What message do we send?

I have recently started reading a blog written for the wives of ministers. You can check it out here. This was a post from last week that impacted me.

Lots of people have mixed message about organized "religion" in today's society. And sometimes we as Christians don't help sort out the confusion.

As PW's, we have the opportunity to help our husbands influence how people view God and the church. Here's what one church did to communicate to people around them. What does your church do?

Here is a link for the video.

Church

Yesterday we had church and it was so good!  It went like this: 

The Roots Community got to the park around 10:30 to set up. We cooked some burgers and dogs and and got everything ready. The people from the neighborhood came. We all ate and hung out.  The kids played and everybody got some sun.  The weather was beautiful.  No catch. No program. No secret agenda. 

It was a great day at church.

Galatians 5:13-14 My friends, you were chosen to be free. So don't use your freedom as an excuse to do anything you want. Use it as an opportunity to serve each other with love. All that the Law says can be summed up in the command to love others as much as you love yourself.   

Lies

3 Sundays ago we had the opportunity to attend the Crosspointe Church in Orlando.  This is a fellow church plant and it was a good service.  The pastor was in the middle of a series called 'Soul Transformation'.  It was very insightful.  In discussing the battlefield of the mind he addressed some of the lies we as followers of Christ believe. They were printed in the outline and I thought it was so powerful that I had to share. 

Here are the lies that were on the outline:

Regarding Self

-         I must be perfect.

-         I must have everyone’s love and approval.

-         It is easier to avoid problems than to face them.

-         I cannot be happy unless things go my way.

-         I shouldn't have to change.

-         I must perform in order to be accepted.

-         I am a failure because I have…

-         I am not worthy of being loved because…

Regarding the World

-         You can have it all.

-         You are only as good as what you do or what you have.

-         Life should be easy.

-         Life should be fair.

-         Have it your way right away (Thanks Burger King).

Regarding Others

-         You can and should meet all my needs.

-         I can change you.

-         It’s someone else’s fault.

-         It’s my fault my parents got divorced.

Regarding God

-         God’s love must be earned.

-         If God really loved me He wouldn’t let bad things happen to me.

-         God cannot use me unless I am spiritually strong.

-         God won’t use me because I have…

WOW!  How many of those have I believed again and again?! 

There was something that clicked in seeing these lies in some ink, on paper, black and white before me.  Seeing them in a list like that really drew a line in the sand for me.  It made me think of when God was giving all the commands and ordinances to Moses and He said “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curses; choose life” (Deut 30:19)  I have a choice to believe these lies or to discover the truth.

One of the verses that the pastor closed out with was John 8:31-32.  In these verses Jesus says if you abide in my Word, you will know the truth.  The only way we can know if we are believing a lie is to know the truth. And the only way to know the truth is to be in His Word. I want to add to his list some more lies that I believe Satan uses to cripple followers of Jesus:

About scripture:

-         It’s boring.

-         It’s out of date.

-         It’s too hard to understand

-         It’s too big or too long.

-         I’ve already heard it. 

-         I have to read it all.

-         I don’t have time.

-         I can read it later.

About prayer:

-         God isn’t listening.

-         I don’t know how.

-         God’s not really concerned with the little things.

-         I don’t know what to pray about.

-         I don’t have time to be still and bow my head.

-         It doesn’t really make a difference.                   

I fully believe that Satan’s most effective lies are the ones that keep us out of the Word and keep us from talking everything over with Jesus.  Paul tells us In Ephesians 6 that our only offensive weapon is the Word of God. It is the power to fight all the other lies that Satan continually bombards us with.  When we know the Truth we will then be able to see the lies.  Jesus said the truth will set us free.

Jesus, I want to always choose truth.  I want to experience the freedom Your truth brings.  I want to have my soul transformed by renewing my mind in Your Word.  How amazing is your love that you give us a choice.