I can only Imagine
Well this is my 10,001 article I just sent to a Christian web site expressing my concerns as a witch and as a Christian too. I hope it is helpful to you in some way, thanks for gracing me with your presence family!
I just saw the movie "I can only Imagine" it was such an inspiring movie that brought me to tears, I highly recommend to see it if you get a chance. It is a story about forgiveness and redemption not only for the lead singer of "Mercy Me" but for all of us as well!
I don't know? I have a lot of anger towards Christians and how judgmental and unforgiving they can be, but I wonder? Is there room for me to forgive them? I just don't know? Christianity to me was always about family! It didn't matter where you came from, where you are currently in your life or even if you love or reject Jesus. It is about showing the love you have for the person standing right next to you and showing the same love that Jesus has for each and everyone of us!
It's not about religious dogma, or opinions of how we should worship or have a relationship with God. Christianity is a simple message of family and home. Regardless of where you are or where you stand in your life you have a family to come home to when you are ready.
That is the Christianity I follow and I hope one day other Christians will see as well! Christians do not get brownie points for shunning, rejecting the lost who happen to walk on by, it is about inviting them to a wonderful church, a party, a celebration of an incredible God that wants them to come home to Him.
Maybe the lost are not ready? It doesn't matter for the love that God has given in each and everyone of us can transform and inspire the lost to feel like they are part of the family, and have a home to come to when they are ready. Find it in your heart to invite someone to Church, to lunch or dinner and treat them like family! Show them the love, the compassion, the wiliness to forgive and love regardless of where they are at in their life.
Don't ever turn anyone away, or ever shun them for being different. Don't worry about their religious dogma just show them the love and let Jesus shine in you as you show them the love they so desperately need. A very wise man once told me don't worry about whether or not people accept or reject Jesus, concentrate on the love and let God work miracles through you as you reach out to that person of how much we miss them from our family! God is very patient, loving, and forgiving, can't we be as well?
Replies
Thank you for sharing. Sorry about the lateness of this Reply. You are very correct. We are commanded by Christ to even love our enemies. Who is left then to hate? Love should always be the mark of a Christian. Of course these enemies are human ones, as the spiritual enemies we must fight with Our Lord's Strength that He provides us. We follow The Leader. We don't crave our own path. It can be difficult with human urges, weaknesses, illnesses, conditions, or addictions. These make us try to bend Truth to fit ourselves. The Truth never needs fixing, but we do, daily. The Lord clearly says to not condemn, yet there are those that would say that they are practicing "Tough Love". A disaster happens to an area, and they say The Lord punished those evil doers, with almost delight in their voices. That is not Love. It is True, that sadly many push The Lord away, then when a disaster strikes, wonder why He let it happen. If one throws away a life preserver in deep water, and then drowns. Whose fault is it? We follow Christ as Christians, so we must follow His Light, and live by His Example Of Love. He died for all, sinner and Saved. The Lord's Story of The Good Samaritan is very relevant.
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it? ” So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10:25-37 NKJV
I hope this made sense. Thank you. God Bless.
I love the Good Samaritan story that Jesus shared with the lawyer and with us as well. It reminds me of Mathew 25:35 For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, and Mathew 25:40 And the King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.' I think this is a beautiful story of how we should see Jesus in everyone we meet and treat everyone as family! Thanks RJW and God bless you too!
Thank you, ShadowFire_Nixie. Matthew 25:35 and Matthew 25:40 do greatly add to the Message. We are strangers in a strange land, because our Home is with The Lord in His Kingdom. He provides all that we need, but we need to share that with others, lest they might not make it Home. It is always their choice, but good for them to know that Home is waiting and filled with Love. Love is helping those, even if they choose not to go Home. Something that is often forgotten. Thank you for the very kind words. God Bless.