Called to Account

I have a confession to make; I've been a little sloppy in my theology lately, and I feel convicted to take a step back and tighten up the reins a bit.

First, a concerned person called me to account for calling President Obama "the Obamanation of Desolation." This person admonished me that others may not hear the word I am sharing, even if it is true, if I am "name calling." Point taken. I did pray about this, and I believe I received an answer, but I am still chewing on this.

Next, I rather cavalierly mentioned Joel Osteen in a conversation and indicated that he said we shouldn't necessarily take what the apostles said in the Bible too literally. A friend asked me to justify my remarks, and in researching further I realized this was a "friend of a friend" kind of thing; I had not listened to Joel's remarks myself, and was taking someone else's word for what he said. I did the research, listened to two interviews with Joel, and I stand corrected on this particular issue. This is not an endorsement of Joel Osteen or his ministry, just a confession that I was in error to receive someone else's accusation against a brother without looking at the evidence for myself.

Finally, I committed pretty much the same error with John Hagee. In this case, it has been widely reported that John Hagee has said that the Jewish people don't need a Messiah (Jesus) because they have a separate covenant with God that has never been withdrawn. While in this case I did do some research, I have to admit that it seems the jury is still out on this one - both from John Hagee's own words as well as from the reports of others. There seems to be some confusion about what John Hagee's stance on these topics really is.

SO... I am confessing publicly because I made the comments publicly. I am aware that the Holy Spirit is calling me to be more careful with the words of my mouth, and I will endeavor to do so going forward.

I am thankful for the grace and mercy extended to us through the blood of Jesus Christ, and my only desire is to be more like Him.