Judgment Within the Church

I had to tackle this ongoing issue that I see happening more as I've gotten older and became aware of who and what is real and fake. We all have dealt with our share of fake people, condemning people, people who would judge you before you even open your mouth and get to know you and your whole story. We've dealt with them in our own way. Sometimes we would escape the voices and go to church. Going to church people look for a place for clarity, to hear from God, to seek refuge, to get caught up in the praise and worship, etc, but instead they are received with condemning eyes and judgmental whispers. Before I dwell into this blog understand that I am not bashing the church. Although some people would probably think that I am... but oh well, take it or move on.

Lately I've noticed people who come to church sometimes for a visit they are sometimes attack by some church people. People who go to church faithfully and have developed a relationship with God tend to forget that they too were and still are sinners. They tend to forget that they were once in the world and can remember freshly how it feels to be condemned by others, especially people in the church. People in the church are the most condemning, judgmental people in this world, especially to those who are "their kind". Their kind are the other church people. As soon as someone in the church messes up and confess their wrongdoings, other church people are quick to cut their tongue at them. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! For example, recently Israel Houghton, a Grammy Award winning gospel artist has recently came out and told the world that he and his wife of 20 years had divorced due to his infidelity. They tried to work on their marriage for years but had decided to divorced. Well, the church went crazy. Some people took it so far as to condemn this man to hell and throwing away his albums, and never supporting him again. This is what the world saw the church folk did to  "their own kind". He admitted that he was wrong, confessed and asked for forgiveness to his wife and God. We know that he received forgiveness from God and probably his wife but now the church world is tearing him apart. He can't even date his new girlfriend Adrienne Bailon without the church people talking. And now to hear that he took a personal sabbatical from being the lead Praise and Worship singer at Lakewood Church whose pastor is Joel Olsteen, has gone too far. There were rumors stating that Olsteen had fired him but Israel had "cleared" the rumor. But, I honestly wonder if it was a cover-up for the megachurch itself.  http://www.ajc.com/news/lifestyles/israel-houghton-i-have-not-been-fired-from-joel-os/nqsDX/

Church people had also attacked Kirk Franklin because he was in the studio with Kanye West. Aren't we suppose to reach the world?! Aren't we suppose to go outside the four walls of the church and spread the gospel?! But then again people in the world are seeing everything that these "church people" are doing to their kind and has refused to come to church. So the church is now coming to them. Didn't Jesus come to heal the sick and save those who are lost? As I recall Jesus ate with sinners and thieves! And as I recalled it was the Pharisees', who condemned Jesus for doing those things. WOW! the church is just full of Pharisees' today. Yup that's exactly what they are.

Now the same people who condemn and past judgment on not only him but non public figures will be in church on Sunday, raising their hands and praising God as if they are any better. Then you have some church folk who will past judgment on people who don't want to come to church. Well, why do you think that's the cause. It's because no one wants to go to a place where they don't feel welcome to be received with the looks and whispers of those church people. I've seen it first hand at my own church and other churches I've gone to. I've seen women come into the church with regular street clothes on or a guy come into the church with sweatpants or whatever and people are looking and whispering to the person they are standing or sitting next to talking about how this person's clothes are too tight or how their clothes doesn't match. What if that is the only thing in their closet? What if that person is homeless and what they had on is the only thing have or what if that person was on the verge of committing suicide but at the last minute drive to the church instead? People are so quick to judge without knowing the whole story.

It is becoming so bad right now. No, there is no such thing as a perfect church or perfect people. Everyone is far from being perfect, including people in the church. So I say this in closing, don't let the people in the church push you away from the church. There are good church people in this world, I'm one of them and can sympathize with many. Don't allow those "holier than thou" condemning, judgmental church people push you away from hearing from God. They aren't worth it because they have skeletons in their closet like, alcoholism, lust, porn addicts, adultery, undercover homosexuals, and the list goes on. I know it's hard to ignore the stares and the voices. I get it too when I go to church sometimes, but simply put on a smile ( or a sly smirk), hold your head up and lift your hands and develop your relationship with God. And as for you condemning judgmental brass church folk, just shut your mouths because your day of judgment is coming.....REAL SOON...REAL TALK.