Walking -living -preaching: contradictions

I recently came across the blog of a youth pastor, the initial ideas- all seemed reasonable

But the more I read the more I bumped into contradictory analogies, opinions and explanations. I went further in, and before I knew it I was consumed in mental comments and firebacks. My fingers were itching to type at wpm's never seen or heard of before and quite frankly I had to catch myself. I was caught in a christian bloggers struggle... How do I reach out to this person and put in my two cents ( in a very NON- Latina way) but Christ-centered and lovingly?! To get those two separated at that moment was a huge struggle in my heart -Lol. So I put my iPad down after reading through what seemed to be wayyy too much (because of my level of annoyance) insert mad emoji here. So I began to ask God in my head:

{God, wassup... so you I know how my heart is feeling right now, Im upset. I want to answer back and write everything that is in my head, in a very Christian way -SERVE UP SOME GOSPEL...}

And as always God uses his oh so very charming ways of speaking to me...

{ Jadi, Jadi... aren't you the one that always questioning why fellow christians use social media and comment sections for non-constructive arguing purposes, as though they don't know that the devil himself is fueling up their tanks while he sits back and takes it easy? }

Sometimes it kills me how he uses my own words against me. But he was right (as always) which has me here writing this blog.

Nothing good would have come back from me commenting on this persons blog, rather my words could have offended a fellow brother or sister and fueled a fire back nation, because believe me I was going to go IN. Ok- let's forget that last part I wrote.

So I am here, and the reason for this blog is as the title says make us aware of gospel contradictions:

 we tend to walk, live and even preach (smh) in contradictions. We quote John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."

and dismiss John 3:17 "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him"

We make this mistake so often that it almost seems like we forget that we too were once sinners, we fall in to the brackets of the condemning, religious folks we all flee from.

Stop simply saying God is love... God is also consuming fire

Or

Stop saying God is consuming fire...God is also love.

These are the two biggest arguments amongst christians.

When we preach to youth we want to hit them with all that's wrong in their life and all that must be left behind in order to- all the negative, all the must leave at the door. We want to make people change and convert to our ways in order to serve. When Jesus himself told the disciples (umm that's US now by the way) go into the world and preach the gospel, not just invite them to your church, preach the gospel and then change their minds and the way they look and act so that they can serve. That is Gods job! but so many laborers concerned on becoming bosses that we are tripping and stomping all over each other in the field in order to be seen- insert church title here-

Take it like this, It's like we were given a job right? God gave us a "To do list" and left. Bye.

Then WE said ok he gave me a to do list BUT how can I change this list a little so he sees I did more than what was asked? And we end up messing up his perfect will. Sounds familiar?

🤦🏽‍♀️ He gave us the list and left us directions on how to Walk - live and preach without contradictions. We've taken it upon ourselves as I've seen over and over and over again to make our own rules and regulations. We give the word but condemn with it, we preach salvation and slap on a little judgement, we pray upon the sick but belittle their faith as we lay healing hands.

We set double standards, we say we need more christians singers, rappers, actors but when they're out working towards building that we're quick to say they're after fame, God says it should be about him.

There's lack of encouragement in our Christian community for the youth, we point fingers instead of using ourselves as prime examples in pointing in the right direction and not with our fingers but with our lives. The old rule of -do as I say not as I do, has gone so far that we sometimes lose focus on what we give importance to, that which was once so important. SPIRITUAL CONNECTION...

I would put money on this, if christians gambled, aim to make sure there's a spiritual connection and I guarantee you won't have to worry about anything else.

Now, The backslider that came to visit church is given the awkward eye, as though the log in our eye isn't visible, we walk around with a bag of stones ready to throw at the next sinner while our glass house was just put back together weeks before. We are so busy preaching contradictions that we don't notice Satan creeping up our own backs, breaking in through the breach we left open because we got caught up in the hype of what one person posted on social media, using our very vessels for storage of hate and narcissism.

There is nothing wrong with aiming for greatness, we are sons and daughters of the GREATEST and therefore should be great. Our aim should be to preach on how to aim for that greatness while holding God highly above all our plans and decision making. Let's stop putting each other down and pointing fingers at those that lack spiritual discernment, rather pray that they are enlightened without undermining them, that God uses us for his honor and glory to give words of encouragement value and intelligence, leaving the arrogance of perfection and sinlessness aside and so that THROUGH him as John 3:17 says the world may be saved.

The Bible clearly tells us WE ARE IN THIS WORLD, not of it. We are in this world for a reason, to preach the truth of an unadulterated gospel; that God IS love and IS consuming fire, that there is eternal damnation but God is the SALVATION. Let's stop living so caught up in changing the "to do list" that we are left preaching to a church full of people that already know the truth and choose to ignore it. James 3:1-2 tells me Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more severely than others. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

I guess if you are perfect, this blog is irrelevant to you.