I received an email today of "urgent concern." Apparently the government is set to take pastors such as Joel Osteen and others off the air. We will no longer get to hear the "message of God" on television and radios. The email is an attempt to collect signatures for a petition to defeat Petition 2493.
First and foremost, this is a flat out lie, or false email. Yet, I can't tell you how many "Christians" had signed the email before it got to me. The emails, every election, living in the Bible belt, etc. all work to ignite the emotions of Christians to fight for "their country in the name of God."
In that email, "Please don't take this lightly. We ignored one lady once and lost prayer in our schools and in offices across the nation. Please stand up for your religious freedom and let your voice be heard. Together we can make a difference in our country while creating an opportunity for the lost to know the Lord."
Seriously, do we believe fighting make believe issues make us win people to the lost? Do we honestly believe prayer no longer happens in school? Do we believe that we have lost religious freedom because of a fictitious attempt to take away airtime of pastors on tv. On that topic, would it be so bad if some of the religious leaders were taken off? They seem to do a good job by their self turning people away from God.
I recently read a post by Jared C. Wilson, author of Is Your Jesus Too Safe?, concerning Christians being involved in cultural wars. As a side note, if you have not read his book, it is life changing on your views of Christ.
However, one of the points he made in this blog post is what I have felt for some time. Why do we assume that fighting over issues will bring people to Christ? Non-Christians do not have the same morals, theology, core values, etc., so why try to continually fight for political causes, judge them for their action and show anger towards them?
How is a non-Christian going to grasp the implications of chopping a baby up to death? Their consequences are not the same as ours. Their core beliefs are not the same. How is yelling, forcing them or trying to reason them into changing their beliefs to beliefs they do not understand through anger and legislation really going to work. God changes hearts not people.
How is that showing the love of Christ? Could we not bring more people to Christ by spreading the "Good News" of the gospel instead of trying to make sins illegal and judging those who commit those sins?
Jesus made it clear that Christians are to be "in the world, not of the world." Why then would we try to dictate a Christian society and force through sometimes evil means non-Christians into this society?
God is very clear about who the judge is. He is also very clear about the future and the kingdom of heaven.
Trying to legislate laws to make people Christians is absurd. It doesn't mean that we partake in those sins. It just means we instead show the love of Christ, share the Word of Christ and let God handle the rest. God did not appoint us to be the keepers of right and wrong. I, for one, am thankful he did not or I can see many so-called Christians causing me to sin.
Let's be honest. I have sinned by taking on these causes. I have had hatred towards gays, lesbians, those who have aborted, and even times toward my husband, I have gossiped, etc. How is that showing the love of Christ.
I want to end with this quote, because I do not think I could have ever said it better.
"I think worship of Jesus should be the primary goal of the Christian's engagement with the world, to do it and to do it compellingly in word and deed so that others may wake to want to, as well," Jared C. Wilson
Our marriage falls apart, do it well. Our daughter gets an abortion, do it well. We are sick, do it well. Our friend decides they are gay, do it well. We have financial difficulties, do it well. God brings things into our lives so we may be a living testimony. Start using the talents he gave us to win people for Christ instead of attacking them and trying to force them to believe what we believe. Actions speak louder then words.
Well done my sister, well done. You have expressed wonderfully, eloquently and powerfully where my heart has been for so long. There is a song I learned as a child titled: Are You Adorning The Doctrine?
The 2nd stanza states:
Are you adorning the doctrine,
And making attractive the way?
Honoring Christ by your actions,
And by the words that you say?
Are you, my brother and sister,
Proving the Bible is true?
Are you, my brother and sister,
Proving the Bible is true?
I believe that this is the challenge (I dare say it has ALWAYS been the challenge) for Christians today. Thank you, thank you Laura for blessing us with this beautiful insight and revelation.
Might want to check out a book that Jean just finished: "The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power Is Destroying the Church (Paperback) by Gregory A. Boyd l Respond to this comment
You know, e-Ray, I thought the exact same thing after reading Jean's "What are you doing" gizmo. I went to Amazon and read the synopsis and reviews of The Myth of a Christian Nation, and it looks like something I would like to read. Blame it on Jean! That answers the question of how books sell, by word of mouth recommendations.
Other recommendations include Bishop Shelby Sponge's book The Sins of the Scripture: Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love; and Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America, by Steven Waldman, founder of belief dot net
Legislating religion is a very bad, self-centered and arrogant notion.
Hey G, it's e! e-Ray. . .I like that! Thanks for the tips on the books, I'll try and look them up. There seems to be a little clean air filtering into the catacombs of Rome! Respond to this comment
I was just recently crying over a little baby who had been raped by two men and such heinous things done to this little innocent baby until this baby died at the hands of the criminally minded people who were in my opinion "demon possessed", and I cried out (Father where are You when these things happen to the innocent)? and I heard this little sweet voice inside of me whisper so gently (that is why you are still down there). Like you Laura, I was on that same trend of thought, but now I must try to do something to stop the abuse of the innocent whenever and wherever I can. I must for the sake of Christian love. The homosexual individual who has a reprobate mindset will try to make someone's innocent little boy just like him and perhaps that little boy will try to make his little classmates just like him and so on. I pray that you understand what I am trying to say here. I am simply a child of the most high G-d and must do and say only what I believe to be acceptable to my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ at all times and pray for the lost souls whenever and however I can. However, like the good samaritan I must help the innocent and in doing so, I believe my Jesus will be pleased. Here ends my opinion.
» left by Marijo Phelps from mountain meadow CO (2 days 2 hours ago.)
AMEN - some of the e-mail out there for us to sign up or sign on a petition are so off base - AND the address you are to send them to when finished doesn't work most of the time. We are to be light and salt. There is nothing wrong with petitions, we definitely should vote (if you don't vote then you have no room to complain...) BUT it is definitely attitude check time for the Body of Christ - He has quite a job getting His Bride without spot or wrinkle or perhaps some of that falls to the Bride? Thanks for writing this article! Marijo
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