They say experience is the best teacher. After watching the news, my heart was broken. I don't know what she felt, but I certainly know how she felt. If you are not certain, you should have no doubt that we are living in the last days. Jesus preached that he would leave one to go after ninety-nine. Today, the "shepherds" are more than willing to abandon one if they think it would allow them to keep the ninety-nine, but in reality it's more like 20-30. It saddens me that we have come to this, especially in this day and age. And to top it off, we have a person that's running for election, putting allegedly having an 82 year old woman arrested and/or charged with trespassing for praying in the church she was born and raised in. Shameful. In the works of Oladuah Equiano, in his book, "The Slave Trade", Oh, ye nominal Christians, learn ye this from your God." Surely, we know God is a God of love and he beseeh us to live peaceable with one another. Thankfully, I left when I wasn't wanted and I'm glad that it didn't lead to such a confrontation, but the fact that two churches, within a city this small, actually wanted to put members out for voicing an opinion, does not bode well for the evangelical community of this city. When I posted the matter on my facebook page, people were cringing at the thought of Lumberton being in the news. But if you don't want Lumberton on the news, then stop electing people that keep getting us on the news.
You may have been abused by shepherds who should have restored you but instead chose to condemn you (or worse). Or perhaps you have been neglected by churchgoers who should have cared enough to seek you out and return you to the flock. I do not deny that many of us have been victims of the sinful, selfish, and hurtful acts of those in and around the church.
But we must also acknowledge the real possibility that sometimes we choose to remain victims when we have the opportunity to move on. It is a waste of our spiritual potential to fixate on how events of the past could have or should have been different. Most of us who have been hurt could persuade any jury that the treatment we received from other Christians should have been different. But here is the truth: THINGS ARE NOT DIFFERENT.
No amount of time spent dwelling on how another sheep hurt us or should have done something different will change our present situation. And I must say, I am guilty of that. I spent so much time trying to play the victim instead of shaking the dust from my feet and moving on. But when you're going through hurt, especially based on mis-information or a hidden agenda, it's hard to move forward. But I'm thankful that I'm at a place where I'm not tied to a building or it's inhabitiants. Pastors may be able to put a person out of a building but they can't stop your praise. We all have a direfct line to our Lord and Saviour and he's just a prayer away. It takes time. We can't focus on the things we brought to the congregation (material and/spiritual). Our work must be unto the Lord and once we realize that our work is pleasing to the Lord, it matters not that man is not satisfied.
Imagine that you have been shot and rushed to the emergency room. Would you spend all of your time worrying about who shot you? Or do you think your first concern might be to survive?
With physical hurts, we immediately seek help. But emotional and spiritual hurts seem to engender a response unlike any other wound. When we are "shot" by people in the church, we tend to focus on the shooter, not the Healer. This is one of our Enemy's most effective distraction strategies—he knows that healing is available, and he does not want us to get it.
Satan would have us forget that being broken is an integral part of God's plan for our growth. The apostle Paul, who begged God to remove his affliction, came to an important realization:
And then he told me, "My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness." Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9, The Message)
Paul "quit focusing on the handicap." This action is essential to recovery. Sadly, many of us stop acting when we are broken, but this point of resignation is just short of the point where we can receive God's healing. Please keep Mrs. Vonceile Richardson in your prayers, this is not something anyone should have to edure, especially a woman that's over 80 years old.
They say experience is the best teacher. After watching the news, my heart was broken. I don't know what she felt, but I certainly know how she felt. If you are not certain, you should have no doubt that we are living in the last days. Jesus preached that he would leave one to go after ninety-nine. Today, the "shepherds" are more than willing to abandon one if they think it would allow them to keep the ninety-nine, but in reality it's more like 20-30. It saddens me that we have come to this, especially in this day and age. And to top it off, we have a person that's running for election, putting allegedly having an 82 year old woman arrested and/or charged with trespassing for praying in the church she was born and raised in. Shameful. In the works of Oladuah Equiano, in his book, "The Slave Trade", Oh, ye nominal Christians, learn ye this from your God." Surely, we know God is a God of love and he beseeh us to live peaceable with one another. Thankfully, I left when I wasn't wanted and I'm glad that it didn't lead to such a confrontation, but the fact that two churches, within a city this small, actually wanted to put members out for voicing an opinion, does not bode well for the evangelical community of this city. When I posted the matter on my facebook page, people were cringing at the thought of Lumberton being in the news. But if you don't want Lumberton on the news, then stop electing people that keep getting us on the news.
You may have been abused by shepherds who should have restored you but instead chose to condemn you (or worse). Or perhaps you have been neglected by churchgoers who should have cared enough to seek you out and return you to the flock. I do not deny that many of us have been victims of the sinful, selfish, and hurtful acts of those in and around the church.
But we must also acknowledge the real possibility that sometimes we choose to remain victims when we have the opportunity to move on. It is a waste of our spiritual potential to fixate on how events of the past could have or should have been different. Most of us who have been hurt could persuade any jury that the treatment we received from other Christians should have been different. But here is the truth: THINGS ARE NOT DIFFERENT.
No amount of time spent dwelling on how another sheep hurt us or should have done something different will change our present situation. And I must say, I am guilty of that. I spent so much time trying to play the victim instead of shaking the dust from my feet and moving on. But when you're going through hurt, especially based on mis-information or a hidden agenda, it's hard to move forward. But I'm thankful that I'm at a place where I'm not tied to a building or it's inhabitiants. Pastors may be able to put a person out of a building but they can't stop your praise. We all have a direfct line to our Lord and Saviour and he's just a prayer away. It takes time. We can't focus on the things we brought to the congregation (material and/spiritual). Our work must be unto the Lord and once we realize that our work is pleasing to the Lord, it matters not that man is not satisfied.
Imagine that you have been shot and rushed to the emergency room. Would you spend all of your time worrying about who shot you? Or do you think your first concern might be to survive?
With physical hurts, we immediately seek help. But emotional and spiritual hurts seem to engender a response unlike any other wound. When we are "shot" by people in the church, we tend to focus on the shooter, not the Healer. This is one of our Enemy's most effective distraction strategies—he knows that healing is available, and he does not want us to get it.
Satan would have us forget that being broken is an integral part of God's plan for our growth. The apostle Paul, who begged God to remove his affliction, came to an important realization:
And then he told me, "My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness." Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9, The Message)
Paul "quit focusing on the handicap." This action is essential to recovery. Sadly, many of us stop acting when we are broken, but this point of resignation is just short of the point where we can receive God's healing. Please keep Mrs. Vonceile Richardson in your prayers, this is not something anyone should have to edure, especially a woman that's over 80 years old.
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