Could I be the only one?

I have to admit that I am often frustrated with what I see in the Church.  It's not because I don't appreciate the people there or love them, or that I'm even referring only to my own particular church.   It's that I wonder how things can be as they are and the people still feel that it's all going along pretty well.

I am not suggesting that God is not at work among us.  I am just suggesting that we are not responding terribly well to His work.  I see compromise.  I see excuses.  I see calls for grace when things aren't as they should be(instead of calls to repentance).  I see people telling half truths because it will make people feel better.  I see that so many of us do and say what we do and say so that everyone will like us.  I see us operating out of fear.  I see fear of offending.  Fear of conviction.  Fear of fear.  Fear of spiritual warfare.  Fear, controlling God's Church.

We make claims about what Scripture says based on a single passage and then when someone else does the same but it differs from our point of view, we claim that they are taking things out of context.  Of course, we are never guilty of the same.

It seems as though many times we are told to ask questions, but when we do, there are no answers.  Or if we do, we are told that since we don't really know we'll just go with the majority opinion.  Most people are too afraid to even ask the hard questions out loud for fear of being labeled a heretic.  Or perhaps they are afraid because how they've always believed might not turn out to be right.

Why do most Christian's believe in 'once saved always saved' or 'pre-tribulation rapture'?  Could it be that those are the easiest and most convenient to our continuing on as we are, undisturbed?  What if you can lose your salvation and the scriptures that say so are the 'right ones'?  What if we do have to experience the tribulation and people will be tortured the world over for remaining faithful?  What if Christianity really is hard and God really does expect His people to obey and be perfect as He is perfect?



Most often, I end this diatribe in prayer.  I ask God to show me how to quietly trust Him when things seem so out of control even in His house.  I ask Him to show me what I am to do. (lately that is to pray, and pray, and pray some more.)  I ask Him to bring light and truth to the people. (but I know that when that happens it will be painful for all)  I ask Him to give me grace to not hold it against people, but I am weak and sometimes struggle with that.  I ask God to help me, just to help me.  Help me trust, help me see clearly, help me love, help me offer grace and truth at the same time like Jesus did.

I just wonder, am I the only one?

Crucified Flesh?

There's nothing new under the sun, so let it be known that this is NOT my own original thought.  (Peter Furler maintains that he's not sure any of us ever had an original thought)

But here is what I gleaned from today's study time.  I need to crucify my flesh, with it's passions and desires. And this is the evidence that I belong to Christ.  It's from Galatians 5:15-26

So what does that mean?  It means that when I have passions that are of a sinful nature, I nail them to a cross so that they will die.  There is a list of the passions and desires of the flesh.  It's somewhat disconcerting the things that are on that list.  It goes like this:

• sexual immorality
• impurity 
• debauchery
• idolatry
• witchcraft
• hatred
• discord
• jealousy
• fits of rage
• selfish ambition
• dissensions
• factions
• envy
• drunkenness
• orgies

Long list isn't it  And many of those things I can say with confidence I don't do.  But if I'm honest that only really applies to a few, like drunkenness and orgies and sexual immorality.  The rest I'm pretty sure are part of my repertoire more regularly than I'd care to think about.



I need the Spirit in my to crucify the flesh in me.  I need to willingly submit to that.  I need to be on my knees begging for God to create in me a clean heart.  I need crucified flesh.

Why?

I wanted to start this blog because I believe it's important to share our faith journey with one another.   It is important to work it through together with other believers.  I hope this will be a safe place to do that.  "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."  That is Hebrews 11:1.  It's the beginning of the hall of faith.  


The Hall of Faith is a list of people that qualify for the term faithful.  They were those who trusted God when all the evidence pointed in an entirely different direction.  They walked and lived and breathed on faith alone.   It was all they had.





I am the first to admit that my faith wavers at times.  In all honesty, those times are quite frequent.  Not my faith in God Himself, but my faith that His plan is the right one.  I spend more time than is good for me trying to convince Him that I have a better plan.


There I said it.  I was honest.  See through, if you will.  That's why I am here sharing.  I want to be see through.  I hope it will allow you to be see through also.  I hope that by being a bit more transparent we can help each other scratch the itch that we just can't reach.