Random Thoughts of A Testimony.

A post circulated on the social media told the story of a little girl witnessing her father killing her mother then turning the gun on himself, as she sits behind the couch crying.  The police came and took the little to a new family member, afterward, she went to her first Sunday School at church.  She walks into the building and saw a picture of Jesus on the cross. In Sunday School, the little girl ask the teacher, "how did that man get off the cross?"  The teacher replied, "He never did."  The little girl argued, "Yes he did.  Because the night that my mommy and daddy died, he sat next to me behind the couch telling me everything was going to be alright. 

A simple story posted on the social media can provide many of us with a deeper understanding of God's love and how it is manifested towards us.  That same story also provided fuel for the detractors, who responded with, "if Jesus was present when the little girl lost her mother and father, why didn't he stop the killing?" The indoctrination of Christianity has digressed from the days of John the Baptist, Peter, and Paul to the days of Moses and the Children of Israel. This was a time when God actively fought for his chosen people.  Failure to understand ages and dispensations of the Holy Scripture have tainted our ability to interpret or understand the Word of God.  How often do we pray for peace in the world, when Jesus said, "there will be wars and rumors of wars" (Mark 13:7).  We are comfortable with the ideology that contrary to what is taking place all around us, God is just standing by to make things come out right regardless of what we do.  When the drunk driver causes an accident that kills an entire family, we are tempted to ask, Where was God?"

It's about the sellability of God and the attraction of follower.  It becomes easy when God is presented as a lawyer in a courtroom or a doctor in a sick room. The use of certain phrases in a sermon or message can bring an assembly to and emotional climax that is defined as the spirit of God.  If God were presented as a God who was standing by while the storm or chaos erupted around us, church attendance and the offering take would suffer. To facilitate the feel good moments we have prophets, preachers and  ministers offering healings and financial blessings.  Too many sermons of today are motivational messages that have little to do with salvation or the Kingdom of God.  Emphasis is placed upon living in God's favor which is defined as worldly richness and glory.  Going to church is the place to go looking for the blessing.  Is going to church nowaday akin to going to a football game or night club, where the word "party" or "touchdown"  is our cue to 'just let go'? 

When sickness, death or the fear death invades our structured  world we tend to draw closer to God through prayer.  We do not hesitate to invoke the healing virtues of God or even rebuke the hand of death.  Yet, it does  not seem to matter how much we try even the most righteous among us are touched by sickness and death.  Miracles and blessing are our mainstays and they are the drawing force behind a successful assembly.  We cannot entertain the question of what God is not doing because we have the scriptures to support our belief of what he is doing or promise to do.  James 5:14-15  Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Did we overlook or miss something in the translation and interpretation?

When I was informed of a needed surgical procedure and the level of expected success for the given procedure, I turned to prayer as my source of support.  I entreated those whom I felt was close to God to join me in prayer.  Leading up to the surgery my faith grew stronger and stronger as I began to believe that God was going to touch and heal me.   Durning many of my prayer sessions I even tried to visualize the finger of God  touching me.  Test after test showed a deterioration in my status and the day of my surgery drew near.  As the spirit of desperation began to set in I began to cry out to God, begging him to just speak to me.  My prayers turned from "Lord heal me" to "Lord speak to me".  In the midst of my crying, in the midst of my tears, God was silent.  The silence of God was something I was not prepared for,  after hearing so many others testify of how God spoke to them.  Yet, in my condition, I am praying but why is God not talking to me?  

We are often condemned by sickness or diseases entering our body.  This teaching is based upon a pronouncement made unto the children of Israel. Exodus 15:26  And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt gives ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.   When we combine that with 2 Chronicles 7:14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.  Thus, we have the scenario of a righteous people praying, free of sickness living in a land that flowing with milk and honey, (figuratively speaking).  Condemnation and confusion abound when we take verses out of their context, presenting them as complete thoughts, without regard to who is talking, what is being address and who is being spoken to.  

Late one night, in the midst of my pain and suffering, whether it was real or in my mind, I know not, I saw Jesus sitting at my bedside, I think he was smiling, but he was silent.  Awaking from my vision or dream, I understood the words of David.  Psalms 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  On the morning of my surgery, while the nurses prepped me for my procedure, I closed my eyes and reflected not on what I wanted God to do, but being a part of the Kingdom of God.  The prick of the needle in my arm caused me to open my eyes.  To my right where the nurse was standing I saw a representation of a metaphysical being (colorless) that I shall refer to as the Christ sitting beside my bed silently watching, but smiling. The nurse said, now I want you to count backward from one hundred.  

Believing once was simple, we believed because we were taught to believe. It was not a question of what we could prove.  The knowledge of good and evil is powerful and dangerous. It is the thirst for this knowledge that led Eve and Adam down the road of disobedient.    Why do I believe in the God of the Hebrew Bible?  Even stating the question in that manner may not be explicit enough.  There are those who proclaim that there are many gods, but the Holy Bible proclaim that there is only one God. The question would be appropriate, I suppose if I asked, why do we believe as we do?  In Bible study groups we are encouraged to get into the Word and study.  I pose the question, is this enough to foster a firm belief in God.  If our belief is fostered thru Indoctrination, then our belief will often suffer when the method of indoctrination is exposed to the light of day.   How often do we encounter Bible teachers that teach a different ideology or concept of the scripture than the one we have been exposed to? 

How many times in bible study or a sermon have you been asked a rhetorical question and even after focusing on the correct answer, a type of questioning still existed?  You were like the disciple Thomas, you were a follower, but there were questions you needed answers to (John 20:24-29).   John 20:25  The other disciples, therefore, said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.  Cliches and soundbite were not enough to quell his inquisitive spirit. What Thomas needed was a personal contact with the Christ.   The purpose of the assembly, the purpose of the Word of God should lead one to a personal contact, not a type of relationship where you do what I say and everything will be all right.  

In a church service designed to  teach the believability in God, a selected list of questions were asked.   How many of you believe that God can do anything but fail?  Do you believe God Can put money in your bank account? Do you believe that God can give you a brand new car?  In a group setting, the self-adulation that follows is faith building to some, but a stumbling block to many.   Often, to entice the crowd to follow, miracles and blessing are  often promised.  It becomes a simple pronouncement, God is going to do these things for you, all you got to do is believe.   Here again, the predicament of Thomas manifest itself and is there one to guide us

My first encounter with the Christ, whether I was in the body or out I don't know, but it is my belief that I was out of the body.   The events that took place is referred by me in my writings as, "Two Hours at The Gates of Hell."  In that encounter, I learned of the separation of the three entities of man, the soul, the spirit and the body.   When the spirit and soul depart the body, the body dies, once the body dies the spirit is next, but the soul never dies.   the true meaning of Mercy in the face of Judgement.

It's Christmas

Yes, it is the Christmas season, a season that will be celebrated by the buying and giving of gifts.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday will resound through the land,  yet many are succumbing to the politically correct ideology of suppressing the use of the word Christmas.    Still, many of us who will look upon this season with a type of sadness because of the celebration that is going on around us tends to amplify our loneliness.  Between the shopping, the gift giving, and the acclamation of merry and happy, the true meaning of the season seems to have been cast aside.   Christmas once was and should be a celebration of The Christ  child's birth and his gift to us, a plan whereby we all can become a part of his kingdom.   The three wise men travel from afar to join in the celebration of his birth along with the Holy Angels.  Their bringing of gifts and worshiping the Holy Child should be an inclination and establishment of guidelines to celebrate the birth of our Savior. 

The sorrow that emulate throughout the land during this Christmas season is somewhat amplified by the transforming of the Word of God into a Gospel supportive of a worldly economy rather than a spiritual inheritance.  This presentation is beginning to lose it luster with the emerging generation, as men of skill  seek to maintain its hold on its indoctrinated core.  The true Christian rhetoric is becoming unpopular as each facet of the Christian experience  is reshaped and redefined to merge into a politically correct society.  This type of shaping of the Gospel has turned many congregations into a Laodicea cesspool. The ancient values that once defined Christianity today are easily discarded   as foreign and untested ideologies are adopted.   The interpretation of the Word of God is often left to the whim of the charlatan priest whose honorariums rival that of the Christ, and their motive and objective is suspect at best.

As our knowledge of good and evil increases, we are no longer comfortable with a passive God.  A passive God would seem so out of place as we engage in our daily affairs.  Our Christian journey has become like driving down a segment of a highway looking for the road crew, maybe we should be comfortable with the work that has already been done.  We are constantly searching for and begging for that extraordinary gift from God.   It is not what we have got from God, but what we want from God that has become the focus of our attention.  Imagine telling God, "Father, you have done enough for me, now I just want to see how much I can do for you."  Rather, we are encouraged to stand in line with uplifted hands pleading for the earthly blessing while the fruit of the spirit goes lacking. 

Christmas is a season celebrated by giving,  It is also a season when those who cannot afford to give suffer from severe depression and their self-worth is called into question.  Many Christmas gifts are judged by the price tag, and their acceptance or rejection is based upon the cost of the gift received.  Again, consider the three wise men, they came to the Christ child bearing gifts, not looking for gifts.  There is no hesitation in thanking God, but it usually it when we assume that we have received a special favor from God. 

Christmas is a time for family.  Christmas not only brings out the best in many of us, it also brings out the worst in some. Strained relationships are often left strained or strained even further.  Families that often consist of a high number of ministers will use the Word of God to divide the families even further. Durning the Christmas season the crime rate within the family has been known to increase.  Families are reminded of the distance that they are separated emotionally and physically, this realization has been known to cause un-reversal trauma.   Yet, Christmas should be at time for healing of the family, the community, and the church.

Christmas is a time of confusion. Some claim it is a pagan holiday and should not be celebrated by Christians.   Every aspect of the celebration is subjected to intense scrutiny. The date, the yule log to the Christmas tree, the stigma of Paganism is attached.   Yet, in an apostate and politically correct society the commercialization of gift giving get a free pass. For the first 300 years of Christianity Christmas was not celebrated on December 25.  Western Christians first celebrated Christmas on December 25 in 336, after Emperor Constantine had declared Christianity the empire's favored religion.  Eastern churches, however, held on to January 6 as the date for Christ's birthday and Baptism.  From that time forward Christian churches throughout the world began to define how they would celebrate the birth of Christ.  

Because of the Roman association with December 25 celebration, pagan customs became associated with Christmas. Christian stories replaced the heathen tales, but the practices hung on. Candles continued to be lit. Kissing under the mistletoe remained common in Scandinavian countries. But over the years, gift exchanges became connected with the name of St. Nicholas, a real but legendary figure of 4th century Lycia (a province of Asia). A charitable man, he threw gifts into homes.  Thus evolved the legion of Santa Claus until modern day Christians decided that the spirit of Santa was a lie because it was not mentioned in the Bible.   A point of confusion always emerge from this type of rationalizing, try as I may I find no reference to computers in the Holy Scripture. 

Durning this Holiday or Christmas season, (the use of both words was used on purpose.) there is an endless stream of messages in the media proclaiming the evils of Christmas.  In a diverse society, we are attempting to lay aside the things that separate our religion from the others.   The sacred entities of the Holy Scripture now longer hold a special place in our society, as each aspect of Christianity is questioned by its detractors.  As knowledge increases the fear of God decreased.  Santa Claus head long ago has been placed on the chopping block, but his tattered body was never laid to rest. It seems as if there are those who are craving for attention will forever drag his limp lifeless body through the streets as no God-fearing Christian would dare teach, "Santa Claus is coming." The desecration of the spiritual aspect of Santa Claus paved the way for a modernist society to bring the spiritual aspects of the son of God to the same chopping block.   Now some are beginning to wonder why the message of Christ, Christmas and Christianity continue to change, and the more we improve on the message our believability suffers.  

Abusing The Role of Leadership Part #4 of 4

Leadership Within The Church

The mantle of leadership, synonymous with a role, burden, onus, duty, and responsibility is a prized possession.  Elisha was desirous  of Elijah's mantle. When Elijah was translated leaving his mantle behind, he claimed the mantle and the powers he assumed it possessed.  The title or mantle of leadership are sought after by some, created by some, and to other it is simply awarded.  Whether performing on the world stage, operating within the home or community, many are often cast in the role as a leader.  Often, the direction of which the leaders is leading is never called into question as long as they operate within the spectrum of our ideology of what a leader should be.  The emergence of leaders take many different forms, some are created, some are appointed and some simply step forward without citations and proclaim,  "I am your leader."  Most of us are comfortable operating within a recluse state while many yearn for the ovulation of the crowd, the bright lights of fame and stardom that comes with being a leader.  An interesting side note, God called and ordained Moses as a leader, still there were those who defied his leadership role and those who sought to usurped his role. 

In the leadership role within the church, "Follow me as I follow Christ", once was the only citation needed as men and women sought to emulate the role of a Sheppard, a follower of Christ.  The pride of power has emerged and corrupted the leadership role within the nation, the states, the community, the home, the schools, and church.  The power to act because we can, the same as the power derived from a gun is intoxicating.  Now, as a writer I have done the unthinkable, I have cast an association between power and leadership.  Is power a necessary element of leadership?  As a Christian I am not speaking of power over demons, I am addressing the power exercised over the sheep of God's pasture.  

It is hard to escape the grim pronunciations within the scripture, Isaiah 9:16  For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.  Matthew 15:14  Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.  Revelation 2:5  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. Revelation 2:14  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

Based upon the letters from Jesus to his church, the church should serve as the cornerstone of His ministry.  Yet, the church has embarked upon a journey that has become obsessed with pomp, power, leaders, idolatry, contradictions and the messages have become emerging paradoxes and cute cliches that are not scripturally supported. Mark 9:50  Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.This is not a personal condemnation, rather it is a condemnation issued by Jesus and reaffirmed in Revelation chapter 1-3.  Jesus final message to the church of the Laodiceans was a message of disdain.  At the close of his letter, the message  was no longer addressed to the church but to the individual (He). Revelation 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  This is no longer a message to an assembly by to an individual. 

At the close of this series, the question still remain, how do we reconcile the passionate speech made by Jesus to Peter concerning the church and his disdain for the leadership roles within the church revealed to John?  Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Revelation 3:15-16  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. If we were to try to reconcile the differences between Jesus statement to Peter and his revelation to John, there would be  a time period and the fulfillment of a prophecy that we are not prepared to accept.  I urge you to ponder that statement as you search for the answer.

Jesus addressed this problem in the much-overlooked letters to the church. Revelation 2:18-19, And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira writes; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;  I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. The seven letters to the seven churches are representative  churches, indicated by the use of the number seven, God's number of completion.  The seven messages are divided into two groups.  The first three churches make up one group, and the last four describe the Church minutely until the Rapture take place.   The church at Thyatira represent the years between 500 and 1500 A.D. 

The first division within Christendom came in 1054 with what is called the "Great Schism" between the Western Church and the Eastern Church. From that point forward, there were two large branches of Christianity, which came to be known as the Catholic Church (in the West) and the Orthodox Church (in the East). The root cause of this split was a power play, men were at odds over who should rule over the huge and increasing number of believers.  Prior to that time leading up to that infamous date the church had existed as a unified body. Once this split was introduced into the body, the church became a divided and weak body.  Splits or "Schism" became a way of building churches and establishing power bases.

The message to the assembly at Thyatira presents the hopeless, corrupt condition of the local assembly, a condition which the local cannot and will not emerge, a condition that is incapable of being improved.  The message here is to be distinguished from the three previous messages in that here corrupt teachers are permitted to teach corruption, and children are born, her children, the children of the splits, the children of wicked, adulterous, murderous Jezebel. What a terrible commentary on the local assembly.  


Another thing to be noted here is that a remnant is recognized and addressed separately; Revelation 2:24  But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. Could it be that this remnant is not a part of that existing church, but is a part of that group referenced by John in Revelation 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  This group is said to have gone through great tribulation.  Many bible students proclaim that the true church will not go through the great tribulation.  This is a question that many of us are struggling to find and acceptable answer.  Here again, there is a need to ponder or study this.

In the days leading up to 1054AD, the church was a place where the members of the body of Christ would assemble and offered their support to each other.  A real spirit of discernment allowed them to see the needs of their brothers and sisters.  The words of consultation were not, "God is going to work this out", but rather, "I see your need, I see your pain, what can I do to help?". After that infamous date in the history of Christian ministry, the professed body has become obsessed with the pomp and circumstance, the power, the programs, the money raising, the building of beautiful church and honoring the pastor. Where is that ministry that focuses of the sick, the aged, the dying and the poor?  In Matthew 25:40 Jesus said, "...Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch, as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye, have done it unto me".  

What is it that suppose to set the assembly of the bride of Christ apart from the Rock concert or even the football game?  In each event, is it not true, we pay our money to be entertained. We may be in a position where we cannot fully understand the words of the song or the message, we may not be able to see the play made by our team, yet we are entertained.  Our level of entertainment is not based entirely upon the words of the song or whether our team win or loose, these are merely props used to heighten our level of entertainment.  We create heroes, stars, and leaders, and we are comfortable with paying them enormous sums of money and entrusting them with our entertainment.  Thus, worship service has evolved into a form of entertainment where we assemble to be entertained by paid performers. 
    
Jesus set the perfect example of Christian ministry when a massive crowd followed him into the desert.  There is nothing in the narrative that support The disciple passing the plate asking the people to sow into the budding ministry of Christ.  After he had preached to them the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, he became concern about their natural condition.  He said to his disciples, "...Give ye them to eat...", Luke 9:13.  As a servant of the people whom he often portrayed himself as, he fed the multitude both natural and spiritually.  There were no thousand dollar plates either, they all sat down and ate together.  As the Son of God wouldn't it have been more appropriate to say, "Sow a seed and your heavenly Father will bless you."

Messengers of today use the airways and canvas churches  drawing out those who are disenchanted, offering them a worldly gospel filled with promises of blessings, miracles, and prosperities, many are quick to follow.   Imagine the followers Jesus could have amassed if he had promised a fish and bread on every table.  

There is a problem emulating from the household of faith.  To see this problem one must be willing to remove the blinders from their eyes, look beyond their indoctrinated belief and gaze at the problem. Questions must be asked and answers must be sought after.  There is a generation under-represented in the organized church.  Why is this growing phenomenal casting a pale light on the Word of God.  Why are our leaders reshaping the Word of God to conform to the apostate condition of the world?  Why are we promised money in the social media if we type "Amen"?  Why is the name of God and his works trivialized by our so called leaders?  Why has the promise of financial blessing overshadowed the promise of spiritual blessing?  Thes are questions that we should seek to answer. 

There is a difference between giving expecting to receive a reward from God in exchange for you gift.  or man.  Giving should be an outpouring of our heart and resources without any expectation of reward, simply because it is ordained by God.  A relationship with God is not about sowing seeds.  Matthew 13:37-38  He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom, but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

The Bear In The Woods

The pretext of a message posted on the social media said, "Don't pray for me...", evoked a sorted response from my readers that I am still searching for the proper response.  To set the stage for a message of pray during the Holiday season I alluded to a medical condition.  Many did not get past the first sentence thereby missing the entire message. Many messages are presented in this manner, even scripture messages.  A pretext is presented to grab your attention, then the message follows.  John 3:16 is a classic example.  

In a Bible study, the theme was John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  The primary focus of the lesson was the love of God. Based upon the supporting text this verse was not used to show Nicodemus that God loved him.  "For God so loved the world" is the pretext to a greater message, a message that proclaim "whosoever believeth in him should not perish".  The verses that proceed this verse and the verses that follow Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus the plan of salvation offered to those that believe and is born again. This very verse, often in a perverted fashion is separated from its supporting verses and is used to show God love me and he wants me to be happy. 

Understanding a message even biblical scripture is based upon perspective which guides our preception. Without the proper perspective which helps determines the context, we have Jesus advising a would-be follower, "let the dead bury the dead". or telling his disciples they must eat his flesh and drink his blood.  A conversation about being born again in order to enter the kingdom of God must remain in the context of the stated conversation.   Jesus did not speak in an incoherent or rambling manner.  If we fail to get the message then we should ask for clarification.

Perspective is fluid, the view of an object from a hilltop is different from a view of the same object in a valley.  Therefore, our perception is based upon our perspective.  Not long ago while walking in the woods, I took a picture of a peaceful wooded scene.   Uploading the picture to the internet, I caption it with, "Can you see the bear?"  There were those who saw the bear, there were those who said, I said, "I saw a bear".  Still, there existed two more extreme groups, one said, "there is no bear in the picture', and another group who insisted of organizing a bear hunt. 

A proper study of the scripture should always begin with a plea to "our father" to open up our understanding.  Care must be taken when we make this type of prayer, as often the Devil, a supernatural or metaphysical being,  possesses the capabilities of hearing our prayer and in many cases will be the first to answer. We must not become jaded in our Christian walk and  assume every revelation is of God. The Devil minics God.  Let's validate this assessment.  When Peter was in Jail the angel of the Lord came unto him, and a light shined in the prison (Acts 12:7).  This event did not escape the Devil's attention. 2nd Corinthians 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Knowing this Paul also warned in Ephesians 6:13, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."  The armor of God will allow us to test the spirits.  1st John 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.  If the message is a message of reconciliation, a message that brings together the household of faith, a  message that heals the wound of those who are suffering then, among other things, then we can be assured that is a message from God.

Too often the Word of God is used to create a division that is contrary to the teaching of Christ.  Mark 3:24  And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  Acts 23:7  And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.  1st Corinthians 1:13  Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?  Simple things have been used to cause a division in the household of faith, from the color of the carpet in the sanctuary to the transgression of a member or the pastor.  

The request posted, "do not pray for me" was not indicative of a state of mind where I felt that I did not need pray.  Neither did it infer that I doubted the power of God.  The statement was mearly a pretext to what I would consider a greater message.  It was an attemp to call attention to and dramatize  the pain and suffer that exist within homes, churches, and communities this holiday season.   There are family members who cannot get along with each other. There are church members who cannot get along with each other.  There are pastor's who preach messages of God's love but have fail to grasp the meaning of the love of God.   This condition, this ailment is reflective in our communities. This pain, this suffering, this persecution is not the type that we would describe as the world against Christianity. It is the type of pain and confusion that we as Christians inflict upon each other when we become so focus on following Christ, we are no longer concern or aware of the feeling of others.   

Yes, this holiday season I ask you to lay aside you request for prayer, begging God for all of his blessing.  Lay aside your gimmie disposition, see that old lady sitting at home alone.  Don't ask God to stop by and touch her, go by and touch her yourself.  See that brother or sister who is suffering a spirit of loneness, don't ask God to fix the problem, ask what can you do to help.  If God have bless you this holiday season, be a blessing to someone who is in need, not only this holiday season but through the year. If you are having trouble seeing, remember the Bear, we see what we want to see.

James 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Abusing The Role of Leadership Part #3 of 4

Revelation 3:15-19 New International Version (NIV)

15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.

Continuing in our series  of abusing the role of leadership, the prophet Isaiah saw this problem and spoke against it in Isaiah 9:16, "For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed."  Jesus referenced the problem, Matthew 15:14  "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."  John admonishes us, 1 John 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.  Where is that Christian element that is not afraid to stand up to these ambiguous claims of leadership and say, "enough is enough?" 

In a progressive society, our presidents, community and church leaders build shrines to emphasize their role as leaders, even parent build stately homes that will outlast them. Church leaders acquire impressive titles and build stately tabernacles and even plan for their succession.  What does this say concerning our vanity, our desire for recognition, our desire to stand out or our attachment with the things of this world?  Now we are forced to ask the question, what is the trapping of a great leader, a big house, money, a special car, or is it a desire to serve, to make a difference, to make the world a better place?  Was John the Baptist a great leader?  How many people today would follow a John the Baptist type fellow into the wilderness to hear him preach?  The Gospel John preached would be out of place in a setting where people flocked to be entertained and have their ego massaged. 

The promise of wealth and worldly pleasures, an entrapment or temptation presented to Jesus by the Devil is exciting and empowering to man.  Millions of people rush to assemblies to hear the Gospel of the Kingdom transformed by leaders into the Gospel of greed,  The Gospel of prosperity and the Gospel of entertainment.  We no longer come to church seeking to aid and assist our fellow man, we come to church looking for the blessing which is not scripture. We assembly like spoiled brats, adhering to the program, with uplifted hands, begging God for the blessing.  We are indoctrinated into a belief that God is sitting on the sidelines just waiting to bless us.  Collecting these make believe blessings have become a way of life to many.  Is this is what it all about? 

The book of Revelation, the book that contains the seven letters of Jesus to the seven representative churches is filled with insight and wisdom that is often overlooked.  The imagery and the symbology often overshadow the message as we justify our lack of knowledge by saying, "I just want to be ready when he come."  Revelation gives us a view of the church here on earth, the church in Heaven, and the final consummation  of things.  The problem with the book of Revelation is that it reveals things that we as humans are not prepared to accept. Revelation not only chronologize the history of the church, it reveals the flaws and problems of leadership among those who claim to be a part of the bride of Christ. 

The first step to the abuse of leadership roles begins with the ability to justify the sins that exist within us.  Justification can be through seeing and justifying or not able to see and justifying.  In the old testament, King David did a royal job of justifying his sin, thus abusing his role of leadership.   Abusing the role of leadership often result in one using the word of God to lift our self up, claiming that which do not belong to us and making promising in the name of God to obtain personal wealth and glory. Leadership in the vineyard of Christ should not be for personal gain, it should be about the saving of souls.  Jesus promised that our reward would be in heaven. Using the Word of God to indoctrinate believers into a profound level of gullibility, teaching them to become prey and making merchandise of them is forbidden by the Holy scripture.  2 Peter 2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. The selling of salvation, miracles and blessing were never ordained by Jesus Christ. 

The follows of Christ are often subjected to bondage in order to further the will of the so-called leaders.  Often times whether a person goes to church or not is based upon whether they have an offering or not.   Under the guise of praying for the givers, pastors will often stand at the offering table  watching to see who gave what, a type of applied bondage.  Paul in the book of   Galatians addresses the subject of applied bondage.   Galatians 2:4  And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:  Galatians 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?  Galatians 5:1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

At any given time, there is a vast array of ministers and prophets offering a smorgasbord of blessings.  To claim these blessings all you have to do is speak the word and ask for them.  Whether it's healing or money there are those who are prepared to tell you how to get what you want from God.  The fact that God is not moving in the direction that we are leading him does not figure into the equation.  A silent God is a factor that we cannot entertain, yet there are many times in the scripture where God was silent. The works of God is marginalized, trivialized and converted into cliques for the sake of gaining followers.  It is a well-known fact that followers translate into money and if you want to be blessed you have got to give money.  We are now promised financial blessings over the internet, all we have to do is type "Amen".  

Did Jesus, the Apostles or even Paul go about preaching a message of promised prosperity, or was the core message repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand?  In many church settings, the leaders are speaking of all of the wonderful that God is doing, how God wants us to be happy and prosperous.  Many leave these services in a mentality and financial quagmire that grew worst during the service.   Many times I have sat through beautiful messages designed to teach me how to get what I want from God.  The messages always centered around give more money and God will bless you.  There are many who are no longer believing these message, but like the emperor and his suit of new clothes, they are ashamed or afraid to admit it. 

In my lecturing, my travel and consultation, I am faced with a new and growing threat to the household of faith.  It is a problem that even I am not prepared to fully address. The pandering, the pampering and the new direction of many churches and church leaders have left many of their elderly constituents standing at the crossroad of despair and confusion.  The sadness of this is, these people have been made to question their faith in a time when they need it most.  But, as good soldiers they have learned to suffer in silence.  The beliefs, the things that they once held dear is being cast aside. The unfulfilled promises, the aches, and pains  of life even the financial insecurity of growing old is discombobulating to those who made the church an integral part of their life.  A 90 year old woman, after spending her life in the church, being preached and ministered to, looking out at a graveyard wondered out loud, "maybe this is all that it is."  She had planted seeds, paid her tithes, paid her dues, gave in offerings and honored her pastors, was this the measure of her salvation?   The ideology of Christians are rich in worldly goods and sinners are poor is a false illusion that is perpetuated by those who make merchandise of God's people.

The organizational structure of many organized churches has become oppressive in that it caters to the hierarchy of the organization rather than the needs of the local church, the need of the people or even the community.  The members are severely taxed and must make financial contributions to men, women, and organizations on a local, district, state and international level.  An elaborate pyramid scheme is enforced through indoctrinated procedures enforced through fear and intimidation.   Scriptures are cast about that strike fear into the heart of those who even think that their leader has erred.

Jesus said in Revelation 3:19, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent."

A Prayer Request For The Holiday

Do not pray for me.  Today as I head to the hospital for another batch of test and consultations, there is no heaviness within my heart.   Whether the news is good or bad is no longer a factor to me, I have long placed my fate in the hands of God and accepted the inevitable.   If cancer or diabetes does not take me out of the game  of life, then time or chance will surely prevail.  If you are taking the time to read this, I ask you this Holiday season to pray for the families  that are torn apart through hatred, false perceptions and lack of conversation. Pray for those who will be alone this holiday season, and pray for the church that have failed the mission of Christ.   Pray not for world peace, but pray that the love for Christ and the love of Christ will flow like water from the pulpit, throughout the church and into the community.