Faith & Human Rights
What are the demons that need rebuked in your corner of the world?
Injustice?
Oppression of hearts and souls?
Do you have the faith rebuke them?
I’ve been thinking about how we as the church need to rebuke the demons that terrorize certain parts of the Church; the demons that hurt people and strip them of their human dignity; the demons that want to control and take possession of God and want to be the gatekeepers of God’s grace and mercy?
It takes little courage to name the sins of others and the sins of the Church. It takes no faith to point out the flaws that we find in others. It easy to cast stones from a distance, but it is much more difficult to rebuke demons, for that requires faith and action. According to Jesus it doesn’t take great faith, it only requires small faith, the size of the mustard seed.
I am reminded of the story when Jesus rebuked the demon that possessed a young boy and the demon immediately departed. Later in private the apostles asked him why they couldn’t do it and he said that it was because they had little faith
The following quote appeared in yesterday’s San Francisco Chronicle
"I challenge you prophets to stand up. Standing up is difficult because some of us gave God up. Somebody stole God from some of us. Somebody stole our spirituality. Don't let them steal your God from you. Take your God back and declare God is for us."
As a straight Christian man, I have always been troubled by how parts of the church have treated gay people. I could never understand how folks could justify their maltreatment in the name of God. Regardless of how one interprets scripture, it leaves no room to hate a particular segment of humanity; humanity created in the image and eyes of God.
There seems to be a huge demon that is terrorizing the Church and attempting to tear it apart. I don’t think it has to do with “sexuality or sexual sins” That is not the demon. The demon appears to be the energy that allows hate and injustice in the name of Love and God to exist. This relates to all hate and injustice-- from poverty, war, and treatment of any human.
The Church needs to take a stand for human rights—this means children, women, men, straight and gay. According to scripture God so loved the world… that includes me… that includes you… that includes those some folks don’t like or understand, this love covers all humanity.
May the church rebuke the demons that terrorize humanity.
Can the Church be a voice for human rights and no longer single folks out for their skin color, gender or sexual orientation? Do we have the faith to rebuke the real demons?
7 Comments:
I am a little confused about rebuking demons, but not rebuking sin. can we be so accepting of sinfulness and rebellion?
Jesus always told those he healed and set free..."go and sin no more" a couple of times He actually told folks "be careful lest something more harmful happen to you."
are't we saying if we can rebuke demons for attitudes towards a certain section of folks, that we are admitting there is evil, therefore we have to CORRECTLY deal with the sin issue?
it is the sin of humanity that causes such horror and injustice.
I would like to blame demons for much of the pain we cause others, but alas, it is the darkness of our own hearts.
the treatment of gays in the church is no less horrible than the treatment of divorced folks in other regions. and skin color in others.
the lack of love and concern for muslims is far more acceptable than the mistreatment of skater freaks with tattoos and peircings.
that is not demonic, although I believe some traits are comparable, it is pure humanity.
God told Cain, "sin crouches at the door and waits for you."
left alone, with out any help from demonic forces, we always choose other than God and his ways. "There is not one who seeks me, no not one."
like the woman on wife swap the other night...satan is going..."sorry slick that one is not mine, you aint pinning that one on me."
I like stopping by here. the opportunity to think and dialogue is most needed and appreceated.
i often feel from the timing of our mutual posts that we're showing up at work, wearing roughly the same thing, and people are asking us if we called each other the night before.
anyhow.. great post. it resonates deep down where longings go.
peace, my twin brother from another mother.
Jeff, thanks for your long, well-thought comments. I am still confused over the talk of sin so much in parts of the church. I just wonder what the world would look like if we rebuked the demons of injustice and the demons that terrorize humanity. Love heals and demons crouch and flee in presence of love. IMO, too many folks focused on rebuking "sins" and not demons.
Jeff, you are my brother. Thanks for you words. You are a poet and I cannot tie your shoes when it comes to writing. So I am honored by your presence. :)
Hey Rick, I don't understand why so many Christians treat homosexuality as if it is a greater sin than any other....we are all sinners no matter what our gender, race, sexual preferance or political party.
I have gay friends and straight friends. I see lots of jerks out there, gay and straight.
Ugh
will it ever change?
i guess the issue for me is sin as a whole....as a people, not "sins" per say.
trying to connect the dots that lead to an understanding of what it means to live daily as a jesus follower has me speaking as a whole.
thanks for the kind words Rick. however, it is you I owe...your constant reminders of a pursuing love by God toward His wayward children challenges me, encourages me and beats me into submission.
and yes...we are definitly brothers
love flows in this weblog :)
One thing is sinning and not knowing. Knowingly sinning is something else. We all have a choice to do one or the other.
If you KNOW you are sinning and do it, why do you do so? "We are sinners anyway" is a poor excuse to continue sinning. What should power our life is striving to not sin ever again while knowing that we are sinners and most likely will.
Or, to correct that, what should power our life is LOVE, meaning love your self so do not sin for your own sake, and LOVE GOD so respect his law and word, including words on homosexuality and any and every other sin(adultery, lie, murder, etc). Sin is a Sin, big or small. After all, GOD LOVES US ALL, but that should not give us the right to abuse his love, which is a sin in it's self, I am sure.
If you are Christian and are sinning, maybe you need to be delivered (or delivered again) and cast out many demons out of you in the Name of Jesus, because they are the ones who push us toward sin.
If you are not Christian and are sinning, maybe you need to ask Jesus in your life and finally feel the unconditional love that you never will unless you do so. Any peace, love, joy and happiness in life without God and Jesus is just a poor imitation of what you will have with God and Jesus in your life.
This was not a judgmental message to anyone, but simple information to give you more insight of what you are missing (if you are).
www.demonbuster.com could be "step one" for your new life.
May God bless us and Jesus Save us all.
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