Showing posts with label United Pentecostal Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United Pentecostal Church. Show all posts
Monday, August 8, 2011
Riding the TITLE Wave
What do I mean by “Riding the TITLE Wave”? Well, this is just a pet peeve button of mine that I have had pushed quite a few times over the past few months…and not just in Church. I have never been one to keep score of wrongs, only to keep mental notes of how NOT act as a Christian.
Join me for a little walk in my head, okay? A couple of months ago, I took a stroll down to one of our wonderful administration offices (won’t say if its City or County) attempting to make a change on an account of ours with completed form in hand. I was greeted by a new, very stoic matter-of-fact person who basically let me know by her actions that she wasn’t being paid enough to expend more time than a payment entry on me. She took my form back to a lady behind her whom I had dealt with for 16 years, obviously who had been promoted. Little Miss Stoic sashayed back and informed me that her “supervisor” said I would have to get another form filled out by my husband making this request because my name was not the only one on the account. REALLY?! So I’m thinking to myself, “If I was making a payment (like I’ve done for 16 years without him present) you would take it, but because I’m asking for a draft from a different bank account we changed to I have to get permission from my husband? I JUST want to pay you, that’s all.” “Yeah, das right,” says Little Miss Stoic, while sucking through her teeth and examining her fake nails with that “NEXT?!” look on her face. The Lady I had dealt with for over 16 years (whom I had done multiple favors for) just sat with a smirk on her face. Guess she doesn’t recognize me now since her promotion to such a high-and-lifted-up position of a dollar more on the hour. I just took the form, leaving for a second time WITHOUT my problem being fixed.
Later that week, I received a call from a very spiritual customer. Right off the bat, she began to tell me that “the Lord told me I am to purchase a home” in such and such neighborhood, and she wanted the best home available because she was “blessed and highly favored of God.” When I took her name, she made sure that I wrote down “Prophetess” at the front of it. I’m NOT joking! Unfortunately, the “Prophetess” failed to tell me that she had squeezed the very life out of her credit rating and couldn’t qualify to buy a Barbie Dream Home for $39.95! TITLES! UGH!
I even see this same phenomenon in church. Give someone a title and it makes them feel EN-titled and exempt from any job description outside their own! Sure, God’s people are SUPPOSED to be blessed, HOWEVER, they are SUPPOSED to live lives that bring glory to God in turn! Unfortunately, all we want to hear about is the blessing and perks to US. We take our title as “Christian” to mean that we are entitled to God’s Kingdom in its entirety, but we don’t want to carry the Cross of servanthood and self-sacrifice it requires. Away with the “I’m not over that project so I don’t want to have anything to do with it,” mentality! We have to get over ourselves if we ever expect God to really use us. It’s no wonder He said in His Word, “the harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few…” Luke 10:2
I believe with all my heart that a new generation of laborers is rising up to take their place, not only in the Church, but also in the Community. They are the GIANTS of our time who are ready to turn their world upside down with Truth, servanthood, integrity and high moral example. “…These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;…saying that there is another king, one Jesus” Acts 17:6-7. These GIANTS do not need titles to validate their position with their Lord! Their philosophy will be this: “Some people see the glass half-empty, some see it as half-full, we simply see a glass of water and start looking for someone who is thirsty.” They are not satisfied to simply ride the Title wave, they want to start a Tsunami of Truth! “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” Rev 12:11. I say to these GIANTS: “GO!”
Saturday, June 18, 2011
This is NOT Your Conscience Calling!
This is NOT your Conscience Calling!
Those of you who have known me for a while know very well that I am a big fan of social media. An addict?—No, but I’ll admit it right here in front of God and everybody that I have a definite affinity for people-watching. I love people! I love their quirks, funny quotes, their mundane routines and sometimes even their TMI (too much information) admissions. However, what I do not like is something I am seeing more and more these days and that is those who feel the need to be the “Conscience of the Masses.”
I have watched as those members of the Conscience Police spout out their poisons at someone who cut them off in the parking lot of the grocery store or, God forbid, didn’t get their order right. However, the first time they see someone else complaining about being done wrong, especially if the wronged spouter was a Christian, they weigh in with their two cents. They rail on that Christian relentlessly about how they are supposed to consider the upraising of their bully and why they may be bullying. Sure, hurting people hurt other people; BUT guess what? Christians sometimes have bad days too! We are not perfect beings floating around on some cloud of listless happiness offering everyone a pot shot at us or handing out forgiveness like coupons before its even asked for.
I overheard some un-churched friends of mine one day talking about how they HATE having to deal with a certain woman in town who worked at a prominent business all of us used. My friend’s words (and I quote) were “Celi, I sure hope that woman doesn’t go to your church, because if she does, I will NEVER set foot there. If she’s what a Christian is, I don’t wanna be one! I have gone into that business ten times or more and she has never once even smiled. She just stands there with a perpetual smirk on her face looking down her self-righteous nose at me. I was told she is an established member of a church here in town.” All I could say was, “I’m so sorry… but PLEASE don’t judge all of us by her actions.” Later, I saw that same lady blasting another Christian out on facebook for making an observed judgment conclusion that I totally agreed with. Suddenly, she had found a conscience somewhere in that bitter soul of hers and was enforcing her Christian Political Correctness on someone else.
I was talking to a self-proclaimed church leader the other day and he totally blew my mind. He admitted to interrupting the pastor during his sermon, walking down to the front and telling the entire congregation that he was taking his daughter off the membership and began pouring out details of her private sin. Now, do you think that poor girl will EVER go back to church after THAT? I certainly wouldn’t! I seem to recall the Lord Jesus saying something about casting the first stone? (John 8:7)
My point? As Christians, we have been called to love, teach, baptize, heal and teach some more. What we have NOT been called to do is act as the collective Conscience of everyone around us. Unfortunately, the only things we are sometimes teaching sinners is WHAT NOT TO DO! Yes, sometimes the Lord expects us to use His Word to call it like it is, but that is typically when it pertains to US, NOT others! Jude said it best: “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” Jude 21-23
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)