The men in the community group that I belong to at church are reading a book titled "I Told Me So" by Gregg A. Ten Elshof ( http://www.amazon.com/Gregg-A.-Ten-Elshof/e/B0025KY6GW ). The book is about self deception. Obviously, we like to think that we are not deceived in any way. But as Mr. Ten Elshof ably reveals, self deception is not only possible, but likely. I recommend the book, and especially recommend that you, the reader of this blog, would ask your self this question: "Is there any area of my life, that I am currently walking in self deception?"
I am especially sensitive to the reality of self deception. I have written before on this blog site about my own self deception while being involved in the Word of Faith/Prosperity movement. I spent a total of 24 years attending and supporting (time, talent, treasure) a church in this movement. During the course of the years that I was a member, there were times that I questioned my beliefs, and what I was being taught. However, no matter how serious my concerns became, I never left.
Self deception played an active role in why I never left. I wanted to believe that what I was a part of was right. I was invested in every way possible in this local church. The leadership of the church were people I admired, and wanted to be like. They were smart. It seemed they knew so much about the Bible and that they were so close to God. They were so confident. They appeared successful in all aspects of their lives. So, I pressed in. I wanted to be one of them. I served the church in every way I could. I cleaned, volunteered in the nursery, worked for a period of time in the children's ministry, became a part of men's ministry, and eventually it's leader, served as an usher, and even prayed with people at the end of the services as part of the altar ministry for several years.
Yes, as I mentioned above there were times I struggled with certain beliefs. There was even a point where I thought about leaving the church for a whole year. And yet, I stayed. I told myself regularly that the church would move back closer to orthodoxy. Sometimes, it would. But, ultimately, the church was solidly Word of Faith/Prosperity.
The sad truth is that for a good portion of those years, I listened regularly to Christian radio during the week. I would sometimes listen to the Christian music station, but I spent most of my time listening to the Christian teaching station in Louisville. I listened for years to solid, orthodox teachers. R.C. Sproul, Alistair Begg, Chuck Swindoll, Adrian Rogers, and many other well known radio ministers were on this station. Now, as I look back after more than four years of recanting of the WOF/Prosperity movement, I wonder why did I stay in it for so long? Answer: Self deception. I could blame the devil, or the leaders at the church that I so admired, but that would be wrong. I really, really wanted to believe the doctrines of the WOF/Properity movement. It offered power. Spiritual power. It offered a world view where it was possible to really change not only my world, but the world of those around me. That is the point about deception. Deception is not embraced by the unwilling, but by the willing. The lust and desire of the soul for lies is not forced upon it. The belief, that I, because of the teaching I was receiving would be "a more powerful Christian", was so very alluring. The lie was so much easier than the truth. WOF/Prosperity teachings warp, bend, and totally obfuscate the real work that a new believer should be doing to mature as a Christian. The WOF/Prosperity movement offered very enticing shortcuts to status and authority as a believer and I wanted it.
Of course, God did eventually overwhelm my lust for the lies of the WOF/Prosperity movement.
So I ask you again to ask this question of yourself: "Is there any area of my life, that I am currently walking in self deception?" Are you participating in a lie to your self. Is there any area of your life where you would rather embrace the lie, because of its promise, than walk in the truth. For me, the worst self deception was spiritual. What is yours? Yes, the truth is the harder road, but it is the right road.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Gospel Sermon delivered at my mom's funeral.
The Gospel
John 1:11-14
[11] He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. [12] But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, [13] who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
[14] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
This text states that Jesus was not received by His own people, but those that did receive Him, He gave the right to be one of God’s children. They were not born into God’s family, in the natural way, nor by their own will, but they were birthed into God’s family by God’s will, alone.
Jesus was full, completely full of grace and truth. Grace has been defined as God’s un-merited or un-earned favor toward man. Another very good definition is that it is God’s one way love to man. It is one way because it is rooted and based in God’s love for us, and not based on any thing we do.
American Christianity is familiar with Jesus being full of grace. Obviously, He has always been correctly portrayed as our Savior, as our substitute on the Cross, the Cross we deserved. Many American Christians know that God and His Son Jesus planned for this grace, this one way love performed by Jesus, since before Creation. And many American Christians know He was the Teacher of truth. Unfortunately though, most Americans do not know of God’s one way love to us before time. And obviously our culture is saturated with moral relativism as it main belief system. This moral relativism leaves most of us believing that there is no objective truth, or absolute right and wrong. And what is the worst sin of all in our culture? It is that we think we individually are sovereign in our own lives, and fail miserably at recognizing that our maker, the eternally self-existent God, is completely sovereign over us, and in fact over every part of this universe, both seen and unseen. But, I tell you, Jesus is THE Truth. He is very God with God. Jesus has always existed as God with God. Jesus, with His Father and the Holy Spirit in full agreement, chose to willingly become a man. He willingly humbled Himself, fully, and became part of His own Creation. He, Jesus, who was very God, became very man also.
So, Jesus was the Truth made flesh. I want you to know that Jesus did talk of love and forgiveness, righteous living, and on the importance of knowing Father God, but there is one other important thing that Jesus taught on, and that is on the coming judgment and on the wrath of God. In fact Jesus spoke of hell more than any other person in the New Testament. Let me read Luke 12: 4-5 to you: Jesus was teaching His disciples, in this text and this is what is states: [4] “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. [5] But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Ladies and gentlemen, I solemnly tell you with every assurance from years of study and reading God’s Word, only God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have the authority to cast a soul into an eternity in hell.
So when you think of grace and truth, Jesus not only forgives, heals, and saves souls, but He, as God, judges, and executes God’s wrath on unrepentant sinners by casting them into the Lake of Fire for eternity.
Here is truth that is found in Romans 3: 9-20: What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged all, both Jew and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: None is righteous, no not one; no one understands; no one seeks God. All have turned aside, together they have become worthless, no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Let me repeat a few key words in this text: all are under sin, none is righteous, not one, no one understands, no one seeks God, all have turned aside, together they all have become worthless, no one does good, not even one. They all use their tongues to deceive, their words are like poisonous snake venom, they are swift to shed blood, ruin and misery is their normal activity, and the way of peace they do not know. They do not have any fear of God! And their state for eternity will be hell, unless God intervenes.
This text universally convicts mankind of being basically evil….
So I ask, Do we have any hope… any chance for forgiveness and redemption, and ultimate restoration to God and His Son Jesus: YES…..YES…. and again I say YES!
Let’s look at a text in Ephesians 2: 1 – 10 to see why:
And you were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience…among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body, and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God…being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved---and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand, that we should walk in them.
This is Jesus’ grace, it is freely given to us. Remember God’s grace is His unmerited favor. It is God’s one way love poured out in a sweeping flood upon our souls. We do not have to work for it, in fact we can not. God outrageously and with over the top grace, floods us with His love and forgiveness and redemption through His Son, and restores us fully to Him.
In our culture there is a big lie that is believed by a majority of people. That lie is that God helps those who help themselves. That is not in the Bible…ladies and gentlemen. Benjamin Franklin spoke that. It is not true. The truth is that we were dead sinners, completely enslaved by our sin, our lusts, and our flesh’s unholy cravings. We were completely helpless to help ourselves, and what is much worse, we are not willing to help ourselves, separate and apart from God’s one way love making us alive spiritually, from the dead. We do not want or desire God in this dead and sin filled state. We love our sin. Sin is our nature. But God… because of His great love with which He loves us, can and will outrageously grace us with grace and make us alive in His Son Christ Jesus.
Let’s go back to Romans chapter 3, and read a few more verses that I intentionally wanted to read at this point of the sermon. The verses are Romans 3: 20 – 28:
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law (our works), although the Law and the prophets bear witness to it---the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forth as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance, he had passed over former sins. It was to show His righteousness, at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
Ladies and gentlemen, we can give everything we own to the poor, we can volunteer all of our extra time working in soup kitchens, we can constantly visit the sick in hospitals, we can defend the defenseless, we can fully take care of our widows and our orphans, we can feed the world’s hungry, but if we do these things without first recognizing that we can not earn God’s favor, that we can not purchase His love and forgiveness by our works, then we are hopelessly vain and lost in our pride. Because, good works do not save us. We, as spiritually dead sinners are in need of God’s regeneration of our dead souls to become living souls. Our new birth as living souls is His to work. It is not ours. We can not birth ourselves into His kingdom; no more than a baby can be born by it own choice. Only when we are born again, spiritually alive in Jesus Christ can we glorify Him. I say again, then and only then do the works that we do honor Him alone and not ourselves.
So, what are we to do? Simply respond… respond to God’s one way love to us. Repent of your old ways of sin and self-worship. Repent of the worldly wisdom that states that we can make it on our own. We can not. We absolutely must receive God’s free offer of grace. But people, I remind you that though it was freely offered to us, it was not free to God and His Son. Jesus, very God Himself, became a man. He walked and lived a sinless life. He was completely obedient to His father; He was spotless, pure, just, and righteous. What did we do with Him as a man, we crucified Him. His crucifixion was for helpless, dead sinners, like you and me. Again, I ask that you repent of dead works, and a life that is dead, that is lived for yourself, and that you receive Jesus and all that He freely gives us based on His work, His merit, and His righteousness. In Romans 10:13 it states that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Will you, will you please, for your soul’s sake and for the sake of those that love you, call upon Jesus Christ to save you today. Please!!!
Thank you.
John 1:11-14
[11] He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. [12] But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, [13] who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
[14] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
This text states that Jesus was not received by His own people, but those that did receive Him, He gave the right to be one of God’s children. They were not born into God’s family, in the natural way, nor by their own will, but they were birthed into God’s family by God’s will, alone.
Jesus was full, completely full of grace and truth. Grace has been defined as God’s un-merited or un-earned favor toward man. Another very good definition is that it is God’s one way love to man. It is one way because it is rooted and based in God’s love for us, and not based on any thing we do.
American Christianity is familiar with Jesus being full of grace. Obviously, He has always been correctly portrayed as our Savior, as our substitute on the Cross, the Cross we deserved. Many American Christians know that God and His Son Jesus planned for this grace, this one way love performed by Jesus, since before Creation. And many American Christians know He was the Teacher of truth. Unfortunately though, most Americans do not know of God’s one way love to us before time. And obviously our culture is saturated with moral relativism as it main belief system. This moral relativism leaves most of us believing that there is no objective truth, or absolute right and wrong. And what is the worst sin of all in our culture? It is that we think we individually are sovereign in our own lives, and fail miserably at recognizing that our maker, the eternally self-existent God, is completely sovereign over us, and in fact over every part of this universe, both seen and unseen. But, I tell you, Jesus is THE Truth. He is very God with God. Jesus has always existed as God with God. Jesus, with His Father and the Holy Spirit in full agreement, chose to willingly become a man. He willingly humbled Himself, fully, and became part of His own Creation. He, Jesus, who was very God, became very man also.
So, Jesus was the Truth made flesh. I want you to know that Jesus did talk of love and forgiveness, righteous living, and on the importance of knowing Father God, but there is one other important thing that Jesus taught on, and that is on the coming judgment and on the wrath of God. In fact Jesus spoke of hell more than any other person in the New Testament. Let me read Luke 12: 4-5 to you: Jesus was teaching His disciples, in this text and this is what is states: [4] “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. [5] But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Ladies and gentlemen, I solemnly tell you with every assurance from years of study and reading God’s Word, only God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have the authority to cast a soul into an eternity in hell.
So when you think of grace and truth, Jesus not only forgives, heals, and saves souls, but He, as God, judges, and executes God’s wrath on unrepentant sinners by casting them into the Lake of Fire for eternity.
Here is truth that is found in Romans 3: 9-20: What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged all, both Jew and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: None is righteous, no not one; no one understands; no one seeks God. All have turned aside, together they have become worthless, no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Let me repeat a few key words in this text: all are under sin, none is righteous, not one, no one understands, no one seeks God, all have turned aside, together they all have become worthless, no one does good, not even one. They all use their tongues to deceive, their words are like poisonous snake venom, they are swift to shed blood, ruin and misery is their normal activity, and the way of peace they do not know. They do not have any fear of God! And their state for eternity will be hell, unless God intervenes.
This text universally convicts mankind of being basically evil….
So I ask, Do we have any hope… any chance for forgiveness and redemption, and ultimate restoration to God and His Son Jesus: YES…..YES…. and again I say YES!
Let’s look at a text in Ephesians 2: 1 – 10 to see why:
And you were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience…among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body, and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God…being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved---and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand, that we should walk in them.
This is Jesus’ grace, it is freely given to us. Remember God’s grace is His unmerited favor. It is God’s one way love poured out in a sweeping flood upon our souls. We do not have to work for it, in fact we can not. God outrageously and with over the top grace, floods us with His love and forgiveness and redemption through His Son, and restores us fully to Him.
In our culture there is a big lie that is believed by a majority of people. That lie is that God helps those who help themselves. That is not in the Bible…ladies and gentlemen. Benjamin Franklin spoke that. It is not true. The truth is that we were dead sinners, completely enslaved by our sin, our lusts, and our flesh’s unholy cravings. We were completely helpless to help ourselves, and what is much worse, we are not willing to help ourselves, separate and apart from God’s one way love making us alive spiritually, from the dead. We do not want or desire God in this dead and sin filled state. We love our sin. Sin is our nature. But God… because of His great love with which He loves us, can and will outrageously grace us with grace and make us alive in His Son Christ Jesus.
Let’s go back to Romans chapter 3, and read a few more verses that I intentionally wanted to read at this point of the sermon. The verses are Romans 3: 20 – 28:
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law (our works), although the Law and the prophets bear witness to it---the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forth as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance, he had passed over former sins. It was to show His righteousness, at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
Ladies and gentlemen, we can give everything we own to the poor, we can volunteer all of our extra time working in soup kitchens, we can constantly visit the sick in hospitals, we can defend the defenseless, we can fully take care of our widows and our orphans, we can feed the world’s hungry, but if we do these things without first recognizing that we can not earn God’s favor, that we can not purchase His love and forgiveness by our works, then we are hopelessly vain and lost in our pride. Because, good works do not save us. We, as spiritually dead sinners are in need of God’s regeneration of our dead souls to become living souls. Our new birth as living souls is His to work. It is not ours. We can not birth ourselves into His kingdom; no more than a baby can be born by it own choice. Only when we are born again, spiritually alive in Jesus Christ can we glorify Him. I say again, then and only then do the works that we do honor Him alone and not ourselves.
So, what are we to do? Simply respond… respond to God’s one way love to us. Repent of your old ways of sin and self-worship. Repent of the worldly wisdom that states that we can make it on our own. We can not. We absolutely must receive God’s free offer of grace. But people, I remind you that though it was freely offered to us, it was not free to God and His Son. Jesus, very God Himself, became a man. He walked and lived a sinless life. He was completely obedient to His father; He was spotless, pure, just, and righteous. What did we do with Him as a man, we crucified Him. His crucifixion was for helpless, dead sinners, like you and me. Again, I ask that you repent of dead works, and a life that is dead, that is lived for yourself, and that you receive Jesus and all that He freely gives us based on His work, His merit, and His righteousness. In Romans 10:13 it states that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Will you, will you please, for your soul’s sake and for the sake of those that love you, call upon Jesus Christ to save you today. Please!!!
Thank you.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Father's Day
I have two fathers. The first one I met after my natural birth. My natural father appeared very big to me as I was growing up. The fact that he was strong and able to do wonders impossible for me to do, did not escape even my childhood mind. He could pick me up and carry me with one hand. He could reach high things without the assistance of chairs or step stools. He could throw a baseball a long ways. And he could drive our family's car. I could not ever imagine how he did such wonderful things.
My Heavenly Father, I met when I was 18 years old. I never dreamed just how big and great he was. And I later learned just how incredibly wonderful He is. I thought that I had found Him. Now, I know, he always was pursuing me. My whole childhood is covered with memories of God the Father loving me, in spite of me. He lovingly provided me with regular glimpses of Himself through my parents, friends, and later, through those He sent to witness to me. He never stopped loving me and pursuing me, even when my soul was at its ugliest. I know now, His choosing me and saving me, was for His purposes and glory, and not in any way based on my own personal worth and merit.
God, my father, has loved me unconditionally. My natural father does this to, to a certain extent. But, only the Heavenly Father knew the depths of depravity that my soul was in, and how much further it fell from there, into the darkness of consuming sin. And yet He still loved me and loves me unconditionally. Only God has the kind of love that can love the unloveable. Only God the Father can reach into the depths of the mire of sin and deliver the dead into new life. Only God, gives all to the undeserving. The all that He gives is the life of Jesus, His Son for the likes of me...and for you.
God, my father, I love you. Thank you for giving me your best treasure through your Son Jesus. Thank you for forgiving me, and justifying me, through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. And I pray, that those that read this, that you love with that same unconditional love, that you loved me with, will receive it freely with joy.
Romans 5:8: ...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV online)
Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
1 Corinthians 18-31
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, [1] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being [2] might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him [3] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (ESV online)
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
King James Version from Biblegateway.com
My Heavenly Father, I met when I was 18 years old. I never dreamed just how big and great he was. And I later learned just how incredibly wonderful He is. I thought that I had found Him. Now, I know, he always was pursuing me. My whole childhood is covered with memories of God the Father loving me, in spite of me. He lovingly provided me with regular glimpses of Himself through my parents, friends, and later, through those He sent to witness to me. He never stopped loving me and pursuing me, even when my soul was at its ugliest. I know now, His choosing me and saving me, was for His purposes and glory, and not in any way based on my own personal worth and merit.
God, my father, has loved me unconditionally. My natural father does this to, to a certain extent. But, only the Heavenly Father knew the depths of depravity that my soul was in, and how much further it fell from there, into the darkness of consuming sin. And yet He still loved me and loves me unconditionally. Only God has the kind of love that can love the unloveable. Only God the Father can reach into the depths of the mire of sin and deliver the dead into new life. Only God, gives all to the undeserving. The all that He gives is the life of Jesus, His Son for the likes of me...and for you.
God, my father, I love you. Thank you for giving me your best treasure through your Son Jesus. Thank you for forgiving me, and justifying me, through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. And I pray, that those that read this, that you love with that same unconditional love, that you loved me with, will receive it freely with joy.
Romans 5:8: ...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV online)
Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
1 Corinthians 18-31
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, [1] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being [2] might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him [3] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (ESV online)
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
King James Version from Biblegateway.com
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Cyber Fellowship?
I have been a part of a closed group page on Facebook for many months. When I first joined this FB group, it seemed to provide a much needed arena for fellowhip for me with other believers. Many of those who were a part of the group had the same experiences that I have had in the WOF/Prosperity movement. As I have written in previous blogs, I spent a total of 22 plus years in a church that would be best described as being fully aligned with the errors taught within the WOF/Prosperity movement. So, when I was first invited to join a group with others who had been through the physical and emotional turmoil of having been a member of a heretical system, I was very excited. I have dialogued with other individuals that have left this false gospel and benefited greatly. I knew that being able to interact with others on a daily basis that had the same pain from having been deceived would be comforting and would possibly bring some healing for me.
And that is exactly what the group provided for me for several months. Unfortunately the tone and demeaner of the group has turned very sour and vicious in the last few weeks. There are those in the group who seem to be far more hurt than the rest of us. And the way that they deal with the pain is to attack practically everything that moves that identifies itself as christianity, if it does not happen to fit in their little box that they have created for their faith.
Two days ago, one of the members posted a question about a very famous and successful pastor. One of the other members of the group posted a very slanderous and libelous statement about this pastor. And then the person posted several more. When I confronted the individual concerning the obvious error of their statements, the person just replied with more slander and more libel about this pastor. This person had no proof or actual documentation for the statements that were made. The person just continued their untrue, unsubstantiated rhetoric and refused to stop. The group page's tenor, as a whole, seemed to be very accepting of the continued slander. There were a few who did agree with my concerns, but they were in the great minority in relation to the group as a whole.
I realized that the group had become a very unhealthy place for me to continue to spend time in "cyber-fellowship". I did not want to become like those who were dealing with their pain by continuing to question and tear down legitimate teachers and pastors. So, I removed myself from the group last night. The group page made sense to me at first, while it, for the most part, discussed the false teachers and preachers in the WOF/Prosperity movement. It seemed to be a way of assuring each other that we were free of of the lies and deceptions that we had all succumbed too. However, I do not believe that Jesus and His church as a whole should be attacked for the errors of the false teachers in the WOF/Prosperity movement. It is clear from one very famous scripture passage, where Saul, on his way to persecute christians in the city of Damascus, encountered the Lord Jesus himself, that it is not only the individual christian that you are persecuting when you attack, but you are also persecuting Jesus too. When Jesus confronted Saul, Jesus asked him "Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me?" Saul had never actually had physical contact with Jesus, but Saul was famous for his persecution of the church at Jerusalem. Obviously, Jesus takes it personal when you hurt His own.
So, what did I learn from all this. First, I now realize that the pain that I feel is shared by others. I also learned that some in the group were hurt so bad, that they had actually descended into anger toward God. And I learned that groups, unguided by personal accountability to the scriptures, can get off in a ditch quickly.
So if any one is reading this, pray that I find and maintain healthy, and whole friendships. Pray also, that I find other believers who desire to encourage and exhort those that they are in relationship with, to grow in the honoring and glorifying of Jesus Christ. Christian friends should behave "christianally" toward each other and toward our culture in general, and not like savage inquisitors,
And that is exactly what the group provided for me for several months. Unfortunately the tone and demeaner of the group has turned very sour and vicious in the last few weeks. There are those in the group who seem to be far more hurt than the rest of us. And the way that they deal with the pain is to attack practically everything that moves that identifies itself as christianity, if it does not happen to fit in their little box that they have created for their faith.
Two days ago, one of the members posted a question about a very famous and successful pastor. One of the other members of the group posted a very slanderous and libelous statement about this pastor. And then the person posted several more. When I confronted the individual concerning the obvious error of their statements, the person just replied with more slander and more libel about this pastor. This person had no proof or actual documentation for the statements that were made. The person just continued their untrue, unsubstantiated rhetoric and refused to stop. The group page's tenor, as a whole, seemed to be very accepting of the continued slander. There were a few who did agree with my concerns, but they were in the great minority in relation to the group as a whole.
I realized that the group had become a very unhealthy place for me to continue to spend time in "cyber-fellowship". I did not want to become like those who were dealing with their pain by continuing to question and tear down legitimate teachers and pastors. So, I removed myself from the group last night. The group page made sense to me at first, while it, for the most part, discussed the false teachers and preachers in the WOF/Prosperity movement. It seemed to be a way of assuring each other that we were free of of the lies and deceptions that we had all succumbed too. However, I do not believe that Jesus and His church as a whole should be attacked for the errors of the false teachers in the WOF/Prosperity movement. It is clear from one very famous scripture passage, where Saul, on his way to persecute christians in the city of Damascus, encountered the Lord Jesus himself, that it is not only the individual christian that you are persecuting when you attack, but you are also persecuting Jesus too. When Jesus confronted Saul, Jesus asked him "Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me?" Saul had never actually had physical contact with Jesus, but Saul was famous for his persecution of the church at Jerusalem. Obviously, Jesus takes it personal when you hurt His own.
So, what did I learn from all this. First, I now realize that the pain that I feel is shared by others. I also learned that some in the group were hurt so bad, that they had actually descended into anger toward God. And I learned that groups, unguided by personal accountability to the scriptures, can get off in a ditch quickly.
So if any one is reading this, pray that I find and maintain healthy, and whole friendships. Pray also, that I find other believers who desire to encourage and exhort those that they are in relationship with, to grow in the honoring and glorifying of Jesus Christ. Christian friends should behave "christianally" toward each other and toward our culture in general, and not like savage inquisitors,
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Reflections on the Sovereignty of God and Word of Faith Theology
Paradigm--3: a philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws, and generalizations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulated; broadly : a philosophical or theoretical framework of any kind
1: example, pattern; especially : an outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary on-line
I am continually confronted with how far my belief system as a Christian was removed from the truth that is revealed in scripture. Yes, I believe that though my theology was not perfect as a younger man, that God still saved me in spite of my imperfect understanding of His Word. For years, I attended a WOF church. The theology and foundational beliefs of the WOF movement are unbelievably "SCREWED-UP".
The Word of Faith movement teaches a "minimalized" view of God's authority in the EARTH.They believe in a dualistic relationship between God and Satan, that God can only hope to have the upper hand in, if we, the offspring of Adam help Him to enforce, by the excercising of our faith and authority as believers. The Word of Faith teachers and preachers subscribe to the belief system that Adam ceded authority over man and this EARTH to Satan. There is even an elaborate "fabricated story" based on one of the parables, that God "leased" the Earth out to man for a period of time, and that now Satan holds that lease.
Hogwash!!!!
God is God. He is absolutely in charge of every detail of His creation. There is scripture, upon scripture, declaring the truth of this attribute of God. God has always had Plan A for His creation man. The Gospel is not Plan B. God decreed and superintends His will. His purposes will be fully accomplished. There is not one aspect of "His-story" that was out of His control. I will go further, Satan is submitted to God's authority. It is not because he wants or desires to be, but due to the fact that the level of God's omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and every other descriptive word that describes His transcendence, so far surpasses Satan’s nature and being, that the difference between God and a single cell's level of being, would be a just measuring rod for demonstrating how much greater God's greatness is, compared to Satan’s being. God is self existent. He is the I am that I am. Satan is wholly a contingent being. Any existence that he has is fully at the discretion and command of God. And to emphasize Satan's submission and relationship to God even more, any act on Satan's part is an act that is allowed by God,and is an act that ultimately and gloriously fulfills God's perfect purpose.
The WOF teachers and preachers are either absolutely ignorant of God's true transcendence, or worse, intentionally deceiving their followers to serve dark purposes.
God is portrayed in scripture as totally sufficient in every way. He does not need us or our faith. He is fully complete in His excellence in every possible way. God lacks nothing.
I urge those of you still trapped by a false paradigm of God's identity, His transcendence, and His full sovereignty over the smallest details of His creation, to reread your Bibles. God is the chief author, producer, director, and writer of this play we call reality!!!
1: example, pattern; especially : an outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary on-line
I am continually confronted with how far my belief system as a Christian was removed from the truth that is revealed in scripture. Yes, I believe that though my theology was not perfect as a younger man, that God still saved me in spite of my imperfect understanding of His Word. For years, I attended a WOF church. The theology and foundational beliefs of the WOF movement are unbelievably "SCREWED-UP".
The Word of Faith movement teaches a "minimalized" view of God's authority in the EARTH.They believe in a dualistic relationship between God and Satan, that God can only hope to have the upper hand in, if we, the offspring of Adam help Him to enforce, by the excercising of our faith and authority as believers. The Word of Faith teachers and preachers subscribe to the belief system that Adam ceded authority over man and this EARTH to Satan. There is even an elaborate "fabricated story" based on one of the parables, that God "leased" the Earth out to man for a period of time, and that now Satan holds that lease.
Hogwash!!!!
God is God. He is absolutely in charge of every detail of His creation. There is scripture, upon scripture, declaring the truth of this attribute of God. God has always had Plan A for His creation man. The Gospel is not Plan B. God decreed and superintends His will. His purposes will be fully accomplished. There is not one aspect of "His-story" that was out of His control. I will go further, Satan is submitted to God's authority. It is not because he wants or desires to be, but due to the fact that the level of God's omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and every other descriptive word that describes His transcendence, so far surpasses Satan’s nature and being, that the difference between God and a single cell's level of being, would be a just measuring rod for demonstrating how much greater God's greatness is, compared to Satan’s being. God is self existent. He is the I am that I am. Satan is wholly a contingent being. Any existence that he has is fully at the discretion and command of God. And to emphasize Satan's submission and relationship to God even more, any act on Satan's part is an act that is allowed by God,and is an act that ultimately and gloriously fulfills God's perfect purpose.
The WOF teachers and preachers are either absolutely ignorant of God's true transcendence, or worse, intentionally deceiving their followers to serve dark purposes.
God is portrayed in scripture as totally sufficient in every way. He does not need us or our faith. He is fully complete in His excellence in every possible way. God lacks nothing.
I urge those of you still trapped by a false paradigm of God's identity, His transcendence, and His full sovereignty over the smallest details of His creation, to reread your Bibles. God is the chief author, producer, director, and writer of this play we call reality!!!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Arrogance Defeated, One Less Atheist In the World
I am not quite sure how old I was the day that my world view was changed. My sister is seven years older than I am. And on this particular Sunday, as was the case whenever my sister came home from college to visit, my dad would have to drive her back to the college for the beginning of the next week's classes.
I do not remember if I was asked to go along, or was told I was going, but the trip to her college usually took about an hour and a half to drive. My sister, was the oldest sibling in the family. Her name was Marsha and I was very proud of her. I would have never told her so, however, since there was a little sibling rivalry taking place between us; at least there was in my mind. I was probably 12 or 13 years old and she was probably in her sophomore or junior year at Georgetown College.
Georgetown College was in Georgetown, Kentucky. Georgetown , at the time, was a small college town near Lexington, Kentucky. It has since grown in population and fame. Its population and fame changed practically overnight when the Toyota Motor Corporation chose to locate a new car plant there to make the Camry. However, before they chose to locate their newest car plant there, most people would have never heard of the town or the college.
I do not recall how the conversation on this particular trip was turned to the question of the existence of God, but it did. I was a very arrogant, know it all kid. I had become quite the bookworm by this time in my life. I had been introduced to a love for reading from a teacher in elementary school. And as with many endeavors in my life, when I do something, I do it to an extreme. The inflated opinion of myself ,intellectually, was won from the many victories, while playing head games with peers. There were very few that had read as many books as I had. I was the perfect walking example of the foolish kid "who thought he knew it all".
The arrogance and the smugness that I had about what I believed was in full display in the car that Sunday, once the conversation turned to the existence of God. I knew what I knew, and I was going to prove it. I knew there was no God. Somewhere along my journey of devouring all the books, I had become an atheist. My parents had quit attending church when I was nine or ten years old. So the only influence I was receiving about world view issues was through books, newspapers, television shows and school.
I started my case for the non-existence of God by telling my sister there was no proof that he did exist. I pointed out to her, that scientists could not find him, that he had no address where we could go visit him, or no phone number where we could call him. I went on to tell her that no one that I was friends with, actually believed in God.
My sister, easily defeated this assertion, she had already had a philosophy class or two at college. Arguing with her was not going to be as easy as arguing with my class-mates at school. She simply pointed out that I could not prove that he did not exist. Trust me, I tried. She replied, "have you been every where in the universe and made sure he was not there". Of course, I had no retort worthy to refute this simple statement of hers. I countered, well if he exists, how come he does not make himself visible to every one? She gave me no direct answer to this question, other than pointing out there were those in the religious community that believed he had revealed and made himself visible. My sister was not a practicing Christian either back then. But she did want to win the debate with me. We both were a little competitive. This is the point in the debate/conversation where she went on the offensive. It probably was relatively easy for her. After all, she had those classes in philosophy at school to augment her knowledge base and simple strategy to prove me wrong. My sister stated in basic terms the cosmological argument or causal argument for the existence of God. I am pretty sure she did not use those names for the premise to her argument, but she did ably present her case. The cosmological argument, stated simply, is that every effect has a cause. In our world, we can see constant confirmation of this simple premise. In nature, for example, if a predator is hungry, it motivates the predator to hunt for prey. If the animal is thirsty, it searches for a drink. If an acorn falls from a tree, and lands on good soil, with adequate rain, it will become an oak tree. If the tectonic plates shift hard enough and fast enough there will be a sizable earthquake. These four examples of effects, each have a previous causal factor that initiated the action. Hunger, thirst, the wind blowing through the trees and the shift of the tectonic plates are the immediate causal factors for the action that took place in our examples. My sister then made several observations of the relationship between cause and effect. She pointed out that the universe could not have created itself. There had to be a cause for it to spring into existence. I had no reply to her simple argument, other than to say, "well then, who created God"? Her comeback, though I did not like it, again was simple. She pointed out it would be irrational to believe that there was an endless series of regressions of creators creating the next creator. At some point, some entity outside of the chain of creators and creations, had to be completely and wholly other than the endless stream of regressions of creators and creations. This entity, this first cause, had to be the "uncaused" cause. She said this is what we call God.
So I had a choice to make. I had to decide if staying an atheist made sense. I asked her what did it mean to her that there had to be a first cause. She said that she felt that it made more sense to be an agnostic. I had never heard the word used before. To be an agnostic she stated, means to acknowledge that there is not enough evidence to disprove there is a God. She said an agnostic simply questioned his existence. So I became an agnostic that day.
I did not stay an agnostic for long, that changed a few years later, when I accepted Jesus as God and Savior, but that is another story.
If you want to read more about the cosmological argument simply insert the words into Google or click the title of this blog and it will take you to an embedded link that has an academic article.
I do not remember if I was asked to go along, or was told I was going, but the trip to her college usually took about an hour and a half to drive. My sister, was the oldest sibling in the family. Her name was Marsha and I was very proud of her. I would have never told her so, however, since there was a little sibling rivalry taking place between us; at least there was in my mind. I was probably 12 or 13 years old and she was probably in her sophomore or junior year at Georgetown College.
Georgetown College was in Georgetown, Kentucky. Georgetown , at the time, was a small college town near Lexington, Kentucky. It has since grown in population and fame. Its population and fame changed practically overnight when the Toyota Motor Corporation chose to locate a new car plant there to make the Camry. However, before they chose to locate their newest car plant there, most people would have never heard of the town or the college.
I do not recall how the conversation on this particular trip was turned to the question of the existence of God, but it did. I was a very arrogant, know it all kid. I had become quite the bookworm by this time in my life. I had been introduced to a love for reading from a teacher in elementary school. And as with many endeavors in my life, when I do something, I do it to an extreme. The inflated opinion of myself ,intellectually, was won from the many victories, while playing head games with peers. There were very few that had read as many books as I had. I was the perfect walking example of the foolish kid "who thought he knew it all".
The arrogance and the smugness that I had about what I believed was in full display in the car that Sunday, once the conversation turned to the existence of God. I knew what I knew, and I was going to prove it. I knew there was no God. Somewhere along my journey of devouring all the books, I had become an atheist. My parents had quit attending church when I was nine or ten years old. So the only influence I was receiving about world view issues was through books, newspapers, television shows and school.
I started my case for the non-existence of God by telling my sister there was no proof that he did exist. I pointed out to her, that scientists could not find him, that he had no address where we could go visit him, or no phone number where we could call him. I went on to tell her that no one that I was friends with, actually believed in God.
My sister, easily defeated this assertion, she had already had a philosophy class or two at college. Arguing with her was not going to be as easy as arguing with my class-mates at school. She simply pointed out that I could not prove that he did not exist. Trust me, I tried. She replied, "have you been every where in the universe and made sure he was not there". Of course, I had no retort worthy to refute this simple statement of hers. I countered, well if he exists, how come he does not make himself visible to every one? She gave me no direct answer to this question, other than pointing out there were those in the religious community that believed he had revealed and made himself visible. My sister was not a practicing Christian either back then. But she did want to win the debate with me. We both were a little competitive. This is the point in the debate/conversation where she went on the offensive. It probably was relatively easy for her. After all, she had those classes in philosophy at school to augment her knowledge base and simple strategy to prove me wrong. My sister stated in basic terms the cosmological argument or causal argument for the existence of God. I am pretty sure she did not use those names for the premise to her argument, but she did ably present her case. The cosmological argument, stated simply, is that every effect has a cause. In our world, we can see constant confirmation of this simple premise. In nature, for example, if a predator is hungry, it motivates the predator to hunt for prey. If the animal is thirsty, it searches for a drink. If an acorn falls from a tree, and lands on good soil, with adequate rain, it will become an oak tree. If the tectonic plates shift hard enough and fast enough there will be a sizable earthquake. These four examples of effects, each have a previous causal factor that initiated the action. Hunger, thirst, the wind blowing through the trees and the shift of the tectonic plates are the immediate causal factors for the action that took place in our examples. My sister then made several observations of the relationship between cause and effect. She pointed out that the universe could not have created itself. There had to be a cause for it to spring into existence. I had no reply to her simple argument, other than to say, "well then, who created God"? Her comeback, though I did not like it, again was simple. She pointed out it would be irrational to believe that there was an endless series of regressions of creators creating the next creator. At some point, some entity outside of the chain of creators and creations, had to be completely and wholly other than the endless stream of regressions of creators and creations. This entity, this first cause, had to be the "uncaused" cause. She said this is what we call God.
So I had a choice to make. I had to decide if staying an atheist made sense. I asked her what did it mean to her that there had to be a first cause. She said that she felt that it made more sense to be an agnostic. I had never heard the word used before. To be an agnostic she stated, means to acknowledge that there is not enough evidence to disprove there is a God. She said an agnostic simply questioned his existence. So I became an agnostic that day.
I did not stay an agnostic for long, that changed a few years later, when I accepted Jesus as God and Savior, but that is another story.
If you want to read more about the cosmological argument simply insert the words into Google or click the title of this blog and it will take you to an embedded link that has an academic article.
Monday, November 15, 2010
The Holy Ghost Bartender and Holy Laughter
It was circa 1993 at Louisville Trinity Church. My wife and I had been remarried for about two years. We both had become involved in serving in the church. Primarily, we both served in the nursery on a regular basis. But, I had decided to start helping with the altar ministry team. The task that I volunteered for was called “catching”. For most of you that are unfamiliar with the Charismatic and Pentecostal style worship services, the ministry at the altar where people are prayed for is one of the most iconic aspects of these churches. It is very common in these types of churches for the pastor or visiting evangelists to make an altar call. During these altar calls, several needs would be mentioned for people to be prayed over for. Usually, there was more than one need mentioned, to ensure the altar was full with people. The altar call is as much a part of a Charismatic/Pentecostal worship service, as preaching and singing. The regular attendees of these meetings would not believe they have actually had church, unless the show at the altar takes place somewhere in the service. Usually, at Louisville Trinity Church, the altar call was at the end of the service, but it could me made at any time the minister felt the leading of the Spirit or the anointing to do it. The anointing was a word that may have had a legitimate meaning in the Old Testament Jewish ceremonies, but as the word was understood in the modern Charismatic movement, the anointing was that special presence of the Holy Spirit that the minister sensed upon him when he was either preaching or praying. Specifically, the real meaning of the words to anoint meant to literally take oil and place it on the person being “anointed” to symbolize the setting apart of that person for a special task. For example, in the Old Testament, Samuel “anointed” both Saul and David to be King of Israel. The words to anoint also could be used in the sense of applying a healing salve to a wound. However, in the Pentecostal/Charismatic churches the word “anointing” came to mean the literal, and this is important, “transferable presence” of the Holy Spirit. So when the minister or ministers were praying for people at the altar, the belief was that when the ministers laid their hands on you, you received, “the anointing”, the presence of the Holy Spirit, to heal you, or meet whatever need you had come to the altar to receive ministry for. Subsequently the person being prayed for would be “slain in the Spirit”. To be “slain in the Spirit” meant that the power of the Holy Spirit had come on the individual being prayed for, so powerfully, that the person would fall back or collapse under the encounter with the Holy Spirit’s presence. So this “falling back” was why the “catchers” were much needed in the Charismatic/Pentecostal worship services. The unspoken truth was that if we were not back there catching people as they fell, they would be hurt, or even knocked out. In my experience catching people at the altar, you would see all sorts of strange ways for people to “fall out” under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Some of the people would fall back immediately, some after several minutes of praying would fall back, so you had to always be ready to catch, and some would either be pushed down, or just refuse to go down.
That was what I understood about the process up to and until Rodney Howard Browne was invited to hold a week long conference at our church in 1993. Mr. Browne was not well known at this point. He had emigrated from South Africa, because, as he said, God told him to. He was to bring the special anointing that God had placed on him to America and “impart” it to the church here. Mr. Browne’s ministry was already gaining attention within Charismatic/Pentecostal circles, but he still was not so big that he could not come to a church the size of Louisville Trinity Church. The sanctuary held 300 to 350 people. I personally had not heard of Mr. Browne. I do remember though, that we held special training sessions for the catchers before he came. I soon found out why. The plan was for Mr. Browne to hold meetings both morning and night for the best part of a week. There was one day that was planned as a rest day. I was working at the time, for a company called Blue Bird Pies and Cakes, as a route salesman. So, I was not able to be at the morning services. I remember the first meeting that I attended the first night well. I loved to hear great preaching. I still do. So after a very long and protracted time of praise and worship, with the mesmerizing and continuous repeating of verses to songs being accomplished, Mr. Browne stepped up to the pulpit. I expected a great sermon. I really did. I had heard what a great preacher he was. During the whole week that I attended every night service, I never saw him complete his actual sermon. The part of his ritual that he employed as he stepped to the pulpit every night that he did complete was the “offering sermon”. Mr. Browne, would preach the offering sermon, as long or longer, than most churches real sermon would ever last. He was so polished, and so persuasive in his offering sermons, that the offering that was received for that meeting was the largest that had ever been taken up for a visiting evangelist up to that point in the church’s history. It was well over 5000 dollars. Our weekly offerings barely came close to this amount, at the time. So, once the offering sermon was complete, Mr. Browne would announce his sermon passage, and we would turn to it, and then he would talk about all that God was doing in his ministry. He would tell us funny stories, tell us funny jokes, and then he would start laughing, or one of the congregation would start laughing, and that would start the next hour to hour and a half of some of the strangest sites I had ever seen any where. People would begin laughing in greater and greater numbers, and some would start to fall out on the floor, and roll in it, totally forgetting their dignity, laughing and laughing uncontrollably. Mr. Browne, would always begin with these first “drunk in the Spirit” individuals, and start interviewing them, asking them how they felt. He would get them to say silly things, and people would laugh all the more. Finally, when he would be done talking with them, or so you thought, he would lay hands on them, and say “be filled, be filled, be filled, and on and on until they reached an even more “drunken state in the Spirit”, and they would fall. Of course at this point, the catchers would catch the falling individuals. The “anointing” was so strong that even the catchers would start to fall out drunk in the Spirit. The “show” would go on, like I said for at least another hour and a half. Once this point in the service was reached, almost all the individuals in the congregation would be laughing uncontrollably. People would be lying all over the floor in the entire sanctuary, laughing uncontrollably. Whole pews of people would be laying all over each other laughing uncontrollably. This was the normal “manifestations” that you would witness every night, however, some of the people would behave even more bizarre than this, howling, mimicking women giving birth, with rhythmic gyrations, and others would be praying loudly in the tongues. It was a shear carnival of bizarre things to see. And this occurred in the sanctuary every night. This was better than anything you were going to see on network television, and probably anything you would see on cable too.
At the end of the bizarre service, Mr. Browne would make the final altar call for anyone who had any need. This was the point when the whole front of the sanctuary would be lined up with people seeking prayer. But, when Mr. Browne would pray for these people, they did not fall back like we were usually use to, they went down very fast and very hard.
One night Mr. Browne was moving so quickly we could not keep up with him. There was 5 to 7 of us catching and plus some of his team helping. He got ahead of his catchers, I was one of them, and a lady fell out and hit a metal chair with the back of her head. It was loud. And I could see she was hurt. We were all afraid to touch her. We were just hoping at that point, that it was really God, who took her down. It was the only way she would not be hurt after such a strike on her head. She laid there for at least 10 minutes. I now believe she was knocked completely silly. I know she was talked to later by the leaders of the church. They knew she was hurt. They were afraid she might sue them.
And this brings me to my summary of the whole affair. I doubted every thing that had taken place that week. I struggled with it for years. That is the sad part. I mean years. I meditated about what had happened and could come to no other conclusion than that it was all fraud using the power of suggestion or even worse demonic. I knew a little about mass audience dynamics and hypnosis techniques because I had read about it before. The only conclusion that I could possibly come up with is that Mr. Browne was the best hypnotist and audience manipulator ever, or it was not of God, and therefore demonic. Real bizarre things occurred, that were being done by very respectable people, who if they saw themselves on video tape would be forever embarrassed. I finally did meet with the Pastor and express my struggle with it all. He soothed me by asking me, do I want him to be my Pastor or my Pope? To restate it another way, he asked me, did I expect him to be infallible. He suggested that I “eat” what I like about his ministry, and spit out the rest. So I did. I wound up staying at the church all the way to 2008. By then the church had its third Pastor who started pastoring in about 1997. I will tell more about my journey through the Word of Faith/Prosperity movement in the next blog.
That was what I understood about the process up to and until Rodney Howard Browne was invited to hold a week long conference at our church in 1993. Mr. Browne was not well known at this point. He had emigrated from South Africa, because, as he said, God told him to. He was to bring the special anointing that God had placed on him to America and “impart” it to the church here. Mr. Browne’s ministry was already gaining attention within Charismatic/Pentecostal circles, but he still was not so big that he could not come to a church the size of Louisville Trinity Church. The sanctuary held 300 to 350 people. I personally had not heard of Mr. Browne. I do remember though, that we held special training sessions for the catchers before he came. I soon found out why. The plan was for Mr. Browne to hold meetings both morning and night for the best part of a week. There was one day that was planned as a rest day. I was working at the time, for a company called Blue Bird Pies and Cakes, as a route salesman. So, I was not able to be at the morning services. I remember the first meeting that I attended the first night well. I loved to hear great preaching. I still do. So after a very long and protracted time of praise and worship, with the mesmerizing and continuous repeating of verses to songs being accomplished, Mr. Browne stepped up to the pulpit. I expected a great sermon. I really did. I had heard what a great preacher he was. During the whole week that I attended every night service, I never saw him complete his actual sermon. The part of his ritual that he employed as he stepped to the pulpit every night that he did complete was the “offering sermon”. Mr. Browne, would preach the offering sermon, as long or longer, than most churches real sermon would ever last. He was so polished, and so persuasive in his offering sermons, that the offering that was received for that meeting was the largest that had ever been taken up for a visiting evangelist up to that point in the church’s history. It was well over 5000 dollars. Our weekly offerings barely came close to this amount, at the time. So, once the offering sermon was complete, Mr. Browne would announce his sermon passage, and we would turn to it, and then he would talk about all that God was doing in his ministry. He would tell us funny stories, tell us funny jokes, and then he would start laughing, or one of the congregation would start laughing, and that would start the next hour to hour and a half of some of the strangest sites I had ever seen any where. People would begin laughing in greater and greater numbers, and some would start to fall out on the floor, and roll in it, totally forgetting their dignity, laughing and laughing uncontrollably. Mr. Browne, would always begin with these first “drunk in the Spirit” individuals, and start interviewing them, asking them how they felt. He would get them to say silly things, and people would laugh all the more. Finally, when he would be done talking with them, or so you thought, he would lay hands on them, and say “be filled, be filled, be filled, and on and on until they reached an even more “drunken state in the Spirit”, and they would fall. Of course at this point, the catchers would catch the falling individuals. The “anointing” was so strong that even the catchers would start to fall out drunk in the Spirit. The “show” would go on, like I said for at least another hour and a half. Once this point in the service was reached, almost all the individuals in the congregation would be laughing uncontrollably. People would be lying all over the floor in the entire sanctuary, laughing uncontrollably. Whole pews of people would be laying all over each other laughing uncontrollably. This was the normal “manifestations” that you would witness every night, however, some of the people would behave even more bizarre than this, howling, mimicking women giving birth, with rhythmic gyrations, and others would be praying loudly in the tongues. It was a shear carnival of bizarre things to see. And this occurred in the sanctuary every night. This was better than anything you were going to see on network television, and probably anything you would see on cable too.
At the end of the bizarre service, Mr. Browne would make the final altar call for anyone who had any need. This was the point when the whole front of the sanctuary would be lined up with people seeking prayer. But, when Mr. Browne would pray for these people, they did not fall back like we were usually use to, they went down very fast and very hard.
One night Mr. Browne was moving so quickly we could not keep up with him. There was 5 to 7 of us catching and plus some of his team helping. He got ahead of his catchers, I was one of them, and a lady fell out and hit a metal chair with the back of her head. It was loud. And I could see she was hurt. We were all afraid to touch her. We were just hoping at that point, that it was really God, who took her down. It was the only way she would not be hurt after such a strike on her head. She laid there for at least 10 minutes. I now believe she was knocked completely silly. I know she was talked to later by the leaders of the church. They knew she was hurt. They were afraid she might sue them.
And this brings me to my summary of the whole affair. I doubted every thing that had taken place that week. I struggled with it for years. That is the sad part. I mean years. I meditated about what had happened and could come to no other conclusion than that it was all fraud using the power of suggestion or even worse demonic. I knew a little about mass audience dynamics and hypnosis techniques because I had read about it before. The only conclusion that I could possibly come up with is that Mr. Browne was the best hypnotist and audience manipulator ever, or it was not of God, and therefore demonic. Real bizarre things occurred, that were being done by very respectable people, who if they saw themselves on video tape would be forever embarrassed. I finally did meet with the Pastor and express my struggle with it all. He soothed me by asking me, do I want him to be my Pastor or my Pope? To restate it another way, he asked me, did I expect him to be infallible. He suggested that I “eat” what I like about his ministry, and spit out the rest. So I did. I wound up staying at the church all the way to 2008. By then the church had its third Pastor who started pastoring in about 1997. I will tell more about my journey through the Word of Faith/Prosperity movement in the next blog.
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