Thoughts

Today I am battling a nasty cold and freezing weather. Such a lovely mix, is it not? :P
There are some days that it would be so wonderful to crawl deep beneath my covers not show my head again until S.P.R.I.N.G. We may not have had layer upon layer of snow like my northern friends, but we definitely have had our fair share of bitter cold temps. Daniel and I live in a garage apartment and while I love our little home it is missing insulation.... Y'all, insulation is sooo important. haha We have had to run space heaters almost nonstop and I cringed as I paid our power bill this month. Did I mention I am ready for spring? 

I suppose one of the good things about today is that it has given me an opportunity to sit down and write. :) :)
I lay in bed at night thinking of so many things I want to share on here, but during the day I stay busy and never take the time to post. 

"The fear of punishment, the desire for reward, the sense of duty, are all useful arguments in their own way, to persuade people to holiness.  But they are all weak and powerless until a person loves Christ."  J.C. Ryle

Found this quote today and thought it was worth sharing on here. I have witnessed a lot of bantering back and forth on social media the last few weeks and it has caused me to ponder how we as Christians are always looking for the perfect argument... Everyone is passionate about something and they are doing their best to convince others that their way of thinking is correct. I love the quote above because it is a reminder that nothing but the gospel of Jesus Christ will convince sinners of their need for a Savior.

At our community outreach group last night we talked about reaching our lost friends and being intentional to share the gospel through our conversations with others. Someone pointed out that we often wait for a golden opportunity to share the gospel instead of just interweaving it into everyday conversations. We discussed some of the reasons why we don't proclaim the gospel with boldness and I was convicted that I often don't take advantage of the opportunities God gives me. 

In our country we don't have to fear being killed for our faith but it is becoming less and less "popular" to call yourself a Christian. We allow fear of losing friends, not being as well liked by others and many other fears to keep us silent on proclaiming truth. 

~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~

For a while now I have been grieved by the hate-filled articles that have been filling my Face Book feed. Ever since the Vision Forum scandal and the allegations of Bill Gothard's sexual misconduct became more public, I have seen numerous articles shared. Like many people, I was/am very disturbed, even angered by the actions of these two men. I had heard negative things about Bill Gothard for years and I and my family never attended any conferences. Even though we never were an "ATI" family we knew many families that used the ministry's resources.
I didn't intend to write anything about either ministry...As I stated before there has already been quite a bit shared. 
However, there a couple of things I would like to share from the perspective of someone who is familiar with the teachings of both ministries but specifically Vision Forum... AND as someone who indeed sat under the teachings of Doug Phillips, himself. (gasp) ;)

I am witnessing families turn their back on Biblical truths simply because some men who taught those truths failed to live up to what they taught. 
 I have read so many hate-filled articles by people who took truths and principles to severe extremes and now blame others for their own choice to be out of balance. 
I have heard people rip to shreds books that contain so much truth from God's word. They are writing epic length post about literature that they bought "hook-line-and-sinker" and how they themselves struggled with oppression and bondage from the books and the authors. They have discarded and scoffed at them because they wanted the book to be their perfect "formula" instead of using them as a tool to dig deeper into the word of God. 

 If your world shattered because a human being fell, then my friend, you should ask yourself whom you were following. Quit seeking an earthly leader, quit seeking a formula, quit blaming others for your lack of wisdom and discernment....Start seeking and following HIM.

During these times of dealing with the scorn of family and friends for some of my convictions I find comfort in this verse...
 "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Galations 6:9

-McKenzie