Ted Haggard

It is with some heavyness that I write this. Ted Haggard, pastor of one of the most influential christian churches in America recently confessed that he sought escort services from a man, giving him massages and having sex for over 3 years. He stepped down as a pastor of this church. He is married with 5 kids.
It is sad to hear this, but this isn't the worse news.
In any crisis, in every problem, people will take sides. Ted Haggard, a man that for over 20 years he built one of the most important churches in America, wrote books, spoke in conferences, counseled hundreds of people, married some more, baptized dozens of newborns, prayed with hundred of new believers, this very man has fallen, and just as the big ones often do, his fall is stounding.
One of the sides, my side, stand by him, admitting the truth. He is still a man who is capable of making mistakes. His heart, his ministry has nothing to do with this.
The other side, the side that scares me, is the side who condemns him. The side who in a few days will have a public bonfire in the church's parking lot burning all of his books. The side that will rebaptize their kids and forget in a matter of seconds all of what this man did.
It is so easy to take this side. It makes us feel more righteous. Blemishless. It is easy because he is fallen. But it isn't right.

I think of David. King, shepard, champion. A warrior. Brave and untamable. Victorious and in love with God. One day he sleeps with a married woman, gets her pregnant, kills her husband so taht he doesn't have to deal with the problem. Adulterer. Murderer. Imagine if David lived today and he did this. My friends are already dismissing all of what Haggard did because of this that happened. His ministry is invalid. All that he taught is tainted by the filthyness of his sin... sigh...
What did God do about it? What does God do all the time? He gives you time to clean your mess. When you don't and the damage you're doing is far too much, he takes matter in his own hands and makes it public. That's what happened with David. Bathsheba is knocked up by David, he freaks out, has the husband killed and he thinks he's solved the problem. Wrong.
God sends Nathan, he rebuckes him, the thing becomes public.
David realizes of his mistake and he repents. The baby is born and he's dying. David prays for him day and night. The crisis is too much to bear. His kingdom is in jeopardy. A righteous man, blameless. The hero of his nation faces the worse trial in his life. Not bears or giants. Huge armies of trained soldiers.. nothign compares to the severing sword of people's judging vicious eyes. Especially those that looked up to David. So many friends. So many people who knew him from the day he killed Goliath. True followers now turned his back to him knowing his king was a murderer.
David was alone but yet, he faced his weakness, knelt and prayed.

Finally the baby dies and here's what the Bible says he does:

20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.

What happens later is beautiful. David comforts a broken Bathsheba and now he does things right. He fixes the mistake and God restores things. Not only David's life was restored but his kingdom overcame the worst crisis in its history. God also restored David's lineage. Solomon is born.

See... in the Bible there are two types of sin. According to its consequences that is. One is the type of sin that goes against God's holiness. Inmorality, unholy sacrifices, etc. The consequences are bad but they are always accompanied by ful restoration. The other type are the sins against God's authority. These sins are dreadful. The people who refused to be under authority lost it all. Think Saul. Think the people who tried to touch the ark of the covenant. Think Lot's wife. She was told NOT TO turn back and see Sodom, what happened? she dies.

Ted Haggards sin is a serious one. He has hurt a lot of people and it's a very sad story. However, I believe in redemption. I believe God is just and will not forsake this man who has served Him for so long. I believe that God is a rewarder and that if anything, this is only something that Haggard needed to deal with, but sometimes one needs to lose it all to really win.

Speaking of all this man has done. I think of Nehemiah. Read the whole thing. This man is a tremendous leader. There's a crisis with his people. And he's desperate, he starts telling God all of what he's done and look at what he says in Chapter 5:

22 [...] Remember this good deed also, O my God! Have compassion on me according to your great and unfailing love.



God is faithful and he remembers

Now don't get me wrong, there will be serious consequences for both Haggard and the church. Not only New Life but all around the world. It's just a law of heaven. The reap and sow law.

Galatians 6:7-9

7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

I know God will forgive and restore.

I just wonder if the church, my church, us christians as a body are able to forgive, and mostly, forget.

13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."
Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.

Sadam's verdict

There’s an interesting article by Robert Frisk which highlights the hypocrisy underpinning the whole affair:

‘So America’s one-time ally has been sentenced to death for war crimes he committed when he was Washington’s best friend in the Arab world. America knew all about his atrocities and even supplied the gas - along with the British, of course - yet there we were yesterday declaring it to be, in the White House’s words, another “great day for Iraq”.’
[Robert Frisk, ‘This was a guilty verdict on America as well’, The Independent, 6.11.6]

Rhema

There are two words used in Hebrew for the word 'word'> one is 'logos' which is simply the complete word of God, and then there's Rhema, which basically is the word of God made alive by the power of the Holy Spirit, brought to our attention because it is applicable at some particular situation that we are living at that point. Rhema

I've been talking about being here and not being back home and all that. My discontemptness (is that a word) and all of that. Well.. last Sunday at a High School Bible Study something interesting happened. A Rhema moment if I may.
Acts 18.9-11
The context of it is that Paul is trying to preach to the Jews and they won't listen to him. In other words, his ministry is innefective. So he's tired of this and wants to quit and instead go preach to the gentiles, the type of people he was with before.. One night he gets a vision and here's what God tells him:
"Don't be afraid! Speak out! Don't be silent! For I am with you, and no one will ham you because many people here in this city belong to me" So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half teaching the word of God.
Now, what's interesting here as the in the previous verses the Bible never talks about Paul being afraid, if anything, he was discontent and mad (check v.6) For some reason God saw fear in him, although it wasn't obvious enough for the author of Acts to point it out.
Anyway, this word was extremely interesting to notice. Could I apply this to my life? At the time I thought I did, but something's been happening that challenges this.
My church back home is going through a very rough time. A main leader is gone, with him some others have left, the general situation is chaotic, and vulnerable. They are in dire need of leaders.
Talking to my mom today I asked her if she thought it would be a good idea for me to go back. AFter all, I know this church, the ministry,I have certainly learned a lot here, and many of the areas that this pastor had I can take over. One of them particularly (youth camp) I was already supposed to take over. So obviously she mentioned school and all that and my goals but, I believe that one's calling is to serve. I believe that priorities sometimes give you the chance to pick between to important choices, but one of them is always more important. And here, being here versus being there, I see, so far, that with the crisis that my church is going through, it is more important to go help.
A friend of mine mentioned to me something very true. That I shouldn't take a decision that later I would regret. Also, she said something that gave a new meanning to this. She said that I should be where I am more comfortable and happy, but I don't think that is the case.
I think of Jonah. Hated Niniveh and God told him to go preach to them. He refused, God made a big fish eat him, had 3 days to think about it then he went out, told everyone in Niniveh that if they didn't repent God would blow them up, and they did. The king turned back to God, burned all their idols and everyone was happy. Except Jonah. He was mad that they got saved. Obviously he was uncomfortable. He even said that he'd rather be dead than to see that happen. Still, he obeyed. He did the right thing in God's sight.

The story ends abruptly, although God's point is clear. But Jonah's story ends there. No record of what he did after God burned his head. Nothing. These mysteries that God sets up are interesting and force me to pray. So, that I'll do. I wish my head not to burn on fire.