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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
