As expected I was both applauded and chastised Friday for my stance on signing a petition to allow our citizens an opportunity to vote either for or against alcohol sales in our dry county. It seems opinions are running strong within my reader flock, and not one person who wrote is ambiguous about their stance in the slightest. The lines are drawn – Some folks favor it and some don’t. Both sides of this issue have strong convictions.
I think that is how different denominations came about. They all seem to worship the same God, but they read the rules differently. Two people read the same Bible, but come up with entirely different interpretations. I’ve studied it for decades and can say that some things are not entirely clear and thus lend themselves well to different interpretations.
Hmmm… Why do you suppose God didn’t elaborate more on certain issues, or clear things up for us?
Did He do so purposely in order for some to choose different routes to get to the same place?
Selah…
I don’t think Jesus feels that in the big scheme of things that some things are that big of a deal, especially to weak flesh. I think He gave us exactly how much we need to know in His Bible. My study indicates that He is more concerned with things that He considers to be of the utmost importance such as obtaining our own eternal Salvation, and witnessing to others to help them achieve theirs. Verses in this realm leave little doubt that there is but one gate to enter through in which one can see God, and that gate is His Son Jesus Christ.
Indeed God wants us to be happy, and know peace, and joy in our lives while living on this earth. His laws, (as laid out in the Bible), are designed to assist us with that process. I’ve found in my walk that I know more peace, and joy in my life when I am closest to obeying God’s laws as I understand them. There is a problem sometimes in trying to observe all laws when there are conflicting messages throughout the Bible about certain subjects (such as alcohol consumption).
As I wrote on Friday in some passages it tells us that it is okay to consume alcohol if done in moderation, and yet in others it tells us it can hurt us and others.
Here is an example where drinking seems to be okay for us, but not others: Say a fellow Christian respects you and then sees you take a social drink, and as a result he thinks that since you did it, it’s okay for him to drink too; however you are strong and can drink in moderation, but he is weak and wants to keep drinking until he passes out in a drunken stupor, (like I used to do), and is soon overtaken by alcoholism because of your example. Not good.
We’re kind of damned if we do or don’t – eh?
Some denominations make a big deal out of things that seem near irrelevant to me. For example, I will likely receive a letter from some fundamentalist saying I shouldn’t have used the word “damned” in this column.
Bah!
I find that word in the Bible and I don’t hear anyone complaining about that???
One guy wrote me and stated that he believes a verse that states that Jesus was crucified on a tree instead of on a cross and anyone who says he was crucified on a cross is a blasphemer. Yikes! That is an unforgiveable sin is it not?
He also believes that it is a sin to dance, for women to wear make-up, women should wear long hair and long dresses that expose no flesh, men should wear beards, and hats at all times and no one can have windows in a church. Oh yeah it’s also a sin to worship on Sunday instead of Saturday.
Huh? If I were a non-Christian I would tell this guy to take a hike on a dangerous trail.
Rules, rules, rules, we must abide by all of the rules.
Bah!
God is merciful and He is compassionate far beyond our limited ability to comprehend it. Impossible religious demands make it impossible to reach the vast majority of the lost for Christ.
Famous all pro football star Bill Glass at first refused to play professional football on Sundays and went to Canada where he could play on Saturdays in order to avoid it. He also didn’t even want to be in the same locker room with all those – those – bad boy sinners who cussed like sailors and went out with wild women. Old Bill’s heart was changed by God and he realized that he needed to be in those locker rooms that were filled with profanity in order to have a positive impact on them. And he did!
After he retired from the NFL where he played on Sundays he went on to make his way into literally thousands and tens of thousands of prisons to preach to bad boy sinner prisoners over the next forty years to have a tremendous impact on those tortured souls such as few have ever achieved. No doubt when he arrives in heaven he will be surrounded by hordes of those who want to thank him for overlooking their sins and witnessing to them in order that they too could find Christ.
Bill did just like Jesus did and didn’t focus on the small stuff and concentrated on the important things. I would not be a Christian today if I had not read of the compassion of Christ and His non-condemning approach to the lost in the Bible. I didn’t want some do-gooder pointing his plastic finger at me telling me that everything I did was wrong and I had to follow RULES – RULES – RULES, just like them!
Everyone looked at me and saw a worthless sinner. But God looked beyond my current position and saw what I could be with His help.
I want to be like Jesus.
Truthfully I’m too weak to get there, but I wish I could.
We should follow His example. Lighten up some. You can’t make someone be perfect (like some folks think they are), but you darned sure can make them want to be perfect.
Selah – think about it…
Change of thought process: Several people have asked about the Friends of Honey Lake Day Event; unfortunately I cannot get my schedule to cooperate and it has been postponed while we try to find a “perfect” date. I’ll let you know when we get it resurrected.
Have a great day this fine Monday!
Matt. 23:4
They crush you with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to help ease the burden…”Everything they do is for show. How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you won’t let others enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and you won’t go in yourselves.