Lord Help Us!

I get so mad when I see Christians more worried about appearances than the people God's put in their path.

It's so, so wrong.... Jesus was a friend of sinners!!!!  Do we even have a clue what that means?   That doesn't mean that the people got instantly delivered of every single sin problem they had and then and only then Jesus would hang out with them!   NO!  God always leaves a bad habit or two so people will learn and grow through the training process.  Always!

If we read James chapter 2 we see that if we fail in just one part we are guilty of it all.  According to Matt. 15:18-20 even our thoughts are dirty and unclean before a holy God!  So why do we think that we have to maintain certain standards?????  Who are we trying to impress?  What are our motives????


We desperately need his mercy and grace.... I myself run into the holy of holies and receive my robe of righteousness  many times a day. Thank God its a free gift!

I make sure that before I get a 'holier than thou' attitude that I say, "It's only by God's grace that I'm not doing 10x worse!"  We need to die to what we think people will say and think about us period!  Being a 'Living sacrifice' means just that. (Rom 12:1) The Fear of Man is a snare and a trap. (Prov. 20:25)

So this applies to our friends who aren't going to church or living a "Christian lifestyle". Who are we to impose our beliefs on them? Do we think that our rules or false judgements will draw them to Christ?  Hardly.... It's God's kindness that leads men to repentance!  Not rules and human standards.

I can only speak for myself and I tell you I am so sick of religious people who are trying to maintain their standards. They like the Pharisees conveniently forget love!  We got to look right! And oh!, what will the people say if I am seen with you?"

It was people like that that Kept me away from church for a long time! People who want to make you keep paying for your sin that happened years ago. Give me a break!

Religious behavior is concerned with Appearances and it always takes people away from the simplicity of the gospel.

Now a days its very common for people to live together.   I might not agree but I am not anybody's judge... My Father is very good at talking to his sons and daughters and the last time I checked He hadn't asked for my help. He told me to love people where they were at and to trust Him to change them, in his timing (not mine).

You know.... quite likely my daughter wouldn't have had  a father if I had insisted on this religious standard...  and many people would not have gotten saved and healed over the years as a result.  My in-laws probably didn't agree with us sharing a bed before marriage but they wisely kept their opinions to themselves.  Thank God for people like them.  Now did my boyfriend get saved eventually?  Yes... and let me tell you it wasn't my religious,  self-righteous behavior that won him... it was my non- judgemental love.

Anyhow....  that's my opinion.... I've been praying for my girls and their boyfriends and I believe God has His hand on them.....  Hallelujah!  I just want to shine so bright for the Lord!  I want to emulate love and not religious behavior! There's already too many Christians concerned about what others will think if they do this or that.   Lord help us all to die to the fear of man!
Amen!

I'd be very interested to hear how you have handled these kind of situations in your family.

Have a great day with the Lord!
Brenda Gale Thompson

Normal?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sduW1hliaio&NR=1&feature=fvwp
This video caught my eye because it is so shocking for us in North America.  We have a fine, upstanding police force that would never be caught drinking on the job.  You can see the the people in the video are surprised, skeptical, shocked and unbelieving during the video taping  because this behavior is so out of character.

How I wish that it could be that way in the body of Christ.  It should be unusual when signs and things that make you wonder do not happen around Christians.  Miracles should be status quo for us. Signs and wonders should be normal for us.

That is what I am going after!  I want the Lord to be pleased to validate the words I speak and the actions I do with signs, wonders and miracles. That means I have to walk really tight with Holy Spirit, never letting him get away from me.

It is like a waltz that He is leading and I'm following.   I don't want Him to get out of my arms reach and if I don't follow His lead I can get my feet trampled or miss the next turn in the dance.

I have learned that one of the biggest keys to walking tight with Holy Spirit is a surrendered thought life.  I don't want to think about anything that He doesn't approve of. I take bad thoughts captive by speaking out loud the good I want to see.  I ask Holy Spirit for His take on situations and things all the time and He has lots to say.  He surprises me every day!  He sees the heart of things and I have learned to treasure His opinion and wisdom. 

So let's pray these verses. "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But (we) put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." (Rom. 13:12-14)"   Lord help us to be your ambassadors every where we go, in Jesus' name we ask. Amen!

Bless you as you go!
Big hugs,
Brenda Gale Thompson