Hypocrisy in Christian preaching highlights the danger of professing faith outwardly without genuine obedience or transformation (Matthew 7:21). Illustrations often use images of deceptive appearances, double-mindedness, and insincere actions to contrast true inward faith with mere outward show (James 1:22). It warns against self-deception and calls for authentic living consistent with God's will.
Sermon from Romans 2, on how religious and moral people still stand under the judgment of God. Baptism or church membership cannot save. Only being obedient to God and seeking his will, as evidenced by the good works in our lives, is sufficient.
Rev. Sam Shoemaker, a well-known Episcopal priest who helped start Alcoholics Anonymous, said this in a sermon:
The wickedest people I ever talked to are not the out and out pagan sinners - They are the people who have grown too good ever to be open to conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit, the people who believe that on the whole, they are all right, the people who enjoy a good reputation, and live on the flattery of their neighbors.
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[Original illustration at this number was deleted for being obsolete]
Back when Billy Graham first began his crusade ministry, a notorious gangster named Mickey Cohen attended one of the meetings in Beverly Hills. The meeting was being led by the young evangelist himself.
Very few people had heard of Billy Graham at this point. Mickey Cohen was much better known. Mickey was attracted to what he heard at the meeting. Afterwards, Billy and some of the others talked to him about salvation, but he made no commitment at that time.
A while later a Christian friend read Revelation 3:20 to him - "Behold, I stand at the door...." The friend then asked Mickey if he wanted this salvation. He said, "Yes, I do." The news of his conversion made quite a sensation, and the ministry of Billy Graham became known across the nation.
There was only one small problem - nothing in Mickey Cohen's life changed. When his friend confronted him about it, Mickey complained: "You didn't tell me I would have to give up my work!" [Mafia] "You didn't tell me I would have to give up my friends!" [criminals]
Mickey had heard that so-and-so was a Christian athlete, and so-and-so was a Christian actress, so he thought he could be a Christian gangster.
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Another version, by Rev. Tim Roddick, derived from Chuck Colson's book "Loving God":
One of the most recognizable evangelists over the past century has been Billy Graham. His ministry has touched the lives of countless people across the world, but what happens to these people’s lives after they leave the stadium? It’s no longer Billy Graham challenging that person, the work that he may have started or initiated by sharing God’s Word is then turned over to God and the Holy Spirit. I can stand up here and talk until I’m blue in the face, but in order for my words to impact you; in order for God’s truth to infiltrate your lives, you’re going to need the Holy Spirit working in you. But once again, God has left that choice to respond to His message, to respond to the work of the Spirit, entirely up to you. You and you alone are responsible for making a decision about your salvation. It’s your choice to make!
One such person who thought he was ready to respond was Mickey Cohen. In his book, “Loving God,” Chuck Colson recounts the story of this man, a renowned and notorious gangster of the 1940s. Close to six decades ago, Cohen rubbed shoulders with celebrities and movie stars, never missing an opportunity to place himself inside the spotlight – he even took part in a “Life magazine” pictorial of “American Gangsters”. On another occasion, during an interview with Mike Wallace, Cohen proudly proclaimed, “I have killed no man that in the first place didn’t deserve killing by the standards of our way of life,” implying that those he had killed, deserved it.
In 1949, one of Cohen’s “associates,” a wiretapper for the mob by the name of Jim Vaus attended a Billy Graham crusade in Los Angeles and as a result, he committed his life to Jesus Christ. Immediately afterwards, he contacted Cohen so that he might share the “good news” with him. Invited over to the gangster’s mansion late at night, Jim and his wife sat in front of the mob boss as he shared about his life-changing conversion. Following which, he resigned from Cohen’s employment, renounced his life of crime, and even repaid $15,000 in stolen electronic equipment that he had taken. And later, when times were rough, he refused to accept Cohen’s offer of a car, stating that he would not willingly take anything that was acquired illegally. Vaus later wrote of his life story in the book, “Why I Quit Syndicated Crime,” which in 1955, was adapted into a movie called, “Wiretapper,” in which Billy Graham made a rare film appearance as himself.
But let’s get back to mobster, Mickey Cohen. More of his friends began to share with him similar stories of their faith, and eventually Cohen asked Vaus to arrange a meeting for him with “that guy who’s converting all those famous folks.” A meeting was arranged, and along with a few others, Mickey Cohen sat and listened to Billy Graham preach the gospel. It is said, that he even raised his hand at the end of the message in a show of interest. But his life of crime continued and Cohen, much like another notorious crime boss, Al Capone, landed himself in prison for charges of tax evasion. After getting out of jail, Bill Jones, a Christian layman in Los Angeles, made it a personal mission to lead Cohen to Christ, and upon hearing a simple gospel presentation, Cohen repeated a prayer with Jones. The evangelist was elated and word soon spread that Mickey Cohen, the once dangerous mobster, had turned his life over to Christ. Hallelujah!!!
But Mickey seemed to be more interested in portraying the image of a “nice guy” Christian than in actually living the life of one. He soon lost touch with Jones, and began to hang around with his old buddies from the criminal underworld. The perplexed and disheartened Jones confronted Cohen to tell him that as a Christian, he needed to put distance between himself and his old cronies in crime. Puzzled, Cohen responded, “Jones, you never told me that I had to give up my career. You never told me that I had to give up my friends. There are Christian movie stars, Christian athletes, Christian businessmen. So what’s the matter with being a Christian gangster? If I have to give up all that – if that’s Christianity – then count me out” [Chuck Colson, Loving God, 81-93].
Two men, one chose to change his life following his conversion; the other chose to remain unchanged. We all laugh at his simplicity, but how much different are we than Mickey?
The Queen Mary was the largest ship to cross the oceans when it was launched in 1936. Through four decades and a World War she served until she was retired, anchored as a floating hotel and museum in Long Beach, California.
During the conversion, her three massive smokestacks were taken off to be scraped down and repainted. But on the dock they crumbled.
Nothing was left of the 3/4 inch steel plate from which the stacks had been formed. All that remained were more than thirty coats of paint that had been applied over the years. The steel had rusted away.
When Jesus called the Pharisees "whitewashed tombs," he meant they had no substance, only an exterior appearance.
#2076
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Christians should be unhypocritical. Not fake.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, loved practical jokes. Once he sent a telegram to each of twelve friends. All were men of great virtue and respected in society. The telegram said, "Flee at once, your secret is discovered!"
Within 24 hours, the story goes, all twelve had left the country! There may be some playful exaggeration here, but the point is usually true that many people, including Christians, are not what they seem to be.
Archaeological work in Jerusalem has recently unearthed the personal journal of a 1st century Pharisee. Listen to a day in the life of Joseph of Jerusalem. Occupation: Land speculator.
5:00 AM … Got up & ate a hearty breakfast. Had to eat in a hurry, though. When the sun comes up it will be a fast day.
5:30 … Forewent my morning wash & shave. (Didn’t want to look too good on a fast day.) Got some ashes from the fireplace, rubbed them on my face to get that sunken look.
8:30 … Met Junias, the Herodian, in the marketplace. Rebuked him before all. Told him he was a worthless fool and that his Greek hat made him look like a silly pig!
8:35 … Ran into Bartholomew in the marketplace. He called out, “Rabbi!” so loud that nearly everyone in the market turned and noticed me.
12:00 … Rushed to the corner of Main St. to say prayers. We Pharisees really clogged up traffic today. Today was the first day I made my prayers last the longest.
2:00 PM … Foreclosed on two widows.
2:30 … Went to court with Simon of Bethany over some land I sold him. I swore to him by Jerusalem that that tract had a well on it. How was I to know there wasn't any water in it? The judge ruled in my favor, of course.
3:30 … Went to the Temple. Gave my alms — nothing sounds quite like those coins hitting those metal boxes! Everybody was watching.
5:30 … Rushed to synagogue and led a small group discussion on holiness. Everybody was impressed by my knowledge of Scripture.
6:35 … Sun is down, fast day is over. Ate a good supper and went to bed.
#6254
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It's like a mother who's awakened in the middle of the night by her crying baby. Does she say, "I'm sorry, I can't get up right now and change your diaper, I don't feel like it. I don't want to be a hypocrite! No, she gets up and fakes it. Talks sweetly to the child, changes diaper, rocks it back to sleep.
In the "guilt versus grace" discussion it seems that most people have a deep sensitivity about their own guilt, flaws and inadequacies. Most of us don't need to be told we are hypocrites, we already know this about ourselves. Man can identify with the feelings expressed by Jules Fiefer in his poem, first published in The Village Voice. I felt like a fraud, so I learned to fly an airplane. At 50,000 feet I thought, "A fraud is flying an airplane." So I crossed the Atlantic in a rowboat. I docked at Cherbourg, and I thought, "A fraud has crossed the Atlantic in a rowboat." So I took a space shot to the moon. On the way home I thought, "A fraud has circled the moon." So I took a full page ad in the newspaper, and confessed to the world that I was a fraud. I read the ad and thought --- "A fraud is pretending to be honest." Submitted by Darrel Robertson, United Presbyterian and First Congregational Church, Ashland, Wisconsin.
Several decades ago actor Charles Coburn told that when he was a teenager
his dad always tried to dissuade him from ever going to see a burlesque show. He would say, "Don't go there son, you'd see things you shouldn't see."
But some time later he went anyway. Coburn said, "My dad was right, I saw
things I shouldn't see. I saw my dad there!"
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Bob Russell, a preacher in Louisville, tells of attending a Christian conference with the theme: "In All Things Love." Typically folks will go to a registration table and receive a name tag. Preacher registered and came back--"I want a new name tag, this one isn't as nice as the ones you gave out earlier." Woman: "I'm sorry,
we are out of those. We can retype that one if you'd like." Preacher: "No, I want one like you had before!" Woman: "Sir, you don't understand. A number of preachers came in with last minute registrations and we ran out of that style." Preacher: "Well, I'm a preacher and I brought mine in at the last minute and that doesn't make any difference? I want one of those that says, "IN ALL THINGS LOVE" on it, do you understand!?"
In the fall of 1919, as the United States Senate was deadlocked in
debate over the Versailles Treaty and the League of Nations, President
Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke which debilated him for the remainder
of his Presidency. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Wilson's chief opponent
on the Treaty and the League, sent two of his Senate cronies to visit
the bedfast President. In theory, the gentlemen were only being kind.
In fact, they were specifically sent to "check out" the condition of
Lodge's protagonist, and Wilson knew and resented that.
As the two prepared to leave, one of them paused at the door of the
President's bedroom, and said "Mr. President, we want you to know that
we've been praying for you." Wilson raised himself on his good right
elbow (his entire left side was paralyzed, including the left side of
his face), and snapped through clenched teeth, "Which way, Senator??!!"
On Sept. 10, 1990, the Associated Press reported that a man was burning garbage behind his home in San Jose, California. That happened to be against the law. What was worse, however, was that while he was burning his garbage, the fire got away from him. It spread over a hundred acres and took six helicopters and four hundred firefighters to extinguish it. The man who had started it was the captain of the San Jose fire department.
None of us would deny that hypocrisy is ugly. Few of us would deny that we are, in some ways, hypocrites... that we have been guilty of hypocrisy.
This is as good a definition of hypocrisy as any I have ever seen. It is found in “Detours, Tow Trucks and Angels in Disguise,” a 1996 NavPress book by Carol Kent. She tells that one year she was speaking at a Campus Crusade for Christ seminar for staff members. One of them had worked the campus of Northern Michigan University, and while there, had found three postcards in a book at the library. Each card was from the same person, but addressed to three different people. See how she described her activities to the different recipients:
(To her parents)
Dear Mom and Dad,
Thanks for sending me on vacation. We've toured a lot of interesting places. The historical society was really fascinating and I learned quite a bit about Marquette, Michigan, in its mining days. We've even tried some of the local food since we've been here. Love, Connie.
(To a friend)
Dear Sue,
Hi! I finally woke up and felt awake after one week of totally intense partying! I figured it was a good time to write before we start again. The guys up here are sensational! I went out with a different one each night. Well, take care, and don't party too much! See ya, Connie.
(To her boyfriend)
Dear Jim,
Boy, I sure do miss you! I wish you could be here so we could share the fall scenery together. I haven't been doing too much here, just visiting and touring around quite a bit. I can't wait to see you! Love and Kisses, Connie.
There was a very pious family. In it was a daughter and sister who seemed very devout. She was a regular attendant at church, participating in all the parts of the services -- singing, praying, and the Lord's Supper. All believed her to be genuine. Finally she was taken suddenly and seriously ill. A minister was informed of her serious illness and, at her request, came to see her. He expected to find a happy, victorious Christian; but not so. The sick young lady asked him to have a seat, saying, “I am glad you came, for I cannot bear to go out of this world a deceiver and a hypocrite without telling someone.” Then she said, “I cannot afford, for the sake of my loved ones, to tell you all of the sham, deceitfulness, and hypocrisy of my life. I have talked about religion, have professed religion, and pretended to be a Christian; but I am not and have never really loved the Lord or His service. Now I must die without any of the prospects of religion and be shut out of heaven forever.”
Then the minister spoke of the mercy and grace of God. “Yes,” she replied, “but that is not for me now. I have been a worthless hypocrite, and God is justly my enemy. My character is finished. What I am, I shall be forever. The tree is even now falling, and it is too late now.” In a few minutes she went out to meet God. It will be a fearful thing to come to the end of the way and find it dark.
The first Protestant missionary to Japan was so effective that the emperor declared that, if what the missionary said could be proved true, he would make Christianity the state religion. The emperor sent five of his leading men on a tour of Europe and America. When their trip was nearly ended, the saintly Bishop Moule asked them, “Tell me, gentlemen, what report will you take back to your emperor?” They replied, “We will tell him much -- that the Book is all right, but that it does not work.”
William Moses Tidwell, “Pointed Illustrations.”
A man sat down to supper with his family, saying grace, thanking God for the food, for the hands which prepared it, and for the source of all life. But during the meal he complained about the freshness of the bread, the bitterness of the coffee and the sharpness of the cheese. His young daughter questioned him, “Dad, do you think God heard the grace today?”
He answered confidently, “Of course.”
Then she asked, “And do you think God heard what you said about the coffee, the cheese, and the bread?” Not so confidently, he answered, “Why, yes, I believe so.”
The little girl concluded, “Then which do you think God believed, Dad?”
The man was suddenly aware that his mealtime prayer had become a rote, thoughtless habit rather than an attentive and honest conversation with God. By not concentrating on that important conversation, he had left the door open to let hypocrisy sneak in.
See: Psalm 136:1; Acts 2:46; Ephesians 5:4; Colossians 2:6-7
According to United Press International, a 9-year-old girl was raised by barnyard pigs in the Chinese province of Liaoning. The girl had been suckled and raised from infancy by a peasant family's pigs because her disabled parents could not care for her.
Like a Chinese version of "Believe It or Not," the report indicated that the severely deprived child is now being taught to abandon pig-like behavior in favor of acting human. Her counselors said that the child had learned to crawl like a pig and imitate other piggish actions. She displayed fluctuating emotions and tended to want to live in solitude.
There is something worse than a 9-year-old child who behaves like a pig. It is a professed Christian who thinks and acts like a pagan.
Many Christians should carry ID cards saying, "I Am A CHRISTIAN." This is because their manner of living is so much like the world's that without some kind of identification you would never recognize them as being citizens of heaven.
C. H. Spurgeon apparently saw this inconsistency in some of the believers in this day, for he wrote, "When I went to school, we drew such things as houses, horses, and trees, and used to write the word house under the picture of the house, and the word horse under the picture of the horse. Otherwise, some persons might have mistaken the house for a horse. So," Spurgeon continued, "there are some people who need to wear a label around their necks to show they are Christians, or else we might mistake them for sinners."
Members of the Methodist Women's Church Circle in one Wisconsin town some years ago were disturbed because a widowed church member and her three small daughters were staying away from services. Finding the reason to be a lack of suitable clothes, the ladies' group corrected the situation in a most generous fashion. When the little girls still failed to appear at Sunday School, some of the ladies called to inquire about their absence. The mother thanked them sweetly for the clothing and explained, "The girls looked so nice, I sent them to the Presbyterian church."
There is the story of the man who came down from the North Carolina mountains. He was all dressed up and carrying his Bible. A friend saw him and asked, "Elias, what's happening? Where are you going all dressed up like that?" Elias said, "I've been hearing about New Orleans. I hear that there is a lot of free-runnin' liquor and a lot of gamblin' and a lot of real good naughty shows." The friend looked him over and said, "But Elias, why are you carrying your Bible under your arm?" And Elias replied, "Well, if it's as good as they say it is, I might stay over until Sunday."
[nearly same story #6980]
#12363
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A certain Irish priest, newly arrived in New York City, was walking through a bad section of town. He suddenly felt a gun against his ribs. Then he heard a voice, "All right mister, gimme your money!" Quickly the priest grabbed for his wallet. As he did, the holdup man noticed his clerical collar and realized he was robbing a priest. The thief was overcome with shame. He said, "Forgive me, Father. I didn't know you were a priest." To which the victim replied, "That's all right, Son. Just repent of your sin. Here, have a cigar." The thief replied, "Oh, no thank you, Father, I don't smoke during Lent."
The expression “face the music” is said to have originated in Japan. According to the story, one man in the imperial orchestra couldn’t play a note. Being a person of great influence and wealth, he had demanded that he be given a place in the group because he wanted to “perform” before the emperor. The conductor agreed to let him sit in the second row of the orchestra, even though he couldn’t read music. He was given a flute, and when a concert would begin, he’d raise his instrument, pucker his lips, and move his fingers. He would go through all the motions of playing, but he never made a sound. This deception continued for two years.
Then a new conductor took over. He told the orchestra that he wanted to audition each player personally. One by one they performed in his presence. Then came the flutist’s turn. He was frantic with worry, so he pretended to be sick. However, the doctor who was ordered to examine him declared that he was perfectly well. The conductor insisted that the man appear and demonstrate his skill. Shamefacedly he had to confess that he was a fake. He was unable to “face the music.”
In the realm of Christian service, many professing believers go through the motions, but they are only pretenders. Someday they will be called upon to stand before the Judge of heaven and earth, and their deception will be revealed. God will then separate the “phonies” from the real Christians. No one will be able to hide in the crowd. Each will be made to “face the music.”
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Alternate application
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Many of us go through the motions of the Christian life. We attend church or youth group, recite Bible verses, and say all the right things. In reality, though, we are fakes. A time is coming when all of us will be called to stand before the judge of heaven and earth and “face the music.” No one will be able to hide in the crowd. The phonies will be separated from the true players. (See Matthew 12:36-37 and 25:31-46.)
Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks
Wayne Rice, Zonderzan, pp. 91-92.
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Michael Quinion gives a more-researched view:
[Q] FROM PAULA NIGRO BROWN IN THE USA: “Do you know the origin of FACE THE MUSIC?”
[A] So far as we can discover, the expression was originally an American one. The first recorded use is in the CONGRESSIONAL GLOBE for 4 March 1850: “There should be no skulking or dodging . . . every man should ‘face the music’.” It seems then to have had the meaning of facing hardship or danger. Only in the 1860s did it take on the sense it now usually has, of taking the consequences of one’s action, or suffering due punishment for some transgression.
It seems to suddenly burst into popular consciousness in 1850, with many examples to be found in the years that immediately follow (this suggests an origin as a catchphrase in popular writing or music, but none has been traced). One school of thought says that it comes from musical theatre. A nervous or inexperienced performer would have to summon up all his courage to face the audience, which would require him also to face the musicians in the orchestra pit, a cynical and world-weary group who had seen everything.
A second theory is that it is of military origin, though no two writers agree on what that might be. Explanations include a soldier taking his place in the ranks during an assembly, so facing the military band; a cavalry man trying to keep his restless horse quiet while the band is playing; or a soldier being drummed out of his regiment.
Lip Service: There are
* People who talk about prayer but never pray
* People who say tithing is right but never tithe
* People who say belonging to a church is necessary, but never go or support its program
* People who say the Bible is God's Word to man, but never read it
* People who say eternity is more important than time, but live for the present life
* People who criticize others for the things they do themselves
* People who stay away form church for trivial reasons, and then sing, “Oh how I love Jesus”
* People who live for the devil all their lives and expect to die like an angel
— Robert Boyd, {World's Bible Handbook}, (Harvest House Publishers, 1991), p. 400
[shortened version #21728]
#15393
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One Christian who owed money to another prayed in prayer meeting,
"Lord give us faith - a devil-driving faith."
The brother to whom he owed money prayed quietly, "Amen, Lord, and
give us debt-paying faith too."
During a coffee break in a Manhattan factory, a small group of
workmen were coaxing one of their number to have a cup of coffee.
"Naw, I gave it up for Lent. It's a religious principle with me."
But as the group stood to leave, he turned to the supply clerk
standing next to him and said, "Say, I need another pair of work
trousers. How about stealing me a pair some time this week?"
The death of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin is reputed to have been caused by a seizure suffered at a meeting of the Presidium, the Communist party executive committee. Livid with fury, Stalin leaped from his seat, only to crash to the floor unconscious. While other Presidium members stared at the prone figure, scheming bureaucrat Laverenti Beria jumped up and danced around the body shouting, “We're free at last! Free at last!” But as Stalin's daughter forced her way into the room and fell on her knees by her father, the dictator stirred and opened one eye. Beria at once dropped down beside Stalin, seized his hand, and covered it with kisses.
Hypocrite: Someone who complains that there is too much wickedness and violence on his VCR.
Adapted from Reader's Digest, October 1991
Congress passed a law in 1988 to mandate a drug-free work place. Congress made a drug-free work place. Congress made a big to-do about requiring all agencies of government and industry to police the situation, to refuse to hire drug-users, to rehabilitate or dismiss users of drugs. Congress itself is ignoring its own anti-drug law. Heritage Foundation surveyed Congress to discover that most Senators and House members ignore the law. And there's evidence drug use is as much a problem in the halls of congress as any place and yet three of four members of Congress neither test nor discipline employees found to be using drugs.
Associated Press, 3-28-91
A pastor was on a guided tour of a mission field. The leader of the group asked him if he would be willing to greet the believers and deliver a brief message when they arrived. He consented, but was somewhat reluctant because of the language barrier. The guide, who was familiar with the country, tried to put him at ease by explaining, "I'll interpret for you. We'll practice a few times before the service. I'm sure you'll have no difficulty."
"I'll try," replied the pastor, "even though I'm not in the habit of practicing what I preach!"
We may smile at what the pastor said, but his words express a problem we all face as Christians: We don't always practice what we preach.
How quickly greatness fades! Before he attacked Russia, Napoleon Bonaparte seemed to have the world at his feet. But the Russian invasion turned into a debacle and Napoleon, fearing his position at home was in danger, left the French army and hurried back to France almost unaccompanied. Arriving at a river crossing, Napoleon inquired of the ferryman whether many deserters had come that way. "No," replied the Russian, "you are the first."
Jesse James killed a fellow in a bank robbery and shortly thereafter was baptized in the Kearney Baptist Church. Then he killed another man, a bank cashier, and joined the church choir and taught hymn-singing. He liked Sundays, Jesse did, but he couldn't always show up at church. On two Sundays, he robbed trains.
A Scottsdale, Arizona man awakened in his bedroom to the smell of smoke. But flame and smoke were already filling the hallway outside and the flames quickly spread and the man barely managed to get out. There was no smoke detector in the house. Scottsdale law requires smoke detectors in all houses, but there was no smoke detector in this house. And this house is owned by a fire department fire-prevention officer.
-- Associated Press, 5-7-91
All of us should appreciate the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. That's where good firemen go to become better firemen. Thousands of them each year -- career and volunteer firefighters -- go to the National Fire Academy to learn the latest in fire prevention, firefighting and fire department management. While on that campus the current class in fire prevention was challenged to a competition. Students at the National Fire Academy were sent forth to see which student could find the most fire code violations in any one building -- they could choose any building. The winner of the competition found and confirmed 180 separate fire code violations in one building. By the way, he discovered that building without leaving the campus.
Associated Press 10-17-90
I'm sure you've heard the old story about the two men who met
on the street. One said to the other, "Have you heard about
Harry? He embezzled the company out of half a million dollars."
The other man said, "That's terrible; I never did trust Harry."
The first man said, "Not only that, he left town and he took
Tom's wife with him." The other man said, "That's awful; Harry
has always been a ne'er-do-well." The first man said, "Not only
that, he stole a car to make his getaway." The other man said,
"That's scandalous; I always did think Harry had a bad streak in
him." The first man said, "Not only that, they think he was
drunk when he pulled out of town." The other man said, "Harry's
no good. But what really bothers me is, who's going to teach
his Sunday School Class this week?"
My Source:
Sermon preached at North Marshall
8-29-99
Author: David Lemmons
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GOD'S DESIRE (Hosea 6:6)
by David Lemmons
When we find a passage of Scripture which tells us about what God desires, ought we not to perk up and listen especially closely? That is just what we have in Hosea 6:6--
"For I DESIRED mercy, and not sacrifice; and the
knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."
May I suggest that a study of what is involved in this statement will be a profitable way to spend our time. Let us give some special attention to God's Desire. Let us consider God's Desire--
ONE-----As Spoken of in Hosea 6:6
When Jesus walked upon the earth His associations with the religious leaders of the day were characterized by one MAJOR and CONSISTENT problem: hypocrisy, insincerity, lack of heart involvement in their service and worship. He constantly came into contact with this hypocrisy and therefore we see Him constantly rebuking that same spirit (cf., Matthew 23:28; Mark 12:15; Luke 12:1). In Matthew 6:1-5 Jesus rebuked these hypocrites for giving their alms and praying their prayers TO BE SEEN OF MEN. He urged that His disciples ought not to follow their example.
We can be assured that the hypocrisy of the first century did not begin in the first century. These people to whom Hosea and the other faithful prophets preached and with whom they pleaded were also guilty of play-acting with regard to service and worship to God. Notice some of the other prophets' messages: Isaiah 1:11-15; Isaiah 43:22-24; Amos 5:21-25; Micah 6:6-8. Notice also from the writings of Hosea that Israel was very hypocritical (Hosea 6:4; Hosea 7:14; Hosea 8:2; Hosea 9:4). Instead of loving and serving God with pure hearts based upon what God had revealed to them through Moses (i.e., knowing God), Israel was outwardly making some sacrifices and going about to do their own thing. Their hearts were not in their worship to God. Their hypocrisy and their rejection of knowledge of God made any of the offerings unacceptable to the God of Heaven.
TWO-----As Applied by Jesus in Matthew 12
Read Matthew 12:1-8. There was an accusation made here against the disciples of Jesus that they had violated the Sabbath. The fact is that they had NOT violated the Sabbath, but only the tradition that had developed about the Sabbath. We can know beyond question that they did not violate the Sabbath because Jesus declared them to be GUILTLESS (Matthew 12:7).
Jesus defended His disciples. First of all, He pointed out that those making the accusations were not themselves sincere else they would have condemned David for His sin (vv. 3-4). Secondly, Jesus made clear that the interpretation that had been made by these hypocritical religious leaders could not be accurate (v. 5). If so, then the priests would be violating the Sabbath every Sabbath day. They were simply wrong in keeping all of the extra tradition that had accumulated over the years regarding the Sabbath. Their charges against the disciples had no standing in the Law. Thirdly, Jesus used Hosea 6:6 to defend the GUILTLESS state of the disciples. When Jesus quoted from Hosea, He was saying to these religious leaders that they were in the same condition of Israel in Hosea's day. They were not worshipping God with their heart. Their kind of worship was NOT WHAT GOD DESIRED!!!
There are many who abuse totally this passage from Matthew by making a feeble attempt to have the text support such foolishness as: situationism; the end justifies the means; hierarchicalism. A proper understanding of the text allows for no such interpretation. This actually is just one more encounter that Jesus had with the play-acting religious leaders of the day. That Jesus would quote from Hosea 6:6 makes this abundantly clear. Jesus is here rebuking the same spirit and attitude that Hosea spoke against in Hosea 6:6.
THREE-----As Applied to Our Worship (John 4)
Are there lessons for us from Hosea 6:6? Do we really appreciate what it is that GOD DESIRES in our worship today? Is there any of that spirit of Israel to be observed among us? Notice John 4:23-24...
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true
worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit
and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to
worship him. (24) God is a Spirit: and they
that worship him must worship him in spirit
and in truth.
In this conversation that Jesus had with the Samaritan woman at the well we are taught much about the worship that God desires from us. In fact we have the three basics of worship: (1) We must worship the right object: GOD; (2) We must worship with the right attitude, involving our heart: IN SPIRIT; (3) We must worship God according to what He has outlined for us in His word: IN TRUTH.
Whenever Christians get away from the concept of being the AUDIENCE as we assemble together for worship, we will have taken a long stride toward acceptable worship. The fact is that we in the pews are to be active participants in worship and the only audience for our worship is God!
Generally speaking, most faithful congregations will have less problem with the IN TRUTH aspect of worship. If we have faithful and qualified elders, they will see to it that we do not swerve from the pattern given in the New Testament for our worship. However, there is one consideration that might be needed by some regarding IN TRUTH. Some seem to have a tendency to leave off one or more of the five avenues of worship. Any of the five could be excised by one who sits in the pews, but likely the most common item left out of worship is the singing. How many members sit in the assembly and do not participate in the song service? Do those who leave off this aspect of their worship think that they have worshipped God acceptably--IN TRUTH--according to the New Testament pattern? Is it any more acceptable to leave off part of worship than it would be to add something to it?
More commonly, today we might struggle with the IN SPIRIT aspect of worship. It is vitally important that our worship be offered up to God from a sincere heart. Surely we can learn this lesson from ancient Israel. GOD'S DESIRE is for our worship to come from the very depths of our hearts.
Such being the case, how could we just kind of "mouth through" the songs and not let them come from a heart that is filled with the love of God and having a strong desire to praise God and teach and admonish our brothers and sisters in the family of God (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16)?
How is it possible that we would partake of the Lord's Supper and be thinking of a hundred other matters besides the suffering endured by our Lord. One of the great problems of the Corinthian saints was the way they were abusing the Lord's Supper. Their spiritual sickness came, in part, from this abuse (1 Corinthians 11:30).
How is it possible not to listen when God's word is being taught and we have opportunity to hear from our loving Heavenly Father through His written word? How could we be thinking about how we will be first in line at the local eating establishment--wishing the preacher would hurry up and shut up?
How is it possible not to purpose in our hearts and give liberally, sacrificially, and cheerfully?
How could we be so like the Israelites of Hosea's day by thinking of other matters when some brother stands before us to lead us in prayer to our Heavenly Father?
Brethren, these are some extremely serious matters that we need carefully to consider. Hosea speaks loudly and convincingly of the need to take heed to GOD'S DESIRE. We must learn and benefit from the things that were written before (Hosea 6:6; Romans 15:4).
...............
An outline form of this discussion can be visited at: \webpage{http://www.hcis.net/users/dlemmons/28-6.6.htm}
Thirty years ago, Ann Kiemel Anderson was a best-selling Christian author and speaker whose first book boldly declared, “I'm out to change my world.”
Today, after tragedies ranging from multiple miscarriages to drug addition, Anderson says she's learned that Jesus is the source of true change.
Noting that many people looked at her early adult life and “thought I had just everything,” Anderson said, “It appeared that I really was a very together person.”
But “along the journey, I got lost,” she confessed. “It's a powerful thing to me tonight to know that Jesus doesn't put his hand on perfect people.... I ask your forgiveness for getting so lost.”
Mixing testimony and songs, Anderson recounted her journey from bold Christian witness and publishing notoriety to despair, addiction and self-loathing.
While she was “passionate about Jesus and wanted everybody to know him,” Anderson said she also “was passionate that you love me.”
Citing her experience as a marathon runner who qualified three times for the prestigious Boston Marathon, Anderson told the crowd, “If you're not enough before best-selling books and standing ovations and marathons, you will never be enough with them. Externals will not make you whole.”
Deciding in her mid-30s that marriage was the next step toward success and fulfillment, she said she determined that Will Anderson was God's choice for her. But conflict soon popped up in their marriage.
Explaining that one of her husband's traits was to fix problems he encountered, Anderson said, “When Will married me, I became his next problem to fix.” Acknowledging her own “gaping, gaping insecurity,” she added, “When he set out to fix me, it made the hole in me bigger and bigger.”
Repeated miscarriages eventually led the Andersons to adopt four sons. Yet “babies and a handsome man and all my success never made me enough,” she said.
“I was an addict of performance and praise just waiting to be an addict of pills,” she added. After being given morphine to relieve the pain of a kidney infection, she soon became hooked on pain pills.
“I confess to you that there were major contradictions in my life,” Anderson said. While being honest in what she shared in her books and speaking engagements, “my lie was in what I didn't tell you.”
With a growing addiction problem and declining health, Anderson suffered a pair of comas while separated from her husband.
“When I awakened from my second life-threatening coma, God finally had my attention,” she recalled. Entering a secular drug treatment center, she said the experience was “the hardest, most nightmarish journey of my life.”
Describing the severity of the treatment and confrontational group therapy sessions, Anderson added, “It took all of it to break through the thick, thick layers around my heart. For God to crack through down to the core of my soul, it took the toughest and the worst.”
Realizing it would take more than personal willpower and brains to gain physical, emotional and spiritual healing, she declared, “I wanted God and I wanted freedom more than anything else in my life.... There was only one thing that delivered me, and that was the blood of Jesus.”
As she pursued healing from her addiction, Anderson said God also was getting her husband's attention.
After they reunited, “Will and I pledged to each other and to God that we were going to be the family God wanted us to be and we were going to love each other the way God wanted us to.”
A few years later, Anderson's husband was diagnosed with cancer. He died two years ago.
Despite their earlier marital struggles, “I know what transformation is because Jesus did it for me and I saw God do it for Will,” she shared. “It was so precious.”
Reflecting on her spiritual pilgrimage, Anderson said, “I was lost, I was confused and Jesus pulled me together. Jesus did for me what I could not do for myself.
“I want you to know that life will never again be about me,” Anderson told the women. “When Jesus healed me, I never wanted any attention again.
“I don't go around worrying about whether people like me,” she added. “Only God defines me.”
[Ann Kiemel Anderson died from cancer on March 1, 2014]
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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #15845]
We were between ministry engagements, and we took a short timeout in a picturesque mountain community in the Southeast. It’s the oldest town in the area and it’s buildings make you feel like you’ve stepped back into the 1890's - rambling Victorian mansions, soaring spires, it’s got a classic railroad station. We stopped to ask a local man directions, and somewhere in the middle of his answer he made this observation about his town - "You know, this place is sort of like a movie set. There really isn’t much here, but it sure does look pretty."
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Looking Great, Having Little."
Now, sadly, there are a lot of lives that are like that man’s description of his town. There really isn’t much there, but they sure do look pretty; especially all dressed up for church, turning on the charm, making a great impression, or saying and doing all the right Christian things. But, as God reminds us in 1 Samuel 17:9, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." And there’s many an empty heart hiding behind an impressive exterior.
In Revelation 3, beginning with verse 15 - our word for today from the Word of God - there’s a disturbing example of the deadly difference there can be between what people see and what God sees. To the outside observer, the church at Laodicea was rich, successful, and experiencing God’s blessing. But Jesus said to them, "I know your deeds, that you are neither hot or cold ... because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of My mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.'" There’s the image. "But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." There’s the reality. Like a movie set. There really isn’t much there, but it sure looks pretty.
It’s easy to make the mistake of thinking that because you’ve impressed other people that Jesus is impressed. Not necessarily. It takes a lot of personal courage and honesty to look in the mirror and say, "You know, I’m not what everyone thinks I am. It’s pretty empty behind the image I’m portraying." That’s painful, but it’s the beginning of reality - and an open door for Jesus to come behind the set and start to build a deep, real, fulfilling relationship with Him. It’s wonderfully liberating to let Jesus show you what He sees when He looks at you - and to let Him start building a you that only He can build.
It could be that behind all your Christianity, you really don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You know He died to pay for your sins, you agree with Jesus - but somehow, you’ve missed the step of actually committing your life to Him, of turning from running your own life to Him running your life. There’s never been that time when you actually gave you to Jesus. And there’s no way into heaven without that, no matter how spiritually impressive you look.
If you want to make today the day that you actually begin your personal relationship with Jesus, tell Him that right now. And I hope that you’ll let me send you the booklet, "Yours For Life," that I wrote about belonging to Jesus Christ. You just have to let me know that you want it.
There’s something very liberating, and even life saving, when you finally face reality. And, it’s time to face the reality that behind all the Christianity, maybe Jesus isn’t there - so you can finally have the real thing.
________________
Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"
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Let's say you have a friend who's a classical music fan - and he really likes the music of this composer named Beethoven. Now, you don't know much about this Beethoven guy, but you accept your friend's invitation to go to a concert where Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is going to be presented. The performers are the local junior high band. Now your friend has told you repeatedly that Beethoven was a genius and his music spectacular. But, after hearing the squeaking and squawking of 13-year-olds giving that symphony a go, you walk out saying, "Man, forget this Beethoven guy and his music!"
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Composer and the Performers."
Of course the problem with that concert was not Beethoven - it was how that band performed what he wrote. Jesus has that same problem with those who try to "perform His music" - that is, try to live what He taught. Now, the Composer is still a genius - but don't judge Him by those who play His music imperfectly.
It may be that you've been burned by religion ... hurt or disillusioned by religious people. Or even by religious leaders. From a fallen tele-evangelist to an adulterous pastor to an abusing priest, most of us have known or known of some "spiritual leader" who has fallen. For believers, it is like a kick in the stomach. For those who already are skeptical about Christianity, it is just another reason not to believe.
But in spite of these flawed performances, Jesus is still the genius who has brought peace and meaning to millions of lives over the years. Not Christianity. Not the Christian religion. Jesus. The great tragedy of seeing the failures of those who play Jesus' "music" imperfectly is that you can miss Jesus. And He's too good to miss. And the cost of missing Him is much too expensive to pay.
Our word for today from the Word of God - 1 Corinthians 2:2 - bottom lines the central issue on which yours and my eternity depends. Jesus' great ambassador, Paul, says, "I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." That's it - nothing except Jesus and His cross. The cross where the Son of God died to bear the death penalty for every wrong thing you've ever done. It's all about Jesus and what He did for you because He loves you so much.
Everywhere Jesus went, He extended a two-word invitation - "Follow Me." (Mark 1:16) He didn't say, "Follow My religion" or "My leaders" or "My followers." Christians aren't the issue. It's all about Jesus. Now - and on Judgment Day. Because all God is going to want to know is, "What did you do with My Son?" Christianity, the religion, has sometimes wounded people and let people down. But Jesus never has. And He is the issue. For now - and forever.
If you've never experienced the love and the peace of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the hole in your heart could be filled by Him this very day. If you'll give yourself to this Man who gave Himself for you. Just tell Him - "Jesus, I'm Yours. I'm putting all my trust in You, and You alone, to forgive my sins, to get me to heaven, and to take down the wall between me and God."
In a world where trust has been broken so many times, Jesus is the one safe place for your searching heart. He died for you. He will never do you wrong.
________________
Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. 'Practical Answers to Real Life Issues'
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Roman Catholic Monsignor Eugene V. Clark made some statements in a sermon on Sunday 4/21/02 regarding the controversy of sexual abuse perpetrated by RC priests. Here are some excerpts from the NY Times article:
"According to a written copy of his 15-minute homily that his office gave to The Associated Press yesterday, Monsignor Clark said: 'In some seminaries in the United States, known homosexual young men have been accepted as candidates against every rule of church wisdom and church requirements. One need say no more of this as a breeding ground for later homosexual practice after ordination, and the manifest danger of man-boy relationships.'
"Speaking from the pulpit of the cathedral, where he was filling in for Cardinal Egan, Monsignor Clark called homosexuality a 'disorder' and said that it was a 'grave mistake' to allow gay men to be ordained, according to The Daily News."
However, the flames of criticism soon enveloped the Monsignor and his remarks. Gay Catholics objected, the news media harrumphed, so the Msgr backpedaled today:
"In a three-paragraph statement released by the Archdiocese of New York, Monsignor Clark said he did not mean to imply there was a connection. 'In my homily, I did not associate homosexuals with the illness of pedophilia, although some priests had fallen, sadly, into man-boy sexual relationships,' he said. 'Nothing in the homily implied that homosexuals were, categorically or individually, guilty of any crime.'
"The monsignor said his comments were 'misconstrued and misinterpreted' and noted the causes of sexual abuse by priests are 'complex.'
"'To suggest that I said that there is one cause and one solution to the problem is to grossly oversimplify the situation,' the monsignor said.
"Monsignor Clark added that his homily did not reflect the views of Cardinal Egan and said that he did not consult with the cardinal as he prepared the homily, or yesterday's statement in which he sought to clarify it."
An estimated 70,000 fans made the trek -- pilgrimage, I should say -- to Memphis last week to honor Elvis. The occasion? This past Friday, August 16, was the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death.
To judge from some media coverage, you'd think Presley was a saint -- a role model to emulate. ABC-TV's "Good Morning America" program last Monday pointed to the religious roots of his music -- that listening to Christian artists whose styles ranged from black gospel to the Blackwood Brothers Quartet inspired his emotional delivery. They added that his three Emmy awards were for recordings of gospel songs.
ABC commended one side of Elvis's non-conformity. He defied the segregationist practices of his times by visiting ethnic churches and attending the zoo on "Black only" days. And when he appeared on Ed Sullivan's TV program, he insisted on singing "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" for his mother.
ABC also mentioned that when Presley performed, he was "All Shook Up" over the full length of his body. As a result, when "Elvis the Pelvis" appeared on "Ed Sullivan," producers decided decency required them to zoom in and show only his upper body.
But what ABC neglected to mention was that, even though Elvis took much of his style from gospel sources, his primary message was the antithesis of biblical standards. Top hits like "It's Now or Never" insisted "be mine tonight" and "my love won't wait." His lesser-known songs would include one in which he sings to his steady girl, "I resisted tho' my arm was twisted." This leads to the song's title: "Almost Always True." The occasional slip into "almost" fidelity was the slippery slope to the total promiscuity of many subsequent rock stars.
On ABC's rival, NBC, Matt Lauer interviewed Joe Esposito, who claims he met Elvis in the Army. Esposito was co-best man at Elvis's wedding and was the first to find Presley overdosed on the bathroom floor twenty-five years ago. Esposito described Elvis as "conflicted" and said he never emotionally matured beyond boyhood.
In Great Britain -- hard as it is to believe -- a re-mixed version of Elvis singing "A Little Less Conversation" has been the number one single for weeks. In it Elvis croons, "A little less conversation, a little more action please." The he elaborates: "Close your mouth, and open up your heart, and baby satisfy me."
In spite of media portrayals of Presley's religious roots, his belief system was not the "true and undefiled religion" that the Apostle James wrote about. One ABC segment played Elvis singing, "To spend one night with you is what I pray for." Wow! Did he really think God answered prayers to expedite one-night stands?
Lost in the hullabaloo is the reason why Elvis died so young, instead of still being alive today at age sixty-seven. As Reuters reports, "Presley died of a drug-induced heart attack..." He was, by all accounts, a miserable man in his last years, often sleeping in his own excrement.
Is the "king of rock 'n' roll" the role model you want for your children and grandchildren? Let's be honest: Instead of an idol to emulate, Elvis is an object lesson in the wages of sin. And the best thing people can do is not make pilgrimages to Graceland, but seek the real grace that our loving God offers.
FURTHER READING & INFORMATION
"Rock Icon: Elvis Legend Swivels on, 25 Years Later," ABC News, 12 August 2002. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/GoodMorningAmerica/GMA020812Elvis_25years_later.html
Jan Herman, "At Graceland, alone among many," MSNBC, 13 August 2002. http://www.msnbc.com/news/793122.asp
Josh Grossberg, "Elvis: 25 Years Gone," E! ONLINE, 16 August 2002. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/eo/20020816/en_music_eo/10402
Os Guinness, STEERING THROUGH CHAOS: VICE AND VIRTUE IN AN AGE OF MORAL CONFUSION (Navpress, 2000). http://www.pfmonline.net/products.taf?_function=d&IC=BKSTC
Ken Myers, ALL GOD'S CHILDREN AND BLUE SUEDE SHOES: CHRISTIANS AND POPULAR CULTURE (Crossway, 1989). http://www.parable.com/breakpoint/item.asp?sku=0891075380
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Copyright © 2002 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BreakPoint with Chuck Colson" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.
Hypocrisy or Deceit
A college student was out of work and desperate for a job and finally
applied at the local zoo. The owner said, "My gorilla died and it will be a
while before we get a new one. I need someone to put on this gorilla suit, and
pretend to be the gorilla." The man took the job. At first, he just jumped
around and ate bananas, but soon he began to beat his chest and make noises and
rush the bars, delighting the crowds. He became known as the "fierce Gorilla."
One day he was swinging on the monkey bars and he accidentally flipped himself
over the top of the bars and into the lions den next door. The crowd rushed
around the corner to see the "fierce Gorilla" and the Hungry Lions. They saw the
gorilla pinned against a corner, and you could hear a small voice coming out of
the gorilla, "Help, I'm just a guy in a gorilla suit." A voice coming out
of the lion that said "Hey, shut up, You're not the only college student who
needed a job!"
TS--Sometimes we pretend to be something we are not. Submitted by Bob Laver,
Myrtle Point Oregon
A certain hog farmer refused to have anything to do with the church because all he ever saw was a bunch of hypocrites who belonged to it.
He always named two or three.
One day the pastor of the church came by to buy a hog from him. After looking over the farmer’s entire swine herd, the pastor pointed to a scrawny, sickly, ugly little runt and said, “I want that one.”
The farmer remonstrated vigorously, “Why, Preacher, you don’t want that one. He’s the scrawniest runt I ever saw. Look, here are some fine hogs over here.” “That’s all right,” said the preacher, “I want that one.”
After the purchase was completed, the pastor said, “Now I am going to haul this pig all over the country and tell everyone that this is the kind of hog you raise!” “Hey, Preacher, that’s not fair,” the farmer protested. “I raise fine hogs. An occasional runt doesn’t ruin my whole stock.”
“I am only following your example of condemning a whole church because of the stunted spirituality of a few of its members,” explained the pastor. The farmer got the point!
[shorter version #6255]
#21719
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A woman, enlarging on her husband's inconsistencies, said, "At a theologically liberal meeting he's a liberal and at a conservative meeting he's a conservative." Someone asked, "What is he at home?" She replied with emphasis, "He's a real demon!"
Cheap Irony Of The Day -- Author Of The Rules Files For Divorce
"It seems that The Rules authors Sherrie Schneider and Ellen Fein may have reached the end of the rainbow," Bartholomew Roberts writes. "The two have made their money publishing books that advise women how to find a mate and have a happy marriage. The books have been bashed by feminists because of their decidedly 'traditional' advice. Now, shortly before the release of their third book, it turns out that co-author Ellen Fein is filing for divorce from her husband of 16 years. Not only this; but the divorce had actually been filed a year earlier and a mere three months after Fein signed a contract for a third book. As a result, Fein -- who once told a competing author on a talk show, 'We are on our first marriages, and you’re on your second' -- let the publisher send out pre-release copies of the book with glowing tributes to the author's marital bliss."
This is reminiscent of Audrey Kishline, the "Moderate Drinking" author and movement leader who ended up convicted of vehicular manslaughter after mowing down a man and his daughter while drunk driving. [see HolwickID #19431]
___________________________________
http://www.timesofindia.com/280301/28wrap5.htm
Times of India, March 28, 2001
ELLEN FEIN GETTING A DIVORCE
NEW YORK: It seems some rules are made to be broken. Ellen Fein, co-author of the "Rules" books that teach women how to snag men by playing hard to get, is getting a divorce. The announcement comes just three months before the release of the third book in the series, which Fein again co-wrote with Sherrie Schneider. AOL Time Warner is expected to release "The Rules III: Time-Tested Secrets for Making Your Marriage Work," in June 2001.
Fein, 43, has been married to pharmacist Paul Feingertz, 41, for more than 15 years, People magazine reported. The publisher will insert a paragraph into the new book's introduction, stating that Fein and her husband are divorcing.
Schneider is still married.
There are more than 2 million copies in print of the original 1996 book, "The Rules: Time-Tested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr Right." That number dropped to 350,000 for the sequel, "The Rules II: More Rules to Live and Love By," which came out in 1997. The third "Rules" book has a first printing of just 75,000 copies.
(AP)
____________________________________________
http://desi.excite.com/news/ap/010510/07/ellen-fein
May 10, 2001
NEW YORK (AP) - Ellen Fein still plays by "The Rules," even though she's getting a divorce.
The co-author of the "Rules" books, which teach women to snag men by playing hard to get, is splitting up with her husband of 15 years, just as "The Rules III: Time-Tested Secrets for Making Your Marriage Work," is hitting bookstores.
"I don't think it ruins my credibility at all," the 43-year-old Fein said during an interview on ABC's "PrimeTime Thursday," in which co-author Sherrie Schneider also appeared.
"I totally 100 percent believe in 'The Rules,"' Fein said. "And I believe in 'The Rules' for marriage ... and I did them all for many, many years."
The original 1996 book, "The Rules: Time-Tested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr. Right," was a huge hit, with more than 2 million copies in print. The sequel, "The Rules II: More Rules to Live and Love By," came out in 1997.
Schneider said: "Those who think that Ellen's situation is going to be the end of 'The Rules' are going to be very disappointed because we have a gift for helping women with dating and marriage, and that is going to continue regardless of what happens in our personal lives."
____________________________________________
http://pub42.ezboard.com/fthehangout37293stateyourcase.showMessage?topicID=743.topic
Jim Savage
Ellen Fein made the announcement on the eve of her latest book Rules III - subtitled "Time-tested secrets for making your marriage work" - being released. Hundreds of advance copies have been sent out trumpeting the happy state of Ms. Fein's marriage and that of her co-author, Sherri Schneider.
The publisher AOL Time Warner is now rushing out a new cover. The original said: "Ellen and Sherrie, two long-time married women themselves, know that just because you've married the man of your dreams doesn't mean your work has ended; good marriages don't happen by accident." It contains a chapter on divorce that claims: "It is easier to stay married than get married."
The original Rules, published in 1996, was a social phenomenon, earning the wrath of feminists. The book argued that modern women had to relearn the art of playing hard to get and suggested using egg-timers to limit conversations with suitors to 10 minutes.
Men should be put through a series of challenges to test both their gallantry and willingness to commit to a relationship. Women were advised to be neither too funny nor too clever, but to retain an air of mystery. Plastic surgery was suggested for those with unsightly noses.
The book's popularity soared when it was reported that Princess Diana had read it. As the authors toured the talk shows, they boasted of their own happy marriages. They claimed that a woman who followed The Rules "will have one of those made-in-heaven marriages. A Rules marriage is forever".
On the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1996, Ms. Fein told a feminist critic whose first marriage had failed that, as a divorcee, she was in no position to pontificate.
In The Rules III, Ms. Fein and Ms. Schneider claim that for a marriage to succeed, women must be subservient to their husbands and not bother them with daily woes. They also recommend that wives grow their hair, as men find that more attractive.
Ms. Fein, 43, told her publishers earlier this year that she had filed for divorce from Paul Feingertz, a pharmacist to whom she had been married for 16 years, citing abandonment. She had hoped to rebuild her marriage.
Today he's a respected Christian professional in our community. But legend has it that he had a strong streak of mischief in him when he was a boy - and maybe even now. An older friend from their church told me that when this man was four, his pastor came up to him at a football game and sat down next to him. And the pastor said, "Well, Mark, what have you been doing with yourself lately?" To which Mark replied with a smile, "Would you believe - praying?" To which his pastor replied, "No, Mark, I wouldn't believe it." Smart pastor.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Right Words, Wrong Heart."
It doesn't take long to learn the right church answers, does it? I mean even a four-year-old boy can do it! And many of us who've been around a lot longer as well. The danger is that you can really fool yourself spiritually, just because you know all the right words, and go to all the right meetings, and do all the right things. Tragically, a full Christian vocabulary can mask a dangerously empty heart.
Jesus talked about that in our word for today from the Word of God in Mark 7:6. He said of some deeply religious people, "These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me." And you can be sure that getting into Heaven will be based on what's in your heart, not on your lips. Your eternal rewards from Jesus will be based on what's in your heart, not your lips, too. Remember, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (I Samuel 16:7)
Recently, we called some Native American Christian friends of ours - whose daughter has been struggling with some serious moral and life issues. The daughter was willing to talk with my wife - but only, in her mother's words, "after she puts her coat on." Now, that expression was new to us. Our friend explained that Indians use that expression sometimes to describe saying what non-Indians want to hear - in other words, saying what you think the other person wants to hear.
Well a lot of church folks "put their coat on" regularly when they're in a Christian setting. After all, you can pretty much learn the vocabulary of Christianity in about a month - and that will be enough to get you through with most Christians for the rest of your life. But it's not enough to get you through with God.
It's wise to stand back every once in a while and ask, "How much of my Christianity is really about Christ - and how much is a mask, a role I'm playing, human expectations I'm trying to fulfill?" If there's been more than one you - the Christian you and then those other guys - maybe you're tired of playing charades spiritually ... you're tired of the performance ... you're tired of the mask. It's time to say, "Jesus, I've been saying all the right words, but You know how hollow it all is really - and now so do I. I just want to love and know You for real - I want this to be all about a Christ relationship, not the Christian religion."
And if you've never really given yourself to Jesus, let this be the day you move from playing a role to the reality of knowing this awesome Savior. If you're ready to begin this relationship for real, I'd love to send you the booklet, "Yours for Life," that I wrote about it. Just let me know you want it.
Your words will get you by as far as Christians are concerned. But only what's in your heart will get you by with Christ. The words that really matter aren't the ones you say to men about Jesus ... they're the ones you say to Jesus about being really His.
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Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"
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People who talk about prayer but never pray.
People who say tithing is right but never tithe.
People who want to belong to the church but never attend.
People who say the Bible is God's Word to man but never read it.
[Fuller version #15393]
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Aesop, probably the most renowned writer of myths, speaks in one of his fables about a time when the beasts and the fowls were engaged in war. The bat tried to belong to both parties. When the birds were victorious, he would wing around telling everyone that he was a bird; when the beasts won a fight, he would walk around assuring everyone that he was a beast. Soon his hypocrisy was discovered, and he was rejected by both the beasts and the birds. He had to hide himself, and now he can appear openly, only by night. You cannot hold on to the world with one hand and to the Lord with the other. If you do, you will enjoy neither the world nor the Lord. A house divided against itself cannot stand, was the verdict of the Master (Mark 2:25).
There was a very well-thought-of deacon who was a zealous advocate of the cause of temperance. One day he employed a carpenter to make some alterations in his living room. As the worker was tearing things down, he came upon a very nicely concealed closet. He was shocked when he saw a jug and tumblers in the hidden closet. The carpenter, with wonder-stricken countenance, ran to the proprietor with the announcement of the discovery. As soon as the deacon heard of it, he said, "H'm! Well, I declare, that is curious. Sure enough, it must be that Captain Brown left those things here when he occupied the premises thirty years ago." "Ah, perhaps he did," answered the carpenter; "but say, deacon, that ice in the pitcher must have been well frozen to have remained solid all this time."
"Look, Mommy, this potato is so big and nice, isn't it?" Then the mother peeled it and cut it in half. How surprised was the little girl when she saw it all black and hollow in the middle. "Oh, Mommy," she said, "this potato is not a real Christian, is it?"
What do you really believe life is about? Quick, don't tell me about your philosophy or present some religious dogma. Instead, simply examine your life and let that be your answer. Consider how you live - what you value, what you devalue, what you pursue, what you reject, what you love, what you hate. You see, this is the window into what you truly believe and what you really think is true and how you ultimately find reality to be. Sermons and systems have theoretical value, but if they aren't cashed out in your daily life, what is their real worth?
You know, surprisingly, not all agree with this thought. Some do not think that one's beliefs about reality must of necessity coincide with one's actions in reality. Schopenhauer, the German philosopher, said as much when he said, "It is difficult enough to devise a philosophy - one cannot be expected to exemplify it as well."[1] But notice that even with his cynicism he still recognizes that it would be better if he could exemplify a harmony between his beliefs and his actions. Don't we all see this to be true? If there is disharmony between belief and action in our lives, if we aren't deadened by pride, we feel the prick of hypocrisy.
Now, I do grant that this harmony is often hard to achieve and even still harder to maintain. Our wills struggle at best. Our intentions and desires are sabotaged by lack of commitment. But our hearts are still, oh, so fickle.
If honest, most of us recognize the chasm between belief and action in our lives - no matter whether we are an atheist like Schopenhauer or a Christian like I am. What are we to do? How do we cross this chasm?
You know, I believe that there is one who has already bridged this chasm. His name is Jesus Christ. He is the only one to have perfectly harmonized goodness, belief, and action.
Fortunately for us, Jesus didn't leave us out in the cold on conquering the chasm between belief and action - for He did not just cross the chasm, He bridged it. And that bridge is Himself. You see, at the core we need a greater strength than our own, and as He lives within us He gives us strength to harmonize the two. He said, "Come to me all who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Are you burdened by the chasm in your life? Do you feel that strain? Come to Him and find rest.
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1. As quoted in PHILOSOPHY NOW, Issue 35, "The Uses and Abuses of Philosophical Biographies", pp. 26.
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Copyright © 2002 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.
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