by: Linda Fitzgerald
Since I started on a rant about another sign in a church yard, I might as well continue in the same vein.
The only reason such unfactual information could have been put on a sign that sits in the yard of a building come to be called "church" is because we have been sold a "bill of goods" ever since Martin Luther nailed his 99 treaties to the door of the church in Wittenburg, Germany in the 1500's! Luther was absolutely right in his criticisms of the only "Christian" worldview the world had known since Constantine's fake conversion in the late 300's. But as so often happens once the true prophetic voice dies away, those who come behind get it "wrong"!
Even after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the early 1900's, those who were 'slain in the spirit' remained 'slain in the brain' and decided that what the Scripture was really saying about "not of this world" meant "not of the material or physical world". (BTW, He, the Holy Spirit, has been outpouring since the Day of Pentecost, but at various times in the history of humanity, He finds it necessary to rain down on us in order to get our attention!).
Again, a literal translation, based on a lack of understanding of what God really cares about with His people (all people, even those who choose not to be one of His folk) took us off on a tangent in the wrong direction and led us into the desert, leaving a world of hurt behind! No matter though, we were all 'safe' - right?
No we weren't! I recall a frank discussion with a fellow, self-described as pentecostal, who lambasted me for having an undergraduate degree in Psychology, Sociology and Religious Studes (oh, horror of horrors with a specialty in comparative religions). He referred to psychology as the "work of the devil" and then took on Sigmund about whom he (the fellow with whom I was conversing) knew nothing. Amazingly I remained calm while listening to the utter ignorance of the fellow (ignorant educationally) and decided I would give him something to REALLY have a "cow" about.
I stated that Sigmund (Freud) was a gift from God to His children so we would begin to explore what DAD was really trying to tell us! I thought the man would have a heart attack in the middle of the street. Once he recovered from the shock of my words, he took off muttering to himself.
Later, I related the conversation to a dear believing Christian I've known for years. He's wise enough to ask questions as he tried to comprehend what I meant. As I explained that God's main concern is with what goes on INSIDE of us rather than what's on the surface, my friend began to comprehend. All the Lord's teaching, related in the Gospels, all the interpretation of His teachings as related by Paul (most saliently Romans 12: 1-3) obviously tell us that God is first and foremost concerned with our MOTIVATION. If it is not our 'hearts' that are changed, then "what is hidden" will eventually be "seen in the light of day" (my paraphrase).
If God couldn't get our attention with outpourings of the Holy Spirit to enlighten, inform and otherwise "transform our minds", then perhaps He took drastic measures and allowed Sigmund to uncover psychology or the study of "human behavior". That which comes out of our mouths is more reflective of what's inside us than what we put inside us from the outside of us! And I think the MAN said so!
But alas, those in charge of dispensing Godly wisdom (and I use the term very loosely) just couldn't get it straight, so they told us to grow long hair, tie it in a bun, cover our arms even in 100 degree heat, and don't dare even walk past a cosmetic counter. In fact, perhaps it would be better to stay indoors and let others go "out into the world" to buy the groceries, etc. And God forbid, that we would venture into the market place or buy stock or any other such thing of the "world"!
Is it any wonder that we have never taken hold of ("dominion") over the critical areas of society and the culture? Is it any wonder that others often hold us in contempt? Is it any wonder that when big name televangelistic types get into trouble, we all suffer. While telling all of the "common folk" that we should avoid wealth, health and otherwise 'worldly' endeavors, some of the "folk" been storin' up treasures for themselves in a form of greed that the world rarely sees from even the most evil of folks.
Sadly, we all, myself very much included, have sat idly by and let it happen. We can hardly criticize the early church for witholding the Scriptures from the "lay". We have not taken up the Word to allow our Heavenly Papa to speak to us directly by impressing His full, rich meaning upon our brains; but have instead, but our full faith and trust in men (and in some recent cases, women) who aren't any more (w)holy or above reproach than we are.
We have bought their 'garbage' about what the Word says and assumed it to be truth and fact; when in reality, it is as much a perversion of the Word in the Christian world as some have perverted the Koran in the Muslim world. While we may not take physical human life in the name of the 'perversion', we have allowed the 'perversion' to distract and destroy the hearts and minds of unknowing men and women who never reached the fullness of the destiny and purpose for which they were designed because folks of the 'cloth' said "achieving our full human potential' was "of satan"! Yet, unwittingly behind our backs, many of these very perveyors of the Word were secretly "storing up treasure" in the form of considerable wealth and using it for their own pleasure. Don't think that's what it's about! And besides, God Himself, created us "human", in His Image, Fullness and Likeness He created us - male and female! To Glorify Him in the fullness of the humanity in which He made us!
If that isn't bad enough, the heart of the Good News, meant to redeem man (generic sense of the word) by announcing the outlandish love of a Loving God who never wanted us to be departed from Him, got quashed in the process. And men and women died in their hearts and their minds were blinded to the truth and they died in their sleep! But no mind, they're safely in Heaven (or so we assume), but they may not have achieved the purpose for which they were sent because somewhere along the way, someone with his or her own purpose to achieve, passed by and slayed them without ever lifting a weapon - except the 'weapon' of words spoken in ignorance, without understanding. Words that killed and maimed and destroyed the "greatest story ever told".
My God, and that's a cry from the wilderness! When will it stop and who will stop it!
Would that each of us would say, as with Samuel - "Here I am Lord, send me!"
