by
Lee Frances Heller
Quote: "There is never a moment in which God does not shed His infinite Love of benevolence on every human being; for being communicable in His nature, He must necessarily communicate Himself incessantly to every (human) being disposed to receive, His gifts as the dew falls on every object exposed to the sky. But man is created free and has the power of shutting himself up, and of sheltering himself from the celestial dew. No sooner is the heart turned and opened a little, than the dew of grace falls gently into it, and as it is more abundant, So is the growth of love in the heart; the more widely the soul is opened to God, the more profuse is the fall of the dew."
Jeanne Guyon 16th century.
Each of us are one of God's created beings that He loves and wants to save and end well.
What hurts me more and more as time goes on is the gross denial of God in the lives of our people. That denial comes from their ignorance of God's love. They have fallen under loveless legalistic teaching and preaching of "religion". Religion says you have to clean up your act if you expect God's love.
In his book, Guilt and Grace, the Swiss Doctor, Paul Tournier, a man of deep personal faith, admits, "1 cannot study this very serious problem of guilt with you without raising the very obvious and tragic fact that religion -- my own as well as that of all believers -- can crush instead of liberate."
Tournier is a Christian Psychiatrist and he goes on; "What the patients seek is grace. Yet in some churches they encounter shame, the threat of (divine) punishment, and a sense of Judgement. In short, when they look in the Church for grace they often find ungrace."
And how WELL we know that!
Rev. David Hartsen in his book, A Little Handbook on Having a Soul, says, "People with too much religion in them including preachers -- are souls polluted by rules, regulations and religious experiences, which they interpret as norms for everyone. They think they know how every Christian ought to live and what every minister should and shouldn't do. They want to regulate how people think."
Jesus said in Matthew 11 :28, "Come unto me all you that labor and heavy laden [struggling with the issues of life] and I will give you rest." So many have gone to their church and Pastor to seek help for their gender problems but have been invited to leave.
When I was a holy fundamentalist and my soul was packed with rules and the regulations of religion , had I been a non-TG Pastor, I would have done the same and would have felt I had just done God a favor in directing the TG or TS person to leave, thus saving the congregation from pollution of the "unclean" thing.
This is the situation as it exists. I want to do something about it, but can't figure out what to do. I see God's love for us in Christ and feel absolutely powerless. Every time I receive a letter in which a sister tells, upon discovery by her church or Pastor of her TG standing , she is asked to resign her membership if a member and is, in some cases, told she is still welcome to worship in that Church sans membership. In other cases involving non-members and seekers, they are simply told to leave.
Jesus says, "come unto me", and His church says, "get outta here!"
Vanesea S. writes, in her book, Cross Purposes: "I have never fully understood why so many within the Protestant Christian religious system are eager and willing to attach various limitations and qualifiers to God's free gifts of salvation and abundant life for ALL in Christ Jesus. (my caps, ed.) The Christian Church is not an exclusive country club that only a few privileged persons may join, and it isn't a private organization that has prohibitive entrance requirements for prospective members. ( I don't recall Jesus, from the Biblical account in Luke 23:40-43, requiring the thief on the cross to fill out any forms, to be voted on by a panel or congregation, or to make any kind of publicly identifiable gesture in order to gain entrance to Paradise). The church should be a place for all people everywhere who desire to have genuine communion with God in Christ and with other believers. To marginalize or discriminate against anyone who actively seeks such beneficial spiritual relationships is blasphemous, anti human and totally un-Christ-like."
Thus, my endless plea to you who deny yourselves of a relationship with God in Christ on the basis of the foregoing. I have to tell you your shoes are on the wrong feet! You don't need the church or any other human being to provide you with permission to seek God. You know now you most likely will not find Him in any Church (although I know of 2 here in Jackson that will welcome you, but those are exceptions and they don't advertise the fact but you are welcome). So what's to do? Do you have a Bible? Bible or not, you can initiate your personal relationship with our God with a prayer to Him.
Hebrews 4:16, "Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find help in time of need." " .. for He has said: I will never leave you nor forsake you. So that we may boldly say. the Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Hebrews 13:5b-6
You can have your own private, personal relationship with Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be Saved. Romans 10:13
You say you are not worthy and there is too much sin in your life too, and you would never qualify. You're right. I fall into that category too. My sins are too many to ever even get a glimpse of heaven let alone have a working relationship with God, and He knows that about both of us.
We have recourse. My relationship with God is maintained by Christ who died for our sins and made us acceptable to God and fit for fellowship with Him. I am not able to get out to any church anymore except on occasion. My relationship is not based in any Church. My relationship with God is in Christ. It's a sustaining relationship. No more "training wheels". I was forced to drop them (the church) and God is doing such a fine job. No reason why you can't enjoy the same in the quietness of your life.
You want Him, but the Church has put too many qualifiers on you. God hasn't. The church can't save your soul. Jesus Christ can. God is with you in the darkness of your sick room in and in your worst moments. The Church isn't there. You feel the pressures of your TGism , and you have to talk after the church has closed her doors to you (90%of them do). God welcomes you into His presence on the Spiritual plane. He wants you. Meet Him on His ground, in the Bible. His Word is consuming and comforting
This could go on endlessly so I'll close now.
God is going to give us a group of our peers banded together for the express purpose of doing what the Church has failed to do in caring for us, nurturing us and helping us along our Christian pathway in this life. This is a dream of mine, but wont be fulfilled in my lifetime. But you can look forward to it, and pray for it, and I join you in it.
My love to you.
Lee Frances
