I love you God but save me from your people
Today is a double blog day. One of those days where things add up. To me I’m about sick of people in the “church” and their attitude toward me, be it from family or otherwise. I’m sick of acusing comments ment to stab and hurt and twist you into submission. I’m sick of the unending emotional debate that comes with any aspect of theology and the word. Not only is it emotionaly but it seems people can’t communicate calmly within the church.
I’m tired of pastor’s trying to manipulate my life and my beliefs and calling me a sinner when I take their words and sermons to prayer and study of the scripture itself. I’m sick of people telling me I will burn in hell because I don’t go to this or that church. And why do I not, because I don’t want to hear how they say Christianity is about getting rich, staying healthy and having no problems and if you do, your a sinner and need help.
I’m sick of walking into a church and being judged for my appearence because I have long hair, a tatto or don’t wear a smile as well as others. I’m sick of having to pretend I’m something else in church service to get someone to say 2 words to me.
I am not will not change who I am for anyone any longer. There are days where I wish my wife and I could just leave behind all past relationships and start new somewhere else. It seems that the “church” is the most hurtful group I know. Many people inside and outside a relationship with God that I know same the same. They’ve been hurt to much by a pastor who’s tried to control them, or a church member showing them contempt. A family member always saying and badger things to them and continually pushing them away because they can never measure up to so and so who is “so godly”.
Bah humbug I say. Somedays it just gets to me. The only army that shoots its own wounded.
Remembering a time…
I have been remembering, even rediscovering the truth of what it really means to walk with God. I remember when I first came to Christ, the new sense of adventure that came with every breath. I remember ever new verse was a step toward God, every opportunity to show love of God to someone brought such a presence of God. I remember nights on the top of parking grages downtown. Spent praying over a city and giving myself to God asking Him to use me and help me reach people for him.
I see my walk now and what I’ve came through for the last few years and I am convinced that the church in America has missed the mark. Truth be told I hate the term and title Christian. Its so restrictive and brings bad images of things in the past. I prefer to say I am a memberof the way.
Why do I think we’ve missed the mark? Because love isn’t the focus. Its turned into healing sevices and Get rich through stewardships scams that plauge the church. Does God, heal? Yes, does he give wealth to some? Sure. But if that’s ever your focus then you’ve missed right there.
Love dictated that God reach down from heaven and come to where we are to save us. Our churchs dictate now that mostly people come to the church and get saved, or come to a healing service to get saved. Ministry takes place many times only within limited bounds. Love is lost. And many people every day over look the every day needs of the person even sitting next to them in a pew. What ever happened to If your neighbor is in need, and you have extra giving it to them. Instead people by fancy cars and big homes so that they can feel better about their state in life.
Its about love. I want to feel that sense of urgency again as I look over the city in which I live. I want to feel like every breath is new and a gift of God. I want to rediscover obediance to the leading of the Spirit until everystep becomes and adventure. I want to know the true power of God and weild it skillfully in my relationship with others and the building of relationships, and what is that true power of God, love. For through and by Love God came to earth, for he so loved the world. Its the true power of our salvation. The love of God. So many have lost that, I want it back.
Submission
God’s been working alot on submission in me lately, He has been teaching me a lot about what it trully means in various areas of my life. One of the biggest being in just every day things. Submitting my thought life, my goals dreams and other things to Him. I could very well be the worst in the area of personal goals and dreams. I am awful at coming up with things. There are times where I just cannot think off things I want or desire, or seek to move toward. But this is the biggest area that God has been asking for. Coming to term with the fact that God has a plan for my life, wither I like it, or not, wither I want it or not, and wither I feel qualified or not for it doesn’t come into play. Its all about him.
I’ve spent more time trying to find out what God wants me to do with my life that I neglected to see the fact that God already knows. Hard to imagine I know. Lately I’ve had a lot of success in this. Just putting myself before God as a blank slate, saying God here am I use me as you will. Not coming with prequalifiers of “here I am, but I want to do this.” Its amazing the level of frustration that cuts out from me.
James 4: 7 is rather powerful scripture for this :
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
That’s really amazing. The true power of that scripture isn’t the resist the devil, in that you could resist him all day and he wouldn’t care, but would keep trying, he doesn’t really care about you or your authority, he Cares about God’s. Submitting To God taps the powersource, it turns on the light lets in the flood. Darkness comes. The thing about submission is that its really all or nothing. Either you are or your not. No room for middle ground. So you have to Go to God with your whole heart submitting to Him and when you do its amazing how ti turns around.
Christians and Politics
I’ve noticed that Christians and politics can make for one of the most volatile combos in existence. Arguing with each other and others, many times they get so worked up that the politics become a religion of their own.
So why is that if you bring two Christians together with opposing views, and throw a mix of politics (wither it be elections, liberal vs. conservative, or whatever topic) you recipe for dynamite. I’ve never understood why those who claim to follow God make such a big deal out of them. I seem to recall a verse where Jesus stated his kingdom isn’t of this world, and if it was his followers would fight (John 18: 36). But they are fighting each other and other outside of the body of Christ. I never quite understood that. Proverbs 21:1 tells us the king’s heart is in the palm of God’s hand and like water in God’s palm, he turns it this way or that and it goes. So what does it really matter who is president?
Proverbs 17:14 “The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.”
Now regarding this verse to me it seems better to agree to disagree and take things to prayer rather then to cause division and quarrels. This is just me but if all the people arguing and talking about how awful this political situation or that situation was would spend that time in honest prayer and fasting, it would seem to me that God would move regardless. Kind of like the commercial where a bunch of people are standing around arguing and complaining about some trash laying on the ground and how awful it is. They don’t just pick it up and throw it away, they just complain. Then someone comes along and throws it away and they all shut up and move on. Same thing to me, argue or obey God. I don’t much patience for complaining and I doubt God does from read of God’s word. Better to have faith and act then to stand and argue.
That’s not to say that people aren’t doing that, but there are some people that relish and complaining and debating (same thing really and that’s coming from a reformed debater).
