Where Have You Been?

They did not find him, so they went back to Jerusalem looking for him. (Luke 2:45 GNT)

Today is June 26th, 2015. On January 22nd, 1973 the Supreme Court made a decision to legalize abortion. Today, they legalized same sex marriage. I'm not shocked. If you read the Bible on a regular basis, does not include every Sunday right before you teach Sunday school, you would know as well. Romans 1:24 tells us that they were given over. Second Timothy 3:2 tells us that the world will be lovers of themselves (me first), boastful (bragging and wanting others to brag on them), etc.... Why did we think the government and courts would be otherwise. We as a Body have become desensitized to what we are supposed to log as evil and against what we are supposed to hold as True because we have done exactly what we were called NOT to do. We have become "of this world" instead of just living/ traveling through it.

When Jesus was 12, he went to the temple with his earthly parents. When they left, he did not leave with them. Why? His statement "didn't you know I would be here" has always confused me because of how he addressed his mother. Why would she know he would be there? Why did he think she would figure that? Because Mary was told from the beginning that he was the Savior of the world. She knew that her son was really the Son of God and after having him for 12 years, she had begun to settle into motherhood. So by the time she got back to the temple after frantically searching everywhere, my guess is from fear and shaming herself because she had forgotten her child... God's child, she was angry to find him securely discussing and listening to the leaders of the church in that time. She scolded him... and he answered.

My point of choosing this particular Scripture when I could pick other ones that discuss why homosexuality is bad and not to be condoned or participated in is that these decrees that we force feed and spiritually rape the world with are. for. us. Not them. They are of this world and it is our job, our calling to bring them to Christ not dress them up like we would our loose friend that we want to spend the night but know our parents would ever allow. We have spent entirely too much time harking on what they don't need to do and what they don't need to watch and what they don't need say and what they need to believe and if they don't listen then we need them to know where they WILL be going. We have literally made hell a resort compared to heaven because of our actions. Sure, there are a few who will go head first, not knowing and being lied to but it would be their choice after we share HIS Gospel, not ours. His Gospel tells us His love of us and what He did for us and how He longs for a relationship for us and how to get that. NOT brimstone, fire and hell as parting gifts when they don't agree or surrender or hord'oerves when they come close! We have it wrong! We are shining the wrong light! Even when we are guiding a brother or sister (fellow Christian) back to His comfort, we do it "gently" according to Galatians 6:1, not with a blinding light shining in their face and showing all their transgressions bare backed!

Where is our grace? Where is our mercy? Where is our fight aimed in the whole scheme of things, towards the enemy of our souls or the people in similar flesh? Where is our compassion based on how we knew we were when we were fallen? Where have we been? Do I think this decision would have taken place if we had been focused on His Kingdom instead of changing what is uncomfortable to us? Sure! This is a fallen world and we cannot assume they will get it right; it's why we are here. What I did not figure in is the backlash from Christians. Instead of getting on our knees and reminding God that we are those few "righteous people in the city" that Lot prays for and that God would spare this nation because of our sake. Not to save us and give us more time on Earth! But to allow us to GET TO WORK and bring more people to Him!

People, friends of this agenda are right when they say "let these people do what they want"... God is, who are we to say no? They are not right when they save "love is love"... I want to make sure that my readers understand that I do NOT support gay marriage. I have loved ones and friends who are in these unions and I love THEM, not what they do. I will accept anyone regardless of what lifestyle they lead but I do not accept any sin as condoned. I am mourning but my mourning comes from a different perspective. My mourning is because we as His Bride are losing our salt at a rapid rate and God is saying "Where have you been?"

God... forgive our sins of being closed mouthed, afraid and tolerant of sin.... Help those who are sent to awaken Your people to do what they are sent to do! WAKE UP CHURCH!!

NOTE****** I am seeing Christians allow despair in by saying things like this is the “darkest day in American history” or I am in serious “mourning”, “heartache”, etc. My question is why? Did we forget who is really on the Throne? Did we forget that He knew this day was coming as surely as He knew about each devastation that has come and will? Do NOT allow what seems as a temporary victory for the enemy to distract you from being on your knees, giving thanks to Him and interceding for our world. They need our light more than ever and in order to keep it bright, we need Christ more than ever. Despair, depression and mourning have no place in this. It is a dark world and they will make dark decisions. We need to get on top of this horse and control it the way we know how, with the authority given us in Christ Jesus!!

Smh...

If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. John 12:47

While doing my daily morning routine of driving my oldest to work, I had a small ephipany... of course it occurred because someone had come from the other side of me, swerved in front of me (nearly making me hit them) to get into the left lane and turn. I, in return, laid on my horn, probably a few more seconds than required and then began shaking my head... smh. As I did this, a question was posed to me. Why do you shake your head at people? Well as quickly as it was posed, I reasoned the answer. I need them to know the dissatisfaction I have with them, the frustration they bring my way when I am merely driving! And then it struck me, when we shake our heads, we are still judging. Think about it! When our kids do something dissatisfying OR a better way to say it, not pleasing to what WE feel should be done or said, we shake our heads. When someone walks by and has on something WE would not be buried in and don't think anyone else should wear either, we shake our heads. When something is not to our approval, we shake our heads. Whether it is furiously done to make sure the person sees it or in our minds or even slightly to hide the disgust, we shake our heads and we are judging.

To judge someone in the dictionary means to form an opinion or conclusion about the subject. It's a verb. It's something that we DO. Even those who are saying, right now, "I would never do that, I never judge", you just did. It's our nature when things aren't as we think they ought to be! We give a "side eye", shake our heads, make a grunting or breathy noise, or say/ do something to make it known that we are not pleased. But if we are genuinely seeking to be as Christ, we aren't supposed to. His words were (and still are) "... I do not judge them..." How powerful this word is! How halting it would be if we followed Him totally and surrendered! Think of those who come into His hospital that we call church wounded, scared, wondering who will judge them or hoping someone can so they can be justified in their sin... yet they would come in to love, acceptance of WHOSEVER they are, not who they claim to me or what they look like. Oh what a day of restoration and redemption and celebration that would be!

I recently saw a post on my Facebook timeline that got me to thinking... It read along the lines of "where is there a church in (city name) that accepts gays and lesbians..."  My flesh met me first with, "They don't need a church like that! Think of all the sin and backsliding that would happen!" And then God reminded me of how I was in a similar boat, needing a church that accepted couples who were living together adulterously. Ouch! How crushing to my ego was that! I had been one so filthy I with my sin that I joined everything I could just to get accepted and loved. But what I really wanted was for my church family to accept my sinful ways and not speak on it. Sadly... they did and I remained in that sin until I surrendered my life to Christ. 

But what if the church this person, myself and others are describing was the church they stepped into. Our churches... Ourselves. Each of us. Being the Church that JESUS spoke of and bringing that into the buildings/ homes we worship in every week. What if we took off our Daddy's robe and became the mediator, the ambassador that brings folks to CHRIST so that when God judges them, He will say the same thing He has said on your behalf... "Not guilty." What if...

Now with this, I want to make sure I am clear. I do not agree with the agenda or lifestyle of homosexuality, and that is my right as a free person. BUT I do love every single one of them and choose not to judge them. I also expect that the choice my to judge is to be returned by any who support the agenda. Why? Because the "do not judge" is not just a weapon aimed one way or to be altered to suit one group. It is and remains for ALL because He loves ALL! 

I pray you will all read, get offended, read again, find reasons that I'm wrong, read again and see that HE is right. 

Transparent Growth In Action

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.  And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.  And all who believed were together and had all things in common.  And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.  And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47

It's very rare that I get on a soapbox unless it has to deal with me or my issues. This is one of those times when I must extend that scepter to the Body again.... 

We as the Body of Christ have been off course. We have been distracted and duped into believing certain things matter when they actually don't and so the alarm must be sounded. Let me explain.

On Sunday after a frustrating morning, I was able to push through and worship at church and hear from God on some personal things, to which I'm sure I will blog about later. When I got home, while looking through emails, one caught my eye but I didn't read it. The subject line was about Jesus not commanding us to make churches full... or something like that. I instantly wondered why we are so bent on churches growing, sometimes into these mega, super packed, never personal followings. That's when God "got in my window" and schooled me on some things. First and foremost, He let me know how out of line and off course we are. He directed me to Acts 2 where the first gathering (church) was formed and how fast they grew, not because of all of the posters, commercials, "be a bringer" messages, coaxing members to get out there and find people or any other fantastic way to get people to join "our church" instead of the next pastor's church. No, they grew because they did Kingdom work... they were about their Father's business. They sold possessions, something we as believers today do not believe in (maybe we feel our items are more priceless than PURE gold decanters or SOLID silver plates, etc). They distributed among ALL (this includes those around them but maybe not in their actually "congregation"), they ate together, worshiped together and because of THIS, they had the favor with ALL people... and because of this, the Lord added to them. 

How simple it is and how easy we have moved away from this simple task which is also a Scripture itself! Matthew 6:33 states to seek first the Kingdom of God and ALL its righteousness AND as a promise, He will add all else to us... the all else? That's in the passages above verse 33 if you wanna know what's included! And then to boot, He reminds us NOT to worry about tomorrow because that is a whole other day! Focus on Him for THIS DAY... hmmm.... isn't that in a prayer that Jesus taught us to pray? "Give us THIS DAY our DAILY bread"???? 

Let's get back to focus and do the will of our Father as HE states it. Not as we declare it, explain it, water it down, or interpret it. 

Father, we repent as your children for what we have fashioned after our own desires and lusts instead of what You have for us. We have allowed ourselves to be conformed to the trappings of this world and claimed to be renewed all at the same time. We bring this disease of self to you God and ask you to forgive our sin of forgetting Your Kingdom and all its righteousness. We repent of making our church services into something that glorifies us more so than You and does our egos good more than Your Kingdom. Your Word says that if we Your people, who are called by Your name,would humble ourselves and pray, and seek Your face, and turn from our wickedways only then will You hear from heaven and forgive our sin and heal our land. I speak to every dry bone in Your family who lays defeated in the valley to arise and live. We will humble ourselves Lord, we will pray and seek Your face, and we will turn from our wicked, worldly ways and will wait for Your promise to hear our cry, forgive our sin and heal our land. Thank You God for Your faithfulness and lovingkindness while Your children run amuck in this dark world! Thank You for meeting us in the road with arms wide open as we realize we need You and come back to You after our journeys in this place! In Jesus name! Amen!

Transparent Strength

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Romans 15:1

My goodness, does this verse ask so much!! I mean seriously! That's like asking a toddler to perform open heart surgery! Or.... is it? 

Could it be that we make this out to be more than it is? I mean, when we have a weakness, we want people to bear with us. We say things like "please be patient with me, GOD is not through with me yet" which is also a song, or we plaster bumper stickers on our car that say "Under Construction." And that's okay because God is NOT done with us until we get Home! But we tend to be what I recently heard described as "me centered," and forget that others need this same grace from us.

I tend to have this "me centeredness" when it comes to family, mostly, but everyone at some point. My mom and kids tend to be unknowing targets at times. I can be very apt to want them to show grace if I'm late or forget something but then get angry when the same happens with them.

Most recently, my mom and I were going through a rough patch and I had forgotten to do something for her that was important. I reluctantly told her and braced myself for the backlash because this was really important to her. I wanted her to show me grace, however when I told her and she blew up at me, I didn't show the same grace. You see, I am one of those people that don’t like things to be repeated. I don’t know why, but I can't stand that! And this particular day, among other things that were happening, my mom wanting to go over what I had forgotten, just was not in my fave list. Simply put, I did not want to be reminded of my "failings". And so I in turn blew up at her. I'm so thankful that GOD does not keep account of our failings and bears with us. Aren't you? 

Think about the rude store clerk, customer service person, your child's teacher or church family member that rubs you the wrong way. This verse is for them as much as it's for you. Remember that we are bearing with those who are weak, those who go back to the drug or the abuser or the crutch that we minster to them about; not to please us but to help them. 

LORD, thank You that You forgive my selfish rants, my self-centered ways that block the view of people the way You see them. Help me to remember today that my view is not the same and to look at everyone from Your eyes. Amen!

Transparent Letter

"For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true." 2 Cor 7:14

I was led to this hidden nugget earlier this morning in my morning devotional and had to write and share. I have to admit, when I first read it I asked GOD what it was supposed to mean to me. He then had me read two verses previous and the one following and that's when I understood. 

Paul had written this letter to Corinth in response to their treatment and hospitality to Titus. *Sidenote*: We really should study more about Corinth!! They welcomed him with open arms and so every boast (rejoice) made about Corinth was proven true. Titus was well cared for and loved even up to his departure. Isn't that how a church is supposed to be? Full of the grace and mercy that was so undeservedly extended to us? Welcoming those that enter in our "city" because they are sent or allowed by our Father? *Okay, another side note* Do you realize that if all churches who bear His name and seek after His will would love and provide for guests in this way, even those sent with ill will by their father, Satan, would be drenched in His love causing them to surrender to Him or flee?! 

Too many times in the church building we are more involved in and worried about keeping OUR bylaws and making sure everyone who enters knows and abides by them as well MORE than keeping His command to love our neighbor and each other. What a sad situation we have put ourselves in. We are nowhere near hated for Jesus' namesake. That would mean we love everyone while accepting them as they are but hating the sin. THAT would mean we would be speaking His Truth in totality, not watering down to satisfy everyone's uncomfortableness with What His Word says. And THAT would mean while we have our own stand on certain things and choose to stand against "freedoms" that lead to eternal bondage for our family in Christ, we wouldn't presuppose this on those who have no idea of His goodness, love or sacrifice that was also for them. 

What if.... we led our worship, our church service in such a way that even when someone in a particular sin walked in and heard the Truth spoken about that sin, they either cried out and surrendered to GOD or got up and walked away? What if there were no requirements of "minimum" tithe and offering amounts or judgmental stares at a person not in what we assume is the "Sunday best"? What if at the door they were so loved and well cared for that we received a letter from GOD stating a job well done, that His boast in us was found true? 

That is essentially what this verse says to me, practically speaking. We have gotten away from caring for each other and guests that visit. He is calling us to go back to the simpler times and listen to His guidance on dealing with guests who visit us. Our pastors should not have to prompt us to greet an smile. It should not be awkward to take a collection up for a needy family in our midst, whether attendees of our church or not instead of trying to "help them help themselves". No! That's what this Christian community is supposed to be about! None of us should be in lack for so long that we give up or look to this lost world for help. We need to get back to it. 

If GOD wrote us a letter about someone He sent to us, unbeknownst to us, what would our letters say? 

Father, thank You for forgiving our repetitive sins and disobedience. We have been distracted with whose church is best and whose theology makes more sense and which laws someone isn't following. We have forgotten the simpler things, to love and care for. We are so worried about how outrageous someone looks, acts or dresses when they come in "our" church that we forgot that this is Your hospital and we Your Body are to aid in healing.  Help us to get back to worship and work. In Jesus name. Amen!