From the heart

What has happened to us?

It seems like ancient history of an extinct culture that when a man or woman was licensed to preach, they were expected to be faithful to the church (womb) thru which they had been birthed and the pastor that was used by God to bring them forth.That they would serve that church and that pastor until such time as they were released to pastor a church because they had been called, or because they had moved to a new location that would make a commute impossible. For many of us it was a frustrating period when it seemed like your credibility, calling and capability as a minister was left up to if a church called you or not. That you needed the people to validate the call of God on your life, or else you were a phony. Something that you had absolutely no control over.

Today it seems like ink is not dry on the ministerial license before a man or woman has already branded their image, formed a llc, non profit, or web ministry, created a logo, picked armor bearers, bible carriers and chauffeurs, created a massive social media presence and formed a church or ministry of some sort. While I fully recognize that our God is not bound to buildings of brick and mortar, I am afraid it is a disturbing trend that is destroying the Body of Christ from the inside out. It has become a cancer of convenience to run without first sitting and learning.

In addition the adoption of spiritual sons and daughters has risen to carnality. Instead of being able to train and groom those servants that God has already entrusted to their care, many now reach out to try to bring in sons and daughters from out of other ministries. They can't birth them at home or train them at home, but the will take them from elsewhere. For a fee, of course.

Today the children are openly and rebelliously declaring "you aint my daddy, that's my daddy!" Of course the way we say it is that I am "shifting, going to a higher level, a new dimension" that requires walking away from those that were used to birth you into the body of Christ and in the ministry. When in truth they have become blinded by the bling, feasting on the fame, instead of learning how to be faithful where they are  and learning of to first serve before they try to go and lead.

Accountability is sorely lacking in the Body of Christ at every level. Ministers are being taken advantage of by other ministers as well as the churches they aim to serve. Humility has been thrown out as being a sign of a weak, timid pastor. In its place they have been replaced with a man or woman saying their are Apostles, Bishops or Prophets but who really have a desire to tell people off without being rebuked themselves. Starting our own church where once seen as the response of one that could not be called to a traditional church is now the preferred ministry track for a majority of ministers so they can do everything they want to do without any checks or safeguards.

The training of ministers is left to schools, colleges, and universities that must be concerned by necessity about things other than faith, love, humility peace, grace, and ethics. Things that keep their doors open and the money flowing in. This leaves too many ministers devoid of the proper training they need not only theologically speaking, but ethically and from a mentoring aspect as well. Many that get their word of the morning not down on their knees before the Lord but from a YouTube search then declare the Lord gave this to me to give to you? Word for word, line for line and tune for tune.

We are raising a generation of preachers and prognosticators,showmen and showgirls, hustlers and just barely "holders on" draped in the wardrobe that signifies them as clergy. Yet when the real authentic comes we have become unable to detect it, are repulsed by the visible scars of ministry and real life or complain that it is not the show we are used to.

True ministry bears scars, wounds and scabs. True ministry is not entertainment. It is not a show. It is to point lost souls to the cross of Christ and to tell the redemption story. It is to glorify God in the highest. It is to show how God works even in broken vessels such as you and I. It is to be a visible presence of God in this twisted world in which we live.

Tell me who or rather what are we trying to raise? Do we want them to replicate what we have done or do we want them to replicate the life and ministry of Jesus? Where are those that are willing to to admit that they don't know it all and need to be trained? That are willing to study and not make excuses? Where are those that will be held accountable to a higher standard?