A sister in Christ that fell away from God...

[Chong Shipei]

There was this sister in Christ in my church who I will refer to as J. Sister J was a humble person, who served as an usher in my church. When I first became a Christian, Sister J was the only one who bother to befriend me. She was also friendly to all new-comers in church. She would also do the job which no one like to do, for the church, such as clearing up the vomits that would come after a deliverance session.

However, she had one flaw. She was too frank with her words and as a result, not many people in the church like her. Sister J, however, told me that she did not mind as it was God whom she was serving. She also told me that it was God who promoted the people, and therefore God promoted her to be a leader in the usher ministry. One day, sister J stopped coming to the church and the pastor told me to forget about her. I couldn't forget about her, though. She was my friend and she was such a humble sister. Why did she stop coming to church?

I contacted sister J, contrary to the wishes of my pastor. She told me not to contact her anymore as she no longer believed in God. I told her we could still be friend outside of church even if she did not believe in God anymore. She then told me that she did not want to stumble me in my faith with God and the pastor had told her not to contact anyone in church. She stopped contacting me, and until today, I had not seen her.

The question I posed to all of you is, why did such a humble sister who would do the odd job no one ever bothered to do in church fall away from Jesus? I soon found out why. Sister J's entire family committed suicide and she was upset with God. Furthermore, instead of emphasizing with her and offering support for her grief, the church rebuked her for her lack of faith in God and asked her to put her priorities right in God.

I mean, why should she not question God when her entire family, not at the same time, one by one, committed suicide? How many people could choose not to question God at a moment such as this? The church ought to offer her support, both emotionally and financially but instead, chose to ask her to set her priorities right. Most of the church people's lives were blessed and without problem and therefore, they did not question God. It was easy for them to judge her, but if their shoe had been the same as her, would they not question God, too?

Sometimes, when we are blessed, it is easy for us to forget those who are suffering in Christ. We look at these people with judgmental eyes and forget that Christ died for them and love them just as much as he love us. We fail to put ourselves in the shoes of those who are suffering. We question their sincerities for God when we ought to stand behind them in their time of need.

Satan is very crafty. He knows he cannot stand against us if we are united and therefore, he does not attack everyone at the same time. Instead, he shoots his dart at the most vulnerable, the one whom he thinks the church will not support if he or she falls away. One by one, he takes away the vulnerable and when we ignore the vulnerable in church, his strategies succeed. The church does not decrease in size over-night.

Instead, it is the one individual Christian who leaves church that we do not care about, that slowly adds up to the church's demise. We think it is only one person the church loses, but many such 'one' individual adds up to a large sum.

If we have been united as a body of Christ and go all out to stand behind every 'one' such individual who falls away from church, Satan will not have been successful in his tactics as there is strength in numbers. However, we ignore the merely 'one' sister or brother who falls away, and our selfishness gives strength to the devil.

Is it a wonder that church is almost empty these days? Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus cares for the 'one' sheep that falls astray more than He worries about the 99 sheep that are safe in the sheep-pen. He talks about how he finds more joy in finding that one sheep back more than He does the 99 who does not stray.

Shouldn't we do the same as Him? Today, try to contact all the individual brother or sister who used to attend your church but who you no longer see in church. If they cannot be contacted, or if they do not want to be contacted, pray for them. Do not stop praying for them unless you see them in church again or know somehow that they are still serving Jesus somewhere in another church.

Let not lose any more one 'individual' to Satan today! I am still praying for sister J, even though it had been 20 years ago when she fell away. Join me in my prayers for her and the many Christian who no longer walk with God! We need to love one another like Jesus loves us!

 

[Rita]

So sorry to hear about this sister, yes she needed support. When my oldest son took a massive overdose ( a failed attempt because the amount of medication he took eventually made Him sick when he was found by police in my home ) I was away on a Christian retreat. I got help getting back home but then nothing from the church family I was a part of………I was dealing with a son who didn’t want to live, and the hurt of no support added to everything else I was going through. I felt Totally let down on every level , and part of that let down was with God.
At the time I couldn’t separate God from his people, if they didn’t care then God didn’t care because he could have laid it on their hearts to reach in.
My son recovered, then it was my daughters turn, she also survived and got help.
One person from the church reached in because she knew how hurt I had been before. In between all this my marriage ended , that was another journey through grief that had very little support from outside the pastor.
Years later, different church family, my mum died and at first the church reached in, then It stopped. my youngest had a break down and tried to hang himself - he has self harmed and felt suicidal many times since, although in recent years both of those things are no upper most in his mind. I journey through that break down alone , once again no support. This time round I had learned that Gods people let us down,we let people down, but the Lord doesn’t.
The hurt I felt took years and years to deal with and I still bear the scars , and I don’t know if I will ever trust a church family again- I went through many things alone While others always seemed to get support. I now realise that the things I faced were big things and unless you have faced them you simply don’t know how to help so inside you might care but don’t know how to show it.
I hope your friend will eventually understand that it’s not God that let her down but people who either feared something or we’re ignorant.
I was fortunate that my children survived, the pain that your friend felt as each one of her family took this action must have be unbelievable, and probably still is- poor lady , really feel for her xxxxxxxxx

 

[GracefulWarrior]

Hi Chong Shipei and Thank You Very Much for Sharing and GOOD Job Standing in the gap for your fellow Family and Sister in Christ!

I hate it when things like these happens within the Church and to the Body of Christ, which happens more than we know...I'm sorry this happened to your friend as well, don't stop praying for her till GOD says otherwise...The power of Prayer, my first go-to together with God...

 

[Lambano]

How sad.

 

[Jay Ross]

@Chong Shipei

You can still pray for her by handing her needs over to God to deal with.

You can ask God to include her among those whom He is drawing to himself to shine brighter than ever and then wait for God to do His thing for her. May there be people who will help her to understand the things of the Cross and the importance of forgiveness for herself and those whom she is presently blaming for the pain in her life.

After praying this prayer of asking God to include Sister J among those whom He is drawing to Himself and His loving Embrace, begin to give thanks and praise to God because He has heard your prayer for Sister J, even though you may not see any evidence of that happening, and that He is working to draw her once again into His loving embrace to shine once again for Him, whenever God brings Sister J to mind in your heart.

This prayer requires much faith on your part because you may never see the outcome of God's work in the life of Sister J until much later when you see her also in Glory shining brighter than before.

When we allow Christ to shine in and through our lives, we too will also shine with Christ in Glory.

Believe that Sister J will again let Christ shine in and through her life because He is still drawing her to Himself and that you will see her shining with Christ in Glory too.

May the Lord Bless her and keep her safe in her coming in and in her going out as she learns to trust in Him for all of her needs.

Shalom

 

[Nancy]

So sorry to hear about this sister, yes she needed support. When my oldest son took a massive overdose ( a failed attempt because the amount of medication he took eventually made Him sick when he was found by police in my home ) I was away on a Christian retreat. I got help getting back home but then nothing from the church family I was a part of………I was dealing with a son who didn’t want to live, and the hurt of no support added to everything else I was going through. I felt Totally let down on every level , and part of that let down was with God.
At the time I couldn’t separate God from his people, if they didn’t care then God didn’t care because he could have laid it on their hearts to reach in.
My son recovered, then it was my daughters turn, she also survived and got help.
One person from the church reached in because she knew how hurt I had been before. In between all this my marriage ended , that was another journey through grief that had very little support from outside the pastor.
Years later, different church family, my mum died and at first the church reached in, then It stopped. my youngest had a break down and tried to hang himself - he has self harmed and felt suicidal many times since, although in recent years both of those things are no upper most in his mind. I journey through that break down alone , once again no support. This time round I had learned that Gods people let us down,we let people down, but the Lord doesn’t.
The hurt I felt took years and years to deal with and I still bear the scars , and I don’t know if I will ever trust a church family again- I went through many things alone While others always seemed to get support. I now realise that the things I faced were big things and unless you have faced them you simply don’t know how to help so inside you might care but don’t know how to show it.
I hope your friend will eventually understand that it’s not God that let her down but people who either feared something or we’re ignorant.
I was fortunate that my children survived, the pain that your friend felt as each one of her family took this action must have be unbelievable, and probably still is- poor lady , really feel for her xxxxxxxxx

This is so typical of church's today, I too feel for this lady and hope she reached out to God again.

"At the time I couldn’t separate God from his people, if they didn’t care then God didn’t care because he could have laid it on their hearts to reach in."

Wow, same here Rita!!! No, we shouldn't blame God for what the people in a church do or don't do. That may be so but, it's like your own family kicking you when you are already down. I will never again try to find a church that will love me as commanded as I would also reciprocate for sure, cause I don't think they exist anymore! The world is getting colder and colder sister, so tired of doing all things alone over and over year in and year out. Each year gets harder to do the simplest of things. Wouldn't it be so wonderful to live Acts! House church's, you cook for me and I will clear your sidewalk and end of driveway! Or, just do something for someone in need simply out of agape love.
I remember all that you went through Rita, it was sorrow upon sorrow. You got through, not with a few scratches and bruises and yes, many scars that are sensitive.

@Chong Shipei You seem a kind person who is sensitive to others plights, just like Jesus was...I hope this woman did reach out again for God, how sad she must be.
Think I might have written a scathing letter to that pastor....