Fix it Jim!!

I was talking to a good friend today, and we were laughing about trying to fix people.

You know (especially guys) how when you hear someone pouring out their heart, you just want to jump in and fix it. We think people need to have our lifetime's worth of wisdom presented to them so they can apply it and, well, get fixed.

I realise that its wrong on many levels, but I had to stop and think about how I really respond to this. The moment people start to share problems and concerns, the first thing that pops into my brain cell is "what can I say that will help this person".

I start to flick through all the wise advice that has helped me and I think would be appropriate to help others. Perhaps there's a key word or concept that will trigger that cathartic moment. Perhaps the latest revelation I've had about God will release their pain. Maybe if I can present the doctrines/beliefs that changed my life, in the right way, they will understand and have the same "breakthrough" I did.

Or perhaps they really just need a shoulder, a loving heart and ear, who's only purpose is to be there for others.

We can't fix each other (as much as I really want to) despite the best of intentions. We don't need to give advise, and even if people ask for it, what exactly do we give them? For those who are familiar with counselling techniques, listening is the key. But with God, I think it might even be more than that. 

God is uniquely entwined with each of us. We are in total union with Him, even if we don't realise it. Our relationship with God is just that - OUR relationship. Mine is different to yours, everyone is different. Its like the relationship with our best friend or partner - no one else really understands it. 

So many christians, especially charismatic/pentecostal types, think we have to have a "word of knowledge", that its our duty to give the "word of the Lord" to people in need, and even made to feel "unspiritual" if we can't at least provide an appropriate scripture. 

But God speaks to us one to one, individually. All we have to do really, is create an environment of love, acceptance and peace - allow our hearts to feel God's heart, so we can truly be in agreement with Him and pour out His immense love on each other - even without words!

God will always speak in his way and his time to all of us, and this not only applies to those in desperate need, but also to all of us on our journey in life. We are all in different places, with different views and understandings of God. It's great to discuss, throw around ideas, stretch each other, challenge each other, but we can never assume we know where God is at with any other person in creation. Only God can determine what the next step is for each individual. 

So lets just pull our heads in, stop giving good advice, stop telling people they are wrong, or heretics, or sinners, or ignorant, or evil, or going to hell. If we aren't mature enough to give and take, to discuss, to empathise, and basically love, then we should just put up and shut up.

Yep, I've been known to jump on people with my good advice, and I must admit I have little time for those with closed bigoted hearts, but even in that, I'm open to change. Fortunately, God is also listening to my heart, patiently drawing me closer into his arms, so that we will breathe as one.

When God first introduced himself to me, 40 year ago, there's one thing he said in a vision that always stayed with me - "One thing at a time and all things in My time". When I do occasionally remember that, it makes the world of difference!

Words words words

Here's a list of some words that christians especially, consider veeery important:

• Sin
• Repent
• Saved
• Justified
• Righteous
• Hell
• Heaven
• Law

(and there's plenty more where they come from)

They are so important that there's been a lot of arguments about them for a long time, and even more so lately. Everyone seems to know exactly what the words mean, and many can prove it by Greek/Hebrew and exegesis. But there is one incredibly important thing that we all keep overlooking:

These "christian" words are loaded - like a gun - ready to aim and fire at the next person who obviously doesn't understand their true meaning. (Thought I'd just throw that in for current political comment).

But each word that is part of the christianese language, is loaded up with centuries of baggage, based on thousands of evolving doctrines, pushed by political powers, endless translations/interpretations, cultural bias etc. Then to make matters even more complicated we have to add our own personal baggage to each word: how do we personally interpret each word based on our upbringing (religious/cultural/family), our treatment by other christians and leadership, the sermons we have had preached to us, the way have been taught to think. All of the above factors (and more) are mixed together into this complex and personally unique interpretation of these words (part of what I refer to as our personal paradigm).

So what on earth does that mean?

When you hear the word "sin", what does that mean to you? What emotion flashes through you in that split second? What other words do you quickly associate with it? What string of thoughts does that initiate? Does it feel evil too you? Does the thought produce fear in you? Do you feel subtle guilt or shame straight away? Does it even concern you? This is a gut reaction, triggered by our paradigm, and colours our interactions in a way that we are usually totally unaware of - to the point that we not only don't understand why others don't "get it", but will actually get offended or even attack others because of it.

Are we prepared to even admit that there is a problem here?
Could it be that so much conflict could be avoided if we actually took the time to understand each others paradigms? To look for what is loading up each others thoughts and language to the point that it causes anger, hatred, and even wars?

Imagine if instead of being so keen to slam our favourite doctrine or philosophy down someone's throat, we could present it in a way that allowed others to explore with dignity and safety. That we would listen to their hearts and try to understand their paradigms.

This however, takes time and patience. Something in short supply these days! And forums like Facebook etc, really don't encourage respectful, patient interactions.

Words are never empty! Every word we speak comes loaded with our life history, our family, our culture, our education, our religion. Speak, by all means, but listen with all the passion and conviction that God has for us.

Slowing Down

Not sure how to express this, but I'll give it a go.

Here's the list of possibilities.

• I'm way to cynical and burnt for my own good
• I'm still in recovery from clinical depression
• I'm overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of lost and confused people
• I'm overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of people who know everything
• I'm overwhelmed by the incredible diversity of people's paradigms
• I'm overwhelmed by the blindness created by people's paradigms
• I'm overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of God and his relationship to us
• I'm overwhelmed by the complexity of matter, energy and its integration with spirituality
• I'm frustrated with narrow minded fundamentalism
• I loath the tiny little closed box of christianity
• I'm disgusted by the arrogance of preachers proclaiming they know God
• I'm horrified by the level of control wielded by spiritual leaders
• I hate being labelled a christian
• I'm ashamed of all that calls itself christianity

BUT

• I'm slowing down and taking time to see things
• I'm discovering God in new ways
• I'm beginning to understand living in the moment
• I'm experiencing real inexplicable moments of love FROM God
• I'm being changed in deep ways that surprise me
• I see clearer, every day, God's intricate oneness with everything and everyone
• I have a sense of peace that grows deeper every day
• I see people with more compassion than I ever have
• I've dropped all christian dogma
• I feel the weight of religion and christian expectation evaporate more every day

Yes, I'm all of the above, and I've never been better, never understood myself more, never been freer to just be me, and never experienced God's love in such a tangible way.

I'm also tired, but not a bad tired, just a peaceful tired. A happiness to close my eyes and dream, to stand on the beach and absorb the sun and sea. To feel loved and to love. Like the last 56 years were almost a dream - a very long difficult dream, that put me right here and now, right where I should be.

I guess its all a bit vague. But I think if we all stop to listen to our hearts long enough, there may be a lot of common ground between us all. 

I hope so.

Cults and HIM

Cults are a touchy subject at the best of times.

Many would say a lot of mainstream churches are cults, others think in terms of strange New Age stuff, or dancing around fires with chickens and candles. But we have all seen the documentaries of communities with brain washed devotees gathered around their smiling leader.

But really, what is the core thing about a cult? Its not the doctrines or beliefs, as strange as they can be. They only serve to build a reference point for the real problem - the leader.

Most cults are built around a person who has the most damaging trait humans can suffer from - narcissism.

They use religious beliefs as the main tool to draw the right type of person into their sphere of influence, to feed the constant need of admiration, reliance and worship etc. They can then control people by the right balance of feeding their deep needs of insecurity with a sense of uniqueness. You become special, with the unique privilege of sharing in a new revelation, an outpouring of incredible significance that only you and the group have. You become the chosen and bear the burden of sharing this revelation knowing it will bring persecution, but persecution is confirmation that you are speaking the truth, so you will rejoice that people are speaking against you, and you are suffering for righteousness sake.

This was what brought my attention to HIM (His Image Ministries), run by George Maitland.

He has a small influence fortunately, but I've seen a few friends now hooked into it and feel its time to expose him. Among them are Dawn and Breck Rubin who are now intrinsic in the inner circle.

Like I said, I don't really care about doctrines - we are all entitled to believe what we want. But this cult uses control through shaming, belittling, and exclusivism. I have seen people noticeably change over the last year as they have become more involved (like the Rubins). They start to lose the ability to discuss rationally, and begin to quote isolated scripture out of context as if we should know what it means and then talk down to you because you don't "correctly divide the word" (this is their favourite expression).

But what has disturbed me is behind the scenes, emotional and verbal abuse, telling women that they should let their husbands be sexually violent to them to display Gods patient love, belittling his family (and in front of others), regularly/repetitively reading out letters of those who leave the group to enforce the dangers of leaving. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Condescending, patronising, threatening - you name it. It is extremely unhealthy. I have spoken to people with first hand experience, and I have no reason to doubt their story.

So I know many of you will think I should mind my own business. But I'm willing to take the rap for being so open about this. There are thousands more like this - groups of people under the spell of a narcissistic leader, often in large churches and organisations, carefully controlling and manipulating people, people looking for strong leadership and direction, for a new revelation. They present a carefully constructed image of love, passion, wisdom, grace, truth, but are lost in the grips of narcissism and cannot even see what's going on.

Most people who end up hurt and disgusted with anything christian have been under the control of people like this, and I say that's enough. I'm taking a risk, I know, but ever since hearing about George Maitland, watching his FB/blog and website, and then talking in depth to people who know what goes on, it has only confirmed what I feared. I have been involved in similar things. I have seen the devastation. I recognise the signs. It makes me sick to see this happening, and I hope enough of us will have the courage to look deeply into things like this, to be brave enough to speak up, and even be brave enough to be wrong.

I will gladly apologise just as publicly if proved wrong - for anything I may say. But I will stand up for the abused and for the removal of abusers as I feel Jesus did. Its a complex enough journey as it is without becoming derailed by your local narcissist!

I will now run for cover!!

A Face Full of Dirt

(Likened unto visionaries we shall walk with still feet and not trample the tall blades or spill their green life)

I fell on my face the other day, or maybe in another time, and they came, I thought to laugh at me, but offered warm hands, I thought in self righteous piety - and I told them all about themselves - I thought. If they had just seen and told me I would not have fallen. They too should fall on their smiling little faces and taste the dirt that I can taste, and eat the mud and slime.

I waited for a while, or a lifetime, and felt them move back out of my awareness.

The dampness about me had a dark warmth and life all of its own - moving on soft edges and brittle limbs and burrowing into darkness to die and give life back to the cycle. And I watched and drew my own life from theirs and I heard their whispers and longed for their wisdom.

(We moved beyond his sight but always watched for him, for the movement would not be long)

After a time I felt the wind moving through my hair as if challenging my part in the earth cycle, and I moved, ever so slight, my face braking contact with the earth, and the breeze twisted around my cheeks. The life of the breeze was complete and unto itself and above the earth. But the dirt held my eyes and the life of the wind and earth would blend, I thought, at least with me as their mediator. But the strain on my neck was growing and with my desire for the life of the wind AND the life of the earth eating at my heart, confusion held fast.

(We saw the moment, stepped forward, and gently raised his head)

As my strength gave, hands, warm and gentle, lifted my head back to the compromise, and I welcomed their strength. But they kept lifting a little higher, and a little higher. And the breeze began to enfold my whole face, and I understood the life of the air, I thought, and restrained the hands there, for here was all understanding! It seemed.

The hands held firm and never faltered and I wondered at their strength and beauty. I remembered then, MY hands, and slowly brought them up to my face, examined them and began to see the likeness to those that held me!

(We moved closer - he was seeing, and an eagerness flooded our hearts)

I touched my face - with my hands! They felt like those who held me. I felt the dirt still clinging to my cheeks, almost embedded grain by grain into the skin. I rubbed, and dirt fell, and as it fell I felt more of the life of the air, and in my excitement I found I was leaning on my elbows and the hands moved to help me.

(We smiled now, and cautiously prepared to lift him as he gave us leave)

The air filled my spirit but it overwhelmed me, and the simple cycle of life in the earth held my mind. I tasted the grains on my fingers and smelled the mud, but now, I was only seeing its death. I hoped then that at least I would understand the air, so I pushed up back onto my hands and felt the other hands shift in firmer grip to help me. They felt so warm and loving compared to the damp of the earth, so that all I now desired was to see and feel more!

I raised my head slowly, straining against unused muscles, and saw faces. I think I remembered the faces, but I wasn't sure, and seeing their smiles, I smiled too and realised we shared the same life of the air.

(If they could all be this willing we would be there by now)

Together, we stood up - they held me still, though, for my legs were weak and shaky. I looked around and in the distance saw - something, a goal, and I began to walk with them, like visionaries, with still feet and not trampling the tall blades or spilling their green life.

And the wisdom of the life of the air filled me.

The Curse of Blessings

Bless you!
I've been so blessed!
God blessed me with a new xxxxx
You are such a blessing
etc...

Its part of every christian's vocabulary. We love to acknowledge that God has blessed us in some way. Its part of our attitude of thankfulness, a positive attitude, an acknowledgement of his special love for us...

But wait!

When we say God blesses us, we are implying there are times when He doesn't bless us! If we are constantly blessed then why the need to differentiate specific times and events?

How do we then define blessings? Is it something we get because we have been good, or faithful, or God was in a good mood, or He just felt sorry for us, or we needed a morale boost?

Do we realise that the ratio of good things vs bad things for christians and non-christians is the same? That they get "blessed" or not blessed exactly the same as we do? If you get that parking spot when you are in a rush are you blessed, but the atheist in the car next to you also got a park at the same time! So he was blessed as well. So are all good things to ALL people blessings? Are all bad things then curses? Is there a middle ground? Are we just not as blessed sometimes, or don't see the hidden blessing, or have we been bad in some way so we either get a curse (just a little one if it wasn't tooo bad), or just lost a bit of faith.

Ah! hang on, it must be a lack of faith that we don't get blessed all the time! But then there are so many times we are so full of faith we feel like we will explode and shit happens! No, can't be that!

Well, could it be that we have taken something from an old arrangement with the Jews, that was never meant for us anyway, and tried to build some sort of behaviour scale into our relationship with God? Could it be that to even think in terms of blessings (or curses) is such a curse in itself that we completely miss the whole deal with God in the first place?

We aren't blessed, or cursed... We just ARE! Its not about getting rewards or punishment, or hoping God will feel sorry for us today and make things good! This is really a sick twisting of the very nature of God and our relationship with Him.

He loves us! The only promise we have really, is that everything will work together for good - at some point - in the end. Meanwhile, we live in a world full of crap and sunshine, good and bad, love and hate. We get endlessly hung up about getting healed, about getting our finances met, about getting the perfect relationship, about getting THE BLESSINGS! We create doctrines from twisted scriptures, build expectations and performance driven faith, just so we get blessings to "prove" to the world that God loves us - that if you become a christian, you too will blessed! WTF!! Sick!

Its all about love! Its about relationship, its about lovers (us and God) who hold each other while the ship is sinking, who kiss while the guns rage, who cling to each other when the tsunami hits. Its about not being concerned by whether something is good or a blessing. We just ARE - with Him, one with Him, loved unconditionally - nothing to do with good or bad things happening to us. Its being in love with someone through the worst crap and the greatest joy. ITS RELATIONSHIP!

To even think in terms of blessings is to adopt an old, out of date covenant meant for some other race totally unrelated to us - completely irrelevant to us. We walk in unconditional love now.

Thats it folks!

Daily Things

Things - daily things
Oh the washing, facing the tormenting of grey drops
The webs in the corner of bustling long legs, they can have their lunch today
   and tomorrow, as I pass them by...
Dust bunnies bouncing in windy corners - waiting
   Yeah, I see you...

Daily unravelling, a preoccupation with what is and what was
Piecing together what will be -
Do the dreams of expectations past fill the cracks of today?
Will that childhood vision be remade?
Will integrity crack and break the other life
   The other life that tried, that wanted to be shaped
      Shaped by better dreams, other dreams, alien dreams

Things - important things
Oh the mundane, fighting for reality
Webs in corners, forgotten youth's revelation
   that first flush of spirit wrapping warm arms around dreams of flight
The long slow walk from freedom to the new man
   Yeah, I see you - now

When the dust has settled, the expectation gone
When the tired heart lets go -
Do the dreams of the future fulfill past achings
Will the honest heart find honesty
Will life crack through Pharisee bones
   To find new shapes, new dreams
      Familiar dreams, childhood dreams?

Washing and dust bunnies, grey drops and webs
Backdrop the spotlight of hope

Disclaimer (or why you should ignore me)

Hi folks!!

I thought after the last year or so of evolving rants and raves, it's possible that no one has a clue what I really believe. So I thought I might put together a sort of Statement of Beliefs. But you have to remember that this is a very fluid thing, and if you ask me next week things may have been amended. I've been passionate bout truth and integrity with God all my life, poured everything into trying to understand him and his ways. Studied and read who knows how many books, been through all the doctrines, streams, movements, loves, disenchantments and come out the other end realising that life was meant to be very simple.

I should start by saying that one of the most important things in terms of how I come to my beliefs is the recognition of paradigms. I'll probably do some specific writing about this soon, but for now I should say that   every human has a complex set of paradigms, that are unique to them, through which they view, process, and react to everything they perceive. In terms of spirituality it makes communicating concepts to each other far more difficult than we think.

So the way I perceive, process and respond to a statement like "love your enemies" is different to every single person on the planet. Of course there would be a lot of similarities, but often the devil is in the detail, and that's what undoes us more often than we care to admit. My beliefs are extensions of my personal paradigms that I have grown into through my life's experiences and colour every aspect of how I understand God, people and life in general, whether I recognise it or not. All I can do is recognise that fact, and be open to God changing it as he sees fit.

My understanding of scripture has always been non-literal ever since God zapped me when I was 15. I then spent years trying to change my mind about that. I've now given up and gone with my heart. The bible isn't and never was intended to be taken literally and is not the inerrant Word of God. I think its a collection of writings that express man's efforts to understand God within specific cultures and contains much truth, pointing to the true nature of God and his heart for all mankind, despite being full of error and contradiction. But I also believe we have Holy Spirit first and foremost to guide us in everything and the bible isn't necessary for salvation or life in God. Its a good reference book if you can sort it out.

I believe that Jesus was central to God's relationship to humans, giving us a focal point, an image, of how he expressed humanity, so that we wouldn't have to feel isolated, condemned or a failure. He wanted to show us what he really thinks of us. In terms of anything he accomplished spiritually, it was done "before the foundation of time", so affects all people through all time whether they know it or not. The details of that are interesting to work through, but not necessary to know for life and relationship with God. I no longer care to argue about "the blood" sacrifice, penal substitution, appeasement for sin. Its all way too ambiguous and contentious, and in the end, no matter what we think about it doesn't change God's love for us and our relationship.

I believe God lives in union with us in every sense of the word. He's intrinsically part of every atom of our being, giving us unconditional worth. We are not God, but are "entwined" with him, part of him. He holds us together and infuses us with all that he is. But we are unique from him. I also think God is expressed through a "trinity" although not some storybook concept of a king on a throne, a bearded Jew and a ghost wafting around. I think God is expressed in three unique forms that can be many things to different people and cultures.

I believe God did not limit his actions and revelation of himself to one race/culture and then bind up the entirety of his revelation into one book. He showed his nature and heart to all nations and loves and accepts all people. He will not lose one single person he has ever created, and will eventually either override their so called free will to save them from themselves, or at least pour out his love in such depth and power that all will be unable to resist. Preferably the latter.

I believe God couldn't give a toss about doctrines and theology. All he wants is integrity of heart, to allow him to love us, and that all life comes from that simple belief and action. We will then love simply because he loves us. The greatest joy we then have is to pour that love and life into the world - to bring them to the same realisation - that they are loved, accepted and can have fullness of life now!

I believe that life can be a bitch, and that God isn't going to make everything peachy just because he loves us. Not everyone will be healed, and we don't have to worry about it. Miracles may or may not happen, people may or may not be raised from the dead, and it doesn't worry me one way or the other. God is interested only in relationship with us. All the other stuff is purely an outcome of our relationship.

I believe there are universal principles governing how things work in the spiritual realm and anyone (christian or not) can tap into that to see manifestations, miracles etc, and their use/prevalence is not an indicator of God's blessing/anointing on anyone. I also think faith can be included in this category, and that complete undoubting belief has a power of its own.

Well, that's sort of scratching the surface really, and hopefully more will be elaborated when this book I'm writing ever gets finished. It would help if I didn't keep discovering more about myself.

Jim's Gospel

Things in Christendom are coming undone. 

The fundies are waging war (or should that be raging war) against anything that defiles literalistic dogma. Doctrines, denominations, cults abound in ever greater numbers. People are discovering we have been ripped off by centuries of misinterpretations, political/religious manipulation, power struggles, incorrect translations, you name it. And the temptation to hang on to traditional christian thought is like grabbing at the rope as the anchor slips over the side - you'll get rope burns, or dragged overboard with the anchor.

Sifting through the morass of what's left of Christianity is daunting. Those who have taken the time to attempt to understand some of the issues are often tempted to only go so far, for fear of losing faith completely. Many threads of thought will lead to slippery slopes that by their very nature will fly in the face of the mainstream church.

Many people are being "zapped" with new understanding of how awesome God really is and how we so completely misunderstood his nature and plans for humans. Great stirrings through every stream and denomination. More divisions, arguments. A huge slow rumble that will erupt in the greatest earthquake the church has seen - not some "revival" of holiness, healing and bible bashing, but a change in the very core of Christianity.

So, what about my gospel? Glad you asked!

We all have a basic idea of what the gospel is, don't we! I mean, you ask anyone, even non-christians (well, in the western world at least), and they will probably be able to spout something. Good christians will have a good biblical answer, and you can get a range of brochures that will outline it for you in simple to follow instructions so you can "get saved" by applying the aforementioned gospel.

But in reality the gospel is getting a bit cloudy. At the very least there is Jesus' gospel and Paul's gospel, and heaps of arguments about that! And lots of discussions about what being saved really is, and being born again, and eternity, and God's perfect will, and free will, and well, just about everything that colours how you interpret the gospel - to yourself, let alone others.

So I began to realise that no matter what we think or claim about it all, our deep understanding of what God has done to make everything right for us all is uniquely personal. Most of us will parrot what we think the bible says or what our favorite teacher says, but our hearts have their own understanding. Our hearts intrinsically know what the gospel SHOULD be. Yes it can be twisted and mutilated and wrapped in conditions, fears, but deep down we know that if God really was as good as we hoped for, the gospel would be the most freeing wonderful thing the world could ever imagine. God would be all that our hearts could ever desire - perfect unconditional love and acceptance!

I began to strip away everything except the most basic thing that a child can understand without scripture - yes, that's right, especially without scripture!

Its Gospel 101! Ready?

God is Love - He loves me!

What about Jesus? He was God demonstrating His intrinsic involvement in humanity and solving the problem of "sin" - all sin for all time, for all people, whether they know it or not. To know that God is Love and we are loved by Him, IS to accept what Jesus has done anyway. We don't have to "know" about him, he sorted all that before he even made us, he confirmed it by his physical appearance to those that a physical appearance would be most significant to (the Jews), and then confirmed the whole thing by opening our eyes to our unity with him.

Theology is fun! Gives me hours of thought provoking entertainment and lively discussion. Our minds are made to explore the deeper meanings of life the universe and everything. BUT, when it comes to life and death, I'm starting to hold those ideas lightly now - it matters less everyday. I only care about it if the fruit of someone's ideas is bad. And we all know bad fruit, and we all know good fruit.

So YOUR gospel can really look like anything! It can be Jesus' gospel or Paul's gospel but mostly it's your gospel, the one that Holy Spirit speaks to your heart - the one that says "God is love and He loves me!" And we live from that place - we live loved!

Its so easy and yet so hard. Its expansive in its freedom but the narrowest road we could walk. Jesus is the centre of everything, whether we recognise it now or later. We "preach" the kingdom of God here and now in all of us, and that kingdom is the best thing unknown to mankind!

LIVE LOVED (and only use words if necessary)

AD HOMINEM

Definition of AD HOMINEM
1: appealing to feelings or prejudices rather than intellect
2: marked by or being an attack on an opponent's character rather than by an answer to the contentions made

There's been a lot of discussion around the interwebs about all sorts of controversial topics. Many questions being asked about foundational issues for christendom, and many extremes of responses.

There are many factions and subgroups supporting their own particular ideas, some fundamental/traditionalist, some very "on the edge" radical.

Its very important to discuss all these things - crucial actually, as we move into greater understanding of God's plan for all of mankind, his character, and his relationship with us.

But the BIG problem is how we do this - how do we discuss? How do we express our passion with respect? In our enthusiasm over what God is showing us we, way too often, completely tromp over others, kicking them in the teeth and using ad hominem (see above) attacks. This is human nature at its worst, and few and far between are those who aren't tempted to do it! I've found my cut-off point for grace on a few occasions, and launched out at people.

So most of us know about unconditional love, patience and long suffering, turning the other cheek etc., but I've seen way too many so called "grace" people exercise anything but grace. So here's my observations...

Most of us are normal emotional people with varying degrees of patience and at different stages along our journey, sometimes offended, sometimes loving and tolerant, but we know when we overstep the mark, and are willing to accept responsibility for our words. There is a wide spectrum of responses and reactions here and its easy to lose the plot sometimes. But when we begin to attack the other person's character to defend an argument we have crossed over into the "enemy's" territory! Yes, by all means be passionate, forceful, emotional, but just remember that we are all on this journey together, all loved by God - and we have no right to judge another person's heart. I've had run-ins with friends even, but friends know our hearts and should always realise relationships are far more important than doctrine.

HOWEVER, some people are completely blind to anything outside their current mindset (or paradigm) to the point where anything that challenges that is heresy, and they feel its their job to correct everyone else. They will not engage in honest communication, or even listen to anything that differs from their beliefs. This is usually the stance of people who use religion for narcissistic reasons, and christianity just happens to be the belief system that suits them best.

So what do we do with them? Its often hard to pick them until you have already engaged them, and then you have to find a way out, or it will only end in tears! These are the ones that I struggle with, and I think Jesus and Paul had no problem dealing these "whitewashed sepulchres". But we must always err on the side of love and grace. Give the benefit of the doubt until you know there is no light, then walk away, shake the dust, and go on.

Yes I'm preaching to myself as well, but lets do this together, even if you think someone is preaching heresy, take the time to find out what and why, find out how God is speaking to them, what's the basis for their beliefs, give them the same credit you give yourself and always assume Holy Spirit is just as capable of speaking to us all as He sees fit! See with Father's eyes, hear with His ears and love with His heart.