Most of my previous posts have been about doctrine. This one is more of a warning.
If you have been paying attention to podcasters like Mike Winger, Everett Gagnon, Laura Lynn Tyler Thompson, and others, you know that things have been in an uproar lately. Most of these have been calling out deception (financial fraud, false prophecy, false teaching) and abuse (unreasonable demands on staff and congregants, manhandling staff, sexual abuse or misconduct) for quite some time. A few have done it for over ten years.
Mike Winger released a couple of videos recently covering Shawn Bolz, Todd White, Chris Reed, and Bethel Church in Redding CA. Those videos are over 6 hours total. Now, the other podcasters are following up on his content.
I have avoided speaking out on these issues because my focus has been on knowledge, doctrine, and wisdom. But in recent Bible reading and meditation, I have come across a couple of passages that are relevant to the situation.
What's The Beef?
Mike Winger calls it Cover-up Culture. Some preacher takes a title such as evangelist, prophet, or apostle, then gets caught giving words of knowledge, words of wisdom, or false prophecies, or someone comes forward with an allegation of sexual misconduct, then his home congregation or other ministers act as though nothing was wrong, and they continue to support the preacher as long as he can continue to bring in money for them. This often continues, until reliable evidence becomes evident. Even then, sometimes the cover-up continues. The accused preacher often has to get convicted in a court of men, instead of by the Holy Spirit, for the cover-up to start.
This sounds like something Isaiah said was going on in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 5:18 - 24 NASB1995
Woe to those who drag iniquity with the cords of falsehood, and sin as if with cart ropes; who say, “Let Him make speed, let Him hasten His work, that we may see it; and let the purpose of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come to pass, that we may know it!” Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away the rights of the ones who are in the right! Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes stubble and dry grass collapses into the flame, so their root will become like rot and their blossom blow away as dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
I underlined the part that really stood out to me. The Cover-up continues to protect image, reputation, and ultimately money!
Not only this, those who have been harmed, especially those hurt through sexual misconduct, are often denied credibility, prevented from speaking out, or accused of lying out of malice or greed. That means their rights have been denied.
You might be thinking, "So, what? What has any of this to do with me? I don't follow any of those preachers! They have no effect on me." If you call yourself a Christian, a believer or disciple of Jesus, they are affecting God's reputation, and yours. The entire Body of Christ is affected, with no regard for denomination, label, or status.
Cover-up Culture Involves More Than Ministers
Now, you might also be thinking, "I'm just a normal pew-sitting Christian. Does this really affect me?"
You better believe it, pilgrim! Consider the following passage:
Revelation 2:1 - 5 NASB1995
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place — unless you repent."
Many consider the congregations mentioned in the first three chapters of revelation as representatives of "church ages." I don't. This doctrine is part of dispensational theology, which I reject whole scale.
These congregations were contemporary to each other. All these cities were located in the Roman province called Asia, at the west end of Asia Minor. Ephesus was the capital of that province.
I believe these assemblies represent the different kinds of heresies and problems that can exist within the entire Body of Christ at one time, but not necessarily all in the same place. The Body is now global, after all.
The Lord had good things to say about the Ephesian assembly. In fact, He had only one complaint about them: they no longer loved Him as they did at first. OUCH! (You know, sometimes you have to say ouch instead of Amen!)
He did not specify how they did this, but He did say they needed to do the deeds they did at first as a result of their repentance.
Failure to repent meant their "lampstand" would be removed.
Revelation 1:20 NASB1995
As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.