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So Bill Gothard, who taught 2.5 million people his 32 hour Bible course, is widely accused of sexual harassment, but wealthy Christians attribute their family and business success to him.
2.5 million people study the Bible for 32 hours! Despite him, above him, around him, and quite possibly through him, the kingdom advances.
Joyce Meyer’s finances perennially raise eyebrows, but, on a blogger’s trip to Cambodia, I meet a young man who became a Christian after listening to her on TV for 3 months, and then converted his whole village.
And the Kingdom marches on.
And so I suspend judgement on all morally ambiguous preachers—lest I find myself fighting against God.
For somehow above them, around them, perhaps even through them, still the Kingdom advances.
* * *
The Lord gave the word; great was the company of the preachers (Psalm 68:11). Ruffian and ragamuffins, saints and scoundrels, great was their company.
They had affairs; their greed corrupted them; they gave full vent to their jealousies; their ambition was unrestrained.
They preached the word, they prayed, they spread the fire, strange or otherwise.
And despite them, above them, around them, perhaps even through them, the Kingdom advanced.
* * *
And through those who sighed and volunteered to teach Sunday school, and to lead youth groups. Through those who led Bible studies to which people thronged to talk about themselves, and to make friends—but who yet were hospitable. Through those who gave their widow’s mite to churches and ministries which squandered it on a leader’s ego. But on the kingdom too, a little. Oh yes, on the kingdom too.
Through all these, the kingdom advances.
* * *
Despite—or through–crusaders and inquisitors and conquistadors and colonizers with a Bible in one hand and a sword in the other, the Kingdom advances.
It advanced to Mangalore on India’s west coast, when the Portuguese converted the entire town to Roman Catholicism in the sixteenth century, and so Jesus was one the first words I spoke.
It advances through those who are mean about abortion or immigration or gays or women preaching or women bishoping. Who support guns and invasions and bombings and all things Israeli. It advances.
“Gold, girls, glory, power yes; mixed-up motives, yes; but still the kingdom advances.”
It is like a mustard seed, bursting into a tree, which one day shall cover every nation, every village, the entire world, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, and neither shall our shenanigans.
We forget about the Kingdom at times, and seek power and glory, but you, God, are not perturbed.
For you know it’s all yours, the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever, Amen.
More from my site
Listening to Isabel Allum in London. Chasing the Wild Goose of the Holy Spirit. Part II
St Paul’s Within the Walls, one of the loveliest churches in Rome
Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty: The Good Samaritan
The staggering rewards promised in the Gospels (C. S. Lewis)
Views from our Garden: From the Rising of the Sun to its Setting, let the Lord be Praised
Great post, Anita!
So glad you liked it, Anna!
Hi Anita, how true this is – I actually came to know that Jesus saves while living in Bermuda and watching the PTL Club on American TV channels. Jim Bakker and his wife ended up in a scandal about air-conditioned dog kennels and much other money wasting rubbish, but I know I was saved through their teaching, and firmly believe in the lessons they taught.
I believe that it is hard to criticise those that give up their lives to teaching the Word of God and the available salvation given freely through God’s grace and Jesus’ sacrifice, as they, above all, are in line to be attacked by the evil one, unlike those of us living safe comfortable lives.
I watched sadly at the media glee at the fall of these leaders, as I did at Jimmy Swaggart’s demise. But as Jesus himself said, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” and I am sure I am not resistant to the feeble little temptations I get in my own life, and try to remember to rely entirely on the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance.
Thanks again for your interesting blog.
Yes, I am sure it is just childishness on our parts to expect our preachers or Christian leaders who have inspired us to be perfect–and I know I often fall prey to that childishness myself, feeling deeply shocked when someone I have respected or been inspired by is revealed to have particularly egregious feet of clay.
Perhaps if we focus on God and just see Bakker etc as flutes through which the music of God is played we would feel less shocked and even wounded by the fall of our preachers.
A really good post Anita.. Reading it almost thrice.. Took me back to…
Matthew 7:3
“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
Lovely thought to ponder on the whole day
So glad you liked it, Lilly!
This is a good reminder. Very good. Some are more obviously or heinously flawed than others — but all of us are flawed.
On the other hand, let it never be an excuse to dismiss sin — and let great fruitfulness not be used to negate or make up for sin.
Yes, we are all flawed, and the Kingdom advances despite, around, above, and sometimes even through us. Thanks for commenting, Marcy!
Great post Anita… I’ve personally been in some of those churches where rogues and ruffians were our leaders… and I grew and changed, sometimes because I learned what not to do through watching what they did. It was reverse mentoring… we learned who to be by seeing who they were… but through it all, the Kingdom marched on.
Thanks, Bev. I have long been puzzled by seriously flawed, seriously gifted Christian leaders. I think the weakness is the mirror image of their strength. They have developed their intellect, or Bible knowledge or teaching or writing gifts at the expense of emotional health, or healthy relationships, or common humanity.
It’s amazing that you learned what not to do by watching the “rogues and ruffians.” I have often observed that churches take on the colouration and weaknesses of their leaders…
I almost didn’t want to write this post, but in the current Gothard scandal, I was impressed by how many people quietly say their lives and families have been changed through his teaching. I myself have long thought bits of his teaching were toxic, in being overly hierarchical.
“They have developed their intellect, or Bible knowledge or teaching or writing gifts at the expense of emotional health, or healthy relationships, or common humanity.”
YES!
Nouwen’s little book In the Name of Jesus says something along these lines — that those who are so absorbed in the heady world of thoughts and ideas are vulnerable to carnal sin. I’m sure that is not the only direction the error / imbalance can lie.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2520.In_the_Name_of_Jesus
Most – possibly all – ‘gurus’ have weak points, as in the Classical idea of the ‘tragic flaw’ – the medium is not the message!
We do them a disservice by expecting that they will be above reproach, and/or exclaiming, losing faith, or whatever when their weaknesses are revealed. This of course shouldn’t mean that anyone in any position of power/influence (or not!) should think it is okay to give in to temptation … we are meant to struggle with and overcome that … but it does point that there is only one who was ‘tempted, yet without sin’.
It’s hypocrisy that gets me. Jesus railed against that more than against any sin!