Freedom in first loving yourself

Freedom in first Loving yourself

(Mat 22:37 NKJV) Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'(Mat 22:38 NKJV) "This is the first and great commandment.(Mat 22:39 NKJV) "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
What they don't tell you at many churches in Singapore is that their fight against gays through their proxies such as the Church of Saviour, Exodus, Focus on the Family are heading for a dead end. Desperate measures have been used such as outrageous rethoric from the pulpit, and pseudo science as the acceptance of gays becomes more widespread in the US with the fear that Singapore could follow suit. Their message is being drowned by the increasing world wide acceptance of gays coupled by an uneasy conscience that perhaps they may have been wrong.

The Christian Right groups are calling for dialogue trying to convince themselves that they were the victims rather than the perpetrators much alike a robber coming to your house and asking you to give reasons why you should keep your own belongings! It could never be about dialogue on equal terms as they were debating about your rights and not theirs. Gays should never need to justify for basic human rights and dignity. Freedom of religion does not give us special rights to impose our own theological construction to bind the lives of others unless our faith is so weak that it requires gays as the scapegoat for our own immorality.

The theological construction of condemnation against gays has meant that even the best of Christian writers and thinkers such as Henri Nouwen was never able to reconcile his sexuality and come out in public as a gay person. As a result, he suffered so much emotional toil that had contributed to his early death in 1996. Only a deep revelation that our love for God is intertwined with first loving ourselves would set us free from our theological bondage. Nouwen grew up 50 years ago in a hostile environment very much different from today where we now know that we are not alone and that there are many Gay Christians just like us. Can we go further to love ourselves and have pride.

In the US, even with the advent of the mega churches in the last 20 years, there has been a massive shift in public opinion:-
a) Gay marriage is supported by 42% in 2010, versus just 27% in 1996.
b) Gays serving in the army is supported by 60% in 2010, versus 52% in 1994.
c) To-date, 53% of those born after 1981 supports gay marriage, versus 29% born prior to 1928. ie the acceptance of gay marriage by the younger generations will soon surpass the negative opinion of the older generations with the passing of time.

The profound change may be hastened by more gays coming out, loving and accepting themselves and be "out" to friends and family at a much younger age, thus effectively negating the vicious rethoric of the Christian Right. It is much harder to believe their half truths if gays were not much different from the straight people and are our friends and family. We are becoming proud and coming out as never before:-

a) According to Stonewall report in Nov 2010, the average age of coming out for over-60s was 37; for people in their 30s it was 21; and for those now aged 18-24 was 17.
b) In Asia, the first Taipei Pride was held in 2003 with many gays wearing masks. In 2010, the Pride grew to 30,000 attendance and not a mask was to be seen.
c) India's first gay pride was held in Nov 2010 with 2,000 in attendance, made possible, by the legalization of gay relationships in 2009.

The legalization of gay relationships and same sex marriage are only a matter of time as more gays begin to accept and love themselves instead of carrying a baggage of self denial. As we begin to take the journey of loving ourselves, we start the journey of having the self confidence to be how God has created us, and begin to relate to people as who we are authentically rather than hiding behind a mask.

Loving ourselves comes so naturally to straight people, but for many gay christians, the negative construction by society and by the church has bound us in a theological construct to hate ourselves. We must consciously "consume" Jesus as one preacher has said, not to deny ourselves and put on Christ as he had proposed, rather to see and visualise Christ acceptance and love for us as a special and unique queer people of faith.

The recent strong reaction to Rev Ou Young of MCCNY in Malaysiakini highlighting the existence of gays in the community shows that Malaysia even more than Singapore are far behind. Some in the Gay Christian community seemed perturbed by Rev Ou Young stirring the issue even though he was not outing them in any way. It showed a deep seated self loathing instead of pride, of how God has created us wonderfully as a gay person. We were not rejecting Rev Ou Young, rather rejecting ourselves. The key to coming out of the closet is not only about coming out to family and friends, but whether we could love and accept ourselves as who we are.

The mere mention of the gay issue seems to cause a Holy indignation amongst many gay christians who instead prefer to focus on being Christians who happens to be gay. However, if we cannot fully love ourselves, how can we say we love God, or worship Him fully in Spirit and in truth. We can preach and worship God from the pulpit and in public within the safe space of a "gay church" yet when our worship to God is broadcasted in the Youtube we become defensive and ashamed of worshiping God as a Gay Christian.

There is a strong calling of God for gays to love and accept themselves. When we love ourselves, we have the freedom to love others and to love God. Being free is not only first realising that all are equal in God's eyes, but to realise that we are equal ourselves. There is little point to see others as equal without the basis of loving ourselves first. We are able to love ourselves especially our sexual orientation, when we see the love and acceptance of God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

Freedom is seeing yourself in the mirror and loving yourself because you are beloved in Christ Jesus. It doesn't really matter when Singapore eventually decriminalises Homosexuality, for we must first be decriminalised it in our own hearts and mind, in the deepest recess of our sub-conscious. Only the Holy Spirit can do this work of revelation in our lives to love and accept ourselves first, so that the Love of God can come into our hearts.

We can't worship and praise God effectively, unless we are bold enough to yearn for freedom. The Holy Spirit is put in a box when we praise God with our face in the ground, afraid to see God as a Gay Christian community, afraid to raise our hands to worship God in the World Wide Web lest others see us and question whether we were gay!.

It is time for us to start loving ourselves first, and to live with oneself.

Anglican Africans

(1 Cor 9:16 NKJV) For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!

The Christian Post article “Anglican Bishops Resolve to Tackle Africa's Social Ills” dated 31 Aug 2010 reported that the African Anglican Bishops from 400 diocese after a weeklong conference in Uganda issued a strong statement against gays. It was stated in the article that “in their communiqué that "in order to keep the ethos and tradition of the Anglican Communion in a credible way, it is obligatory" of all provinces in the global Anglican Communion to continue to observe and honor the moratoria on the ordination of partnered homosexuals, the blessing of same-sex unions, and cross-border interventions.”

The African Bishops in the “2nd All African Bishop Conference” had also invited their American Anglican schism partner, the “Anglican Church in North America” including Archbishop Robert Duncan, Bishop Martyn Minns, Bishop John Guernsey and Bishop Bill Atwood. The Anglican South represented by Archbishop John Chew of Southeast Asia, have also been invited to join with the primates of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA). The conference was also attended by Prime Minister of Uganda, Apollo Nsibambi.

With such a strong focus on gays, even interfering with the sovereignty of the Episcopal Church in the United States by the cross border attempts to steal the American conservative diocese, and hunting down gays in the streets within their cities, speaks of a continents deep in grave “social ills” of rampant violence, poverty, injustice, corruption, military dictatorship, infant mortality, abortions, and disease pandemic. It is a horror of a dark continent where the Bishops closed their eyes on the desperate issues and sum them us as a Gay issue. There are no easy answers or solutions except it seems to blame gays.

Whilst the religious leaders put gays on the altar of sacrifice for all the “sins” of the deep dark African Continent, NGOs are calling for a doubling of the 50 Billion dollar AID that goes to Africa each year. This AID should actually be reduced significantly since obviously from the communication of the African Bishops, the main problem or social ill they have is gays and not poverty. So, the solution is obviously simple, the AID money to be used to emigrate the gays from Africa to Europe/USA/Canada/South America. Surely, it would overnight resolve all the social ills and bring prosperity to Africa where 350 million of the population lives below USD 1 per day.

The Conference was hosted by Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi, head of Uganda's Anglican church. According to CNN, “Bishops from Singapore, Southeast Asia and Africa told Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams in closed-door sessions Tuesday and Wednesday that there should be no more diplomacy on homosexuality ….. However, Williams preached tolerance in a sermon after the meetings, reminding African bishops that a good leader does not abandon his flock. He did not bring up the issue of homosexuality”.

The Rev Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury spoke that the 21st Century may well be the “African Century.” Archbishop Orombi quoting from 1 Cor 9:16, exalted the crowd that the time has come for ‘fresh wine’ from ‘new wine skins” from what the conference website advocated as “represented by the potentials in the conference to go to Europe and America to bring fresh life in the ailing global Anglicanism”, ie for the voice of the African Anglicans to spread their hate of gays to Europe and America.

Africa is a continent of Population of 1 Billion (2005 census) with 45% Muslim, and 40% Christian. It will be an African Century as said by Rowan Williams, but a century in the news front page of continued economic, social strive and famines, wars, coups, and with the growing Christian Fundamentalism demonstrated at the Bishops’ conference, the religious confrontation between the Muslim North and the Christian South will represent further tragedies. Whether the Christians will march out of the Middle Kingdom to hunt gays all over the world is yet to be seen, but the battle remains up North where the desert of the Sahara is ever expanding to make the land desolate and religious based warfare now starting to dominate the scene, AIDS/HIV threatened as a grim reaper to bring millions of death even bringing down the life expectancy to below 50 years. Africa is indeed a tragedy, so rich in human and natural resources, yet doomed to fail because the real issues have not been addressed by going after a non issue such as gays.

The Gospel is not about making gays a scapegoat, but preaching Christ instead, His love, Grace, and mercy to the lost, the poor, and the outcasts. We are indeed truly lost when we could not see ourselves and how sinful we are but to see the spec in others eyes.

The trees of the field shall clap their hands

(Isa 55:11 NKJV) So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
(Isa 55:12 NKJV) "For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
(Isa 55:13 NKJV) Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the LORD for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

I realised than these past 15 years have been such a struggle health, financially, spiritually,. I had asked God to bring me into deeper revelation of His love and grace, and understanding of the Word of God, but did not realise that such can only come in a journey, in a walk of life - clinging on to Christ, our hope and redeemer.

I have changed so much - much more capable, yet hardened through life circumstances. It is time to come back to the simple faith, and rejoicing that I had 15 years ago.

A time to Rest

(1 Chr 27:1 NKJV) And the children of Israel, according to their number, the heads of fathers' houses, the captains of thousands and hundreds and their officers, served the king in every matter of the military divisions. These divisions came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, each division having twenty-four thousand.

Each month, a different division of the army came and went to serve the king. It was not a permanent army with all the 12 divisions of 24,000 men being available, but they took turns. They served only once every 12 months.

I believe that there are many seasons in life, and God is saying that this season is a season
to draw back, to start enjoying the fellowship with Him, to read the bible as a matter
of communion with God rather than to study the bible.

It is also a season, to be myself. I have spend a long time to find out who I am, but this is
the season to be how Christ created me as.

There is no rush in this season, no datelines, no vision and mission, rather, to rest and be still
in His presence. I have been so busy, doing work for God, rather than having that time
with Him.

It is time to put myself and my work, my ministry, in 2nd gear, and to start enjoying life and praising God each day and to dwell in His Grace and Mercy. There is no need to hurry for God is not in a hurry.

The greatest is love

(1 Cor 13:13 NKJV) And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I always wondered why the greatest is love. Some of my friends would say that faith in God, and Hope for eternity is important but not as important as loving others. Hence, their motto is loving others as yourself.

But as I become older, I realise the meaning of this verse. We abide in faith, hope and love, but our faith in God, in Christ, do fall in the time of great stress and temptation. It may not be something that we have done, it may be how others have stumbled us, even pastors and the church. We may loose hope in our situation, in terms of financials, relationships, health and family, resulting in loosing hope that God will provide a break through. There come a point of grace, when asked we would say that we have some but not much of faith, and hope that Christ will pull through for us.

The early Christians had the same problem. Booted our of Jerusalem in AD70 where they were not only displaced but had many of their family killed, they were now living in despair in Asia Minor, where in fact most of the bible was actually written and documented as they reflected upon God. The last book, the Gospel of John happened well after the fall of Jerusalem, when another crisis loom, the persecution of Christians in Rome after they lost the official status as a religion that was allowed in the Roman empire under the notion of a sect of Judaism.

That is when Love comes in. It is not just our love for others, but abiding in the Love of God for us. Yes, in response we are to love others, but it is out of God's love for us. Therefore, when our faith and hope in Christ seemingly fail under extreme stress and pressure, all that we have to fall back upon is God's grace and mercy in His unmerited Love for us.

I love the song "First Love" , the lyrics which read -

Rekindle your first love in my heart
I never inteded to depart
From the trusting child I was
Simply knowing that because
You are my Father, I am Your child
I am acceptable

You've never changed
and You've never will
I open my heart to embrace Your will
I love You I trust You my dear Father
rekindle Your first love in me.

Love is the greatest, because it is the love of God, through His Son Jesus Christ,
not our love for Him. Through His love, our own love will be rekindled, giving us
the measure of faith in the risen Lord and hope that He will pull through for us when there is little oil left in our lamp of life. Even when our eyes grow dimm with no salvation in sight in this part of life, we remain abiding in God's love, looking foward with faith and Hope for eternal life to come when there will be no more sorrows, nor suffering.

God's grace and mercy be with You always.

Blessings

I woke up with a strong word spinning in my head - the word "blessings".

Are we to seek after God's blessings? to pray earnestly that God will blessed us in our work,
family, and financially, and that this blessing is unmerited and not dependent for what we
have done and will do for God. ie this blessing is by Grace alone.

(Gen 27:27 NKJV) And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said: "Surely, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field Which the LORD has blessed.
(Gen 27:28 NKJV) Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine.
(Gen 27:29 NKJV) Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, And let your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you!"

I am not that well off, so it would be a great blessing if just like Jacob obtained from Isaac I can be blessed by

a) Dew of heaven - Blessings from heaven itself - the best of heaven's offering - It is like the morning dew, it just comes and falls down from heaven at night - it is underserved, unmerited and by God's grace alone. The dew brings a "new thing", a sense of freshness in the air, a new move of God, a calmness in the air/ a stillness in the early morning. Dew is formed in the presence of a thick mist, a covering of moisture, a deep presence of God that brings preace, calmness, a time of refreshing and rest. It is dwelling with God in the midst of His heavenly presence resting on us, upon our hearts.

b) Fatness of Earth - prosper in my harvest ie in my workplace, and in ministry of what I have sowed in.

c) Plenty of grain and wine - have more than enough to live comfortably - financially secured to take care of myself.

Be Blessed by God's grace.

River of God, a river of God's grace and mercy

River - East door of Temple (coming out from entrance of temple)
(Ezek 47:1 NKJV) Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar.
(Ezek 47:2 NKJV) He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side.
Water to ankles
(Ezek 47:3 NKJV) And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles
River to waist.
(Ezek 47:4 NKJV) Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist.
River to submerge
(Ezek 47:5 NKJV) Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed.
(Ezek 47:6 NKJV) He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.
River to heal
(Ezek 47:7 NKJV) When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other.
(Ezek 47:8 NKJV) Then he said to me: "This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed.
River for great revival
(Ezek 47:9 NKJV) "And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.
(Ezek 47:10 NKJV) "It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many.
(Ezek 47:11 NKJV) "But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt.
(Ezek 47:12 NKJV) "Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine."

contradictions

Maybe we bash up gays to show that we or our family members are not gay.
Therefore, the most anti-gay church would have the highest percentage
of gay religious people trying to deny that they are gays. (I could never understand why
the churches that have most gays are the most law minded ones in Queenstown)

Why did the pharisees hated Jesus so much? maybe to show that they
can make it to heaven themselves and needed no saviour. The Pharisees did not bring gays to Jesus? i wonder why? since we would have dragged a gay queen to the feet of Jesus!
Perhaps, they knew that Jesus was so full of grace and truth and that the homosexuals
did nothing wrong and that the prostitutes far easier to find. (Try to find a gay den in Singapore
in Geylang!)

Why did they bring the woman adulterous to Jesus but not the men? But Jesus knew it was a trap yet showed so much grace and mercy, when He could have defended
Himself and agree with them to stone the prostitute. But that would
have destoyed Jesus' credibility and support amongst those that
He based His ministry on.

I am afraid, what would happen if the church entered deeper into grace, we have stepped
in just, clinging still to the law, which we have to one day let go as we have a lot of work
to do - that the water may reach to our knees, then to our shoulders, and finally to swim in it.
For too much grace scares me, as it may mean a Gospel revolution and living by faith.

Crossing the line of true love

Saw some blogs discussing how difficult is it to love gays and that
the extent of love would be that of a missionary who forgave the
tribes that killed her husband missionary. The missionary was willing to give
up his life for the pagan tribes whilst we took out our sword to hunt down the gay tribe.

Those people from the grace churches really need much more grace! but
they are still much better than the 10 commandment advocates above city hall mrt
who will tie to gay tribesman to a stake.

Thinking of the sons of Zabedee asking God to pour fire upon Samaria.

Yes, it is hard to love, but i imagine it would be harder for them to love us
since we do all the burning and hating.

Jesus love is dying for us, whilst our love is to condemn, to judge, to deny justice
and basic rights in the name of Jesus. Maybe its hate instead of love. Just that we call it love to
sound christian.

We love only those we find lovable. When will we cross the line that God
has set for us before revival comes! Maybe we will be left behind until we learn how to love.

True Blibical Spirituality

In the modern church life so filled with
loud worship, agressive prayers, consumerism,
teachings on prosperity on earth,
and what you can get out of Christianity, and
action against people groups outside the walls of the church, it is
useful to remind us what is true biblical spirituality.

Perhaps, the monks of ancient orders, saw into the future, hence
withdrew to the quiet and reflective abode to be close to God,
and away from this earthly indulgences of the church life.

Jesus gave us the simple way, owned little, needed little, and demand
little but gave everything - all the time treasuring and being in active communion with His
heavenly Father. Our church services are so loud that sometimes
it blocks the silent still voice of God.

In His grace

Fallen Nature

It is quite interesting that many claim that homosexuality is of a fallen nature because to me that it inconsistent, illogical and guilty by association. Therefore homosexuality
becomes a sin because of OUR associations with other forms of sins we deemed as fallen nature even though there is nothing linking them but only our associations. If homosexuality is
of a fallen nature, then

a) It should be specifically stated in the bible as such

b) Or, we in the same type as those the bible states as the result of the fall of Adam,
(pain at child birth, having to toil for work, death at 120)

c) Or, be the result of the eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
(law consciousness, self righteousness).

However, since our own heterosexuality or sexuality or sex we deemed as not of a fallen nature by itself, other motives comes in. eg it is because of the fallen nature, that the religious have an issue with gays.

One can be a fundamentalist - but on what basis - it is loving God, and loving others, loving the word of God, and believing it is God inspired revealing Christ within, our hope of Glory. True Christian fundamentalism demands that we do very little condemnation because the fundamentals of Christianity are

Grace NOT judgement

Mercy NOT revenge

Love NOT hatred

By yea Holy, for I am Holy says the Lord. We become unholy when our hands are raised against the weak and the outcasts of society who cannot defend for themselves, and whom the majority despised and rejected because they wear shades of pink and purple.

The safety net of Consistent Logic

It was reproted that during the Afgan war, when the Russians invaded Afganistan, there was strong support from Cuba and Iran. When told that if the same logic applies, then America could also invade Cuba!. The Cubans were very angry at the comparison but the logic could not be denied, and surpasses the cultural, and religious barriers,

Thinking about homosexuality - if the church says that it is a sin against the Jewish laws, then aren't we also sinning by not adhering to the other laws therein. For example, working on Sunday would be a sin. If it was so great a sin, why was it not in the 10 commandments?

The law also applies to actions with no mitigation of the context or the motives. ie it is a sin because it involves the same sex even though the motivation may be religious in nature done by straight men. If it applies unilaterry then the church must also stone and put to death the divorsee, and the women who does not cover their head at church.

Many Christians are extremely mad because the logic could not be denied (therefore red herrings such as pro-family, and defence of marriage is used). Instead of being mad, we should be humble and a contrite heart that we may be blameless before God and men and our actions be with much grace lest we ourselves come under judgement.

How come Law based christians are after gays?

Realised that they have not got much choice.
Once, they have made the decision long time ago, that
homosexuality was a sin as per the law, and started on a road to condemn and
persecute gays, you can't turn back even if there is very strong doubt
on the bible interpretation in this dispensation of grace.

So they start covering up, making stories of a gay aggenda,
and I think really believed in it themselves. More stories
are made up about gays destroying families and against marriage.
We are pictured as the protectors of the family.

The road is too far down because any admission to being
wrong on this issue, is admitting to coming under
judgement by God under the law.

That is why Grace is the power to change from our sinful ways,
because it offers forgiveness, yesterday, today and tommorow.
The law of judgement binds you in, and convicts you of sin,
rather than liberate us.

Grace - we have never been that far before

We live in the difference phases of the move of God. In 1517,
it was the Salvation by Faith alone, in 1904, the Azuza Street revival,
where the Holy Spirit fell on people, and now from the year 2000, we see a move of
the supremacy of grace versus law. All this are nothing new, we see it in the Gospels and
the book of Acts:-

Jesus Death - Salvaton by Faith

Holy Spirit at the Upper room - Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Extending grace to gentiles - Peter ministry to Cornelius

These are waves and phases of the move of God. Some churches are left
behind - eg many still do not believe in the speaking of tongues,
for some salvation is through outher intermediaries such as the saints,
and for others we are still very much bound by the Jewish Law. Churches
are formed because the existing structure, the wine skin, could not
hold the new wine, or the new move of God.

What we are seeing in Churches such as New Creation, is
like the Church in Antioch, which was a mixed church, where
they had gentiles, and God fearers, and begin to battle against the
judaist who insisted that Christians must also abide by the Jewish laws.
The 1st, 2nd and third missionarry trips of Paul was
plagued by Judaist who raised up a mob to cause problem. Paul
ministered primarily to the synagogues where the Jews and the gentile God fearers
would meet. It's all a repeat show. Therefore, Pastor Joseph Prince
is very much like a modern day St. Paul (with hair).

What we are seeing now is a move of God that was very troubling even
to the early church, that is the ministry of St. Phillip to Samaria, and the Eunuch,
for it breaks not only the gentile barrier of language, custom, and tradition,
but challenges the class structure, and discrimination of modern society,
just like Jesus making a clear statement when He chose to based
His ministry on the outcasts. He could have set up in the powers to be, in the
spheres of political, business, and religious spaces, but he chosed the least.

Whilst we desire to transform the Kingdoms of this World, to the Kingdom of God,
in Transformation 2009, Jesus only set up camp in the most despised part of town.
Much like setting up base camp, next to a gay bar and sauna.

There is a new move of God, a new move of grace, that extends even beyond the roman gentiles,
but specifically to the Samaritans and the Eunuch - to the GLBT community. The whole cycle
now repeats its self again, from the micro events happening in Judea and Turkey, now happening at a macro scale world wide.

God's grace is really amazing.

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.