Red Cups, Paris and Grace

Pray for Paris

Three years ago, I had my first PET Scan in which my internal organs lit up 'like a Christmas Tree,' signifying that I had Cancer; the plague of the Twenty-first Century which knows no boundaries as to race, religion, gender or age.

Time passed and I lost half a lung, an adrenal gland, some lymph nodes, one huge tumor on my kidney and a spleen.
Yet, Cancer did not claim me as its victim; God had other plans and delivered me through to this point tonight.

And it is at this moment that my friends of the Medical World in Cleveland tell me that another 'hot' spot has been detected in my left lung.
My faith is as strong today as it has ever been; yet, I cannot help marveling at the insanity of the world.
I thought we were supposed to be progressing; but it seems just the opposite.

Tonight, we mourn with those who lost loved ones in Paris, regardless of faith, gender, sexual orientation or race. 
And we trust the justice and mercy of God as we mourn the victims of the terrorist attack.

It evades my understanding as to how literally thousands upon thousands of so-called 'refugees' could be allowed into Western Europe, with government approval, without security checks, passports or identification, all originating from the Middle East, knowing radical Islamists seek

to destroy Western Civilization.

It also boggles my mind knowing that in all the pictures of these 'refugees' entering Europe, there was no women or children; only young, war-fighting age men.

I recently read the following quote by Pervez Musharraf:
"Islam teaches tolerance, not hatred; universal brotherhood, not enmity; peace, and not violence." 

I wonder, then, why it is that Muslims are not known for tolerance but hatred, enmity instead of brotherhood and violence rather than peace.

Truthfully, I wonder how long it will be before we are called on by our NATO Allies to Aid Europe once again and exterminate evil, like our forefathers.
But I digress.

One thing I do believe I can accurately speak on is the spiritual nature of current events.
As Paris bleeds tonight, perhaps the Church will become a Beacon, a Light for the hurting masses.
Perhaps...but I don't think so.

Do you know why?

Because, in the United States, Christians are too busy arguing about a Red Cup with coffee in it.

Honestly, this has to be the dumbest thing I've seen in a long, long time.
I mean, seriously, if you are so offended over a coffee cup - why don't you take that outrage down to a homeless shelter or a food bank and put that pent up energy to good use.


At either place, you may write anything you'd like on the merchandise because those receiving it are just happy to have it.

In short, quit looking down your nose at a secular company in a post-Christian society because they don't share our religious views.
They aren't in business to share our Christianity; they are in business to sell coffee → which they do well. 
And honestly, I enjoyed a cup from them on Veteran's Day and I appreciated the gesture.

But again, I digress.

You see, as long as Christians pick these battles, they will die on all the wrong hills and not advance the cause of Christ one inch.
Red Coffee Cups are not a hill on which I choose to die.

The Christian life is not about coffee cups, it's about Jesus.

As followers of Jesus, we should be dispensing His grace; if we would do this one thing and do it well, there would be little time for frivolous protests.

The reason so many have rejected the Church is because they are reacting against a faith that no longer sounds like 'Good News,' as the Gospel is supposed to be.

The current generation of people who do not identify with any faith, the so-called 'Nones,' most don't claim to be atheists; which means that at some level in their life, they are on a spiritual search.
While looking for this spiritual home, if Christians are not emblematic of Christ, and instead place our own rules and thoughts in the mix, the 'Nones' will look past the Kingdom of God.

By His own testimony, Jesus came, 'Full of Grace and Truth.'

For the most part, the Church has got the 'Truth' part of the equation right.
Where we lose the battle, regardless of denomination, is when it come to grace.

The Apostle Paul called the concept of grace, 'incomparable riches.'
He was right.

Sadly, we find many within the Body of Christ who have received this wealth of God's grace and remain poverty stricken.

Many years ago, Jesus of Nazareth was in Samaria and met who is now known as 'the Woman at the Well.'
We don't know her name, the circumstances weren't even right for Jesus to be at the well to meet this woman; most self-respecting Jews went around the entire country because of prejudice.
The Woman at the Well had been with many men, married several times and 'shacking up' with

a man who wasn't her husband at the time she met Jesus.

Jesus met her where she was at in life, offered her grace through the invitation of 'Living Water' because He knew she was spiritually thirsty.

Like the Samaritan woman, people do not need a judgment from a Christian about how they live their life.
What they need, is what everybody needs at some point; something which will quench the thirst of their soul.

Every person needs a solution to the guilt which is in our hearts.

When the Woman at the Well received the 'Living Water' of Grace from Jesus, she was ecstatic; nothing like what she experienced had ever been experienced before. 
The result → Grace so welcoming and powerful that for two days it attracted followers to Jesus. 

The Woman became a dispenser of grace, wanting others to know how they too could have their spiritual thirst quenched and the guilt eradicated.

Society today is called 'Post-Modern,' and at some level, many places are also 'Post-Christian' although no Christian wants to accept it.
To accept society as 'Post-Christian' some believe they would be admitting defeat.

I don't believe that is accurate because you and I need to be honest and accurate if we are going to become dispensers of God's grace in the world today.

Quite possibly, the solution begins by you and I not looking at the differences others may have with us; but rather, seeing people through the eye of faith as 'thirsty'.
The only way this works is if you and I seek to see people as Jesus saw them; in need of Living Water.

But you and I also have to come to an understanding about dispensing God's Grace; the fact is that some people will reject it.

Humanity has the same basic needs throughout the world; especially on an individual level.
Secular individuals and Christians are going to disagree as to how to eliminate hunger, homelessness, economic depressions, and every other need.

In our effort to give grace, not everyone is going to choose the Living Water of Jesus.


The Christian isn't responsible for the decisions another person makes about Jesus; you and I are, however, responsible for how you have represented Him in this life and how you have lived.
In other words, how you lived, acted and spoke → Did it make anyone 'thirsty?'

Until next time, let's make them thirsty and win one for the good guys.

What We Are For

'They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."'

                                                                                                  ~ Acts 1:11 


Every time I read the above passage, it reminds me that so many times those of us who are Christians just stand around watching.
It is as if we are expecting God to do something for us.

Well, He already did.

In sending His Son to die on a Cross for the sin of the world, God made a rather large and loving commitment.
The Christian is the one through whom God has now chosen to move through and touch the world with our hands.

And it is true...God does touch humanity through the hands of His people.

Nobody, not one person or group aside from those called 'Christians' have ever produced the monumental works of art, literature, music or statesmen.
Christianity has indeed contributed more to the world than any other faith, religion or people.

Yet, this is not what is thought of today in America when the term, Evangelical Christian is mentioned.

The reason is because the Spirit by which Michelangelo painted, 'The Creation of Adam' is often not seen locally through our lives.

Instead, often Christians act smugly and arrogantly toward those who are not like themselves.

Unfortunately, in this country, the word 'Evangelical' takes on a negative connotation, and the individual is defined by what they are against, rather than anything positive.

Yet, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), which is the largest evangelical denomination in the world, spends more money and sends more people in North American and International missions than any other group.

Many things have been established in the United States because of evangelical Christians; perhaps society has forgotten since Christians have been shoved aside for the time being.
Let me remind you by taking a look to our foreign neighbors and what Evangelicals are doing elsewhere because we are the only people breathing hope into hopeless situations.

Around the globe today, Evangelicals are supplying water to parched lands, feeding the hungry and poor. There are millions of formerly illiterate who can now read because a Christian went to their village, learned their language and cared enough about them to teach them, feed them and clothe them out of God's Love in their heart.

Evangelicals have built hospitals, schools and roads in an effort to help heal the sick, nurse the dying and educate the ignorant; all the while creating access to once remote and distant regions.

And the result of this has been, unlike in America, the 'Evangelical' name is welcomed abroad.
If you go to any one of a number of foreign countries, there will a totally different set of feelings associated with the term 'Evangelical Christian' than what you would find in many of America's towns and cities.

The nature of the Gospel means that we must think of the whole person; not just the soul.
Yes, Scripture is sacred and blessed; but a homeless man can't understand and won't listen if he's hungry and cold.
As the Apostle James said:

15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead , being by itself.

                                                                                      ~ James 2:15-17 

On a side note, my Catholic friends are going to love the fact that I used the above verse; but any Christian with half a brain, of any stripe or flavor, will agree that it does no good to ask a person to believe and not have the good works of Christ to show him and help him believe.
Another way of saying it:

"How can I worship a homeless person on Sunday and ignore one on Monday?"

                                                                               ~ Shane Clairborne

You see, true faith is about loving our neighbors, regardless as to what our neighbors believe or how they act.
The truth is that every Christian believed in something before they believed in Christ and no Christian acted like a Christian before faith.

Often we hear of Christians wanting to 'take back' America; well, that's fine and dandy.
But my friend, I will tell you that the world doesn't listen anymore to words like they did 100 years ago; today, the world watches our deeds and then they will listen to our words.
Therefore, we must act like our Savior so that others will listen to the words of the Savior.

As the Apostle Paul once said, 'Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.'
But the Christian must be believed before he can be heard.
And they believe us through watching what we do.

You know what I've never seen in my life?
I have never seen a secular humanist organizing a group of people to give out hot meals to the hungry and hurting.

Which tells you who the people are that have the greatest shot at changing the world.
It's the Christian and His Lord.

Imagine a world where there is no poverty or homelessness.
A place where there are no divorces or unwanted children; there would be no discrimination or racism or violence.
All abuse would be gone, cheating would not exist and there would be no addictions of any kind in any way.
It would be a land where justice ruled the day and everybody worked for one common good.

That, my friend, is what we are for and is what we mean when we pray for God's Kingdom to come, '...On Earth as it is in Heaven.'

Christians, all of us, we must stop seeing ourselves as men and women journeying through life trying to get past the earth so that we can enjoy the reward in the next life.

No. No. No.

You live in the here and now.
We must see ourselves as settlers among and within a foreign culture.
A people dedicated to living life and dispensing God's grace to those who do not know what it means to be cared for or loved.

For they too are in need of Christ's redemption, and ultimately, that is what we are for - His redemption to as many people as we can reach.

Until next time, win one for the good guys.