Last week I attended a small conference in Atlanta where a man of God named Carlton Pearson said, "God is not Christian". Now, he got our attention as I hope I have your attention with that statement as my title. God is indeed, NOT Christian.
Before I tell you how wonderful that truth is, and before I take on any Narrow-sees (you know the Narrow-sees....they're folks like the Pharisees who hated Jesus and finally had to kill him for thinking and believing outside their narrow sight) let me introduce you to Bishop Pearson. He is a very well known singer, speaker and pastor who for years has been greatly loved in many pentecostal and charismatic circles. I heard him 25 years ago preach a beautiful sermon on "Shadrach, Meshach and a Big-Negro (Carlton is African American). But these days Bishop Pearson is not so loved by those same circles. He has gotten himself in trouble. He has stepped into the same territory that Jesus did in His 3 years of public ministry. The good Bishop is no longer satisfied with church and Christianity as it has become in 2005. The Holy Spirit has revealed a truth to this man of God, so threatening, so world shaking, so dangerous that one well known pentecostal leader has declared that he has ship wreaked his ministry. What is that truth? God is not ticked off. God loves everyone. God is not seeking new and creative ways to kill people who displease Him. God's wrath is satisfied in the Cross. God does not need anger management counseling. He loves the world and everyone on it. His mercy is severe.
Get down off that table and stop throwing things at me long enough to think....think deeply....I know some of you haven't done that in a while, but give it a try. Ready? Well, ready or not, here we go.
American evangelical/fundementalist Christians have gotten so narrow in our sight (remember the Narrow-sees?) that we have intentionally produced a god in our own image. We are too frightened to let Him produce us in His image because if He does, we might have to let go of our secret desire to enjoy hurricanes that "judge" New Orleans and earthquakes that mangle school children in Pakistan.
God told Moses that His Name was (and IS) "I AM". He is independent. He is God, all by Himself. He does not need our approval, vote, direction or counsel on who should be judged. God is not Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Buddist or Hindu. When Joshua saw a human image of Him he asked if He was on "their side" or "our side". God giggled and shot back, "Neither. I'm on My own side."
It's time for a New God. One Who is not really new, but One Who has been "above" us, not shaped by our prejudices and ignorances. A shocking God. A God untamed and out of the cage we created to protect ourselves from His consuming fire of His Big Bad Self. It's time for an extreme make-over of the God Who "AM"!
4 comments:
How blessed I am to have a man of truth who is willing to step into the firing zone for a God that is so huge and awesome. I am so honored to be your sheep. Thank you so much for shining His light where it needs to be in my life. I'm here for the long haul!
It is amazing to me that you admire Carlton Pearson so deeply. He has lost his way. I knew he had lost his way years ago in attendance at Higher Dimensions. Any man who comes into his own services with eight bodyguards 45 minutes after starting (this was every Sunday) with an enterouge and cannot be approached by normal parishioners is not a great pastor--he is simply a celebrity.
Jesus said "I am the Truth, the Way, and the Life." Not, "I could be the Truth, I could be the way, but... eh."
Dear "Anonymous", I admire many people with whom I don't see eye to eye; Mahotma Ghandi, FDR, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Robert Schuler, just to name a few. And even when I disagree, I respect the fact that they have the courage to attach their name and face with their convictions. I have joined these ranks, in my own small way, by putting my heart and my reputation out there for all to see. The Jesus you glibly quoted did the same. Not coincidently, He was also known for being a friend of folks who had lost their way.
Pastor Randy - I am surprised that 'anonymous' so quickly looked past the obvious parallel's in other large ministries and even in Jesus own ministry! Don't all the big name ministries 'who are also unapproachable' have security and entourages? Didn't Jesus have a entourage? Men who protected Him from some who approached? Was not Jesus considered by the religious 'elite' of His time to have 'lost his way'? to be a heretic, a trouble maker, even deserving of death?
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