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| This was written by my friend Mark Rich (who does not claim any particular religion):
The greatest lesson that jesus gave us was when he asked god to remove
his selfishnes so that he could do gods will. Here was a man who could
raise the dead, heal the sick, cast out demons, and even he needed gods
help to align his will with gods.
I have been to services that claim to heal, cast out demons even
promice welth and happiness to the true belivers (with a addition that when
god comes back you will have box seats to observe all the suffering
below, arnt you glad you got your saved badge to show everyone) but how
often do we talk about aligning our will with gods. This is what jesus
needed gods help with.
Now I can't blaim jesus. I can't say that an impending crusifiction
wouldn't cause me to question gods will in my life, hell one good death
of a loved one is enough to cause me to question gods will. So today I
can say that my willingness to do gods will is conditional so long as
it is the stuff I want. But my prayer is for me to be willing no matter
what the cost. When I pray for the things I want it usually has the
same effect of jesus asking god to pass the cup. | | |
| CIU is pregnant with potential, but it is aborting its babies with the killing letter of legalism and man made doctrines. By aborting its young it is also coming closer and closer to destroying the potential of the nourishing womb that it could be. So many believers are terrified of grace. They confuse true grace with what the Bible calls licentiousness. We think that we can avoid this deception by making safe rules for everyone to follow. The problem with this solution is that it is doomed from the beginning. The God of the universe created rules in order to display His grace and to this day He is the only one who has ever lived up to them. Rules do not prevent sin. Rules point to sin. Sin is not the problem it is merely the symptom. Pointing out the symptoms is not the way to heal the sick. Pointing to problems that are not there...creates raging hypochondriacs. The God of the universe said that rules were not the point, and he called the people that added to His Torah a brood of vipers. The answer is not correct doctrines and a simple or even complex set of rules, the answer is love. Love limits the liberty of grace. Actions motivated by licentiousness are done in selfishness and blindness. We do not need more rules… we need to know God in the fullness of His love and holiness. The spirit gives life. Should there be community guidelines? Of course…but guidelines that allow us to grow in love and maturity. CIU should be a safe place to fail where others will come around you to help you back up and restore you in gentleness and love. This is not a mere critique on standards and to call it that is gravely missing the point. The spirit gives life and this is a call for CIU to allow the freedom of the spirit to make CIU the nourishing womb it has the potential to be. | | |
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