Boy oh Boy, have the conversations I read been heated the last week  especially here  in Alabama. Gay Marriage, Supreme Justice  Roy Moore standing against gay marriage and  he issued a ruling for Probate Judges to not issue license. The Sweet Cakes bakery owners  in Oregon  who lost a ruling for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple is still front and center. Obama and his speech about the Crusaders and Christians.

I posted a comment on Franklin Graham’s page in support of something he said in supporting the Oregon couple  and was blasted by some of the most hate filled people . I never said anything derogatory toward them and they still were  vicious.   I cannot believe the rabbits trials they tried to steer the conversation in, instead of staying on topic.

Friends, I might make some of you mad with what I am about to say. This is not my intention. I have to tell you after reading what believers and unbelievers have said on all different articles, my heart is grieved. More grieved for what the believers that are suppose to be representing Christ posted. I truly asked one lady after she berated so many different participants, are you really proud of your post? Did anyone come to Christ based on what you said? What words exactly represented Christ in this post? I wanted to turn and run the other way if that is what a Christ follower looks like but I know it is not.

I have to tell you , I stand firm on the word of God. It does NOT change because our culture changes. Most everyone that knows me knows where I stand. I love the title Warrior for Christ.  I know and have several friends that live a different lifestyle than I do. I still care for them tremendously. We have had deep conversations about God and they have shared with me their stories and their  heartbreak. I have also had friends of different lifestyles delete me as a friend on Facebook or cut ties with me. This is their choice. NO hard feelings on my part.   I understand that it is hard not to be offended at times when someone does not agree with us on something we feel so passionate about, it is for us all.  I am trying to keep the 2 Timothy 1:7 scripture in front of me in all that I say and do, God did not give  us the spirit of fear BUT of power, love and self  discipline. In days like this , we really need to tap into that spirit of love and self discipline that he has given each one of us.

Each one of us could stand to pray Isaiah 11:2 over ourselves each and every day so we know how to respond to counter culture today.

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

I stand on God’s word but I am here to tell you that if you  believe condemning and telling people  to turn or burn is  accomplishing anything , it is not.  It certainly is not going to win them to Christ. If we spent more time praying about the situation instead of arguing, we might make a difference as Christians.  Jesus while he walked on this earth was criticized for spending time with sinners by the Church leaders of the day.  Jesus rebuked the leaders of the Church more than any other group in the Bible. I have never found the passage where he stood on the sea of Galilee and said turn or burn. He won people over with his love and compassion. He always healed the hurt or sickness and then he ministered to them. He is our example. As so many of us,  including me say God’s word does not change. It doesn’t and we should not be changing our response to any other thing than what would Jesus do?

These are the times that we have to choose which side we are upon.  Really it is past time.  We have to let our voices be heard in a culture that is spinning out of control. We have to get a back bone as believers and replace our wish bone. It is because of us, the body of believers not standing strong that we have so many issues that we do today. There is power in unity. United we stand, divided we fall. How do we think we are going to make a difference in the world when most believers cannot even get along with each other? We want to debate sprinkling versus dunking. Mid tribulation versus Post tribulation. Is there a rapture, is there not?  Traditional music versus Contemporary music and on and on. We ourselves have jumped on the ultimate rabbit trails instead of FOCUSING on Jesus.

I have been doing so much soul searching on how do we stand firm on God’s word AND show the love of Christ? I know the only thing that won me to the Lord is the love that he showed me. The grace and mercy that he gave me that I so did not deserve. I know my past. I know what he chose to remove from his memory as far as the East is from the West.

Nothing describes what I feel better than these lyrics,

What Kind Of Love would take my place
And die on a cross just to show me grace
And what kind of love would reach with in
And love me in spite of all my sins
No greater love has any man ever known
Than this kind of love~

I wrote this yesterday on Facebook and the Apostle Paul’s words are worth repeating again and again.  The ONLY thing that matters is faith working itself out in LOVE. Galatians 5:6. The Apostle Paul who wrote most of the New Testament. He knew the laws. He had them memorized, all 600 plus. He had the first 5 books of the Old Testament memorized because that was a requirement in that day as a Pharisee.  The Apostle Paul who said of himself that he was the “Pharisee of Pharisees.” The Apostle Paul that before his conversion was Saul  and  set out on a mission to destroy Christians .  The Apostle Paul who is the reason that we know Christ today because he brought this Brand New Jesus faith to the Gentile world and here we are 2,000 plus years later. He said the only thing that matter ~

The ONLY thing that matters. The O_N_L_Y_ thing that matters. The O-N-L-Y- thing that matters…..

1. It does not matter how much knowledge you have. Because people do not care how much you know until they know how much you CARE ~

2. It does not matter what church you attend.

3. It does not matter how many scriptures you have memorized.

If we do not show LOVE to believers and unbelievers our faith is USELESS. Paul said the ONLY thing that matters. Not this is important. This kinda matters. This is a great point or let’s TRY and practice this. Nope, forget everything else if you do not get this one principle that Jesus did and told us to obey and follow NOTHING else we do matters. BOOM ~~~ and BOOM ~~~~ There is some soul searching time that needs to be happening in all of us.

We will never be the change we want to see if we do not do this…. faith working itself out in love ~