#PHARISEES vs. CHRIST FOLLOWERS..

THIS is PHARISEEISM, because MAX LUCADO and NO OTHER CHRISTIAN LEADER is "the standard bearer" for the watching world! 

YES, we REFLECT CHRIST "by the grace of Almighty God", but we don't MAKE EXCUSES or TUCK-and-RUN, because of a mistake (or SIN) someone else "found out about"..

WITHOUT proper DISCIPLESHIP, MISREPRESENTATION is a "common occurrence"! JESUS' REPRESENTATION can "hold up" under the fire of "worldly criticism"!!!

And, since this is HIS MIND, GOD has been DESTROYING "the glass house syndrome" around HIS "mightily used VESSELS" -- since the 80's. 

But, WE, in our "political correctness and religiosity" want to explain away what JUSTIFICATION in CHRIST means; especially for a "baby Christian" (like DONALD TRUMP) who is just getting under "Christ's BLOOD"!

We ALL are (BY THE GRACE OF GOD, through the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT) walking in faith, hopefully as authentic and sincere representatives of JESUS CHRIST! 

It's NEVER for us to "judge sincerity" LIKE THE WORLD DOES, by a commentator's opinion, a sound bite, or a partisan viewpoint; which has NOTHING to do with CHRIST and HIS KINGDOM!

Not even JESUS HIMSELF, sought to silence or censor "CUSSING PETER", who was considered one of the "inner circle of CHRIST" from day one!

...ANYWAYS, we're NOT "sin monitors" or "standard bearers" OURSELVES...WE are ambassadors and ministers, who are empty, pitiful and unworthy APART FROM HIM!

The standard the scripture speaks of in reference to spiritual leaders" DOES NOT mean that ACCOUNTABILITY, DISCIPLINE (church discipline) and RESPONSIBILITY are NOT required -- they ARE!  But, NOT in some public way or "as a CROWD with stones" that involves media or worldly commentators, to DECIDE "how THE REAL CHURCH" responds to ITS OWN!

OUR PROBLEM IS: Instead of functioning as a "community of elder-statesmen in CHRIST's CHURCH, without regard for denominational or hierarchical politics, we tend NOT to engage the Lord PRIVATELY and PRAYERFULLY, before we PUBLICLY RESPOND; and we're more concerned that OUR WITNESS would be "well thought of" -- more than HIS FLAWLESS REPUTATION; which will never be in question, if we walk according to HIS WORD -- and have NO THOUGHT of the "world's judgment"!

So, THE ISSUE is: OUR CHRISTIAN CELEBRITY too often gives us grounds to operate in our own SPIRITUAL VACUUMS, and we in turn "speak a word" -- OUTSIDE of both our JURISDICTIONAL AUTHORITY, from both a denominational and spiritual context!  Because, although a BISHOP title and function may give you the leeway to SPEAK "in" the nation; but when it comes to speaking "to" the nation, there MUST and SHOULD BE be OTHERS to confirm or to dispute the word -- before PUBLICLY proclaiming it! 

These RULES should be "common sense" to the "ruling elders", who are parading all over the world like "spiritual fat cats"; but OBVIOUSLY many are in ERROR, because we don't consider the ramifications of the use of technology, which brings immediate implications to whatever we decide to broadcast "in HIS Name"...BEFORE we can "get it straight -- THEN, "put it out"! 

So, "convening with other Elders", and then ADDRESSING THE PERSON -- BEFORE THE MEDIA, gives you credibility and ultimately reflects your pure intentions and motivations; without any appearance of EVIL, through "partisan favoritism" and or feeding your "messiah complex"!   

WHY hasn't MAX LUCADO done this about OBAMA's missteps and HILLARY's crimes and corruption...Who knows?!? But, until WE (as Christ's Body) remove "the world" from convening at the TABLE OF THE LORD "in our judgments", we will keep making the same mistakes and shaming HIS Name; by representing "our interests" and not HIS priorities and agenda as "our own"!

As BACKWARD, BROKEN and BATTERED as TRUMP "is" by "his lifestyle" and "his sin", HE belongs to JESUS CHRIST!

SHOULD HE be held to accountability for his statements! ABSOLUTELY! But, CRIME and SIN, are the two SEPARATE issues we can't confuse; but we MUST CONFRONT!

CRIME comes under a SECULAR AUTHORITY, and although we may want "them" NOT to suffer the consequences for their misdeeds, it is often out of our hands; without our involvement through or in the legal process and in PRAYER!

SIN comes under "the" SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY" of the CHURCH - fully committed and serving "IN CHRIST"! But, more specifically, concerning leadership (in a local fellowship) steps must be taken to CORRECT and DISCIPLINE -- in regards to our service towards the leader; in a spirit of meekness and with the intentions of "restorative judgment"!

In regards to PUBLIC FIGURES (who are Christian) the approach should NOT be pursued with MEDIA INTRUSION, and must be pursued in FASTING and PRAYER, to determine the "best course", according to HIS WILL!

When a "Christian leader" is more concerned about "their reputation with and in the world", more than "their obedience and standing before God in the matter"; their in ERROR! 

There will be MANY TIMES that the course GOD DEEMS will make NO SENSE to the "watching world"; but GOD ALWAYS "uses foolish things to confound the wise"!

The REALITY is this: Our LEADERSHIP must be in accordance with our FOLLOWERSHIP of JESUS CHRIST, and if GOD chooses to raise ANYONE in AUTHORITY that we "dislike" or question (like I did with the current POTUS; KNOWING he's a "Christian" in word, NOT deed; at least "politically speaking") our adjustment to HIS WILL (whether we LIKE IT or NOT) must be in compliant obedience; because HE KNOWS better than us ALL!!

The fact that MOST of the rhetoric I've heard from CHRISTIANS about TRUMP, is ALL about his personality and his words (AND, I totally get it, and AGREE..), the reason I did NOT SPEAK -- until HE told me (and, I knew it was HIM SPEAKING) is, because, the past season has taught me: "JUDGE NOTHING BEFORE THE TIME" (1 Corinthians 4:15; Psalm 131) AND, GOD's PURPOSE will NEVER MAKE SENSE to "the world" (they don't have HIS Spirit) and in order to FOLLOW HIM, we must seek HIS Will without fail; no matter how it looks and which media pundit MOCKS " the ways of THE LORD"! WS-3

LINK:

http://www.jamespatrickriley.com/index.php/religious-spirit/