The Abuses of the Cover-Up Culture in the Church

Here Are My Thoughts... For What it is Worth- Part 1

By Mike Beckett

I have spent more than 30 years involved in ministry to some level. Whether being a volunteer, or paid staff member, I have had the opportunity to see some really wonderful accomplishments made for the Lord. I have also seen some things that are really disturbing in the churches I have been a part of. I am hoping to in writing this blog topic, discuss the inconsistencies within church leadership and how we as leaders of the church of Jesus Christ need to be above the part of corporate America. More recently, we have seen the abuses in the church, especially in the New Apostolic Reformation circles (NAR), where so-called Apostles and Prophets abuse their power over their congregants and behave in a manner that is outside of biblical structures for someone functioning in a biblical role of a prophet or apostle. People who have fallen from grace, due to cover-ups in the church, such as Robert Morris of Gateway Church, John McKinzie of Hope Fellowship Church, Tony Evans from Oak Cliff Bible Church, and Shawn Bolz from Bethel. In one of my podcast series “Making A LeaderSHIFT” (6-episodes available at the dead prophet - YouTube)  where John Symanski came on the show and we talked about what pastors are really experiencing in the churches they serve, we realized that this issue of Leadership is a systemic problem. When associate pastors are forced to work under senior pastors who are out of control, show no Christlikeness in their behavior, and have for far too long been able to say and do what they want, leaning more towards narcissistic behaviors, we have got a problem.

In our churches today there is an issue with integrity in leadership, and it goes far beyond just sexual abuse. One of the experiences I once had in a church was far beyond what anyone should have experienced in their first few months of serving as an associate pastor. I know I am not alone. There are several people in ministry, serving under tyrants who for far too long have been able to get away with erratic behavior and not been held accountable to a higher standard. It is usually those who feel they build the church from nothing to what it is today. They remove the fact that Christ is at work in His church and assume that without them, the “their” church cannot survive. In approaching ministry this way, they oppress those who are underneath them, become over critical of their staff, and act as if they are the only one who has the say. I am reminded of what Proverbs 10:9 says, “He who walks in integrity walks securely. But he who makes his ways crooked, will be found out.” For those leaders who walk in integrity, who really live out what they believe, exist without fear of some evil being discovered.

You see men’s integrity will be their security. He that walks uprightly towards God and man, that is faithful to both means as he says, walks surely; he is then safe under divine protection. That person goes on his way with a humble boldness, being well armed against the temptations of Satan, the troubles of the world and the reproaches of men. However, men’s dishonestly will be their shame. He that perverts his way, that dissembles with God and man, though he may for a time pass current, shall be known to be what he is.

Let me say this, and say it without reservation, when pastor’s do not act with the humility of Christ and tend to be abusive towards others, they are in ministry with, this is NOY alright! There are too many people in ministry who are suffering in silence due to what corporate America would call verbal harassment and verbal abuse. It is not alright to suffer in silence. 1 Timothy is very clear when it says that “an overseer, then must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine, or pugnacious, but considerate, peaceable, free from the love on money, leading his own household well, having his children in submission with all dignity.”

While there is a lot to unpack, I want to focus on a few things here. The word must here is the use of the Greek particle that stresses emphatically that living a blameless life is absolutely necessary for church leaders. The phrase “above reproach” literally means “not able to be held” in a criminal sense. There is no valid accusation of wrongdoing that can be made against him. No overt, flagrant sin can mar the life of one who must be an example for his people to follow. Leasers are to be blameless. Titus 1:7 even goes on to say, “not self-willed, not quick tempered… not found of dishonest gain.” The stories I have heard of friends in ministry, where this is not the case of the senior pastor they serve under not only grieves me, but I would for certain not only grieves but angers the Lord.

The problem with our churches today, is we function as a business. We look for better ways to grow our churches numerically, and not spiritually. We compare our church with the other churches down the street. We overlook the spiritual growth of true discipleship, and push our vision, mission, and programs, while letting our spiritual guard down for the enemy of our soul to come in and create disorder. However, those who are in situations that are unhealthy, do need to speak up. You do need to get someone who will advocate for you, even if that means getting connected with an employment lawyer. Too often, we just dismiss the abuses in the church as “God will handle it” or “God will work it out.” The reality is if these types of abuses and situations were going on at a secular job, these leaders would be put on improvement plans or fired. So why, do we excuse the behaviors of leadership, who do not line up with the scriptural qualifications of an overseer? Please don’t read into this ideal that everyone needs to be perfect. For we “all sin and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23. However, for those in leadership in the church Paul is very clear of the leadership requirements to be a pastor, leader, overseer. If those we work with are falling short way too often, that behavior needs to be addressed, and it needs to be addressed immediately. Chances are if you are experiencing those erratic behaviors from those leaders, you work under in the church, you are most likely not alone, and there is a lengthy trail, whether covered up or not. It is time the church starts to weed out the garden. We have got to have leadership that is “above reproach” leadership that is focused on spiritual growth over numerical growth, leadership who will begin to act like Christ and not let their emotional insecurities run ramped like a disease infecting those they work with.

As we continue with my thoughts on the sad excuse of leadership leading our churches today, I will draw on some of my own experiences, in hopes it will help others to rise above the "status quo" of sweeping church abuse on all levels underneath the carpet. 

Part 2 upcoming soon! 

If you would like to share your story of recent church abuse, please reach out to Mike directly at thedeadprophet75@gmail.com. 

All Creatures Of Our God and King

 

Here is a great Hymn of the church, written by a great saint in the faith, that has stood the test of time as another great hymn of the ancient faith, All Creatures of Our God and King. Read through these lyrics

VERSE 1
All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou, burning sun with golden beam
Thou, silver moon with softer gleam
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

 

VERSE 2
Let all things their Creator bless
And worship Him in humbleness
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son
And praise the Spirit, Three-in-One
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

 

VERSE 3
All the redeemed washed by His blood
Come and rejoice in His great love
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Christ has defeated every sin
Cast all your burdens now on Him
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

 

VERSE 4
He shall return in pow’r to reign
Heaven and earth will join to say
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Then who shall fall on bended knee?
All creatures of our God and King
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

 

story of the hymn

St. Francis of Assisi, who penned this powerful hymn, was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. Although Francis of Assisi was never “officially” ordained to the Catholic priesthood, he is one of the most revered religious figures in history. He wrote the words of the hymn  in 1225 A.D., in the Canticle of the Sun poem;

“Most high, all powerful, all good Lord! All praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing. To you, alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name. Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him. And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness. Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens you have made them, precious and beautiful. Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, and clouds and storms, and all the weather, through which you give your creatures sustenance. Be praised, My Lord, through Sister Water; she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure. Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten the night. He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong. Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs. Be praised, my Lord, through those who forgive for love of you; through those who endure sickness and trial. Happy those who endure in peace, for by you, Most High, they will be crowned. Be praised, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whose embrace no living person can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Happy those she finds doing your most holy will. The second death can do no harm to them. Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks, and serve him with great humility. Amen.”[i]

This poem was based on Psalm 148, and later was referred to as Song of the Creatures.[ii] So, who is Saint Francis of Assisi? What makes him one of the most revered religious leaders of all time? Saint Francis was born in the year 1182, to a wealthy family where his father was a silk merchant, Francis led a carefree life, not having to worry about much during his youth, in the Middle Ages. When he was older, he joined a military expedition fighting as a soldier for Assisi and was taken prisoner. He Spent a year in captivity as a prisoner.  While a prisoner, Francis suffered from a very bad illness. It was during this time Francis had a vision that directed him back home to Assisi.

Some say, according to legend, that Francis was selling goods for his father in the marketplace when a beggar came and asked him for alms. Francis abandoned his wares and ran after the poor man giving him everything he had in his pockets. When his father found out what his son had done, he was troubled and angry at the exchange between his son and the poor man. “His friends also began noticing a change in Francis and jokingly asked if he was “thinking of marrying” to which he responded ‘Yes, a fairer bride than any of you have ever seen, ‘meaning his ‘Lady Poverty.’”[iii]

It was on a pilgrimage to Rome in 1205 A.D., where Francis joined the poor in begging at the doors of churches and began caring for lepers, that is where he had a vision of Christ saying to him, “Francis, Francis, go and repair My house which, as you can see, is falling into ruins.” Francis took this to mean the church. He was devoting to praying and sold some cloth from his father’s store, to assist the priest there. Francis knew at this point the God had called him to something different than his current lifestyle. His father became enraged and tried changing his mind; first through threats, then beatings. After this exchange, Francis renounced his inherited wealth from his father and embraced, even more, the life of a penitent. A life that was determined to live meagerly and to imitate the selfless life of Christ.   

Clothed in rough garments and barefoot, he began to take on a life of poverty, preaching a message of repentance and restoring run-down chapels. He soon gathered a following of men and women, who led simple lives without possessions, but with cheerful countenances and full of songs leaving a lasting impact on anyone who heard them. These men and women became known as the Order of Brothers and Sisters of Penance, or “Franciscans” and the Order of Poor Clares. In fact, my older sister is a faithful sister in the Franciscan Order, and lives in Pennsylvania.

It is said that Francis could be heard preaching to the birds, urging them to praise God. Those who walked by could also hear faint melodies coming from within the hut where he lived. It was at a meal, along with some of his followers, that he wrote the text “Canticle of the Sun” or “Song of All Creatures,” later paraphrased into the beloved hymn that we sing today. It is recorded that he died on the evening of October 3, 1226, while singing Psalm 142.

To this day, Saint Francis of Assisi is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment. He is also known for his love of the Eucharist, his sorrow during the Stations of the Cross, and for creating the Christmas crèche or Nativity Scene. Legends about him abound and various stories, prayers, and visions are attributed to him.

The words that Francis wrote in the Song of the Creatures, was later translated into English by William Draper, who at the time, was the  rector of a Church in one of England’s parish church at Adel near Leeds, which is about twenty-miles from London. Draper paraphrased the words of the Canticle and set them to music.[iv] It is not known when Draper first wrote the hymn but it was believed to be   sometime between 1899 and 1919.¹⁴ Draper wrote it for his church's children's Whitsun festival celebrations for Whitsum, the Anglican and English designation for Pentecost,  and it was later published in 1919, in the Public School Hymn Book.  The tune of this hymn is set to the tune of "Lasst uns erfreuen", a German Easter hymn which was published by Friedrich Spee in 1623, in his book Auserlesene Catholische Geistliche Kirchengesäng.  The hymn is currently used in 179 different hymn books, and in liturgical circles, tends to be used more during the Lenten season leading up to Easter Sunday.[v]  The words written by Saint Francis, are some of the oldest used in hymns after "Father We Praise Thee", written in 580 AD., by Gregory the Great.

Scripture reading

Psalm 148: 1-14

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! ² Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! ³ Praise him, sun and moon,praise him, all you shining stars! ⁴ Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! ⁵ Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created. ⁶ And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. ⁷ Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, ⁸ fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! ⁹ Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! ¹⁰ Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds! ¹¹ Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes, and all rulers of the earth! ¹² Young men and maidens together, old men and children! ¹³ Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. ¹⁴ He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the Lord!

devotional thought  

I wonder what life was really like back in the time of Francis of Assisi. What we do know is that he lived in what was known as the Middle Ages. Life was hard, most of the people, roughly ninety percent or more in some cases, were poor, and most of Europe was ruled by a feudal system. Many times, I tend to sit and wonder, if I were someone like Assisi, would I have been so bold? Would I have the faith to leave everything I had and follow Christ and live a life, as Christ lived? If I were honest with myself, I am quite comfortable here in the twenty-first century, living with the modern conveniences of life. Yet, in the life that saint Francis lived, he lived a life that was full of joy. Full of contentment. Full of praise to the one who saved him from hell. The first message he taught, was a message of repentance from sin and redemption in Christ, which in essence, is the most important message to tell.

When we look at the scripture of psalm 148:1-14, we see it is a hymn of praise. “This rhapsodic hymn of praise is the third of the hallelujah psalms which the psalter is brought to its close.”[i] it is a declaration of praise to a god, who is above all other gods, all other creatures, one who always has been and always will be worthy of praise. When we think of what praise in heaven might be like, rest assured, I am sure praise in heaven is purer, the shouts are louder, the declarations of praise are triumphant, and the joy is exalted. It is nothing we in our human minds can comprehend.

As we break down this passage of scripture it is important to note that here in psalm 148, there is a connection between praising god, both in heavenly praise 148:1-6, and earthly praise psalms 148:7-12. There is a declaration that all of creation, both the heavenly creation and the earthly creation are being encouraged to lift up the name of God and declare his praise. Praise to God is not limited to just being earthbound. There is a celestial chorus that continually sings the praises of God. It is hard for us to imagine a place where continuous praise around the throne of God is going on all the time. In heaven it is clear, motives are not mingled, a living face, the face of God, is seen, not imagined in a dark glass, as it is for us, this side of heaven.  It is good for us to be reminded that there is a mighty unseen company, who are not simply submissive to his will, but are rejoicing in it as the supreme happiness and the perfect freedom.

When we look at the first portion of this psalm 148:1-6 we see that the lord is conceived of as a transcendent being, dwelling apart from all his creation. Therefore, praise reaches him from the heavens. This ideology belongs to the developed theology of a late date, to where there is this notion that there are several heavens, anywhere from three to seven. Now we are not talking about seven actual heavens, but these heavens are arranged concentrically, like a series of walls about a city such as implied in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. ³ and I know that this man was caught up into paradise whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows ⁴ and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.” Or as superimposed one above the other as in Hebrews 4:14, “since then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the son of god, let us hold fast our confession,” or in Hebrews 7:26, “for it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens".

It is hard to try and fathom having continuous worship before the throne of God. Possibly that is due to the fact that we live in a day and age, where we have a culture that is secular and anti-god, we need to be reminded that even if we had one generation of the whole earth in revolt against God, there would still be not enough voices to drown out the heavenly choir of praise. Even the sun, moon, and stars (Jupiter and Mars, as the song goes), will join in on the praise. The silence that comes from those scientific, liberal, and secular voices, that refuse to acknowledge God, even in their silence, they bear witness to the power, beauty, and majesty of God. When we look at 148:7-10, we see a shift from the heavenly praise to the joining of the earth in the praise to God. In verse 7, we see the earthly order join the terrestrial one. When we look at god’s earthly environment, we can see the glory of God. “The weather is a witness, the contours of the land testify, and the earths fruit, animals, insects, fishes, and birds tell evidence”[ii] that there is a god who is worth of our praise. I find it quite ironic that saint Francis, in his poverty, was someone who continuously gave praise to the father. There is something to be said when it comes to praising God.

Merlin Carothers wrote the book prison to praise. In this book it is a firsthand account of  Merlin Carothers' spiritual journey from a hostile, bitter young soldier in world war ii, to accepting Christ and returning to the military as a chaplain. Prison to Praise is a powerful book, in that it is not about a prison with bars, rather it is about a prison of circumstances, and how through praise, we can be set free from our vices in life. Christians have been overwhelmed to learn that they can live in peace as they discover the secrets of a life of praise, and how living a life of praise unto God, will cause us to live a life that is more meaningful and keep us on our journey as a disciple of Christ. If we think about it for a moment. If we shift our thinking from anger, stress, hostility and we begin to praise the god of the universe for his creation, for his majesty, or for the things he does in our lives on a daily basis, such as allows our body to breathe on its own, allowed us another day to enjoy his beautiful creation, or how he has allowed us another opportunity to share the message of Christ to someone who may not yet know him.     

As we close, let us look again at the stanzas of this hymn. Each verse has “O praise him! Alleluia!” Alleluia, which tends to be used synonymous with hallelujah, comes from the Hebrew phrase hallel, which means to praise, to boast, to shine forth, to be worthy of praise, to be commended.[iii] maybe we need to readjust our thinking. I wonder what areas of our lives would improve if we would just take a few moments throughout our day praising the lord, just for who he is? I wonder, if we would shift our focus from the trials we are going through, and focus on praising god for who he is, if we wouldn’t begin to see a change in our hearts?  I wonder if we would just be real with God, and thanked him for what he has given us, rather than what we want, if our lives wouldn’t be more content, full, and pleasing to the lord? I wonder what would happen if we allowed the power of praise to permeate our lives, as it did for the psalmist in Psalm 148, I wonder what our lives would be truly like? Remember, if we don’t shout the praise of God, the “rocks will shout out his praise,” Luke 19:40.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, I come before You in awe and reverence, acknowledging You as the creator of all creatures and the King of my life. Just as Francis of Assisi found joy and inspiration in the beauty of Your creation, I too seek to appreciate and care for every living being that You have brought into existence. Lord, help me to make an intentional effort to lift up my voice in praise, joining with the psalmist in proclaiming the majesty of Your name. As the psalmist wrote in Psalm 148, "Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding."

I thank you, Lord, for the diversity and intricacy of Your creation. From the tiniest insect to the mighty lion, from the soaring birds to the delicate flowers, each creature reflects a glimpse of Your wisdom, creativity, and glory. Help me to always cherish and protect them, recognizing that they are all part of Your divine plan. For although I do not see it from this side of Heaven, just the mere beauty of Your creation cries our Your praises. Help me to be a little like Francis of Assisi, seeing the interconnectedness of all creatures and treating them with love and compassion, may I also learn to live in harmony with Your creation. Grant me the humility to see myself as a caretaker of the earth and to steward its resources responsibly, lifting my praise to You. May I continually be mindful of the impact of my actions and seek to be good stewards of the things around me and what You have entrusted to me. Give me a heart that is filled with compassion for all of Your creation and inspire me to work towards continuing to live a life as an authentic disciple of Jesus Christ.

Lord, help me to see beyond the boundaries of our own self and to recognize the value and worth of others. Help me to live a life that praises You, even in times of despair and confusion. Help me to praise You for who You are and what You have given me. Many times, I tend to get blinded by the circumstances and trials I am experiencing or going through at the moment and I tend to focus on what I need, or how You can get me out of a tough circumstance or situation, rather than what You have already blessed me with. Help me to in all things praise You first. Help me to take a different look at life, one like Saint Francis took. One that is selfless and totally committed to following You in Your footsteps, allowing me to be thankful for everything You have done for me. I pray all these things in the name of Jesus, who taught us to love one another and care for your creation. Amen.

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[i] George Arthur Buttrick & William R. Taylor, The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume IV, The Psalms and Proverbs, 754.

[ii] George Arthur Buttrick & William R. Taylor, The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume IV, The Psalms and Proverbs, 755.

[iii] Eugene E. Carpenter & Phillip Wesley Comfort, Holeman Treasury of Key Bible Words, 298

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[i] https://franciscanfriarscresson.org/the-canticle-of-the-sun/

[ii] Keisha Valentina, Every Hymn Has a Story, https://anglicancompass.com/the-story-of-our-hymns-all-creatures-of-our-god-and-king/

[iii] Keisha Valentina, Every Hymn Has a Story, https://anglicancompass.com/the-story-of-our-hymns-all-creatures-of-our-god-and-king/

[iv]  Kenneth W. Osbeck, 101 Hymn Stories, 20.

[v] David Bartlett, Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Volume 6, 460.

Keith Green’s “Sheep & the Goats” Song

 

Keith Green’s “Sheep & the Goats” Song

Political/ Religious October 9, 2023 Mike B

In this weeks show with Dawn Hill, we discussed tph unbiblical teachings and narcissistic behaviors of charismatic leaders. I had referenced this song by Keith Green, “The Sheep and the Goats.” It refers to those “so-called” believers who claimed they were doing things in the name of Christ, but yet, Christ did not know who they were. Dawn had said, “had it not been for God’s salvation, she wound still be in this movement believing she was a sheep, yet not one of Christ’s.”

It is a fascinating rendition of singing the scripture parable of the Sheep and the Goats found in Matthew 25:31-46.

The Final Judgment

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[a] you did it to me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

What are your thoughts, now that you watched the interview with Dawn Hill and have heard this song?

The Taboos of Mental Illness- Part I: I Struggle with Depression, How About You?

 

The Taboos of Mental Illness- Part I: I Struggle with Depression, How About You?

Political/ Religious August 28, 2023 Mike B

The Taboos of Mental Illness- Part I: I Struggle with Depression, How About You?

We often tend to laugh it off or just totally not talk about it in general. But as a disciple of Christ, it is a topic that we often overlook and really need to have discussion about. Mental Illness. I do not know about you, but I struggle with mental illness. If we were all honest with ourselves, we would all realize we all struggle with some sort of mental illness, to some degree. I tell my Psychology students on day one- that if you believe you do not struggle with or have some level of mental illness, you are fooling yourself. Because I struggle with mental illness. One of those struggles is depression. I do not know about you, but this is one of a few areas that I struggle with. It seems when we want to discuss emotional/psychological disorders we always want to jump to the “demonic spirit” in an individual. However, that is so far from the truth, we have in our Christian churches and circles distorted the truth about mental illness, where it is now a taboo to even talk about. Well, I am going to start talking about it. Why? Too often, I would blame other people for why I feel so discouraged and depressed. But the reality is, this is me. This is a part of who I am and my DNA makeup. Does that give me an excuse, or free pass to be depressed? No. I struggle with being depressed at times to the point where I do not even want to get out of bed in the mornings. I do not have answers for how to “heal” me from this struggle. I begin my days by trusting the day over to the Lord and allowing Him to use me for His purposes. I regularly read the scriptures. But the feelings I have inside me sometimes overwhelm me, to where I, at times, feel alone. Maybe you have experienced this at times in your life’s journey too. What did that feel like to you?

I am constantly asking myself, when I am in these really depressed cycles, Am I to blame? Is there something I did wrong? Or is it the chemical makeup of my brain and the nurturing of my past that plays a role in this persona of my life? Where does one go for help to work through these types of struggles, like depression? For starters, do not go to the person who wants to cast out the “depression demon” from you. We give the devil way too much ground and credit for things that are not even his. Seeking help in the mental health field is a good start. For some, this is a big step. For me, it was a matter of allowing myself to submit my pride to Christ. It was a point in my life where I realized I needed to seek help. Depression was just the coating, as I began to work through some of my struggles, it was evident I was just hitting the tip of the iceberg when I discussed my depression. In fact, there were times when I just gave up, and stopped going for therapy. In the end, things got much worse, and I never did get to begin working through the bigger issues in my life. If you decide to seek professional counseling, I recommend seeing someone who is both clinically trained and disciple of Christ themselves.  Especially, if you are wanting to continue to grow as a disciple of Christ and remain faithful and obedient to His truths. What we do not want is someone from the secular side to tell us that what scripture says is irrelevant, ignorant, or no longer valid today. Or for them to tells us that we should try things that counter God’s word. For me, I talk to someone, a Christian therapist, who has helped me to see the triggers in my life that contribute to my depression and other emotional challenges. In fact, I talk to about three other people, who I have strategically put into my life to help me with these struggles. Am I successful? Not always. In fact, I fail often. I do not want to sound too much like a humanist, but as disciples of Christ, we need to consider that we are human, living in non-glorified bodies, still under the curse of Adam’s sin, and the sinful nature of man. Although we have been regenerated and are working on sanctification with Christ, we are prone to the DNA of the fall. While that doesn’t give us an excuse, we do need to realize that we are going to have challenging days where we feel the weight of the world on our shoulders. Maybe that sounds familiar to what you have experienced. What do you do in time like that?

I often think about David, and how he must have felt knowing King Saul, who was once a friend, was now out to kill him. As we read the Psalms, we can clearly see that David struggled with depression, in fact, I would go a step further to say it seems to be clear that David, if he lived today, could be diagnosed with being clinically depressed.  I also think of the disciples on the road to Emmaus Luke 24:13-35. Now we do know the identification of one of the men mentioned in the text, it is apparent that these disciples were not one of the eleven. Nevertheless, they knew Christ personally. How depressed they must have felt. Their friend, the one they had spent the last three years with, the one who walked, talked, and ate with them, was ow dead and gone. This king, Messiah who was to usher in the earthly kingdom of God. With Christ being crucified, they were probably struggling with doubt, at this point, as to whether He was the Messiah who would come and reign. Now what do they do? They had this faith, this vision, that has now collapsed before them. There is no certainty now for the future. How depressing that must make someone feel. There have been times in my life where I have experienced similar things in these two stories. How has your experience encouraged you to keep walking with the Lord?

The good news is Christ came to give me life, a new life in Him. While that does not take the depression away from me, it does give me hope that Christ is with me through my valley moments. He is walking with me through my valleys like He did with David. He walks down our road of hopelessness, like he did with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. He is there to hold me and carry me, if needed, so that I can continue my journey as a disciple of Christ. While I have not yet arrived, nor will I, until we are face to face with Christ, I can rest assured that Christ will walk each step of my life along side me, one step at a time.  

May you be encouraged!

The Gender Crisis… and It Isn’t Getting Any Better.

 

The Gender Crisis… and it isn’t getting any better.

Political/ Religious August 7, 2023 Mike B

“So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27. This is a verse that for the most part is ignored in our society today. Not only is it ignored, but gender is all but being erased in our culture. Over the past couple years, we have had to deal with transgendered individuals feeling they should be able to compete in the sports arena based off on the gender they feel they are. Totally disregarding their true biological make-up and determining for themselves that they are now a different gender than given biologically at birth, therefore, all of society must cater to their “newly prescribed identity.” This is not only foolishness, but wrong. Jesus Christ himself stated in Mark 10:6, “but from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. Again, in Matthew 19:4 Jesus says, “have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female.” Or thousands of years in human society we have recognized a species that has two types of people. There are women and there are men. It is not only those who have a religious code of morals that directs them, but science too has shared this same understanding based of the biological differences between the two sexes.  Even Richard Dawkins, a former scientist who was clearly an atheist, who believed that if you believe in God, it makes one weak, can argue that we only have two genders biologically determined at birth: male and female. In fact, when a female transfers to becoming male. The chromosomal make-up for a female does not change, regardless the physical changes made to the body.

Yet over the past several years there has been a perversion in our culture by Satan himself, and the liberal left has completely embraced the erasing away of gender, convincing our society that there isn’t really gender and that gender is fluid. You can be whatever you want, whenever you want. It is even insulting, to the staunch patriot, that we include “gender choice” as a civil right for individuals. But in our land today, in our American society, we are removing gender to appease those few who feel gender identity in the confines of biological sex are offensive. God makes it very clear in His Word, that there are two biological sexes, and so does science. However, because we have individuals who can choose from anywhere from seventy-four to one hundred and fourteen different genders they want to identify with, we as a people in this country must oblige. Submit to this foolishness or be run over by the political train of liberalism. To go one step further we have legislature in this country who are trying to pass into law, laws that would charge parents with child abuse, if you did not allow your five or six-year-old daughter to get a sex change because she identifies as a boy. This is happening currently in California. Not only that we have a Deputy Secretary of Health who is not only a transgendered female but refuses to respond to any answers when questioned on transgenderism in children, that go against the liberal agenda. To put the icing on the cake, we have “sanctuary cities, as we do for illegal immigrants, for those who want to bring their child to their city for a medical sex change procedure. You know what should happen, as one of the guests on the dead prophet show alluded to, these politicians should be arrested for not upholding the Constitution they swore to uphold. Were not talking about racism and prejudice based off of the color of your skin, we are talking about something that goes not only against humanity and God, but science.  How can a child of five years old have enough cognitive brain power to determine for themselves that they are the wrong gender? How is t that parents are responsible for their children until they are legally 18, most of the time up until they are 23 years old, not be able to make decisions for their children, or not be told of decisions their children made about their own sexuality? It frustrates me to no end that a school district can take a 14 year old girl to get an abortion during school hours and by law, not have to tell the parents. No one should have that much control over our own children!

We live in a culture that is warped and has a distorted view of sex. We also live in a culture that is all about Me, Myself, and I. We live in a culture where people in this LGBTQIA+ community seem to continually want affirmation from everyone in society. I was watching a Ben Shapiro speech, where there as a transgendered male who now identified as a female. It is obvious just by one glance he is a male. But he said at least a half a dozen times and listed people who affirmed him being a female. While that is great for this individual, Ben Shapiro was not going to agree. Obviously, the transgendered individual was offended. I find it interesting that those who are a part of this subculture, feel they have to push on to other people who they are. There is almost a sense of they know what they are doing is wrong, but they want to be justified in this sin and wrong lifestyle by getting so many people who will buy into their foolishness and affirm them. This subculture that exists in America is not only taunting its sinfulness to society, but it has also infiltrated the church.  

How has this infiltrated the church? Well, let’s take a recent look at the split in the United Methodist Church. For starters, this denomination is openly ordaining homosexual and transgendered ministers and bishops. There are many other doctrinal issues, but the homosexual/ transgender card was the political one played by UMC leaders. They are not the only Christian organization to do so, we see that the Lutheran, Episcopalian, and Presbyterian churches have been doing so for many years. There is this idea, that because Jesus is love, we must accept those who live in sin. While that may be true, the acceptance goes beyond loving them, it goes to the level of affirming their lifestyle. Allowing that lifestyle to be acceptable in the church. In addition, churches that do this move away from using words or phrases like, “biblical marriage,” “biblical standard,” “Sin,” “male and female.” Just to name a few. It has even caused our Christian camps to compromise core biblical teaching.

One of the people I just interviewed for an upcoming show, had to make a choice to stand for her faith according to scripture or compromise allowing an acceptance towards LGBTQIA+ persons who “come out” at camp. With her as co counselors was a transgendered female and a homosexual female. In addition, this particular camp has plans to build non-binary dorms for those campers who identify as whatever sex they choose. One of the training documents said “We cherish core values of mutual hospitality and genuine community. We welcome all people regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation. All perspectives and experiences are important and contribute to the breadth and depth of a Christ centered community.” While, yes, we need to show them the love of Christ, we do have a biblical obligation to warn them of the sin, they are living in. This is not hatred, this is not “hate speech” this is loving as Christ loved. He didn’t say “I love you, so keep on living in your sinful lifestyle,” No he said, “go and sin no more.”

It would be one thing if this transgender movement was focused on just wanting to be the opposite sex. But it goes much further than that. In a school district about a half-an-hour away from me, they have students who identify as cats. Yes, that is what I said…. Cats! Not only do they identify as cats, but the school district put litter boxes for these students in the public restrooms so they could use them. In protest, the janitors, who would have had to clean these litter boxes, locked all the bathrooms that the litter boxes were put in. as an act of protest, these “furries” as they are called, would roll up toilet paper in the corners of the bathrooms and go on that. This is NOT normal! Public schools are not a place where you can come to and identify as something other than male or female. It is not the public school’s job to reinforce your child’s illness. It is the parent’s job to step up a little and get the children the help they need. Enabling these behaviors is not the answer. Addressing them is. Calling it sin is what we need to be doing. What we are doing is erasing gender in our schools and confusing this generation on if not biblical truths, scientific fact.

Recently in the State of New Jersey, they are doing just that, erasing gender. Here is a summary of what is in the article. “When it comes to education in New Jersey, it looks like “female and male” are out and gender-neutral terms are in. The New Jersey State Board of Education [NJSBE] adopted an equity policy that reportedly makes the changes,” Joshua Nelson writes.  The NJ Managing For [Equality and] Equity in Education policy [NJAC 6A:7] sets out to ensure any student regardless of race, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity or are provided equal “access to educational activities and programs [and services] by district boards of education.” According to the policy, equity is defined as “all [groups of] students have the opportunity to master the goals of the curriculum [to approximately the same degree] in an educational environment that is fair, just, and impartial to all individuals.” Furthermore, the NJSBE defines gender identity or expression as “having or being perceived as having a gender-related identity or expression whether or not stereotypically associated with a person’s assigned sex at birth.” The commenter argued further that the deletion of “gender” removes girls and young women as a protected class and threatens the rights of biological girls, especially pertaining to educational opportunities.[i]

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize we have a crisis in this country. We have an all-out attack against not only biblical truths of gender, but even scientific facts in gender. Most of the liberals who embrace this gender fluidity, don’t even know how define gender. The reality is “So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27. the words male and female here not only reference biology, but also the man “ness” and female “ness.” In this we can clearly see that they were created physically diverse in order to accomplish God’s mandate to multiply. As believers we need to continue to stand against those who continue to push their liberal “gender agenda” our way. We do not have to be forced into calling individuals by their “chosen gender” we do not have to surrender the white flag. We can use the Constitution and the laws that protect us as religious people to fight this absurdity. In an upcoming show, I interviewed an individual who will share a little more on Title VII and how the Civil Rights Act of 1964 can also protect us from having to give in to the acceptance of everyone else’s diversity, unless you are a Christian. Enough is enough! It is about time we as Christians stand up against the attacks on gender, marriage, and other biblical principles.

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[i] https://www.foxnews.com/media/nj-board-education-adopts-equity-policy-removing-terms-like-female-male-favor-all-students.print

Other readings on similar topic

https://www.foxnews.com/media/largest-teachers-union-america-recommended-educators-include-gender-queer-summer-reading

https://www.foxnews.com/media/proposed-california-bill-fine-school-districts-ban-books-inclusive-diverse-perspectives