PREACHERS OF L.A. (2013)

It’s been awhile since I have blogged, as I have taken time away to be ministered to instead of ministering.  But doing my time away, the story that has the church world still talking is the PREACHES OF LA.   Now while I don’t know any of these men personally, thought I have had conversations with Bishop Noel Jones, but I cannot say I  know him or any of them, outside of their ministries, so that makes me careful in what I am going to say.  But it won’t stop me from being truthful and blunt if needed.

There is an opinion and belief in and outside of the Church that the preacher is not supposed to have money, or have wealth.  If they do, they have schemed, robbed, and taken advantage of their congregation. And some have.  Let me say first and foremost, I have no problem at all if the man of God has wealth, the Bible says that God will show us how to obtain wealth.  Now how one display that wealth, is where the problem comes.  Most preachers start out in storefronts, small buildings, with no one but his children and his wife and that is why I have no issue if they grow their ministry, just like if one had a small business and grow it, they should reap the benefits of their hard work.  I am reminded of Bishop T.D. Jakes, who said that his car was so bad that the deacon board asked him not to park in front of the church, it just looked bad to see the pastor get out of that raggedy car.  I can get even more personal, how my father when he started out being pastor, we gave up room in our home, had a used car, and many others things to build a ministry.  So I am all for the pastor being blessed monetary, because in most time it took his money alone in the early days to build the ministry.   As I have no problem with what my Bishop has monetary, or have been blessed with, as I know how he has given more than he has to the church.  

My problem is when we (ministers) become boastful about our wealth, and not used moderation in their presentation of how God has blessed them for their hard work.  “BLING” should not be in my opinion in the vocabulary when talking about the blessings of God, not that it is wrong, but the word does not show the moderation and being humble that we should have.  But more about what might not be sinned, but still wrong later…..

It also believes by many in and out of the church world, that the job of the church is to take care of their congregations.  YES AND NO.    Let us deal with one issue right off the bat, while the church foremost is a saving station, the place where we bring souls to Christ, nevertheless, the church is a business.  Just because we speak in lounges, and shout, and the favor of God is upon us, the church still pay bills, salaries, and so on.  But this belief that the church is supposed to provide for their members monetary can be a very slippery area.   I believe with all of my heart, that the church should give to the poor and help our members who tithes and gave up their substance, and now have fallen on hard times.   But it is not the church job to be a money tree and a financial crutch forever to the membership.   For many have so-called borrow from the church and have not paid back, money that comes from the pastor pocket, as if he doesn’t have a family to take care of.   Money that is used to pay bills and to take care of the poor outside of the church, never given back, even after they get back on their feet, and when the church acquires about the money, the pastor becomes the bad guy.

The job of the church is this one man opinion is to be a help, but not be a sources, Jesus is our source, not the four walls of the physical church.  So the church job is to help you or to teach you to obtain the wealth that God said he show you.   Not to take care of someone who doesn’t want to work, or only want to work one job, when two jobs is needed to take care of your family.  Not to consistently provide for your children, when you keep sinning and having them out of wedlock (done made at least three people mad right there).   You don’t tithes, don’t give an offering, and then you want the church to be there for you, this is not the role of the church.  Yes, again, when you have given what you are able to give and have been a tithe member, the church should be there to help to through rough times, but your faith in God and having pride in yourself should not want the church be their forever to pay your bills. 

Lastly, let us deal with two subjects in one point, does his show help the kingdom of God, and how we should be careful as leaders how we present ourselves.  Now as one who has flaws and yet prides himself as being out of the box, but never out of the BOOK, I might end up preaching to myself.   As one who grew up in the church when everything was a sin, I am thankful for some of the liberties that are now in the church.  But when we let those liberties is a stumbling block to the world, and then our liberties become a curse and not a blessing.  So if wearing a tattoo becomes a stumbling block, the wear no tattoo.  If we need tattoos to reach those who have tattoo outside of the church, then we are depending on our physical body, more than the Spirit that is on the inside to minister.   It is not wearing or not wearing the tattoo that reaches the people, but the spirit of the man, when he or she, comes in contact with someone.  We should not be high minded or judgmental, but come with love and compassion of the Holy Ghost.  So having a big car is not a sinned (I want a Cadillac Escalade myself), but when we boast about it, and become flashy, then that  is where the sin comes in, as it has become a stumbling block, taking one eyes off the cross, but on your car, home, tattoo, or whatever.   It’s not about us; it’s not about our liberty it’s about JESUS.   If the Lord laid down his glory to reach you and I, we should be willing to lay aside our bling, or whatever should reach the world.  

So in closing, though nobody never ask, I would have not done the show.  In my opinion it has done more to hurt than to help the image of the church than to help it.  The Body of Christ cannot do everything the world do, though again, it might not be a sin.  But Paul teaches to come out and separate yourself from the world.   Not to be a snob, but to have a standard that is different from the world. So just because the world is doing reality shows, does that mean the church should do them to, and call it ministering.   People in and outside of the church, many times can’t handle the personal life of their leaders.   We are human, we have family trouble, we disagree with leaders, if we are single, we date, the list goes on and on, but there is a reason it is called a “personal” life.   Yes! We mess up, we are imperfect servants, serving a perfect God, but we cannot share our repentance, with the whole world, many cannot handle it.   So in the opinion of this PREACHER FROM D.C., though it might be interesting television, overall, it had done more to hurt the image of the Church than to help it, and I am against it.