Cling to Your Religion

"Cling to your Religion" on November 4th

In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing. - Theodore Roosevelt

If you are not registered to vote, then you will not be voting in this election, since the deadline has past to register for this great privilege. I am sorry that you will not be able to participate, but please do not feel that you are not still a vital part of the process. Please join those of us that will be stepping into the voting booths in just 9 days by going to the Lord in prayer. There is no better time than now to pray for God's heart for this election.

If you are registered to vote, then you have a choice to use your voice in an extremely important election, and I sincerely hope that you will make it a priority. As you prepare to place your vote, then by all means do your homework. Do not make your decisions based on what the news media reports, and do not choose your president from the political commercials. Do not just do what your friends are doing, and by all means do not buy in to Hollywood's agenda.

As you prepare to vote, might I suggest that we not make our decisions for a candidate by their skin color, their gender, or even their party affiliation. Nor should we vote based on any one issue, such as where they stand on Abortion, Gay Marriage, the War in Iraq, or how much money they promise to put in our mailboxes. We must look at the overall person to determine their ability and experience, as to whether or not they are worthy to fill our country's highest position of leadership - the course of our country depends on this decision. We must thoroughly examine their voting history. For it is only their voting history that will tell us all we need to know about the candidate's values, standards, and love for our great country, and of course, whether or not the presidential hopeful honors and reveres the principles that God holds dear. We have all heard the rhetoric and the bashing, and it is sickening, but we must do everything that is in our power to choose the best of these two candidates so pray hard, and then get in that long line and be a part of the solution. Then stand behind the winner with the prayer and respect that Romans 13 requires of us. Romans 13:1 "No one rules unless God has given him the power to rule, and no one rules now without that power from God." We are to show respect and honor to them all. Let's do the same as our current president of 8 years, leaves office. He has worked tirelessly in a basically thankless job, where you are to blame for everything that goes wrong with our country. This should not be the attitude of true believers. We are to honor those in authority and stand behind them in word and in deed.

Pray for our country, but don't stop there, pray for our world. Our government and its leaders need our prayers every day of every year-not just at election time, but we must realize that this planet does not belong to America. There is a big world out there, and many people inhabit it. God loves every single one of us on every square inch of it. Let's pray for our world.

One thing I know for sure, change is coming, but neither presidential hopefuls nor their abundant promises will bring it! It is great Americans that will make America great. Every country on the face of the planet can make their country great by their own personal choices. Choose wisely-on election day and every day.

The Shack - A book that EVERYONE on the Planet Should Read, especially the Bereans!

I just listened to a radio interview on The Berean Call website that has me very sad. They seem to be trying to protect us from a book that they feel is dangerous. I am going to tell you all my opinion of this interview, and I am going to be painfully honest, though I hope still generous with grace.

Most of the controversy comes from those (like these) that haven't even read the book, but primarily from those that feel that they are to be "watch dogs" for our Christian faith. We all have the Spirit of the living God within us and can certainly judge for ourselves. I am always very concerned about anyone that I feel is being critical or judgmental of another. Especially when the criticism is of another brother or sister in Christ. I was highly offended by the inappropriate portrayal of a profoundly godly man, William P. Young, the author of The Shack, as a heretic among other things.
Many pertinent questions about God are addressed throughout this life-changing book. Many are coming to Christ and others are reconfirming their faith in Christ because of it! I don't see that as a bad thing, just because it doesn't fit someone's narrow view of all things God. The book offers many insightful and scriptural thoughts about God, yet opponents of the book see it as an "abomination" because it seems less than main stream, conventional, or traditional in THEIR (not so humble) opinion. Well, I have kept silent about it, but I've had it!
The critics of The Shack are few and far between, and most of the criticism comes from those that have God in some "box" that they have created for Him with their finite minds. God cannot be comprehended by our human intellect, and even our interpretation of His Word is fallible therefore we'd do well to tread lightly if we think we have figured Him out - like the two gentlemen on the radio seem to think that they have.
Using phrases like the book is an "abomination from beginning to end." This is incredible to me! For someone to criticize so strongly is bad enough one Christian of another, but the man wielding these harsh words admitted that he had NOT read the book! He called it "blasphemy of the worst sort." That attitude not only SHOCKS me, but DISTURBS me, since it reminds me of the Pharisees and "religious people" of Jesus' day! He was neither conventional nor traditional and didn't fit in their boxes for a Savior either, and they rejected His message too; straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel.
Their dialog about the book is blasphemy to me, since they don't even know what they are talking about!!!!! Stating that the "writer should tremble because he is going to stand before God" YIKES! We will all stand before God and give an account for every unwholesome word we have ever spoken. My Berean friends from this interview are dangerously casting stones. I do not feel comfortable judging another man's work. I am more interested in bringing people together than I am in dividing people. I am working hard to DRAW people to Christ, not polarize Christians and divide those that already call Him Lord. I know that they seem to think we can't see the truth from a lie without their help, but their God is my God too. He is more than able to "lead me into all truth" therefore I do not need them to tell me what is WRONG everything, and they do seem to find something wrong with everything. This may be a huge disappointment to God for the use of their time here on earth.
The old gentleman in this interview (in my opinion) is way off base, especially if he thinks that what is written in The Shack "corrupts the mind", or "corrupts the heart" because that couldn't be farther from the truth. I am shocked that he feels so confident in his opinion of this book that he has never read, and the others whose names that he mentioned with contempt calling what they are doing for Christ "Apostasy and Blasphemy!" Wow, I wish I was that close to God or that sure of everything that I believe, but I am of the opinion that none of us are as perfect as we seem to think we are, or as worthy to sit in judgment of another.
THE SHACK is the best book that I have read in my entire Christian life and I am proud to tell everyone that I know to read it. In fact, I now have it on my Mentoring Women must-read list for the month on Evangelism. (Yes, evangelism!) Maybe they should interview someone who HAS read the book!
I believe that God can come in any form that He needs to in order reach the hearts of those He loves, even if The Bereans don't like the form He chooses. He's never been too afraid of what people might think. He chose to reveal himself in burning bush, but we don't worship bushes. He chose to speak through a donkey, but we don't worship them either. His voice is like thunder some times and still small voice at others! Come on, people, why not an endearing black woman? If you've read the book, this part makes sense. He's not saying GOD IS A BLACK WOMAN.
If you haven't read the book, then read it, and if you still don't like it, just don't like it! But there is no reason to bash a brother of the faith who is telling his story through an allegory or a novel that is life-transforming like The Shack. Legalism never changes lives - read your Bible too, while your at it.

In these last days, we need to move more as united brothers and sisters in Christ and stop dividing our troops over our differing opinions and criticisms. Do yourself a favor, and READ THE BOOK. I have attached from you my own link for you to listen to Paul Young (author of The Shack) being interviewed by James Robison - a powerful man of God who gets it!

Please feel free, as I have here, to disagree with me on this, but only AFTER you have read it for yourself. And by all means let's grow up and get along!

The Shack it is a novel that centers on a man who was “stuck” in his pain from a terrible tragedy that occurred in his life, and as a result, he had some very distorted views of God. In order to be healed, he has to go to the “shack”—the source of his pain. It was in this place that he met God. In this interview, Paul Young briefly shares his own testimony—including his failures and his redemptive, healing journey—and its relevance to the story in this book. If you click on the following link (or copy and paste it into your browser), http://lifetoday.edgeboss.net/download/lifetoday/SWF/2008/07/80714.swf you can view this interview, which runs for about 15 minutes of the 30 minute program. If you are unable to view this interview, you can click on the following link and read the transcript from that interview: http://www.lifetoday.org/site/DocServer/7-14.doc?docID=1641

During a second interview we watched, something spontaneous happened in the audience that was very powerful. I’ve included that one here as well: http://lifetoday.edgeboss.net/download/lifetoday/SWF/2008/07/80728.swf.