Called to Lead

I was alerted to a story today regarding the adulterous acts of Marcus Lamb of Daystar network. I happen to like the Daystar network and have the utmost respect for Marcus and Joni Lamb. To say that I was disappointed in the news is an understatement but this does not change my opinion of the couple or their ministry. The following link should lead you to the story:

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20101130/televangelist-admits-affair-on-tv/

The media loves to spotlight men and women, mostly men, who are religious leaders that fall.  Society enjoys hearing stories of Christian leaders who commit sins. This may not be such a big news event because: it happened a few years ago, Marcus Lamb admitted it publicly, Joni forgave her husband after taking the appropriate steps as a wife and Marcus took the appropriate steps to make sure it does not happen again. This story is a non-story yet there is a lesson that I continue to teach others and will share now:

Leaders are human and make mistakes.

 For some odd reason people hold religious leaders to a standard that is inhuman to say the least.  Many denominations glorify their Pastors, Elders, Ministers, Pope, Bishop, or whatever title you give to the leader of the church. This is wrong. The amount of trust that is placed on a religious leader does not make sense to me. 

People trust the Pastor more than they trust God; I do not exaggerate.  They tell their pastors all of their problems but will not cas their cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7) People expect more from their Bishop than they do from their Lord.  This is why they are shocked, upset, appalled and sometimes angry to learn that the Elder of the church has committed a sin.

Jesus is the only One who is perfect. A leader is not perfect but if he is called of God he is credible.

Here is the story of two leaders: Saul and David.

Saul was the first king appointed at the peoples request by God yet he was removed from office.  Why did God remove Saul from office? Because he did something that he knew he was not suppose to do and he knew that God was sending someone to do it.

 1 Samuel 13:8-14 The Message

⁸ He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel. Samuel failed to show up at Gilgal, and the soldiers were slipping away, right and left.

^9-10 So Saul took charge: “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” He went ahead and sacrificed the burnt offering. No sooner had he done it than Samuel showed up! Saul greeted him.

^11-12 Samuel said, “What on earth are you doing?”

Saul answered, “When I saw I was losing my army from under me, and that you hadn’t come when you said you would, and that the Philistines were poised at Micmash, I said, ‘The Philistines are about to come down on me in Gilgal, and I haven’t yet come before God asking for his help.’ So I took things into my own hands, and sacrificed the burnt offering.”

^13-14 “That was a fool thing to do,” Samuel said to Saul. “If you had kept the appointment that your God commanded, by now God would have set a firm and lasting foundation under your kingly rule over Israel. As it is, your kingly rule is already falling to pieces. God is out looking for your replacement right now. This time he’ll do the choosing. When he finds him, he’ll appoint him leader of his people. And all because you didn’t keep your appointment with God!”

Saul was not authorized by God to offer a sacrifice.   The consequences of his actions: God removed him from office.

David was considered a man after God’s heart yet he: committed adultery (2 Samuel 11:2-4), arranged a murder ( 2 Samuel 11:14-21), disobeyed God by taking a census:   

¹⁰ But when it was all done, David was overwhelmed with guilt because he had counted the people, replacing trust with statistics. And David prayed to God, “I have sinned badly in what I have just done. But now God forgive my guilt—I’ve been really stupid.” 2 Samuel 24:10

David committed adultery AND had the woman’s husband killed yet God did not remove him from office.   Furthermore David took a census this represented a lack of trust in God  realizing what he had done he admitted his mistake and asked God for forgiveness.

I believe the difference between David and Saul lies in their purpose which was to serve the people according to the will of Father God.  Saul chose to serve the people according to their wishes. David did terrible things according to his flesh but after doing it realized his wrong. David had a desire to please Father God.

After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ Acts 13:22 NIV

There are men and women who are called to lead; they may be Pastors, or they may be husbands, or CEO’s of companies; these leaders may be mothers or teachers or a next door neighbor; they are not perfect.  I will say there is a difference between an act of discretion and a lifestyle of bad behavior. AND if it is a onetime incident or a series of deceptive behaviors there are consequences. The gift is the gift and the an act such as adultery is the sin, one does not negate the other.

I believe we put too much confidence in titles and not enough in a person’s gift. There are people who lack degrees that are far more knowledgeble in the word of God than those with doctorates.  Add to the persons’ gift character and we have a formula of being disapointed less often.

My point is: Marcus Lamb committed adultery he has repented before God and his wife! As a leader, God will deal with him as He dealt with David. Marcus is still called, still chosen and as long as he speaks what “thus sayeth the Lord” it is alright to listen to him.

SISTERHOOD

In my book “The Truth About Vashtai” the main character, Vashtai, attempts to continue serving in the church she and her ex-husband had been a member of.  Unfortunately, once he remarried the church body transferred their attention from Vashtai to the new wife. The lack of support forced Vashtai out of the church into world where she was accepted with welcoming arms.

If you believe that ‘art imitates life’ then you understand that the premise is not farfetched. Who gets custody of the church? Noticeable is when a Pastor divorces his wife and she leaves.  Did you ever see the movie “The Apostle”? He left the church and she stayed.  Not as noticeable is when a husband and wife attend church together and then one stops going because of separation and eventually divorce. What happens when they both stay? I submit that it becomes uncomfortable for one and he or she eventually changes churches or stops attending altogether.

What would have happened if the church had embraced Vashtai during her time of sorrow? Yes divorce is a time of sorrow for it is the death of something dear. What if the women of the church accepted the new wife while comforting the old?  If you have ever been a first wife and had to deal with the difficulties of divorce, even if you wanted it, you know that it is good to have a friend who will be there for you. The church should be a refuge and the rock on which you build your new foundation.

Every church is not as I speak.

Who gets custody of the church when there is a divorce? Does the husband who served as a deacon or was the primary breadwinner therefore was the one who contributed the most money?  Does the wife because he only came occasionally while she was there every Sunday without fail?

In the name of sister-hood we need to get past the circumstance and embrace the opportunity. 

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 1 Peter 1:22

SOMETIMES I DANCE

I was listening to a gospel song the other day and thinking about how it depressed me. The song was a classic and I am sure most churched people have heard it at some time in their lives; in fact until I really listened to the words I liked the song. I don’t think music especially gospel music should make you feel sad, hopeless or worst than what you felt before you started listening to it. We expect blues and some country and western tunes to make you sad but gospel is to suppose to bring peace and joy to your heart.  To change my mood I began listening to some oldies but goodies.

“When the ear heard, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw, then it approved me;” Job 29:11

There are triggers within each of us that will bring joy to our souls; a sunset, the circus, a movie with a happy ending, special friends and a certain song. Don’t assume just because a song has been labeled “Christian” that it will bless you nor should you assume that secular music will send you to hell.  Know what motivates you be it gospel or otherwise. (Remember secular singers are Christians too.)

Equally important is what you are looking at: a messy house, a cluttered desk, a congested highway, a sad face, they can all bring you down. And when you are down you are not motivated to clean, cook, or work. Personal computers and cell phones often have a background picture of something, or someone that brings a smile to the owner. Asses your environment and make the necessary adjustments.

If you have reached a point in which you are not motivated to move forward examine what you are looking at and listening to. Job states: when his ear heard he was blessed. If what you are listening to is not blessing you shut it up! Have you ever been in your car at a stop light and you heard a song that you liked?  You tried to find the radio station the driver in the other car was listening to because the song blessed you. To be blessed is a good thing. Job continues speaking he states: his eyes approved him, meaning he felt better about himself after he was able to see. What Job heard blessed him enough that he was able to think clearly and see better.

 “When the ear heard, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw, then it approved me;”  Job 29:11

Is what you are listening to blessing you? When you look at what is in front of you do you think you’re on the right track? Do you not see the solution to your problems?

Are you any close to achieving your goals today? Life would be so much easier if we all admitted that sometimes we dance. Listen to music that makes you want to dance.