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Say What?! Serious Errors of the “Decree & Declare” Doctrine – Part 2

I love watching Cirque du Soleil. The physical agility of these performers – no, athletes – is incredible. The way they spin and twirl and twist and contort, barely breaking a sweat, sometimes I shake my head in disbelief. No, they did not just do that! How in the world?!

I feel the same way about preachers of “decreeing and declaring.” Except for the love part. Of course, I love them, but I hate what they do. Hate it. The way they spin and twirl and twist and contort God’s Holy Word to make it say what they want it to say, barely sweating it as they do, it makes me shake my head, it’s so unbelievable. No, they did not just do that! How in the world?!

In this Part 2 of looking at serious errors of the “Decree & Declare” doctrine (see Part 1: “Abracadabra“), I examine seven major Scriptures preachers and practitioners take out of context to try to support it. As I do, please keep the following in mind:

Context is so important. It is a crucial tool for accurately interpreting and understanding anything we hear or read, not just the Bible. It’s something we learn starting with reading comprehension classes in elementary school, because it helps give the who, what, when, where, why and how of what we hear or read.

Anyone who doesn’t consider context is at a serious disadvantage. Anyone who knowingly ignores context, or thinks it only matters sometimes, or refuses to be corrected by it, is without excuse.

For context in the Bible, every verse should be read and understood in light of the verses before it and after it. Also, any one part of the Scriptures should be read and understood in light of all the rest of the Scriptures.

With proper context in mind, then, we will see how just a cursory examination of seven major Bible verses (in chronological order here) will reveal how much “decreers and declarers” put their own spin and twist on it to make God say what He really hasn’t said. Say what?!

1. Job 22:28a – You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you.

This statement was made by Eliphaz (verse 1), who was suggesting that Job was suffering because he had turned away from God (verses 1-22), and if he would just return to Him, Job’s life would change (verses 23-30) – with successful “decreeing” being one of the benefits (verse 28).

The problem here is that Eliphaz was actually being presumptuous! Job was in fact blameless, as clearly stated in Chapter 1 by God Himself (verses 1 and 8). Furthermore, later in the Book of Job God rebukes Eliphaz, telling him (Job 42:7-9), My wrath is kindled against you…because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has…”

Even if we pretend that Eliphaz’s specific statement about “decreeing” in and of itself is not wrong, his credibility is now suspect. Why would Christians latch on to any statement made by someone God rebuked so severely?

2. Proverbs 6:2 – You are snared by the words of your mouth; you are taken by the words of your mouth.

I remember a member of Crenshaw Christian Center once told me he wouldn’t pray for a foot condition I had because, as long as I was “confessing” that I had it, it would keep “manifesting.” He then pulled out his notes from church and quoted Proverbs 6:2. When I asked him for the context, he basically said, “Well, how much context can there be since this is only the second verse?”

Come on, Christians! Use the fundamentals of reading comprehension you learned all through school! I’m sorry, but really?!

Forget the fact even his “apostle” has rightly taught that the original manuscripts of the Bible were not written with chapter and verse divisions. Verses 1 through 5 make it very plain the context of Proverbs 6:2 is a warning about the problems associated with making indiscriminate pledges (promises or oaths) that can put us in difficult situations.

The lesson is not about the power of our literal words but about the potential outcome of our contractual agreements. In this case, words of agreement are just like shaking hands on it (verse 1). It is a sign of sealing the deal, nothing more. In that sense only is how our words can snare us.

3. Proverbs 18:21 – The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Like many sections of Proverbs, this verse is part of a list of wise sayings that don’t directly relate to each other. The context tells us when a verse stands alone and when it goes with the surrounding verses (such as Proverbs 6:2 discussed above). Even if a verse such as Proverbs 18:21 stands alone, we can and should still consider it in the context of the rest of Scripture.

Those who take Proverbs 18:21 in the literal sense – “speak life into your circumstances, not death!” – are reading into it what they already want to believe, instead of taking out of it what God intended. And what God intended is just the common sense wisdom that the attitude, intentions and tone of the things we say with our mouths can have good or bad outcomes; and if you love to talk but aren’t careful about who hears (including God, who hears everything), there will be consequences.

Nothing about Proverbs 18:21 tells us to take the verse literally instead of figuratively, and the rest of the full counsel of God’s Word (i.e., context) helps us to see we don’t have to.

4. Mark 11:23b – …he shall have whatever he says.

I’m only providing the part of the verse quoted the most by lay Christians and some preachers who affirm “decreeing and declaring.” For example, once I sneezed and said I was catching a cold and my brother (see “Jesus Died for This?“) told me, “See, you said it, now you’re going to catch one!” That’s preposterous.

But to be fair, they base it on the whole verse, which says, For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, ‘Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea;’ and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he says. In other words, proponents conclude, “You have what you say!”

It’s easy to see why they interpret the verse this way. Jesus, our Master and Teacher, is talking here, teaching His closest disciples, and He is clearly saying we can move mountains and have anything we ask for if we believe.

But in light of the broader context of this verse, as well as the fuller context of all the Scriptures, having whatever we believe and speak is not the lesson Jesus wants His followers, including us, to walk away with. The lesson is about faith (verse 24) and, more specifically, to have faith in God (verse 22). It’s about trusting our Heavenly Father to the point that even mountains could be moved.

Mark 11:23 is not about having faith in our faith, faith in our uttered words, or faith in some formula that’s supposed to somehow guarantee the desired outcome as long as we work it right.

Proponents counter that verse 22 should really be translated or interpreted to read, not “Have faith in God” but “Have the faith of God.” From there, they then spin it into “Have faith like God.” And then from there they take this giant leap and twist it into, “Have the God-kind of faith.” How in the world?!

Here again, they contort God’s precious and perfect Word into the impossible. They miss the fact that having the faith “of God” is easily interpreted to mean having the faith which comes from God, that is imparted to us by God. This interpretation agrees with such passages as Romans 12:3-8 about how even our faith is given to us by the grace and purpose of Almighty God to do His will and not our own.

Besides, there is no such thing as the “God-kind of faith” because God by His very nature does not operate by faith. If God has faith, it is only in the sense that He has it to give to us. Here’s why: Faith in the Greek (the original language of the New Testament) is a firmly relying confidence, a conviction based on hearing and not on sight or knowledge.

So, if God exercises His own faith, whom did He hear it from? Whoever it is would have to be greater than He, because that person would obviously have to know more than Him. Which in turn would mean the God of the Bible would not be the Supreme God. (But He is.) Furthermore, what is it that God doesn’t see or know, since He’s omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful) and omnipresent (present everywhere)?

5. Romans 4:17 – …calls those things which be not as though they were.

I didn’t quote the whole verse again because proponents of “decreeing and declaring” don’t; and those who do still take it out of context or collapse context with other Scriptures that are equally out of context. That is, they stick different verses together to try to show how they support each other, but to do so they have to take each separate verse or passage out of its own proper context. It’s like putting square pegs into round holes.

The broader context of Romans 4:17 is about how Abraham was a great example of faith in God. The immediate sub-context is how powerful the God he had faith in is, that He has the awesome power (ability) and authority to call those things which do not exist as though they did; that is, to cause things to come into existence. Such as giving life to the dead, as the full verse says.

Nowhere in this verse or in the context of this verse does it say, imply or instruct that man has that same power or authority. It is God who can create something from nothing, not man, not even faith-filled Christians. This verse even by itself can’t be any clearer on that fact.

Proponents counter that, yes, Romans 4:17 clearly says it’s God who calls things into existence, no argument there. But then they’ll add that we can indeed do it, too. This is where collapsing context comes in.

They’ll go to Genesis 1:26 (if they know where to look) and other Old and New Testament Scriptures to point out that we are made in God’s image and that we are to be like Christ. They’ll also use John 14:12, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. But they don’t have any way to support the grand leap of logic it takes to go from A) being made in His image (He’s a Person, we are persons) and B) we will do greater works than Jesus did all the way to Z) we can bring things into existence.

I stand by the perpetuity of spiritual gifts; my position is that God still uses the faithful to heal the sick and even raise the dead if He chooses to. But it is as He wills, not as we will (e.g., 1 John 5:14). Being conformed to the image of Christ is not about being little gods (sorry, Creflo Dollar and Kenneth Copeland) but being holy, humble, loving, truthful, wise, merciful, gracious, kind, spiritually fruitful, ready to do good works, not magic tricks. Yeah, decree and declare those things!

In fact, if we can really call those things that be not as though they were just like Jesus could, and since Jesus raised people from the dead, why isn’t there more decreeing and declaring to raise people from the dead today, such as precious children who die of cancer, neglect or abuse?

6. 2 Corinthians 4:13 – And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak.

The context here is the Apostle Paul referring to how he and his brethren were able to not lose heart through all their trials for the sake of the truth of the Gospel. Paul was not “decreeing and declaring” but simply and beautifully affirming how they were able to stay strong and encouraged, reciting a portion of Psalm 116:10 as a focal point to keep themselves on track with what was already established about the Kingdom of God.

Paul was just agreeing with what God had already ordained when He called them to the hard work of evangelism.

Besides, if 2 Corinthians 4:13 were about “decreeing and declaring,” then the whole chapter would be one huge negative confession! The “decreer and declarer” would have to conclude it’s why Paul and his co-laborers suffered as much as they did! But, of course, just a simple, objective (versus pre-conceived) reading of it reveals how encouraging and strengthening Paul’s words are, even for us today.

7. James 3:10 – Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.

This verse is making an observation, not giving an instruction for us to follow. It’s part of a larger lesson about the dual nature of man’s tongue – not that it has any creative power to “speak life” or “speak death” into our circumstances but that it tends to praise and offend, help and hurt, encourage and discourage, tell the truth and deceive, love and hate.

The context of James 3:10 is the lesson that we as Christians should (by God’s strength) tame what is so hard to tame. The purpose is not so that we will learn how to directly, literally “create” change in our circumstances. Rather, it is so that, just as much with our tongues as with every other vehicle for our attitudes and behavior, we will act like God’s obedient children and not like hypocrites. For example, we are to bless instead of curse; praise instead of ridicule; speak kindly instead of disrespectfully; know when to speak and when to shut up; and think before we speak so no one can call us a fool.

The real purpose for “Decreeing and Declaring”

Virtually every time I see someone decreeing and declaring, it’s for something they want or need for themselves in this life, or it’s a preacher “decreeing and declaring” over the lives of their fans – which makes that preacher even more popular and wealthy.

You can’t fill the pews with unpopular preaching, even if it’s biblical. Indeed, you’ll empty the pews by preaching about sin, hell, accountability, humility, repentance, suffering for Christ, bearing crosses, storing up treasures in heaven, looking out for the needs of others first, etc.

Should we pray for things in this life? Of course. God tells us to (e.g., Philippians 4:6). Should we expect our negative circumstances to change if we believe and ask God? Absolutely. Believe you receive, Jesus said. But we have to do so rightly, in accordance with His Word taken in proper context, in accordance with His will before our own, and for His glory only. Any purpose other than that, achieved by putting our own spin on God’s Word or twisting and contorting it to fit our own greed, is really self-centered idolatry.

“Decree & Declare” is a false doctrine

I hope this Part Two, and Part One, have helped you get a biblical understanding of why professing Christians should not practice “decreeing and declaring.” Please leave a comment and I will endeavor to respond at my earliest opportunity.

7 Confessions of a Bible-Toting Scripture-Quoting Christian

I was called out about something recently and I must admit, there’s no way around it, I was totally guilty. Still am.  Crazy thing is, I’m going to keep being “guilty” of it. At least that’s the plan. And I hope I’ll be a “bad” enough influence on you so you’ll stay “guilty” of it yourself.

You see, I was told, “Oh, you’re one of those bible-toting scripture-quoting Christians!” And it wasn’t positive. Even crazier is who said it, which was — wait for it — another pastor’s wife! Another pastor’s wife!

My immediate response to her was, “Aren’t you?!”

That’s like one cop telling another, “Oh, you’re one of those law-enforcing, peace-endorsing cops!” Or like one employee telling another, “Oh, you’re one of those job-keeping, promotion-seeking employees!” Or even like the Belgium goalie telling USA’s Tim Howard, “Oh, you’re one of those record-setting, shot-rejecting goalies!”

What should be considered a compliment is uttered like a complaint, like you’re doing something wrong by doing what you and they are supposed to be doing. To have that complaint come from someone who is in the same shoes as you — the same role, the same challenges and, supposedly, the same purpose and hope as you — makes no sense and, worse, makes the accuser look like a hypocrite. Their own folly is exposed by the very thing they’re pointing their finger at you about.

I didn’t take it personally, though, even if the sister meant it derogatorily. Indeed, it is absolutely a compliment to be called a bible-toting scripture-quoting Christian. It means I’m being at least a little bit like those in the Bible who staked everything on what “thus saith the Lord” instead of on their own, each others’ or the masses’ fickle opinions and selfish desires. Sure, I got the twang. But I chose rather to take it as the compliment it should be while at the same time showing her her folly by reminding her she should be one, too. “Aren’t you?”

Who she is isn’t important and it would actually be unfair for me to say since our conversation was private. That’s makes her different than T.D. Jakes, Creflo Dollar, Joel Osteen or any other false teacher who makes outrageous statements publicly.  (See Naming Names). In fact, forget that we’re both pastors’ wives. Any Christian complaining when another Christian chooses to rely on the Word of God, it’s almost unbelievable.

Almost.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine… (2 Timothy 4:3a).  I was surprised, but I shouldn’t have been. That sister’s apparent diminished way of thinking about the Bible is increasingly pervasive in Christian ministries today. No, I was more disappointed, and I should have been. Something’s terribly wrong in the church when a true believer in Jesus risks ill will from a fellow believer for daring to think, dialogue and live according to His Word, and to encourage others to do the same. I actually feel sorry for her in her folly.

That’s why I must share with you, from a position of defense but much more from a position of humble beseeching, my seven confessions for being a bible-toting scripture-quoting Christian. My goal with this — as with everything I post on this blog and my Facebook page — is to spark new or heightened interest in the sheer awesomeness of God’s Holy Word. I’m not talking about worshipping the bible but worshipping its Author by learning and living by what He wrote. God wants us to be close to Him. But how can we be close to anyone we take little time to get to know? Prayer is essential. Fellowship with the saints is also important. But how can we really love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength if we’re not also hanging on His every word?

Confession #1 – I’m not there yet.
This article and entire blog God is using as much to speak to me as to anyone else. I, too, need to be reminded to read my bible, and to rely on the wisdom and guidance He provides through it. I have to fight the laziness, lack of motivation, day-to-day busy-ness, forgetfulness and occasional apprehension that can get in the way of personal bible study.

But beyond that, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been a Christian, you will always have room to grow in your love for God, your desire to be close to Him and your efforts to put it into action in your daily life. Being a bible-toting scripture-quoting Christian at heart is foundational to that growth. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

Confession #2 – I don’t love anyone as much as I love Jesus.
I love my husband and kids beyond measure. So, like we all do with those we love, I show them. I show them affection, spend quality time with them, give to them, sacrifice for them, take care of them, tell them I love them, praise them, listen to them. I laugh and cry with them. I cook for them and go to the movies with them, which is my favorite pastime. Or I’ll watch every . . . single . . . Lakers game, from pre-season to playoffs.

But neither my husband nor any of our children ever gave me life — not the life I’ve been living temporarily here and not the one I will live eternally in heaven. None of them died to give me eternal life. None of them could. I believe they would give their lives to save mine, but none of them could ever save my very soul. Only Jesus Christ could do that and in fact did do that. And He did it while I was yet a sinner. That’s why He deserves my complete devotion, attention and obedience.

But God’s not tangible in this earth realm in the same way as my family. I can’t hug Him, cook for Him or root for His favorite team with Him. (What would I cook? And would He be cheering for both teams since He’s not a respecter of persons?)  Thankfully, I can certainly sacrifice for Him, tell Him I love Him, spend quality time with Him and honor Him, all in so many wonderful ways. The most important way, besides diligent prayer, is by learning how to be a bible-toting scripture-quoting Christian.

Jesus said, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word (John 14:23a; see also verse 15) and Anyone who loves their father or mother [or] son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me (Matthew 10:37). His commandments — precepts, principles, wisdom, instruction, admonition, promises and encouragements — are spelled out in the Bible. So, I have them at my disposal to learn and obey and share as a way to express my love for Him. As much as my family is worth it to me, Jesus is worth it infinitely more.

Confession #3 – I am helpless, useless and hopeless without God’s Word.
What is it about All scripture is…profitable (2 Timothy 3:16) don’t Christians, including other pastors’ wives, understand? My very eternal salvation is affirmed by God’s inspired Word (cf. 1 John 5:11-13; 2 Timothy 3:15), and Christ’s empty tomb seals the deal when it comes to the all-sufficiency of the Scriptures. The Bible has all the authority, reliability and power every Christian needs to live and serve in His Name here on earth, and to have joyful hope for eternal life to come. No amount of inspirational psycho-babble from Oprah, Iyanla, Dr. Phil or their life-coaching wannabes, and no amount of materialistic positive confessions from your favorite prosperity preachers, and no amount of self-determined self-talk about your own self-worth can provide the same sustained level and depth of security, hope and peace through trials like a daily dose of God’s infallible Word. …[Y]ou have known the Holy Scriptures through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Confession #4 – I’m afraid of my own folly and shame.
May I never expose my own folly by complaining that a fellow Christian is acting like a Christian! Nobody wants to be a hypocrite. Of course, inevitably, since no one’s perfect, every one of us says or does something stupid as a believer. But learning God’s Word and doing our best to put it into practice will help prevent such folly and the shame it brings to us and to the Gospel. May I never open up the Word of God to be blasphemed!

It is folly and shame to belittle the very thing the Lord Jesus Himself said sanctifies us: Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth (John 17:17). The more I tote and quote the Bible, the more of God’s truth — versus my own folly — will be reflected in my words, walk and witness.

Confession #5 – I don’t want to be led astray, or lead anyone else astray.
I don’t want to be silly (2 Timothy 3:6) or simple-minded (Romans 16:18). I don’t want to be like a child, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting (Ephesians 4:14). I don’t want to be deceived. And I don’t want to be deceiving while I’m being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13).

The more I open up God’s Word, the more I learn His sanctifying truth — truth about the Lord, His character, His nature, His will, His precepts, His warnings and His promises. The more I learn God’s Truth, the more discerning I become to recognize truth and error, sound and false teaching, right and wrong. The more discerning I become, the less likely I’ll be led astray and lead astray others whom I’m supposed to teach or witness the Gospel to.

Toting and quoting the Bible helps to shield God’s precious people from false doctrines and protect us from the false teachers who use it to manipulate the vulnerable. Biblical illiteracy is chronic in the Body of Christ. As a pastor’s wife, a women’s ministry director and a Christian blogger, I don’t want to perpetuate the immaturity that plagues us, from the pulpit to the pew and from the airwaves to the world wide web.

Confession #6 – I want to be ready against the critics.
When someone challenges your faith or challenges a doctrine or practice you follow, it’s not enough to defend it by saying, “But I just know it in my heart…” or “Well, my experience is that…” or “I had a vision about it” or even “But my pastor says…”. Christians need to know, not just what we believe but also why we believe what we believe. And there’s no better source than the Word of God.

Often people criticize just to be controversial or manipulative, or out of pride and envy. But sometimes people really are seeking true understanding, and they don’t care what you feel, what you’ve personally experienced, what subjective vision you think you had after eating that left-over pizza, or what your pastor thinks. They want something solid, something objectively verifiable, something independently credible, not something easily suspect. Being equipped with a fitting bible verse is infinitely harder for the honest critic/skeptic to refute and dismiss because then they’ll be arguing with the Almighty Creator of the universe and not you.

If they’ll still reject you or belittle you, you can still walk away unscathed because you know it’s not mere man’s word they’re rejecting or belittling — if indeed it’s God Word in proper context that you’ve presented. You won’t be easily offended by the critics attacking you but rather will feel sorry for them and will know how to pray for them.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Being a bible-toting scripture-quoting Christian gives you the thick skin you need to stand against criticisms (honest or not) and persecutions.

Confession #7 – My very life depends on God’s Word.
My husband and I have learned first-hand that relying on the Holy Bible gives wisdom and strength for dealing with the stresses, fears, weariness and bitterness that can result from multiple betrayals, alienation, loss and disappointments and eat away at your physical and emotional well-being. Relying on the Scriptures is the most sufficient thing that gets you through the fiery furnace un-scorched and smoke-free. Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction (Psalm 119:92).

That’s why I don’t believe you can ever be too much of a bible-toting scripture-quoting Christian — except if you purposely quote it out of context, cherry-pick scriptures according to your own preferences and ignore the rest, or possess knowledge but lack love (1 Corinthians 13:2).

That’s why I love Psalm 119. It’s interesting that the longest psalm in the Book of Psalms and also the longest chapter in the entire Bible (176 verses) has almost every single verse make some sort of reference to the all-sufficiency of God’s Word — His laws, commandments, precepts, principles, wisdom, etc. Apparently, the psalmist was an Old Testament equivalent of a modern-day bible-toting scripture-quoting follower of God, too! If I’m going to heed anybody’s example, it will be his and not someone who belittles life-preserving reliance on what “thus saith the Lord.”

I praise God for the authority, reliability and power of His written Word! And I feel sorry for anyone who complains when a fellow Christian chooses to think, live, serve and witness by it and it alone.

How has knowing or not knowing the Word of God helped or hurt your Christian life, service or witness? Please leave your comments and I will endeavor to reply as soon as I can.

A Lady First: Being a Pastor’s Wife

Reality TV makes a mockery of Christianity and I as a pastor’s wife am embarrassed and fed up. Not just for what these so-called docu-series are doing to open up our Faith to ridicule, but also for what a lot of pastors’ wives are doing in real “real life” that only perpetuates the problem.

And why do they always have to be Black, most of them? As an African-American pastor’s wife myself (okay, half, whatever), that just adds insult to injury.

True enough, TLC cancelled “The Sisterhood” (winter 2013) after only one season due to major outcry from the Christian community. But then Oxygen’s “Preachers of L.A.” came around just six months later and was popular enough to be renewed for a second season. Plus, I hear there are to be spin-offs in other major cities like Atlanta and Detroit. And now there’s word that a new reality show, “Preachers’ Exes,” is shopping for a network channel.

Overall, these shows and the professing Christians on them are embarrassing and misleading. Not all pastors are about the bling. And not all pastor’s wives are arrogant, entitled, self-centered, aloof, patronizing, untouchable, I-can-do-what-I-want-I’m-the-first-lady, got-to-be-the-best-dressed, elitist, biblically illiterate, selectively loving, gossipping busybodies.

But a lot of us are.

I’m not saying that every pastor’s wife on “The Sisterhood” and “Preachers of L.A.” are all of these things. I don’t know any of them personally (being among the Facebook friends of a couple of them doesn’t count). On the show, some were worse than others and, thankfully, two or three of them weren’t really any of these things (except biblically illiterate).

But the majority of these women represent a lot of pastors’ wives who covet the title and position of “first lady in the church” (a long-held tradition in the Apostolic and other churches predominantly in the African-American community) — often being groomed for it from the time they were little girls. And it’s to the ultimate detriment of the local church and the women, especially the young women, who aspire to be just like them.

Special attention and favor do inevitably come with being married to the most visible and respected person in the local church. The problem is when pastors’ wives get all caught up in the hype instead of gently resisting the congregation’s natural tendency to put them on a pedestal. Allowing yourself to be called “First Lady” in the first place is the beginning of that problem. (Read my Why I’m Reluctant page and Name Calling page to see why I would even dare call myself that in the title of this blog.)

I’m thinking about two examples. First is Myesha Chaney, married to Pastor Wayne Chaney of Antioch Church of Long Beach, California, featured on “Preachers of L.A.” (See my post Naming Names for the biblical basis for why I would, well, name names.) Part of their storyline was that he needed a second in command and she wanted the job. When he hesitated, partly because the church board was against the nepotism and partly because of his own concerns about whether she could balance it with motherhood and her other existing responsibilities, she started crying. Her husband then, um, submitted.

Not to belittle Mrs. Chaney’s real feelings, but with all due respect, I wouldn’t feel secure at a church where it seems that: 1) the second in command is easily moved to tears when she doesn’t get her way; 2) the senior pastor is easily moved by those tears because it’s his wife; 3) the senior pastor’s wife shows such lack of trust in and Godly compliance with his leadership of her, their family and their church; and 4) the senior pastor submits to his wife and not the other way around when it comes to a major matter of the church, which makes me wonder how much she was maybe already kind of running things behind the scenes before this and at the church family’s expense.

This is even before I mention the fact that God did not ordain for women to be in authority over men in the first place. But that’s another article (or two) for another time.

The second example is Lady Bridget Hilliard, wife of Pastor I.V. Hilliard of New Light Christian Center in Houston, Texas. For her 50th birthday a few years ago, the church’s website had a microsite inviting people to her party for a $100 per person admission price. The party planning committee even included a list of suggested gift ideas, making it plain that Mrs. Hilliard deserved nothing less than “monetary gifts, designer handbags (Gucci, Chanel and Louis Vitton) and gift certificates (Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Escade).” (Houston Press article, February 9, 2006). Mrs. Hilliard was already driving a Bentley with the license plate, “Mrs. Attitude.” (Guess what her husband’s said.) Enough said.

That party’s old news by now, of course, and I read the microsite was taken down shortly after the Houston Press article came out. What I have not read anywhere is whether or not the Hilliards ever apologized for it or retracted that gifts list. I’m not saying they never did apologize; I’m just saying, in all the reading I did do in my research, I didn’t read anything that said they had.

Maybe now I’m the one who sounds arrogant, elitist, unloving and gossipy. And jealous. Let me briefly address all that. It’s important you know my heart before I continue.

Firstly, am I arrogant or elitist? See my Who She Think She Is? page. Anything I think I know is not because I think I have any superior insight or privileged wisdom. All I have is the same degree of access to reality shows and The Word Network, the Internet and Google, and — most importantly of all — the Holy Bible as anybody else; and I have been given the same basic degree of intelligence, common sense and potential ability to discern as most people; and I am therefore no more capable than anybody else to just, simply, make reasonable observations about things and evaluate how those things measure up against the test of the final authority of God’s Word.

Indeed, this very blog is intended, not to prove anything about myself, but to prove that all of us have the ability to think for ourselves about our Faith and our churches. This, in spite of the fact that, as I’ve said elsewhere, it’s going to ruffle some feathers in a lot of church hats. If that’s what it takes, so be it.

Am I gossiping? No, because I’m only talking about what was done publicly, and my assessment of it is my personal opinion based on my comparison of it against the Scriptures. I’m not addressing anything that isn’t already public knowledge.

Am I being unloving. No, because telling truthful observations about someone and loving them are not mutually exclusive. If they put themselves out there (on television and their websites), as long as I’m not calling them out their name or slandering (lying about) them, then no one can conclude I don’t love them. Am I aware what I’m saying could hurt their or their followers’ feelings and therefore that’s how I could be unloving? No, even then, my hope is that those women and their followers will be ultimately helped out of this faulty and potentially dangerous way of thinking in the church. Any short-term hurt is outweighed by that long-term goal. And that long-term goal is very loving, indeed.

Am I jealous? Hmm. Jealous of what? Material things? Status? Attention? Prominence? Popularity? If my focus were on me, if I were a “first lady” and a “Mrs. Attitude” like Bridget Hilliard, then of course being jealous and competitive would come with the territory. But I don’t want the title “First Lady.” Calling myself “Mrs. Davis” is plenty satisfying enough, thank you very much.

Furthermore, I don’t covet material things and all the rest. Sure, I like nice things, and sure, who doesn’t like at least a little attention. But these are things the carnal man desires, while God says that life does not consist in the abundance of one’s possessions (Luke 12:15), don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19), and be content (1 Timothy 6:6-8). In other words, balance. Biblical balance. I love and fear Almighty God too much, and my burden to warn Christian women is too heavy (see 2 Timothy 3:6), for me to be secretly pining for whatever those “First Ladies” have that I don’t have.

Here’s why I’m embarrassed and fed up with the whole “First Lady in the church” thing — whether it’s a pastor’s wife’s title or just her attitude:

Too many “First Ladies” fail to see that being a pastor’s wife is a privilege, not an entitlement. It’s a calling, not a status level. It’s a position of support and service, not of being served. It’s an opportunity for you to bless, not control. It’s about modeling a pricelessly adorned spirit, not the latest Gucci handbag. It’s a responsibility to give God all the glory, not share His glory with your husband and yourself. They fail to see it, and like sheep being led astray, their congregations fail to see it, too.

I’ve been a pastor’s wife for more than 21 years. With all of its perks come a lot of pitfalls, this I know first-hand. That’s why I also know, don’t seek to be a pastor’s wife unless you know you’re called by God. Be careful what you ask for, because if your pastor husband is going to do his job right, you as his biggest supporter and disciple are going to have to do your job right.

That means, first lady, you’re going to have to endure a lot of sacrifice, scrutiny, tests and trials, second-guessing, attacks on your marriage and family, hurt and pain, and loneliness. The fruits of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 6:22-24) — will have to be in operation on double-time. And let me throw in Galatians 6:26 for good measure: “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another.”

Of course, being a pastor’s wife also means being blessed to serve and help, to see the fruit of your labor in teaching and guiding your precious sisters and young women (Titus 2:3-5), and first and foremost being a fitting helpmate to your husband’s work in his ministry witnessing to lost souls and discipling believers into growing in their Faith.

In short, don’t seek after being a “first lady.” Be a “lady first.” (Thank you for that, Brother Lawrence E. Webb.)

A “lady first” is a woman (pastor’s wife or not) after God’s own heart. First.

Then it’s the heart of her husband, then her children (yes, after the husband), then the people in the church, then the larger community. Like the Proverbs 31 woman (verses 10-31), such a lady is content with her husband and children giving her honor even if no one else ever does (cf. verses 28-29). Moreover, it’s her good deeds — not her title, position, possessions or fashion style — that garner admiration outside her home (verses 30-31).

Similarly, a “lady first” strives to do what women are instructed in Titus 2:3-5: be mindful of their awesome responsibility to younger women, live holy lives, avoid idolatry, don’t gossip, teach biblical things, be level-headed, love and yield to their husbands, prefer and nurture their children, and make the home a pleasant, well-managed and healthy refuge for the family and guests.

Actually, verse 5 of Titus 2 is the only place in the Bible where it tells women in particular to not open up the Word of God to be blasphemed — maligned, cheapened, dishonored, discredited. How did/do most of the pastors’ wives on “The Sisterhood,” “Preachers of L.A.” and those you know or heard of personally, publicly live out that clear admonition?

Being a pastor’s wife called by God and not your ego, calls for being a lady first. And being a lady first, well, that’s hard enough as it is, I have to admit! (Or is it just me?!) It’s a constant striving already to be the Proverbs 31/Ephesians 5/Titus 2/1 Peter 3 woman even without the added responsibility of supporting a husband’s ministry.

But being a lady first, more than being a first lady, is what is most beautiful in the eyes of your husband, your children, your fellow church members and, most importantly of all, your Heavenly Father.

I welcome your comments and will respond as soon as I can.

The Majority Fools

The “majority rules” way of picking sides is not always smart. Especially when it comes to the things of God and matters of the kingdom. Often, as the majority rules, the majority fools.

We’ve all seen examples of this in the world, such as when kids side with the bully in a school yard fight, or when juries convict innocent men to life or death sentences who are later exonerated.

I saw this happen to a pastor once. Not in a court of law, mind you, and not quite on a school yard. But this pastor was wrongfully accused of being a “striker brawler” by the unanimous vote of his deacon board even though they knew he had never even threatened to hit anyone let alone actually hit anyone. All it took, apparently, was a grossly embellished story by one of the deacons who knew it would be his word against the pastor’s because there were no other known eyewitnesses to the incident. Couple that with the fact that this deacon always prided himself on his ability to talk anyone into the ground until they cried “Uncle!” — except the pastor, who knew it takes more than sheer quantity of words and cleverness to make good ministry decisions. 

Despite the overwhelming lack of independent evidence, the deacon’s powers of persuasion worked on the other deacons. The pastor was quickly dismissed from his post and banned from the church with one day’s notice, without his back pay or severance pay, and without an opportunity to give his side of the story to the congregation.

Many of the church members and other collaborators with the ministry took the deacons’ unanimous vote as evidence enough of the pastor’s guilt. Most did not. Either way, the majority rules mentality caused a devastating church split. An eyewitness to the incident later revealed himself to the pastor to corroborate the pastor’s account. But it was too late.

As the majority ruled, the majority fooled.

This “majority fools” concept is of course not new. One of the best biblical examples is found in Numbers 13 and 14. God told Moses He was going to give a certain area of land to the people of Israel, but first He had him choose twelve men to go and spy things out. All twelve men came back agreeing it was a rich land, but the whopping majority of them doubted they could take it — and convinced all the people of the same. Only two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, had faith to believe God would be with them to give them the victory.  All the people picked the side of the majority, to the point that they even talked about stoning the two dissenters!

So, what happened? God got angry because of the people’s contempt and decided everyone of that generation would not ever enter the promised land except Joshua and Caleb and their families. The ten men who spread the bad report, causing the people to grumble and rebel against The Lord, were struck down with a plague. It was at that point that the people decided to go and try to take the land, but it was too late. God had already withdrawn His will for them to succeed and they were attacked and chased away by the enemy.

The most obvious and notorious example is that of the Passion of Jesus Christ. After being betrayed by one of His closest disciples, Jesus stood trial in a kangaroo court as the religious leaders presented false witnesses against Him. He was convicted, beaten and then scourged within an inch of His life. Worst of all, the same people who had just hailed Him as King during His Triumphant Entry were now zealous for His death! They mocked Him, spit on Him, struck Him repeatedly and cursed at Him as He carried His Cross all the way up the hill to Calvary. The crowds who were once praising Jesus, now wanted Him dead. Just like that.

I’m not using these stories to prophesy or even hint anything about what did, should or might happen to those deacons and the church members and collaborators who sided with them. All I’m pointing out is that, when it comes to matters of God’s Kingdom, in some form or another: 

When the majority fools, destruction often follows.

Of course, the only way the majority fools is because people let the majority rule. Not that people want to be made fools. But people are either lazy enough to let the more vocal or prominent do their thinking for them; or they’re naive enough to think “majority rules” is a reliable way to tell right from wrong; or they have their own selfish ulterior motives.

Or, they just always automatically follow the crowd without a second thought.

That happens a lot among God’s people, especially today. Unsuspecting sheep blindly follow unsuspecting sheep who blindly follow the most popular “shepherds” — i.e., pastors, teachers, authors, life coaches, conference speakers and talk show personalities — who can then lead the sheep any way they want.

One pastor I admire described a spot-on parallel between God’s sheep (believers) and real sheep. In a flock of real sheep, the ones behind automatically follow the ones ahead. That’s why it’s easy to lead a whole flock to the slaughter, or at least to the shearing. Sheep are short-sighted and gullible because they by nature just follow each other without checking to see where they’re headed.

In addition, their wool is sheared because if it wasn’t, infection could spread quickly. Since sheep tend to stand and move tightly together in a filthy environment (they stand in their own and each other’s excrement), long wool attracts the filth and gets transferred easily from one sheep to the next.  Keeping them clipped and periodically moving them forward helps protect the whole flock. Plus, sheep dogs, while often a scary annoyance to the sheep, are invaluable for protecting them from ravenous wolves and preventing the sheep in front from straying in the wrong direction where the whole flock will follow.

See how important the sheep are to the shepherd? That’s why there are all these efforts to keep them safe and healthy. They are invaluable even if they are vulnerable.

And that’s why, in the church, a good shepherd of God’s flock understands the level of responsibility his job holds to keep the sheep safe and healthy in light of their tendency to kind of go with the flow of the whole crowd. He recognizes the value but also the vulnerability of the sheep God puts in his care. So, he uses the purging and pruning and forward-moving (spiritual growth) effects of God’s Word, the Bible, to keep them free of “infection” so that it won’t spread to the whole flock. And he supplements his sermons with ministry tools used like sheep dogs — Bible studies, Bible reading programs, Christ-centered worship, counseling, Bible workshops, his own example, etc. — to help prevent the sheep from straying and to equip them against ravenous wolves.

Of course, some Christians will still be fools for the “majority rules” way of thinking in church. Despite even the best shepherd’s efforts, there will still be those sheep who stray and take some of their unsuspecting fellow sheep along with them. There will still be some sheep in the church who will get wooed by the wolves in sheep’s clothing who manipulate them with clever words, or “infect” them with false doctrine, or lure them with empty promises, or blind them with their bling, stadium-sized congregations and endorsements from celebrity demi-gods like Oprah.

Part of the solution is to remind the church that, even though we are indeed God’s precious sheep, we are still more than real sheep. (This may be obvious, but why don’t we act like it?) God has given each of us the mental, emotional and intellectual ability to think, to discern, to investigate and to make reasonable and fair decisions about matters of the Kingdom. He has given us the power to resist the mindless draw of the crowds and those who woo, lure and blind them. And He has given us the instructions for measuring right from wrong based on what His Word says and not on what the majority says. Because God’s Word is what really rules.

Please remember, the majority was wrong in the case of Joshua and Caleb versus their fellow spies; and the majority was wrong when they demanded Christ’s brutal crucifixion. Hold on to the truth that God’s Word rules over the majority — especially in this day and age when the majority of people around you, even some fellow believers, are becoming less and less tolerant of your strong faith in Christ and your reliance on the scriptures. (See the Why I’m Not Reluctant page.)

Let this be a regular refrain as you keep your focus on Jesus the Lord: When it comes to matters of His Kingdom, as the majority rules, the majority fools; and as it fools, it can lead to the fool’s destruction.

Please share your thoughts by commenting below. I will endeavor to respond as soon as I can.

I’m Afraid of the Dark

I’m afraid of the dark. Not the kind that keeps little children awake at night, hiding under the covers.  The dark I’m talking about is real and is causing great harm to Christians, our families and our churches. 

The dark I’m talking about is spiritual darkness that saturates the world around us and has been seeping into our churches for generations, but today seems to be spreading like wildfire among us, and even within us, at an alarming rate.  

We do need to be aware and awake about it, not hiding under the covers from it but being vigilant against it. 

I think of what the Apostle Paul said at least three times in his second letter to the Christian church in Corinth – a bustling metropolis in his day that was very much like Los Angeles and other major cities around the world today. 

At least three times Paul told them, “I am afraid.”

First, he said he was afraid that the Corinthian Christians were falling for false doctrine (2 Corinthians 11:3-4). Then later he said he was afraid about their attitudes and lifestyles — specifically, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder (12:20). Then he said he was afraid he would find them in unrepentent impurity, sexual sin and debauchery (12:21). 

In all three instances, if I can say it this way, the Apostle Paul was afraid of the dark. 

He recognized the shadowy influences of the world – the lack of discernment, false doctrine, pride, lack of repentance, lack of self-control, and shameful carnality – that had found their way into the Corinthian church and the hearts of many of its members.  These things reveal spiritual darkness in any heart and church where it is tolerated.

Like Paul, we need to fight against it.

How?  First, by not being afraid of it like naïve little children who think putting the covers over our heads makes it go away, and by not being so ignorant or so self-absorbed into our own prosperity to think it’s those folks’ business or problem and not ours. 

Second, by letting the light of Jesus Christ shine brightly through us to the rest of the church and the world. 

In other words, let the Son shine!

The more that people and churches let their pastors shine, or their self-appointed apostles, or their ministries, or their contest-winning choirs, or their material wealth, or their vast memberships, or their “new revelations,” or their doctrinal “movements,” or their favorite talk show idols; and the more they tolerate marital infidelity, and financial manipulations, and back-biting, and deception, and heresy; and the more they put victims in bondage about forgiving without accountability, the less they shine the light of Christ to hurting, backsliding or fearful Christians, or to lost and dying souls. 

On the other hand, the more we fight against the darkness by trying to let the Son, Jesus Christ, shine through us – by our humility, brotherly love, sincere worship, good stewardship, biblical knowledge, Spirit-led wisdom, chaste lifestyles, edifying dialogues, sound doctrine, careful counseling, and good deeds – the more our precious, dark-destroying Lord will be glorified!

Do you think spiritual darkness has seeped into today’s Christian churches? To leave a comment, click on the article title or the number next to the comments icon just under the title, and then scroll down to the end.