Fight for Mercy, Not Blood

One Sunday morning Willow wasn't feeling well and Isaac was working. I'm not one to feel bad for missing church when we need to, so Isaac and I had some text church instead. This is what flowed from His Holy Spirit within me before I even knew it and Isaac encouraged me to share it. Sounds like a couple of weirdos huh?  Well, we are. 

Look at those weirdos

We are raising children, ladies and gentlemen

Pray for them 

Alright, let's get back to the serious blog, right?  Here is what I felt within me: 

Something about being Christians makes us fighters. Which is good, but not when it makes us angry fighters as opposed to defenders. 1 Peter 3:15 says, "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."

But sometimes we fight the wrong things, thinking we're defending a God who doesn't need our valiant defending. When we use DEfense in the wrong way it looks a lot like OFfense. And we're accountable for that. Christians offended at every little thing and then fighting within that offense is wrong. 

Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. 

Proverbs 19:11 

A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle. 

Proverbs 18:19 

Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others. 

Ecclesiastes 7:21-22

God didn't say "be offended and then fight anyone that comes against you." He is not a God of offense. He wants us to have a reason for what we believe, no matter what anyone else believes.  A reason with gentleness and respect.

Sometimes we take a spiritual battle and try to fight it with earthly weapons (words). 

There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18 

We fight for things that don't matter, with skewed intentions. We fight so hard so that the Ten Commandments can hang anywhere we want them to, while never locking eyes with widows and orphans. We use scriptures to fight against people instead of using them to penetrate, even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; to judge the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 

We sometimes use the sword of scripture because we're out for blood, but blood has already been spilled. On our behalf, not out of our bodies, but out of HIS body. We shouldn't be out to cut people down with it, but to build people up. 

What should we fight for then?

We should fight for justice and mercy and against oppression and slavery. We should promote freedom, hope and love and share Jesus without arrogance, pride or the need to be right. Because we aren't right. He is. THE word himself, Jesus. 

Sometimes Facebook makes me crazy. Often, I want to maniacally shout:

I disagree with you in a way and I agree with you in a way. But that is based on the fact that I'm just relying on what I've been taught to agree and disagree with. BUT NOW I'm trying to find truth. Real Truth. So keep sharing your passive-aggressively angry memes and articles that make light of someone else's pain, while I stay over here studying and opening up and being confused and loving and willing to be wrong and knowing all of that's ok. 

Because I can be wrong and change but I CANNOT live my whole life being wrong and defending that wrong to my death until I get to Jesus and he says "child...where was the love and the defense? You fought against a lot of people and causes but who were you FOR?"

***

So, those were my thoughts on that Sunday morning.  I was wiping snotty noses and praying and texting my husband about Jesus. Here is what I'll add to that today.  Why does it not feel like Christians are bringing hope and love in the midst of the controversies swirling around? 

The scriptures they post are of love, but often reek of the Christian's pride and attitude instead of smelling like Jesus. The world can sniff that out immediately. And so can I. I'm disappointed but I don't have a solution. I don't know. It's confusing. 

What I wish would come as natural to us as proving our point is to love people by seeing them. Right where they are and seeing them through the eyes of Jesus. We need to be moved by compassion for the multitudes, not get angry at them for behaving in a way that is most likely a cry for help. WHAT ARE WE DOING?

Jesus sees them as worried and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Not mean, rude, egotistical and obnoxious just because their view on life is different; because their histories are different. Let's pray for loving eyes, wisdom and the perspective of Jesus. Then, let's pray about the fact that we are ambassadors for Christ, to a lost and dying world.  How will we present ourselves? 

Above all

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:8-11

On Defending Your Truth

In reading Jesus' story, what has hit me this morning especially hard is that when He was mocked on the cross and people were being sarcastic in His pain, He didn't respond. They asked why - if he was a literal miracle worker - He didn't save himself, which of course alluded to the fact that He was NOT who He said He was. That He wasn't capable of miracles. He didn't defend Himself. HE KNEW the truth, HE KNEW what was coming, HE KNEW why...HE KNEW they would soon know. The end was more important than the present moment. The bigger picture was more important than making a defense for every comment with the little human energy He had left. He didn't have to defend the truth because the truth stood when He couldn't. And in a matter of days, many people would know and the shock of what was coming was the fuel that would push them to spread the word. In that moment, His quiet was louder than any earthly shout. HE DIDN'T HAVE TIME to address the naysayers, He had a bigger work to do. His energy was completely used up on the present moment. HIS PURPOSE. No lie or sarcastic comment will EVER touch purpose. It's so different from how we treat the truth today. As if we have to defend it to make it true. If you live your life in truth and people try to discount that verbally, you don't HAVE to defend it. You don't HAVE to waste the energy you have trying to make them see it. You speak your truth. You live your truth. Then you walk on. HOW FREEING IS THAT? As I was reading this, The Today Show was on in the background and I could hear them talking about presidential candidates bickering and I thought...man...how different would this be if they each just spoke their truths? They waste SO much energy defending what they believe that I actually don't even know what they believe. What is their truth? No one even knows. And we act all appalled at how they are behaving, but we are no different. We both defend our truth until its lost and demand that others defend theirs so that we can judge its worthiness. BUT WE CAN ALL CHANGE. Look at Jesus. Quit wasting so much energy defending yourself and just live whatever time you have left. I think if Jesus' teachings have taught me anything, it's that if we are defending something, may it be others. If our fists and voices are raised may it be against injustice. Mark 15:29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Mark 14:53-65 And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. 54 And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. 55 Now the chief priests and the whole council[f] were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. 56 For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. 57 And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” 59 Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?”[g] 61 But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. 65 And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows. He didn't answer to the accusations of others. Matthew 27:39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. Luke 23: 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”[b] And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him,[c] “This is the King of the Jews.” 39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,[d] saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.

Self-Control: I suck at it...now what?

Yesterday, Pastor Steve completed talking about the fruits of the spirit (a series that I like to call, YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE FRUIT!) teaching about self-control. It was so eye-opening to me. It wasn’t just a sermon…he showed us in the Word HOW to have self-control, he didn’t just speak the scripture and say, “just have it.” 

Kind of like when someone says something like, “give it to God,” and I’m screaming, “OK, BUT HOWWWWWWWWW? WHAT I NEED TO GIVE ISN’T TANGIBLE AND WHO I NEED TO GIVE IT TO ISN’T HUMAN.” 

I digress…

Instead of making it all pretty and flow, I’m just going to type out the notes I took and you can read them and think about them. 

*Self-control isn’t an issue of will power, it’s an issue of faith. The only way to fight the cravings we have (referring to addiction of any kind…TV, alcohol, pornography, food, money, work, etc.) is to fight the good fight of faith (see 1 Timothy 6:13)

*God is glorified IN your struggle as you struggle THROUGH it. 

*I found it especially cool that Colossians 1:29 says that, “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” Pastor Steve emphasized, WITH ALL HIS ENERGY. We struggle…but we have HIS energy. 

*You cannot defeat an addiction with a great moral code.
You know “you shouldn’t,” and then you do.
You promise “you’ll do better,” and then you don’t.
You say, “I’ll never do that again,” and you mean it, but you do it again. 

*You cannot overcome addiction with self-loathing.
You cannot overcome addiction with promises to those who love you.
You cannot overcome addiction with a renewed commitment to church and bible reading (although this is good). 

*So, how DO you overcome it/them? The only way to overcome a pleasure is to introduce a superior pleasure. 

Which is God, Himself. It’s why the Word says “taste and see that the Lord is good (see Psalm 34:8).

*Titus 2:11 says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, TRAINING US to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age…” So we are being trained to refuse or deny what the world offers and realize that the greater pleasure being offered to us is God Himself, and the hope we have in heaven. I need to start praying to TASTE that. 

*Like verse 14, I need to pray to be a person who is “zealous for good works.” To be a woman who eagerly desires to do good deeds, not be consumed by worldly passions (like TV, alcohol, pornography, food, any form of lust, being filled with envy, money, work, etc). 

*We are to fight the good fight of faith and seek God for pleasure in Christ. 

*If God loves me (and He does), then He’ll give me what is best for me. That’s God Himself. He is the treasure. He could give me everything I want, but it would mean nothing without Him. 

The following are my own thoughts at the end of the sermon: 

I don’t know how to open up my heart to God, really; to taste and see. I don’t know HOW to see His superior pleasure or enjoy it. 

I get hints of it, but I have a hard time LIVING in it. Intimacy in my relationships with people is a big issue for me (i suck at it) so of course that transfers to my relationship with God. I’ve gotten better though over the past 6 years or so. Slow but steady progress, so I’ll just keep going. I know now not to feel guilty for being this way and just keep learning. 

Example: I know how to wallow in the shadow of my sin at God’s feet, but I’m not so good at the dancing freely in His presence thing. Or letting Him slow dance me around for the pleasure of being with Him and being held. That tends to make me feel “icky” which may sound weird. I don’t know why I feel that way, but it’s ok because He’ll show me things in the awkwardness. 

This sermon gave me so much to think about. Thoughts? Whether you were there or not.