Thursday, March 31, 2011

Followers of Christ??

More than ever right now I am wanting to shake everyone I know that is a Christian and tell them they had better act right (including myself)!
We have two families that we owed money because the daycare closed.  One family is Christian.  One family is Mormon.  Both families had paid on a credit card.  Both families charged back their credit cards after we closed.  The difference?  The Christian family charged back the entire amount, not even paying for the part of the services they used.  The Mormon family charged back what they actually were due.  They figured up what they owed us (including registration fees) and only charged back the amount they were due.  Wow.
Why do we as Christians feel like it is okay to act like the world?  Why do we feel like we are doing everyone a service when we tell them about Christ if we are not going to actually follow Him (which means acting like He would in all situations).  Team win for Satan.  Team loss for Christ, and it happens every day all day long.  When are we going to wake up and understand all of our sin - ALL OF IT - affects other people.  All of it impacts people we may never know it impacted.  We have to realize time is short and if we are at all concerned for people’s souls, we need to stop being shown up by people who serve a Jesus that is impotent - because in that religion - Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but not God. That makes the Jesus they follow VERY different than the Jesus I follow.   They also believe that we will be gods one day, though they say we will never be as powerful as God - because “as we are growing in knowledge, so is He”.  I am sorry, but the God I serve will not be growing in knowledge or power or anything else because He is already all-knowing, and all powerful.
 I have a few friends who I love deeply who are Mormons.  They are precious to me.  I pray often that the eyes of their hearts would be open to the Truth of God’s Word.  The Truth that speaks of Hell more than it speaks of Heaven.  The Truth of the Trinity - where Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit are all truly One.  The Truth that says that there is only one way into Heaven - “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one gets to the Father but through me.”  No one.  Not one person will ever be good enough apart from Jesus Christ.  And, not an impotent, Jesus.  The real Jesus Christ.  The One who was perfect.  The One who came so that we might have life.  I hate the religion of Mormonism because it is so deceptive.  SO DECEPTIVE!  But, please don’t get me wrong.  I love Mormon people.  I dearly love my friends who are Mormons.  And I am sad that if I weren’t a believer, I would have just been exposed to this Christian and this Mormon and I wouldn’t have fuzzy feelings for the Christian at all.  This experience would make me want to agree with my cousin, if I didn’t have a personal relationship with Christ as my Savior already.  When I “share my testimony” it does not sound like anyone else’s.  It is the personal account of my walk with Christ.  My faith in God.  The ways that He has stepped into my life and been personal with me.  The ways that He has rescued me.  The hurts that He has carried me through.  The way that He is constantly at work around me and in my heart.  My testimony is not of a mere man (Joseph Smith) or in support of a religion.  My testimony is about the Savior of my soul, and the Redeemer of my heart and the Repairer of all things broken in my life.
 My cousin (who is not a believer) has ribbed me since I was little about things - a lot of things.  I feel like she has always just not liked me very much.  I am not really sure why, but because of the things that she says to me, I think it has something to do with the fact that I follow Christ.  I have been a lover of Jesus Christ since I was little.  I have not always acted like it.  She has had many people in her life say they were Christians and then they hurt her - deeply.  Some, worse than others.  She has been surrounded by false teaching for part of her life, and she has been consumed with a mild form of hatred for Christ-followers based on this (at least that is what it appears to me).  Last week she posted this on Facebook...  “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ - Mohandas Gandhi”.  That quote was deeply convicting for me personally, because, though we are not perfect... and won’t be this side of eternity, we make choices every day.
Life is choices.
When we allow ourselves to consider ourselves more than we consider others we do much damage to the Kingdom of God.  According to Scripture, we are His Ambassadors, but we live as if we are only representing ourselves.  Sad.  Really sad.

I implore you, if you are a Follower of Christ, if you believe the Bible is true - all of it - from cover to cover - then pursue righteousness.  Remember that all of your ACTIONS speak to what you really believe, and who you really believe in.

2 comments:

agratefulheart said...

You have an amazing testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. I also love Him as my Savior, Redeemer, Friend, Comforter, God, Deliverer, Examplar, Judge, King, Messiah, Mediator, Comforter, etc.
As a Mormon, it hurts me to read your comments, because some of the conceptions you have about what Mormons believe are not true. If you want to know the truth of what we believe, don't take it from anywhere but the source. Since we believe in the Bible, as many other religions do, to see what sets us apart, please read the Book of Mormon with a humble heart and let the Lord speak to you to tell you if it is true or not.
"Jesus Christ is the greatest being to be born on this earth-the perfect example... He is the Lord of lords, King of kings, the Creator, the Savior, the God of the whole earth, the Captain of our salvation, ...AND IS THE ONLY NAME UNDER HEAVEN BY WHICH WE CAN BE SAVED. He will come again in power and glory to dwell on the earth, and will stand as Judge of all mankind at the last day."
Mormon Bible dictionary
To learn for yourself, please go to mormon.org and order a free copy of the Book of Mormon, or I would be happy to send you one myself. Have a great night! Annalee

Cup of Tea said...

I came across your blog through your sister in law Mandy. I just want to say this: I wish I had more friends like you that are truly passionate about Jesus! And not afraid to speak up about it.
It's very encouraging to read about your love for Jesus and how you implement that in your life. Thank you for your openness in sharing so that others (like me) may be encouraged to love God with even more passion!
Thanks so much. Thea