Encouraging Words from Cary Schmidt » satanic

Before You Criticize Your Pastor…

caryschmidt — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:02:31 +0000

Ever noticed that some people relish the criticism of pastors? Like kids and candy—they addict themselves even though it’s rotting something in them. While choosing voluntarily to stay under his leadership, they commit themselves to finding and exploiting every possible imperfection. I’ve never understood this thinking. Selecting a pastor, only to proceed to condemn the selection doesn’t make sense. It’s a strange, sad little game that brings some bizarre satisfaction.

The next time you are tempted to join this crowd and participate in “roasted pastor” after Sunday services, take a moment to remember this list…

Remember the sacrifice he makes to be in the ministry—good pastors would be good at a lot of other things, and most of them could make a lot more money in secular employment. He stays in the ministry because he loves you!

Remember the biblical nurture he provides for your life and family—his study and prayer time have proven effective in feeding and nurturing your spiritual life. He labors in the Word so that your Christian life can be stronger.

Remember the qualities that caused you to appreciate his leadership—at some point you voluntarily placed yourself under his leadership and influence. Take a moment and remember the good qualities that originally led you to this decision!

Remember the victories he has led you towards in life—because of his leadership you’ve probably had a part in some personal and ministry victories—some joyful, abundant moments. Delight in those memories!

Remember the spiritual decisions you have made because of his influence—because of his preaching, you’ve probably avoided some traps, been spared some bad decisions, and seen some real spiritual growth. Take a moment to reflect on those decisions.

Remember that plenty of others are criticizing him—anybody can be a critic, because everybody is imperfect! Look long enough and you’ll find fault with everybody. Too many people join “the dark side.” There’s nothing virtuous or valiant about finding fault and pointing it out—any unspiritual nitwit can do it. It takes a lot more spiritual maturity and depth to be steadfastly committed to a perfect cause with an imperfect church family!

Remember he’s probably bearing burdens he cannot tell you about—outside of my petty little world, my pastor is probably dealing with big things—a man whose life is falling a part, a family on the brink of destruction, a dying loved one, a personal spiritual attack, a church member facing a trial, a child who’s been sexually abused, a wife whose husband just left. He can’t tell you about it all, but it’s still there and it’s all very, very real.

Remember he probably has information you don’t have—critics never have the full story, and usually they grossly distort the few details they do have. It’s their modus operandi! They don’t want the full story—because it removes their ability to imagine and distort it in their favor with their troll-ish followers. I used to believe everybody wanted the truth. Boy was that naive! The few times I’ve tried to approach a dedicated critic with the truth, they either ignore it, don’t believe it, or refuse to hear it. When you don’t understand a decision, just remember, the pastor probably sees a part of this picture that you can’t see.

Remember he would be by your bedside praying if you were sick—yes, even the critics are loved by the pastor. He would drop what he’s doing, leave the dinner table from his family, or change a day off just to be there to visit and pray with you.

Remember he would be standing by you if you faced a hard trial—he would pray, support, and strengthen you during a difficult time, even if he couldn’t know the details.

Remember he would be waiting with you if a family member was hanging between life and death—he would be sitting there, probably weeping with you, and praying for God to intervene with a miracle.

Remember he would be sitting beside you in a lonely courtroom—innocent or guilty, your pastor would be there to pray for the best and encourage you through the worst.

Remember he would give you counsel during a difficult decision—he would help you see through the fog of your own surroundings, sort through the options, and apply biblical principles for a wise decision.

Remember he would still love and support you if you completely failed—if you came to him with the worst news, right now, he would still love you and help you do the right thing in response. He would graciously sit down with you, your family, and those involved and help rebuild what is broken, restore what is damaged, and recover what is lost.

Remember the Lord said to acknowledge and remember him—This is really all God’s idea. Hebrews 13:7 says, “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.”

Remember he is God’s shepherding gift to your life—God says it this way in Ephesians 4:11, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;”

Remember your critical spirit makes you and your family vulnerable—resisting God’s structure of authority is wrong for you just as it’s wrong for your children. Criticism of your spiritual authority opens the door for spiritual attack and it messes up your kids.

Remember no pastor on Earth is perfect—this is a no brainer. Your next church will have just as imperfect a pastor as your present church. Imperfect pastors are as epidemic as imperfect church members!

Remember he doesn’t have to be a pastor—he could walk away tomorrow. Many do. Many finally reach an end—tired, weary, and wounded. Many finally have enough. They realize they don’t have to put up with the public criticism. They can return to private life and live according to their own concerns. Don’t push your pastor that direction—plenty of others already are. Pull him the other direction with your encouragement!

Remember your criticism is more a reflection of your spirit than his faults—wrong-spirited criticism is a product of a impure heart, not an imperfect pastor. If your heart was pure, your criticism would not be criticism. It would be concern and it would be shared one on one with the person of concern. Critics don’t seek to resolve concerns and restore relationships—they seek to fester, stir up, and exaggerate issues. They relish turmoil—even if they have to fabricate it.

Remember your criticism ultimately hurts you—the spirit that drives criticism is like a festering cancerous sore of the soul. It robs joy, clouds vision, skews perspective, and destroys your ability to live joyfully and abundantly. Beyond the internal damage, criticism always damages your testimony. Wise people start avoiding you.

For the record—I don’t believe in hero worship. I don’t believe in dictatorial leadership. I would have no part of spiritual abuse or the manipulation of God’s people. These things are a blight on God’s original intent of spiritual leadership. They are unbiblical, man-centered, and just wrong. Having a biblical love and respect for a godly, servant-hearted, growing pastor is just right—from God’s Word. It is not man-worship. It isn’t blind. It isn’t mindless. It doesn’t violate the priesthood of every believer, the authority of every father, or the individual soul liberty of every person. It’s just wise.

The next time you want to criticize the sincere, godly man you call “Pastor,” remember this list. Stop and think about it. Someone wisely said, “Nobody ever erected a monument to a critic.” Take the high road of spiritual maturity and keep a right spirit. Over the long term, you’ll be glad you didn’t throw away your joy to such mindless, base behavior.

Benjamin Franklin said, “Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain—and most do.”

Teddy Roosevelt said, “It’s not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doers of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who was actually in the arena, whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood, who knows at best the triumph of high achievement and who if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat”

Hey, I have an idea—why not pick on someone who picks on you—like your dentist!

Defeating the Media Monster—Part 1

Cary Schmidt — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:11:21 +0000

Media will eat your family alive, unless you tell it not to!

I have a deep inner aversion to living things that crawl, creep, fly, or slither around and find their way into places they don’t belong. They bother me. They creep me out. I just want them dead as quickly as I can make it happen. It’s not really of fear, but of something that has more to do with dominance and my human right to “not be creeped out”! (After all, it’s in everybody’s basic rights—life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the freedom to be uncreeped!)

Not long ago, I had a bat in my office. Another time, a bird came flying in—yes, a BIRD—into my third-floor office! Shortly thereafter, a lizard showed up in a secretary’s office. And as you might imagine, these things not only hindered work flow, they significantly raised the threat level on the “creep-ometer.” They were nasty little living things that found their way into areas they didn’t belong. They disturbed and disrupted, and they had to be dealt with. And in each case—they were. (The sentence was “death by broomstick.”)

In much the same way, only on a spiritual level, the media of our society is constantly and forever trying to creep its way into places it doesn’t belong—in our hearts and homes. The tools of that media come in a wide variety—from TVs, to computers, to video game consoles, to cell phones, to iPods, to social websites and dozens of other helpful and potentially enjoyable gadgets and toys. The message of that media depends upon our day to day choices—who we communicate with, what we listen to, what we post, what we watch or play, and who we follow or befriend. The media itself isn’t all bad and the tools of media are not intrinsically wicked—it’s what that media can become and the unrestrained messages it brings with it that poses great risk.

Simply put: media will eat your family alive unless you tell it not to. When unrestrained, media can be like little roving creatures looking for a new place to settle. Uncontained, it will creep and crawl its way into every possible area of your life, family, and relationships—threatening a lot of good stuff along the way. In our society, media is Satan’s primary tool of communication and destruction—in spite of the good that modern technology can bring.

So what do Christian families do with so many varieties of media threats? There are two extremes. The first is to completely ignore the threat, letting each family member have complete media freedom. In this case media becomes a raging monster rampaging through a home with an insatiable appetite for destroying relationships and addicting hearts to sin and vice. The second extreme is unprincipled abstinence—the decision to remove all media from our lives without explanation or biblical training. This approach results in our children eventually facing the media monster alone in their adult lives with no biblical foundation on which to stand. In the first extreme, media becomes dominant in the home and relationships die early. In the second, media waits patiently to ravage an unprepared life later.

In a multimedia age, it’s time that parents and children engage in the day to day process of understanding, discerning, taming, and containing the media beast. Proverbs 22:6 teaches us, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” The process of “training up” is a time-consuming, fully-engaged, active, and deliberate course of action. Yet, I find that few parents have intentionally determined to “train up” their children in defeating one of the greatest threats to their future spiritual well-being—mass media (including airwaves, music, internet, video games, cell-phones and all that comes with them.)

Some parents desire to “train up” but they feel overwhelmed or are not sure where to begin. Yet, the risk is too great not to jump on this beast and ride it into submission. Honestly, we’re all still learning and media is ever changing, but for the next page, let’s examine the big challenges media brings, and then some practical steps to defeating and taming this monster. There are five huge challenges that media brings into our homes:

First, the challenge of perversion—whether it’s a TV show, an inappropriate website, or a profane facebook posting, the media of our culture has given a loud and long voice to a massive amount of perversion. It’s difficult to even buy a gallon of milk without having to see and hear the filth of our world being broadcast or displayed. Even the conservative news outlets are shameless when it comes to advertising or stories having to do with sexual matters. This challenge threatens our purity, and God commands us to flee youthful lusts (Ephesians 4:29) and to be wise to that which is good and simple concerning evil (Romans 16:19).

Second, is the challenge of deception—the media of our culture is constantly heralding Satan’s lies about love, happiness, and life. Additionally, the internet gives someone a lot of opportunities to “be someone else” or to participate in gossip, slander, and harmful chat. The deception of anonymity has drawn many into second lives, inappropriate relationships, and deceptive communications. But God tells us in James 4:8 to cleanse our hands, purify our hearts from double-mindedness and draw nigh to God once again.

Third, is the challenge of obsession—emails, twitter, blogs, cell phones, video games, internet chat, forums, and a variety of other media tend to become dominant in our lives. Frankly, these mediums impact us in ways we don’t even fully understand yet. Science has only just begun to examine the power that these things can have over us and the developmental results over time. Practically speaking, in counseling, I’ve seen that these things can literally become obsessions—almost holding us hostage and causing us to disengage from real relationships. But in 1 Corinthians 6:12 God instructs us not to be “brought under the power of any”—speaking of things that may not be evil, but also may not be expedient (or helpful).

Fourth is the challenge of disconnection—media is so dominant in some families that it has completely over-run real family connections. A healthy marriage relationship or parent/child relationship requires a close heart connection—the product of time, eye contact, heart-to-heart conversation, frequent affection, and real-time interaction. Abundance of media literally kills time, robs focus, shortens attention span, and makes human relationships seem boring and shallow. But Ephesians 4:32 and 6:1-4 teaches us to develop loving, tenderhearted, nurturing relationships in our homes.

Fifth, is the challenge of emptiness—this is the result of the first four challenges. When media is allowed to “take over,” everyone in the family is familiar with everything in the world except each other, and that leaves the heart very, very empty and hungry. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:17 that he gave his heart to know madness and folly and ultimately is was nothing but, “vexation of spirit.”

Stay tuned for part two of this post when we will examine eight practical steps we can take to protect ourselves and those we love!

Note: Please share your thoughts and insight regarding the challenges of media in today’s society, and consider someone else who might benefit from these posts and encourage them in this area!

Understanding Hidden Dangers Part 2

Cary Schmidt — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:02:20 +0000

A Four Part Series of Articles for Discerning Parents

In last months article we began a four-part series on the hidden dangers that Satan uses to drive a wedge between a teenager’s heart and spiritual things. These are the things that sometimes appear innocent or faddish on the surface, but in reality they are “back-doors” into the heart of a teen, and they give way to spiritual strongholds that often catch parents by surprise.

As we ask the Lord for discernment, I believe there are three primary “kinds” of hidden dangers that catch families by surprise.

The first hidden danger is what I would call “Satanic Danger.” These things don’t always appear to be directly “satanic” on the surface. But clearly, they have a direct link to satanic or demonic influences in the heart.

Ephesians 6:12 teaches us clearly “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Again in 2 Corinthians 10:4, Paul wrote, “…(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)”

Lest you think I’m merely being sensational or spooky—take God at His Word. Accept the truth that there is a dark, spiritual enemy fighting hard for the heart of your teenager. Our goal as parents and youth workers must be to vigilantly stand guard over young hearts—to recognize that we fight an invisible foe who is aggressive and cunning. This battle is spiritual! We must open our eyes and see our true enemy for who he is—for only then can we resist his attacks.

While it seems the Devil’s tricks are innumerable, there are a few that stand out blatantly to me in my ongoing work with families. What are these “Satanic Dangers?” Let’s examine a few.

Role Playing Games. There are many, but the most popular are Pokemon, YuGiOh, and Dungeons and Dragons. These types of games are purely satanic in their origin, but they are cleverly disguised. Without a doubt they open the heart to spiritual oppressive influences and they become strongholds in young lives. Parent, act now to guard your children and rid their hearts of any traces of these types of games.

Dark or Violent Online or Video Games. These games become obsessions. They possess the heart at a level that only the Holy Spirit should, and they often become the breeding ground for anger, rebellion, and enormous future problems. Be intimately aware of every game your child plays and make sure it isn’t remotely connected with dark kinds of violence. I’d say you’re pretty safe with football, basketball, and PGA golf! Suffice to say, we’ve come a long way since “Super Mario Brothers!”

Heavy Metal and Dark Music. While there are many forms of harmful music, this kind is blatantly and unapologetically satanic in nature. The performers, writers, and producers will openly admit this. If this has a place in your teen’s life, it is a direct link to satanic influences and you must act immediately to remove it.

Fascination with Wicked Men or Events. Why do kids idolize Hitler, draw Satanic symbols on their notebooks, and relish horrific historic events? It stems directly from demonic activity in the heart. There’s no other rational explanation for these weird fascinations. This is obviously more of a fruit than a root, but beware if your teen is into these things—something very dark is happening in the heart.

Association with Dark-Minded Friends. Many parents don’t feel that they have the right to control their child’s friendships, but you must! If your teen gravitates to the wrong crowd, you must intervene. You must fight to regain influence in their hearts and to rebuild the damaged relationship. Kids usually choose these friends because their relationships at home are nearly non-existent. Rebuild your relationship and ask God to break down this stronghold.

Fascination with Dark or Violent Entertainment. Demonic and cultic movies, dark TV shows, and Stephen King novels are nothing to play with. These things all have a strong and satanic affect on the heart. The entertainment value or emotional thrill surely isn’t worth the spiritual danger! These things corrupt the heart and numb it from being sensitive to God.

Media about Witchcraft, Demonism, or Sorcery. The most popular book series for children in today’s culture is the Harry Potter series. Witchcraft and sorcery are dangerous in any form, no matter how entertaining or playful. While these forms of entertainment appear to be mere fantasy, there’s a reality behind it all that is deeply dangerous.

Fixation with Wearing Black. Again, this is more of an indicator than a cause, but it is enough to cause deep concern. I’m not saying there’s something sinful about wearing black. I’m saying that Satanic involvement in young lives often manifests itself with a fixation for black. Visit a mall and study the crowd dressed in black. Years ago I did a funeral for a young teen killed in an automobile accident. At the graveside I spent an hour talking with one of her satanist friends—who confirmed with me that teens who consistently dress in black are almost always involved in the occult. This is commonly known among teens, and it’s time that parents clue in to it.

Fixation with Death, Violence, and Darkness. Look for any kind of personal infatuation with death or darkness—whether through friends, entertainment, or even personal drawings crammed into school notebooks. These things indicate a Satanic influence at the core and require immediate, prayerful intervention

Black Makeup—Especially Heavy around the Eyes. The first thing a young lady does when becoming involved with satanic music or godless influences is to place heavy outliner or dark makeup around the eyes. Bottom line—I’ve never seen this on the face of a godly, growing teenager. It always indicates a deep spiritual struggle.

These warnings may sound like paranoia or extreme-ism, but don’t be fooled. Satanic dangers open the heart and expose it to demonic oppression. Be aware of these often “hidden” issues, and ask God to give you power and courage as you intervene by His grace. Next month we’ll discover the second kind of hidden danger. May God give you wisdom in the battle!