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And that is a PROBLEM—if preachers don’t LIVE out the FAITH that
they are preaching, but is that the MAIN PROBLEM ?
I believe there are TOO MANY people who, in the name of FALSE
HUMILITY, refuse to preach and/or maybe are not TRULY living a life
of faith that allows them to preach what they practice. It is ACTUALLY
VERY DIFFICULT to live a double life and preach what you don’t
actually practice and believe yourself.
And then there are those who think it would be nice to be a preacher or
pastor and simply show up every Sunday and tell people what to DO and
DON’T DO . But is it that SIMPLISTIC ? I wish it were so. In
fact, the kind of PREACHING I am thinking about doesn’t DWELL
SO MUCH on do’s and don’ts as much as it DWELLS UPON the
GOOD NEWS and reaching people with it in an AFFIRMING
MANNER. That’s the POWER of the GOSPEL! And I do a LOT OF IT
ONLINE—and even offer HOLY COMMUNION by email, among
other things.
I didn’t stay for a haircut because the haircutters were out for lunch
(it’s a “beauty college” that gives reduced price haircuts because it is
students who are cutting your hair), but I left thinking, “IS THAT
GOOD OR BAD?” that she thinks I am “religious.’ One problem is that
it leaves you SUBJECT to THEIR VERSION of what a “RELIGIOUS
PERSON” or “HOLY MAN” or “MAN OF GOD” should act like, look
like, be like, etc. On the other hand , if their impression is positive, it
allows you to have a positive impact on their life.
But that is an ASIDE for the moment . let me talk more about
PREACHING WHAT YOU PRACTICE. There are a LOT OF BIBLE
VERSES that support TELLING the GOOD NEWS to others :
And again :
And again:
And again :
And again :
kingdom of God”
Luke 9:2
And again :
So the WISEGUY says, “Well what about the MUTE person WHO
cannot talk?” And of course there are always certain exceptions. There
are those who have SPEECH impediments, who don’t have a command
of the language, who are shy, etc. But then there are also those who
SPEAK WELL but are physically handicapped and cannot travel or
move very easily to do physical deeds of charity and acts of great
kindness; or who are financially poor so they cannot give much more
than the widow who gave her last penny (Mark 12.42) —does that mean
they are hypocrites for believing and preaching the GOOD NEWS ?
“Woe to me if I do not
preach the gospel “
1 Cor 9:16-17
In fact JESUS may have specifically told this PARABLE because of the
fact that it would be the FALSE BELIEVERS calling the TRUE
BELIEVERS FALSE !! It would be the HYPOCRITES themselves,
so well-versed, academically, in scripture, that would be crying
‘SPECK, SPECK!” not only when no speck existed, but that, in fact,
an ENTIRE LOG is in their eye ! It is FOR THIS REASON
that JESUS GAVE US A CLEAR PARABLE to fend off these attacks.
And YOU KNOW how some of these people attack me? For no
outward breach of any laws or violation of other peoples rights, nor for
anything that is TRUE to me as a person and my CHARACTER &
INTEGRITY. They attack me with INNUENDO and sometimes
HIGHBROW suggestiveness, and occasionally direct words: And it is a
despicable BELOW-THE-BELT juvenile attack—directed at my
MANHOOD-things some men (& women) do in the darkness:
But if people simply don’t believe that I live a life of integrity as a single
man perhaps a CHALLENGE to my detractors will settle this once for
all, IF THEY
DARE ! If they are so MANLY let us settle this in a way they think
is manly. And BY THE WAY, in some cases, it is COWARDLY WOMEN
who are INCITING their man to attack me. SHAME ON YOU, TOO !