Christ or the Church?

Here are the questions I have for you: Do you think Jesus would prefer for you to be loyal to your church or to Him? If the hierarchy of the church is teaching something that is not traditional nor biblical (and that has happened in the past) is it better to be excommunicated for staying true to Christ or is it better to stay loyal to a dogma that you don't believe to be true?

That is not saying that any church is wrong today. Just that in the past there have been times that the churches have been more worldly than spiritually oriented. AT THOSE TIMES, schisms occurred.

I think that Jesus would prefer that we aren't loyal to a particular church or dogma. That we focus upon Him rather than any one church. There were 7 churches in Revelations and two of them were commended for getting it 'right,' not only one. I believe commitment to Christ himself is where we should be rather than judging any particular dogma as perfect. NO church is perfect because they are all made up of imperfect people. The difference in the churches I have attended (all Christian) have had dogma differences, but regarding faith, some Catholic churches have been deeply spiritual and touched my soul, some have not. Some Lutheran churches have touched my soul, some have not. Some Anglican churches have touched my soul, some have not. I am glad that you have found a church that connects you with Christ, I simply have trouble believing that it is the religion that did the work, rather than the Holy Spirit.

I am in no way saying the your church is wrong. I am simply saying that any church that says "Our dogma is the only dogma that is correct" strikes me as arrogant because rather than accepting there are different ways of explaining ONE truth so that different people understand it, it has implied in the past that the only way to the ONE truth is the way that THEY understand it. Some believers are still at the 'milk' stage and the Catholic Church is more like solid food for them. For others, the Catholic church is the 'milk' stage and another church is solid food for them. I think it is arrogant of me to think that MY understanding is the BEST understanding for EVERYONE. I attended so many different churches because I was trying to know GOD. I missed the closeness that I felt as a child and was looking for the exact same relationship. As I grew and learned more, I wanted to have a more mature relationship. One not on 'my terms' but on HIS terms.

I don't think the prodigal son had the same relationship with his father when he returned. I think the relationship he had was FAR more humble. Rather than feeling like his dad 'owed' him something, he was humbled, knowing his father owed him NOTHING and what he truly deserved was to be treated as less than a servant for the way he treated his family. That return, in humility, is the direction I returned to my faith from. I ran from God because I felt like he owed me something for taking my mother at such a young age. When I returned, I realized that he had already replaced her with Himself. I was simply refusing the gift. That isn't dogma from any church, that is just my relationship with God. The more I learn his word, the more I understand what he wants from ME. I don't want a church to get in the way of that, I want my fellowship to be an expression of that.

Every church out there tells their history from their own vantage point. The history of the church isn't relevant to my faith. What IS relevant is where is the church's center. If the church's center is Christ, then that is all that counts. I DO believe that the Catholic Church's center is Christ. I also believe there are OTHER churches who center themselves upon Christ. Those are the churches I want to attend, not those that put dogma ahead of love.

God bless

Which One Am I?

There are literally THOUSANDS of Christian denominations. Each one has a slight difference in their teachings. In fact, the only thing I know they have in common is some belief that Jesus was the Messiah.

Now, in any of these churches, you will find people of certain types:

1) Cultural Christians-"I attend church occassionally on Sunday, so that makes me a Christian and I have the right to look down on anyone who does not behave like I think they should." These people attend church, but are not there to hear the Word. When they move, they try to find a church that doesn't make them feel 'uncomfortable' because they don't want to be told things they are not ready to hear. They don't want to hear about Jesus or why He did it or what he did. They rarely, if ever, read the Bible and when they do read it, they only read a verse instead of context. Prayer to them is like a 'magic spell'...say a few empty words. These people see no sin within themselves, only the sin in others and they are very quick to point it out. These people 'might' even go to church every Sunday, but it isn't about God, it is about showing their faith off and what 'pious' people they are.

2) New Believers-These are believers who don't know a whole lot about the Bible, but they listen when the Pastor/Priest speaks. They have been touched by the Holy Spirit, but they don't have much knowledge of the Word and are easily diverted. They are very quick to preach and on fire for God because they are just learning to read the Bible, but they forget to pray over the meaning. These are blind faith believers. This group can be easily led in the wrong direction with the Word, VERY EASILY.

3) Broken-hearted Believers- These are believers who are angry with God. They threw themselves into faith because they wanted something from God (very much) and when they didn't get it, it hurt them and they turned from Him. They are hurt because they were probably New Believers, but didn't have the protection of His Truth because they had not devoted time to study. They have turned from Him and sometimes feel like "I'll show Him." "He doesn't REALLY care about me." They doubt His existence, but deep in their heart, they still feel Him there, talking to them. They sometimes declare themselves atheists and agnostics (or decide they will become Buddhists, Hindus, etc). There is also another reason that people enter this group. They put another believer on a pedastal and that believer falls off. The Pedastal person could be anyone in 1-5 but the minute the person recognizes that there is still sin in the Pedestal person's life, that fall burns the person who witnesses it, and a broken-hearted believer is born.

4) Healing Believers-At one time, these might have been Broken-hearted Believers, but somehow, they continued to hear God's call through his Spirit. These believers are more willing to walk carefully in their belief. They are at a point of learning BEFORE they try to teach. They see how pride was their downfall and try to be humble about their faith. They have recognized how Big God is, and how small they are. Perhaps they looked back at what happened to them since becoming a Broken-hearted believer and saw how it made them a better person. This group spends time learning scripture and developing a personal relationship with God. They worry about their own sin more than others, try to be faithful to the Word, spend a great deal of time in Study of Scripture.

5) I don't know what to call this group, but I want to call them saints. The disciples fell into this final group. The Prophets of Israel would fit in this group (just as an example). These are people who live a life completely devoted to God. This is the group that God's miracles most often happen through. I don't 'think' it is possible to go back to group 1 from this group without going through at least one of the in-between groups. To be honest, once reaching this group, I think it would be very hard to leave it.

Denominationally, you will find most of these types in almost all churches. The ones who are most vocal are groups 1 and 2 and there are more people in those groups than in the others it seems like sometimes. I don't consider group 1 Christians because I think they are the lukewarm ones Jesus spoke of 'spitting out of [his] mouth.' They can be doing good deeds all day long, but they aren't doing them to serve God or serve others, they are doing them for prideful gain, for 'appearances'. Even the second group is declaring they are doing it for God, but they feel pride in what they are doing and want everyone to know about it so they get kudos for what 'good Christians' they are. That is when God prunes them so they can bear more fruit (3).

You might not hear about the last three groups works, but they are doing them for others, not for appearances. That is bearing fruit and that will be recognized because it is what Jesus taught "Don't let your right hand know what the left is doing."

Don't get me wrong...there are blends of groups also and it is very easy for all of us to fall into group 1 from time to time. People in all of these 5 groups might call themselves Christians, but they see those in the other groups from very different perspectives. Everyone can get stuck at one group or another also. Each group views the Law differently as well. Each group views Love differently. The central questions we should be asking ourselves are, "Which group do I fall into?" and "Which group does God want me to be in?"

God bless.

Those Whom I Love...

This morning in church, I started talking with one of the ladies in our Bible study. We were discussing the kids going to Youth Group. She asked if I liked their school. I was honest (they have attended worse, but no school is perfect). We discussed the problems we see in the schools these days and how difficult it is to keep kids 'straight.'

Then, she told me that she used to be a secretary for the school system (my mom used to be a secretary for the schools, my mother in law used to be a secretary for the schools) so I felt a bit more of a connection. She told me that when she retired ten years ago, the administrators were saying that "If we can get girls through the age of 15 without getting pregnant or becoming drug addicts, we are doing good. If we can get boys through the age of 15 without becoming drug addicts, then we are doing good."

WHAT????

I have higher hopes for my kids than that.

Let's be real here. If I had to choose between having "straight A" students who are brats, backtalking, cruel to the weak, dishonest, drug addicts, and/or pregnant and having loving children that stick up for the weak, read constantly, believe in saving themselves for their future spouses, talk to us when they have problems, and love the Lord, but get average grades; which do you think I am going to pick?

Granted, I would wish that my kids could be all those things and get straight A's also; but, if my choices were limited in that way, I would be satisfied knowing that I had done a good job if they were loving the Lord and growing in Him.

Then, this evening we went to a friend's house who we knew in Germany because we were saying good bye to a shared friend visiting from Germany. While we were there, I was told how polite, mature, and friendly my children were. It has been SO long since I have received a compliment on my children that I almost forgot that the way I am raising them IS the important part...not their grades.

I am not a perfect parent. God was a perfect parent, but even Adam and Eve made mistakes. My kids are going to make mistakes. If I am a good parent, I will let them learn from those mistakes. Some parents call that 'tough love' but I call it real love. Loving them enough to let them fly and sometimes fall.

Proverbs 20:11

Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right.

Proverbs 22:6

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:15

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.

Proverbs 23:13

Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.

Proverbs 29:15

The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.

Deuteronomy 8:5

Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

Job 5:17

"Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty."

Revelation 3:19

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.

God bless.

Like a Candle's Light Fills a Dark Room

God is Truth.

Have you ever noticed the denial that those in darkness experience? I am not sure how to explain it fully, but the best example I can think of is the difference in being blind and being able to see.

Acts 9:17-19 (New International Version)

Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Jesus is the glasses that I see all things clearly through now. He is the light that reveals darkness in the world. He is all things good...hope, love, joy.

God bless.