Lack of Power

Just within the past week there has been grievous news that two more so called pastors of the Christian faith have fallen from their positions of authority. Archbishop Earl Paulk (Do even have those within Protestantism?) and Richard Roberts of the famed Oral "Give-me-a-million-dollars-or-God-is-going-to-kill-me" Roberts University. First, we have the good Archbishop who has denied, or should I say outright lied, about having adulterous affairs with several women within his church. However, as of last week we come to find out that not only did he have sex outside of marriage, but he also had sex with his brothers wife, whom he impregnated and just found out his 32 year old nephew is actually his son! This is a story line that even the writers of Hollywood can't make up!

Next we have Richard Roberts, the President of Oral Roberts University in Tulsa OK. We now have learned that he and his wife have had some serious spending habits with University funds. His wife alone is claimed to have had a $39,000 shopping spree in just 1 store! Not to mention use of the University jet to send his daughter to the Bahamas or Jamaica for a Senior Trip.

But what grieves my heart before the Lord is that we see the corporate church continuing to do the same thing over and over again, but still expecting a different result in these matters - this is the definition of insanity. Granted I know I'll get the comments that "we are not to look towards men, but towards God as our example" and indeed this is true. However, if I were to walk up to even the most unrepentant sinner on the street and ask them how a Christian should act and behave I will probably get a better definition from them than I would from the corporate church. Instead , we see the church covering up and doing serious damage control so as not to harm the "marketability" of their establishment.

Sadly, the church as turned into a multi-billion dollar business and is exhibiting the same signs and actions of the corporate business world. Again, we have a so called "men of God" acting in a fashion that is no different than the greedy likes of former and now jailed CEO, Dennis Kozlowski of Tyco fame or Enron CEO Kenneth Lay. We have pastors who are behaving just as sexually immoral as the likes of Britney Spears or Paris Hilton. But the bigger question is why are we seeing this? In an age when per capita there are more churches in this country than ever before? Paul gave us some clear ideas as to why this will occur 2 Timothy 3:1-7.

2Ti 3:1-7 But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come. (2)For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money,boastful, haughty,railers,disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,(3) without natural affection,implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good, (4)traitors, headstrong,puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; (5) holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof: from these also turn away. (6) For of these are they that creep into houses, and take captive silly women laden with sins, led away by divers lusts, (7) ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The key phrase I want to focus on here is "holding to a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof". Paul here is talking about a form doctrine that has denied "power" to do something. We will see in the last days a doctrine that will hold a form of godliness but we can distinguish it from the real gospel by what it doesn't do. So what is the difference? Being without sin! The true gospel is that we are no longer a slave to sin, but we have been set free from its strongholds, and have been freed and are now slaves of righteousness:

Rom 6:5-6 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; (6) knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin;

Many preach a gospel that says these verses mean we are freed from the consequences
of sin (Hell) and that we can continue to be sinful. But this is not at all true! If we read further in Romans 6 we see Paul explains this further:

Rom 6:12-14 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof: (13) neither present your members (body) unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. (14) For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace

Clearly, Paul is telling us from these two books that a person who is truly saved will no longer allow sin to continue to control their mortal bodies. That in the last days, we will begin to see a doctrine preached that will look & sound like the gospel and even have an essence of godliness. But one will be able to tell the difference by what it lacks. Righteousness! One of the most powerful weapons Satan has in his arsenal is the distortion of theology! We are beginning to see the evidence of this during these troubled times, when churches preach a "me-centered" gospel. It is sadly evident that many churches today have forsaken their first love and have loved another - themselves. Again, when will this insanity stop and realize we are crushing God's heart.