Where do people go when they seem to desert you? Is there a large group gathered somewhere who have lied to, cheated, sole from there so called friends and even family members so long they now have no place to go or other to call friends? What a sad group this must be.
I got an idea, let's invite them to be part of the Body of Christ. I know you say that could never happen. I don't know maybe we should ask Peter and James and John, to name a few, about that when we see them in eternity. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not talking about inviting them to a meeting or a building, an altar or any other physical place I can lead. I'm talking about letting them be drawn into a place of unconditional love that will set them free and not doom them to a life of repetitive failure.
In the past, sure we have took those offenders back almost into the fold but they were not let all the way in. Wonder why? Maybe we were just letting them into our little club we were trying to protect from folks like them. But there real Kingdom of God just says come on in. Here is where the sticky part starts with my thinking. Mainly because I have the gift of suspicion!!!
Acceptance in my circles has always meant to help by supplying for those people we let back in. But can I suggest a new twist on this acceptance thing. Let's let em' back in to full measure but let them "make it" on there own till they have proven to God that they aren't following Him for just the sandwiches and the parades. Problem is we allow our feelings to come into play and they play with our feeling till they inevitability begin to lie, cheat and steal all over again.
I am suggesting we remove our feelings from the God equation! HE IS God whether we feel it or not. I know what you think, well maybe, God gave us feelings. Did He? We were spirits before we were humans and I'm not so sure that spirits have feelings. Perhaps we developed this feeling process after the great transformation in the Garden. Remember before that everything was "Good", nothing to have a feeling or make a determination about.
It is possible to lay aside our feeling but only "IN HIM" can it be done. This may be a good barometer as to whether we are in Him. This is not a question of Him in us but us in Him. Bottom line is this...the "In Him" is being in the body of Christ. If feelings are the measuring stick of "In' or "out" it isn't His body making the determination. His body is should live by faith not by feelings. Too long again, sorry Kate.
Babu Lonnie
