I know that I posted
just a few days ago, but this week I have had a lot running through my mind,
and just felt like I needed to get some of these thoughts on paper. You see God
has done some amazing things in several people’s lives over the last few
months, and I sit and watch the change take place in some others, and all I can
say is Thank you Jesus for your amazing Grace and Mercy. But then by the same
token, I hear things coming out of others mouths and I think, how? How can ignorance run so deep in our world
today, as to hear Professing Christians talk like that? And then it hits me
like a ton of bricks. We as a nation, a church, and as individuals, have either
left God out so many times, it doesn’t faze us when we sin, or we have taken
Christ and in our minds, conformed him to us and our way of life rather than us
conforming to him and his example!
I realize
everyone is tired of hearing about it probably, but the Chik-Fil-A turmoil, is
a perfect example of what I am talking about. On one hand you have a successful
businessman, who Loves the Lord and is not afraid to show it, and you have the
ones who are totally against what he said and have tried to turn it into
something it’s not. But you know what; those aren’t the worst offenders in this
whole shindig. The worst offenders are those who claim to be a Christian, yet
walked in to the Chik-Fil-A’s on the Support Chik-Fil-A day, and made comments
like, “I sure am glad you are standing up to them faggots, they deserve it”, or
“ today is no queer’s allowed in Chik-Fil-A day” . I mean really, are you
serious. Here Dan Cathy said not one derogatory word about the homosexual
community. Instead he chose to say that Chik-Fil-A runs there business from a
biblical viewpoint and they support the traditional view of the family unit.
Now, I don’t know about you but that sounds nothing like the trash I just
mentioned earlier. And here is the worst part of it, I have been in Churches to
where if you weren’t a white, heterosexual male or female, then you didn’t fit
the mold they had made for membership in their church, and they would say
things like I mentioned earlier. I had a deacon of a church tell me one time,
we don’t want them type of people here. He then went on to say “Oh I know they
need saving too, but they don’t fit here”. Really? From where I stand everyone
fit’s in Gods Kingdom.
Let’s look at it this way. It’s
Sunday morning in small town southern USA. The Church, made up of White, middle
income to high income members, dressed in fine suits and dresses are just about
to settle down for the beginning of Sunday morning Service with the new Pastor
that was hired sight unseen on the recommendation of the district
superintendent of the denomination. The musicians start to play as the choir
files in, but no one has seen the new pastor yet. He called the head deacon and
said he would be there at the start of service, but he wanted to meet the
congregation all at once as his sudden arrival into the service was actually
part of his sermon. As the congregation starts to sing its opening hymn, the
back door to the church flies open, and in walk’s the new pastor unbeknown to
the congregation. He stands about 5’10” and weighs probably 160 lbs. He has
Long Brown hair that flows down to the middle of his back, which is in a
braided ponytail, and a beard that hangs about halfway down his front. He is
dressed in Blue Jeans with a hole in the left knee, and a T-Shirt that says
Smile Jesus Loves you and has the Wal-Mart smiley face on it as well. His shoes
are nothing more than Sandals which are covered in dust. His wife, a soft
skinned African-American woman, is
wearing a dress that looks like it was sewn from the curtains in an old motel
from the 70’s, and has no shoes on what so ever. The kids, 2 young boys and a
teenage daughter are dressed in ragged clothes, torn from one end to the other,
and have holes in the toes of their shoes. And as they walk to the front of the
church every mouth falls wide open, and there is a silence that comes over the
church, as if it was empty. The wife and
children take a seat on the front pew of the church, as people sitting there
slide to get out of the way. As the pastor walks toward the microphone, he is
approached by the head deacon.
Now George is a
fine upstanding member of the community, even owns the local barbershop, and
people look up to him for guidance, especially in the church. George’s Great
Grandparents were two of the founding members of the church, and his family has
overseen the church ever since it was established all those many years ago.
George comes up to the man (still not realizing it is the new Pastor) and he
says “friend, I don’t mean to be ugly, but you and your family are going to
have to leave”. To which the Pastor, Bro. Thomas Jacobs, replies “why?” The
deacon rubs his face and looks at the man in front of him and say’s “well son,
you and your family, you just don’t belong here. You see this is a well
respected congregation with values we adhere to. We dress in our Sunday best
when we come into the house of the Lord, and we do not mix racially. You know
it just brings down the area when you let those people in.”
Now Brother Thomas
looks at the deacon and then turns and faces the congregation and asks “does
everyone here feel this way? Do all of you share in the opinions of this man?
If so then please do not speak up, for if this man speaks for everyone in this
building I need to know”. As he looked around he saw some heads dropped in
shame and he heard several people say “ Yes we do” and then he also heard a
couple of very faint voices say “no sir not all of us” About that moment George
and two other men came forward towards Bro. Thomas as if to try to escort him
out, to which he replied, “Men I am Brother Thomas Jacobs, Pastor of this
Church, and I would ask that you please take a seat, as today’s message is
about to start.” He took his wallet out and tossed it to the men to prove who
he was, and the moment they realized who he was, they turned and immediately sat
down.
Brother
Thomas stepped up on the platform and he asked that everyone turn to John Chapter 3 verse 16 and he read “For God so loved
the WORLD that he Gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not
perish, but have eternal life” (ESV). And then he said turn to Matthew 19 and beginning in Verse 16 he read “And behold a man came up to him,
saying “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” and he said to
him “why do you
ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter
(eternal) life, keep the commandments. And he (the man) said to him “Which
ones?” And Jesus said “You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery. You
shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, Honor your Father and your
Mother, and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
Now what I
have just written is a fictional happening, for the most part. Many a church in
the US has met its pastor, only to immediately show they are in need of not
just Revival, but true repentance. You see, by people making such comments as “those
people”, and “queers and faggots”, and then turning around and professing
Christ, they have not truly come to an understanding of what Jesus is talking
about in the above verses. If you will allow me let me Para-Phrase these
Verses. Jesus Said that God loved everyone
on this planet so much, that he was willing to sacrifice his own child, so that
everyone who believes in him and repents of their sin will have life eternally.
And all you must do after repentance is to keep yourself clean from sin such as
lying, stealing, adultery and lust, murder, and show respect to mom and dad. But
most important, Love everyone you come in contact with just like you love
yourself!!”
The Church has lost its first love,
which has caused us to forget how to love others and ourselves. I challenge you
to reach out and show God’s love to all. It doesn’t matter if a person is
black, white, red, or pink with polka dots. It doesn’t matter if they live on
Park Place or Trash Drive. It isn’t important if they are Gay, Straight, drunk,
or strung out. Jesus never said only go to the rich, white or heterosexual area
to witness. What he did say is “Follow Me and I will make you Fishers of Men” (Matthew 4:19). He never said we would
be the one cleaning them, he said we would catch them and then he takes care of
the rest. I don’t know about you, but the best part of fishing to me was the
fishing and catching, I never did like cleaning them, and I always let someone
else do it for me, because I knew that if I cleaned them, I would forget
something that would ruin the meat. We are called to go out and fish for Jesus,
and he will do the cleaning. Love those you come in contact with, and show them
Christ. Make them see Christ in you, and they will eventually want Christ in
them.
Have a good
night everyone and remember , The world is hungry for what we as true
Christians have, all we have to do is show them how to have it to. God Bless
and May he keep you safe until next time we meet on these pages.
In Christ’s Love,
Rev. Bill Roy
No comments:
Post a Comment