Preaching Hate

Preaching H8 What I'm writing about is nothing new by any means. It's something I've encountered time and time again. As a Christian and as a minister, I feel that it's my calling to witness the gospel of Jesus Christ to all who are willing to hear it. I never try to force the gospel on anyone. I personally feel that if you try to impose Christianity upon someone who is unwilling or unready to receive it, you will only alienate them from the gospel and push them away. I've always felt that we should bring them to the gospel by being a living example of what it means to be a Christian. We should show love and charity to strangers, not act or speak lewdly in public, be true to ourselves and our maker, live by our faith, and be courteous and repsectful to people of other faiths or beliefs. Believe it or not, I've taken quite a bit of criticism from other Christians for trying to live this way. I've had Christians say that this is not the way Christ acted toward people and been accused of keeping quiet toward people of other faiths just so we can get along. I don't feel this way at all. Let's take a look at some of Jesus' teachings and see how they pertain to this subject. 　 Matthew 22:35-41 (New King James Version) 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" 37 Jesus said to him, " ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Jesus taught us to listen to the commandments. He told us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Do we like it when we are verbally attacked for our beliefs as a Christian? Does it draw us to a person or push us away from that person when they launch one of these verbal assaults on us? Are we likely to be open to anything this person has to tell us after they have affronted us in such a manner? I think not! I think we would either get into a heated arguement with this person or walk away from and ignore them altogether. How do you think the non-christian reacts when we attack their beliefs in such a manner? They either argue with us or walk away from us and we no longer have any oppurtunity to witness the gospel to them. The only way we will have a chance to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to more people is by treating them as a friend and showing them love as Jesus would have. Remember that in His day, Jewish people despised the Samaritan people. They thought of them as unclean and avoided them at all cost. They would even travel around there villages when going from one Jewish city to another instead of traveling among them. Did Jesus do this during His ministry? No, He did not. This is what He did. 　 John 4:7-15 (New King James Version) 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." 11 The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" 13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." 15 The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." Jesus did not attack the woman for her beliefs or how she was living even though she was living with a man who was not her husband. He showed her courteousy and love. She saw who and what He was through His actions. This is how we must spread the gospel. We must show love, respect, and friendship to the person living in sin, the nonbeliever, the agnostic, the atheist, the muslim, the buddhist, the wiccan, and so on. This is the way we will bring them closer to us and to our savior Jesus Christ. Let me give you another example. Like I said, I've been criticized for being respectful to people of other faiths. I've been criticized by people who call themselves Christians. These so-called Christians would rather start arguements with nonbelievers than try to peaceably explain the gospel to them and try to bring in new believers. They would rather tell people to 'believe as I believe or else'. I personally never heard of anyone being converted to Christianity at gunpoint or swordpoint depending upon the day. These same people also verbally attack their fellow Christians for trying to spread the gospel peacefully instead of forcefully. On the other hand, I've had a pagan friend of mine give me a video he made of a Cathedral in Scotland to use on my ministry webpages, had another friend who is a universalist help with the ministry discussion board, and even had an atheist friend tell me 'thanks' when I told him 'God bless'. Remember, we are supposed to love our neighbors as ourselves. Who among these people were my neighbors? Luke 10:30-36 (New King James Version) 30 Then Jesus answered and said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?" Also, many Christians would also criticize someone like myself for calling pagans, universalists, muslims, and atheists friends. They would tell you that a Christian shouldn't associate with such people at all. They may even accuse you of not believing in the same Jesus they believe in or tell you that Jesus wouldn't act this way at all. Let me give you some more scripture here to show you otherwise. Mark 2:16-18 (New King James Version) 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?" 17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." In closing, I hope that I have brought a speck of light to this subject. I know that many of you may not see this the same way as I do and you know what? I'm respectful of your opinion. You are entitled to your own beliefs. Personally, I believe in bringing as many people to Jesus as I can peacefully. I don't believe that we will bring anyone to the gospel by offending, attacking, and making enemies of them. We will only bring in new believers and make new disciples of Christ by befriending them, showing them love, and by being a living example to them. I will continue to minister in a loving manner to all who will listen. I refuse to preach hate toward anyone. Thank you for taking the time to read this. May the peace of the Lord be with you my friend. 　 Your brother in Christ, Pete. Pete 7-13-10