She is a Pentecostal believer. So, our first line of defense is to Pray, then medicate.
After the dipstick was returned we talked a little politics. I had just listened on my way to the clinic to most of an interview on Fresh Air with Terry Gross (yes still that nasty old NPR). She now was interviewing Richard Chizik, VP of International Affairs for the NAE. Evangelicals.
He had been on Leanne Hansen a few days ago. You can hear both interviews here if you want.
Once more I came to the conclusion as I listened that he in no way speaks for me. What he is saying is compromise with the world. I do not belong to whatever it is he is proclaiming at any level.
I said to Doc, I feel like an outsider. Like I don't belong. She said, "You don't". She's right. I don't. I surely don't belong to whatever national religion Chizik is propounding. Going along to get along. I am NOT that person.
In going back over several of Lee Grady's posts recently I saw one that seems to fit right in with this. Did you know that there were African Americans who did NOT vote for Barack Obama? They felt that the stand he took on several issues was not a righteous stand and could not support him.
That supporting him simply because he was black was not the moral thing to do. As one said,
“I hear some black pastors saying from the pulpit, ‘Let’s thank God we’re going to have a black man in the White House.’ Well, I’m sorry, but I don’t think this is the right black man.”
As a child in the 1960s I rode in the back of the bus. I was at the front of the riot lines in the 1970s, when I hit white boys on the head with bricks and dragged white girls down sidewalks near my school. I also experienced serious racism when I was an athlete in college.
I have been called the "N" word many times. I was taught to hate white people, and some of my relatives still call white people names such as "honky" and "cracker." But after I found Jesus, I was delivered from racism. I am free indeed!
I would love to see a black brother in the White House—but not someone like Obama, who has embraced humanistic doctrines. Many white preachers are afraid to say this, and many black preachers won't touch it with a 10-foot pole.
I love Obama and pray for him and his family. But as Elijah troubled Ahab in Israel, I will challenge his views because they are dangerous to our religious liberties. It's time to draw the line.
Black Christians today need to put their faith first when they step into the voting booth. Does Obama represent godly values?
I know what I am saying is not popular, and some people will denounce me for it. But I believe it is time to draw a line.
Believers can no longer make excuses by pulling their race cards, leaning on their lukewarm denominational rules or hiding under the covering of a political party. If we want America to recover, we must repent. We must choose the right side.
We must stand strong for what we believe and hold our ground. We must declare, as Joshua did, "Whoever is on God's side ... stand with me!"
You will want to read the whole thing. These two are related in that they demonstrate a divide that is not healthy for the Kingdom nor for the Nation. If we are of Christ, we must be that, if we are of Mammon and the world system, we must be that.
I have a foot in both worlds I heard Stan Brown say. He is right. I can't help it. I must.
BUT, I must decide in the end who's side I am on. I'm sorry to say, it is NOT Richard Chizik's side. His is a watered down Christianity that neither represents or stands for what I do.
I understand the reality of it all. I am a minority and may become even more so. I know that. But to go along to get along will reach no souls for Jesus, will raise no standard when the devil comes in like a flood, will have no benchmark for the world to respond to and will become even more inert in the World of Sin in which we live.
If you want evidence of the truth of my position, read the comments on the NPR Site. They aren't coming to Jesus any time soon. They are hostile to the things of God.
Where do we get off thinking that by moderating our views on Homosexual marriage and Abortion in favor of Global Warming prevention will have any positive effect on building the kingdom.
I depart from affiliation with a Lukewarm Gospel that stands for nothing. Having done all I will STAND:
To stand, despite the warfare; to stand, despite the resistance; to stand, despite the hassles; to stand, despite weariness; to stand, despite distresses; to stand, despite the temptations; to stand, despite personal failure and collapse; to stand, despite the grief; to stand, despite the loneliness; to stand, even when chained; just to stand!
To stand, because of the cross; to stand, because of the Lamb; to stand, because of His affections; to stand, because of His acceptance; to stand, because of His mighty power within; to stand, because of fountains of living water flowing from the innermost being; to stand, because of His surpassing beauty and greatness; to stand, because of His eternal purpose; to stand, because of His everlasting mercies; to stand, because of love!
The job description for the Levites is still applicable to us today: “At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to Him and to bless His name, to this day” (Deuteronomy 10:8). One of our prime responsibilities ( and privileges!) is to stand before the Lord to minister to Him. In the secret place, we simply stand. No great agenda, no mighty ambitions, no rush to move on to the next thing. We just stand before Him and love Him.
There are seasons when God calls us to simply stand. We might prefer the adrenalin of chasing down a great cause, but sometimes God calls us to stop all activity and just stand. Sometimes, He gives us no choice. Occasionally, circumstances will constrain us beyond our ability to steer a different course, and we become prisoners to the chains that bind us to God’s will. Incapable of extricating ourselves and moving on to the next thing, all we can do is stand and burn in holy love for our King.
Come and Stand for Jesus with me. It won't be popular, but it matters.
No comments:
Post a Comment