World magazine reported December 27, 2014 that a store in Beijing, China has decided to stop selling to Chinese (pg. 20). It is a clothing store in the embassy district on Albermarle Road. The sign reads: “Chinese not admitted except for staff.”
The problem is – as you might expect – Chinese people were shoplifting and pick-pocketing. The report also says that they were “trying on clothes without making a purchase,” which I did not realize was offensive. Perhaps they were doing it too much. Anyway, it’s a little funny but also insightful in the sense that such a store could remain open without selling to their own nationality. China has no “anti-discrimination” laws.
Kevin Moore is a professor of Bible and missions . He would frequently say, “The church would have less problems in it if there were fewer people in it.” Should we put a sign on our church buildings: “No Sinners Admitted,” so we can work and worship in peace?
Humans are messy people. We come to the Lord with messy lives, sinful habits, selfish tendencies, and self-centered attitudes. Those who have been Christians for a while should have grown out of those, or are in the process of growing out of those. Christianity is a process; it’s a lifestyle. We who are mature recognize that we too were (are) imperfect and we had to make our own journey to the Lord. He’ll clean up people’s lives. We must get them to Him and then have patience to allow Him to work in them.
Simon of Samaria was still struggling with greed after he became a Christian (Acts 8:18). Peter told him what the Lord required of him and encouraged him to make things right (Acts 8:20-23). Simon had a change of heart (Acts 8:24). Peter did not invite Simon to leave, go worship somewhere else, or get right first and then come to worship.
Throughout viagra online pharmacies the day, music from the 50’s era is played here. Therefore, men should pay more attention toward preventing and buy generic cialis treatment of a chronic pancreatitis. One must take the pills either on levitra generic vs bare stomach or after healthy or low fat meal. Males aged above 40 years usually click to find out acquisition de viagra suffer from low energy levels. The church at Corinth had a host of (doctrinal) problems but Paul did not put a sign on the church door: “No Sinners Admitted.” He taught them the truth and then was patient with them in implementing that truth.
“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:1-4).
Christians need to remember that “we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another” (Titus 3:3).
Jesus, of course, frequently ate with tax collectors and sinners. Humans are messy people. Only Jesus can clean up their lives but He must work through you and me. “Sinners are Admitted.”
–Paul Holland
