Monday Morning Insights

Photo of Todd
    .

    T. D. Jakes, Imus, Boycotts, Golf Champion, Pastors Leaving, & King James Fanatics

    Bookmark and Share

    Boycott Claims Success… Wait… What Boycott?
    Did you know that Ford’s sales have fallen 10 out of the last 12 months?  Or that Ford reported a loss of $12.7 Billion dollars last year?  Well, I’m sure the reason (other than all the other auto companies having a bad year) has to be the boycott that the American Family Association has had against Ford for (ironically) the past year.  They issues a press release this past week touting that their boycott had a tremendous impact on Ford.  (They’re boycotting because of Ford’s support of homosexuals) They then complained that “With Ford closing plants, laying off employees, hemorrhaging red ink and a facing a dealer uprising in Texas, wouldn’t you think that business reporters would include at least a mention of the boycott in their coverage of Ford’s woes? Alas, no.” I guess just think what kind of impact they would’ve had if the press had helped them out.  Oh, and by the way, I’m the on responsible for Sanjayah still being on American Idol this week.  Question:  Do boycotts really work?  And should ‘Christians’ be boycotting companies?

    T. D. Jakes Chimes in on Imus
    “The fact remains that Imus’ unprovoked racial slurs – which sadly appear to be part of a personal pattern over the years – clearly reveal a deeper malignancy of the heart.  But it is the lack of immediate and meaningful response by his employer that reveals a deeper cancer in America… Press statements and public appearances are mere bandages when someone’s daughter is called a whore for fun. True healing will come only when individuals honestly address the root of their remarks, rather than making excuses for them, and only when employers and advertisers in our society respond immediately and decisively.” More hereA couple questions here:  Should T. D. Jakes be commenting on this in the first place?  (I don’t know); and secondly… what’s the worst ‘non-theological’ thing you’ve ever said as a church staff member that’s gotten you in trouble (or fired)?

    The Master’s Winner is “One of Us”
    It seems that the winner of this year’s Master’s Golf Tournament is really one of “The Master’s”.  According to Baptist Press, “Zach Johnson, the man who rose from obscurity to wear golf’s prestigious Green Jacket as winner of the Masters, accepted Christ at First Baptist Church in Orlando and is characterized by the man who led him to the Lord as a “man after God’s own heart.” I did appreciate him talking about his faith as he was interviewed.  Kind of refreshing. 

    Why Did You Leave Your Last Church?
    Sharper Iron has a live poll going on asking the question “Why did you leave your last pastorate?” So far the top answer:  “Conflict or contending with control freaks” followed closely by Discouragement/Burnout/Sense of Inadequacy; All was well, simply felt led by God; and This is my first pastorate.  You can vote your peace hereQUESTION:  So… why DID you leave your past church?

    King James Fanatics
    This stuff is STILL out there.  Come on, this is so ‘1967’:  The Bible is God’s book. He gave it by inspiration. The words of scripture are God’s words. But not only did God give His words to man, He also promised to preserve them… for specific reasons. They are shown to us in the Bible. We believe that we have the perfectly preserved words of God in our 1611 King James Bible, also called the “Authorized Version” or KJV.  Today, hundreds of books call themselves Bibles. In this book you will see why they cannot all be the words of God and why only the 1611 KJV is God’s perfectly preserved words in English.  I guess, if you want a copy of the book (which I think is ALSO inspired by God), you can get one hereQUESTION:  Have you been a past proponent of the “King James Only” camp.  What changed your mind?

    OK… that’s it for this morning.  I’d love to hear your comments on any/all of these topics.  AND… I’m down to 177 in my MMI Inbox.  What a great feeling!  (not)

    Also… what’s you read… would you like to see more posts like this (that combine my thoughts and several topics?) Just wondering.

    Thanks… have a great day!

    Todd

    OK, here's the deal. About a week ago, I finally managed to clear my Outlook Inbox. (And I've kept it clear for a week... I'm so proud of myself). But, when I scan things for MMI every day, I take interesting things I'd like to blog about and put them in another 'inbox'. That box now has 182 items in it. So... I'm going to try, little by little, to clean that out. That means sharing some stuff that I thought was interesting when I read it, but didn't have time to post about it. Hopefully, over time, I'll make some progress. Here are a few for today...

    Comments

    if you want a Globally Recognized Avatar (the images next to your profile) get them here. Once you sign up, they will displayed on any website that supports them.

    1. Brice on Thu, April 12, 2007

      I can never get enough of Todd’s thoughts!

    2. Todd Rhoades on Thu, April 12, 2007

      Ahh… and me of yours!


      Todd

    3. Bart on Thu, April 12, 2007

      1.  Boycotts- absolutely!!  After all, I boycotted Russian vodka and the Solviet Union fell.


      2.  I wonder how many of the women on that team have CD’s of rappers with the exact same words on them, and they paid for that.  Just like the “N” word can only be used by gangster rappers and vulger black commedians.  Doesn’t excuse Imus, but is confusing.


      3.  Master’s winner- Go Zack go!!  And best of all he is from Iowa.


      4.  First church at age 48, no plans to leave yet.


      5.  Love the KJV.  Grew up with it and can usually understand it, but preach from the NLT and use it for my personal study.


      6.  Multi theme posts- I usually have several things going on in my head too!!  I just can’t always get them out.  RIght now the theme from the Brady Bunch is stuck in there and I can’t figure out a way to work it into the sermon.

    4. Camey on Thu, April 12, 2007

      1) Know all about this boycott. It was suggested to me that we sell my hubby’s vehicle because it is a Ford and buy a new one from a different maker. WHAT? My hubby’s vehicle is long since paid for and is 12-years-old. We’re supposed to go in debt because of a boycott? I don’t think so.


      2) TD Jakes on Imus? Should he be commenting? I don’t know. He didn’t ask me.


      3) The Masters and Zach Johnson…. For the record: I do not have a golfing bone in my body. Golf is HUGE to many people in my daily life for obvious reasons given where we live. Zach Johnson represents the only real Master whether he wins or loses. For that, I am most thankful.


      5) King James? Personally no longer use it for daily study or teaching. Know many who still say it is the only Bible period. I think this issue will always be with us.


      I say… Give us what you truly have the time for given what all is on your plate.

    5. RevJeff on Thu, April 12, 2007

      1.  (insert sarcasm) Yeah!  We’re shutting them down one by one!  .... , and now, Disney is allowing Gay couples to have special ceremonies in front of the magic kingdom…. Where’s pastor Phelps on this one? (end sarcasm)


      2.  I pray TD JAkes doesn’t become the next REVEREND Jesse or Sharpton…  though I doubt he had any choice but to respond from where he stands…  The thing that I said that got me in trouble - “No, it doesn’t matter.”


      3.  I knew that.  Real golf fans have heard of him before and know that he has a solid testimony…


      4.  I left my last church because I was smack in the middle of the “number one reason” for nine years…


      5.  Nope never been there, but married into it… Yeah, folks… do a little language study for yourself before you condemn the rest of us to Hades.

    6. Leonard on Thu, April 12, 2007

      I boycott boycotts


      TD Jakes lives in America, say what you want.


      I got a hole in one once in spite of the windmill but did not get a green jacket.


      To start a church, it was 1996 and one of the best things I ever did.


      I like Keven James, James Brown, James Hendrix, Jamestown, do not like Bartles and James or King James


      Keep rambling, it makes me look organized.

    7. nora on Thu, April 12, 2007

      There was a church in our area that had a sign that said “KJV only”.  As I passed by, I speculated about what that sign might mean to your average unchurched passer by:  “Karate, Jujitsu Vibrations”? “Kind and Just Vigilantes”?  Or perhaps, “Kinetic, Jumping Visionaries”?  As it turns out, I’m not sure anybody figured it out, because the church did not last very long ..............

    8. JHPW on Thu, April 12, 2007

      Boycotts - Generally I don’t think Christians should be involved in this kind of stuff.  It always reminds me of some lines from a song by Steve Taylor years ago called Guilty by Association—-  You know I’m spending all my money


                        In the Kingdom now


                        And I only drink milk


                        From a Christian cow


      King James fanatics - Had a Bible School professor who was KJV only.  This viewpoint was baffling to me then, and it’s still baffling.  Though I do still enjoy reading some of the Psalms in KJV.  The language seems more poetic too me.  But then, I also like Shakespeare.

    9. Camey on Thu, April 12, 2007

      Hey Todd! I think Leonard and Nora are on to something…. Sounds like a great thing for a Wednesday hump post or Friday.

    10. Brandon on Thu, April 12, 2007

      Thoughts on the KJV—actually had a lady in my church come up to me and tell me that the Bible version I was using to preach from (the TNIV) was the latest in a long line of Bible translations that Satan was using to bastardize the Word of God and lead us all into the “one world religion” and the worship of Satan.


      Yeah. It was weird.

    11. Brandon on Thu, April 12, 2007

      Oh yeah, obviously she was a great proponent of the KJV as the only Word of God.

    12. Randy Ehle on Thu, April 12, 2007

      2) What’s the worst ‘non-theological’ thing you’ve ever said as a church staff member that’s gotten you in trouble (or fired)?  I’ve always been fairly free in talking about my faith at work, without much backlash.  A few years ago, though, after promotion to a “senior management” level (in a company of 900, I was running a department of 40), I did get a talking-to by my boss.  It seems that one of the managers that worked for me was offended by my reference to some church-related management lesson I’d learned and shared in a meeting with her and her two fellow managers.  There was certainly no proselytizing, but she was decidedly non-religious and took offense to my church reference.  Surprisingly, I never heard anything from my boss about her being offended by a comment I made in a one-on-one discussion with her; I’d said something a bit derisive about those who treat animals as if they are as important as people…and she apparently was among those!  I didn’t get fired, but I did learn that I have to be careful what I say and how it might be perceived.

    13. Leonard on Thu, April 12, 2007

      I once got in trouble for telling a parent she was a crummy parent.  she was but I was also out of line.

    14. lor on Thu, April 12, 2007

      1)  Boycotts hurt working families who have no control over policy. 


      2)  I’ve also wondered how many of them have cd’s they’ve paid good money for with the same kind of language with the same intent.  Don’t hear much from the good Reverends on that.   Not that that excuses Imus, mind you.  Shame on him.  In terms of Jakes, it’s a free country. 



      3)  Congratulations to Zach Johnson!


      4)  We left the last church after my son asked me what the guy up front was talking about and I realized I didn’t have an answer for him.  No life change, no spiritual growth, no applicability on a daily basis.  All ritual, no relationship.  I wanted a real relationship with Jesus Christ - for my kids and for me.


      5)  KJV left me confused and clueless.  Didn’t even understand what they were saying, let alone knowing how to apply it.  I love the NIV, Life Application.


      Love the blog!

    15. Peter Hamm on Thu, April 12, 2007

      I have admitted on many occasions that as a worship leader I rarely “feel” the presence of God like people expect I must. I admitted that in my interview when I took this job. I admit it on a regular basis. I have not been fired yet, but I’ve been told I’m very gutsy for sharing it. I’d rather be God’s presence than feel it anyday, anyway.


      The King James Bible was a defective translation, as all are, when it first appeared and ever since. On top of that, DOZENS of words that are used in it have either changed meanings or are so archaic that no one knows what they mean. Even when it was WRITTEN people didn’t use “thee” and “thou” in conversation anymore. I just picked up bono’s new book “On The Move”, the text of his speech to the prayer breakfast last year. Funny, not only is it published by a Christian publisher (Nelson… gusty move, guys, thanks!) but guess which Bible translation he uses.. You guessed it, KJV.

    16. Page 1 of 2 pages  1 2 >

      Post a Comment

    17. (will not be published)

      Remember my personal information

      Notify me of follow-up comments?

    Sponsors