Here's Your Sign....?

 

Here’s Your Sign?

Thamsanqa Jantjie did not describe his qualifications for being a sign language interpreter to those that hired him.   A South African deputy cabinet minister said "a mistake happened" when Jantjie was hired for the event.  Ingrid Parkin, principal of the St. Vincent School for the Deaf in Johannesburg, said:  “Bogus sign language interpreters are a problem in South Africa, because people who know a few signs try to pass themselves off as interpreters.  And those hiring them usually don't sign, so they have no idea that the people they are hiring cannot do the job.” (Emphasis TLB)

Sound familiar? If it doesn’t, it should.  Friends, the same thing is happening in churches throughout the world.  Preachers of all sorts stand before masses of vulnerable listeners and proclaim false doctrine to those that will hear.  For instance, “you do not have to be baptized to be saved” (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-6; 1 Pet. 3:21; Gal. 3:26-27; Mk. 16:15-16). Or, “once you are saved, you can never be lost” (Acts 8:9-24; 1 Cor. 10:12; 2 Pet. 3:17).  And because “they have no idea”, church goers nod their heads in approval.  I mean, the preacher is trained, right? He knows what he is talking about, right?

Jantjie told the Associated Press that he received one year of sign language interpretation at a school in Cape Town. He said he has previously interpreted at many events without anyone complaining, and insisted he was doing proper sign-language.  But, according to Delphin Hlungwane, an official South African sign language interpreter, "He didn't follow any of the grammatical rules and structure of the language. He just invented his signs as he went along".  (Emphasis TLB)

Paul warned Timothy (and therefore, us) of this (1 Tim. 4).  Peter also gave warnings not to heed those who gave false information (2 Peter 2:1).  To say that it does not exist is to call the apostles liars, and to lie to yourself as well.  So, what are we to do?

Consider the Christians at Berea, who “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11 KJV).  We learn also in the following verse that this searching produced belief, and therefore salvation!  It is simple.  Compare what is being taught by your preacher to what the Bible really says...or as Ronald Reagan once said, "trust, but verify".

Friends, let us never be guilty of “inventing as we go along”.  The Gospel Message is too important not to teach truthfully.  - preachertombowling@gmail.com

 

 

A Letter to my Son, on His Birthday

A letter to my son, on your birthday

Happy Birthday, Son.  I know it’s been a while.  I hope you are doing ok. I miss you every day.  22 years ago today I watched you come in to this world.  You were a happy baby, and we laughed a lot when you were young.  Our laughter didn’t last long enough, though. 

I know we have both struggled through life.  It seems the hand that we have been dealt is a tough one at times.  Some of the things I learned from my dad about relationships, well, they stink quite frankly.  And I admit, many times I have failed. 

My dad left when I was 8.  He was my hero.  He babied me a lot, and my brothers and sisters hated me for it.  I cried for 2 years looking out the window for him to come back.  He never did.  I swore that I would never do that to a child, so even though your mother and I divorced when you were 4, I fought to stay a part of your life.  It was hard.  To this date, it was the hardest thing I have ever tried to do, and ultimately, I failed.

Your brothers miss you, and so does Summer.  We talk about you often, and laugh about things you used to do.  Like the time when you were in kiddie-college, and were afraid that bats were attacking you; or the time when you took a picture of the preacher on a youth trip when he was asleep in the van and drooling…that was funny. 

Bradley is tall, like you.  His voice is deep. He is in 8^th grade now, and he has his first girlfriend, Emily.  She’s a 10^th grade girl from church.  I kinda wish you were around to help with that, because I sure as heck don’t know what to do.  Tyler is, well, he’s just Tyler.  He is just like me when I was 12, except he has his dad around.  I remind them a lot how lucky they are to have their mom and dad.  Although I know you have had a family unit, I think you understand what I mean.  It’s just not the same.

I hear you are a rock star now.  Lead singer in a band.  Funny thing is that’s what I always secretly wanted to be.  Anyone who has known me for long knows I like Hard Rock music, so I guess there’s something you got from your old man.  Good luck with that.  George Thorogood’s “Get a haircut, and get a real job” comes to mind.  His parents tried to discourage him, but he stuck with it.  I hope you “hit the big time”.    

I’m a preacher now.  I know, many of my “friends” laughed too.  But my family never did.  And my Christian brothers and sisters never have, and they encourage me every single day to be my best.  You see, if it’s one thing I have needed most in my life, it has been forgiveness.  I have messed up so many times.  At one point, I thought I was beyond forgiveness, but I learned better than that.  It’s never too late, until you die. 

The Bible says that once you enjoy the forgiveness that God gives, your desire is to tell it.  That’s why they call the Gospel the “Good News”.  After all of the mistakes I’ve made in life, including the one’s I made with you, I can still “call on the name of the Lord” and be saved.   That’s in the Bible, but I am not preaching to you, son.  I just pray that for you, every day.  I am asking forgiveness from you though.  I don’t know exactly how, or for what, other than failing you at times and being a crummy dad. I tried. I know I failed.

Maybe we can talk soon.  I hope your birthday is awesome, because you are an awesome guy and you deserve it.

I love you, have never stopped loving you, and always will love you.

Happy Birthday,

Your Dad

423-421-2851..my number hasn’t changed.