Ted Haggard will sleep well tonite

The glee on the part of the godless left with the fall of Ted Haggard is understandable. High Profile, successful, honored, trusted, respected and the kind of man people nearly can fall into worship of Sins in Spades and gets found out.

Of course that’s the good part of being the godless left. You don’t HAVE to maintain or live up or down to anything. Just do whatever you like and let er rip. No one outs them, they are all out. Down and Out but Out none the less. NO standards means no sin or evil counts for or against you. Just do whatever seems right to you. It's ok there is no God.

I try to live my life with integrity and who I am. I try not to put on an act. I do sometimes but for the most part I yam who I yam.

The problem with spiritual greatness real or imagined is that you must live a life which no man or woman can ever really live. Only one man ever did and they crucified him. Oh a few poets, a few poor preachers, a few artists get close. But most of us are very flawed.

The fault isn’t Haggard’s per se. It the environment which doesn’t allow for transparency.

He must have often screamed inside, “I’m a horrid sinner, I need help, help me”. But he had too much to lose. The world, the flesh and the devil had him in bondage. And he had no one in his life he trusted enough to tell the truth to. No one he could confide in. THERE is the real crime.

I walk in Pentecostal circles. Many major leaders in these circles live pretty lavish lifestyles. They live pretty high on the hog. Caddys Rolls’s and who knows what.

That’s not true of all. Pastor Schmidgall of Calvary Church who earned a decent but not extraordinary salary lived in the same simple house for 30 years, drove 5 year old used cars, and didn’t take a lot of lavish vacations till the day he died. He always parked the furthest from the door on Sunday mornings so visitors could find a place. His successor now earns nearly 4 times what he did. I’ll bet he has a dedicated parking place.

Pastor Dan of First Assembly never TOOK a salary till the day he died. Oh, they paid him one, but he saw to it that it all went back. Not many people know this. He made money on the side buying and selling vehicles, stocks, and a few other investments. His successor will earn double what Pr Dan did or more.

I want the men of God in my life to make good money. I want them to live comfortably. I don’t want them to starve. But, when you reach a level of “Prosperity” as Ted Haggard did the need to keep the mask on and avoid transparency is driven by the fear of loss of lifestyle. So, I would rather that the men of God I associate with live fasted lifestyles by choice. I don’t have to worry about them so much. This is not a keep the preacher poor theology but the deceitfulness of riches can destroy anyone.

Well, Ted and his wife will now go thru a radical lifestyle change. The big house will go away. It’s over. I hope the marriage survives but the record on this is poor.

For what? I don’t get it. Meth and Gay Sex?

Neither does the pagan left. The cynicism they have shown is pure and unbridled hypocrisy. The glee they show at this says more about them then anyone.

Would I like to be in well-paid full time ministry? Sometimes. Mostly not. No one can fire me but Jesus. I can tell anyone the truth. I’m dangerous. I care too much about the kingdom of God to allow things to go too far. I have nothing to hide. I’m flawed. I am sometimes sinful. But, I know in whom I have believed.

I suspect Haggard does too. I’ll bet tonight will be the best night of sleep he has had in a long time. The pressure’s off. Yes, his former life is over, I don’t know about his marriage. But this is a warning shot across the bow. Judgment begins in the house of the Lord.

Boy did it.