The Bible is God's love letter to us. He knows, as an earthly father does with his children, that we will not get everything right. Not one person on earth follows the Bible perfectly in every sense - it's not possible because people are different and we interpret scripture differently. We are told in the Bible not to look down on others because of things they eat or which days they choose to see as Holy. Paul is clear when he says "Who are you to condemn God's servants?"
The people we perceive as "true Christians" may in fact, not be. Remember that Jesus said that tax collectors and harlots would enter the Kingdom before those who were often seen as righteous in His day. Often, those who were seen as righteous were actually self-righteous, pointing out the flaws in others beliefs and not acknowledging the problems in their own life and walk.
God calls people who don't see themselves as high and mighty, but as people that are not perfect, don't get everything right, and know they are in need of a Savior.
So in answer to your question again, yes. There are many true Christians here. And in this country. However, there are also those who profess to be Christian, but in reality are more into proving others beliefs wrong than in offering love, kindness, support, and fellowship to their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Again, there was only ONE person who had it all right, and we ALL nailed Him to a cross.
As you know, I have pretty intense feelings about the subject of abuse. When it's brought up, I don't always wait to hear the whole story, I want run in with guns blazing and take care of business. Lol. I know what sprained ankles feel like from being dragged down stairs by my hair, I know what being choked until I think I'm going to pass out feels like, I know what black eyes and bruises are, and I know what it's like to be knocked unconscious. I know about hating and loving at the same time, the confusion, the depression, wanting to leave but not wanting to leave...all of it. And I also know what it's like to be set free from everything - what life is like without abuse. I know what it's like to finally be able to see myself as God sees me and not as evil describes me. I guess that's where the passion comes in - I know how much better it is.
I'm praying hard for your family. Praying that your sister will be protected through all of this and that God will give her the strength and courage to accept help. I'm praying that she will have a revelation of God's love for her - and that because of that love, He doesn't want her to be in an abusive relationship. I'm praying for your continued strength to stand by her, and that He will set your fears far from you and maintain your peace. I'm praying for her church that they will begin to hold this man accountable, and I'm praying for your brothers because they sound a lot like me in ways. Lol. I'm also praying for her husband - that God will show him this is not what a husband should be and that he will be given the strength to break the cycle.
Several men are in the locker room of a golf club. A cell phone on a bench rings and a man engages the hands free speaker function and begins to talk. Everyone else in the room stops to listen.
MAN: "Hello."
WOMAN: "Honey, it's me. Are you at the club?"
MAN: "Yes."
WOMAN: "I am at the mall now and found this beautiful leather coat. It's only $1,000. Is it OK if I buy it?"
MAN: "Sure, go ahead if you like it that much."
WOMAN: "I also stopped by the Mercedes dealership and saw the new 2009 models. I saw one I really liked."
MAN: "How much?"
WOMAN: "$90,000."
MAN: "OK, but for that price I want it with all the options."
WOMAN: "Great! Oh, and one more thing . . . the house I wanted last year is back on the market. They're asking $950,000."
MAN: "Well, then go ahead and give them an offer of $900,000. They will probably take it. If not, we can go the extra 50 thousand because it's really what you want."
WOMAN: "OK. I'll see you later! I love you so much!"
MAN: "Bye! I love you, too."
The man hangs up.
The other men in the locker room are staring at him in astonishment, mouths agape.
He turns and asks: "Anyone know who this phone belongs to?"
Elisee and Sandy - I would have been crying, too! (Okay, actually, I did cry when reading these. )
If neither of you mind, I'm going to add to the stories:
When my son was about 4, we were in the grocery store. He was in the front of the cart, and as we were shopping, a man walked by. He had something seriously wrong with one of his eyes - an abscess maybe. After he walked by, my son whispered, "Mommy! What was wrong with his eye?!?" I told him I didn't know, and he said, "I'm going to pray for him, okay?" I told him I thought that would be a wonderful idea.
I watched as my son folded his hands in the shopping cart, bowed his head, and prayed for a good 3 minutes (which is a long time for a 4 year old!!) He then lifted his head and was BEAMING - ear to ear smiles!
Now I know that you're aware that if you hide something under a cup and tell a child that you made it disappear, they are going to want to lift the cup to see for themselves. However, not once did my son want to go look for this guy in the store to see if God had healed his eye. He didn't need to, because he KNEW beyond a doubt that God had done it.
I firmly believe there is a man walking around today with a fully healed eye wondering how it happened - and I know that it was from the faith of a child.
What about eating meat that was sacrificed to idols? Do you think that was okay? Wasn't that actually worshiping the idol itself by eating the meat? If your answer is yes, you've just condemned the apostle Paul to idolatry. He said that eating meat offered to idols did NOT condemn us to God, nor did not eating the meat make us better in God's sight. What it all boils down to, is it's a matter of where the person's heart is in doing what they do. The question that Paul was addressing was whether a Christian could eat meat sacrificed to idols without the sin of showing reverence to an idol (just as you're asking whether a Christian can celebrate Christ on a day with pagan origins without the sin of showing reverence to an idol). Again, his answer was YES. 1Corinthians 8:8 "But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.�
Just as the fact that a pagan worshiping an idol and sacrificing an ox to the idol meant NOTHING when the apostle ate the meat from that ox, and the fact that thousands of years ago happened to be worshiping false gods on the same day that we now celebrate Christ's birth is irrelevant to Christians.
Do you really think that satan loves the yearly reminder of the beginning of his defeat?
