When is a Christian not really a Christian
I was reading through my local newspaper today and I ran across a story that really disturbs me.
It seems that a rural Kentucky church has banned interracial couples from membership in their church. The story goes that a daughter of a couple that are members of the church brings her boyfriend when she comes home to visit. The daughter and her boyfriend are a interracial couple. This couple has taken part in services when visiting and have even sang before the congregation. In August the couple was notified that the boyfriend would no longer be allowed to perform before the congregation. Further the congregation voted 9-6 to bar interracial couples from membership in their church.
To me the members of Gulnare Free Will Baptist church have done something wrong. Where in the Bible does it say that interracial relationships are not allowed? Have not read it. As Christians are we to bar anyone from our doors? I believe that violates the great commission in Matthew 28:19, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” In the next verse we are told to teach as Jesus has taught. As I think on this I come to the conclusion that the Gulanre Baptist church is not following the teachings of Jesus. Should we be reminded of the story of Jesus and the woman at the well? She was not a Jew but a Samaritan and her race and the Jews are often at odds. Jesus’ Disciples were taken back with this interaction but through His actions, Jesus showed all of us that the truth of God is not for the Jews nor by extension those that call themselves Christians.
Now I have gone on record saying that those that do not follow the teachings of Jesus nor God’s law should not be ‘members’ of a congregation but I clarified that and said that the doors should not be closed to them either. Those who lead life styles that are contradictory to a Christian life style need to be shown what is wrong about their life style choices and how to correct them. You cannot do this if your doors are closed to them.
Getting back to the issue at hand. No one said that this young couple was not Christian, nor that they lived a non-Christian life style. What they have done is tell this couple that they are not welcome to be apart of their church family because their skin tones are not the same. That is just plain wrong.
I urge the membership of Gulnare Free Will Baptist Church to reconsider their vote, search their hearts in prayer and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The US was founded on the Freedom of Religion, not the restriction of it.
It is my belief that the United States of America is regressing, regressing to the kind of government rule that the founders of this great nation where fleeing from.
In the aspect of religion, those who came to the new world where fleeing religious persecution. Persecution of those who said that you had to worship God in the way that they prescribed or else face imprisonment, or worse. All over Europe it was the same, religion as specified by the government in power.
This is why those aboard the Mayflower came here, the freedom to worship God in the manner that they saw fit. The did not care how others celebrated their faiths, they just wanted to be able to celebrate in the way that they believed proper for them. Ok, yes they did try to convert the Indians to some extent. However, preaching the Word of God and spreading His message to others in a Biblical principle of the Christian Faith.
The truth of the matter is that those who follow the Christian Faith have seen persecution since the founding of the belief that God had appeared to us in the form of His only Son, Jesus. Oh nations have proclaimed to be Christian nations every since Constantine converted. By the truth of the matter is that the only true Christian nation in two thousand years has been the United States of America. Since it’s founding two hundred and twenty six years ago, every one has been welcome no matter what your religious beliefs. And this American government was not going to tell you how to worship God. In fact, communities were set up around beliefs of faith, if you did not agree with that community you moved to another. No harm, no foul. These separate communities still traded with each other as well as with Europe as a whole.
The First Amendment of the US Constitution explains the founding principle of what brought many to this continent.
The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America
The spirit of this amendment was not to restrict the free practice of religion, all were free to express there religion as they saw fit without government intrusion. The United States government was not to endorse nor set up a government sanctioned religion. All are welcome. The United States was never intended to be a ‘theocracy’ even though it was founded on Judeo-Christian values. One only has to read the founding documents and the history of the United States to find this to be true.
Now as I read the news or hear it on the television and radio I see that persecution of Christians has reached the nation of the United States. Those who would wipe out all references to Jesus Christ have been attacking every instance where symbols of Christianity are displayed. Whether it be on public land, private business or in the holiday greetings of individuals, Christ is under attack.
The ACLU has been the driving force to remove all symbols of the Christian and Jewish faiths from public view for years now. The have run rough shod over the American court system finding sympathetic judges and politicians that would bend or bow to their view of a perfect America and thus a perfect world. This organization is the un-official legal power behind all Atheists groups seeking to remove God from the prevue of the public.
To me Atheists is a problematic belief as they have to believe in the power of something to fight against it. We all can recall the aphorism ‘there are no atheists in fox holes’ . This explains that in times of great stress and trouble an individual will look for a being greater than themselves to save them.
Back to my point. These groups such as the ACLU have engaged in a war against the Christian Faith. They see it as a force to be reckoned with. As the founding principles of the United States, these beliefs state that people are free. Free to be who they are and free to believe in what they wish to believe in. The power in this belief is a threat to those who would love nothing more than to set up a set of laws telling people that a system of faith/religious beliefs are bad for the general public and the continued existence of government. Thus, they have sought to destroy the very foundation of the American government. Here is a warning to all those who think that the ACLU is siding with them to further their religious freedoms. When they are done with Judeo-Christian values yours are next. They want no religion in the world whatsoever.
The second reason that the ACLU and groups like them are attacking Christian values and beliefs is that in Christianity, faith is center on one’s own relationship with God and God’s relationship with that individual. This gives the individual personal power not to be persecuted and to be all that they can be in life relying on gifts and talents bestowed upon them from their Creator. This is an affront and completely against the vision of those that believe that every living soul should rely upon a government and those that rule a nation for all that they need. This is at the heart of why these groups are continually attacking Christianity. All one has to do is read the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America to know that the Founders of this Great Nation knew this to be true. Our government was established with the rights of the individual and states that government derives it’s power from those that allow it to exist. Government exists to serve the people, it does not exist to be severed by the people. This is not what these people and groups want. They believe that the people exist to serve the government and any other way will not work. Everything for the government and then the government of men will tell you the individual what you need. Christianity and the founding principles of this nation are standing in the way of that.
I am not calling for a violent Christian revolt. No. What I am saying is Christians and non-Christians alike that believe in the founding principles of the United States of America need to stand up and be heard. Do not allow one or more groups to persecute one religion of system of faith because they do not like it. That is not what America stands for. If a community of mainly Christians want a cross on a public water tower so be it. If Jews, Muslims, or another group want a equal display of their faith, great! Where do you want it? If you don’t believe in any of it then what is the problem? To you it should just be a harmless object(s). So what if it is there? Let people have what makes them happy. Christians are not persecuting Atheists for there views, so why persecute Christians for theirs?
Christians, stand up for your equal rights to exercise you belief as others do. Do not bow to those that are using our courts to silence you. The founding principle of our nation of live and let live as far as religion goes is under continued attack. If you do not do anything about it then we will be returning to the days of religious persecution and you will be the persecuted.
It is hard not to be outraged…
Autopsy, search of house continues in death of 14-month-old
By TIM HAHN, Erie Times-News
What is this world coming to? I have been staring at this story all day on the verge of tears. The tears have now started to fall with the Coroner’s release this afternoon. The woman in custody has two other children and is pregnant again. God help those children, their mother, and all of us as well.
Merry Christmas to all
Merry Christmas to everyone, may everyone come to know what Christmas really means.
“16 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Anyone who believes in Him is not judged, but anyone who does not believe is already judged, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.”
John 3:16-18 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
Politics, Religion, and good taste..
Tomorrow is September 11th, ten years after the attacks on the United States by radical believers that their belief is that America is evil. Here in the United States while most are trying to remember the innocent that have fallen and to honor their memories, all media is awash with two items that if carried through will cause more damage to the healing of America.
Both issues are not legal issues, under law both groups have the absolute right to carry out their plans. Is it a good idea? Arguments both for and against each issue are good and valid. But what about the greater good?
Is stepping all over the feelings and beliefs of another a good idea? Not if you wish to promote healing and good relations. Both issues if carried through could result in more hate, more anger, and even more actions that will further harm everyone connected to this issue.
I urge all parties involved to think and re-think all intended actions. Think about all possible actions and repercussions. Think about the greater good. What is best for all, not just a few. We do not need more hate. What we all need is more compassion, more kindness, and more love.
“Tolerance”, a method to destroy Christianity?
We hear the word and we are told this is the way we need to be. Tolerance, according to Dictionary.com it means;
1.
a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one’s own; freedom from bigotry.
2.
a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one’s own.
Those who say that we must be more tolerant take it further to tell us that we must set aside our beliefs and give way the the beliefs of others. For Christians this could mean committing an unforgiveable sin, to turn away from our Savior and allow beliefs that are against the teachings of Christ to take front stage in everything that happens in our country. In the name of tolerance, God has been removed from many areas of public life. The celebration of the birth of Jesus is being redefined into a secular ideal. Public prayer for Christians is becoming a crime in a nation founded by Christians under the promise of no religious persecution.
Where would our churches be if Steven, the first Christian martyr, (Book of Acts chapters 6 and 7) had stood before his accusers and denied his faith to save his own life. Christians today need to be asked, ‘would you do the same?’
Today many Christians seem content to sit back and let Christ be wiped from public view. No longer can you say ‘Merry Christmas’ with risking scorn from ‘tolerant’ people. Christ has almost been removed from Christmas. God’s Laws, the Ten Commandments, are no longer welcome in places they have stood for years.
To be truly tolerant you respect the beliefs of others but you do not have to replace your own beliefs with theirs. Jesus was tolerant of others but through His words and how He lived he taught others the Godly way to live. He taught, eat, walked, and healed Hebrew and Gentile alike. He corrected intolerant behavior of His Disciples’. He taught the way to God, and corrected the path from God. This is how Christian Missions work today. They go to other areas, often hostile to Christianity, and teach, support, feed, and bring medical aid to those who need it. If the people they help are interested in the Missionaries system of faith they are taught about Christ.
This also needs to be mentioned, Christianity itself is being torn apart in the name of ‘Tolerance’. Factions of Christianity are endorsing lifestyles and practices that are contrary to the Word of God. For years many have been advocating the admittance of those who flaunt their hedonistic lifestyles in the face of God to the point of admitting them to that of clergy and lay-clergy. God must be grieved about this.
People if you are going to be ‘tolerant’ be truly tolerant, respect the opinions of others but do not turn away from what you know to be true. Tolerance is not as many use it, to replace the beliefs of others. In my opinion the United States of America has been one of if not the most tolerant nation on earth. If you think that is wrong, go preach the Gospel in the middle east or far east, and now even in some parts of Europe. Sadly, intolerance of Christian preaching and prayer is growing at a rapid pace now here in the USA. Are we Christians going to allow ourselves to be swept back in to the closed hidden rooms of the very first churches of the first century?
Be ever watchful, my friends, that the word and cause of ‘tolerance’ is not high jacked and used to create intolerance for those who follow the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
What is wrong with people?
What is wrong with people? It seems that no matter who I run into and try to befriend they show their good side just long enough to become friends then you get to know the real person. That is when the trouble begins. About 95% of the people that I try to be friends with wind up just wanting something from me but make themselves scarce when I need something.
Recently I have had problems with some people that just constantly wanted me to drop everything and do what they wanted me to do. Well fine, but what do I do about getting my wife to the doctor appointments that she needs to get to? Just who do I get to complete all the chores and responsibilities that I must complete? Well the stress and strain grew and grew in dealing with these people until I lost it and told them to get some one else to do it while I attended to my wife and my responsibilities. That went over like a lead balloon.
The more people that I encounter the more I notice really have no concern for anyone but themselves. Surprisingly this is to include those who have children. There is a generation of people that have abandoned there children. Have you ever noticed the increasing number of grandparents that are raising their grandchildren? It is a sad thing, a generation of children raised by their grandparents because their parents just couldn’t handle it. Sad but true.
More and more people are constructing walls around themselves in order to remove themselves from those around them. This may be a self preservation mechanism or not. It may even be in response to some type of abuse. This in itself is not a bad thing but when one can not lower those defenses or worse yet chooses not to it is not healthy. Husbands and wives who cannot lower defenses enough to be trusting and honest with each other. Parents who cannot lower walls enough to be close to their children. This all leads to people who cannot relate to one another in any setting. What can fix this? I can’t tell you. I do not know all of you and the solution while it is the same the path to that solution will be different for all of us.
We need to start by asking questions of ourselves. What are we missing in life? What is really important to us? Human beings are social people believe it or not. We were created that way. Why else would we congregate in groups? We seek the company of others. But why can we not get relationships right?
One problem is most of us have trouble admitting that we are flawed individuals. We are not perfect and that bothers us, never the less it is the truth. Being a man of Christian faith I look back to the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. After they had eaten the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil they attempted to cover themselves up and hide from God. This was not because the were unclothed, it was that the know had selfish sight. They now saw things from a different perspective, they began to see that they were now flawed individuals as they had broken the only law of God at the time. They had a new emotion, guilt and they sought to hide that guilt. All mankind since Adam and Eve have had that emotion of guilt and it has led people to judge others in order to make themselves feel better about themselves, ‘I’m ok because you are worse than I am’ is the new mindset that we need to stay away from. It leads us to care more for ourselves than for others.
The flaw in all men and women leads to the concept of “keeping up with the Jones’”. The feeling that ‘they are not better than me’ permeates the minds and hearts of people leading to the ‘I want it all’ attitude to fill what is missing in our lives. We did have it all once, back in the beginning. The side effect that came with the knowledge of good and evil was a big hole with in ourselves that only a renewed fellowship with God can fill. The problem with all of this is that we are still flawed and it takes all we have to maintain that fellowship with God because we are all still flawed. Part of maintaining that fellowship with God is to maintain the right and proper relationships with the others that God has created. The catch in relationships with others is that they may not have regained that relationship with God or they may be at different place in that relationship. The best of us can still fall, especially if we forget our place in creation. We must be humble before God. Part of being humble before God is to be humble in our lives. The word humble being an adjective carries positive and negative meanings, however it is the positive that we are talking about here. Dictionary.com list among definitions of the word humble as these; not proud or arrogant; modest: to be humble although successful, and courteously respectful. These definitions do not point to a lowly person, instead they point to a person that is respectful of others who is willing to serve others when needed without recognition or praise. Can you honestly say that you fit that description? Sadly most of us cannot. What needs to happen is the mindset of ‘looking out for number one’ needs to be modified. The number one that we should be looking out for in God, He should be number on in all our lives not me first and everything else second. If we all lived that way it would be a better place and I do believe that people would get along better.
These are my observations and thoughts offered up for you to think about.
Are you angry with the latest US Supreme Court Decision? You shouldn’t be.
The April 20, 2010 decision of the United States vs. Stevens has a quite a few people up in arms. People are upset claiming the the decision supports animal cruelty. The public of the USA should read the opinion, I am not a lawyer but I get it. They are not in support of animal cruelty the are however in support of the US Constitution.
The majority opinion was not that the subject of these videos are covered under the first amendment but rather that the law attempting to make these videos illegal was too broad in its definition. In other words many videos that are legal to make and sell could come under attack with the law that was struck down. The Outdoor Channel that show numerous hunting and fishing shows on a daily basis could be a target under this law.
The Justices of the US Supreme Court in my opinion were doing their job, up holding the constitution of the United States. I am sure that personally the Justices find dog fighting videos offensive as the majority of Americans do, but their job is and always will be to up hold the Constitution and to operate as the third link in the checks and balances of our government. With out the US Supreme Court think of all the laws that we might have that violate the God given rights that we all enjoy. The men and women that make up the US Supreme Court are human and are not above making mistakes, however as long as they keep the constitution first and politics last they will have my support.
The problem with people.
The majority of people are possessed with what they look like to others and what others think about them when they should be more concerned with what God thinks about how they are living their lives.
