Monday, April 25, 2016

The Sanctuary of Andy Stanley's Buckhead Church

One of Oakwood's Finest, Pastor Austin Humphreys' Appeal Does Not Fail to Bear Fruit

Pastor Humphreys: “He Still Covered Me!”

One. — Pastor Austin Humphreys at his 2013 reception to Berean. This is part of a larger image by S. Seawood which may be viewed (and purchased) at this LINK.

ANOTHER DYNAMIC PRESENTATION BY AUSTIN HUMPHREYS

The April 23, 2016 Sabbath worship service at Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church, Atlanta, featured a sermon by Pastor Austin Humphreys. It was based on Luke 15:14-24. This portion of the Parable of the Prodigal Son describes his decision, after squandering his fortune, to had back home. He anticipated a serious loss of status and standing with his father, and had resigned himself to assuming the condition of a servant in his father’s house. But rather than abasing, the hitherto “lost” son abounded. These verses do not include the incensed reaction of the Prodigal’s brother to their father’s magnanimous and forgiving attitude in regard to the returned wastrel. The disgruntled brother exhibits the same bad kharma that Jonah did, in the wake of God’s forgiveness of the populace of sinful Nineveh.

Here, as usual, is a link to the ENTIRE SERVICE. The sermon, “He Still Covers Me,” commences around time marker 1:24:22. As is the case with every instance of Pastor Humphreys’ anointed preaching, it does not translate perfectly into words alone. Previous attempts to summarize his sermons have displayed some of the attributes of musical scores. Pastor Humphreys frequently employs the rhetorical tool of Anaphora (what I naively used to designate as the “repetitive device”), which looks best on paper when it is faithfully reproduced, in full.

Berean’s own CaraMia offered up a song just prior to Pastor Humphreys’ sermon, one to be found at time marker 1:18:00. David Trofort (a frequent collaborator with the singing/songwriting twins) directed the Berean choral ensemble “Open Praise.” He was not wearing his distinctive white robe this Sabbath, but was as animated in his direction as he usually is. The choir added some emphasis to the performance by the featured twins. The title of the song was “That’s When You Bless Me” (the link is to a 2003 version by the L.A. Mass Choir).

Two. — This image of the twins was taken by Burdie Henri, who is also a writer. It is from a 2015 benefit concert by CaraMia, and is available at this LINK.

Pastor Humphreys inaugurated his remarks by calling for a brief reprise of the preceding praise song. The pastor inquired of the congregation, “aren’t you glad He did just what He said He could do?” The germane verses from the Parable under scrutiny were read by the pastor. Here is a condensation of Luke 15:14-24:

The Prodigal Son spent everything, and he was in want. Feeding swine, he even considered sampling their slops. “How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you.” His father saw him, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. His father said, “Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him, and bring here the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found!”

Pastor Humphreys remarked that his mother did not “play games” She was generally tolerant, but not when it came to “back talk.” As a child, he was given some tasks to do by his mother. The pastor (in a momentary lapse of reason) informed her that he did not care to undertake these tasks. “I’ll do it later,” young Austin informed her. But, even though he was bigger and stronger than his mother, he suffered instant correction, courtesy of her “swift backhand.” “Boy! Have you lost your mind?” She worked two jobs to keep her son in Christian education (“it ain’t cheap,” the pastor stated). The only proper response to her request would have been “yes mam!”

But correction from his mother was always followed by repentance, and acceptance back into her good graces. He compared the forgiving nature that his mother displayed to that of the father of the Prodigal Son. Pastor Humphreys noted that, “when you have reached the bottom, the only way to look is up!” The story was paraphrased at this point by the preacher. The pastor said that the errant son had lost most everything in the “far country,” but had retained enough common sense to find a way out. God always leaves us a little something to work with. Pastor Humphreys related the oft told story of a Berean member who had not only lost both of her eyes, but had one of her legs amputated as well. While in the hospital, she had recently twice experienced a state of clinical death, and had to be revived. Pastor Humphreys, apprised of this, rushed to the scene. The convalescent testified to the pastor that, though she had lost much, and endured much, she was nevertheless grateful to God for what He had left her with. Pastor applied this wisdom to his own circumstances. “Sometimes you have to use what you’ve got left, to get back what you’ve lost,” Pastor Humphreys remarked.

The Prodigal, just prior to his return home, had to come to an awareness of just how broken he was. Sometimes God has to “break” us, in order to get us to where we need to be. But some of us (even “church folk,” the pastor revealed) don’t want to admit to their brokenness. “I’m blessed and highly favored!” This platitude can, at times, irritate Pastor Humphreys when he hears it. Though it is often simply praise for smooth circumstances, it can also be indicative of a complaisant obliviousness to personal shortcomings that stand in need of correction. The pastor related a tale of a person who had neglected a broken arm for a few months. When he finally paid a visit to the doctor, the latter gave him a distasteful prognosis: the only way he could fix his badly mended arm was to re-break it. Pastor Humphreys said that “anything that God breaks, He ends up blessing.” A reference to the “breaking of the bread” prior to the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 by Jesus was provided by the pastor (“this is my body,” also comes to mind). “Let God break you, so He can fix you, and make you whole!”

Four. — Strothers Martin works very diligently to “break” Paul Newman in the 1967 allegory “Cool Hand Luke.”

The son discovered that “restoration” is experienced subsequent to the “breaking” process. Filthy, and weak from malnourishment, the Prodigal comes to his father’s house. The pastor mentioned Luke 15:20, which notes that while the son was still far off, his father saw him. The pastor drew an analogy to God’s constant oversight. “Every day the father waited for the son to come back home. “Aren’t you glad that, even when others forgot about you, others wrote you off, and others dismissed you, that God has been peeking through His window, looking for you, trying to find exactly where you are?” The father ran to the son. He did not greet him with accusatory questions and statements, Instead, he directed his servants to “bring him the best robe.” This robe served to mask the filthiness of the son. The pastor stated, “when you make your way back to God, be grateful that you don’t look like the Hell you just came out of!” You become a new creature.

Five? — A scene from the 1945 MGM production of “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” based on Oscar Wilde’s book about the ugliness of sin (Irishman Wilde was no saint himself). The movie may be viewed at this LINK.

The ring that the father then placed upon his son’s finger was revealed by Pastor Humphreys to be a symbol of authority for powerful clans in days gone by. The truant had lost this authority when he departed. As an example of the process of “restoration,” the pastor remarked that the father had now given to the son “exactly what he lost.”

Why did the father not await the son’s arrival in the house? It was considered a compromise of one’s dignity to run, were one a man of influence in ancient societies. Pastor Humphreys said that “the father is not just running to show compassion. He is running to show protection.” The pastor now (in the manner of Lead Pastor Fredrick Russell) enlisted David Trofort and a crew of Elders in order to create a tableaux that illustrated his point. “Don’t miss this,” he said, “cause I don’t really do stuff like this,” referring to this rare (for Pastor Humphreys) foray into the field of theatrical production. The action starts at time marker 1:47:15 in YouTube VIDEO. The pastor prefaced the action by noting that in Deuteronomy 21, there is a provision that states “if a son disgraces a father, he is banned from his homeland, but if the son returns home, he is to be sentenced to be stoned to death.”

The son may not have been aware of this, but the father surely was. There existed a chance that some Elders (portrayed, in this recreation of the scene, by actual Elders) might spot the son before he reached his metaphorical “city of refuge,” and honor the letter of Mosaic Law by executing him.

The father “covers” the son, so if any stones should be thrown at the son, they would instead fall upon himself. Pastor Humphreys made plain to his listeners the meaning of this metaphor for God’s protection of us all. The Cross was invoked: “He came to you, and He covered you!” We are covered by the blood of Jesus. “Stone throwers are people who do not celebrate you when you succeed,” the preacher said. The Elders would enlist the whole community to assist in throwing stones. “The father could not send a servant out to the son to protect him,” Pastor Humphreys revealed. The only one who could advertise the fact of the ‘forgiveness’ of his son to the community had to be the father himself.

Six. — I had hoped to find a more dignified illustration for George Pope Morris’s 1830 poem “Woodman Spare That Tree” (a good example of the act of “covering”), but will settle for this one. Enjoy this Bullwinkle LINK.

The last instant bequest by the father to the son (more “restoration”) was a pair of shoes. The son’s intent had been to assume the position of one of his father’s expendable “hired servants,” In ancient times, only hired servants and slaves went barefoot. The provision of shoes represented a third token of the esteem that the father bestowed upon his son. “I know there are in life some things that I don’t deserve,” Pastor Humphreys said, but added that all would be well as long as we remained “focused and secure” in our “Daddy” [I have avoided interjecting much personal material into this summary. I have to pause to note that I lost my terrestrial father when I was just 19. The loss was not repaired entirely until I fully accepted a heavenly surrogate 30 years later]. The returned son received shoes, as it was not his father’s intent that he assume the condition of a slave, whatever the young man might have thought that he deserved. “Because you are my son,” the pastor said (speaking for the father), “you are going to get all of the riches, and the glory, and the position that I have for you!” As a free man, Pastor Humphrey asserted, nobody can tell him “how to be, where to be, what to do, as long as I am focused and secure in my Daddy! I am royalty to Him!”

A personal experience was used to illustrate of the final points Pastor Austin Humphreys had to make, prior to a general appeal to those present to either accept Jesus for the first time, or rededicate their lives to his service (I will give away the ending by revealing now that this was a very effective appeal. I was sitting one row behind the pews that served as receptacles for the newly converted Christians. They were squeezed in very tightly, due to the remarkable quantity that responded to the pastor’s invitation).

No more time at all! — A preview of the harvest. The Elders evacuate the front pew in order to make room for those who will answer the call. Shown in the foreground is Elder Jimmy Essex.

“We’re almost ready to go home. I recently had to switch over [to] new car insurance.” The pastor did not select a premium plan, as he was “cheap.” He just needed basic coverage. All week long a tire on his car had been running with low pressure. The pastor neglected to address this problem. On the hospital to visit a parishioner, the tire had a blow-out. He pulled his car over, thinking “Lord have mercy! I didn’t add any roadside assistance” [to the new insurance policy]. He got on the phone to a lady at the company (“she was a sister, praise God”), and described his plight to her. He requested help. The lady replied that she must check his policy first (“oh Lord, thought Pastor Humphreys, aware of the inadequacies of his new coverage). “She blew me away,” the pastor revealed. “She said, ‘sir, don’t worry. It’s covered.'” The pastor was unsure of the nature of this unanticipated response, and felt that there must be a qualification to it lurking about somewhere. The lady informed the pastor that “when you came to us, we were running a promotional.” To express their appreciation for the new business that he had thrown their way, the pastor would enjoy the benefits of a premium plan, even though he was just paying for garden variety coverage. Help was just ten minutes away. In a jiffy, Pastor Humphreys was back on the road.

“The good news today is that God says that when you decide to leave from where you used to be, and join on to Him, God says, ‘you’re covered!'” The Hammond organ, trusted adjunct to many of the pastor’s Sabbath presentations, now made it’s first appearance (I wonder if anyone has ever transcribed any of the notation of these sprite-like musical punctuation marks?). Here a little Anaphora (repetition) was employed by the speaker. “God says that, just because you got on with me, I got you covered! And so…”

“I praise God that He covered my mistakes!”
“I praise God that He covered my wayward ways!”
“I praise God that He fixed my needs!”

“I can’t get stuck up, and pretend that I am better than anyone else, cause all I have to do is look under my robe, and I realize how filthy I am!” (at this point in Pastor Humphreys’ sermons, it is inevitable that many will rise to their feet, prompted by the infectious enthusiasm of his delivery technique). A “sample” of “Amazing Grace” was appropriately inserted at this point, as the means whereby God “covers” the filthy rags of our righteousness:

“Amazing grace…” (stop)
“How sweet the sound,” (stop)
“That saved a wretch like me!” (stop)
“I once was lost…” (stop)
“But now am found,” (stop)
“Was blind, but now I see!” (extended flourish)

“He looked beyond my faults, and He found my needs. And so I thank God that I am still covered” [this last sentence exhibited a rising cadence that was typical of much of Dr. Martin Luther King’s oratory. Pastor Humphreys has studied the Doctor’s style, and has guilelessly incorporated it into his own delivery methodology]. “The Bible says His Grace…(pause) is sufficient.” Now the pastor chose to focus the hitherto free forms of his musical accompaniment by giving them one word of direction, “The Blood.” The musicians responded by playing Andrea Crouch’s very old school composition “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power,” his first, but not his last, and assuredly not the least of his works (although several superior versions to the one that is linked exist, as this one is a tad loose).

Another abbreviated life. — Our President and Stevie Wonder, attending the relatively recent funeral of Andrea Crouch. This image has been recycled from a previous post focusing on the Pentecostal denomination The Church of God in Christ,

The pastor noted the universal applicability of the story of the Prodigal Son. He revealed that he now proposed to talk to some “real folk, who have been through some real Hell.” He observed that all of us were broken. “But the good news is, that all we have to decide is to go back home” (by this time, Pastor Humphreys’ variations on the theme of the Prodigal had far surpassed, at least stylistically, a less passionate presentation of this material on April 7th by visiting evangelist Dr. Abraham Jules. The topic, because it is universally applicable (and also thanks to its “happy ending”) is well suited for any attempt to win souls for the Kingdom. “He [God] is waiting there [home] for you to come,” Pastor Humphreys stated. Some of us were currently in that foreign land. “There’s someone here today who needs to grab a connection with Christ again.” The Parable evokes Calvary, the pastor informed us, as the singers lined up behind him on the platform, poised to speak of “the Blood.”

“I am so glad that he covered us with His Blood. And I want you to know that His Blood still works.” The pastor’s tentative appeal to those who sought to renew their faith was now broadened to include anyone and everyone. “All you have to do is make one decision,” Pastor Humphreys urged, “and that is ‘God, I’m coming home to you today.'” The lyrics began to be sung behind the verbal appeal: “The Blood, that Jesus shed for me…” “If that’s you, I just want to invite you to the altar. If you need prayer, if you need to get in that watery grave…” The harvest was plenteous, for the reaper is a precocious adept when it comes to wielding a sickle.

No time. — I actually watched the “end credits” of a Berean YouTube video for the first time. This is similar to the way that the late comedian Red Skelton used to end all of his TV shoes, “Good night, and may God bless!”

Friday, April 22, 2016

Elder Winston Armstrong Serves Up a Most Adventist Rhetorical Repast

Elder Winston Armstrong on Eschatological Matters as Stated by Jesus Himself in Luke

THE SECOND IN A SUCCESSSON OF ELDERS

The Wednesday night prayer meeting at Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church, Atlanta (called the “War Room,” after the movie and the place) featured a short sermon by Berean Elder Winston Armstrong. Elder Armstrong is a native of Jamaica. Jamaica has hosted a Seventh-day Adventist conference since 1903. In the manner of Paul, ” I bear them record that they have a zeal of God…” It is one of the few places I have been outside of the USA. The majority of Jamaicans do not deify Haile Selassie (a great man, but no god), but rather place the credit where all credit is due.
One of the praise songs featured at the start of the service was I Love You Lord (and I Lift My Voice) (all internet versions are too slow to do very much “lifting,” and sound like Gregorian chants. The Bereans, with accompaniment by Elder Bruce Seawood, set a better tempo). Pastor Fredrick Russell referred to this song at the beginning of his introduction of Elder Armstrong’s presentation. “Every time you open your mind to God, and you open your heart to God, it will be a sweet, sweet sound in your ears.”

Pastor Russell anticipated the theme of Elder Armstrong’s sermon by describing a few of the “signs of the time” from the news. He asked the congregation how many had heard of the tragic death by drowning of more than 500 people in the Mediterranean that had just occurred (many, including myself, had not heard, but I recalled that similarly large scale maritime tragedies often strike ferry boats that link the archipelagos of the Pacific Ocean). The pastor also noted a recent earthquake in Ecuador, one that took the lives of even more people than the Mediterranean disaster did. Pastor Russell reminded us that is only by the mercy and the grace of God that we continue to come forth. Another song provided an interlude at this point. Pastor Russell then redirected the topic from current events to pragmatic Christianity.

One. — This image of the stupendous 1906 earthquake in Ecuador is reminiscent of some of Brady’s pictures of obliterated Richmond taken just after the Civil War.

“How many believe in the promises of God?” There were many more promise believers than news readers in attendance at the War Room, as the majority responded in the affirmative. Pastor Russell revealed that he often read the promises of God (the pastor has a book, I assume. Here is a LINK to an “Amazing Facts” compilation of God’s promises), and then would “pray God’s promises back to Him.” Joshua 1:7 was mentioned:

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go” (NIV)
Adventists are vigilant about including God’s requirement for obedience in any discussion of receiving God’s blessings. Pastor Russell urged us that “the Word be honored.” God has promised favor to His children. The pastor defined “favor” as “blessing you have that only God can give you.” He cited Joseph as an example (Genesis 39:4, partial: “Joseph found favor,” an out of context quote from the NIV, as it refers to Potiphar, and not to God). God has favored us all, including the next speaker. Pastor Russell provided a brief biography of tonight’s speaker, and capped his introduction with the following solicitation: “Would you receive the man of God with a hand praise?”

Two — Elder Winston Armstrong in the big church. I hope it OK to use these official photos. They may be purchased at this very informative and highly professional LINK.

THE TRIUMPH OF CHRISTIANITY DESCRIBED IN 15 MINUTES

The Elders, at least so far, appear to be putting a lot of preparation into their Wednesday night presentations. Elder Samuel Cort focused on “witnessing” for his War Room sermon last week. Elder Winston Armstrong offered commentary based on three verses of Luke that are so pregnant with potential, they could give birth to one of the longest sermon ever preached. The Elder kept his remarks brief, however. The content was all of the utmost urgency. Nobody fell asleep! The three verses under scrutiny will flesh out this summary very nicely. They are Luke 21:25-28, and well worth hanging on to. I will paste in the NIV instead of the King James, part of my new campaign to eliminate personal eccentricities, and create a broader appeal. Jesus speaks to some of His disciples of the Last Days, an excerpt from a much longer chunk of eschatology:

“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

ELDER WINSTON ARMSTRONG ON CHRIST’S SOON RETURN

Elder Armstrong extended salutations, “Greetings to the War Room here today! I am just another person, just like you; but if I know that if God can use me, He can use you too!” He read the verses from Luke that are pasted in above. He than prayed (a preface known as an invocation that has historically served both pagan and Christian purposes). In the course of the prayer, he made a statement that is a universal truth in regard to every person’s service to the Lord. “If it sound good, its You. If it sounds bad, its me.”

Elder Winston Armstrong shared a testimony with the War Room. He revealed that, as a youth, he managed to miss quite a bit of church. He once went seventeen years without attending worship services. He had been exposed to many churches and denominations, but none appealed to him. At the tail of his seventeen year hiatus, someone invited him to a church. It was not just any church. It was a Seventh-day Adventist church. Elder Armstrong noted that God has a way of providing invitations to lost persons that He would like join His family, but it is up to us to answer the invitation.

The End of the Age was now introduced as primary subject of the sermon. The Elder told us how many times the Bible refers to the Second Coming of Jesus. I failed to note the exact number spoken by the Elder. This Chuck Swindoll LINK speaks of over 300 references in the New Testament alone. I suspect 200 may be incontrovertible, with the other 100 perhaps being a matter of interpretation. It would be fun to mark them all, next time you read through the Bible! Elder Armstrong restated one of the themes of Pastor Russell’s very topical introduction. “Even if you don’t read the news, ” the Elder said, “you can tell something is about to happen!” A few outrages were cited, including the lamentable tenor of the ongoing Presidential campaign. The solution was predicted to Christ’s disciples at the time of His departure into heaven. It is an much more exalted version of General Douglass MacArthur’s promise to the Filipinos: “I shall return!” If an imperfect man like “Big Mac” could keep his promise, then a perfect Savior will surely keep His promise! Elder Armstrong pointed us to the words spoken by the mysterious bearers of this promise in Acts 1:11:

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (NIV)

Elder Armstrong remarked on how crestfallen Christ’s disciples must have felt subsequent to the temporary departure of their Master. Their level of expectancy for the speedy return of Jesus was very high, and level of anticipation they must have felt was compared by the Elder to the levels experienced by lovers in the process of courtship, awaiting the arrival of their beau for a date. It can lead to depression (a condition Peter tried to mitigate with his assurances to us that God is “not slack” regarding this promised return). The Elder cheered the War Room up with a few nice verses, the second of which makes an appeal to the secret materialist that lives inside all of us, thanks to the KJV use of the word “mansions, instead of the more modest “abode” intended by the Greek original, ” μονή.”

John 14:1-2: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” (KJV)

Don’t get hooked on “stuff” while you are earthside, the Elder warned us. It will be consumed in the mightiest “bonfire of the vanities” (my lame citation. Just remember: it its good, its Elder Armstrong. If its bad, its me) ever seen when the world is consumed by fire; Matthew 13:40: “”As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age” (NIV). You will assuredly be detached from whatever you are currently attached to, Elder Armstrong asserted. He enlarged upon the fact that you “can’t take it with you.” Will…

Warren Buffet (the “Wizard of Omaha”) be taking his fortune to heaven with him? The answer is “NO!” Will…
Mark Zuckerberg (a Phillips Exeter alumnus, just like Adventist Man-of-All-Work Uriah Smith) be taking his fortune to heaven with him? The answer is, again, a great big “NO!” Will…
Jim Walton (Walmart founder Sam’s baby boy, and the ninth richest person in the world) be taking his fortune to heaven with him? The answer should be familiar by now. It is “NO!”

Six? — Before there were Adventists, there were Millerites. Before there was Microsoft, there was Traf-O-Data, a car-counting program that used punch-tape. It was basic training for Paul Allen and Bill Gates.

[Who stands to lose the most filthy lucre in the pending conflagration? I will ask the internet, which pretends to be omniscient like God, but is, instead, very undiscerning about what constitutes truth. Will the current “Richest Person on Earth…”

Bill Gates (surely a man who needs no introduction) be taking his fortune to heaven with him? NO! Yet, he is to be credited with some awareness of this fact. I remember an interview of him 30 years ago. When asked why he did not give away more of his fortune, he responded that “the time for charitable giving has not yet come.” All of that changed drastically with the founding in 2000 of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. According to this LINK, Gates and his wife are set to give away 99.96% of their wealth before they die.

Gates was raised in a denomination that was started in his hometown of Seattle, the Congregational Christian Church. They merged with the United Church of Christ in 1957. During the Civil Rights era, Dr. Martin Luther King talked the denomination into suing Southern TV stations for their news blackouts of national events they considered to be “unpleasant.” As a result of this, Federal Courts determined that the airwaves are public, and not private property (Note: the second richest “family” in the world, after the Waltons, is one that does not come readily to mind for most: it is the Mars family. A few pennies profit on each candy bar can really add up. It is like dealing illegal drugs in terms of its profitability, and also with regard to it’s morality!

Seven. — In the words of the theme song from the James Bond movie “Goldfinger,” this lady will try hard to entice you to “enter her web of sim. But don’t go in!” More prosperity for the Mars dynasty, if you do indulge.

Elder Armstrong cited another verse concerning what our attitudes must be while awaiting the second Advent of Jesus. It is from the same long quotation of Jesus found in the Gospel of Luke. It is (approximately Luke 21:18-19: “But not a hair of your head will perish. Stand firm, and you will win life.” Have you ever seen as many signs as you see today?” The Elder mentioned, as did Pastor Russell, the frequency of earthquakes. He noted the violence done by many exceptionally strong hurricanes recently. He lamented the current state of the presidential campaign (as did Pastor Russell in this hastily assembled, but nonetheless polished SERMON : posting it to Reddit got me banned from their news site, but it was my fault for illustrating it with Nazi war criminals. Hundreds read it nevertheless, from other portals. It drew many comments, none of which I cared to read. An unavoidable comment on the main site informed me that it was “every Christian’s duty to vote for Donald Trump.” As maximum supreme arbiter, I used “extreme prejudice” in dealing with this insane statement).

The “Richest People in the World” listings exclude royalty and dictators. Stupendously rich people are those who lay claim to all the property (and even the persons) that constitutes their realms. The majority of these types are not Christians, a fact that leads into Elder Armstrong’s next remarks. He noted that there are currently over seven billion people in the world. Out of this number, only slightly more than 2 billion are “Christians.” This leaves around five billion people that stand desperately in need of salvation. I own a book titled “The Open Secret: An introduction to the Theology of Mission.” It was written by Bishop Lesslie Newbigin, a former missionary to South India. He is not a “syncretist” exactly, but notes that people must hear the Gospel in terms of their “own cultures.” He writes that “God accepts world cultures.” Since I am producing so many sentences at present, let me pile one more on the heap. It is my view on ecumenicalism: “God accepts world cultures, as long as they are keeping His commandments!” Much tolerance, and forbearance, and patience, and longsuffering is required to educate others about this neglected subject. Even in the United States.

Eight! — Bishop Lesslie Newbigin was not nearly as uptight as this old photograph makes him out to be. He could stand on his head, and was know to do so!

Bishop Newbigin reveals that the sun now sets frequently on the British Empire, and the age of Dr. Livingston and Cecil Rhodes is long gone. Missionary activity can no longer be conducted from a position of strength, but must humbly admit to its weakness. He notes the rise in expectations of the average world citizen (the ubiquity of the “Prosperity Gospel” message is something I have now seen firsthand, via the depressing “Facebook” window I now peek through on occasion). This universal quest for more than what Scripture guarantees has no ready antidote except for patience, education, and the Holy Spirit working strongly alongside the missionaries of today.

The West may have lost its prestige, but I am happy to report that Seventh-day Adventists, as a result of their dedication, and by their good examples, are doing OK by themselves in certain quarters. They turn up in the unlikeliest of places, but I have yet to discover any in the citadels of Islam. The Orient, too, is a tough nut to crack. I have read theologians other than Bishop Newbigin say that the encyclopedic faiths of India and the Far East have ready answers for all of life’s questions. The adherents are not looking for alternatives. Bishop Newbigin reveals that many of the fundamental tenets of Christianity, in the forms that they have evolved into under the aegis of Western minds, cannot even be translated so as to be comprehensible to more ancient and “alien” peoples.

One of the soundest mission strategies might be as follows: Show up in person! Augment your freely shared faith with industrious good works! Remain unspotted! Share the life of the peoples you seek to redeem! Strive to make these lives easier! This approach has been successfully used by dedicated missionaries, many of whom happen to be Adventists. Adventists breed many missionaries, but could always use a few more. They might think about adopting the Mormon model. In Switzerland, every able bodied man is a soldier, and keeps a gun by his side. In the Church of the Latter Day saints, all spend a few years in the mission field, keeping a Bible close by. It is that other book they keep that makes me uneasy! As I have noted, I worked for Mormons in a warehouse they owned in Tennessee for a year, a distribution facility for Melaleuca. Why did they locate in East Tennessee? I will reveal the unpardonable answer to you when I see you in heaven, should I be counted worthy to be there.

Nine! — The site this came from boasts that a big expansion to Melaleuca’s Idaho Fall Headquarters was “debt free.” They are pyramid scheme operators, extorters of money from the innocent. They also happen to be Mormons.

After providing a few additional instances of the downward course of civilization (including the high murder rates in Venezuela and Jamaica, his homeland), Elder Armstrong warned us there is more to come. He quoted from page 172 of a work by Ellen G, White concerning the inability of simple church membership to save anyone. I failed to catch the name of this work. I only know this: it has at least 172 pages! Here is a Sermon from the White Estate that is not by Ellen White, but it is about Ellen White. It is a recent one, by Gerhard Pfandl, titled “Is There a Prophet of the Lord Here?” It features the following statement in its conclusion:

“My friends, you are members of God’s remnant church. However, this identification with the remnant does not give us an exclusive status with God. Salvation is not guaranteed through membership in any church—we are saved as individuals, not as a church.”

Elder Armstrong also quoted Ellen G. White to the effect that “not one in twenty” church members were likely to pass muster before the judgment seat of Christ. This indispensable LINK from the White Estate gives pointers on how to read E.G. White with comprehension. It cites the expression “one in twenty” as an example of the prophet’s use of hyperbole. As an example, it provides this quote from the 1893 work “Christian Service.”

“It is a solemn statement that I make to the church, that not one in twenty whose names are registered upon the church books are prepared to close their earthly history, and would be as verily without God and without hope in the world as the common sinner.”

Elder Armstrong admitted that It saddened him to read such statements. But all of this is temporary. Jesus has a plan. He will stand by us in our hour of trial. We may find ourselves, as was Jesus, hauled before some authorities who do not have our best interests in mind. Luke 21:13-15 instructs us what to do:

“And so you will bear testimony to me. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” (NIV)

Elder Winston Armstrong ended his enlightening sermon with a hearty admonition to the War Room crowd:

“Saints, wake up and be counted!

Pentecost

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Radiologist Dr. (and Elder) Samual Cort offers some tips on sharing the Gospel with others at Berean SDA.

Elder Samuel Cort on the "One Minute Witness"

ELDER, PHYSICIAN, AND SERMONIZER SAMUEL CORT SPEAKS ON THE NECESSITY OF WITNESSING TO OTHERS

Pastor Fredrick Russell prefaced a sermon by Elder Samuel Cort (MD) with a sermonette of his own, although he demurely noted that his brief remarks were not exactly “preaching.” They were, rather, simply a “Word that God has put on my heart.” Pastor Russell asked a question that may not have surprised most of the regulars in the Wednesday night crowd, but could have served to edify any unversed persons in need of solace, or to serve as a reminder to any who might have let the knowledge gather dust: “How many people know that God has a plan for your life?” The sunny optimism of Jeremiah 29:11 was invoked. This is a verse that can never wear out its welcome:

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Pastor Russell, after a few expository comments, addressed his listeners as follows: “God has a plan for your life! If you can experience that, you will know peace. After we sing to Jesus, we welcome Elder Samuel Cort here tonight.”

The song was “There’s Something About That Name” (this link is to a six minute rendition by Benny Hinn, a consummate showman, if nothing else). The song is yet one more production from Bill and Gloria Gaither, who have created more than 700 compositions in the course of a songwriting career that has almost spanned 60 years. Bill Gaither is secure enough in his relationship with the Lord that he has lately been acting as an impresario for some pop acts from the sixties. The passage of time (and perhaps, additionally, a slight lowering of the moral bar) has rendered Top 40 songs from that era inoffensive to all but the starchiest of believers.

Dr. Sam. — At left, Maestro Luther Washington II. At right, Elder Samuel Cort. This image is by Burdie Henri, and can be seen in context at this LINK.

ELDER, DOCTOR, AND MASTER TO FUTURE MASTER GUIDES

First Peter 1:12: “It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.”

In an angelic manner, I have recently developed an intense interest in Elder Sam Cort. He has chosen to augment the good works he promulgates in the course of his chosen profession with much supplementary, church-related activity. Prosperity has not made him soft. He lives up to the expectations described in Luke 12:48: “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.” Dr. Cort does not restrain himself from lavishing attention upon those that would seem farthest removed from the Berean spiritual radar screen. Jesus strongly endorses this attitude in Matthew 25:40: “…Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” The elder described, in the course of his remarks, a continuing relationship he is cultivating with an individual who had been consistently neglected by the balance of the membership at Berean SDA Church, Atlanta.

He will soon inaugurate a Master Guide study program. This is the particular subject that I personally “long to look into.” I feel, in regard to my proposed involvement with this activity, a little like the cartoon character that was voiced by the late Don Adams, overachieving penguin Tennessee Tuxedo. Here is a quote from the linked Wikipedia article regarding this ambitious bird: “Typically Tennessee would assure the dim-witted Chumley [his walrus sidekick] that his superior intelligence would carry the day, often with his catchphrase, ‘Tennessee Tuxedo will not fail!’ More often than not, however, he did!”

It is the Sabbath! — Tennessee Tuxedo was not nearly as smart as he thought he was. Nevertheless, he was determined (as his theme song states) to do “anything so he could measure up to man.”

Doctor/Elder Sam Cort recently attended the twenty-fifth reunion of his Oakwood University (“Enter to Learn. Leave to Serve.”) class of ’91. Dr. Cort did not mention it, but he was heavily involved in the planning of this Homecoming, one which featured a “spectacular Banquet Feast.” About 20 out of a class of 200 showed up. The next week he found himself serving as a pallbearer for one of his classmates. The deceased had enjoyed a life that was practically a parallel of Dr. Cort’s. He died on his daughter’s birthday, an unpropitious time for an untimely end. The end of life, or the end of the age, can come when we least expect it. What will signal the end? What prerequisite activity does the Bible prescribe?

Matthew 24:14 was quoted by the speaker: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Dr. Cort proceeded to apply some local color to this important verse by asking, “will Jesus come when the Gospel is preached in Atlanta?” No. The key word is ALL! It will be preached in ALL of the world. First Thessalonians 2:14 was noted as an inducement for Gentiles to evangelize vigorously. Dr. Cort then returned to the verse from Matthew, expressing his admiration for the Message Bible translation concerning the need to be persistent in sharing the good news: “Staying with it—that’s what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll be saved.” Stick-to-it-iveness would make a good “Message Bible” term for the level of commitment good witnessing requires.

Must go! — Dr. Sam Cort Jr. and his very nice family.

Elder Cort (the appellation I will now utilize for this man of parts) was interested in making all of us effective witnesses. This would assist us in the task at hand. It is one that we are obliged to participate in (“we are all disciples,” writes Ellen G. White). Three points were provided:

POINT ONE: “You must be compassionate!” This attribute will conform you to the image of Christ, our role model for effective witnessing. John 15:7 was quoted in regard to our “abiding” in Christ, and also as illustrative of the unfailing assistance that God will provide to us as we discharge the Great Commission: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” Elder Cort quoted from a speech that South Atlantic Conference President William Winston delivered recently at Oakwood University, “we have to be Christians all day, every day.” I have expressed my admiration for Elder Winston’s uncompromising attitudes before (yet why does he hate me so, O Lord?). Elder Cort recalled a conversation he had with a “lapsed” Adventist. “Why do you no longer attend Sabbath services?” Elder Cort posed this question. The ex-congregant replied, “because I an tired of worshipping with hypocrites!” Elder Cort intimated that there may exist no better alternate to “hypocritical” worshippers. A final verse on the nature of compassion was provided, Ephesians 4:32: “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” We hypocrites require this measure of mutual forbearance, just in order to be able to tolerate one another (an editorial comment by myself that is a little hyperbolic, as it has been my pleasure to discover more than a few saints who manage to salt the unsavory, run-of-the-mill worshippers that are to be discovered everywhere, even at Berean).

What? — Showing some compassion toward a fellow human being:: a stained glass rendition of the Good Samaritan, unattributed, and purloined from this crazy BLOG.

POINT TWO: “Build genuine friendships!” Elder Cort observed that “listening” is a good way to build trust (whenever I find myself becoming disengaged from some longwinded person that I am trying to patiently listen to, I pretend that I am Johnny Carson. This consummate listener never displayed any attitude that revealed that he was anything less than totally fascinated by what his interviewees were saying; it has been cited as one of the keys to his success). We are to make friends in a disinterested manner. Elder Cort noted that should we attempt to make a new friend just for the purposes of evangelizing them, they would “see right through” this ploy. You must employ agape, a love that esteems one’s fellows, without regard to their merit or worth. We must imitate Christ in our approach to friendships. Romans 5:8 relates: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Elder Cort said that once we had established a good personal relationship with potential converts, chewing the fat about relative trivialities, we could then successfully transition into conversations about much more serious matters. Nothing beats the topic of salvation for seriousness. It is as “serious as a heart attack.”

There has been a lot of buzz around Berean lately about avoiding the display of judgmental attitudes toward potential converts who (to paraphrase Dr. Abraham Jules) are not yet “accomplished dissemblers of their inner natures” (in other words, good hypocrites). These observations call for a few citations by myself, just as a reminder for sanctimonious types to “lay off.” Isaiah 64:6 declares that “…we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Jesus informs the teachers and the Pharisees, regarding their judgmental ways, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” I have to append, again, that we are not all “whited sepulchers.” Jesus can purge one of much of their internal rot, rendering them just slightly spoiled. My new favorite Ellen White quote is “Christians ought not underestimate themselves.” If I ever become an effective evangelist, it will be because I am firmly convinced of the efficacy of Christianity to “clean like a white tornado” (not a Bible verse, but maybe it ought to be one). I have no desire to be a career hypocrite, and I am certain that this also not your goal in life.

Church time! — One more unattributed image, from one more crazy, but quite popular BLOG.

POINT THREE: “You must trust and rely on the Holy Spirit.” May 15, 2016 is Pentecost. Acts 1:8 records Christ’s promise to His sales force concerning the Spirit: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” To parody Elder Cort, I might state, “did Jesus say Atlanta?” No! He revealed that our mission field includes the UTTERMOST parts of the earth. Saudi Arabia is one of these parts. So is North Korea. Serious missionaries had better start packing their coffins right now! Elder distilled Jesus’ “last minute” instructions to his disciples at Mt. Olivet. He said that we will not know the precise moment of the Second Coming, but we will know exactly what we must do in the meantime. And we should be steadfast in this work. Jesus, through His Spirit, will assist us. The words of Matthew 28:19-20 are so very important that they will now be reproduced in full:

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Probably the most important activities that Jesus has instructed us to do also happens to be one that most people either neglect, or perform in a very lukewarm way. Elder Cort has made a decision to not be lukewarm. He tried to motivate his audience to follow his example. He encouraged us to look into a book that he based his remarks upon, one entitled “One-Minute Witness,” by Monte Sahlin. This is an Adventist product. A cursory search on the net will disclose a similar title, with similar content, by non-Adventist Tom Elie. This alternate work is the source of the graphic below:

Link ME! — This alternative “One Minute Witness” is the brainchild of Evangelist Tom Elie, although he borrowed the “One Minute” part of its title. Read all about it at this LINK. Adventists have their own “One Minute Witness,” which may be purchased at this other LINK.

A slew (millions, perhaps) of potential bottom-tier management types (myself included) have been required to read a ubiquitous pamphlet called “The One Minute Manager,” progenitor of all of the “One-Minute” offshoots (the link is to a free PDF. Everyone who anticipates ever being thrust into a leadership position should read this short work). Like Elder Cort’s sermon, “The One Minute Manager” organizes its subject into three categories. These address (1) GOALS (why are we doing this? The purpose of the Great Commission is crystal clear). (2) PRAISINGS (recent Sabbath School lessons focused on Christ’s admonitions to the Seven Churches in Revelation. Jesus, a really good manager, always prefaced his criticisms with a little praise. Former Berean Food Pantry Czar David Riley would also temper his criticisms with praise, knowing how efficacious a “spoon full of sugar” can be). And, saving unpleasantness for the end, (3) REPRIMANDS (the evangelical analog of this would be some “hellfire and brimstone” oratory, but this usually marks the beginning, and not the end of the conversion process). “Witnessing” variations on the “Managing” original do not focus on any negative aspects of the conversion process. I think Elder Cort would be among the first to admit that “you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar!”

Elder Cort let fly a barrage of short citations from the Bible, from Luke, Philippians, Matthew, Second Corinthians, Peter… I lost track of them quickly. But, even though I had no time to jot them all down, Elder Cort thoughtfully spoke to the essence of each reference. This rapid-fire succession of snippets of Scripture was reminiscent of the rhetorical technique Jack Van Impe employs, but Elder Cort offered more than just a mention of chapter and verse. Van Impe only points the way to pieces of the Bible, leaving it up to his listeners to follow through. I seriously doubt that many do.

Sunday! — Elder Cort is also a photographer. He took this picture on 6/20/2015. The bearded Berean seen at center both looks and sounds like Luciano Pavarotti.

A encounter that the elder had at Berean, one alluded to at the beginning of this summary, was now described in detail. Elder Cort took it upon himself to speak to a lady who was a regular attendee of Sabbath worship services. After he extended the hand of fellowship, the lady remarked to him that, even though she had been coming to the church for the last four years, he happened to be the first person in all of that time to pay any attention to her. Elder Cort discovered that she was a “first day worshipper,” supplementing her Sunday church attendance with Saturday visits to Berean. Elder Cort promised her that he would sustain the contact with her that he had just inaugurated, and even provided her his phone number. There exists an obligation for every member of a church to go out of their way to make newcomers feel welcome. A four year history of regular attendance made the lady in question something more than simply a newcomer. Elder Cort repaired a serious neglect of duty by the host congregation. He challenged us to exert ourselves in order to see to it that the circumstances surrounding this case do not get repeated.

A recap of the three main points concluded Elder Cort’s Wednesday night “War Room” remarks. They will also conclude this report:

Show compassion for the person you are about to engage.
Cultivate a genuine, as opposed to an opportunistic, friendship with them.
Employ the expert assistance of the Holy Spirit (it will not be necessary for you to “script” the dialogue you employ in the course of your witness. The Spirit will make you into a master of evangelical improvisation).