Lighthouses

D.L. Moody once said, "Lighthouses blow no horns...they only shine". It set me to thinking (yea, sorry Troll...it was during your message tonight after you gave this quote). Pretty serious thoughts if I were to be completely honest. This will probably be jumbled up and not make any sense...but thought I'd share the thoughts. So if you don't wana hear my thoughts...stop reading! Lol!!

As Christians we are supposed to be Lighthouses, shining forth the love of Christ, to those that do not follow Him. I wonder how often the holiness church has taken this too far....in that "they" blew the horn (as it were), thinking that this was their job, instead of just shining their Light. What happened to the allowing the Holy Spirit to shine THROUGH you instead of the ever present "if we don't shout our man-made rules and regulations everyone is going to hell"? Are there rules that Christians should follow? Absolutely!!! No question there!! That is what the Bible and personal convictions are all about. Unfortunately it has become more what this person or that has deemed necessary for a congregation/conference. So to my way of thinking, we've given up being Lighthouses and have instead taken on the "blowing of our foghorns" mentality. Which, in my opinion mind you, has (instead of the bring 'em in idea everyone thought it would have) turned people away from Christianity and especially Holiness.

I cannot tell you how many times I've watched people I had confidence in head to the altar (after another revival where this and that was preached) because they had once again been condemned to a devil's hell due to some error they made in their lives that wasn't even anywhere CLOSE to what the Bible said....it was just another preacher "blowing the foghorn". They would get things settled with God (even though there had been nothing to settle in the first place), do great through the summer and then Fall revival would come along and wouldn't you know....another preacher would "blow the foghorn" and once again that person would struggle. Or how about the many times I observed as people would watch the "foghorns" in the holiness movement and be able to tell me exactly what they would preach, sing or testify about or if a certain young person or "stubborn" person would go to the altar that "foghorn" would be the first behind them...praying them through to heaven and then the next day, upon seeing them at the store, act like they didn't know them from Adam. It is shameful and embarrassing to watch people so pious in the "rights" of holiness....totally treat others as though they were dog pooh on the bottom of their shoes. It's also extremely embarrassing to see that as long as we look the "part" of Christianiy/holiness...it doesn't matter how bitter we are of heart, slandering we are of tongue or shallow we are as believers.

And to think....it is wondered at and verbally questioned why we can't get people to church....especially a holiness one! Shame on us (yes...I even include myself... for in past times I've not treated others as Christ would have) for thinking that we were so much better at doing this Church/Holiness thing than Christ would be.... had we allowed Him to shine through us!

My driving prayer, as of this past year especially...due to some serious soul searching, is that God helps me to be HIS Lighthouse!!!! We are to be HIS likeness...HIS image....HIS mirror. Be a Lighthouse......not a foghorn.