We have reminded each other--many times--that we are called upon to outlast the opposition.
When we give our lives and the life of our church(es) to God, asking Him to implement only His agenda, the opposition will seek to take us very much off course.
Mostly, outlasting the opposition has meant staying calm and quiet in the face of untruths, rumors and fabrications of who we are as individuals and as a church. Truth has a way of bearing out over time.
When I am logged into my blog to post, I see the comments as a hyperlink; only yesterday did I realize that you, the reader, are most likely (though some browsers may differ) shown all comments in their entirety, on the same pageview as the post itself. Even a rudimentary glance of the last days and weeks would show an ugly trend among a few, seeking to paint me into a corner that says I am heretical to the Christian faith.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Those who know, or genuinely care to know, would see me pointing to Jesus at every turn, with the Bible as my authority, and a deep, significant, ongoing and life-changing relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
I have prayed for wisdom for 25 years (since I discovered the Bible tells us to do that) and I pray for it as I write this.
I believe the beauty of the blogosphere is to meet people the world over, listening to each other and looking for truth--that is, the Truth of who God is--together.
I obviously want the whole world to know Jesus. But I think it best serves that endeavor to create a relationship of listening and mutual respect, whereupon we might build a climate where beliefs are discussed and compared. In the fertile soil of caring for one another, the Holy Spirit can draw each further toward the revelation of God in the Person of Jesus Christ. In the midst of preparing this post, I received this message from a young man, now a leader, in our church:
Debi, I've been reading your blog. As an ex-New Ager and reformed Pharisee, I find your posts right on...Here is what's on my nightstand:6 Warning Signs We're Becoming Accidental Pharisees
He continues:
I am forever thankful for the loving kindness of an ex-Amish Baptist who entered into a respectful dialogue with me (over a period of months) that ultimately resulted in my acceptance of Jesus. I was trying to win him over to paganism, but the Truth pierced my heart...It is for moments like these--and these incredible men in our church--that we fight.
The purpose of this blog is to consider the myriad of ways we can feed our strength in this life, finding extraordinary results in our everyday lives. A strengthened life sets the stage for our transition into eternity.
I hope you'll journey with me. Though I feel pressed to change the comment format to email, I welcome any and all opinions. I am calling a halt to the harassment of civil readers by what has grown into the innuendos and slander of a less civil few.
To comment, please contact me at feedyourstrength@gmail.com.
