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Monday, January 11, 2010

The Idolatrous Celebration Of "Steve"




In the ongoing saga of the Celebration Of Gospel, offered by BET, a plethora of talents were on display. Some of those talents included secular singers such as Fantasia and Kelly Price, who pretended to be saved for a few minutes, homosexual choir directors who pretended that their anti-biblical practices really didn't matter, and comedians that admit that the church can't turn its back too quickly because certain cuss words may simply fly out of their mouths under the right circumstance...


Then, in what was the ultimate in "star worship", Gospel singers and the gospel industry itself as represented gave a special tribute to the guest host, Steve Harvey, whose claim to gospel fame is hosting the show for 10 years and writing a book 'Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man' in which he claims it's good for a young lady to not rush into sexual activity, by waiting at least 90 days (establishing a 90 day rule) before engaging premarital sex. In other words, the message is have sex if you want to, only find out of this is a person that you really want to have it with after some time. From a secular teacher this is par for the course however there's more that the church should be concerned about.

Obeisance Of The Gospel Industry

As we watched gospel industry elites such as Donnie McClurkin, and Marvin Sapp commend Steve Harvey for the "progress" that he's making both spiritually and materially one couldn't help but be reminded of who these singers were really honoring. To be clear, although Steve "thinks" he's a Christian (I suppose by osmosis) because he has done many good things and doesn't approach things like he used to, I am yet left asking the questions,

1-When did Steve Harvey repent of his sins?  and
2- When did Steve Harvey forsake his sins and follow Jesus?

Personally, although I enjoy many of Steve Harvey's talents, I find it difficult if not impossible to give him a gospel centered tribute for anything he's done with the exception of enduring what was a difficult life. For that I commend him. However what was done by these gospel artists was certainly over the top if not flat out idolatry. 

Pastor Burnett Why Do You Take Such A Hard Line On This?

Although this has to do with the overall rejection of the "Celebration Of Gospel" as a show and BET as a provider of anything supposedly spiritual, Steve Harvey espouses and promotes views that are antithetical to a Christian worldview. I'm not simply talking about misunderstanding of doctrines, but I'm talking about non-christian dogma and in many cases flat out secular dogma, repackaged in the name of Christian thinking. The good thing is that Steve Harvey himself never says that any of his philosophical leanings are biblical, the bad thing is that by him using Christianity as a platform, too many listening to him, even Christian leaders, can't distinguish the difference. Aside from the admonishment to no sex during the trial period, here are a few additional examples:


Men Can't Love
"[A] man's love isn't like a woman's love. ... I'm not saying that we're not capable of loving. I'm just saying that our love is different—much more simple, direct, and probably a little harder to come by."
Now these are blanket statements. And to many it seems like nothing is wrong. however there is a very big premise that is being made here that sets up the other dogma that he sets forth in the book. Here Steve states not "some" men's love, but "a man's love". As if speaking for all men, or speaking for the solid nature of a man's love. Therefore one that reads this is led to believe that this is some sort of universal truth among men, not talked about much but generally known by men that he's revealing.

Steve sets forth the standard (out of thin air) that men engage love differently than women and that we do not find things to love as often as women...As I suggest, this is the sad canvass on which the rest of his book is painted; men, loving differently than women, can't value the same things, therefore there is a disconnect in value systems and a reason for broken relationships. Note, there is no responsibility take for sin at all. In fact sin is a non-issue. Steve's basic premises are further compounded by other statements such as these:
"Women are complicated creatures. You need stuff. Lots of it. And you expect your man to provide it, even if you haven't explained what it is you need or want, or even if what you needed and wanted five minutes ago is wholly different from what you need and want now. ... Now men, by contrast, are very simple creatures. It really doesn't take much to make us happy. In fact, there are only three things that pretty much every man needs—support, love, and 'The Cookie.' Three things—that's it. And I'm here to tell you that yes, it's that simple."

Women Are Materialistic Need Much Care

Here's the second and even more basic premise of his book and teaching. Women are materialistic and needy. Women need to be "taken care of" by a man. Further, men are once again stated as being simple in our capacity to "love"...all we need according to Steve Harvey is 1- support, 2- love and 3- the Cookie...(sex) I suppose on a regular basis...however this is all we (as men) need, whereas women need lots of material and they need a man to provide that for them. Steve basically states that IF your man cheats, it's not his fault or because of his own sins, it's the woman's fault. He says this:
"Newsflash, it's not the guy who determines whether you're a sports fish (illicit sexual encounter) or a keeper (relationship) —it's you. (Don't hate the player, hate the game.) When a man approaches you, you're the one with total control over the situation. ... Every word you say, every move you make, every signal you give to a man will help him determine whether he should try to play you, be straight with you, or move on to the next woman to do a little more sport fishing."
So in the world of Steve Harvey men approach women as a sport, in this case a "sports fish" and determine IF he should throw her back or not depending upon HER actions, not HIS SIN.

Steve talks deeply about cheating and why a man cheats and it all ends up the same...cheating is basically beyond a man's control. He primarily describes that a man's love is on a psychopathic benge, between knowing what to do and choosing not to do it and caring less about the outcome or failure until confronted. He affirms that women are basically irresponsible in dealing with men and lend to relationship failure with their actions. There's plenty more to deal with and say, but this is not a book review only a few insights to raise the question:

Why Are Gospel Artists Compelled To Honor Steve Harvey?


As I stated. I like Steve Harvey and in his defense he didn't personally ask for any of this, nor did he write a book entitled or tailored after the Bible or the biblical message. In short, HE's not to blame for this. However the artists and so called industry cannot under any circumstance believe that what was done was honoring to God or representing Christ in any manner.

If Steve Harvey wants to be saved, let him confess his sins, repent become a disciple of Jesus and learn Christ like all other individuals who come to Christ. How does one go from being a "King Of Comedy" littering the audience with sexually explicit jokes, profanity and other things to being hailed for a supposed introduction of Jesus, to being crooned by the industry's elite gospel personalities and singers?

Has The Gospel Music/Entertainment Industry Been Rejected By God?

In the poll to the right of the screen (your right) although many of the results have been lost, many of you indicate that you don't believe that the gospel music industry should exist. Although that is a highly debatable question, one thing is for sure, God hasn't ordered worship through the industry or otherwise to anyone including Steve Harvey, Adelle 'All my lips is big' Givens (in the audience too) or any other supposed 'king' or 'queen' who does not yield to the cross, accept the Lordship of Jesus and begin to live according to his word...

Where this is no biblical teaching, there cannot be a continued clear morality. You see, what Steve Harvey is a victim of is this "once saved always saved" dogma that is being taught and has traditionally been taught within baptist and neo-pentecostal circles. Having believed that once salvation was experienced or baptism received, there is no encouragement to righteous living and true holiness. It is only through the dedication to righteous living and true holiness that God can control the mouth and actions, even when one stumps their toe on a door in the middle of the night. One can still bless God instead of cursing his creation. I know, because I know what Christ has done for me.

The church doesn't need anyone to encourage them to allow their sins. The church needs the biblical teachings of 1- personal responsibility as it pertains to sin 2- knowledge of how through Jesus we have power over sin and 3- How through our commitment to Christ we can live not just a lifestyle that is en vogue, but a lifestyle that is real and full of power.

 Luke 4:8 ~  "And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and HIM ONLY shalt thou serve."

Blessed!

10 comments:

  1. Thanks for being a true trooper and calling out bad behavior when you see it. There are multitudes that will give this man a pass, based solely upon that supposed introduction of Jesus (although I thought it good at the time), but God is calling for a lifestyle that is conducive to the mandates of His word.

    Good post! Hopefully there are no pastors or pimps promoting this garbage to their congregations recommended reading lists!

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  2. Hello Pastor Burnett,

    Another great post, and thanks for the one on marriage it really cleared somethings up for me.

    You know, my husband and I sat and watched the Celebration of Gospel (although we knew it would be garbage, its kind of like watching a car accident on the side of the road). One thing I'm tired of seeing is Steve Harvey crying on national television everytime he's on something religious. He cried on TBN and he cried on the Celebration of Gospel.

    I do agree that it is not his fault that the Gospel Industry is praising him. Sometimes I get so incredibly frustrated with christians because when it comes to certain people we can't say anything bad about them; even though they blatently stand against the word of God. Its as if very few people believe in holiness anymore.

    I have met people on the deacon board of their churches who cuss and drink like its ok. To me it seems as though what Christians are doing in the media is being reflected in the lives of regular everyday folks. Steve Harvey is just verifying that the celebrity Christians he knows obviously do not live holy enough to be an example to him. He sees them as just like him.

    Let me stop writing as this whole Steve Harvey phenomenon really makes me angry. Not at Steve but at the so called "Christians" who are promoting him.

    God Bless

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  3. Happy New Year Pastor!!!

    You have hit the nail on the head again with this. I have come to look at the gospel music "industry" as a farce. There is an inclusionist feel to the whole thing. You see all these sinners screaming down the place and gettin excited and people actually calling them anointed. I heard Kelly Price talking about she is going to do an R&B album to use to preah the gospel! Its as if we believe for people to come to Christ they have to LIKE the message of the cross, it cannot offend and all of this in the "love of Christ"!

    You talk to people about the "god in me" song and they say they are trying to reach the lost.
    God needs us to seem worldly to reach the world, so you have made yourself God and the gospel is not enough!?

    Steve Harvey said on TBN that "I DONT CARE" about the concerns/criticisms of the Church regarding his bad language, but yet he was told he was ok and how people would look at him different after the show by Donnie McClurkin *Mr McClurkin also talked him having a book out!).He didnt say he was wrong or that he would repent but that this was his job and how many people in the entertainment industry has a lot of God in them. Patti Labelle a pro homoexual indiviidual has a lot of God?! He is void of biblical understanding and needs to sit down under the teaching of a good pastor.

    The song selection was another joke, Christ sees the best in him and he can get up if he falls. How can he get up if he has fallen and doesnt see anything wrong with it, if he has gotten up in the first place.

    WHAT A FARCE but lets pray for Mr Harvey than somene would speak truth to him.

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  4. Please, yeah, his introduction of Jesus was nice but it means NOTHING if he doesn't see that the Christ he lauded isn't worthy enough to forsake his sins and serve Him. The people of GOD (allegedly) will never be able to de-contaminate the world by hanging around them and compromising their standards. The clean garment doesn't make the dirty one clean; the exact OPPOSITE happens. "Come out from among them and be separate saith the LORD and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you.." is all but dead amongst most alleged Christian circles. These emtertainers have resentment for the church for reasons that are sometimes right and most times wrong. They call the folk who want to make a distinction between the clean and unclean; holy and unholy, hypocrites. Steve Harvey does it almost every year. They laugh about his vulgarity and his profanity and applaud singers who look and perform without the presence of GOD on their singing. Steve Harvey is unrepentant about his foul mouth.

    Bottom line is BET is not a Christian organization. Gospel music is an industry/business and those who sing for record lables are employees of largely secular unconsecrated companies concerned with making a profit. Wider audiences and crossover appeal makes more $$$ so they hire their souls and gifts out to the company.

    Kelley Price is still angry at the church folk for talking aboaut her when she got preganat before she was married. Her anger is evident when she talks aboaut it; so....what does she do aboaut it? Does she start a ministry of compassion for girls who are in a similar situation? NOPE! She creates an r&b CD in order to have a broader audience to preach. Preach WHAT!? Does itr ever occur to her that R&B music is one of the reasons why our young people are engaging in pre-marital sex at such hig numbers. It is the most licentious music in the country! These false ministers should be shunned and their music boycotted until they repent. There's no iol in it anyway.

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  5. Hey Pastor you hit it on the nail with this post! After a while I couldn't even watch the celebration. Steve needs to be discipled for real!

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  6. This one is something else. It's almost as if the church has a fear to speak against celebritizing the church.

    I mean at our church's national convocation in Memphis, TN. Chris Tucker got a better seat than I could EVER have even hoped to get. You know, womanizing, joint rollin, cussin, Chris Tucker.

    He was in an arms length of the pulpit. Almost next to the Presiding Bishop...AND...they called his name out as being there as a special guest.

    NOW TELL ME...How could an unsaved comedian, who hasn't to my knowledge ever repented, be that freely presented at a gathering of believers that supposedly believe in strict holiness and righteousness?

    These celebrities got it like that and these characters are AFRAID to say anything about it or against it.

    I'm just waiting for the argument, "God shows love to sinners" Oooh, I can't wait for that one...That will expose the manipulator for what they really are...

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  7. I mean, I've been a part of the church for over 27 years, paid my money (well most times)-LOL and served second to none...CHRIS TUCKER gets more respect than a card carrying member of teh church??? What is that???

    That's called BLINDNESS and APOSTASY...Gotta call it what it is. This is what the church does with characters like this...WORSHIPPS them instead of corrects them and God will MAKE then pay.

    All these folk going down to Haiti to collect an offering, NOW go and do some REAL ministry. Come out of them suits and put them mic's down and come out of them hotels with those illicit lovers that they meet up with and SERVE the people!

    God's trying to call a nation to repentance and these folk are playing around, caught up over who they are, what they preach and hiow they sound...totally STANK!

    Yea I'm boilin' and I can't do enough to serve God. All i think is how can I further the message and these charlatans, have the opportunity and all they can think about is looking good, driving nice cars and receiving big offerings! WORTHLESS!

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  8. I agree with that Pastor.

    Why is it that once a celebrity gets "saved" we feel the need to put a mic in their mouth? If they remotely say I am a Christian they are on the front page!

    I was watching a video on youtube where Bishop Long had TI on stage to minister to the youth!!!!!! One silly little girl actually jumped on the stage, jumped on him and wrapped her legs around his waste?!?!

    Is he saved, does he portray Christ? The youth who went to his Church were making comments as it was a good thing. Why do the youth need a celebrity to speak to them, so the word of God isnt good enough? carnal, carnal, carnal!

    This celebrity thing is nothing less than idolatry. We have a twisted theology that says, if it not given the way they can understand it and not from a celebrity then people wont get saved as if the gospel and the Holy spirit are not enough.

    ITS ANNOYING ME!!!


    James 2
    1 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. 2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” 4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

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  9. Thanks Pastor Burnett, were it not for you and a few others with true spiritual boldness to handle these hirelings, I would blow a gasket...almost.

    This has been going on for quite sometime and these people have grown bolder, more profane and rebellious with every step. One reason, they have too many pimped out church networks to support them when they "drop" their new dooky called gospel music. Its a religious racket bar none.

    We should have learned when Kirk Franklin experiemented with R. Kelly's pedophile self. Instead of preaching truth and rebuking him in love, he brought up on stage to sing and proclaimed him saved. Kelly agreed weakly.

    We all know what happened after that.

    My disgust is holy indignation and perhaps I cant do much, I will never remain silent while this blasphemy continues while using the name of the Lord Jesus as cover.

    Soldier on, sir!

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  10. Great post! I agree, "The church doesn't need anyone to encourage them to allow their sins. The church needs the biblical teachings of 1- personal responsibility as it pertains to sin 2- knowledge of how through Jesus we have power over sin and 3- How through our commitment to Christ we can live not just a lifestyle that is en vogue, but a lifestyle that is real and full of power."

    ReplyDelete

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