For the past several weeks in my Sunday Sentiments Posts, I’ve shared my thoughts about how we judge others, even when we don’t realize, etc.
Today’s Sentiments for Sunday go right along with those posts. One of the major underlying issues is “Religion”, which I totally DO NOT Believe in, and feel strongly that a large majority of “Church Goers” have either been fooled or have fooled themselves into buying into. I think this is an issue that needs to be addressed…it is partly to blame for many hurting people in this world…
I hope you’ll watch and listen to Mark Driscoll on this subject, in it’s entirety…as there is nothing I could write to say it any better!
Do you jump to your own defense if ever accused of even the tiniest act that would contradict that you are a “Christian” or do you study it, search your heart and ask forgiveness for any wrong doing? In my own words, are you humble and constantly seeking a deeper relationship with Christ or are you self-righteous and just want to make sure everyone knows that you are a Christian…you teach Sunday School…you are in church every time the doors are open, etc. etc.
Religion divides people into two categories:
Good People vs. Bad People – it’s all about following the “Religious Rules” set by man – what you do & don’t do
Relationship & Redemption is also made up of 2 kinds of people:
Sinners who repent and Sinners who don’t repent – it’s not about what you do or don’t do – it’s about what jesus has already done!
Religious people will boldly defend their “godliness” when accused of even the tiniest act of “sin”
Sinners know they are in sin, are undeserving and need help
Take a person who is religious and ask them about some mistake in their past and they will sugar coat it and blow it off.
Take a sinner Redeemed by Christ, ask them about their past and they will share their mistakes, the hurt and the lessons that portion of their life served, along with their gratefulness that God reached down and loved them when they were unlovable and showed them how to Live a New Life.
The world we live in today is so full of hurting people in every corner, lives are spinning so out of control that it’s going to take much more than the false hopes of “Religion” to make a change in people.
The ministries that are meeting people exactly where they are at – in their sin and in the gutters of this life – are the ones that are making a difference. The Bible clutching, “You’re going to hell” preaching churches are doing nothing more than wasting their breath and creating even more “religious” families that are hiding their sin and shame in private…there is no real healing there and there is certainly no JOY in that kind of life.
I want to share a few of my favorite REAL ministries…no false hope, bible clutching preachers here. Just as Jesus did when he walked this earth, these are ministries that are stepping out of this worlds and even “The Church’s” comfort zone, in order to bring the Real Truth and Love of Christ to people in need – exactly where they are.
Ask yourself if you would vocally support these ministries? Or would you worry about any “implication” by your support of them…because they are not your average “Church”? By far this is definately what is needed in this world today!
If we are wise, especially as parents, we will begin to focus on the “real” issues of the world we live in today and prepare our children to deal with them, instead of just quoting the “religious” rules and thinking our children could never be effected by such issues.
I plan to focus on more of these issues in upcoming Sunday Sentiment posts, because I believe that speaking about such “taboo” issues should be a thing of the past…discussions about the most relevant issues destroying lives today need to be as commonplace in speaking to our children and teens, to our wives and husbands, as the “Say No To Drugs” campaign of years past. The nature of “sin” has progressed over the years, as should our own awareness, knowledge and equipping ourselves, our children and families to deal with it.
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