Nigerian girl kidnapped 2 years ago is found alive see my comment to article where one young woman from THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN SISTER CHURCH IN NIGERIA IS FOUND.
And my blog to day is about Christ and faith. But does contain some common wisdom that HE TAUGHT that all might find helpful even if they are not of the CHRISTIAN faith that seems to really be more of a MOVEMENT THAT A RELIGION in practice.
The world and especially the Christian world has not paid as much attention to the attack on Christianity that occurred a couple of years ago in Nigeria with the abduction of nearly 300 girls from their HIGH SCHOOL in northern Nigeria.
Like many Christian denominations, missionaries went to all parts of the world and many to Africa in the last century. In Nigeria, the Holy Spirit swept through and it became a movement of informal house churches. The practices of the denomination seemed to meshed well with the culture.
I knew the Desmond Bittingers who were the first missionaries;. She was a nurse and he was an anthropologist. and they went at the time that the Christian churches had woke up to spreading the gospel to the world did not mean the culture had to be 'westernized first.
He wrote a book SONG OF THE DRUM BEAT
Something that our misguided ancestors had not yet learned. that much of the culture did not have to change in order to become a saved Christian.
And in an area of the world where Islam is predominant, current eras has found some become very militant and violently evil. And an educated , professional woman was an affront to every thing they made girls or women out to be, a second class person. with no rights at all. And one of the most well known group was THE MARRIED WOMEN'S CHOIRS. Something that showed the freedom of women in the faith to even go out and perform but reflected it was MARRIED WOMEN meant all the husbands were permitting their wives the freedom , few among this more militant group would ever permit their wives to do . or any of their women.
At time over the years, I have met some of them from the sister church of he church I was raised in and my dad was an ordained minister. in. They have their own annual conference and much autonomy of how they do things among themselves. but do work with the church in the USA. which is smaller in numbers then theirs. And I am sure , I have probably met some who are related to some of the missing girls.
I recall decades ago , going to church one Sunday and lists being passed around as to who was going to bring what dish to the next pot luck And then the nominating committee was trying to find volunteers to sit on this or that church board. And then during the service told of how many more house churches had been started recently in Nigeria.
And it became so clear to me, that we have become that LUKE WARM CHURCH OF NEITHER HOT NOR COLD as we did what Christ chastised the priesthood of his day, we were counting how many leaves of this herb or that herb to share and losing sight of a whole world that did not know of CHRIST'S LOVE. FOR EVERY ONE TO FREELY HAVE.
While in Africa, sharing the LOVE OF CHRIST had become the first priority and it was spreading so fast that it made our heads spin when we had empty pews in our service and could not share the gospel to our own communities who had no faith connections or faith group. We had forgotten the first commandment that Christ gave; to love one another. The pews were empty as we had become inwardly over concerned as to filling boards and attending committee meetings and making sure we have some of each food group at the next pot luck meal. Forgetting that when love is the motivator in forward motion all of those things well just 'work themselves out,' as the HOLY SPIRIT IS ALLOWED TO MOVE FREELY AMONG US . Its is us who shuts the door on love and the movement of the force of love to work miracles in each ones lives. Many pews were empty as we closed the door to loving our sisters and brothers in the human family and when they did come not recognizing and respecting the unique gifts each brought with them to help further the cause of humanity to be better for all
When I first got on Face Book I was very fortunate to suddenly be led to begin making friends and accepting friend offers from a denomination that was signing each other up at their church convention Many were pastors and other leaders in their Christian sect. At times, when the sharing and numbers began rising faster than it should on Face book site, it was ask if I knew this person or related. As a Christian , all those who profess a belief in CHRIST ARE MY BROTHER AND SISTER. And in some very rough times, I have opened my Face book page and read comments of hope and encouragement as my new found 'family members' in Christ shared with each others their views and insights and the GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
It was a wonderful start to my day. and it is something I need to get back to. as my own life has strayed into the more mundane world we live in that is often not so great now. I now find myself not logging on every day and when I do there is so much of spiritual uplifting messages that were shared and I did not pay heed to them as I should.
We all can use some renewal and the return of one that was lost, half a world away is hope. Hope that all will be better and things will turn around and that praying for those who have done me and mine such harm in recent times will find their way to help and not hurt,
This has been written more to those who are Christians and my prayer to Yahusha whom we Christians call Christ Jesus is for all ,who may or not be Christian to not forget. LOVE IS THE FORCE THAT MOVES AND MAKES THINGS BETTER FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE.. AND ITS A GIFT THAT EACH CAN HAVE AND SHARE. One can love even if they do not agree or even those that one prays they will stop doing such bad and evil things If they would only know love and share it and be fair in their dealings. .
One who is like the rich young ruler, Christ spoke up, may have to give it all up if he or she has it by doing bad and evil things to achieve it. and then follow a different path of love and life and eternal soul that will never die on a path that never ends. Wealth is not bad , when used for good but it is harder to stay on the path of life, when one has the wealth and the power that often comes with it to so badly abuse it towards others. and like much of Christ's teaching is a common wisdom that all of humanity should be able to understand. Somehow it is through love that we get to know that Christ is the embodiment of that and its through HIM in some mysterious way we get to our eternal life.
And no one person in over 2000 years of human history has been able to quite explain it in exact terms what those last few statements even mean. I have an interpretation and others have some parts that differ and some greatly differ. TRUTH IS IN HIM and some day we will be able to know and understand it all. is my belief.
Just came from the doctor and a new medical concern has come up. A 17 lb weight gain in a couple of months and seems to be edema. (fluid) But I pray its just needing to cut out too much salt which has crept back into too many food items recently. , Most of my vitals are as good as can be expected. and better than at times. Salt is one thing I just find retains fluid and must behave better in choice of what goes in my mouth. So my prayers are its that simple. and by the time I see my doctor, my better behavior will have turned things around and got on the better health path.
The answer to life's problems many times is as simple. as behaving as one should and we each have to find what it is we should or should not be doing. . My spiritual mentors are waiting there on face book to help me along the way to the right path. WE ARE NOT ALONE and as a Christian, I know HE IS WITH ME AND US ALL THE TIME. But it does help to have others who know HIM also, as a reminder. to not forget. HE IS PRESENT CARRYING US EVEN WHEN WE FORGET TO THANK HIM.
AMEN!
Linda Joy Adams 5.19/16
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