Chapter 4 (Part 2)
Have “Christians” Gone Too Far? 

The Struggle of “Christians”

Are “Christians” able to reconcile new beliefs and ideas they are exposed to, to their existing “Christianity?” It is very, very difficult.  

I am not sure that without a “clean” break from “Christianity” that we can step over into a new set of “beliefs.” Actually only two major “beliefs” were changed in my thinking…but they impacted my ties with “Christianity” dramatically! When I changed “beliefs” after many years of preaching the old ones, one of my most faithful church members came to me and reminded me that part of my teaching was to be very careful what we allowed into our “sense gates;” and that they chose not to allow these “new” beliefs into their “sense gates” and they could not fellowship with me any longer. Broke my heart! 

After the closing of the Haven Church, I was very disillusioned with “Christians” in general…I placed some things on Facebook that allowed me to release some of that (in hindsight I was “venting”…probably should not have)…one item underscored what I was now seeing in “Christians.” Here is the quote…

Ostrich Believers

Burying our head in the sand and digging in our feet will only “blind” us to “truth!”

Yet this is the reaction of almost every Believer when their “beliefs” are challenged! They refuse to examine any “challenge” to their “beliefs,” dig in their feet and refuse to be moved…even by “truth!” While we are to guard our “sense gates” from misinformation and lies, we are to allow “truth” in; even when it totally turns our world upside down. “Truth” sets us “free” according to the Rabbi Jesus’ words. 

We need to separate “Belief” from “Faith.” “Beliefs” are in the soul, “Faith” resides in the spirit man. We often change our “beliefs,” because they exist in our mind, emotions, and will (the soul man). Take for example, how you “believe” the things about your wonderful spouse(s) a few years after you actually get to know them! “Beliefs” change but love and faith does not! Our “beliefs” about God and how He operates can change, and do, but our “faith” in Him does not change unless we reject Him. 

Why are we so afraid to look at our beliefs? Why does our soul man (mind, emotions, will) want to act like an ostrich? Because most of our “beliefs” came by “osmosis.”  

Since I was very young (some 60 years ago) I wondered about some of the tenants of the religion I was raised in, Roman Catholic. Some “doctrines” and “beliefs” just didn’t go down “right” inside of me. I never understood that this was the beginning stirrings of a search for “truth” that would consume my life.

I was meditating on that matter one day and began to understand that most of my beliefs, as well as yours, came by “osmosis.” “Osmosis” is the process of a cell absorbing the nutrients around it in order to grow. No matter what the cell is surrounded with, good, bad, or ugly, it absorbs a portion of that and makes it a part of itself. Just the fact that it is “surrounded” assures that our soul will eventually soak into itself a portion of the “beliefs” it is surrounded with. 

We never seem to question these beliefs. They are simply a part of our soul makeup that we accept without question or scrutiny. What we believe seems rock-solid and when anyone questions those “beliefs” we react in fear and unbelief of the “new” beliefs. We have a “soul” reaction that overwhelms the jump in our spirit man and the voice of the Spirit of God inside us that says “Look!” In many ways we are in “fear” (negative faith) and refuse to even consider that we might have been wrong. Our soul says “Run,” and we do, while our spirit dies a little because we have refused to even look. (“Beliefs” are in the soul and are subject to change; “Faith and Love” are in the spirit man and are not subject to change.) 

All “fear” is from our Enemy and is designed and used to keep us from “truth!” “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind!” The first thing I do when “fear” stirs inside me is…look again! I don’t run away and hide; I confront the source of “fear” knowing its author! That’s why so many folks run away from a restored relationship with God…fear drives them away from “truth!” 

So are you another “ostrich” Believer? I was until I got into my 60’s…I would ostracize, dismiss, criticize, ignore, and avoid anyone who did not “believe” exactly as I had been taught to “believe.” Then I discovered what “Love” requires in actions and found out that Love never acted that way! And neither does God! I discovered that I was operating in “judgment,” and setting myself up to be “judged!” That I was not operating in the actions of love, but of fear! So I turned are ran after “truth;” I finally had the courage to follow the command to “study and show myself approved!” To “rightly divide the Word of Truth!” To have the courage to look at my “beliefs” and learn to ignore the “torpedoes” and stand up for “Truth” and integrity…despite the natural costs. 

How about you?

End of excerpt from “Ostrich Believers.” 

Most of us operate only from “osmosis beliefs” and reject and repel anything to the contrary, “truth” or not. 

The command to “study” is largely ignored in “Christian” circles because we feel we already know the “truth,” and we accept anything that comes from a pulpit we trust as “truth.” Not all of it is! “Study” is not a command to the clergy; it is a command to all those in pursuit of God. As a “Christian” I felt very little compulsion to “study.” Even as a pastor. If I had, I would have discovered “truth” long ago…but I thought I already “had it” and was closed to learning more. My mistake!  

Now I sense I cannot “study” enough in order to “catch up.”  But God knew…I have found most of the things I taught as a “pastor” and teacher are dead-on with “truth.” And I am not afraid to change those that are not any longer. (I hesitated for a long time in sharing my “new” beliefs because I saw clearly what it would do to the ministry I was involved in. I believe many other prominent ministers have seen “truth” but hold back in order to continue the many good things they have underway and see no way to move into a new venue or “season” without destroying what I believe God has done in and with their lives.) 

So can the good things in Christian beliefs be melded with the “truth” that comes from our Jewish roots? Until it happens there will be a void and a lack of power in Christians. Until we become “teachable” as we did when we came back into relationship with God, we will continue to deny ourselves the next level that will bring the enemy under our feet to be presented to God. That next level will come when we “prove” ourselves capable of the unity, and power that comes from unity, with those around us. We must put doors in the walls we have built around our “beliefs!” Our Jewish Brothers and Sisters, by the way, heavily believe in “Study!” 

Let’s shift thoughts and talk about the result of pursuing God and the results of that; talk about my deep conviction that the “Anointing” I have experienced for 30 years was something real and something of God!

Next: The “Anointing”