Saturday, June 11, 2011

Beth Moore - Day One... where was forgiveness & mercy?


So I'm getting ready to head back to the Beth Moore conference for Day 2...I'm just hoping today is better then Day 1, because I left the arena last night just upset... feeling frustrated...

Why?  Well, it started off wonderfull with Travis Cantrell leading worship.  Y'all know me - I love to worship - especially in a place full of other worshippers.  Just so amazing to hear so many voices lifted in praise.  Awesome!!!

Then Kay Arthur lead the night.  Let me tell you - this isnt like your normal "Women of Faith" or a conference like that, where the speakers give a message that is full of funny, full of heart, full of a point & lasts 30 minutes.  This is a TEACHING - a deep Bible study... Kay talked for over 2 hours - & the whole time, we're flipping in the Bible - writing down scriptures, getting "Bible Thumped" is how I always put it....

While I know Kay Arthur is full of knowledge - she is 77 years old afterall & has been doing this for awhile - I just was upset at how she delivered her message.

We were basically in 1 John, Chapter 3 - 5.... & the main point was "Does God love us?"... do we doubt it? 

The thing that bothered me the most... let me see if I can explain it.  Kay would refer to scriptures that would talk if you were a child of God - or a child of the devil.  But she would stress so BOLDLY that "if you are a child of God, there is no sin in you"... OK - the Scriptures do say that.. I believe it - if the Bible says it, I believe it.  But she just kept making it sound like, if you're a Christian, then you dont sin.... wait... WHAT?  Who doesnt sin?

She even asked everyone - "Do you want to be a slave to sin?  Are you a slave to sin?" .... well, of course not, I dont WANT to be... but I'm human - so I have to fight againt sin every day... being a Christian doesnt make me perfect - in any sense of the word.  I fail daily... I will, until I'm made complete in Christ after this world.

I think what got to me the most is that the point sounded - to me anyways - that if you sin at all, then you are a child of the devil... & as she put it, "... the flames of hell are nipping at your feet" ...

I wasnt comfortable with it at all... I wasnt comfortable with statements like "Have you seen todays youth in our churches? Do they look like a child of God?  Our churches are full of people who are going to go to hell because they are children of the devil" .... OK... I kinda, sorta see a part of what she was saying - how this generation is not as close to God - how the values of this world have changed  - but I just have a problem when ANYONE says who's going to hell & who's not. 

The ultimate that bothered me... not one time, out of Kay's mouth came the words "forgiveness" - or "grace" - or "mercy" .... none of those words were ever mentioned.  Isnt that the point of Jesus?  So when we DO sin - which we do... I'm sorry Kay, we do.  I'm a Christian - I AM A CHILD OF GOD... & I still sin... but Jesus loves me enough to love me through it & still CLAIM me as a CHILD OF GOD because of MERCY & GRACE...

I left last night just upset thinking if there is a new Christian, or someone who is trying to figure out what this God thing is about - they probably just got really freaked out.. or SCARED into a relationship with Jesus... which is sad to me...

I was even debating going back today... but I'm going to hear what Beth & Priscilla have to say... those are the 2 I've been looking forward to the most ... I just hope I do hear the words, forgiveness - grace -mercy....

7 comments:

  1. Whoa.

    Reminds me of when I was on my first mission trip, and there was a seeker along with us.

    One night we were talking about drinking, and a young woman (whose parents are alcoholics) went "nuts" on my because I have a drink now and again (about one a month if that.) She was ranting and raving about my sin, and the seeker man, he just got up and walked away.

    I worry about those who are alienated by the legalistic, I was one for many years. It wasn't God who pushed me away, it was people who thought they spoke for God.

    Today will be better, I know it!

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  2. Interesting!! I really don't know much about Kay but am so bummed that I don't get to see Beth this weekend. Kay's message sounds so opposite of what Beth teaches. I understand your frustration...I think I would have left feeling the same way. We are all sinners saved by GRACE! Let us know how it goes today.
    Taryn

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  3. Wow. Aren't we supposed to be working daily on our salvation? God gave all of us free will; unfortunately some people choose not to follow Him. Yes, we're all sinners, not just in actions, but thoughts. If we weren't, we'd be perfect, and in no need of his mercy. I also have a problem with people saying who's going to hell. Way back when, the Catholic Church taught that if you're not Catholic, you're doomed to Hell. I always had a problem with that, and was very glad when that teaching stopped.
    Hope today is better!

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  4. Sigh...I feel your pain and frustration.

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  5. Interesting thoughts, Rebecca. For me, I don't really see anything wrong with what she said. I started listening to Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort (Way of the Master) several years ago. They witness people by showing people how God views them, in light of His Word. Thus, when people are witnessed to, their actions are held against the ten commandments, which show how much we are sinners in need of God.

    As I listened, day in and day out, I realized that the darker side -- the ramifications of sin - is not spoken about as much in the Christian world. Pastors and public speakers tend to talk about God's grace, which is very important, of course. But what about those people who will face God one day without having acknowledged His Son as their Savior?

    That message can come across as a slap in the face.

    Kirk and Ray do not pass judgment on anyone, but they use the Bible to explain what is going to happen to the unsaved.

    I think that we do need to be reminded that the penalties of sin are harsh. God has two sides...the side in which He demands payment for sin and the side that is loving and provides a payment for sin.

    We need to hear both messages.

    Who knows who was in that audience with you. Perhaps there was someone there who had never seen themselves in that light before. The first part of Romans is very brutal to read and strips away all pretenses of "happy-go-lucky" feelings that accompany God's saving grace. Nope. Those words paint a stark picture of us in our sins.

    Once someone learns this message, and truly sees themself (not a pronoun, I know) in light of this, then he or she is ready to hear about God's grace.

    Hope today was better for you. Love you, Friend.

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  6. I totally agree with you! We are all going to muff it, as my Pastor says, at times, but the difference is in how we react to it. We want to be relatable to those in the watching world, but we want them to see a difference. We want them to see that we are faced with the same decisions, problems, mistakes, etc. but it is all in how we deal with them, the choices we make. Make them wonder why we chose to react this way instead of the "normal, fleshly way" or why we decided to do this instead of that....make that watching world want to know more about Him. We are not "holier than thou" but we are better off because we have Christ as our Savior!

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  7. Hopefully, when you go this time, it will be better for you.

    I am curious what the next two speakers have to say.

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