What's That Gonging Sound?

The past few days have proven to be real eye-openers for me. It all started with a wall post by a good friend and brother concerning Paul's instruction "not to associate with the sexually immoral". The question was - "what did Paul mean?" The comment string got very intense with opinions about what Paul was saying. I chimed in with my own opinions and based them on my understanding of scripture and backed it up with historical record - my usual M.O. The conversation went back and forth for hours - "but what about..." and "but what if ...". I finally gave up and went to bed near midnight with no clear cut understanding of it. I woke up the next morning to 2 posts by 2 women that drove me to my knees and put me on my face in repentance. They were each of their own personal experience and journey that revealed the prejudice and judgment that is passed on a person without knowing anything about them. I won't go into the details of the posts but suffice it to say they opened my own heart as Father showed me the judgment and self-righteousness there. I suddenly realized that people come to Facebook and church buildings; social networks and social sites for all kinds of reasons; for me, I initially joined so that I could connect with distant family for notifications and such. But most come in hope of finding some connection that they can identify with. After a retreat in April, my Facebook experience took a new turn as a place to connect with other believers. Later, my husband joined for the same reason - though we still connect with our kids, grandkids and extended family. It's a place where a person can reveal as much or as little of themselves as they choose through words on a page; and personal history is not a pre-requisite to participate. After this morning's experience It became so clear to me just how easy it is to post our opinions, scriptures, snippets of quotations or bible verses, and so on without even a thought or concern as to how that comment could be construed, understood or received by someone who is tender or hurting. That's what happened to me. I did not realize how my words were causing someone else's pain to surface - and likewise they didn't know how their pain would surface something in me that desperately needed to change. Something I wasn't even conscious of.


Through these 2 stories I saw a terrible mistake I had made in my own life that I never faced until yesterday morning. Through their heartfelt words and testimonies I actually experienced their stories and I wept and wept. I knew I was guilty of being one of the people who would have rejected them simply because of the lifestyles they were engaged in, never once considering or become concerned as to why they did. Granted there are people in the world who are just bent - but that's not for us to judge.

Later in the day another event happened through another FB friend. Both of us were new "friends" to a Facebook page and neither of us knew anything more about this "friend" other than they had been recommended, like so many others I had on my list of "friends" and this one seemed to have some good things to say. Most of his posts were snippets, short quotes from someone else, or a statement that needed some clarification. My friend and I had gotten engaged in a discussion with him which turned rather intense concerning righteousness, sin, grace and another string on revival. Instead of his handling the intense conversation with gentleness, love, willingness to listen and consider that other's didn't have his revelation, and even answer simple questions - he turned to insulting and arrogant remarks. Almost before I could blink, both my friend and I had been de-friended by him. I was so shocked that I wrote him a message requesting an explanation, but none has come. Further, comments my friend and I had made that he didn't agree with were completely deleted. This isn't the first time I've seen this. I lost another "friend" earlier in the week for the same reason.

The end of the day came with another friend (who was also one of the 2 I had mentioned above whose posts had so affected me) posted a note about the sexually immoral association thinking. Among the comments on her note were 2 that also deeply affected me. One was the story of a woman who was living in extreme promiscuity. She suffered from her own guilt and shame but this was the only avenue she had found in her life where she could feel loved and comforted. Her only real friends were a small number of real believers. These friends never spoke to her of her lifestyle. They loved her right where she was and demanded nothing from her. They cared for her, comforted her; until their allowing Jesus to love her through them caused her to turn her life to the Father, which in turn freed her from her destructive lifestyle.

The other story was of a woman who was a member of a church who had no husband to care for her and was doing all she could to feed, clothe and house her children. In desperation she turned to prostitution to provide for her kids. When she did, her church judged her and pushed her out to fend for herself and considered her a whore. She could have had another choice had the "church" loved her and cared for her needs.

All these events combined of the last 2 days have led me to a very strong conclusion. There's just way too much knowledge, pride, arrogance, opinions, prejudice, and vain arguments going on. There is a common thread of questions weaving through it all - what is sin? What is forgiveness? Who do we hang with or not hang with? What is Grace and how is it reconciled to the sin argument? Is the bible the Word of God or is Jesus the Word of God and the bible a library of books that are inspired and God breathed? So many questions - so many opinions - and no one's experience, point of journey, background, or understanding considered. Very few were building one another up; bearing with one another; or loving one another. I realized it was becoming one giant Kingdom of Self instead of the living Kingdom of God. And like all citizens of the Kingdom of Self, the rule is "if you don't play by my rules, or say what I like to hear, I'm going to take my marbles and go home and I won't let you see or talk to me again". In the Kingdom of God there is "what can I do to help you; what can I give up to take care of you; I need to serve you and comfort you; I need to wash your feet; you are more important than me and your feelings are important to me; here, take my hand."

So after much prayer and consideration I have made a decision. I am not going to participate in vain arguments anymore. I WILL engage in meaningful conversation that brings the kind of healing my friend's string did. I want conversation where we have a place to ask any question and find the answers together. Something we have never been permitted to do in the institutional church. I want fellowship like existed in the first century. Like mindedness - all things in common; and that includes understanding - common purpose - love for one another - taking care of one another so that all men will know we are His (1 John 3) - showing our faith by our works. What works? The Lord's business - feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, taking care of the widows (which also means divorced) and orphans (Isaiah 58 "this is the fast that I have chosen, that you care for the widows and orphans; and James 1:27 "The religious observance that God the Father considers pure and faultless is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being contaminated by the world") - healing the sick - loving our neighbors as our self - being the servant of all. These are the good works. These are faith accompanied by works.

So following is my Declaration of Dependence on Jesus. I invite any one who has the same like-mindedness to join me. I would like to set up a Facebook page (and maybe a blog too) where people can come and post their needs - whatever they are. Whoever administrates it - and I'm willing to take that on - will connect the needs to a "friend" in their area who can take them under their wing to disciple them and love them to wholeness. If the "friend" needs resources to meet whatever the needs are - then that gets sent out as a call to help. Let's become a REAL New Testament Church. Father is doing an amazing thing among us. He is connecting His children electronically. When I first thought about that this morning I thought that just seemed too weird - how could that be God? But after witnessing - AND EXPERIENCING - the healing power of the Holy Spirit through words on a page, I knew that the Father will use whatever He wants to, and to truly experience Him, we should join Him where He's working. He even spoke to me this morning and asked me how this was any different than what the gospels and epistles were. They too were words on pages - passed around and read by many - and were instructions for living IN Him. So I'm determined to take advantage of this amazing channel of communication that can get instant - or near instant - help to those in need in this world of ours and join the Father where He's working. Through Facebook (or blog, or website) we can literally connect people all over the world! Meet them right where they are - and start a forest fire of compassion, instead of contention, and take the love and heart of the Father everywhere!

Declaration of Dependence on Jesus

1) I declare that I surrender my life to His service and His work

2) I declare that I will love my brothers and sisters and do everything in my power to care for them and love them so that they have no needs

3) I declare that I will love my neighbors as I love myself - to be a resource of help and hope for those who are hungry, needy, lonely, broken, sick, hopeless, helpless, rejected, weary, abused and lost.

4) I declare to become a laborer in the harvest - allowing the life and love of Jesus to live through me touching others.

5) I declare to judge no man and condemn no man.

6) I declare to love my enemies, bless those who curse me, and pray for those who despitefully use me

7) I declare to be slow to anger, slow to speak and ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope I have in me.

8) I declare to build up my brothers and sisters on our most holy faith; to bear with one another and love one another as Jesus has loved me.

9) I declare that I will work until He comes.

10) I declare that Jesus is all and in all, the Author and Finisher of my faith. In Him I live and move and have my being. That I have been crucified with Him and the life that I live now in this mortal body, I live by faith in Him - the Son of God.

Anybody who has any suggestions or ideas on the Facebook page, or other medium - how to set it up, what to call it, how to connect people - I'm ALL EARS. If Father is using the electronic media to connect His kids - then who are we to stand in the way. Paul said if we have all knowledge and faith that can move mountains, speak in the tongues of men and of angels - but we have not love, we are like a loud sounding gong. I've been about to go deaf from that gonging sound in my ears!

Anyone on board with me?


(Addition - A friend contacted me and thought that my Declaration of Dependance on Jesus was something I wanted everyone to join me in; and it had been understood by them that this sounded like a set of rules. I just want to clarify that this was not my intent. This is MY PERSONAL Declaration. Something I needed to say publicly - a confession of sorts. While anyone is free to join me in my commitment - my inention and purpose in this note was to convey the Father's heart for the world and to join me in doing His work in the harvest fields. Just wanted to clear that up - in case anyone was thinking otherwise.)