What is the Spirit saying to the Churches?

[Voyager]

Don't get triggered - it's not what you think. Someone posted this topic on a forum that I frequent, and their post was filled with Bible verses and legalism. So, I replied with this:

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Here is what the Spirit is saying to the Churches:

You bunch of hypocrites! How dare you become bigoted and hateful in My name? How dare you attack gay people, when the bigotry and judgement in your own lives has reached to high heaven with its stench?

I want you to start having potluck dinners for sinners. Roll out the red carpet for them. Treat them like saints. Never judge or condemn them anymore. If they decide to leave your church, bless them on the way out instead of giving them the left foot of fellowship.

Don't worry about what you wear to church. I am sick of My people being so starved for approval that they leave their own identity and take on that of a religious bigot. No one needs to hear you quoting the Bible. What they need is to feel love, acceptance, compassion, and warmth - which is sorely lacking in the churches. Instead, they are filled with coldness, bigotry, malice, and hatred for anyone who will not comply with their religious rules and doctrines.

I am getting to the point where I am sorry that I even started a church. I have more fun going to drinking parties that I do going to churches anymore. At least those people know how to loosen up, have fun, and be themselves. There is too much starch, pageantry, criticism, and condemnation in My church. I don't even want to be associated with it anymore.

And what's all this talk about people going to hell? If anyone deserves hell, it's the people in the churches who condemn others for their supposed "sins". You let Me worry about setting people straight - you just worry about showing them love and acceptance. That is the only job you have here on earth. Leave the judgement up to Me.

If you don't get your act together, I may end up making you servants for the gay people in heaven!

Thus saith the Lord.

:cool:

[ex-shep]

Keeps me accountable. As a buddy in college used to say, << Es un trabajo sucio, pero alguna persona tiene que hacerlo>>
Actually he never spoke Spanish, but he did say, "It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it.".

Thank for the wake up call. I needed. Tammy's group has spent years of soul searching and repentance to get past that mindset. Good post. Next latte on me. :)

[Jo Jo]

I like this... all we have to do is stop, read the Bible and see who Jesus hung with to see his views on who we should be hanging with. It wasn't the learned church people... who thought they knew everything... it wasn't the name-it's and claim-it's. ;)

Thanks Voyager. :)

[Carmen]

I can't agree with every word here, but do agree that treating sinners like their sins is mean and debasing.

[butterfly]

Voyager, I would like to add to the drinking partys sentance. I hope you don"t mind.

These people know how to love and accept people for who they are.
They are loving and giveing to the poor and help people in need.

When they come to know me they will become the people I will be pleased with.

As long as they stay away from you!

You don"t remeber where you came from before you knew me.

You think I don"t see your ways but I do.

I needed to say this because that is how I feel about real people. butterfly shirley

[jane]

I have got to admit, I saw the title of the post and thought,

oh crap not again. I have had a stressful week and opened up the post probably looking for a fight.


What I got is the best laugh I have had in a long long time.

You're totally right....ok the drinking party was over the edge for even me...but everything else is so very very right.

Has anyone every read the book JOSHUA. If I remember correctly it was a parable as to what it would look like if Jesus came to earth today.

I too believe that he would be hollering at the hypocritical pharisees...

and walking with sinners.......and those scorned by society.

People forget that Jesus spent much time with women during a cultural period when that was not allowed. It would be in fact like a born again pastor walking with a gay couple.

He not only walked with women; he walked with a woman of a race that the jews didnt' speak too....

he walked with the lepers...and in those days people belived that lepers were cursed directly by God for their sins....much like aids today.

he sat with children.......who were not heard or seen in that society.

But most importantly, HE SET PEOPLE FREE.

Unlike the organized church of today who heap coals on our heads and chains at every skin space available.


KEEP PREACHING VOYAGER, it is the truth.

See as for me, I doubt that you have lost touch with God...even if you think so, because it shows by the fruits that you have....love, patience....

and wisdom.

just my opinion :)

love,
jane

[InTheory]

Great post Voyager-and there is DEFINITELY merit to the drinking parties... :D
I like people that are real-spent too much time not being real...

[Willow]

I really think you have the mind of Christ on this one Voyager. Jesus had a drinking party too!

Reminds me of the Toby Keith song that caught my attention awhile back:

Artist/Band: Keith Toby
Lyrics for Song: If I Was Jesus
Lyrics for Album: Shock'n Y'all
(Chuck Cannon/Phil Madeira)

If I Was Jesus, I’d have some real long hair
A robe and some sandals, is exactly what I’d wear
I’d be the guy at the party, turnin’ water to wine
Yeah me and my disciples, we’d have a real good time.

Ooh and I’d lay my life down for you (woooooh)
And I show you who’s the boss (woooooh)
I’d forgive you and adore you
While I was hangin’ on your cross
If I Was Jesus.

I’d have some friends that were poor
I’d run around with the wrong crowd, man I’d never be bored
Then I’d heal me a blind man, get myself crucified
By politicians and preachers, who got somethin’ to hide.

Ooh and I’d lay my life down for you (woooooh)
And I show you who’s the boss (woooooh)
I’d forgive you and adore you
While I was hangin’ on your cross
If I Was Jesus.

If I Was Jesus, I’d come back from the dead
And I’d walk on some water, just to mess with your head
I know your dark little secrets, I’d look you right in the face
And I’d tell you I love you, with Amazing Grace.

Ooh and I’d lay my life down for you (woooooh)
And I show you who’s the boss (woooooh)
I’d forgive you and adore you
While I was hangin’ on your cross
If I Was Jesus.

If I Was Jesus.

[hornblower]

I
KEEP PREACHING VOYAGER, it is the truth.

See as for me, I doubt that you have lost touch with God...even if you think so, because it shows by the fruits that you have....love, patience....

and wisdom.

just my opinion :)

love,
jane

WARNING SCRIPTURE!

I hope this doesnt ruin this post but I wanted to add some scripture right here. I was up in my room the other night and being fairly unhappy at the time, I think I opened up my bible to read. It opened I think in Mark but it may have been another gospel, at any rate you will remember this passage Im sure.
This verse was where Jesus was telling the parable about a man obviously "God" owning a vineyard, Im taking it to mean the church but some might say Israel anyway this man owned this vineyard and so he sent a servant to get some fruit from the vineyard and like inspect it maybe or something..................?????????
I had never seen that part before.
He sent a servant not to get money or anything else but he sent the servant to get fruit. Now the fruit to me would be the love kindness compassion all of that good stuff wouldnt you think? I thought to myself you know anyone of us right here could have been that servant that God was sending into that vinyard...........
The people that worked the vinyard beat His servants and cast them out. So God sent another one and another one but they beat them all so then He said to Himself ill send my Son they wont hurt Him............
But they murdered Him.
His Son went to get the fruit in the church but He didnt find anything but murder.
You know what happens next?

This is just one more of those fun wine stories.
Its so wierd the bible is. I can have read that same scripture a million times and it meant something so far away from me but not any more it doesnt.

[Voyager]

Hey, remember Jesus turned water into wine. Do you think He was saying, "Now if you people drink any of this, I'm going to toss you into the Lake Of Fire!"; or do you think He was saying, "Drink up and have a good time!"? (Feel free not to answer - I'm just trying to make a point that Jesus did attend a few drinking parties in His day. I'm not trying to advocate drinking.)

:confused:

[Carmen]

For some feasts the Israelites were even commanded to celebrate and be joyful! :D

Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your Feast—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For seven days celebrate the Feast to the LORD your God at the place the LORD will choose. For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete. Deuteronomy 16:13-15.

I've had new wine. We used to live in an area with many vineyards near the Tuniberg. New wine there is called, Neuer Süßer, Federweißer, and Saußer and is served at varying times between September and October, depending on the harvest. The first new wines are available in supermarkets, but come from Italy. We harvested a few years near Alba in Piemonte, but no one there had the idea to drink new wine, so we introduced it to them. You have to drink it quick after harvest if it not stored right away. The sweetness diminishes and the alcohol content rises quickly. The first few days children can drink it too, after that the alcohol content is too high. After about four or at most five days in the refrigerator, the wine gets too sour to drink. It can be made drinkable by adding sugar, but then it starts fermenting quickly again and the alcohol content rises even more. Usually it is stored by then if not drunk right away and it should be stored at least a year before serving or the flavor is not developed yet.

In the climate of Israel the new wine would contain too much alcohol to be called juice by the end of 24 hours I imagine. So what they had was wine, not grape juice, especially if they celebrated for seven days. :)