No More Religion

At first glance one would think that I am having a problem with God.  Not the case.

It is the complete opposite.  What I do have a problem with is the traditional way of doing things.  God began to deliver both my husband and I from  “religion” and “religious mind sets” a couple years ago.  Over the last 9 months He has really been opening our eyes to alot of things that concern us and what our place in Him should be.  I am one who has always believed and taught that God does not desire religion, but He desires relationship with us.  If we look back through the Bible we see where God spoke directly to those that He had relationship with.  He spoke and gave them direction, instruction and advice to those that sought to hear His voice, and those that had relationship with Him.

Most of the time we see where God gave instruction to people it was not always the popular or expected traditional thing to do.  God does not change, but His methods don’t always stay the same, I mean He is God so He can do that right? LOL!   For so many years people have been locked into a certain way of doing things, whether it be in our personal lives, in church, or ministry and even our work lives, but I wonder what would happen if we start to adopt a way of doing things for the reason of purpose, living life as God sees fit, and for the benefit of ministering to our family and friends; especially when it comes to those in our lives who don’t attend church.  How will we reach them with the love of Christ if all we do is sit up in church all the time? 

Now don’t get me wrong.  I believe that as believers we aren’t suppose to “forsake” the assembling of ourselves together.  For it is in fellowship with the brethren where we draw strength, hear from God and receive encouragement for a long anticipated week ahead, but we just can’t isolate ourselves from friends and family just because we have to “go to church” all of the time.  Jesus gave of His time to people in all situations, and we should be doing the same.  We show people who Jesus really is in our humanity.  Letting people see that believers are people that care enough about them to take off from “church” sometimes to minister to the needs of people whether it be naturally or spiritually.

Today is Christmas.  Normally my husband and I would already be at church making sure that everything in our respective “auxiliary” is in order.  We would probably be so aggrivated right now because since it is Christmas and “the world” is coming to church today, we want everything done in more excellence than normal, and getting no cooperation from the people around us, but we aren’t at church.  I’m sitting here with my laptop blogging, he is working on a photo project and I don’t feel any pressure to perform for people or any condemnation from others trying to make us feel guilty for not being there.  We recognize and realize that God is shifting us.  He has changed our thought process and the way we do things.  I know that there are those who would frown on “christians” not going to church on Christmas, but our being in service is not the grounds for our salvation from God or the basis of the relationship we have with Him. 

In a relationship you spend time with the one that has your heart.  You make time to talk to them and share your heart on a regular basis.  You find out what it is that’s important to them and you make it your business to make sure that they know that whatever is important to them is important to you.  Well, our relationship with God should be the same way.  We apply the word of God to our lives daily, spend time talking to Him and learning Him and His ways, and what pleases Him.  We have a mindset that matches His and practice those things on a regular basis to show Him that not only are we interested in Him, but truly interested in pleasing Him.

Religion on the other hand says go to church everytime your church has a service, make sure that you don’t put anything before God is what they tell us….but, let me help you with something, putting our family or even strangers before a church service is not putting them before God.  God has placed believers here to be reconcilers of people to Him and people to people and we cannot reach our family or other unchurched people if all we do is go to church evertime the doors open.  It is past time for us to be so in tune to the voice of God that He can direct us to do things differently than what is expected of us by man, and we not feel guilty about it.

Religion says “can’t nobody judge me but God” but a relationship with God says I want to think, act, respond, live, and be like Jesus all day everyday of my life.  God is still holy and He still expects us to be holy.  Now I didn’t say “spooky and deep” I said holy….simply put, whatever God considers sin so do we, and whatever calls right we call right.  It’s not in the clothes, the fine speech, or where we come from, but by grace are we saved through faith.  God wants relationship, and when we begin to tap into that relationship with Him, religion won’t have such a high place in our lives.

Merry Christmas to all and may you begin, if you haven’t already, walking in a real relationship with God and say….”No More Religion”

 

Titles Aren’t Necessary!

One thing that urks, and mean literally rubs me the wrong way is a person that is so religious that they have to address people by some sort of title…So, of course I’m speaking in terms of belonging to a local assembly or church.

I do understand that as believers we try and honor each other and reverance the gifts that God has placed in each of us, but the one thing that the Bible states that we are, and we always will be to each other, is Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

So for me, it is not necessary for a person to call me Deaconess, Minister, or even to address me with the common new thing to religiously say “woman of God.”  I know who I am in Christ.  I know the gifts that God has placed in me, but I really am one who seeks to remain humble in where God is taking me.  I often ask people to just address me by my name, Robyn, or Sister Robyn, or Mrs. Peoples.  I feel that it keeps me close to people and reachable to people. 

Now my problem is that there is a person who continues to address me with titles and I have asked them on several occassions not to do so.  I’ve done it publicly, and privately and they continue to just do as they wish.  I am seriously bothered by this because now I feel like they are being so “religious” that they can’t even respect me enough as a person to honor my request….

At this point I am stuck as to what to do.  Do I just grin and bear it since I won’t be there that much longer anyway? Or do I address it by other means by involving other leaders?  The second question I ask because I feel that if I don’t deal with this while I’m in this local assembly, I won’t know how to deal with it if it comes up where ever I may end up because I truly feel that….

Titles Aren’t Necessary!

 

Made Free!

The word of The Lord says “and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”
Let me touch on this for a minute. Truth…what is truth to you as a believer or “Christian?”
Truth to me is information that brings enlightenment or information that causes one to change their way of thinking in such a way that it ultimately changes that person’s life for the better…and although a lie can be true to some people, that is called deception; once a person encounters real truth their spirit will leap within them and Holy Spirit will confirm that they have in fact encountered truth.
So, the Bible says and you shall “know” the truth…the word know is used in the bible as an intimate phrase as in “and Adam knew Eve “…meaning that he had intimate relations with her…Abraham knew Sarah and they had Isaac…I refer to this because I want to take you to the place of “knowing the truth”…becoming intimate with, relating to, intercourse (allow the word to enter your heart and permeate your very being) being penetrated by the Word of God…To know the truth in this way is what “makes” you free. A lot of people say “the truth sets you free”…and although they have good intentions when they say it, it is a miss quote. Being set free is to be released from something or by something outside of yourself. To know the truth (to become intimate with, allow it to penetrate, and permeate your heart, thus putting it into practice) is what “makes” you free because you have become intimate with it. Once a person is made free by truth it is highly unlikely to cause them to be in bondage again. Once you are intimate with something, a soul tie is created. Stay with me now. Being intimate is a spiritual thing all the way across the board, sex is spiritual, it creates soul ties…that’s a whole other subject we’ll touch later.
Nobody ever thinks of having a soul tie with the Word of God or with The Presence of God…and yet even “knowing” the truth of being in the presence of God will make you free as well. Once you have truly been in His Presence it changes you forever, anything that you have intimacy with (know) can and will change you forever so, be very selective as to what you allow yourself to become intimate with on a natural and spiritual basis.
That’s My Perspective-Robyn Peoples
Originally written on January 3, 2011

 

Lady In Waiting

As I mentioned in a previous post “Transition” I have come to a time in my life where I recognize that I must separate myself from some things and some people. Now don’t get me wrong, for as much as I am ready to go, my heart aches for a few of those that I will be leaving behind. I wonder in my private moments how these people will continue to fair under the pressure that goes on in this particular place. I wonder how it will effect them in the long run to continue to subject themselves to the abuse that goes on in the name of the Lord.
I for one have studied, and studied my bible for years and still have not come across some of the things that people want to pass off as “Godly” actions. On the one hand they will preach and attempt to teach forgiveness, but in the same situation fail to show an example of it. On another hand they will preach and attempt to teach compassion, but only show compassion for those that are their favorites. I’m sorry, but I know for a fact that the Bible tells us not to have any respect of persons; God certainly doesn’t. Nowhere in the Bible that I read does is exempt Pastors and others in leadership from correction. Granted that it is to be done a certain way, but so it is with all correction….and can we please stop using the term “touch not God’s anointed” as a reason and excuse to treat people like they are beneath you just because they don’t live up to a certain standard in your eyes.
The Lord has given us a charge to be reconcilers. We are to reconcile people to God, and people to people. How in the world can we expect to reach and help those that we consider lost when we ourselves aren’t walking in the precepts and statues that God has laid out for believers. People need hope in this ever changing world and if they can’t come to the “church” and get hope, or compassion, or love…where will they get it? and what does that say about the God that we serve. We say God is love, and we say we are of God, but can we say we’re love too….would God call us love?
It is truly something that I continue to go over in my mind and heart as I wait these last few days before change really comes.
What have I learned from all of this? I’ve learned that loyalty and faithfulness can sometimes go hand in hand, but there needs to be a line drawn concerning our loyalty to people and things that don’t bring us happiness and hope. I’ve learned that if you allow people to continue to treat you a certain way and don’t make a strong stand against it, they will think that its ok to treat people that way. I’ve learned that my loyalty better be and and always will be to Christ first and then to man.
For now I observe, I serve, and ponder for my change…until change comes I’ll remain that “Lady In Waiting”