Religious Abuse......

I am not trying to offend anyone here. Just some truth as I see it. If you don't agree that's o.k.

Christianity gets some bad press. And the sad part it's us Christians that give us a bad name. We fight among each other and we judge those that are outside of the Church. It's been said that the Church kills there own woumbed. That is a pretty sad thing to say about a religion that follows the teaching of a guy who did the complete opposite. When I was in college I had a boss at the college that always said, "the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!" When I talk to friends of mine who are not Christians one of there main complaints is how mean and narrow minded we are. I listen to them and I hear the pain in there voice as they talk about the religious abuse that they have faced. Yes religious abuse. We might not be physically abusive as a group, but our words do cut deep into peoples lives. I would say that most Christians don't attend to harm someone, because they think they must give out the message they believe in no matter at what cost. I have seen other church's picket other church's. I was a part of a church that belived the same thing another church did, but our church did not want to picket or come out looking hateful. So since our pastor sent a letter to this church expressing that we need to love and asked them not to come up to our area and cause a scene of hate. So this other church picted us and they in my opinion were not acting Christ like.

In my life I have been on both sides. Before I started drinking I thought that I new everything when it came to God. You could say being a Pharisee or a total hypocrite! Once I started with my struggle with Alcoholism I pretty fast saw the other side. The total misunderstanding of what I was going through. And again, the pastors and church's thought they were doing the right thing. Some or many Christians in America feel that we need to change the world through politics. You can not legislate morality. But, it seems some try to do that and it does not all ways work.

So, we in my opinion have a problem. So what do we do. First we don't change the message we change the method. Christians can still stand on the truth of the word of God. But, I think we need to be reminded of a few things. Paul and James tells us not to judge the world. In the bible world a lot of times means non-Christians. We are not to judge them we are to love them. What did Jesus do? He loved those who did not know Him. He fed the poor, healed the sick and loved the sinner, the down and out. Who did Jesus condemn? Those who thought they were better than every body else. So we need to love and show grace to those outside of the church, not beat them up. We all so need to love people inside the church. It is a silly thought that as a Christian I am suppose to be perfect. Many times real life is messy. I, we all of us need to show more Grace.

 

Secound, we need to have a real understanding of church disapline. A great example of this is found in Paul's writtings in 1 and 2 Corinthians. In first Conithians he tells the church to deal with the sin that is among them. Cast him out. But then we see in 2 Corinthians that Paul says basically, O,k now is the time to restore this guy. He has repnted from his sin. The whole point of church displine is restoration of the christian that is in church disipline. Restroaction back to the church. I have been told it's only restoration back to Christ. But scriputre shows diffrent.

 

 Is it better to be right or is it better to love? Does it really matter if I read the King James version of the bible? If I disagree with you can't we still be friends? Some where Christians got this idea that if people disagree with us we can not be there friends. That sounds kind of dumb, but some believe so strongly on an issue that you must be wrong if you don't agree and then some wont even be your friend any more.

 

As Christians we are given GRACE, FREE grace at that. So let's show grace to others. We don't deserve the GRACE of God, but we sometimes act like we are god by not showing others grace. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13 that the greatest thing is Love. Some of my good friends despise Christianity, but I still love them and still want to be there friends.

 

It's time that we stop playing church.

It's time to care about the poor and feed the poor.

It's time to love the suffering and love the sinner.

It's time to clothe the needy.

It's time to stop saying we act like Jesus and start acting like Jesus.

 

Struggle with addiction

Just because someone struggles with an addiction does not make them unsaved! Sometimes we tend to think if someone struggles with a "big sin" they must not be saved! So when someone dies that is in there addiction some may think that they are not in heaven.

If what Paul wrights in Ephesians is true, that it is by Grace you have been saved! Not by anything we have done. Then a person who struggles with an addiction can be saved. If it is not true, then none of us are saved, to God sin is sin.

It seems so easy to judge others and make judgments about there walk with God. I have been guilty of this many times in my life. The truth is that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And when we make judgments about others faith, are we playing God?

Reminds me of a story that Jesus told. About the Pharisee and tax collector. The Pharisee thanked God that he was not like that evil tax collector and was counting on his salvation trough his works. Then the tax collector pleaded with God and knew that he was a sinner.

Which one are we today. I would rather be the tax collector, but sometimes I am like the Pharisee looking down on others thinking that there is no way that they know Jesus! Yes we are to be different has Christians, but I believe that once you give your life to Christ you are His. That is not a license to sin, but if we are honest no of us live up to what Christ calls us to be.

Peter is another person that failed but was forgiven by Christ Himself. Peter denied Christ three times! But Jesus resorted him and He was a big part of the first church.

I struggled with addiction for years, but I was still saved! I was not walking with Him as I should of, but I was still His. Addiction is a difficult thing to deal with while being a Christian. Addiction is one of those areas that people really don't understand so therefore it is judged as a moral failure. Is it a moral failure? I guess it's all how you look at addiction. But is it a more evil sin or failure than others, I don't think so.

God gives me Grace and His Grace is available to all. If God is perfect and is willing to give me grace, shouldn't I give Grace freely?

Today I am going to keep walking....

Is God's grace enough?

Is God's Grace enough? We say it is with our lips, but do we really believe it in our heart of hearts. If you have read my blog for awhile it's clear that I have had times in my life that I have fallen on my face. I surprised a lot of people in 2006 when it came out that I had a problem with alcohol. At that moment I lost a big part of me. I was living for the God of ministry. I thought that was what I was suppose to do. That a true fired up Christian should be in ministry. Well, I burned my self out because I did not have a tight relationship with my savior. 2006 started a big process for me. I was sober, than I was not, sober, than not. That continued for a few years. I lost a marriage because of actions that I did while I was drunk. I have lost great relationships because of my continued drinking.

Finally through God's grace I have stopped drinking. I try to walk as Jesus did, but I do full short. I have noticed that there are some who are Jesus followers that have a hard time showing me grace. In one way I don't blame them. I did do some horrible things. But, Christ has forgiven me. So His grace is enough to forgive me of all my sins. His Grace is enough.

His grace should be enough to help us forgive others of there sins. His Grace and forgiveness is for all people. I have not all ways been that graceful to others. What I have walked through as showed me to not only receive God's grace in my own life, but to give grace to others. Even to those who don't show me grace. Which is a hard one!

We tend to cheapen God's grace, His Love, And even his forgiveness. There is nothing I can do or not do to loose that grace from Jesus Christ!

So, is Gods grace enough?

Give Grace

We as Christians talk a lot about Grace. We say we deeply believe in it. But it seems we want Grace from God and others and yet we some times don't show grace to others in our own life. I am guilty of this in my own life and have been the guy who was not shown much grace.
It is easy to judge others when we have not had there experiences. I use to hold deep to my bitterness towards my dad. Not willing to forgive or show him grace. I have finally forgiven him and one thing that had helped is being able to see that he did the best he could with the tools he was given to him from his past.
Showing grace and forgiveness is a choice that I have to make sometimes daily.
We all are only saved through the grace of God. When I start judging others I need to look iv the mirror at my own sins and failures.

Keep walking...