Luke 4:21-30 (NRSV)
Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" He said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Doctor, cure yourself!' And you will say, 'Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.'" And he said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit...
I am somewhat disheartened by the attitude of some denominational Christian ministers. They pontificate to their congregations on Sunday to appropriate the love of Jesus into their lives. And they should. However, I have found that they do not practice what they preach. A case in point. I am Christian Brethren, essentially a brother in Christ. I also happen to be a member of a denominational church body. I have studied Theology to the point whereby I have, through God's grace, earned a Master of Divinity, Doctor of Divinity, Doctor of Theology, and a PhD in Theology. I would think that I know as much concerning Christianity and Christ's love as does any ordained minister in any Christian denomination in America. In fact, I have been ordained by a Christian body in India. God has graciously bestowed upon me a discerning spirit, an inquiring mind, and a loving heart. The denominational clergy does not recognize me as equal to them. They appear to be smug, content in a cacoon of their own making. What is said and written through me does not penetrate into their heart. They discard my comments and do as they so desire without a care or whim as to what is said through me to them--words of admonishment because what they do or have done or wish to do cannot be supported by referring to Christ or the Bible. They do not gainsay the words spoken or written in truth; however, they ignore them. Could this be because I did not attend the correct seminary? I place Christ first. Is the denominational clergy afraid that if what was said or written through me would spread, that this would upset their denominational "cart" and parishioners would question what they are being fed?
Let us never forget that Jesus never attended a seminary, let alone the "right" seminary. He received His commission directly from the Father. Paul stated that He received what he taught directly from a revelation of Jesus. God chooses His instruments as He wills. I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but it is Christ who lives in me. If Christ so lives in me,and He does, would you not think that denominational pastors, ministers and priests would pay attention to what is written by the Spirit that dwells in me or pay some heed to what is said through me? It is not I who write. For if it were, I could not and would not at times rebuke some ministers of His Church, Christ's Church, my church. If Christ is in me, and He is, then I have the God given ordination to admonish, and if need be rebuke, those in His church who do not adhere to what He, Christ, taught. Again, it is not me who does this, but the Spirit of Christ within me that does the work of writing what is written or said.
I love Christ with my whole being. He dwells in me, and I dwell in Him. Please read John 17 in its entirety. Read this and read it again and again until Christ's words are etched in your memory and flow into your heart. How can I not write concerning the errant character of His church, especially that which is practiced in America? The Bible may be inerrant. However, there are not a few ministers and priests who are errant! Christ does not dwell in them nor do they dwell in Him. The height of errant foolishness is not to pay heed to one who is in Christ and one of whom Christ is truly in him.
Am I "tooting my horn"? No! If it were up to me alone, I would remain quiet, content, at peace in a world of turmoil, and allow the world's people to continue on its destructive path leading to hell. However, like Jeremiah and Isaiah, I find it more and more difficult to be remain silent. I must write the words that come to me to mitigate and correct the errant tendency in His Church so this body once again can be called in truth the Church of Jesus Christ, Christ's Church, a light to the world to obviate the darkness, and not its present facade, an assembly of ignoring men and women who have lost sight of the Shepard who pains to lead them to the Truth.
In Christ,
Dr. Ronald Coleman
