Thee are some very successful, unscriptural ministries run by wealthy televangelists who gain much of their wealth from poorly educated people. And these televangelists have something in common: self-promotion. The key to their success is teaching people how great the wealthy televangelists are.
As a result, churches are sometimes plagued by people who believe that they are authorized by God to glorify themselves by seizing control of ministries run by Godly people and taking all the credit. There might be exceptions, but in every case I know of, a person who seized a ministry that God gave to someone else ruined it. In every case in which the person held on to the ministry, it continued to succeed.
Jesus said that people who exalt themselves will be abased. It's hard to believe that when you look at the wealth and prestige of wealthy preachers, but their time is coming. And for their imitators in local churches, it often comes fairly quickly.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Sunday, March 3, 2013
EXALTING YOURSELF
Matt. 23:12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Folks, this is getting a little complicated. You'll have Christian people and institutions that keep doing the same stupid thing over and over, when it is obviously not working. Why? Because they are acting on a strongly-held wrong belief. Why do they keep the wrong belief? Because it is based an another strongly-held wrong belief, and so on.
It takes painful humility to admit that you were wrong about something that you have done for years, but God lifts up Christians who do. My college taught that soul-winning was the most important thing in the Christian life. Therefor, they could commit any sin necessary to protect their ministry. Therefor, they could cover up sin. Therefor, they could slander anyone who objected to the sin. As a result, the college has gone through forty years of scandal and disgrace. Their last pastor is in jail for sex with a teen-ager. Their sins continue, and nobody can stop them.
Jesus said that if we do not build our house on His Words, it will collapse, and "great was the fall of it."
Folks, this is getting a little complicated. You'll have Christian people and institutions that keep doing the same stupid thing over and over, when it is obviously not working. Why? Because they are acting on a strongly-held wrong belief. Why do they keep the wrong belief? Because it is based an another strongly-held wrong belief, and so on.
It takes painful humility to admit that you were wrong about something that you have done for years, but God lifts up Christians who do. My college taught that soul-winning was the most important thing in the Christian life. Therefor, they could commit any sin necessary to protect their ministry. Therefor, they could cover up sin. Therefor, they could slander anyone who objected to the sin. As a result, the college has gone through forty years of scandal and disgrace. Their last pastor is in jail for sex with a teen-ager. Their sins continue, and nobody can stop them.
Jesus said that if we do not build our house on His Words, it will collapse, and "great was the fall of it."
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
HUMBLING YOURSELF
Jack Hyles, who at the time was pastoring the world's largest church, gave this advice more than once: "If you're failing in your ministry, find someone who is succeeding and ask him for advice."
I have been amazed at the number of unsuccessful missionaries in Mexico who will not ask for help from people who are succeeding. If they did so, they would not be "leaders," so instead of being successful learners, they are unsuccessful leaders. We have four Christian orphanages in this area, and some of them have successful missionaries on staff. One missionary did help at an orphanage, and now he has one of his own. But most missionaries will not help at all, despite the opportunities.
Jesus said that the greatest Christians are the ones who humble themselves. If you want to do something for Christ, find someone who is succeeding and ask that person for advice.
I have been amazed at the number of unsuccessful missionaries in Mexico who will not ask for help from people who are succeeding. If they did so, they would not be "leaders," so instead of being successful learners, they are unsuccessful leaders. We have four Christian orphanages in this area, and some of them have successful missionaries on staff. One missionary did help at an orphanage, and now he has one of his own. But most missionaries will not help at all, despite the opportunities.
Jesus said that the greatest Christians are the ones who humble themselves. If you want to do something for Christ, find someone who is succeeding and ask that person for advice.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
THE SECOND GREAT PRINCIPLE OF FAILURE
Matthew 18:4 contains one of the most rejected verses in Scripture, a verse that is very contrary to what many Christian institutions teach:
Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
It gets even worse when you look at the context. The apostles asked Jesus who was the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, and Jesus explained that is people who humble themselves.
But someone will object that the people who accomplish the most for God are the greatest. However, other Scriptures tell us that God gives grace to the humble; it the humble who do the greatest works, because their works are accomplished through God' grace.
Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
It gets even worse when you look at the context. The apostles asked Jesus who was the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, and Jesus explained that is people who humble themselves.
But someone will object that the people who accomplish the most for God are the greatest. However, other Scriptures tell us that God gives grace to the humble; it the humble who do the greatest works, because their works are accomplished through God' grace.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
IF A CHRISTIAN DOESN'T LIKE YOU
Psalm 119:74 discusses people who don't like born-again Christians. "Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, Because I have hoped in Your word."
The Scriptures abound in blessings and promises to those who fear the Lord, but it makes clear that these blessings and promises are not for those who are hostile to God's people. When "successful" Christian leaders despise and fight Christians, they show that they don't fear the Lord. Some big-time Christians have been caught in immorality or other scandals, and it will then turn out that they had been mistreating their Christian employees for years.
When you see a Christian leader who despises God's people, no mater how successful he is, he doesn't fear the Lord. It's a good idea to steer clear of him.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
ARE CHRISTIANS UNCLEAN?
This passage is sometimes misused to teach that we should separate from Christians who belong to denominations that have unsaved people in them. A problem here is that the people who believe this are sometimes caught in scandals when some of their own leaders are actually unsaved.
The previous verses show clearly that Paul is talking about separating from pagan temples. Genuine Christians were still fellowshipping with the false gods they had served before coming to Christ, and God's Word strictly forbids this practice. But to separate from saints who belong to Christian groups that don't meet our standards is contrary to the Biblical command that we are to have fervent charity among ourselves.
Monday, February 4, 2013
YEARS OF DISOBEDIENCE
There is actually a doctrine that if you disobey God's commands to get right with a Christian you have wronged, God will eventually accept your sin. Which brings up the question: "How many years do you have to disobey God's commands to get things right, before God will accept your sin?"
My college vice-president was a former Green Beret (FGB) who was forced out of the college for supporting and protecting violent gangs among the student body. He had a strong policy of never gong back to someone he had wronged to make things right, explaining that his wrongs were "water under the bridge." He then built a successful church that included a successful school.
And then one day, Al Gore invented the internet. The FGB found himself the topic of a Christian hate site dedicated to his misdeeds. A couple dozen of his victims wrote in, and his church members began following the hate site, causing problems in his church. His defenders pointed out that he was winning more souls to Christ than his critics, and then a tech-savvy critic found out that all of his supporters were paid staff members of his church.
Believe it or not, I am actually on good terms with the FGB. I urged him to post an apology and admission of guilt, but he never answered me.
The best friend of a gang member who had been expelled began writing a series, claiming that the violent gang stories were false. After a few years, someone pointed out the solid track record of lying and church abuse that the defender had, using the abuser's real name.
Thirty-eight years later, the FGB's wrongs against the saints are still coming up.
My college vice-president was a former Green Beret (FGB) who was forced out of the college for supporting and protecting violent gangs among the student body. He had a strong policy of never gong back to someone he had wronged to make things right, explaining that his wrongs were "water under the bridge." He then built a successful church that included a successful school.
And then one day, Al Gore invented the internet. The FGB found himself the topic of a Christian hate site dedicated to his misdeeds. A couple dozen of his victims wrote in, and his church members began following the hate site, causing problems in his church. His defenders pointed out that he was winning more souls to Christ than his critics, and then a tech-savvy critic found out that all of his supporters were paid staff members of his church.
Believe it or not, I am actually on good terms with the FGB. I urged him to post an apology and admission of guilt, but he never answered me.
The best friend of a gang member who had been expelled began writing a series, claiming that the violent gang stories were false. After a few years, someone pointed out the solid track record of lying and church abuse that the defender had, using the abuser's real name.
Thirty-eight years later, the FGB's wrongs against the saints are still coming up.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)