Spray-On Tan Christian Style: Part 2

    In the last post, we talked about the failure of charisma as an accurate indicator of character for a pastor.  And yet historically the people of God have been swayed by those who captivate with their speaking ability, demand allegiance, and ridicule those who do not operate as they do.  Paul the apostle had to constantly deal with these type of issues as he established churches throughout the Roman world.

   In planting the church at Corinth, people entered in that constantly questioned Paul's credentials, authority and his right to address the Corinthian church.  Men had risen up in the midst who openly challenged Paul, particularly by contrasting Paul's speech, manner of living, and humble disposition with their own authoritarian style of leadership. Paul made some amazing statements: he used his authority to build up, not tear down (2 Cor 10:8); he did not preach himself but Christ Jesus and themselves as the servants of the Corinthians (2 Cor 4:5); he refused to take any money from the Corinthians so that they would have a clear example of love in action (2 Cor 11:7-9); and so on. 

   But Paul makes two significant statements that are at the heart of the matter at hand. The first statement that he makes is what led me to write this blog.  Satan, as opposed to appearing as a red-tailed devil, appears as an ANGEL OF LIGHT.  His servants disguise themselves not as devil worshipers but as  SERVANTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.  

" But I will continue doing what I have always done. This will undercut those who are looking for an opportunity to boast that their work is just like ours. ¹³ These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵ So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve. " 2 Cor 11: 12-15

Paul said that those men that were opposing his ministry were in fact false apostles. False. Not true. Not real. Fakes.  I just recently saw X-Men First Class. They had a character in the movie called Diablo who had the stereotypical devil look.  Although Satan is referred to as a serpent and a fallen angel, we do not have a description of his appearance as the red-tailed devil. Likewise, we have bought into false images of what Satan or his followers would actually look like and behave like.  Unrighteousness is equal to self-righteousness  (as in other-than-Jesus righteousness) in its heinousness and ungodliness.  

   I have considered the behavior of some ministers and of their respective ministries and I have drawn two conclusions. Either they are ministers who have gone way off track, or they are  imitations of the true servants of God.  Satan's servants who are disguised as servants of righteousness.  A bold statement but how else can you explain lavish lifestyles contrary to the teaching and example of Jesus Christ? How can you explain churches being operated as businesses with CEOs'  functioning with unchallenged authority and unlimited access to church finances?  How can you explain ministers and ministries that lie with impunity, justify questionable behavior, and quietly ruin lives while giving off the aura and air of righteousness? 

  It is time to rise up and question questionable behavior.  It is time to realize that Jesus came to set us free from being slaves to sin, and free from religious bondage.  1 Timothy tells us that there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.  Nowhere does it say in the Bible that the pastor hears from God for the people and communicates the message to the people. That would make him or her the mediator and contradict the fact that every believer has equal access to God through Jesus Christ.  It is a horrible thought that someone that preaches the word of God with power may by their actions actually oppose Jesus Christ.  But the scripture warns of this reality through and through. So why do we put up with it? We will explore that in part 3 with Paul and the Corinthian church.

    

Spray-On Tan Christian Style: Part1

   There have been some very, very disturbing developments in my fair city over the past eight months.  Church drama is nothing new. Church scandals are nothing new. But something is emerging that I am slowly coming to grips with.  Many churches have succumbed to a view of  church life that is far from what Jesus intended.  And as a result, many well meaning people are following pastors and churches that are the fruit of a corrupt system.  This system, as opposed to setting people free, leads them into spiritual incarceration, cultic behaviors, and very distorted views of who God is.
  
   Within many churches, and Black churches in particular, there is one characteristic that is desired above any in the pastor: charisma. I am here to tell you in no uncertain terms that CHARISMA IS OVERRATED!  Out of the 27 qualifications listed in 1st Timothy for a pastor, 26 deal with character. TWENTY SIX! Yet in many churches, the ability to turn a verb, mesmerize, and 'move the crowd' is the only thing that matters. But Hitler had charisma. Lenin had charisma. Jim Jones had charisma. David Koresh had charisma. Idi Amin had charisma. And two prominent Atlanta pastors caught up in scandals have charisma.  Looking through the Bible we see that Moses was not a good speaker. Yet he had the testimony of being the meekest man on the earth. We see that Paul was not a good speaker. Yet his impact continues to this day. 

  The problem with charisma is that it masks serious character issues. When we get caught up in the speaking ability of a pastor, we make ourselves susceptible to great error, false teaching, and spiritual ruin. With the prevalence of pastors asserting their "authority," demanding submission, and throwing a little "touch not God's annointed" into the mix, the recipe for deception is written.  Add to that the hierarchichal structure of many churches and the table is set. If the top is polluted, then the layers underneath will be polluted. The song  "Cult of Personality" by the group Living Colour highlights this problem:

Look in my eyes, what do you see?
Cult of personality
I know your anger, I know your dreams
I’ve been everything you want to be
I’m the cult of personality
Like mussolini and kennedy
I’m the cult of personality
Cult of personality
Cult of personality

Neon lights, a nobel prize
The mirror speaks, the reflection lies
You don’t have to follow me
Only you can set me free
I sell the things you need to be
I’m the smiling face on your t.v.
I’m the cult of personality

I exploit you still you love me
I tell you one and one makes three
I’m the cult of personality
Like joseph stalin and gandi
I’m the cult of personality
Cult of personality
Cult of personality

In our next post we will look at what Paul had to say about charisma in 2 Corinthians.
 

Now That's Good News!

It is fairly common to interpret the Bible through the lenses of personal bias, group associations, or even convenience. A person can approach the Bible, read a certain section for many months and even years, and seek to read into it something that is not there. For years I have heard through preaching and books that one key role of the Holy Spirit is to convict/convince the world of sin. Sin would cover all of the unrighteous acts that humanity commits repeatedly. The purpose of a preacher and a church is to point out the wrong that people do and urge them to "repent" and believe in Jesus.

Do we need to repent? Yes. Do we need to believe in Jesus? Yes. But the critical issue that makes all the difference in the world is what is it that we need to repent of? In John 16:7-9 Jesus explains what the repentance is for. " But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate[a] (the Holy Spirit) won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me (John 16:7-9 NLT).”

We by nature trust our judgment. We trust our decision-making. We are self-reliant. We believe that within us lies the ability to overcome any problem that may arise. Is that not the source of our problems in life? Is that not the reason we run into so many dead ends? Repentance is not a negative. It is a positive! Jesus is telling us that the chief sin in our life is refusing to believe in/trust in/have faith in Jesus. He is telling us “stop doing things your way, and do things my way.” Turn from a life of self-reliance and turn to a life of dependence on Jesus.

He is offering us eternal life, meaning HIS life within us by the Holy Spirit. When we trust in Jesus, we receive divine life, eternal life, the life of Christ within our very being. That is why the chief sin is refusing to believe in him. For it is only through the Holy Spirit living in us that we overcome this sin or that sin. So the message, the Good News, the Gospel, is that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead with forgiveness in his hands for all who trust him. That we can have a life in which we know and experience the great love that God has for us. That we can live a life not based on do’s and don’ts but on listening and following the leading and direction of God’s Spirit within us. That we can live a life where we are not slaves to our desires and impulses.

Ladies and gentlemen this is called the New Covenant and it is what the Lord Jesus Christ has established. Don’t you want to be a part of it?

Religion is a Big Turkey

I've been reading through the Gospel of John and the Book of Acts the past few months and a startling theme has emerged that is playing itself out everyday. The "People of God" have a severe problem with being "Holier than thou!" The Jews developed the belief over time that contact, interaction, and association with non-Jews would make them unclean. UNCLEAN!

Jesus, when asked to show his disciples the Heavenly Father, responded by saying "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father."We have many ideas about what God is like, but make no mistake: everything we can know about God is revealed to us by looking at Jesus Christ. "No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known (John 1:18 NIV)." So if we want to know "What is God like?" we simply look at Jesus.

Jesus interacted with EVERYBODY. That was the scandal of his life! He did not play favorites, or make anyone feel dehumanized. He gave value to everyone that he came into contact with and validated their worth. He gave the religious and "sinner" hope in that they all came to hear of the love of God to all. The Good News that this great God that created heaven and earth loves you, and has come to live among you so that you can see in person what He is like. That he will forgive all of your sins and give you the difference maker-eternal life. His life living inside of you. Hallelujah! All through trusting Jesus.

But what we find in the days of Jesus' trial and crucifixion is a group that wants him put to death parading him from one building to another. He is brought before the High Priest and charged with blasphemy. He then is taken to Pilate and see what is said: "Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover (John 18:28)." In Acts 10 Peter has a vision in which the Lord shows him not to call unclean anything that he calls clean. He then is summoned to go to the home of a Roman Centurion where upon entering he lets them know up front "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean (Acts 10:28)." This man's family became followers of Christ and there was great joy at the Gospel being extended to people outside of the Jewish lineage. However when the word got back to Jerusalem about what happened, Peter was criticized for GOING INTO THE HOME OF NON-JEWS (Acts 11:2-3).

Oh what barriers we put up in front of people when it comes to believing in Christ! We make it seem that he is unapproachable. We preach to people the horror of hell instead of the Good News of the Kingdom. We make people feel guilty about their lives instead of recognizing this: God is already at work in the lives of people. The Holy Spirit opens the eyes of people about their sin. As He does this He allows the followers of Christ to enter in with.........The Good News! Instead we condemn and separate ourselves from those that are not like-minded. We become righteousness focused instead of Christ-focused. Jesus IS our righteousness (righteousness, sanctification, and redemption -1 Cor. 1:30). We make some one's sin seem like it's the worst thing in the world (because we don't struggle with it). We preach a bait and switch Gospel: Come to Jesus as you are, but now that you believe here is a list of things you have to do. And tragically, the longer we are in Christ the fewer and fewer non-believing friends we have. We justify it by quoting scripture: "Come out from among them and be separate...Light has no fellowship with darkness....be not unequally yoked with unbelievers." All true scripture, but taken out of context when it comes to being friends with people that do not believe, think or act like us. I have been there, done that and it is a sanitized version of life. It is artificial. It is stagnant. It is toxic. It is not Christ-like.

Make a friend with someone that does not go to your church or believe in Christ. Just be a friend with no strings attached. And see what happens. I assure you that the sky will not fall. And maybe just maybe they will get a glimpse of this Savior who said that he did not come into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:17).

Mannequins and Masks

I have been underground in the lab for a minute, taking a break from the routine of life. Reading, researching, reflecting, re-purposing, and re-engaging. So what are the results? There is a degree of worldliness reflected in Church Life that is staggering! In Christian circles, worldliness is historically categorized by how you dress, what music you listen to, what movies you see, how close you are to people that are not Christians and so on. However, worldliness goes beyond those things. Are the middle class values of safety, security, and the American Dream worldly values held on to by the Church? Is it worldly to share the viewpoint that the poor, unemployed, homeless, and destitute have always brought their troubles on themselves? Is it worldly to pursue and proclaim prosperity as a Biblical value when history shows otherwise? Is it worldly to establish leadership structures in churches that mirror Wall St more than the Via Dolorosa?

As I read the Bible, study the landscape of the world, and listen to cutting edge Christian leaders I am convinced that the way we "do church" is a poor substitute for God's design. I challenge anyone to read Luke 10, the Gospel of John, and the Book of Acts and compare it to what we do today. Jesus did not tell us to plant churches. He told us to make disciples. He said that HE would build his church. We have instead built churches, preached the Romans Road instead of the Gospel of the Kingdom, gotten decisions, made converts, and wondered why people are going in and out of our churches so frequently.

Everything and I mean everything starts with a heavenly revelation of who Jesus Christ is! This is the rock that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against. Somebody has to take a stand for the truth! Let it begin with me.

I Never Want To Graduate

I have had the wonderful privilege this year of being reminded of some important things that I had lost sight of in my walk with Jesus. My faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). I should trust the Lord Jesus Christ first and foremost concerning the affairs of my life. The Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Christ, is the source of my life. The Gospel is life-giving, life-changing, and truly good news. It is not just about conversion but it is a way of life. That God uses everybody in his Kingdom, not just the chosen few.

The Lord uses disappointments to clarify vision, reset foundations, and re-direct paths. I have realized that my dream from twenty years ago is not so far-fetched but is indeed viable and attainable. I have come to grips with my quirkiness and while I wish that everybody in the body of Christ understood me, I realize that I am who I am by the grace of God. He does not want me to be a clone, but the unique person he made me to be. I understand my gifts and realize that I have to work in concert with other believers in order for the Lord to accomplish what he desires to through me.

So the cross, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus as Lord are the realities I've experienced this year. The best thing that I have learned is that you never graduate from Jesus being the center of everything. Strong meat and "deeper teachings" should all have Jesus as the Alpha and Omega and everything in between. Nothing too profound here but thoughts to consider.

These books have really helped me this year and I highly recommend them to you.

DETOX FOR THE OVERLY RELIGIOUS by Dave Putman
THE TANGIBLE KINGDOM by Hugh Halter
THE FORGOTTEN WAYS by Alan Hirsch
DREAM B.I.G. IN 3D by Paul Wilson, Jr.
THE JESUS MANIFESTO by Frank Viola and Leonard Sweet
ORGANIC CHURCH by Neil Cole

Stop The Bleeding

A hemorrhage is a medical condition that results in the loss of blood either internally or externally. According to Wikipedia there are two causes of hemorrhaging: blunt trauma to the body, and underlying medical conditions. Add to that a third cause, which is hemmorhaging that occurs as a side effect to medication. In other words hemorrhaging that happens because of the introduction of a foreign substance to the body.

It is no secret that Christ refers to all that put their trust in him as the Body of Christ. Paul says in 1 Corinthians that we are the Body of Christ, but members in particular. A gathering of Christians who meet together on a regular basis would be considered "members in particular." If the life of the human body is found in the blood, then the spiritual counterpart in a church assembly would be the members. What causes a Church to hemorrhage members?

While many things could be listed, the introduction of a foreign substance to the body is the chief culprit. We are saved through faith in Jesus Christ. We live by faith in Jesus Christ. We shall go to heaven through faith in Jesus Christ. The foreign substance is ANY TEACHING AND PRACTICE THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AS THE FOCUS. Leadership idolatry (cult of leadership), ambition, traditions, pet doctrines, spiritual elitism, spiritual profiteering, and the clergy/laity dichotomy can all turn believers away from a church assembly. If Jesus is not in charge, then we're in charge. And if we're in charge then a mess will be made.

The answer is a return to our first love. There is nothing that we can present, no method that we can devise that is more profound than Jesus of Nazareth! Born of a virgin, born in an impoverished setting. Being God yet willingly subjecting himself as a Son. Friend of the underbelly of society, yet available to all, rich and poor, that call on Him. There is no one and nothing greater than Jesus!

The church grew from 25,000 in the first century to 25 million in the third century, without programs, buildings, and under heavy persecution. All they had was Jesus Christ living in them by the Holy Spirit, and fragments of the scripture.

Stop the bleeding! As the Sugar Hill Gang said, "it's on you, so what you gonna do?"

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Open Your Eyes

In America we make it seem like the only places you can meet Jesus and

have an encounter with God is at a church service, leadership service, or missions trip.

However, I want to see God working in the midst of where I am. I have been

guilty of chasing after places and things where I think God will show

up. It made me like that person in a crowd who is on their tippy toes

trying to see something away from where they are standing. But recent

disappointments have allowed me to reassess and take a new look

around.

What I realize is that we are missing out on one of the great

realities and mysteries of following Christ. God's spirit is

everywhere. The Lord fills Heaven and Earth. Yet He chooses to make

His home inside of little old you and me! And He is at work on our

jobs, in our neighborhoods, and our homes. And he desires to change

lives in these areas THROUGH YOU AND ME!

Do you believe that you can have an encounter with the living God on your 9-5?

Do you believe that you can be a vessel of the Lord Jesus Christ to

bring healing and hope to your neighbors?

Do you believe that the power of God can be unleashed in your home and family?

I do.

"..those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" Romans 8:14

"...Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:27

The Hangover

How many times have you experienced this: you have attended a conference in which you were blown away by the quality of the speakers, the impact of the messages, and the sense of God's presence? Have you labored tirelessly on a project and experienced the satisfaction of seeing it coming to fruition? I am sure that many of us have experienced the joy of having a goal, praying fervently about it, and then waiting for the results. And then it happens. We get back into our regular settings. We go home to the familiar. Our daily routines begin once again. And "The Hangover" happens. We have come down from the euphoria and "high" of our encounter with God and become overwhelmed with.......normalcy. Life resumes and it is....boring. You might say "God moved mightily.....We were so on fire.....We were ready to take over the world!" But you got home and....nothing. What happened? Where did the fire go?

Conferences begin months in advance with prayer. They continue in prayer leading up to the conference. They pray the day of the conference. And they look to see what God will do. It can be reduced to two things: prayer and anticipation. What's missing when we get home? Prayer and anticipation. We cease to look for God in our day to day lives. We might pray, but we don't anticipate that Jesus might intervene and show up in our lives and our circumstances on any given day.

So I am issuing a challenge. Invite some co-workers, classmates, or neighbors to meet with you daily for prayer at your job, business, school, or home. It does not matter whether they are Christian or not because God can take common interests and turn these into pathways to Jesus. Pray for the things that are relevant to your arena. DO NOT PRAY SIMPLY FOR GOD TO TAKE THOSE BAD PEOPLE AWAY BECAUSE THEIR BADNESS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THEM THE TRUE CHARACTER OF JESUS CHRIST. His love, mercy, compassion, grace, righteousness, and peace.

It has been commonly said that God does nothing of significance, except through prayer. So your marching orders are to pray. And then look with anticipation for the hand of God to be evident wherever you are. I look forward to hearing the outcome.
Blessings,

J. Michael

Doing The Right Thing Hurts Sometimes

My job provides all sorts of life lessons. I work for a company that penalizes efficiency and placates sloth. Once when I complained of this to my manager, she said "That's just the (company's) way. " Well my efficiency and helpfulness around the office was rewarding by increasing my workload. Because I was hurt and angry, I vowed that at the first opportunity I would change assignments.
When the opportunity presented itself, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the new assignment. Instead of working at the same pace, I put it on cruise control. I mean after all, why should I bust my tail while somebody else is cruising along getting paid the same as me? . I was afraid of being penalized again for doing a good job. But the idea of slowing up and being "average" just did not sit well with me.
I looked around and prayed quietly "Lord what do I do?" He opened my eyes to see a different way, the Jesus way. What if I excelled in the performance of my duties in such a way that it provoked a reaction from my superiors? What if my workload was increased again as a result of my superior performance? What if I continued to perform at a high level, in spite of inequality in the work assignments? What will happen? True change will take place.
The success of the Civil Rights movement centered around the idea that America could be provoked to respond to the need for Civil Rights when they saw peaceful protesters being savagely mistreated by those who opposed change. The Bible says "Do not overcome evil with evil, but overcome evil with good." Evil looks REALLY bad when it is seated next to good. The Jesus way is to love your enemies, pray for people that mistreat you, love the unloveable, and to do the right thing in every circumstance. Is it possible, even probable, that you will be used a time or two? Certainly! Is it possible that you will be ridiculed? Sure. But as I look back at history, I have heard of a story where a good and righteous man who had every right to complain and assert his rights willingly gave up his rights. He did this, sacrificing his right to freedom, justice, and retribution in order to provoke change, a change that is still working almost 2000 years later!
So I am going to go back to being one of the best on my job. Let the chips fall where they may. This is not the easy way but the right way. My conscience is clear and God will be pleased. I will trust the outcome to him.

19 Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, "I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it," a says the Lord. 20 Instead, do what the Scriptures say: "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them Ÿsomething to drink, and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you." b 21 Don't let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good. Romans 12:19-21 NLT
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