…And You Say You Were Called?

"Deacons are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as Deacons!" 1 Timothy 3:8-10

  What do James Jones, Jim Bakker, Ted Haggard, Jimmy Swaggert, and a certain Pastor at a megachurch in Atlanta, et al, have in common? What about other church leaders, most notably Deacons who claim that God has called them to be be proactive in building the Kingdom but fall short because of apathy and not adhering to His precepts? This essay is a general theorem and not conducive nor designed for any situation that would castigate or cast aspersions on anyone’s character closest to me. Then again, no one is exempt from the truths emanating from this opinionated matter. I’m speaking generically and concerned more with how certain leaders are usurping the pulpit, leading God’s people astray, and showing blatant misconduct apart from the ‘calling’ they’re supposed to be honoring. I’m aware that whenever a high-profile Christian leader falls or fails, the effects are far-reaching...likewise for Deacons in any church that shirk duties and don’t exemplify what 1Timothy 3:1-3 says leaders should embody.

   On a personal note, it bothers me when I see my brothers not doing what can be done to better themselves, the church and the parishioners they supposedly are praying for. I’m not perfect and without fault, for there have been times when I’ve failed in the eyes of the Lord as I continue to profess to be a sinner. I feel embarrassment for the name of Christ and for His church. Anytime when negligence is prevalent, it would be one more opportunity for mocking Christians, for pointing out the hypocrisy within the church and leaders notwithstanding. And then there are times when I especially feel ashamed for judging my brothers, for overlooking my own hidden sins, my own failures and short comings. Something like this can happen to any one of us if we do not remain vigilant in our walk with Christ. When anger and shame subsides I feel comfort reemerging. For I know when sin is kept hidden in darkness, it flourishes, entangles and become blinding as it grows in strength. But once exposed, once confessed and ready to be dealt with, sin loses its grip, and a prisoner goes free!

   Nevertheless, the Bible is rife with personalities that fell short of their calling...Saul continually disobeyed God; Habakkuk rebelled; Jacob was a cheater; Peter had a temper; David had an affair; Noah got drunk; Jonah ran from God; Paul was a murderer; Gideon was insecure; Miriam was a gossiper; Martha was a worrier; Thomas was a doubter; Sarah was impatient; Elijah was moody; Moses stuttered; Zaccheus was short; Abraham was old and Lazarus was dead. Now what is YOUR excuse? Can God use you or not? He doesn’t call the qualified, He QUALIFIES the Called. Though not all of the above were ‘called’, they at one point had God’s ear with certain realization that further placed them in rarified air. I close with a message to leaders and laymen everywhere: doing the Lord’s work is serious business. The key is to stand up and be accountable, and not getting caught up thinking you can do on your own without God’s approval and anointing. Anything beyond this would invite failure and consequences. 

Are We REALLY Free?

They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity -- for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 
2 Peter 2:19 (NIV)

Know that a person is a slave to whatever controls him or her. Are you really 'free' doing anything you want to do? In my opinion no one is ever completely free thinking in that mindset. The bottom line is if we refuse to follow God, we will follow our own sinful desires and become embolden to the carnal nature of having no self-control. Submitting our lives to Christ is the only answer. He alone loosens our shackles, frees our minds and gives usnew leases on life. People don't realize how they are burdened and ladened with obstacles that are weighing them down, thus rendering them prisoners to their own whims. Witness the fact that living in a world full of ungodly practices, apostasy, backsliding and other maladies not of Christian value will send us further from the Truth. I'm wondering how things would be if your sins were worthy of you spending time in jail! Paul had every reason to be stressed out and full of angst. But guess what?! He wasn't. Rather than succumb to ennui, he made the most of his time there…he planted (apple) seeds for all of the churches he established, hoping that new converts wouldn't be unfaithful to God with the messages he sent by Timothy admonishing them to stay the course. My alluding to 'appleseeds' is a way of pointing you to the righteous apples that only quality living can give you!

We further see Paul, the imprisoned apostle not worrying about his condition. He doesn't compromise and doesn't worry about if he'll ever get out…and we all know that in that dungeon he was beaten, lied about, tossed every which way but right, and totallg neglected. His chains never come off. The Roman guards never left. But what does that tells us? Are we REALLY free? I bring to you the status of Paul because despite it all, he stayed true to his beliefs, and knew that God would deliver him -- because he believed! We too, should be like this, knowing that freedom is precious…a commodity not to be taken for granted. Worldly compulsions and pressures for conformity stifle our creativity and erode our dignity. As we grow in our relationship to our Higher Power, we get stronger and more balanced in our unique qualities. Albeit, some of us have a talent for empathizing with others, some for writing and other facets of the humanities, but if there is no recipe that prescribes exactly what kind of faith we should exhibit, then what price freedom? 

I've always felt that freedom means the right to be different, the right to be oneself, and of course the right to live a life of quality doing the right thing. Reading what Paul went through and the consequences of being deprived of freedom, I've come to believe wholeheartedly that nobody can really give you freedom but yourself…if you are a person of convictions you take it! Claim the right to serve one Master. Real emancipation can't come at someone else's initiative or as a gift. It can only begin from within -- deep in your soul. You will do so by saying, "I will take my independence and not be burdened by the weight of sin." Then we will become responsible people because we own it on the inside. I'm not perfect, but I'm striving to be rid of what's holding me back. My prayer will resolve around not waiting for others to set me free, though. I will do what is within my own power to be free…thus, I am grateful for the need to be uniquely and fully myself! Will you think on this?