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bigger picture, Christian snobbery, dark picture/bright picture, economic and materialistic distinctions, full knowledge of God, godly good/satanic evil, highbrowed, holier-than-thou, Intellectual snob, less-educated, Partial (biased or prejudiced) snob, pharisaical goodness/righteousness, sin of partiality, Spiritual snob
Christian Snobbery
I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts, A people who continually provoke Me to My face, Offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on bricks; Who sit among graves and spend the night in secret places; Who eat swine’s flesh, And the broth of unclean meat is in their pots. Who say, ‘Keep to yourself, do not come near me, For I am holier than you!’ These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day. ~ Isaiah 65:2-5, NASB; cf. Romans 10:21
It would be hard to find many believers who would admit that the major reason why there is so much division in today’s institutional “church” is because there is so much Christian snobbery. Nevertheless, the harsh truth is that, in the institutional “church,” the Lord’s true followers are divided primarily because of these three forms of Christian snobbery: (1) Intellectual snobbery 2) Partial snobbery, and (3) Spiritual snobbery.
Now, while God’s Word teaches His sons and daughters that His people literally are taken into captivity and/or utterly destroyed because of a lack of knowledge (cf. Isaiah 5:13 and Hosea 4:6), this lack of knowledge refers to not having the knowledge of God operating in believers’ lives. For this reason, the apostle Peter warns born again and saved (justified) believers that the only way they can become spiritually mature is by growing in the grace and spiritual knowledge of God. That is why where believers who are being targeted by false teachers, who are ignorant and unstable about the spiritual knowledge of God, are concerned, Peter writes:
You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…. ~ 2 Peter 3:17-18, NASB
So then it stands to reason that most believers in the institutional “church” are not growing spiritually because they are seeking academic knowledge instead of seeking the spiritual knowledge of God. As a result, today’s institutional “church” has many intellectual snobs who don’t like to fellowship with the less-educated believers, because these educated elitists think that they know more about Christianity and the Holy Bible—that they know more “facts” and much more “truth” than the average believer.
For this reason, these intellectual snobs also don’t want to fellowship with believers who do not have advanced degrees, because these snobby churchgoers think that the less-educated believers cannot comprehend their highbrowed thoughts, words, and deeds. Moreover, because these educated elitists think they are superior (that they are better qualified to understand God’s Holy Bible and therefore better qualified to explain/teach His Word), they often tend to use their so-called sophisticated knowledge as a hammer to beat on others who have not studied “certain” subjects, and/or who have not read, for example, the scholarly works of Karl Barth, Emil Brunner, Paul Tillich, Rudolph Bultmann, Søren Kierkegaard, Thomas Aquinas, Augustine, and etcetera. (BTW: This blogger has not read many of the works authored by these mentioned scholars).
The real truth is that many of the people the undergraduate and graduate students study, as well as many of these students’ professors, are unprincipled and/or unsaved people, and yet these intellectual snobs effortlessly and confidently continue to regurgitate what theologians, philosophers, and other great thinkers have written and/or what their professors have said these theologians, philosophers, and other great thinkers mean, as if what has been written and taught is the gospel! More important, many of these intellectual snobs think that their scholastic knowledge is superior to the less-educated believers’ spiritual knowledge of God, because many of the less-educated believers usually claim that the Holy Spirit is their only teacher, helper, and guide!
Though it is very rare, there can be a reverse intellectual snobbery, where the poorly educated won’t want to fellowship with those believers who have advanced degrees, because they ironically find many college/university believers to be too snobbish. This inverted snobbery glorifies the poor in spirit believers, as well as the economically poor believers, in whom the Holy Spirit seems to give more supernatural power, spiritual gifts, and heavenly knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.
The point that needs to be noted here is that it is the intellectual snobs’ blatant arrogance that always will lead to the sin of partiality (being biased, prejudiced, or racist). For sure, the sin of partiality possibly is more prevalent today than it was in the days when James wrote the epistle of James. Moreover, while the Scriptures make it clear that there was a partiality problem between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians, James also makes it clear that in the local ekklesia there was some preferential treatment (favoritism) shown to well-dressed visitors, as opposed to the typical cold-shoulder treatment poorly clad visitors received. Concerning this sin of partiality, James writes:
My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ and you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,’ have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? ~ James 2:1-4, NASB
For sure, intellectual snobbery will lead to the second most common form of Christian snobbery in the institutional “church,” which is showing partiality/favoritism based on preconceived biases and prejudices, and even sometimes because of ethnicities. Indeed, in the 21st century institutional “church,” there are partial (biased and/or prejudiced) snobs who don’t like to fellowship with believers who do not share their same beliefs about money and tangible possessions, because these usually wealthy and well-educated believers think that their personal preferences are good enough reasons for why they should show favoritism to other wealthy believers, even if it is at the expense of their poorer brothers and sisters. In other words, these respecters of persons have allowed their personal preferences to make them not only partial to some believers but also partial to the “things” of this world, which conflict with the spiritual treasures of Heaven.
For the above reasons, there can be no doubt that these partial (biased and/or prejudiced) snobs are churchgoers, possibly even saved believers, who make economic and materialistic distinctions. They gravitate toward those believers who drive matching or almost equivalent brand-name cars, who wear the exact or near enough similar designer labels, who live in identical or just about comparable homes located in identical or just about comparable residential areas, who have children who attend the same or as good as similar private schools, and so forth.
The saddest commentary on the lives of these wealthy, partial snobs is the fact that they often despise those believers who are financially and materialistically disadvantaged. Perhaps the above examples of the contemporary institutional “church’s” partial snobbery are why the Holy Bible contains a host of other examples that thoroughly demonstrate the insidiousness—the subtle and cumulative harmfulness—of this sin of partiality.
Then too, often a reverse partial snobbery takes place. That is to say, sometimes the poor believers will receive preferential treatment, instead of the rich believers. These poor believers often gravitate toward those believers who are just as, or often more, financially and materialistically disadvantaged as they are. This inverted snobbery seems to glorify poverty, giving the impression that God is showing preferential treatment to the economically poor believers, but the Scriptures clearly teach that God is impartial. Indeed, according to James, God’s impartiality (the fact that He is no respecter of persons) is revealed by Him selecting those individuals whom the world labels as poor (needy; underprivileged) to be “rich in faith,” or rich because of their faith, and “heirs of the Kingdom” (cf. James 2:5).
The bottom line is that it is ONLY in God’s Kingdom that His purpose and plan for His sons and daughters will be realized the most. Once again, God always has intended that the rich, the poor, and those who are in the middle, would receive God’s rich spiritual blessings, and because He is not a respecter of persons (not a snob; not biased or prejudiced; and not a liar) God keeps His Word!
Concerning the third most common form of Christian snobbery, it once again should be noted here that there can be no doubt that God always intended for His sons and daughters to have all of the spiritual knowledge, wisdom, understanding, power, authority, and spiritual gifts (heavenly treasures/riches) that would help them to grow spiritually. There also can be no doubt that God indeed understood that each one of His sons and daughters wouldn’t automatically start out at the same spiritual level, nor mature at the same speed. Yet, there are many believers who think that EVERY believer should be at the same spiritual level, and these so-called mature believers think that if believers are spiritually immature it is either because they don’t have enough faith or because they don’t read their Holy Bible enough; or because they don’t come to “church” enough; or because they don’t listen to the “right” kind of music; or because they don’t watch the “right” kind of movies; or because they are not members of the “right” denomination; or because they don’t believe in the “right” doctrines; and the list goes on and on and on, ad infinitum. Concerning this kind of spiritual snobbery, the apostle Paul writes:
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. ~ Romans 12:3, NASB
Even Christ Jesus touched on this kind of spiritual snobbery. For example, He teaches on spiritual snobbery in the parable about the Pharisee and Publican (a Tax Collector who was a crook; a Jew who worked for the Roman government). The Lord tells this parable solely for the purpose of convincing the pharisaical (holier-than-thou) spiritual leaders, who were strict observers of the Mosaic Law as well as individuals who trusted in themselves, that because they were so full of themselves and their own goodness/righteousness, and because they despised the Publicans, that their proud or at the least a little bit arrogant human goodness/righteousness was dead wrong! Moreover, the Lord is saying that no pharisaical goodness/righteousness would ever be enough to save them or the world, and neither would the world be saved if everyone’s goodness/righteousness were like those of the Pharisees. For these reasons, Christ Jesus uses the parable to contrast the hearts of the proud and the humble.
Concerning this spiritual snobbery that the Lord speaks against, Luke, the author of the Gospel According to Saint Luke, writes:
And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: ‘Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.’ ~ Luke 18:9-14, NASB
Based on what the Lord says in the above verses, there can be no denying that, in this modern day, there are spiritual snobs in the institutional “church” who don’t like to fellowship with believers who do not share their level of spirituality, primarily because these hypocritical self-righteous individuals believe that their own goodness/righteousness is so impressive that it could not fail to make them more acceptable to God. Their exalted sense of spirituality, however, causes them to despise those believers who do not live like, speak like, or act like these so-called spiritually mature believers. Consequently, these spiritual snobs often end up thinking that the less-spiritual churchgoers must not have had a true “conversion” experience.
For sure, on a regular basis, these self-righteous “holier-than-thou” believers will be wearing their spirituality on their sleeve for everyone to see. As earlier stated, they often harshly criticize other believers whom they do not believe are as spiritually mature as they are, and they harshly criticize other believers whom they do not believe have (or who are not using) the same kind of spiritual gifts they have and use. For example, if a believer does not speak in tongues or lay hands on the sick, then these spiritual snobs will conclude that these no tongues speakers and no miracle doers are not even born again, saved (justified) believers.
Then too, often a reverse spiritual snobbery takes place. That is to say, sometimes the spiritually immature believers will harshly criticize the spiritually mature believers for being too heavenly minded that they are no earthly good, and usually this harsh criticism is because the spiritually immature have not surrendered their lives to Christ Jesus’ Lordship so that the Holy Spirit could do His supernatural work within these believers. These spiritually immature believers also will harshly criticize the spiritually mature believers for being tongues-talkers and/or healing miracle workers, and usually this harsh criticism is because the spiritual immature believers have not accepted and/or do not operate in their own spiritual gifts.
The bottom line here is that even though the institutional “church” has intellectual, partial, and spiritual snobs in it, all of these intellectual, partial, and spiritual snobs won’t be truly born again and saved (justified) believers, nor will they all be spiritually mature believers. Furthermore, those intellectual, partial, and spiritual snobs who are born again and saved (justified) believers are without a doubt the ones who are chasing away people who want to come to Christ Jesus, and they are chasing away potential believers with their own false portrayal of how a totally surrendered follower of Christ Jesus behaves.
Finally, it is important to note that NO human being could possibly know EVERYTHING. More important, even though some intellectual churchgoers might know a great deal about Christianity and/or the Holy Bible, that knowledge won’t make a bit of difference with God, if this intellectual believer doesn’t live the way Christ Jesus lived. That is why all believers need to seek and obtain the spiritual knowledge of God, because by seeking and obtaining the specific “truths” that are contained in this spiritual knowledge all believers then will be able to understand and know how to use/apply this spiritual knowledge so that God can change/alter the course of their lives. Once again, this knowledge of God is needed so that they can be set free to live their lives like Christ Jesus lived, and He lived a supernaturally empowered, gifted, anointed, obedient, compassionate, forgiving, loving, giving, holy, and righteous life.
Now just as it is snobbish to think that academic knowledge is better than the spiritual knowledge of God, it also is equally snobbish to judge by appearances (to show partiality based on what someone is wearing, or driving, or living in, and so forth), because this kind of judging is a false and fallible standard. The point here is that partiality is inconsistent with Christian faith, and even Christ Jesus Himself contrasts the way the rich and the poor are treated in life (cf. Luke 14:7-14; Luke 16:19-31). This false and fallible standard is why all believers should avoid partiality based on economic distinctions (or any other human differences), and this false and fallible standard is why all believers need to learn how to judge others based on God’s standards, which Christ Jesus demonstrated during His life on Earth.
Lastly, it also is snobbish to judge people’s spiritual growth via a hypocritical religiosity—to judge others by false standards that only tend to cause the often self-righteous believers to look down their noses on any and every person who is not like them. For sure, these spiritually snobbish individuals are showing by their attitudes or by the manner in which they treat someone they despise that this loathed person has no worth or merit.
Without a doubt, this form of Christian snobbery does not have a place in the Household of Faith, nor in the Kingdom of God, because it is by God’s Grace, the power of His Holy Spirit, and the atoning sacrifice of Christ Jesus that EVERY believer receives a regenerated spirit and salvation. Furthermore, it is the Holy Spirit’s mighty ministry work that when allowed and cooperated with will change believers inside out. It is this manifested change that ultimately determines the level of spiritual growth in every believer, rather than mankind’s false standards.
The best that a more experienced and spiritually mature believer can do for spiritually immature believers who are not prepared to move far from the worldly attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of so many of their family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors is to continue to feed them those biblically good, wholesome beliefs and principles/practices, which, just like milk, are good, nourishing, and necessary, until they are ready for a different diet–until they are ready for solid food. This is how apostle Paul handled the spiritual immaturity that he encountered (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:1-3).
The Divine Truth, then, is that no one who is not living a genuine Christian lifestyle will ever be able to receive the great abundance of God’s knowledge, wisdom, and understanding that He intends for every believer to receive. In other words, he or she will never be able to come to the full knowledge of God! Without coming to the full knowledge of God, no one will ever become spiritually mature. Without becoming spiritually mature, no one will be able to see the bigger picture (see, meaning understand, that there is a “dark or sinister picture” and a “bright or good picture” within this bigger picture, and this bigger picture is about a real God, a real Devil, a real Heaven, a real Hell, a real Lake of Fire, a real Savior, and a real Holy Spirit, as well as about the fact that there truly is godly good and satanic evil, and a testing that every person must experience. Consequently, without coming to the full knowledge of God, no one will ever be able to avoid becoming an intellectual snob, a partial (biased and/or prejudiced) snob, and/or a spiritual snob!
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I was just wondering about this very matter as I thought about the professors attacking David Barton. Barton went to ORU, and people often think charismatics are not as smart as, say, presbyterians who go to expensive schools. Also, he is not a Ph.D. historian. I have nothing against Ph.D. –I’m married to an engineering professor–but my husband is a humble man.
Kimberly,
Thank you for your comment. Thank you, too, for visiting my blog.
Honestly, I do not know much about David Barton and his detractors. What I do know is that he has been criticized by credentialed historians who believe that since Barton is NOT one of them then Barton can’t possibly know diddly squat about American History, let alone what our founding fathers intended. If some of those credentialed historians are also Christians who are criticizing Barton’s views on what our founding fathers intended when they wrote and/or signed, for example, the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, then I would say it is possible that his detractors are demonstrating the intellectual snobbery I describe in my blog posting.
Many blessings to you and your loved ones.
I thank the spirit of god, which I believe has just led me to this! A couple of hours ago I was reading some news from my country in Africa, about the church back home threatening to split up from the C O England! Amazingly just this very morning, I was listening to a sermon of man of God talking about the gifts of knowledge and wisdom, and in the middle of the sermon, he talks about snobbish academicians! I went away and came back home this evening, and I have questions in my head about all this! Your comment has just helped me answer all questions I had in my head and I thank god for the knowledge he has given to me through you!
Stephen,
May God receive all the Glory and Praise! I am honored that He gave me something to say that would blessed you.
Shalom . . . .
Does this then have anything to do with the growing problem of the institutionalised “church” walking away from the truth of the gospel of Christ? Is there a link or that is altogether a different problem on its own?
Thank you and god bless.
Stephen,
I have no doubt that snobbery, in every one of the forms I mentioned, is part of the current New Age Movement, which is a collection of Eastern-influenced metaphysical thought systems–an eclectic teaching of salvation, of “correct thinking,” and “correct knowledge,” as well as a theology of “feel-goodism,” “universal tolerance,” and “moral relativism.” There is no doubt in my mind that the New Age’s false teachings have infiltrated our modern day institutional “church” via intellectuals who have emphasized worldly knowledge, understanding, and wisdom more than they have emphasized biblically sound Divine Truths that are in the Scriptures. As a result, this New Ageism is now causing many “churchgoers” to fall away from the Gospel’s Truth, or “walk away from the truth” (as you put it), and turn instead to a belief in many paths leading to Heaven, a belief in human beings becoming divine gods, and etc.
I have written various times in many different entries on this blog about this apostasy or “walking away from the truth.” However, I believe that Ravi Zacharias has two of the most powerful YouTube videos I have seen on this apostasy in the institutional “church” issue: Let My People Think: The East & The West, Part 1 and Let My People Think: The East & The West, Part 2. Then too, I believe the apostle Paul says it best, when he writes the following in 2 Timothy 3:
1-5 Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people. 6-9 These are the kind of people who smooth-talk themselves into the homes of unstable and needy women and take advantage of them; women who, depressed by their sinfulness, take up with every new religious fad that calls itself “truth.” They get exploited every time and never really learn. These men are like those old Egyptian frauds Jannes and Jambres, who challenged Moses. They were rejects from the faith, twisted in their thinking, defying truth itself. But nothing will come of these latest impostors. Everyone will see through them, just as people saw through that Egyptian hoax. (The Message Bible)
And in 2 Timothy 4:
3-5 You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They’ll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages. But you—keep your eye on what you’re doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God’s servant. (The Message Bible)
Every blessing . . . .
Wao wao, I cannot tell you how happy I am and how my mind is soaring with this obviously unusual insight into the things of god. I know god is preparing me for something, it is strong and I can almost feel it, it is around teaching. We have a prayer meeting today and I might have a few things to talk about! Thanks ever so much and I will follow you wherever you go fishing. Many Blessings for your work, effort and love of god.
This was an eye opening post for me. Just now I realized I had been a spiritual snob in the past. I knew my attitude about others being fake in the church and not being spiritual enough was too strong. Now I see what it was….I was a spiritual snob. Praise God I got through and overcame that stage.
Hi Nadine.. I have just read some of this and all of what you have shared is on the increase. I read someones post this morning, a christian brother and it made my stomach sink. These days I hearing many bashing, criticizing, ambushing and inciting hatred but yet professing to be walking in love.. I will have to come back to read all of it..
Good Morning Mother Hen,
I thank God for anything you read so far–that He has given me to share in this blog entry–that has been a blessing for you. I also hope that you will get a chance to finish reading this blog entry.
There have been many things I have read by professed Christians that didn’t sound Christlike at all. Much of those things also have caused my stomach to sink. Be encouraged. God is still in control, in spite how things look to our natural eyes.
Every blessing . . . Shalom . . . .
I think this problem runs rampant in the church nowadays.
I’ve been in churches (one was my longtime home church,
the others were those I simply visited) and what I’ve
seen is a lot of “snobbery” in many different forms.
I’ve visited one church where not one person greeted me,
and not one person asked me my name or my background.
They seemed to all have their own set of friends, and were not
interested in adding someone new. I was alone that day and
have never returned, nor would I recommend it to anyone.
In another church, everything was about appearance.
The pastor joked that he told the ushers not to allow any
“ugly people” into the church services. It might not have
been taken so seriously if he hadn’t been teaching every
Wed. night service about being fit and “healthy”; it was
actually becoming a beauty contest, rather than a church
glorifying God and teaching about Jesus. I’m all for teaching
about health, but it was a smokescreen, as this preacher was
always talking about how the worship at “his’ church was
better than the worship at the other big church in town. It
was all about appearances and competition. Whatever happened
to helping the downtrodden, feeding the poor, and accepting
“whosoever will” as Jesus commanded? Instead of rejecting the
poor and unfortunate, we should be embracing them and
making them feel welcome in our services. But unfortunately,
I’ve witnessed the very opposite too often.
Linda,
Thank you so much for reading this entry, and thank you for your insightful comments.
Every blessing,
Nadine
I doubt I’ll get an answer from you, but here goes. Two weeks ago, my Dear Mother died. A nice neighbor invited my to worship service. I didn’t let her know if I was going. I went and found out that the church was very materialistic, icy, and very snobbish. The guy gave me a bible, and was extremely condescending. I wrote a little note and put it in the bible as well a booklet they gave me before. I walked in this place. The two women were talking and didn’t care I was there. As I walked out, I said, “Thank you for your concern!” Then I left. I will NEVER go to another church or believe in God again! By the way I went to 12 churches so enough is enough! I’m sick of being hurt!
Dear Terry,
I am so sorry that your “church” experiences have been unpleasant, especially the one you had right after the death of your mother. Moreover, I am sorry that your unpleasant “church” experiences have caused you to stop believing in Father God.
The truth is that all believers in Christ who are wrongfully judgmental, intentionally arrogant, or regularly mean-spirited (inconsiderate and unsympathetic) are not representing Father God or His Son—Christ Jesus. Likewise, all believers in Christ who deliberately snub people because of the way they look, dress, talk, and so on, also are not representing Father God or His Son—Christ Jesus.
You and everyone else who attend a Christian church, especially right after the loss of a loved one, need to see and feel the Love, Concern, and Comfort that God is and that He wants to give to His Children—to all believers in Christ. Keep believing in Him and praying to Him, and He will bring into your life believers in Christ who genuinely are loving, kind, sympathetic, considerate, encouraging, thoughtful, consoling, and so much more that is godly.
Yours in Christ,
Nadine
I don’t know where you are at, but here in frigid New England, there are NO good churches here. Unless you have a ton of money or live in the big cities. Kindly, loving, sympathetic? COME ON! I quit believing in God since I was 5. When my Mother married a guy who wanted me dead. I kept praying for the abuse to end, but it didn’t. He made the Holocaust look like a folk festival. I started attempting suicide since I was 5 because God NEVER heard my prayers for the abuse and cruelty to end and these stupid churches they only helped themselves. and especially now there is NO WAY he loves. me.
I grew up in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, so I know firsthand about icy cold weather and attitudes. Moreover, there were no “good” churches in my hometown–not when I was a child, and not now. However, there were plenty of godly people in my hometown churches. I gravitated toward them.
My family had cousins and uncles who sexually abused their sisters, female cousins, and nieces. I was raped as a 5-year-old, and later as a 28-year-old. My life and the lives of my family members were threatened by both rapists. A neighborhood family doctor touched me in ways he shouldn’t have, when I was four. I fought off more boys than I can count, and all of them just befriended me for one thing. I could go on, but I am hoping you get the picture.
I frequently prayed and cried out to God, asking, nay, begging Him to intercede–to save me from the human wolves and other predators in my life. My deliverance from my hometown wolves/predators didn’t come until I was 13. It happened right after I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. God showed me how he had been protecting me and how he was protecting me as a 13-year-old. He even was protecting me when I was raped at 28. That rapist broke into our home (through our sons’ bedroom window) on a night my husband was working the night shift. This rapist had a knife, and he threatened to kill my two young sons (who remained sleep throughout my whole ordeal) and me, if I didn’t cooperate with him. I felt violated, worthless, and all the other negative feelings Satan throws at you to make you feel like it was all your fault. But God! He got me through that horrific experience and everything else Satan has thrown at me since then.
As for all the males who abused me in one way or another, NONE of them are doing well. Several died early deaths, including my second rapist. My first rapist has been in an institution for the mentally ill since I was 7. Everyone else is either spiritually poor, or physically poor, or emotionally poor, or financially poor.
I have no doubt that God is protecting me, even when the bad things were or are happening to me, because I have a sound mind, I have good health, I have a roof over my head, food on my table, clothes in my closet, money in the bank (though I am not independently wealthy), and more important I am still alive. This knowing that God is protecting me–as well as comforting me, answering my prayers, and so on and so forth–is made evident in how I am coping with the recent loss of my oldest son. He was 45 when he died on May 2, 2017.
My point here is that bad things happen to everyone. In my case, I know that I would be a basket case right now, if I did not have Father God, His Son–Jesus Christ–and His Holy Spirit protecting me, comforting me, loving me, caring for me, forgiving me, helping me, empowering me, encouraging me, and so on and so forth. Life is ugly, but it is a whole lot uglier, when we don’t have an intimate relationship with Father God. It is a supernatural thing–one that you have to experience for yourself. My hope is that you will allow God to deliver you, show you how He has been protecting you, and let Him love on you. NOBODY can love you like He can, but you have to let Him.
Yours in Christ,
Nadine
I’m sorry you went through a rough life too. However, noticed when I come up with a good point that a lot of pastors get harsh with me. I id read the Bible and I remember JOB. Reading the Bible and having faith and definitely did nothing for me. I’m from Northern California where the people are a little nicer. Then I got stuck in this horrible part of the country, I miscarried a 4 month-old, my husband died in my arms, and now my Mother is dead. Thank you for your chilly answer! I’m an atheist now. And I’ll never bother you again Goodbye!!!!!
I do apologize if what I said sounds/feels chilly to you. I was speaking realistically, yes, but not harshly. I was speaking from my heart, as someone who has an idea of what you have been dealing with and feeling.
Thank you for your expressed sympathy. I am also sorry for all the loss and abuse you suffered in your life. I will continue to keep you in prayer, and please know that you didn’t bother me.
Yours in Christ,
Nadine
P.S., although I read your article, the only way you’ll convince me as if something majorly good happens, talk is cheap.
It is not my job to convince you of anything. Convincing you to believe and trust in a loving, caring, sympathetic, protective, forgiving, saving, and consoling God is what the Word of God (the Holy Bible) and His Holy Spirit do, but only when hearers or readers of the Word allow the Word and the Holy Spirit to do their jobs. I am here to share that Word with you in faith, with love, and with the help of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, neither Father God nor His Holy Spirit or His Son will force you to accept anything I say/write to you.
If you want something “majorly good” to happen in your life, you have to have the kind of faith that comes from God. This God-kind of faith allows you to believe that what you want to happen will happen, and this God-kind of faith will help you continue to hope for the manifestation of your “majorly good” blessing until it actually happens. The bottom line is that you need to believe in God–the Holy, Righteous, Sovereign, Almighty God.
You sound like a sincere person. But if it’s not a reverend’s job to convince you then whose is it to convince you of a God who cruelly takes all you love a way from you????
As I said, it is God’s job–specifically His Word and His Holy Spirit’s job. All God tells His ministers to do is to share His Word. God’s Word and His Holy Spirit are supernatural forces that move people to believe and receive what was shared.
Yours in Christ,
Nadine
Rev. Nadine has hit the nail on the head! This article is so helpful to me because I have been wondering for a long while if there might be something wrong with me because I thought a lot of “Christians” were snobs. In the 1960s when I was growing up, our family belonged to a church that was really wonderful. We were like a big family. Everyone was treated the same and we all loved each other. Then we moved away and church was never the same again. I know it is possible to truly live the way Jesus wanted His followers to be with each other because I experienced it. Over the past 20 years most especially, I have noticed the difference and the snobbery. I grew up in a blue collar family in a blue collar neighborhood, had blue collar friends, went to a blue collar school and church. I did not go to college because it just wasn’t affordable. I had to go to work and most of my co-workers were blue collar. Now things are not like that any longer. Churches now seem to be like a round hole and all those good “Christian” snobs are round pegs that fit in that perfect round hole. I feel like a square peg that won’t fit in, and I don’t try because it isn’t what I want to do. I love God and I want to live like I did in the 1960s and the way God wants us all to live. It is so very sad but this is the reality of church nowadays. Thank you, Rev. Nadine, for bringing this topic into the light and showing it for what it is and quoting scriptures that show that the church snobbery isn’t what Jesus had in mind for how we should be living and worshipping together. Thank you so much for your good words. God bless you.
Jennifer,
Thank you for stopping by my blog, thank you for reading this particular posting, and thank you for leaving your kind comment. I give God all the Glory for how He decided to use what He — via His Holy Spirit — led me to write that has blessed you in any way.
Every blessing,
Nadine