AUTHOR'S VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE
Author's Brief Testimony
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GWR01 |
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AUTHOR'S
VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE
Author's Brief Testimony
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GWR 10 Religious Emulation Emulated Behaviors, Learning Christian talk and behavior : It is easy to appear good and righteous if you learn the patterns of religious behaviors. All religions have worship; All have clerical authority which guide methods and attitudes in their worship; Any practitioner can appear devout regardless of what is the object of their worship. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds." As Paul said in his epistles, "Be imitators of me, as I imitate Christ." There is a place for conformity and imitation and there is a place where conformity is a hindrance to knowing God. We are charged with turning away from the ways of this world; to seek and to conform to God's ways. "Are we to follow God or man?" was the bench mark for belief and behavior from the beginning. If we were to try to keep up with the latest fashion and trends, we keep our eyes on trendsetters and emulate those fashions and fads. Teenagers are very much attuned to the issues of "being in" and staying "in." In contemporary media the forms and fashions that are "in" today blast our minds and emotions. It's message tries to persuade us to conform to the things which are "hip" or "cool." Fashionable-ness whether in the "look", in language affectations, or in material toys and accessories that are presumed to make life fulfilling. Media trends have the power to turn our minds away from things which are true or eternal. While we may quickly condemn conformity we still find ourselves being its victim. This conformity is also relevant within Christian institutions. Religion models and promotes its own kind of emulation. One can learn how to be appear pious or religious. "Copy-cat" behavior can promote your status in the church community. Practically everything about church life can be seen, demonstrated or modeled, and replicated. We can learn how to affect piety. We can emulate sincerity, we can emulate compassion, deep affection or even godly sorrow. We soon are able to talk or emulate our own religious hero or role model. Preaching can become stylized. It is not uncommon for preachers to sound like they were cut out of the same mold. Why do men or women talk a certain way among themselves but when they get inside a church they use a different voice, or mannerisms, or inflections which seem somehow more "spiritual?" How is it preachers sound like preachers? Where do they learn this "preacher voicing" and emphasis? King James English the language of Shakespeare, does not make us more Godly. It is very common for clergy to continue to use "King James English" to affect spirituality and appropriate reverence. This affectation has no more power to influence God than for you and I to simply talk as ourselves. Why not just act like ourselves? God knows who we are, he knows our weakness and sees we are dust. Do we think that we can persuade him that we are something we are not: That we can "fake it" with him. In a recent television broadcast featuring music and religion I enjoyed seeing the contrast of many kinds of musical traditions including "high church" and "low church" and all sorts in between. Music has a way of preserving things which are good and Godly even when the glory has for the most part faded. Among the musicians featured were a young black evangelist whose name I can not credit. His Spiritual gifting was obvious. After this evangelist's conversion, he used his gift to minister the Gospel and the power of God through Rap Music in the mean streets of a major city. The fact that God was using him was unmistakable, his strength and anointing and transparency to God was strongly evident. The difference between this man's street music and the highly intellectual liturgical music of a high church musicologist did not hinge upon natural ability but supernatural anointing. I can't say I'm a fan of rap music, but I confess that I would rather listen to Rap Music enabled and anointed by God, than a performer with a degree in performance, practiced in their method but who does not know God in the power of his Spirit.
What
a shame that churches should become a place where everyone has
to put on an act? In the pulpit there can be all manners of
affectations which may or may not be sincere. If a pastor is
charismatic (naturally gifted) many will begin to talk like him,
gesture like him, or pray like him. It is too easy for us to
emulate a man. Oratory
and persuasive speech can hold an audience in rapt attention,
with speaking skills. Even when the message is mundane an hour
can go by more quickly when the pastor adds a few jokes or
anecdotal commentary about his life or someone else's life.
The
world looks at these peculiar affectations associated with church
life and soon begins to make caricatures of them. There have been
too many films portraying preachers or evangelists as conniving
con-artists, usually out to deceive gullible folks at a "revival
meeting" into giving their last dollar. Just about anyone
especially those outside of the fellowship of God can do perfect
imitations of a drawling evangelist pretending to heal a person
by laying on hands or ridiculing Jesus or salvation . Not all role models are bad. God made each of us "originals." There is no need to copy anyone else unless what they know about the Kingdom of God 'works' and also conforms to the model of Scripture. Emulation of a human role model is understandable in the fact that we view our own abilities as inadequate thus we feel a need to copy another. Success in human terms probably motivates us to be like others who we call successful. In church circles any person who imagines themselves as great, powerful, or successful in a very real sense is self deceived. A key distinction is the kind of "role model" we chose to emulate and the correct kind of behaviors which we see modeled. The Bible has some very important things to say about copying others. It even suggests, believe it or not, that we do copy others, but we are never to compare ourselves with others. There is a distinction. The Bible states, "Be ye followers (imitators) of God as dear children." (Ephesians 5:1) "Be followers (imitators) of me even as I follow Christ." (1 Corinthians 11.1.) What makes it possible to imitate the apostle? It is because he is imitating Christ. In apostolic ministry the apostle is never preeminent. Human abilities are to be discarded. Personal name, rank and reputations are absolutely of no consequence. The apostolic messenger must never get in the way of his message with any affectation of ego or worldliness. Human character and the human flesh is the natural enemy of the Gospel. I have heard a spiritual man say wisely, "I have one great enemy to my ministry, myself." Human pride, (being somebody important) is an enemy of the Gospel. Being yielded is of primary importance. A person must lose his desire for self exaltation before God can do much with him. However this is something that only God can do and does, as he prepares and disciples us. It is part of the task we call "learning Christ." The body of a fellowship suffers when hierarchies are established. God does not want the world to see an ordinary man or woman when a Christian is displayed. He wants the glory of God to be revealed through a messenger who is as transparent as possible. When believers come together it is not to exalt any person but to reveal His glory. Those who are struggling to find a Spiritual life often have limited choices about who might be an appropriate role model. Someone may choose to model themselves after a person whose attributes or credentials reflect personality affectations or performance gifts, such persons may be totally without spiritual insights and knowledge of God. Paul states again in 2 Corinthians 10:12, that we should not make ourselves like any who tend to compare themselves to others, he says, to make such comparisons is "not wise" (paraphrased.) We need to be grounded in the beliefs and understanding of the Christian life. Mentors with authentic maturity come into play as we gather in koinonia (fellowship.) But the active force that causes a believer to grow mentors is principally met by God, through the Spirit of Truth. We listen to preachers, teachers and friends in the faith and some understanding may instruct a listener in a certain way. But our growth must also come through prayer and study of Scripture. Through the Spirit God constantly teaches us individually. Most of yearn to experience the goodness of God, the power of God, or the transforming mind-restoring Wisdom of God.
Failing
to find a Spiritual mentor we may proceed to ask God to instruct
or direct us. If any has faith and believes God will respond to
us, we may ask him to meet us where we are. He can then direct us
where you can find our "Annanais" The man who spoke by
the Holy Spirit's revelation to the newly converted Saul of
Tarsus. (Acts 9:10-17.) At
this moment you may not have the faith that God can and will,
reach down and touch you, in answer to your request. But I have
perfect faith that He will do just that. E
Book 1:
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Book 3: Index to all Charles Pinkney Christian Titles
Resources: Understanding Home Fellowships Frank Viola "Who's
Your Covering"
"Rethinking the Wineskin" Sid
Roth Guest,
George Barna Barna's
Book: "Revolution" Sid
Roth Guest: Guest:
Jim Rutz
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Book 1: |
