Sunday, July 1, 2001

Those peculiar people

By DR. KNOX HERNDON
Pastor

God's word calls Christians "peculiar people."

I was thinking, how is this so? Why are Christians "peculiar"? What is supposed to be so different about these people from everyone else? Don't people want to "fit in" and not stand out from the crowd?

Doesn't everyone want to not have conflict in life? Doesn't everyone want people to like them and just go along with the flow? Biblical history recorded that there were 12 men who didn't think so. The 12 eventually went down to 11 in the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. These 11disciples of Jesus turned the world upside down with the teachings of Jesus. All of them except John metvery painful and fiery deaths.

What is it that would cause these men to be so peculiar as to end up this way. Is the Bible saying to us today that we are, if need be, supposed to be that peculiar?

What can the world, or better yet, what can God expect of Christians today? After all, aren't things going pretty well in these United States? Why rock the boat? One might get wet.

Today, my wife, Dee, and I are driving to Greensboro, N.C., where she will be speaking to a group of educators on the subject of character. Dee has formed her own business as an educational consultant. She has entitled the business Head Heart and Hand.

Character education was mandated several years ago to be taught in our public schools. I was looking over her shoulder at some of the books that have been written on the subject of character. There was one book that came out years ago entitled "Why Johnny Can't Read." Then another came out entitled "Why Johnny Can't Tell Right From Wrong." And so the subject continues to flow and be debated with "peculiar" people who sincerely care about children and want them to get the very best chance in life by teaching them character-building traits.

Then there are those who want them to be reared in a valueless, characterless, anything goes, raise them by the TV society.

Does the following list of what one could expect from a "peculiar people" bother you? Should you be able to expect this "peculiar" behavior from a Christian?

The following is a list of the "peculiar" Ten Commandments.
Remember, those are the ones that say:

• No other gods before me.
• No carved or graven images.
• Don't take the name of the Lord in vain.
• Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
• Honor your father and mother.
• Don't murder.
• Don't commit adultery.
• Do not steal.
• Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
• Do not covet anything of your neighbor's.

Any of this sound a bit foreign or "peculiar" to today's society? If any one of these were kept, it would shut down the soap opera industry tomorrow because they wouldn't have any subject themes to follow. These Ten Commandments are what the ACLU is trying to remove from our public courtrooms and monuments. I feel they should read them aloud in every courtroom before every case. It would probably openup the clogged court system and move toward more sane deliberations.

Christians should be counted on to do the right things in our society. The very name alone, "Christian," should make us very peculiar people, as salt and light to the world. People who don't fall in lock step with the world and all its nothingness. People who are willing to do the will of God their heavenly father no matter what the cost.

Now that is peculiar thinking. Press on, peculiar people, time is short!

The Rev. Dr. Knox Herndon is the pastor of His House Community Church (SBC)and a former Army chaplain. The church has moved to a new location just below Senoia on Ga. Highway 85, a mile on the right just below the fire station. Visitors are welcome. Phone 770-719-2365 or e-mail KHERN2365@aol.com.

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