Grace Chasers
  • Home
    • Contact Us >
      • Recommended
  • Faith
    • Church Attendance: What's In It For Me?
    • Say Something I'm Giving Up on You (or why I'd love to join a church)
    • This is Home
    • For The Ragamuffins
    • The Indictment
    • The Journey Home
    • Turn Aside
    • Riding Out The Storm
    • Where You Find Yourself
    • Where Was God?
    • Healed and Held
    • Out of Alignment
    • What if I Were a Muslim?
    • Taking off the Mask
    • The Rescue
    • Uncertainty
    • Grace, Only Grace
    • Identity Crisis
    • Centered
    • The Why Questions
    • When God Doesn't Heal
    • Eternity in Our Hearts
    • A Plead For Unity
    • One of Them Days
    • Abba, Father
    • Fresh Eyes
    • One Thing More
    • Every Word Matters
    • Dis Connect
    • Satellites
    • Living For The Mission
    • Twelve
    • Seeking God's Will in Everyday Decisions
    • Unchanged
    • Uninvited
    • A New Commandment
    • Sunday Mornings
    • Hope
    • The Great Invitation
    • (Ir)Relevant
    • What's My Motivation?
    • I Don't Want To Get Over You
    • His Heartbeat
    • Lay it Down
    • We Shine Like Stars
    • Breaking Through
    • Trust Issues
    • Stuck in Numbers
    • Out of Our Control
    • Say So
    • Re: Focus
    • Getting Past- The Heart of the Matter
    • Face Down
    • The Business of Love
    • Surrendering Our Rights
    • Grace Does
    • The One Conversation
  • Seasons of Life
    • Miss You
    • Beginnings
    • A New Beginning
    • Four Seasons
    • Give Thanks
    • A Dream of Spring
    • Prone To Wonder
    • Splinters
    • Free Refills
    • Silent Night?
    • Early Christmas
    • Mary's Song
    • Christmas Past
    • A Dream From His Father
    • Proof of Love
    • The Close of Summer
    • Fall Awakenings
    • Memorial Day- Remembering the Lord's Past Goodness
    • God Shed HIs Grace on Thee
    • The End is Only The Beginning
    • The Sacred Journey
    • Air
    • The Longing
    • A Thousand Words
    • Faith Like A Child
  • Stories and Such
    • Doubt!
    • Along The Way
    • The Tree That Calls My Name
    • Praise Hymn
    • A Good Life
    • A Story for Those Forgiven
    • Something to Celebrate
    • A Lifetime of Love
    • All That You Can't Leave Behind
    • Coffee and Jesus
    • Tiny Hands and Baby Powder
    • The Busted Play
    • The Hill
    • The Old Country Church
    • Noah and a Better Way
    • Dawn Breaking
    • The Power of a Moment
    • Zu Zu's Petals
    • Thanks Be To God
    • The Search Is Over
    • An Interview with Jon Akin
    • Pursued By Grace
    • The Flood
    • Dog Days
    • Grace Land
    • Broken Inside
    • Where I've Been
    • Waving Our Flags
    • My Father's Hands
    • Rediscovering Narnia
    • Solitude
    • A Place Called Tennessee
    • A Tale of Reconciliation
    • Pocketful of Treasure
    • On Paris, ISIS and the Ground Swell of Hate
    • A Midnight Prayer
    • A "Least of These" Tale
    • Right to Live, Right to Die
    • The Stairway
  • Lessons
    • Sediment
    • The Lights From Home
    • And Grace Will Lead Us Home
    • How He Loves
    • Proof of Life
    • Which Jesus Did You Get?
    • Grumpypants
    • We Are Held
    • Fight the Fear
    • Love is Messy
    • The Difference He Makes
    • No, I mean He really Loves you
    • Left Unsaid
    • Hands of an Angry God
    • Milk
    • The Transaction
    • Teach Your Children Well
    • Come To The Table
    • The Lost Art of Conversation
    • Embracing Brokenness
    • The Last Stand
    • Sinners and Psalms
  • In The Word
    • Counting Joys
    • The God Who Sees Me
    • A Bride's Worth
    • The Dilemma
    • One Race, One Blood
    • Who is My Neighbor?
    • Exceeding Glory
    • Just A Glimpse
    • The Battle
    • White As Snow
    • The Demonstration
    • And Then The End Will Come
    • A Friend Like That

A Plead for Unity

8/9/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
As I sit here this morning with a heavy heart, I pray for those Christians on a mountaintop in Iraq, waiting to be rescued. I pray for those doctors who have contracted the Ebola virus by helping those in other less-fortunate countries. As the Gospel continues to be spread throughout the world, I see the contrast between the persecuted church and the church in America.

Here in America, I read the headlines of current events in the Christian realm. Although I do not like to write about current events, I am deeply troubled at our presence in this country. We have Christan singers denying the inerrancy of Scripture. We have a pastor's child who committed suicide last week, maybe for being confronted online over his “public transgressions”. A pastor and his church were removed from a church planting organization that he helped start. We have denominations that are going against Scripture and condoning a lifestyle that is contrary to the Word of God. A couple months ago a pastor that I really enjoyed hearing teach, had to step down for indiscretion. The fingers pointing and the tongue-wagging that all of this has brought on is astounding. Instead of being earnest and diligent in our prayers for the people affected by and going through all of this, we become part of the mob of condemning Pharisees. Don't get me wrong, the Bible clearly gives guidelines and procedures for correction, especially for those in minstry. Yes, sin does need to be brought to light and dealt with. However, to take to the public square hinders the growth of the Body and will not win those who have not Come Home yet. Our failure to pray for those caught in sin and to seek to restore them, is itself a sin on our part. I am reminded of the story of Jesus interaction with the religious leaders and the woman caught in adultery (John 8: 1-11). Casting stones at others is probably not the best use of our time. It certainly isn't attractive behavior to a world lost and dying and in need of a Hero to rescue them. If they get the sense that we will do the same to them if they “mess up”, why would they even want to come and join with us?

Jesus prayed for us all to be One in Him the night before he died (John 17: 20-26). I'm sure He would be appalled at what we do to each other as believers and followers of Him. If we are to show Him to this broken world, inhabited by broken people, He commanded us to love each other as He loved us. We can't do that by throwing stones, lashing out at each other in social media or even withholding forgiveness to other offenders. Without showing the process of restoration to this world, they will neither know or understand, what that even looks like. If we continue to be unnatractive in our dealings with each other, we will not be bearers of light to this darkened world. Let us instead, weep with those who weep, mourn with those who mourn and seek to restore to a right relationship with Him, those who have acknowledged their sin, confessed it and turned back to Him. This should always be the attitude of followers of The Way. Let us not continue to break the Father's Heart by condemning other believers who have stepped out of line and lost their way. Unity is the key to the Way (Ephesians 4:3).


Submit
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    August 2014

    Categories

    All
    Casting Stones
    Gospel
    Lifting Up
    Light
    Tearing Down
    Unity

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.