Liberty Advocate

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The Cowardly Pastor

by 

Karen Pansler-Lam, J.D.

Why didn’t your pastor friend post a comment?  

Why is he hiding behind you?   

For your pastor friend to send me an anonymous response through you is a cowardly act.

Recently on Facebook, I posted a comment about the false prophecy of “God’s new thing.”  A pastor friend of my relative George was too cowardly to post a comment, and sent an anonymous message via George.  Unfortunately, since he is anonymous, I can’t reply to him.  So, I’m publishing my response.

Here's the e-mail from George:

Subject: Karen, I assure you that this is not from me.

George,
sometimes you will never win, no matter. Some people just live to find the "wrong" in everything. Especially in styles/forms that they personally dislike. It's funny cause she talks about how wrong the "new" style of worship is......but this dispute between worship styles is not uncommon, in fact, it happens repeatedly, generations after generations after generations due to new styles always coming out. What people fail to realize is, even the old hymns, when they were first written/sung was controversial. When a lot of the hymns that we sing now first came out, they were written as a poem. When they were introduced in church's, they were actually put to "secular" tunes so people would sing it. Many of the hymns were even put to tunes of popular "pub" songs that were sung in pubs.....which made them controversial, and now we look at is as sacred!

Even looking at pentecostals. Look at how controversial it was when the Azusa Street Revival happened! It was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher and lasted roughly 9 years. It was very very controversial. As it says in the encyclopedia...."The revival was characterized by ecstatic spiritual experiences accompanied by speaking in tongues, DRAMATIC WORSHIP services, and inter-racial mingling. The participants received criticism from secular media and Christian theologians for behaviors considered to be outrageous and unorthodox, especially at the time." People/theologians looked at that and thought it was outrageous and sinful.....but the A/G was born from it and it was the birth of the Pentecostal faith. Even back then, in 1909, they said the worship was too dramatic and eccentric! But now we call it holy and sacred.

In fact, this is an excerpt from the Los Angeles Times from 1906......According to the Los Angeles Times, a bizarre new religious sect had started with people

“breathing strange utterances and mouthing a creed which it would seem no sane mortal could understand.� Furthermore, “Devotees of the weird doctrine practice the most fanatical rites, preach the wildest theories, and work themselves into a state of mad excitement.�

If that didn't grab the reader's attention, the article continued by saying that, “Colored people and a sprinkling of whites compose the congregation, and night is made hideous in the neighborhood by the howlings of the worshippers who spend hours swaying forth and back in a nerve-racking attitude of prayer and supplication.�, "To top it all off, they claimed to have received the 'gift of tongues,' and what's more, 'comprehend the babel.' "

Now she follows the same denomination that people once viewed unholy, sinful, and outrageous.....she says, we need to get back to our 'roots', but does she realize that our "roots" was once viewed in the same light that she is viewing "modern worship"?

Now here's my reply: 

George, why didn’t your pastor friend post a comment?  Why is he hiding behind you?   For your pastor friend to send me an anonymous response through you is a cowardly act.

Since I don’t know the name of your pastor friend who is too cowardly to post a comment, I will address my response to Cowardly Pastor:

Dear Cowardly Pastor:

1) Your argument that  “sometimes you will never win, no matter. Some people just live to find the ‘wrong’ in everything.  Especially in styles/forms that they personally dislike” is vain babbling.  It is an absurd, ridiculous, ignorant, and weak argument. Church officials use this in desperation because they don’t have Scriptures to support the New Church Order - worldly worship. 

Sadly, you are no different from the other church officials who have disputed me.  Not one of you has ever quoted a single Scripture.

2) Your vain babbling about how controversy over new styles of worship “happens repeatedly, generations after generations after generations due to new styles” is a half-truth.  A half-truth is a statement intended to deceive.  Needless to say, church officials should not be stating half-truths. A half-truth is a lie.  Woe unto church officials who tell lies! 

You’re probably referring to Martin Luther’s hymns. When Martin Luther led the Reformation, he broke away from the formality of the Catholic ceremony conducted in Latin and developed a simple service in the language of the common people. Luther was German and felt strongly that the people ought to be able to read the Holy Scriptures in their own language and sing hymns to God in their native tongue.  So, Luther translated the Bible into German and composed a hymnbook for use by German congregations. He wrote new hymns because he wanted the congregation to join the singing.  And he sometimes adapted secular tunes because the old songs were not suitable for congregational singing.  They were of a too scholar-like character.  Therefore, Luther began setting German liturgical texts or Psalms to simple folk melodies and added these hymns to the church services. 

Above all, Luther was always very particular to ensure that the manner of his hymns expressed holiness and sacredness.  In the preface to his hymnbook of 1545, Luther expresses that this “beautiful ornament” might in a “RIGHT MANNER serve the great Creator and His Christian people.” (Emphasis added.) And hundreds of years later, many of Luther’s hymns are still beloved and sung today by Christians of all ages and all cultures around the world.

More important, Luther’s hymns did not reflect the carnal reveling of pubs or other worldly entertainments. 

3) Sadly, instead of the church transforming the world, the world is transforming the church.  The new carnal reveling of “Christian” rock worship music reflects the carnal reveling of the world. The church should be a reflection of sacred Christian culture, not a reflection of pagan culture. The new worldly worship makes no separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.   Read “Christian Music? Not So Much” by Marsha West @  http://www.newswithviews.com/West/marsha185.htm  

4) As for the Azusa Street Revival, the LA Times excerpt states: “fanatical rites, preach the wildest theories, and work themselves into a state of mad excitement.” Since you didn’t send the entire article, I don’t know what fanatical rites and wild theories and mad excitement the writer is referring to, so I can’t comment on them.  The dramatic worship mentioned was not a drama, pantomime or other entertainment. The controversial dramatic worship was speaking in tongues and outward expressions of prayer: “howlings of the worshippers who spend hours swaying forth and back in a nerve-racking attitude of prayer and supplication.” Cowardly Pastor, crying and wailing loudly in sorrow or prayer and supplication is not unbiblical. These acts of worship were common occurrences in the Bible.  They are not unscriptural.  Look up the words “howl,” “howling,” and variations in the Scriptures. 

In sum, from the newspaper excerpt you sent, nothing at the revival was unbiblical.  Nothing was worldly worship. It did not reflect the pagan world.  On the contrary, the reason it drew attention was because it was different from the world.  Study the Day of Pentecost.

5) The church is the melting pot of different cultures.  In other words, Christians of different ages, races, socio-economic and educational levels, and so forth  - diverse backgrounds - selfishly put aside their personal preferences (“styles”) to unite in one accord in sanctified worship. To put it another way, sacred Christian culture unifies the young and old, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, black and white, and so forth in sanctified worship pleasing to God.  Read “The Downfall of Christian Culture” @ http://libertyadvocate.com/message17.htm

6) The truth is worldly worship is profane worship. Read the Bible and pray that the Spirit will guide you into all truth.  “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).

God commands that we put a difference between holy and unholy:

Have ye not read, “And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean” (Leviticus 10:10)?

It is written, “Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:30).  

It is written, “Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths” (Ezekiel 22:8).  

Have ye not read, “Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them (Ezekiel 22:26)?  

Have ye not read, “Jesus said, “It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer’” (Matthew 21: 13; Isaiah 56:7)?

7) Evangelical church leaders are ignorantly and blindly forming the New Church Order, or the New World Order Church.  And the New World Order Church is the synagogue of Satan.  And the synagogue of Satan is the apostate Church.   And the apostate Church is the Great Whore of Babylon in the Book of Revelation.  Read my message,  “WARNING” @  http://www.libertyadvocate.com/Warning.htm

8) Since church officials seek the salvation of souls, why do they bring uncleanness into the holy sanctuary and drive out the Holy Spirit?  Read “An Open Letter to Church Officials of the Assemblies of God, Church of God, and Other Evangelicals Around the World” and “The Sixty-Two Theses on the Prophecy of Popular Christianity” @ http://libertyadvocate.com/message26.htm 

9), 10) . . . on and on and on. . .

Finally, Cowardly Pastor, the truth is church officials are intentionally scaring pastors into adopting worldly worship in a desperate attempt to keep their jobs.  Of course, no pastor or other church official will ever admit this to George or anyone else outside of church government because it exposes the real self-serving motive behind the New Church Order. 

A few months ago, a Baptist minister told me that district officials presented it to local pastors this way:  Today’s youth are not interested in church or Christianity.  Therefore, when the older members of your congregation die, you’ll be without a congregation – you’ll be without a job!  Therefore, do whatever it takes to keep your job!   If it means bringing in entertainment – bring in entertainment!  If it means making sinners feel comfortable – make them feel comfortable!  If you don’t give sinners and youth what they want, we’ll all be out of jobs!

Corrupt church government sees itself as a corporation that must save their jobs at any cost.  However, they falsely present it to the congregation as saving the lost at any cost.   If they truly cared about youth and sinners, they would do more evangelism and spread the Gospel to a lost and dying world.  They would tell the lost the truth – sinners go to hell.  Instead they want large congregations and large tithes and large offerings, so they refuse to preach the truth because they are afraid of offending sinners.  Read  “The Church of No Offense” by Paul Proctor 

@  http://www.newswithviews.com/PaulProctor/proctor205.htm

Woe unto church officials who market Christianity and make merchandise of men!  “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not” (2 Peter 2:3).

Jesus warns:  “Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.  Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops” (Luke 12:1-3).

Cowardly Pastor, here is the proclamation upon the housetops:

Woe unto you, corrupt church officials, hypocrites! For ye make merchandise of men for your own gain!

Woe unto you, corrupt church officials, hypocrites!  Hear the Word of the prophet Isaiah: “His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.  Yea they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter” (Isaiah 56:10, 11).

Woe unto you, ignorant and dumb dogs!

Woe unto you, greedy dogs!

Woe unto you, Cowardly Pastor and blind watchmen! “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? (Matthew 23:33)