I’ve Been Hurt by the Church

What I’m about to share here is not mere semantics, if it’s the truth we’re wanting, maybe we need to look at the facts first.
Our battle according to the Scriptures has NEVER been about or with flesh and blood.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Why do any of us think we have a right to blame the ‘church’ for hurting us when, we are the Church.
We of our own volition joined the particular religious clubs we fancied, unknowingly hidden from our sight within our flesh was an ongoing covert veiled enemy doing what he does best, lying to us. In barely knowing the truth apart from our re-born experience, we gladly chose to dive head long into the deep end of the established institutional scene.

There is one that Jesus described whose intent was and is to steal, kill and destroy, could it be that this one called Satan operating through spiritual forces, working through flesh and blood Christians, preachers, and pastors etc, were the agents these spiritual forces were (doing the deceiving) working through in hurting us?
The Father knew full well what was going to happen to us in blindly choosing to go a way that seemed to be so right, and also knowing full well the devastation we would all sooner or later encounter.

Pain can be a wonderful but painful sobriety bringing us to a place after we stop blaming everyone else and realize this was allowed only because we choose to go our own way. There is no freedom if we are prevented from having a choice, and so we chose.
No body forced us to imbibe in the tainted and polluted waters of the man made cisterns.
To continue in the blame game, others or even our selves, is a waste of time.

It takes what it takes to get our attention and in doing so we come to a place of sobriety although most often horribly hurt, we begin to learn of His love for us allowing us to go and do what we did.
In refusing to continue in the blame thing, our education can continue which includes all that we have just passed through.

We would have never been brought too see or realize that there is a very real enemy operating within all flesh, including ours, had we not gone off in our own independence.
In a heart beat we become His child, but it is over a life time that we become fully mature Sons.
That which was purposed for our destruction, Father has intended for our good.

Rich

In learning His Way more often than not we have to go the wrong way first. It is important to realize that apart from His way, the right verses the wrong way might in fact all be the same expression from the tree of the knowledge of “good and evil.”

Love, Freeing us to be Real

I was catching up on some blog reading the other day and came across this from Lisa over at
http://lisadelay.blogspot.com/

I liked very much what Lisa has to say in her response to Cole’s questions.

It was this in particular that spoke to me; ‘What sharing your faith (Christian apologetics) boils down to is something more than just preaching and defending the Good News. Humans are in rebellion against God in their hearts. The bible points this out in the narrative story of God's interaction with people. Many thirst for something missing --which is the missing reconciliation with God. They long for peace, but also many are in opposition to God. And some (basically) hate him. We have to know this when we talk to people who don't believe. Spiritually it boils down to submission, doing things God's way....for you and for those opposed to God. Submission is never easy-- and not very cool in a society that prizes freedom, independence, and choice. Paradoxically, it is God's authority that brings comfort, clarity, and relief.’

Believe me when I say that I know it was the unconditional love and acceptance of God the Father that we were all created for, and it is this love that is doing what NO law could ever do, but!

These are simply a few thoughts here on what I think I saw in Lisa’s words that spoke to me.I think one easily forgets that humans are in rebellion against God in their hearts, and yes we are all thirsting for that which is missing, His total loving acceptance, but there is this innate built in (because of sin) opposition towards God.
Once again I know it’s the Love of God the Father that releases me to be able to relinquish my will (submit-why is that such a bad word) in place of His, aka, doing things His way.

Yes it was by grace through faith that the miracle of the re-birthing took place, but for one to forget or not even see that within our flesh (and I know that is no longer who we are) the residual effects of sin, (and that is not just some defect, but a rebellious (birth mark stamped within us) defiance, the very spirit that permeated Lucifer-Satan that invaded all of humanity) is living a lie.
It is always truth being held in tension that brings forth the real. It will always be within the battle of the struggle and strain that we are experiencing Life, or as one person once said, ‘God doesn’t give us over coming life, but Life as we over come.’

Nothing thrills my heart more than seeing the Captain of my salvation, my elder brother Jesus Christ agonizing in the garden, and that was all about that which was a part of his flesh, that which he took upon himself in the incarnation battling over his will vs the will of his Father.
What I especially love about this royal battle was that he did not try and put on a happy God face as if having to strain-struggle was something drastically wrong with this God-man.
Read the story for yourself, He invites those (his friends) to be with him in this place of great agony.

God forbid that we as believers should ever let anyone see us sweating, straining, struggling, and why should they, there is no more resistance or rebellion in our flesh-is there??

Rich