Encouragement
Most-likely, if you live long enough upon this earth, you will get hurt, not only by scraped knees while in the younger years, but through time, even when an adult, we will all suffer hurt in this life, even by some of the very ones who profess to be Christians, saved by Jesus. It seems that one common reason some people do not step foot into a church house, is because " It is filled with hypocrites", but I personally believe, while I look beneath the surface of this sentence, and choose to listen to what I trust is really being said, all I can hear is this cry from every heart of those who utter these words, this I hear: I have been hurt! Maybe by " church people", maybe by religion, or by a family member, a friend, co-worker, How about you take a guess by who or what! But I have been hurt! These words I imagine being the ones truly said and thought from broken hearts. And the truth is many can say this. Maybe even you. Even myself. After all, we are humans, and the church is filled with imperfect people, some of those who are completely following after a perfect, sinless and flawless heavenly Father, and others who are searching and yearning deep within for a Savior, a Redeemer, even if they do not yet realize who or what they are longing for. But religion has done them wrong, and that it will do, because there is a big difference between religion, and a relationship with a real and loving God. Religion, a list of do's and do not's, forces people to with their own efforts and choices, earn God's seal of approval, by picking and choosing what is right or not right, and then acting or ceasing accordingly from this flawed perspective. Religion hurts people, and pushes them away from a relationship with Jesus who loves us so much. But relationship with a gracious and forgiving Heavenly Father, first changes us completely for the better, even our desires and choices are made with this question raised in our minds, Will this please Jesus? Not Will this earn His approval, but Will this bring a smile to His face, and carry the glory only to Him alone? Will this make Jesus look good? Relationship changes the heart for the good, and seeks to please the Father, first and foremost, above any other one. Our desire becomes pleasing Him, honoring Him, loving Him, because He first loved us, He made the first move to us. This topic about being hurt, by the church, by anyone, by religion, God has placed it upon my heart especially recently along with the true story about the blind man being healed, found in John chapter 9. Though there is plenty of truth to take away from this chapter, It also is a story, of course about healing, but both of the physical eyes of this man, and of his heart. He only came into a real relationship with Jesus toward the end of Chapter nine in God's word, after Jesus healed him of physical blindness, then He heals the man's heart. Before this took place, I can not help but think that this man was hurt. God only knows how he may of suffered from his disability throughout his life, having a deep longing to be able to see at last. But then, after his eyes were finally healed by the Divine hand of someone greater than his blindness, than truly any obstacle he could ever face in this life, he was questioned, interrogated by the religious leaders, known as the Pharisees during that time, and when this he with great boldness, answered every one of their questions, and also put them in their places, so to speak, they did not at all like this, they would not accept his straight-forwardness, and so they threw him out, exiled him from the synagogue, or as I personally think to compare it as, the church house that is fill with religion. Religion cannot and will not save anyone. But one who in their state of humility and seriousness about their sinful condition, kneels before Jesus, after He beckons to their heart for them to come, and ask Him to save them, that person will see God, that person will know His salvation, redemption, His acceptance, and forgiveness, and they will know what it is like to be called a child of God. The person whose heart cries out, I have been hurt, cannot be blamed for their statements. But if you happen to be the one who has been hurt, or maybe you claim to have done so to someone else, or maybe even, you claim both of these, you have both been hurt, and you have done the hurting, (we are all in that last category, whether we like to admit it or not), wherever we find ourselves, God is the very first to show up, right in the middle of the hurt. For the longest time, I have imagined Jesus reaching His arm over around that man's shoulder, and maybe even saying something like, it is okay, or maybe He said, Everything is going to be just fine, I am here, child. When this guy was thrown out of religious church, It led Jesus straight to him, the Bible says, when Jesus heard he had been cast out, and goes on to say these words, Jesus found him. If you have been hurt, do not be afraid to take those hurts, those wounds, to Jesus. He always cares, and He will stick with you, right beside you, for as long as the pain remains there, and even beyond that, He will never leave you or forsake you. But please do not let the hurt define who you are, you are not defined by the wounds you carry, and also, please do not let those same hurts, drive you away from attending a bible-believing and God-honoring church house somewhere. Because God wants every person to find and attend one, and if you start looking for it, and praying for God to show you which one to attend, there may be a community of encouraging and life-breathing Christian people (not religious people) somewhere, just waiting to welcome and meet you, and get to know you, those who will help lift you up, and pray to God for you and those around you. Choose to forgive with the Lord's help, anyone who has wronged you, may we all pray for those who have despitefully used us, and be good to those who have hurt us, and may God forgive you, and especially myself for those times we have hurt and been rude to others, especially in those times concerning myself when I did not know the difference between religion and relationship. But thanks to Jesus alone, I do now, I am saved, changed, only by the grace of God, and His hand has always been on my life, all praise to Him. And this is true for you as well. Let God meet you, friend, in the middle of your hurt, because that, is when and where God shows up. He cares. He loves you. God loves all of us. John 9: 35 (KJV)
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...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
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Do our elder readers a favor and edit this article and raise the font level to 14. This is too good of work to be lost on many because they cannot read such small print.