Welcome once more and let's see what kind of trouble we can stir up today. They usually say that true stories, make the best stories and let's see if that holds true here today. I am a participant in a ministry known as the brotherhood of the "Withered Hand". It comes from a story in the new testament , an encounter that Jesus had with a man in the synagogue with a deformed hand, and of course it was on the Sabbath☺️☺️. If you are unfamiliar with, I encourage you to give it a once over and you can find it in Mark 3, 1 through 6. We just started walking through the twelve steps, which most associate with Alcoholic Anonymous. It's pretty much biblical base and I think most may be unaware of that little fact. It's a program to help people get on the road to sobriety, be it Alcohol or drugs, and has had some success with other addictions as well. I'm not really sure if it's a mantra or not, but they say that the program works, if you work the program. So...let's work the program, shall we?☺️☺️
I'm not going to go into all of the nuances of the program, but most are familiar with having to attend meetings and having a sponsor, and both are extremely crucial for success . Some zone in and say that the first step of the program is to admitting that you have a problem and that is true, but more so to understand and recognizing that you are powerless over your addiction and that it's something that you are not going to conquer alone. The power is in community and seeing others who have been exactly where You find yourself, but are somehow now clean and or sober. The meetings are a place of acceptance, but also of accountability. Hi my name is Sandy!, and I'm an Alcoholic. That's the big first step and then to have others to come along side with that very same confession. There is something very freeing about that admission and at the same time it may for the very first time come along with the excitement and awareness of not being alone or ashamed. Things some time hold us captive in the isolation of whatever it is that we are dealing with and it goes far beyond just those who are struggling with substance abuse. I think that for myself and maybe for you as well is that one of my biggest take aways is the importance of having judgement free zones, where people are just accepted for who they are. Wow!! That kind of sounds like what churches should be like ....judgement free zones☺️☺️. Stick a pin in that one, because I can promise you that we are going to double back to that one.☺️
There is nothing simple or easy about taking that first step, but I do believe that it can become less abrasive to our spirits over a matter of time. It takes courage and sometimes its the way we view our prayer lives, and its a last resort ☺️☺️. The first step is not something done casually, but all who hear you make that confession of being an Alcoholic are aware of all of the hell that you have been through and the things that it has probably cost you. Addictions come with heavy price tags , which usually come with the lost of family, jobs, many many friendships and the lost of dignity. It's not glamorous, it is somewhat self inflicted, but it's a disease and just like all other diseases, it affects every segment of the population, no one is exempt, it just like cancer its something that just levels the playing field . AA is the place, where they say the worse your story, the warmer the welcome.
There is a certain danger that lerks about in the back of our minds, and it's the belief that " I'm not that bad". It's a form of denial and it will keep us from seeking the very help that we desperately need. Step one is about the recognition of need for something bigger than ourselves over the things that we are powerless over to change in our lives by ourselves. It's probably one of the biggest obstacles to our sanity and mental health and that is wanting to be in control, when often our lives are unmanageable and far beyond anything that we can firmly call " in control ". There are just to many variables outside of domain of power and construct.
I did mention something about true life events at the beginning, so let's point the figurative camera at me, just for a second, not so good in the spotlight ☺️☺️. It's been over some fifteen years now, but back when I was still married to my kids mom, we were in the middle of a martial crisis that I was unaware of and I'm not really sure how much she was privy to, because I think one of the first things that we do when things aren't going well, is to look for reasons why. That sometimes leads to excuses or assigning blame, and most times we look to others first and foremost, before we look internally as to what crap are we bringing to the party ☺️☺️.
Most are aware that there is absolutely zero difference between the divorce rate inside and outside of the church. I think that the obvious question should be how is that possible and why is it true? Especially if there is an all eternal God involved. God came right out and said that He hates divorce, and as His kids , we should also hate the things that God hates. This can get pretty messy, pretty quickly and for a merit of reasons, which in reality I believe are excuses. God gives us free will.. yes! We are saved by grace, and that doesn't exempt us from the ability to sin and sometimes to do that greatly ☺️☺️, so we can't rule out instances of infidelity, but wait! Isn't that whole forgiveness thing in play? So infidelity is not an automatic parting of the waves , but it's a really big mountain to climb to try and claim back all that was violated. Many just aren't willing to put in the work, because I can promise you its one of the hardest most meaningful things that you will ever do, but as I said its hard to do, and most choose to check out and quit. Its not a judgement thing, but its often quitting for the wrong reasons, mostly about pride and what others think about me and how I handle this situation. Do I look weak or foolish for trying to save something that had been pretty good until it hit a huge speed bump. It's your marriage not theirs , stop looking around to and at others, and look to God. There are instances of abuse and yes, absolutely get out and protect yourself. I don't have specific numbers , but I would wager that the majority of divorces, both inside and outside of the church are tied to things more along the lines of financial problems, parenting disagreements, addictions, and probably a lack of coming together in the thought process as to what is important in life. See we can both agree that financial security is important to us, but disagree about how to get there....and one partner is always more of a spender than the other ☺️☺️. I didn't mention health concerns and things along that nature, but they play a part as well, but the number one factor for most divorces is selfishness and me wanting what I want, the way that I want it , and when I want it☺️☺️ So to answer the question as to why God is not an ace up our sleeve, is because we don't yield our lives to God. What He desires for us is secondary to what we desire for ourselves, so it's not God's fault that the divorce rate is , what the sad state that it is.
I called this one held captive, because I believe that is what often happens within the body of Christ. Let's just see if we can unstick that pen from earlier ☺️. Most people, whether Christian or not can tell you something about our faith, even if it's no more , than it's supposed to be about love and forgiveness. The dirty truth is that there is so much more understanding and compassion for people outside the church, than within. Once you become a believer and some what mature, people just expect certain things from you and your behavior. They are embarrassed and indignant for Jesus and appoint themselves judge and jury over whatever the offense may be. When we become God's kids, we still possess the ability to sin, and as I said earlier, sometimes to a great extent. It really should be less, but it's not a complete stop for all times and if you feel that you have overcome that hurdle , you may want to check your pulse ☺️☺️. Sometimes it's about how closely we hang out or cling to God. The closer the walk, the less the presence and place for sin in our lives.
There has always been a question of handling snakes and child sacrifices, which isn't true, but we will turn on our own and completely devour them with gossip and shunning, which I believe has been stolen from the Amish and we need to return it ☺️☺️. We need to stop behaving like a political party that says we stand for something and then do our best to trample it under foot until it's unrecognizable. My understanding is and has always been that there is forgiveness at the foot of the cross for everyone. How does God forgive us and people inside of the church say that's not good enough! We make and keep people in the church as P.O Ws, by not allowing a safe space to confess and repent. We are all human and make mistakes, and yes sometimes a Whopper in poor judgment , but still God's forgiveness is available. I've said this many times before, but we like to categorize sins, and I just don't think that God sees a big difference between your gossip and someone's else's,... whatever you choose to fill in the blank with. I'm not saying that they go without consequences or some kind of punishment. Our sins are not a stand alone event , and there are times when we never fully reap or understand the ramifications that others may be impacted by our sins.
If you talk to enough people, you don't have to track very far before you run across someone that has been negatively impacted by "Church Gone Wrong ". It doesn't matter how long ago it happened, the problem is that it did happen, and people don't usually forget to easily when they have been baited and switched at a vulnerable time or setting . We preach love and acceptance and sometimes its the complete opposite of that and resembles some of those clicks from high school with the cool kids and then everyone else. ☺️ No! , it's not all bad or to the point of not being healthy again. We need to remember that there is a significant part of the new testament that addresses church discipline and it works pretty good, if and when we follow it. When I read it, I don't see anything about slinging stones or roasting at the stake☺️☺️.
Maybe we just don't fully understand the importance of a safe; and judgement free zone or space. When people enter in through the doors of a church, they are seeking God's acceptance, love and forgiveness and not your personal judgments about what they are wearing or how they talk or even smell. Person!!walking with God for years,...it's still not about you, and there's a pretty good chance that you have forgotten all that God has rescued and freed you from. Here is my head scratcher for today. I shave my head and the hairs on the top of my head can still stand up , when I hear something unbiblical or said or done with the wrong spirit☺️☺️ . Before we go today, let's look at and talk about weird church or church gone wrong and maybe a few things to avoid and stay clear of.
I believe that Jesus was and is a person of conviction and truth, so it's just so easy to say, live as Jesus did when He walked the earth. Easy to say, extremely hard to do.☺️ Let's start off with the live as you want to Christians. This is the anything goes and a different kind of judgment free zone☺️☺️. No rules, no commitment to anything that may resemble truth. They have a secret Nike tattoo and it says " just do it " , whatever it is. We are the feel good Christians , because if it feels good, then just do it, and we can repent and pray for forgiveness later, after all God doesn't keep a score card☺️☺️. The other end of the spectrum, you may find the super legalistic and critical Christians. They believe in the letter of the law, and have none to very little room for the spirit of the law. They tend to be critical and really believe in the cookie cutter mentality. God is a God of great creativity and variety, but they don't leave room for individuality, so we should all be exact duplicates of something false. As they become more judgmental, they become more arrogant and less like Christ. How about the hyper spiritual pseudo philosophical believers? I think that this is the crowd that tries, I said tries, so not totally out of the realm of possibilities but tries to connect with God on an intellectual level. God is spirit, so it's often knowing about God, but actually missing the person of who He actually is. So!, knowing about God is not different than knowing about any past historical figure, be it George Washington or some other well known person from the past.
Let's not forget about the Gnostics. They add to what Christ has done , by insisting that the truth lies somewhere within ourselves and we just need to pull it out or some how search for it. It's the elevation of ourselves and the denying of deity. I think that most of it just comes down to rules based religion. It's all about checking the boxes or the correct combination of boxes. It's the shadow of something verses the substance of it. It's like being in love with the idea of marriage and actually forgetting to love your spouse. The same can be said for Christianity, we leave or loose that first love of who all that God is, and trade it for a the shadow of Christ, but not Christ Himself. As far as rules go and checking boxes goes, Christ had one goal in life , and it was to do the will of the Father, we would do extremely well to follow suit and do likewise. Christ came to set the captives free, and that was me and you as well, if you know Him. Free from what? Free from sin. Free from guilt and shame. Free from condemnation. Free to be in a relationship and to commune with the God of the universe. Free to spend eternity with family and with Him. There is great freedom in knowing and believing in Christ. People inside the family makes mistakes and we don't have the right to judge and hold them captive. Who the Son sets Free, is Free indeed!
