Before I
went to seminary, I naively thought the Christian world would band together in
praise of the people I admired. In the South Carolina Southern Baptist
world of my youth, we cherished people like Billy Graham, Charles Stanley,
Henry Blackaby, Kay Arthur, and the then up and coming Beth Moore.
What a shock to me in seminary when I began learning how much learned men and
women criticize other people in the body of Christ who don't interpret
the Bible or practice Christianity according to their particular brand, theological camp, tribe, interpretation, or tradition.
Through the years, I've heard
numerous reasons why all of the five aforementioned Christians are bad representatives of
Christianity and why I should not pay them any attention - and all of this from
other Christians. Graham preached too simply and manipulated people emotionally. Stanley was divorced and not biblical enough. Blackaby shouldn't teach that God speaks today. Arthur and Moore should never teach men. And Graham, Arthur, and Moore all dare to suggest that a Catholic could actually be a Christian! And that is just for starters!
Shocked and Grieved - Again
Though I probably should not be at this point in my life, my spirit grieved recently when I came across a few articles this year by a so-called "discernment ministry" called Pulpit and Pen severely criticizing and condemning Bible teachers Beth Moore and Joyce Meyer. The tone of the articles is arrogant, the stance of them is another Christian soapbox, and the conclusion of them is that Moore and Meyer are "false teachers" and are not really Christians.
The posts included edited videos of Moore and Meyer's teachings, including many pithy, inserted remarks from the blog author. The remarks attempted to correct, rebuke, and put down the two women. The spirit of the article is not simply disagreeing over some theology. The spirit is a vicious attack, damning the women.
It both saddens and angers me to read blog articles like this one. I disagree with about every point the author
tries to make and see no need to be a policemen to other Christians and
ministries. One of the videos made the
ridiculous assertion, “True Christians do not serve the same Jesus as Joyce
Meyer and Beth Moore.”
Good grief. I
listened to the M&M video, and I would take their spirit any day over the
one exemplified in that article.
My
godly mother has done almost every Beth Moore study for 20+ years – and taught
many of them herself. Moore has helped her and 1000’s like her to dig into God’s Word. I can't imagine Moore or Meyer stopping so low as to waste their time publicly ridiculing and and mocking another ministry that tried to point people to Christ and teach His Word.
Joyce Meyer has never been on my top 10 favorite list of Christian authors or speakers. My including her in this post is not a blanket endorsement on her teaching. For that matter, In almost 1400 blog posts, I think this is the first time I have ever mentioned her name. So it's not like I'm a Joyce groupee. It is a response to an article I read that groups Moore and Meyer together.
I do believe Mrs. Meyer is a Christian, loves the Lord Jesus and His Word, and tries in her own way to serve Him and fulfill the Great Commission. She shares practical, motivational speaking and writing with millions on a weekly basis. In my estimation, I would call her a Christian motivational speaker. And I say, "God, bless her!"
I learned years ago that if someone is not against you - they are for you! And who am I to sling mud on my brother or sister in Christ?
The Bible
also says, in matters of disagreement, to not let what you think is good be
spoken of as evil. In every day there
are some, who in zealous pursuit of “doctrinal purity” or in the name of
“discernment” or “holiness,” become policemen of other Christians and
ministries. They “warn the brothers” of
what preachers to listen to, what Bible translations to read, what music is
acceptable, ad nauseam.
Simply put, it is a
form of “spiritual bullying.” And it comes from what Richard Blackaby calls "self-appointed orthodoxy police."
That Awful False Teacher Billy Graham
Billy
Graham received much of this in the 20th century from the
ultra-fundamentalists, particularly from Dr. Bob Jones and Bob Jones University.
They severely criticized the evangelist because he “hung out” with
people who were liberal and did not have correct theology. He preached with and befriended liberals,
Catholics, Pentecostals, etc. His
approach was much like Jesus’ and Paul’s: he would go wherever her had an
opportunity so that he could preach Christ.
Some of them even said that Graham was Satan’s greatest tool of American
Christianity – and more self-righteous nonsense.
Here is one example. Graham announced he would hold a crusade in
Greenville, South Carolina, home of BJU, at the new Textile Hall. In response, Dr. Bob Jones, Sr., ordered the
students to not attend the meeting (they were not allowed to attend my home
church either in the 1980’s), and he wrote “The Position of Bob Jones University in Regard to the Proposed Billy
Graham Crusade in Greenville, A Chapel Talk by Dr. Bob Jones, Jr., on February
8, 1965. ”
It proclaimed, “The Bible commands that false teachers and men who
deny the fundamentals of the faith should be accursed; that is, they shall be
criticized and condemned. Billy approves them, Billy condones them, Billy
recommends them… I think that Dr. Graham is doing more harm in the cause of
Jesus Christ than any living man; that he is leading foolish and untaught Christians,
simple people that do not know the Word of God, into disobedience to the Word
of God.”
The
fundamentalists “warned the brothers” about the deception of people like
Graham, calling him everything from a tool of Satan, to a false prophet, to
someone deceiving others – blah, blah, blah.
When I was first in ministry, the fundamentalists were trying to tell
Christians what music was “really of the Lord” – and which was of Satanic
origin (like, according to them, Steve Green, Truth, Sandi Patti, Larnelle Harris,
etc.). One well meaning lady told me any music besides hymns should not be used in church. One of the reasons was that people can move their bottom and sway their hips to non-hymn music, and that can make people think sexual thoughts. (I kid you not.)
It is a symptom of what Charles
Swindoll calls, in his excellent book The Grace Awakening, “grace killers” – the drive to criticize or control other
Christians whose convictions, methods, preferences, or doctrines differ from
mine or my camp’s – and to stand in judgment of them – instead of having the
grace, as Swindoll says, to “let them be.”
Henry Blackaby, an influential Christian well-accustomed to sharp criticism from certain parts of Christianity, writes, "Jesus' response to His disciples must have surprised Him as He said, 'Don't stop him" (Mark 9:39). He assured them that 'whoever is not against us is for us' (40). Have you learned this vital lesson? Are you able to genuinely rejoice in the spiritual victories of others? Are you encouraging those who serve the Lord in a different way or who belong to a different group than you do?" i
Same Song, Third Verse
Today it is
the same song, third verse. This tendency can arise from any Christian camp. Today It
seems spiritual policemen keep coming up in the ranks of some ultra-Reformed
folks (what I call folks in the Reformed camp whose zeal over their Reformed theology seems to rank converting other Christians to Reformed theology right next to the Great Commission), or what some people call hyper-Calvinists. I first encountered the mindset at seminary.
I remember some ultra-Reformed guys having a
long talk with me, explaining how Billy Graham was the worst thing that
happened to Christianity in the 20th century, how horrible was the
practice of the altar call, and how parachurch ministries were not
“biblical.” These people and practices
were not “doctrinally pure” and needed to be “resisted.” They told me, “If James Dobson wanted to
serve the Lord, he should have been a pastor.
God does not recognized ministries like Focus on the Family.” Thankfully, when I questioned one of my professors about such things the following week, he told me, "They do not represent the majority of our students."
These sincere, but very misguided opinions,
are often self-serving.
Today we have
more people under the name of “discernment” serving as self-proclaimed
policemen.
No thank you. I would rather have the spirit exemplified by
Paul in Philippians: “It’s true that some are
preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure
motives. They preach because they love me, for
they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. Those
others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with
selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to
me. But that doesn’t matter. Whether their
motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either
way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice” (1:15-18).
Paul
recognized a false teacher by two characteristics:
(1) they did not teach
salvation was by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and
(2) they
promoted sexual immorality.
Apart from
these qualities, if the Word was shared and the gospel preached in some way,
even by someone with false motives, he rejoiced that the gospel went forth!
Critical Thinking
For years, my wife and I have been proponents of classical education. And much of Christianity the past 200+ years has valued such an approach to education. One of the goals of classical education is to develop critical thinkers - ones who learn how to truly practice discernment as they wade through complex, and sometimes opposing, information.
I believe it much wiser to raise up people who learn to think for themselves with a biblical framework (Ro. 12:2) than it is to tell people in blanket statements who to listen to and who to not. Baby Christians need to be spoon-fed and guided closely. However, as Christians mature, we should be able to stand on our own feet and apply our critical thinking skills - for ourselves - to the wide range of material out there in our information age.
I learned years ago that I could learn positive things from people with whom I do not agree on everything. And having a solid, biblical foundation, I can read people who are not necessarily in my theological camp and still benefit.
And I don't think it wise to try and be the Holy Spirit for other believers.God is a whole lot bigger than me.
Reformation Adversaries
Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli, two great
Reformers, were adversaries who had a historic and bitter feud over
theology. One of their differences was
what actually took place at the Lords’ Supper, the Eucharist. I read one
account when Luther actually used profanity to describe Zwingli’s view. To Luther, the doctrine, or idea, of
sacramental union was essential and
critical. He labeled Zwingli a fanatic,
grouping him into a “camp” with other people with whom he disagreed. I can imagine today these two great
Reformers, setting up websites to warn the brothers of the false prophet. “Use discernment, brothers. Don’t be deceived by this false teacher
Zwingli! He denies the essentials of
Christ. What a fool! Remember the words of Jesus!”
No doubt they would have tried to be
policemen, warning Christians of the other.
They placed each other in “camps” based on certain tributaries of their
doctrine and practice. And they warned
people of the “other camp.” That is
called majoring on minors and missing the point. It is an overzealous lack of
perspective. One church history
professor writes, “How ironical that the service of communion, which most
dramatically depicts Christ’s prayer for Christian unity, would be the one
point on which Luther and Zwingli would bitterly divide. But, that was unfortunately
not the first, nor the last time for such division among Christians.”
Luther and Zwingli would have been perhaps
wiser to take to heart Paul’s admonition, “Who are you to pass judgment on the
servant of another? It is before his
master that he stands or falls.”
Zeal is a great thing. But zeal misfires and wounds unless combined with wisdom, maturity and love.
People who love God's Word are wise to remember that the apostle Paul shared that the goal of good Bible teaching is to produce the most mature quality of all within us - love.
[T]he
goal of our instruction is love (1 Timothy 1:5).
Read my related articles, Room at the Table: Beth Moore and John MacArthur, and Grieved: Review of Pulpit and Pen.
i - Experiencing God Day by Day, February 25
Pictures used by permission from Pixabay.
Twenty years ago tonight, Tracey and I had our rehearsal
dinner for our wedding. We married on a 98 degree July afternoon surrounded by
family and friends. A number of those folks are now in heaven. Having children
and raising a family has been richer and greater than we could have known. Life
and ministry have been tougher and more challenging than we expected. And the
years have gone by quicker than we wished! In retrospect, I've questioned
numerous decisions I've made in life after the fact. But I've never doubted if
I should have married Tracey
Funderburk Wilson and built a family with her. 
Time flies.
In many ways it seems like just last year when my wife and I brought our
firstborn home to our house on Hickory Street in Clinton. I vividly recall
rocking him as a baby, wondering and praying about what life for us would hold.
Now he stands almost as tall as me.
If you or your church receive HomeLife magazine from Lifeway Christian Resources, check out my and Tracey's article in the July edition. True Foundations explores the solid impact Christianity had on our Founding Fathers and their vision for this nation.
Three summers ago, my family toured our beloved capital,
Washington, D.C. We proudly toured the
monuments, museums, and hallowed landmarks.
We witnessed one reality chiseled on stone - the majority of our Founding Fathers had deep
respect for the God of the Bible. Though
revisionists work meticulously to rewrite our history, the American experiment
was one rooted in a Christian worldview.
How different are the two Adams Presidents’ words from the
outcry we hear today to keep Christianity, the Bible, and the Ten Commandments
from the public square. In the National
Archives building in D.C., upon entering you gaze upon the Declaration of
Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
Look at the floor and notice the
Ten Commandments depicted. These Mount
Sinai laws appear numerous places in the Supreme Court building, engraved on
the huge oak doors entering the chambers.
Moses is the chief lawgiver engraved on top of the building above the
steps out front. 
Chief Justice John Jay, first Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court and Vice-President of the American Bible Society, understood this
reality. He wrote, "Providence has given
to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the
privilege and interest of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians
for their rulers."
"Church
planters are some of the great heroes of the faith. Especially when you realize
how many church plants fail within the first few years.
Wonderful time of worship and message at The
Brooklyn Tabernacle via their webcast. Awesome word from Brother Jim about the
partnership of the Bible and the Holy Spirit in the life of today's believers:
An Up Close and Personal God. Wonderful music and invitation.
Dr. Richard Blackaby (full bio) is
president of Blackaby Ministries International near Atlanta, following his
father, Dr. Henry Blackaby, who founded the ministry. He earned his M.Div. and
Ph.D. at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. After 13 years as a pastor,
and 13 years as President of the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary, he now
serves as Chancellor. This excerpt is from his devotional, Experiencing
God Day by Day, "Trusting God First."
For many years, America has been in accelerating spiritual,
moral, and political decline, each symbiotic with the other. God has dealt with
us mercifully. He has allowed us to see the consequences of our sin through
increased violence, crime, massive storms, calamities, and political failures
to remind us of our need to turn to Him. God deals directly with individuals
and with nations. And each of us has an impact on the welfare and destiny of
our nation for good or for evil. Our sins, unrepented of, not only impact our
own lives, but our families, our churches, and our nation. Our courageous acts
of faith and righteousness and consistent godly behavior has great impact as
well.
The people of Judah experienced renewal under King
Jehoshaphat. Assaulted by an overwhelming enemy force, Judah was helpless (read 2 Chr 20:1-30). "Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself
to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah." The people
fixed their eyes, not on their own army or weapons, nor on some distant ally's
help. Rather, they fixed their eyes squarely on the living God, trusting Him.
As they did, the prophet said, "You will not need to
fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see
the salvation of the Lord...!" They trusted God. Jehoshaphat sent singers
to lead the army. But the Lord set ambushes for their enemies and when the
Judean army arrived, they found nothing but dead bodies. The enemy armies had
turned against themselves and not a single soldier survived.
The greatest threat to the great American experiment is leftism - as opposed to conservatism or classic liberalism. In the 20th century, leftism resulted in such movements as Marxism and communism. Today, leftist ideology continues to infiltrate universities, the media, and the entertainment industry.
"One of the first promises Donald Trump made to evangelicals
as a candidate was to the pastors of America: 'We're going to get rid of that
[Johnson amendment],' he promised. Now, a year and a half into his
administration, it's somewhat fitting that he and Vice President Mike Pence have
made a priority of keeping their dialogue with churches going.
I'm not
talking about pastors and leaders becoming political. That's the farthest thing
from my mind.
Masterpiece
Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission is a historic case involving
religious liberty, LGBT rights, and the First Amendment.
Do you send
a check to the charitable organization on TV rather than help your out-of-work
niece with her rent this month because giving to her is not tax-deductible?
Careful
observers gleaned one valuable lesson from observing the leadership of Gerald
Ford: some actions are only justified by time.
Gaines Addresses Patterson, SBC at Baptist Press
I learned years ago that if someone is not against you - they are for you! And who am I to sling mud on my brother or sister in Christ?
The
fundamentalists “warned the brothers” about the deception of people like
Graham, calling him everything from a tool of Satan, to a false prophet, to
someone deceiving others – blah, blah, blah. 
Zeal is a great thing. But zeal misfires and wounds unless combined with wisdom, maturity and love.