Thursday, July 7, 2016

What God Has for Me it is for Me.

The words of the song right so true; there is no cooker cutter approach to salvation.
Lo que Dios Tienes Para Mie es para mi.

I remember  Minister Exxxx Exxxx, a great Young man during my time at Universal Temple.
His wife cheated on him.  He did not know the Lord initially, and, was heading towards the Muslim path.  He married into faith, his wife was a member of the church.  A dynamo so to speak, had a lot to say, and she was in church on the regular.

Well, she cheated on him after a brief period in marriage.  He had moved up in the ranks at church and was quickly found a place for him as a Minister of God.  Wow, he used his talent and zeal to bring other to Christ, and had an awesome ministry to the Muslim population. 

The interesting aspect of the cheating is this.  His ex-wife brought the boyfriend to the bedroom, and, he would sleep in the living room while the mess was going on.  God had not given him a release to leave her as of yet.  He continued that way for several months until God had given him the release.  All the while he was praising and Glorying God and ministering from the Pulpit, and had the support of our pastor. 

Similarly, there was a sister of the church, a then mother of the church when I had joined.  Her husband was a mean person whom hated the Lord.  She stuck to church in spite of it all.  When she would pray, he would do things like lite matches and put them to her feet; but she kept on serving God, for years.  Then one day, God just took him out of the picture, and she still loved him, but she never received the release to leave him, and stood by the side of her husband. 

For years after my divorce, I wanted to curse my ex-wife for leaving me.  And, for years I had no received the release to do so.  A release just came up recently when I was talking with someone outside of church last night.  We talked about the fact that church is an EMERGENCY ROOM, and, many people do not understand that.  They come to church expecting true CHRISTIANS, and are dismayed when they find a MESS.  But, the topic came up when we discussed the fact that my ex-wife, married, cheated with a Married Worship leader at a local church.  And, the further distressing component is the pastor, was told of the scenario, did not “Sit Down” the parties involved in the cheating, but allowed them to continue, while committing adultery in the home, to be praise and worship leaders.  Hum? 
I know in the church I had come from, that if you were the offending party, the pastor, once he would verify what happened by talking to you, would talk about you so bad from the pulpit, that he would not ask you to leave, but the outcast from the congregation and backlash from them was so bad, you would walk out because you could not take the pressure. 

Years ago I took the dogmatic stance that if your spouse committed adultery, that you were obligated to leave the home and not stay in sin.  Through years of being a Christian, and, years now of being in divorce care groups, that God can withhold a release in the life of a Christian.  He can ask that Christian to stay with the offending person.  While an offending person was always admonished to stop, and, had they been at Universal that person would voluntarily leave often.  I have seen people stay in relationships with the offending party, and that relationship was restored.  Many Christian, especially the Newbie experiencing divorce, went through a mixed multitude of experiences.  Some did not have the strength to leave the offender, but needed support and help to leave the offender, that his when they would get the release.  They would look around at other group members, and the members would testify of the support they received from the church, and those members provided the support to strengthen the person to leave the offending other.  Again, some were never provided a release but were asked of God to stay in the relationship.  The bottom line is just because there is an absolute in my life, and God has asked me never to return to the offending party, that does not mean the same must and will hold true for you, while ensuring that you do not support or condone sin. 

It is like one person our pastor had married.  The church she attended in VA was of the theology that once you are married, you cannot marry again, even if you were not the offender.  My pastor knew the bride and groom to be and married them although they were an outcast from their home church in VA.  The point is, sometimes the Will of God and what God asks us to do may not be what others are asking and telling us to do.

I say this because of a recent conversation today that reminded me of such, and my divorce care experience and years of seeing my departed pastor live Christ in action. 

Divorce care is a tool to set up a system to help others follow the will of God.   I have seen many come to God and Be Blessed after being broken and trodden down due to divorce.  The church, a testimony and vehicle in action, provided support in the form of counseling and SERVICES AND HELP, to the extent that many were empowered to live for Him, and move from NEWBIES in Christ to people with testimonies and witnessing and supporting others to make it through the same rough road. 

Many preachers say, I told them to do it,  I told the congregation to do XYZ.  Sometimes, telling and showing are two different things.  Setting up a system of support and groups in church and providing services is a SELF EVIDENT testimony and LURE to bring others to Christ.  The people will bring people to Christ when newbies see the support and the love that the church has to offer.  I told them to go to the nursing homes and assisted living facilities, while the church vans remained in the parking lots on Wednesday Night Bible Study and Sunday Morning services.  I remember my pastor pulling up with the church van full of Mothers Of the Church on Sunday; He showed them by example when they would not do it by being asked to.  The pastor at the church Wednesday night said, I too cleaned the toilets, the men’s room and women’s rooms, and did everything I asked others to do.

Dedicated to La Senora that needs help to Leave the cheating Husband and EL PASTOR that is open to new ideas and services. 

Last night it was tragic while being at one church and he stated “I want to start all these programs and nobody wants to help.”.

What God has for me is for Me. And what he asked me to do may be different from your charge.  Let us be a church in actions with services and groups and support.  Not the whole, AHH, you are living in Sin, repent, etc, pero, déjame ayudarte, y el testimonio viene de la gente en la iglesia; y hay hermanos y hermanas en la iglesia para ayudarte si Dios te dices deja su esposo o esposa por el pecado de ellos y ofensa.  We need the groups and services to help people depart from sin, as the Lord Leads them to, and help the homeless and the hungry and the down trodden and those that cannot attend church on their own, they need a ride. Etc.


Prayerfully posted. God Bless.  

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