I’m sure most, if not all of you have heard of “The Elephant Room.” If you haven’t, click here and give it a quick read. At a minimum, the link gives you an idea of what the “owners” of the concept and gathering are trying to do.
This time around, T. Dexter Jakes (or as some call him T. D. Fakes) was a participant, discussing the Trinity and whether or not he was a heretic in the denial of that essential Christian doctrine.
The bottom line? Jakes weaseled around and kind of, sort of said, with more clarity than usual, that he is not a Oneness proponent, but that he is more comfortable with the idea of manifestations than multiple persons. He spent a lot of time throwing out truisms like “God is bigger than us and we can’t understand everything about Him.”
For the better part of twenty minutes he avoided really answering the question of “Is the Godhead Trinitarian in nature?” And to be fair, the three men who were questioning him never asked him that question explicitly. We know where he would like for us to think he stands. But is that so?
At the age of sixty, I have learned that what people do is a lot more important than what they may say using weasel words. T. Dexter was never willing to say “I believe the Son has existed as a person from eternity past, with the Father (who existed as person from eternity past) and the Holy Spirit (who existed as a person from eternity past). He was never asked this and he never ever volunteers this kind of statement. He did, however, say he had some differences with this statement.
But let’s look at what T. Dexter is willing to do rather than what he kind of says.
T. Dexter is holding another one of his cash events. On May 3rd through the 5th, T. Dexter is putting on a Pastors and Leadership conference. The cost is anywhere from $125 to $250. The differences between the packages are…well, the differences are that one is for the individual, one is for the senior pastor, one is for a group, and one is for disciples. I’m not real sure about the differences in content, but I’m sure there are a couple of differences. But never mind about that. I don’t expect T. Dexter to avoid grabbing a buck or two when he can.
However, did you notice who one of the session speakers is? That’s right! Noel “The Weasel” Jones. Noel Jones who is a Oneness Pentecostal; Noel Jones who denies the eternal existence of both the Son and the Holy Spirit. That Noel Jones. Take a look at a portion of the advertising at T. Dexter’s site:
If T. Dexter is Trinitarian now (whenever “now” happened), why is he bringing in at least one Oneness fellow to address the crowd? Doesn’t T. Dexter’s mushy confession of Trinitarianism count for anything? Or was the mushy confession done primarily to keep from losing customers – er – parishioners?
I guess the doctrine of T. Dexter is just one of many things going on with the fellow. I mean gosh, he has Willow Boy (aka Joel Osteen), my favorite motivational speaker and milquetoast out of Houston. And he has a fellow out of Zimbabwe, Tudor Bismark.
Bismark claims to serve as an Apostolic overseer of a bunch of churches in Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. He participates regularly in the “ministries” of Juanita “Got a Little Too Close” Bynum and Bill Winston. His wife, Chichi, is a pastor and a prophet.
These are just some of the people who will be presenting at the conference.
T. Dexter Trinitarian? I doubt it. T. Dexter orthodox? Not likely. He’s still a blab it and grab it kind of guy. Take a look here.
And one last thing. Anyone care to explain to me why there is a class on Reputation Management?
April 2, 2012 at 9:46 am |
Jakes has to cover his behind, and that is why he has a reputation management course. He does not live up to the standard laid out in God’s Word for Biblical leadership, therefore, he must “manage” his reputation vs letting his light shine before men. Nothing he says or does anymore surprises me. I was looking for him on the video when Eddie Wrong was anointed king, but I didn’t see him. Hmm…
April 3, 2012 at 10:15 am |
IT IS WHAT IT IS —-PIMPING AT ITS BEST! If people would really take a good hard look many of the institutionalized churches of today and see that it is infested with MCD (MAD CHURCH DISEASE) It has little to nothing to do with salvation, repenting and definately not SERVICE….maybe “to serve” the pimps but not service to each other……this pimping ‘game’ yea its all in the ‘game’ and the game AINT changed just the PIMPS aka pastors….if more pimps would stop hiding behind these pulpits and more ZOMBIES would stop supporting this mess and take it back to the streets like Dr King, Shuttersworth and others did there would be a change in our communities and a change in society!…but its ALL about the money….bringing God his money? What a stupid %$@ statement! What would God buy with your money, who would he buy from and most of all WHAT would he buy—another universe!?!! hummm it may better if He did start over….. So much of today s IC pimping makes no sense at all……..IT IS WHAT IT IS
April 4, 2012 at 2:10 pm |
We are all tied up in Theology and Religion while those that need our help are struggling and dying in the streets. We are calling out the preachers while the hungry, drug addicted, homeless and lost are crying out for help!
(MN: The unsaved are not crying out for help. And I’m not clear what calling out preachers has to do with the homeless, the drug addicted or the hungry. It’s not as though the two sets of activities are mutually exclusive.
By the way, how do you know what to say to the unsaved unless you have some kind of theology? Religion? I have no use for religion. )
April 4, 2012 at 2:26 pm |
A true servant is most worthy of its hire! Jesus said a prophet is not without honor except in his own household and among his own kin! I wonder why that always is!We go looking for a crooked preachers and all the sinners get grace and mercy to live in Hell?
(MN: Okay, let me make sure I understand. If I am obedient to Scripture and call out those who present another gospel (Romans 17:17). Now I could be wrong, but I think this is in Scripture and we should obey it (as you talk about in one of your earlier posts). We are not told to call out the sinners. We are told to present the Gospel to them. And surely you can see that the two goals are not mutually exclusive.
But I forgot. You don’t want to have anything to do with theology, so you probably didn’t realized that we actually are called to do several things and doing them isn’t “giving grace and mercy to sinners to live in Hell” (whatever that is). Of course, to explain this you would have to use theology as it is brought out in the Bible. And you don’t want to get mixed up in theology, since theology isn’t particularly spiritual. )
April 5, 2012 at 9:41 pm |
Uh … are you calling Mr. Jakes a prophet? Say it ain’t so. You cannot possibly believe that. He’s not even a Christian. Ok. Please clarify.
April 5, 2012 at 2:51 pm |
Using the scriptures to make your point of preachers wrongdoing is no better than the preachers that use it to make money with! (MN: So obeying Scripture is no different than taking advantage of followers by distorting Scripture? Are you sure you want to say this? ) We are using the word to advance our egos and selfish cause for bias ,hate and indifference.That’s how Slavery and other events were justified in America. The bible is God’s word of life and healing,not a weapon of man’s destruction! (MN: Actually, Scripture says that the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joint and marrow and able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ) The Holy Spirit will not allow me to match biblical intellect for winning an argument!
(MN: I don’t think it’s the Holy Spirit keeping you from appealing to Scripture. Or perhaps you consider yourself to be superior to Jesus, who did use Scripture to point out wrong doing. )
April 5, 2012 at 3:50 pm |
Sadly Jakes sells a lot books. A few years ago Tommy Tenney wrote his “gem” God chasers do you recall that book? A best seller,sadly. I don’t hear much of Tommy T. these days however he also is a oneness pentecostal like ‘Touchdown Down” Jakes.
April 7, 2012 at 5:46 pm |
To Ex-WoFer, The incident Tommy Tenney writes about in his book, The God Chasers” took place at the church I joined and was a faithful member of (until several years ago) here in Houston, TX, Christian Tabernacle Church whose pastor was then and is now Pastor Richard Heard. All the ‘supernatural’ and ‘miraculous’ events he covers in his book took place there (i.e., like the sturdy plexiglass pulpit suddenly splitting in half). I don’t even wish to comment on all that stuff. People are so quick to attribute everything to a ‘miracle’ from the Lord. Another thing, Brother Melvin, I’m not an admirer of Tudor Bismark. He used to be in very close association with Christian Tabernacle (C.T.) also and I used to ‘hoop it up’ with the rest of the congregation when he came to town to preach. Our pastor had even made the comment once that if something ever happened to him, Tudor would take over as overseer of our church, that is how much he was connected with us. One Sunday, he came to town and preached at our church and made some statements that pretty much turned me off and I started looking at him in a different light. He was demonstrating how we, as born again believers, are to pray. He demonstrated with a sister who volunteered to come up to the altar and Tudor said, if this sister had cancer, you are not to pray, “Sister be healed of cancer in Jesus’ name”, but instead, you are to pray, “I am Jesus, be healed of cancer!” Huh?!?!?!?! I’ve been looking ‘side-eyed’ at this guy ever since, and whenever he would visit our church after that, I made it a point not to attend service that Sunday (I left this church several years back, won’t join another I.C., have not been inclined to). Tudor has also (fellowshipped with) or, ‘graced’ Eddie Long’s pulpit, Eddie Long has had Tudor preach for him/at his church. Watch the company these folks keep, for real.