Normally, when the people of God allow the devil to get in the midst of a situation through pride, sin, and dishonesty, it becomes very convoluted and full of confusion and then it begins to unravel to the point where the former thing that probably was of God is not even recognizable and this is what has happened with the Redemption Church/Relentless Church debacle. As Relentless Church employee Jacob Johnson, who left Lakewood Church in Houston to join John Gray’s team in Greenville, basically said in the third video, God was in it in the beginning, but pride, sin, and dishonesty has brought it to this.

Black Christian News Network One (BCNN1) does not have the time nor the interest to give a blow-by-blow report on what we know is a devil-inspired, convoluted, unraveling mess. We have and do give initial news about such situations and one or two follow-ups. That is pretty much as far as we are going to go with it because after that you start getting into the weeds of foolishness.

Even though we disagree with some of the things that Larry Reid of Larry Reid Live says in his monologues and reporting, nobody, in our opinion, deals with the blow-by-blow reporting of these messy church situations like he does. Whether you love him, like him, or hate him, we believe we can speak for the respected Christian Post and Black Christian News Network One (BCNN1) that we have used some of his reporting because some things have gotten so out of hand in the church and so demonically ridiculous that somebody has to do the painful, nasty job that Larry Reid is doing, and when we can, we use some of his reporting because he uses credible sources such as court documents. In light of the Scripture, “judgment must begin at the house of God”, and because we have to be honest and transparent before a dying and lost world about the mess in the church, we have to recognize that there are some people who are actually called to do this kind of work and we believe that Larry Reid is called to do this. Now, some of the crazy things that he says regarding stuff that is gossip, regarding sex, and made-up curse words, we don’t support that, but in things where the devil has gotten in the midst of a church situation and it has unraveled, nobody is more gifted in explaining this mess in a blow-by-blow fashion than Larry Reid. So, we give you three videos that he has done over the last week dealing with this sad, unfortunate situation.

The reason why we are calling on Joel Osteen and T. D. Jakes to get involved in a public and out-front way is because this is going to be a mess that goes on throughout the year and maybe even beyond and it needs to end now. These two prominent pastors were there at the beginning laying hands on John Gray and agreeing with Ron Carpenter that this was of God. Now, they need to get involved at the end of this thing to shut it down. One of the sad things that has happened down through the past 30 years is when so-called “pastoral fathers” who basked in their sons’ gifting and talent, and even generated millions of dollars off their sons’ gifting, talent, and ability, but as soon as they mess up they pull back from them and we don’t hear anything from them because they follow the advice of their PR people who tell them, “This is the Titanic, don’t get near it,” when, in fact, we need to see those same “pastoral fathers” who basked in their sons’ glory, gifting, and talent and when the money was flowing in, when he foolishly messes up with pride, sin, and dishonesty to come and help him get out of a bad situation and hire him back where he came from. For the truth of the matter is, some gifted, talented young men are good at being a second man but not the first man. They are good at being a relief pitcher but not the main marquee pitcher. They are good at being a pinch hitter but not the main hitter. They are a good second man, but they are not equipped to be the first man even though everybody thought they would be.

What probably needs to happen at this point and what Joel Osteen and T. D. Jakes need to facilitate with the quickness is for Ron Carpenter to not only get his building back but get all of the people back who want to stay even the ones that came in under John Gray and for John Gray to humble himself and resign and to admit that he messed up with pride, sin, and dishonesty as he has admitted to Larry Reid, and move back to Houston or get a second man job position under T. D. Jakes. But whatever is the conclusion of this matter, it needs to conclude now because in the words of the crazy but gifted Larry Reid, “This is a whole mess.”

— BCNN1 Editors

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Christians can have sexual attraction without it being lust, according to a pair of Christian counselors who specialize in marriage and family.

The Dallas Theological Seminary podcast “The Table” had an episode posted on YouTube last week titled “A Healthy Approach to Sexual Attraction.”

The experts interview by host Bill Hendricks included Debby Wade, a licensed professional counselor who specializes in marriage, family, and sex addiction; and Gary Barnes, an ordained minister and licensed psychologist who specializes in marriage and family matters.

Wade took issue with the belief that sexual attraction and lust were the same thing, with her explaining that lust involves “objectifying” and “just seeing one level of a person.”

“Sexual attraction, I think, is way deeper, and encompasses so many things,” said Wade. “The way that God designed us physiologically, we do have that chemical reaction and that chemistry that we may experience with others.”

“And we know that there’s an attraction there. But we wouldn’t just want to base a relationship on just that attraction.”

Wade added that attraction involves a longer-term sentiment, using the hypothetical example of a married couple who had been together for 60 or more years.

“They were attracted to each other physically. And although their body physically has changed, because of intimacy, there being an attraction and then a deeper knowing, they would still say, out of all their body changes, their wrinkles and everything, ‘We’re as attracted to each other now as we were 60 years ago,’” she continued.

Barnes also noted a contrast between attraction and lust, defining lust as “objectifying for self-gratification” while attraction would be “beholding the beauty” and “powerful.”

“It’s powerful on purpose. And it could be used for constructive purposes, or destructive purposes. But it’s not ho-hum. And that’s really the good thing about God’s idea of sexuality is that it’s not supposed to be ho-hum,” said Barnes.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Michael Gryboski

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Without a religious awakening, the American system of government will not last much longer, according to a renowned political scientist who is not a Christian.

In an interview with Canadian podcaster and pro-life activist Jonathan Van Maren, Charles Murray, a political scientist and author of Coming Apart — an analysis of the widening economic and social disparities in the United States in the last half-century — said he believed that U.S. constitutional government is “dead as a doornail.”

Absent large-scale spiritual renewal, the U.S. might only exist for a few more decades, he said.

Murray holds the F. A. Hayek Emeritus Chair in Cultural Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think-tank in Washington, D.C.

The political scientist believes that even those who call themselves conservative now believe things that the American Founders would find scandalous. At present, what is happening in the U.S. is undergoing a preview of what a “post-America” may be, he said.

“You cannot have a free society, a society that allows lots of individual autonomy without some outside force that leads people to control the self,” Murray explained.

The U.S. today is just another powerful, rich nation and the “American way of life” is now “meaningless,” he said.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Brandon Showalter

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The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of BCNN1. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s).

Jesus had much to say about money. It’s one of His most discussed subjects, more than faith and prayer combined. He encouraged radical generosity, “​If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor” (Matt. 19:21), decried idolatry, “You cannot serve both God and Money” (Matt. 6:24), eschewed materiality, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth” (Matt. 6:19) and called for stewardship, “From the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48).

For Jesus, finance has spiritual implications; as He says to the Pharisees — “who loved money,” according to Luke’s author — “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your heart” (Luke 16:14). Honestly, Jesus’ views on money are pretty unmistakable:

The way we engage with money matters.

There are plenty of opportunities for Christians to examine whether their own financial habits line up with the words of Christ. But how often do we stop to consider whether the system we are a part of is compatible with Scripture? Is capitalism Christ-like?

In a recent ​article​ for Desiring God, Rick Segal tackles this very question. Segal delves into the history of capitalism, beginning with the “Father of Capitalism,” Adam Smith. In his seminal economic work, The Wealth of Nation, published in 1776, Smith argued that the best economic system is that which allows for a free exchange of goods between people driven by “their regard to their own interest.” Smith’s vision put production in the hands of private owners.

No government overreach, everybody striving after and profiting from their own “self-interest” — that’s capitalism in a nutshell.

Smith’s capitalism, Segal goes on to argue, is actually rooted in Christian — or at least Christ-adjacent — ideals. Segal insists that Smith, in championing “self-interest,” was not sanctioning selfishness, but describing something far more akin to the “self-love” that Jesus refers to in Mark 12:31, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Essentially, by pursuing your own happiness, you are better able to contribute to the happiness of those around you.

If there is selfishness and greed because of capitalism, Segal says, that is not inherent to Smith’s system but is the result of “corrupted” capitalism. Segal likens Smith’s system to “Christian Hedonism” (an idea popularized by pastor and writer John Piper), which is the belief that life’s fulfillment is found in the pursuit of joy rooted in God. In fact, in Segal’s opinion, if Smith made any mistake it was detaching his economic system from the ultimate purpose of glorifying God. Segal’s solution: a capitalism with “the church as the cultural foundation beneath it.” Ultimately, Segal argues that Christian principles are best articulated in capitalist society.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Hayden Royster

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