Friday, January 30, 2015

THE WRONG SIDE OF RIGHT


In my early Christian pilgrimage through many very conservative churches, I found myself on the wrong side of right. I was taught and/or caught; that "the more you didn't do the better Christian you were." Key words like testimony, worldly, liberal and modernist gave the Church elders a foundation of No-No's to build on, and like the Pharisees of old, the growing list was permanently fixed to the cross. As Church members we were into "not doing;" we were not to dance, party, play cards, gamble, smoke, drink, use "minced-oaths" …like darn, gosh, dog 'gone, etc. We were not to go to shows; mixed bathing (girls and boys in the same car going to the beach for the day.) was a No-No. Unfortunately I could keep going.

Actually what we didn't do was more important than what we did do. We were actually known for what we didn't do! "That's the Church that doesn't ..."

What we did do, was go to meetings and tithe. I caught on soon that the more meetings I attended during the week determined my spirituality. (Minimum: was three services a week.) Preaching was strong on Old Testament and the Epistles. Biblical it was, yet Biblical it wasn't.

Jesus and His testimony and teaching were very seldom heard from the pulpit ... I noted the book of James didn't have a place in the pulpit. For years I was stuck on the wrong side of right. Thank God, I broke free and found Churches that were Biblically balanced. I found the unheard-of Grace that was there all the time ... and heard the mandate "be doers of the Word."

Unfortunately, I find this also true the world I minister to in Tijuana; it seems that our early Christian missionaries exported that same kind of legalistic religion ... and I find so few that are willing to break out of it.

Remember Jesus greatest enemies were the legalistic ... the Pharisees! The Pharisees of today are no friend of His either.