1 Corinthians 14:1

“Let love be your highest goal, but also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives, especially the gift of prophecy.” 1 Corinthians 14:1 NLT

Paul is leaving the subject of love and beginning to turn our attention back to the subject he was addressing before the 13th chapter: the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He leads us gently back into the teaching with a final exhortation to “let love be your highest goal.” Before Paul’s conversion to Christ he was an extremely religious man. If you have ever met someone who is extremely religious you’ll find they have very little, if any, love flowing through them. They are big on laws and rules, but neglect the greatest gift of all: love. Religious people can be very unforgiving and Paul knew this. He was that religious, law-driven man. That is, until he met Jesus Christ. His preaching went from a hard-line attitude of obeying laws to a straightforward message of love and grace. You will see this dramatic transformation all throughout his epistles to the church. He knew that without love as a motivating factor there could be no such thing as “good news”. And the word ‘Gospel’ literally means ‘Good News’!

After love, Paul says we are to desire prophecy. Before we get any further into this chapter I want to make something perfectly clear. I say this for the benefit of those of you who may be new to this whole doctrine of spiritual gifts at work in today’s church. Do not confuse the speaking in tongues that is often used in one’s personal prayer language with the tongues that are used in prophecy in a public assembly. They serve different purposes and as go on in this 14th chapter you will better understand this. The tongues used in prophecy, public or private, will be followed by an interpretation in your native language. The tongues used in personal prayer often will not be accompanied by an interpretation although it is not altogether absent. It is not necessary. Paul explains this as we go along.

Confused? Don’t be. Hang in there with me and the Holy Spirit will unfold these spiritual truths to you as you study His word with an open heart.

Proverbs 1:20-23

“Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square. She calls out to the crowds along the main street, and to those in front of city hall. ‘You simpletons!’ she cries. ‘How long will you go on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools fight the facts? Come here and listen to me! I’ll pour out the spirit of wisdom upon you and make you wise.’ ” Proverbs 1:20-23 NLT

There is a lot here to digest. One could go a dozen directions on each verse. First of all, it implies that the spirit of wisdom is everywhere. Most of the time it’s right in front of us, but we seem to have an innate ability to ignore it. Do these verses speak to anyone besides me about our government? Or any government? Wow.

Simpletons, mockers and fools ignore the spirit of wisdom and continue down the path of carnal knowledge thinking they can figure things out. My goodness, have I been guilty of that! I get myself in messes because I have ignored Proverbs 3:5 (“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths.”)  so I continue on in my ignorance, mocking God by not seeking out the spirit of wisdom and then find myself in a mess. I’m tired of having to pay for stupid decisions I’ve made. How about you?

Our government continues to dig itself into a  financial and “politically correct” hole because they have all but taken God out of the equation of governing. (All but 3 of our nation’s founding fathers were professing Christian believers who sought the Lord’s wisdom and guidance as they formed our nation.) When the Lord is excluded from man’s thinking and decision-making wisdom and common sense go with Him, man’s understanding takes over our legislation and look out. And that does not apply to just our elected officials. It’s rampant in mankind at all levels!

Some even display their profound ignorance by mocking the Lord and His word. And they mock born again Christian believers as right-wing loonies. (Some probably are. Welcome to earth.) Way back in the Garden of Eden man began to think he knew more than God Himself. And it’s been nothing but downhill since. Instead of exercising wisdom in the first place we continue to introduce legislation to correct the incorrect legislation we’ve already enacted into law. Is that not the definition of insanity?

Wisdom is here. It is available to all who will listen. It is all around us and right in front of us. But we must lay aside our own understanding long enough to listen to what it tells us. Wisdom is a spirit (see verse 23) and will lead all who turn their hearts toward it. The longer man mocks God, His word and His wisdom the further into the darkness he will descend.

I’m smart enough to know that without God and His written word I am nothing more than a fool. I may be intelligent in man’s eyes and have academic degrees or even religious degrees, but if I continue to ignore the spirit of wisdom I will never be more than a simpleton, mocker and fool, no matter how smart I think I am.

As we continue on through this book of Proverbs the spirit of wisdom is going to be breathing down our neck and screaming in our ears. It will pay huge dividends if we take the time to pause and listen to what it’s trying to teach us.

1 Corinthians 13:11-13

“It’s like this: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now. There are three things that will endure– faith, hope and love– and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:11-13 NLT (Underline mine)

I underlined verse 12 in the scriptures above because I want to point out that Paul, while focusing our attention on the power and importance of love, is still in the middle of teaching some things about spiritual gifts. We have all heard teaching on verse 11 and verse 13 many times, no doubt. It seems as though verse 12 gets lost in the shuffle.

We know the importance in growing up. Who likes to see a 40 year old act like a junior high kid? I have worked in both the ministry and the secular world with people that I swear never matured past the 8th grade. Jealousy, backbiting, gossip, outright lying, pushing themselves for recognition. Grow up.

And then of course we have the famous 13th verse which tells us that these three gifts, faith, hope and love, will endure forever. Again Paul is comparing them to the other gifts which I have already explained will be temporary. Faith can only come from God. It is a gift (see Ephesians 2:8). Hope comes to man only through the scriptures (see Psalm 119:114, Romans 15:4 and numerous others). And without God, man cannot generate the agape, God-kind of love on his own. Man’s understanding of love would be limited to phileo (friendship) and eros (selfish, flesh-driven sex). Love endures because God endues and the scriptures plainly teach us “God is love” (see 1 John 4:8). God doesn’t “have” love, He “is” love. Because these three gifts come from God’s attributes they will remain forever. The other spiritual gifts Paul is teaching on are designed for man to use while he is on the earth. They will no longer be needed in heaven.

Now to verse 12. It never ceases to amaze me how different “faiths” and different church denominations and the like are insisting they are the one who is accurate or right in their beliefs. Please. This only continues to divide us a a church. I have family and friends in a lot of different denominational churches. So what? Obviously, I must think I’m right or I would change. We’re all guilty of this. I think I’m right, sure, but I know I’m not infallible. There is much I need to learn. read the gospels, even the disciples had disagreements. The church has never agreed 100% and never will. We need to get beyond this. I’m sure some would never invite me to their church or Christian group because I’m not a part of their persuasion and they’re afraid of what I might say or do. That’s silly. I’m a Christian, plain and simple. Yeah, I can get a bit animated because there’s life in me, not just religion. And do you agree with everything you hear out coming from your particular strain of faith? I doubt it. If you do then you had better clean out your ears, start listening to what is being said and start doing some scripture searching on your own. You have become a clone. You’ll not gain entrance into heaven based on where you went to church!

Verse 12 tells that as long as we’re on earth we’re guessing. At least to a point. No one, and I mean no one, is 100% accurate in their interpretation of the scriptures. As we continue on in the process of renewing our mind to the word of God (see Romans 12) the Holy Spirit will continue to guide us into the truth. Once we close ourselves off to this renewing process we are sheep following what could be a blind tradition that denies the power of God in it’s midst. And yes, I’m talking to the independent, full gospel churches as well. It’s not just some of the older denominations that are snorers.

1 Corinthians 13:12 could not be any more clear: we see things imperfectly. Even with the other spiritual gifts in operation we see things as if we’re looking into a poor, cloudy, cracked mirror. Only when we get to heaven will we “see everything with perfect clarity”. It’s us thinking we are the only church right with our theology that continues to drive a wedge between us. If you attend a denomination or “faith” that preaches that unless you’re in their ranks you are not saved, get out! I am not stuttering! get out! That should always raise a red flag! The devil uses that kind of thing to entrap you and keep you from advancing in the truth!

But do you know what has the power to cut through all that nonsense? Love. Love never fails.

Proverbs 1:15-19

“Don’t go along with them, my child! Stay far away from their paths. They rush to commit crimes. They hurry to commit murder. When a bird sees a trap being set, it stays away. But not these people! They set an ambush for themselves; they booby-trap their own lives! Such is the fate of all who are greedy for gain. It ends up robbing them of life.” Proverbs 1: 15-19 NLT

Solomon is still talking about those who relish in committing sin by intentionally hurting others for self-gain. I’ve hurt others I’m sure, but I can stand before God and honestly say it was never my intention nor did I feel I would gain anything financial from it. The folks referred to here in these scriptures are professional haters. All they are interested in is themselves and what they can get from others.

People who do evil for self-gain truly are setting themselves up for grief. The further they go the bigger trap they set for their ultimate demise. When I read verses 18 & 19 I can’t help but think of the infamous Bernie Madoff. I’m sure you’ve heard of him in the recent news. He is a man who was not satisfied with just making a good, really good, living by being a financial manager and investor. No, to him there was never enough to satisfy his greed. His greed ended up being the booby-trap that would put him in prison for the rest of his natural life. As we just read, “Such is the fate of all who are greedy for gain.” Christian ministers, I hope you are listening to me. I have seen and heard far too many ministers who have allowed greed and self-gain taint the gospel message and appeal for support. Wealth can indeed be intoxicating when your priorities are not the priorities of the Lord.

Sometimes even well-meaning Christians are caught up in the thought of “getting rich quick”. And because of this they enter into schemes and agreements that they should have known were ill-advised. With the exception of the gospel of Jesus Christ, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! I’m sure you’ve heard that time-worn adage before! I don’t know how much it still goes on today, but in the 1980’s churches were deluged with believers trying to get other Christians signed up under them in various types of multi-level marketing “businesses”. “The owners and founders of this business are “Christians!” , they would proclaim. “Testimonies” of prospering without doing much of anything were heard everywhere. A lot of innocent people were hurt as they invested money they did not have, thinking they would see a hundredfold return for their investment into this “Christian-owned ” business. True, they didn’t murder anyone, but a lot of people got robbed.

The Holy Spirit speaks to the Christian and non-Christian alike. We see evidence of this in the scriptures. We all want to prosper because it is in man to prosper. God put that desire within us and it is not wrong. The more prosperous we become the more we can do to promote the kingdom message. That’s fine and is even a heavenly desire. I often dream of what I could accomplish had I the means! But to hurt others in the process? To be so greedy for self-gain so as to be willing to hurt, lie and deceive others to prosper? I’m not going to say it’s unforgivable, but I will say that it’s despicable. I would not want to be standing in the shoes of anyone who has participated in this kind of activity come judgment day.

Bernie Madoff bilked thousands out of billions. He had it all, or so he thought. Houses, jewelry, yachts, prestige, power, you name it. One thing he didn’t have was character and integrity. He got what he had because he was greedy for gain. He knew he was destroying the lives of others behind their back and without their knowledge. He didn’t care. He simply didn’t care. All he cared about was getting more of what he already had more than enough of.

Now he lives in an 8×10 prison cell and that’s where he will stay for the rest of his life. And thousands of innocent people are trying to rebuild their lives because of his love for self-gain. “Such is the fate of all who are greedy for gain. It ends up robbing them of life.”

1 Corinthians 13:8-10

“Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in unknown languages (literal Greek=tongues of people and angels) and special knowledge will all disappear. Now we know only a little, and even the gift of prophecy reveals little! But when the end comes, these special gifts will all disappear.” 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 NLT

Of all the things we experience here on this earth the only thing that will last forever is love. Why would I be willing to give up all of the spiritual gifts that I enjoy just to fully understand love? Because it’s the only gift from heaven among them that is eternal. All the other gifts are temporal and just because I experience them does not mean they will automatically change or complete my life. Millions of people all over the world have and still do witness and experience these spiritual gifts but I think it’s fair to say that while millions of their lives have been positively affected, millions of others have not. But love? True love cannot be denied. The God-kind of love is the single, most powerful force in existence. It changes lives forever.

There are some factions of the Christian faith who have been taught to believe that the spiritual gifts “passed away” with the last of the remaining original twelve disciples. Their argument is that these gifts were needed back then to legitimize and kick off this newly founded Church of Jesus Christ. And then you have the churches, generally the older mainline denominational churches, who ignore them completely. They don’t talk about them one way or the other. They are never mentioned or taught even though they are blatantly referred to throughout the entire New Testament! There are many reasons why some local church bodies ignore them, but here in verse 10 the Bible specifically says that “when the end comes” these special gifts will disappear, not when the last of the original twelve passes away, nor will they go away just because you ignore their existence. Yes, the original twelve disciples/apostles have gone on to their reward, but the end has not yet come. The final judgment yet awaits this world. Are you still alive in a sin-filled earth? Then the end is yet to come and the spiritual gifts are still with us. If Jesus Himself, and the “original twelve” needed these gifts who are we to think we don’t? Jesus operated in prophecy, casting out devils, supernatural knowledge, supernatural discernment as well as all the others. He was continually amazing the best minds of the day. He had the gift of the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher. These are all listed in the Bible as gifts and He obviously needed these gifts operating through Him to be able to accomplish what He accomplished while here in the earth. Always keep in mind that Jesus did not do what He did as God, but as a man. He always referred to Himself as “Son of man” and He pushed this mindset for a reason. We. as men, are to operate in these same spiritual gifts. The only gift that He did not manifest, as far as we know, is the gift of speaking in other tongues. But the scriptures are clear that this “gift of fire” would be sent to the church after His resurrection and return to sit at the right hand of the Father. (See Acts chapters 1 ans 2). It was to be an audible and visible “sign” to both the church and the world that the Holy Spirit was now living and operating through man just as He had done through Jesus.

God was now not only amongst men, but was “in” men. All things are now possible to him who believes and the gifts of heaven are contain the power to overcome impossibilities! Think of all the “impossible” things Jesus did! And how did He do it? Through supernatural spiritual gifts, as a man!

When the end does come and we experience the new heaven and the new earth, evil has been eternally destroyed, and the only life -form is the righteous, then there will be no need for these gifts. Their usefulness will have been exhausted. There will be no more sickness to cure, no souls to save, no devil to cast out, no additional knowledge needed for we will see and understand all things clearly, tongues will no longer be necessary to communicate directly with the Lord and all prophecy will have been fulfilled. Can you see this? That’s a good description of heaven, the tangible, visible presence of the Lord with no more evil to contend with. And that’s when these gifts will no longer be in operation. They will no longer be necessary.

Until then? Until then the spiritual gifts of heaven are still here, they are in operation through those who believe in and receive them, and they will continue to be here in the earth to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ until the end.

Let Me Be Clear

This “Government and the Church” topic has already generated interest and for those of you who have responded, either at the website or through direct email, thank you!

However, judging by your responses I think I need to make myself a little more clear. This page would be devoted as to how the federal and/or state governments directly affects the ability of the church of Jesus Christ to do it’s job; preach the gospel with out restriction or restraint.

Many of you, I think, misunderstood my intent. I’m not talking about what we as United States citizens should do as far as the political process goes. As citizens we all have a right and a responsibility to be involved in the political arena of our nation as it forms our national laws and policies. But we, as Christians, have a dual citizenship: America (or whatever country you live in) and the kingdom of Heaven. Again, judging by your responses I see you are concentrating on what we should be doing as U.S. citizens. And that’s good, but not where I’m headed.

This page, should I add it, would only deal with how government laws already in place have handcuffed us a church, not as a citizen. One commenter said that “you can’t change people’s hearts through legislation.” I couldn’t agree more and I’ve said that for years. It’s the heart of people that ushers morality into their thinking, not laws.

What changes the heart of a man? Jesus Christ. And believe it or not that should be our primary concern. Get in and stay involved in your governments political arena. But do it as a natural citizen. I believe what the Holy Spirit is showing me is a different issue. But it’s the issue that needs to be confronted first.

The devil works slowly and deceptively to afflict the ability of the church. He will take his time as long as things are going his way. And that is what the Lord needs us to concentrate on. It will be, I believe, a long and turbulent process sure to meet resistance from both the government as well as from some church factions. Jesus came to earth because changes needed to be made to set man free. Martin Luther was ex-communicated from the established church of the day because he saw how the true common man church was being controlled and he had the guts to set out to do something about it.

Anytime the Lord makes a move to get His church into a more perfect position you can count on opposition whether it comes from the church itself or from the government that strives to control it. The power of the church is muted because it has become far too dependent on secular government. (Among other things)

I love this country and I’m for it, not against it. But as American Christians we have two responsibilities; one to Jesus Christ and His church as a supernatural citizen of heaven and the other to our beloved nation as a natural citizen.

This would not be a “political” page on the website. This would be a page devoted to Biblical teaching that would point the way in getting the church where it needs to be as far as it’s relationship with government entities. I don’t have all the answers, never have–never will, but if work together and have the courage to go forward the Lord will part the waters. The church can begin to move in increased anointing as it frees itself from governmental oversight, the hearts of men will be changed and as natural citizens we can begin to re-energize this nation that we so dearly love by getting and keeping ourselves involved in our government in a productive way.

Our responsibilities to the church and to our country are two separate issues. I’m talking about our responsibility to the church.

We’ve Got A Problem To Deal With

You don’t know this but at 5 am this morning I spent, wasted actually, over 2 hours carefully writing a lengthy “Eyes of the Heart” article that  when I hit the “publish”  icon was sent into cyber-space never to be seen again. It was obliterated into digital micro-bits. It has taken me 2 hours to recover enough to try again. I was not a happy man! This time instead of attempting to post it on my Eyes of the Heart page I will simply post it as an e-pistle and put it up on my mainpage where I seem to have less trouble. My goodness that was devastating! It took a lot  of coffee to get over that! I have little doubt that devil was behind it “disappearing”! He will do that, you know.

Brothers and sisters, we have a problem. I could not stand to watch the President’s State of the the Union speech last night.  Not because he is a rabid out-of-control progressive Democrat but because I find it difficult to believe anything that comes out of Washington these days. While  I’m sure there must be some decent politicians up there the majority of those in power clearly do not care what is best for America. They have made that clear. Even after the defeat of the Democrats decades-held Senate seat in Massachusetts the President is bull-headed enough to proclaim last night that,”I will not give up!” He is not paying attention to the people nor does he care. These were Democrats and Independents who were desperately trying to send him a message, not just Conservatives.  If you still cannot see a problem you are brain-dead or hypnotized by a party.  Their only concern is their party’s  agenda, not the people’s. Only you and I can change that and we will see what the November 2010 elections will bring. If the last two elections in Virginia and Massachusetts haven’t gotten through to Washington maybe the next set of elections will. That remains to be seen. Every American should be an independent voter!

Can I say this? President Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have made it evident that what the American people need and want is not their primary concern. They have their own progressive agenda and while they still have power they will attempt to shove it down our throats regardless of what the polls say.  They need to go and they need to go as soon as possible before it’s too late.  And if the American people can’t see that then they deserve whatever they get. Stop voting political party and start voting common sense wisdom! Would it be that all American voters wake up and become independents! The independent party is growing and there is a very good reason for it!

Having said that, this was not intended to be a politically charged e-pistle but what is going on in American politics should be a screaming siren to Christians. As an American I have a right to speak (so far) to the partisan deception coming out of Washington but my Christian citizenship carries with it a far more important and heavier strain of responsibility. Yes, we have a problem in Washington but if the American people will wake up and recognize it we can be put back on a sane track in November 2010. But there is another sinister deception that entangles the Christian church that must be addressed and if we do not have the courage to call it out and address it will continue to hinder the Holy Spirit.

There is something you need to remember. The devil is real. And he will use any means necessary to hinder, if not stop, the effectiveness of the church in getting the message of Jesus Christ out to the world. He doesn’t care about politics other than to use them to control the gospel. We get caught up in focusing on temporal things while his twisted mind is ever concentrating on the eternal. He laughs when we spend all our time and energy running around political bushes while being blind to what is really important. Notice that Jesus never got caught up in the political news of the day. Other than to say we were obligated to pay our taxes He totally ignored them. Political strengths come and go and never are,  or will be, the real answer or power the people need. Time passes with the politicians yet the church can’t seem to break through to lasting, world-changing revival. The devil is fully aware that the longer he can keep the church’s strength at bay the longer he can continue to do what he does best; deceive mankind and prolong the inevitable.

He who has spiritual ears to hear, let him or her hear! It is time for the church to rid itself of all government ties! I will not go into detail in this e-pistle but for many, many years, since the 1980’s, the Spirit of God has been dealing with me concerning this. A long time ago the government set a trap and unsuspecting Christians took the bait thinking this could only be a good thing. And the result? The trap snapped shut and the preaching of the good news has been hindered. Saving money was the motive, as it usually is. The deception of money saved has bound the mouths of the church.

Recently, the Lord has begun dealing with me this very issue. And the arrogance of today’s political leaders has only hearkened the word of the Lord  to me. As a citizen of these Untied States of America I am concerned about our political situation but as a citizen of heaven I am even more concerned about eternal things.

I have been thinking/praying about adding a new page to my website called “Government and the Church” that would address this issue. It would not focus so much on the political nature as it would pertain to political parties  but on how already established laws have gone far in holding back true Christian revival and the changes it would bring to usher in the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I don’t care if you are a registered Democrat, Republican or Independent. I don’t care if you voted for Obama or McCain. As a Christian we have bigger fish to fry, so to speak.

I would  love to hear from you concerning the addition of this page/topic to my website. You may comment at the bottom of this page or you can email me directly at: truthfromthehip@gmail.com

Christian, this is important. Do you love Jesus? Is the will of God at the forefront of your intentions? You may disagree with me, but there is no doubt in my mind and spirit that the Lord is trying to get through to His children.  I love my country and although there can be no doubt demonic forces are at work to steal our democracy I believe that as of today America is the greatest nation on earth. But my allegiance belongs to Jesus first. America is temporary. Jesus is eternal.

I have a somewhat rough idea of how many of  you I am reaching. Please let me hear from you. The Lord has already, I believe, shown me the foundation as to what we must do. I do not proclaim to have all the answers,  but when we obey God we must have the courage to take the first step even when we can’t yet see the last. The water did not part until they had taken their first step into it. Man had never walked on water until he had the courage to take the first step. What I see will no doubt challenge the status quo, both in and out of the established church, but there is so much at stake. The Lord wants to move but He always uses His children to do it.

And I do not believe I am the Christian He is speaking to.

1 Corinthians 13:6-7

“(Love) is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 1 Corinthians 13:6-7 NLT

Love is without a doubt the preeminent power of powers. Love cannot be discouraged nor defeated. And just because something seems to be “set in stone” does not mean love will change it’s mind, give up or go away. It can’t. It simply cannot deny itself. It’s impossible. There is no doubt every one of us could give testimony of hard times, circumstances and almost seeming supernatural forces that have tried to derail us from what we know to be the truth. Sometimes it appears the decisions of others have upset God’s plan for your life. Nothing is more heartbreaking than to be looking from the outside at what you know should be. Be patient. It may seem as though you have no chance, but be patient. Truth is eternal, facts change.

Love has the ability to ignore “what is” to embrace “what should be”. When love reveals the truth it locks in and refuses to give up until justice prevails. Love never loses hope that what should be will be. Love’s the only power that carries with it the ability to endure every circumstance that gets in it’s way. Love never allows “what is” to get in it’s way. Love is a supernatural force that can overlook past decisions and mistakes made and continue in it’s effort to pursue justice and truth. You have heard the expression “It is what it is”? Well, that does not apply concerning the will of God for you. Love will see to it that God’s will shall prevail on your behalf.

Man has a way of making mistakes and thinking he/she is forever bound to them. Nonsense. Verse 7 reassures us that love can win through every circumstance that confronts us. Love will never blink. When love is realized it locks in and will not let go even when the mind and reason of man says different. Love never lose hope that what should be, will be. If we never deny love, love will never deny us. God “is” love. He (love) may be mocked by people who think you’ve “lost it”, yet He (love) cannot be defeated.

Hold on to love and never lose sight of the fact that somehow justice will prevail in your life and love will have it’s way. Embrace love when you find, see it and feel it. It’s there for a reason. It’s on a mission. Don’t fear love. It carries with it the power to set you free. I carry with me dreams, desires and goals that love has focused in on. And the only, and I mean only, reason I haven’t given up on these dreams, desires and goals is because love will never allow me to give in to current circumstances. You may not have the capacity to figure out how God could possibly manuver everything into position so that justice prevails on your behalf, but He is God. Be patient. Love never fails. Love puts things in your heart that even logic cannot deny. It’s all in His timing.

Proverbs 1:10-14

“My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them! They may say, come and join us. Let’s hide and kill someone! Let’s ambush the innocent! Let’s swallow them alive as the grave swallows its victims. Though they are in the prime of their life, they will go down into the pit of death. And the loot we’ll get! We’ll fill our houses with all kinds of things! Come on, throw in your lot with us; we’ll split our loot with you.” Proverbs 1: 10-14 NLT

My, it sounds like he is talking about some pretty serious sinners here, doesn’t it? The fact is, we are all sinners. Yes, even born again Christians are sinners. No matter how hard we try, as long as we are alive on this earth we will commit sin. Until our minds have been 100% renewed to the scriptures as taught in Romans 12, and our flesh is 100% subdued, we’re gonna screw up. Sin will only cease in heaven. The only major difference between men on earth is whether or not they have received forgiveness for their sin, not whether or not they are perfect in their thoughts and actions.

Sin comes in all forms, shapes, sizes and intentions. Sin literally means “to miss the mark” of perfection. Haven’t we all done that? Sure we have, even Christians. Some people think Christians aren’t supposed to sin. Hello! Nobody is “supposed” to sin! There are people who “stumble” into sin, but then there is another class of sinner who actually goes looking for ways to do wrong. That’s who King Solomon is referring to here in these verses. Every day on the news we see  people who are out to steal others’ identities, hack into others’ bank accounts, kill for the purpose of prospering, and steal credit card account numbers. Since the recent earthquake tragedy in Haiti there have already been numerous reports of bottom-feeders trying to capitalize on the misery of others. Sin is rampant in the world, but it seems some are more prone to intentionally involve themselves in it than others. In other words, they are looking for ways to sin. They do it on purpose.

Many times the “innocent” are encouraged to participate in sin with the hopes of prospering quickly. Other people enjoy victimizing others simply because they are jerks. Yes, sin is out there in many forms. As a born again Christian sin will reveal itself to you as you renew your mind with the word of God. The Holy Spirit will speak to you as He guides you. It may come as a still, small voice, but I have had Him yell at me at times! Some forms of sin are obvious while other forms are more subtle and can even make sense to your carnal mind and this is where the born again, recreated spirit of man working with the Holy Spirit can really work toward your advantage.

Everybody sins from time to time. If I made a decision to not hang out with sinners I would have to physically die to avoid all manner if sin. I would have to be a single monk living in a cave. I couldn’t even hang out out with myself without being in the presence of a sinner! Solomon is pointing out the obvious here. It is in every human being to know right from wrong whether they are born again or not, and there is a difference between “falling into sin” and pursuing sin on purpose.

One of the things I love about the Lord is that He understands this. His grace and mercy is always upon man, but for the born again believer his/her spirit has been forgiven and eternally sealed. He has been made a “new creation”. Sin is not held to his/her account anymore than sin could be held to Jesus’ account post resurrection. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, thus declaring His righteousness, dwells in me! And you if you’re born again. All things have become new as they concern the born again Christian. You can’t become born again more than once as some preach. You either are or you’re not. When you sin, ask for forgiveness. This is the only way to cleanse your conscience and stop the devil’s attacks of guilt. There is no such scriptural evidence of having to become born again, again. Who started that silliness anyway?

It’s apparent here that Solomon is addressing blatant sin that is meant to harm others for selfish gain. Fear God, and even though you will stumble from time to time. you will be empowered to defeat the pull and lie that sin offers you. It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to know right from wrong, born again or not.

I will never understand how someone could verbally destroy someone who falls into adultery while at the same time, and on a daily basis, lie to a customer who is looking to buy a used (or new) car from them. Sin is sin. Your “perfection”, your “holiness” is either broken or it isn’t. However, there is a difference between those who pursue sin knowing it is wrong and those who are deceived and stumble into it. I will never forget when in 1988 Jim Bakker was highly judged and criticized by Jimmy Swaggert (and others) for falling into adultery. Many of you will never forget it, either. Swaggert was brutal in his demonizing of Bakker. He even tried, without success, to steal Bakker’s ministry from him. It is not an accident that only several months later Mr. Swaggert was exposed for paying and photographing prostitutes. There is no doubt God did this. Oops…

I forgive both of them as does the Lord. Be careful in your judgment of others. They are men, not Christian superstars. And they knew all along they were mere men. At least I hope they did. I don’t believe either of them intended to do this. It just happened as they made one bad choice after another.  We (believers) had elevated them into a position they didn’t deserve or belong in. I believe that the pull of their flesh put them into a position to fall. And they did. But I forgive them and so should you. I am a man, too. I may not have  fallen in the same manner they have, and although I don’t set out to hurt others on purpose, I’m not perfect.

1 Corinthians 13:3-5

“If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand it’s own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. 1 Corinthians 13:3-5 NLT

There are a lot of people, ministers included, that are out in the world doing great things. But don’t mistake great accomplishments with great love. It’s some people’s nature to always be “doing” something. It gives them great reason to boast about “what they have done” for the Lord. Stay with me on this; while it appears they are doing this for the good of the Lord and for the people, they are actually doing it for themselves. When I attend a meeting where the speakers’ focus is on what they are doing for God and what great personal sacrifices they have made to accomplish their exploits that is a loud gong and a clanging cymbal to my ears. Giving God’s people an opportunity to give is one thing, manipulating them to give is shameful.

I know they do this because they are hoping for a good offering from the congregation and many people need to be “encouraged” to give. And yes, people are generally moved by these thinly veiled orations, they do work, but to me they don’t pass the smell test. We know that every President is concerned about the legacy they will leave behind. And this thought is not foreign to ministers. There is nothing wrong with feeling as though you have helped people strengthen their relationship with the Lord. And there is nothing wrong with striving to do more. But when the focus becomes fixed on your works of accomplishment and not love, it means nothing.

Verse 4 and 5 are so specific that they cannot be misunderstood. It may be because I am a minister that I see things through a specific lens, but I tend to judge ministers and ministries through the screen of these verses. With over 30 years of ministry behind me I have had the opportunity to see hundreds of ministers and all of the ministry offices/callings in their service to the church. I have attended local church meetings, national seminars, conferences and retreats. I have seen ministers from angles most congregational members haven’t. Most are hard-working, and sincere and have only the best interests of their flock or para-church ministry calling in mind. Blowing their own horn is the furthest thing from their mind. It’s just not in their heart to do that and even when someone else blows it on their behalf it is a very humbling experience for them.

On the other hand you’ve got those who can’t wait to get their hands on the microphone so they can tell you how great they are. It’s as though God couldn’t do anything without them. (I need to order another gross of barf bags). I have seen nationally and internationally known ministers and even some local ministers who act as though they are Gods gift to the people. It’s as though they have become a celebrity. They are not patient and kind. They have become arrogant in their self-opinion. They are jealous of another’s ministry or calling or church congregation size. What should be a ministry of love becomes a ministry of competition. And this happens on many levels.

All of us have witnessed ministers who were boastful, proud and rude to others. If not in person I’m sure you’ve seen them on television. They strut around the platform like a peacock whipping the crowd into an emotional frenzy. They promise supernatural prayer results for an offering. “And if you do it in the next 30 minutes you’ll receive a double anointing!” Listen to me! There is no such thing as a new testament “double anointing”! It’s not something you can buy with your giving! In the old covenant the Holy Spirit would only come “upon” man and sometimes the anointing would be stronger or doubled, if you will. But we live under the new covenant and now the anointing is “within” man rather than upon man. In the old testament man was not born again. Now he can be and his spirit is recreated and becomes one spirit with the Lord Jesus. We have within us the same anointing that Jesus possesses! Jesus never needed a “double anointing”. That’s ridiculous. Stop falling for that junk!

I’ve been around ministers who must think they are rock stars. Verse 5 says “Love does not demand it’s own way.” Really? You’d never know it judging by the way some ministers act. As a Pastor I invited guest speakers from time to time and more than once I was surprised at the requirements that needed to be met or they simply wouldn’t come. It disappointed me because these were ministers that I respected and received from. I will not mention their names but if I did many of you would recognize them. Two of them are international ministers that are still on tv and radio today. One thing that impressed me about the late George Stormont was not just that he confirmed to me that the Lord wanted him to come to my church, but when I asked him what was required to make this happen he simply said, “The Lord wants me there. I will come and we will trust Him for all of our needs.” George, a personal friend of Smith Wigglesworth, was a world wide minister from England and was one of the most humble men I have ever met. It was a privilege to spend 5 days with him and minister side by side with him in prayer lines. He was “big league”, if you will, but you would have never known it.

The longer I am in Jesus’ ministry the more discerning I become. When I was younger I was fascinated to meet “big name” ministers. Not so today. Some of the greatest, most anointed ministers out there will never become household names. They quietly go about our Father’s business. Promotion is very low-key. There is no strutting, spitting and hankie waving. There are no outrageous promises made to those who financially give so they can continue about their ministry. They do the Lord’s bidding and trust Him to meet their needs. No horns, no whistles, no bells, no fireworks.

Read the above scriptures again. When you see these traits in others it will help you discern the immature from the mature. As stated earlier I tend to look at my fellow ministers through these verses, but they apply to everyone, five-fold minister or not. Remember, Paul is showing us what agape’ love looks and acts like. Now reflect on the earth-life of Jesus. Did He ever promote himself? Did He ever act arrogant? Boastful? Did He ever intentionally whip up the crowds? Did He ever demand a special car (donkey), particular hotel chain, food from certain restaurants, a mint on his pillow, nice house (or two), specific brand of bottled water and did He ever set detailed requirements, to include minimum money, to come to you and minister to you? Unfortunately, this is tip of the iceberg for many ministries today.

If this is all foreign to you then it is obvious you haven’t had much behind the scene exposure to ministers and ministries. I work with two of the most humblest, genuine Pastors I have ever met, Joe Laughlin of Victory Church, Omaha and Jerry Simon of Life Song Church, Wahoo. They are as close to these verses as anyone I have served and ministered with. Because of what I have seen and heard with my own eyes and ears over the years I am very discerning who I will or will not support. I love all of them, but will not be fooled or manipulated by charlatan behaviors. Judge the character of people through these verses. Their behavior reveals their motives and intentions. Don’t be fooled by what they say, take note of how they treat others. Confidence is fine as long as it is married to humility. Don’t confuse confidence and anointing with arrogance and pride. They are glaringly different.

I’m not there yet. You’re not there yet. But as we continue to yield to Him and His Holy Spirit we are slowly but surely being transformed into His likeness. Now, re-read the above verses one more time. This is what you are to look for in a minister, and a human being. For the record I have never stated I wanted to be rich and famous. Just rich. Then I could accomplish a lot more than I am now. Lighten up, would ya? :^)