When it starts to get fun

[StriperAddict]

To think that faith is fun might be blasphemous to some, but abundant life to another. I read somewhere that the joy of the Lord is our strength. You may just catch some here ...
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One spring evening, for the first time, I saw it. Who I risked becoming—a higher-educated, striving, religious Pharisee. I saw the life I was forming, living out the implications of trying to please God by enough fervent effort and self-denial.

I was in my bedroom, trying to pray. They were in the living room watching an inane television show. It was turned up too loud. Sitcom television sounds even more garish from another room.

My friends sounded like drunks in a roomful of drunks. They were wheezing in laughter. I would one day wish I could be back with them in that moment, wheezing along with them. But at the time I was trying so hard to prove I was cut from different cloth. That I was more sold out, more passionate, more faithful, more attentive to God. Godly people do not fritter their time away in noisy and cheap laughter. Only later would I discover I was only attempting to disprove what my shame wanted to convince me of—that I was not enough. I was tied up tight in chains of performance. I was judging my friends in the other room as halfhearted Laodiceans, not caring enough to be fully used by God.

Whatever I did over the next hour was anything but prayer. I was filled with seething, arrogant religiosity. God was out watching television, laughing with my friends.

At some point, I whispered out in a muffled scream: “I don’t get You. I’m trying so hard to do things right and You don’t show up! Those people are out there not caring about the things of God and they’re having a great time. Listen to them! Me, I’m miserable. I hate this. I’m watching the clock, every minute, trying to put in an hour, like those famous saints who said if they didn’t get in two hours of prayer, the day was wasted.” Many of us face a time where we are tempted to blame God for not doing enough in us, fast enough, impressively enough. We become weary from doing all the things to impress Him, expecting more return. “I’m trying, God. I’m trying! Help me. Tell me what You want me to do. I want to be a godly man. I want to do great things. I want to get over the garbage in me. Why don’t You make it happen? I’m doing everything I know how to do.” This was actually a very good moment; when pride could turn into humility.

"John, I wish you could walk out there and be with your friends. At this moment, they are throwing cornbread at each other and watching reruns of Mannix. I was out there with them, moments ago. So, this is an important moment. You are growing weary of trying to figure out how to please Me. You’ve been trying so hard for so long. There is endless difference between straining for My favor by doing enough right and allowing My Spirit to draw out the good you now actually want to do. You are using your same old willpower and discipline to behave how you think I would want. Tonight you are witnessing the sham of your own performing. You’re less than three years into your faith and completely miserable. I never wanted that for you. Have you forgotten how astonishing those first few months were? You were free, alive, and we talked like lifelong friends. Then you got religious on Me.

So, you had to wear yourself out. Now you’re becoming open to a new living out this faith in Me. This is where it will start to get fun. "

On My Worst Day - The Narrative Changes When Redemption Enters In
John Lynch

 

[gordon 2]

Lots of people have figured this out. That is why Sunday has become race day for many or just a regular work day.

 

[StriperAddict]

I look forward to hearing his reply, if you'd permit us brother.

 

[Israel]

I look forward to hearing his reply, if you'd permit us brother.

I hope he does reply...and if he's amenable to its sharing, certainly will.

 

[gordon 2]

I hope it is a witness and not a capture expressed as essay via a narrative of some state general to the body of saints.

"On My Worst Day - The Narrative..."

There is a difference between a testimony to declare a witness and a narrative so to declare a state that might be or might not be of a disciplined and careful assessment.

The Pharisee that chilled out that never was a Pharisee at all vs the Pharisee that is in spiritual crisis? After all a Pharisee is a complex individual... he knows why he is doing what he is doing and like Paul can get a grip on things when the things he is doing for good ends up doing just the opposite or no good or he can't for sundry reasons.


The relationship with pleasure and what is good and evil is interesting. A Pharisee would know this. The pleasure of watching entertaining tv and having food fights while at it, don't seem to be what a Pharisee would turn to. But hey, maybe so. To call one's self Pharisee is often to call to stereotype and sometimes the problem is but a stereotype. Therefore I'm cautious especially with the reference that On My Worst Day (as a narrative!).

Nevertheless in some sectors of Christianity being religious is a stereotype for being Pharisee like. We've all heard the words " Religious spirits" when someone is judging a congregation or an individual as often a condemnation--- a looking down on, a put down sometimes. Or in a narrative a foil.

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"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

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I suggest that a Pharisee is exactly after the above in truth and spirit and this nature is not removed for Christians as being rebellious. It is rather when wanting to do good one does evil that a Pharisee is put down and this is also or continues with Christians. Not all Pharisees were antagonistic towards Jesus, yet those who were were a lot.

Nevertheless, He is personal as you say and everyone does not learn in the same way... the road from being a babe on milk to a mature adult is not the same for everyone.

I suspect that The Pilgrim's Progress is not far from On My Worst Day. But I might be wrong... and it will not be the first time if I am. I'm just cautious that way.

 

[gordon 2]

This is what I glean from your page. Even the apostles are side steppers and confused about what is Christ's or what is heavenly. Therefore one should be careful? The submariner's ping on Christ makes it worthwhile however.

The sheep are scattered and confused and to controversy also. And not only because they are on their own as Peter is on his own but they will be made to be on their own and to confusion and controversy.

Yet Christ's prophecy is that they will be scattered. Perhaps there is need-requirement (in order to have the effect desired) that they be scattered.

So the apostles are scatter brains and hearts and they are to be scattered world wide. What is the glue to keeps the enterprise ship shape both in the hearts and minds of a fallible crew and in the greater geographic-world wide scattering which will physically seperate or distance the group?


The glue might be Christ to you. But wait all have Christ yet they are scattered and will be scattered by designs...desires and the desire for desire etc...

How about it be better when two or three are gather in council and the outcome is a better glue, where precedent follows precedent in a reasonable manner for the purpose of " feeding His sheep". How about if the command to " Feed my sheep" is the glue? How bout if many testimonies are useful for discerning what a particular sheep or flock would need in the "feed" mix so that they might be fed as per Jesus' instructions to " Feed my sheep".

It should not come as a surprise that sheep and individuals are scattered to many different pastures. Not all pastures, pastors, have the resources to feed all the minerals. Sometimes thinking to do good for lack of forage a pastor feeds a weed innocently. What will settle it for such a pastor's intent is due Christ? Yet he feeds poisons.


So what is the glue. It is the Church with the specific instruction to "Feed my Sheep". And it is from its history ( The Church) of creativity and adjustments that I can compare when a man acts on a personal revelation against what the Church might suggest. A man or woman that does not consider the Church in his or her personal revelation is not a sheep and perhaps a goat or perhaps just someone able to write narratives to entertain others while they are being fed to discovery? Perhaps.

I am cautious. I'm especially cautious of book writers, those that write for a living... And not because I have my own personal revelation to testify about, but because I am humbled by the instruction that the purpose is to feed the sheep. It is the one great instruction of the apostolic tradition which if from a heavenly observation that we as individuals are scattered, are all over the place and confused at least some of the time for various reasons from life span to misunderstandings and that collectively we are scattered all over the world all over the world. Yet we are to Christ the glue that binds us to one body, his body, is the Church.

Now sometimes the Church is Goliath and a simple God fearing person can be David but in the history of man in regards to Abraham's God the seasons are not peppered with Davids being the rule.

So the Church is the glue to a discerning mind-- though like Peter we have Jesus right in front of our faces or Jesus has witness to some through some of our faculties or senses, and to some differently, to which many can, have and will testify. In the many that have testified I try to see where it was a good fit to feed the sheep or was it a square peg for a round hole even.

My brother Israel... I might be wrong in all this... my comments due to inadequate glue even... glue with minerals missing which some will quickly claim to be so and so be it. I will fellowship that much better for their pointing this out. In Christ our Savior...I am, in debt to you.

PS> did you ever see where Paul was corrected on a notion he had possibly in error or in part in error. Did Paul correct himself? How do you think he did it if he did? Was Paul a lone ranger?

 

[Israel]

yes...the Lord was speaking about (commercial) "book writers"...even the many of whom who may be today's apostles and prophets but have not quite apprehended freely you have received, freely give (in every circumstance, bar none)...finding instead the expediencies they imagine for more "general" distribution possible.
They have also not yet learned the griefs and burdens invited by trying to plant beyond the fields assigned them.

Seminars charged for, conferences with fees to enter...with the "notables" taking the stage...all hogwash and being shown corrupt.

Was Paul a lone ranger?

He learned it was more than OK when need be.

At my first response no man stood with me...

 

[gordon 2]

I find it hard to believe that at first response a man stands alone... Life happens in the context of other lives. We pay the bills to someone. Between birth and death we find and do jobs to pay the bills and sometimes make time for the car races and sometimes we make time to ask" " What is salvation?"

I'm cautious. I am deeply influenced by the doctrines of my cult and the doctrines I understand to be of other cults. I sound the spirits each have created and I caution my understanding and the understanding of others and especially when they say " God told me." I have an internal-external eternal life clock and one foot on both sides of the Jordan. I'm cautious of who others are and what they claim they do spiritually.


I find God simply beautifully complex and I find this of people (s) also. When God speaks to individuals and peoples it is no ordinary event on one side o the Jordan. I'm cautious. And possibly this is very Christian in doctrine. The doctrine of caution.

Are we feeding sheep today or is it going in the direction of a church split again, a new denomination perhaps, an other Holy Ghost inspired mission or church planting with sundry doctrines to come to light or darkness that humans are so keen to run with. I'm cautious of prophets who climb on benches to testify to the crowds. I'm cautious... that the wiped up fervor towards Christ will turn to things other than Christ, to understandings thought as if love even. I'm cautious.

I have heard the many horses run... and have noticed my and others' difficulty in catching their harnesses and stopping them. In my case when I was as a horse it was the church who checked my reins... and so I fear for the man without religion...that with the Holy Spirit he will let but that one spirit guide him on this side of Judgement Day.