The Morning Dawn and the Darkest Night

Recently I attended a funeral for a very dear Christian friend. He was more than a friend; he was someone that you couldn’t help admiring. He was a true witness of Christ in the community. He would walk through the community and visit with the neighbors. He kept a stash of tracts in his pocket and as the spirit led he would share the good news. He never beat anyone up with his Bible but in his witty and kind way he would say just the right words to encourage and inspire. But it was his everyday life that was the true witness to all that knew him. In the 30 years I knew him I never hear an unkind word come from his mouth. Not only did he serve on various church boards, a long time Sunday school teacher, but worked earnestly with the youth group. He was the true servant. He was a regular at all worship services, evening study and midweek prayer service. If someone needed help he anticipated the need and would be there. He led by godly example. His wit and sense of humor never failed him even when his mind wasn’t as sharp as it once was. Many a smile was a result of his humor at the time when a smile was the best medicine. He had a way of knowing who was hurting and made it a point to seek them out to share a funny story or just to say hello and let them know he will be praying for them. He was the springtime after the long winter; he was the morning dawn after the darkest night. As I reflect upon his life and his actions, I find such a sharp contrast to those who manipulate our churches today. The manipulator’s life is far from being a witness to the community. His past and present is in darkness, unknown, and obscure. He leads a double life. He appears to be kind, loving, and sincere on the outside but is truly dark, secretive, and aggressive on the inside. The manipulator is no servant. He is someone who demands respect and honor. He leads with an iron fist and sharp words. The manipulator uses his Bible (proof texting) to beat people into submission. Mean and nasty words come out of his mouth when crossed. Instead of drawing people to Christ, the manipulator thinks nothing about driving people away and in fact, he prefers that especially if they begin to see through his disguise. The manipulator will lie without hesitating to promote his hidden agenda. When someone is hurting he looks to the situation as an opportunity to gain more control over the person because of their weakened state. His heart is the darkest, coldest night of winter. Image credits: www.evangelizafuerte.com

Exposing False Teachers (Part 2)

This is a continuation of our last post. This teaching come from Galatians 5:7-12 via www.biblegateway.com. Fourth, false teachers cause confusion and discouragement (v. 10). When the Galatians were converted, they related to God with the joyful confidence of children, calling him "Abba, Father" through the Spirit. But their confidence in God's grace has been badly shaken by the false teachers, who threaten them with the judgment of God if they do not keep the law of God. They are confused and discouraged. So Paul reassures the Galatians of his confidence in the Lord regarding them: I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. And then he turns the tables on the false teachers by putting them under the judgment of God: The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. Fifth, false teachers spread false reports about spiritual leaders. We may infer that verse 11 is Paul's response to a false report that had been given about him. Since the immediate context focuses on the corrupting influence of the false teachers, it seems reasonable to suppose that they claimed Paul's support for their campaign to circumcise the Gentile believers. We don't know on what basis they would have done this. Perhaps if this letter was written after Paul circumcised Timothy, as recorded in Acts 16:3, they may have appealed to that incident. Or maybe they pointed to Paul's own willingness to continue his Jewish way of life even after his conversion (see 1 Cor 9:20). Whatever their basis may have been, they gave a false report about Paul to strengthen their own position. Paul had, of course, preached circumcision before his conversion. He had been "extremely zealous for the traditions" of Judaism (1:14). But after his conversion he preached the cross of Christ as the only way of salvation. True, he continued to support Jewish Christian adherence to the traditional Jewish way of life. But he consistently resisted anyone who tried to "force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs" (2:14). That was a key point of his autobiography (1:13--2:21). Paul proves that the report that he is still preaching circumcision is false by pointing to the fact that he is being persecuted (5:11). Both non-Christian Jews and many Christian Jews fiercely opposed him precisely because he did not require circumcision. His refusal to require circumcision clearly implied that it was not necessary to belong to the Jewish nation to belong to the covenant people of God. By denying the exclusive claim of the Jewish people to be the only true people of God, Paul seemed to deny the reason for the Jewish people's very existence. No wonder, then, that they persecuted him from one country to another. If Paul had preached circumcision, then he would not have been persecuted by the Jews. By preaching circumcision, he would have been communicating that it was necessary to belong to the Jewish nation because the salvation of God was available only to those within this nation. Paul says in verse 11 that if he has communicated that salvation is only in the Jewish nation by preaching circumcision, the offense of the cross has been abolished. For then the message that salvation is only through the cross of Christ would have been denied. The offense of the cross is that it denies a "most favored nation" status, a "superior race" category, as the reason for God's blessing. For the blessing of God comes only through the cross, where the judgment of God upon all was removed by Christ's death (see 3:13-14). The message of Christ crucified is offensive not only to Jews but also to the pride of all who want to claim some personal merit as the basis of God's approval. Sixth, false teachers emphasize sensational rituals. Verse 12 sounds terribly harsh and crude, but we must interpret it in its historical and cultural context. It would indeed have been a sensational ceremony if all the male members of the Galatian churches had been circumcised by the false teachers. But then, Paul says, somewhat sarcastically, if they really want to put on a sensational show, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves! He is probably referring here to a barbaric ritual that actually took place in his day in Galatian pagan temples. The priests of Cybele, the mother goddess of the earth, castrated themselves with ritual pincers and placed their testicles in a box. (Such a box is now on display in the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England.) The false teachers were leading the Galatian Christians to think that the ritual of circumcision was a sacred act that would bring them into fellowship with God. But Paul has already said that "in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value" (v. 6). Now he puts the ritual of circumcision in the same category as the ritual castration of the Galli, the priests of the mother-goddess of the earth, Cybele; it had no more significance to the Gentile Christians than any of the other barbaric, bloody rituals practiced in the ancient world. So Paul has totally discredited the value of circumcision and the motives of the false teachers who want to impose it upon the churches in Galatia. They only "want to make a good impression outwardly" (6:12); they want to boast in their sensational ceremony (see 6:13). Since their motive is to put on an impressive ritual show, they might as well learn a few lessons from the pagan priests, who really know how to put on a good show when it comes to using a knife on the human body! It is never pleasant to expose the deceptive, destructive tactics of the "false brothers." But it is necessary to do so in order to protect the freedom of fellow Christians. Of course circumcision is not an issue today. But we are constantly faced with a choice between different religious options. They are not all the same; they are not all spokes on a wheel leading to the same hub. Some religious options lead to slavery and imprisonment. Only by obedience to the truth of the gospel of Christ can we protect the freedom that is ours in Christ. Image credits: http://expreacherman.com

Exposing False Teachers (Part 1)

A few post ago we gave you some information on false teachers. To reinforce our point and to provide you with more information, we have found a two part teaching which come from Galatians 5:7-12 via www.biblegateway.com.

In his exposure of these false teachers, Paul gives us six identifying marks that can guide us to discern the presence of "wolves in sheep's clothing" in our midst today. First, false teachers distract Christians from obeying the truth of the gospel (v. 7). Paul compliments the Galatian believers for running a good race. Running a race was one of Paul's favorite images for living the Christian life. Here this image portrays how well they were obeying the truth. The gospel set the course for their life, and they were running well in that course. The reality of their belief in the truth about Christ was demonstrated by their obedience to Christ. But then they were distracted, tripped and so hindered from running this race. Paul asks them, Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? The question is rhetorical. Paul knows the answer. But by asking the question this way he exposes the false teachers' negative effect on the life of the believers. The picture is of a runner who distracts another runner, blocks his way, cuts in on him and trips him. Everyone would have been very angry with a runner who did such a thing. He would have broken the clear rules against cutting in or tripping in the foot races of the Greek festivals. He would be immediately disqualified and excluded from the festival. The false teachers are hindering the Christians from obeying the truth of the gospel with all their talk about joining the Jewish people and keeping the law. All those who get the church off on a tangent, away from the clear direction given by the central truth of the gospel, are like these false teachers. They should be disqualified and excluded from the churches. Second, false teachers replace the call of God with their own deceptive persuasiveness (v. 8). That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you, Paul informs his readers. When Paul had preached the gospel, the Galatians heard the voice of God calling them through Paul (1:6). But when the false teachers teach, all that can be heard is flattery, boastfulness and empty rhetoric. They are skillful orators. No doubt they claim to be giving God's message backed by Scripture. But all one can hear through their strident voices is a harsh repetition of the demands of the law. What a contrast to "the one who called you by the grace of Christ" (1:6) and the God who "called me by his grace" (1:15). Their message is all about the works of the law, not about God's work of grace in Christ. So obviously their persuasion does not come from God, who always calls by his grace. Third, false teachers gain control over the whole church (v. 9). Just as a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough, so the negative influence of a few false teachers has penetrated the whole church and is quickly coming to control the direction of the church. False teachers are like that; they seek to dominate every situation in the life of the church.

Image credits: http://images.christianpost.com/blog/full/12160/false-teachers.jpg

Comments and Stories

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have commented on our posts. We appreciate all the feedback and suggestions. Please feel free to share your own story using the comments section below each post. We do moderate all comments. Those with inappropriate language or those which in our opinion may open you or us to liability will not be published. We do reserve the right to edit your comments. We do not refuse to publish comments which have a different point of view than ours, rather we welcome all comments. If you have a story to share please do so. We offer you the opportunity to comment using a variety of different identification methods. You may also choose to comment anonymously. Keep the comments coming. By your comments and stories we may be able to touch the hearts of others which are hurting. In His service, The staff at 39 Lashes Blog. Image credits: http://www.rgbstock.com

False Teachers

2 Peter 2:1-3 1. But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. .......................... Anyone who doubts that there are false teachers in our modern world has only to examine the likes of Jim Jones and David Koresh. These false teachers led nearly one thousand followers to their own destruction by their false teaching. I have heard it said, “How could that happen? They should have been able to see the evil that was before them.” I am not completely sold on the idea that these false teacher could have been seen as they truly are without God's gift of discernment. Are the likes of Jones and Koresh preaching from our pulpits in 2014? Could these false teachers be deceiving their respective flocks in similar manners as Koresh and Jones did? Let’s take a closer look at 2 Peter 2:1-3. In the second part of verse one we read, “They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who brought them- bringing swift destruction on themselves.” The third word is critical to the understanding of this sentence. “secretly” No false teacher openly declares that he is teaching lies. He carefully crafts his teaching in such a way as to deceive the audience. These deceptions will corrupt the Lords own words. They will not be easy to spot. Today many people are being led astray by false teaching. Good and godly people. Verse 2 tells us that many will follow them and believe that they have interpreted the scripture correctly. Verse 3 gives us the reason for the false teaching is greed. Not necessarily monetary greed but the greed for power and control. The false teacher will provide you with fabricated stories to prove his point. For those of you that may be sitting under a false teacher we are hopeful that you will see them for what they are. Remember God has already condemned them and their destruction is at hand. As you continue to read the remainder of 2 Peter you will discover that God will punish the false teacher swiftly and completely. My prayer for any of you that are sitting under the ungodly teaching of a false teacher is for discernment. Remember false teachers have deceived many in the past and will continue to deceive many today. If you pray for discernment God will provide. God Bless. Image credits: http://www.toddpylant.com

The Manipulator's Network

Master manipulating pastors cannot do all their dirty work themselves. Many enlist the services of blinded board members whose minds have been properly conditioned. These once spiritual people are now under the manipulator’s power. These board members cover for the manipulator and make excuses. They become spies. They listen for anyone who voices any opposition to the manipulator and immediately report back. Remember the manipulator does not like it when the sheep talk about him. The manipulator then can use his bag of silencing trick on this voice of opposition. You will hear sermons on the evils of gossip. You probably will hear that if you have a problem with someone you need to go to that person alone and discuss the issue. These board members will be seen in the wings nodding in agreement. The manipulator will wrongly tell you that the Bible tells us to go to the person face to face in Matthew 18:15. (Proof texting) If a member of the congregation can’t be silenced then they need to be forced out. Here is when the blinded members of the board are again put to use. Although board members are a major part of the manipulators secret police they are not the only ones he uses. The manipulator's wife may play an important role. She may exhibit some of the same Jekyll and Hyde personality traits as the manipulator himself. To those who have never crossed her, she will appear loving, kind, and spiritual. To those that have crossed her she will appear mean, confrontational, aggressive, and vindictive. Her role is to address and respond to the women in the church that may voice opposition to the manipulator’s covert plan to achieve more power. It is always about power and control. Remember that she has had a good teacher and is well versed in silencing any woman in the church that opposes the manipulator. Her secondary role is in public relations. She attempts to make the manipulator look good to the naïve members of the congregation. The manipulator may also uses outsiders. He may have individuals come to the church. These people’s role is to complement the manipulator in whatever he does no matter if it was deserving of praise or not. They may write letters or stand up and praise the manipulator during praise time. They are fairly easy to spot. Look for someone who did not attend the church before the manipulator came. They will more than likely sit near the front and without doubt will interact little with any member of the congregation. Don’t look for them to be found washing dishes after a social or helping out in the nursery. They tend not to be workers. If you are dealing with a manipulative pastor remember that his network of workers and system of spies may be extensive. You need to be aware of all of his tentacles. Image credits: http://www.comicvine.com/

Matthew 18:17

“If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”Matthew 18:17. Several of our earlier posts discussed how some manipulative pastors use Matthew 18:15-17 incorrectly when they apply it to conflict resolution. It is sometimes misused to silence anyone in opposition to the Pastor’s ungodly plan in his quest for total authority. As stated earlier, Matthew 18:15-17 is correctly used as a step by step process to deal with unrepented, personal, and serious sin. It is a process of church discipline always to be used with love in hopes of repentance. Today we will examine the third step in the process. What happens if the person in question doesn’t listen to you and the witnesses? (Matthew 18:16). We must move on to Matthew 18:17, “If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” Many people today wrongly believe that this means that you expel them from the church never to return unless they repent. Let’s take a closer look. Who was the writer of Matthew’s gospel? Matthew, of course. What was Matthew’s occupation before he became a follower of Jesus? He was a tax collector. How did Jesus treat tax collectors? How did he treat Matthew, the tax collector? In fact how did Jesus treat any non-believer? Could it be that Matthew 18:17 means that we should treat this person with love and continue praying for them? Would Jesus really want us to forbid them from attending the church, not hear the Good News of Jesus' love where they may become convicted of their sin? Didn’t Jesus come to seek and save the lost? Yes we can no longer have the same fellowship with them as we once did but our love for them should not wane. If your pastor want to expel such a person could it be that they have been a problem to him and his personal agenda? Image credits: http://everydaywithgrace.com

Shepherd or Hired Hand?

Shepherd or Hired Hand? “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” John 10:1-13 NIV. ...................................................................................................... John chapter 10 gives us a description of the Good Shepherd. This post is directed at our earthly good shepherds, pastors. Pastors, as you read this post I ask that you examine yourselves. Are you acting as good shepherds or something else? In Bible times the shepherd enters the sheep pen by the gate. John tells us that anyone who does not enter by the gate is a thief. Have you entered into the lives of your flock by the gate? When you were a candidate did you provide true and accurate information to the committee that were responsible to secure a pastoral candidate? Did you leave out any information that should have been included? Did you give honest and accurate answers to any questions asked? If you answered “no” to any of these questions you did not enter by the gate. “The shepherd leads out the sheep.” Are you leading your sheep or are you driving them out? The shepherd does not use a cattle prod. He doesn’t whip them to get them to leave the safety of their pen. Are you leading your flock in love or are you forcing them to go in the direction you desire? “The sheep know his voice.” Does your flock know your voice? When they hear you do they listen or run away. Are people leaving the church because of you? Are you speaking in such a way as to encourage your flock? The shepherd leads his flock to a pasture where there is food and water. Are you leading your flock to a place where they will be fed? Is your preaching giving your flock biblical food and water or are you driving them someplace where you want to go without thinking about what your flock really needs? “The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” Are you willing to do all in your power to ensure the safety of your flock? Are you willing to admit your errors and lapses of good judgment to secure the safety of your flock? Will you protect your sheep from attacks of evil – even if it were to come from your own family? The hired hand runs away when the wolf comes. Do you run away and abandon your flock when there is trouble? Do you leave them to fend for themselves and idly stand by as they are attacked? Image credits: http://acharlie.tripod.com/shepherd.html

Proof texting

This might be a new word for you. Proof texting is finding a scripture or scriptures that at first appearance would support your position on a given subject. However upon close examination of the scripture within the Biblical context it has a completely different meaning. This is an old joke but worth telling to illustrate proof texting. "Once there was a man who was extremely depressed. One night alone in a hotel room he decided to pick up the Bible in the night stand and read a few verses since he had once heard that the Bible holds all the answers to the problems of this world. He opens the Bible to the verse which said, 'Judas went out and hung himself.' Thinking this couldn't be all the insight he open the Bible again to the verse which said, 'Go and do likewise.' Becoming a bit frantic the man decided to open the Bible once again and read, 'What you have to do, do so quickly.' Probably many pastors and laypeople have done proof texting innocently. It becomes a problem and a very big one when used to manipulate. Beware of the pastor who uses this repeatedly. Just remember just because a person quotes a lot of scripture in a message doesn't mean that their point is valid. You need to check out their scripture references in light of the contextual meaning. Image credits: http://toyadams.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/homiletic-manifesto-stop-proof-texting/

Is my Pastor a Bully (Part 2)

As we discussed in part 1 - if your pastor shows several of these characteristics they might be a bully. Here are some additional characteristics of a bully. Is a control freak and has a compulsive need to control everyone and everything you say, do, think and believe; for example, will launch an immediate personal attack attempting to restrict what you are permitted to say if you start talking knowledgeably about psychopathic personality or antisocial personality disorder in their presence - but aggressively maintains the right to talk (usually knowledgeably) about anything they choose. Serial bullies despise anyone who enables others to see through their deception and their mask of sanity. Displays a compulsive need to criticize whilst simultaneously refusing to value, praise and acknowledge others, their achievements, or their existence. Shows a lack of joined-up thinking with conversation that doesn’t flow and arguments that don’t hold water. Flits from topic to topic so that you come away feeling you’ve never had a proper conversation. Refuses to be specific and never gives a straight answer. Is evasive and has a Houdini-like ability to escape accountability. Undermines and destroys anyone who the bully perceives to be an adversary, a potential threat, or who can see through the bully’s mask. Is adept at creating conflict between those who would otherwise collate incriminating information about them. Is quick to discredit and neutralize anyone who can talk knowledgeably about antisocial or idiopathic behaviors. May pursue a vindictive vendetta against anyone who dares to held them accountable, perhaps using others’ resources and contemptuous of the damage caused to other people and organizations in pursuance of the vendetta. Is also quick to belittle, undermine, denigrate and discredit anyone who calls, attempts to call, or might call the bully to account. Gains gratification from denying people what they are entitled to. Is highly manipulative, especially of people’s perceptions and emotions. (eg guilt) Poisons peoples’ minds by manipulating their perceptions when called upon to share or address the needs and concerns of others. Responds with impatience, irritability and aggression. Is arrogant, haughty, high-handed, and a know-all. Often has an overwhelming, unhealthy and narcissistic attention-seeking need to portray themselves as a wonderful, kind, caring and compassionate person, in contrast to their behavior and treatment of others; the bully sees nothing wrong with their behavior and chooses to remain oblivious to the discrepancy between how they like to be seen and how they are seen by others. Is spiritually dead although may loudly profess some religious belief or affiliation. Is mean-spirited , officious, and often unbelievably petty. Is mean, stingy, and financially untrustworthy. Is greedy, selfish, a parasite and a emotional vampire. Is always a taker and *never a giver. [Note from Danni: On this one I would say, never a giver unless there is a hidden motive of manipulation to gain.] Is convinced of their superiority and has an overbearing belief in their qualities of leadership but cannot distinguish between leadership (maturity, decisiveness, assertiveness, co-operation, trust, integrity) and bullying (immaturity, impulsiveness, aggression, manipulation, distrust, deceitfulness). Often fraudulently claims qualifications, experience, titles, entitlements or affiliations which are ambiguous, misleading, or bogus Often misses the semantic meaning of language, misinterprets what is said, sometimes wrongly thinking that comments of a satirical, ironic or general negative nature apply to him or herself. Knows the words but not the song. Is constantly imposing on others a false reality made up of distortion and fabrication. Sometimes displays a seemingly limitless demonic energy especially when engaged in attention-seeking activities or evasion of accountability and is often a committeeaholic* or apparent workaholic." Text for this post comes from: http://dannimoss.wordpress.com/clergy-abuse-links/is-your-pastor-a-serial-bully/

Is my Pastor a Bully? (part 1)

As strange as it may seem some pastors use bullying techniques to establish more control over their flock. Check out these selected items from http://dannimoss.wordpress.com/clergy-abuse-links/is-your-pastor-a-serial-bully/. You could be dealing with a bully if your pastor is...... Is a convincing, practised liar and when called to account, will make up anything spontaneously to fit their needs at that moment Has a Jekyll and Hyde nature – is vile, vicious and vindictive in private, but innocent and charming in front of witnesses; no-one can (or wants to) believe this individual has a vindictive nature – only the current target of the serial bully’s aggression sees both sides; whilst the Jekyll side is described as “charming” and convincing enough to deceive personnel, management and a tribunal, the Hyde side is frequently described as “evil”; Hyde is the real person, Jekyll is an act. Excels at deception and should never be underestimated in their capacity to deceive. Uses excessive charm and is always plausible and convincing when peers, superiors or others are present (charm can be used to deceive as well as to cover for lack of empathy). Is glib, shallow and superficial with plenty of fine words and lots of form – but there’s no substance. Is possessed of an exceptional verbal facility and will outmaneuver most people in verbal interaction, especially at times of conflict. Is often described as smooth, slippery, slimy, ingratiating, fawning, toadying, obsequious, sycophantic. Relies on mimicry, repetition and regurgitation to convince others that he or she is both a “normal” human being and a tough dynamic manager, as in extolling the virtues of the latest management fads and pouring forth the accompanying jargon. Is unusually skilled in being able to anticipate what people want to hear and then saying it plausibly. Cannot be trusted or relied upon. Fails to fulfill commitments. Is emotionally retarded with an arrested level of emotional development; whilst language and intellect may appear to be that of an adult, the bully displays the emotional age of a five-year-old. Is emotionally immature and emotionally untrustworthy. (More in the next post.) Image credit: "http://www.recordstar.com/news/article_d5093ab2-5268-11e1-a950-001871e3ce6c.html".