Sharing the love of Jesus no matter what

There I sat, in my favorite coffee shop, relaxing…trying to write…when all of a sudden a voice said, “Mind if I sit with ya?”  I looked up and it was an old man that I have come to love named Mike. I said, “Sure bro…have a sit.”

Now, Mike is a great guy. He`s friendly, he loves a good conversation, I`d say he`s in his late 60`s and his whole gig in life is to hang out at the coffee shop and argue politics with anyone who will listen. I get a kick out of him most of the time but today he was angry…and quite frankly, I was in no mood for interruptions—I had a tone of work to do.

So, as Mike sat down he says to me, “Ya heard about that abortion doctor trial?” I thought to myself…”oh no, here we go.” And I basically told him that I had, and then, I tried to show some semblance of genuine interest in his question. That was all Mike needed to get his tirade of political ranting going. He was spewing the “F” bomb like a broken pipe spews water and all I could do was sit with a ghostly white face and stare into oblivion. I could feel every eye in the coffee house on me and my table.

Now, first and foremost, let me say that I am against abortion; however, I`m also against stealing, murder, lying, cheating, sexual immorality—do ya get the picture. BTW…I`m guilty of all of the above—or at least I was until Jesus set me free.

I sensed a chance to cut into his tirade for one second and interject some words of love and tolerance. I sensed a moment where I just needed Mike to hear from Christ. I said, “Mike, I hear ya my brother…but I know that if I am to help the sinners of this world find peace in Jesus…I have to approach them in love…not hate.”

It worked…he stopped dead in his tracks…calmed down…and changed the topic. I think it was the weather or something next (laughing). You see, I do think that politics has its place. I do think that abortion is the wrong answer to a serious problem—unplanned pregnancy. The thing is that I know that I cannot criticize, condemn, or complain to my fellow human beings if I then intend to share the Gospel of Christ in my next breath. That`s not to say that I endorse their sin or even ignore it altogether…it just means I need to meet them in love and mercy—that`s how Jesus met me…"while I was yet in my sin."

Today…I just want to love people. I want to learn to love them as Christ loves them. For me, I think the answer lies in the way I view my fellow man. Are they just people…flesh and blood…or are they the children of the living God whom he loved so very much—even in their sin—that he sent his Son to die on a cross for the atonement of sin. This view places tremendous value on my fellow man. It makes me value them and love them in spite of sin, insult, or injury.

Each day is a few steps forward and one or two backwards, but I will keep walking toward the finish line of the Kingdom. Praise the mighty name of Jesus.

Opinion piece: Of the world but not in the world

I have been thinking lately about that statement and what it means to me personally. I have so many dear Christian brothers and sisters that simply ignore the worlds issues, America`s issues, and take this scripture to such an extreme that they refuse to confront evil.

I was beginning to believe that I should never write about politics again. I began to explore my own heart on this issue and then it hit me: “What about men like Jay Sekulow (American Center for Law and Justice) and others?” What about the many brave Christian men and women that fight the tyranny of those who seek to destroy human rights; liberty, freedom, and individual sovereignty—do we, as Christians, stand by, and watch?

I decided that I should continue to do what God has given me a talent to do, and that is to write. I will write and write and write about the injustice, the hypocrisy, and the dangers of the left and Marxist tyranny. Were our founders not men of action? Were they all agnostic? No—certainly not, many of the founders were Christians.

They came to the Colonies to escape the King. They came to escape European tyranny in the form of the Monarchs and the feudal systems that enslaved them. They believed that individual sovereignty mattered and that it was divine in nature. I think of the people of Israel when they demanded a king—they got what they asked for—Saul. And it went down-hill from there.

It`s ok for those brothers and sister that choose to stay out of the fight to do so; however, don`t judge those of us who pick up the sword of freedom and human dignity. After all, it is the human experience. Men have fought for freedom for all of human history, against tyranny of one kind or another.

We have a man in the White House that is “fundamentally transforming America” as he said he would do in his election speeches of 2008. Anyone with an ounce of intellectual honesty can find his ties to Marxism, anti-Colonialism, and radical beliefs that are counter to American principles of Republican Government. This is not Conservative hyperbole—this is factual and documented information that no one in the media cared to explore in his first bid for the White House.

We who are in our 40`s or above have lived in a free and prosperous America—we know the difference. Our children and grandchildren will suffer horribly in their lives if we do not stop this Marxist juggernaut called Obama. They will not inherit the same America we once knew and which was passed on to us by our forefathers.  

Some will say, “This is Gods will.” It very well may be his will; however, it says in his word that “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14, NASB). I feel that as a Christian, and for the sake of my family and children, I must do all I can to fight tyranny in America. WP