The Preachers of LA! A Second Thought
- Details
- Category: Religion
- Published: Saturday, 19 October 2013 22:21
- Written by Pastor Joe Flores
By Pastor Joe Flores
I am not a church basher. I have always had a strong disdain for church bashers. I've viewed the Christian who is a church basher to be a hiccup away from a being a Judas. That being said, the extravagant religiosity of church culture, particularly visible among its leaders, has reached crazy heights, heretofore unreached. Church looniness has reached a tipping point. The parade of flesh, bloated egos, raging carnality, excessive gibberish and profound immaturity, clad in lavish robes, earthly liturgical collars, sacrosanct jewelry and other accessorizing ornaments, have become ridiculously laughable and embarrassingly unconscionable.
The antics of this generation of irreverent reverends has produced a dubious specter over a formerly honorable calling. How ironic it is that an obsession for honor among a once sincere and pious fraternity of brethren has spawned such a recreant, iconoclastic class of profane religionists.
The cinematic peek into the lives of the “Preachers of LA” has yanked back the protective curtain of the religious Wizards of OZ of the church, exposing the real character and motives of some of Christendom’s most celebrated heroes. Preaching royalty who were not directly touched by the Oxygen Network’s reverend realities are bending over backwards to distance themselves from their former running buddies.
Among the lesser exalted, you have the “I told you so crowd”; the “this makes me look good opportunist crowd”; the “don’t judge crowd”; the “I’m shocked and appalled crowd” and finally the “not like them, yawl come to my church” crowd. None of these would survive even a half hour episode of their curtain being yanked. Some of the stuff the lesser “known” have proudly and voluntarily put on Facebook, Instagram and You Tube, runs the gamut from unflattering to downright disgusting.
Related Article: The Preachers of La...My Thoughts by Patreza Newton
How does the real church, deal with this? What is the appropriate response to the Preachers of LA and the religious insanity that permeates our church culture?
There are a myriad of perspectives on this hot topic however. Jesus spoke the truth on this subject centuries ago when He said, “...strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, and few there be that find it.” (Mat. 7:14). Both high and low profile church leaders are still trying to get the “straight” part right and we all have a long way to go before we find the “narrow way”.
I don’t always know the wisest thing to say and being a sometimes strongly opinionated person, I don’t always say the right thing. I tend to say what I sincerely feel and think at the time. But Jesus always knew the wisest thing to say and said it. On this subject I’ve decided to remind myself of Jesus words to a disciple He knew would struggle to become all that God had destined him to become. When Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say I am?” After Peter answered him, Jesus culminated His response to Peter with these words, “…I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” (Luke 22:32).
At another time, I might have more to say but for right now, the wisest thing to say has already been said by Jesus. Saying anything more puts the one doing the saying at risk of being paradoxically hypocritical and that includes me. So for today, in light of the Preachers of LA and all the craziness going in the church, I say, it is time to strengthen our brethren. -Pastor Joe Flores
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Pastor Joe Flores
Founding & Senior Pastor: Perfecting Saints Church
Jer.1:12b "...I will hasten my word to perform it."