The PREACHERS OF L.A. - PLAYING WITH GOD!

By Min. Douglas Daniels

Recently the Oxygen Network launched a new reality program entitled “The Preachers of L.A.” There is clamor all over the internet and particularly in social media forums. Viewer’s in general and Christian Viewers in particular are not pleased with the images portrayed by the “real Pastor’s’ in this reality series. Many have voiced their displeasure stating these Pastors are a disgrace to the Ministry. Their behavior and conversation is more akin to Pimps, Players and Hustlers, then to “Men of God.” The consensus I have read, seem to feel that this show does a disservice to the Church, God and the Ministry of Preaching.

While these “Pastors” have undoubtedly accomplished great works in their respective church communities, the images they project by their lavish lifestyles promotes the Non-Biblical, Prosperity Gospel. The parable of Jesus and the wealthy young ruler clearly shows that the love of this world and its wealth, luxury and power, will keep you from following Christ. Christ and His Apostles example in ministry shows us to be modest, humble and reserved in our speech. Ministers are to be bold in proclaiming the Gospel and serve God’s people in humility and love.

What we are witnessing in this reality series are men who have forgotten what their high calling to the ministry of God’s people is about! They have allowed the deceptiveness of ego and self-aggrandizement to cause them to believe it is about them and they have power of their own. They believe their own hype and the praise and applause of their congregations. It is God and God alone through His Holy Spirit that draws the sinner to salvation. The accumulation of wealth and material things is not evidence of God’s favor.   The Pharisees’ attempted to put forth this same argument to Jesus, without success. Titles and opulent houses, expensive cars and clothes; wealth and success, are not a badge of anyone’s righteousness.

We as a people and followers of Christ need to stop elevating these men to objects of praise and worship. God alone deserves our praise and worship, not the shepherds! We cause them to err with our adoration. When they do err, we lose our faith because we put our faith in fallible men and not the infallible God! To be called to minister is a high honor! It is a privilege and a greater responsibility. He is set aside by God for the special work of serving God’s people and kingdom building. A MINISTER MUST BE ABOVE REPROACH AND OF GOOD CHARACTER! HE MUST NOT EVEN GIVE THE APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY IN HIS ACTIONS OR THE ADMINISTRATION OF GOD’S CHURCH! The Church is an edifice dedicated to the worship God. It is not supposed to be a monument to the pastor!

Those who are called to the ministry of God’s Word to His people must be humble! They are not boisterous and immodest! The notion of humility is a notion of selflessness, commonness, submissiveness and lowliness. The Apostle Paul states the minister’s position clearly in

2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;” (NASB) In Paul’s time, it was customary to conceal treasure in clay jars, which had little value or beauty and did not attract attention to themselves and their precious contents. The treasure Paul is speaking of is the Gospel of Jesus Christ! The earthen vessels or clay pots he is alluding to are the preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not our Gospel! We are simply the clay pots that contain this Glorious Gospel! 

In the previous verse of 2Corinthians 4:5, he clarifies the minister’s position of service; “For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.” We don’t preach our own gospel as do the false teachers, who are puffed up with self-importance. Who live flamboyant lifestyles to be seen of men! This Gospel is not about the preacher or pastor!  We are servants/slaves for Jesus’ sake. Not only are we the servants/slaves of God, but we are servants/slaves of God’s people. This is the attitude Paul had towards his ministry and this is the attitude these pastors should have and display. If you are seeing anything other than humility and service; that means they have either forgotten or abandoned their high calling. In either case, they are not good representatives of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to His people!

It would appear from the episodes recently aired, that these so called pastors have chosen their own paths, differing from sound biblical teachings. Let us pray that those who have set themselves aside from the path that God called them to follow will awaken and repent of their follies! Let us pray that they stop playing with God and His Word! This is a game they cannot win! I personally know of a preacher who played with God; misused his calling and misguided God’s people. His deeds were eventually exposed. He was suddenly stricken with a debilitating disease and laid on his back unable to speak or eat, for ten years before he died!

The call to ministry to God’s people is a serious responsibility and not to be taken lightly! It is to be upheld by the highest ethical standards! A wise man once said, “Ministers should desire to be effective expositors of God’s Word and true pastors, not showmen or motivational speakers.” A minister must live up to the call on his life or leave it alone! If you continue to play with God, you will get burnt! From all the news headlines of falling pastors, it appears that God is making manifest the corruption under His name; in His churches and the body of Christ.

The time is at hand! Repent and set God’s house in order!

Your brother, In His Service

Douglas

The Stupid Things People Do!

This article won’t win me many fans among my male and female Face Book friends and acquaintances. However, I did not join social media to win any popularity contest and I don’t see any one handing out prizes for postings as of yet! To be technical for a moment, I joined because it is a Social Media! Defined by Wikipedia in part as: A means of interactions among people in which they create, share, and exchange information and ideas. It involves mobile and web-based technologies that create highly interactive platforms through which individuals and communities share, co-create, discuss, and modify user-generated content.

In short, I joined because it is a great way of communicating with old friends; family and new acquaintances through the platform of Facebook. We vicariously, share in what others permit us to experience of their lives and special events. This sharing runs the gambit from the mundane to serious discussions of personal, social, government and world crisis and events.  I also joined Facebook because of the vast worldwide audience available anyone and reachable with just a few keystrokes and clicks of a mouse. Through this medium, one can share their thoughts, ideas and dialogue on unlimited subjects as far as the internet will reach.

If you are a regular reader of my post here on Facebook or on my blog, The Road Less Traveled; http://douglas-daniels.blogspot.com/ - then you know that I am no shrinking violet when it comes to being outspoken or controversy. I make an effort to speak my mind and heart on all issues the Holy Spirit brings to my awareness. Sometimes it is informative, gripping and challenging commentary on life’s issues. Other times some people’s toes get stepped on!  I will continue to be outspoken regardless to whose toes get stepped on in the process. In fact, that is a good thing! If ones toes get stepped on, that means they were in the wrong place! Perhaps you should move them out of that area! Those who are of the spirit will get what was just said. Those who are not, I pray God’s Holy Spirit will touch your heart and mind and show you the errors of your ways and just how much you need the Lord Jesus Christ in your life. The subject of this piece is Stupidity: The Stupid Things People Do!

STUPIDITY DEFINED, is a lack of   intelligence, understanding, reason, wit, or common sense. The key phrase to remember in understanding the meaning of stupidity as it is used in this article is (a lack of).  So, stupidity used in this article will refer to a person (male or female) who consistently displays:

A lack of  Intelligence:  A very general mental capability that, among other things, involves the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly and learn from experience. It is not merely book learning. Rather, it reflects a broader and deeper capability for comprehending our surroundings—"catching on," "making sense" of things, or "figuring out" what to do.

A lack of Understanding: A psychological process related to an abstract or physical object, such as a person, situation, or message whereby one is able to think about it and use concepts to deal adequately with that object.

A lack of Reason: The capacity for consciously making sense of things, applying logic, for establishing and verifying facts, and changing or justifying practices, institutions, and beliefs based on new or existing information.

A lack of, Wit:  A form of intelligent humor, the ability to say or write things that are clever and usually funny.

And A lack of, Common Sense. Which  refers to a basic ability to perceive, understand,  and judge things which is shared by ("common to") nearly all people, and can be reasonably expected of nearly all people without any need for debate.

The individual “lacks these abilities” as demonstrated by their behavior and life choices.

Having the above definitions firmly in mind, I will concede that both men and women are more than capable of exercising stupidity in many areas of their lives. We all have had those moments when we could kick ourselves over something we did which was just plain stupid in hindsight! In my younger years I have had a good share of these moments. I know it was only God’s Grace that saw me through my times of “mental density”.  However, this article is addressed specifically to our counter parts, the women of our species! Women are the God given means of procreation for humanity!  They are rightly called, “the mothers of civilization!” A mother plays the most important part in the early development of a child. The child’s environment can be wholesome and happy or unwholesome and tragic; depending on what conditions the mother settles to live with. Unfortunately, in today’s society we are daily witnessing the tragic consequences of wrong decisions made from the stupidity of women and young girls. Pre-teens, teenage and young adult mothers and their innocent children are suffering beatings, sexual assault and exploitation; abuse and murder, because of the stupid decisions they have made, when it comes to having a man in their lives.

Young women today, appear to be so anxious to have a so called man in their lives, they settle for the first pair of pants that shows them the slightest bit of attention. They appear to be rushing to show some peer group or person in their life that they “got a man.” Any kind of man! Just so long as he has a heartbeat! Then they hold their piece of man up to the world as if they have found something of great value.  It is pure stupidity for a woman to try to make a family with a man she knows little about and is most likely damaged.  She knows him to have a criminal history; a dead beat dad; a womanizer who has children he does not support; a wife abuser; a gang member; a drug dealer or user; a pimp, hustler or player; a liar and a thief! The signs are always there for them to see and in some instances the knucklehead will tell them to their faces what they are about. She sees this with her own eyes! Then the enemy whispers in her ear “you can change him” and she deludes herself into thinking “I can change him!”

You’ve heard the story of the woman who found a frozen poisonous snake in the road; took it home and warmed it by the fire, deluding herself that she was doing something good. When the snake thawed out, she tried to hold it and it bit her. Now she is about to die and she asks the snake why he bit her after she did him this kindness.  To which the snake replied “you knew I was a snake when you brought me in here!”  Most observers of this tale would quickly say, “She got what she deserved for being so stupid; trying to change the nature of the snake!” It may sound cruel to say, but this can be said about many young women today who have unwisely let their emotions and libidos rule their lives.

 My heart cries every time I hear the excuses these young women come up with to justify these demoralizing relationships and ignorant lifestyles they have with dead beat baby daddies and lowlifes. They are so proud of their want to be gangster rapper; who dropped out of school and can’t even earn a GED. They are so ill equipped for life’s work; they can’t even get a job at McDonald’s or Taco Bell. Fast food chains today require you to look decent and speak with some degree of intelligence. All these dummies can say is “You know what I’m saying?” No, Fool! We don’t know what you saying!  His work history is standing on some corner holding his crouch, trying to look hard and sell some dope. He’s wearing the National Ghetto Uniform. (An oversized T-shirt, baggy pants, sagging below his dirty underwear, tennis shoes and a backwards baseball cap) He has money for tattoos’, drugs, gold teeth and fake jewelry, but no money for food, diapers, clothing or medical attention for his baby.

The consequences of these women’s decisions are front page news stories or the lead story on the local news broadcast. You have seen and heard them before! “Murder-suicide of a woman and her three children by her live in boyfriend, with extensive criminal record!”  “Promising High School student killed by her boyfriend after a breakup!” “Live in boyfriends beats his girlfriend’s child to death while babysitting!” Registered Sex Offender, arrested after caught molesting the daughter and son of his live in girlfriend!” “Boyfriend shoots the children of his girlfriend after she tries to end relationship!”  “Man shoots ex-wife then self when custody hearing turns against him!” “Woman and boyfriend arrested and facing charges of child abuse after her children are found starving with signs of abuse and torture by mom and step dad!” “Two children shot and killed in gang related drive by shooting. Police report mother’s boyfriend has numerous gang related arrest.” “Mother loses custody of four minor children and is sentenced to five years in prison, along with her boyfriend, for manufacturing meth and child endangerment.

 These are just some of the headlines that testify to the stupid decisions women with children from a previous relationship make! Now, this past Thursday’s news reports the beating death of the three year old son of football great, Adrian Peterson, at the hands of the mother’s live in boyfriend. This is tragic! Why does this continue to happen? Could it be because women continue to make the same stupid errors in judgment about men and having a relationship? When are you going to open your eyes and see that your child/children are a daily reminder to your “new man”, that another man fathered children with you! If he fits any of the categories mentioned above, you and your child/children are potentially in danger! The minuet you have a serious argument or break up, he may take it out on you or your child/children.  I have personally lived through the abuse of a step parent for 14 years. I was a constant reminder that another man had his wife before him! You may know this to be true in your life or the life of a friend. This is not right, but it does happen all too often!

Could raising your child/children by yourself, be a good way to avoid this? Could not involving your dates with your children or not dating at all, eliminate the possibility of judgment error? If you divorce from your child/children’s father, why can you not remain single until your kids are   of the age of independence? Don’t you know that no father wants to see another man over his children or disciplining them? Particularly if you have not officially married the man! You want to shack up with some man you know nothing about and put him over your child/children? True, there are no guarantees in marriage or relationships. However, marriage does demonstrate a lifetime commitment and acceptance of responsibility for the family. Women should slow down and thoroughly investigate the man before getting emotionally involved. That means spend a few dollars and have a background investigation ran. Stop jumping into bed with men so quickly! You are chasing after a life threatening disease or an unwanted pregnancy! There are too many men on the “Down Low” today for you to be taking chances with your life and the future of your children. Will you risk your life, your child/children’s life and eternal damnation for a “sexual feeling”?

God is revealing the sin and corruption regarding this time in the world. Many believe it is the “end of times” because of biblical and world events that are shaping up. They believe it on a superficial basis! If they truly believed it, you would see people changing their lives. They would abandon wickedness and ungodly behavior and run into the nearest Church. You would hear God’s name lifted up all around you instead of praise for the false preachers, music industry idols and movie media gods. If they truly believed we are in the end times, the question every unsaved person would ask is “What must I do to be saved? Then the True Ministers of God’s Church would be leading millions of people to Jesus Christ!  That is what it is all about! God’s people returning to Him and receiving the forgiveness and salvation, bought by Jesus Christ.

If the words spoken here have struck a chord in your thoughts and mind; then you are at a point of decision! You must decide to continue in the way of sin and death or to accept Jesus Christ and allow His Holy Spirit to change you and the circumstances of your life. Stop gambling on sinful men and temporary relationships.  Invite Christ into your heart and he will satisfy all your needs and concerns. He will bring to you the “real man” you need in your life! The only requirement is that you acknowledge you are not living in the will of God and you desire Christ to come into your heart and life. God will take it from there! He will protect you and your children! He will remove those obstacles and people from your life that mean you no good. Give God A Chance! Attend church services somewhere and fellowship with like-minded believers! Acknowledge Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savor and receive His gift of Salvation! May God bless you as you seek His face and change your life! Your brother, In His Service-Douglas