This morning we woke up ready to tackle the Day's planned activities: pay space rent thru December & put a down payment on January thru February (we plan on heading north in March), pin down the Messianic Fellowship I've been waiting to attend here, locate a Health Food Store … and find a roadside produce stand.
While Holland was forking over $$$ to secure our new digs, I was gathering info about the resort activities. We were both looking forward to spending lazy time together, outside the 4 walls of our home = enjoying our "retired time".
As we left Del Pueblo, Holland was looking forward to finding chia seeds and fresh produce for smoothies, juices, and (((thank God))) weight-loss meals.
Holland also made a special effort to locate the building I was hoping to visit tonight; he isn't comfortable with my Messianic Faith, but he is making an effort to {meet in the middle} with understanding :-)
We pulled up GPS in hopes of pinning down the locale of the church building tonight's Fellowship is renting (GPS can be fickle) - and finally found it, after zigging here and zagging there. But as soon as I saw the grounds layout, I said, "Thank you Holland for getting me here, but I'll pass."
When we drove up the driveway, the first thing we saw was a h.u.g.e. wooden, painted, pumpkin face and remnants of a holloween shindig. I was not happy to see any of it. I was not happy thinking that a so-called-christian-{church} … and a messianic fellowship renting the church building on Friday's … would lend their grounds (which is suppose to be sacred territory dedicated to El Shaddai Elohim El'ekhad = Almighty God, God of Israel the One God) to a pagan holiday.
Not happy at all :-(
A few days ago, I was seeking Elohim's direction, and woke up with this Scripture at the forefront of my thoughts: "No one puts new wine into old wineskins, else the new wine would be ruined by the old. No, new wine must be put into new wineskins." (Luke 5:37 & 38)
I understand the concept. The message was clear: some things just cannot be mixed - Christians cannot mix a life pledged to Elohim with paganism. I've refused to attend a fellowship with my husband where bethel music is played, and vineyard doctrine is taught - this has created a host of problems for us, as all of Holland's family (and all of his religious 'friends') are in some way connected to Vineyard and Bethel; I believe these are religious cults with just enough of the Bible woven in their doctrine that they are more dangerous than actual in-your-face-cults. If they are not walking the straight and narrow, as Yeshua taught … they are not walking a Believer's Walk. And now, my husband sees that I am equally as adamant about refusing to fellowship a.n.y.w.h.e.r.e. that does not honor The Word; Christians, (Messianic Believers, included) are a set-apart-People - we are not to follow the ways of the world: trying to mingle worldly lifestyles (drinking, drugging, fornications, adultery, blatant lying-cheating-stealing, 'fudging'. ect.) and blending open paganism with lip-service-christianity (kinder thru youth group holloween parties, hosted as tongue-in-cheek 'Church Harvest Parties' where devilish behavior and foods is evident) is living a lifestyle pitted against a pledged, valid, and sanctified Christianity; a worldly lifestyle is rebellious towards Elohim, and a thumb-in-the-eye to Yeshua (Romans 8:4 & 2 Corinthians 6:14 thru 18); and I want no part of it.
So, I won't be attending tonight. Or any Friday night/Sunday morning.
Holland said, "You won't ever find perfection." I said, "I know that. I know we live in a fallen world. I am not looking for … nor expecting perfection; but I AM looking for, and expecting to fellowship with Believers who honor God's Word and live by His standards. I'm not seeing, or finding that, in today's churches. I know people aren't perfect - but Scripture tells us to walk in His footsteps. Walking a worldly path is not walking in His footsteps. Churches today have become the devil's playgrounds - and people attending don't even know why they are there, except for potlucks and coffee hours. They enroll their children in youth groups designed to steal their souls and lead them astray. The Word of God isn't taught in church buildings anymore because someone will, at some point, be offended by God's truths and raise hell. I don't want to be a participant in those playgrounds."
Those are sad realities.
Both of us know we need to fellowship.
Both of us are waiting on Elohim's direction in where we fellowship: together.
I really feel like my prayer was answered, so I'm not broken hearted about the fellowship let down. I know Elohim has the perfect place for us to fellowship and worship Him: I can wait for His perfect timing in getting us there ;-)
After we left that parking lot, we drove to a local Health Food Store and found what we needed there - we like it, and will be going back.
Then we looked for a roadside produce stand … and found one :-)
We didn't have much cash on us, but did bring home a few things - and we'll be going back, prepared next time ;-)
On our way home, Holland said, "Let's grab some take-out and eat it at home - anything you want; you like ethnic foods, so see what GPS can pull up." GPS pulled up a list of ethnic restaurants: spicy Indian cuisine, Chinese restaurants with tasty delights, more mexican restaurants than you can shake a stick at … and every one of the parking lots were packed to the nth.
Maybe Chick-fil-A isn't exactly an {ethnic} food source … but we are in 'the South', and chicken cooked a thousand different ways is a southern tradition, so I'm claiming this meal as an ethnic choice ;-)
We did end up bringing half of our order home, to eat later on.
All in all, it's been a good day to have a Good Day :-)
.JPG)
No comments:
Post a Comment