Sunday, February 17, 2013

I don't have the answers.

Until you learn this simple lesson, life can be tough. Until you can turn it over to God, life can be tough. The hardest part is to really turn it over to God. We can say it all the time, and sometimes fool others but we aren't fooling God. Matthew 17:20: This is Jesus talking, He said unto them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have the faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible to you.

I am as guilty as the next of saying it, but not fully giving it over to God. I am dealing with church issues and they are a real burden to my heart. I pray about it and am still confused with what to do. That mountain is still there.  I know it's me that is causing my problem.

I love people but I don't love the way that people treat each other. And I truly get conflicted with passages in the Bible.

We all know the bible verses in the in the gospels about judging others. Luke probably said it best, verse 6:37. “Judge not, and you will not be judged, condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

That's pretty short and to the point. But what if things happen that you just don't think are right? What do you do about quarreling, discord and anger in a church. What about that turning the other cheek thing that you read about in the Bible, what does that really mean. Instead of copying it down here, I am just going to direct you to a page that gives a good definition of what I think that Matthew means when he writes this passage. It's found in Matthew 5:39  Read this link.

That's a tall order especially when people speak hateful things or seem to be full of spite. God tells us to love those people and sometimes that a hard thing to do. Why? Because we are all human and our pride always seems to get in the way.

I found another link that I want you to read, because it states perfectly what I feel. It has to do with anger.

You can't really deal with anger unless you can understand the concept of righteous indignation. I've got to tell you, I struggle with this. I just want to ask you to read the 4th chapter of Ephesians. Paul is talking to us here, especially in verse 26.  “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.

Jesus never once became angry because of what people did to Him. He got angry because of what people did to each other in his name and because of the rejection of the truth of God.  It's ok to be angry but not out of spite.  And all too often, anger turns into spiteWe are all guilty.

So what are you to do? Here's another verse that came come up in a conversation like this. Matthew 10:13-15. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

Can you substitute church for home in this verse. I think you could. So what's a person to do? Are we to just dust off our feet?  We all know the answer. We all know that we don't have the answer ourselves. We are commanded to turn it over to God. I prayed before writing this.  I believe in God's promise.  I am really trying to turn this over to God. It took me all this time to tell you that I don't have the answer myself. 

I know a preacher asked a lady in the church, do these people love one another? She just said no.  That hurts.  I cry, then I pray.  

Even more hurtful to me is to not even try to have Vacation Bible School.  We don't have many kids, so we just give up. Besides, we can make some money by renting the building out that week.  It seems that we have lost our faith...  That really makes me sad.  This one is the mountain that I want to move.  Remember that mustard seed....or maybe I need to dust my feet off.

Ever heard the song, What if Jesus comes back like that?  Think this is a good place to play it.



  



  
 


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