What’s left for ME?
I no longer attend church for the simple reason I’m not welcome. Oh, I know that some would argue with that but after 33 years of preaching and teaching about unconditional love I know better. Church folk, especially the leaders need someone to go to HELL and since I soundly reject that false teaching I know I am not welcome. I also know I make church folk and their leaders feel uncomfortable because I can also defend my position from the bible. It took a long time for me but I am finally comfortable with being free from the tyrany of religion. Actually, I have never felt more at peace in all of my life. I did what Jesus said, I walked the extra mile and I turned the other cheek too often to mention, and now I am more then ready to move on to what God has planned next.
So, What is left for me? The answer is easy……….EVERYTHING. I no longer live in the illusion of a fallen world. I trust the Father with everything. I trust him with the pain and with the joy, with the good times and the hard times, with life as well as death, I trust him with EVERYTHING. I also know that he blesses me even when I don’t see it. Paul says it best:
Eph 1:3-11 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Now the reality of the above scriptures is that our part in making it all happen is non-existant. We are destined to be blessed. We might not see it that way but our being out of touch with reality doesn’t change what reality is. I know that God will love me even when I choose illusion. Recently, I found myself being full of hate to the very brim but even at the height my hatred I still knew His love stood with me. The church teaches if we give into to our humanness that God will reject us unless we repent, but I know better. He will NEVER leave us, or reject us because His love is not based on our actions or inactions. I may never get over my hatred but I also know I will never get over the LOVE I feel from a Father that never leaves my side.
One thing I know is left for me is that I will continue to tell as many people as possible about a Loving God that loves us with such a bold love that the church doesn’t even believe it. He loves us all the same. He loves us not because of our will but because of HIS.
I hope if there is anyone out there reading this that is trapped by the bondage of religion that you will get out. Let go of that which you know you can’t live up to and run to the Father of unconditional love. Trust your heart, because in your heart is the Father’s LOVE and it will never let you down.
That was beautiful, Cliff! Thanks!
I was talking to a friend the other day, and the topic of “belief” came up. We discussed things a bit, and then this suddenly came to mind. I suggested to him, “what we believe is not important. The only thing that is important is that we understand that what we believe… profoundly affects who we are.”
Cliff,
Great thoughts as usual, I’ve been hanging around your old and new site now for over two years. I am still inside the box, still receiving a paycheck, still juggling my old and new paradigms daily. Wednesday at a Bible Study I got passionate over a biblical issue related to who God is and what the gospel is, and I realized that the teacher, me, was being opposed almost totally by the taught and I had one of those moments of realization. Something about a hateful god has grabbed the hearts and minds of this otherwise fine men so that they think I am crazy in my studies and my calls for inclusion. They love being God’s special people, they love knowing they are in and everyone else is in deep dodoo. They love a hell of punishment. Decades of pastor teachers have dug furrows into their beliefs. They cannot hear what I am saying.
I got angry, which was a mistake. My answers were not gentle. I have been apologizing all week. But in reality, I have been apologizing for God for two years. That is what the word defense has as its root in greek, apologia. Like Paul, I have this deep desire to defend the character of the Father. I still want to do it inside the box, with the generous paycheck and cushy lifestyle. We both know where this is going!!! So,
see you on the other side in a few days, months, or years… I have driven bus before inbetween ministries, still don’t want to do it again. But the wineskins of the american evangelical church are ready to crack and explode. My message does not fit.
Blessing,
Don in AZ
“I no longer live in the illusion of a fallen world.”
That is such an important statement right there, when that worldview changes, everything else falls into place, it has for me and its so liberating.
I am so happy you have that peace we all strive for. When I was a Christian, I was never able to have that.
Cliff,
Once again you have hit a home run!
Don,
When the time comes we at Bold Grace want you to know that we accept you and you are more loved than you know! As you say we know where your road will end up at. But know this, Those who oppose the Bold Grace of God will not and cannot win! The Grace of the Father has ended the battle and the only thing left is celebration.
Peace
Geo
JP, I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that you are on a journey that has no choice but to end in total peace. We live in a world that desperately needs the types of hard questions you are willing to ask.
Don, I can really relate to your situation and all I can say is I know that this message will get you through all the pain you will endure as long as you are involved in the organized church. I wish for you the best, but I must say I don’t have a high confidence level that the church will ever really accept you as long as you preach about God’s BOLD love for ALL. As Geo says, “We at Bold Grace accept you and love you more than you will ever know.” God bless
I find it very interesting to read what Cliff says….having just left the “church system” and what Don says…still being “in the church system”. I guess this is a battle for all of us, to leave the comfortable system which is likely one of the hardest things there is to do.
I look back at perhaps 8 or so years ago when I left that system because of being so dissatisfied with it and not having any problem leaving it at all. I didn’t really understand at the time why my dissatisfaction with the “system” was so strong but I see it quite clearly now. I guess this is simply because I am not, nor was I a pastor/teacher in this system so the only thing for me to leave was a place where the Gospel was not taught/preached and I knew there was something totally off with what I was hearing.
It did take a few years for me to see what the problem was, and still is, but seeing the Gospel of Grace and Peace has made me realize that the church system as we know it is a false system. This is something that only God can show us. It is obviously something that we fight tooth and nail because of the pattern that we have been taught all our lives. When the fighting stops and we see what this is all about, then peace can come to our hearts.
I have stopped fighting it…….I can see somewhat clearly now, at least more clearly than I have ever seen and as the light gets brighter and brighter, all other things fade away and peace comes to my heart. Have I arrived??? Absolutely not!!! But I am seeing and understanding what He did on the cross more and more as the days go on. We have to realize that those out there who do not see this redemption in its proper way will fight it very strongly as that is what they have been taught the same way we were taught it.
One thing to remember is that it is all about Him. We had no part in this redemption and we have no part in convincing people of this truth, except sharing it with who ever will listen and leaving the “convincing” part to the Holy Spirit Who is the great teacher.
We are all on a journey that takes different paths and it is harder for some than others to see this redemption. But the end result is the same…..God sent His Son to redeem the entire human race…and He did what He came to do. It is finished. I rest in that.
I am grateful for your thoughts on this Roy. We each have to walk our own path but the final destination is never in doubt.
“The church teaches if we give into to our humanness that God will reject us unless we repent”
How could God, who made created us as we are, reject us for being human? The truth is, God doesn’t. God loves the whole of creation including us. When will we learn God is a part of us and God cannot reject what is a part of Himself.
So TRUE, Don R
The best thing I have ever done was stop believing in religion and to not teach my child about God in Church, but teach her about God and what Jesus did on my own outside of church and I have raised this amazing little person to be such a loving and kind kid. In the beginning the pressure to raise her in church was awful. It was as if people automatically assumed my child would grow up and be this bad kid if she wasn’t going to church. People can have such strong opinions, but the truth of the matter is I knew to teach from the heart and it has been the greatest gift I could ever give her and myself. The church doesn’t teach that. The church will never be able to teach that and it is sad. I feel sorry for those who are missing out on Sunday afternoons with their families just enjoying the day rather then in a chapel feeling guilty judging others and needing to be forgiven.
Yes cliff, loved and accepted without performance. Our performance that is. No more gult trips no more insurcurity, no more in and out of fellowship, Jesus said that he called us all his friends. He is indeed a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Accepted in the beloved forever.
kenneth.
Mindy, You are my SUNSHINE!!!!!
Kenneth, He truly is a friend to us all.
Oh Cliff, beautiful…. just think, although you don’t necessarily
minister to “church folk” any longer, you are still a minister!
And a damn good one if I must say so myself.
Shalom, Nancy
Hi Big guy
Hang in there youll do ok as you know ive tasted hatred also but it is how we deal with it. use it , and make it work as a good thing In one of our talks I sayed some well placeed hate was good for you. it helps keeps things in order.
thinking of you
JIMMY
Nancy, I don’t ever think I will see myself as a pastor again, but what I do see I like and when I look in the mirror I am beginning to see why God Loves me so much.
Jimmy, You are right about hatred, it has it’s place in our lives and how we deal with it is the key knowing that every step of the way we are always loved by our PEFECT GOD.