Strife and confusion within the Church?

I have been away from the board for some time. Judi`s accident injuries are acting up and her pain keeps causing her trouble, so it looks like a total hip may be in our future. I just returned from eye surgery, so as you can see, I have been busy. 

 I was reading 2 Peter this week and it just lit up like neon! Written to christians to warn them of fase teachings and to tell them how to empower themselves from the harm it can cause. That was written durin the first 60-70 years AD, and things haven`t changed much that topic, have they? 

  To memorise the whole Bible, know all the sayings, know all the stories, is a notable feat. The person who can immediately come up with a quote from the Bible for every conversation does impress me, but I can be impressed easily. The words(small letters) of the scripture should be at our fingertips and available for us and all the promises of God should be learned......why? Well, they let us know who we are and allow us to stand when the winds of confusion blow all around us. These words are a foundation, a firm foothold to use. 

 Knowing all this is not to say we know GOD! Knowing ABOUT God is not what we eagerly desire, is it? It is important but just knowing things about God won`t get it. We need to actually KNOW GOD! I need to know that I have a relationship with the Father through His SON and get guidance from the Holy Spirit.  I am His child, He is my Father, Christ is my brother as well as my Savior, and Holy Spirit is One sent to help and teach. Knowing all this, the Word of God about who I am and my relationship with the Holy Family are clear. The promises in the Bible are to confirm my standing and salvation. 

 For me to tell another Christian that he/she does not have the same relationship with the Lord as I, and therefore is not saved and is going to hell, simply is not my job. Discussing our relationships and how we came about them is good and should be done, but for me to pass judgement on anyone just is not right and my God tells me not to do that, as well as tells me what happens if I do.

  I can say "that is not quite the way I see that" but call down condemnation on a brother because he/she does not see things exactly as I do? Can`t do it, and if I have ever done that, please allow me to repent right now. The path God calls me to walk is probably not the exact path for everyone. I do have a personal relationship with the God of the Universe, He knows my name, we visit daily, He comforts me, and I do my best to please Him. I often fail on my part, but that is between Him and me.....I know and He knows. I already have His forgiveness and I love Him for it.

 

Peace,

 

Charlie

Charles, just wanted you to know I’ve added you and your wife to my prayer list. Lifting you both up for mercy and healing. 

 

As for your other comment, I totally agree. I’ve had my share of being judged and declared to be condemned to hell because I did not agree with a doctrine or point of view. I just finished Matthew again. Interesting how no matter how many times you can read Scripture you get a new perspective, if you are open to receive. I have no other place to share this so I’ll use this opportunity because I think it is relevant to what you said.

 

 

 

Matthew 27(ASV) 27 Now when morning was come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: 2 and they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him up to Pilate the governor. 3 Then Judas, who [a]betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, I have sinned in that I [b]betrayed [c]innocent blood. But they said, What is that to us? see thou to it. 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. 6 And the chief priests took the pieces of silver, and said, It is not lawful to put them into the [d]treasury, since it is the price of blood. 7 And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. 8 Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. 9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, [e]And [f]they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was priced, [g]whom certain of the children of Israel did price; 10 and [h]they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.

 

This stood out for me - When Judas realized what he had done, the only thing he knew to do to try to rectify it was to give the blood money back. But the Pharisees, in their great self-righteousness, knowing it was blood money, couldn’t take it back. They could recognize that it was wrong but they couldn’t admit they were wrong. They had an agenda, you see. They were so full of their own determination to prevent this man from disturbing their belief system, they did what self-righteousness always does - it performs an imitation act of righteousness. So, they used the blood money to create a charitable cemetery. Ironic, huh.

 

And, for me, based on my own experience, this is where we are now, just as then. People dig in to their beliefs rather than what Scripture actually teaches. 

 

T. Austin-Sparks said it better than I could:

 

He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. (Luke 24:45 NIV)

 

As we contemplate the state of things in the world today, we are very deeply impressed and oppressed with the prevailing malady of spiritual blindness. It is the root malady of the time. We should not be far wrong if we said that most, if not all, of the troubles from which the world is suffering, are traceable to that root, namely, blindness. The masses are blind; there is no doubt about that. In a day which is supposed to be a day of unequaled enlightenment, the masses are blind.... The leaders are blind, blind leaders of the blind. But in a very large measure, the same is true of the Lord’s people. Speaking quite generally, Christians are today very blind.

 

Every bit of new seeing is a work from heaven. It is not something done fully once for all. It is possible for us to go on seeing and seeing, and yet more fully seeing, but with every fresh fragment of truth, this work, which is not in our power to do, has to be done. Spiritual Life is not only a miracle in its inception; it is a continuous miracle in this matter right on to the last.... We do not seek for new revelation, and we do not say or suggest or hint that you may have anything extra to the Word of God, but we do claim that there is a vast amount in the Word of God that we have never seen, which we may see. Surely everybody agrees with that: and it is just that – to see, and the more you see, really see, the more overwhelmed you feel about the whole thing, because you know that you have come to the borders of the land of far distances, lying far beyond a short lifetime’s power of experience. The Lord make us all to be of those who have eyes opened.

 

By T. Austin-Sparks from: Spiritual Sight - Chapter 1 

Thanks for your comments I have been the recipient different times from "christians" who have a narrow view of what a Christian is. 

Given all the many types of manmade doctrines, based on flawed man’s interpretations of Scripture, it’s likely that most Christians are subject to being judged by someone, even as Matthew 7:1-3 admonishes us not to.

 

My view is somewhat worldly in this because I am looking at the clinical as much as the spiritual side of imperfect humans. I ask myself, what kind of person is attracted to rigid, fundamentalist doctrine? Well, on the earthly plain, it’s one who is hard-wired to be controlling and demanding. One who requires immovable rules to be created and then enforced. 

 

God created us. We are who and how we are. Some like living in free range, open spaces, others prefer living in a tightly formed neighborhood that is overseen by HOA Nazis. This is the primary under pinning of all human interaction. 

 

T. Austin-Sparks, Tozer and others who could see the reality understood this and also understood that if you choose the light yoke that Christ offers, you will surely run up against those who are determined to reign others into a heavy burden of perfectionism/legalism.

 

When I have been accused of being a sinner I ask one question - and it’s rhetorical because I do not expect an answer - How does one define sin?

Charles,
Thanks for this refreshing post. I fail to see why anyone would not say “AMEN” to those words.

I’m sorry for your recent maladies. I pray Father that You would heal Charles and Judi. Give them peace and loving times together as they work through this time.

Love
Candice

Meema and Candice...Thank you both for prayers offered for Judi. She is so sweet and soft spoken, her complains are so few, but I know her pain and frustration. God has a plan and we discuss the situation every day or so. 

  You know I wrote that post on April 16 after spending time studying Daniel and then study on The Attributes of God. As we study about God and who He is, we learn that He is TRUTH and although truth about God is immutable, sometimes He leads us in different directions for His service. Some teach, some preach, some travel to uttermost parts of the earth, some sing, others help with finances. I guess what I`m trying to say is that many of us get different marching orders to serve the Kingdom.  That does not mean anyone is wrong, blaspheming, or uttering false teaching....it just means we are to serve in different capacities. 

 Why would a missionary on his way to India speak poorly about another who was on his way to Africa? This may be confusing to some, but a call for me to go to India may be the same call that sends someone to Africa.  Neither person is a heretic or not obeying God`s instruction. We hear what God wants us to hear in many circumstances.

 Well its been a long day and I almost deleted this whole post but then something said not to.

 

Everyone have a happy Easter,

 

Charlie

Happy Easter! Good words from a good (godly) brother!

Happy Easter to all! No matter our paths, our purpose, our callings, our trials and tribulations, He knows us each individually. 

 

Hell took a body, and discovered God.

It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.

O death, where is thy sting?
O Hell, where is thy victory?

Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated!
Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!

Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead;
for Christ having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!


From the Easter sermon of John Chrysostom (circa 400 AD)