students of jesus

What you're saying in this article is a key in discipleship.

I remember One time when this very new believer and I were having coffee and he started to compare the Experience of the Holy Spirit to be the same as what people who are involved in Voodoo have (saying that that is their experience of what they call "GOD" and this is our experience we just call it different) Of course I knew that it was wrong (because of there only being 1 God and 1 One way to God through Jesus Christ)...but inside the Lord was saying to leave it alone and just focus on how much the Lord loved and cared about this man. The Lord showed me that if I did correct him at that time it would have sent our relationship into him feeling like I was always watching his every word, picking apart his sentences and fault finding. Also that he would eventually close his heart to any ministry from me.

The Lord is teaching me how important it is to have access to the heart more than trying to fix the immediate twisted issues and sins. Which I can't fix anyway. We all need the timing and revelation of the Holy Spirit or it will be just wasted powerless ineffective words

And the truth is...The guy I let alone about the Voodoo didn't need me...the Lord Jesus showed him the truth about it all by Himself. And this guy is burning Hot for God. And he's telling me things that I need to know and I'm his Pastor and proud to be.

Love never fails
It's the Law of Love that's key. The letter kills but the Spirit gives Life.

Thanks, Mike. I think you're spot on--access to the heart should precede specific issues. Well said.

Matthew 10

Blessed are the peacemakers but not the church of Laodicea who God was ready to spit out of His mouth for being lukewarm.

Love is not blind for true love is true empathy for another. Oh God, if it were not for your grace there go I.

We have a thousand organized churches and I love all who search for a relationship with Jesus for they show me mercy and I them. The Holy Spirit impresses on our minds and hearts a love which promotes the entire creation of God. When all we see as His family is a restful, warm and fuzzy frolicking bunch of children we miss the reality of God and our Father's love for our growth into adulthood.

I had six uncles who loved each other very much; enough to fight and die for one another without exception. They were not lukewarm for between each other they were hot and each passionately different. They were critical of each other because they were each stronger from their open and honest observations. The short of it is they were children of my grandfather and grandmother and most accepted themselves as children of God.

Our organized churches are failing to convey the reality of God and the direct relationship available to all people in this world. We do so by not openly trusting that Jesus, with full authority to do so, capably provides what we are ready for. This nation, that I was born a citizen of, is becoming a poor example of what disciples of Jesus are learning at His feet; armed with the two resources never so abundantly available in freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Christians are known world wide for talking love as long as it suits them their definition of worthy. Christians are not talking to one God who loves all His lost children throughout the world whether Israelite or Gentile. Most Christians are wrapped up in doing their duty to church doctrine because their particular doctrine makes sense to them.

I am pro life as God created it and is slowly teaching me about. I am not so sure I am pro choice only because that is an awfully heavy burden to be responsible to. My heart and mind is certain God gave us both and told us to respect both in love for the other who was also gifted. God has aborted many lives and is not telling Christians to murder those who may be aborting in His name. It is embraced doctrine of Man's church that tells its parishioners to go out and end abortion.

There are many other infractions many of the organized churches have taken it upon themselves not to leave well enough alone. We were not told to persecute the gay, the ugly, the transgendered, the witches, the intersexed, the blacks, the Muslims and so many more we find as upstanding Christians repugnant to "God's" dignity.

I truly love you Ray and Pastor Mike, as I know God does even more than I. I am critical as a brother because our Father has brought us together to make us each stronger. Each of us has our own special time with Him and each of us has difference to share with one another in ways He cannot. We are three gathered in His name and our eldest Brother's name.

We are, as His disciples, being called to begin to stop this war of Christian sects murdering Muslim sects. There is no Holy Grail God calls us to murder, rape and plunder in quest of. If we, in the name of Jesus Christ, brought nothing but His love into the Mosques of the USA and invited each to talk directly to Him alone this war would end worldwide.

Most followers of any religion were born into that religion. When a child is playing outside and witnesses his home being blown up with his parents within an indelible imprint of being wronged is in his heart and mind. When that child is raised in his community to believe that it was a Christian or Jewish missile that wronged him an emotion of payback becomes first and foremost as his worth. That child is justified by all he knows to strap a suicide bomb on and justify a Jewish or Christian child to do the same in payback.

Jesus teaches how to break that cycle through the true love of empathy. Too many of our doctrinized churches only teach how to continue in the ways of Man and not in the one way of God. Our Creator God is not a God of hate and retribution but is a God of grace and love.

I have been thinking exactly the same thing all day today, Ray, only you gave my vague thoughts some lovely words to hang themselves upon. I feel a wellspring of tears lodged somewhere around my heart right now, just from reading my twitter feed. It is one thing if the secular media leap in and have a feeding frenzy when someone puts a wrong foot forward, but it is another altogether when Christians circle like sharks, tearing, biting and, as you say, exposing someone to ridicule - particularly a brother or sister in Christ. Thank you for your graceful musings - they have lifted my spirits.

Thanks for this guy check Ray. I've been a bit uneasy about one particular post I read criticizing some poorly chosen words of a Christian leader. It does make me wonder what has been gained.

Hi Marcia ~ Thanks for your kind words. I'm so glad to have helped in a small way.

Ed: Yes, it just seems like a bit of a double standard: the very people who urge grace toward "worldly sinners" are frequently those who rail against hypocrisy within the church (which is filled with "worldly sinners").

I apparently am not privy to what has caused your pain. Maybe, I have done so and I am sorry.

I do know, within the church of Christ Jesus, Matthew 18 works to keep pain focused, minimal, and recoverable. I from experience of being at different times on all sides of Matthew 18 pain is necessary. For those who have embarrassed themselves publicly, bringing embarrassment upon the church, there are often those within who seek to condemn due to their separated insecurity.

What I didn't mention was one of my uncles was a convicted three term+ bad check writer. He brought shame upon the whole family from his proclivity. We still loved him and his children. We worked hard as a family to protect the entire family and our community we lived in. I will not go into specifics but suffice it to say there was pain and shame that was covered by love.

Until separating from faith in the authority of the Father Adam and Eve knew no shame. Upon separation, sin, they were ashamed of their nakedness and they were convicted by their insecurity. God clothed them to cover their insecurity and will cover ours when we go to Him directly for comfort.

As far as expecting the members of Christianity to always be there to comfort it cannot be trusted. I have sat in many a board meeting trying to protect the Sunday school teacher from those who judged her too garish in makeup for their standards. I love all who sacrifice their day at the beach to worship in a sanctuary. Contrary to the facade of church family not all parishioners or officials have a relationship with Jesus and trust in His authority over theirs.

Jesus has covered our pain and continues to do so forevermore. That is not some intellectual platitude intended to inflate my influential authority. I have no authority and I will die to all the sins of this world on God's authority. I share what I share because Jesus Christ shares with me and covers my vulnerability in risking to share. Don't believe me? Ignore me but don't ignore the true security from naked shame found in direct relationship with Jesus. No Bible and no church is necessary just passionately opening the door that He may enter. I watched it work in prison and it certainly can work outside.

Have I been meditating this week on this subject? You betcha'.

I appreciate this, Ray. I have felt this way often--the Christian tribes segregated by doctrine or theology or denomination, and I've wondered, why all the divisiveness? Are we not on the same team? And yet, I have done it too. It's good to be introspective and take the plank from our own eye. I have felt not love (not hate either, but more like an "eye roll") towards some people that are my family in the faith. I cannot control how they behave, nor am I responsible for it, but I can control my own stewardship of grace. How I tend to respond, both to my Christian family and to outsiders, is directly connected to my own faith walk--am I in prayer? am i meditating on Christ's words? am I living by the Spirit? The grace flows so much easier when I'm walking in it myself. :)

Hi Karen: Thanks so much for stopping by. No doubt, grace flows from us when we regularly put ourselves in position to receive grace from Him. The habits of our hearts flow from the habits of our life with God. Peace to you and yours.