No Perfect People Allowed!

Alternate Title- Honesty should come with a warning label.

Alternate, Alternate Title- Why I am getting real!

Luke 18
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
....
9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

The part in red makes me giggle....

First of all, I am AMAZED by the response to the "Get Real" challenge!! SOOOOO COOL! If you missed it it's a few posts down- called COME ON! GET REAL!

Thank you for wanting to share your hearts and lives. I am still reading through all the posts. I want to read every one of them and I will! They have made me giggle and smile. They have also made my heart hurt for some of the serious struggles you are facing. More than anything they have made me proud of you.

However, I would do you a disservice if I did not warn you...... when you are honest YOU WILL BE JUDGED by some people! I will not be a bit surprised if you soon get attacked for your attempt at honesty. I get it ALL THE TIME! There are LOTS of people who just think I don't cut the mustard. It can be tempting to hole up and protect ourselves but it's NOT going to happen on this blog. Here is why...

Satan does not like it when we are honest with each other. God's intention for man was that he have fellowship with God and with other people. In Genesis before there was EVER sin in the world God's FIRST declaration of something NOT GOOD was Adam being alone. He doesn't want us to be alone.

Satan absolutely DOES want us to feel alone. When we are isolated we feel hopeless and worthless. We feel like no one understands. We compare ourselves to others and think about what failures we are. Satan wants us to judge each other and pretend everything is OK. How can we repent, or grow, or change, or get help if we are pretending we are already perfect? WE CAN'T!!!! See how this works???

Getting real isn't about me celebrating my sin or failure. It's about being authentic. It's about confession. It's about learning to grow and reaching out. The truth is that the only one we should EVER compare ourselves with is Jesus and up against Him we are desperately ugly.

THANK GOODNESS WE ARE!!! If we think we are OK then why would we need God??? See where I am going with this. Stick with me... ;0)

I don't ever want to be like that Pharisee- pretending I have it all together. It's just spiritual BO! (ummmm yes, I wrote that. SPIRITUAL BODY ODOR) Nobody likes it or learns from it. The bible says Jesus couldn't stand it.

It's funny- you don't really see Jesus showing displays of anger at people for being sinners. He generally seems to say they are forgiven and they need to walk a different path. Guess who Jesus ALWAYS seems really ticked off about???? THE PHARISEES! We still have them walking around everywhere today too. BTW they REALLY tick me off too. LOL!

Luke 7

Sinful Woman Forgiven


36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner." 40And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he answered, "Say it, Teacher."

41"A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?" 43Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly." 44Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet.46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." 48And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" 50And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Seems to me that those of us willing to "get real" and repent can be forgiven and learn something. God is pleased with that. Those of us who pretend to be better than we are or judge people for not being as "good" as we are or as "together" as we are make God ANGRY!

Matthew 23: 25-27

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Here are some good reasons to get real...

Proverbs 28:13 (ESV)
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Anyway, that is my two cents on why we should all get real. If you are a perfect person then you aren't going to like me much. I'm just NOT PERFECT and am perfectly aware that I won't be until Heaven. Until then you will get a nice little view of my not always pretty process of sanctification right here.

I am so excited about all of you who have the guts to take the challenge. Are you GETTING REAL? Hugs, Angel