It is an interesting story, the story of Elisha and Naaman the leper. Naaman reluctantly went and dipped seven times in the Jordan River and was healed because there was a prophet in Israel. He also realized that there was only one God, the God of Israel.
When Naaman offered Elisha a gift, Elisha told him “As sure as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing” (2 Kings 5:16). After Naaman had left, Elisha’s servant Gehazi went after Naaman and lied to him in order to get a gift of silver and clothes. When Gehazi returned, Elisha confronted him because in his spirit he knew what Gehazi had done. It did not fare well for Gehazi when Elisha asked him in 2 Kings 5:26-27 “Is it a time to take money and to receive clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and male and female servants? Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence, a leper as white as snow”.
The story speaks for it self, Carl Keil, a German theologian in the 1800’s says this in his commentary on II Kings-
“Was this the time, when so many hypocrites pretend to be prophets from selfishness and avarice, and bring the prophetic office into contempt with unbelievers, for a servant of the Lord to take money and goods …that he might acquire luxury and goods for himself.
What a rebuke! A rebuke our so-called modern prophets should heed with all their marketing strategies, their endless books, DVD’s, expensive conferences and material. Well did Micah tell of their error! Micah 3:11 “Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, her priests instruct for a price. And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD saying, is not the LORD in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us.” It is a stark realization that today’s so-called prophets have many followers, and there is pride in the fact that they claim that the Lord is in their meetings and in their “words”. Micah clearly rebukes them and exposes their error. In like manner, our modern prophetic movement needs rebuking!
The world is in dire times, economic collapses, rising unemployment and homelessness, more and more people are hurting. We live in a world where people need Jesus, the need the true Gospel. Where will they hear it? Will we bring them into a church that is wrought with error and mixture? Where are the true prophets of God? Is this the time to for making money? There are several instances in the Bible where some of the greatest prophets rejected money. Where are they now? These days it’s almost always all about the money. We need to pray for more discernment!! And then use it!
While I don’t usually use movies to make Christian theological points, in this case, Boromir does seem fitting. I will take comfort in the fact that JRR Tolkien was a Christian.
While Boromir, in the Lord of the Rings, has a time of repentance at the end of his life, he was certainly enamored with the One Ring. He was extremely tempted by it and wanted to use it for good. He tried to persuade the other members of the Fellowship to use the One Ring against the dark lord. How many things of this world are we tempted to use for good?
As I read Luke 4:5-7, the devil offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and all its glory. The devil tells Jesus that it was a domain that had been handed over to him, and that he had the power to give it to whomever he wished. That is an interesting thought because Satan certainly does give it to evil men, and all throughout history you can see his trail of destruction through those evil men to whom he has given it. Yet here he offers it to Jesus, the righteous Son of God. It is offered to Jesus as a temptation. For Jesus, in a twisted way, it was a way for “all things to become subject to Jesus’ feet”! But God’s way was for Him to suffer the cross and wait for “all things to become subject under His feet”. Hebrews 2:8 “Yet at present we do not see everything subject to Him”. The mystery of the Gospel slowly unwinds! Oh that we would have the eyes of our understanding opened by Jesus!
Boromir was told by Aragorn, “you cannot wield the Ring, it only answers to the dark lord”. We currently live in a world that answers to satan, “the prince and power of the air”. He gives his power to whom he wishes! It must be so for now. 1 Corinthians 5:249-25 “…then comes the end, when He (Jesus) delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet”. God still moves in the earth by his divine will and Providence, as it says in Daniel, “He does as He please with all the host of heaven and with man on the earth”. For now He is allowing satan a certain amount of power.
How does that apply to us? We have the same temptation facing us, to use the things of the world for good. If Jesus resisted that, should we not also resist it? There is a theology out there in the Christian world that wants to use the powers of this world to usher in the Kingdom of God. Is that even possible? Is that what God has intended for His church to pursue? We can all think of areas in this modern world that we could use for the good of the Kingdom. We could use politics and make Christian laws. We can use the entertainment and the music industry to have better Christian music and entertainment. We could have Christian businesses. All these things would make us feel good, but they are not the answer.
To quote a dear friend of mine, “It is interesting to note that Jesus did not initiate any socio-economic nor political change. He did not depose Herod, Pilate or Caesar; not even the High Priest. He did not set up social programs nor end slavery while on earth. Yet He declared, the kingdom of God has come upon you”.
Think of it, the Kingdom of God came upon the world! Politics did not matter! It did not matter who was in office! Yet we fight and devour one another over politics. It is important for us to accept the fact that God’s Kingdom is not of this world, John 18:36 tells us so! While there is a lot of good that we can do in the world, it is not dependent on anything of this world, it is dependent on the Holy Spirit. It was by the Holy Spirit that the Apostles changed the whole world! The life changing power of Jesus works in the whole world. It doesn’t matter what type of government you are under. The church grew under the most hostile government system the world had ever seen, the Roman Empire! We need to use what Jesus has made available to us, the Holy Spirit. He is greater than any denomination, greater than any political party and greater than any form of government! It is the kingdom of God. Let us not lose our distinctiveness! There is a uniqueness to Christians who are led by the Spirit, to those whose “kingdom is not of this world”..
I was recently looking at a Commentary on Acts 2:22-23 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death”.
The Commentary said the following, “It has now become the habit of the Apostle’s mind to trace the working of a divine purpose, which men, even when they are most bent on thwarting it, are unconsciously fulfilling”.
It is amazing to me how God’s plans are many times not seen while they are happening. Many times, even in our own lives, we can not understand His ways until time has passed and we are able to look back and “trace His divine purpose”. This applies to the world at large, and to our own personal lives.
Think of it, Peter and the disciples never expected the plan of God to be that Jesus would be crucified. It was Peter who famously was rebuked by Jesus for suggesting that He would never be given over and crucified. What changed? With Jesus being crucified, the disciples were devastated and scattered! But then He appeared to them, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Jesus ascended into heaven, they started looking back and remembering the things that Jesus taught them. They then began to “trace the divine purpose” with the help of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 2, it is now Peter who stands up and addresses the crowd. He now acknowledges that Jesus “was delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death”. Wow! How little of God’s ways we understand.
This is a huge topic, one worthy of understanding in a better way. In another verse, Acts 4:27-28 it says, “In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, they carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen”. Again it was God’s hand in it all.
When we look at world history and events, can we realize that God is in control? In Revelation 17 we have some similar assertions. Verse 17 says “For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be fulfilled”. At the end of the age, it is God who orchestrates and puts into the hearts of men to execute His purposes. Just like when Jesus was crucified, it was God’s “divine purpose”! The more we search the scriptures and understand this, the better we understand God and His ways.
Again, a disclaimer, I am by no means an expert on all of this and don’t fully understand it all. We should all pray, “open my eyes that I might behold wonderful things out of Thy word”. If we can get a better grip of all this, we will have less turmoil in the body of Christ and in our lives. We will have less fear and worry over things of this world. I encourage you to look back over your own lives, can you trace God’s hand in it? Thank God, He works all things for good to those who love Him.
While sitting out one night under the stars, I was again impressed by the beauty of the universe and the order of the heavens which God created. In the Psalm 19 we read, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God, and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands”. And in Jeremiah 3 we read, “Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day, and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name”.
The stillness of the night, with constellations slowly passing by night after night, is an absolute wonder! The precise order is mind boggling and the peace is healing to the body! I think of Psalm 46, “Be still and know that I am God”, it is very easy to experience peace when we look at the grandeur and wonder of the heavens, Psalm 19 “the heavens declare the glory of God”. Would that the earth would finally be filled with the Glory of God, soon it will be. Psalm 72 “And blessed be His glorious name forever; may all the earth be filled with His glory, amen and amen”.
But for now, we live in a world that is filled with chaos. In our modern era, everywhere we look, there is chaos, destruction and all sorts of evil. There is no order here on earth yet! While we are told in Hebrews 2 that God has put all things in subjection under Jesus’ feet, we are also told that for some reason that we do not yet see it, we do not yet see all things put under Jesus’ feet. We live in a world of chaos while the full plan of God is worked out. The goal of all of this is worth considering. Jesus helps us to understand this when He taught us how to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven”. That is the goal of God’s plan in the earth. We are to also pray that way, “Lord let Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven”. It will happen one day! God is not a God of disorder, but of peace. In the end, as it says in Isaiah 24, “the city of chaos will be broken”.
Some may ask, “why doesn’t God just come and end all the chaos on earth”? Many people who do not follow Jesus ask that. Romans 9 tells us this- “What if God, willing to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction? What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory—including us, whom He has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles?”. Paul tells us that God is patient with the chaos of the world and has a great willingness to show forth the riches of His glory through bringing many people, both Jews and Greeks into the Kingdom of God through repentance. Peter tells us the same thing in Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance”. While God could instantly fix the problem of sin, caused by Adam’s sin and the Watchers, He is choosing not to for a greater good. He is patient and allowing time for people to join His company, “That none should perish!”
While we live in this world with all its chaos, we understand that we are part of a Kingdom that is not of this world. Jesus said, “My Kingdom is not of this world” and that is where our hope lies. We will have peace when we come to Him even in this world. We can have God’s peace as we walk through this very chaotic world that is filled with fear and evil. In John 14:27 Jesus tells us, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful”. Also in Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” When the end comes, and God restores peace on the earth, we will all say “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation”. Isaiah 25:9
There has always been a path to being near to God. In the OT in 2 Chronicles 15:1-4, God tells us that “the Lord is with us, when we are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, if you forsake Him, He will forsake you”. Hebrews 11 tells us that “God is a rewarder of those who seek Him”. Proverbs 8:17 tells us “I love those who love Me, and those who diligently seek Me will find Me”.
To have the Lord with us- means that we must be with the Lord, we must choose His side and His requirements. And we must love Him and obey Him, He says that He loves those that love Him. It says that He will forsake those who forsake Him. What does that mean for us today.
In the case of our current situation with leaders who are falling into sin, or are covering sin, it is my belief that if there is no real repentance, they will fall into the category of Matthew 7:23 when Jesus says to those who have done things for the Lord, “Depart from me I never knew you”. It could be that many of those had valid things happen in the beginning of their ministry but for years have been running on hype and on the power of the soul. (Latent Power of the Soul– Watchman Nee)
We clearly see that in the OT and the NT that God can forsake us at some point if we are not careful. This is where my thoughts on Romans 11:29 come in. “The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable”. This verse is about God’s call on the descendants of the man Israel, and that God will not change His mind on that. He was not talking about the nation of Israel, but as it says in Romans 9:1-8, “For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” this means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring”. He was talking about those descendants who come to God thru the faith that is portrayed in the life of the man, Israel. Jews and gentiles, that through Jesus have come to faith in Him. The “spiritual” descendants of the man Israel are the one who will be “as the stars in the heavens and the sand as the sea”, brought in from all the nations. That is God’s plan from the beginning.
God scattered the nation of Israel and destroyed the temple in Jerusalem forty years after they crucified Jesus! A horrible devastation. Not one stone left upon another. 2 Chronicles 15 “If you seek Him, He will be found by you, if you forsake Him, He will forsake you”. God forsook the nation of Israel.
All my life I have heard people say that if a preacher falls into sin, he still has his spiritual gifts and power. I do not believe that, I believe that people have a soul power that mimics the Spirit and we cannot discern it. We are enamored with a “celebrity” status type minister, we are sucked in by the music and the hype.
Even Samson in the OT in Judges 16:20 “Did not know that the Lord had left him”. King Saul in 1 Samuel 16:14, it says “Now the Spirit of the LORD had left Saul, and the LORD sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear”. King David in Psalm 51:11 “Do not cast me away from Thy presence, and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me”. Should we be surprised at what Jesus said in Matthew 7:23 “Depart from Me I never knew you”? A man’s ministry may have started good, and they depend on those works at the end of the age, but they may have left the path of righteousness as they got older.
It is sin and disobedience that causes God’s Spirit to leave us. In our modern Christianity it is difficult to discern because there is so much “soul” power on display in our meetings. Hebrews 4:11-13 “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do”.
Discerning between what is Spirit and what is soul can only be done through the Word of God. The Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword. 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil”. Our leaders must abstain from every form of evil, if they do not, I believe that something gets projected through their teaching, out of their soul power, into those who follow them. We must abstain from evil! I can not stress this enough, so many ministries are functioning through the power of the soul.
A W Tozer saw it coming years ago when he said “If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference”. This what we are facing today!
Please consider all of this, I may not have it all right but I feel there is enough evidence in the scripture to have this conversation.
In this age of political upheaval and divisive politics, the church has lost its uniqueness. The modern church is splintered, and it is difficult to even talk about the unity of the brethren. What we see in the church today is a mirror of what we see in the country. Our politics have bled into all areas of church life. The church divides over all sorts of issues including not only politics, but also over different ministries and beliefs.
There is a vast number of teachers, prophets, apostles and evangelists online that you can follow. I once saw a sign in front of a church that said “We have three kinds of worship- contemporary, traditional and blended. One Just right for you!”. There you have it! You can pick and choose who to follow online, there is “one just right for you”. What a twisted thing we have made the church.
When we look in the scriptures at the ‘last supper’, we see men who were radically changed by Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Think about it, you have Simon the Zealot and Matthew the traitor sitting at table with Jesus. Can you wrap your head around that?
The Zealots were a political movement in 1st-century Second Temple Judaism that sought to incite the people of Judea Providence to rebel against the Roman Empire and expel it from the Holy Land by force of arms, most notably during the First Jewish-Roman war(66–70).
The Tax Collector in the Roman world was an official that was often greedy, and usually took the position from love of money. They would frequently extort unjust dues, especially from the poor. Such tax-collectors were infamous among the Jews. As Cornelius a Lapide points out, the Jews “maintained that they, as a people dedicated to God, ought not to pay tribute to the Romans, who were Gentiles and idolaters: for this was contrary to the liberty and dignity of the children of God.” To associate with tax-collectors and sinners was considered sinful behavior for Jews. Tradition stated: “Let not a man associate with the wicked, not even to bring him to the Torah” (Mechilta).
The natural tension between Simon the Zealot and Matthew the tax collector would be obvious! Matthew would have been considered a traitor and Simon would despise him. What happened to them that they were now sitting at table together in fellowship? Jesus happened!! Jesus and the Holy Spirit had a profound effect on them and changed them forever.
Jesus is the great leveler! The things of this world do grow strangely dim when we experience His love and forgiveness. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we become part of the ‘Kingdom of God’! This world loses its glitter! We have a greater inheritance, and Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters. Let us live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord, preferring one another in love. And may God grant us a unity that is based on His love for us. We are to be unique in the world, not like the world! We are to be holy, that is- set apart, different, showing forth His attributes.
A.W. Tozer referred to worship as the missing jewel in the evangelical crown. I couldn’t agree more. My father often referred to Prayer as being preoccupied with our needs, Praise as being preoccupied with our blessings, and Worship as being preoccupied with God Himself. My father wasn’t discounting prayer or praise as everything has its time and place. Worship, however, is the first and foremost commandment of all, regardless of our personal state or struggles.
There is a biblical or scriptural reason why we begin our services with singing. Colossians exhorts us that in all things Christ is to have preeminence or first place. Having said that, we need to take very seriously how we fulfill or carry out that admonition.
I believe the book of Malachi provides us with great clarity as to how God sees or interprets our worship. After all, He alone has the right to reject or accept what we offer Him.
Let me address for a moment this truth that God would reject our sacrifice of praise or worship. King David, the great psalmist, made it very clear that not everything he offered to God was acceptable. Psalm 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight.” The prophet Isaiah wrote, “I am sick of your sacrifices. Don’t bring me any more of them…” (Isaiah 1:11). Jesus told the religious people of His day, “You honor me with your lips, but your heart is far from me.” We see in the Old Testament that one of the roles of the priest was that of inspecting every sacrifice to make sure it was acceptable. Anything found to be torn, sick, or blemished in any way was immediately rejected.
Let me take you back to Malachi for a moment. In the first chapter, God, in His role as the Great High Priest, is examining the sacrifices His people are offering Him. Let’s listen in:
“A son honors his father and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?” says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name.”
God makes it clear throughout the remaining chapter that it was not the quantity but the quality of the sacrifices they were offering Him. They were bringing the blind, lame, and sick, thinking God wouldn’t notice, but He did and still does. God finally cries out, “Oh, that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar!” He continues, “…you bring what was taken by robbery, and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering. Should I receive that from your hand?” says the Lord.
Today, the Lord would be seen pleading with those controlling the sound system to cut the mikes, dismiss the singers and musicians, asking them to search their hearts as well as the words they are singing. If most of the worship set is about God’s love for me rather than my love for God, then I become the object of worship. Now, obviously, there is a place to thank God for His incredible love, grace, mercy, etc. However, we need to make the transition from praise to worship if we are to truly ‘worship Him in spirit and in truth.’
I personally believe the role of a worship leader is to ‘cast up a highway’ that enables the people to come into the very presence of God. I believe there should be as much time given to preparing the worship set as the pastor spends preparing his message for the people. After all, worship is what we offer the Lord, while the message should create a greater hunger for the Lord. If we spend less time in preparation to worship than we do to receive, then we are no longer giving Him preeminence!
Allow me to drill down a little further on our approach to God. God told His people Israel that whenever they built an altar upon which they would offer Him sacrifices, they had to build it of uncut stones. (Exodus 20:24-26) He made it clear that if they embellished the stones in any way with their own tools, they would immediately profane the altar and render it useless. Now, while we no longer build altars, the principle nevertheless remains. In other words, if I play or sing in such a way as to draw attention to myself, then I’m the one seeking the attention that should be directed to the Lord alone. If we have singers or musicians who love the limelight, then our sacrifice becomes unacceptable to Him. As the psalmist wrote, “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to your name give glory.” (Psalm 115:1)
One further word regarding the ‘worship set’. I would encourage those who feel called to lead to take whatever time necessary to prayerfully and carefully select songs/hymns that build upon each other. Just as the rungs of a ladder lift the person higher with each step, so likewise should the songs. To me, this principle separates a song leader from a true worship leader. Just choosing five or six unrelated songs that you enjoy is not the same as carefully choosing songs that relate to each other. For instance, choosing songs all having to do with the name of Jesus or the blood, etc., are far more effective than just unrelated songs that tend to zig-zag all over the place and tend to lead to nowhere. Forgive me if that seems cynical, but after sixty years of ministry in numerous countries, I can count on both hands the number of times I’ve really felt led to linger in the presence of the Lord; or in the words of the song “I stand, I stand in awe of Thee…Holy God to whom all praise is due, I stand in awe of you.”
If I’ve trodden on some toes, please forgive me. My goal is to prepare God’s people for the day when we will all unite together with the redeemed from all the ages and sing as one:
‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and praise.’ (Revelation 5:12)
PS. I’m aware that worship involves far more than just music, etc. Webster’s dictionary of 1823 describes worship as: “to honor with extravagant love and extreme submission.” Webster no doubt had in mind Abraham offering his beloved son Isaac as an act of worship. Notice also that Abraham first built an altar. We are not told that he embellished it in any way!
Just the other day I was talking with a pastor friend of mine who made the comment that he had heard of 17 major ministries that had ‘fallen’ in the last few years. While this is nothing new, it appears that there is a growing moral problem that is more pervasive than any time in history. At no other time have we faced the temptation of being able to privately view ‘filth’ anywhere and at any time we desire on our personal phones. The porn industry is one of the largest industries in the world. Whoever gave it the name ‘web’ didn’t realize how prophetic they were in describing its power to grip its prey and not let go.
This generation came ‘out of the closet’ years ago and brazenly flaunted what previous generations had practiced but primarily kept hidden. All this to say we live in a sin sex-soaked society that no longer has any sense of shame in what they do or say. Unfortunately, many current leaders have had to battle with what is now a cultural norm.
With that in mind this brings me to the recent scandals plaguing the Body of Christ. While I am not personally acquainted with most of these men, I am familiar with one of them having spent several years ministering in the same organization. While it is not my purpose to further comment on these individuals, I do want to address what I feel is a double standard when it comes to passing judgment on them.
Having watched numerous YouTube videos of spiritual pundits who seem all too eager to throw the first stone; I’ve concluded that these pundits show little brokenness or sorrow toward these individuals but rather seem to delight in having been provided with more fodder to keep their own ministry on the air. Let’s face it, without these scandals they would have nothing to talk about.
When it comes to addressing Church problems, one would profit greatly from the advice and wisdom of Dr. G. Campbell Morgan in his book ‘The Letters of Our Lord.’ In the first chapter dealing with the Church of Ephesus he wrote the following.
‘Is it more than likely that their very opposition to false men and doctrine partook of the nature of lack of love? I would speak very cautiously at this point, for the Lord commended these things, and they were right, but I am quite sure that there may be right things done in a wrong spirit. I seldom find men strenuously fighting what they are pleased to call heterodox teaching, and in bitter language denouncing false doctrine, without being more afraid for the men denouncing than for the men denounced. There is an anger against impurity which is impure. There is a zeal for orthodoxy, which is most unorthodox. There is a spirit that contends for faith, which is in conflict with faith. If men have lost their first love, they will do more harm than good by their defense of the faith. Behind the denunciation of sin there must always be the tenderness of first love if that denunciation is not to become evil in its bitterness. Behind the zeal for truth there must always be the spaciousness of first love if that zeal is not to become narrowed into hate. There have been men who have become so self-centered in a narrowness that they are pleased to designate as holding the truth, that the very principle for which they contend has been excluded from their life and service. All zeal for the Master that is not the outcome of love to Him is worthless.’
My father use to say that “Jesus wept before He whipped” I don’t see too many tears from these pundits, but their whippings seem endless. I wonder if these fallen leaders were family members if they would be so quick to judge them?
Now please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not trying to treat these things in a lighthearted manner -they are tragic for all concerned. I can’t imagine the pain and shame their wives and family must be going through not to forget their church family who are now wrongly labeled guilty by association. Nor can I imagine being a victim and having to suffer the pain and shame of being taken advantage of by a so called ‘man of God’.
Now here is where I’m having trouble. Do I believe these individuals should be quarantined or placed in the penalty box? Yes I do! The question is for how long? Most pundits seem to agree ‘forever’ is the right discipline. Here is where I’m struggling. God exhorts us in His Word to judge righteous judgment. If the ‘lustful look ‘is akin to adultery as Jesus clearly taught us, then 95% of all ministers should step down immediately and permanently.
In the case of King David’s adultery, deceit and subsequent death of Uriah God took the life of King David’s and Bathsheba’s firstborn. However, when David’s pride caused him to number the size of his army; God’s judgement cost him seventy thousand men! His sin of passion cost him only one life, his sin of pride seventy thousand. (Interestingly enough when David was confronted and acknowledged his sin with Bathsheba he stated “I have sinned against the Lord.” However, when acknowledging his sin of pride David said, “I have sinned greatly or exceedingly.”)
I personally believe that while the sexual or sensual actions of these men was sinful and without excuse their pride was even more hideous in God’s sight. You can’t tell me that leading a mega church or large successful movement, doesn’t cause one to fall prey to pride, then you are totally ignorant of how the enemy works. When the disciples returned from a day of casting out demons Jesus warned them not to brag about their accomplishments but rather rejoice in His work of grace in their lives alluding to the fact that it was pride that brought about Satan’s fall and could also lead to their own.
There is a very insightful message from Saint Thomas Aquinas who wrote sometime around 1550. “..in order to overcome their pride, God punishes certain men by allowing them to fall into sins of the flesh, which though they be less grievous are more evidently shameful…pride is the worst of all vices; whether because it is appropriate to those who are of highest and foremost rank, or because it originates from just and virtuous deeds, so that its guilt is less perceptible. On the other hand, carnal lust is apparent to all, because from the outset it is of a shameful nature: and yet under God’s dispensation, it is less grievous than pride. For he who is in the clutches of pride and feels it not, falls into the lusts of the flesh, that being thus humbled he may rise from his abasement.
From this indeed the gravity of pride is made manifest. For just as the wise physician, in order to cure a worse disease, allows the patient to contract one that is less dangerous, so the sin of pride is shown to be more grievous by the fact that, as a remedy, God allows men to fall into other sins.”
Now back to my dilemma. Does sexual sin in a leader result in his permanent forfeiture of all future ministry? Is sexual sin a type of some unpardonable sin? If upon genuine remorse, repentance and restitution a leader is forever banned from ministry then his forgiveness is only partial and not complete. This would be akin to the prodigal joining the other servants but banned from every wearing the best robe, sandals and ring etc. If pride is overlooked as some minor issue but sexual sin results in total banishment from ministry, then we have failed to judge righteous judgement.
I have to ask myself, would I rather sit under the leadership of some successful pastor who has never fallen, but inwardly relishes thinking “I thank God I’m not like that man” or would I gain more by listening to another’s story of Amazing Grace from a truly repentant leader who walks with a limp? Just a thought!
Just the other day I was talking with a pastor friend of mine who made the comment that he had heard of 17 major ministries that had ‘fallen’ in the last few years. While this is nothing new, it appears that there is a growing moral problem that is more pervasive than any time in history. At no other time have we faced the temptation of being able to privately view ‘filth’ anywhere and at any time we desire on our personal phones. The porn industry is one of the largest industries in the world. Whoever gave it the name ‘web’ didn’t realize how prophetic they were in describing its power to grip its prey and not let go.
This generation came ‘out of the closet’ years ago and brazenly flaunted what previous generations had practiced but primarily kept hidden. All this to say we live in a sin sex-soaked society that no longer has any sense of shame in what they do or say. Unfortunately, many current leaders have had to battle with what is now a cultural norm.
With that in mind this brings me to the recent scandals plaguing the Body of Christ. While I am not personally acquainted with most of these men, I am familiar with one of them having spent several years ministering in the same organization. While it is not my purpose to further comment on these individuals, I do want to address what I feel is a double standard when it comes to passing judgment on them.
Having watched numerous YouTube videos of spiritual pundits who seem all too eager to throw the first stone; I’ve concluded that these pundits show little brokenness or sorrow toward these individuals but rather seem to delight in having been provided with more fodder to keep their own ministry on the air. Let’s face it, without these scandals they would have nothing to talk about.
When it comes to addressing Church problems, one would profit greatly from the advice and wisdom of Dr. G. Campbell Morgan in his book ‘The Letters of Our Lord.’ In the first chapter dealing with the Church of Ephesus he wrote the following.
‘Is it more than likely that their very opposition to false men and doctrine partook of the nature of lack of love? I would speak very cautiously at this point, for the Lord commended these things, and they were right, but I am quite sure that there may be right things done in a wrong spirit. I seldom find men strenuously fighting what they are pleased to call heterodox teaching, and in bitter language denouncing false doctrine, without being more afraid for the men denouncing than for the men denounced. There is an anger against impurity which is impure. There is a zeal for orthodoxy, which is most unorthodox. There is a spirit that contends for faith, which is in conflict with faith. If men have lost their first love, they will do more harm than good by their defense of the faith. Behind the denunciation of sin there must always be the tenderness of first love if that denunciation is not to become evil in its bitterness. Behind the zeal for truth there must always be the spaciousness of first love if that zeal is not to become narrowed into hate. There have been men who have become so self-centered in a narrowness that they are pleased to designate as holding the truth, that the very principle for which they contend has been excluded from their life and service. All zeal for the Master that is not the outcome of love to Him is worthless.’
My father use to say that “Jesus wept before He whipped” I don’t see too many tears from these pundits, but their whippings seem endless. I wonder if these fallen leaders were family members if they would be so quick to judge them?
Now please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not trying to treat these things in a lighthearted manner -they are tragic for all concerned. I can’t imagine the pain and shame their wives and family must be going through not to forget their church family who are now wrongly labeled guilty by association. Nor can I imagine being a victim and having to suffer the pain and shame of being taken advantage of by a so called ‘man of God’.
Now here is where I’m having trouble. Do I believe these individuals should be quarantined or placed in the penalty box? Yes I do! The question is for how long? Most pundits seem to agree ‘forever’ is the right discipline. Here is where I’m struggling. God exhorts us in His Word to judge righteous judgment. If the ‘lustful look ‘is akin to adultery as Jesus clearly taught us, then 95% of all ministers should step down immediately and permanently.
In the case of King David’s adultery, deceit and subsequent death of Uriah God took the life of King David’s and Bathsheba’s firstborn. However, when David’s pride caused him to number the size of his army; God’s judgement cost him seventy thousand men! His sin of passion cost him only one life, his sin of pride seventy thousand. (Interestingly enough when David was confronted and acknowledged his sin with Bathsheba he stated “I have sinned against the Lord.” However, when acknowledging his sin of pride David said, “I have sinned greatly or exceedingly.”)
I personally believe that while the sexual or sensual actions of these men was sinful and without excuse their pride was even more hideous in God’s sight. You can’t tell me that leading a mega church or large successful movement, doesn’t cause one to fall prey to pride, then you are totally ignorant of how the enemy works. When the disciples returned from a day of casting out demons Jesus warned them not to brag about their accomplishments but rather rejoice in His work of grace in their lives alluding to the fact that it was pride that brought about Satan’s fall and could also lead to their own.
There is a very insightful message from Saint Thomas Aquinas who wrote sometime around 1550. “..in order to overcome their pride, God punishes certain men by allowing them to fall into sins of the flesh, which though they be less grievous are more evidently shameful…pride is the worst of all vices; whether because it is appropriate to those who are of highest and foremost rank, or because it originates from just and virtuous deeds, so that its guilt is less perceptible. On the other hand, carnal lust is apparent to all, because from the outset it is of a shameful nature: and yet under God’s dispensation, it is less grievous than pride. For he who is in the clutches of pride and feels it not, falls into the lusts of the flesh, that being thus humbled he may rise from his abasement.
From this indeed the gravity of pride is made manifest. For just as the wise physician, in order to cure a worse disease, allows the patient to contract one that is less dangerous, so the sin of pride is shown to be more grievous by the fact that, as a remedy, God allows men to fall into other sins.”
Now back to my dilemma. Does sexual sin in a leader result in his permanent forfeiture of all future ministry? Is sexual sin a type of some unpardonable sin? If upon genuine remorse, repentance and restitution a leader is forever banned from ministry then his forgiveness is only partial and not complete. This would be akin to the prodigal joining the other servants but banned from every wearing the best robe, sandals and ring etc. If pride is overlooked as some minor issue but sexual sin results in total banishment from ministry, then we have failed to judge righteous judgement.
I have to ask myself, would I rather sit under the leadership of some successful pastor who has never fallen, but inwardly relishes thinking “I thank God I’m not like that man” or would I gain more by listening to another’s story of Amazing Grace from a truly repentant leader who walks with a limp? Just a thought!
For a long time, scriptures have been used to promote a certain person’s own agenda. I remember years ago, and on many occasions, seeing how scriptures can be misused. It all started when a certain pastor was wanting to build a bigger church. He used Proverbs 29:18 to guilt people in to giving more money, “where there is no vision, the people perish”. Many who were not mature, and many who were, were sucked in by it. They were “sold” the “vision” and bought in to the hype that went along with it. I encourage you all to study that verse and look at the various translations.
I discovered there were Christian leaders who were “taking God’s name in vain” and very few people saw it. (Not that I am anything special) When a man twists the scripture to make you do something, that is “taking His name in Vain” because he is not doing it for the Lord, but for himself or for the “vision” for the church. Many prophetic words were given over Brownsville, BRSM and FIRE. Most of all those “words” never came to pass. I remember Past Cho from Korea proclaiming that the Brownsville revival would last until Jesus comes, everyone went crazy! Keep in mind, the command to not “take His name in vain”, was given to God’s people. So, when an unbeliever swears, it really doesn’t apply to that. It was given to the people of God; we are the ones who risk “taking His name in vain”. Some leaders can, and do, use scriptures to their own end, albeit not by the Spirit.
That brings me to “love believes all things”. I have heard it a few times in these posts. When a person must use that scripture to convince you of something, it is wrong. And then to point out that you are not loving if you don’t believe that person, that is wrong. The scriptures should never be used by a person to prove his innocence, to validate his “vision” or anything else for that matter, that is the flesh. May we all continue to learn from these things.
I have been a musician since 1965 and I have been involved with writing Christian music since 1971. I am a product of the Jesus Revolution. If you saw the movie, it is a story about my wife and I, there are so many similarities. We were part of a group of newly saved young people, and we had a key role in starting a church in the early 1970’s in northern Illinois. I played at church, and I played in a Christian band that played in parks, campgrounds and coffeehouses all around the Midwest. In 1977, the band traveled to Denmark and Sweden for a 5-week outreach. Those were exciting times for us. It was all about outreach and preaching the Gospel.
It wasn’t until about 1981 that I had ever heard the term “worship leader”. Someone we were visiting told us we needed to come to church with them because they have a great worship leader. I had never heard of that before. In those days, we just had an overhead projector and a bunch of musicians sitting off to the side.
I have always thought that “worship leader” was such a lofty title. Can you be a worship leader and not be a worshiper of God? Yes you can! In many churches you can be hired to lead purely based on your talent. It used to be in church that you could be a minister of music, someone who led the congregation in praise unto God. But that is not such a lofty title.
Recently, there have been famous worship leaders who have come out and said they now doubt Christianity. Huh? How did they get a worship leader position? When churches hire musicians, is it based more on talent rather than their real walk with the Lord? I think so! We are now so far removed from what real worship is that if you ask someone, there are like deer in headlights.
The modern church has thrown praise and worship into the same bucket, we make no distinction between the two. We have minimized what true Biblical worship is, to our own hurt. I used to hear it all the time, people go to specific churches because they like the worship there. I then ask them; you mean you like the music?? Invariably, that is really what they mean, and it is OK to prefer what you like, but lets not call it worship, call it praise.
Being a true worshiper of God has nothing to do with what you like, or your taste in music. It has to do with what your walk with the Lord, your obedience, your sacrifice, taking up the cross daily, preferring one another in love and bowing before Him. When Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac, when he was going on the hill to worship, the was no music. We are losing our understanding of what Biblical worship is! If that is lost, we are at peril.
If you love to praise the Lord, do it with gusto with your preference of music. Enjoy it! But let’s rethink worship and how much more serious it is. When it comes to worship, God sets the standard. When it comes to praise, we have liberty to have music we prefer.
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