What I would like to see at New Creation Church

1) Grace to give - Great to receive grace, but grace is truly shown when we give grace, for example the servant in the bible who showed very little grace, even when he himself was given extraordinary grace.

For example, a transexual visiting a church - do we shake the hands with two fingers only, lest we catch some diseases? or put them aside somewhere behind the congregation - in the last row - a position of dishonor and start to talk about them.

We see two lesbians - do we ask them aside, usher them to the counselling area. We may feel naturally uncomfortable and pastoral, but grace calls us to respond differently.

Jesus did not minister to the rich, the powerful, and the religious and rarely ministered to the Gentiles (like us), but finds His abode amongst the poor and the outcasts whom society and whom the majority has given little grace. It examplifies, that the grace of God extends to people groups that are despised even within the people of the same culture, tradition, language and religion. It starts with a Spirit to show grace.

2) Grace to fear God - Although God may forgive us in heaven. some actions have great impact when it involves injustice, the strong against the weak, and blood shed. We may think it is norm according to our tradition and biblical interpretation, but we may unknowingly be sinning - not just any sin - but sin against people groups who can speak out and cry to God for justice. When blood is shed, their blood cries out to God, day and night.

- Sodom, and Gomorrah - Strong Cities that abused the weaker nations around them - the strong abusing and raped the weak and put them into slavery - even the men were raped to destroy their dignity. God hears the cry of the innocent and where blood is shed.

- Israel/ Judah - Isaiah spoke of the religious persecuting the weak and the poor in their midst, using their majority strenght to violate their rights causing great injustice. Even though they had the temple sacrifices, and prayed in their temples, there is that spiritual hindrance to getting our prayers answered because of cries against us.

I am reminded of "Prayers for Bobby" and other gay men who died whose death is substantially caused by the condemnation of conservative christians. We may feel uncomfortable with gays and justify ourselves that the bible condemns homosexuality, but grace does not necesarrily save us if we were wrong. There is a need for a grace to fear God, always vary that we may be wrong especially fueled by the Law, religion, and tradition because it blinds us from interpreting the bible without bias and the end comes to justify the means. If we were extreme on anything, let it be being generous on showing grace, and giving people reasonable doubt for we ourselves are under such great a grace in Christ Jesus.