When a Man of God Compromises...

... the Word of God is shamed. I'm sitting here in tears over something I just saw on TV, grieving over what has become of our Christian leaders in this once great nation.

What I heard was a pastor saying he changed his mind about a biblical issue because he "heard from my base." He didn't hear from God, because God's Word on the issue is clear. There is behavior that is sinful, and sin should not be celebrated or "tolerated." It doesn't even matter what the issue was, though you can probably guess, given the recent headlines. Yesterday this pastor spoke out and he said he could no longer support President Obama and would not vote for him because the president has come out strongly and publicly supporting something that the Bible clearly condemns.

One day later, this supposed shepherd of God's people told the world that the opinions of men matter more to him than what God has said in the bible. He is Rev. Emmett Burns, PhD, pastor of The Rising Sun Baptist Church in Baltimore, and I feel sorry for the members of his congregation. Apparently Rev. Burns got a lot of calls today from his "base", and when he saw that standing on principle might be costly, he chose to deny what he knew in his heart to be true. It would have been better for all of them had Rev. Burns kept his opinions to himself in the first place, since he apparently didn't have the courage of his convictions or trust God to honor his faithfulness. Instead, a man of God has been revealed as just another guy who cares more about what people think of him than doing the right thing and standing on biblical truth. Great lesson to teach the flock that God put in your care, sir.

I'm sure that he got hammered today for speaking out. 97% of the black community is in lockstep support of President Obama. But gay rights are NOT the same as the rights regardless of color fought for by the civil rights movement. The level of melanin in your skin, or your ethnic background, is not something you choose or can change, anymore than you do your height or hair color [ok, many women do choose the latter]. All of us DO choose our behavior, and one day we will ALL be held accountable for that.

I wish that Rev. Burns had met Rev. C.L. Bryant, because he might have been able to encourage the older man that the fight was worth it. Pastor Bryant was raked over the coals for standing on principle, and is still proclaiming the truth fearlessly every day, despite receiving the same kind of attacks leveled at Rev. Burns. The difference is that Pastor Bryant chose to put his trust in God, not in the opinions of men. When I met him, he told me that the two issues he believed most of the Christian community could agree on were abortion and gay marriage. Sadly, he was proved wrong today.

Most of us will never be placed in the same position as Rev. Burns. But if I ever am, I pray that I will value God's opinion of me more than the world's.