I am so disappointed! I was on my way out the door this morning to attend the grand opening of the FBCG Mausoleum, Memorial and Museum (I think the actual title is FBCG Worship Center) in Kettering. My daughter-in-law called - said her husband’s car had broken down in Silver Spring, just off of Colesville Road and she needed help getting to it so she could get it towed.
Visions of the Good Samaritan flashed through my head and I decided to forgo my excursion to the Worship Center rather than leaving them in the lurch. Thus, I have nothing to report on the opening of the Mausoleum, Memorial, and Museum.
I did get a copy of the program. The front cover is below. I also included a couple of other images, including some of the interior of the facility. The interior shots have captions that explain why they spent so much money on the useless space inside.
As penance, I’m going to attend the sermon by T. Dexter. This of course means I will have to suffer the crush of the crowds there to see the next Billy Graham. And it means I’ll have to sit and listen to T. Dexter lisp and ramble about positioning yourself so you can do what John did. And while I’m there, I will try once again to get some photos. (I understand the toilets have those automatic flushers on them. )
Oh, and take a look at this letter from the “council” of Elders.
Notice the wording:
…As the pastor follows his God-given vision, we will follow him. We, the Council of Elders, pledge our support to his vision, his missions, and his dreams. We believe that the will of the Pastor should be the will of the church….
Do you begin to see how the pimps work? They get men who are willing to follow a man rather than God and appoint them as the sub-leaders of the organization.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe Paul said “Follow me as I follow Christ” not “follow me and my God-given vision/dream.”
Over seven years ago, these elders stepped out of the way and gave John unfettered access to the sheeple when they allowed him to go from bing paid by the church (controlled by them) to taking a “Love Offering.”
These men, more than anyone else in the church, will have an awful lot to answer for when they face Jesus Christ. These men have made it possible for the church to go down the automatic toilet the way it has. Remember, these are the men who sit there while John brings in Oneness preacher Charles Ellis, men who are being divorced by their wives for suspected infidelity, and others.
What have they done to guard the sheep from the wolves? Unfortunately, they have done nothing.
My goodness…can this symbolism and idolatry get any worse?
The leaning of our evil heart is towards some form, symbol, or imagery which we judge may help our thought and intensify our worship. All this comes of evil, and leads to evil. ~C.H. Spurgeon
We believe that the will of the Pastor should be the will of the church…. Nothing like a group of yes men. Its like an African movie I was watching yesterday where before these girls went on some “mission” they had to take an oath taking ceremony.
I always thought it was “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done…”
That is what happened in my old church…
Just before it blew up.
Pastor M left town with all of the dough.
I guess they compare themselves to the Israelites when they were about to “possess the land,” so theyre possessing a building that will rott away and be destroyed.
They had a grand opening for the “Twin Towers” also didnt they? And look what became of that structure?
It is absolutely amazing how they justify the ostentatiousness of that GOD forsake place by liking it to the tabernacle, temple etc. This is just like my son who asked for a tattoo and thought he’s placate the situation by adding it’ll be in the form of “a cross.” he’s 16. I told him not only is GOD NOT A FOOL, but neither am I!! And that’s just how I feel this pimp is…you want to justify the flamboyance of this church by putting an OT spin on it. Do we look like we just fell off the chittlin truck?!
I know Lord, I’m smh too!
bria
I remember as a little girl going on a class trip to the twin tower in the 70’s. I don’t recall if it was a grand opening but as we reached all the way to the top, people started looking like little ants. I used to hang around the Wall Street area often. I don’t mean to reminise but it is true that these things can diminish so easily for the south tower didn’t make thirty years, according to a website info.
Why did my thingy come up as ‘A name A name’?
(MN: Because your thingy didn’t have “Redman” in it. And when you don’t include a tag, it comes up anonymous. )
Ok sir no biggie. I am almost sure I did, I guess it was deleted by the cookie monster
Anyway sir I wait with bated breath for your Mausoleum update.
Some souls will go straight to hell with their faith caught up in this monstrosity!
The “elders” are using Psalm 127:1 and like the Jews they still can’t understand Mark 14:58.
Plus they seem to be saying that since the place got built it must be of the Lord. I say the building is vanity UNLESS it is built by the Lord.
I think the building is vanity given the dealings and teachings of the chruch’s leadership.
I’m going out to buy a Bentley, for the glory of Gawd
. I’ll put a JE$U$ bumper sticker on the back, so all who look and gawk will see the glory of Gawd when they watch me driving down the street 
.
Well, glory to Gawd.
Just discovered your blog. All I can say is that this is wonderful. I am now starting to (re)discover just how starved people are for SOMETHING that they blindly follow these “pimps”. Please note that I began using that term for these folks back in the ’70s. Some things never change, sadly enough.
Peace
I’ve yet to find ANY scripture that says we are supposed to BUILD God’s KINGDOM on EARTH. I thought God was going to take care of that after all was said and done. Correct me if I’m wrong. According to most of these kingdom builders they keep saying that we are to build these huge structures to present to God. Right? According to them those poor people who can barely affored enough to eat for the day, due to no fault of their own except where they were born, are doomed because they are cursed and wicked. According to them, those people who prefer small churches, where they can get the spiritual help they truly need, those churches are dead because according to the business structure taught in colleges, if there is no constant growth then something is wrong. Maybe I am misunderstanding Matthew 25:41-46. Nope, I don’t think so. But if so could someone please correct me here. (sarcasm) I’m not against big churches. They do have a place, but most of these people are seeking fto become like Joel Ostentation, T Dexter tearjerker Jakes, and Juanita Ineeda Bindem instead of Jesus.
Our Lord would not have His children attend to affirmation of such insanity. Let us strive to enter in at the gate that leads to life; not the emptying of thy pocket books. Standing firm in scripture will always satisfy us. We must never be moved from the biblical perspective. We are living during times when most people in the black church refuse to discern, yet claim to ever learn more and more about God. May The Lord have mercy on the leaderships souls.
Many black churches have lost their souls, their mission, or reasons for existence. I do believe that the type of black church we have out there nowadays, wouldn’t have been able to spearhead, or be a catalyst, for the Civil Rights movement, back in the day.
The black church, in its present condition, just goes to show the decadence, greed, gluttony, and overall moral decay of the collective black community. As I said on this site before, so say I now and again, and that is-every black church I’ve visited, in the area where I live, even if the congregation falls under the banner of “mainstream,” IS INVOLVED IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER, IN WOF TEACHING.
I mean, every A.M.E (I haven’t tried the C.M.E yet) church, every black Baptist church, every black Pentecostal church, I’ve attended, in my area-ALL TEACH WOF AND DOMINION TEACHING!
It makes me wanna holler, and throw up my hands.
I’m going to start attending some white churches next, or predominantly white, or mixed congregation churches (the few they do have that are mixed), and see what they have to offer. Hopefully I don’t get stuck in some “seeker friendly” church, or a church that’s so casual, to where they will allow homosexual, or other untoward like, worldly activities, passing it off as God ordained…
The mere fact that there is even something called the “black church” is a cause for alarm. Anyway one day when I feel energized, I ma going to unleash a full length indictment against these types.]
1. Salvation Auctioneers
2.People in broad hats who like to be called First Lady
3. Pastors who can’t carry own bible to pulpit
4. Gofers who call themselves Armour bearers
5. Narcissistic and egotistical Pastors who demand full unquestioned allegiance
6. The leaders of the fund raising(conference) circuit.
I thought I was alone in this way of thinking until I ran into this website a few weeks ago. These gusy use a sort of “spiritual Voodoo” and “Implied spiritual threats” to keeps coffers full and people in line.
Redman
I was involved in such a church as you described.
I got out but while I was there, I tried to lob
in some discernment grenades but to no avail.
The pew sitters loved the entertainment and
nonsensical preaching and especially numbers
2-5!
Imagine my surprise when the pastor had an
escort for the twenty feet to the podium and this
person carried their Bible for them!
Vaudeville in the church!
Kinda like a James Brown entrance, except with a bible instead of a cape.
They sell salvation on ebay and that’s how low I believe they’ll go. Anyone care to bid on “The Threshing Floor” garments?
Lack of discernment - that is the problem in a large part of the church. The only remedy for this lack of discernment is a steady diet of clear, expository preaching and teaching of Scripture. Appealing to the fleshly sensibilities of the masses simply make them more gullible, open to deception and stunts spiritual growth. Hebrews 5:13-14 says it this way, “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
The church that they are building is a monument to the
glory of man. In these last days and with the needs of
the people so great…to build such a edifice is practically
criminal…
Question: Was there any outcry from the membership
about this building any prophetic word against it or
was it just…acceptance?
In God’s eyes it is criminal, given they are doing their will and calling it His. The apostles used money to help the poor, not build buildings, Galatians 2:10. The apostles had widows registering with the church when they had no family to help them and needed care, 1 Timothy 5:3-16, now the widows are sent to godverment for aid.
Having been on the wrong side of one these building “grand openings” before, I can answer this one pretty well. By the time something like this happens, the assembly is SO DELUDED that everyone CHEERS instead of having JEERS over this. This is one of the milestones in deluding people with false doctrines. I recall when Eddie Long went for YET ANOTHER building upgrade, he first had Mark Hanby come in to offer “prophecy” and Hanby set the expectations for the cheering crowd to have a building the size of the old Atlanta Fulton County Stadium (where the Atlanta Braves used to play). Hanby first got everyone going with talk of how “New Birth” would draw the nations and lead the whole city to Christ. Then he spoke of how he saw a great new building the size of a stadium and so on… By the time he said the size of Fulton County Stadium, he could have declared the building of another Taj Mahal and everyone would have loved that too! (Everyone would have declared that the pagan design was the “wealth of the wicked laid up for the rightous
as is done with these monstrosities.) Given the crowd loved that, getting acceptance for the actual building once Long announced work had begun on a new building was easy.
They’ve all mentally been trained to feel that the church is the “temple” and so it must be the BEST in order to please Gawd and show the glory of Gawd here on earth, so people see the grand edifice and fall on their faces to praise Gawd… Because everyone has been deluded into thinking the church is to posses the whole earth and dominate it, very literally! This is the culmination of YEARS of bad teaching and people not only putting up with it, but defending it and further promoting it themselves.
That’s why people will pay the 10% + the “tabernacle offering” and some will even leave their jobs to work for the “church” and receive lower wages working more hours, but feel they are giving Gawd the glory in it.
It’s about building something bigger and prettier for the cameras. They feel this must be done to glorify Gawd. Not the non-glamorous stuff of focusing the money on the cause of the poor, poor saints in particular.
Nothing but the Lord opening them to embrace sound doctrine can help any of them now.
It’s like they’re completely blind to the error of their ways…reprobate minds.
To IC
Do I smell another Osteen in the works? Is that why they want to build a church the size of a football stadium? Well, glory to Gawd. It is sad.
I smell another rat
.
Talking about expository teaching I been listening to this.
Mr. Melvin I hope its OK. I found this last week, No hype, no shouting, just straight bible.
The Expository Preacher
Mr. Independent Conservative. I read your posts here and even on your website. I don’t always agree with everything but its all good and interesting.. What do you think about this teaching?
Back to the Bible
From what I could hear, I thought he was tremendous.
I agree Melvin. I try to get to that site and follw in my bible. Straight up bible, no drama or nonsense. I find it interesting that people can actually sit back and listen to the Word of God and without all the drama and the noise actually learn something.
I mean can you actually learn something in church without reaching out and touching your neighbour. HAHA
Well I was trying to leave them alone, but it seems the poor saints with no money to give could be misled by them, see But We Can’t Afford to Give.
Do they teach that the saints with money to give are supposed to supply the needs of the saints who can’t afford to give? In that write-up they play on the tithe scam and all the classic plays on Malachi 3.
I guess it’s just not good business to tell the poor saints Luke 6:20 and that the Lord values their heart more than their money.
The classic slip with many of these teachers is how they treat the poor and it’s a MAJOR slip. They’re playing on old covenant scripture and trying to foster feelings of guilt to make money.
And does anybody think they’re offering Estate Planning assistance to simply help people pass on something to their children?
I just found this site last week. I’m quite impressed. I do want to add that not only am I dismayed byan “armour bearers”, but how about “security”? You know those muscular, linebacker sized men who may or may not be packing heat surrounding the “Pastor” or “Bishop”? I didn’t realize so many clergy have threats against them. I was raised Roman Catholic (that’s another post in and of itself), and we didn’t have any goons, oops I mean “security” surrounding the priest druing mass. Maybe I’m just missing something here.
LOL
Of course they need bodyguards!! Once a sheeple or two realizes he’s had his time and money wasted, he’s liable to want to talk face to face with the pimp. And that could get right ugly, right quick.
A double portion of security
.
Why waste blog space on ‘what’s wrong with the church’ when there are believers throughout the world doing great things for god. There are Christians feeding the poor, reforming addicts, educating the uneducated,and even giving their lives. Alas, there is a new ‘cult’ in the world today. It is one that finds fault in any and every group that does not do things their way. I beg you, sir, reconsider the direction of your blog. write on the good that is happening in christendom.
(MN: Why should I disobey the Bible? Do we not sound the warning? Do we sit silently by while the wolves run amok in the flock?
I suspect your definition of “cult” is a bit too broad. But that would be another posting. )
So just how many dollars need to be misappropriated on buildings instead of helping the poor and such before it would be worthwhile to blog about the abuse?
The Nation of Islam does a lot of those good works, too, and the reason they find so many willing converts is that the “Black Church” is involved in so much of the stuff you suggest not be called out. The crooks need to be made known because they are leaving such an indelible print in today’s world. Perhaps if you check the blogroll and the links here, you will find sites that laud the good works Christians are doing.
Maybe if we could shut the pimps up, the still small voices of orthodoxy could be more clearly heard.
Michael,
I don’t want to hurt your feelings but please wake up before you can’t. Obviously if you keep going to sites like this has it occurred to you that perhaps God is talking to you to wake you up before you get hurt? Your pastor isn’t the only one whom God talks to or though. God uses sites like this. No one here is saying they know it all because we don’t know it all. If you don’t like these sites why waste your time reading it or even posting. You wouldn’t go to a porn site and chat with the girls there to tell them they are wrong would you? So if you feel the people are biblically wrong and are sinning by exposing what they believe God has given them charge to do why are you wasting your time? Based on what you have said Jesus was wrong when he said:
Matthew 23:12-33 (New King James Version)
12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.[a]15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ 17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies[b] the gold? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ 19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells[c] in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. 23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.[d] 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ 31 “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?
And for the record, Jesus did mention some of the good things that the Pharisees and scribes did. But I recall the bible also goes on to say that our righteousness is as filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6
MN if I have overstepped my boundaries, please forgive me, but it just makes me angry that people want everyone else to stay in darkness.
Yeah Melvin quit it. You are messing with my supernatural overflow.
Michael, I was reading Jude this morning. False teachers are a disgrace to the body of Christ; they will be judged harshly. But my fellow servants don’t forget Jude 22 & 23:
22And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Michael…
If people were lieing on your earthly father. How long would you set back and allow folks to lie on him before you would want to expose the liars. Wouldn’t you want people to know he is a man of character, intigrity, peace, and love? Wouldn’t you want to show people the truth? Wouldn’t you want to expose those liars for who and what they really were. Wouldn’t you want to warn others who come in contact with those who intentionally say and do things to lie on him. Hurting many others in the process. That their lies would keep people from knowing your father, for the real man that he is.
I ask you then, what length should we then take to stop these liars from lieing on our heavenly FATHER?????
It’s simply the way of Protestantism. There’s no authority, every man for himself, every interpretation of the Bible is as good as the next (no matter how loud you try to screech about “heresy” or some such - on what authority does one believer base his judgment of another believer’s interpretation?)
Wake up, people. Protestantism enshrines individual, private intepretation of the Scripture. This is the consequence - this an every other little kingdom that evangelists of every color and theological type have built - and most of them end up tumbling into (yes) heresy of one sort or another, not to speak of criminal activity.
Mark, would you recommend Catholicism instead? So we can ensure we are bound in everything our Lord warned against in Matthew 23 PLUS the criminal activity of our children being abused and nobody doing a thing about it till it hits the national media decades later?
The pope is a false christ and veneration of Mary in prayer is forbidden in scripture, Luke 11:27-28.
Yeah Mark…………better to have a pointy-hatted devil with a council of ignorami telling folks what the Bible says (no matter what the text ACTUALLY says), and adding a bunch of blasphemous heresy like Mary is Co-Mediatrix and Co-Redeemer,and that the Pope speaks infallibly ex-cathedra (even though Popes have contradicted each other repeatedly when both Popes were supposedly “infallible”) and having an authoritative Magisterium that contradict each other AND Popes, and following these false Anti-Christ Popes who were murderers and fornicators and thieves and heretics, and twisting Scripture into drivel like pagan Purgatory, and indulgences, and praying to the dead, and Mary worship.
Good grief Sparky………..don’t come around here with this ignorant spew. Try it on someone who wasn’t raised Roman Catholic and doesn’t know better. Don’t you have to get your offering in to cover the latest priest/child molester?? Ain’t there a stain on some driveway somewhere in the shape of your Goddess of Heaven Mary that you have to run off and worship??
Not one word about Jesus Christ in the “elder” letter. I was amazed! But even more amazing are the people writing on this site, supporting these bozos!
Wow I stumbled on this site on accident. I am a member of FBCG and I am not being pimped. Pastor Jenkins is a man of God. However Melvin Keep doing what your are doing if you feel that God is leading you. I pray for your blessings. Even though I don’t agree with what you have on this site everyone is entitled to thier own opinion. I love Pastor J and will continue to be serve God under his leadership. May God bless you brother Melvin.
(MN: You don’t think John is a pimp. You think he is a mand of Gawd. Yet you want me to keep doing what I’m doing because I feel that God is leading me.
Why would you say that? If you don’t think he’s a pimp, then why would you think that God would have me to continue to promote what must be lies in your eyes? From your point of view (John is a man of God), I am not telling the truth. Yet you believe that my FEELINGS should be the determiner for whether I continue. Don’t you think the TRUTH should be the determiner?
I hope folks can see how the pimps get to do what they do. You have a view. Yet you are not willing to stand on that view even with me, a man you have never met and have no interaction with. I present you facts yet you dismiss them as opinion. But even with that you wish me “blessings from God.”
Given that I present facts, what is the OPINION part that you disagree with?
Are you so brainwashed and spirit-blind that you simply can no longer think?
As short as your comment was, I have to say that it epitomizes the mindset of the sheeple the pimps like the most. No thought. No standards. No Bible. And no clue.
The pimps will continue to prosper as long as there are Borg like you willing to keep the collective going. )
So your wife is serving under a pimp! You don’t have a problem with that?
freedom… Melvin is not his wife’s god. From the way you worded your question it could be assumed you feel if it were your spouse you would use tactics such as threats and ultimatums to solidify your position as the ‘head of the house”. Which would only cause rebellion, resentment and ultimately hatred towards you.
What do you want him to do? Hide the keys so she can’t go? Or better yet perhaps he should taunt her instead of praying for her. Yeah that’ll work (sarcasm).
Better still, lock her in a room with no phone until church service is over, thereby proving he is the one in control and allowing her heart to be hardened to anything he has to say.
We all have loved ones who are under pimps, all we are required to do is advise them but it is not our job to force anyone to do anything. Even the Holy Ghost doesn’t force any of us to acknowledge who Jesus is.
(MN: Thanks Yvette. I souldn’t have said it better myself.
The last time I chained her down, the police came in (broke my door in and I had to pay for the repairs), we were on Channel 5 News, Jesse (Having My Baby) Jackson and Al Sharpton (the Justice Brothers) showed up and led a march around my block with their Rent-a-Mob carrying signs like “Free Peggy” or “No Church - No Cooking”, and Oprah sent me a threatening e-mail. It was a bad week. I decided not to do anything like that again. )
But I think freedom’s comment raises the question if Melvin responds to his wife in the same manner as he does some of the others who comment on the site that follow similar preachers and/or ministries. Does he consider his wife sheeple and/or misguided for continuing to attend FBCG?
Tweet, that would be assuming that he NEVER talks to his wife about this. I talk to my sister about this subject but I cannot reveal to her what is true, only the holy spirit can. I realize I have to be careful of what I say and how I say it. Otherwise I can cause her to stumble more. I seek not to be a stumbling block but a stepping stone.
We are only to plant seeds, it is not our job to force people to believe. If you want to force people to believe become a muslim. We are to be walking example of who Jesus is not who we are. I don’t presume that he doesn’t nor hasn’t spoken to his wife and neither should anyone else.
Plus if people are coming here to voice their opinion about what another person thinks then they should be able to reinforce their own argument instead of mocking. When was the last time these pimps decided to take their latest ‘building fund’ intact and instead decided to help some of the smaller churches in their area? When was they last time these people took that money and used it to build houses or help with down payments for some of their poorer followers?
Just look for yourself, study for yourself. God is not and has never been about pomp and circumstances. If He was for those things, wouldn’t it stand to reason He would have chosen a king and queen to come to this world through instead of a poor carpenter and young virgin and be born in a place designated for animals?
Okay…I will wear the dunce cap and come right out an say that I didn’t quite get all that you were saying. I don’t see where my comment made the assumption that Melvin never talks to his wife about this, but I guess that is how you read it. I did not make that presumption for the mere fact that Melvin himself said that he does answer questions and the like from time to time. Melvin, I don’t want you to think I am picking on you; it was just the example that has been noted on more one occasion on the site. In the grand scheme of things, my question is for those people whose family members follow these type of ministries, do you consider your mother, wife, father, brother, sister, etc. sheeple, borgs, etc when they defend these preachers? Yvette, would you consider your sister to be sheeple because she has not seen Truth? It’s an issue of consistency I guess for me…But whatever…who am I?
(MN: My first answer, as I was typing it, forced me to think the answer all the way through. My wife and I have a relationship unlike that between me and anyone else in this entire universe, inside or outside the Body of Christ. I am an extension of her and she is an extension of me. I am instructed to wash her with the water of the Word. I am told to live with her as the weaker vessel. I am told to leave my mother and father and cleave to her. I am told to love her even as Christ loved the church.
Obviously I disagree with her choice to remain at FBC Glenarden. But that is all I can, in good conscience, say. I can say that I do not deal with her in the same manner as I deal with the people who visit the site and attempt to defend the pimps. I know for a fact that that approach will not be effective and will damage the very relationship I am trying nurture (and yes, I do know how to nurture). I don’t have anymore than a passing relationship with the sheeple who visit the site.
It took me the first ten years of a thirty-two year marriage to figure out that debating and contending DO NOT work with your wife. )
Thank you…I appreciate the sincerity in your response. I enjoyed the fact that others thought I was prying (sarcasm intended), but like I said, my concern was a big picture issue. I have never been a supporter of the majority of the name calling on the site, and I have voiced my thoughts on such. I just was curious to know if this same name calling applied to those closet to us. For example, my grandmother did not believe the things that I now believe…did that make her sheeple or a Borg for tithing? For me, no it didn’t for the fact that she helped lay the foundation for where I am today.
My questioning was not exclusive to your particular sitution in so much as it was how WE ALL deal with any family member or loved one who seems to be following someone who does not have strong doctrinal foundation.
Solid Points Tweet….
God specifically gave us guidelines for the deceived/confused & those DIRECTLY OPPOSED to Us (II Timothy 2:23-26)
Being a Loved one wasn’t a QUALIFICATION for receiving the outlined treatment……& we cannot in good conscience treat our loved ones one way while strangers differently, for that’d be hypocritical.
Being concerned about avoiding combativeness/roughness with loved ones for fear that it won’t work with them & & yet choosing to not give the same treatment to those I don’t even know–Even though they have the same mindset as MY LOVED ONES may–Gives the impression of adding qualifications to God’s Word…….making “exceptions” rather than treating ALL I come in contact UNBIASLY & as Scripture dictates.
Tweet.. Yes I do see my sister as a sheeple. But so was I at one point. She only started going to her church last year. the first time she has been going to a church since we moved to florida almost 20 years ago. But I also know her pain. She is where I once was. So I just pray for her.
Different, yet interesting perspective. Thanks for the response.
Would you like recordings of Melvin’s conversations with his wife? Would that clear things up for you?
Of course Tweet would be the model of decorum if her spouse was being abused and people mocked her efforts to expose the abuser.
Huh? This response came from what?
From you.
Since you put it on Melvin I put it on you.
If you were running a site to glorify God in truth, help others and in love for the one God has you live the rest of this life with and love as yourself. Then others attacked your efforts and called you various names. I’m sure you’d be the model of all you’ve said others should do.
I know, you were not really talking about Melvin, you just said Melvin and used pronouns like “he” because you were talking about everyone in general
.
Don’t worry, we all understand. In fact, maybe you’re just misunderstanding me?
I guess you didn’t see where I said Melvin was the example that I was using since it had been brought up before and that it was not as specific to him as it was the big picture issue. So yes, maybe I am misunderstanding you. I never claimed to be intelligent…As I was told recently by a commentor, I am pretty much a pimp defender. But then again, Melvin was able to see my point and he answered me honestly…so that was really all I was getting at. Thanks for your concern though IC!
I saw your later comments to clarify.
IC needs to pump his breaks….He is so, so ready to defend Melvin…Melvin is a big boy he can defend himself….I can relate to me at one church and the wife at another
(MN: Can you relate to two people [married] operating two separate households? I see it as pretty much the same things.
By the way, I don’t believe IC was defending me. I haven’t done or said anything that needs defending.
Besides, the issue is the pastor who, knowing the husband wants his wife with him, would virtually hold the wife hostage, refusing to send her on her way. John did exactly that. First he refused to do so. Then he lied about why he had not done so. Then he said he would do so IF I apologized for telling people why I left. )
One in Worship - Not that it’s all about Melvin, but lets say that it is. Am I wrong to defend my brother if I feel he’s being hit with weak cheap shots while doing a just cause? Am I my brother’s keeper?
I’m not seeing the scripture that says that I’m wrong IF I did it for Melvin because I fell his effort glories God. Which means it’s all about giving glory to God, not man.
This whole sidebar was a contrived distraction by one (the one using the handle “freedom” who has used other account names as well) who does not like seeing John Jenkins exposed.
(MN: Don’t fret it. Everybody knows that the folks who visit this site only agree with me if they are mind numbed robots, unable to examine the Bible for themselves. You are obviously kissing up to me because in some fashion which I have yet to be able to idenify, you need me in order to promote your own agenda. It’s not at all possible that we have read the same scripture and come to the same conclusion - since we both have the same Holy Spirit dwelling in us.
Now - like the well-trained lap dogs all of you readers are, turn to your neighbor and say “He’s just hating!”
And give your neighbor a high-five
And hug your neighbor
And roll over
And - oh, sorry. I got carried away. )
Actually Melvin, I’m just doing this as part of the plan to twist scripture once enough trust is gained, so we can get paid. You did say I get the 15% partners’ cut right? The “tithe plus 5″!
(MN: Shhhhh!! )
I see another hymn coming……….”It’s All About Melvin”.
Wild……
Interesting question…
Would seem like a GLARING double-standard to do otherwise, even though none of us really knows what’s happening at home….
Be easy to respond roughly to an anonymous commentor you have no relationship with, but to someone who’s close to your heart….that’d be more difficult.
Nonetheless, it’d be a good way to see whether or not we’re truly consistent with our beliefs & to see whether our loyalties truly lie with Christ or with what we’re willing to adapt to/whatever suits us at the moment. (Matthew 10:32-39)
IMO, I don’t think one can go wrong if he or she earnestly prays about it first to see how God would have them respond & simply goes with the Word on the issue, using passages such as Matthew 18:15-18, II Thessalonians 3:14-15, II Timothy 2:23-26, Titus 3:9-11, or Jude 1:20-23 across the boards (& in context)……
For they as they seem to give the clear-cut standards on how to interact with ALL of those either confused/decieved or willfully in sin.
Well,I’ve responded to family members harshly, and I’ve responded gently on the subject depending on the situation. I’m certain the same applies to Melvin.
ALL respondents don’t get waylaid here,so let’s not build a strawman argument and ask that it be defended.
GaryV - It’s amazing that someone trying to tear down this effort has been able to get so much hay into their “straw man”. They tried several comments under various names all playing off the same theme.
Melvin said:
Now see Melvin, I know you’re lying
. Because the race mob led by Sharpton and Jackson only shows up when the alleged abuser is White and the victim is Black. Notice I said “alleged” because the White person really does not have to have done anything, but just be accused by the Black and that is sufficient.
You could kill your wife and they’d stay home.
lol
Hey Melvin I hear that Pastor J’s son is doing stage plays have you heard anything about that. I think its just another sceme to get more money. One of my friend was telling me about one of the plays that Pastor Jenkins son did. It was at Flowers High School I think. I guess he will have a huge stage to do his plays on now. Even his son could be a pimp!! What do you think?
Yes, Pastor Jenkins oldest son does write and perform plays but they’re not always held at Flowers High School for admission. FBCG presented a play earlier this year at one of their Bam Jams for free. I’m sure by having the new church they won’t have a need for Flowers High. I was their Saturday attending the opening and one of the things I notice was that the rows and seats are numbered for events. I’m sure the church will be used for concerts, plays, etc.
The seats were number……tell me it is’nt so
(MN: I sat in row RR )
To Melvin
I saw an interesting article today, concerning your situation and others in it as well. The link is here. Please comment on what you think.
Thanks for the infol.
The circumstance they discuss is a little more difficult though - the saved married to the unsaved. I am convinced that my wife is certainly saved. Remember, there is more going on in our particular circumstances than JUST the church. As I have said on many occasions, I have done a very efficient job of messing up in our relationship. I am certain some of that is floating around in the mix.
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