Same Ole Song, Same Ole Mistakes

The names are many, no need to go down the role, but now Bishop Eddie Long, Senior Pastor of New Birth Baptist Church in Georgia is the latest.   I will not defend or try to crucify Bishop Long, guilty or not, but the reaction for all in the Body of Christ should be to pray.  The Bible says if we see a brother (or sister) in a fault, to restore such a one in meekness and in love, so taking pot shots at Bishop Long is not the answer, the unsaved and world will do that for us. So pray for Bishop Long, pray for the New Birth Family, pray for these young men, pray for the Body of Christ.

But if it’s is true, then who do we blame? The blame does not start and end with the preacher alone, though he must be held accountable.  As a minister, we must be careful who we associate ourselves with for two reasons 1) there are many waiting in the wings to bring us down, and people just rather believe a lie, before they believe the truth.  Once it gets out, you can deny until Jesus comes back, your good name is ruin.  One friend said, even it if is true, God forgives, and that I cannot deny.  But we are here to serve people, and people do not forgive.  People call me standoffish, Nah! I am careful.   I don’t hang around everyone; everyone is not praying for me, everyone is not my friend.  Does this make me unable to ever fall, no sir, no ma’am, but the chances are not as great if there is no one to fall with, and no one to lie on me.  Not that it is wrong, but I just don’t trust a lot of people, I don’t need an armor bearer, I can carry my own bags, make my own tea, open my own Bible.   Then we as preachers have to realize that we are not God, we have weakness.  As I often joke, yet serious, you will never see me go into a topless bar and start preaching, I ain’t coming out for a long time.  We have to realize and know our weakness; I believe that when we receive the Holy Ghost as in Acts 2:4 we received power, but I also believe we receive common sense as well.    And many leaders are putting themselves in position to fall.  If you are not married, then take a Mother in Zion with you to visit a single young lady, if you are married take your wife.  Just something to think on.  Matter of fact take someone with you, another minister if you are going to meet a young boy, you got to cover you back…..Yes! we are here to serve, but we must used wisdom in our serving…… Now that was for the ministers.

Now for the congregation, stop looking at your pastor as Jesus.  Just like you, they were born in sin and have a sinful nature that must be crucify daily.  Yes! They should be someone we can trust, but they are not God.  And again, I am not saying Bishop Long is guilty,  I don’t know, but what I do know if him or any other minster puts his hands on me it’s on that is not right……. I am knocking the pastor out.  You don’t have to be no theologian to know what is wrong.  Why in the ham sandwich (see I told you I was saved) you would be excepting jewelry from a grown man and you a man yourself.  The same with the ladies, he is your pastor, not your husband.  So unless you were raped, why did you allow this to go on?   I mean sometime we leave the door unlock and want to put all the blame on the thief.  I once heard Bishop Noel Jones said how he couldn’t understand why both blind men should fall in the ditch if the first blind man claims to be the leader.  But then he realize that there is also a responsibility with being a follower as well..   Like the Apostle Paul said, follow me as I follow Christ.  The moment that I see you are not following the Lord, I have the responsibility to bail out.

I pray for again, for Bishop Eddie Long and everyone involved, I don’t know the truth, only God knows and He will be the final judge.  But I do know that God eyes are on everyone and everything, beholding the evil and the good.  I know the struggle of being a minister, being separated for over 4 years, don’t think that I don’t get horny and have struggle, but the fall can be eliminated many times if I don’t put myself in situation to fall.  In closing, while we are playing church, the devil is not playing.  But I still believe that upon this rock (the gospel of Jesus Christ) Christ is building His Church, not Long, not Jones, not Jakes, not mines, but His Church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail.  Let us stay in the prayer, so this same ole song of will be no more, but together we shall sing a new song…  A Song of Victory