God is Love. Jesus is Our Example.

This morning as I began my quiet time with the Lord, I had to do some warfare first thing. The enemy came and began reminding me of what someone called me while I was at an internship in California a few years ago.  You see, I didn’t “pray” the same way these folks did, and they didn’t like that very much.  Unless under extreme attack from the enemy, I usually sit quietly worshipping the Lord and I write in a notebook what I say to the Lord and what I believe He is saying to me.  I actually don’t think there’s anything wrong with this.  It’s who I am.   Also, a question that had been asked was; “Has anyone ever done something to you where you simply forgave them without confronting them?”  Immediately, a situation came into my mind and I spoke out loud saying, “Yes, I had a situation where I was led of the Holy Spirit to forgive without confronting.” Well, immediately the pastor in charge apparently didn’t agree and showed it by  her facial expression.  Another intern asked the pastor if she disagreed with what I had said.  The pastor then, in a very passive-passive-aggressive way, said that she didn’t agree and that we should not be “religious doormats.”  I explained myself further to explain that I had followed the leading of the Holy Spirit and then shared an example where I did confront when led to do so and when needed. At that time, this pastor verbally abused me more and then allowed the other ten interns to verbally abuse me while I sat there and took what they had to say. I remember just looking to the ceiling quietly, while praying in my head, “Forgive them, they know not what they’re doing.”

Sometimes when I sit down to worship and pray, the enemy will attack in this way.  I have to run him off.

The next thing that happened this morning was that I turned to Proverbs 31 for my daily Proverb.  Immediately, the enemy came attacking me about another time where this scripture was used to “beat me up” spiritually about 3 years ago.  You see, at the time, I had been married to a man who was abusive to me, not physically, but mentally, emotionally, verbally, and financially.  At the time we had been married for 26 years. (Shortly after this, he divorced me.) It was growing more and more difficult by the day to tolerate what he dished out without arguing.  Over the years, I had learned to choose my battles well.  In this particular situation, my then husband had caused a lot of trouble for me at the church we had only recently began attending during a conversation with the worship pastor.  Later, I had a chat with the worship pastor and another pastor at the church to let them know of my situation because I did not appreciate the way my then husband set me up for a troubled time there.  I mean, no one wants to get started off on the wrong foot in anything that they do … am I right?  So, I met with them and we chatted a while.  The head pastor suggested that I fast for my husband.  Early on in the conversation, I had agreed … wanting to be agreeable.  But, the longer we went on in the conversation, I knew that I could not and would not fast for him.  It just wasn’t in me to do that for him.  There was so much going on I just couldn’t do it. (I was hurting and needed support, not criticism!) As we were wrapping up the chat, he asked me again if I was going to fast for him.  I said, “I’m sorry, I just cannot do it. I’m just being honest with you.  I just cannot do it.”  Immediately, the expression on his face changed towards me as if I were the devil, himself and he reached for his Bible.  He then proceeded to read Proverbs 31, the portion about the virtuous woman, out loud to me.  Immediately, I knew exactly what he was doing. Previous to this situation, I had sat through a teaching on this same scripture and had felt very confident and encouraged by the Lord that I had been doing my best to be what the Bible describes as a virtuous woman.  As he read, I prayed for God to be with me.  The pastor finished the Proverb and proceeded to ask me; “Are you this woman?”  In confidence, I answered, “Yes.”  He looked and me and said, “I think you better go home and read this Proverb over and over for the next 21 days and insert your name in here.”  After that, I was cut out of the worship team and pretty much treated like a piece of trash at the church.  Needless to say, it didn’t take very long for me to leave.  I’m was not and still am not a worthless piece of trash for some pastor to verbally abuse and treat poorly.  I know my worth in Christ!

Now, I don’t share these things to make you feel sorry for me.  I say them because I want to share these terrible experiences so that we can learn from them.  None … none … of these situations are acceptable behavior at all!  I find them to be totally ridiculous!  God does not want us to treat fellow followers of Christ this way … no way!  The church exists so that we can help each other through difficult times.  The church should be a safe place … a “hospital for the hurting.”  Why these things happened, I have no idea.  I just know that God allowed them to happen to me.  And, I’m quite certain that I’m not the only person within the Body of Christ who has been treated in this way.  I actually have many other examples that I could share that fall within this category, but these are the ones that came into my mind today.

These behaviors that I have shared with you are simply religious attitudes.  Jesus would have called these people “white washed tombs.” These folks are clearly examples of the Pharisees of Jesus’ time.  This is unacceptable.  This is not an example of love at all.  These are examples of “religious people” pushing people around … namely me in these examples.  The only reasoning I have for why people do this is that they lack love and simple human kindness.  I don’t  believe for a minute that Jesus would have treated me this way had I been speaking to Him face to face in these situations.

I have to tell you that when these things happened I was somewhat hurt.  It was difficult for me to believe that there was a purpose to all of this.  But, I chose to overcome and believe that God had a purpose.  Of course, it’s much easier for me to talk about this now than it was then.  You see, God has been showing me what not to do when I’m in a position like these folks for more years than I’d like admit.  It’s been a long road.  Let me be very clear, God doesn’t like this behavior, but He will allow it when He knows that it can be used to build strength and bring wisdom to those involved.  I surely hope that I have learned all that He wanted me to learn through these situations.  Forgiving them is key … they, apparently, know not what they’re doing.  I was able to overcome and move on with the Lord.  But, I have been committed to be all that God wants me to be, even when the road becomes more than a bit challenging.  Yes, sometimes … many times … I have said that I’m “done.”  LOL … but, never really.  I think sometimes it just helps to get the bad thoughts and feelings out to enable me to move on to what God has next for me.

Now, what if this had happened to a young or baby Christian?  (Oh, I feel my blood pressure rising even as I type this.)  At the same time this happened, and at a nearby “safe” church here in Arkansas where this took place, I was walking with a baby Christian.  She, was treated very poorly by some of the people over the fact that the person in charge didn’t like that she had hot pink hair and a lot of tattoos.  When she shared with me that this had happened, I prayed for her and talked to her about what was said.  I explained to her that this was not God and it’s not how Jesus would treat her.  I explained to her that these were imperfect people like myself and her, and that we should forgive them and move on.  She was so damaged by the treatment of these people that she walked away from God and eventually walked away from our friendship.  This broke my heart.

You see, these acts that are not love, hurt people … some more deeply than others.  Young Christians, in particular, do not always understand that people, even though Christians, will sometimes hurt others.  Although God’s light shines through us, we are not God.  We are still fallible human beings.

Church … we need to get back to caring for people other than the ones we see at church every week.  If we’re not kind and loving to those in our world … whether they know Jesus as their Savior or not … we’re doing it wrong.  I’ll say it again!  If we’re not kind and loving to those in our world … whether they know Jesus as their Savior or not … we’re doing it wrong.

If you’re reading this and you’re someone who has been hurt by the church, whether leadership or a church member, I encourage you to talk to God about it.  Forgive the people and allow God to heal your heart.  Hindering your walk over people is not worth it.  Forgive them and find a good Bible believing church, get involved and remember what you have learned.

On the other hand, if you’re reading this and you feel some guilt because you could possibly be one of the people in this blog who did the hurting, I encourage you to repent and find your first love, Jesus, again.  “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.  God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  1 John 4:16

God is love.  Jesus is our example.  Let’s arise to the occasion and love others better … like God loves us. 

The Lid Is Off...

Today as I was readying myself for the day, my heart was heavy…heavy for my family, heavy for humanity, heavy for the church, heavy for this nation.

 

I couldn’t form any words, but suddenly, crying and tears broke forth.  I was crying out to the God of all flesh...all flesh…all races.  At first, no words would form.  The heaviness that was on my heart could not be expressed in words, but rather in tears, cries and groanings.  God understood.  Only He could understand.  Finally, I was able to form words…repenting, once again for this nation, for the atrocities that have occurred…unneeded killing, racism…hate…all from the enemy, but allowed by man.

 

We have done this to our selves.  We have allowed racism and hate long enough.  ENOUGH ALREADY!!

 

As I walked through my home today straightening things, I picked up an ice chest that we had used for a recent cookout at our home.  As I picked it up, I began to reason how I was going to deal with the water residue that was in it.  Quickly, I decided that I would simply put the chest in the garage, but I would lift the lid so that the heat in the garage would not cause any germs that might be inside to form and cause mold and mildew.  It was an easy decision.  If I chose to leave the lid closed, chances are, the next time I opened it, it would be disgusting and quite a mess to clean up.  All of these things went through my mind in a matter of moments as I carried this through the house to the garage.

 

It’s then, through this process, that the Lord allowed me to see that this is exactly what has happened here in the US.  You see, instead of doing the right thing here in the US, we have “enjoyed the party,” and “put the ice chest” away without dealing with it properly.  This country has enjoyed the fruits of the blessings of our God, but we have strayed away as prosperity has grown.  And, as immensely as the prosperity has grown, so has the nastiness.  The “lid” has been closed, ignored, and the nastiness took over…long ago.

 

I’m not just speaking about our government.  I’m speaking about the church, as well.

 

Collectively, we have turned a blind eye to the things that have been dealt with improperly…hate, racism, murder, inequality towards women, and even religion, just to name a few.  Now, you might be wondering why I have included religion in this.  Well, I say religion simply because being a follower of Christ has little to nothing to do with religion.  But, religion is much of what is at the root of the issues that we’re dealing with here in the US.  Followers of Christ should be the ones who lead the way, setting the standard for the community, not the other way around…and certainly not those who have Christ on their lips and not in their hearts…religion.  Matthew 15:8, Isaiah 29:13-17

 

We have churches and denominations that have chosen, in the past, to tolerate and even endorse hate and racism, when, indeed, they should have been standing against it in the name of Jesus.  When this is allowed, not for days, months, years, or decades, but centuries…we have a problem.

 

The “lid” has been on hate, racism, and religion far too long. Now, hear me loud and clear; not all religious people are this way, but many are.  And, those who truly are Followers of Christ will love others…ALL others…as Christ loves us all.  He loved us while we were still sinners.  Romans 5:8

True followers of Christ need to arise!  We need to be the hands and feet of Christ and show love and be love.  We have shrunk back too long.  We have allowed religious ways, hate, racism, violence, etc. to continue on when it should have been stopped long ago.

 

I am one who was not raised in church.  I came to Christ in my twenties; I’m only months from my 50^th today.  I have seen a lot.  When I began attending church, I had rose colored glasses when I participated with groups and such within the church.  At first, I bought it hook, line and sinker.  But, as I grew in Christ, I began to wonder why things within the church were so different than what was being taught in the pulpit and what is actually in the Bible.  So many churches are inclusive only to themselves.  They are much like social clubs…even though they teach that they shouldn’t be that way.  Many churches will even say that they are not like the “social club” churches in the area, when in fact they actually are.  Myself, for the most part, I don’t “fit” in today’s modern churches.  I have tried and I have come to the realization that it’s okay that I don’t fit in.

 

I love Jesus with all my heart, but I don’t find it necessary to jump through all the hoops that “church people” require to be considered a “good Christian.”  It’s not man who judges the heart, it’s God who does. 1 Samuel 16:7  Jesus doesn’t make us jump through hoops to be His follower, but He doesn’t turn a blind eye to the sin in our lives, either.  When He sees that the time is right, He brings it to our attention and brings conviction through the Holy Spirit to deal with it.  Then He lovingly shows us the way to overcome it.

 

Jesus loves everyone.  However, Jesus hates sin.  He is the Master at loving people even when they are still living in sin.  The church has a lot to learn in this area.

 

I’m very sorry to say it but the church is not doing a good job at loving people and hating sin.  The church is good at saying, “love the person, hate the sin,” but they, for the most part, are far from actually loving the sinner.

 

Church people…at least most of the church people I have been around…do not know how to relate to the lost.  They choose to stay in their comfortable bubble and call it “God’s way.”  I beg to differ.  The church has alienated itself from the real world and in doing so, have, for the most part, stopped being effective at truly winning much of the lost to the Lord.  They have continued to allow terrible things like judging, hate, and racism to not only survive, but grow into the nastiness that we now see on our TV and computer screens almost daily. The average person on the street wants nothing to do with Jesus simply because of many of His “followers.”

 

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.  Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” ~ Ghandi

 

There may be many of you who are reading this right now who believe that this article is not about you.  Maybe you are one of the few who do not live this way.  There are many who choose not to live this way, but there are far more who consider themselves followers of Christ who do choose to live this way.

 

Please understand that I’m not attempting to tear apart the Body of Christ, but rather, spurn realization to a sleeping, fence sitting church.  Revelation ch 1-3  Folks, this has happened on our watch!  Repentance is in order.  Examining ourselves, examining our ways and correcting them should be the new mandate.  There is a way out of this.  God is not surprised by this!  Jesus made a way when He said, “It is finished.”  We need to realize, more than ever, it is God’s way that we need to choose and not ours.  Our way is not working.  Look around…you certainly don’t have to look far to see that I speak the truth.

 

If you consider yourself a follower of Christ, I urge you to hit your knees in total submission to God.  I urge you to repent of anything that is between you and God.  I urge you to cry out to Him for repentance of this once great nation.  I urge you to ask Him to show you what you can do to spurn change in your area of the vast nation.  God is not through with this nation and we can once again be great if we humble ourselves before Him.  He alone is what has made us great in the past.

 

If My people who are called by my name will humble yourselves and pray and truly seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.  2 Chronicles 7:14

 

The lid is off.  It’s time to clean out the mess.