Tag: Love (Page 6 of 7)

Keep YOUR Gospel to Yourself.

On Monday we began hearing stories about an “anti-gay day” organized by some of the students at McGuffey High School in Claysville, Pennsylvania. Since then there have been so many news reports, article, and blogs. The district administration has also supposedly initiated an investigation into allegations of harassment that accompanied some of the “protest.”

The fact that these kids organized a protest doesn’t bother me. I spent two decades in the military to help ensure people are able to freely voice themselves, no matter how narrow minded and bigoted it is. What bothers me is this:

Anti-gay day pic

The fact that they used the cross as a symbol of being anti-gay. I’m kind of getting tired of writing this, mainly to people that call themselves Christians. The fact that this ignorant kid used the cross as a symbol of hate, infuriates me. The cross is a symbol of forgiveness. It’s on the cross that Jesus died to destroy the very thing that this kid is using it to represent: hate.

WHERE’S THE LAW THAT PROTECTS MY RELIGION FROM HATEFUL PEOPLE RUINING IT? ~ TWEET THIS ~

If you read the buzzfeed.com article, it even says that the participating students Instagramed scripture verses and tagged students that they knew are gay. I couldn’t find that anywhere else, but if you can’t believe BuzzFeed, who can you believe? Regardless, even if there’s a sliver of truth to that, this picture still remains. I’m absolutely exhausted from the amount of anger and frustration caused by people, pretending to be Christian, using the Word of God, that was meant to draw people to Him, as a tool to perpetuate their hate. Where’s the law that protects my religion from hateful people ruining it.

To the LBGTQ students at McGuffey High and every other high school that will no doubt have idiots that pick up this idea,

I’m sorry. That’s not my Jesus. That’s hate and Jesus isn’t hate. In fact He’s love. He not only loves you, He IS love. I know there are some harsh verses in the bible and people use them to call you all sorts of horrible things, but they’re ignorant and not taking the whole of the bible for what God said or intended. They’re cherry picking what suits their cause, not God’s. What these students did is the youth equivalent to the Westboro Baptist bullies and it’s disgusting.

Jesus would NEVER condone this type of behavior. I wonder what might happen if Jesus were still walking the earth and a group of people threw a gay man or woman at His feet. I imagine it would probably gonthe same way it went with the adulteress. He would say, “Whoever here is without sin, throw the first stone.” Then He would eat with them, at the disgust of the religious. I’d go to that dinner party.

Please, for the love of my God, if you’re anti-gay, stop using my religion as a means of hurting and hating people. Figure out another way and leave Jesus out of it. Because, when it comes down to it, you’re not really Christians. If you were, you’d know the bible is pro-God and God is pro-people. If He wasn’t, there’d be no cross.

Christianity IS Exclusive.

1289970464vm5TR6There’s a generally held belief, in our culture, that Christianity is some exclusive club. That there are those that are “in” and those that are not. Along with that belief is one that suggests that some Christians think they’re better than other people. The truth is, we are exclusive. As for the people who think they’re better than non-Christians, they’re either wrong or immature and I’ll address that in a minute. As far as our exclusivity, that’s a hard one to deny and I couldn’t even if I wanted to. We are what we are and we’re exclusive.

But, we’re only exclusive to a specific point. If you’re using the word to describe who we let in, we’re not exclusive. Anyone is welcome, everyone is welcome. We are, however, exclusive because of our beliefs. Like it or not, we reject certain beliefs in favor of those set before us in the Bible. Every belief system, not just religious ones, does this. Here’s a list a of a couple of sites that identify our doctrinal beliefs:

Although Christianity is exclusive in what we believe, what actually separates us from everything else is bigger than simply adhering to a belief system. Jesus sets us apart. Jesus, and what we believe about Him, is the defining factor that makes us exclusive. Other religions acknowledge Jesus, either as a teacher or prophet, but it’s only in Christianity that we see Him as God. Even though the thing that sets us apart is our acceptance of who Jesus is, Christianity isn’t just about beliefs, it’s about relationships; with Jesus and with other believers. It’s in those relationships that you see our exclusivity played out. Jesus said, “…all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” He also said, “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” Love is the thing that reveals our exclusivity and extends our inclusiveness. Jesus intended our love for God, love for our neighbor and love for each other to be the thing that brought and held us together. I know that other people love, but it’s things like love never giving up, the rest of 1 Corinthians 13 and love your enemy and praying for those that persecute you that make this a different kind of love. That love, it’s unheard of anywhere else and makes us different.

I think one of the best things about Christianity is, if lived out correctly, everyone, both inside and outside of the Christian community, benefits from Jesus’ commands and decree to love. If Christians take the command to love seriously, than love flows out into the communities they’re apart of and everyone benefits. Our exclusivity isn’t meant to keep others out or scare them away. It’s how God has chosen to set us apart, for the purpose of transforming us into vehicles of His love. Our exclusivity is meant to draw others nearer to God.

From the inside of Christianity there may seem like huge divides between the multitude of denominations and groups, in some cases there are. Sadly, sometimes I think the gap is too wide and there are those inside of Christianity that would assume keep it that way. There was an article on ChristianMag.com recently that spoke to that issue. Here’s the LINK to my response to it. But as wide as the gap is, to those outside of Christianity, we’re all part of the same club. We all share the same belief, no matter how conservative or liberal. In the ChristianityToday.com article, The Wrong Kind of Christian, writer/pastor Tish Harrison Warren addresses this point in context to the university they were attending, but I think it applies to many outside of Christianity. She said, “…in the eyes of the university (and much of the press), subscribers to broad Christian orthodoxy occupy the same square foot of cultural space.” That truth should unite us and draw us to celebrate our unity in Christ.

It’s probably important to mention that not all Christians or Christian communities always do this well, I don’t, and unfortunately it sometimes comes out and sometimes it hurts others. After all, we’re still human. But if that community is seeking to follow after Jesus, then at the least they’re trying to love others and each other well. It’s hard in this culture, but they’re trying. The same goes for those that think they’re better. If they’re an immature Christian, my hope is that a mature Christian is leading and mentoring them away from that. If that’s just what they believe, that remains between them and God. I know that Christian lingo and culture can be off-putting at times, but I’m convinced it isn’t meant to be. I think as more Christians begin to invite non-Christians into their homes and to their tables, this love will become more evident. I fully believe, though some will resist it, the genuine love of Christ is the most attractive thing that ever has or will exist.

What is it about Christianity that you think seems exclusive?

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Top 5 of 2014

FiveI can’t believe another year is gone and let me just say, WHAT A YEAR! I retired from the military, moved my family across the world, started a new job and welcomed our DAUGHTER into the world! Banger year, I say.

As far as blogging goes, I think I did a little better this year. I posted almost 3 times a month. This year I plan on upping that to once a week. I’m also hoping this will be the year that I complete one of my major projects. Anyway, without further a due, here’s the Top 5 of 2014.

1. The Best Gender Reveal You’ll Ever See…

Of course the number one (and two) most popular posts has to do with our biggest news… Hazel Dae. I think it was the most popular for two reasons. First, it was news that a ton of people were waiting to hear. Second, the video (created by my mucho talented friend, Jeremiah Karr) was EPIC and Harry Potter themed.

2. I Fell in Love Twice!

This is the story of our Hazel; from prayer to home birth, it’s all here. It’s a great story about God’s promise and His faithfulness. It also include my perspective on our home birth, which I’m now a huge fan of, and a link to my wife’s blog about the birth story, which is put together so eloquently.

3. Jesus Didn’t Say That!

This post was my offering to the same-gender marriage conversation. Hopefully it contributed in a positive way. The Christian stance on the LBGT community should be the same as with every other “community”… love, without exception or expectation.

4. God Doesn’t Have a Plan for Your Life.This is actually an article that I’d intended on writing for a long time, but wasn’t able to until my frustration hit a point that it had to be written. So many times, during difficult life seasons, well-meaning Christians say, “It’s all part of God’s plan for your life.” without giving a second though to how ridiculous it is to believe that God wrote divorce or a child’s death into your life plan. If we’re talking about Jesus and you say that, kudos to you, you’re spot on! If I’m sharing a personal tragedy and you say it, I may punch you.

5. Repent All Ye Sinners! 

Let me just say, I love Christians. I really do; they’re my people. But we have, and continue to, say some really dumb things. The way we’ve communicated repentance to non-Christians is one of those things. While the intent is always good, the delivery isn’t always the best and the end result can be messy, if not damaging. This article was an attempt to flesh out the idea of repentance for both Christians and non-Christians.

So there you have it, the Top 5 of 2014.

See you in 2015.

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