What amazes me about the Creflos and Eddies and the others is that they either are incapable of saying the word no, or refuse to use the word. 3 million is a lot of money. Why is it that we confuse the western version of Christianity, with Christianity world wide? Please tell me where in the Bible does it say “ get all you can while the getting is good because enough just isn’t enough? I thought Paul said that we are to be content in whatever state we find ourselves.
I find the greed of some preachers not only distasteful, but extremely dangerous. Why? Because they are able to take our focus off the things that really matter. I read an article on Charisma magazine’s website, that did the following
identified an issue
named the rationale, and in some ways touted a party line (political party line)
Offered no real rational solutions
I find that this is true of almost every defense our so called leaders offer. They deflect, and they obfuscate in hopes of people not having the attention span to really challenge, and hold them accountable.
It is ridiculous that in a city the size of Atlanta, there is a pastor who is paid more than a million dollars, drives around in a 125K automobile, and then has the nerve to say that he is all about ministry, meanwhile not that far from his church there is desparate poverty, huge drug use, and where he could be a voice he is noticablty silent, obviously careless, (he could care less about the people around him). And he blames the people around him who pay him for doing it all rather than taking personal responsibility and making a much needed change. 3 million dollars can purchase food for a lot of hungry children. It can supply healthcare for lots of children in Atlanta, not to mention provide housing to thousands of homeless. But is he thinking about them, I would dare say no! How do I know this, because if he were thinking about them, he would have done something by now!
It is sad but true, beneath the spires of hell itself there are demons who are giggling their tails off because we are too blind to see the truth that they work so hard to hide from us. And that truth is a simple one
*SALVATION IS NOT ALL ABOUT BEING SAVED SPIRITUALLY. IT IS ABOUT BEING SAVED IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE, INCLUDING PHYSICALLY. THE EARLY CHURCH GOT IT RIGHT, WHEN THEY ELIMINATED POVERTY AROUND THEM! CHECK OUT THE BOOK OF ACTS PEOPLE THEY DID IT! THEY ELIMINATED POVERTY, IT IS NOT A POLITICAL THING, IT IS NOT EVEN A RELIGIOUS THING. WE ARE CALLED TO DO MORE, AND SO LONG AS WE ARE BEING LED BY GREEDY MONEY GRUBBING PEOPLE WHO CARE LITTLE FOR THOSE OF US INSIDE THE CHURCH THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO PREACH PART OF THE TRUTH, AND LEAVE THE OTHER PARTS ALONE, WE ARE IN DIRE STRAITS
The pastor who wrote the series of Purpose Driven books actually got it right. He made millions, some estimates say tens of millions of dollars, on his books. Does he live on a mansion in the LA hills, did he buy himself a Benz or a Mabach, the answer is NO!!!
He gave that money to his church, even repaying the salary that he had been given for 20 years. He now pastors for free. And it did not stop there, he tithes 90% of what he makes and lives off of 10%. Now if he can do that, why then does Creflo, Eddie, Joyce, and the like have that issue, of feeling that enough just isn’t enough. He did not even buy a jet, he flies on commercial. I find that it is when we totally remove ourselves from the world we are called upon to touch, that we lose the focus of the mission that we are on. When we become afraid to get our hands dirty in the healing of not just the church, but the world outside the church we find that our character becomes corrupted and co-opted by this world’s system. I pray that in the midst of all this that Eddie, Creflo, and the like can really seek God, although I am really concerned about Creflo, because he has made some statements that make him sound more like a Jehovah’s witness more than a Christian, but that is another post. In the meantime be encouraged, and make sure that in your own walk that you seek out those things that are by far weightier matters, than wealth, and riches. It is all about being Christ to those who do not know Him, and I fear that there are more of those in this country than we know only because they have been presented with a veneer, and when the veneer is pulled back, what you see is rotten wood, or as Jesus Himself said when describing the pharisees, "dead men's bones".
*Please see the definition of soteria, the greek root word we get the word salvation from.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Friday, November 2, 2007
What does sin have to do with our ministry?
Why are we so hung up on a person’s sin? If I meet someone on the street and they look hungry, and tell me that they want my money to get something to eat. Should I concern myself with their spiritual situation, or should I do what I can to get them fed? What is the right thing? What would Jesus do? I am not attempting to be sarcastic, although it is very tempting at this point, what should we do. What is the more important thing, making sure that this person gets fed, or concerning myself with their sinful nature?
I asked that to myself as this brother approached me one day. He was not well dressed, nor was he all there, it was obvious that he had been on the street for a while and things had begun to effect his mind. Not sure if he was on drugs, but that to me at the time was unimportant. What was important was the moment, and the opportunity. I was able to take him to Taco Del Mar, and get him all he could eat. I was able to do this and allow God to be glorified in it. Is my concern for the man’s soul, of course, but what was the main thing? What was the immediate need that I could meet?
As we go through our days we should take a moment and look at the world around us. Why are we worried about someone’s sin when they need help? Is it that we are afraid of getting our hands dirty? A we concerned with getting wrapped up in sin because we are afraid of enabling the other guy? Do we think that God is too silly to distinguish between the intent of our hearts when we gave, and the intent of the receiver consigning both giver and receiver to hell for two to five dollars? Are we that pious thinking that God is that stupid? Thinking that God will not reward us because of what the other party does? Who is the judge? Who really is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of man? Who really knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men (it’s the Shadow, didn’t anyone ever tell you that LOL).
Knowing that God does know, and knows how the homeless person or whomever you give to is going to spend the money, is it up to you really?? When Jesus gave, He offered no prerequisites, no strings. When he ministered healing, and even at the last, His life. He gave, and still gives no conditions. He just says come.
When we look at the sea of people there are to assist; when we look at the number of people who need God’s touch in a tangible way. Why do we concern ourselves with the magnitude of their sin? Jesus saw our sin, each and every one of us, and yet he did not worry about it, did not concern Himself with it, He came He saw, He died, He rose. He died we got the benefit of our sins being wiped from us, our record is clean, and we can open the door to others if we follow the Lord’s example, and ignore what we see, and focus on the reward that stands before, not just us, but those we serve.
I asked that to myself as this brother approached me one day. He was not well dressed, nor was he all there, it was obvious that he had been on the street for a while and things had begun to effect his mind. Not sure if he was on drugs, but that to me at the time was unimportant. What was important was the moment, and the opportunity. I was able to take him to Taco Del Mar, and get him all he could eat. I was able to do this and allow God to be glorified in it. Is my concern for the man’s soul, of course, but what was the main thing? What was the immediate need that I could meet?
As we go through our days we should take a moment and look at the world around us. Why are we worried about someone’s sin when they need help? Is it that we are afraid of getting our hands dirty? A we concerned with getting wrapped up in sin because we are afraid of enabling the other guy? Do we think that God is too silly to distinguish between the intent of our hearts when we gave, and the intent of the receiver consigning both giver and receiver to hell for two to five dollars? Are we that pious thinking that God is that stupid? Thinking that God will not reward us because of what the other party does? Who is the judge? Who really is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of man? Who really knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men (it’s the Shadow, didn’t anyone ever tell you that LOL).
Knowing that God does know, and knows how the homeless person or whomever you give to is going to spend the money, is it up to you really?? When Jesus gave, He offered no prerequisites, no strings. When he ministered healing, and even at the last, His life. He gave, and still gives no conditions. He just says come.
When we look at the sea of people there are to assist; when we look at the number of people who need God’s touch in a tangible way. Why do we concern ourselves with the magnitude of their sin? Jesus saw our sin, each and every one of us, and yet he did not worry about it, did not concern Himself with it, He came He saw, He died, He rose. He died we got the benefit of our sins being wiped from us, our record is clean, and we can open the door to others if we follow the Lord’s example, and ignore what we see, and focus on the reward that stands before, not just us, but those we serve.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Personal observations, epiphanies, stands and why don't we do what we are mandated to do
I have in the past six months lost a great deal and gained a lot in return. In March of this year I lost the one person that I would want to be proud of me. I lost my dad, he was eighty, he was a pastor, he was a the one who created half of me (my momma is responsible for the other half). He’s the one who took me aside at age three and taught me to read. The first book he taught me to read, my first red reader book, the Bible. And not the NIV or RSV he was old school, he brought down the KJV. At three learning to read old English and trying hard not to speak it at the dinner table was interesting. He is the one who taught me how to write, how to write my name. While the other kids in kindergarten where using clay to write their names, I was using it for that purpose and making little bowls with the rest. LOL. I still miss him greatly, I am not totally over his passing, but I have made sure that I do not occupy the same plot as he does. The last time I saw him, he told me for the first time that he loved me. I think of it now here at work, and I am tearing up. In the 38 years that I had with him, he never really told me that he loved me. but I learned after I left home, I mean really left home and moved half a continent away how much he really meant to me. I recall one incident after I left and he told me that he missed me and that he finally knew how his mom felt when he left Mississippi to go to Chicago in the 40’s. I still remember standing in the driveway of my then fiance’s house, and once I got off the phone running to where she was, and crying like a spanked baby. I was not close to him while I was coming up, I did not always understand why he did what he did to raise me, but I look back on it, and I would give anything to tell him thank you.
Two months after my dad’s passing I lost my uncle, and two months after that I lost one of my cousins. Its been a hard year. A lot of time spent using Kleenex, (those of you who own stock in the company owe me greatly).
Anyway in the middle of all this I had an epiphany. I was here at work in the location that I absolutely love being in, and the thought occurred to me that I might not ever live in the same place as my mother ever again. The question became is that something that I could live with? Would I be willing to deal with that in order to achieve something better, could I let go of the idea of taking care of my mother( now do not get me wrong, I have an older brother. He is eleven years older than I am, he has a family, wife two kids. With me its just my wife and I. I thought about going home to help take care of my mom and my aunt who live in the same building, my aunt is 82 my mom is 80. And I am being asked if I could live with not being there. The payoff was that if I stayed I could help start something here, that I could eventually take back there. Not so much where I work because I see this as a means to an end. I am a IT specialist with the federal court here in Seattle/Tacoma. It pays quite well, and could be used to move into something that has now become my passion, providing ministry opportunities for the homeless for the children, for single mothers, for homosexuals, and for the poor. A the nameless people we often pass in the street afraid to help because we are more afraid to worry about some sin that often times is both nonexistent and done only in the theater of our minds. We should keep in mind when we do not open our hearts to assist someone who cannot or is not able to help themselves, we do not do it to them but to the Lord Himself. When we look into the eyes of that homeless person who we walk to the McDonalds or to the taco bell or to where ever we might take them to get something to eat, we look not into their eyes but the eyes of the Lord. When we look into the eyes of the single mom who we buy groceries for, or give a Thanksgiving day basket that resembles the meal we may have that day we look not into that sisters eyes, but the Lord’s. When we help that child with his or her homework, we look not into that child’s eyes, we look into the Lord’s. If we took that verse seriously we would fight over who we help, we would be doing as Paul says we would make each other jealous to do more and more good works. Not in an effort to make it into heaven, because that work is done by Grace. The works show part of the evidence of a changed life, a life that is wrapped up in being like the Father who gave His Son. Willing to give all that we can to reach out to a world, unafraid to get our hands dirty. Jesus who knew no sin came down, and got dirty becoming like us except no sinning, and then became the embodiment of the sins of all of us in order to kill it and remove it from us.
Our job is to minister without prerequisite, none was given to us. The Savior merely bids of come, He does not require us to clean ourselves up, that is the work of sanctification, it is a process that takes a lifetime. Why is it that sometimes we become barriers to Christ, keeping people away because we feel they are not clean enough, not good enough, not conforming enough, their praise aint real enough. Dietric Boenhoffer (not quite sure of the spelling) said this “The church is only the church, when it exists for other people”. What does this mean? Simply put, it aint about me, it aint about you, its about those who are outside the four walls that we call a church, and until we really deep down get that, we will continue to fail when it comes to making an impact on the world around us.
Two months after my dad’s passing I lost my uncle, and two months after that I lost one of my cousins. Its been a hard year. A lot of time spent using Kleenex, (those of you who own stock in the company owe me greatly).
Anyway in the middle of all this I had an epiphany. I was here at work in the location that I absolutely love being in, and the thought occurred to me that I might not ever live in the same place as my mother ever again. The question became is that something that I could live with? Would I be willing to deal with that in order to achieve something better, could I let go of the idea of taking care of my mother( now do not get me wrong, I have an older brother. He is eleven years older than I am, he has a family, wife two kids. With me its just my wife and I. I thought about going home to help take care of my mom and my aunt who live in the same building, my aunt is 82 my mom is 80. And I am being asked if I could live with not being there. The payoff was that if I stayed I could help start something here, that I could eventually take back there. Not so much where I work because I see this as a means to an end. I am a IT specialist with the federal court here in Seattle/Tacoma. It pays quite well, and could be used to move into something that has now become my passion, providing ministry opportunities for the homeless for the children, for single mothers, for homosexuals, and for the poor. A the nameless people we often pass in the street afraid to help because we are more afraid to worry about some sin that often times is both nonexistent and done only in the theater of our minds. We should keep in mind when we do not open our hearts to assist someone who cannot or is not able to help themselves, we do not do it to them but to the Lord Himself. When we look into the eyes of that homeless person who we walk to the McDonalds or to the taco bell or to where ever we might take them to get something to eat, we look not into their eyes but the eyes of the Lord. When we look into the eyes of the single mom who we buy groceries for, or give a Thanksgiving day basket that resembles the meal we may have that day we look not into that sisters eyes, but the Lord’s. When we help that child with his or her homework, we look not into that child’s eyes, we look into the Lord’s. If we took that verse seriously we would fight over who we help, we would be doing as Paul says we would make each other jealous to do more and more good works. Not in an effort to make it into heaven, because that work is done by Grace. The works show part of the evidence of a changed life, a life that is wrapped up in being like the Father who gave His Son. Willing to give all that we can to reach out to a world, unafraid to get our hands dirty. Jesus who knew no sin came down, and got dirty becoming like us except no sinning, and then became the embodiment of the sins of all of us in order to kill it and remove it from us.
Our job is to minister without prerequisite, none was given to us. The Savior merely bids of come, He does not require us to clean ourselves up, that is the work of sanctification, it is a process that takes a lifetime. Why is it that sometimes we become barriers to Christ, keeping people away because we feel they are not clean enough, not good enough, not conforming enough, their praise aint real enough. Dietric Boenhoffer (not quite sure of the spelling) said this “The church is only the church, when it exists for other people”. What does this mean? Simply put, it aint about me, it aint about you, its about those who are outside the four walls that we call a church, and until we really deep down get that, we will continue to fail when it comes to making an impact on the world around us.
Ok Its been a while
Ok I started this more than a few months ago when I was exposed to the idiotic and less than honest rantings of one G. Craige Lewis. He truly is not that important in the scheme of things but there are many like Lewis who prey on folks in the black church who want to do right and yet for some reason, check their thinking skills at the door, and just turn their reasoning faculties at the door. This is not to mean that we should not take some things on faith, on the contrary we are told that there are certain things that we need to think on and consider. (Things that are True, Honest, Just, Pure, Lovely, Of Good Report, if there be any virtue or praise, we are advised to think on those things). However I cannot help but think that we are not to check our brains at the door, and just accept whatever comes across the pulpit as gospel truth.
I have a problem with some of the stuff that comes across pulpits masquerading as gospel truth. I have a problem where you can have twenty to thirty churches within a five square mile area of a city, and yet have drugs prostitution, homeless people, gangs and the like and yet the pastors of the fifty or so churches that might reside in that square milage area,
1. don’t get along
2. cannot agree because of number one.
3. Refuse to work on number so they can get rid of number two
4. Are too caught up in their own fame to recognize that there is a real issue.
5. Are too afraid to do anything to help because they are worried about how it might look
6. looking at dollar signs
Where is the outrage that there is not more being done for the poor? Where are the marches sponsored by the church over the whole SCHIP bill? Why do preachers preach so much about the unborn, and yet are so quick to not raise a finger to help the children who are already here, already suffering through this life. It amazes me what men will do to gain control. So here is my question. Do you take everything your pastor tells you as gospel truth without first investigating it yourself? Or do you blindly follow the man of God thinking that he would not knowingly mislead?
Keep in mind this is not going to be a mini gossip blog like pulpit pimps where some people go to complain about their church situation while doing little if nothing to change it. I am actively working on doing what I can to solve a lot of the issues that will be brought up in this blog, and I invite you to come with me on this journey.
Until next time and I promise that it will not be a four month wait, besides I think some of my new friends from the Blog What about our daughters are not going to let me off the hook, and to them I give a resounding, THANK YOU!!!
I have a problem with some of the stuff that comes across pulpits masquerading as gospel truth. I have a problem where you can have twenty to thirty churches within a five square mile area of a city, and yet have drugs prostitution, homeless people, gangs and the like and yet the pastors of the fifty or so churches that might reside in that square milage area,
1. don’t get along
2. cannot agree because of number one.
3. Refuse to work on number so they can get rid of number two
4. Are too caught up in their own fame to recognize that there is a real issue.
5. Are too afraid to do anything to help because they are worried about how it might look
6. looking at dollar signs
Where is the outrage that there is not more being done for the poor? Where are the marches sponsored by the church over the whole SCHIP bill? Why do preachers preach so much about the unborn, and yet are so quick to not raise a finger to help the children who are already here, already suffering through this life. It amazes me what men will do to gain control. So here is my question. Do you take everything your pastor tells you as gospel truth without first investigating it yourself? Or do you blindly follow the man of God thinking that he would not knowingly mislead?
Keep in mind this is not going to be a mini gossip blog like pulpit pimps where some people go to complain about their church situation while doing little if nothing to change it. I am actively working on doing what I can to solve a lot of the issues that will be brought up in this blog, and I invite you to come with me on this journey.
Until next time and I promise that it will not be a four month wait, besides I think some of my new friends from the Blog What about our daughters are not going to let me off the hook, and to them I give a resounding, THANK YOU!!!
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Why this spot exists
I have in the past few months encountered a lot of information on the web that demands answers. Unfortunately there are pastors and so called apostles and prophets who take advantage of people who sincerely want to serve God and live a life that pleases Him. I have found especially in the black church, (I have a unique prospective because I am a product of the black church, the son of a pastor, the brother of another pastor, the grandson, and great grandson of two other pastors, the nephew of another, and cousin to several others).
In the black church I have found that members of the clergy have an issue with teaching truth to thier members. Here is my perspective on the reason, as time goes on I expect that others who visit here will give thier own take on this, I am open to questions because unlike members of the clergy, I believe that people should be critical thinkers. Jesus trained His disciples to be critical thinkers, why, because He knew what they were going to be up against, He understood that when they went out of the confines of Jerusalem, that they were going to run up against the Greeks and other philosphies of the day.
I fear however that people who are critical thinkers in the church today are taught to not question "the man of God". Here I am about asking questions, and I am about exploring the truth of the Word for ourselves. Why is this important, we are told to work out our own souls salvation. That to me means that we are responsible for what we hear across the pulpit, as well as what we read in the books and DVDs that we purchase. I believe that any man who says you should not question him, and you should believe him simply because of his position should be left alone. As one pastor once told me, "Those who are bothered by questions, are almost without exception, people who have something to hide".
If you are ready to think, I welcome you, if you have questions, I say lets explore them together in the light of the word of God.
In the black church I have found that members of the clergy have an issue with teaching truth to thier members. Here is my perspective on the reason, as time goes on I expect that others who visit here will give thier own take on this, I am open to questions because unlike members of the clergy, I believe that people should be critical thinkers. Jesus trained His disciples to be critical thinkers, why, because He knew what they were going to be up against, He understood that when they went out of the confines of Jerusalem, that they were going to run up against the Greeks and other philosphies of the day.
I fear however that people who are critical thinkers in the church today are taught to not question "the man of God". Here I am about asking questions, and I am about exploring the truth of the Word for ourselves. Why is this important, we are told to work out our own souls salvation. That to me means that we are responsible for what we hear across the pulpit, as well as what we read in the books and DVDs that we purchase. I believe that any man who says you should not question him, and you should believe him simply because of his position should be left alone. As one pastor once told me, "Those who are bothered by questions, are almost without exception, people who have something to hide".
If you are ready to think, I welcome you, if you have questions, I say lets explore them together in the light of the word of God.
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