Goooooood morning! Have you ever met a religious person who is so fixated on one specific spiritual element that he or she makes everyone uncomfortable when he or she enters a room? Yep, I bet you have a person’s face popping into your mind’s eye right now! Let me preface this post by saying I am not throwing stones at anyone, nor am I thinking of any specific person. I imagine that some of my brothers and sisters would think that “I” have fit into that category during certain phases of my own spiritual journey.
If you are still not clear on my topic of discussion, let me give you some examples. Oh, and PLEASE don’t get your brain too knotted up; and heavens to Betsy, don’t take this TOO seriously. This is just food for thought, ahem…
I hope by reading the third bullet point you will realize that I am perfectly willing to speak truth about my denomination as I am about any other. Honestly, it is more about the individual believer than it is about a denomination. In my service to the Lord Jesus, I have traveled through four continents and worked with several different denominational constructs and cultures. I have brothers and sisters (saved folk) who affiliate denominationally with Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Nazarenes, Brethren, Pentecostals, and many other flavors of Christianity. So, please know that I worked through the quandary of proprietary faith some time ago. In my view, God judges the heart and no denomination has the corner on the salvation market… just sayin’.
Alright, here’s the deal… regardless of your denominational leaning, seek balance in your walk of faith. When you read the Bible, read it as a wholistic guidebook, not as a secret book of esoteric knowledge that can give you super powers. You and I are nothing more than flawed pots of corrupt clay in the hands of the Master. We have no power. Jesus, the Mighty King, has it all.
There are times when a child of God needs to be quiet and there are times when we need to be loud. There are times when we should stop and pray vocally for a hurting soul and there are times when we need to walk on by. There are times when your many degrees will help you understand doctrinal positions and there are times when you need enough common sense to get out of the rain. Hmm, this part of my post is starting to sound a bit like Ecclesiastes 3. Get the picture?
I honestly hope this post has not been offensive to you. I could go on and on, but I’ll wrap up by saying that I do understand that the redeemed are children of the Most High God. Through the blood of Jesus, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit and given gifts that are sometimes manifested in supernatural ways. Yes, I do believe in the proper application of our giftedness. Just be careful to make sure your purpose is to magnify Jesus, not yourself. He is to increase and we are to decrease in those moments. As a wise man said a long time ago, there is a time for everything under the sun, amen.
