Mile High Rev

REVolting II - Rod Blagojevitch Follows King Saul, Too

Governor Blagojevitch was impeached today.  As in the previous post, I suggest that Blagojevitch has handled his life the same way as Haggard.

1. He Denies It

2. He Rationalizes It

3. He Blames Others 

Listen to any of the speech excerpts from today, and you will see another modern example of doing it King Saul’s way.

REVolting - Ted Haggard Follows King Saul's Example...Sadly

Show Pages - Larry King Live - CNN.com.

Ted Haggard is sinking lower and lower.  Yesterday, he appeared on Oprah.  Tonight, it’s Larry King.  And also tonight, it’s “The Trials of Ted Haggard” on HBO (I don’t have HBO, so won’t be watching).  Ted “wants to tell his story.”  He’s doing this, he says, because he wants people to know “who he is.”

As I blogged on Saturday, all of this is occurring against the backdrop of new accusations regarding Ted’s sexual escapades with a parishioner that were kept secret until last week.  The parishioner was a man in his 20’s when he and Ted played around.  Since then, the church’s insurance company made an undisclosed financial pay-out to the parishioner.  We’ve been told it was for counseling and college tuition.

I saw the Oprah interview.  It convinced me that Haggard is more delusional than I even imagined.  He reminded me of Illinois Governor Blagojevitch.  Clueless.

He also reminded me of the Old Testament King Saul.  You can read more about King Saul in I Samuel 15.  I’ll spare you verse-by-verse exposition.  When King Saul was confronted with his sin, he simply did three things.  So does Haggard. You can read what King Saul did in the Bible, but what Haggard did is public knowledge.

1. He Denies It

Repeatedly, Haggard lied to reporters in the early hours of this breaking scandal.  Over and over.  “I don’t know the guy.  I didn’t buy the meth.  I bought it but threw it out.  I only used it once.  I didn’t have sexual contact.   I only got a massage!”

2. He Rationalizes It

Haggard says he’s now faced the fact that this is “who he is.”  In a sickening high-five moment with Oprah, she makes the point that the “real problem” was not his gayness but that he lied about it.  Wait.  Being this way was OK, but he shouldn’t have lied?  In an even more sickening moment,  Haggard’s daughter says she “never had a Dad to whom she could relate,” but now since this happened, she can relate to him.  Oh, I get it, he has a better relationship with his daughter, so that’s a “positive” in all of this?  He’s “glad it happened” because of all the good that is coming from it.   And…in his admission about the latest scandal, Haggard seems compelled to make the point that he didn’t touch the young man.  As though that makes his hotel room perversion and a thousand sexually explicit text messages somehow more palatable.  Rationalizations gone wild!     

3. He Blames Others

Haggard referenced childhood sexual abuse - that was pleasurable – while on Oprah.  Subtly, ever so subtly, this places the blame elsewhere.  I know people who have been sexually abused.  Their life choices are not uncontrollably defined by that experience.  Haggard implies that his was.  Oh, and he also blames the church leaders.  In fact, in the clip from the documentary I saw, he says, “They told me to go to hell.”  Leaders who were trying to protect the church and Haggard and his family made choices that Haggard didn’t like.  So, he blames them.  

There is so much more.  Haggard never said the word “sin” about himself.  He ignored biblical and theological categories.  He pandered to Oprah and her audience.  He demeaned godly leaders who came into the mess to rescue the church.  He muddled around trying to explain his sexuality.  He whined about not being able to address the church publicly, prior to leaving. 

Just like King Saul, Haggard is revealing all the reasons why he is unfit to lead God’s people. 

And incidentally, if you want a Biblical model for how to respond when confronted by your sin, check out King David.  When Nathan confronted David and said, “You are the man,” David didn’t lie, rationalize, or blame others – he simply said, “I have sinned.”  We can only imagine how different things would be for Haggard and New Life Church had he emulated King David rather than King Saul.

REVrant 45.9 - Former Pastor Ted Haggard Faces More Gay Sex Accusations

FOXNews.com - Pastor Ted Haggard Faces More Gay Sex Accusations.

As I’ve previously noted, former New Life Church (Colorado Springs) Pastor Ted Haggard is planning a foray back into the public limelight.  There’s an upcoming HBO documentary, titled “The Trials of Ted Haggard.”  He also has upcoming appearances on Oprah and Larry King Live.  HBO, Oprah, and Larry King - that’s definitely “going public!”  Additionally, Haggard recently preached at a church in the midwest, and made several comments in an AP interview regarding his (mis)treatment by New Life Church.

As you will read in the linked FOXNews article, New Life Church has informed their members of their knowledge of another sexual relationship  Haggard had with a male church volunteer in his 20’s, before being removed as pastor.  Apparently, this became known at the time of the expose about the male prostitute.  (The column makes the point that both Haggard and the volunteer were “consenting adults” at the time.)  The church volunteer chose not to make public statements, but New Life Church paid him for counseling and college tuition.  Now, they are adamantly denying that it was “hush money.”  It appears that the volunteer became aggravated at hearing that the upcoming documentary makes Haggard out to be a “victim.”

While reading this, I was reminded of the Charles Spurgeon quote about what he believed should happen when a pastor falls into sexual sin/moral failure: “When a preacher of righteousness has stood in the way of sinners, he should never again open his lips in the great congregation until his repentance is as notorious as his sin.”  Spurgeon goes on (Lectures to My Students, p. 14) to question whether a pastor who falls in this way is revealing by this action that he was never called by God in the first place! 

With Haggard’s recent actions and these new revelations, it appears that the concept of his “repentance being as notorious as his sin” is light years away.

REVrant 45.8 - Don't Blame TurboTax

Geithner Links Woes to Tax Software Used by 18 Million Americans

Newly appointed Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, is making matters worse.  While being interviewed by the Senate Finance Committee, he said that to his recollection, “the program did not prompt him to report income and pay self-employment taxes.”  Thankfully, he also added, “these are my responsibility, not the tax software responsibility.”

I’ve been using TurboTax for over ten years.  In addition to asking whether you received W-2’s or 1099’s (and helping you to enter those amounts), TurboTax software asks if you had any other “sources of income.”  If it was $34,000 in back taxes that were eventually paid, then the income NOT reported by the new Treasury Secretary had to have been substantial. 

How would a person not think to report income of this significance?  For four years?  And only pay two years of it after being audited by the IRS? And only pay the other two years while being vetted by the Obama team?  And pay it days prior to being nominated?  Hmmmm…..

Whatever the case, Mr. Geithner’s problems were not caused by TurboTax.  I like the line in the linked article from the TurboTax representative – “user input is key!”  Exactly.

REVolting - Please Put Away "Childish Things"

I was interested to hear our new President reference “scripture” in his inaugural address.  He mentioned the Apostle Paul’s comment in I Corinthians 13:11 – to “put away childish things.”

His Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, might want to read the verse again.

Rahm Emanuel gesturing while on the platform during the inauguration.

Mr. Emanuel, time to “put away childish things!”

REVrant 45.7 - The FIRST Thing on Obama's FIRST Day

I was encouraged today by the first thing on the public agenda of our new President, Barack Obama – a PRAYER Service at the National Cathedral.  Apparently, the tradition of a Prayer Service following Inauguration Day goes all the way back to George Washington.  I caught a little bit of the service before I left this morning, and I particularly enjoyed the children’s choir singing, “He’s Got The Whole World in His Hand.”  I also enjoyed the congregation singing “Holy, Holy, Holy” and “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”  (So much for “the separation of church and state!”)

  Barack & Michelle Obama

I’m deeply committed to pray for the new President, as I prayed for his predecessor.  The Biblical basis for this is I Timothy 2:1–4:

“I urge then, FIRST OF ALL, that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

Note that the Apostle Paul tells his young protege, Timothy, that PRAYER is the “FIRST thing.”  Whatever else happens, starting with PRAYER is exactly right.

REVrant 45.6 - Bush-Haters Infect My "facebook"

As my readers know, in REVrant 45.5, I expressed my gratitude for  President Bush.  Additionally, on my facebook, I started a “group” titled “Say Thanks to President Bush.” (If you’re a facebook-er, you can check it out.)  It’s very simple to join the group – you just click on a link. And, if you want to post a comment, you can do that as you arrive at the group page.

I created the group early Monday morning and by this afternoon, the group had over 500 members, and nearly 100 posted comments.  Pretty exciting stuff.  I’m hoping to somehow get these thank you messages to the President and Laura, since I doubt that either of them hangs out on facebook.  The enthusiastic participation of hundreds of people in a couple of days is the good news.

Now the bad news.  I’ve had to monitor the comments very closely.  A few “Bush-Haters” have found their way to the group and posted the most profane, vile, and ugly comments you can imagine.  Filthy language and hateful comments.  I was able to catch most of them fairly quickly, and in addition to deleting their remarks, reported them to facebook.

Isn’t it sad?  Not only unable to muster up a word of thanks, these profane people were also unable to restrain their foul minds from invading a space meant to lift up and encourage.  And all it takes is a few.   

REVrant 45.5 - Farewell and Thank-you to George W. Bush

The euphoria over inaugurating the 44^th President of the United States seems more manic by the hour.  People can hardly wait.  The parties, concerts, and balls have already begun.  D.C. is preparing for at least 2 million visitors, with some estimating much higher numbers.  Record-setting crowds are guaranteed.  We’ve never seen anything like this. 

I admit that there is something curiously engaging about seeing the first bi-racial President in U.S. history.  Additionally, Obama’s pre-presidential rhetoric is compelling – he really knows how to give a speech.  It also seems that the Obama marriage and family is solid and stable, and that is a blessing.  I’m eager to see what God has planned for the U.S. through the new leader He’s provided for us.  As I did in all church services this weekend, I plan to pray for Barack Obama and honor him as my President, once he is officially in that capacity.   

But Obama is not President yet.  President George W. Bush has a little more than 24 hours to go before he transitions into private life.  And while he’s still President, I think it would be appropriate to thank him for his service.  (I can just hear all the jeers from the pundits and detractors!)

As I typed the headline to this post, I thought of Charles Krauthammer’s term - “Bush Derangement Syndrome.”  Krauthammer coined the phrase to identify the vitriol and hatred emanating from “Bush-haters” in the media and across the land.  I know the mere idea of thanking this President will produce a phalanx of objectors.  “Thank him for what?”  ”Don’t you know how many died in Iraq?”  “What about the economy?”  “What about our global reputation?” “Bush has been the worst president ever!” 

Despite all of that, I believe that thanking the President for 8 years of public service is the right thing to do.  So here goes: 

President Bush, I lift my solitary voice, as a citizen of this great country, to say “THANKS” on the eve of your departure from honorable service as the leader of our nation.  Thank you for your leadership in some of the darkest days in American history, following the attack on the mainland 9/11/01.  

 (The President being told about the planes hitting the Twin Towers on 9/11/01, while visiting a school classroom.)

You leave office on Tuesday with your record indelibly inscribed in the history books.  I believe that future generations will honor you for your courageous response to a terrorist jihad that threatens our very existence - every day.

Thank you for being willing to identify Jesus Christ, not only as one of your “heroes,” but as your Savior.  Thank you for being faithful to your wife.  Thank you for defending the sanctity of marriage as between one man and one woman.  Thank you for being a man of conviction, and not pandering to the latest poll to re-align your moral compass.  Thank you for admitting to the existence of good and evil.  Thank you for acknowledging a “Creator God.”  Thank you for speaking for the unborn, for responding to the scourge of AIDS in Africa, and for your resounding voice for human rights around the world.  Thank you for your determination to spread the message of freedom and democracy around the globe.  Thank you for the long hours, the sleepless nights, and the countless meetings.  Thank you for not letting your critics immobilize you or deter you from pursuing what you believed was right.  Thank you for your willingness to serve, even though you saw the toll this role took on your father when he served.  

You are a good and honorable man.  Like all of us, you faced your human limitations and shortcomings, but you didn’t let them keep you from serving.  I pray that God will bless you and Laura as you enter the next phase of your life.  I ask that He will fill your days with joy and your nights with peace as you reflect back on your amazing opportunity to be the 43^rd President of the United States.  Well done, and farewell.  May God bless you and may God bless America.

REVealed - "Two Wings & A Prayer"

FOXNews.com - Investigators Search for Plane's Engines in Harsh Conditions 

It’s doubtful that anyone missed the coverage of the Thursday crash of the U.S. Air plane into the Hudson River.  Reporters are using the word, “miracle,” to describe the survival of all 155 passengers and crew after the plane slammed into the water.  Investigators believe the crash was caused by a “double bird strike.”  A flock of geese theoretically killed both engines and brought down this Airbus 320.

Here’s my favorite photo and headline:

 “Two Wings & A Prayer”

Though it looks like people are walking on water, they are standing on the wings of the sinking plane.  Miraculous! 

REVrant 45.4 - "The God of Our Many Understandings" - Gay Bishop Selected To Pray At Inaugural Event

Dr. Mohler's Blog.

I knew it wouldn’t be long before President-Elect Obama attempted to balance his choice of Pastor Rick Warren (a major evangelical pastor) to pray at his inaugural.  As you will read in the blog linked above, Obama has selected another “Pastor” to give an invocation at another inaugural event.  As you will see, the new President is clearly going to try to be “inclusive,” including everyone at his big “table of tolerance.”

Obama’s next choice is “Bishop” Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop in America.  Some of you might recall that Robinson has been the lightning rod in the schism within the American Episcopal Church that has threatened the world-wide Anglican Church.  Look at what Robinson has said about his prayer:   

“I am very clear,” he said, “that this will not be a Christian prayer, and I won’t be quoting Scripture or anything like that. The texts that I hold as sacred are not sacred texts for all Americans, and I want all people to feel that this is their prayer.”

Bishop Robinson said he might address the prayer to “the God of our many understandings,” language that he said he learned from the 12-step program he attended for his alcohol addiction.

It’s not difficult to figure out what the President-elect is up to.  It reminds me of the legendary Rodney King plea during the L.A. Riots – “Can’t we all just get along?”  To the President-elect, I say, “Good luck with that.”

Further, to the Bishop Robinson – the “god of your understanding” isn’t anything like the God of the Bible.  Dude, you’re playing with fire!