8/1/13- Leaving church over sexual immorality

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant,torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” (1 Kings 19:9-10)

Thoughts: In Elijah's day the people of God broke their sole covenant with Yahweh and worshiped the God Baal (or Ugaritic Baal ze Bub), the fertility God. Part of Canaanite worship was to have sex with prostitutes and orgies on mountaintops in order for the rain to fall and the crops to grow.  Later prophets would describe Israel as breaking her marriage covenant with God in order to dabble in the sexual fertility worship of Baal.  Baal worship was similar to the worship of the goddess of sexual love, Aphrodite.
    Today our culture is worshiping the God of human love and sexuality.  Nine out of ten boys are exposed to pornography before 18 (covenanteyes.com). There are 24.6 million pornographic internet sites.  Every second $3,000 is spent on pornography.  40 Million Americans are regular visitors to porn sites. Living together without marriage has become acceptable to the point that over half the couples in the United States partner without being married.  1.6 million babies in America were born to unwed mothers in 2011. The trend has gone from 5% of births out of wedlock in 1950 to 40% (1.6 million) today. This is on top of 1.2 million abortions in 2011.  Monogamy and monotheism tend to go together- both illustrating a covenant relationship of love forsaking all others.
   Many have argued that they have left the church out of disgust that it is not keeping up with the times (by its protesting against adultery and homosexual behavior).  The church, they say, is too rigid, behind the times, and restrictive, even bigoted against adulterers or Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, or transgender practitioners.  Why and how did people leave Yahweh to worship Baal in Elijah's day so much so that Elijah was "the only one left."  Perhaps they saw Yahweh worship as outdated, restrictive, and legalistic. Sexual immorality has often been a reason people have left faith to live for what they can only see and feel.  

    Sexual immorality is not the unforgivable sin.  Jesus did not condemn the adulterous woman in John 4.  However, turning away from God is the unforgivable sin- the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.  It is extremely hard for those who have fallen into sexual immorality to come back to the faith, but it is not impossible.  Elijah's confrontation with Baal's prophets in 1 Kings 18 was a turning point and the people came back.  America too, is called to leave immorality behind and seek God. 

Prayer: Let not my sin, cloud my eyes to you, O Lord.  Let me give up physical and spiritual adultery and turn my whole heart to you, my Lord and my God.  

(The Cannanite Fertility gods Baal and Ashtoreth)

7/31/13- How the Church Can Fail More Than Anyone Else

5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. 7 Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. (2 Corinthians 13:5-7)

Thoughts: the Church is supposed to represent Christ to the world.  We are to be ambassadors of His love, hope, and grace.  But instead we fail miserably.  We go our own selfish way, get wrapped up in over-indulgence, greed, fear, worry, lack of faith and courage, and simple apathy to what is so very important.
We get caught up in formality, stuck in rut and rote, legalism and even breaking our own rules with our own sin. It thus appears to the world that what we believe has nothing to do with human spirituality, or the deep truths of life.
    The one weapon that Christ has given us- love- we keep in a box.
    So many leave the church because they do not feel the church loves them.  Maybe some of it is that they did not make themselves vulnerable to love the church.  To love we must seek to love.  Yet it is true the church does not love others as they should.  Human prejudice, human pride, human apathy and selfishness get in the way.  In heaven we will love purely.  Here we do not love as we are loved by God.
    So many leave because the church has not only not loved them but she has hurt them.  Neglect, abuse, or rudeness may scare others away.
    Twice different visitors came to church and complained to me how cold and unfriendly the church was.  I asked them to please come back and try the other side.  Both times the visitors came back reporting that the church was indeed friendly and both joined.  The church will fail because we are not in heaven yet- so our humanity reigns over our god-like qualities.  But if the church has failed you- do not give up in a huff.  Your salvation may depend upon your trying again and again.  Your ability to forgive the church may also reflect God's ability to forgive you.

Prayer: Forgive us, Lord as we forgive others.  We fail.  Help us to walk in your ways.