Has anybody else noticed a change in the political atmosphere of the American government recently? America used to be know for freedom of expression, and freedom to speak openly about one's disagreement with those who are in political office. However, now it seems that that is no longer the case. Those who disagree are called racists, or nazis, or other names, or have the press show up at their front door, as was seen with Joe the Plumber. I still can't get over how quickly this country has deteriorated. I mean, after shoving health care down our throats, even though most people were against, including a lot of democrats, he who must not be named *cough, Obama* doesn't let up. Next, he wants to try and grant amnesty to all of the illegal aliens in this country, and MSNBC tries to compare Arizona cracking down on illegal immigration to hitler. I mean, since when is it bad to try to prevent "illegal" activity? Not only that, but in the future, obama wants to force through cap and trade. Oh joy, let'a all help the environment! But wait, is it really about the environment? Well, for those of you who actually want the truth on al gore, the inventor as it were on global warming, just do a little research, I've even gotten started for you... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wll246o6GfY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRhUhyPvt5M&feature=related ... Also, cap and trade is another marxist ploy. It will allow poor companies to make more money, and force richer companies to make less, as the companies who need to pollute more will have to buy from those who plan on polluting less. Oh, and the awesome part? According to Obama, with cap and trade, the price of electricity will neccessarily skyrocket! I'm not making this up, he said it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlTxGHn4sH4 Oh, and you all remember van jones, right, the weather under ground bomber? Well, guess what? Nancy Pelosi really likes the dude, and thinks he's pretty swell. Yeah, listen to what she has to say about it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i8-5kMmiUo And Anita Dunn is pretty capitalist too, huh, adoring the communist philosopher mao like she does? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiBDpL2dExY&feature=PlayList&p=6222889A0860E757&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=3 And it gets better, Obamas education czar Kevin Jennings is a supporter of NAMBLA, aka the North American Man Boy Love Association. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWz6BU8zL0w&feature=PlayList&p=F5A2C9647499F42E&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=24 And of course, there was the Church that Obama grew up in for years, and claimed he never realized was racist or hated America, the one that Reverend Wright preaches at. And then there's his new spiritual advisor, who claims that the church helping the poor isn'e enough, that people must be forced to give to the government, because the government knows better than the individual. I mean, I'm not saying flat out the guy (Obama) is a communist or socialist or whatever, although I personally think he is, but I am saying that if he's not, why is he constantly hanging around with a bunch of loons? As the old expression goes, if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck...It's probably a duck.

Sick of it all...

Hi blogosphere, sorry for not updating in forever. I've been struggling a lot with my own issues and sins, and as a result, felt like my testimony is pointless. Recently came to my senses and realized that that's just a lie the enemy wants me to believe.

I'm sick of all this hypocrisy, coming from INSIDE the church. Hypocrisy is people using religion to hide their own flaws that they are unwilling to change. I'm sick of people using the Bible to try to justify their own opinions, instead of looking at the Bible to form their opinions. I'm sick and tired of people trying to force their own personal convictions on me regarding everything from drinking to rated R movies to tattoos to piercings to clothing to dancing, etc. (See Romans 14). I'm sick and tired of people telling me to stop being sad about the lost and lonely, hurting, broken people in the world who either have never heard of Christ, or have been so hurt by someone claiming to be a Christian that they can't bring themselves to put any faith in it, by telling me that God wants me to be happy, when there is ABSOLUTELY NO BIBLICAL EVIDENCE TO BACK THAT STATEMENT UP, and Isaiah 53 states that Jesus was a man of sorrows, and there are way more passages in the gospel showing Jesus mourning or grieving than being happy. I'm sick of people telling me that I need to suppress righteous anger, about things like legalized abortion, senseless pollution to the environment, genecide, hypocrisy, and rape. I'm sick of people trying to tell me that I need to "stop hanging out with people who aren't Christians," while they only associate with "good Christian people", not realizing that the very people they're telling me to not hang out with, are the very people Christ would be hanging out with. Sure, they use the excuse of, "well, Christ was perfect and without sin, so it's different for him", but that's A) mainly just a lame excuse so they can know about God without knowing him, B) not at all backed by scripture, and C) downright bull, to be quite honest. Christ called us to emulate him, did he not? Christ spent a lot of his time with the sinners and the deviants in society, did he not? Christ called us to go and make disciples of all nations, did he not? Christ also promised us that he would not allow us to tempted beyond what we could endure, did he not (see 1 Corinthians 10:13)? So, then, how do they justify it? Where is their evidence? It's not found in the Bible, I can guarantee you of that. So, what is the real reason? I can't possibly know the real reason for everyone, but I can tell you the main reason for most: it's easier to be a hypocrite. Hypocrites know all about God, but don't know him personally, which is easier, at least on the flesh. After all, who wants to sacrifice their time and money and safety? Who wants to do things that may not only ostricize them from the world, but from a lot of people in the Church, who just so happen to have false beliefs? Things like witnessing at bars, things like what the guys at xxxchurch.com do, going to porn conventions and sharing the saving gospel of Christ with them, things like embracing homosexuals who they know, and instead of judging them, embracing them and loving them the way Christ would. After all, the Bible does say that they will know Christians by their love. I don't see much love in the Church today, mostly just a bunch of judgement. I mean, knowing, confessing, and believing in Christ IS NOT ENOUGH!!! Just read Matthew 25:31-46, which states that Jesus will say to those who claimed to know him, but didn't feed the hungry, or clothe the naked, or visit those who were sick and in prison, "Depart from me, for I NEVER KNEW YOU." I'm not making this up or taking it out of context, it's in the Bible. Also, on the day of Judgement, many will claim to have known him, when sadly, in reality, they only knew about him. Well guess what? The Demons know Christ, and they tremble in his presence! And guess what? Many have confessed Christ just so they can use him as a "get out of hell free card," and never change their lifestyle, and the Bible clearly states that "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:20). So if knowing and confessing isn't enough, what is? Repentance, which means turning away from sin. Feeling or saying you're sorry isn't good enough, people. I'm sick of people trying to appear to be Godly, when in reality, they're only using the Bible to justify their condescending, judgemental, self-righteous opinions of others. The bible says that "There is no one righteous, no not one." (Romans 3:10). It also says that The greatest rule of all is to love god, and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:38-40). That means NOT JUDGING ANYONE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY'VE DONE, WHERE THEY'VE BEEN, OR WHAT THEY ARE STILL DOING!!! When is the church going to wake up people? When? I've got friends who are in either the Metal, Goth, or Punk scene, and because of the way they dress, people are not willing to see them as Christians. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if someone finds Mohawks or long hair to be handsome, it is NOT your place to judge them, or to try to force them to see things differently. Same goes for those who find dressing in black to be beautiful, or find skulls, or pale skin, or dog collars, or whatever to be beautiful. God has made them unique. Granted, we don't all have the same preferences when it comes to clothing and appearance, but guess what? It doesn't matter! God never said we had to. Jesus had long hair, dressing in black in biblical times was a way of showing mourning, collars could very easily be used to show that you're a slave to Christ, and Jesus was murdered at "The place of the skulls", most likely because with so many people crucified there, there were probably a bunch of skulls surrounding it. Oh, and guess what?

God doesn't just love Christians. He loves homosexuals, porn stars, child molesters, rapists, murderers, pimps, prostitutes, drug addicts, serial killers, and every one else in the world. So, trying to judge people, and trying to compare your sin to others, when in God's eyes, sin is sin, only makes you feel better, and doesn't change the fact that we're all just dirty vile sinners, and even are best accomplishments are only dirty rags in God's eyes. All to say, I'm totally sick and tired of all this false Christianity mumbo jumbo, and think a lot of it's a joke, especially when there are people willing to lay their life on the line to spread the gospel in China, and in the US, where we have freedom of speech, Christians are afraid to mention the saving redeeming power of Christ to their friends, for fear they might "offend them". I'm sick of it, people, I'm sick of it. Wake up, get a clue, get on board, or jump ship.

Violence...What's so scary about it?

Alright, a quick question for you...Is violence scary, and should it be to Christians? Now, I have my own personal beliefs on this, as I'm sure you do, too, but I'd like to take a look at what the Bible has to say on the subject. First, you've got psalm 23, which includes the word, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me, You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies...". And then, there is 1 John 4:16-18: God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. ¹⁷In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. ¹⁸There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
So, my question is, when it comes to the Bible, should we constantly be doing everything in our power to avoid being exposed to violence? Should we avoid things like movies (even Christian ones) that have violence in them, should we avoid watching the news, learning about the suffering of others, going to spread the gospel in places where violence is likely to happen, becoming friends with those who have been through traumatic experiences, or dining with and witnessing to pimps, drug dealers, thieves, or even murderers and child molesters, simply because we are afraid of violence? HEAVENS NO! In all honesty, the fear of violence does not come from God, it comes from the fall. It is a needless sickness that has been elevated as a badge of honor. It boils down to being selfish, to wanting to preserve our temporary flesh above all else. And as Christians, we know that there is more to ourselves than just our temporal bodies, we have a soul, that will forever be with Christ. That is the reason that Paul was able to say that "To live is Christ and to die is gain." We find nothing in the bible to support not going and spreading the good news to everybody. We are called, as Christians to "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20) Do you know what this means? We are supposed to take the good news to EVERYONE!!! Do you know what that means? Everyone includes those that we would rather forget about, like the ex-cons, those who are in prison, the deviants in society, those in suffering, those who have a different world view than us, those who are hostile to Christianity, the drug dealers, the pimps, those with terrible addictions...they are all included under the term of "EVERYBODY". And don't misunderstand me here, we are not all called or equipped by God to reach everybody, but we are all called and equipped to reach somebody. And, just because that "somebody" we feel we are being called to reach might expose us to violence, that is no excuse, because as Christians, we are not to fear violence. It all boils down to: if you truly believe that heaven is a place with no more tears, no more shame, no more guilt, no more pain, where we will live forever with God, and that this life is merely a fleeting moment that passes us by, why would you be afraid of violence? Death has no power over us, so if you truly believe what you say you believe, your actions should line up accordingly. Which means that among other things, you will stop justifying the fear of violence, and instead realize that our God is a loving caring God, who has our entire life mapped out, and that regardless of whether you live or die doing the work he has called you to do, you are going to live with him in heaven. So, to conclude, when it comes to being a Christian...
Violence...What's so scary about it?

Do you love your friends? Well, do ya?

Something I've been thinking about a lot recently is do we, as Christians, really love our friends, and if we do, how do we show it? For example, the world shows friendship by loving each other, sharing, caring for one another, etc. But shouldn't we as Christians be doing more than that? Let me ask you a question: if you are a Christian, and your friend is not, what is the single most important thing you can possibly share with them? The saving knowledge of Christ, of course! And, if you don't, what does that say about you? It says that you are more concerned with yourself and what the world thinks of you than you are the fact that your friend might spend an eternity in hell, which basically means you don't care at all about them. Now, I'm not saying you should constantly keep bringing it up, or if they tell you they're not interested that you should try to force them to believe, because you shouldn't. However, not mentioning it at all is definitely not what you should be doing. Let me put it another way: If someone is your friend, and they share something with you (an opinion, belief, life style, etc), and you disagree with it, would you stop being their friend? Do friends stop being friends simply because they disagree about something? Of course not! So, if you share Christ with them, and they choose to stop being your friend because they believe differently, guess what? Chances are, they weren't your friend in the first place. So, if that is what you are worried about, you shouldn't be, because friends can still be friends regardless of different opinions, beliefs, cultures, lifestyles, and yes, even religions. Case in point: I have a few friends who fall into many categories I disagree with, such as one who is a Wiccan, another who is bisexual, another who believes in Darwinism, another who believes that global warming is caused by people, etc. I disagree with all of those, but yet I am still their friends. You know why? 2 reasons: 1. That's what friends do 2. That's the example that Christ set. How can I expect to influence others for Christ if I don't associate with them? I can't! So, the overall point is what I'm trying to say is, if you as a Christian truly love your friends, you WILL tell them about Christ, because you're not guaranteed tomorrow, they might die in the next 10 seconds, and it will be to late. So, let me raise this question: Do you love your friends? Well, do ya?

Transparency and being a Christian, not a hypocrite

OK, now another difficult topic, about being a hypocrite. Being a hypocrite, and making mistakes, specifically. What is the difference between the 2, you might ask? Well, for one thing, I far too often am a hypocrite. And, just because I make mistakes, does not necessarily make me one. No, being a hypocrite is about making mistakes, all the while pretending like you are faultless. It is about being concerned with image above all else. In particular, being a hypocrite means that you keep your sins in the dark, and don't try to make amends, or in some cases, even repent of them. The Pharisees and the Sadducees in the bible were classic examples of hypocrites. They upheld all the laws to the letter, and they looked good and clean on the outside, but they didn't uphold the PRINCIPLE of the laws. They admitted that they never murdered, but they had hate towards people, which Jesus said is the same thing. They never committed adultery, but Jesus said that looking at a woman lustfully is the same thing. Jesus called them a brood of vipers, and whitewashed tombs. Sure, Christians make mistakes. However, we should not, under any circumstances, be willing to stoop to the level of hypocrisy. Instead, we need to set a new trend: That we, as Christians, often act before we think, but that we are transparent, even vulnerable, about our flaws. After all, how can we expect ourselves to be able to bring others to Christ if we are peddling the same "image is everything" mentality that the world is? If we behave no differently than the world, then how can we expect the world to want anything to do with us? I think it is time you and I take a stand, and take a chance, and let people see the REAL us, the broken, messed up, humble us, and let them see that Christ loves us, despite of our flaws, and that you and I aren't afraid to stand up and be open and honest, and make amends wherever possible.

So, Christians go to church...okay, where's the fruit?

Okay, I'm going to address a tricky topic. It is a topic that even some churches don't address. It is the difference between those who claim to be and look like Christians, and those who actually are. It is the topic of sanctification and justification.Basically, it is the topic of faith vs. works.

Now, I want to make it clear at the outset, I am not saying that doing works will EVER be enough to get one into heaven. We can never, as sinful human beings, be "good enough" or "perfect enough" for heaven. However, that does not mean we shouldn't try.

James 2:14-26 says: ¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

¹⁸But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

¹⁹You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

²⁰You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless^a]">[a]? ²¹Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²²You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ²³And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"^b]">[b] and he was called God's friend. ²⁴You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

²⁵In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? ²⁶As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Not only that, but Jesus said something similar, and he said it many times:

Matthew 25:31-46:

³¹"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

³⁷"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

⁴⁰"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

⁴¹"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

⁴⁴"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

⁴⁵"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

⁴⁶"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

Matthew 7:15-23:

¹⁵"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ¹⁶By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

²¹"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' ²³Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

So, you may be thinking, "What does all of this mean? Does it mean we are saved by works?" By all means, no. We are not saved through works, but a truly saving faith will produce works. We are saved because of Christ's love for us, and if we truly are saved, we will show it, because God will be transforming, slowly but surely, into his likenss. Works do not save one, but faith doesn't, etiher. Recieving salvation means confessing faithe in God, and repenting. And Repenting means that you will show works, because repentance does not mean simply to "stop doing what you shouldn't," but also to "start doing the things we should," because not doing what we should is just as much a sin as doing what we shouldn't.

Now, finally, I want to say that if someone is offended by any of this, because they think they can be a "fire insurance Christian," or basically just be a Christian so they don't go to hell, and keep on living the way they did before they accepted Christ, I want to say, don't be mad at me, because I am simply stating what the Bible already says. If you've though that you're a Christian, only to find out you aren't, I'm sorry, the only thing I can say, is reconsider whether you are a Christian or not. If your life has changed for the better, and you've become more Christlike since you became a Christian, then, no worries. However, if there is no fruit in your life, you should seriously evaluate whether or not you are a Christian, because, simply put:

"FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD."

A sincere, heartfelt apology

In this post, I want to spend some time apologizing. I would like to apologize to those that the church has offended. I want to apologize to the homosexuals who feel like Christians hate them, and I want to tell them, God loves you even though you go against his will, and those who hate you are NOT following Christ's example. I also want to apologize to the people who have been hurt by someone in the church. The Church is not perfect, and a lot of people in the Church aren't Christians in the first place, they're just posers. I'm sorry if your parents used the bible to justify abusing you, the Bible does not support abuse of any kind, it actually abhors abuse, and holds abusers accountable. Jesus even said, "If any one of you would cause one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better if you had a millstone tied around you neck and were thrown in the ocean." God doesn't approve of such behavior. I want to say sorry to those who feel ostracized from the church. To the goths, the metal heads, and the bikers and skaters, I am sorry if the dress code of some churches has kept you from getting to know Jesus. The Bible does not teach an attitude of conformity to any man, person, or Church, only to God and his word, and God made different people with different traits and different interests so that all might be saved. God loves you, your talents, and your interests, JUST THE WAY YOU ARE. I also want to apologize for the way the Church has acted and behaved in certain situations. I want to apologize for the way Christians say one thing, and do something completely different, all the while pretending they're perfect. I want to apologize for the fact that some Christians seem to care more about conversion, and less about you as an individual. I also want to say, to those of you who may have been hurt by the Church, don't let the way Christians behave deter you from seeking God. Christians are not perfect, we are not righteous, we are not without blame or fault. Finally, I want to share a few poems that I have found on the net, that emphasize this point:

DON'T SHOOT THE WOUNDED

(by Chuck Girard)

Don't shoot the wounded, they need us more than ever.

They need our love no matter what it is they've done.

Sometimes we just condemn them, and don't take time to hear their story.

Don't shoot the wounded, someday you might be one.

It's easy to love the people who are standing hard and fast.

Pressing on to meet that higher calling.

But the ones who might be struggling, we tend to judge too harshly, and refuse to try and catch them when they're falling.

We put people into boxes and we draw our hard conclusions, and when they do the things we know they should not do,

we sometimes write them off as hopeless, and we throw them to the dogs.

Our compassion and forgiveness sometimes seem in short supply, so I say...Don't shoot the wounded!

We can love them and forgive them when their sin does not exceed our own. For we too have been down bumpy roads

before but when they commit offenses outside the boundaries we have set,we judge them in a word and we turn them out,

and we close the door. Myself I've been forgiven for so many awful things. I've been cleansed and washed and bathed so

many times that when I see a brother who has fallen from the way I just can't find the license to convict him of his crimes.

So I say... Don't shoot the wounded!

That doesn't mean we turn our heads when we see a brother sin and pretend that what he's doing is all right.

But we must help him see his error, we must lead him to repent. Cry with those who cry, but bring their deeds into the light .

For it's the sick that need the doctor, and it's the lame that need the crutch. It's the prodigal who needs the loving hand. For a

man who's in despair, there should be kindness from his friends. 'Lest he should forsake the fear of Almighty God and turn

away from God and man, So I say...Don't shoot the wounded! ©1982 Sea of Glass Music/ASCAP

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I 'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow!

By Carol Wimmer

Do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. James 2:1

A man attended a church regularly for several months, but he was always ignored. Because no one knew who he was, and he looked out-of-place with his old and worn-out clothes, no one ever took the time to speak to him. One Sunday as he took a seat in church, he intentionally left his hat on. As the pastor stood on the platform and looked out over the audience, he noticed the man with the hat right away. So he summoned one of the deacons and asked him to tell the man that he forgot to remove his hat. When the deacon spoke to the man, he responded with a big smile and said, "I thought that would do it. I have attended this church for 6 months, and you are the first person who has ever talked to me." There is no place for prejudice or favoritism in the family of God. We who have been born again through faith in Jesus are equals in God's sight. And that equality should be evident in the way we treat other believers. We must be hospitable and courteous to all, regardless of their race, social status, or appearance. When we show favoritism, we sin against people whom God loves and for whom Christ died. Let's be gracious to everyone and be careful to avoid showing partiality. --Richard De Haan

All those who know and love the Lord
Must show by word and deed
That they will not discriminate
But welcome those in need. --D. De Haan

Prejudice builds walls; love breaks them down.