Part 4

The Assemblies of God is a fundamentalist charismatic denomination with a strict rule for its preachers. If an AOG preacher is caught in immorality, he cannot preach anywhere for two years. After that, the AOG leadership will determine his preaching status. You cannot be ordained as an AOG preacher if you do not agree to keep that rule.

There is definite Scriptural justification for demanding that a Christian keep his word. If you choose to become an AOG preacher, you are bound to obey that rule. So when AOG evangelist Jimmy Swaggart was caught with a prostitute, he faced a problem. If he obeyed the rule, his television ministry would lose so many donors that it would permanently fold. So he refused to obey the rule, claiming that God had restored him, and that the AOG was too harsh and unforgiving.

I stated back then (1988) that Swaggart's restoration was fake and so was his repentance. Restoration cannot include permission to disobey God's commands.

 Three and a half years later, he was caught with another prostitute, and he announced to his followers that God had told him it was none of their business.

Part 3

"The World's Largest Sunday School" announced that the pastor's son has been "restored," and that we were to move on as if it had never happened. But God tells us in Matthew 5: 23    Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24    leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

The pastor's son had a long string of victims, and God required him to seek reconciliation with them. When I worked for him, I had known that he was giving the credit to friends (who it turned out were participating in immorality along with him), but God was blessing me and I wasn't interested in who got the credit. But he made no attempt to correct this, nor did he attempt to undo the harm he had done to multiple Christians families.

I have seen this doctrine with other fallen preachers: When God restores a fallen preacher, the preacher is not required to obey God's commands to make things right. The doctrine is false, and I stated at the time that the "restoration" of the pastor's son was phoney. Months later, he was caught in immorality again...and again...and again.

Part 2

In 1972 I enrolled in a Bible college sponsored by "The World's Largest Sunday School," which was running 8,000 in attendance at the time. When I graduated five years later, they were averaging 40,000. While there, I worked for two years under the pastor's son, an extremely successful youth director. Unknown to most of us, he was actively fornicating with teen-agers. In later years, he aggressively sought out the wives of Godly deacons, and it is conservative to say that he committed immorality with several dozen women.

After he got caught, the church proclaimed that he had been "restored," and they got him some important preaching opportunities. He went through about four churches, getting caught in immorality in all four, in one case actually causing the church to decline to the point that it merged into another one. He got "restored" a few more times, and is currently musing on the internet about the hypocrisy of his critics.

I knew back then that he hadn't been restored, and I knew when I found him on the web that he is a hypocrite today, and I was right both times (He's currently pushing a crooked work at home scheme). How do you know if a fallen preacher's repentance is genuine? I'm going to explain that.

To the Victims of Fallen Preachers

Big-time or small, fallen preachers are common enough that many Christians are the victims of more than one. And many fallen preachers have a habit: they don't go away.

Are their claims of repentance ever real? What is a fallen preacher superposed to be doing with his life after he "repents"? Does forgiveness require you to pretend it never happened? And what if you are tormented by bitterness years later?

I hope you can join me for a series of "To the Victims of Fallen Preachers," as we discuss what the Bible tells us about dealing with them.

Our Enemies in Heaven Part 14

Genesis 46:33 So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, 'What is your occupation?'34 that you shall say, 'Your servants' occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,' that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians."Having been forced to reconcile, were Joseph's brothers his equals? Joseph is ruling over them, and they are not his equals. But other than that, was everything all right? Genesis 50 tells us what happened after Jacob died:15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him."...18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, "Behold, we are your servants."...21 Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. Sometimes, sin, when forgiven, still leaves a penalty behind it. Fear and mistrust, as they were under the power of Joseph, remained. This was not Joseph's fault; it was the result of their own guilt, and the knowledge that Joseph had time to remember that guilt.While Joseph had recovered from their attack, many Christians go through life with a smaller ministry and a lesser reward, due to the attack of another Christian. How will that Christian fare when facing his victim in Heaven? Again, a major point of this thread is that you need to get reconciled with a wronged saint NOW, not after you both get to Heaven.

Our Enemies in Heaven Part 13

Genesis 45:3 tells us "Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph; does my father still live?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence."

Finding the Christ-like conduct he wanted, Joseph breaks down and identifies himself---and his brothers are not happy to see him. He explains that they need to come to Egypt to escape the remaining five years of famine. He weeps over Benjamin, and after that "... he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him."

The idea that you do not have to obey God's commands to get reconciled, because in Heaven God will quickly solve the problem, is not found in Scripture. Joseph successfully FORCED a reconciliation, but we'll see in the following Scriptures that there were still problems.

Our Enemies in Heaven Part 12

Judah Saves the Day Part 2

Joseph announces that he will keep Benjamin as his slave, but the ten brothers are free to go. However, the ten brothers offer to join Benjamin in slavery (perhaps to help him). They're showing improvement, but Joseph rejects their offer. How could Joseph keep Benjamin, knowing the suffering that it would cause his beloved father Jacob?

Originally, Jacob's favoritism of Joseph had started this problem. Now, Jacob favors Benjamin, but has he trained his sons properly, or will they hate Benjamin as well?

Judah steps forward and becomes a picture of Christ. He tells Joseph that he is the surety for the lad (who pictures us, the Church). He swore to his father that he would bring Benjamin safely to him. He cannot bear to see his father's pain if he returns without Benjamin. And Judah, who had not stolen the cup, would take Benjamin's place.

This is what Joseph wanted: Christ-like conduct! Trying to get reconciled with a hateful Christian who rejects Christ-like conduct will probably not work.