim Davis’ disobedience of the law.

I stand by my claim that government officials who fail to enforce the law are not practicing civil disobedience, but instead are simply violating the rule of law and their sworn obligation to enforce it. They are not forced to hold office or work for the government. They have an option to enforcing a law they do not like — they can resign and then take their cause to the media.

I do not have to do business with someone who uses their freedom of speech to say things that disagree with my religious beliefs. Likewise, I would personally argue that Christian business owners should not have to perform services that they believe violate their religious beliefs. If I felt strongly enough about it I should be trying to get likeminded people to get the Civil Rights Law changed. Unfortunately, I do not have an alternative law that I think would work better. If not forced some business owners would discriminate against race, gender, weight, height, religion, etc.   Kim Davis is a paid government employee, paid by all taxpayers, she is does not own the County Clerks office.

Let us not forget that the Civil Rights Laws are PRIMARILY the results of Southern States (some Christians) refusing to end discrimination against blacks in business, schools and CHURCHES on their own. They had to be forced to do what was right and it was a bloody brutal battle to accomplish it.  

We Christians cannot appeal to the authority of the Constitution or laws when it suits us, but take the law into our own hands when we do not like the determinations of governmental authorities. This does not mean we should violate our consciences or the higher laws of God, but it means we suffer the consequences of conflict between faith and law respectfully, remembering that God’s kingdom is not of this world.