The other day at bible study...

During the past week when I was at a bible study there was something said that made me really think.  During the study the topic of other denominations came up and one person made the statement that this one particular denomination hurts the cause of Christianity more than anything else, and it got me to thinking about what truly does the most damage to Christianity.

I believe that Christians do more damage to the cause of Christianity than anything else.  In my ten years of being a Christian the worst people that I have met are those that are professing to be Christians and the people that have treated me the worst, lied to me the most, and been downright cruel the most, have been Christians as well.  I believe the reason that Christianity is not blossoming in America is because people are not seeing the so called love that Christians are supposed to be showing.  Christians are not showing Christ.

A common occurrence  that I have seen is Christians KNOWING that a person is suffering or in pain and than doing NOTHING to help the person.  Often times people are too busy to help it seems.  Yet, I am sure these people that are too busy still manage to watch American Idol or some other TV show. I have seen this from laymen, deacons,  board members, even all the way up to Pastors.

Please do not get me wrong, I love my brothers and sisters in Christ, but I can't help but write down what I have personally seen and while the worst people I have met have claimed to be Christians, the best people that I have known have been Christians.  I have seen many Christians reach out unselfishly to help another person and as a matter of fact I have seen two separate instances in the past week alone of Christians helping others while asking nothing in return, but for the most part I have seen people that claim they are Christians or people who even are Christians care little to less about the heartache and pain that they see others around them undergo.

I believe that this is why Christians have a stigma about revealing anything wrong that might be happening in their lives or that there might be any trouble.  Christians know that their might be little to no empathy or sympathy and that instead of love they might actually get attacked for; 

1. a lack of faith, 2. sin in their life, 3. opening themselves up to the devil, 4. God holding them accountable:

all of which I have actually heard someone say about another person.

I will end this blog with a challenge to anyone reading this.  I challenge you to reach out with love (not the gospel, the gospel will be shown through your love) to someone who needs a loving ear or a helping hand.  Pray that God will bring someone who needs you into your life and than show them what a Christian is all about.

People's heroes...

Earlier today I was listening to 107.5, which is a popular local radio station in this area, and I heard a commercial that I had never heard before.

1st off - I do not normally listen to this station (or any radio for that matter), but today I was lazy and just left it on so that I could hear noise while I was driving.  I am a comic book fan so when I heard a commercial about kryptonite, I paid attention.

Unfortunately this commercial was about a club called Club Kryptonite that was having a "kids under 18 years old" special.  They said kids under the age of 18 years old get in free and that all drinks were half off.  Then (and it gets better), they announced that Ron Jeremy was going to be there when they host there "pimps and ho's" night.  For those who are unaware, Ron Jeremy was a famous porn star from the 1970's and 1980's, and apparently he is someone who is of such value to peoples lives that kids under the age of 18 would love to meet him.

What really saddened me about this commercial was that I realized that Ron Jeremy (someone who has given nothing to society but filth), has become a hero and role model to our youth and to so many.  Ron Jeremy has done nothing but become famous for filth and apparently being famous is all that people care about anymore.  Style over substance, and in this case no style.

When did porn stars become porn stars, or adult actors and adult actresses?  I remember when they didn't even have a name for them.  Now there are teenage girls that drive around with porn star stickers on their cars and for some reason their parents let them have those kind of things.

It seems to me that our society has really taken a turn for the worse when kids look up to people who have sex for a living and Mother Theresa is someone that most kids don't even know about.  Where are the morals that we once had when the Pussycat Dolls (who are just girls that used to be strippers who dance around the one girl who can sing as suggestively as possible) are a top act that even sings on So You Think You Can Dance?  

Superman has been looked down or for "being a boy scout" because he stands for truth, justice, and the American way (which in Smallville and The Superman Returns movie they took American out and put in the words "all that stuff" to be PC), but child molesters are now victims because they are no longer able to be Boy Scout Troop leaders and The Boy Scouts are bad guys because they did not want to allow that into their organization?  

As a society, where are our standard's?  Killing convicted murderers through the death penalty is inhumane but killing children in the womb is a person's choice?  Why are there not people standing up in outrage to all of the wrong that they see?  And why are there so many people who just stand back and do nothing, in the fear that they will make waves?  I PRAY that before I die I will have made waves in this world and I PRAY that I will make a difference for the better.  As a Christian I feel a strong conviction to do this that can not be stopped, but even if I were not a Christian I would want to take a stand against all of the things that I see wrong in the world because I love the world and want the best for the world.

What disappoints me though is how alone I feel whenever I do stand up for the right things.  Whenever I do take a stand I look around and see myself standing alone and that is something that shouldn't be happening.  People will stand together for the wrong things but I think that people do not want to be labeled as "the Christian" or as a "bigot" or as a "hate monger" just because they are standing up for what they believe to be right.  If someone has the privilege to stand up against Christianity, then why don't Christian's have the privilege to stand up for themselves?

There are no solutions that I have to this, just a sharing of what I see and feel.  America, please wake up and pick better role models than Brittney Spears and Paris Hilton, and start looking to people who have contributed in some positive way to the world.

Evil only truly wins when good men sit back and do nothing...

My first Blog...

A lot of you might not know this, but I used to love writing and there have been times in my life in which I have used writing as an outlet for the emotions that I was experiencing.  Thanks to the example of a friend of mine who I have seen use his blog quite effectively, I have decided to start my own, and I find it quite fitting that I use one of my poems to begin my blogging career. Don't worry, I wont have poetry on anymore blogs after this.

A Call for Purpose

Sitting alone I stare at the walls in my mind

Looking for purpose, or a reason to find

Something to hold to, something that’s mine

Something that gives me a reason to shine

My mind is a muscle that twists as it grows

And shares in the knowledge of things that it knows

I believe in the truth of the things I can’t see

And I look to the cross for the things I can be

I’m a light that is blind with a heart that is dark

A stranger alone, all in black, in the park

I cry to be saved as I cry out His name

I live to die daily and I live with my shame

I was lost and I needed a change in my heart

So I took all the love that was there from the start

I look in the mirror with disgust on my face

And with slow-moving thoughts I realize my place

Is to love Him and serve Him with all I hold true

And if I love Him and serve Him, I’ll love and serve you

I’m a human, I fail and I fall everyday

But the truth is in Him; He’s the light and the way

He’s pure, true, and holy, He’s known as the One

His name is Jesus, He’s God’s only Son

With arms open wide, He was nailed to a cross

He stayed there in pain just to save all the lost

He just wants to hold you and help ease your pain

So commit to pure love and commit to a change

Were not promised tomorrow, were just given today

So come just as you are to this altar and pray…

 Chris Gordon  January 2004