"Popular" Preachers Who Take Serious Liberty With The Scriptures

Hmmm, what a topic, huh? Maybe your asking, “why in the world would anyone want to write about that”? It is true after all, that many of us have certainly “missed” it at times when sharing God’s Word, well I know I have! So what is the difference you may ask? Well, for one thing, when I do & someone points it out to me, or when I go back & realize that maybe I slipped up, I am always willing to accept the fact that I may of taken something out of context & need to be more careful next time. However, what I find alarming today is this: It seems to me that when confronted in grace & love, many of these individuals just push their point’s even further! Plus the fact that they have a “following” & certainly we all have those personalities that minister to us & seem to speak directly to our hearts & I thank the Lord for such people! For me, I have always appreciated people like the late Dr. Lester Sumrall, Billy Graham, Dr. Leighton Ford & Dr. Joe Stowell among other’s & they all seem to be men of humility as well, albeit Dr. Sumrall could really get going at times, lol! So we all know we miss the mark & as humans are fallible. (Rom. 3:23) But it seems that some people out there have “bypassed” that verse. I remember watching Jimmy Swaggart many, many years ago & when he was speaking about a controversial subject said that “if you don’t like what I’m saying, take it up with my boss”. I remember right then & there, that something is wrong here when ANY of us speaks in such a way that OUR words are “mint”, or equal to Scripture! I for one, do NOT believe when I reside behind my, or anyone’s Pulpit on a Sunday that what I say becomes “infallible”. I am human, I am corruptible as such & only when, as the Scripture states I put on the incorruptible, will I “be like HIM”, Amen! Thus, I have NO right to make such a strong statement, UNLESS it is something that is CHRYSTAL clear friends! Today however, this trend continues of people almost “deifying” personalities & taking what they say as “Gospel”, yes there are many things I say that you can “take to the bank”, but NOT everything! Well, maybe you thought that I was going to name a few people & so let me say I am not, however I think that many of us know a few of these people out there & certainly we know those who “follow” them! I remember getting ready to pray for a women who had a hideous goiter on her neck, only to have her say, “no, please don’t pray for that as I am saving that for Oral Roberts”, I kid you not! It was no surprise that when I saw her again, she still had that ailment on her neck. I am always encouraged by the Church found in Berea in Act’s chapter 17 who when the Apostle Paul came through we’re told “searched the Scriptures to see if the things he said were true”.
Friends, NEVER take what a “Popular Preacher” says simply because he is on TV or radio, etc. Especially today when we see Scripture being stretched & many times twisted to fit one’s doctrine or teaching on a given subject. One of the great rules of Biblical interpretation is as follows: “Scripture interprets Scripture”! If you have questions, keep reading, you will find the answer soon enough! So please be aware of strong heavy handed statements like “The Lord told me, or is telling me”, etc. This is not to say that HE doesn’t speak to us, but all too often such a statement is used because there is a lack of Biblical evidence to support such a teaching or doctrine & so the person reverts to using “divine” appointment as the reason they can say something so unbiblical. Remember, whatever is said, MUST always line up with God’s Word for HE will never give someone something that is contrary to HIS Word friends! Stay Tuned!

In Christ,
Al