Faith For the Journey

Too many people put contingencies on God.  I will serve him if I get this, or I will do this if God blesses me with that.  Brats.  How many parents would reward their children for doing absolutely nothing?  Not many, well at least not many good parents would.  The same is with God. He is an awesome Father, but he is not going to just pass out blessings for disobedience.  Why is it that the people who acknowledge God the least, expect the most from Him?

The words of this song spoke to me in such a grand way.  It sums up how I feel about God even in the midst of tears or in the sunshine of my happiest moments, I know that God is my only Hope.  Beyond what I see, beyond what I feel, He is my Everything.

Is he your everything?  Even if you don’t get that job, that husband, the wife of your dreams….will He be your everything?

When the car is broken down, when the kids are sick or when illness looms at your door, is He your everything?

When times are good, when money is flowing, and the wind is at your back, do you remember who created that wind and still recognize that in the middle of abundance wealth, health, love…..that all of that is nothing without the everything-ness of God? (yes I just made a word lol)

I could go on forever, but this song is truly the anthem of my heart for this season in my life and probably for many more to come. Enjoy.

Christianity has become this over the top, super positive, squealing at the top of your lungs, extra chipper way to be and if you are not like that then you are not a Christian and certainly don’t have the joy of the Lord.    Christians can be introverts and extroverts, quiet and gregarious, but there is one thing that should be the same and that is having a heart being modeled after God.

The picture below is a traditional pulpit.  It is not a prop, it is not a weapon by which people can be destroyed by being preached on rather than inspired by the Word of God. This pulpit  is not a place to play dictator to those who trust you for healthy leadership.  This is not the edifice by which to womanize or draw people into what you are NOT only to leave them broken while you continue to bring deliverance to others and just leaving the very people that you hurt for spoils.    We are now living in a time where people think that being a minister or pastor is hereditary rather than an actual calling from God.  Just because your grandfather’s grandfather’s  grandfather on both sides of the family were both pastors does not necessarily mean that you should be. This pulpit is an entrusted place.  It is sacred and unfortunately far too many in and out of the pulpit have forgotten that. I am not saying that the person that stands behind this has to be perfect, but can we at least say that we are yielded and acting according to God’s perfecting power?  Only the people that stand before this and stand behind this can bring the reverence back to what this really is and until that happens people are only going to see a piece of wood. a bookrest, a prop…..not a place of power by which the Word of God is delivered and people are transformed.

May God be with us all,  Helen

It is assumptive and almost cruel to judge how someone worships.  First of all worship is not limited to a sanctuary on Sunday morning, worship is what you do with your life and how you live from day to day.  To tell someone how they should or are expected to worship is highly offensive, well at least to me.  There are times that I worship quietly in thought and thankfulness, other times I sound like I am cheering at the Super Bowl, lol.  Neither is wrong.  Both are totally and completely appropriate so long as the worship is sincere and from the heart.  Throughout the years I have heard worship leaders berate and demean people in the congregation because they were not actively worshiping like they were.  I had a friend come as guest to a conference before but left because the worship leader singled her out for not raising her hands!  She was humiliated and just left.  When I talked with her later she told me that she was there because she wanted to learn who God is and that she could not worship a God that she really didn’t know.  How frustrating…..

People enter those church doors with all types of reasons, experiences, and levels in God.  It should never be expected for someone to worship according to where you are in God or how you know Him, but rather people should be exposed to who God is through the light that shines within you, through the teaching of His Word, and through a genuine worship experience that draws people into thinking about God at the level in which they currently are, this is tedious, but necessary if we are to help people continue their journey with God and know who He is for themselves and to worship Him in truth rather than out of the act of emotionalism.

Peace, Helen

Pondering…. which is worse to believe in God and live a life that is contrary to His Word OR to be an atheist?

I am part of a leadership group that meets periodically throughout the month.  I usually attend no more than twice, due to my schedule, but I sincerely enjoy the people that are there and the things that we learn and share.  As usual, with people come problems, right?

There is a devout Christian in the group who absolutely cannot stand the atheist, BUT she is almost best friends with another person who believes in God, goes to church but does not live and most importantly doesn’t even seem to try to live a Christian lifestyle.

Now me, I can tolerate the semi – Christian lady and her goody two shoes attitude, but I really enjoy interacting with the atheist.  She just a down to earth caring type of a soul who respects others and is devoted to her husband and family.

Early on in the group, the devout Christian came up to me after the group and said, “you know she doesn’t believe in God, I just thought you should know, because I want nothing to with her”.  I was offended by her holier than NOT attitude and I responded by saying, “Do you think Jesus would agree with you on that or do you have a light to shine in darkness?”  She looked at me with almost a blank stare and said – she doesn’t believe in God and walked way.

What is my point?  I don’t have one.  I guess I am just sick and tired of people in their little church cliques….all of them wearing a cross, but not bearing the cross of Christ.  I am not saying that I have perfected this either, I struggle in my own thoughts, but how can Christians season the world with the love of Christ  if they refuse to leave their salt shakers?

Sighing……

Helen

I heard on the radio today some people have a problem with church doctrine because it does not fit them…….my question is why should it?

Now, I think that the majority of your chosen doctrine should line up with your beliefs and who you are, but not all of it.  The problem is that people want to just “do them” and not conform to any system of beliefs unless it allows them to do whatever they want to do, whenever and how they want to do it.   That is fine, if that is how you want to live, but don’t get angry because the doctrine does not change to fit you.

I am glad that I don’t have everything down pat and to a science… I need to have areas to grow in, as that is what deepens our faith and solidifies the doctrine within our hearts and minds.

Can an African-American person, walk into  a KKK meeting and tell them that they are going to accept them.  Well, they could, but the outcome might be a little different.  Bottomline – it is not within the doctrine of the KKK to accept black people of any kind.

Can someone from a lower income bracket walk into a bank and demand that they extend them a loan simply on the fact that the bank has money to give?  Again the answer is yes, but the likelihood of them getting a loan is zero.  The bank has standards and guidelines that must be followed in order to access their resources.

With those examples in mind, here is something that really has many pondering these days….why is that people who are homosexual or transgender, go into churches today and demand that they be accepted and that the doctrine should change to fit their lifestyle?

If the doctrine changes to fit the homosexual lifestyle, then it will have to change to fit those who want to lie, cheat, and steal.  It will have to change for the adulterers and the fornicators.  Eventually you will have a free for all doctrine… a do what you want to do doctrine, and after all of that ….is it really a doctrine at all.  Some might say that there are already liars, adulterers and cheaters in the church. Well there is, but the doctrine has not changed to support it.

Some will argue Christians are supposed to love everyone, this is TRUE, but that does not mean that Christians have to accept everything.

I understand that God is love, but God’s love is set upon a certain doctrine.  It is up to you to accept that doctrine and conform to it or continue to do your own thing.  It is that simple.

Peace – Helen