This past week has seen two very called, gifted communicators come undone in an area of weakness in their lives that has sent shock waves through the church. Two totally different circumstances, two totally different people, two different countries but both with the same outcome....disappointed people. People ask me why things like this happen? I say no one knows how hard these men tried for this not to happen!
Billy Graham noted some years ago, in reference to the moral problems of certain American televangelists, thousands of aircraft land safely at the world's airports every day - but the only time the media will take an interest is when one crashes.
All I know is this.
There is a place of obscurity (Elijah by the brook Cherith, Moses in the backside of the desert) That God has for all of us. In this place where no one knows us and no one is looking, He gives us opportunities to "get things right". He allows His grace to support us while we work on our character, our integrity, our motives and then like a pot after its been through the furnace he can trust us with His message. Does that mean that we are then perfect or that we will never have any issues, no. But there is something about obscurity, its where God does some of His best work.
Eph 6
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
That word schemes means: a method of follow up an investigation
Our enemy has a follow up plan, method for you and I and I have come to understand that he will allow us to think we are getting away with an issue he will allow us to deceive ourselves into thinking that we are in control and that I can stop this at any time. And he will wait, and wait and wait. Until as Luke 4:13 says it, And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
He will wait to we have greater influence, more wealth, more people to disappoint and then that weakness, that issue that God urged us to deal with in obscurity in private, will be revealed publicly.
1 comment:
It's very sad (and like you said, shocking!) what "came out" this week. I almost feel like saying: who can you trust these days? But it just shows me that ONLY God reserves the right to be placed on that pedestal, not man. This is going to hurt the church if we allow it, and we must just work harder to prove to people that we are the REAL DEAL! No easy task, but it can be fun though and very rewarding! :)
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