A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


June 2, 2017

Why Are We Fighting Each Other?

     There are times when I think that I should just turn this blog over to you readers -- the comments you make are so intelligent, inspired, and perceptive that I wonder if you are getting a download straight from Heaven.  And it becomes obvious that what I am seeing and experiencing within the Body of Christ -- and the renewing of my mind as I discern new understanding in the Bible -- is a shared occurrence with many of you.
      Yet, as I rejoice over this common spiritual direction, I have also offended some who find my mentioning teachers and leaders outside their comfort zone as grounds to quit reading this blog.  That is certainly their choice and we all have to decide for ourselves what we think the Bible is teaching us.  Not every voice out there is going to be 100% accepted by all. In fact, our theology can be both an encouragement and a stumbling block in relating to our fellow Christians.
     On that note, I find it disheartening that our disagreements on theology tend to divide us.  Why should that be so?  It's as if we Christians are forming a circular firing squad and shooting at each other, not realizing that the only one who wins that battle is the devil.  It's as if everybody is trying to prove that their doctrine is the correct one; judging the one who thinks differently as coloring outside the lines.  I get it!  Everybody is trying to defend the Church -- but nobody is looking to see who is bearing fruit for the Kingdom! And it's beginning to look [to me, at least] as if those who have stepped outside those colored lines are the ones producing the most fruit; the ones who are willing to follow the radical commandments of Jesus just the way He taught them -- and not according to the way they have been redefined according to man's traditions.
     And so, I want to share a couple of comments from readers who are expressing this even better than I can.  I don't get too many comments on what I write, so most of you may not even bother to read them, but these were articulated so well, I think you will benefit from their insight ....
     One reader wrote:  This one should ring true for anyone trying to claw their way from organized, weak and mainstream Christianity. I've noticed that there is a very interesting paradigm that happens when someone wishes to push on the boundaries of the box. First, those with common theological views will align quickly against those wanting to search out a matter. Secondly, those from that theological group will not only lose all aspects of "loving Christianity", but they will not stop until you are physically gone or removed! This is scary stuff, because we are warned of brother turning against brother by Jesus, Himself. His reference is to the thing He's ushering in called "Christianity".
     These so called "Believers", acting as they do, seem to me to be something other than Christians. If it walks like persecution [and talks like persecution]... maybe its persecution! We've been conditioned for so long to look for persecution from outside the Church that we aren't ready as Believers when it comes calling from the nice soccer mom or dad whose superficial and basic understanding of the Scriptures is "enough" for them and should be all you need based on their theological views. In their little Christian tribe, your view is deception and eventual damnation! Got it! The frustating part is all this will end up in the Leadership's lap and the primary motivation will be to shut all the disharmony down as quickly as possible. 
     Those with intentions of deep diving or digging in to really find out what kind of God this is we serve are always going to be a problem for the doctrinally weak-minded. I've been wounded by leadership so many times that I'm immune to their venom! Maybe that's what Jesus meant when He said "we will pick up serpents and no poison will harm us".  I say we better start to thicken our skin with these smaller thinkers and learn to hold our ground. Maybe defending the faith is more than meets the eye. Who would have thought we would need to contend for the faith against a tribe of Believers? I, for one, am done being bullied by church believers who are scared of digging into a concept that is a bit beyond the seminary canned view!!
     Another wrote:  On the ride to work this morning, I told my neighbor about my experience over the last few days listening through the Divine Healing Training (DHT) videos from Curry Blake (which I finished last night). I described wrestling through the subject of divine healing [that] I grapple with every few years, and how "a friend" suggested I watch the videos. I described my willingness to rely on the Holy Spirit inside me to guide me through the subject and that I don't need to be afraid of the sacred cows you mentioned. 
     He didn't have much to say except, "My dad is in that camp." Sometimes the Church's camps baffle me, but then I realize our fleshly nature[is] to surround ourselves with other like-minded believers. They can be helpful as we learn to digest new milk, but crippling when we neglect a balanced diet.
     The Church "IS ONE," something I often forget when not looking through spiritual eyes. For those who take on the calling we've all been commanded to do – to go make disciples – it's pure eternal joy to see the spiritual and doctrinal scales fall off believers as their paradigms shift from old to new.
     I'm grateful for teachers like Chuck Missler who've challenged me to be a Berean and a king who seeks out a matter. Thank YOU for your exhortation and encouragement... and the inspiration to move from milk (the study of doctrine) to meat (the doing of our doctrine). May God continue to heal spiritual infirmities through you.
     Just for the record, I am no one special; no different from any other Christian who realizes that there is more of our God than we know, and we want all of Him.  I am just willing to air the questions I have had, and share the struggles in my journey -- they are no different than others' walks with the Lord, as evidenced by the aforementioned comments.  And there is nothing I enjoy more than "iron sharpening iron" when it comes to "searching out a matter" that pertains to our King!  But I do not understand why we constantly fight each other, when we could join forces to fight our common enemy! Can't we see his scheme of trying to convince each of us that the other is deceived?  We get so focused on winning that we get caught in the vortex of that circular (spinning) firing squad that we don't even notice that no one is advancing in the Kingdom! We're only digging a circular grave of wounded Christians!
     Of course, if someone is trying to teach unbiblical doctrine, then we must lovingly reprove them and show them (in Scripture) where they are mistaken.  But if it is a difference in Biblical interpretation of Scripture (and not revision of God's Truth), can we just agree to disagree?  After all,  Peter and Paul had their differences but they ultimately came to agreement so that the Body of Christ could grow and flourish in Truth and Action.  Let us quit condemning each other over doctrine, and seek to understand each others' hearts.  May the Holy Spirit move in the Church as He did in the First Century!

Galatians 5:15   "But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another".




 

4 comments:

  1. Dear Pam,Yes I enjoy reading the comments,mostly they are very good.I want to say that I read everyday that you post.I say meat and more meat;my grandfather taught us to read when we were 4 or 5 and the Bible was his favorite book.For years I thought that all the great stories were for today.It wasn't till I got older and ended up in church that I was taught that it was fot the old days.I never qUite believed it.In fact I had a hard time with organized religion .When I was somewhere in my thirties I left organized religion[I think I tried them all].For a long time I traveled the broad road,but the Lord never let me go.He began to renew my mind as I concentated just on the Word.So many of us even those who camped outside the tent had years of churchianity to unlearn.
    I want to thank you for doing so much of the foot work .My eyes are not so good and until they are healed I depend on teachers and those that share the meat for daily manna.
    The King bless and keep you open to the teaching and leading of the Holy SPIRIT IN hIS NAME AMEN

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    1. Michele, I am truly touched by your personal testimony! I am grateful to the Lord for keeping you close, and to the Holy Spirit who kept whispering to your soul so that you never got too far off track. And you touched on the essential component of our faith -- renewing our mind. And it must be done continuously to combat the distractions and deceptions that are even in the Church! And I am trusting the Lord for the healing of your eyes. I know it is the desire of His heart that you will be healed! Keep your spiritual eyes on Him, and bless you!

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  2. Pam, once again, right on and perfectly timed. I just finished reading a testimony that Jeff shared on HolySpiritWind and I think it may dovetail quite nicely with your post. Check it out here: http://www.matavuvale.com/m/blogpost?id=2150904%3ABlogPost%3A15204101
    It helped to explain several things about spiritual warfare and prayer that I thought I had understood but after reading this, I became convicted by the many times I had allowed distractions to stop me from pressing through!
    Thank you and all praise unto our king of kings

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    1. Thank you, Thomas! We are all on the same spiritual journey, aren't we?

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