The Shack Stuff

I am NOT into Universalism. Not everyone is going to Heaven, so please don't lump me into that. Just because I recommend a great fresh fruit bar doesn't mean I am a vegetarian.
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God infused me and healed me as I watched The Shack at my local theater. I feel like the man who had his hand healed and then watching as the modern teachers give Jesus grief for doing it on the Sabbath. They missed the entire point.

Since I saw the film I have been driven deeper into the Bible.. the very book many claim denounces the movie. Is Satan leading me to study scripture now? Is this where people pull out Timothy's warning against false prophets out of it's context to accuse anyone with a different opinion of being somehow against God?

We all need to RELAX a bit here. You want to know who is "right" in this entire shack back and forth? I'll tell you who is "right".. it's the one whose interactions and life looks the most like Galatians 5. WHo among us has Peace, Joy and Love? Who here has longsuffering? For me the entire point of the Shack was to let God bring you to a place of healing so you can accept that you have been forgiven thus bringing you to a place where you can forgive others. Is that not the entire reason Jesus died to begin with?

I have been judged my entire life by other Christians the whole time saying they loved me and accepted me just as I am... in fact, even when I was a little boy, that was always a favorite invitation song played in my church.. Just as I am... but my experience has been that while Jesus does indeed accept me just as I am, the modern church does not. My teen years and adult life have largely been a collection of mentors and leaders placing demands upon my behaviour without having the relational authority in my life to do so. if I didn't roll over and take the abuse, I was labeled as a troublemaker and one to be avoided. Well, guess what .. I did the unthinkable.. I FORGAVE those people for judging and abusing me. I went very, very deep into my own life.. even forgiving a sexual predator from my past who abused me when I was very young. I FORGAVE him... and that forgiveness stuff is irrelevant to a religious church world that cares much more about you not being overweight or God forbid you make out with someone of the same sex... and no, I don't do that and no, I don't think t's ok to do that.. but the larger point is that we have judged people to the point of our own extinction.

Research shows that only 25% of professing Christians even attend a church regularly. Then the church does what the Democratic party is doing right now.. they blame the people for not attending instead of looking at themselves and trying to figure out why they lost.

Everyone wants to bow and worship the bible.. well, John's gospel says the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts people of sin. I've looked in several translations now and I can't find any that say Mark Kenney is the one who convicts them... yet the modern church teaches that by proxy.. that is we live a pure enough life that others will be drawn in.. which is BS. I don't see a line of people in Oregon being drawn to the monks .. and they live more holy than 99% of modern believers.

I'm just tired of being sold the idea that Jesus loves me just as I am but His people on the earth will only accept me if I live up to what they judge to be a holy standard. IN reality, as long as I engage in the same sins that they do, I am fine.. it's when I engage in different sins that make them uncomfortable that I am suddenly "outside of God's will". Again I call BS!

To me The Shack is an attempt to clear God's name.. to restore the real heart of God into the earth today.. and that is the heart of a loving Father who says to everyone.. I love you, right where you are, no strings attached..even if you never change. Now, I don't believe He wants us to stay as we are but it's only revelations of His Kindness that bring changes to our lives, not our wagging our fingers at others calling out their sin.

Think for a moment.. have you ever really sinned and then realized it after the fact? It's a serious question. I can't ever remember a time when I did something I felt was perfectly in alignment with God and suddenly discovered later "oh wow, that was actually sinful". Point is that people already know what their sin is! Do you not already know as you read my words what active sin(s) you have in your own life? DO you really need a church person to come into your path and say "thus saith the Lord, this is your sin"? Really?
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The church has a sin fetish because it has a blind spot about it's own righteousness before the throne. The Shack is being used to expose that blind spot. The humble let it correct them away from wrong judgements against others and into a deeper place of personal inspection and forgiveness... the prideful will just continue to rage on about how evil it is. As for me, I'm just glad that God met me right where I was and accepts me right where I am. Those two facts have melted my heart anew and if you cannot be happy for me in that, you are the one with the problem, not Mr Young.

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