Author: drbenniecallowaythethird

As 2018 is coming rapidly to a close and as we enter the holiday season, it is an opportunity for me to reflect, contemplate, and meditate upon this year. I’ve had my share of difficulties and challenges as well as joys and triumphs. I’ve had the opportunity to see the quality of my life improve as each day, week, and month goes by for which I am grateful. But one key ingredient that contributed to the success of my year and that is the ability to remain quiet amidst criticism. It wasn’t necessarily a resolution per se, but I was determined to remain consistent not to argue, debate, quarrel, engage verbally, and vocalize contention with those who simply didn’t understand the course my life was taking. I simply learned to do more talking with my silence than with my words and it worked. I’m making it a practice to streamline my thoughts as I prepare to speak because I want my words to count when I do speak and not just talk for the sake of talking with words full of shallowness and superficiality. I Thessalonians 4:11 says “And that you study to be quiet….” Being quiet is not the same as getting quiet. In the Greek context the word study is philotimeomai, which means from a love of honour to strive to bring something to pass, to strive earnestly, make it one’s aim to be quiet, which is Greek  hēsycházō, to keep still, refrain from labor, meddlesomeness or speech:—cease, hold peace,  be silent, say nothing and rest. To get quiet is to turn talking on and off like a faucet, but being quiet is a posture of listening and observing the actions of others and display a body language that supports or resists the activity of others. Being quiet doesn’t imply that you’re non-sociable, snobbish, or even you’re angry. A person of silence is a person of great strength. Proverbs 15:28 says “The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: ” A response isn’t always necessary immediately, you need to ponder some questions before you answer them because some questions can become traps. When I practice this principle, it works effectively. You cannot accuse a man of anything negatively when he’s silent. And silence will cease a lot of verbal attack that may come your way. The silent treatment isn’t necessarily mistreatment if you’re exercising it in a godly way. See to it that you stay in godly character, stun your opposition with optimistic and positive replies and stand on your principles and don’t deviate from them because of the nature of the situation. In so doing, your quietology will be your best theology. Your witness can be most powerful in what you do not say instead of what you say!

I’ve had the opportunity to watch on Netflix twice the movie Come Sunday, that briefly but poignantly chronicles the life of Bishop Carlton Pearson, the former megachurch pastor and televangelist out of Tulsa, Oklahoma who has began preaching Universalism and expanded consciousness and basically lost it all because he no longer subscribed to erroneous doctrinal aspects of Pentecostalism and the concept of a literal hell. That was the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back.

There are a few takeaways I gathered from the movie. Pentecostal churches and ministers want you to believe many erroneous aspects of their doctrine without question. Critical thinking is not tolerated. Blind belief is a form of brainwashing and denominational institutionalism. To be an independent thinker and have your own mind is a form of blasphemy, rebellion and a work of the flesh in that discipline.

People love you and celebrate you as long as you believe like they believe and do like they do.

Bishop Pearson was tired of being the poster boy for Pentecostalism and the black            messiah that bridged black and white believers together and being the puppet of Oral Roberts. He decided to be his own man with his own ministry and his own beliefs. He came to the point that he would no longer preached what had been repeated by others, but would now preach what would had been revealed to him by God. All of these other spiritual leaders say they hear from God, but it sounds like God tells all of them the same thing because they all preach the same thing.

White evangelical believers are always suspect of black leaders if they do not                  conform  to their  beliefs, so black preachers have to emphasize an anti-abortion,              traditional family, Republican based gospel to gain white support in many instances.        Black believers will support you as long as you make them feel safe in their                        ignorance theologically. Preach to us to make us feel good not think better.

Religious people are hateful and only want to see Christians in heaven where it may not be the case. If heaven belongs to God, He can have there whoever He wants to be there without Christians permission. Who wouldn’t want everyone in heaven? Who would want anyone in hell? Pentecostalism has more confidence in hell and the devil than heaven and God.

People often assume that if you’re a preacher that you automatically believe certain things, that there are things you’re against and there are things you are for. But evidently, we’re not all the same, we don’t preach the same, so that means we don’t believe the same. Bishop Carlton Pearson moved his life and ministry in the direction of his dominant thoughts and beliefs. He has helped many to re-think their beliefs and critique doctrine and dogmas that has incarcerated millions around the planet. A belief has no value unless its tested to reveal its validity and legitimacy. He had the courage to be, he has paid the price to be, and most importantly, he is staying the course to be an agent of love, compassion, forgiveness, mercy and grace on behalf of Christ in person, principle, and practice. We only live what we believe we are!