Upside Down Thinking

Upside down thinking

I have it figured out only to find out that you had exactly the opposite idea?

Wazungo (awe - respect) - I found out that the boogie man was me!

WW2 > 300K Japanese in the US, 600K Italian 5.2 million Germans.

> 100,000 Japanese - no Germans or Italians - went to internment camps

Why? they were of a different ethnic group. Attacks on Muslims after 911

LA is now the 2nd largest Iranian city in the world.

Chicago has more Polish-Americans than San Francisco has people.

1/3 of the world’s Jewish people live in North America.

There are more Buddhists in the US than Episcopalians.

Muslims outnumber the Presbyterians.

California schools - 239 languages are spoken, 184 in New York - Washington 181. Most churches still offer worship and training in only 1 language.

What’s our church going to do about it?

Plan to go to Haiti - minister there - maybe sponsor a student some day?

Peter is confronted with his racist views on the gospel, and the kingdom expands greatly into the gentile nations. Acts 10:1-44

Defending dogma - tradition or willing to shed your skin and grow

Time to take a close look at our own racism

Tolerance is trash!

God’s people need to love with risk - cost - sacrifice your reputation

What creepy crawly things turn you away from people?

For me it was alcohol and cigarettes. Foul language? Low mental ability? Body odor? Lack of physical beauty? Obesity?

You have no copyright on God

The Christian church is not equal to the Kingdom of God - it is the Bride of Christ and the Kingdom is much bigger than we ever dreamed.

Matthew 25 I was hungry - I was a stranger and you took me in

Wake up - God is already out there - break out of your holy huddle and join Him

OT hints - all nations - stranger - alien

EX 22:21 "Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.

EX 23:9 "Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt.

Lev. 19:33 " When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. 34 The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

Deut. 10:12 And now, Israel, what is the LORD your God asking you to do? Have respect for him. Live exactly as he wants you to live. Love him. Serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. 13 Obey the Lord’s commands and rules. I’m giving them to you today for your own good. 14 The heavens belong to the LORD your God. Even the highest heavens belong to him. He owns the earth and everything in it. 15 But the LORD loved your people very much long ago. You are their children. And he chose you above all of the other nations. His love and his promise remain with you to this very day. 16 So don’t let your hearts be stubborn anymore. Obey the LORD. 17 The LORD your God is the greatest God of all. He is the greatest Lord of all. He is the great God. He is mighty and wonderful. He treats everyone the same. He doesn’t accept any money from those who want special favors. 18 He stands up for widows and for children whose fathers have died. He loves outsiders. He gives them food and clothes. 19 So you also must love outsiders. Remember that you yourselves were outsiders in Egypt.

Marilyn Manson story from Future Worship

2 Cor. 5:16 So from now on we don’t look at anyone the way the world does. At one time we looked at Christ in that way. But we don’t anymore. 17 Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation. The old is gone! The new has come! 18 It is all from God. He brought us back to himself through Christ’s death on the cross. And he has given us the task of bringing others back to him through Christ.

19 God was bringing the world back to himself through Christ. He did not hold people’s sins against them. God has trusted us with the message that people may be brought back to him. 20 So we are Christ’s official messengers. It is as if God were making his appeal through us. Here is what Christ wants us to beg you to do. Come back to God!

The story is too good to withhold from anyone - regardless of

Celebrate teachers

1900 17,000,000 kids were enrolled in elementary or secondary schools but fewer than 100,000 graduated from high school, only about 6%. Many of their teachers had only high school diplomas themselves and earned on the average $325 / year. Teachers make a difference - good or bad. Some of our best childhood memories are of teachers, some our worst as well.