Lukewarm Christianity

These past couple of weeks I have been faced with something that I have been guilty of in the past and hope to never go back to in the future.  That would be being a "lukewarm Christian".  Lukewarm, what does that mean to you?  Well it means to me that it is not quite a hot and on fire Christian and not quite a cold, distant, uninvolved Christian.  It is one that thinks that their walk is just fine, thank you very much.  One that doesn't want to get too involved lest I be known as a "Jesus Freak"!  It is one that doesn't make a commitment to come to a Bible class because it just isn't convenient or my favorite, I don't know what is going on in the study so I don't want to come.  Lukewarm people are all over church.  Lukewarm people are all over society.  I remember being a lukewarm Christian.  I would sit in church, pregnant and uncomfortable, thinking that this church is nice but don't really want to get too much involved.  We would come in the door, listen to the sermon, make an excuse to go to the restroom during greeting time, and then wait to exit the side doors as quickly as possible before we were invited to a potluck.  (All seriousness aside, I am not a potluck person.....never will be.)  I remember going to Bible study with some amazing women, who are still very good friends of mine, and thinking, I really don't want to be here.  I need to be at home doing chores, playing with the kids and whatever other excuse I could think of at the time.  You know, that Bible study book does look interesting, but I can't remember what page they are on now.  I don't think I would be accepted if I didn't have my homework finished.  Okay, well that is a bunch of, shall I say, hooey!  Yes, I remember being that way but now I feel that my walk has come so far with the help of some amazing friends.  It is amazing what the Lord has done through me and is doing through me.  I love being a Bible study teacher.  I feel that my life, although very busy, is fulfilling.  The fellowship and sisterhood I get there is needed and wonderful.  Yes, I have sisters all over the world, but when we are in that little room studying the Word of God, it is just as if He is there sitting in a chair with us.  I love that feeling when we get to vent and talk about our week and then tie it all into what we are studying.  I love being a wife an amazing man.  He was baptized a couple of years ago and I am so happy that I have him on my side.  Going to church alone was really hard and I think it contributed to my lukewarmness but I can't put all the blame on that.  It has to do with the state of your heart.  Having him with me on my walk with Christ is awesome!  More than I could even imagine.  We love our church.  We love our friends.  We love each other.  Our children are getting a great education through our walk as well and it is amazing to see their growth.

Nope, being a lukewarm Christian is not for me!  No way!  As God stated, He would rather spit out the lukewarm Christian because it is not something pleasing.  Who wants to be wishy-washy anyway?  What sort of example is that to our children?  We need to make a commitment to the Lord and stick to it. We owe Him that.

May God bless your week this week and may your walk be as hot as your morning coffee.  Let it permeate through your life.  Savor the flavor.  God loves you.

Standing up for our Faith

Recently I got on this "ancestry" kick where I have been researching both sides of the family.  It is amazing what I am finding and there is so much more to discover.  The one person that I knew was a notable ancestor was William Brewster, of the Mayflower.  Growing up, we would listen to my grandmother talk about how our family can trace its roots straight back to 1620 and the landing on Plymouth Rock.  I remember sitting there just entranced as I took it in that he was someone I was related to and learned about in school.  How many First Graders can stand up in their class to give a report on their ancestor during Thanksgiving?  But as I became older and life got in the way, the memory was put on the back burner.  We always knew about it but it was just history.  Since I started this genealogy search, originally to help my in laws find their side of the family tree, I have been blown away by my side of the tree.  William Brewster was an amazing man.  He worked for the Archbishop of York as a bailiff and was in charge of all the daily things that the Archbishop had to do during the day.  But what I didn't know until recently was that behind that facade, he was a strong believer in something more than what the Church of England was offering.  He was a "religious rebel" I guess you could say.  He was incarcerated for his beliefs and had a family during this time.  His beliefs in the fact that Jesus Christ is our Savior and we should be able to worship the way we want caused many upheavals I am sure in his family life.  How hard it must have been for his wife Mary to go through this and see that her husband was a wanted man.  Of course, we all know the story of the Mayflower making it to Massachusetts in 1620.

The amazing part of this story is I can see his complete and utter faith in the Lord.  He was so led by faith that all the things that happened to him, he let it happen because he knew God was in control.  No king, queen, archbishop or the like would make him falter when it came to his faith.  He literally put his life and his family's life into the Lord's hands.  That complete faith and trust my ancestor had is the kind of faith and trust that I hope to have in life's difficulties and in life's praises.  We think that we have horrible things happening to us now for God's sake.  Persecution by friends, family members that tell us to go leap off a bridge before telling them your testimony, the world telling us that we are horrible people because we don't "include" everyone and Satan telling us that we are bad.  Persecution is hard for a Christian.  But imagine having the sort of persecution that would land you in jail because of your solid beliefs in the Lord Jesus Christ.  I couldn't imagine not being able to go to church on Sunday mornings and worshipping my Lord and Savior freely but there are those in this world who could be killed for doing that very same thing.  I just ask that we have the faith and the trust in Him enough to get us through our Christian lives.  It may not be easy but we also need to be in prayer for those who don't have the same opportunities we take for granted everyday in our country.  I hope and pray that we will be allowed to worship the way we do in our country for a long time and that our children are allowed to but it is up to us to stand up and make sure that that right is not taken away, just like William Brewster.  He believed in something so powerful and life changing that he threw away his comfortable life in another country to bring freedom to those in his inner circle and ultimately in our nation.  I want to have a faith like him.  I am so thankful for the things I am learning about my brave ancestor and one day would love to embrace him in heaven.  God bless and have a wonderful weekend in Him.