everyone who knows us, knows that we have been looking for a new church home since we moved.
sometimes, it has been comical when we walk out of church. other times, it has been painfully sad...
unfortunately, the latter was the case yesterday. i know there are some nonessentials in the Christian faith that we just have to agree to disagree until we are in the glory of God in heaven or Christ comes again (i am hoping that i will not be too busy singing hallelujah that i can get through my lists of questions...). but there are just some things (ok, a lot of things) that i just can't compromise on or just do not see biblically. namely, the prosperity gospel---that God wants you to have that house, that car or be financially well off or be healed. that if you just have enough faith you can claim things (material possessions, health, wealth) in Jesus' name. you know the verse, "ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you" (john 15:7) however, if you read the whole verse, there is a condition before that promise--"if you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you"(emphasis mine). meaning that if you are walking in complete obedience to him and His Spirit is in you, your will is His will. Your prayers are whatever He wants to do with your life--in His way, in His time, on His terms for His purposes (after all, it is HIStory--i am just grateful that i get to breathe in the air the He created). and how often do i really remain in Him and allow His words to remain in me...really....
His plan may not include a bmw, house, wealth or even a long life. this week, i was talking to a friend about a fellow brother in Christ who is suffering through stage 4 melanoma. why him? he LOVES Jesus, dedicated his life to spreading the Gospel and does not have a materialistic bone in his young body. yet, this is the path that he must walk in his imperfect body on earth until we all receive our glorious new bodies in heaven. he is preparing for whatever answer God gives him and glorifying Him through it all---that's faith.
i remember having a conversation with a relative about the reason why my grandfather passed away and was sick was because he/we did not have enough faith...huh??? how about "all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (psalm 139:16) or "now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory" (romans 8:17).
so i cringed on sunday when the pastor told the congregation to "take out their gucci wallets and get their blessing" and when he said the reason why a relative of his passed away was because "he was not there to pray for her and claim her healing" and when he went on about how we need to claim things in Jesus' name.
the only thing i claim is that i am wretched and completely and totally lost without Him in my life. i claim that i am constantly choosing my way over His way. that i deserve absolutely nothing of what He chooses to bless us with and that it is only by His grace and mercy that i breathe...can i get an "amen"...
needless to say, we FLEW out of there...
i love this speech by john piper. (don't forget to pause the music on the left sidebar...)
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