We all recently woke up to horrifying allegations and accusations of Head Pastor of the Potter’s House Chapel in Texas, Pastor Thomas Dexter Jakes, hanging out with American Music Producer and business mogul, Puff Daddy ( P. Diddy) and endorsing gay parties and stuff.
Though Spokespersons for Pastor T. D. Jakes admitted the Minister of the Gospel was actually at a party P. Diddy organised, they said he did not stay for long because he had other businesses to attend to.
I am not here to judge or defend anyone but something that caught my interest was Pastor Jakes’ response to the allegations. There are lessons in there that I took note of and I believe should be the response of every Christian who is under any form of verbal attacks or false accusations that are very sensitive.
At a church service on Christmas Eve, 24th December, 2023, Pastor Jakes addressed the issues and said that he is not new to such allegations and blunders. He is quoted by some online reports as saying that “even if he did something wrong in this whole episode, there is forgiveness available in Jesus Christ’s blood and that the congregation should not worry about the rumours.”
These words are just a summary of a whole sermon Pastor Jakes delivered on Christmas Eve. What I got from this few words was that, the man of God is telling the whole world that people can go on and judge him but the one who decides his fate and verdict in this matter is God and God alone.
He is telling the world that whatever happens to him as a consequence of this allegation is none of anybody’s business. If he believes that there is a God who forgives by virtue of Jesus’ blood, then who is mere mortal man to decide his fate.
Pastor T.D. Jakes ordered his congregation to stop lamenting over the issue because he is already sorted out. ” I am good…Don’t worry about me, I am good.”
He is actually exhibiting a resilience that tells the accusers that no matter how hard they bite, their opinions of him do not matter because after more than 30 years of serving God under his ministry, mere allegations of mortal men have not killed him. ” If God be for me, who can be against me”.
He is also telling the accusers that even if he had done any wrong, they are not the ones whose judgement matters. Only God’s judgement matters and according to his level of faith, God’s forgiveness and mercy are always available for the believer and so there is no cause for worry about people who do not have that power or heart to forgive like God does.
He is directly telling them that even if God punishes him for his wrong deeds, he still believes there is love in that punishment and it is always to make him a better person than before. He is exhibiting the faith of Job in the Bible who, though going through afflictions and had lost everything, said “even if God slays me, yet will I trust Him” ..because he knows that “Everything works for the good of those who love God and are called by His purpose.”
Pastor Jakes concludes by saying allegations and accusations can fly as high as they can, but he and God alone know the TRUTH and to him, that is all that matters. ” Let God be true and all men liars.”
I wonder if Christians of today can gather this faith in the face of attacks???