Goosebump Christianity

"See that your believing is right, and if it is, you have no reason to doubt."     -Rees Howells 

Welcome to the Belief System Checkpoint. Warning! Your toes will be stepped on. Please remove your Steve Maddens and secure your feet with a pair of steel-toed boots. Go ahead... I'll wait. Actually I need to find my own because I'm going to need them as much as you.

Now I am not pretending to be a theologist, minister, or even a philosopher. I am simply an imperfect woman who is madly and desperately in love with Jesus. Does that qualify me to make some of the statements I'm about to make? Pretty much, because I'm tired of all the foolishness we do in Jesus' name that has nothing to do with Him or His Word. Don't like it? Get your own blog, talk bad about me, and redirect the traffic to me so others can follow me too. (I said all that with a smile.)

I read my Bible pretty often, not always everyday, but at least several times a week. I don't just read the verses and keep it moving. I meditate on them... talk about it... ask questions... wait for the answers... on and on. Being a critical thinker means I have to verify that the Word someone is teaching me is the truth. Not to mention, God has blessed me with an AWESOME mentor... shoutout to Apostle Demontae... that promptly and sometimes painfully whips me into shape. He's a very patient man. :)

Over the years I've heard some krazy stuff... and the only reason I can think people would say any of it is to give folks goosebumps. I like a good goosebump and spine chill as much as the next person, but is that really evidence that GOD is in it? Too often we get caught up and sensationalize a matter and miss the point. 

So here are my top seven favorite goosebump-giving LIES that have been told to churchfolk that need to be EVICTED from our doctrine...

1. God knows my heart, so if I do this He'll forgive me. I've said this so many times... and even now I catch myself. But if I've done something I shouldn't have, that means something bad is in my heart. And, yes, God knows that. Does it exonerate me from the consequences? Nope. Does it mean God is tolerable of my sinful nature? Absolutely not! God's grace is not a license to sin, but it will change our sinful nature to a righteous one. In the meantime, let's just call sin what it is and repent. There's provision through repentance, but not through manipulation and deceit. And the heart, above all, is deceitful. Yeah, that's Bible. 
2. If you don't tithe, you'll lose your job. I heard this when I was church-hunting a few years ago, and I was tempted to stand up and shout "The devil is a liar!" That would've been wrong of me, so I waited until things were settled in the service and grabbed my children and our coats and rolled out. What the preacher really meant was that if the people didn't pay their tithes, he wouldn't be able to put the four-dollar-per-gallon gas in his Escalade. Other than that, I will refrain from making commentary on tithing other than to say that what I tithe is between me and God. No one needs to know how much I make per year, so that part of the envelope is left ____________. (I just lost a lot of readers.)
3. The "RAPTURE" in general. I have always been taught that there was a rapture and one day Jesus would crack the sky and all his people would be taken out of here. About three years ago, I heard for the first time that this doctrine is questionable at best. I debated with some folks until they finally helped me understand that the word "rapture" is NOwhere in the Bible. Yes, Jesus will return but we don't know for certain if that's before or after the tribulation. The problem with this doctrine is that it makes for lazy Christians. What reason do we have to war against the kingdom of darkness if the Lord is going to show up and zap us out of here in a blink of an eye? Why would he tell us to fight? "Peter, go buy a sword so you can hold it on your big comfy sofa and watch TBN til I come and rescue you from the world the devil's made a mess of." Nope... that's not what He said. Granted, I don't want to be here when all the water turns to blood either... but if I have to, then I need to be prepared.
4. You're not supposed to judge. I hear this so much because, yes, I'm a little judgmental. It seems the only people that know this verse are the people who don't want to do right. Yeah, I said it! Stop quoting this one Scripture if you don't believe the rest of Bible. And the Bible does say not to judge or you will bring judgment upon yourself, and, boy, is that true! But the Bible also says that we know each other by the fruits of the spirit that are produced in our lives AND one day we will judge the angels. So for me, I'm careful to pronounce my opinion as to whether a person is right or wrong, but I do speak to their actions. Simply put, some things are wrong, and I'd rather someone tell me and save my soul from hellfire than to turn their head and let me fall. Then there are folks who feel like you're judging them just simply because you want to do what's right. That's THEIR problem!
5. A prophet's words will always confirm what God already told you. Again, I was raised to believe this, but the more I grow in the Lord, the more I discover that it isn't always true. Then again, I'm not getting words from a parking lot prophet. Sometimes when I get a word through a prophet it does confirm what God has told me. Other times it's something I've never even considered. Why would God do that? Because I'm a person that's imperfect and may miss it unless my mentor tells me... I'm not looking for God to match what I already think and make me feel all gooey inside. I'm listening for guidance and direction to make the right choices in life so I can fulfill His destiny for me. And honestly, if someone tells me what I already know, they're not much of a prophet anyway. JMHO...
6. Name it! Claim it! Word of Faith has made this euphemism (in)famous. I grew up in a Word of Faith church. "If you want that car, go put some oil on it. Demand it from the Heavens!" But who are we to demand anything? Jesus didn't respond to the rich man who demanded He perform a miracle. He responds to those who inquire of Him in sincerity, humility, and faith. When the Lord Himself needed a divine intervention, He gave thanksgiving to the Father Who opened the Heavens, and then Jesus made a request that was within God's will. I can't imagine anything stinking more in the nostrils of the Almighty than our self-serving sense of entitlement.
7. God, give me a sign! Oh, I know... we ALL get weak. I would looooooooove a sign right now, but signs are for nonbelievers. You do believe right? Then walk by faith! Walk in the spirit, not the flesh. He is faithful to direct and guide. Just obey each baby step... (personal rebuke embedded here). You will find confirmation as you go, but there's no sense in being a Gideon in every life situation. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for asking for a sign. Again, we're demanding God to appeal to our insecurities when He's asking us to grow up. If I asked my son to take out the trash, and he didn't do it but told me he was waiting on a sign to see if I really meant what I'd said... You get my point.

I don't mean to take your goosebumps away, but bad doctrine is a faith-breaker. If you think that God is one day going to do something that His Word never promised He would do, then you will lose faith in Him. And really, the problem is your (my) belief system. Not God.

Goosebumps are often a by-product of feeling God's presence, and the only way to guarantee that you feel it more (which is the only thing in this world that is ultimately satisfying) is to obey Him. Sometimes I don't feel Him right away when I pray for others, but once I start, He's there. He's looking for growth and initiative... much like your boss. But God pays better!

So how can we fool-proof our faith? First, read your Bible and meditate on the Word. Second, become Spirit-filled if you haven't already, and pray in the Spirit if you have. The Holy Spirit will trigger us to seek for truth when you hear something that's not quite right. Third, trust the Lord to keep you. He is able to keep us from falling.

I know I’ve said a lot, and some of it may have hurt. I’m sorry… really I am. But the wounds of a friend are valuable. I don't want you going through life believing a bunch of lies, then get to Heaven and see what could have been. No more kraziness, people... only the truth should reign in our hearts.

I'm coming out of krazy, and I'm bringing all the religious, uptight, stiff-necked, blessed and highly-favored, folks with me.... ya'll pray for me! This might be my most difficult battle yet.


Your cybersister,

Alana