Lisa0315
1st February 2008, 12:48 PM
Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
With the recent announcements regarding the Nicene Creed, there has been a great deal of discussion of the fairness or the legitimacy of such an act.
Regardless of where you stand on this issue, the primary thing that has disturbed me about CF before, during, and after this announcement has been the effort of a small few to marginalize everyone else.
This latest announcement has been used to target specific people, and the ugliness of the true motivation of these folks has been very apparant to most.
Many of the reasons given to target homosexuals, Mormons, and others is that they are changing and preaching a different gospel. I say that if these folks belong to God, then, God will deal with them. If not, our power is not in animosity towards these groups but in the divine love and grace that has been bestowed upon us as the co-heirs with Jesus Christ.
It is time to pick up the cross, folks! It is time to make a stand against such tyranny. No, I am not talking about pulling down the creed. I am speaking of not allowing our forum to be used as a platform of hate and intolerance. I am urging my brothers and sisters to speak only with love. If a thing cannot be said without love, then, do not say it.
I am asking all of us to pray away the hatred that is in our hearts. I am asking that we walk with forgiveness and mercy towards each other. I am asking that we look at non-believers as potential brothers and sisters.
They are not the enemy, but Satan! Jesus promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church, and I am asking all of us to stand on this promise.
We do not need to protect this forum from false doctrine or apostasy. The Lord Jesus Christ will do that if we all Him to. We do not need to waggle fingers or offer opinions of what we find vile. We should not see vileness. Instead we should see through the eyes of Christ. As He looked down from the cross, He saw us all as lost, hopeless, and in chains of sin. Across time, He saw us all, and He paid it all for us.
By what right do we have to crucify anyone else for sin?
Jesus said that if we did not forgive each other, then, our Father in Heaven would not forgive us.
Jesus said that there were two things that we should do. Love one another and bring the gospel to the world. We cannot do the last without doing the first.
Those of you who are worried about false doctrine infiltrating our church, please remember that the most false doctrine of all is a gospel without love.
Will you stand with me? Will you pray with me? Will you take up this cross and help me carry it? Will you go to your brother and ask for forgiveness? Will you stop speaking Scripture as a weapon? Will you stop caring so much about being right or winning the argument? Will you let God be God?
We live in the age of grace. Dear God in Heaven, let us use this small time allotted to us to share that fact. Let us stop being legalistic and allow the Holy Spirit to guide the individuals towards the fullness of truth. If someone says to you that they do not believe they are sinning, then, pray for them if you believe that they are wrong. Do not accuse. Let the Holy Spirit bring them to righteousness. It is just not our job, folks.
Will you stand with me? Will you fight this Satanic element of divisiveness and self-righteousness? Will you fight with the full boldness of a Child of God and not fear those who will belittle you, or cast you out of your comfortable Congregation? Will you?
Lisa
With the recent announcements regarding the Nicene Creed, there has been a great deal of discussion of the fairness or the legitimacy of such an act.
Regardless of where you stand on this issue, the primary thing that has disturbed me about CF before, during, and after this announcement has been the effort of a small few to marginalize everyone else.
This latest announcement has been used to target specific people, and the ugliness of the true motivation of these folks has been very apparant to most.
Many of the reasons given to target homosexuals, Mormons, and others is that they are changing and preaching a different gospel. I say that if these folks belong to God, then, God will deal with them. If not, our power is not in animosity towards these groups but in the divine love and grace that has been bestowed upon us as the co-heirs with Jesus Christ.
It is time to pick up the cross, folks! It is time to make a stand against such tyranny. No, I am not talking about pulling down the creed. I am speaking of not allowing our forum to be used as a platform of hate and intolerance. I am urging my brothers and sisters to speak only with love. If a thing cannot be said without love, then, do not say it.
I am asking all of us to pray away the hatred that is in our hearts. I am asking that we walk with forgiveness and mercy towards each other. I am asking that we look at non-believers as potential brothers and sisters.
They are not the enemy, but Satan! Jesus promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church, and I am asking all of us to stand on this promise.
We do not need to protect this forum from false doctrine or apostasy. The Lord Jesus Christ will do that if we all Him to. We do not need to waggle fingers or offer opinions of what we find vile. We should not see vileness. Instead we should see through the eyes of Christ. As He looked down from the cross, He saw us all as lost, hopeless, and in chains of sin. Across time, He saw us all, and He paid it all for us.
By what right do we have to crucify anyone else for sin?
Jesus said that if we did not forgive each other, then, our Father in Heaven would not forgive us.
Jesus said that there were two things that we should do. Love one another and bring the gospel to the world. We cannot do the last without doing the first.
Those of you who are worried about false doctrine infiltrating our church, please remember that the most false doctrine of all is a gospel without love.
Will you stand with me? Will you pray with me? Will you take up this cross and help me carry it? Will you go to your brother and ask for forgiveness? Will you stop speaking Scripture as a weapon? Will you stop caring so much about being right or winning the argument? Will you let God be God?
We live in the age of grace. Dear God in Heaven, let us use this small time allotted to us to share that fact. Let us stop being legalistic and allow the Holy Spirit to guide the individuals towards the fullness of truth. If someone says to you that they do not believe they are sinning, then, pray for them if you believe that they are wrong. Do not accuse. Let the Holy Spirit bring them to righteousness. It is just not our job, folks.
Will you stand with me? Will you fight this Satanic element of divisiveness and self-righteousness? Will you fight with the full boldness of a Child of God and not fear those who will belittle you, or cast you out of your comfortable Congregation? Will you?
Lisa