In the news today, we find many church assemblies in the
headlines with a story that says, "Mega-church splits" or "Super Pastor
found guilty of an illegal act." These headlines are becoming all too
familiar, giving Christians everywhere a very bad name. The time has
come for all those who have professed Christ as their Lord and Savior to
stand on God's Word alone. The Bible tells us throughout Proverbs to
get wisdom and understanding. We have to guard ourselves at all cost;
these are the last days, and we know that in the last days men will try
to deceive the church just as it says in 2 Timothy 3:1-7.
As a
Christian nation, many so-called church leaders have found it very easy
to manipulate the children of God, and as a Christian society, many of
us have let them. It seems that everyone wants to be part of a large
congregation or have their church leader become famous with some type of
celebrity status. This type of notoriety may be very impressive to the
world, but God is not impressed. The problem is that while looking for
these things, we tend to forget that these individuals are just people
who have taken on a leadership role. Although they may have been called
of God to do a specific work, they are still fleshly beings that can
make mistakes and fall just like anyone else.
The church should
always be about God and Him alone. There should never be a situation in a
Christian's life where they put more emphasis on the status of a man
and his notoriety, as opposed to his credibility and knowledge of God's
Word. My argument is not to be confused with those who are doing the
work and have great respect and integrity as indicated in 1 Timothy
5:17, 18 which indicates that Elder's who are doing the work of God
should receive double honor for their efforts. My argument is for those
who have chosen to live life in the fast lane without the regard of
those individuals who have chosen to call them "leader."
There is
nothing wrong with a large church or congregation; although you should
never want to join a large church or congregation just to say you have
status. Many people get upset after they join these large assemblies
because they seldom get to talk with the pastor of those assemblies.
Keep this in mind, you are attending church to not only fellowship with
other Saints but to also hear and learn the Word of God.
I have
learned that people usually do whatever they want to do, but when that
person is a Christian leader who has fallen away from the true Word of
God. It is possible that they may not truly have a heart or a mind to
follow God or His Word any longer. As a Christian, we have to follow the
Bible for ourselves. We have to know it, study it and understand it. A
person must also keep their mind on the Word of God so that they will
understand all things concerning the Kingdom.
One such church
watched their walls come tumbling down when the Pastor and his wife
decided to divorce. This announcement not only hurt the membership, but
it also exposed the church and the couple's exorbitant finances to the
world. Critic's said their message of prosperity was at the expense of
humility and family values. "Too many ministries have become big
business. That message is desecrating the church today," said one church
board member, adding that he was disturbed to learn that the church was
millions of dollars in debt. He said, "That's just not right." Many
share the thoughts of this parishioner.
The couple was noted for
preaching a so-called prosperity message; this type of message has led
many astray and has also angered many who decided to base their faith on
just this one principle as opposed to the entire Word of God. There are
a couple of questions that continually come up when this type of
situation arises in the church community. People ask why church leaders
need so much money, and why do they have to live such a grandiose
lifestyle. The answer should be a simple one, and that is to say that
every successful businessperson should reap the benefits of a successful
business, in this case we are talking Kingdom building or should I say
God's business. This would be the simple answer, but for those on the
outside looking in, this answer simply will not work. In the eyes of
John Q. Public, the leader of a church should be humble and living an
average lifestyle. The public will even go as far as letting you go
beyond an average lifestyle if they feel you are giving more than you
are receiving.
Why does society believe its wrong for Christians
to have wealth? Maybe it's because those with wealth who claim to be
Christians are not using their wealth to help the Kingdom. Many view
Christians with wealth in a negative way. When they see a church leader
dressed nice or driving an expensive vehicle, they automatically assume
that person has taken advantage of its membership. The unfortunate
reality is that this is sometimes the case and for that reason the
unknowing public will disagree with the views of the church.
Personally,
I have no problem with a church leader having wealth, but I believe he
has to do more than just pastor a church. I know of many church leaders
who not only pastor a church of thousands, but they also embark on other
careers such as authoring books, conducting seminars, recording music
and some even invest in the stock market. All I'm trying to say is that
if I have to work to support the Kingdom, they should too. As a
parishioner, I will not allow a church leader to have an elaborate
lifestyle at my expense. A good example would be a church funding a
"parsonage" for their pastor. I have always considered a parsonage to be
a small room or an apartment connected to the church enabling the
church leader to get some rest after spending many long hours at the
church, praying, teaching or maybe counseling. A parsonage should not
constitute a mini-mansion on the outskirts of town. Although some church
assemblies have decided that it is the blessing of the Lord to provide a
palatial residence for their church leader. I don't know about you, but
if this is the case at your assembly, it may be time to move on.
MSN
reports that a private company devised the couple's compensation
package, saying, "The couple had taken an annual salary as high as $1.5
million collectively but were approved to take up to $3 million
collectively." The Pastor and his wife's multimillion-dollar ministry
also included a private jet. The Pastor has said much of their wealth
comes from more than 23 successful business ventures, including real
estate and his role as a pitchman for a pharmaceutical company.
(MSN.com) A lot of people talk about how Christians should be humble
(especially traditional Christians). I have heard it said that to be
humble is to be poor. Being poor will indeed humble you simply because
you have no other choice at that time. But to say that someone should be
poor is ridiculous.
Someone once told me that I put too much
focus on success and wealth. This person was poor and was forced to be
humble, and as a result, they resented the fact that others were
prospering and building a future. This same person who bashed and
ridiculed others came into a little cash, and before I knew it, the
conversation quickly changed. They wanted flat screens televisions
throughout their house, and they were looking into purchasing a more
expensive means of transportation. They even insisted on having a more
designer-styled wardrobe. The list goes on and on. The humbleness that
this person once had was now completely gone.
Wealth is not a sin;
lusting for wealth on the other hand is a sin. God has given us all of
the resources to become successful and effective Christians. There is a
need for wealth in the Kingdom and there is a need for those who have
proven to be good stewards to have wealth. Those who have should be
willing to help those who do not, and those who get should be willing to
give.
A common concept that has been associated with mankind is
to help our fellow man. This concept suggests that when you have been
blessed, you are to reach back and give others a hand up. This is a
great lesson and wonderful principle as it relates to the area of helps
(if followed), but many times, those who teach it never follow it.
Imagine the magnitude of success that could be established if those who
have achieved success would be willing to reach back and give to those
who are striving towards success. Notice I said, "Striving." A person
has to be in a position to receive a blessing that is being passed on.
For example, take time to read the story of how Elijah's Spirit is
transferred to Elisha. (2 Kings 2:1-15)
By using the principles we
find in Scripture, Christians can determine their course for any given
situation. While God's Word does not cover each and every situation we
will face in our lives, it is sufficient for living a Christian life.
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