What Reflection are We Radiating as a Church and as a Christian?

James 1:23-25
23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.

You have never seen your face. You have seen a reflection of your face, maybe a video of your face, or maybe a photo (picture) of your face. Not unless you can take your eyeballs out with the nerves attached have you been able to see your face with your physical eyes. It can’t be done. What this passage though is referring to is looking into the Word of God is like looking into a spiritual mirror. If we want to see what our physical face looks like, we have to look in a physical mirror. Likewise, we can't see our spiritual self, but we can look in the mirror of God's Word and see who we are in Christ. God's Word is spiritual and reveals our spiritual self (John 6:63). We need to become as sure of our spiritual image as we are of our physical image. After all, we can't directly see either one; we look at something else and take what we see by faith.

A man who doesn't do what he has heard in God's Word (Jas 1:22) is like a man who looks in the mirror but doesn't take any action. He goes on his way and forgets what he has seen. Likewise, we have to keep in front of us the image God's Word paints of our spiritual self and act accordingly. Notice God's Word is called "the perfect law of liberty." This is specifically referring to the New Covenant and all the liberty brought to us through the atonement of Christ. It is only through the grace given to us by the finished work of Christ that we can truly see our new selves and be blessed.

Very often the Church hold’s up a mirror reflecting back the society that surrounds it rather than the Word or the life of Jesus Christ that is our true mirror. If the world despises a sinner the Church should love them. If the world cuts off aid to the poor and suffering than the church should provide healing, food, and shelter. If the world oppresses than the Church should take the hand of the oppressed and lift them up. If the world shames and creates an outcast than the church should proclaim God’s reconciling love and show the way of forgiveness. If the world seeks profit and self-fulfillment the Church seeks sacrifice and service. If the world demands retribution than the Church dispenses grace. If the world has factions that bring dissension, than the Church should join in unity. If the world is destroying its enemy, the Church loves them both.

What mirror or reflection are you bringing the world today, does it reflect the Word and Jesus Christ or does it reflect the world?

The Mosque at Ground Zero, Tolerance, and Christianity

In a recent article published by a well known author and speaker about the Mosque being built at ground zero said “But the construction of the mosque at ground zero is not about tolerance. And it isn't about religious liberty. This is about prudence: the good sense to do what is right. That's one of the four classic, cardinal virtues given to the West.”

Cardinal virtues given to the west, whoever said that following good sense was ever correct? Forgiveness does not seem correct, in the eyes of the world and even enemies, forgiveness does not make sense at all. Loving those who despitefully use you and persecute you is more than just words and is also in the same basket as forgiveness. These qualities do not make sense at all. But it is at the heart of what Jesus taught. Sowing peace in a time of turbulence is something we do not want to hear, but it is something that we should do.

Not only do I believe that the New York City’s Landmark Preservation Commission and Mayor Bloomberg is doing the right thing, I believe it is the hand of God working through our Government as Romans 13:1-8, and 1 Peter 2:12-21 depict. Despite our intolerance towards loving and forgiveness God is showing us the way we should go. If we live by the sword, we will die by the sword. Let us therefore sow peace, even to the example that we should go and help them build the mosque with our time and finances and sow more than just words, sow actions that speak louder than words.

This is an opportunity, shall we just pass it by, shall we just blow it off because of some cardinal virtue given to the west, or should we be an example of Christ for the whole world to see.

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Forgiveness in the Church and the Mosque at Ground Zero

The New York City’s Landmark Preservation Commission voted 9 to 0 on Tuesday August 3, 2010 to allow the Mosque and Islamic center to be built just two blocks from the site of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. It is refreshing to see and hear a start of forgiveness and healing and to reaffirm that our country can and will move on and be a light in this dark world.

To my dismay though, the church has not learned this yet. As an example there was a men’s meeting recently at a local church and was sitting at a table discussing many things when the topic of Ted Haggard came up. One of the pastors of this church replied and enumerated that Ted Haggard really messed it up for church leaders and fellow pastors. He was angry in what Ted Haggard had allowed to happen and blamed him for some of the moral decay going on in churches.

I was dismayed in hearing this, never was there anything remotely familiar to forgiveness in his attitude or his words. If this is the kind of leadership that church’s can expect they are far from walking with Christ. There was no grace in his words or attitudes. This is what is being found in more and more churches today, judgment.

We are all sinners, my hat is off to Ted Haggard for moving on in his life and allowing healing, mercy, and grace just as Christ would do, in his life. True forgiveness comes when one forgets the past, real love happens when no record of wrongs is kept.

It should be the church teaching the world how to forgive and love. Society, the political world is teaching the church how to forgive and love. This should not be so. It has been said that the world has become so churchy and the church has become so worldly that you cannot tell the difference between the two. Well in this case, the world 1 and the church 0.

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