We Gotta Do Better!

I was sitting here discussing an awesome Apologetics class with a friend and of course, I had to jump online and write a quick post. The atheists say that Christians are ignorant, why is that? Quite frankly, I would have to say that I believe this statement. Too many of us walk around like we have no clue - that's why we fall for every wind of doctrine that comes our way. Can I clue you in on something... Walking and believing by faith is not walking blindly. It's taken to an extreme when you don't really know the Person you have faith in. We base so much on emotion - treat Jesus like a celebrity and get our fix when we go to church and feel the "Spirit." [I wasn't sure if I should capitalize that one]

So many people go to altars and receive Christ as their Savior, but then they never really get to know Him and understand His great love for humanity. They never really grasp God's plan for mankind. Instead, we go for the "ignorant" side of things... Oh you have seen it, people professing things that they really don't know anything about, just because they were told it was in the Bible. I love to hear people say, "The scripture says..." and then I wait to hear what they are talking about. It usually gets butchered when only a portion of a scripture is added to their own words - something like Madea. In fact, I'm still waiting for one of my friends to show me where are scripture is... either it isn't in there, or they haven't picked up their Bible to find it. What do you think?

You know a lot of the quotes we hear are nowhere in the scriptures? To add to that, I think it is important to know who is speaking when we "quote" a scripture. We credit Jesus for some of the things that Paul said and honestly, we are not following the gospel of Paul, but rather the Gospel of Christ! Now don't get me wrong, I love the Apostle Paul and his example is always before me - I pray that I can do a fraction of what he did. My point is, let's learn our scriptures and quit trusting others to tell us what the Bible says.

I guess I got on this tangent because it amazes me at how much we DON'T know about God or about what we believe. That's why I think atheists call us ignorant. When you are faced with someone who wants to refute the Word of God, will you make a commitment to equip yourself so you can defend the faith? And I'm not just talking about telling people to believe just because - I mean selling it for what it really is - the Good News! We gotta do better y'all and dust off the Bible and read it! Come on folks... Let's represent Christ properly and let's defend the one and only TRUTH - God's Word!

The Shack Review

I actually finished The Shack book about six weeks ago. The book is an easy read and to be honest with you, it has challenged me to think outside of the box. Some of the symbolisms in the book can definitely cause controversy. The book does describe God in three distinct personalities that coincide and live harmoniously together. The real controversy comes by the description of these people. As humans, we have a preconceived idea of what God will look like, but in reality, we don't really know. In addition to just appearance, there are some actions that the Godhead characters take that have not been seen in the scriptures - which leads many to question. There is one very disturbing area for me where the natural realm meets the spiritual realm and it was just a little quirky for me - it felt like the Holy Spirit character was conjuring up spirits and allowing Mack to speak to the dead. This was a big RED FLAG for me! We don't talk to dead people! The book is also light on sin and that really messes with theology.

There are many other items in the book that, if you are one who knows doctrine and reads the Holy Bible, you will not be fooled. But if you don't know the scriptures, you can get a distorted view of God. So why is this book being pegged as FALSE DOCTRINE? I would say because novice believers and non-believers are taking the principals and thinking that it is real. The truth is, the Holy Bible is the ONLY written and infallible WORD OF GOD that we can ever glean from and know that it is TRUTH. To take a dive into any other book, whether written by your favorite Christian author, preacher, whoever - you still have to align it with the Word of God - the Holy Bible.

I don't really have a problem with The Shack. Books like this one really charge me because it sharpens my defense and it weeds through all the "trendy believers" and identifies the remnant. I found it entertaining and it really did provoke some things within as far as my relationship with Christ. But I have to admit, while I was reading it, my training in defending the truth of God's Word was constantly working. But I have a different thought process... You never know how to defend something if you don't know anything about it. In addition, you cannot fight a good fight without knowing your enemy and his tactics. I was glad I was able to read this book and know what's being said. I'm not one of the reviewers who just takes a stance and doesn't explore the entire book - I read it and I know what it says, and guess what... I am still a firm, confident believer who defends the principles of the Holy Bible and the doctrinal teachings of Christ.

I say that if the reader understands that the book, The Shack, is purely fiction (something invented by the imagination) then they will be safe. There is NOTHING in this book that is real - it is no more real than Cinderella or Peter Pan. If you are unsure about what the Holy Scriptures say, I would advise you to get familiar with them. As the days wind up, all kinds of "mess" will try to label itself as truth. So find what TRUTH really is and then defend it. I would love to hear from you about your experience with The Shack.

The Shack

A couple of weeks ago I was reading another BLOG and someone mentioned that they didn't want a God who would allow bad things to happen to them. One of the reply comments suggested that they read the book The Shack. I did some research on the book and thought it could be interesting to see what others are reading to "help" them figure out who God is. The Bible is the best way, but we like to explore other avenues, which is how many believers get derailed and "seduced." So, you know me... If there is a false doctrine that is capturing people through fiction, I want to know about it so I can expose it.

There are mixed reviews on the book. I started it last night and I'm reading it for what it is - a fictional book. I've read other fiction that was great - This Present Darkness series was wonderful. I'm not sure it will measure up, but it is certainly the talk around the Christian community right now. Have you read The Shack? If so, what was your impression?

Preview The Shack - Read a little, maybe you will want to take the journey with me.

Tithes and Offerings

So what does the Bible say about you paying tithes and offerings? Is it optional or a requirement? There is much discussion about this topic and I was asking myself, why are we so confused about money? Could it be that the church has mishandled money and the body doesn't trust the leaders to do the right thing? Or... is it that we want to find every excuse NOT to give in the offering plate?

I would say it's a little of both. It has been proven time and time again that there have been church leaders who have misused funds and there are probably some that are sitting under the radar. But what exactly is a misuse of funds... buying prostitutes, funding drug lords, paying whoever we like whenever we like and hiding it behind the ministry... Those are obvious offenses, but are our church leaders doing that? Or are they surviving while doing the work of the ministry?

Let's look at this in perspective... the state of the economy today is poor (getting better); isn't the reason we are in the shape we are in because someone, somewhere misused MONEY? Hmmm... There was a time when we were seeing government leaders, CEOs, Bank Presidents, etc. who were abusing their power in the area of finances. So it's fair to say that this problem isn't reserved for church leaders.

I've heard the question many times about if a person should pay their tithes and watch the preacher make off with the money. I'm sure it can happen, but I guess I don't worry about that as much. I think many believers (if you can call them that) are just looking for an excuse to control their financial situation. I say, do as you please and if that makes you feel better, then it makes me feel great because I know you aren't toiling with your decisions, or are you?

I'm rooted in my belief and I can tell you story after story about how God has taken care of me in my time of need and I know it is because of my obedience to Him, especially in my finances. You see, I have purposed in my heart to give and everything I give goes into the kingdom of God. I get to choose (with God's direction) what ground I'm going to sow my seed. I use criteria when deciding and it isn't much... I just need to know that what I'm giving is going to a ministry that is going to minister to those in need of a Savior. But my tithes - well they don't belong to me anyway and I'm required to give those in my storehouse (church). I wouldn't want to be in a church that wasn't reaching souls for the kingdom.

It would be foolish to think that ministry happens WITHOUT people. Someone has to carry the message - and the one who carries it should be rewarded for answering the call of God and for delivering His Word to the people. "How can they hear without a preacher." [Romans 10:15] Oh, we are all gung ho about getting the word out and evangelizing, but we forget that someone has to tell them, someone has to do the work. It's funny to me how we will give to Cancer Research and United Way and we don't question the leadership in those organizations and they get millions of dollars to help so many people. Yet, we will grill the man or woman of God if they buy anything for themselves.

I guess my question for this blog is why is the church held at a different standard than other entities and why is giving generously to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ such a debated subject? I have so many more questions, but I would love to hear your take on the subject. This one just came up in my spirit today and I love discussion.

Does God Speak to Us?

Some question if there is a God and if there is one, does He really speak to us. This question alone could cause much debate, but I'm a firm believer in God and I know for a fact that He speaks to us. Why do I say this, because I have read God's word and it has recorded numerous accounts of God speaking to people. There's the famous ones like His dialogue with Adam in the Garden of Eden. And let's not forget the brillant depiction of Moses speaking with God at the burning bush in Hollywood's adaptation of The 10 Commandments. Well it's wasn't just a Hollywood scene, this dialogue was too recorded in the scriptures.

My favorite scripture is Jeremiah 33:3, "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." Call me gullible, but I believe this word whole-heartedly. If I "call" [pray, speak to, commune with] God, then He says He WILL answer me and tell me great things. Take a look at the minor prophet that is remembered mostly for writing the words "Write the vision and make it plain on a tablet, that he may run who reads it." [Habakkuk 2:2] The book of Habakkuk is a great example of how God dialogued with man.

Habakkuk couldn't understand why people were acting so crazy and why sin had such a hold on mankind - sound familiar? Why are people so hateful and why do they murder and slander and lie and cheat... My husband just preached a message and said there is nothing new under the sun. Isn't that the truth? Even back in 620 B.C. people were acting like they are today - out of control. So he questions God about the plight of the community and guess what? God replied!

Have you ever wanted to ask someone something, but you didn't know how they would respond; then you step out and ask the question and when they respond you think, "that went pretty good... I'll try again." That's exactly what went on with Habakkuk - he asked God another question and guess what? God replied!

This small book is powerful with content, but the simple dialogue between man and God gives me great confidence that if God will speak to Habakkuk, He will definitely speak to me. I loved the response of the minor prophet.... Once he completed his dialogue with God, he entered into praise and worship. He prayed and He reverenced God. That's how it should be, when we experience God, we should be even more inclined to honor Him.

If you ever wondered if God would speak to you, take a moment and read the book of Habakkuk and see how a man full of questions received his answers quickly from God. I not only believe God speaks to us because of His Word telling us, but because I know God speaks to me. We will talk more about how He speaks, but I challenge you to spend time with Him and open the door for Him to speak with you. He loves us and He cares for us, why wouldn't He want to speak to us? I pray that you will find a time today to dialogue with God.

This post was inspired by a gift my sister-in-law gave me at Christmas - thank you and I love you!

What's the Limit for Going to the Altar?

On Friday night, our church had six hours of Intercessory Prayer. The night was beautiful and God visited us with the sweet anointing of the Holy Spirit. During the night, we prayed for deliverance and salvation for our unsaved loved ones. While all the prayers were wonderful, something seemed to break in the spirit when we prayed for these two requests. Afterwards, we did personal prayer journeys and one station was called The Cross. We were to place our unsaved loved ones and burdens on this cross and believe God for the victory.

On Sunday during service, the anointing of God fell and two people who were having personal struggles with drugs, alcohol, promiscuity and other things, they were both delivered. It was a long process and some of our congregation members didn't understand what was taking place, but we knew that God was doing a new work in these lives. My initial thought goes back to our prayers on Friday night. What's the sense in asking God for something and then not expecting that to take place? That's why we have to be careful what we ask for - especially when we know it is God's will. God truly did answer our prayers right away and we are thankful for that; but we have had some skeptics who have voiced their thoughts.

We've heard, "How many times does someone have to come to the altar with issues and should they go through this purging process each time?" Note: One of the delivered had been on the altar several times before in the past and there were times where she purged.

When I thought about this question, I was reminded about the children of Israel and the number of times God delivered them from the mess that they would always get themselves into. Isn't that just like us? The children of Israel were surely delivered each time God stepped in on their behalf, but after a while, some would revert back to what was "comfortable" for them. So when asked how many times a person should go to the altar, my answers tends to fall on the side of ALWAYS! If it wasn't for the judging and condemning beliefs of people, I believe more folks would go to the altar and confess their sins and be cleansed and delivered.

I believe the question we should ask is not IF the power of God delivered, but rather, does the person know how to maintain deliverance? But that's for another post.

Final Thought: Isn't it funny how some think that lying, gossiping, jealousy and the hidden sins that can be masked by a smiling face and nice clothes don't need the same Deliverance Experience as the drug and alcohol addicted or the pregnant teen? Instead of hiding behind the prideful self, why not just humble ourselves before God and stop pointing our fingers at others in judgment and begin judging our own actions.

1 John 1:9, "If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]."

What are your thoughts?