Almost two years ago, I blogged an entry telling how much I like good preaching.
I sang the praises of a black man that could preach up a storm. I'd seen him on TV and even paid to buy a tape or two of him preaching certain sermons. I will tell you that those sermons helped me cope at one of the roughest times, financially, in our marriage. In that blog entry, I linked to the website of the church in Florida where Darryll Gilyard was preaching at the time, because his sermons were right there online, and I wanted people to hear them.
It was good preaching. Turns out, though, that Mr. Gilyard wasn't such a good preacher. I had been taken in hook, line, and sinker.
Thanks to a Google search that led someone to my website, I Googled ole frisky Darryll for myself. I found THIS. And THIS.
What a disappointment.
This is why so many people mistrust preachers, and the Church in general.
Consider this another public service announcement reminding you that there's no fool like an old fool. Honestly, I should know better than to trust any preacher I see on television.
However, I'm not sorry I had those tapes of his sermons to help me through that rough patch. Even if some of them were based on lies. I'm thankful that I didn't know what he was really like back then.
Oh, you can still see a sample of his preaching at Youtube, right HERE. And a portion of one of the sermons that helped me through a bad time HERE.
That's so sad....
ReplyDeleteI hear that phrase often...about people not trusting the church etc. The thing is that we are the church. People worshipping and praising together. Helping one another and trying to live as we should. The thing is that we are all human. True if one is preaching the word of God we would expect them to follow through and act like a Christain. Humans are just that human. We should never rely on them to be perfect. Our faith and trust belong to God. He is the only one that never fails and He is true to his word. I think you were meant to hear those helpful words when you did. God uses us to fulfill his purpose.
ReplyDelete'On Ya'-ma
Thanks so much for adding me to your blog roll, Donna! And I know exactly what you mean about being disappointed in preachers or anyone else who claims Christianity and then doesn't live up to what they talk. There's the old saying, "If you're going to talk the talk, you'd better walk the walk!" I saw a great sign post on a church this week, too:
ReplyDelete"If you're going to quote the Bible, be sure you read it first." My take on that, and what I try to live by, is if you're going to quote it, try LIVING it first. I know you don't know much about my background but before I became a Christian 34 years ago I was deeply involved in satanism and the occult for 7 years. If anyone can spot a hypocrite, it's someone who isn't a Christian and I used to scoff at Christianity because I saw so much hypocrisy. I vowed if I ever became one, I'd be as true to the teachings of Christ as I could be. I've failed at times, I'm sure, but my intentions have always been good. Dear Hubby and I have been enjoying some of John Hagee's programs. I've never heard anything bad about him but his teachings are sure right on the money. We're all only human, tho, aren't we?
How disappointing!
ReplyDeleteGod can use anyone and anything for good--I'm sure He'd prefer we walked His way, though. Sorry you had this happen.
ReplyDeleteShared an blog award with you.
Julie
God can and does use broken vessels all the time to fullfill his purposes, so it doesn't surrpise me that this preacher's message proved helpful to you.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
~Toni~
It's so interesting, isn't it? During some of my lowest points, even the most low-down scoundrelly preachers I flipped past on the TV and then flipped back momentarily sometimes say just what's needed in the moment. It's probably not as much a reflection on them as on God's ability to use anything He wants to at the time to remind us of truth, even if he has to use what I'd least expect :)
ReplyDeleteMOSIE;
ReplyDeleteDON'T BE HARD ON YOURSELF...
THE PREACHER YOU LISTENED TO BROUGHT THE WORD OF GOD TO YOU...YES, HE IS A SINNER...BUT GOD USES SINNERS TO GET HIS MESSAGE THROUGH... YOU KNOW; IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IF GOD WAITED TO SEND US A MESSAGE THROUGH A PERFECT ONE, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT COMING OF THE LORD...FOR THERE IS NONE PERFECT. I FELT THE SAME WAY AS YOU THOUGH WHEN I USE TO LISTEN TO JIMMY SWAGGERT...THAT MAN COULD TOUCH MY SOUL MORE THAN ANY OTHER PREACHER...MATTER OF FACT, HE AND ORAL ROBERTS ARE THE ONES THAT BROUGHT ME TO GOD AND HELPED ME UNDERSTAND THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE...NO MATTER WHAT THEY HAVE DONE WRONG IN THEIR LIVES, THERE IS ONE THING THEY DID RIGHT...TO LEAD ME TO GOD.
LOVE YA,
CARLENE
It is just too tough to see a person at face value.
ReplyDeleteIn the end, we have to think rationally for ourselves... a hint of doubt that things are not right usually will strike us. And it is our responsibility to find out the answer to our best ability.
As long as we stay rational, we should not be skewed too far from the truth. My personal view.
Have a good week ahead. Take care.
Very disappointing, but at least he helped you when you needed it.
ReplyDeletePam
Thanks for sharing. Yes, God can bless His Word to us no matter who gives it...as long as it is received as from God and not man.
ReplyDeleteYes, the messenger can hurt the reception of the message but, thank the Lord, he can't taint the true message...that's from God.
Glad you were helped...sad the messenger messed up.
Even though we as preachers are not perfect, thank the Lord for His perfect Word and Christ's perfect example.
Mark