Thursday, March 29, 2012

Too Long For Facebook


Please forgive me for coming back to this party days after it’s been over.  I know no one is even thinking about this party anymore, but I’m hardly on facebook, and I didn’t get a chance to participate to the degree I would’ve liked to.  I use Twitter and my tweets go to Facebook.  So other than the occasional glance, I’m hardly ever actually on FB.  The last time I was on, this convo was goin strong.  But I was on a PSP, which makes responding extremely difficult because it only allows for so many characters.  But there were some things said that as a Christian I must address:

When I first saw this thread, I agreed with the presented point.  Over the past 2,000 years, the visible institution of the church has not been all that it can or should be to say the very least.  It is quite sad.  But as I continued reading posts within the thread, it came to my attention that “the church” being spoken of was “The Church,” Christianity as a whole, as evidenced by the following quote:

“Keep in mind we aren't talking about individuals we are talking about the Christian church as a unit. And by church, I mean the ekkesia or the whole population claiming Christianity not the actual building. Church as its meant here is all inclusive.

This statement indicates that we aren’t merely talking about all those who “proclaim or confess” Christianity, but also those who actually are Christians, Authentically.  When I realized this, my position immediately switched.  Though the failures of the visible institution of the church are many and undeniable, these failures DO NOT belong to the True Authentic invisible Church.  I refer to the Authentic Church as Invisible because the great majority of its members have passed on to Glory, and its living members can’t be determined definitively by human standards and measureables.  God alone has Saved these individuals, and He is sanctifying them, and preserving them.  They have not defined their Salvation by a man telling them they are Saved, but by God telling them they are Saved.  God does this in Scripture by His Word.  When a person wants to know whether or not they are authentically Christian, they don’t compare themselves by others who proclaim to be Christian.  They compare themselves to the Scriptures:

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?” (II Corinthians 13:5)

Authentic Christians are those who mirror the standard of Christianity that the Scriptures present and not what men establish.  They are held accountable by other Christians who encourage, help, and if necessary initiate discipline in love.  This loving accountability may include telling an individual that they do not match the Scriptural picture of Christianity, and therefore may not be Saved as they believe.  This affords one the opportunity to repent and to seek the Lord, rather than allowing one who is truly not a Christian to coast into doom all the while believing themselves to be Saved.  The latter is taking place in nearly every church in America today.

 “Compared to the other things in human society the progress the church has made (Islam and the Jews are included) is laughingly pathetic…”

Though the visible institution of the church has stated goals and intentions that I’m sure nearly all of them are failing at, the True, Authentic, Invisible Church is succeeding.  It is imperfect, but it is growing in holiness, and looking more and more like Christ.  How do I know this?  Because God has decreed and foreordained that it would!  He Himself has Saved and unified His Church!  He has made it new and He grants it success:

19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. (Ezekiel 11:19-20)

17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (II Corinthians 5:17)

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)

What are we successful at, or in?  The job that Jesus gave us.  That job is to be WITNESSES:
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

The job of Authentic Christians is to be witnesses of Christ and for Christ.  “Of Christ” because every authentic Christian has had a personal experience with Christ in their regeneration by the Holy Spirit.  And “For Christ” because we live out and proclaim the truth of Scripture.  In addition to preaching the Gospel, we are to live and conduct ourselves in such a way that men know that Jesus is alive, and that He is King:

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (John 13:35 NLT)

27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. (Philippians 1:27)

The Gospel is the Grace through Faith message that God has Saved His People from Himself, by Himself, for Himself.  “From Himself” because condemned men don’t face the devil after death.  They face the eternal wrath of the God whom they have sinned against, and who’s Law they have broken.(John 3:36)  “By Himself” because God is Sovereign over Salvation and it is a Grace gift that no one who gets can earn or deserve.(Ephesians 2:8)  And “For Himself” because all things were made by God and for God.  And those who inherit Salvation will inhabit the “New Earth” and the “New Jerusalem” with the God who loves them. (Revelation Chapter 21)

This is “The Church” who IS succeeding. 

“And the church was never expect to be perfect BUT it WAS expected to improve humanity's social and cooperative abilities by creating more cooperative and better functioning individuals.

The Church HAS improved humanity’s social and cooperative abilities.  It has created better functioning individuals.  There are Authentic Christians in the world today, operating in the Will of God.  They are everywhere in society, and may not be as pronounced as some who only “proclaim” Christianity.  But the whole of society is headed downward.  Scripture tells us so.  All Biblical prophecy has yet to fully unfold.  Revelation reveals dreads the likes of which we have not yet seen, but are sure to come.  Ephesians 2 tells us that men are dead in sin.  It is nothing but the Grace of God that allows society to thrive.  The very same sin that brought the Genesis Chapter 6 flood would bring our society to its knees today if it were not for the Grace of God.  But the idea that The Church is some “global force for good” meant to save the world by making everyone a Christian is false.  Christians don’t make Christians.  God does and He alone.  Will He make everyone a Christian?  No.  But to his own Glory He has decided to Save some.  A small remnant in comparison to the whole of humanity.  It has been His own good pleasure to do this because:

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.(I Corinthians 1:27)

That’s how God operates.  Genuine Christians DO operate as they ought to in Christ.  They are capable of sin, they are not perfect.  But their lives are defined by growth in holiness and lasting fruit. (Matthew 7:15-20)  A Christian may examine him/herself in the Book of I John to see if they are truly in Faith.  And the Spirit and Word of God will affirm whether someone is truly Christian or not.  The bottom line is that the majority of professing/proclaiming Christians ARE NOT CHRISTIAN.  There are 16 million Southern Baptists on paper.  How many are real?  Only God knows!  The majority in this and other denominations are not Christian, yet they fill pews and pulpits all over this country, proclaiming to be Authentically Christian.  This is the reason for the flagrant failures of the visible church institution.  Mr. Maples, you affirm this by this statement:

“…less than 10% has ever even read more than 40% of the book they base they're belief system on

Your statement is true!  However, it’s true of merely “professing/proclaiming Christians.”  Authentic Christians DO read their Bibles and know not only their system of belief, but they know their God!  They are not created by the confession of a silly prayer or by answering three questions from a minister at the end of a sermon.  They are born of the Will and power of God.(Romans 9:16)

Please be careful not to lump Authentic Christians in with the mere proclaimers.  When you make them the same and proclaim they have failed, you essentially say that the God who Saved, founded, helps, and preserves them has failed.  This is terribly blasphemous, and flat out wrong.  When talking about another man’s wife, I use extreme caution.  When talking about the bride of Christ, even more caution should be observed.  For we will all one day meet and bow before her Husband.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Is God Really "Jealous?"

In Exodus, while giving Moses the 10 Commandments, God described Himself as "Jealous." 

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God..." (Exodus 20:4-5)

Many have wondered about this particular topic and don’t believe they’ve ever gotten a straight answer. Because I believe the Word of God is very clear on this matter, I won’t delay getting into a direct yes or no. Is God really Jealous? The answer… Absolutely! God goes as far to say His very name is "Jealous"!
"Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." (Exodus 34:14)

As I stated, God is indeed Jealous. However, His Jealousy is not in the sense that you and I generally understand jealousy. Today, we understand jealousy to be hatred or ill-feelings toward someone who either has something we want, or does things that we’d like to do, but can't. It's an emotion grounded in pride, selfishness, and self-ambition. In the eyes of many, jealousy is seen as a petty, human emotion. And if God is indeed Jealous, he must be both petty, and human (fallible, conceived of human-thought). This is not an accurate description or definition of the Jealousy of God.

There is a big difference between being "jealous of" something or someone, and being "jealous for" something or someone. God being "Jealous of" something or someone is impossible, and totally contrary to Scripture. No one has anything that God doesn't have. Everything, seen and unseen belongs to God. And no one can do anything that God can't do. God is far superior to humans. We clearly see in Scripture that:

"The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." (Psalm 24:1) and

"For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." (Colossians 1:16)
and in regard to his superiority:



"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9) and finally:



"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

God is "jealous for" His people. When God originally describes Himself as Jealous, He does this in explanation of the 1st and 2nd commandments. 1. Thou Shall Have No Other God's Before Me. 2. Thou Shall Make No Graven Image For Yourselves, and You Shall Not Bow Down and Worship Them. God wanted to make it clear through His chosen people that there is only One God, Yahweh/Jehovah. God called Israel out of a pagan nation, out of a pagan world, where the worship of idols and multiple gods was the norm. He made a covenant with Israel to be their God, and for Israel to be His people. God likens His covenant with Israel to a marriage, and compares it likewise many times. He often describes Israel as adulterous during its times of rebellion, as they disregard the covenant they made with Him. Two such examples are found in Exodus & Isaiah:

"And you will accept their daughters, who worship other gods, as wives for your sons. Then they will cause your sons to commit adultery against me by worshiping other gods." (Exodus 34:16)

"You have committed adultery on the mountaintops by worshiping idols there, and so you have been unfaithful to me." (Isaiah 57:7)

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines "Jealous" as "intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness". In a marriage, two people commit to one another for better or worse, and they forsake ALL others for their spouse alone. By this definition, all husbands and wives should be "jealous for" their spouse. They should be absolutely intolerant of rivalry and unfaithfulness when it comes to their spouse. They should never have to think that their spouse, whose body Scripture says belongs to them, is engaging in intimate activity with another. I feel this exact way for my wife. And God feels this way for His people. In rhythm with the commandments He gave, He desires that His people entertain no other supposed-satisfaction. He is God. There is nothing and no one better. And He deserves no competition for our love and devotion. This should be highlighted by the fact that there is nothing and no one worthy to be in competition with God. As an adult, imagine your spouse cheating with a 13 year-old child who is mentally-challenged... Beyond the vile-nature of the offense in itself, would your anger not burn all the more because of the fact that this child can in no way offer your spouse what you can? You would at least think that if adultery was to be your spouse’s chosen route that they would have cheated with someone in better standing than you on certain levels. But in every instance of our unfaithfulness to God, we "cheat-down". Meaning, we abandon that which is clearly better for that which is obviously far worse. Society often tries to flip God's jealousy into something weak and human. But contrary to popular belief, God's jealousy is extremely just.

Women Have Breasts, But Are They Really Different From Men?

Seeing as it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I'm sure you've come across thousands of Breast Cancer slogans, reminders, flyers, banners, bracelets, bumper-stickers, etc. In light of this, I don't want to talk you to death about Breast Cancer. But I do feel moved to bring up a few things.

Cincinnati's FOX affiliate, WXIX Channel 19 has made the 19th of every month "Self-Breast Exam Day". It is recommended that all women perform atleast one self-breast exam a month. Seeing that the majority of women are likely to forget, Channel 19 has designated the 19th day of each month as the time to perform this exam in hopes that women will remember, and remind other women to perform their self-breast exams.

I thought to myself after seeing a Self-Exam advertisement, "How many women actually do that?" I thought from the perspective of a man. If we had to peform a monthly self-exam of ourselves, I know we'd likely never do it. We have so many other things on our minds that we'd likely forget. If not that, we'd have the intention to do it, but never actually do it because it seems so easy that we'd continue to put it off. And if that wasn't the case, we wouldn't do it for the sake of feeling as though we're too masculine to touch ourselves for longer than it takes to use the restroom. This got me to thinking further, "Women have breasts, but are they really different from men?"

Sure, women and men are different in dozens of different ways. But at the end of the day, we're all human beings. And that commonality gives all of us the capability to be absent-minded, forgetful, lazy, embarassed, or just plain negligent. I haven't done any research concerning how many women actually do or don't do self-breast exams. I'm simply working off the human likelihood to overlook matters of health until something negative is imminent.

So as a friend and a brother, I am personally asking you to EXAMINE YOURSELF! I had a good friend lose her mom to breast cancer. I hate that death has to be the constant reminder that life is short. But in most cases, death is the only thing that will get our attention. Breast Cancer IS REAL. YOU can have it. YOU can also reduce your risk, and BEAT IT if you catch it early enough. There are people in your life who want you to be here as long as possible. Do them the favor of taking care of you, if you won't do it for yourself. My 18 year-old sister-in-law had a mammogram. If she can get one, so can you. It's never too early to start taking care of the future.

I am asking you in love to make the 19th of the month your Self-Breast Exam Day. AND ACTUALLY DO IT! I know many are likely to say "I do mine in the shower every day." If that's the case, great. I'm not going to tell you what you do, or don't do. But I do ask that if you are one of these people, that every 19th you do a self-breast exam outside of the shower. It just seems to me that one would be able to pay closer attention to detail outside of the shower.

I thank you for taking time to read this. May the love, grace, and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ abundantly abide with, and in you. I declare that life, wellness, and strength are yours, and I stand in agreement with you always for these things.

DO THE EXAM!! PLEASE!!

Why Did God Spare Noah?

There has seemingly always been much debate as to whether The Flood of Genesis Chapter 7 actually took place. The biblical account illustrates the total destruction of mankind; save Noah, his three sons, and their wives. If God desired to destroy all men, why did He spare Noah? Confusion coupled with misunderstanding The Flood of Genesis chapter 7 has led to some dismissing the account as fictitious. Why would God play favorites with Noah and His family, and why would God destroy a world He loves?
God did indeed destroy the world by the waters of the most massive flood there has ever been, and that ever will be. (Gen 9:11) This flood was brought about by the wickedness of mankind following the Fall in Genesis Chapter 3.

"The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time." – (Genesis 6:5)

"God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways." – (Genesis 6:12)

In the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve sinned, God initiated the punishment He had pre-warned them about. "You shall surely die."(Genesis 2:17) Adam and Eve died the day they sinned. Not physically... That took over 900 years to happen. When they ate of the forbidden fruit, they died spiritually. The perfection of their nature & their will died. They were overcome by sin. Their perfect nature changed and became what we now call a "Sin Nature" which is what all men have, and makes us as terrible as we all know we personally are behind closed doors. Adam and Eve were the totality of the human race at that time. So the whole race of man sinned. Man was now a "Dead Race", enslaved by their "Sin Nature" and Captive to Sin in all things, because he who sins is captive to sin. Everyone born of these contaminated beings would carry their inherent sin, and subsequently, their judgment.
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned— (Romans 5:12)
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. (John 8:34)

As the earth was populated with this "Dead Race", essentially, "the garbage started to overflow." Man as a race was dead; walking corpses that stunk in the nostrils of God. As the race perpetuated, so did the sin of man, until God, the Righteous Judge of all the Earth(Gen 18:25, Ecclesiastes 3:17) had enough.

"The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” – (Genesis 6:6-7)

God loved the world He created(John 3:16). Because of this, His heart was broken concerning its state of Sin, and complete deviation from the plan He originally intended for man. His regret of man's creation was not a "second thought" as it may seem. It was a deep sorrow for the giving of His goodness(His providential care and sustenance) that such sinful creatures should be kept alive. God HATES sin and wickedness. And by His own Sovereign, Divine, choosing, He chose to deal with those things at that time.

As cited above, the whole world was corrupt. The people who bore and raised Noah were corrupt. The people Noah was around and grew up with were corrupt. The woman he married was corrupt. How was it possible that Noah wasn't corrupt? It isn't possible, because he WAS corrupt. Noah was just as deserving of dying in the flood as everyone else. Why didn't he? It was not because he pleased God and everyone else didn’t. Corrupt men aren't a pleasure to Lord, but a grief.

"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." – (Genesis 6:8)

Noah was Saved by Grace. The NIV Bible reads "Favor". The KJV reads "Grace". They don't appear to be the same thing, but they are. Grace is "unmerited favor". At base, it's "Favor (good, special, and or preferential treatment), that you DON'T deserve." Noah didn't work for this favor, nor could he earn it. Because of the Sovereign Mercy of God, The Lord gave it to Him freely and spared him. What was so good about Noah that made him better than everyone else and made him worthy to be spared? NOTHING! He was just as bad, if not worse than everyone who died in the flood. Noah wasn't Saved because he was so good, but because God is so Good. God wanted the race of man to thrive until the Messiah, the Savior that He promised to send back in the Garden of Eden when the original sin happened, could come. Noah being Saved wasn't about starting the world over with a good man. As you can see, today, the world is in awful shape; and getting worse; far worse than it was at the time of the Flood. This is because the same sin that God punished in the Flood went on the boat in Noah and his family, and came off the boat when the Flood was over. Noah was Saved to the Glory of God: That God may illustrate his eventual end-time judgment of all wicked men, & that the race of man should sustain to the coming of Christ, The Savior of Men.

God Has Failed Tremendously With The Black Church

While listening to a sermon from a loved and respected minister that I know, my ears perked up as he made a seemingly small pit-stop aside the road of the message he was preaching. He threw in a personal note about a common Christian-cliché’ that was especially irritating to him. “My God can do anything but fail.” As he explained his irritation with the phrase, I agreed with his point. As with similar phrases, this particular phrase is often abused and misused by people who desire to have God do something that is outside of His Will. But I didn’t expect to hear what came next. In explaining his displeasure with the abused phrase, he dropped a bomb that I couldn’t ignore. “God has failed tremendously with the Black Church in America.” The entire congregation fell silent, and everyone was absolutely still. It was as if everyone knew something had gone wrong, but no one knew exactly what. After an extremely long five-second pause, he made his way off the side of the road back into the heart of his sermon. He didn't dress the statement, as though the points of God's failure in the Black Church were obvious. The attention of the congregation seemed to shift back into the original message as he continued away from the statement. But I could not let go of what I had just heard. The dangerous potential of the phrase led me to contact the minister after the service. I sent him an email concerning the matter. Without a specific point of failure to address, I tried to give it an overall cover. After a greeting of love and humility that stated the intention of my email, I proceeded to deal with the statement in the following fashion: 

The word “fail” according to webster’s dictionary is defined as “falling short of one’s goal or duty,” “to be, or become inadequate,” “to be unsuccessful,” “to disappoint the trust of others,” “to be deficient, or in lack,” or “to leave something undone.” In a plain sense, we can define failure in three ways:
1. Not having done something well enough.
2. Not having done enough of something.
3. Not having completed a work in an acceptable period of time.
According to Scripture, none of the dictionary definitions, nor the plain explanations of the word “fail” apply to God anywhere; and certainly not in the black church.

Point 1:
In the black Church, is there something God has not done well enough that we should not ultimately accomplish His Purpose for us? The Sovereignty of God dispatches any argument that He has not done anything “well enough”. God’s ultimate plan from the beginning has been to rescue a people that He has Chosen from the foundation of the world from their sins by His Son, for His Son. The plan to bring this to pass is the Father’s Plan. It is a perfect plan; that even utilizes that which is imperfect to bring about the Father’s pre-determined ending. If His plan is indeed “not good enough,” then opposing forces can mortally wound and totally derail His plan. Yet, Proverbs 21:30 tells us clearly, “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.” What is anything that cannot be defeated? Perfect! And if His plan is perfect, there is nothing that can be improved, nothing that can be done better, and nothing that should be changed. A perfect God is executing a perfect plan, despite our imperfection. In Malachi 3:6, God tells us, “I the LORD do not change.” Thus, at no point has He ceased to do less than well in bringing about the fullness of His plan. If we say He has, then the rebuke of Malachi chapter 1 is not only for Israel, but for us as modern Christians. Certainly God has loved us perfectly, but we have not loved Him. The blame is not on Him, but on us. And He will Judge us accordingly.

Point 2:
Has God not done enough for the black Church? Has he not Saved us from Sin & Death? (Ephesians 2:1-5) Has he not blessed us with every spiritual blessing? (Ephesians 1:3) Has He not sent us the Comforter, who leads us into all Truth? (John 16:13) Has He not given us the Word, which thoroughly equips God’s Children for every good work? (Ephesians 3:16-17) Has He not promised to give us the Wisdom we lack if only we ask? (James 1:5) Has He not promised to grant us whatever we ask if only we remain in His Word? (John 15:7) And most importantly, has He not given Himself to us, and in that, all things? (Romans 8:32) What more can we ask of the Father? Nothing! To say He has not done enough for His elect is simply untrue. It is a lie that slanders the character of our God. There has never been a time where problems have resulted for man by way of God inadequately equipping us for what He called us to. Rather, they result from man inadequately availing himself of the abundant grace and provision of the God who loves him.

Point 3:
Has God not completed His work in a satisfactory period of time? Has the Plan of Salvation not fully manifested in an acceptable time-frame? Has the window of opportunity closed on God in some area, leaving Him on the outside looking in? Has He somehow lost track of the time He set by His own authority? By no means! His plan was finished before it started. And though we see it at an incomplete stage today, it already stands as completed. Revelation 13:8 declares Christ as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world; giving us an illustration of the work of Christ having been finished before it ever started. Timing doesn’t get better than that. Because of this, God extended Grace to his servants before Christ’s day. His blood justified God’s elect even before His death as it justifies those who would and will come to live after His death. The redemption of God’s elect is not “being secured,” but it has already “been secured.” Matthew 1:21 tells us “His name shall be called Jesus, because He WILL Save His people from their sins.” Not try, or make Salvation possible; but it will actually Save. It’s a definite atonement. Our Lord assures us of this Himself in saying that it is The Father’s will that none who have been given to Him should be lost. (John 6:39) Though we don’t see the full manifestation of this accomplished work today, it is already done! And the day in which we will see it done, no man knows but the Father. (Matthew 24:36) It is a time He has set by His own authority. Thus, He is the only one who can hold Himself accountable to it. There is no failure to be found for God in this area.

I believe Scripture communicates clearly that “Failure is impossible for God.” Sovereignty and failure are incompatible. If God did fail, it would mean that He ordained the failure. Thus, the failure would be a success, because it was in His plan. Expressing that “God has failed” at anything diminishes His character. It takes away from His perfection and allows room for doubt in the mind of believers. Our God doesn’t “try” or “attempt” anything. That which He decides to do, He does. And He is successful 100% of the time in that. Believing that God can fail opens the door for some to reason that their trust in God may not yield the result that others have had in trusting God. It validates the arguments of God not being consistent in His effort, and not regarding all men equally. These ideas make God altogether different from who He is. Thus, they are blasphemous and most dangerous. 

I closed the letter in the way it began, with suggestions based in love and humility. I was pleased to hear from this minister a short time later. He expressed his thankfulness for my email, and he agreed with my points. I was grateful to God that things didn’t go in a different direction, as they easily can in matters where two men don’t agree. But the blessing in our exchange was that this didn't end up as a disagreement between two mere men, but a disagreement between two "Christian Men." The Word of God was esteemed over both our personal feelings and egos. Thus, God was glorified. For anyone who may be facing a similar situation, I pray your courage and strength in the Lord to stand up and speak the truth where the comfortable response of silence is common and expected. Operate in love! Examine your heart. If your motive is anything less than honoring God out of love for Christ and His bride, you may need to deal with the beam in your own eye before you attempt to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.(Matthew 7:5) But there are situations, as the above mentioned, where the potential of a statement, even by a minister, is so harmful that we must say something. Anything that makes paints our God as less than perfect, paints our Christ as less than perfect. And if our Christ is less than perfect, then so is our Salvation. This is the foundation of what we stand on as Christians. And we must not accept anything less than Christ preached as accurately as Scripture gives testimony of Him. Though I'm bothered as much as the next saint by abused Christian-Cliches, we can't allow are annoyance to make us run so far away from them that we deny even the truth within them, for the sake of denouncing what's false about them. If we know nothing else, we can be sure that our God has not, cannot, and will not fail. Ever.