Guilty as Charged?

I've had a revelation!!! I won't mention any names, but there is a certain pastor that comes on TV that is ALWAYS soooo positive!! He preaches about how great life is. What a blessing everything and everyone is. All this love is abundant in his messages. His tone is even smooth to the ears. I mean a lot of people really like this man and tune into his messages weekly. Not to mention the multitude of people who attend his church. However, he never set right in my spirit. Something just didn't click with me. I would watch this pastor over and over trying to figure out what it was. How could someone who acknowledges Christ and what He did, preach from the bible, and be a great positive motivator to the body of Christ not sit well with me? I have doubted my "gut" for so long now about this pastor. He seemed to be doing everything right. He touched on things you need to avoid in life, but mostly focused on the good things that bring good results in life. Well....

I recently read that guilt is a wide-spread disease in our society and that all pastors should focus on just the positive aspects of deliverence. No one needs to be told they are sinners b/c people are already oppressed with their feelings of shame and guilt. I wonder if he read the same article? Then I realized, there is a world of difference between the misery of bad self-image and the terrible remorse of having despised God. I believe that hardly anyone feels the real crush of guilt. The meaning of guilt is so superficial to our society. We fail to see that what we pass off as guilt is merely more sin. Guilt has taken on a new definition. It seems to be from failure to preserve our image, and not from realizing we have failed to bring glory to God or believe His promises. Our cool, self-sufficient image was compromised and we feel "guilty". Especially if we got caught. Guilt is much deeper than that. Real guilt is radically GOD-CENTERED. Satan isn't as dumb as I would like him to be. He is very sly and deceitful. His substitute for guilt is the bad feelings we get when our ego is compromised. Yes, that is painful. I've been there and felt that. But that is squarely based on pride, not GOD. This pride "guilt" produces no repentance. (2Corinthians 7:10) It does not prepare a way for the gospel; it hardens it.


How that pertains to my revelation? If you don't address and define real guilt, there is no repentance. No repentance will short change you from alot of blessings you could receive on earth and in the kingdom and also, in my opinion, more importantly will stop you from preaching the gospel b/c it has been hardened and distorted. Life is not always a beautifully bloomed flower. It is very important to recognize real guilt is pertinent for spiritual growth and it will take you to your knees.