Exodus from Hate

I just read an article wherein Exodus International has announced that they are shutting down in an effort to stop hurting people. 

What a remarkable statement their founder, Alan Chambers, has made.  I believe he should be commended for his change of heart and his efforts in finally taking the right steps...steps away from accidentally spreading hate...steps toward a Biblical foundation of "love thy neighbor."

My favorite quote from the announcement is: "For quite some time we’ve been imprisoned in a worldview that’s neither honoring toward our fellow human beings, nor biblical."

You can read the full announcement HERE.  But, beyond that, I encourage you to read Chambers full apology stated on the Exodus website, wherein he shares his personal convictions, his experiences and what ultimately led him to this decision.  You can read that by clicking HERE.

Another favorite quote from Chambers is:  "My beliefs about these things (sex and marriage) will never again interfere with God’s command to love my neighbor as I love myself."   

Chambers has certainly gone against the grain and taken a risky stance for a man in his position, and I believe he should be commended.  Any Believer who is able to publically admit that, though their intentions were good, they ultimately went off track and ended up hurting people with God's Word instead of promoting healing, is, well, a fine, upstanding individual in my book.  It takes guts to come out and say you were wrong.  It takes strength to admit that you've gone off track and it takes courage to shut everything down so you can repair and re-focus.  Chambers is going to open another ministry and says he and his wife are dedicated to the focus of proclaiming God's grace and salvation for everyone.  He said, "Grace is the center of salvation, not sin; our focus should be on grace."

I tried to commend him in a somewhat public forum yesterday and was immediately shot down by fellow Christians, one in particular, who accused me of calling ALL Christians bigots.  As can be typical of the radical right, who ironically think they are always right but should probably be called the radical wrong, she only saw the issue of homosexuality and never even bothered to look at Chamber's heart. She jumped all over me, trying to put words in my mouth, trying to accuse me of words I hadn't said and wasn't even thinking...to the point that I finally told her to kiss my ass.  And then she played the victim (insert eye roll here).  Oh, so typical.

Christians.  It's people like this woman that make me ashamed to bear the title and people like Alan Chambers that make me proud to be a Believer. 

Alan Chambers, you ROCK!  May others follow your lead and learn to walk in love instead of hate, judgment and condemnation.  After all, we are ALL created equal and we ALL are saved by grace, God's acceptance and His love.  There is no room for discrimination and finger-pointing; and one thing we, Christians, seem to forget or overlook is the nasty little fact that casting judgment is just one more form of sin.  May we all look in the mirror as Chambers has done.  ~

Big Idiot Gone Off Track

I am a heterosexual, Caucasian woman, married to a heterosexual, Caucasian man.  We have friends of all shapes and sizes. Some are Caucasian, African American, Asian, Mexican and Indian, some are heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual, some Christian, some are Jewish, some are religious and some are not.  The point is our friendships are based on each individual person and not on color, race, religion, sexual preference or affiliation to any particular group.

That being said, I want to share what happened to me the other day.  I was speaking with a woman I had just met and she was asking me questions about where my children take lessons, on which teams they play, etc.  It was a typical mom-to-mom type of discussion.  At least, it started out that way…

When I mentioned one of the affiliations we have, her expression changed.  It was as if her emotions flat-lined and a disapproving glare filled her eyes.  She leaned in closer to me and whispered.  “Doesn’t it bother you to have your children exposed to a homosexual lifestyle?  Don’t you feel that’s setting a bad example for them?”

All I could do was step back in shock.  I was utterly amazed at the bigotry that faced me.  We were in public so making a big scene wasn’t an option.  I smiled politely and said, “No, these particular people are not only my friends, but they are a wonderful influence on me and my children.”  I excused myself and left; but it got me thinking…

I remember years ago when a very close friend of mine was told that she couldn’t work with a church youth group because of her sexual orientation.  I was livid then, and I’m still livid now.  This woman is one of the godliest people I know.  She’s unpretentious, she’s honest, she’s open and trustworthy.  I consider her to be one of my most reliable prayer warriors.  In fact, on 9/11 when for seven long minutes I didn’t know if my husband was on one of the United flights out of Boston, she was the first phone call I made.   I love her to death and the pastor who denied her the ability to work in the youth group made a terrible mistake.  There would have been no greater influence on those teenage lives than this woman.

Bigotry comes in many packages, but is most commonly wrapped up with a big, bright bow of religious righteousness.  What the bigot doesn’t understand is that there is nothing righteous in the condemnation or judgment of others. 

Jesus said to love others.  He didn’t say to love them only if they fit into your close-minded box of what you deem is right or good.  He simply said to love one another.  And here’s a statement that should get the right-wing religious panties in a wad:  Jesus didn’t say to try to change others.  He said only to love them.  Some religious people become arrogant about their ability to befriend a homosexual, as if the very fact that they are embracing what they consider to be a “sinner” makes them godlier.  In reality, their arrogance makes them less godly.

People…we are equal in God’s eyes.  Color, religion, race, sexual orientation…none of it matters.  We’re equal.  We all have our challenges and we all face our own demons.  Life is difficult enough without judging one another on top of it. 

What is a Bigot?  Big. Idiot. Gone. Off. Track.

I think we need to stop grouping people together and start looking at individual hearts.  ALL homosexuals aren’t bad influences any more than ALL heterosexuals are good influences.  Truth be told, I’d rather have my kids exposed to a loving relationship between two people of the same sex than a violent, hateful relationship between two people of the opposite sex.  Which one better teaches them the meaning of love and commitment?

Choose who will be in your life based on the connection you feel on the inside, not on the exterior pre-judgments of a religious society that has ironically condemned, degraded and abused more people throughout history than any other group.  

 

Love God.  Love others. It’s really that simple.  ~

 

 

 

Here's Your Sign

“The truth is only uncomfortable for those who are not living by the truth.” 

This is a direct quote from an email I received in response to my blog entitled, “Love is Our Savior;Our Savior is Love.”

The implication of the email as a whole was that, based on what I wrote in my blog, I am not living by God's truth.  For some Christians, living by the truth means they must outwardly and actively pursue what they believe to be God’s agenda.  Whether it is His agenda or not, the manner in which they take action is often quite un-godly.  Let me give you some examples:

If I stand on a street corner and quietly hand out a pamphlet which shares the story of God’s love for humanity in sending His son, Jesus, to die upon the cross for our salvation and redemption… is that un-godly?  No.

If I cook a meal and take it to a sick friend, is that un-godly?  No.

If I take food and clothing to city shelters in need of supplies, is that un-godly?  No.

If I quietly observe the people around me and reach out to anyone who has a need, praying for them and doing whatever I can to help, is that un-godly?  No.

These are all actions of love.  They are not done to gain exposure to oneself.  They are not done to increase one’s income.  They are not done to build one’s ego.  They are done simply as an extension of God’s love.  They carry a message of love through an action of love.

Now, if I plaster red tape across my face and write the word “Life” on it and then adorn myself with signs that say, “God Hates Abortion,” is that un-godly?  Yes.

Before you send me an email stating that abortion is murder and murder is wrong, let me explain.  Abortion IS murder and murder IS wrong, but that isn’t what I’m talking about.  Far better would it be for a person to counsel one-on-one with a frightened, pregnant teenager than to stand on the street with a hate sign and red tape over one’s lips.  The message may hold truth but the action itself is not based in love; and if your actions are not showing God’s love, your message will never be heard.

If you are holding a sign that begins with the words, “God Hates ____” you are not expressing God’s love.  Period.  You are expressing judgment and condemnation and the Bible is very clear on the fact that we are not to judge one another.

Remove the plank from your own eye before you start attacking other people in the name of God and truth and God’s supposed agenda.

And for Heaven's sake, people, stop teaching this crap to your children.  Teach them to love, not to judge.  Teach them to pursue God's truth through actions of love and not actions of hate.

Plastering red tape on a child's mouth doesn't send a message of God's love.  It sends a message of condemnation, judgment and ultimately chases people further from God.

If you want to take a stand against abortion, do it the right way, the loving way, God's way.

I get discouraged by how many Christians behave in ways that are utterly un-Christ-like.  What do I mean by that statement?  Let me first tell you what I DON’T mean.  I’m not talking about the Christians who party a little too hard on weekends or let the occasional curse word cross their lips.  I’m not talking about the Christians who have made mistakes and fallen short of who they wanted to be as a husband or wife.   My goodness, look at the short-comings of David in the Bible, and yet God said David was a man after His own heart.  I’m talking about the Christians that waltz around with an arrogant, elitist, holier-than-thou spirit.  I’m talking about the Christians who hold hate signs and cast judgment on others and do it in the name of God.  I’m talking about the Christians who manipulate Scripture and whose sole focus is on seeking new signs and wonders and pursuing with war-like evangelism the end of the world.  These are the Christians giving Christianity a bad name.  These are the Christians who are distorting God’s love with their actions of hate.  These are the Christians who are un-Christ-like.

If you read the Bible, particularly the New Testament, and you look at the stories of how Jesus interacted with normal people, you will find that he was never elitist nor arrogant nor condemning.  He spoke truth in private and with compassion, and always out of love.

Don’t send me an email telling me the story of when Jesus took a whip and ripped through the temple, because that’s not what I’m talking about here.  Jesus ripped through the temple in righteous anger because the so-called religious people were making a mockery of God.  They were benefiting themselves, their own egos, their own positions, their own agendas in the name of God … and Jesus put them in their place.  Just as He will do to the elitist Christians now, who are taking actions of hate and proclaiming them as God’s love. 

There is only one truth and that truth is love.   So to all of you eltitist, arrogant bigots who call yourselves Christian, here's your sign:  

 

 

Mail of Malice

As I’m wading through mounds of emails I thought I would take a moment and share with my readers some of the expressions of malice I have received as a result of my novel, House ofLies.  I don’t have any proof that these were sent to me by International House of Prayer (IHOP) members, however, my gut tells me they were, as previous emails of this nature have been from IHOP members; so I’m going to proceed in that manner.

 

“You have chosen to befriend homosexuals instead of the Lord and have mocked His people in House of Lies.  You mock our prophetic understanding and may God make an example of you and strike you down with the lightning of justice.”

 

“You would be better off dead than to cross the Lord’s work.  Read Acts and be warned.”

 

“If I were you I would watch my back.”

 

“Mike Bickle is a chosen apostle of the Lord and you are a fool to stand against him. Gods favor rests upon the godly.”

 

Yes, I am friends with homosexuals, heterosexuals, bisexuals and metrosexuals.  I don’t befriend nor defriend people based on their sexuality.  I don’t judge.  It isn’t my job.  It isn’t my calling. It isn’t the way I want to live my life.  Furthermore, if you want to pull out your Bible I’m quite certain you’ll find several verses in the New Testament that specifically tell you NOT to judge.

 

As far as the accusation of mocking God’s people in House of Lies, I do not see how this is relevant.  I don’t mock your “prophetic understanding” because there is no understanding to mock.  The prophecies upon which your cult group (IHOP) is built have been proven false.  (* Look up the KC Prophets, The Blueprint Prophesy, The Ernie Gruen Report) Your leader has openly admitted to the fact that the majority of prophesies coming out of IHOP are not accurate and he preaches that inaccurate prophetic words are acceptable.  For me to say this practice of false prophesy is bogus is not me mocking you….it is simply me stating a fact.  It is my personal belief that any prophetic word that comes from the Lord will be 100% accurate.  If there is even the slightest inaccuracy than the so-called prophetic word is not from God.  It's either all right or all wrong.  God doesn't deal in half-truths.

In addition, and not to tread on your arrogance, House of Lies wasn’t written about YOU.  It’s a fictional cult group with a fictional leader.  (The only reason IHOP members believe the book is about them is because an IHOP member's [Bethany Deaton] murder was striking similar to the story.)

Second, I’m not crossing the Lord’s work, nor would I ever.  I know it and He knows it and that's all that matters. 

Third, I have read the book of Acts and my backside is being watched...but thank you for your concern.

As for Mike Bickle… he is a self-proclaimed apostle of the Lord.  I don’t stand against him on a personal level.  I stand against ANY cult leader who manipulates Scripture, spews bigotry, spreads lies in the name of God and deceives the youth in an attempt to build an end-times army that has destroyed families, taken lives and has the potential to become ever-more dangerous.  I stand against that, not against one man.

You can continue to email me with your words of warning, but it would better behoove you to  spend your time researching IHOP for yourself, instead of settling for being spoon-fed lies simply because the acceptance of it all "feels" good.  Drugs "feel" good too, but they destroy you from the inside out.

 

Instead of pointing a finger at me, it sounds like you have some very tough questions to ask yourself...

...and to ask God.  Good luck.  ~

Missing the Point

I posted this photo to Facebook last night and then stepped away from my computer to get the kids ready for bed.  As one friend put it,   “That was like dropping a water balloon off of a building and then not waiting around to see who got soaked.”  He was right.  By the time I sat back down in front of my computer, a heated debate had erupted all over my wall. 

What instantly struck me was the fact that most of the people completely missed the point of the picture.  The point was NOT to condone, condemn nor debate homosexuality; the point was that bigotry is an act of hatefulness, one clearly depicted in the images of the adults and children holding signs.  The point is bigotry in any form is wrong.

Many people quoted Scripture which was focused on homosexuality; again, not the point of the picture.  The picture is making a comparison between acts of love and acts of hate.  No matter how you personally feel about homosexuality, you don’t have the right to judge other people.  Bigotry comes in many forms.  It can be against color, race, religion, sexual preference, etc.  Bigotry in all forms is simply a cowardly act of spreading hatred.   It is not an action of love.

 

No one holds a sign up that reads:  “God hates you,” as an act of love.  No one holds a sign up that reads:  “God hates Fags,” as an act of love.  Jesus didn’t and wouldn’t act this way; nor should His followers.

Ironically, a passage of Scripture that was not quoted in the debate was Mark 12:28-33.  It reads like this:

²⁸ One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

³² “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. ³³ To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Last I checked, loving your neighbor didn’t mean shoving a sign in their face that says God hates them or that they are going to hell.  

Again, the above picture was not about whether you think homosexuality is right or wrong; it is about bigotry being wrong.

“Faith, hope and love…but the greatest of these is love.”  I Corinthians 13:13