Christian Incivility-Kinda Sounds like FUN!

FAITH:

Last weekend the church parking lot was flooded by an oppressive sound. A “Baptist” group from Kansas traveled to Las Vegas, NV to give us a piece of their mind. Our church is supportive of our military and our need to protect our borders from Terrorist intrusions. Thus we, people at Central Christian, are godless people, killing innocents in the middle east by way of Collateral Damage. The death of our service persons is “GOD’S” judgment for our self righteous actions of killing others.

WHEW, it hurts inside to even type those hateful, judgmental words. It hurt to have police surrounding the parking lot at church. The sound was so loud that it almost knocked me down when I got out of the car. It frightened my teenaged daughters and my wife. I wanted to go “PULL THEIR PLUG!” They were scaring and judging me and my loved ones.

These “Christians” felt the need to get loud. I like LOUD, I can get loud. Maybe if I loudly reasoned with them, we could find some common ground and go have lunch together. Jesus got loud several times. I want to be like Jesus. Does that justify me getting loud? Maybe the world would be a better place if Christians raised their voice?

What did Jesus do when He encountered disagreeable situations?

When the interested, but immature, listened to His teaching and ate the miraculous meal, they wanted to force Jesus to be an earthly king. Jesus seems to have said thank you and then disappeared. John 6:1-15

When Jewish leaders were argumentative about the possibility of what Jesus said, Jesus made the teaching even more demanding. John 6:26-65

When “JUDGED” by the rulers and power brokers, Jesus called for “righteous judgment” not outward appearance judgment. John 7:1-24

When an adulterous woman was brought by religious zealots to force Jesus to make a harsh judgment, Jesus knelt and calmly dismissed the situation with a reminder to the offender to quit your sinning lifestyle. John 8:1-11

As I read on through John I see times where Jesus would knowingly do things that irritated the ruling religious leaders. He even got firm with them and did some name calling. (You are a liar, like your father the devil!) Then Jesus would duck out and disappear when people wanted to seize and kill Him.

I wish I knew when to just zip it and walk away. I always want to win
Just before the Last Passover Super, prior to Crucifixion, Jesus said, I don’t judge anyone, the words that Jesus spoke are the only judge for the final day of judgment. John 12:44-50

Jesus never organized a public protest against Roman injustices or oppression.

Jesus taught that His kingdom was not of this world. It is a kingdom built on ABSOLUTE TRUTH, truth that is not to be compromised. Truth to shape our hearts and give us solid convictions to live our lives by. Truth that will set us free from a lying world.

Truth worth getting loud over! In celebration YES, in condemning judgment of others, I can’t find it.

I am grateful to be part of a Men’s Group where I have seen grown men nearly go to blows over a few Bible versus. They are intensely committed to Jesus’ truth. Then moments later I have seen these same men literally weep over each other when talking about personal struggles.

The light flashes on for me. God doesn’t need his people to rent a loud sound system to create a public spectacle calling the hypocrites to our convictions.

God is interested in me learning the words, living the words and sharing the words in personal intensely honest, non judgmental ways. God wants me liberated from an inch deep legalism or liberalism that snares people in lies of the devil. My walk is to be a celebration of liberation by truth that shapes my inner most person. by Dale Yoder

FRIENDS:

Father in heaven, help me to know when to shut up, pack up and move on. Help me also have the courage to present the truth lovingly, not to sugar coat it, but to be honest and transparent. Give me the courage and compassion that motivated Jesus. In Jesus' name, Amen.

~Proverbs~
Proverbs is a collection of lamps.

Not spotlights that blind. Not bonfires that blaze. But lamps. Lamps that do for your heart what the lamps in your house do for your eyes. They chase away the darkness.

"These commands are like a lamp," wrote Solomon. "This teaching is like a light. And the correction that comes from them will help you have life" (6:23)

Reading Proverbs turns on the lamps in the dark corners of life.

Corners such as: Foolishness. Wisdom. Pride. Humility. Fear. Insecurity. Wealth. Mercy. Lust. Diligence. Laziness. Prudence. Anger. Flattery. Gossip. Violence.

And that's just a start.

Having trouble with an enemy? Turn on the lamp of patience:
A gentle answer will calm a person's anger, but an unkind answer will cause more anger (15:1).

Having trouble with greed? Flip the switch of prudence:
It is better to be poor and respect the Lord than to be wealthy and have much trouble (15:16).

Anxious about tomorrow? Sit under the light of trust:
Depend on the Lord in whatever you do, and your plans will succeed (16:3).

See what I mean? Time spent with Proverbs makes a heart wise. It's a practical guide for getting along with others. Whereas Psalms tell you how to get along with God, Proverbs tells you how to get along with people. Whereas Psalms is a book for Sunday, Proverbs is a book for Monday.
Why don't you flip on a few light and see for yourself? by Max Lucado

FOOD:
Faux Lasagna
More than easy....

1 pound ground beef
1 jar (28 ounces) spaghetti sauce
1 package (25 ounces) frozen sausage or cheese ravioli
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. In a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish, layer a third of the spaghetti sauce, half of the ravioli and beef and 1/2 cup cheese; repeat layers. Top with remaining sauce and cheese. Cover and bake at 400° for 40-45 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 6-8 servings.

FUN:

An elderly man in Louisiana had owned a large farm for several years.. He had a large pond in the back.
It was properly shaped for swimming, so he fixed it up nice with picnic tables, horseshoe courts, and some apple, and peach trees.
One evening the old farmer decided to go down to the pond, as he hadn't been there for a while, and look it over.
He grabbed a five-gallon bucket to bring back some fruit.
As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee.
As he came closer, he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny-dipping in his pond.
He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the deep end.
One of the women shouted to him, 'we're not coming out until you leave!'
The old man frowned, 'I didn't come down here to watch you ladies swim naked or make you get out of the pond naked.'
Holding the bucket up he said, 'I'm just here to feed the alligator.'
Some old guys can still think fast.