I bet his face hurts he smiles so much...here comes my soap box!

sometimes, I just gotta say something...

I had started typing a couple lines on FB for my status update in regard the topic of this blog but then I decided that wasn't the place. I don’t really like to make my facebook  political or controversial. I like it to be a fun place so I can see into my friends lives and them into mine..not a soap box. So I decided that my blog is THE EXACT best place for me to chat about this particular grievance.

This is the status update from a very popular pastor in America. He shall remain nameless but  his name rhymes with Hoel Whosteen...just saying...okay here it is...

"If you’ll just keep moving forward, being the best that you can be, God will give you favor and cause people to want to be good to you."

Now let me clarify one thing. I am not “anti tele-evangalist” nor do I like to judge their hearts. I believe that God does use some of them and they genuinely do reach people..some. of. Them. So I like to try to stay neutral on the topic but that above quote just gets my goat.

If I am wrong please message me but here are my thoughts on the above quote.. JESUS WAS PERFECT AND LOOK HOW HE WAS TREATED! What makes us think that our works will give us more favor with God and make people treat us better than Jesus was treated…really?!. What a warped view of our heavenly FATHER! I am in no way saying I am theologically sound on every topic or know scripture like I should but I mean there are some basic truths Pastor Nameless is leaving out here. Some pretty big ones.

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world”

John 15:18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you”

God is loving, just, and full of grace and full of mercy. But, he loves us and pours those things over us because we are so wretched. Not because of our works or the “favor” we  seem to try to earn. The whole reason he had to die was because of our totally wicked hearts and he loves us and wants to save us. He also has a PLAN for us and a plan to accomplish his purpose and to receive the glory he so deserves. Sometimes that plan may not include “people wanting to be good to you” I can’t find that in the Word anywhere.  But it always includes his unmerited love, his peace that flows like a river and his grace and mercies unending. He never promises that people will want to be good to us because of our works but he does promise to give us the strength, courage, peace and endurance we need when the troubles come (after all, we live in a sinful and fallen world)  and “people” aren't being “good to us”.