There is a scripture that Paul used when defending/explaining/sharing his faith with a group of philosophers and people on Mars Hill in the book of Acts. Paul, in the midst of their skepticism, their arrogance and their lack of spiritual understanding made a profound statement and he used one of their own poets to do so...he said in Acts 17:28 "' for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'"
Paul talked to men that "understood" God from a very limited intellectual standpoint but they
had no spiritual connection whatsoever to God. They did not know God personally and therefore they even erected a shrine to "an unknown (i.e. unknowable) god". Paul said what you worship as unknown, I now proclaim to you. This is where we are today: men and women that place science on a pedestal in lieu of God. Science is now the "unknown god". They believe they have a better way of explaining how/why the universe works/exists. While I will be the first to admit that we have made significant scientific advances, nothing will ever replace God.
Professor Stephen Hawking now has a NEW theory that supposedly disproves the existence of God. I am always baffled by scientists that constantly try to remove God from the equation. Why is Stephen Hawking, who is unable to do ANY experimentation other than come up with theories, now the authority on God and creation and whether it did or did not happen? He is unable to collect even the smallest shred of empirical evidence to support his claims because of his disability...but he is the most sought after physicist in the world simply because of the thoughts that ramble through his mind. How? I concede that he is a great thinker but he has gone off his rocker, yet again, with this theory. The central notion of his theory is where the big bang occurred. Listen to him versus God? No contest, God wins hands down and has provided me with all the evidence that I need to have faith that He not only exists but He IS the creator of everything.
To many scientists, the notion of God seems preposterous. Yet a "big bang" where everything just
"appeared" and came together makes more sense? According to Hawking, because the big bang
originated in a black hole (his theory, not able to be proven true) where time didn't exist, there was no time for a creator to exist within because time did not exist prior to the “bang”. Does he not realize that GOD EXISTS OUTSIDE OF TIME?! God is not limited by time. This anthropomorphism leads us to a fallacious belief that God is human like us. To ascribe human characteristics to an infinite, all wise and all intelligent was done by writers of the bible in some instances to help us relate to God. But it is a foregone conclusion that God transcends humanity. Always has and always will. OK, so my question is this, WHO CREATED THE BANG? Standing at a board hypothesizing makes more sense than saying that a being that has unlimited intelligence and wisdom created everything? I can only chuckle and think of 1 Corinthians 1 where Paul says the wisdom of God is foolishness to man and vice versa.
According to Hawking, it is entirely possible for the “universe” to create something from nothing without any outside assistance. According to him, the laws of the universe cannot be broken. So why does he claim that a fundamental law of science can be broken by saying that the “universe” can create something from nothing when the First law of thermodynamics says that energy can neither be created nor destroyed? According to the first law of thermodynamics, energy can only change forms so my question is this…if energy can only change forms, WHO changed its original form to cause it to ignite during the big bang- which is proposed to occur from an infinitesimal amount of energy? Now if you add God to that equation, God is ALL powerful and is able to create something from nothing because he is the one that can speak those things that are not as though they are according to Romans 4:17. He is not bound by the laws of the universe.
His theory purports that time doesn't exist within a black hole when NO MAN HAS EVER BEEN INTO A BLACK HOLE, which is totally preposterous to me. Science has very little evidence to support such a claim let alone pass it off as though we should all drop our Bibles and just believe them! Science is a gift from God to allow us to understand the world around us; it is not to be placed above the creator. Are there questions that I want answers to? Yes. Do I disregard all of the empirical evidence that God has provided me in favor of a theory that someone deduced one evening in a room with a white board while having a cup of coffee? I think not. In the passage of time I believe that God will reveal everything that I NEED to know and I am perfectly OK with not understanding everything.
Watching "Curiosity" on the Science channel, I was totally amazed at how atheistic this network is and how relentless they are to remove God from the equation of life. Hawking kept talking about the "laws of nature" removing the need for a "God" but my question is always this...WHO CREATED NATURE? WHO SET THE LAWS IN MOTION? We may not need God to explain nature to us, but we SEE evidence for God in the creation (Romans 1:19). Keep in mind this is the same Stephen Hawking that claimed to believe in God a few years ago and later recanted.
I am a scientist and I cannot simply take man's word over God's word which is the bible. As a scientist, when you say probably about any proposal, you leave room for someone to come behind you and either prove or disprove what you have proposed. So to hear Dr. Hawking pontificate for one hour and then end the show with "there probably is no God and there probably is no heaven or afterlife" is truly amazing. Years of thinking and the best thing that you can come up with is "probably"? I thank God that He is solid and that there is no probably with Him. He is the One who WAS, IS and IS TO COME. He holds all things together by the word of His power. We exist BECAUSE of Him, not in spite of him or outside of Him. The case that Hawking presents is not only not compelling, it scoffs at the notion that everything has a cause and for me and many like me we believe that the cause is God! I refuse to worship at the altar of science. Cosmologists study the universe without ever going into space. We study God and know God through reality and we see God working EVERYDAY. Just out of curiosity, where did the proposed black hole that the big bang occurred in come from?
Monday, October 31, 2011
Are We "gods"?
I heard Benny Hinn preach last night to his church that they are not human, they are spirits. It blew me away. There is a popular doctrinal teaching that humans are actually gods. It’s called the “Little gods” doctrine. It says that we are superhuman. Here is a popular quote from the popular mega-church pastor Creflo Dollar:
Dollar: "If horses get together, they produce what?"
Congregation: "Horses!"
Dollar: "If dogs get together, they produce what?"
Congregation: "Dogs!"
Dollar: "If cats get together, they produce what?"
Congregation: "Cats!"
Dollar: "So if the Godhead says 'Let us make man in our image', and everything produces after its own kind, then they produce what?"
Congregation: "Gods!"
Dollar: "Gods. Little "g" gods. You're not human. Only human part of you is this flesh you're wearing."
Dollar leads his congregation down a slippery slope and they buy it hook, line and sinker. There is a huge problem with this theology however. There are actually several problems with it, but there is one glaring problem that should have been evident to his parishioners.
Here is the issue, horses, dogs, and cats all reproduce. They engage in a sexual act, a sperm is delivered to an egg and they reproduce. God on the other hand, creates. He does not reproduce, therefore the “Godhead” does not get together and “mate” to make little “gods”. Dollar has blatantly put God, the Almighty in the same category as horses, dogs and cats. Clearly, his view of God is highly anthropomorphic in that he sees God as a man. Kenneth Copeland views God in much the same way, as a man with a given height and weight, etc. God is Spirit and we should worship Him in Spirit and in truth! God is not a man and God does not reproduce! If you think that the virgin birth is reproduction, then that is also incorrect. There was no intercourse, simply the implantation of Christ into the womb of Mary. She was simply the vessel through which God chose to come through and begin his existence as a human being. He implanted himself as the Son and came forth as the Son, never once losing any of his divinity. Man, as a result of reproduction, is not divine at all. Man was not created divine either, but was created from the dust of the earth.
Reproduction does not allow for ones reproducing to input ANYTHING other than the reproductive material. They cannot choose what traits are transferred to the embryo. For example, two parents with sickle cell trait cannot lower probability (50%) that the trait will be passed on to the child that is being produced. They cannot tell the child what color or texture hair to have, what complexion or what color eyes to have. Reproduction, as God intended it, is purely population driven. It is intended for the survival of a species. God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply.
Creation is totally different. The creator decides what traits are put in and what traits are left out. Just like God could have created Adam and Eve with the knowledge of good and evil ingrained in their mind, but he did not. That was not a property that he wanted them to have. He also could have created them as immortal beings, but in doing that and knowing omnisciently that the fall of man was imminent; God would have basically cursed Adam and Eve to live eternally in sin. The creator says I want them to be this way, and he creates it the way that he wants it. When Genesis speaks of man being made in the image of God, and in his likeness, it is talking about man taking on the transitive properties of God- his love, his compassion, the ability to think, the ability to reason etc. Creation occurs out of the desire of the Creator to share something of Himself. Unlike reproduction which is a survival mechanism, creation is at the discretion of the creator and is not necessary for the creator’s survival. Creation is on such a higher order than reproduction that it is embarrassing for a teaching such as this to be perpetuated or even believed.
Let’s look at it from a different angle. The bible says in Isaiah 44:6 “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.” Isaiah 43 and 44 is a manifesto from God! He asserts Himself to the chagrin and disdain of all false gods and idols. I am not foolish enough to believe that God would contradict himself by creating little “gods” to compete with Him for His glory. I am not foolish enough to believe that God, who forbids idol worship, would create us to be self-contained idols to be worshipped by others or to worship ourselves.
Without a doubt, someone will come back to me and say, well Jesus said in John 10:34 “Doesn’t it say in your Law ‘I have said you are gods’?” Jesus does not say outright that “you are gods”, he is quoting Psalm 82:6. He is also refuting the Pharisees opposition to him calling himself the “Son of God”. A proper discussion of this statement would look to Psalm 82 and see that when God made this statement, he also followed it up with “yet you will die like men “. Psalm 82 is a rebuke of those in offices that represented Him who did not operate in that office properly. By the nature of their office, they were “gods” or “rulers” as Psalm 82:1 points out. However, their mortality was also emphasized when the scripture says that they would die like men. To further establish the premise that man is not a “god”, Ezekiel 28:2 God says to the king of Tyre through Ezekiel, “…you are no god, although you make your heart like the heart of a god.”
The truth is, we are not gods. We are human. We are created a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:7; Psalm 8:5). We are not supernatural, but God is and His power works through us and in us to accomplish His will. The desire to be a “god” is selfish and man-centered. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 speaks of one who is coming, the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction who exalts himself above everything and wants to be in the place of God. I am not trying to imitate that, and we all know who this scripture is referring to. It is easier for us to humble ourselves than it is to try to be a “god”. At what point does the “god” try to exert himself/herself and contend with THE ALMIGHTY GOD to their own folly and destruction? Let God be God. There is a reason that He created us the way that He did. It is to our benefit to trust that God did not make a mistake in creating us. He made us fearfully and wonderfully. We are complex and intricate. He gave us the ability to love Him and others. I’m ok with that. I don’t need to have any special powers or superhuman ability- I just want to serve God with all my heart and to love Him with everything within me. I’m not a god, you are not a god- we are human beings created in God’s likeness, not after his kind- there is but one God.
Dollar: "If horses get together, they produce what?"
Congregation: "Horses!"
Dollar: "If dogs get together, they produce what?"
Congregation: "Dogs!"
Dollar: "If cats get together, they produce what?"
Congregation: "Cats!"
Dollar: "So if the Godhead says 'Let us make man in our image', and everything produces after its own kind, then they produce what?"
Congregation: "Gods!"
Dollar: "Gods. Little "g" gods. You're not human. Only human part of you is this flesh you're wearing."
Dollar leads his congregation down a slippery slope and they buy it hook, line and sinker. There is a huge problem with this theology however. There are actually several problems with it, but there is one glaring problem that should have been evident to his parishioners.
Here is the issue, horses, dogs, and cats all reproduce. They engage in a sexual act, a sperm is delivered to an egg and they reproduce. God on the other hand, creates. He does not reproduce, therefore the “Godhead” does not get together and “mate” to make little “gods”. Dollar has blatantly put God, the Almighty in the same category as horses, dogs and cats. Clearly, his view of God is highly anthropomorphic in that he sees God as a man. Kenneth Copeland views God in much the same way, as a man with a given height and weight, etc. God is Spirit and we should worship Him in Spirit and in truth! God is not a man and God does not reproduce! If you think that the virgin birth is reproduction, then that is also incorrect. There was no intercourse, simply the implantation of Christ into the womb of Mary. She was simply the vessel through which God chose to come through and begin his existence as a human being. He implanted himself as the Son and came forth as the Son, never once losing any of his divinity. Man, as a result of reproduction, is not divine at all. Man was not created divine either, but was created from the dust of the earth.
Reproduction does not allow for ones reproducing to input ANYTHING other than the reproductive material. They cannot choose what traits are transferred to the embryo. For example, two parents with sickle cell trait cannot lower probability (50%) that the trait will be passed on to the child that is being produced. They cannot tell the child what color or texture hair to have, what complexion or what color eyes to have. Reproduction, as God intended it, is purely population driven. It is intended for the survival of a species. God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply.
Creation is totally different. The creator decides what traits are put in and what traits are left out. Just like God could have created Adam and Eve with the knowledge of good and evil ingrained in their mind, but he did not. That was not a property that he wanted them to have. He also could have created them as immortal beings, but in doing that and knowing omnisciently that the fall of man was imminent; God would have basically cursed Adam and Eve to live eternally in sin. The creator says I want them to be this way, and he creates it the way that he wants it. When Genesis speaks of man being made in the image of God, and in his likeness, it is talking about man taking on the transitive properties of God- his love, his compassion, the ability to think, the ability to reason etc. Creation occurs out of the desire of the Creator to share something of Himself. Unlike reproduction which is a survival mechanism, creation is at the discretion of the creator and is not necessary for the creator’s survival. Creation is on such a higher order than reproduction that it is embarrassing for a teaching such as this to be perpetuated or even believed.
Let’s look at it from a different angle. The bible says in Isaiah 44:6 “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.” Isaiah 43 and 44 is a manifesto from God! He asserts Himself to the chagrin and disdain of all false gods and idols. I am not foolish enough to believe that God would contradict himself by creating little “gods” to compete with Him for His glory. I am not foolish enough to believe that God, who forbids idol worship, would create us to be self-contained idols to be worshipped by others or to worship ourselves.
Without a doubt, someone will come back to me and say, well Jesus said in John 10:34 “Doesn’t it say in your Law ‘I have said you are gods’?” Jesus does not say outright that “you are gods”, he is quoting Psalm 82:6. He is also refuting the Pharisees opposition to him calling himself the “Son of God”. A proper discussion of this statement would look to Psalm 82 and see that when God made this statement, he also followed it up with “yet you will die like men “. Psalm 82 is a rebuke of those in offices that represented Him who did not operate in that office properly. By the nature of their office, they were “gods” or “rulers” as Psalm 82:1 points out. However, their mortality was also emphasized when the scripture says that they would die like men. To further establish the premise that man is not a “god”, Ezekiel 28:2 God says to the king of Tyre through Ezekiel, “…you are no god, although you make your heart like the heart of a god.”
The truth is, we are not gods. We are human. We are created a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:7; Psalm 8:5). We are not supernatural, but God is and His power works through us and in us to accomplish His will. The desire to be a “god” is selfish and man-centered. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 speaks of one who is coming, the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction who exalts himself above everything and wants to be in the place of God. I am not trying to imitate that, and we all know who this scripture is referring to. It is easier for us to humble ourselves than it is to try to be a “god”. At what point does the “god” try to exert himself/herself and contend with THE ALMIGHTY GOD to their own folly and destruction? Let God be God. There is a reason that He created us the way that He did. It is to our benefit to trust that God did not make a mistake in creating us. He made us fearfully and wonderfully. We are complex and intricate. He gave us the ability to love Him and others. I’m ok with that. I don’t need to have any special powers or superhuman ability- I just want to serve God with all my heart and to love Him with everything within me. I’m not a god, you are not a god- we are human beings created in God’s likeness, not after his kind- there is but one God.
Judge Not?
In the church, when something happens to the “leader” of the church we usually hear the same slogan repeated…”judge not lest ye be judged”. We also hear the scripture about not “touching God’s anointed” or “Don’t put your mouth on God’s preacher!” Well, first of all, I am a firm believer that if they are God’s anointed, they will act like God’s anointed- meaning they will flee from immorality and live a life that is disciplined by the Holy Ghost through scripture! Their talk and their walk will match up.
What does the scripture “judge not lest ye be judged” actually mean? In Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus condemns hypocritical, unwarranted “judgment” of others. Jesus follows this statement up with the admonition to remove the beam from your own eye before telling someone else about the speck in their eye. In other words, get your own affairs straight before trying to deal with my affairs. Does the scripture tell us not to judge at all? NO, because the end of the scripture says to get the beam out of our eye so that we may “see clearly” to remove the speck from someone else’s eye. In order to see clearly, I must have my own affairs in order. I can’t call you on the carpet for something if I am doing the same thing that you are! Romans 2:1 “Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.”
We have confused judgment with rebuke. They are not one in the same. The bible says in 2 Tim 3:16 that ALL scripture is God breathed and is useful for reproof, correction, teaching and training in righteousness. Since God’s word is the standard by which we judge (or assess) the world around us, it is also the standard for our reproof, and our correction of actions that do not line up with it. It is not our opinion but it is the Word of God that judges. We simply apply the word to whatever the situation is. John 12:48 quotes Jesus as saying that the very words that He spoke would ultimately judge those that did not keep them. Does the passage in Mathew relate to someone that openly sins and is called on the carpet about it? It is not talking about a person at all, rather the deed that was carried out. We are to judge the deed, not the doer.
So why is it that people get so up in arms about others calling sin what it is? Why is it that folks run to the defense of preachers (many times the defenders are other preachers) when their mess is found out? James said it best that teachers are held to a higher standard! Rather than cosigning with foolishness, we should be championing those that judge immoral deeds correctly and according to the word of God. Without proper judgment, how are we to discern right from wrong? How are we to discern what proper behavior is for a Christian and what is not? It is not the person but their actions that deserve rebuke, and immoral actions demand accountability. We need accountability from those that are “called (if they are actually called)” to shepherd God’s people. If preachers are holding parishioners to a standard of holiness, shouldn’t they also be held to the same standard? We get so busy trying to push fallen leaders back to prominence that we do not look for signs of genuine repentance.
When we call out those that have sinned openly, publicly and without regret- that is not judgment, it is simply telling the truth. We cling to Matthew 7:15 as a protective mechanism to gloss over sin and hope that someone will gloss over ours. When Jesus spoke of casting the first stone, he knew that the very same men that brought this woman to him were just as guilty as she was and some of them possibly even slept with her too! They were playing a hypocritical game or cat and mouse. He was also aware of the trap that these men were trying to set regarding the law. But if you look closely at the scripture, he did not excuse the sin of the woman, he forgave it. It was still sinful to Him, although the ones bringing the accusations had bad intentions.
When religious leaders publicly sin or live secret lives that are eventually exposed, we are advised by scripture to call them out! 1 Tim 5:20 says that overseers that persist in sin should be rebuked publicly (openly) so that others would see and be afraid to sin. Ephesians 5:11-12 says to have
nothing to do with “darkness” but to expose secret deeds. What about love and restoration? Galatians 6:1 tells us that if anyone is “caught” in a sin, those that are spiritual should restore them with gentleness. Gentleness is required when someone is “overtaken” by a fault- basically, when they are “surprised” or “ambushed” by a fault. That can happen to anyone. None of us are above giving in to temptation given the right circumstances. We are human, we have frailties, we have weaknesses and honestly- many give in to them rather than resisting temptation. But does this scripture apply to a person who is habitually sinful and is constantly transgressing the law of God? At what point do you go from being overtaken to not having to be taken at all? Is the person that sins egregiously yet secretly really even a true believer in Christ? Would someone that called God their Father live a life marred by a lack of spiritual discipline, discretion or self-control? I think not. John said in 1 John 3:9 that one that “practices” sin is of the devil- it is that simple.
When someone else’s sins out, understand that no person’s sin is above criticism. If the criticism is warranted, if the accusations are true and the truth is the light-why would we continue to cover things up and try to keep them in darkness? It doesn’t matter how great the man or woman of God is in our eyes, if they are living a life of sin, they are not God’s anointed-and I am not afraid to say that. God’s anointing comes out of God’s grace- sin does not. We are so eager to crown this one and that one- not realizing that the folks that we elevate are not always elevated by God. Or, as in the case of Saul, they WERE elevated but at some point lost God’s favor because of some transgression or because of their disobedience. It may hurt to hear the truth, but that does not make it any less truthful. Paul said that there are some things that should not be named among those who belong to the Lord. I totally agree, and it doesn’t bother me when others rightly apply scripture to criticize those that carry on as if God’s word has not spoken. I want to be held accountable for my actions. I want to have someone that I can talk to that will not tell me what I WANT to hear but what I NEED to hear. If I am surrounded by “yes men” how can I possibly know the truth? Especially if I am jacked up! The word of God is sharper than any two edged sword and it tells it like it is- it is our measuring stick to make proper “judgments” of the things that occur around us.
Prosperity Preachers Have it ALL Wrong
In today's society, there is a segment of Christianity that touts itself as one whose members never get sick. They never suffer any lack. They have nice cars, clothes and all of the entrapments of worldly riches because of their "faith". Many have written about it, talked about it, dissed it or loved it but there are a number of Christian brothers and sisters caught up in some form of "prosperity" ministry. In these churches, you are "required" to sow a seed in order to be blessed of God. If you really want to show your faith, you sow your "biggest seed" when you are down to nothing. I heard Rod Parsely actually get on television and say that in order for you to get out of debt, send him your biggest seed. Wouldn't that money be better spent paying down your debts versus sending it into a ministerial black hole? I have heard many from Creflo to Paula White to the up-and comers that are being trained in this foolishness to admonish hard working people to go above and beyond to sow into a ministry. There is something missing here however. Biblically, it is a good thing to sow into the ministry of a man or woman of God. Paul was blessed by many that gave to his ministry so that he could continue to preach. Biblically, if the model set forth in Acts 4:32-37 is used, the missing piece of the puzzle is the church actually giving back to the congregation to help supply their needs. There is no pyramid scheme in the kingdom of God. What the people sowed into the church, they had access to.
Acts 4:32-37
32And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales 35and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. 36 Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), 37 and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.
Prosperity preachers take verse 35 and 37 literally without understanding several key things, the most important being that the apostles distributed what they collected according to the needs of the people. The early church was, for all intents and purposes, a commune that was overseen by the Apostles. Verse 35 says that the goods/ money was distributed as "any had need". They didn't distribute based on who gave the most, they didn't distribute based on who was the best dressed or who gave the nicest things. They gave according to need. Can you imagine Benny Hinn taking the proceeds from one of his "revivals" and giving it back to the people that came to church that night according to their needs? Can you imagine any of these prosperity players doing this? The scripture says nothing about the share that the Apostles took (although we know that they had a share because they are human and had basic needs as well). It says nothing of their helicopter fund, their private jet fund, their honorarium collection, their mansions or their Bentleys. The Apostles' main concern was the people. Many have this equation wrong. The main concern in many instances is the money generated from the people and not their welfare.
Can this model be successful in today's church? With God all things are possible! Do I think that it would work? I see several problems that would cause this model not to work. First off, many preachers have been conditioned that they must have the best of everything and that they must be paid according to their "skills". The bible speaks of a worker (in the gospel) deserving their wages and in 1 Corinthians 9:8-13, Paul makes the case that a minister of the gospel should be compensated. However, he also uses that same illustration to talk about how he took nothing for his work in ministry which was a testament to his love for the Corinthians and for God and an indictment against those that used "godliness as a means of financial gain (1 Tim 6:5)". If a minister would be content with having enough, it could definitely work. Hebrews 13:5 (NRSV): " Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for He has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." If you are doing a great work in the Lord, He will provide for you. 1 Tim 6:6-8 (NRSV): "Of course there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these."
Secondly, the bible speaks of the people being of one heart and soul in verse 32. In our capitalistic, self-centered economy I think that it would be very difficult to get anyone to buy into a model such as the one set forth here. We are focused on our things and we take pride in having more things that others. We don't follow Matthew 6:33, we follow the "build a bigger barn" strategy. If we could truly as a body of Christ get on one accord and put aside our differences, this could work and be a tremendous help in the community.
Could a man or woman of God be trusted to oversee this? If God so chooses, there could be someone out there. The problem with money is that once you fall in love with it, it becomes something that consumes you. The prosperity preachers need to take a long hard look at their ministries. If your parishioners are struggling and you are living high on the hog, you need to re-evaluate your ministry. If you feel that it is a necessity to drive a luxury automobile, check your priorities. If you must live in a house on the hill because you are a pastor, the mirror of self-reflection is waiting for you. I will end this as simply as I began it...the prosperity preachers have it all wrong.
Acts 4:32-37
32And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales 35and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. 36 Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), 37 and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.
Prosperity preachers take verse 35 and 37 literally without understanding several key things, the most important being that the apostles distributed what they collected according to the needs of the people. The early church was, for all intents and purposes, a commune that was overseen by the Apostles. Verse 35 says that the goods/ money was distributed as "any had need". They didn't distribute based on who gave the most, they didn't distribute based on who was the best dressed or who gave the nicest things. They gave according to need. Can you imagine Benny Hinn taking the proceeds from one of his "revivals" and giving it back to the people that came to church that night according to their needs? Can you imagine any of these prosperity players doing this? The scripture says nothing about the share that the Apostles took (although we know that they had a share because they are human and had basic needs as well). It says nothing of their helicopter fund, their private jet fund, their honorarium collection, their mansions or their Bentleys. The Apostles' main concern was the people. Many have this equation wrong. The main concern in many instances is the money generated from the people and not their welfare.
Can this model be successful in today's church? With God all things are possible! Do I think that it would work? I see several problems that would cause this model not to work. First off, many preachers have been conditioned that they must have the best of everything and that they must be paid according to their "skills". The bible speaks of a worker (in the gospel) deserving their wages and in 1 Corinthians 9:8-13, Paul makes the case that a minister of the gospel should be compensated. However, he also uses that same illustration to talk about how he took nothing for his work in ministry which was a testament to his love for the Corinthians and for God and an indictment against those that used "godliness as a means of financial gain (1 Tim 6:5)". If a minister would be content with having enough, it could definitely work. Hebrews 13:5 (NRSV): " Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for He has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." If you are doing a great work in the Lord, He will provide for you. 1 Tim 6:6-8 (NRSV): "Of course there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these."
Secondly, the bible speaks of the people being of one heart and soul in verse 32. In our capitalistic, self-centered economy I think that it would be very difficult to get anyone to buy into a model such as the one set forth here. We are focused on our things and we take pride in having more things that others. We don't follow Matthew 6:33, we follow the "build a bigger barn" strategy. If we could truly as a body of Christ get on one accord and put aside our differences, this could work and be a tremendous help in the community.
Could a man or woman of God be trusted to oversee this? If God so chooses, there could be someone out there. The problem with money is that once you fall in love with it, it becomes something that consumes you. The prosperity preachers need to take a long hard look at their ministries. If your parishioners are struggling and you are living high on the hog, you need to re-evaluate your ministry. If you feel that it is a necessity to drive a luxury automobile, check your priorities. If you must live in a house on the hill because you are a pastor, the mirror of self-reflection is waiting for you. I will end this as simply as I began it...the prosperity preachers have it all wrong.
Ask Me No Questions and I Will Tell You Plenty of Lies (From Genesis 3:1-6)
**ADAM AND EVE**
Adam and Eve had EVERYTHING that they could possibly want. They had food, the y had freedom, they had dominion over the animals etc. Most of all they had relationship with God! They had unqualified access to God. They had intimate conversations with Him on a regular basis. In the cool of the day they would talk to Him and spend time with Him. What more could they want?
**THE SERPENT**
The serpent is usually thought to represent Satan. What we know about the serpent s that he was very crafty, cunning and deceptive. We also know that he was/is a liar and the father of lies, that there is no truth in him and that he only comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 8:44; John 10:10). The serpent tempted Eve with something that she desired.
When the serpent approached Eve, he did not even take the time to introduce himself. He did not offer up his credentials. He did not even say that he knew God. He found a weakness and he exploited it. Eve was not the weakness, her free choice was. He used that to his advantage. The serpent presented Eve with a question. However, the question was totally invalid because it was a question AGAINST what God had already told her! “Did God really say that?” This is the same dilemma that we face today with many New Age preachers trying to re-interpret the bible and ask that very same question, “Did God really say that?” The bible clearly states that God is not a man that he should lie nor is He the son of man that he should repent (recant). Yet, Eve was now in a sticky situation. She was tempted by one who God had already deemed a rebel and a murderer.
Verse 1: “…Did God say that you shall not eat from ANY tree in the Garden?”
Notice the qualifier, ANY. He is opening the door. That is Satan’s job, he opens the door, we walk through it. Our job is to do exactly what Jesus did! Refute any claim of Satan with scripture- if we know that he is a murderer and a liar and we know that God CANNOT lie, why would we argue with Satan with anything other than God’s word? EVE HAD ONE SIMPLE COMMAND AND AS SOON AS HE ASKED THAT QUESTION…”DID God say that?” her answer should have been a RESOUNDING YES!
Eve went on to explain what the command of God was, so she knew EXACTLY what God had commanded. DON’T GO NEAR THE TREE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GARDEN! She knew the command AND she knew the consequences…”you shall surely DIE”. The serpent is setting EVE up!
**WHY DIDN'T EVE ASK ANY QUESTIONS?**
If we are to be a discerning people, we MUST ask questions when presented with something that does not line up with scripture (the Word of God). The serpent asked more questions than Even did. She asked absolutely ZERO questions.
Adam received the direct command from God and gave it to Eve unaltered- yet as soon as Eve was presented with doubt, she buckled and placed her will over the will of the Father! Eve never questioned Satan- who was a liar/murderer from the beginning
**WHY DID SHE TAKE THE SERPENT'S WORD OVER GOD'S WORD?**
Eve was deluded by Satan into believing that God was depriving her of something [verse 4-5]-
“The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Here is Satan’s loophole…GOD KNOWS something that you do not and he wants to keep it from you!!!!! According to William Dembski the author of “The End of Christianity”, we have a hard time believing that God is good- this is the reason that so many rebel against God! We think that there is something that we are not getting and that God is withholding it to spite us. Psalm 84:11 “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
**WHAT DID EVE THINK THAT GOD WAS WITHHOLDING FROM HER?**
Remember, THEY HAD EVERYTHING! Verse 6: “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that they tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her and he ate.”
In verse 6 Eve saw that the tree was good for food, but so were the other trees. She saw that the tree was a delight to the eyes, but so were the other trees. Then she was that the tree was desirable to make one WISE which was a quality the other trees did not have.
Aha! That is what God is keeping from me!
**WHY DID SATAN BUCKLE?**
Satan rebelled for the same reason- He believed that God was withholding something from him! Satan wants us to be exactly like him in rebellion against God! So his mission is simple: continually tempt and try to influence us to believe that God is denying us something! Influence us to rebel and then accuse us of said rebellion.
Saints of God, it is really simple. God will NEVER deny us anything that is beneficial to us. Many times what we deem as beneficial, God doesn’t. He KNOWS EVERYTHING that we need and will give it to us. Paul said it best in 1 Cor 10:23 “all things are permissible, but all things are not beneficial”. Let God do the sorting and trust his judgment.
**CONSEQUENCES**
Adam, who received the direct command from God was severely punished for listening to the “voice of his wife” over the voice of God. Regardless of how much we love someone, what God says is what goes. Jesus said it a different way in Matthew 10:37. He said if you love father, mother, son or daughter more than Me, then you are not worthy of Me. Adam was sentenced to hard labor i.e. what was previously given to him; he now had to work for by the sweat of his brow. Eve and all subsequent descendants of Eve were cursed with pain in childbirth.
The serpent, who was the one that incited the rebellion, would have a different fate. He would have to tangle with the Lion of Judah and would eventually be crushed by the heel of the “seed of the woman”.
The most dire consequence of all is that now sin had entered the world. The fellowship with God and man was now corrupted and through Adam, all have sinned (Romans 5). But thanks be to God that the second Adam, Christ Jesus, was the one man that redemption and life came through. This situation in Genesis is quite ugly, however God had a plan from the very beginning to send the Savior into the world to correct the mounting insurrection that happened because of the actions of two people and a serpent. The tree of life was there also, yet Satan did not influence Eve to eat from that tree which would have meant eternal life!
When presented with ANYTHING contrary to scripture, test it by comparing it to scripture. Ask the right questions and you cannot be lied to. Ask these questions: 1. Does this line up with what God said (scripture is the inspired, God breathed word of God)? 2. How will this be beneficial in my walk with Christ? 3. On what authority is this person/thing presenting this “new information” to me? Remember there is no authority greater than that of God’s so if God didn’t say it, don’t buy it.
Adam and Eve had EVERYTHING that they could possibly want. They had food, the y had freedom, they had dominion over the animals etc. Most of all they had relationship with God! They had unqualified access to God. They had intimate conversations with Him on a regular basis. In the cool of the day they would talk to Him and spend time with Him. What more could they want?
**THE SERPENT**
The serpent is usually thought to represent Satan. What we know about the serpent s that he was very crafty, cunning and deceptive. We also know that he was/is a liar and the father of lies, that there is no truth in him and that he only comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 8:44; John 10:10). The serpent tempted Eve with something that she desired.
When the serpent approached Eve, he did not even take the time to introduce himself. He did not offer up his credentials. He did not even say that he knew God. He found a weakness and he exploited it. Eve was not the weakness, her free choice was. He used that to his advantage. The serpent presented Eve with a question. However, the question was totally invalid because it was a question AGAINST what God had already told her! “Did God really say that?” This is the same dilemma that we face today with many New Age preachers trying to re-interpret the bible and ask that very same question, “Did God really say that?” The bible clearly states that God is not a man that he should lie nor is He the son of man that he should repent (recant). Yet, Eve was now in a sticky situation. She was tempted by one who God had already deemed a rebel and a murderer.
Verse 1: “…Did God say that you shall not eat from ANY tree in the Garden?”
Notice the qualifier, ANY. He is opening the door. That is Satan’s job, he opens the door, we walk through it. Our job is to do exactly what Jesus did! Refute any claim of Satan with scripture- if we know that he is a murderer and a liar and we know that God CANNOT lie, why would we argue with Satan with anything other than God’s word? EVE HAD ONE SIMPLE COMMAND AND AS SOON AS HE ASKED THAT QUESTION…”DID God say that?” her answer should have been a RESOUNDING YES!
Eve went on to explain what the command of God was, so she knew EXACTLY what God had commanded. DON’T GO NEAR THE TREE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GARDEN! She knew the command AND she knew the consequences…”you shall surely DIE”. The serpent is setting EVE up!
**WHY DIDN'T EVE ASK ANY QUESTIONS?**
If we are to be a discerning people, we MUST ask questions when presented with something that does not line up with scripture (the Word of God). The serpent asked more questions than Even did. She asked absolutely ZERO questions.
Adam received the direct command from God and gave it to Eve unaltered- yet as soon as Eve was presented with doubt, she buckled and placed her will over the will of the Father! Eve never questioned Satan- who was a liar/murderer from the beginning
**WHY DID SHE TAKE THE SERPENT'S WORD OVER GOD'S WORD?**
Eve was deluded by Satan into believing that God was depriving her of something [verse 4-5]-
“The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Here is Satan’s loophole…GOD KNOWS something that you do not and he wants to keep it from you!!!!! According to William Dembski the author of “The End of Christianity”, we have a hard time believing that God is good- this is the reason that so many rebel against God! We think that there is something that we are not getting and that God is withholding it to spite us. Psalm 84:11 “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
**WHAT DID EVE THINK THAT GOD WAS WITHHOLDING FROM HER?**
Remember, THEY HAD EVERYTHING! Verse 6: “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that they tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her and he ate.”
In verse 6 Eve saw that the tree was good for food, but so were the other trees. She saw that the tree was a delight to the eyes, but so were the other trees. Then she was that the tree was desirable to make one WISE which was a quality the other trees did not have.
Aha! That is what God is keeping from me!
**WHY DID SATAN BUCKLE?**
Satan rebelled for the same reason- He believed that God was withholding something from him! Satan wants us to be exactly like him in rebellion against God! So his mission is simple: continually tempt and try to influence us to believe that God is denying us something! Influence us to rebel and then accuse us of said rebellion.
Saints of God, it is really simple. God will NEVER deny us anything that is beneficial to us. Many times what we deem as beneficial, God doesn’t. He KNOWS EVERYTHING that we need and will give it to us. Paul said it best in 1 Cor 10:23 “all things are permissible, but all things are not beneficial”. Let God do the sorting and trust his judgment.
**CONSEQUENCES**
Adam, who received the direct command from God was severely punished for listening to the “voice of his wife” over the voice of God. Regardless of how much we love someone, what God says is what goes. Jesus said it a different way in Matthew 10:37. He said if you love father, mother, son or daughter more than Me, then you are not worthy of Me. Adam was sentenced to hard labor i.e. what was previously given to him; he now had to work for by the sweat of his brow. Eve and all subsequent descendants of Eve were cursed with pain in childbirth.
The serpent, who was the one that incited the rebellion, would have a different fate. He would have to tangle with the Lion of Judah and would eventually be crushed by the heel of the “seed of the woman”.
The most dire consequence of all is that now sin had entered the world. The fellowship with God and man was now corrupted and through Adam, all have sinned (Romans 5). But thanks be to God that the second Adam, Christ Jesus, was the one man that redemption and life came through. This situation in Genesis is quite ugly, however God had a plan from the very beginning to send the Savior into the world to correct the mounting insurrection that happened because of the actions of two people and a serpent. The tree of life was there also, yet Satan did not influence Eve to eat from that tree which would have meant eternal life!
When presented with ANYTHING contrary to scripture, test it by comparing it to scripture. Ask the right questions and you cannot be lied to. Ask these questions: 1. Does this line up with what God said (scripture is the inspired, God breathed word of God)? 2. How will this be beneficial in my walk with Christ? 3. On what authority is this person/thing presenting this “new information” to me? Remember there is no authority greater than that of God’s so if God didn’t say it, don’t buy it.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Stuff
Why are we so obsessed with expanding our empire? Why do we constantly seek to add more things to ourselves. the accumulation of "stuff" only tells others that the accumulator has a deep need to be defined by something or known as something other than what they really are. Gucci doesn't change my character but it gives off the perception that I am somehow special or priveleged. Even if I don't have a dime in my pocket or if I am rotten to the core.
Stuff can only transmit information from the one that created it, it cannot transmit information regarding the one that has it. All it can indicate about the person that has it is that they have a particular taste. That's it. It doesn't tell whether they are a good person, whether they love their kids, whether they love themselves...all it says is that the person has a lot of...stuff.
If our stuff could talk, some of it would tell people that we bought it with a credit card and couldn't really afford it. Some of if would tell people that we already said that we were taking it back to the store after we wore it. Some of it would say that you already had three of the same thing and only bought it because someone talked you into it. Very little of the "stuff" that we accumulate is actually necessary.
The issue is not the desire to have nice things, but that often that desire trumps eveyrthing else and causes us to be relentless in the pursuit of...stuff. We have been conditioned by the media to believe that we must match or keep up with what others are doing. We think that we are not living up to the unrealistic standards of the world unless we have tons of...stuff. Why do we torture oursleves and kill ourselves so that we can buy the next best technological marvel...and as soon as we bring it home, another marvel is being unveiled that trumps the one that we just bought? We do it because we don't believe that we can live without having a lot of...stuff.
In reality stuff cannot define us. Stuff cannot determine our lot in life. Stuff cannot even speak one word as to the content of our character. It can only speak of the need to be perceived as something other than what or who we really are. The true measure of a person is not how much we accumulate but how much we are willing to give. Christ (you knew that I was going to take it here) taught this principle to the rich young ruler in Matthew 19. He also gave an example that illustrated the desire to accumulate over the desire to be truly fulfilled in Luke 12: 15-21. Why build a bigger barn when we are unable to take anything material into heaven?
In the end, what will the legacy that we leave behind be? Are we going to leave behind a lot of stuff that will eventually rot, break down or become useless? Or do we leave behind a more enduring legacy. One that says that my fulfillment came from God alone. All who subscribe to this mode of thinking will be unmoved by the vascillations caused by societal winds that seek to make us change and transform at every turn. It is reminicent of the Wiz when Richard Pryor was changing the color of the day whenever he felt like it. All it did was confuse people and force them to comply with unrealistic ideals and desires. For them, changing was easy, all they did was change the color of the light that was reflected off of them. For us, it is not that easy.
Therefore, why undergo unnecessary changes that will not profit us? Why try to keep up with the proverbial Joneses? Don't you ever get tired of being told you are not good enough because you don't have enough...stuff? Why not adopt the attitude of the Apostle Paul who said it best in Philippians 4:12 " I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need." The next verse is one of the most quoted verses of scripture in the bible..."I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH." We accumulate stuff because we want to believe that the more stuff that we have, the less in need we are. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most of the time the "stuff" is being used as a cover-up for a need that is deeper than anything that stuff could fill. No one wants to experience the pain of being in need but "in need" is where Christ is put on display as the sustenance of our very existence! Living a Christ centered life means constantly seeking ways to get closer to Him versus chasing after material gain. Don't seek the "stuff" seek the creator.
Stuff can only transmit information from the one that created it, it cannot transmit information regarding the one that has it. All it can indicate about the person that has it is that they have a particular taste. That's it. It doesn't tell whether they are a good person, whether they love their kids, whether they love themselves...all it says is that the person has a lot of...stuff.
If our stuff could talk, some of it would tell people that we bought it with a credit card and couldn't really afford it. Some of if would tell people that we already said that we were taking it back to the store after we wore it. Some of it would say that you already had three of the same thing and only bought it because someone talked you into it. Very little of the "stuff" that we accumulate is actually necessary.
The issue is not the desire to have nice things, but that often that desire trumps eveyrthing else and causes us to be relentless in the pursuit of...stuff. We have been conditioned by the media to believe that we must match or keep up with what others are doing. We think that we are not living up to the unrealistic standards of the world unless we have tons of...stuff. Why do we torture oursleves and kill ourselves so that we can buy the next best technological marvel...and as soon as we bring it home, another marvel is being unveiled that trumps the one that we just bought? We do it because we don't believe that we can live without having a lot of...stuff.
In reality stuff cannot define us. Stuff cannot determine our lot in life. Stuff cannot even speak one word as to the content of our character. It can only speak of the need to be perceived as something other than what or who we really are. The true measure of a person is not how much we accumulate but how much we are willing to give. Christ (you knew that I was going to take it here) taught this principle to the rich young ruler in Matthew 19. He also gave an example that illustrated the desire to accumulate over the desire to be truly fulfilled in Luke 12: 15-21. Why build a bigger barn when we are unable to take anything material into heaven?
In the end, what will the legacy that we leave behind be? Are we going to leave behind a lot of stuff that will eventually rot, break down or become useless? Or do we leave behind a more enduring legacy. One that says that my fulfillment came from God alone. All who subscribe to this mode of thinking will be unmoved by the vascillations caused by societal winds that seek to make us change and transform at every turn. It is reminicent of the Wiz when Richard Pryor was changing the color of the day whenever he felt like it. All it did was confuse people and force them to comply with unrealistic ideals and desires. For them, changing was easy, all they did was change the color of the light that was reflected off of them. For us, it is not that easy.
Therefore, why undergo unnecessary changes that will not profit us? Why try to keep up with the proverbial Joneses? Don't you ever get tired of being told you are not good enough because you don't have enough...stuff? Why not adopt the attitude of the Apostle Paul who said it best in Philippians 4:12 " I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need." The next verse is one of the most quoted verses of scripture in the bible..."I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH." We accumulate stuff because we want to believe that the more stuff that we have, the less in need we are. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most of the time the "stuff" is being used as a cover-up for a need that is deeper than anything that stuff could fill. No one wants to experience the pain of being in need but "in need" is where Christ is put on display as the sustenance of our very existence! Living a Christ centered life means constantly seeking ways to get closer to Him versus chasing after material gain. Don't seek the "stuff" seek the creator.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Please Step Away from the Mic
When I was growing up, I was always skeptical of preachers. I am just being honest. I always wondered if they really walked what they talked. Personally, I ran from ministry as long as I could because I knew the pressure and scrutiny that ministers are always under. As a preacher, I've been blessed to see that MANY preachers do actually live a life that is consistent with scripture. My own pastor, Edward J. Nettles Sr. is such a man. He is one that lives what he speaks. He does not shy away from dealing with sin because he understands that we are all utterly sinful and that the only way to address sin is by attacking it head on. There are others that are truly men and women of God that are sincerely trying to do what thus says the Lord. I am more impressed by those that strive to live holy than I am by titles, degrees, hoops, mega structures or large followings. When we live as we are supposed to, we are being a light to those that are in darkness. Then people can follow you as you follow Christ.
Sadly, the antithesis of the point made above is that there is a crisis in Christian leadership. There are legitimate reasons for folks to be skeptical of preachers. It is nothing new. Scandal has rocked the Christian world long before many of us were born. The Jimmy Swaggarts and the Jim Bakers are not new. Wikipedia has a list of defamed pastors that includes their indiscretions. For every one that you see on television on "Inside Edition" there are a hundred more that we do not see. Many are so brazen that they have adopted a "grace covers all" attitude. Paul specifically says in Romans 6:1 "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?" His answer is an emphatic NO!
We live in an era where openly gay men and women are elected to HIGH church offices. We live in an era where pedophiles are pastors. Whoremongers are pastors. Idolators are pastors. Drug addicts are pastors. Liars and deceivers are pastors. Adulterers are pastors. But the bible clearly says in Romans 1 that these "types" shall not inherit the kingdom of God!
Titus 1:7-9 "For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict."
The operative phrase here is "above reproach"! No one should be able to attack our character! Rumors should quickly dissipate because folks that know you know that "you aren't like that." No charge that someone brings against us should be able to stick, not because we are invincible or perfect but because we didn't do it! Reproach should be used here in biblical terms. Therefore our life and scripture MUST line up. Our doctrine and what we preach must line up with scripture.
Am I saying that preachers are perfect? Absolutely not. Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. Am I saying that preachers do not sin? Absolutely not. We all sin. We sin daily in some combination of word, thought and/or deed. Am I saying that these men and women are above God's law? Absolutely not. What I am searching for is the motivation that many of these "broken" and "fallen" leaders have for staying in the pulpit even after some of their most reprehensible acts have come to light.
James 3:1 "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment."
Have these men and women not read this scripture? Doubtless that they have not only read it but probably preached it as well. What is the motivation to continue to "act" as God's mouthpiece when clearly they do not act like God's mouthpiece?
For many of these "fallen" and openly flawed leaders, what motivates them to stay behind the pulpit is not the Spirit of God but their own spirit of pride. Egotistical men and women believe they can get up and put on a show and as long as the people are pleased, then their work is done. Why is it that the people's physical desire to be "tickled" is put above their spiritual well being? You cannot be the example if you are the problem. It's as simple as that. But many would rather be viewed as "something" in man's eyes versus God's eyes. Self-gratification and pride motivates many to continue to deceive and lie directly from the pulpit! When they fall, it should not surprise anyone. The bible says in Proverbs 16:18 that pride precedes destruction and a haughty spirit precedes a great fall.
As preachers, if anyone is to display a spirit of repentance and live a life dedicated to God, it should be us! Please stop using David as an example because although David sinned, David was also repentant and wanted change! Let us use Christ Jesus as our example. He lived among us, became one of us yet remained sinless (See Hebrews Chapters 1-4). Preachers that struggle with homosexuality use the crutch "well, I was born this way". I am singling this out because it has become prevalent in light of the recent events at two prominent Atlanta churches. That is a cop-out. We ARE ALL BORN SINFUL!
Psalm 51:5 "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me."
Societal norms place gradations and levels on sin but in God's sight it is all sin. If you are fighting to deal with sin, deal with it through Christ. Don't cover it up and don't profess to be something that you are not. If you are in the kingdom of God, your life should reflect a constant and ongoing transformation that is brought on by the action of the Holy Ghost! That is why is so important to submit to the Holy Ghost and not to grieve the Holy Ghost. The bible says that the Holy Ghost will guide us into ALL truth. If you are not headed into truth, then you are not being led by the Spirit of God.
If we (professed Christians) have died to sin then we are made alive in Christ. We who say that we love the Lord should live a life that is reflective of that love. We do not blatantly disobey God if we love God. We don't live a life that is sinful and unrepentant if we love God. Do we still sin, yes we do but the one who is sold out to Christ is truly repentant. We live in a state of constant repentance because we also live in a state of constant sin. We cannot do anything about it because by nature we are sinful. It dwells within us according to Romans 7. But we do have an out in Christ. When you live for Christ, you do not indulge those fleshly desires!
Galatians 5:16,17 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please."
We are told that there is a war is going on in our members. If we are aware of this, we must also be aware that there is only ONE way to win this war. CHRIST JESUS!
Romans 7:24,25 "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”
Am I saying that struggling with sin disqualifies you from being a person of the cloth? No. Struggling is one thing but succumbing to sin is where the problem lies. If you have not been set free, seek the Lord. If you are so deep in darkness that you cannot see the light of day, seek the Lord. If you KNOW that what you are doing will have a detrimental effect on your parishioners but you continue doing it then you are putting yourself in danger of judgment. Ezekiel talks extensively about shepherds that prey on their own sheep. Please step away from the microphone, seek God and repent. Don't let your ego send you to hell with other people's blood on your hands.
Sadly, the antithesis of the point made above is that there is a crisis in Christian leadership. There are legitimate reasons for folks to be skeptical of preachers. It is nothing new. Scandal has rocked the Christian world long before many of us were born. The Jimmy Swaggarts and the Jim Bakers are not new. Wikipedia has a list of defamed pastors that includes their indiscretions. For every one that you see on television on "Inside Edition" there are a hundred more that we do not see. Many are so brazen that they have adopted a "grace covers all" attitude. Paul specifically says in Romans 6:1 "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?" His answer is an emphatic NO!
We live in an era where openly gay men and women are elected to HIGH church offices. We live in an era where pedophiles are pastors. Whoremongers are pastors. Idolators are pastors. Drug addicts are pastors. Liars and deceivers are pastors. Adulterers are pastors. But the bible clearly says in Romans 1 that these "types" shall not inherit the kingdom of God!
Titus 1:7-9 "For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict."
The operative phrase here is "above reproach"! No one should be able to attack our character! Rumors should quickly dissipate because folks that know you know that "you aren't like that." No charge that someone brings against us should be able to stick, not because we are invincible or perfect but because we didn't do it! Reproach should be used here in biblical terms. Therefore our life and scripture MUST line up. Our doctrine and what we preach must line up with scripture.
Am I saying that preachers are perfect? Absolutely not. Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. Am I saying that preachers do not sin? Absolutely not. We all sin. We sin daily in some combination of word, thought and/or deed. Am I saying that these men and women are above God's law? Absolutely not. What I am searching for is the motivation that many of these "broken" and "fallen" leaders have for staying in the pulpit even after some of their most reprehensible acts have come to light.
James 3:1 "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment."
Have these men and women not read this scripture? Doubtless that they have not only read it but probably preached it as well. What is the motivation to continue to "act" as God's mouthpiece when clearly they do not act like God's mouthpiece?
For many of these "fallen" and openly flawed leaders, what motivates them to stay behind the pulpit is not the Spirit of God but their own spirit of pride. Egotistical men and women believe they can get up and put on a show and as long as the people are pleased, then their work is done. Why is it that the people's physical desire to be "tickled" is put above their spiritual well being? You cannot be the example if you are the problem. It's as simple as that. But many would rather be viewed as "something" in man's eyes versus God's eyes. Self-gratification and pride motivates many to continue to deceive and lie directly from the pulpit! When they fall, it should not surprise anyone. The bible says in Proverbs 16:18 that pride precedes destruction and a haughty spirit precedes a great fall.
As preachers, if anyone is to display a spirit of repentance and live a life dedicated to God, it should be us! Please stop using David as an example because although David sinned, David was also repentant and wanted change! Let us use Christ Jesus as our example. He lived among us, became one of us yet remained sinless (See Hebrews Chapters 1-4). Preachers that struggle with homosexuality use the crutch "well, I was born this way". I am singling this out because it has become prevalent in light of the recent events at two prominent Atlanta churches. That is a cop-out. We ARE ALL BORN SINFUL!
Psalm 51:5 "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me."
Societal norms place gradations and levels on sin but in God's sight it is all sin. If you are fighting to deal with sin, deal with it through Christ. Don't cover it up and don't profess to be something that you are not. If you are in the kingdom of God, your life should reflect a constant and ongoing transformation that is brought on by the action of the Holy Ghost! That is why is so important to submit to the Holy Ghost and not to grieve the Holy Ghost. The bible says that the Holy Ghost will guide us into ALL truth. If you are not headed into truth, then you are not being led by the Spirit of God.
If we (professed Christians) have died to sin then we are made alive in Christ. We who say that we love the Lord should live a life that is reflective of that love. We do not blatantly disobey God if we love God. We don't live a life that is sinful and unrepentant if we love God. Do we still sin, yes we do but the one who is sold out to Christ is truly repentant. We live in a state of constant repentance because we also live in a state of constant sin. We cannot do anything about it because by nature we are sinful. It dwells within us according to Romans 7. But we do have an out in Christ. When you live for Christ, you do not indulge those fleshly desires!
Galatians 5:16,17 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please."
We are told that there is a war is going on in our members. If we are aware of this, we must also be aware that there is only ONE way to win this war. CHRIST JESUS!
Romans 7:24,25 "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”
Am I saying that struggling with sin disqualifies you from being a person of the cloth? No. Struggling is one thing but succumbing to sin is where the problem lies. If you have not been set free, seek the Lord. If you are so deep in darkness that you cannot see the light of day, seek the Lord. If you KNOW that what you are doing will have a detrimental effect on your parishioners but you continue doing it then you are putting yourself in danger of judgment. Ezekiel talks extensively about shepherds that prey on their own sheep. Please step away from the microphone, seek God and repent. Don't let your ego send you to hell with other people's blood on your hands.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Never Satisfied
Luke 7:32-35 “To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? 32“They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’ 33“For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ 34“The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35“Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”
Man is a fickle creature. We have many frailties and many issues that we deal with. Sometimes I wonder if we can EVER be satisfied. Here, Jesus is dealing with the Jews and he has just testified concerning John the Baptist. Jesus addressed the crowd, many of whom had rejected the baptism of repentance by John. The bible says in John 2:24 that Jesus knows what is in the heart of man. Here in this particular passage, Jesus knew exactly what was in these peoples’ hearts. He knew that they could never be satisfied. Whenever we are led by our own desires and not by the Spirit of God, we will never be satisfied. The bible says in Proverbs 27:20 that there are three things that are NEVER satisfied…Sheol (the grave) and Abaddon (the pit of destruction) AND the eyes of man (emphasis added).
The Jews judged John the Baptist as having a demon, whereas Christ said that there was not a man born of woman that was greater than John. Then, Christ comes and they call him a drunkard and criticize the people that he associated with…and He was God in the flesh! He refers to himself here as the Son of Man, a clear reference to the title used in the book of Daniel of the Messiah.
Jesus proceeds to call these people out for who they were. They acted exactly like he said…like little children; Children that were never satisfied. You didn’t dance when we played the flute for you. You did cry when we sang a dirge for you. This metaphor was used to illustrate immaturity at its highest. In this case, their immaturity cost them a chance at eternal life. We can gather from the text that these comments were directed at the Pharisees that refused baptism.
Let us bring this up to 2011. In the current political climate, we have the birthers, the Tea Party, the GOP, Focus on the Family…etc. You name the issue and there is a group out there to promote it. It seems that President Obama has brought out the worst in all of the conservative political action groups. The GOP wants him shining shoes. The anti-abortionists want him to camp out in front of abortion clinics. The Tea Party wants him to cut their taxes and raise everyone else’s. And then there are the “birthers”. These are the ones that are vehemently opposed to the President not because of some egregious offense but because they don’t “believe” that he is an American citizen. They claim that the birth certificate that he presented was invalid because it was a “short form”. They have been clamoring since he got elected. Donald Trump (the hairless wonder) has recently infused energy into their cause and brought the issue of the birth certificate back to the forefront.
In the midst of the furor, Mr. Obama has now produced and authentic, full and official version of his birth certificate. His birth certificate came directly from the State of Hawaii Department of Health. How much more proof can he provide? Obviously, he hasn’t satisfied those that cried in the marketplace because there has been even more backlash over this. Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck have charged that Mr. Obama is using this as a diversion from the bleak report from Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve. Others, according to Lynn (the Boss around these parts), are now questioning his educational credentials. How much can this brother do to prove his authenticity?
Let’s be clear, I am not comparing Obama to Jesus. He’s far from a savior or a Messiah. However, the analogy that Jesus used for His naysayers fits perfectly here for Mr. Obama’s naysayers. They are simply never satisfied. If they play and he dances, then they will find a reason to complain and say his dancing too ethnic. There will even be a contingent of African-Americans that will say that he’s not dancing ethnic enough. If they play a dirge and he weeps, they will claim that he’s soft and cannot lead in times of trouble. If he doesn’t weep at their little squeaking violin song, they will say he is insensitive and can’t possibly be fit to lead a nation. I think it is safe to say that those who oppose the President will never be satisfied.
Jesus made a great statement to close out his rebuke of those that were opposed to believing and being baptized. Jesus said in verse 35 “Yet, wisdom is vindicated by her children”. What Jesus was saying here is that whatever wisdom produces will be validated by said wisdom. The “offspring” of wisdom causes wisdom (i.e. the application of wisdom) to be vindicated or proven correct. God, in his infinite wisdom, saw fit to send John ahead of Jesus to be a herald to the Messiah. He also saw fit, in his infinite wisdom to send the Christ to redeem us from the power and penalty of sin. Regardless of what anyone said, whether or not they believed…God’s wisdom was vindicated. Jesus overcame death, he overcame the grave and he made a public spectacle of Satan (Colossians 2:15) on the Cross. It seems oxymoronic that His death could lead to triumph but His death was exactly what God desired and required to redeem sinful man. God was satisfied with the atoning sacrifice of Christ. Thank God that He is not like man. Christ satisfied his wrath and we can all be grateful for that!
If the statement that Christ made is true, and we know that it is, we can draw a logical conclusion that Widsom’s evil twin sister, Folly is also vindicated by her children. Right now, the children of Folly are up in arms because we have a Black president that did not make his way in the world through affirmative action or handouts- but by hard work and by the grace of God. The children of Folly make blind claims about a birth certificate, question the educational acumen of a man that was president of the Harvard Law Review and run to Fox (Faux) News if the president passes gas upwind instead of downwind.
If we could get some of these politicians and wanna-be activists to be satisfied and learn to be content as Paul spoke of (Phillipians 4), we could probably get something accomplished on Capitol Hill. If we had people with the mind and humility of Christ, the nation would not be in this pickle that we are in currently. As it stands though, those that cry the loudest are also the ones that can and will not be satisfied…that is, until someone the same color as they are takes Mr. Obama’s place in the Oval Office.
Man is a fickle creature. We have many frailties and many issues that we deal with. Sometimes I wonder if we can EVER be satisfied. Here, Jesus is dealing with the Jews and he has just testified concerning John the Baptist. Jesus addressed the crowd, many of whom had rejected the baptism of repentance by John. The bible says in John 2:24 that Jesus knows what is in the heart of man. Here in this particular passage, Jesus knew exactly what was in these peoples’ hearts. He knew that they could never be satisfied. Whenever we are led by our own desires and not by the Spirit of God, we will never be satisfied. The bible says in Proverbs 27:20 that there are three things that are NEVER satisfied…Sheol (the grave) and Abaddon (the pit of destruction) AND the eyes of man (emphasis added).
The Jews judged John the Baptist as having a demon, whereas Christ said that there was not a man born of woman that was greater than John. Then, Christ comes and they call him a drunkard and criticize the people that he associated with…and He was God in the flesh! He refers to himself here as the Son of Man, a clear reference to the title used in the book of Daniel of the Messiah.
Jesus proceeds to call these people out for who they were. They acted exactly like he said…like little children; Children that were never satisfied. You didn’t dance when we played the flute for you. You did cry when we sang a dirge for you. This metaphor was used to illustrate immaturity at its highest. In this case, their immaturity cost them a chance at eternal life. We can gather from the text that these comments were directed at the Pharisees that refused baptism.
Let us bring this up to 2011. In the current political climate, we have the birthers, the Tea Party, the GOP, Focus on the Family…etc. You name the issue and there is a group out there to promote it. It seems that President Obama has brought out the worst in all of the conservative political action groups. The GOP wants him shining shoes. The anti-abortionists want him to camp out in front of abortion clinics. The Tea Party wants him to cut their taxes and raise everyone else’s. And then there are the “birthers”. These are the ones that are vehemently opposed to the President not because of some egregious offense but because they don’t “believe” that he is an American citizen. They claim that the birth certificate that he presented was invalid because it was a “short form”. They have been clamoring since he got elected. Donald Trump (the hairless wonder) has recently infused energy into their cause and brought the issue of the birth certificate back to the forefront.
In the midst of the furor, Mr. Obama has now produced and authentic, full and official version of his birth certificate. His birth certificate came directly from the State of Hawaii Department of Health. How much more proof can he provide? Obviously, he hasn’t satisfied those that cried in the marketplace because there has been even more backlash over this. Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck have charged that Mr. Obama is using this as a diversion from the bleak report from Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve. Others, according to Lynn (the Boss around these parts), are now questioning his educational credentials. How much can this brother do to prove his authenticity?
Let’s be clear, I am not comparing Obama to Jesus. He’s far from a savior or a Messiah. However, the analogy that Jesus used for His naysayers fits perfectly here for Mr. Obama’s naysayers. They are simply never satisfied. If they play and he dances, then they will find a reason to complain and say his dancing too ethnic. There will even be a contingent of African-Americans that will say that he’s not dancing ethnic enough. If they play a dirge and he weeps, they will claim that he’s soft and cannot lead in times of trouble. If he doesn’t weep at their little squeaking violin song, they will say he is insensitive and can’t possibly be fit to lead a nation. I think it is safe to say that those who oppose the President will never be satisfied.
Jesus made a great statement to close out his rebuke of those that were opposed to believing and being baptized. Jesus said in verse 35 “Yet, wisdom is vindicated by her children”. What Jesus was saying here is that whatever wisdom produces will be validated by said wisdom. The “offspring” of wisdom causes wisdom (i.e. the application of wisdom) to be vindicated or proven correct. God, in his infinite wisdom, saw fit to send John ahead of Jesus to be a herald to the Messiah. He also saw fit, in his infinite wisdom to send the Christ to redeem us from the power and penalty of sin. Regardless of what anyone said, whether or not they believed…God’s wisdom was vindicated. Jesus overcame death, he overcame the grave and he made a public spectacle of Satan (Colossians 2:15) on the Cross. It seems oxymoronic that His death could lead to triumph but His death was exactly what God desired and required to redeem sinful man. God was satisfied with the atoning sacrifice of Christ. Thank God that He is not like man. Christ satisfied his wrath and we can all be grateful for that!
If the statement that Christ made is true, and we know that it is, we can draw a logical conclusion that Widsom’s evil twin sister, Folly is also vindicated by her children. Right now, the children of Folly are up in arms because we have a Black president that did not make his way in the world through affirmative action or handouts- but by hard work and by the grace of God. The children of Folly make blind claims about a birth certificate, question the educational acumen of a man that was president of the Harvard Law Review and run to Fox (Faux) News if the president passes gas upwind instead of downwind.
If we could get some of these politicians and wanna-be activists to be satisfied and learn to be content as Paul spoke of (Phillipians 4), we could probably get something accomplished on Capitol Hill. If we had people with the mind and humility of Christ, the nation would not be in this pickle that we are in currently. As it stands though, those that cry the loudest are also the ones that can and will not be satisfied…that is, until someone the same color as they are takes Mr. Obama’s place in the Oval Office.
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