There are times that being a Christian is an embarrassment not a badge of honor. Ask Peter who denied ever knowing the man. I remember a pastor friend coming through customs with his collar. Normally, being seen as a man of the cloth was a matter of pride but some nitwit head of a denomination had just been trying a David Koresh move with the young girls of his congregation and created a huge public scandal in the country. My friend wanted to hide his collar.
Being found guilty by association is one of the dynamics of group membership and loyalty that should forge measures of accountability and discipline. How many people alive today have the last name Hitler? Whatever happened to that bloodline?
You want to rein in loose cannons that have the potential to bring down the family name before major and irreparable damage is done. As far-fetched as Ray Sutton’s and Gary Demar’s imaginations of Christian Reformation may have seemed, some of the extremist ideas generated in the Christian Reconstructionist movement, (which theologically informed the Apostolic and Prophetic Restoration movement in Charismatic Christianity, and the popular Kingdom Now movement also called Dominionism;) particularly on church discipline, harping back to the use of Old Testament sticks and stones to break the bones of the particularly recalcitrant blasphemer suddenly started to make more sense to me as I watched version after version of Paula White’s mega-hit “Strike! Strike! Strike! I hear the sound of abundance of rain.”
Only a perfect fool would want to associate with this bunch of Thus-saith- the-Lorders. One would imagine that even those with the gift would go into hiding after all the outrageous display of tomfoolery by star professed God spokespersons, rather than risk being lumped together with these infantile, egotistic wannabe I-told-you-soers clamoring for attention on the internet. If God should indeed speak to anyone of integrity just now, he or she might want to take it to the grave rather than risk the ridicule of pronouncement. There is indeed a time for silence.
But alas, the pool of imbeciles eagerly itching to further pollute the Name of God, heap reproach on the gospel and dishonor the One who holds the sacred balance of Justice and Truth in His hand seems endless.
It’s much deeper a matter than being accurate in prediction, or even questioning one’s rationale for lending political support to a movement, which is everyone’s prerogative.
Musing on the life story of the man Lance Walnau capriciously brushed aside as being inconsequential in the last US election and comparing that with the known life story of the Champion from Gath, claimed to be the sole significant factor – whether you were either for or against him, (one youtube commentator called him the ’embodiment of Christ on earth’ ….without reproof from any of the other equally zealous cult enthusiasts) and recounting shock after shock of outrage stealthily introduced in the long journey of desensitization through a steady diet of offenses incrementally introducing this new normal now threatening the stable future of the fabled “greatest nation on earth” , I cant help but marvel at the mystery of iniquity at work.
The power of restraint, directly connected to the capacity to tolerate …. or not …. is a huge part of human morality…..and although I claim to be a ‘positive moralist’, touting the central role of the capacity for empathy as against fear in the development of wholesome character, there are times like now that I resort to wondering about the power of those old Testament sticks and stones in creating restraint from the abominations that when let, seem not to bother the human spirit in the slightest.
YeKengalé 
I can relate to some of this though I don’t share your way of interpreting the Old Testament. But when it comes to being Embarrassed by the behaviour of some professing believers especially those up North! Sigh 😔 MayGod grant us all repentance renewal and reformation. Tip: please shorten your sentences. The main thought is sometimes lost on me. Much love 💕 Jean
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Thanks Jean
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“He that letteth -“2kings19:4= he that letteth him go- will be punished.
“He who now letteth will let, till he be taken out of the way. -2thess2:7. Usually interpretted as the H.G.
The title of your piece, ” he that letteth ” suggested both -,the need to punish he that letteth, or he that letteth as the H.G. However your article neither uses the rendering of either of the biblical references and somewhat confused my oversight in reading. The conclusions, if any, from your presentation on the random rantings of unholy prophets and church leaders scrambling for publicity, is imprecise, if not depressing.
The life of Jesus manifested outright condemnation of sin while covering individuals with Grace and mercy by giving them hope in his condemnation of sin. He would say, Go and sin no more, without condemning. You therefore are indirectly asking, where are the holy prophets to condemn the careless spoutings of unholy Christian speakers. Let them come forth. Let them speak so all, intellectuals and simple, can hear their truth, backed by power and signs and wonder.
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Apostolic reformation / restoration of the Protestant church which restores accountability structures while allowing autonomy is desirable …but hardly imaginable from the present state of ….lawlessness? personality cult driven personal kingdom building cacophony….? hard to describe the state of the protestant church at present. Such is the state of a people who define themselves by protestation.
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Speaking as few words as possible – a timely virtue in a season such as we are in where whatever words are spoken for the sake of truth are instantly targets for desecration, nevertheless this can oft seem opaque rather than plain. Prophetic correction inferred by Patrick is part of Apostolic reformation which I limited to the protestant church in that Catholics and Orthodox have the Patriarchy/Papacy as their version of apostolic oversight. Truth is, all Christendom needs to examine itself in the light of John 17….but that does not seem forthcoming… perhaps the real threat of extinction might change that.
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