Our Adequate Covering For Sins

Romans 5:1

Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ 

Sin Lies At The Door

Genesis 4:7 "sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

We are seeing in our day an alarming apostasy of the church. Some of us did not believe that we would see the organized churches fall away into heresy and unbelief before the true body of believers were taken out of the world. The things we are seeing today I honestly thought would take place in the Tribulation period.  The church has grown numerically over the years. We have great buildings and untold wealth of many preachers but the church is weak spiritually from sin.

Drinking From The World's Cup

I was recently asked by a friend to blog about the impending cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and how an impoverished person could vote for a certain political party. My response to her was that I really didn't want to use my blog to get into the arena of politics. I am really not a Dominionist (a Christian who believes that they can make this world a better place) waging war for political control over a world that the Bible says is fallen and sinful. My answer was too matter of fact and without compassion and I decided to comment because my friend will someday be affected by changes made to the system.

She is a married mother of two, who has worked in local government, helping community organizations to impact the lives of impoverished youths. She later went on to work in a Congressional office for many years before she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Even after diagnosis, she continued to work until last year when the disease started progressing and cancer tumors were found in one of her breasts (she is currently undergoing radiation). To think of how tirelessly she has worked to better her community and pay into a system that should help when she needs it, but may not, is heartbreaking and scary at the same time.

It is not only sad but foreboding to think of how we as a society care less and less about the elderly and the poor today. Even though, I do not believe in physical domination instead of spiritual fighting,  I believe that Christians should participate in the political process. They as individuals should play their part as a good citizen, belonging to any political party that they may choose. This is something for the individual to decide. But I do caution that both parties do make merchandise of individual groups: mainly the poor and Christians.

The Church getting muddled in political affairs is another matter. Churches are making assertions in politics, and even aligning themselves with other religions demanding political power for moral sake. Yet their communities are unaffected because the regular man sees it as it really is, a power grab. We can march under the moralist banner daily and not see any changes. Laws cannot change the heart of any man. But if a governing man were to be illuminated through the lives that have been saved and transformed by the Holy Spirit, how much change do you think his decisions will affect? He will be therefore mindful of the disenfranchised and the down trodden.

This is the goal that the Church should strive for, not Joining a party, or an alliance intoxicating ourselves by power. This is truly the last days when a any group can use the  ideology of modern day nationalism or moralism to lead the Church. WAKE UP!!!! No Christian should be surprised that society is waning with growing tendencies toward evil and the neglect of the elderly, poor and disabled. The surprising thing is that the world is not worse; any optimism with regard to its goodness is purely fabrication.

You never find the apostle commenting on the government of the Roman Empire. They did not send resolutions to the government to do this or not to do that; they commanded us to pray, I Peter 2: 13-17 and I Timothy 2: 1-4. Shouldn't the Church be governed by these principles?

I pray with my whole heart that the Lord will touch and heal her body, mind and soul. May God also give us grace and stir up the gift that should be in us to make our calling and election sure: to know our duty, to work before night falls, to bring forth fruit worthy before He comes and removes His Candlestick.

When Pastors and Elders Sin

Last week, Jonathan C. Roberts, the former pastor of St. Stephen AME Church on Main Street in Hardeville, SC. and the secretary were arrested and charged with stealing thousands of dollars from the church over a two year span. The Hardeeville Police said, "$56,000 was in the church account and after two and a half years, just two thousand was left." This information became available when the church's new pastor and a committee reviewed the finances in February.

Even though, Roberts has stepped down as pastor, he is still a presiding elder for Beaufort County in the 7th District AME Church of South Carolina. Being an elder allows Roberts to continue to oversee the activities of the church he stole from. Roberts should not be allowed to hold any office in the church. To allow this man that has shown no remorse sets a bad precedent (which is reflected in his mug shot above). Members should revisit the instructions laid out for the requirements for an elder/bishop and other scriptures on discipline:

1 Timothy 3:2-3

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;  ³Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

  Church discipline (Matthew 18:17). When a believer refuses to turn from sin, we are not told to overlook it or to forgive them but to bring them before the church. If they will not listen to the church, then the church must remove them from the fellowship.

Even though, at this point his repentance has not materialized. Still we treat him with a Christ-like attitude. Using love and good deeds, we are always attempting to draw back to a biblical lifestyle those who have strayed.

At the same time, we are not to socialize or fellowship with professed believers living in open, unconfessed sin I Corinthians 5:9-13 . We are not to associate with Roberts.  Our refusal to fellowship with Roberts should not be an act of hatefulness, we are exhibiting an unloving attitude and denying the principles found in Romans 12. But, if in obedience to I Corinthians 5 we separate from him, the very act of refusing fellowship is an effort to bring him to reconciliation with God and the members. While these efforts to win back our brother may very well be misinterpreted as unloving, nevertheless, they are in accordance with Scriptures and may prove to be a powerful method of drawing him to repentance.

If, by God’s grace, Roberts comes to repentance, we are commanded to forgive. We are not to hold him at arm's length, avoid him. We are to forgive and restore fellowship (but not as an elder).

But what if reconciliation does not happen? What if no rebuke takes place and church discipline is not administered? What if Roberts refuses to admit that he sinned? Has he gotten away with stealing from God? No! A much worse thing happens if he refuses do what is right, God Himself gets involved (1 Corinthians 11:30, 31; Romans 12:19). It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of God; May we be diligent to help one another walk in holiness before our Lord.

Are You Still Watching The TBN (Trickery Broadcasting Network)

I was surprised that to see on a Sunday night that this network was still allowing Bishop Eddie Long to broadcast on their network considering that he is still under a cloud of suspicion of coercing young men into sodomy.

TBN could be the greatest tool for good, but it is becoming a "habitation of devils, and every foul spirit."

Here are a few videos false teaching and just plain lying.

The Bible tells us we are not to have any fellowship with professing Christians if they are immoral. By giving money to them, we are in fellowship with them and partners in their crimes against God and the flock of Jesus Christ (reference to 1 Cor. 5:9-13).