The Black Sheep of the Family

Ok friends, we have have a huge misconception that needs a little clearing up.  This particular blog post is being written to discuss the commonly avoided subject of a 'Christian' family having a homosexual family member(s) and now that family member(s) being seen as the 'black sheep' of the family.

First, notice I put the word 'Christian' in quotes in the paragraph above.  The reason for this is because many people consider themselves or their families as Christian because they are good, because they have a God consciousness, because they are of a particular nationality, because they live in a particular place (like the United States, England, Australia, South America, Texas...), because they have not committed heinous crimes, and more.  Spoiler alert, those things do not make a person or a family Christian.  

Second, you will see 'black sheep' above also in quotes above.  This is because we, as sinful people, tend to measure each other by our personal standards and beliefs.  We label some sins and actions as bad and stamp those with the 'black sheep' label, and other sins as no-so-bad and let those slide with a shrug and a pass.  

Now for the words that drove me to write this blog post.  My precious cousin, who I have ALWAYS loved, wrote this: 

"I’ve always been okay being the Black Sheep in my family."  

Then she clarifies her statement with: 

"I’m the lesbian democrat that moved from TX to OR."

Kelly, this is for me, you, and maybe a whole lot of other people.  So lets dive in.  

Sheep is a great term to use for all of us in the human race.  The Bible calls us sheep.  Jesus calls us sheep in John 10.  David calls Jesus our Shepard in Psalm 23.  And guess what, being called sheep is not a compliment.  Sheep are dirty, smelly, need help with EVERYTHING, and they follow the crowd even if the crowd is running off a very high and jagged cliff.  They do not think well for themselves.  They must be led, guarded and cared for by a good shepherd, or else they will be neglected, get sick, get hurt and possible even self destruct until death.  That describes sheep, and according to the Word of God, that describes us.  We are sheep. 

Misconception:  Being a lesbian makes you a black sheep.  Were gonna get real clear here.  Being a lesbian does not make you a black sheep.  WE ARE ALL BLACK SHEEP at some point during our lives, and many, if not most of us in the human race will stay black sheep for our entire life.  

What causes us to be black sheep?  SIN.  All sin.  Any sin.  There is no BIG sin or little sin, sin is sin, and it is what makes us ALL BLACK SHEEP.  Isaiah 59:2 states, "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." (NKJV)  

It does not say your homosexuality, your murder, your political party...it says sins.  Homosexuality is NOT the dividing line.  Being born into the lineage of the old sinful nature of the fallen Adam is the dividing line.  And God HATES our sins.  All of them.  They separate us from Him.  These sins keep us in bondage.  They blind us from the Truth (the Bible says that Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Light), so sin keeps us from the Truth that IS Jesus.  And that is scary because Jesus is not only the Truth, but He is also the Way.  Way?  What way?   Jesus is the way away from sin, away from the consequence of sin, which is death and hell, and the way toward truth and everlasting Life, freedom and a joy that overflows from within no matter the circumstances we face without.

There is absolutely nothing we can do to remove the black from our fleece.  Being good does not remove the stains on our wool.  We are black as sin.  We are black sheep.

Isaiah 64:6 (NIV) says, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."

Friends, our sins sweep us away.  They start off small and enticing like a gentle breeze or a soft lapping wave.  They feel good and and thrill us.  We let the lusts of our body be pulled into the calling of that breeze or wave and allow it to pull us stronger and stronger, deeper and deeper until we are caught up in a tornado or tsunami of sin, drowning and being pulled apart by the very thing we thought was once so enjoyable.  We are in bondage to the sins we've chosen, and they call to us so we can have our momentary thrill, until we are lost in the pain of always seeking that next 'feel good' moment while simultaneously losing our soul.

We gossip until we hurt everyone around us.

We lie until our thoughts are so twisted we can no longer remember the truth.

We hang onto our addictions until our addictions grip us in their vice and refuse to let go.

We use our bodies for what 'feels good' until the normal pleasures no longer thrill us and we have to move to deeper and more perverted lusts.  

We call on ungodly spirits and enjoy the games, teasing, and power until that playful power begins to demand unthinkable things and we are unable to leave its grasp.

Sins start off small, fun, and a bit thrilling, but they sweep us away to languish in the ocean until we are eaten alive by the shark that is Satan and send us to hell.  That is how sin works.  It is deceitful, vain, and a liar.  

Yet there IS a way out.  We do not have to stay trapped in sin.  Remember, even sins that feel good are wrong.  If what we are doing does not line up with the holiness of God it is sin.  And we are all sinners.  Holiness, which is God, demands perfection.  Not because God is harsh and doesn't love us, but because any fault, misstep, lie, lust, hate, sin...standing before God, even the tiniest speck of sin, just one rude thought or slip of the tongue standing before a Holy and Perfect God would cause us to be utterly destroyed in His Holy presence.  He would not destroy us, His Holiness would destroy us because of our unholy sins.  Unholiness can not stand or survive in the presence of pure holiness.  Let that sink in.  Unholiness CAN NOT SURVIVE in the presence of holiness.  

So now what?  

Jesus.  Jesus is what.  

Jesus is God and is the Son of God.  "In the beginning was the Word.  And the Word was with God and the Word WAS God." (John 1:1)  The Bible clearly states that Jesus is the Word.  Jesus was in the beginning.  Jesus was and is God.  And Jesus came to live on this sinful earth, in a body of flesh, yet live a perfect life without sin; FOR YOU.  Jesus lived a perfect life without sin for you and for me and for everyone centuries past and future.  For all.  And being God and having come as a man he had the power to conquer sin, death, hell and the grave once and for all.

2 Corinthians 5:21 guarantees, "God made him who had no sin (Jesus) to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

John 3:16-18 tells us, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."

And when we choose Jesus, the lamb of God that lived a perfect life, was slain on a cross as a sacrifice for all mankind, and raised from the dead defeating Satan, death, hell, the grave and SIN for us, then we can now shed our black fleece and become new creatures through Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old as gone, the new is here!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."

Isaiah 1:18, "Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool."  Do you see it?  White as wool.  Sheep with white wool, not black fleece.  We can be set free from being black sheep, we can now be white sheep with Jesus as our Shephard.

It is an easy thing to do, but you must first count the cost.  The cost is living a life set apart.  Set apart from what?  A life set apart from the worldly desires that so entice us.  This may mean giving up an 'enjoyable' sin.  This may mean losing friends when they shun you for your new stance.  This may mean being misunderstood as you attempt to love a person yet call them out of their lifestyle of sin.  But guess what, it is FREEDOM and feels freeing; like a weight being lifted off of your shoulders, a weight you never knew you carried.  

When you ask Jesus to wash you white as snow, to be your Lord and Savior you are now free to NOT sin.  When before you were simply following a life of sin, you are now able to turn away from sin and still have a very fun, thrilling, joyful and amazing life.  There is so much more joy, freedom, and life on the 'Jesus side' of salvation than on the 'black sheep' side of sin.

And how do you get washed white as snow and lose your black fleece?  You just ask!  You  repent of your sins, declare that you are a sinner and that you are walking a road to hell.  Acknowledge that you are not following God, but that you need to.  You apologize for those sins and turn away from them asking Jesus to be your Lord, to be your savior, and to literally be the 'boss' of your life.  That's right, you now listen to God and follow Him.  Just ask Him, he will hear you and transform you into an amazing, new and beautiful creature.  

Oh, and don't just ask Him to save your soul so you can go to heaven as if in a 'get out of hell free card'.  Too many people do that and call themselves Christians.  And maybe they are, but God knows our heart.  God does not look on our outward appearance, but rather God looks on the heart.  We cannot hide from God.  We can't say a prayer with our lips and fool God by keeping a black heart.  No!  Allow Him to save, change, transform all of you.  Your spirit, which is eternal and will go to heaven, through this transformation, once your life here on earth is over.  Your soul, which is your mind, the way you think can also be transformed.  And, your body, in which you live out your daily life, can also be fully set free and healed through your salvation.  When you give God/Jesus all three parts of you, He is faithful to begin, continue and complete an excellent work in you.

Let us be clear, being a lesbian, a democrat, or living in a particular area does not make you a black sheep.  We were all black sheep...we only became white sheep when we surrendered all of our self to a Holy God, and no one is too far gone to take that step.

Also, the true 'white sheep' LOVE the so called 'black sheep'.  We LOVE YOU!  We were once you.  We just want you to experience the same freedom we have experienced, and to spend an eternity with you by our side.  I love you, pray for you, and always will.

George Perry Floyd – What would he say today?

George Perry Floyd – What would he say today?

I have been mostly silent about George Floyd these past few days.  Not completely silent as I have commented on a few posts and called to check on some of my dark skinned friends, but otherwise I have been silent. 

Not completely silent. 

As I initially learned about George my first reaction was to vomit.  These acts of murder via those that should be our protectors make me sick.  Then my next reaction was anger, I would like to think it was righteous anger, but sometimes anger can take hold and turn into sin, so I ‘checked’ my anger and put it on hold. 

Then came the part where I was not so silent. 

I cried.  I cried out to God.  I cried for George, the man I never knew, never met.  I cried for his family and friends.  I cried for those in charge that allowed and even caused this to happen.  I cried. 

Then I went silent again. 

I had to pray.  I went into my closet and prayed.  As the articles, blog posts and FaceBook posts came out I read many of them and prayed.  As my friends and many strangers began to voice their thoughts and opinions I listened, thought some more and prayed.  As the peaceful protests and violent riots began I fell to my knees and prayed some more.  I asked God to speak to me.  This particular situation always makes me feel like my hands are tied.  I am not black, even though when I was growing up people would often ask me, “Who’s black, your mommy or your daddy?  Because you have black skin, but easy hair.”  The answer is neither.  I am Chinese and white, I just tan to chocolate skin when I swim a lot.  I have black relatives in my family and I love each of them.  I also have Chinese, Mexican and yes white relatives.  I love them all. 

Today, as I was outside doing yard work, a different perspective hit me, and hit me hard.  After watching George’s murder video that made me vomit, after reading and listening to friends, blogs and media, after praying and crying out, a perspective hit me that I have not yet read about or heard anywhere.  So here I am to write about it.  I am not a fan of writing.  I love to read, but when it comes to putting my heart and thoughts on paper I struggle.  Even though I struggle, I feel that this perspective must be written.  If no one reads it but me, the one typing, that is ok; at least this point of view will be out there somewhere.  These words are not to belittle or change what is already being said out there on social media; it is simply to add an additional layer.  This is the viewpoint I imagine George Floyd is having TODAY. 

While I was mowing my yard I was praying for George’s family and friends.  I was crying for their pain.  And when I ran out of words I asked God if He would speak to me.  Then I was silent.  I kept mowing in the silence and I heard what I would think is George’s voice yelling, YELLING the word, “REPENT!”  over and over again.  Loudly.  With feeling and agony.  With love and truth.  Reeeepeeent!  Long, drawn out and guttural. 

When I heard his voice saying that word with such depth I was immediately flooded with emotions of a different kind.  I realized that George, who I read was a Christian and active in his church, had stepped out of his encapsulated shell of a sinful body and has met his maker face-to-face.  George now has a different perspective from us left down here.  George has the advantage of a heavenly and eternal vantage point on what is going on down here in humanity.  And God allowed him to chose to yell ‘Repent’ into my thoughts.

I think that if George is allowed to look down into the United States and see what is being done with his name attached to it, that in some instances he would be pleased, and in other instances he would be repulsed. 

If George is the Christian Man that it is said he was, then he would be pleased at the peaceful protests, the call for change, the prayers for unity and repentance.  He would also be repulsed by the additional murders committed in his name.  He would be condemning of the dirtying of the legacy he built that is attached to his name.  He would call out the crimes committed to the cause his name has been tattooed across.

I think if we could sit and hear him speak TODAY, with his eternal perspective we would hear him say a few different things. 

One, I believe he would call for justice to be done to his murders here on earth.  After all, Able’s blood cried out from the earth in Genesis 4.  Also, the martyrs under the throne of heaven cry out, “How long O Lord must we wait until You avenge our blood?” (Paraphrased from Revelation 6:10).  The cry for justice is a noble cry, and I pray it is completed.  But I also believe that if for some ghastly reason justice is not carried out here on earth that George would hand it over to the Lord because Jesus is a Just Judge and ‘Vengeance is the Lord’s” according to Romans 12:19.  And God will most definitely avenge George Floyd if our judicial system failed.

Two, I believe that if George is the Christian Man that it is said he was that he would cry out for each and every one of us to go into our closets, close the door behind us, fall onto our knees and repent with weeping.  George would have us ask the Lord to search us and find any wicked way within us (Psalm 139).  He would have us see ourselves, as we truly are, not as how we think we are.  He would have the dark and sinister places in our hearts be revealed by God and violently ripped out so we can change the right way.  He would call for us to repent and turn from our wicked ways so that God can indeed heal our land, yes, even racially (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Three, I believe George Floyd would call out the selfish people, media, agenda makers…as tools of Satan.  I’m not talking about the good things we see going on through this, I am talking about the bad, evil and violent things we see ‘using’ George for their personal purposes.  Remember, the father of lies, was once an angel of great power in the heavenlies that attempted a coup on God and failed.  Well, he is still trying to make that coup happen and, as the man of lawlessness, he is using anything he can get his hands on for his twisted purposes filled with hatred, lies, death and sin.  If you think you follow Jesus but you think the right thing is murder, hatred or racism, then you do not follow the Jesus of the Bible, you have believed a lie and follow a counterfeit.  If you think only white people go to heaven and that Jesus is a skinhead, then you have the wrong Jesus; seek out the right Jesus.  The Christian Man named George would not want his name or his heritage associated with any of Satan’s nonsense.  Not if he built a legacy of Jesus in his life here on earth before he died.

Four, I believe George would call on the men and women of power to rise up and protect those that have had their voices taken from them.  Men and women of power, you have a great opportunity to rise up as protectors of our communities, and that includes the black communities.  You have the honor to speak when someone’s voice has been stripped from them through generations of racism and hatred.  You have the opportunity to do what is right in the face of wrong.  You have the ability to humanize people, even during the difficult times; not simply strip them of dignity when you see fit.  Put on your full armor each day and go out there WITH God and do the right thing. 

And Five, I believe George has a very new vantage point that we don’t have down here.  I believe he now sees in FULL COLOR.  And every one of those colors is brilliantly beautiful.  He sees in color, colors we haven’t even seen down here on earth yet.  And I think he sees ONE race, the human race.  And I believe he now only sees two types of people left down on earth.  Those going to heaven and those going to hell.  I believe George is crying out REPENT because he wants no one, no matter their amazingly stunning skin color, to go to hell.

So lets catch my brother, George Perry Floyd’s, perspective.  Yes, George, the man I never met is my brother.  As a fellow Christian we have the same father through Jesus and the share the same body according to 1 Corinthians 12.  Let’s fall to our knees, lets repent, and lets love each other for the beautifully woven tapestry of people that we are, and let us rise up a united army for Christ and not play into the enemy’s hands.  Lets obey Matthew 22:37-39 and Love the Lord our God with all our heart and love our neighbor as our self.

So no, this does not say everything.  It does not say most things, but it does say something.  I will continue to pray to know what my part is in all of this, and I ask that you do the same, and don't forget to be silent and listen for God to answer.  Friends and family of color, I love you, I might not always know what to do or say, but I can definitely be here to listen, pray and cry with you.