Love’s Evangelism Method

August 15, 2012 by 6 Comments

In the many years I was in church world I looked into various forms of evangelism. My initial experience with Jesus was so life changing that I wanted to share it with the world. I have read countless books and attended many classes, workshops, and conferences to learn how to be a better evangelist. I kept finding pretty much the same methods everywhere I looked. While I have had hundreds of people recite the sinner’s prayer I sense that was all it was, a recitation. My experience with Christ was not like that so why was I pushing that method on others? I used books and pamphlets from

  • Billy Graham
  • Billy Sunday
  • D.L.Moody
  • Jack Hyles
  • Chick Tracts

and more, but none of them really resonated with what I had personally experienced.

fuschia white and pink by sisterlisa, on Pix-O-Sphere

Looking back now I can see what the difference was. My initial experience with Christ had nothing to do with a prayer or theological study. It had to do with the revelation of love. It was an awakening of him within, a personal resurrection. I can see now that trying to get people to submit themselves to a head knowledge of a perspective of Christ was not what true salvation is to me. For me, it was about a resurrection of his love within me and it had nothing to do with a theological pledge to follow the pastor’s interpretation of the bible and it certainly had nothing to do with condemning me to hell. Hell wasn’t even an issue. The revelation of Christ in my soul never spoke to me about hell, only about love. You see, love is what conquers everything.

  • Love wins
  • Condemnation loses

So then I read a book from Leonard Sweet called, ‘Nudge’. I love his philosophy on awakening the Christ within. How he describes it is how I experienced it many years ago. I also spoke with a Southern Baptist pastor once about evangelism and he was much on the same page with me. Jesus calls us to love others and allow the Holy Spirit to work in their lives through that love. Why is it that so many Christians don’t believe the manifestation of Christ’s love is greater than the words they say to people about how they view the bible? Perhaps because they haven’t really had a revelation of his indwelling and outpouring love.

“Awakening Each Other to the God Who’s Already There” ~Leonard Sweet

If you haven’t heard of Darin Hufford of the Free Believer’s Network, then please get acquainted with him through his book, ‘The Misunderstood God‘. His take on ‘God is Love’ is an excellent source of soul opening knowledge. He takes the Love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13, and shows how God is everything listed in that chapter. When you look at it that way it’s easier to understand that God doesn’t insist on his own way as much as many Christians think he does. And while some Christians think God detests mankind, the Love chapter indicates his love believes in us!

“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”(1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV)

Traditional Christianity looks for an outward repentance beginning with a verbal public confession, whereas the love of God just lavishes us with grace. When a person experiences love that washes over them they will know that experience is spiritual. Their experience doesn’t mean God doesn’t love them yet, as some Christians assume. A lack of this experience does not mean the love is not true unless you believe in it. Believing in something doesn’t make it true, the truth is why we believe it. If belief made things true then why don’t we see the tooth fairy taking up residence in all homes of small children and Santa Claus coming down our chimneys? God’s love is true and that’s why we believe it.

Christians know the passage of God loved us first, but that doesn’t mean God loved them first, it means God loves all of us before we ever love him. Loves chose us before we chose love. When we know love it’s natural to respond with acceptance. Think about your newborn baby who has no ability to choose you. You love the child before the child knew of your existence. This is love!

Ephesians 1:3“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5he predestined usb for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” ESV

hydrangeas by sisterlisa, on Pix-O-Sphere

I do consider myself a missionary, evangelist, and ardent ‘soul-winner’. I have free reign to love everyone and no strings attached to try and manipulate them into pledging allegiance to my view of God. What better experience is there of proclaiming the love of God than actually living it out?!? It’s all about love! It’s not so much about winning their souls, as the term soul-winner indicates, it’s more about loving people into a reality of them receiving love.

So when you question my interaction with the GLBT and Pagan communities because you don’t see me condemning them to hell and pressuring them to recite a prayer and join a church, know that I am not called to do that to them. I get to love them, support them, and live out God’s love for them. I don’t need mankind’s stamp of approval on the ministry God calls me to. You can disagree with me all you want and it makes no difference to me. I know the message God has given me to preach to the world and it’s love. As Paul said so say  I, I received it not from mankind, pastors, or seminaries, but by the revelation of Christ my Lord.

The Message of Reconciliation

God has already reconciled mankind to himself through the finished work of Christ. So there is no pressure on me to try and make them believe this. People have the choice of what to believe and what not to believe. If believing in something doesn’t benefit them, then they won’t believe it. It’s no wonder they reject the condemning version of ‘god’, it doesn’t benefit them. However, a God who loves them and accepts them no matter what is worth hearing about! And if they know love, they already know God! When they freely accept true love, they are already accepting God. It doesn’t mean they are accepting God in the way traditional fundamentalists think they should. It’s a paradox! And isn’t that the way of Christ? His message is perplexing to self righteous people who look to please God in the literal realm with their religious works and practices of abstinence. But to spiritual people it is a message of life!

When you present God and the message you think he gives you to tell people, do they light up with joy or bow their head in shame? Real love has no shame! Not even a little bit! Presenting God as a lover with some hostility of threats if they don’t submit is abuse, not love. When real love is spoken and shown, the people know it!

If I didn’t truly love people, I wouldn’t bother trying to convince them. That would be manipulation. Because of the love God has lavished me with, I can’t help but to love others with that same love. When there is real love there is no need to convince. The Spirit of LOVE does the convincing. I’m not out to get people to accept me, to come to a church, or to take propaganda discipleship classes. I am free to love them as they are. If they desire to hear about the wisdom I believe to balance my life then I’ll gladly share that. If they want my personal counsel about something in their life, I will give it. But I am not out to get nosy into their lives and tell them how to live. If they want to know what I think about mentorship in Christ (by the way, I believe mentorship is not the same as discipleship), I will happily guide them through that. But again, I am not there to force, pressure, or insist on my own way.

Love is freedom and with wisdom we can navigate this life safer than trying to be free in foolishness, because that just leads to chaos. Love that does not insist on it’s own way is what will revolutionize the world. And isn’t that what Christ came to do anyway? I’d rather live my life in such a way that love nudges a spiritual revolution, than to exist in this world dying by every condemning word of tradition. Loving people can not be found in a cookie cutter type recipe with bullet points to adhere to. There is no religious tract to hand out and no script to follow. It comes naturally as you progress and mature in your spirituality.

Love’s evangelism ‘method’ is the best I’ve seen yet!

Sisterlisa

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There Are No Master’s Pets

May 5, 2011 by 2 Comments

During my years as the Director of a recovery home for women, one of the women had questions about a church she was attending.

“If all these other churches all agree that Jesus is the way, why don’t the youth from your church participate in activities with the youth from the other churches?”

The youth pastor’s response was, “We have some disagreements.”

She sat down with me to ask what the doctrinal differences were between that church and most of the other evangelical churches in town.

The difference was the KJV.

Because the other churches do not believe the KJV is “the only infallible word of God”.

But we tell today’s youth to be welcome and loving to all people, but not people who read from the ESV, NIV, or NKJV.

Oh those wretched sinners. (sarcasm)

Don’t they know they’re headed straigt to hell if they don’t read from the KJV?

Ok so that’s a bit extreme, this particular church surely wouldn’t admit this is what they believe.

If today’s adult Christians lack in teaching today’s youth about grace, unity, and love what will the future look like for our future grandchildren?

We’re children of the Most High God, what do we have to be afraid of?

Christians separate themselves from people based on all kinds of reasons under the Christian name, yet none of those things has any bearing on our identity in Christ.

When we look at people and think, “sinner” what are we really thinking?

Is it possible for their sin to infect us with more sin than what we already have?

Christians treat people as if they have a disease that is contagious, but they forget that Adam brought this ‘sin’ issue into the world.

We forget even more how God allowed it to begin with. So if you have a problem with sin you’ll have to take it up with him.

A divorced woman can’t bring more sin into a church than a woman married for twenty years.

A teen girl who struggles with cutting can’t bring more sin to a youth group than it already has.

A homosexual couple can’t bring more sin to a church than the heterosexual couples do.

A Lutheran can’t infect a Baptist church with more sin just because they disagree about getting babies wet as opposed to dunking a twelve year old child.

A Christian Universalist can’t send a Fundamental Baptist to hell any more than their own pastor can.

The idea that we have to stay so separated all seems to be over one factor, fear.

Christians are told that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but someone else sure has.

God gives us a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind.

I think a lot of Christians are behaving like David’s quivering brothers as they stood before the Philistines, when we’re supposed to be like the youthful David who ran out boldly to say “You dare defy the armies of the Living God!”

He proceeded to send a stone into the forehead of the giant, run over, grab his sword, and decapitate him.

How will we ever fulfill the beautiful passage of Ephesians 4 if we keep living in fear of each other?

The  Body of Christ already One with Christ.

Is it now down to who is the better Child of God?

We are equally loved.

There are no Master’s Pets.

Will you considering joining me in the Restore Unity project? It’s being hosted by Rachel Held Evans and we’re raising money to help send fresh drinking water to those in need.



restoreunity by sisterlisa, on Pix-O-Sphere

SisterLisa

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Equally Loved Leads to Humility

March 28, 2011 by 9 Comments

I’ve been hurt before. Deeply hurt. Deeply hurt by people I deeply love. Have you experienced this? The indescribable feeling of being betrayed by people you deeply love, by people you trusted. Trust. We trusted because there was a relationship there and now the betrayal makes it so incredibly difficult to love. When a person has just discovered that they were betrayed is not the best time to explain to them that Jesus commands that we love our enemies. That teaching goes right over the head of most victims of betrayal. Most times they can’t even fathom what that means. Discernment is such an important factor when ministering to people. Not all things in the Bible are good for all occasions, all the time. When Lazarus died, Jesus didn’t come right away. He waited a few days. Upon his arrival in town Martha runs to him saying that had Jesus been there he would not have died. Look what Jesus said to her.

John 11:23 “Your brother will rise again.”

He didn’t condemn her for how she felt about her brother’s death. He didn’t use it as an opportunity to preach condemnation to her. He used the opportunity to show them life, to reveal the power of God.

When the soldier approached Jesus because he had a servant who was ill, Jesus simply said, “I will come and heal him.” {Matthew 8:7} He didn’t require anything in return, he didn’t give any theological ‘only ifs’, He simply said, “yes”.

Jesus didn’t require any theological circus tricks of the ill servant either. As a matter of fact, his reply to this humble soldier was the very opposite of what many theologians preach today.

Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Jesus said very clearly that MANY will come from east and west to recline at the table, but the SONS of the KINGDOM will be in outer darkness and they will weep and gnash their teeth. He says this after seeing a soldier (not a Jew or modern day Christian) seeking healing for a servant (also not a modern day Christian) and Jesus heals the servant, applauds the soldier’s faith, but says his very own ‘sons of the kingdom’ will be in outer darkness weeping and gnashing their teeth.

The religious crowd wasn’t much into hearing about Jesus healing non Jews or dining with them. Why is it so hard for religious people to accept that Christ loves us equally? Why would sons of the kingdom be in outer darkness when a soldier’s request for healing a non Jew be granted him? What is this outer darkness that sons of the kingdom will be in and weep and gnash their teeth?

In Luke 5 a paralyzed man was lowered into a crowded home, through the roof, and Jesus saw the faith of the men lowering him in and Jesus said to the paralyzed man “Your sins are forgiven you” {Luke 5:20}. The story doesn’t say that the paralyzed man asked for healing or forgiveness, it was simply granted after Jesus saw the faith of the men lowering him. Then we see the Pharisees question this act of love and mercy and called it blasphemy. What is this pattern of religious people who reject the love and mercy of Christ in the lives of people they don’t deem as worthy?

Jesus is teaching us a valuable lesson, if we will just listen.

In Luke 7 a woman enters the scene and lavishes Jesus with love. The Pharisee who invited him to feast with his friends began to question the validity of Jesus as a prophet. He says that if Jesus was a prophet he would have known this woman was a sinner. What did these Pharisees expect that Jesus would have done about that? Stone her to death right there in his dining room? Jesus responds to the criticism with a parable.

Luke 7: 41“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

He is teaching a highly valuable lesson with a parable of a debt. Two men owe a debt, one owes a larger debt than another. The thing that sparks in me the hope of Christ is that neither of these two men asked for their debt to be canceled, the moneylender himself noticed the debt was unable to be paid so he canceled the debts for both of them.

Did you notice that Jesus did not say “which one will enter heaven”? He said “which one will love the moneylender more?”

He goes on to tell the Pharisee that his answer is correct when he says the one with the greatest debt paid would love the moneylender more. The moneylender story is not just about the debt being paid, it’s about love. The love that is the natural response to knowing your debt is paid by the moneylender when he knew you couldn’t pay it. The moneylender didn’t condemn the debtors, nor did he punish them.

He goes on to explain how this woman who, we have no doubt, knew she was a sinner, dared to enter the home of a Pharisee to lavish the feet of Christ with her tears. Perhaps she was trembling with fear, considering that she may be punished for entering the home of a Pharisee. Jesus didn’t push her back and demand anything out of her. She was allowed to come. Had the Pharisees had it their way she would have been prohibited from entering. I believe that because they did esteem Jesus as a Rabbi, that since he didn’t push her away, they ceased from being bold about their religious desires. Of course I am speculating, but given the history of the self righteous Pharisees I do feel safe speculating about this.

Jesus goes on to explain the lovely pampering she gave him, then made a bold statement to them in verse 47 “But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” This goes back to the story of the debtors and moneylender. Those who feel they have very little to be forgiven for will love Him less.

I think most of us want to be forgiven for the things we have done in our lives, but how many of us really forgive others when they sin against us? Isn’t this life in Christ more about forgiving others than it is about seeking it for ourselves?

Do we fail to love others much, because we don’t think we have much to be forgiven for? Is this why we love less?

The only avenue to understanding this is to understand that we’re all equal in sin and all equally loved. To state that we are not equally loved would be a confession that we don’t think we are equal in sin. There is no humility in that, only self righteousness.

Do you recall the story of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples? Those dirty feet of human men who were not equal with Christ? That very act of humility by Christ was to teach a lesson to the disciples. The lesson of humility. These disciples did not always believe what Jesus was telling them. They had their doubts about some things just like we all do. Yet, Jesus stooped down and washed their feet. His act of humility was intended to humble them. He didn’t need to preach condemnation to them to humble them, he simply served them and washed their feet.

Could you wash the feet of someone who doubts you?

As Jesus was beaten and nailed to the cross, bleeding and suffering he asked Father to forgive the very people who put him there.

Could you forgive your abusers? The ones who would murder you?

Why are we so afraid to forgive? Why is this thing of forgiveness so hard for us? Have we not realized how much we have been forgiven? Is this why we love so little? Will a hard fall into a deep pit be what we need to experience in order to understand how to love much?

We have heard this many times, this key phrase that is so popular, “Jesus loved you so much that he opened his arms wide and died for you” We tell people, “Jesus died for you while you were a sinner, He died for you before you were even born, knowing full well what you would do with your life.” We say, “Your debt has been paid”.

Some don’t understand that concept, especially if they don’t believe they have done wrong. So religious people try to force them into believing by condemning them with threats of eternal torture. Scare the poor people to death so they’ll believe? Are we the Holy Spirit? Is this Christ-like? Shall we usurp Christ’s authority over their lives and preach condemnation, torture, and scare tactics? Really? Is this how we fell in love with our own spouses? Is this how our husbands wooed us to the marriage altar? This isn’t love. This is abuse.

I think Christians have loved little, because they forgot how much they were forgiven.

A simple test for ourselves, shall we entertain some scenarios to test our love?

Can we allow ourselves to think of what humility really is? Dying for people who whip you, spit on you, and kill you.

Can we love our enemies and wash the feet of those who doubt us? Asking Father to forgive people who curse us, seek to stone us, and belittle us?

Can we ask Father to forgive our enemies? This is a humbling thought. I have been abused, belittled, rejected, betrayed, certainly nothing like what Christ went through, but I do have enemies. Do I really love them? Could I stoop down to wash their feet?

Someone said recently that perhaps Hitler will be required to wash the feet of those he killed. I imagined that and thought, “Now that would be a nice thought, surely there’s some justice in that.” Then Jesus asked me to imagine Hitler again…could Jews wash Hitler’s feet? Would a Jew wash Hitler’s feet?

Love your enemies.

Powerful thought.

If Jews could humble themselves to wash the feet of Hitler, would Hitler be humbled and realize what love is?

“But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” ~Jesus Christ

Could you wash Hitler’s feet?

“But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” ~Jesus Christ

Or would you demand that he wash yours?

“I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ~Jesus Christ

Perhaps those that preachers call ‘false converts’ only ‘converted’ because of the scare tactic. Perhaps if they had been loved by humble people of grace, then they would have seen what real love is and been able to respond to love..instead they responded to threats.

Will we be little Christs? Bowing the knee to wash the feet of those who doubt us? Will we love our enemies? Can we forgive the enemies of the cross? Jesus did. He forgave them while they were nailing him to the cross.

Maybe we fear forgiving people, because it would mean we’re no better than they are. Then we would have nothing left to threaten them with. We’ll be free to love. Isn’t that what being a Christian is all about anyway?

{Love}

When I began this article I mentioned how some things are not good to say at the wrong time. So, just go with love. Jesus did.

‘Equally loved’ leads to humility and humility leads to love. Now that’s a revolving door I could jump into. Could you? Or will you be a son of the kingdom in outer darkness?

friends playing by sisterlisa, on Pix-O-Sphere

Adding this post to Elizabeth Esther’s Saturday Evening Blog Post.

SisterLisa

Filed Under: Agape, Faith, Grace, Persecution

I Believe Love Wins

March 17, 2011 by 10 Comments

 

My thoughts on the book ‘Love Wins’ by Rob Bell comes from a different perspective than many of his critics and I feel I need to explain my position in my faith first so you know where I’m coming from. My husband and I minister to very broken people in our community and online, from all walks of life and most flavors of Christianity. Our ministry is independent of any denomination, because of the sensitive nature of our ministry. We knew God wanted us to remain open to providing the kind of ministering He put in our care so we could minister to people ‘where they are’. It’s difficult to minister to a deeply broken person from one denomination when you come at them from the perspective of your own. The apostle Paul said “I became all things to all people that he might save some.” This is precisely how God directed us in our ministry. We serve people broken by addiction, divorce, spiritual abuse, and much more. Some churches don’t tolerate any divorce and end up pushing the broken individuals out with no support to help them. Some churches aren’t equipped in handling the severe disruption of a drug addict’s choices and call upon us for help. We know that each church has different perspectives on the Bible and we do not want those perspectives to hinder us from ministering to the broken people. So we find Christ within their belief system and begin with Jesus.

There aren’t many books or conferences that teach how to minister to people in the way that we do and perhaps it’s time I write more about that. For now, we do the best we can to find books that encourage us to see a person’s heart right where they’re at and I believe ‘Love Wins’ does exactly that. First and foremost I will say, for my more fundamental readers, that Rob’s book is very different from what you are accustomed to reading. After reading the several critical reviews, then reading it for myself I can say with absolute certainty that I believe those critics missed the point. I think his critics have honed in on only those things they disagree with and camped right there instead of actually seeing the beauty within its pages for ministering to broken people. Their reviews remind me of the self righteous son who refuses to enter the party when the broken son comes home. Please do yourself a favor and read the Preface so you know the angle Rob takes as you read the book.

For those who think Rob has forsaken the Apostles Creed or the Nicene Creed in this book, he has not. Those creeds are blanket statements about some main factors of the Christian religion and he has not violated those creeds. He definitely has a different perspective on how to describe heaven and hell, but his views are still very much in line with scripture. It’s all in how you look at it. Jesus said people will know you by how you love one another. Rob’s words in ‘Love Wins’ provide love and grace, mercy and justice. His views in ‘Love Wins’ remain consistent with judgment and how he believes that plays out in the afterlife.

Putting all that aside, I want to share the most positive things I see in this very controversial book. Rob focuses on bringing heaven to earth. The kingdom life Christ told us we can have here and now, that life in Christ is here for us and has been since he brought the Father’s will to earth. The Father’s will is to love us and for us to love him back, but certainly not under threats, intimidation, or manipulation. The Father is most certainly a great and “terrible” God. I think people see that word “terrible” and become afraid, but even the angels said many times, “Fear not”. God’s presence and love is so amazing that our first initial reaction in our human flesh is to be afraid. Father doesn’t want us to be afraid of him. He also doesn’t want us to introduce him to people in a way that would cause them to be afraid either. He is continually wooing us to him in love. It’s the kindness of God that leads us to repentance.

This is a very different perspective for many churches and due to the very human nature in us, for many years we have introduced God as a tyrant that stomps his feet if he doesn’t get things his way. Most churches would deny that they present God this way, but for those on the outside, this is what they perceive. There is something incredibly wrong with us if we are trying to punish people into the kingdom. We can’t and shouldn’t bully people into making decisions about Christ with threats of torment. ‘Love Wins’ presents, what I believe, is a fuller view of God’s love to mankind through the lens of the blood. If we view the blood as a tragedy, we will breed hate and anger toward those who don’t drink of it. If we view the blood as the ultimate act of love, we will see it as a life giving thirst quenching fountain to a world that is dying inside.

Rob’s book, in my opinion, takes grace to the radical side of life to reach everyone with the Good News. Over the last year we have seen a substantial amount of teachers bringing grace into view in ways that are opening the hearts of Christians to have some breathing room for themselves and I believe Rob’s book extends that grace to give non-Christians breathing room to come to know this grace for them. For many years, Christianity has only extended grace to those who believe as they do, say a little prayer, or get baptized. Christianity has created an “Us vs. Them” mentality.. you’re in and you’re out. You can get in if you do this, that, and this other thing. Otherwise you stay out of the kingdom. This is not the way of the Christ I read about in the bible. Rob brings out each individual story from the pages of the bible to reveal the depth of evangelism that Christ teaches us. No two people come to Christ the same way.

I don’t believe anyone should take ‘Love Wins’ as a “bible”, it is simply to bring a perspective of God’s love in a way that invites people back to walk by faith. While reading ‘Love Wins’, this is what I see. I envision Rob walking the Orthodox line ..on the edge..but not an edge like hard liners view it..a line that extends by grace..in our faith..to lean over a bit to those walking on the other side of that…to reach out to those who have been brutally hurt by so called Christians… waving the “come back” hand.. “it’s ok… God understands…” and when the edge of that line is too scary for those outside to come back… he walks into the arena of those who are hurt and embraces them right where they are..and cries with them. It’s not about walking the hard lined orthodox ways.. it’s about walking in faith and love and embracing hurting people WHERE THEY ARE.. hard liners will only embrace them if they come ALL the way over to where they are. Rob seems to understand how to reach people that hard liners fail, time and time again, to reach.

I believe Rob’s perspectives on heaven and hell is still very much in line with scripture and the very nature of our Father. He presents accurate interpretations of the Hebrew and Greek words for ‘eternal’ and the ‘grave’. I think it’s very important to get an interlinear Bible so you can see for yourself. You can go to http://biblos.com to use theirs for free. When you understand what the original words are, then you can read the passages in context and get a more accurate description of what the Bible actually reveals to us.

For those critics who are angry and fearful about Rob’s book ‘Love Wins’ and his perspectives on heaven and hell and every person who ever lived, first ask yourself if fear and anger is a part of God’s kingdom life here and now. Is fear and anger a fruit of the Spirit? No, it’s a work of the flesh born out of a lack of faith in God. The bible gives us two very good admonishments on how to handle situations that we might deem as ‘heretical’.

Matthew 13: 24He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weedsc among the wheat and went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27And the servantsd of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

Acts 5: 27And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 33When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice.

May I remind us all that Jesus commissions his disciples to go be fishers of men, not hunters seeking to have their revenge for blood appeased on those you think are wolves. In our ministry of embracing those who have been deeply wounded by manipulative preachers, I assure you I understand the agony of what wolves do to sheep. In my own healing I have come to understand God’s sovereignty in all things. To be truly thankful in the hard times as well as in the abundances he bestows upon us. The hard eucharisteo, that Ann Voskamp writes of. So I challenge you my dear friends to love as Christ commands you to love. We can love in disagreement and trust God to handle all those differences for us. I implore you to read Romans chapter 9 and the book of Job before you rush out to pull up what you think are weeds.

SisterLisa

Filed Under: Agape, Grace, Inquisition, Persecution

Why I Believe All Babies Go To Heaven

February 23, 2011 by 7 Comments

Baby Girl by parrettfive, on Pix-O-Sphere

photo credit Angie Parrett at Pix-O-Sphere

The topic of where babies go when they die is one of intense debate in some denominations. There are some questions about this topic that I would like to share and ask you to think about.

Many are told that all are born in sin and must make a conscious intelligent decision to not only
  • 1) believe Jesus is the Son of God,
  • 2) trust (faith) in Him alone to save you, and in order to show that you’re ‘saved’ you must
  • 3) obey all the laws in the Bible.
If we follow that pattern, then surely babies don’t go to heaven. {cringe} They aren’t able to do any of those three things. The alternative, according to much of Christianity, is not an option for my heart and mind to accept, as I have lost 3 babies in the womb. Therefore, I am looking to the scriptures for hope.
There is an argument for this in the theory of “the age of accountability”. The “age of accountability’” is the theory that babies are under grace until they are old enough and cognitive enough to make the decisions necessary to save them. The problem with this theory arises when people ask about mentally challenged people and those who don’t speak English since it is believed that the majority of theologians are English speaking. So are the mentally challenged under grace as well? If not, then why?
Now we are getting into a vast array of confusion when we begin to really ask these tough questions. If a baby is under grace because of their ignorance and lack of intelligence, then must we allow for everyone else to remain in ignorance so they can be under grace? If not, then babies don’t go to heaven.
Most people shriek and gasp at that thought, Surely innocent babies don’t miss out on returning to their Creator. Are they truly innocent? The Bible clearly shows us that all are born in sin, or does it?
So the alleged discrepancy is in the question, “are we really born in sin or do we not sin until we act upon a sinful thought?” I looked in an ‘exact phrase search’ for “born in sin” and it did not yield any results. What I did find however, is the Pharisees accusing a man of being born in sin. It was the man born blind. After he was given his sight and he preached healing, he was accused.
John 9:34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
On the other hand I do find the verse that says all have sinned.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
The question still remains, is it sin within us at birth or sin upon a decision to act in sin, that makes us sinners? For the sake of the souls of babies I won’t delve into that question just yet.
Why is it that we sin? Why would a perfect God create us to sin knowing that sinners could not enter the kingdom of heaven?
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.
Who was that ‘one man’ that brought sin into the world?
Romans 5:14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
It is taught that Adam brought sin and sin brought death to pass upon all men. Therefore are babies born in sin? If we say yes, we get back to the original dilemma. Listen my friends, people have gone around and around with this line of questioning for years now. This is why there is such a debate about baptizing babies in order to save them. If a sprinkling of water in a religious ritual saves a baby, then why is it not done immediately after the babe is born? Furthermore, where do aborted babies go?
Here is where I find my hope:
1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
Much of Christianity has already accepted the teaching that because of Adam, all have sinned and will die. Since most theologians in the world today can’t give me hope for my 3 babies based on all the circus questions in many churches today, I have had to go directly to the Lord on this one. If all die because of Adam, then what is it about the second part of that verse that caught my eye?
“So in Christ shall all be made alive”
Surely we all come to life as stated in verse 45;
1 Corinthians 15:45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
We all became living beings like Adam did. Yet, there is another ‘second part of a verse’ that indicates an equal parallel.
“The last Adam became a life giving spirit”
Both of the above verses show clearly that Christ is the second part.
{The hope for humanity}
Now I have to ask, how does one get this? If there is so much argument about the first three statements I gave at the beginning of this article that are not clear, then how, when, and where did humanity get the life that this Spirit gives us?
Ephesians 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
So far I have found that we are created in Christ, before the foundation of the world, allowed to suffer death through Adam, and able to receive life through Christ.
In the scientific mind of humanity is the insatiable need to dissect every aspect of the Bible to create a step by step approach to God that no babies nor many mentally challenged persons are able to follow.
The answer for me is clear, to have hope.
Colossians 1:27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Christ in you. No matter where you put the emphasis the truth is clear on what our hope is.
CHRIST in you
Christ IN you
Christ in YOU
This is my hope for babies. They are created in Christ before the foundation of the world. They were born with death passed upon them due to Adam, but through Christ they shall be made alive.
I just can’t bring myself to believe in a deity that would allow babies to be born without hope if they died before they can go to some discipleship class. I don’t believe that He would abandon them if they were raised by parents who took them to the ‘wrong’ denomination for discipleship. I don’t think He would forsake them if they were born into a non religious home. He chooses where each baby will be born and He chooses at what time of life they leave this world.
I have all my hope that they return to Him. My hope is in Christ.
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
You may believe differently than me and you are certainly free to do so, but I am putting my faith in the hope of Christ our Lord. My Anchor holds firm and I’m choosing to hold firmly to my Anchor, that all babies return to our Creator. This is my faith, because, for me, all other ground is sinking sand.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
All scripture quotations from the ESV

Filed Under: Agape, Inquisition

The Proposal

February 10, 2011 by 2 Comments
When I think of a wedding proposal, my mind goes back to the fairty tale days of the prince sweeping the maiden off her feet and making her into a princess. Much like in Cinderella when she was just a peasant girl slaving for her wicked step family, the prince falls in love with her. He proposes and they get married, living happily ever after.
I have three daughters, so courtship is something I have read a lot about. I remember the days I was searching historical books to find out just how courting was done many years ago. Not much was really written on the topic, at least not from a Christian perspective. Then we saw many courtship type books being written and flying off the shelves and into the hands of many Christian parents.
Courtship is a cultural thing created by the families and each family has a different set of ideals they implement into this idea. Each family is unique but I have a strong feeling that most of us have one important ideal in mind before giving our blessing to our daughters getting married. We want to know that she will be loved unconditionally.
There’s a young man who is looking for a bride. He’s the potential groom. He keeps his eye out for a young woman to court. Each woman he encounters is his opportunity to share with these ladies what he is looking for in a woman. He finds a damsel and proceeds to tell her his desires.

“Accept my invitation to marriage. I will provide for you, but you must do something for me. You must accept my marriage proposal under these conditions; if you refuse me, I will send you to the basement where you will be in constant pain for the rest of your life. If you choose me, I will save you from that fate. If your family does not accept me as your groom, I will also send them to my basement where they will suffer their whole lives. 
They all must accept me as your groom. If they don’t, you will never see them again. Every friend you will ever make for the rest of your life, must accept me or I will put them in the basement with the others. They will all suffer. When we have children, if they don’t accept me as your groom and as their father, I will also send them to the basement to suffer. It’s their choice. 
They are free to reject me, but I will send them to the basement if they do. And if you choose to marry me, you MUST tell everyone you know, that they MUST choose me. YOU are responsible for warning them about my basement and tell them I will save them from it, IF they choose me.”
I’m not sure about you, but I would NEVER allow my daughters to marry a man who gives this kind of proposal. This is the type of abusive mentality that is inflicted on women and children in abusive families all over the world. The controlling threats to keep people close to them is abuse, plain and simple. The cycle of violence in mental and emotional abuse is a twisted sort of mind control. It puts you in fear, thinking you need to jump through hoops to keep this kind of guy happy, or else. Would you allow your daughter to marry this kind of groom?
This hypothetical groom is in fact a groom that is presented to people every Sunday. He is not of Christ. Everything Christ came to do, love, heal, forgive, reconcile, is not who that groom is. What kind of groom have you accepted as your savior? Is your savior the false savior who threatens all your loved ones? Or have you chosen the groom who sweeps you off your feet in his endless abounding love and devotion?
The false groom wants you to believe in his painful basement so that he can present himself as ‘a’ savior. He would be ‘saving you’ from his basement. See how twisted his thinking is? He swoons you with threats, then says he will save you from his own threats.
Jeremiah 7:31 And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom (Gehenna), to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind.
Lets look at how Jesus attracts people.
  • He offered Living Water to the Samaritan woman.
  • He healed the Centurion’s servant.
  • He forgave the people who crucified him.
  • He raised the brother of the two sisters from the dead.
  • He never lashed out at the people who accosted him in the garden.
  • He reconciled people to His Father.
Agape by sisterlisa, on Pix-O-Sphere
All of this was done with unconditional love. He draws us to himself through love. He died for us WHILE we were sinners. I just think it’s time to rethink how we are introducing our wonderful Savior to people. Or perhaps some people need to rethink what kind of ‘a’ savior some people are serving.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

So just how do we view our groom? Which groom have you been following?
Are we spreading threats and hate? Or are we sharing the Gospel (Good News) that Jesus LOVES them?

2 Corinthians 5:19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.

Wedding Feast by marieduval, on Pix-O-Sphere

Filed Under: Agape, Grace, Inquisition

Love Your Enemies

February 7, 2011 by 6 Comments
After being wounded so deeply by people I endeared as mentors in my life, finding forgiveness and the freedom to love was a difficult journey for me. I hosted a rather lengthy conversation about loving your enemies on my Facebook wall a few months ago and out of every thought provoking status I post, this was one of the very few that no one disagreed with. We are to love our enemies. The question remains, just how do we love the people who have been the most vile to us?
Why does Egypt have to go through war, when they can simply love each other? Why must the Democrats and Republicans be at war with one another when they can love each other? Do people even know why they are enemies? What makes them an enemy? Below is the Coca Cola advertisement that was aired during the Superbowl. Please watch it before reading what I share below.

Isn’t it amazing what they were able to agree upon when their law had forbidden them to have contact with each other? For the love of Coca Cola. Amazing.
So what can you find in common with your enemies? What do you and your enemies both love? If we apply this thought provoking article to the ‘Christians’ we view as our enemies, then what will we see?
Wait a second!
Why do we view other Christians as our enemies? Maybe they hurt you. They probably did. Christians are known to be some of the most hurtful people.
Lets not try to sweep that fact under the rug. We all know it’s true. 
Don’t try to compare the ways Christians hurt one another with the way Hitler hurt the Jews. There is no comparison. Pain is pain. Betrayal is betrayal. Sin is sin.
Countries put aside their differences in order to participate in the Olympics. They also put their differences aside to continue commerce. We know that putting aside our differences is possible.
God put aside his differences with humanity and sent His own Son to die and resurrect so that we can become reconciled to our Father. It wasn’t for his love for Coca Cola, to play in the Olympics, or to buy gasoline that he put aside his differences. It was for love. He loves His creation!
While we were still sinners, He died for us.
Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing.
Such powerful words, but do we understand the weight those words carry? He died to save his enemies. He loves his enemies. It’s no wonder he asks the same of us.
Since we know Christ told us to love our enemies, then surely he loves them too. He asks us to forgive seventy times seven. I have to believe that He does the same. He tells us to turn the other cheek.
Is God a Father who says, “Do as I say, not as I do”? 
John 10:37-38, “If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
Jesus is One with our Father. Jesus forgave, because Father forgave. The gospel is GREAT news to ALL people. He forgave everyone before they were even born. Believe that He loves you and you can learn to love your enemies too. 
Or does he wait for us to jump through religious hoops in order to receive his forgiveness?
Colossians 1:19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
1 Timothy 2:  5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the mana6who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. Christ Jesus
Parody for your provoking thought of the day by Joe Perrott
heaven open by joeperrott, on Pix-O-Sphere
Luke 17:20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”
I’m entering this post to Thought Provoking Thursday

Filed Under: Agape, Grace

That We May All Be One

February 2, 2011 by 3 Comments
With so many denominations in Christianity and each one insisting they have it right in more areas than any other denomination, how are we to choose who to believe?
Is Christianity really THAT difficult to understand? It’s no wonder so many people reject it. The whole “we’re right and they’re wrong” angle is absolutely confusing to most people. Except the ones who think they’re on the ‘right’ angle, oh wait..that would be most of you. That’s right… you’re all right? If you’re all correct then why do you all insist everyone else except your denomination, is wrong? Someone once asked me why there were so many variations of Baptist churches and all I could think to tell him was, “They can’t agree”.
But let’s not narrow it down to just the Baptists. There are a variety of Pentecostal denominations, as well as Reformed, that have differences. A friend of my daughter’s said that she was going to a church in an office complex. This church was right next door to another one. Their churches were divided by a single wall and during worship, the girl could hear the next church’s music. They were singing the same song. So why the wall?
Some church’s feel strongly about evangelism by door knocking, while others believe it’s by serving the people in the community. A paper tract and invite to church versus loving their neighbor by action. The paper tract church insisting they are the only ones in town who ‘win souls the right way’, while the other insisting they shouldn’t be pushy, but rather be an example to the community.
Then there’s the debates about the End Times, judgment, and the afterlife. In all my studies I have come to one conclusion that I know I can stand firmly on. My salvation is not contingent upon my understanding of the English translations per the handing down of our religious forefather’s interpretations right after they left the Catholic Church.
Have you ever noticed when a person leaves a church they were in for a great length of time? Ever notice how their theology is a bit mixed with what they are discovering, while they retain some teachings from their former church? If you have ever studied the writings of some historical figures, you can see how their beliefs began to evolve over the years. Even Billy Graham’s beliefs have evolved over the years.
Who do we think we are to be so arrogant to think we know it all, the closest to the Bible, and the best interpretations? The answer is simple, arrogance. Arrogance will plant us right smack in the middle of thinking we have finally arrived at some biblical knowledge utopia and create ourselves our own little ownership of interpretations.
The next rite of passage is to write out what we believe as if to create some teachings for others to follow. People will begin to come with intrigue to discover what we believe and why. Some might agree and some might question us. Some may even question with such severe inquisition that you feel persecuted and belittled.
I have had the pleasure of studying for two years with some incredibly intelligent theologians from all over the world. I am fascinated with where they’re ‘coming from’. In all my studies, I continue to learn and grow and even though there are different interpretations I know WHOM I have believed and that, to me, is far more important than WHAT I believe. Although, I do feel that WHAT we believe shapes how we love one another.
Galatians 5: 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
It has wisely been said, “Know what you believe and why you believe it.” But even better is that I know WHOM I believe and that He loves us all.
In all our quests for understanding the bible, may we do so in love for one another and may our discoveries lead us to loving God and others more and more.
John 17:20“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,23I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
heart in sand by lady_jess, on Pix-O-Sphere

Filed Under: Agape, Grace, Organic Church

The Pastor’s Affair

January 23, 2011 by 4 Comments
In all my years of ministry, there has been a dynamic of ‘looking down’ upon ministry wives that don’t meet a specific criteria. If your husband isn’t a 501c3 ‘church’ with a building and tithing members, he’s not REALLY a pastor and you’re not REALLY a pastor’s wife. Then over years of study and deep questioning among theologians all over the word we discovered that a 501c3, a building, and tithing members isn’t what makes a person a minister or minister’s wife. Being a minister is a gift in the heart. It’s Christ manifesting Himself through His chosen vessels. Then you attend a variety of conferences for Christian women where certain pastor’s wives get special treatment. You know the ones. The ones who’s husband’s have the largest churches. “Your husband’s ministry isn’t big enough for you to be considered among the highest of pastor’s wives.” Sounds like high school all over again.
I was once told by a pastor’s wife this statement, “If you publish a book, we’ll have you in to speak to the women”. So now authoring a book is the prerequisite to sharing my story. I don’t see where this is in the bible that a woman has to write a book before she can minister to other women.
After the teaching sessions have ended and the pastor’s wives are signing their books, autographing the inside cover of bibles, I look around the room. I see a woman sitting alone at a table, in deep thought. I ask if I can sit with her. Her face lights up. The first kindness shown to her that day, she begins to unfold her life story to me in great detail. During the course of her story it dawns on her how something in her life had been a stumbling block to her family and she confesses it through sobs.
She somehow sees herself as a wedge between her husband and his ministry. She’s a pastor’s wife. She had been judged harshly by the other pastor’s wives. This woman is in deep depression and her husband has been trying to send friends to her side to comfort her and lift her up. You see, he’s so busy with ministry and his wife’s depression is ‘hindering’ his work. My heart breaks. Her heart is broken as she is under the weight of the condemnation the other minister’s wives have placed on her. She is suffering enough as it is. I continue to listen and she continues to speak, pausing every few words so she can catch her breath. She grips her chest and her face winces in pain. Her eyes flowing with tears and her neck tightening with gulps of air.
She tells of her husband’s ministry. She describes a seemingly glorious work, a magnificent building of crystal chandeliers, plush carpets and padded pews. After every service, women are lining up to get his autograph in their bibles and they cry their tears of sadness that their husbands don’t attend church with them. He pats them on the shoulders, assuring them to stay faithful to church, give their tithes, and bring their kids. She tells about how he gives public praise to these women for coming to church, that their faithfulness to serve in the house of worship is highly commendable.
But he rebukes his wife in the car on the way home. She hadn’t reached out to these women. He scolds her for spending too much time at the altar praying alone, when she could have been praying with these women. He tells her that she is selfish and should present a better example to the church…to be a good pastor’s wife.
She sobs under muffled words that I can’t understand. She catches her breath again, hoping no one notices her talking to me. She whisper’s, “He’s having an affair with the ministry”
This is a scenario that many minister’s wives face every week. They think they are alone in seeing this dilemma. My dear sisters in Christ, you are not the only ones who notice.
This is a serious issue that needs to be brought to the light. Many minister’s wives are in deep agony over their pain and they need help. They face the fear of speaking up, thinking that ministry could crumble under the weight of the truth being revealed. So they suffer in silence. They sacrifice their own hearts on the altar of the pastor’s desire to grow a ministry.
Jesus Christ is the Groom to the Bride, His Church. The minister has his own bride, his wife. But he wants Christ’s Bride. Is this not the story of David and Bathsheba all over again? Wanting what isn’t his and forsaking his own for his fleshly desires. A minister’s marriage is not higher than the others. It is also not to be neglected in order to further some man built building. We are all equal in Christ. Any marriage in a fellowship that is suffering needs help. It’s high time Christianity stop trying to protect the image of the pastor and his church at the cost of other people’s lives.
Women of the church,… leave the preacher alone. He has a wife.
Cross Sculpture by cherie, on Pix-O-Sphere

Related Articles:

Problems with Ministry Accountability

The Example of the Ministry Wives

Filed Under: Agape, Grace, Healing Tagged With: ,

High Maintence God

January 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Do we have a high maintenance God? Is He demanding perfection from us? Is he walking through our lives with a white glove like an uptight germophobic? Carolee Dalton has a different view of God that I find utterly refreshing. I hope you are blessed by this message.

Filed Under: Agape, Grace
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