Sermon on the Mount Blog

Friday night I watched a small part of Billy Graham's sermon on televison. I've long admired Rev. Graham. I believe he is one of the great ministers of our time. By 'our' I mean those of us from the Baby Boomer Generation . He rises far above the ilk of the likes of Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell (let's not forget Jimmy Swaggert). They say this is his final crusade. One only need to look at Rev Graham and his failing health to see this is most likely true. Soon this great man will join his Lord and claim his final rewards.
Rev. Graham's message has never been one of hate, judgement, and damnation. His sermons almost always tell of God's great love for his children. Of Jesus's willingness to sacrifice his own life out of his love for his human brothers and sisters. I particulary love their signature closing hymn. Just As I Am . I can't hear that song without feeling tears well up in my eyes. It touches me the way no other song ever has.

Just as I am without one plea
but that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou bid'st me come to Thee
oh lamb of God I come I come

Just as I am and waiting not
to rid my soul of one dark blot
To Thee who's blood can cleanse each spo
t oh lamb of God I come I come

Just as I am Lord Thou tossed about
with many a conflict and many a doubt
Fightings fears within and without
oh lamb of God I come I come

Just as I am Thou wilt recieve
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve
Because Thy promise I believe
oh lamb of God I come I come

Can there be more beautiful words to the lost and weary sinner?
This is MY Christianity. This is MY God. A God of love. Of acceptance, of forgiveness.
Our country is being torn apart today by those who would set themselves up as judges of men. They spew hatred at those different from themselves. While they are only a small minority, they are a LOUD minority. I fear if they are allowed to continue spread and inflict their hate, they will infect this country with a disease for which there is no cure. They have taken the Christian religion and turned it into a political lynching party. They are destroying all that we stand for. Not only as a nation but more importantly as Christians.
We can no longer sit back and allow this onslaught on our Christianity to continue. We must stand up and shout from the rooftops, THIS IS NOT MY CHRISTIANITY . We must come together, be we democrat, republican, liberal, or conservative. We must find the courage and strength to rise up and defend our most basic beliefs, our faith. We can no longer sit back and passivly allow this hate to infect and destroy us from within.
The truth is on our side. God is a God of love. A God of forgiveness. The Bible teaches us to give unto others. To love one another. To reach out to the lost.
The life you live is a far better light shinning for all the world to see, than any words you may speak.
Much louder than that of The moral exhibitionist. You know them, that growing number of "devout" self-dramatizing narcissists among us. Those fundamentalists who condone violations of up to four of the ten commandments in pursuit of political power. I call them the pseudo-christians. I'm on firm scriptural grounds, here. "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them," Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. "If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in Heaven."
If your wondering how you, one small person can make a difference. Well, for one thing, stop letting them fool you into believing they are good decent, God-fearing Christians. They are not. Stop listening to their retoric. Don't allow it to go unchallenged. Stop shaking your head and walking away, or trying to ignore it all together. Here's a news flash for you. It's not going away. Someday, sooner or later everyone one of us is going to have to take a stand. We're going to be called upon, either by our children, grandchildren, or our God, to explain why we didn't stop the hate. What will your answer be?
By the way, if you took the time to read this post all the way through, "I didn't know, I didn't realize what was happening..." isn't going to work.
God Bless you all as you go forth into the world this week. Be brave, and let your little light shine!