Profiling Christians

Recently, I was visiting spiritual family in Seattle, Washington.  Roy and Julie Wells are two of my favorite people in the world, so it is always a good time.  As a special treat, they drove me to Canada to hang out one day.  Because I am having knee problems, we couldn’t do as much as we would like, but we did stop to see a few sites.  As we were preparing to return home, we stopped at one of the popular parks in Vancouver and took photos.  While there, I noticed a gift shop and thought it a perfect opportunity to get souvenirs.

Julie and I went into the shop to look around.  I had only one hand free since I was holding a cane in the other.  My goddaughter loves snow globes from wherever I travel so I headed to that section.  Julie came over to show me a box of smoked salmon.  When we both turned around, Julie nearly knocked over an employee of the shop.  This woman was apparently following me.  I was immediately angry and hurt.  I am accustomed to being profiled in America.  I was once profiled in Uganda (by an Indian shop keeper).  But Canadians are nice aren’t they or do they engage in the stereotypes promoted about different races also?  Now Julie’s reaction was funny.  I saw her walk right up to the lady and say something, but I didn’t know what she’d said until we were back in the car.  As she relayed what happened to her husband, she said she told the woman, “That is a woman of God and a Minister of the Gospel.”  I think the woman was so shocked to be called out that she immediately retreated behind the payment counter.  Oh her retreat didn’t last long.  A man of color walked in holding a newborn baby wrapped in a blanket.  She immediately set off behind him.

As I reflect on the incident, I begin to think about us as Christians.  Julie declared to her a statement of my identity, a Christian, as if it would convey my integrity and trustworthiness.  Wow! What if we were profiled by someone who doesn’t know what it means to be a Christian?  If they simply formed a “type” for Christians based on what they have heard, seen and read about Christians, what would they include?  Of course, there are some buzz words out there like judgmental, homophobic, hypocrites, self-righteous and even poor tippers (Allegedly one pastor left a waitress a tip with a note that said I give God 10% why should I give you more? The waitress posted the note on social media and it was picked up by a national media outlet with an article entitled “When Christians are Christianity’s worse enemy.”)

Christians aren’t perfect people.  We are continually being made into Christ-likeness. We are purposed and designed to be lights in this world.  My prayer is that the world will see Jesus through us as we live out His word in our daily lives.  Let them see His love through us.  You know His love that is patient and kind.  The kind of love that is happy when you prosper and is not jealous or envious.  Allow them to experience His love that blesses and edifies others, instead of insulting and cursing them.  God’s love lived through us is empathetic as well as forgiving.  This love will defer and prefer others as it expresses itself in truth.  God’s amazing love is durable, never failing to hit its mark. Let them see God’s love through us as it believes and endeavors to bring out the very best in all.  (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

No matter what we do, there will always be those who hate and condemn Christians because of our beliefs.  Let’s try to make that the only thing they can legitimately criticize.  We are human and make mistakes.  As we live the complete Gospel of the Kingdom, let them see us admit our wrongs, confess our sins and forgive others quickly.  When someone defends you by saying, “This person is a Christian,” make sure it really means something.

I would love to say to any and all, “Go ahead and profile us Christians,” but I can’t.  I can say, “Go ahead and profile me.”

Praises, Prayers and Petitions

Mark 11:24(NKJV)
²⁴Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Praise Reports

• Sandra received a raise
• Belinda – safe flight to Seattle
• Steve – arrived safely in Rwanda

  

Prayer Requests

• Belinda’s knee – healing
• Michael – housing
• Maxine – healing
• Rick – housing
• Kim- home sells
• Steve – on mission in Rwanda
• Linda’s husband – favor with ICE

Cambodia

• Population 15.8 million
• 3.2 professing Christianity – 1.6 Evangelical
• Religion was one time outlawed
• 40% of children are malnourished

Create a Sweet Smelling Aroma

There are times when you feel like you are caught between a rock and a hard place.  These are situations you are in, but you have few to no options to change things.  That was the situation I found myself in as I flew to Seattle yesterday to visit spiritual family.  Even though I was able to board the plane early, I wasn’t too excited because I was stuck in a middle seat.  Early boarding did allow me time to get all of my things situated for the nearly 5 hour flight.  It was not long before my two row mates arrived.  The first was a hunky guy with a sweet Australian accent.  The other was a friendly, all-America good guy.  Per usual, I was asleep before the flight took off.  I woke up about 30 minutes later feeling stuck in the middle.  That feeling increased as the flight continued.

About an hour into the flight, the attendants distributed drinks, snack and sold meals.  The guy on the left of me, the All American, brought a few snacks on the flight with Him.  He also bought a sandwich from the airline.  The Aussie on the right ordered four gin and tonics throughout the flight.  We are about half way through our journey when my fellow American’s stomach begins to rebel.  Now I can’t prove it was him, but the smells assaulting my nose were close and personal.  After having emergency gall bladder surgery a couple of years ago, I often have stomach discomfort so I always travel with Pepto Bismol, prescription meds and other over the counter stomach meds.  I was going to offer something to him, but I could never figure out exactly how to ask if he was the chronic polluter of the recycled air.  Add to all of this, my legs and knees have started to cramp up from being stuffed between these two guys.  This flight was no longer going well.

Before I began to sing, “Gloom, despair, agony on me; deep down depression, excessive misery” (throwback to Hee Haw days), I put on my headphones and begin to worship. The music and lyrics begin to fill my spirit and soul with the joy of knowing God.  Since it is easy for me to be transported to another place spiritually when I am in worship, it wasn’t long before I forgot about the smells, the drunk, and my legs and knees.  The sweet smell of worship overwhelmed the natural smells that were trying to take me to a dark place mentally.  I was enjoying worship so much that when I felt the plane start its descent to land, I was a little disappointed that I had to change my focus to disembarking and baggage claim.  Of course, my joy returned upon seeing Roy and Julie wells there to greet me.

We all will find ourselves feeling trapped by circumstances and situations at some time or another.  We must worship our way through it.  That is exactly the same thing Paul and Silas did when they were locked in prison for setting a captive girl free.

Acts 16:25(NKJV) 
²⁵But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 

This prison had to be dark, dirty, smelly and crowded.  They prayed and sang and God released them from their chains.

When King Jehoshaphat heard that a great army was coming against them.  He sought the Lord.  The Lord instructed Him to send the singers out before the army and God Himself would fight their battle.

2 Chronicles 20:21-22(NKJV) 
²¹And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:      “Praise the Lord,     For His mercy endures forever.”^£ 22Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.

We must learn to live a life of worship.  Worship focuses you on God and magnifies His goodness over and above anything you face.  So let’s worship at all times creating a sweet aroma of praise to our God.  My experience was not the worst in the world, but worship made the difference. 

https://youtu.be/D4RUjGsTfks?list=RDD4RUjGsTfks

Praises, Prayers and Petitions

Praise Reports

• Chyna received a new job with promotion after informed of layoff
• Lisa did well with first chemo treatment
• Cox family house up for sale
• Octavia - ministry went well
• Chef Leye - received city award

Prayer Requests

• Iris Wallace - finance and income
• Lilia - need heart transplant; esophagus must be repaired first
• Sandra - healing and finances
• Bryant's - family healing and financial breakthrough
• Michael - healing, deliverance and follow-through
• DeeDee - housing dispute settled and paid what is owed to her family
• Neesha - still missing

Bangladesh

• Population 159 million
• 4% Professing Christian (%evangelical unknown)
• Capital is Dhaka aka city of mosques

Wait - Is that a Christian Word?

Have you ever promised a 7 year old kid something?  Or taken children on a long trip in a car?  If you have, then you are probably well aware of the questions that will ensue with such endeavors.  When you promise a child something, you will be asked multiple questions about what, where and when.  They cannot wait until you fulfill your commitment.  Are we there yet?   Those are the famous car ride words.  No matter how many times you tell them how long a trip is going to take, invariably they will ask, "Are we there yet?"  Of course, part of the problem is that a child's perspective on the passage of time is different than that of an adult.  So their attitude is probably indeed impatience, but also immaturity from the lack of experience at waiting.

There have been times in my live where I felt like a kid impatiently waiting on God to move.  We have these trite Christian sayings that are designed to encourage you, but instead can lead to frustration.  You know, sayings like:

• This too will pass
• He is working it out for your good
• All in good time
• Your breakthrough is on the way
• Your blessing is on the way

In my brattier moments, my response to them all is WHEN?  And then I wonder, am I a Israelite in the middle of the wilderness grumbling against God via Moses.  You see, Moses went into Egypt full of promises.  He led the people out of Egypt with the promise of taking them to a land flowing with milk and honey.  Can you imagine how the Israelites felt?  They were oppressed and enslaved; but God says he is leading them to a bountiful land.  This was fulfillment of promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  I am certain the Israelites wanted out of the bondage in Egypt and was eager to get to the land flowing with milk and honey.  From little to an abundance - you bet! I wonder if they were anxious or impatient.  Were they filled with anticipation of abiding in such a wondrous place?  It was taking so long as they went round and round the mountain.  I wonder if they were thinking, "when God when"?  They had to be ready for  God's promise to be fulfilled, but God had a different method in bringing the promise to past. 

In the waiting, God was revealing the hearts of the Israelites.  It seems that with each step, he wanted to walk Egypt (the fleshly life) out of them.  He wanted them to enter the promised Canaan with a victor's mentality, not a slaves mentality.  They just couldn't seem to make the transition.  Only two of those delivered from Egypt, Joshua and Caleb, made it in.

Waiting on God's promises may not be fun, but they have purpose.  You must be assured that God's promises are true and will come to pass.  The only way you can forsake your promise and pass it on to the next generation is by waiting impatiently - meaning grumbling, complaining and doing the adult version of the whine.  Either we believe God or we don't.  There is a season to everything ... including God's promises.  So as we wait, let His love have it's perfect work within us.

It is worth the wait.   

2 Peter 3:9(NKJV)
⁹The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward ^£us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Numbers 23:19(NKJV)
¹⁹    “God is not a man, that He should lie,      Nor a son of man, that He should repent.     Has He said, and will He not do?     Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Romans 4:21(NKJV)
²¹and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 

Isaiah 40:31(NKJV)
³¹    But those who wait on the Lord     Shall renew their strength;     They shall mount up with wings like eagles,     They shall run and not be weary,      They shall walk and not faint. 

Praises, Prayers and Petitions

Praise Reports

·         Juanita - good doctor's report

·         Successful CORE Gathering Meeting

·         Chyna - has had several interviews

Prayer Requests

·         Trout Family - in serious accident; daughter head injuries; mom - Janet  life-flighted, dad minor injuries

·         Lisa - stage 4 cancer

·         Tiffany - healing and reconciliation with friend

·         Virginia's family - united, healed

·         Steven - favor with courts

·         McGuire Family - grieving multiple deaths

·         Neesha - missing for several weeks

·         Theresa - Mother of Neesha who is missing

Mauritania

·         Populations - 4.1 million

·         3% Christian - 1% Evangelical

·         One of the poorest countries in World

·         About 4% of the population still enslaved

Wild Hair

When you look at old pictures and see your various hairstyles of the past, do you think "This is your life" or "What was I thinking?"  I have gone through many hairstyles in my life.  To be quite honest, I have never been very good at styling my hair.  (Personally, I think God should given me a perfect and timeless hairstyle so I would never have to bother it at all.)  On any given day, my hair proves to me that it has a mind and will of its own.  I can use hairspray to try to control it, but to no avail.  It will not be tamed, controlled, bound or pinned down for very long.  Though it seems others feel the need to fix my hair (or maybe fix me), I have learned to accept the fact that my wild hair will never be trendy or make a serious fashion statement.

I believe there are some pastors that feel like they have some wild hairs in their congregation.  These folks are always making suggestions of different ways to do things that are counter to the culture of the church.  They are bright and energetic, but different.  They are committed Christians and good people.  They just don't fit in to the "norm" of the church.  They are wild hairs in the midst of carefully styled heads.  Leaders have tried many things to deal with these seemingly undisciplined sheep.  You cannot force these people into a particular position to benefit the ministry, nor can you control their influence over others.  As much as it may annoy you, there is something appealing about their untamed, reckless abandon to Christ.

 Leaders must come to the same understanding of these people as I did about the hairs on my head.  Just let them be.  God knows each one us (even the number of hairs on our heads).  Our job is not to control, stifle or push into a corner that which we don't understand.  Instead, let's nurture and embrace the unique expression of God through this person.   After all, God has certainly used some "wild hairs" in biblical history.  I think the local church would have called Noah, Elisha, John the Baptist and Jesus (among many others) wild hairs.

Genesis 1:27(NKJV)
²⁷So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them

Most often I find that these people are bold, trailblazers for the Kingdom.  The greatest expression of themselves is not found inside the walls of the church, but among those who need them most.  A good leader will find a way to understand and use these people.  A great leader will find a way to understand, use and release these people to fulfill the passions of their hearts.  God's leader will use their gifts, release them to the lost and learn from them at the same time.  There are many wild hairs in the congregation, but most time we have just choked them into religious order.  Shame on us!

Ephesians 2:10(NKJV)
¹⁰For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Praises, Prayers and Petitions

Praise Reports

Belinda celebrated 53 years of life

Tirea - store #1 for quarter

Brian doing better - nice home-going for mom

A & R - found a home; moving out of hotel

Prayer Requests

Doris - pain

Michael - sick

Marilyn's family - grieving her death

Lisa cancer

Theresa - daughter missing for nearly 2 weeks

Bruce - cancer

Rodney - lungs and emphysema

Penny Hanmer - death of husband Steve

Bhutan

Population: 753,000

% Christian:  Unknown (Buddhism and Hinduism)

Average life expectancy is 66 years

50% of adults and 76% of youth are illiterate

Only received TV and Internet in 1999

Christian Flashbacks are real Flesh-backs

Flashbacks are involuntary memories that resurrect without provocation or reason.  As Christians, we sometimes flashbacks to previous seasons in our lives.  Have you ever had one?  Many holy roller, born again, sanctified, fire baptized Christians will  flashback to BC (before Christ) when the right circumstances occur.  You know what I mean.  Like when someone cuts you off in traffic and nearly causes you to have an accident while they proceed on their merry little way.  What about after being on hold for 20 minutes, the customer service representative only seems to know the word no and abruptly disconnects the call.   Flashbacks of choice words or desired behavioral responses pop in your mind seemingly coming out of the blue.  Don't think you've lost your salvation, it's just a flesh-back, oops, I mean flashback. 

Flashbacks are not new.  Remember when (not that you were there, but reading about) Jesus came back from a shut-in in Gethsemane with the inner circle. It was then that Judas came and betrayed the Master and Peter had a flesh-back.  I can just hear him thinking, "Don't worry Jesus, I got this."  He whips out his sword and took "deadly" aim at the soldier's ear. 

John 18:10(NKJV)
¹⁰Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.

They had just come out of all night prayer....wait...okay Jesus had been in all night prayer, the other guys, well, they were more rested.  Peter didn't mean to mess up.  It was just a flashback to his flesh. But then it happened again.

Mark 14:66-71(NKJV)
⁶⁶Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came.  ⁶⁷And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.” ⁶⁸But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed. ⁶⁹And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.”  ⁷⁰But he denied it again. And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your ^£speech shows it.” ⁷¹Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”

Peter was crushed by his denial of Jesus.  Fear probably brought on the flashback into bad words.  It was a rough moment in time, but Peter didn't have the fullness of God we now enjoy.  Holy Spirit is able to keep our flesh back in its rightful place - the past.  We must walk in the Spirit, sing in the spirit and give ourselves fully to the Spirit at all times.  This will stop the doggone flash-flesh-backs.

Ephesians 5:18-19(NKJV)
¹⁸And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 
¹⁹speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 

Galatians 5:16(NKJV)
¹⁶I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.