Touch Not Mine Anointed

Berean Baptist on September 4, 2017

Psalms 105:15

One of the great warnings of scripture is the danger of perverting the word of God. God is not pleased when His words are misused, misapplied, or otherwise twisted to teach things He never intended. We fight this battle constantly with new Bible versions as often they are translated to satisfy certain consumers with their own theological axes to grind. Many translations are not translations at all but rather a commentary on scripture. There are Bibles to fit almost anyone’s viewpoint whether it be sodomites, feminists, genderless (or too many genders), too many verses (thus, infamous missing ones in the NIV), etc. etc.

We also fight against cults that want to include unusual, bizarre writings of their supposed prophets. These strange revelations (?) such as the Book of Mormon are claimed to be other testaments of sayings and doctrines that God left out of the sixty-six books recognized for centuries as canonical. The Bible contains its own internal proof of supernatural origin while these spurious books only have super stupid claims. The Book of Mormon is especially noteworthy for its almost comical attempt at sounding authoritative by its copying of King James language.

These are real problems to be confronted, but the one I want to speak of is the Baptist preacher who thumps the King James and declares it to be the infallible, inspired word of God without error even down to the way flowers should be pressed between its pages. I am speaking of that same preacher who has no problem twisting scriptures to accommodate his own ends.

Psalms 105:15 is a good case in point. The pastor will quote this out of context, “…touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.” The psalmist is speaking of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and how God called them and protected them to fulfill His promises to Israel. While it is true God has a special hand of protection on His ministers, it is also true that the people should hold them accountable. How well we as pastors should note that our usefulness is according to God’s eternal plan. Stephen was martyred after a very short career even though he was called a man full of faith and power. God had his vengeance on those who did the deed while using the evil that was done to glorify His name. How often have we used Stephen as an example of courage?

My problem is with the pastor who insulates himself from criticism and honest evaluation by claiming Psalm 105:15. He requires blind obedience, unwavering devotion, and near godlike worship. This pastor teaches people to never question his authority and never inquire about his teachings. And God forbid anyone should offer a word of correction when he has obviously missed something or misinterpreted a scripture. Touch not God’s anointed means “fall in line, don’t make waves, and if I go over a theological cliff everybody is sworn to go with me.”

Does God require absolute commitment to the pastor? This is a huge mistake. Even the great apostle Paul said who am I? God gives the increase. He wanted no followers except as he followed Christ. I would submit you had better research Christ to see if the pastor is following Him. It is unquestionably true that you should respect the pastoral position and the authority invested in him by God through the church. “Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses” (1 Tim. 5:19). Moral and doctrinal accusations should not be charged lightly, but they can be charged. Aside from those types of glaring issues, pastors ought to welcome honest inquiries. I find no better teaching times than when I can walk someone through a doctrine or scripture I have taught.

I want you to be Bereans (Acts 17:11). I don’t consider it an offense when questions are asked. They sharpen me and show me areas that need better explanations. So, come with your questions. Those asked in the right spirit will be answered. Those asked in the wrong spirit will be answered too. Each receives their appropriate answers.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Doomed to Repeat the Past

Berean Baptist on February 20, 2017

Psalm 78

In the 78th Psalm, we come to one of the many instances in which the history of Israel, the ups and downs of their relationship with God, is recounted. The purpose of these places is to teach that we must remember the failures of the past and to warn those who have not yet learned the lessons we have learned how to avoid the holes we have fallen into.

In dealing with the Corinthian church, Paul encouraged them to pay attention to Old Testament scriptures. They are not passé and of no benefit. Rather, he says in the 10th chapter that the experiences of Old Testament Israel were for our example. In Acts chapter 7, Stephen used the historical record to point out how the Jews of his time were no different from their forefathers. They claimed to be the righteous children of Abraham, but Stephen skillfully discovered to them they were certainly more like the children of Abraham than they cared to admit. At every turn, their forefathers continually rejected the grace of God and these more modern Jews were no different. They proved it when they crucified God’s own Son (Acts 7:51-52).

Psalm 78 can be rightly called a reminder of Deuteronomy 6:6-7:  “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” The power and might of God in taking Israel to the Promised Land were to be an incentive to follow faithfully. Whenever Israel failed, it was a direct result of disobedience, of stubbornness, and refusal to remember what happened each time they disobeyed.

I believe we find the same incentive in the New Testament in words that are written to Christians. Hebrews 12 speaks of chastisement which we strictly want to avoid, but who among us has not gone back to the same sins time and time again? Who learns the lesson well that the same sins always yield the same results? It seems we have great difficulty learning our lessons as if the holes we fall into are not hard enough at the bottom to make us want to keep from stepping into them again.

While there is no excuse for this, we do have to chalk it up to human nature. We surrender to the flesh rather than continually crucifying it with its affections and lusts (Gal. 5:24). If you wonder how Israel kept doing what they did after seeing the power of God to deliver them, just remember we fare no better. Many times the authors of scripture tell this story about Israel and many times we are challenged to be strong in the faith. Shouldn’t one chapter in one book of the New Testament be enough to keep us straight? Apparently not because encouragement to forsake the flesh and follow Christ is an often repeated theme.

God wants us to keep up the fight. We are not to surrender because the way is hard. Every temptation has a means of escape just as Paul described in 1 Corinthians 10. God knows we will fail—He understands us better than we do ourselves. For this reason, He offers forgiveness rather than condemnation. As the Psalmist wrote in verses 38 and 39, God knows us: “But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.”

Thank God His compassion is deeper than our holes. When we repeat the past, His forgiveness is there. When we come in confession and repentance, He never fails to forgive. In our flesh, we may be doomed to repeat the past, but the blessing of our salvation is in Christ. He took the blame for us for which we will be eternally grateful.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith