The last several days a conversation I had with my pastor, Dony McGuire, several months ago, has been replaying in my mind. He was telling me how several people who had visited the church, and subsequently began attending regularly, had told him how God had led them to the church, and how wonderful the church was and how at home they felt there. But, after a period of time they became aware of issues or circumstances within the the church they disagreed with, most often regarding the welcoming of certain people to the congregation, so they approached the pastor and complained about those matters, saying they simply could not continue to be a part of the congregation or support the ministry of the church. They completely forgot how they had felt led by God to be members of the congregation. Their own prejudices had overridden the call from God.
How many times have we, as Christians, overridden the call or refused to move in the path God has led us to because we allow our preconceived notions or our internal prejudices to overwhelm the leading of Holy Spirit? One of the greatest things I found, and heard, from the pastoral team at The River at Music City is the motto of the church: "Love is spoken here!". Jesus told His disciples one of the greatest commands was to love our neighbor as God loves us. Following that one commandment brings about obedience to almost every one of the others; for if we love someone we won't steal, lie, murder, bear false witness or covet the possessions of your neighbor.
The commandments are based on a simple foundation of love. Love for God, love for ourselves and love for every other person on the planet. First off, if we love God, we will not break any of the other commandments. To love God is to do His will. To love our neighbor (which is every person on the planet) we will do nothing to harm them. Loving our neighbor means we value their lives, our relationships with them and we respect them and their rights and freedoms.
Jesus said the greatest commandment was "Love the Lord your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." It's the first commandment, but He also said the second was like the first, "Love your neighbor as yourself," and stated "all the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments." Notice that Jesus called the greatest commandments the two that dealt with love. That's a powerful statement from our Savior that love is, above everything else, the most important thing we do as Christians. Jesus even told us that loving those who love us is nothing because even the vilest sinner does the same; but loving everyone, even those who do not love us, who mistreat us and do us wrong, shows that we are following the heart of the living God. "For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son.."
Think about that: God gave His Son to die for every human being who has ever lived on this planet, from Adam and Eve right down to the very last baby that will be born before the world comes to an end. That includes those who deny Him and those who reject Him just as much as those who accept Him and worship Him. Can any of us say we are able to do the same, without Christ in our hearts? Heck, it's difficult to do even with Christ living within. Our natural instinct is to reject those who don't love us and treat us with respect, dignity and courtesy.
Love is the single most important aspect of our lives. We all want it, seek it and desire it; yet it's the hardest thing for us to give to others. I love the way Paul wrote of love; what the power of truly loving will do and how love reacts to any given circumstance. And he stated that the greatest of faith, hope and love is love. It is the single most powerful thing we do as human beings.
We need to learn to love others the way God loves us. I can't find a single caveat to what God allows for each and every person when He talks about His love for mankind; not one single place where it says God loves us but He removes our choice to live our lives in the way we see fit because we don't follow Him. There's no mention that God will not allow a person to live in sin if they choose to not believe in His teachings or be a member of His church. Nor do I find where God will remove His love for anyone if they don't follow Him. Nowhere where He says if someone doesn't believe the way we do we have the right to prevent them from living their lives according to their choices and desires. And not a single word is written where God commands us to legislate the moral behavior of people who don't believe or worship the same as we do.
It's time the church rises to the level of love that God has shown us. We, the church, must bestow the same grace and mercy on our fellow citizens God shown us, even before we became His followers. Then, and only then, will be truly be walking in His complete will.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Working on the CD
Yesterday my Kickstarter project went "live". That means the path to recording my first Christian CD has been entered. After more than 20 years, my dream of recording this ablum (sic by design) is finally within sight, and it has been a very long road to get here. Many of the delays in getting to this point have been of my own doing. In so many ways I self-sabotaged the process out of fear and doubt. But, I also believe these things happen in God's time, not our own, and I believe this is the time God chose from the beginning for this project to come to fruition.
And I have no doubt this is exactly where God wants me and what He wants me doing. Beginning in 2009 when I first began to really work toward the creation of this CD, the enemy has fought me hard. Soon after starting the work, I contracted an infection. Although I lived with the infection for some 10 months before learning about it, I have since learned some startling information about it. Of the 5 bacteria that comprised the infection, one is the bacteria used by Saddam Hussein's germ warfare director, which I later learned is generally fatal. It wasn't until this past Monday I learned that the particular combination of bacteria I had consisted of several bacteria which, on their own, trend to a 90% fatality rate. And that 90% fatality rate is when doctors are fighting the infections: my infection was not treated for over 10 months because no one knew I had the infection or the bacteria. I am truly a walking, talking, living example of God's miracle power.
As I contemplate this project, I begin to realize the enormous responsibility I have accepted: each song is a 5 minute message in which I get to share God's Word with those who hear it. It is an awesome weight to shoulder when you accept the call to minister to God's people. Each and every word must be carefully considered so as to not cause His children to be misled or misunderstand. Every song is an opportunity to encourage, exhort, teach, remind and even chastise; but ultimately each song must reflect the love, grace, mercy and forgiveness God holds for His children.
Because of the fight the devil has brought my way since I first began working to make this CD, I know that it scares him, therefore God must have a very special purpose and goal in mind for this particular group of songs, which also makes me that much more sensitive when selecting the songs to include on the project. Already I had to make a change because I wanted to record a particular song, but I kept hearing another song, as if God was telling me I had to include that one on the song list. As soon as I replaced the original choice with the one God kept bringing out, I got a sense of peace. I know by that I followed Holy Spirit's prompting.
My daily prayer is that God will continue to guide me so that this project reflects all He wants to say to His people through me. My goal is to exhort my brothers and sisters, encourage them and help them understand the teachings and callings of God on their lives and to help them in their walk. My message is to show them not only God's love for them, but my own. And to reassure them they aren't on this journey alone; that someone else faces the same struggles, trials, temptations they do. My desire is to receive prayers from God's people as I continue on this journey, looking forward to that day when all that God has placed on my heart is available for everyone to hear.
And I have no doubt this is exactly where God wants me and what He wants me doing. Beginning in 2009 when I first began to really work toward the creation of this CD, the enemy has fought me hard. Soon after starting the work, I contracted an infection. Although I lived with the infection for some 10 months before learning about it, I have since learned some startling information about it. Of the 5 bacteria that comprised the infection, one is the bacteria used by Saddam Hussein's germ warfare director, which I later learned is generally fatal. It wasn't until this past Monday I learned that the particular combination of bacteria I had consisted of several bacteria which, on their own, trend to a 90% fatality rate. And that 90% fatality rate is when doctors are fighting the infections: my infection was not treated for over 10 months because no one knew I had the infection or the bacteria. I am truly a walking, talking, living example of God's miracle power.
As I contemplate this project, I begin to realize the enormous responsibility I have accepted: each song is a 5 minute message in which I get to share God's Word with those who hear it. It is an awesome weight to shoulder when you accept the call to minister to God's people. Each and every word must be carefully considered so as to not cause His children to be misled or misunderstand. Every song is an opportunity to encourage, exhort, teach, remind and even chastise; but ultimately each song must reflect the love, grace, mercy and forgiveness God holds for His children.
Because of the fight the devil has brought my way since I first began working to make this CD, I know that it scares him, therefore God must have a very special purpose and goal in mind for this particular group of songs, which also makes me that much more sensitive when selecting the songs to include on the project. Already I had to make a change because I wanted to record a particular song, but I kept hearing another song, as if God was telling me I had to include that one on the song list. As soon as I replaced the original choice with the one God kept bringing out, I got a sense of peace. I know by that I followed Holy Spirit's prompting.
My daily prayer is that God will continue to guide me so that this project reflects all He wants to say to His people through me. My goal is to exhort my brothers and sisters, encourage them and help them understand the teachings and callings of God on their lives and to help them in their walk. My message is to show them not only God's love for them, but my own. And to reassure them they aren't on this journey alone; that someone else faces the same struggles, trials, temptations they do. My desire is to receive prayers from God's people as I continue on this journey, looking forward to that day when all that God has placed on my heart is available for everyone to hear.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Call To Unity - Galatians 3:28
In verse 28 of the 3rd chapter of Galatians, Paul writes: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
In the New Spirit Filled Life Bible my friend Jeff O'Brien gave me, there are highlighted sections tied to some scriptures called Kingdom Dynamics which explains and gives translations to better understand those scriptures. For this verse, the entry is titled: Call To Unity
It is often a "seduction of the secondary" that keeps us from our primary love for Christ and for those He has given us to love. The "secondary" can consist of a commitment to a leader, our denomination, or the nonessential (but familiar) customs of our brand of religion. Unity is difficult when these secondary considerations become the basis for judging or staying away from others. Added to these can be racial, cultural or social differences. Sometimes, education, position, financial status or political beliefs can stand between Christians, keeping them from loving one another and experiencing the unity that Christ wills for them. When we "major in the minors," we end up separated from people who do not look, act or talk like we do. The only way to overcome this is to be sure Christ is first and foremost in our lives and to set aside the secondary things that have little ultimate value."
Scriptures offered to support this passage are 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 and Ephesians 4:1-16.
God never intended for there to be "denominations" in the Body of Christ; He did not call us to one brand or another of faith. Denominations, like religion, are man-made creations and all too often, those divisions cause us to miss out on the love and support of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus came to not only free us from the grips of sin and the bindings and burdens of the law, He came to free us from religion. The priests, Sadducees and Pharisees were so entrenched in "religion", God saw the need to free us from those restraints and give us free and total access to Him. Religiosity prevents us from experiencing the full and complete freedom and joy that life in Christ brings.
Today's church has re-embraced so much of religion that many are so bound by their religious notions they are not only missing out on Christ's freedoms and blessings, they are actually driving people away from embracing and accepting Christ in their lives. The unity God has called us to through accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior will bring us more joy, blessings, hope and love than we could even begin to fathom. And this unity will also give us the opportunity to be a more effective witness in bringing others into the fold.
Take time to not only read God's Word, but also pray before you read that God will open your heart and your mind to the full truth and revelation He wants to give you during your time in the Bible. Lay aside your preconceived notions of how others should look, dress, behave, believe or what their social, financial or religious status should be. Trust me, YOU will be the one who is most blessed and joyful for your experiences with others than you could ever be to them.
In the New Spirit Filled Life Bible my friend Jeff O'Brien gave me, there are highlighted sections tied to some scriptures called Kingdom Dynamics which explains and gives translations to better understand those scriptures. For this verse, the entry is titled: Call To Unity
It is often a "seduction of the secondary" that keeps us from our primary love for Christ and for those He has given us to love. The "secondary" can consist of a commitment to a leader, our denomination, or the nonessential (but familiar) customs of our brand of religion. Unity is difficult when these secondary considerations become the basis for judging or staying away from others. Added to these can be racial, cultural or social differences. Sometimes, education, position, financial status or political beliefs can stand between Christians, keeping them from loving one another and experiencing the unity that Christ wills for them. When we "major in the minors," we end up separated from people who do not look, act or talk like we do. The only way to overcome this is to be sure Christ is first and foremost in our lives and to set aside the secondary things that have little ultimate value."
Scriptures offered to support this passage are 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 and Ephesians 4:1-16.
God never intended for there to be "denominations" in the Body of Christ; He did not call us to one brand or another of faith. Denominations, like religion, are man-made creations and all too often, those divisions cause us to miss out on the love and support of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus came to not only free us from the grips of sin and the bindings and burdens of the law, He came to free us from religion. The priests, Sadducees and Pharisees were so entrenched in "religion", God saw the need to free us from those restraints and give us free and total access to Him. Religiosity prevents us from experiencing the full and complete freedom and joy that life in Christ brings.
Today's church has re-embraced so much of religion that many are so bound by their religious notions they are not only missing out on Christ's freedoms and blessings, they are actually driving people away from embracing and accepting Christ in their lives. The unity God has called us to through accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior will bring us more joy, blessings, hope and love than we could even begin to fathom. And this unity will also give us the opportunity to be a more effective witness in bringing others into the fold.
Take time to not only read God's Word, but also pray before you read that God will open your heart and your mind to the full truth and revelation He wants to give you during your time in the Bible. Lay aside your preconceived notions of how others should look, dress, behave, believe or what their social, financial or religious status should be. Trust me, YOU will be the one who is most blessed and joyful for your experiences with others than you could ever be to them.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
We Need To Return To Living Christ's Walk
Lately I've been seeing and hearing so much chaos in the church. Now, I'm speaking of the Body of Christ, not the local denomination or non-denominational body housed in a brick and mortar building. The denominations/non-denominations have argued for years over the 'interpretation' of scripture. But, the foundations upon which our faith is based is on the life and walk of Jesus Christ. Our principles are supposed to be those that He taught, and lived!
I've had concerns for a while about how we have strayed from those teachings and His examples. Many non-Christians are proclaiming the hypocrisy of the church, today, because we teach about love and turn around and practice hate and apathy. Where are the works that Christ said we would perform? He told us that we would perform the same, even greater, works than He did during his 3 years of ministry. And He performed some mighty works: healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, restoring the withered limbs of the lame, giving hearing to the deaf, even raising the dead! But the biggest work He accomplished was loving everyone around Him. Feeding the 5,000 was an act of love! The motivation for raising Lazarus from the dead was love! Restoring life to the son of the widow was compassionate and loving!
But, where is the love in the church, today? The church is more known for it's works to take away rights from those who don't believe the way we think they should, and that's not love. Some argue that the Constitutional protection for the right to worship is only meant for Christians, not for Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc. That's not love! I'm not certain if the motivating factor behind these 'movements' is hate, or whether it stems from fear, but either way, it's not motivated by, nor does it show, LOVE!
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul wrote about love; he told us: "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."
Measure your actions, your attitudes, your motivations against these scriptures. When you work to take something away from others, whether it be the right to worship as they please or to take away rights that you enjoy, that does not conform to what Paul taught us love is. So what if you don't agree with them? You don't have to! All you have to do is love them: show them kindness, patience, compassion, hope. Think back to your life before you accepted Christ: if Christians had worked to take away your rights and freedoms, would you have become a Christian? By and large, the answer would be no. Because you wouldn't have wanted anything to do with people who were working against you! Trying to take away your freedom, your choice.
The way to win the lost is not by force; by stripping them of their freedom of choice so they are required to become Christian in order to enjoy the same rights and freedoms you do; the way to win them to Christ is by loving them, supporting their rights, even if their decisions are contrary to what you believe.
Take some time to read just the words in red in the New Testament; after you've done so, reflect on what you've read: is there anything in those words that tells you to limit anyone's choices? Is there anything in there that tells you to use the government to force people to believe the way you do? Is there anything in there that tells you treat the lost in any way other than respectful and with dignity?
It's time we returned to the basics of our faith: loving each and every person on this planet the way Jesus loved us!
I've had concerns for a while about how we have strayed from those teachings and His examples. Many non-Christians are proclaiming the hypocrisy of the church, today, because we teach about love and turn around and practice hate and apathy. Where are the works that Christ said we would perform? He told us that we would perform the same, even greater, works than He did during his 3 years of ministry. And He performed some mighty works: healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, restoring the withered limbs of the lame, giving hearing to the deaf, even raising the dead! But the biggest work He accomplished was loving everyone around Him. Feeding the 5,000 was an act of love! The motivation for raising Lazarus from the dead was love! Restoring life to the son of the widow was compassionate and loving!
But, where is the love in the church, today? The church is more known for it's works to take away rights from those who don't believe the way we think they should, and that's not love. Some argue that the Constitutional protection for the right to worship is only meant for Christians, not for Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc. That's not love! I'm not certain if the motivating factor behind these 'movements' is hate, or whether it stems from fear, but either way, it's not motivated by, nor does it show, LOVE!
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul wrote about love; he told us: "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."
Measure your actions, your attitudes, your motivations against these scriptures. When you work to take something away from others, whether it be the right to worship as they please or to take away rights that you enjoy, that does not conform to what Paul taught us love is. So what if you don't agree with them? You don't have to! All you have to do is love them: show them kindness, patience, compassion, hope. Think back to your life before you accepted Christ: if Christians had worked to take away your rights and freedoms, would you have become a Christian? By and large, the answer would be no. Because you wouldn't have wanted anything to do with people who were working against you! Trying to take away your freedom, your choice.
The way to win the lost is not by force; by stripping them of their freedom of choice so they are required to become Christian in order to enjoy the same rights and freedoms you do; the way to win them to Christ is by loving them, supporting their rights, even if their decisions are contrary to what you believe.
Take some time to read just the words in red in the New Testament; after you've done so, reflect on what you've read: is there anything in those words that tells you to limit anyone's choices? Is there anything in there that tells you to use the government to force people to believe the way you do? Is there anything in there that tells you treat the lost in any way other than respectful and with dignity?
It's time we returned to the basics of our faith: loving each and every person on this planet the way Jesus loved us!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Governor Perry's National Prayer Event
I've been in full agreement with the Prayer Event suggested by and brought about by Texas Governor Perry. However, I'm appalled at the stance of the American Family Association in Tupelo, Mississippi when they state that the First Amendment's freedom of religion applies ONLY to Christians.
Not only does the amendment apply to ALL religions, but Christ, Himself, taught us that WE are to give freedom to those who choose another religion. We are not to abridge ANYONE's rights to make choices based on their own free will. God gave man the free will to make decisions and choices, even the choice to not believe in Him or follow Him. How, then, can we claim to be His followers if we do not extend that same freedom of will to other people?
Not only does the amendment apply to ALL religions, but Christ, Himself, taught us that WE are to give freedom to those who choose another religion. We are not to abridge ANYONE's rights to make choices based on their own free will. God gave man the free will to make decisions and choices, even the choice to not believe in Him or follow Him. How, then, can we claim to be His followers if we do not extend that same freedom of will to other people?
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Partisanship Shows No Sign of Going Away
Congress has learned nothing from the months-long partisanship that brought the US to the brink of financial ruin with the debt-ceiling fiasco. Despite their calls for reduction of the deficit and debt, the GOP members of the US Senate are costing the government $30 Million PER DAY in uncollected taxes by not coming to agreement on the FAA shutdown. The Democrats aren't off the hook on this, either. They refuse to negotiate with the GOP on the matter.
At issue is the Republican demand that $16½ Million in subsidies for rural air service be cut and the Democratic refusal to cut any subsidy amount. Because of this stalemate the FAA's operating authority expired on 22 July which means airlines cannot collect $30 Million per day in ticket taxes. If, as they're saying, this is not resolved until September, the total loss to the federal government will top $1.2 billion. This is totally unacceptable.
When will the politicians in Washington realize the American people are sick to death of this partisanship? Neither side is willing to compromise, which is causing massive confusion as well as the loss of revenue and the wasting of billions of our tax dollars each month! I believe it's time we unite as a people and put an end to "party politics" and remind those whom we have elected that we sent them to Washington to protect us and to run our government in an efficient, yet powerful way. The idea that each party votes against anything the other party offers simply because it is being proposed by someone of a different political stripe is ludicrous. Whether Republican or Democrat, each and every member of the House of Representatives and the Senate were elected to represent the people of this nation, not their party. They might run on a party ticket, but once they're elected they are no longer Democrat or Republican, they are simply a representative of the people of their district, regardless of party affiliation or the lack thereof!
At issue is the Republican demand that $16½ Million in subsidies for rural air service be cut and the Democratic refusal to cut any subsidy amount. Because of this stalemate the FAA's operating authority expired on 22 July which means airlines cannot collect $30 Million per day in ticket taxes. If, as they're saying, this is not resolved until September, the total loss to the federal government will top $1.2 billion. This is totally unacceptable.
When will the politicians in Washington realize the American people are sick to death of this partisanship? Neither side is willing to compromise, which is causing massive confusion as well as the loss of revenue and the wasting of billions of our tax dollars each month! I believe it's time we unite as a people and put an end to "party politics" and remind those whom we have elected that we sent them to Washington to protect us and to run our government in an efficient, yet powerful way. The idea that each party votes against anything the other party offers simply because it is being proposed by someone of a different political stripe is ludicrous. Whether Republican or Democrat, each and every member of the House of Representatives and the Senate were elected to represent the people of this nation, not their party. They might run on a party ticket, but once they're elected they are no longer Democrat or Republican, they are simply a representative of the people of their district, regardless of party affiliation or the lack thereof!
The 21st Century "Crusade"
Since the attacks in Norway, there has been more talk about the Muslim "threat" in our world, today. One thing that bothers me about this is that Christians are advocating such violence, intolerance and insensitivity. And the misinformation being spread is just plain wrong! The Koran (or Quran, if you will) does not teach what the radicalized Islamic right-wing nutjobs are professing: there's nothing in the Koran about killing unbelievers! In fact, Islam is a religion based on peace and has its foundation in the same roots as Judaism and Christianity. What we call the Pentateuch, and the Hebrews call the Torah, is the beginning of the Islamic scripture, as well.
But, what we fail to recall is that Muslims learned to kill those who are Christian beginning with the Crusades in the 11th to 13th Centuries when Christians slaughtered Muslims who refused to convert to Christianity. Christianity's history includes many such episodes: the annihilation of the Aztecs and the Mayans comes to mind. Today, we are experiencing a 21st Century "crusade" that is being perpetrated through politics and religion. Is it any wonder Muslims dislike, and fear, Christians? We simply have to look at the history of what Christians have done to Muslims over the past 10 centuries to understand their suspicion, hatred and fear.
I don't condone the attacks in Norway, nor do I condone the methods used by the radicalized Muslims who have perpetrated terrorist attacks around the globe, including the attacks of 9/11, but I do understand the motivations behind them.
As Christians we have somehow come to the conclusion that we must FORCE non-Christians to live by our beliefs and standards. Look at the United States, today: as Christians we work diligently to deny rights to anyone who doesn't conform to the behaviors we believe Christians should exhibit. If people do things contrary to our beliefs, we just remove their rights and criminalize their behaviors. There is no Biblical basis for doing so. In fact, the opposite is true: Jesus taught us that we are to share the Gospel with people and if they refuse to hear us, we are to walk away and leave them be. He did not say if they refuse to believe we should take away their rights or throw them into jail or bar them from participating in political life or prevent them from doing what they choose to do. We're trying to take away their free will, something we proudly declare as our gift from God: the right to choose!
By trying to force, or legislate, the behaviors of others to conform to our beliefs and standards, we are only driving them further from accepting the Good News of Christ and submitting to Him as Lord and Savior! In their eyes, we're no different than unbelievers or dictators! We have become the modern day equivalent of Herod or the Sanhedrin!
We need to come back to the basics: love God with all our heart, mind and soul. Live our lives according to the example Christ lived. Share our testimony and the Good News of Christ with everyone we come into contact with, remembering that our actions speak much louder than our words. Christ was condemned by the "religious" establishment of His day because He was friends with sinners. How many of us today can say that we are friend to sinners? Very few, because we isolate ourselves from them, refusing to socialize with them because they don't believe or conform to our philosophies. How then can they be saved, if they don't have the opportunity to see us live our lives in the manner of Christ? Beating them over the heads with the Bible is not going to bring them to the Cross! All it will do is give them a headache and give us the reputation of being hypocrites.
But, what we fail to recall is that Muslims learned to kill those who are Christian beginning with the Crusades in the 11th to 13th Centuries when Christians slaughtered Muslims who refused to convert to Christianity. Christianity's history includes many such episodes: the annihilation of the Aztecs and the Mayans comes to mind. Today, we are experiencing a 21st Century "crusade" that is being perpetrated through politics and religion. Is it any wonder Muslims dislike, and fear, Christians? We simply have to look at the history of what Christians have done to Muslims over the past 10 centuries to understand their suspicion, hatred and fear.
I don't condone the attacks in Norway, nor do I condone the methods used by the radicalized Muslims who have perpetrated terrorist attacks around the globe, including the attacks of 9/11, but I do understand the motivations behind them.
As Christians we have somehow come to the conclusion that we must FORCE non-Christians to live by our beliefs and standards. Look at the United States, today: as Christians we work diligently to deny rights to anyone who doesn't conform to the behaviors we believe Christians should exhibit. If people do things contrary to our beliefs, we just remove their rights and criminalize their behaviors. There is no Biblical basis for doing so. In fact, the opposite is true: Jesus taught us that we are to share the Gospel with people and if they refuse to hear us, we are to walk away and leave them be. He did not say if they refuse to believe we should take away their rights or throw them into jail or bar them from participating in political life or prevent them from doing what they choose to do. We're trying to take away their free will, something we proudly declare as our gift from God: the right to choose!
By trying to force, or legislate, the behaviors of others to conform to our beliefs and standards, we are only driving them further from accepting the Good News of Christ and submitting to Him as Lord and Savior! In their eyes, we're no different than unbelievers or dictators! We have become the modern day equivalent of Herod or the Sanhedrin!
We need to come back to the basics: love God with all our heart, mind and soul. Live our lives according to the example Christ lived. Share our testimony and the Good News of Christ with everyone we come into contact with, remembering that our actions speak much louder than our words. Christ was condemned by the "religious" establishment of His day because He was friends with sinners. How many of us today can say that we are friend to sinners? Very few, because we isolate ourselves from them, refusing to socialize with them because they don't believe or conform to our philosophies. How then can they be saved, if they don't have the opportunity to see us live our lives in the manner of Christ? Beating them over the heads with the Bible is not going to bring them to the Cross! All it will do is give them a headache and give us the reputation of being hypocrites.
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