I'm not ashamed of the Christ who died for me.
I am not ashamed to admit that I believe in hell and I believe in heaven.
I'm not ashamed to admit that without Christ in my life I most likely would be dead or a full blown alcoholic by now.
What I am ashamed of is how some folks who CALL themselves Christians act.
I am also ashamed of how I act sometimes.
I have trouble telling someone about Christ because I often feel like I am being forced to answer for the infractions of others who claimed Christianity but acted like a heathen...
I stand convicted because even after claiming my own heavenly inheritance, I still find myself caught in the ways of the world, behaving as sinners behave...talking like sinners talk...
For many years I allowed these type of thoughts to hold me back, to make me crazy with guilt...No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't stop "sinning".
Then I found out about the Jesus of the Bible. He is different than the Jesus of Religions.
All along, many of my "convictions" were actually condemnations of the religious. Many of my convictions were real, Christ given, convictions that I had to repent of and receive forgiveness for.
Growing up in the religious manner in which I did, the church government allowed no room for living, breathing, people. People with real honest problems who felt like there was something wrong with their relationship with God if they were experiencing any problems whatsoever in their life....
Depression? Why you're just out of fellowship with God. Not true!! If you are experiencing depression, seek help...PLEASE.
Finances got you down? You obviously aren't tithing. I believe we should tithe. I DO NOT necessarily believe that means tithing to a specific church or organization. I think that often times, God would have you give your tithe to someone specific. I believe that if you ask God where to give your 10%, HE will show you and in that obedience HE will bless you!
Unable to find your place in your church home? Maybe you should help out more, do more...
Being involved in church becomes this exhausting roller coaster that most of your normal hardworking people just don't have the time or the energy for. Religion, doesn't understand that.
The good news is... JESUS DOES!!
Jesus said in Matthew 11:30 "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light".
How can we place ourselves under a religious yoke when Christ Himself said that HIS YOKE is easy. Religion is many things...EASY isn't one of them.
The truth is that we should be willing to help out with our churches when there is a need. The church shouldn't be so needy. But such is the nature of religion. Its a growing monster that can not be fed enough bodies to make it happy.
Religion says "Where were you Sunday? You weren't in Sunday School, YOU weren't in church."
Christians SHOULD be saying "Hey, we sure missed you! Is there anything you need?"
I know that I personally prefer to be missed rather than judged based on my attendance.
and just a little advice to the religious types ... if you want to improve your numbers on Sunday...treat people like people and not like pew fillers and numbers for some chart in a corporate office.
Update: as of MAY 1, 2010 ... I feel like I have been given new "orders" where my walk with Christ is concerned. I have stepped away from being an active involved member of any one particular church. Instead I go to church when and if God leads. I am no longer just going for the sake of going. So that my name can be counted on "man's" log book. There is more to this journey I now find myself on but I will have to post it another time... Peace be with you and yours. Seek GOD and YOU WILL FIND HIM.
