I have never been so discouraged by the American Evangelical Christian church than I have been this year in 2020. Things have been degrading since President You-Know-Who came out of the woodwork, but it was nothing until this year.
The amount of hate, gossip, conspiracy theories, prosperity nonsense, and over all departure from the heart of Christ has me saying often: “I don’t want any of these labels anymore.”
As a woman, a small business owner, a teacher, a mental health worker, a mom, and a leader in ministry, the direction of the evangelical church is disheartening, and I feel like I have no confidants in this.
And, recently, I’ve had a lot of thoughts, and I wasn’t sure where to put them…facebook is too divided. I’m friends with an equal amount of left & right people who both take it to the extreme and don’t see the hypocrisy of their own bias. Instagram is my jam. My happy place. I share encouragement and connection there. Youtube is honestly just a place for me to share my weekly lives to get another platform covered.
That leaves this, the only blog I now have running. And, even though I mostly use it for my business, it also has the backlog of my original blog. The one I started for my personal musings and encouragement. So, here I share these thoughts I’ve recently have.
This will be a long one because it’s a brain dump:
I feel like if our current president wins again, we are in more danger of losing a free America than we are if any other party wins – even Kanye. I am so concerned the church believes that he is the savior and the only way God can continue to move in this country. He is one of the most dangerous men in the entire world right now as a narcissist who has gained one of the highest powers. Losing that would devastate him. That is dangerous, because he fights dirty and dishonestly and would do anything to hold his title.
He is not a savior and he is not the only one who has the power to decide if God will move.
When I see and hear Christians saying, “God is in control and He’s on the move so Trump has to win.” I think, “So, if someone else wins, God isn’t in control and can’t move? I didn’t know any one man had so much power to stop God’s move or direct God’s control”.
Honestly, God is God. He is never changing. He will move when He wants to move and He will be still and silent when He wants to be still and silent. This will be true regardless of who is in power in America. We’re not God’s country.
No one in history has had the power to control God’s move or lack thereof. Not Trump causing God to move or Biden preventing God from moving. And, I don’t believe either one understands the heart of Christ.
No matter who wins: Trump, Biden, even Kanye, Know this:
GOD IS STILL GOD. HE WILL STILL MOVE WHEN HE WANTS TO MOVE AND HE WILL BE STILL WHEN HE CHOOSES TO BE STILL. NO GOVERNMENT IN HISTORY HAS EVER BEEN ABLE TO SILENCE THE GOSPEL. NOT A KING GOING AFTER A BABY IN A MANGER. NOT ANY MIDDLE EASTERN NATION. NOT CHINA. THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION (IF THAT’S THE OUTCOME) CANNOT SILENT THE GOSPEL. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CANNOT MAKE GOD MOVE.
The American church has become so focused on two “sins” that the enemy has been able to distract us from what is truly asked of us:
TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Even Christ showed love to sinners on the cross. Does that mean He didn’t also show condemnation for sin, absolutely not. What it does show is how we are to be toward those who do sin.
And these two “sins” we’ve become so focused on actually move us away from the call of the Gospel and the plea of Paul to live worthy of the Gospel.
PRO LIFE MEANS ALL PRO LIFE, AND JESUS WAS PRO LIFE, NOT JUST ANTI-ABORTION.
He was for the orphan, the widow, the refugee, the sinner, the outcast, and the sick. He dined with them, he showed them love, then he revealed their sins and offered a chance at repentance.
That is the example we are meant to follow.
And, if a new caronavirus, a Biden administration, and a Bill Gates vaccine means we’re entering the end times, then so be it. No one can stop it. It was already forecast in Scripture.
This does not change our command: Love God with all we are, and love people. Speaking up for all: the unborn, the orphan, the widow, the refugee, the disabled, the sinner, the women, the broken, the hurting, and our enemy. For it is by our love we will be known and identified. Then, we are to reveal the truth, the condition of man, and offer a chance for repentance and redemption in love.
Not in hate. Not in chaos. Not in anxiety. Not in bullying. Not in taunting, terrorizing, or tormenting.
In LOVE.
The American church has been comfortable way too long, and now many fear losing their power, their authority, their dominion. When our real power, authority, and dominion comes from Christ and His work on the Cross. And, even He promised discomfort, persecution, and trouble. Yet, here we are, 200 years in, and most of us (the white, evangelical church) has faced None.Of.That.
So, why is it so hard for us to show this love? It should be easy and overflowing for us. But, out of fear for loss of power, instead there is hate, chaos, bullying, anxiety, taunting, terrorizing, and torment.
The American church is truly full of pharisees.
Jesus came here to overcome the world, yes, but He did so in Love. And, that is the hope of the Gospel.
That we can befriend the sick, the sinner, the outcast, the broken, the disabled, the lonely, the orphan, the widow, the unborn, the refugee, the marginalized, and our enemy. We can dine with them. We can reveal the truth, show them their sin, and offer a chance for repentance and redemption (that part is all on them).
In this way, we would truly be living out the Gospel the way Christ lived out the Gospel.
Still think a re-election is the only way to see God move?
Bet.
God will move when God wants to move, regardless of who’s in power. God will be still when God chooses to be still, regardless of who’s in power. And, not one single government can silence the Gospel if we are there to truly live it out and let God do the rest.
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