Glory Release Ministries

I find myself at times fiercely defending the local church and church leaderships, mainly from christians who have been hurt by the church and in essence have still not forgiven the people from  which the hurt has come. We all get hurt by the things that can happen in church, but it is not in ‘church’ we are hurt by, it is in ‘relationship’ with people and those people happen to be in the church, but for me I simply see these things as an opportunity for growth in myself and learning to love.  I am continually asking the Lord for ‘more’ and often the ‘more’ comes in way of a challenge in which to love someone and in the learning of these lessons I find I become more like Christ, which is the prayer I am praying asking for ‘more’. Without the challenges I have faced within the ‘local church’ and the christians that I am around, I would not be the person I am today, or carry the message God has given me, because these things have helped contribute to the growth of my character

Reading 2 Sam 10 this morning and what struck me was how something so simple that was supposed to bless and encourage someone, can be totally taken the wrong way and in that, cause major damage. In this story King David is wanting to express kindness to Hanun whose father had died.   But Hanna’s nobles, those close around him, spoke to him and suggested that in fact he wasn’t wanting to express sympathy at the death of his father, but rather exploring and spying out the city in order to overthrow it.   Because of this, they attack those who are sent on behalf of King David and shame them and in return, David retaliates. Ki ng David’s heart was to bless and to honour another King, but after that King Hanun listened to those around him, who planted thoughts other than those of David’s, and in the process caused a war. How often do we not take things as face value but try to work something out according to the way we see it, rather than perhaps the way it was giv