Your View

Your view
James the half brother of Jesus wrote,
“My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.  
Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.  
If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” James 2:1-4.
Sadly all too many people in society judge a book by it’s cover. They see a person wearing a thousand dollar suit and judge him to be good. While a person in shabby jeans with a bit of a body odour is considered bad. This should not be so.
One policeman I know once told me a person in that thousand dollar suit with the expensive watches and rings is just as likely to do something illegal as someone dressed in rags. The only difference is that the well dressed person is more likely to get away with millions of dollars while the poorly dressed person gets away with a couple of dollars.
My point here is rich or poor we are all the same. No matter who we are we can choose to do good or bad.
In God’s eyes we are all equal and as believers in Christ Jesus we need to treat all people the same.
One of my favourite quotes from the American evangelist Billy Graham is ,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge 

and my job to love,”

                                   Billy Graham.

Question: Do you judge a person by the way they look or the way they are dressed?
If a person well dressed were to enter your church congregation for the first time would he or she be treated better than a person entering poorly dressed with a body odour?
If so consider the words of James who states,
“If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” James 2:3-4.
Please think about it.

Sometimes I shake my head

Sometimes I shake my head.
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
                                                                           1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
Sometimes I shake my head when I listen to things that are happening in the United States. Not so long ago I heard of a store that didn’t want to serve gays. They said it was against their belief as Christians.
For me when I heard this I immediately thought of the bad old days of segregation when there were those who refused to serve people because of the colour of their skin.
I wonder would the people who want the right not to serve gays, would they extend that to Muslims, to Atheist?
Would they refuse to serve someone who commits adultery after all adultery is wrong according to Christian belief. Would these people even turn the clock all the way back and not serve people based on skin colour?
Think of the message they are sending. They are claiming to be Christians but are saying to a segment of society that they are not welcome. That is not the way to win souls for Christ.
As Christians we must follow the teachings of Christ. Christ did not discriminate. In Christ’s day tax collectors were considered sinners. Yet Christ had dinner with them. Matthew’s gospel records,
“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples.
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
             Matthew 9:10-13.
In  John 4:6-26, John records Jesus as speaking to a Samaritan woman. Jews and Samaritans didn’t speak to each other at that time. Samaritans were discriminated against. Yet Jesus spoke to this woman, who was also an adulteress.
The fact is we are all sinners. The apostle Paul stating,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
                                                                      Romans 3:23,
That all means all, you, me and all who are living or have ever lived. The apostle Paul states,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8.
Paul also makes it clear that Christians are not to judge those outside the Church he states,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
                                                                1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
Jesus speaking of Himself said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
            John 3:16,17
Jesus showed by example how we are to reach the world. Jesus showed that we are to welcome everyone in love. Jesus told us to love God, our neighbour and even our enemy. He told us to go into all the world and make disciple of all nations. We cannot do that if we discriminate against even one person.
The apostle Peter said,
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
                                                                          1 Peter 2:11,12.
The Writer of Hebrews said,
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14.
A true Christian one who is dedicated to Christ and doing His work in this world will welcome with open arms anyone. They will do there best to live at peace with all men and open a dialogue between themselves and others that they may reach that person to Christ.
I believe as a Christian I and all Christians have a duty to love God, our neighbour and even our enemy. We are to offer in love, the same choice Jesus gave to us when speaking of Himself said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”.
                                                                                 John 3:16-18.
This for me is the most important choice ever offered to mankind.
Unfortunately there are many in the world who think they are Christians but are in name only. Jesus even said,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
                                                                                           Matthew 7:21-23.
It is these people, people who say they are Christians that are not, that distort the message of Christ in the eyes of non-Christians.
Please think about it.

Christians and Discrimination

Christian and Discrimination

“My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.  
Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.  
If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,”  
have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 
Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?  
But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?  
Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? 
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.  
But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.  
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.  
For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. 
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,  
because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!”
                       James 2:1-13
My daughter in law who attends a church that reaches out to the street people of our city told me a sad story.
The church was giving out potted flowers to the people in the church. One of the volunteers refused to give one to one of the homeless people, simply because he had no home.
I can only think how awful this person must have felt. The person was suppose to be a Christian yet showed favoritism simply because he was homeless.
My daughter in law and a few others after the service went looking for this man to give him a plant. It was something very simple but it brought a smile to the mans face.
We as Christians should never show favoritism or discriminate against anyone no matter there station in life or their lifestyle.
All too often I hear Christian evangelist and pastors in the media showing favoritism. They don’t call it that they say they are just pointing out the sin in the person. They judge and say the persons life or lifestyle is going to take them to hell. They discriminate as if one sin is worse than another.
Most of the evangelist or pastors in the media and many who are not in the media, have never taken the time to personally reach out and physically meet with people who live on the street.
They’ve never taken the time to visit the poorest people of their city. They’ve never met a gay man or for that matter a strait man. They cocoon themselves within their ministry and friends.
Thus sadly they all too often discriminate.
I hear a lot of blow hard evangelist in the media preaching against sin and the lifestyles of various groups. But I don’t see them offering in any tangible way the hand of friendship. These men and women do not emulate Jesus.
The gospel of Mark records this,
“When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the “sinners” and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” 
On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” 
                                                              Mark 2:16,17.
I wonder how many of those evangelist in the media have at any time visited the poor on the street. Have socialized with the someone from the gay and lesbian community? Yet they quite often speak out against them.
As I write this Thanksgiving is just a few days away here in Canada. Over the years we’ve opened our house to various people. Some years we’ve squeezed a dozen into our tiny house. They’ve come from all walks of life.
Quite honestly we don’t preach. We play a few games, watch a video usually a non-Christian one, but mostly we talk. It’s something anyone can do.
It is our hope however that we’ve planted seeds in the hearts of those who came out. That our guests will see the Love of Christ reflected in us.
Now I know the Talmud is a Jewish book, not a considered by Christians to be inspired by God but it gives us a truth that we can live by when it states,
“When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, “Have you believed in God?”  Or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual?  “He is asked: “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?”
The Talmud
What I would ask Christians who are reading this, is to look into your heart and ask God to reveal to you if you are showing favouritism to anyone. Ask Him if you are discriminating against someone because of their lifestyle or position in life.
Ask God if you are truly dealing honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow man.
Please think about it.

Equal

Equal

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” 
                                                                                                                     Galatians 3:26-28.
All are equal in Christ. Once we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour we are one with Christ. There is no discrimination and there should be no discrimination in the church.
The apostle James writes,
“My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.  
Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.  
If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,”  have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?...
But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.  
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”  
                                                                                                               James 2:1-4, 9,10.
Sadly over the years I’ve seen discrimination in churches because someone has a few dollars.
Don’t get me wrong we need wealthy people in the church. They help fund the growth of the church and most that I know do it without fan fair.
In the churches I’ve attended you can’t tell who has large bank accounts and who doesn’t.
Still we do discriminate. Here in Canada racial discrimination within church congregations is as far as I can tell at a minimum. Most churches especially the larger ones are very multi cultural and diverse.
However many make Gay and Lesbians and other members of the LGBT community uncomfortable, even unwelcome. This should not be so.
Our churches need to get rid of any prejudges we have and concentrate on ministering to the souls of individuals.
We need to look around us and see nothing but men and women in need of the love of God.
We need to be calling out to all people within our cities, towns and villages with the words of Jesus who said,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 
                                      Matthew 11:28-30.
Jesus never turned anyone away. He never discriminated between saint or sinner, between believer and none believer. Both He and his disciples reached out to the world around them and in so doing changed the world.
This is what we should be doing.
Think about it.