Psychologists?

Church Officials?

Carnal Hearted Members

Car Salesmen

Business Consultants

Celebrities

Perverted Taste

Ouija Boards and Devils

Our Maker and Lord

As Christians we often feel very confident that we follow Christ---after all we call ourselves Christians. But often when I talk to someone about a concern I am surprised by their answer.

Some examples are as follows:

I was talking to a friend about a man that called himself a Christian but had a short temper and had told about a case of “road rage”. I had asked her to pray for this man. As I was telling her about it she spoke up and said, “He needs some anger management classes.”

Another Christian friends response was that I should call the police.

In another situation I was talking to a friend about starting a small church in our community. The local conference president was against it. I had shared with this friend what Ellen White wrote on the subject. She had written that anywhere there was at least 12 members there should be a church. But in spite of this clear message from God on the subject my friend felt that our hands were tied because the church conference leader was against it. As if his opinion was more important that what God had said through his servant.

I have been to church business meetings where important decisions are being decided---how much money to spend on evangelism vs. pleasure parties. (they chose to increase the spending on pleasure parties and cut evangelism to zero)

Another time there was a pastor asking a fellow church member about their model of car. It seems that this pastor was looking for a new car and wanted this persons opinion on this particular model.

When my husband and I look at the church activities and question the wisdom of decisions that are made the responses never take into account what God wants. One pastor got upset when he was questioned about a choice by saying, “You never let us do anything…” As if the Biblical counsel that had been shared was only a personal human opinion. Let me point out that this comment came from a conservative Bible preaching pastor.

As I look at these situations it is amazing to me that these people never stop and ask God what He would have them do. They never consult His will. It is as if God is a theory or some disinterested being off somewhere on the other side of the universe that has no interest in the welfare of his children. This attitude is especially amazing when it comes from a pastor. How can a pastor, someone who is suppose to be teaching people to know, trust and obey God leave God out of the decisions he makes?

Who should we ask for help? Who should we consult when making important decisions? Whose opinion should we regard as important? God made us, God redeemed us, God wants what is best for us in every situation so why would we want to leave Him out of our lives? Because we want to do our own thing. Because we don’t want His opinion. Because we are afraid that His ideas would be too restricting.

Anger management classes will never change the heart. Only God can change the heart. Only God can take a stony heart and make it a heart of flesh.

If God wants a church in a particular location no one should stand in his way and no one can if a person will step out in faith and commit their ways to the Lord. He isn’t going to give us a job to do and then walk away to leave us to do it alone. He can take the stumbling blocks out of our way. He says, “Ask and ye shall receive…” But too often we don’t ask. It never enters our minds to consider Him. We want to go to heaven but we don’t really want Him. How strange! How do we figure that we will enjoy heaven if we don’t want the opinion of the God of heaven? We won’t, it is that simple.

Who are we to make church business decisions about how God’s money should be handled without asking Him what we should do with it. What total arrogance!! Will God be pleased at this point in the history of this earth to see us spend His money on gluttonous frivolous parties while souls are perishing for the truth. Christ gave up all heaven to redeem those people around us and we won’t even part with the trinkets we have here. He went 40 days in the wilderness without food for us but we won’t part with a single pleasure party or one potluck for Him.

Even personal decisions about which car to drive I have seen over and over again are best left to the Lord. I have never been disappointed when I have let God make the choice. In fact I have always found greater happiness in allowing Him to choose my vehicles. He has always given me something better than I would have chosen for myself.

Anytime a decision is made without God’s written word or without prayer being the basis of the decision in the church or in our own personal lives it will be a wrong decision and when we fight that advise we are not fighting a human that is presenting that truth we are fighting the one that gave the advise---God himself, even if we are a pastor.