If the shoe fits...

Just a few definitions of a cult:

According to http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cult:

a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies

According to http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cult:

a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad

I spent the majority of my life in Independent, Fundamental, Premillenial, King James 1611, Missionary, Baptist Churches. In my lifetime I have often heard those churches that I grew up in, referred to as cults. As a child and teenager, I never really thought that the term 'cult' fit the churches that I knew. Now as an adult looking back I can see where people could get that idea.

Many of you know as well as I do that the first definition, a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies, does sound pretty familiar when you think about it. Rites and Ceremonies, how many churches do you know that have a particular format for worship:

1. One song

2. Pastor welcomes everyone

3. Choir sings 3-4 songs

4. Prayer and offering

5. Choir comes down and everyone shakes hands

6. Someone sings a special song (or in some churches 3-5)

7. Pastor preaches

8. Invitational Song

9. Dismissal

This format is basically the same in all the churches that I attended, and if for some reason the format gets changed then they act like it is the end of the world. If we feel we have to have everything so scheduled out, then were do we leave time for something special that God may have in store? Then you have the competitions, why did they get to sing and I didn't, why didn't I get asked to pray, why are they always the ones who get to take up the offering? Then there are the churches that preach and teach the Church Covenant as if it were the Ten Commandments. Most of the pastors and preachers I know have a hard enough time abiding by the Ten Commandments, little own the Church Covenant.

The second definition, great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad. My interest in this definition is, the great devotion to a person, I could name so many names here of pastors and preachers that people have put into almost God like roles. They believe everything these men say as if it were God himself in person talking, not God speaking through just a man that he has called to be his mouth piece. There are some of these preachers and pastor's that have taken advantage of this admiration. They now preach their convictions and beliefs as gospel, when the majority of those convictions and beliefs have no Biblical foundation. Convictions are something that differ based on individuals. My convictions may not be the same as yours, but they are convictions non the less. Convictions are not something that you can try to push on others, however, I know hundreds of preachers and pastors that do just that. Here are some of the ones that I can remember that have come and gone like fads:

1. You shouldn't drink anything with caffeine because it is a stimulant.

2. You shouldn't own or watch a TV because you are just inviting the devil into your home.

3. The Internet is evil and is like bringing free pornography for your family to view.

How many preachers do you know, that at one time or another preached and taught any of these 3, that now drink caffeine, own at least 1 (probably multiple) TVs possibly now have their own TV shows, and now have their own websites, blogs, and FaceBook pages. While I feel that there is nothing wrong with caffeine, TVs, or the Internet, I still find it funny how what some preachers and pastors preached against so adamantly a few years ago is now somehow OK.

My,my, my...

Wow!!! I must say that I never in a million years thought this blog would bring as many views as it has had. What I do find funny is that out of all of the views, how few of the viewers have commented as to agree or disagree. I know that there are many of you that will probably never comment on anything I say, but will secretly discuss in your gossip circles how wicked, and immoral I have become. And to those who will do just that allow me to say, unlike my father, "I really do not care what you think, of me, my thoughts, or my actions, or whether you agree or disagree with me on them." While there are certain people who's opinions I respect, I choose to do or say what I want and answer only to God for my thoughts and actions.

As I sit here on this cold Sunday morning, I wonder how many of the millions of people who are getting ready to attend church this morning, are really going for the right reason. Since I grew up in an evangelists house, I personally know thousands of people who attend church because they feel obligated, and because they know that if they do not show up, the next time they step foot in the door and sit in their pew(which by the way if someone else should happen to sit in could possibly cause a world war), their pastor is going to in some round-a-bout way make they feel guilty, like they committed the unpardonable sin by missing a service. Then there is the group that goes just so they can say that they went to church today, and then as soon as it's over call their gossip lines and talk about what so-and-so wore today, or how the message what meant for a specific person who just didn't seem to get it, or how the pastor just doesn't seem to be preaching what they feel is necessary for this time. It's this hypocrisy that has truly turned me against churches like the ones that I grew up in.

Going to church is a privilege, not a job or a chore. It should be something that we look forward to all week, being able to refresh and revive our spirits. Church should be a place of praise and worship, not a place of doom and gloom. In the last 6 years I have had the privilege to attend 2 awesome churches and have finally learned that being a Christian can be a wonderful experience. I am so thankful that God led us to the church where we are now, I absolutely LOVE my pastor and his wife, as well as my church family!!! If you can't say that you love going to church for the right reasons, not because of a feeling of obligation, and love your pastor and church family as if they truly are your family, then I think it's time you start looking for a new place to worship.

Thoughts that someone raised.

As everyone knows my dad died June 27, 2002 by committing suicide. After his death, as with any death by suicide, you go through all of the emotions and questions, why, what could I have done, was it my fault...etc. These are never ending questions that constantly haunt you. Even when you have reached a place of acceptance and know that there is nothing you could have done to stop it, or change it, and realized that it wasn't your fault or the fault of anyone else. Even after the acceptance those questions are always there at the corner of your mind waiting on you to have a moment of weakness so that they can try to creep back in.

So many people have so many opinions and views that they, in their own way try to express to you. While there are several that stick out in my mind I will only mention two. "Suicide is a sin and there is no way a person who commits it can ever go to heaven." "Since he suffered from depression, there must have been some sort of 'secret sin' in his life" These statements were made by people that if I so chose to list their names, almost everyone who reads this would know them. These statements showed me that some of the people who we think are so spiritual are really just ignorant.

Someone recently made the statement to me that maybe my Dad could not live by the standards that the churches and preachers he preached for required. After thinking about it for awhile I have to agree that I think it's true. I think he had a hard enough time trying to live to what he thought his own standards were. Growing up I can remember that my Dad constantly made it a point to tell us that he didn't care what people think, but by his actions, I could tell that he cared too much about what others thought. He knew that if some of what he called 'friends' knew about some of the things we as a family knew, that they would crucify him. But for some reason he felt that he had something to prove to them.

This same person that made me stop and think about the standards that some people try to impose also made a very profound statement with which I completely agree, "Jesus came to set us free and by imposing their own rules, which they have no right to do, they once again live in bondage...very sad."

Just Thinking Out-Loud

OK, so how do you know when you must be doing something right, when everyone around you tries to find every little thing they can to nit-pick, and complain about. I grew up in a basically stagnant IFB movement that was dieing. When you look at the churches, of the people who are trying to find everything wrong with what more contemporary churches are doing, they probably don't even have enough attending members (although they probably have thousands on roll) to fill 5 pews shoulder-to-shoulder, and if they do they are more then likely all over the age of 60. Just because you are enjoying being a Christian, and living life being happy, and excited about Christ and not sitting around reading the Bible dwelling on all of the evil and impending doom, you must be wrong. I think what certain people and pastors who are trying to break the typical church mold should be applauded, and just to add a SHOCK to all of this, I too now attend a more contemporary church and love it. Finally, for once in my life I can leave a service feeling uplifted and alive not depressed and wishing I were dead.

There are several people out there who, like me, knows what it's like to be critiqued and judged based on who your parents are. It's like people can not deal with the fact that we can and do make decisions for ourselves that our parents might not have made. I love my dad to this day, but as I have grown and matured as an adult I have found that there are things that I would disagree with him on, if only I had the chance. While bystanders think we should only think, feel and react the way our parents would have. My dad would have loved me irregardless of whether or not we agreed on every little thing, but unlike some of these meddling people, we would have been able to agree to disagree and go on with life. But with there are these poor pathetic people, they live their lives to find things to argue and disagree on and cannot function without some sort of turmoil in their life.

The IFB that I grew up with have lost sight of what is important. They now live to bicker, fight and nit-pick things that they don't think are right, they can't find Bible to back many of what they call their beliefs, and if they do it is most always taken out of context. Many of what they think is gospel has no Biblical foundation, it's just something some preacher has said or taught for so many years that they think it's scriptural.

They have lost the longing to serve their communities to try and win people to Christ. Many of the people that I know think that becoming a Christian will make you hateful and bitter because that's what they see from that IFB group and they want no part of it. And many of the IFB have stopped evangelizing because they have their our four and no more mindset. It's almost as if they have completely given up on society. This is so sad!

Just Wondering

You know I often wonder why we as Christians think it is okay to put forth fake images of ourselves. It seems that we only want to act Christ like when it's convenient for us. We seem to think that we can fool most people; when in reality we truly fool no one but ourselves into thinking that 'no one knows the truth'. If you really stop and think about it you are only tricking yourself. God knows EVERYTHING about you! Your thoughts, your dreams, your intent. Nothing we do is hidden from Him. Yet we try to hide our true selves from everyone else. I once read that the true you comes out when no one else is around. I must say that the majority of us would probably be ashamed if we thought certain people were around when our true side comes out.

People have always said that you never really know someone until you live with them. But honestly, how many of us have lived with people and never really known them. Speaking from past experiences you can live with someone for 20 years and NEVER know them. People are great deceivers. We only let you know what we want you to know and nothing more. Can you imagine what life would be like if we had no secrets, or hidden aspects of our lives. Imagine living without the stress of wondering, does she know, or did they find out. I could write a book with the things I know about people, but what would the use in that be if they themselves wish to deny it.

One of the sad parts of this is that there are probably a lot of people who would love to come clean about their lives, but we as Christians can be so judgemental that we keep them from it. Growing up a preachers daughter, I can tell you that Christians, especially Baptists, are some of the most gossiping, cruel, judgementalist on the planet. If someone does choose to confide some of their hidden secrets, we can't even let the dial tone sound on the phone before we are calling someone else to tell them what we heard. And it's not just ordinarly church goers, it preachers and pastors as well.

I am as guilty as the next person. I am by no means innocent. There are a great many things I have done that I have lied about and have tried to hide. I wish that there were a way to go back and change things, to be able to do it differantly somehow. I have also been on the opposite end of the spectrum. I know all to well how it feels to have people critisice and judge you when they really do not know the facts. I guess we are all guilty in one way or another. It is disheartening when I stop and think about it and I realize that there is no way to change the past, but thankfully there is hope for changing the future. It took me awhile to realize that I can only change me, not everyone else.

Jeremiah 23:24 says, "Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD."

And yet we still seem to think that we can hide.