Even though God created mankind to enjoy an eternal, intimate relationship
with Him, He also saw fit that during man's time on earth, he should not be
alone. Because none of the created order was sufficient to meet man's need for
companionship, God took out of Adam's side that "bone of man's bone" and "flesh
of man's flesh" to create the one called woman. The intimate relationship
between the two was meant to last until they were parted by death.
When a man and a woman are joined together in holy matrimony, the two become
one in spirit, soul and body. An intertwining of the two parties takes place in
the sacredness of the wedding vows. All of Adam's hopes and fears, love and
lust, faith and phobias, strengths and dysfunctions are, in a moment in time,
fused to the same in his Eve.
The saddest scenario for any minister is to become yesterday's leader. I am not
referring to retirement, to age or being made redundant. I am talking about the
lifting of the approval of the Holy Spirit. This is what happened to King Saul,
who was always regarded as God's anointed, but lost God's approval.
Observe how quickly the fallen heroes of our time attained success. Most of
us do not want to wait for our time to come; we want success and approval now.
And that is exactly what Saul got.
Sadly, another hero has fallen. Paul Cain, who was mightily used in the
healing revival of the 1950s, and who was given one of the most astonishing
prophetic gifts of our time--who is also my friend and became a member of
Westminster Chapel under my ministry there--is a fallen man.
Johann Tetzel was the 16th-century marketing mastermind whose financial funny
business helped build St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. He came up with a heartless
but effective scheme: selling forgiveness to the guilt-ridden masses. Under this
twisted plan, priests would issue "indulgences"—coupons that cancelled divine
punishment—to those who generously gave to the cause.
It worked like a charm. Tetzel raised tons of cash with his famous ditty, "As
soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs." But he
also raised the ire of a few uncompromising men whose righteous voices ignited a
firestorm we now know as the Protestant Reformation. Today, some nationally
known charismatic leaders are peddling their spiritual covering in exchange for
tithes and offerings, and I'm hoping I'll hear another righteous outcry—and it
needs to come soon.
Many pastors probably do not realize how the behavior of some of their
colleagues has stereotyped the clergy. Frankly, some ministers set a bad example
in their community. And without realizing it, they are keeping people out of the
church--and maybe out of the kingdom of God.
Within the last year it has been brought to my attention that many pastors
have a different worldview, or mind-set, than the average born-again believer. I
have visited with other Christians who recommend not extending credit to the
"three Ps": painters, paper-hangers or pastors. Some businessmen will tell you
how pastors come in and expect--or even demand--a ministerial discount.
Why do people have this stereotype of church leaders--and is it deserved? Do
nonbelievers reject the pastor's message because of his or her lifestyle?
I am repeatedly asked, in the light of my book Total Forgiveness (Charisma
House), how does this teaching on forgiveness square with confronting sin in the
church? If one is to forgive another “totally” how can we exercise discipline in
the church? Is this not pointing the finger? A number of scriptures come to
mind, among them:
1. “‘If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just
between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter
may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to
listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the
church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector’” (Matt. 18:15-17,
NIV).
