Merry Christmas! You're Fiance' Is Pregnant with Someone Else's Baby...

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year.  The smell of fresh cut trees, ornaments being hung on a tree, a lighted fire place,  Christmas music and gifts under the tree - especially living along a waterfront known as the East Bay of The Chesapeake makes life a little special this time of the year. Despite all the claims of some in the Christian Church who would view all this as a pagan practice, there's another way to view this winter solstice festival.  Christ has incarnated himself into our culture and transformed a pagan practice into a time of remembering him.  So to all the fans of Frank Viola and his now famed book, "Pagan Christianity" - you need to stop the Awe Humbug and get into the mystery of  God's incarnational work in our cultures, our history, and our story.  Christ is born anew everyday in our hearts and lives by getting into our story.

Recently, I've been re-readng the Christmas story and found a long neglected passage of scripture in the Gospel Of Matthew.  Matthew tells us that when "Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with a child of the Holy Spirit; her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly."  The view suggested itself to most people is that Joseph thought Mary had been unfaithful to him.  But what strikes me about this passage is, how Joseph was "unwilling to put Mary to shame."  How did Joseph overcome what he considered an injustice?  He had a powerful encounter with God.  What a powerful thought about , justice!  

Micah 6:8 What Does The Lord Require Of You?  

To Do Justice, Love Mercy, 

and Walk Humbly with Your God.

So what does justice look like to you?  In this story,  it appears that Joseph felt wronged.  Her pregnancy outside of wedlock suggested that she was not only unfaithful but had cheated on their marriage arrangement.  What does Joseph decide to do?  He sides on the side of mercy by resolving to divorce her quietly.  As a result he is called a "just" man by the writer of Matthew. According to Jewish law, Joseph had every right to "cry" foul! He could have dragged her before the courts, her family, and made a public spectacle of her but instead he was unwilling to put her through the shame of being pregnant outside of their marriage arrangements and Jewish customs.  Is this something we do when someone does something unjust toward us?  Do we seek to expose the "truth" about those who have wronged us?  Do we seek justice through the public humiliation of the sinner?  Or do we do the "Just" thing that Joseph did?  My Bible tells me that Joseph rose above all his "hurt" and wanted to deal with this "privately" in a way that doesn't bind Mary to public shaming and punishment.  It's so unfortunate that too many people are Hell bent on "shaming others."  Pointing out the sins publicly, ensuring it makes the news papers, rehearsing it on television, and seeking justice in the court of public opinion.  How many people have had there lives, reputations, and life work destroyed by the hands of their so called friends and loved ones who sought to redefine the life history but one (what appears) a major mistake.  Do you realize that if Joseph had acted on what appeared to be an "injustice" against him, Mary and Jesus both would have had to pay the penalty addressed in Jewish law. 

According to Jewish Law, these children of unwed mothers are called mamzerim (Hebrew for bastards), and are subject to a variety of restrictions and discrimination; thus, so not share privileges of God's children.  For example, in Deuteronomy 23:2 it states, "A Bastard shall not enter the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord." And because Mary's pregnancy came at a time when she was an unwed woman, Jesus' birth came at a difficult time along the human timeline. Jesus' birth took place in the time of a great Roman Empire census and required everyone to return to their home of origin to be recorded as citizens.  What a scandal that would have been for Mary to be pregnant and registering in her hometown as an unwed mother.  Joseph's decision to "cover" her vs. "exposing" her brought credibility to a story most family's would find scandalous.  What would you do if your daughter came home at age 14 and told you she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit? An acceptance Of Mary's "incarnational" pregnancy is not only the call for the "redemption" of a person's life. It also is a statement that Joseph came to believe that "bastards" need to be redeemed too!  So Christmas can be seen as a moment when God is calling you to let off all the "bastards" in your life too!   

Hebrews 12:15

"See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God

and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble

and defile many."   

Galatians 6:1

"Brothers and sisters, if anyone is caught in any transgression, 

you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back

into the right path; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will

not be tempted."

I think that many have forgotten that "None are righteous" and "ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."  Jesus came to identify with every aspect of our fallen world and to offer us redemption... shouldn't we.  Instead, too many people today (leaders especially) love defiling others - causing trouble - forgetting their own fallen human nature.  The Bible exhorts us to "confess our own sins, one to another" (James 5:16; ! John 1:9) not the sins of others - even if they are against you!

   There is another story in the Old Testament about Noah and his son Ham that has affected my thinking about how we need to be careful about how we pass on our life stories.  It's found in Genesis 9:18-27.  After Noah departs the Ark he is found drunk and laying naked in his tent by his second born son, Ham.  Instead of covering his Father's nakedness he runs and tells his other two brothers about it.  Noah's other two son's Shem and Japeth took a garment, went into the tent backwards so not to look on Noah, and they covered him with a garment.  Noah's drunkedness and nakedness was exposed by Ham.  As a result, Noah curses Ham's son Canaan and Ham's family lives in brokenness from this time forward.  This story is recorded in the Bible for a very important purpose.  Proverbs 11:13 says, "A gossip betrays confidence, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.  I Peter 4:8 states that, "love covers a multitude of sins."  The first thing this story is pointing out is- that Ham should have covered his Father's drunkedness and nakedness and then just kept it quiet about it.  The second major theme is - Ham brought a "curse" on his family's future. Deuteronomy 28 teaches that "Blessing or Curses" come down family lines as a result of the story we choose to rehearse.  Are you rehearsing your Father's sins or his life "testimony"?

I know both my mother and father's sins.  However, I don't go around rehearsing that history.  The story I rehearse is the story of their redemption.  Their personal "sin" story stops with me. Scripture states clearly that we are to "honor our father and mother that it may go well with us, and we live a long life in the land God gives us."  (See Ephesian 6:2)  I don't want to be one of those people who rehearsing the unrighteous" history in our family so that it defiles them and causes trouble in their own lives.  

Years ago, I attended a large leadership event hosted by a prominent national church TV preacher.  During the event, his wife got up and explained to the audience that her father was a Methodist minister.  Then, to my utter surprize she then proceeded to tell everyone that the purpose of the event was "to ensure that the leaders present were not failures like her father!"  Then she went on to talk about all the wrong things her father did.  Wow! I was so blown away I had to get up and leave the event and go home.  She defiled the whole group by rehearsing her father's sins publicly.  I guess that's how she wants her children to remember her... Ham's family curse began by his exposing his father's "unrighteous: history. I think anyone who defiles others by rehearsing publicly or privately the sins of their own parents should be removed from any kind of leadership. It's a pure violation of scripture - even if he was a "bastard." I could name of lot of "bastards" I've met... however, you don't have to rehearse that story.  A dear friend of mine, William Alexander Haley (a kind, gentle, loving individual that he is) recently dusted off his grandfather's (Author of Malcome X's biography and the famed "Roots" - Alex Haley) favorite quote - Find The good and praise it!  Instead of looking for what's wrong in a man's life - why not look for the good "stories" and telling that instead of rehearsing some ole family story you nothing about anyway.  Many family stories of injustice that are rehearsed about "family failures" are laced with "bitterness" and "victimology".   How would we all feel if our own legacy's of sin and failure were what is rehearsed to our great-great grandchildren.  I don't understand people who preach that Jesus forgives us of ALL our sins and then turns around and tells publicly the sins of their fathers. Proverbs 11:13 says,      "A talebearer revealeth secrets; but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter."  If anyone asked me about my father's sinful past I would tell they his story of redemption. His salvation experience is an awesome testimony to share.  That's what this Christmas passage is all about - our savior was born in "extreme" circumstances which could have disqualified his life.  Why did God want this story told?  Because He wanted to show us his mercy "while we were yet sinners... Christ died for us!"  Don't you think that we need to let some stories die? Christmas is a story of redemption.  I time of gift giving even when we don't deserve it.  It's a time of - even giving the "bastards" an opportunity of mercy .  SO, please give us ALL a gift "Find The Good and Praise it" instead of telling us all how bad you feel about what you "father did or did not do for you or how disappointed you are with him."  Joseph was a "Great Man" to have believed that God could do anything - including incarnate himself in his future wife." Now that takes great faith!

Has Church Entertainment Become A Substitute For The Holy Spirit?

Modern contemporary churches across the world are using gimmicks, pop psychology, and entertainment complete with lights, smoke, big screens, pop music to attract 94% of the people already attending church somewhere else. Then we have leadership seminars worldwide measuring church success by numbers, cash, and assets and if your church doesn't measure up to this definition of success you're a failure. Well if this is so great then why are top mega pastors, marriages coming unglued, having multiple affairs, and committing suicide? Why are over 1000 pastors a month leaving the ministry? Something is wrong here. 

After 35 years of working in this field I've learned a few things, maybe it's not much, however here goes: (1) Entertainment is a cheap substitute for the Holy Spirit! It's what a dead church has to resort to when it has nothing else to offer. Take away the show- lose the the crowd! Worship and entertainment are not the same thing. (2). Consumerism feeds the self life. People looking to get fed instead of winning others to Christ, discipling them and teaching them to feed themselves are consumers - takers who want it all to be about them. We don't go to church to get fed. We feed ourselves at home reading and studying God's word, praying and worshipping daily long before we gather together as the church. We don't go to church- we are the church wherever we are. (3) Being a follower of Jesus, being a disciple of Him, is a lifestyle not an event. Just saying cause I'm concerned that too many people are not followers of Jesus. They've become groupies of the latest Dove award winners. Billboard charts has become the new goal and measure of effectiveness for worship leaders and teams. 

John Wimber once wrote, "I'm concerned the Church has become more of a theatre experience, rather than a meeting place for people to encounter & interact with God. People don't need more entertainment; they need to encounter the King."

Too often, even in the liturgical traditions worship has been been described as theatre. I've been around this mess for a long time. I've opted out because a dead church has nothing more to offer than entertainment... And it's evidence is coming out little by little all across the world. It's time to get back to the simplicity of Gods Word and to call for the restoration of an authentic New Testament church - filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit and attentive to building a biblical mindset. (Not ashamed of "speaking in tongues" and exercising all the gifts of the Holy Spirit either). 98% of GenY has never heard the Gospel. 88 % of GenX Has never encountered the power of God. Something's wrong with this picture and I'm called to help those who have not heard and so are you. Matthew 28:18-20. I'll leave the entertainment business up to the entrainment business and concentrate helping the church be the church Jesus imagined without the smoke and mirrors. Hey guys... Wake up ISIS is coming to a city near you and your smoke and mirrors are going to get unplugged when the electrical grid goes down. Time to win the world to Christ!

Racism In America: From Ferguson To NYC

In 2007, The Lord spoke to me and told me that he was about to raise up Barrack Obama to expose racism in America.  As a result of sharing this I have been accused of being a liberal, a democrat, and told that if I support our President in prayer that I somehow am supportive of his liberal policies.  I have been cut off by some, disrespected by others, and have had people walk out of my speaking engagements  - all because I said, "The Lord showed me that he was putting Barrack Obama in the Whitehouse to expose racism." It is deplorable for Christians to engage in showing the kind of disrespect they have shown toward our President when scriputres are so clear about praying for those who are in authority and not speaking evil of those in authority (See Romans 13:1-5; I Tim. 2:1-2;  2 Pet. 2:10).  Let me be clear, I am not a democrat or republican.  In fact, for the sake of those who want to know I am a member of the only Christian party in America "The Constitution Party." (see http://www.constitutionparty.com/our-principles/seven-principles ) It is my personal opinion that neither Republican or Democratic parties represent a Christian perspective nor reflect or uphold my personal values.  Enough said!  Now to those friends of mine across the world reading my blog you may not understand the historical background to my nation's racism - but historically The United States was built on a foundation of slavery.  As a result, racism is systemic in all our national insitutions.  Just ask all of our national African-American Christian leaders their perspective. (See http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2014/12/05/eric-garner-black-christians-react-anger )  Accord- ing to Jonathan Merritt, "It's high time white Christians listen to our black brothers and sisters."

I am interested in Racial Reconciliation and "The Healing Of Our Land."  Since 1980, I have dedicated my life to "strategic prayer" initiatives based on, 2 Chronicles 7:14,  by serving as a mobilization coordinator for Washington For Jesus 1980, 1988, 1996. The Call DC 2000, and America For Jesus 1982, 2004, and 2012 in Philadelphia.  I have been researching, digging through archives of primary documents, and finding long lost histories of our nation.  I have worked with historians like the late Peter Marshall, David Manuel (authors of the "Light And The Glory) and earned a MA in Church History guided by a leading "Puritan" scholar named Dr. Elizabeth Norbeck - all just to examine the roots causes of our current day problems in America. These "roots" are very deep and found in historical materials 150 years before our country became a nation.  I have really become incensed that our national history books and Christian leaders have ignored the long trail of unrighteous history that was perpetrated by the church from the Euro-centric colonialization of our nation through our modern history - all in the name of Jesus.  II Chronicles 7:14 is a call not to the American government nor our state legislators - it's a call to "God's people." The sin of slavery, racism, and division lays at the feet of The American Church - of all denominations and post denominations.  Some would challenge this thought by excusing themselves for what our church fore-fathers did.  But, let's be clear... what ran in them runs in us today!  The evidence is our refusal to obey God's word, repent, and come along side in the First Nations and African American struggle for Justice.  I am appauled that many white Christians turn a blind eye to the issue of "injustice" and the "White Euro-centric" American Church's unrighteous history. We need to stop reading history from a position of priviledge and see the historical perspectives of our First Nations and African American borthers and sisters. Why should our First Nations believe in a government that has broken more than 300 treaties?  Why should African Americans trust a system of broken promises.  It's all a matter of trust. We really need to engage ourselves in the work of justice in order to bring about the "The Healing Of Our Land."  Some may think God is on their side of history but a cursory reading of scripture demonstrates that God is a God of Justice and is on the side of the oppressed (See Luke 4:18). 

Recently, I asked a dear friend of mine who is a member of the Leni-Lenape tribe what does reconciliation and justice look like to you.  He said, "Well, you white people love coming to ask forgiveness and reconciliation of the First Nations people.  We come along and participate with you. However, you go home, feeling good about what you've done, and we get to go back to the same injustices we have always faced.  "Nothing has changed!"  Recently, another First Nations friend said to me that he called all the First Nation Christian Leaders he knew and asked them if there had been any changes in their lives as a result of participating in "acts of reconciliation" with those who sought "reconciliation."  ALL OF THEM - said, "NO!"  Why?  Maybe its because we blatently fail to understand to key scriptures:

I Sam. 16:7  "The LORD does not look at the things people look at. 

People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 

Psalm 66:18

"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."

I Cor. 12:25-26

"So that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it."

In all these attempts to "repent, forgive, and pray for the healing of our nation" the racial divide is greater than ever.  Why?  Because many who came to Washington For Jesus, America For Jesus, The Call DC, and Promise Keepers failed to keep their "promises."  The Lord looked into our hearts, that have regarded inquity and he paid no attention to us because we refuse to come along those members of the Body of Christ who are suffering under the hand of injustice and fight with them.  How is it that we think it's okay for us to live in a land that was dispossessed and stolen by Euro-centric colonizers and dehumanized both First Nations and African-american people without entering into the work of justice?

Levitcus 19:15 

"Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism 

to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly." 

All the while, Christian leaders have been fighting against abortion... has anyone stopped and looked at the "roots" and come along side of those communities ensnared by The American Church's particpation in "The Doctrine Of Discovery?" (See http://www.doctrineofdiscovery.org ).  has the Euro-centric church come along side of our African American brothers and sisters in Christ to help strengthen the family unit or continued to perpetuate the breakdown of the African American communities?               


(See http://www.newrepublic.com/article/politics/91931/michele-bachmann-rick-santorum-slavery-families) Has the Euro-centric American Church come along side of our African American faith communities to address the genocide of African American children or remained indifferent to it family needs? (See http://www.blackgenocide.org/black.html )  Has the Euro-centric American Church addressed how to bring transformation to bring about the prison reform necessary that results in African-American men between the ages of 20 and 39 accounting for nearly one third of all sentenced prisoners? (See http://reimaginerpe.org/node/856 )  Right now, our nation is faced with systemic problems of "racial profiling, incareration, and killing unarmed African Americans from Ferguson to NYC.  These are questions that must be addressed and explored from a Kingdom Of God perspective rather than the usual white-american defensive discourse.   I am disquisted by former Mayor Rudy Giulani's comments made on NBC's "Meet The Press."  He said to his African American counterpart, "The white police officers won't be there if you weren't killing each other." I guess the most recent case being discussed in New York City about a police officer "choking" an unarmed African American man to death fits his perspective.  Where is the American Church in this discussion?  Talking about the glory?  Making declarations of revival?  Nice idea... but there will be no revival without "JUSTICE!"

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord requires of you 

but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Isaiah 1:17

Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; 

bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.

Proverbs 24:24-25

Whoever says to the wicked, “You are in the right,” will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them.

God has not called his people to side with a republican view or a democratic view.  He has called us to hold a kingdom view.  Racism is a sin.  To not "Do Justice" is disobedience to what the Lord Requires of all of us.  It is easy to stand in a place of white priviledge and bury our heads in the sand but God is calling all of us to end injustice.  Isa. 59:4 says when "No one calls for justice; no one pleads a case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil." Do you know what it is life to be a member of a "First-Nations" Christian Community?  Do you know what it is like to be an African-American Christian?  Hispanic or Asian? Most white Christians don't even have more than one or two African American Christians as friends.  Have you asked them "How They See America from their perspective?"  Would you believe them?  Do you understand the modern plight of the "First Nations" people?  Too many are more worried about Israel and the plight of the Jewish nation than they are our own.  Too many "white" christians want to bless Israel but stick their head in the sand when it comes to the injustices systemic in the church.  GOD WILL NOT BLESS AMERICA,  EVEN IF WE BLESS ISRAEL,  WHEN WE FAIL TO OBEY GOD'S  CALL TO DO THE WORK OF JUSTICE IN OUR OWN NATION.  That's why II Chronicles 7:14 needs to be re-examined and bring us to a different place than where we have been as a Christian people.  Christian's planted a cross in Cape Henry, Virginia under the guidance of the Doctrine Of Discovery. Christians tried to enslave "First Nations" tribes who fought back and then called for the introduction of African slave because the natives would not cooperate.  Christians built a nation on "Slavery" and tried to de-culturalize and dehumanized both First Nations and African Americans.  Christians made "blacks sit on the back of the bus" and "relegated First Nations to reservations" and in the recent words of one Christian leader:  "Why do we have to reent to "THEM" again?"  Maybe its because we never truly repented in the first place. 

A missionary to a Spanish-speaking country discovered to his amazement that the Bible is full of talk about justice. The English word “justice” doesn’t occur in the King James Version of the New Testament; the Greek word for justice and righteousness is always translated as “righteousness”. I guess the KING JAMES translators knew they were being paid by a king! Better to talk about being righteous than seeking justice. But the two can’t be separated.