Is Your Heart Locked?
I got an interesting email when I got homelast night from Florida, it said:
I read your blog and find it fantastic. I would love to go on one of your workshops. However, I have a serious question. I am Jewish but really a very unreligious person. I think I live my life following the basic principles of all religions. Would you have a problem with me in the workshops and/or would I have a problem with you?
I look forward to your reply.
I answered;
I cannot answer the question of if you would have a problem, I can only describe what we do. We pray each morning before shoots, we play Christian music during classroom and editing time, and show film clips from faith based movies sometimes in late evening, It is a very evangelical experience, and you would certainly be welcome to join us!
The final response was;
Thanks
I guess based on that, that I will take a pass.
Now I do not know this person, and I wish they had decided to give us a try, and this entry is not aimed at them, at all, but to anyone to which these words apply. It does however bring me to a much larger issue, that of why do some people lock up their hearts to God? Why do some people turn their backs on the greatest gift they could ever receive? I believe it is for one of the following reasons:
1. Pride. Some could never admit that they need His love and help. They would rather fail alone than acknowledge they need Him!
2. Fear. Some believe becoming His would strip their lives of the enjoyment they get doing things they know they shouldn’t be doing! They also fear that others who are not believers would reject them if they got “religious”.
3. Unbelief. Some people believe that no one , not even God, could ever forgive them for their sins and wrong doings.
4. Other gods. Many have already accepted another god for their lives, materialism, fame, fortune, solutions to all man’s problems through science. They believe we can defeat, death, heal our earth, and solve all our own problems in our own strength.
Sadly, they’re all wrong. PRIDE goes before a fall. FEAR is not from God. UNBELIEF blocks our path to God. And we are to have no other gods before us,. Some simply don’t get it! Acceptiong Christ brings the following incredible results;
1. Total Forgiveness.
2. Complete Peace and Joy.
3. Real Hope in a world with little hope.
4. Faith to face anything life can hand out.
I am challanging anyone reading these words to ask yourself four important questions:
1. Are you perfect? Do you want forgiveness?
2. Do you want to have the hope of eternal life?
3. Do you want the greatest Hope, joy and, love in this life?
4. Do you have the kind of Faith that can get you through any of life’s worst circumstances?
The answer is simple, come in out of the cold.
the pilgrim
This entry was posted on Sunday, September 30th, 2012 at 4:11 pm
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Now that was “head-on”! No flowering – no politically correct – no indirect approach! Just tough questions with pretty simple answers! Love it!
Oh yeah, I think you left out something in answering the guy – “I don’t think he would NEVER feel more love in a photographic situation! ” The camaraderie is so over the top at these events – it is the most loved I have felt – except when my family gets together – no church have I ever felt this much love, no bar, no date, no party, no nothing! On a scale of 1-10 — it is a 17!
I agree, you’re a 20+ then!!!!
That’s an “EVER feel more loved” not a NEVER in 2nd paragraph — sorry!
Glad someone else does that too!!!!!!
Bill,
You are a real inspiration to me. It’s really something that you take a strong stand for what you believe in. That’s a very important thing! Maybe someday I’ll get to come to one of your workshops! They sound amazing.
I came across your website in the last few weeks…and now I’m off to read the archives.
Welcome aboard Rachel!
Jesus died on the cross for EVERYONE…. that was really hard to comprehend for the Jewish community of that day. Our workshops are for EVERYONE with the hopes that they will grow in their Faith, share their Faith and make life long friends. Oh yes, become better photographers……. almost forgot that part.
Amen!!!!
Why do you assume that the rejection is of God? The expression of faith in God is a personal journey that each person makes in their own time and way. No way of expressing that faith is more right or better than any other. I share your faith but the celebration and expression of that faith through my photography differs from your own and that is why the description you give of your workshops turns me off too.
First, I do agree that we can and do express our faith in many ways! In the same way we may express our faith in many ways we celebrate in many ways as well! However the person that wrote the email that started this conversation stated that he was a, “very unreligous person.”. I don’t know of any other way to interpret that but a rejection of God. No person that, believes and accepts God’s love and forgiveness, could possibly describe themselves as a “unreligious”. I must, respectfully, disagree with you about the expression of faith. While people will have various degrees of their outward expression of faith, I find it impossible to believe that someone can have accepted God ‘s grace, love, and forgiveness and be able to hold it inside!!! Not everyone can shout it from the housetops, but
when you consider what he has done, I think that should be the deepest desire of our hearts! Not everyone is the right person for the His Light Workshops, and I understand that, but if you ever get to a place where you want to shout from the housetops, we would welcome you with open, and loving arms!
A note about this blog entry, I want to be very clear that my entry was not an attack on this person that wrote me the email, I wish and pray for him, only the best. I simply was moved to share about the human condition of rejecting God, I never said or implied that this person has, i simply repeated what they said in the email. I was once lost myself, and I have been far away from God, only by His grace do I stand on this side of the river!
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