THE NOBLE BEREAN: Volume Seven March 2006

“Touch Not The Lord’s Anointed?” – Give Me A Break!!

By Michael C. Gaudiosi - The Noble Berean

IN DEFENSE OF THE TBN ELITE I recently received an e-mail from a very angry person. What did I do to set off their anger? What did I say? Well, My guess is because it was due to one of my previous newsletters in regards to TBN. That’s right! I had the complete audacity to dare speak against the great spiritual giant TBN! I would like to share this e-mail with you and give my reply in this newsletter, considering the fact that this person did not want a reply from me (as you will see at the end of the e-mail). So hold on to your hats, here we go!

Here is the actual e-mail:

Let's get down to brass tacks here,

I really do not understand people like you..or your group. As self

appointed heretic hunters you spend vast amounts of time revealing to

the world all the dirt (or what you consider to be dirt) that you've

feverishly gathered against those who have, like yourself (I am

supposing), asked Jesus into their hearts. You know what I think is funny..

sickening actually, is the fact that after you've smeared dirt all over

people's character & reputations AND have caused others to think ill thoughts

towards the objects of your smear campaigns, you make statements like, "I am not judging anyone." HAH!

It seems to me that your time would be put to better use if instead of

Character assassination, you would choose to pray for all the many Christian

individuals you have deemed as steeped in heresy. Funny, I was under the impression

that it was the job of the Holy Spirit to convict a believer of a wrongdoing.

As it is also the Holy Spirit's job to reconcile the repentant heart to the Father.

Look, I have been a Christian for a long time. I know the word as well

as anyone who has been studying for 30+ years. I can appreciate your love for the truth..

But, if your way of expressing your love for God's word & His absolutes involve

viciously slamming someone who also claims to love God's word.

I have to wonder where you are at with the Lord. I have to wonder if you have ever

been saturated in the Lord's presence. Touched & changed by his unlimited loved.

Nobody is perfect. Not you or I. To put you & your life under a microscope,

find all of your faults (or things I believe to be faults) only to take my findings

with the intention of announcing my findings to the world would be an error on my part.

And, even if I did find something that was wrong with you or your life, the word of God

is extremely clear concerning what approach I am to take in confronting you.and nothing in God's

word begins with using my mouth as a trumpet or my fingers as a weapon

in the declaration of my findings concerning you & you life.

I know that you have better things to do with your time & your life

than to conduct these antiquated Christian witch hunts. Sitting around watching and waiting

for someone to do something that you would label heresy is simply, well,

unbalanced & unhealthy. Please do not bother to reply to my email,

as it will only be directed to my trash bin.

Sincerely,

One Who Is Loved And Knows How To Love

I will not use this newsletter to defend my character, as anyone who knows me, this ministry and anything I have ever said, whether it be on air, or in written in articles, I have never personally attacked someone’s character, never tried to expose someone else’s sin or shortcomings, nor used the platform of Internet radio, my website or The Noble Berean Newsletter to throw dirt at someone or start any smear campaign. When I say I that I do not judge anybody, I truly mean it, and will stand by that!

Speaking of judging, I want to start off with the Scripture that the charismatic movement uses almost 100% of the time when trying to bring correction to the so-called “heretic hunters”. This passage is found in Matthew 7:1-2 - Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

When Jesus said these words, He did not mean that we are not to correct doctrinal error, rather not to judge another person by comparing our lives with others. Jesus stated very clearly that we are not to try and meddle in someone else’s life by trying to be so self righteous that we would be able to point out other people’s sin and try to bring correction, when all along there is sin in our own life. Consider the next three verses. Matthew 7:3-5 - And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Where does it say anywhere in these passages of Scripture that we are not to stand for truth and not to correct biblical error? Was Jesus really saying that we are not to judge the teaching of a pastor, or a teacher, or evangelist? If that is the case, then why did Jesus say in Matthew 7:15 - Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Oh, now this changes things, I never hear the charismatic movement use Matthew 7:15! Why is that? Because it is a clear warning that we are to “beware” of false prophets who bring about FALSE TEACHING! The word “beware” in the Greek means to “pay attention” to “be cautious about”. This is not a friendly warning Jesus was giving here, but a command to always watch and guard against false doctrine. Of course, this is something that the charismatic movement never does, and I ought to know, I was an elder in a charismatic church for a number of years, and standing against false doctrine was not a priority!

Think about the Bereans in Acts chapter 17. Let’s take a look at Acts 17:11 - These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Oh, those faultfinding Bereans! How dare they question the great apostle Paul!! I mean, I’m sure they had better things to do with their time than to search the Scriptures daily! My, oh my how unhealthy and unbalanced to spend all their time in the Word of God making sure what they were hearing was the truth! Those pesky Bereans! Sitting there, just waiting for the apostle Paul to make a mistake! I wonder if they ever received any angry letters, like the e-mail above, from the apostle Paul supporters? Do you think they were on a smear campaign to throw dirt and assassinate Paul’s character? Did Paul respond by saying, “touch not the Lord’s anointed?”

Of course, I am being a bit sarcastic here, but think about the lunacy of this e-mail! Imagine the believers in Berea getting letters telling them “I really do not understand people like you. or your group “ or how about “I know that you have better things to do with your time & your life than to conduct these antiquated Christian witch hunts”. It is very clear from Scripture that the Bereans were commended for searching God’s Word to make sure what they were hearing is sound doctrine! They were not trying to find fault with the apostle Paul. Think about Paul’s humility! The very fact that the Bereans were checking up on him by the Word of God did not anger him at the least! Try and say that about the TBN elite! At least the apostle Paul did not threaten to kill the Bereans with a “Holy Ghost machine gun!”

Now, I have made it clear from the Word of God that we are to beware, or pay attention to false prophets and their false teaching. Does the Scripture say that we are to expose and correct false teachers and false teaching? You better believe it does!! Let’s look at Ephesians 5:11-13 - And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Unfruitful works meaning false teaching, reprove meaning to "scold" or "correct". We are to scold false teachers and correct their heresy! The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 - Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Prove meaning to “examine” or to “discern”. Hold fast that which is good. That means we keep what is good (sound doctrine) and get rid of what is bad (false teaching!)

Jesus tells the church at Ephesus that they had left their first love (Revelation 2:4), but not before He commended the church for exposing false apostles! Jesus says in Revelation 2:2 - I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars. Wow! Jesus calling the false apostles liars! Very harsh words! Maybe Jesus should have watered down the message to the church at Ephesus by saying something like… “I can appreciate your love for the truth.. But, if your way of expressing your love for God's word & His absolutes involve viciously slamming someone who also claims to love God's word. I have to wonder where you are at with the Lord. I have to wonder if you have ever been saturated in the Lord's presence. Touched & changed by his unlimited loved.”

I cannot find anywhere in God’s Word where anyone who ever sought truth were called “fault finder”, “unloving”, “judgmental” or were accused of trying to “assassinate someone’s character”. There is not one account that I know of where God brought judgment against someone because they searched the Scriptures, desired to keep His statutes and expose false teaching! I find the exact opposite. Jesus spoke harshly to the Pharisees not because they sought the truth, but because they perverted it. To the person who wrote this e-mail I say to you Matthew 22:29 - Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. That is very clear and evident in your e-mail. This person states “Sitting around watching and waiting for someone to do something that you would label heresy is simply, well, unbalanced & unhealthy.” It is not unhealthy and unbalanced to wait for someone to do, or say something that is heresy, then stand and expose and correct it. It is unhealthy and unbalanced to to wait for someone to do, or say something that is heresy, and then do absolutely nothing about it, sort of like the person who wrote the e-mail would do. In that respect, I would have to question your love for God’s Word!

SOLA SCRIPTURA – THE SCRIPTURE ALONE!

I would like to address this e-mail and personally give my reply, directly to this person. So if you’re reading this…this is my response to you!

“I really do not understand people like you..or your group. As self

appointed heretic hunters you spend vast amounts of time revealing to

the world all the dirt (or what you consider to be dirt) that you've

feverishly gathered against those who have, like yourself (I am supposing), asked Jesus into their hearts.”

You “suppose” I asked Jesus into my heart? What makes you think I haven’t? There’s a rush to judgment if I ever saw it!

“You know what I think is funny..sickening actually, is the fact that after you've smeared dirt all over people's character & reputations AND have caused others to think ill thoughts towards the objects of your smear campaigns, you make statements like, "I am not judging anyone." HAH!”

Can you be more specific? Give me an example, or a direct quote! Can you name the person, or persons, I have supposedly smeared dirt all over and launched smear campaigns against?

“It seems to me that your time would be put to better use if instead of character assassination,

you would choose to pray for all the many Christian individuals you have deemed as steeped in heresy.”

Again, whose character have I assassinated? Also, again…Give a specific example!

“Funny, I was under the impression that it was the job of the Holy Spirit to convict a believer of a wrongdoing.

As it is also the Holy Spirit's job to reconcile the repentant heart to the Father.”

That seems to be the only thing in this e-mail you have right, other than this, all bets are off!!

“Look, I have been a Christian for a long time. I know the word as well as anyone who has been studying for 30+ years.”

What does that have to do with the price of tea in China? This is totally irrelevant. I have known people that have been

Christians longer and were in biblical error, so this is a moot point!

“I can appreciate your love for the truth.. But, if your way of expressing your love for God's word & His absolutes

involve viciously slamming someone who also claims to love God's word. I have to wonder where you are at with the Lord.

I have to wonder if you have ever been saturated in the Lord's presence. Touched & changed by his unlimited loved.”

You still say I am slamming people, but for the third time, you have still to site a specific example, or give me a direct quote!

You have to wonder where I am with the Lord? You are judging me again! You have to wonder if

I have ever been saturated in the Lord’s presence, touched and changed by His love?

What makes you think I haven’t been in His presence and touched and changed by His love?

There’s another judgment and assumption on your part!

“Nobody is perfect. Not you or I”

Ok, ok…you have two things right! But that’s about it!

“To put you & your life under a microscope, find all of your faults (or things I believe to be faults)

only to take my findings with the intention of announcing my findings to the world would be an error on my part.”

Still waiting for a specific example, or a direct quote! This is just an assumption on your part!

“And, even if I did find something that was wrong with you or your life, the word of God is

extremely clear concerning what approach I am to take in confronting you.and nothing in

God's word begins with using my mouth as a trumpet or my fingers as a weapon in the declaration of my findings concerning you & you life.”

Can you please tell me when I used my mouth as a trumpet, or my finger as a weapon? I really hate to be repetitive,

but you still have not given me any names, or quotes from any of my newsletters, articles…etc.

“I know that you have better things to do with your time & your life than to conduct these antiquated Christian witch hunts.”

And just what better things do you suggest I do with my life? Sit back and let the TBN elite get away

with their false teaching and disregard for sound doctrine? Were the Bereans in Acts 17:11 also conducting “antiquated Christian witch hunts?”

“Sitting around watching and waiting for someone to do something that you would label heresy is simply, well, unbalanced & unhealthy.”

Tell that to the Bereans!

“Please do not bother to reply to my email, as it will only be directed to my trash bin.”

Typical of a charismatic! You open this entire dialogue, point a finger of judgment in my face,

and then do not even have the courtesy, nor the courage, to further address these issues which YOU brought up!

I guess it’s ok to dish it out, but I better dare not respond to correct your error!

This is what the charismatic movement means when they say “touch not the Lord’s anointed”!

“Sincerely, One Who Is Loved And Knows How To Love”

Just because I try to live a disciplined Christian life does not mean I’m not loved, or know how to love!

There you end this e-mail with another slam on my character!

Well, there you have it dear readers! Notice, not once in this e-mail, did this person quote one verse of Scripture to substantiate their claim,

or to bring correction to any error. They just simply ran with their emotions riding high! This whole e-mail is one big emotional ball,

and I would have to say that emotion was anger! This person has no biblical basis whatsoever to make the claims

about me that they did, and in doing so, without Scripture to back them up, this person is doing the very same thing that they are accusing me of!

Judge not that ye be not judged!

Search the Scripture for yourself!

SOLA SCRIPTURA! The Scripture ALONE! May the Lord bless you!

If you would like to respond please send your comments to: email@thenobleberean.org

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Any changes/edits are not permitted without the express permission of The Noble Berean.