Female Pastorate - The Literal Approach

I have already laid out all of the traditional arguments yesterday as to why women may not hold the position of pastor or elder in the Church.  But, the arguments are a bit more in-depth than what a traditionalist is willing to go into supporting their arguments as to whether or not Paul is right or wrong, much less did Paul recognize female pastors?  By the way, Paul does mention females whom were believed to lead churches, but those references are ignored by the traditionalist and who they are is of no importance to this discussion ...

Viewpoint of Gifts
There is no assignment nor limits on usage of the Spiritual Gifts.  Male or female you each will be given gifts according to the will of the Holy Spirit.  How you use them is in part God's will and perhaps your own.  But, use it wrong and do not expect to have it for long!  It is the Holy Spirit's not yours!

Viewpoint of Ministry Opportunities
The word we use for Pastor from the Greek is the same as the one for Shepherd.  So, it is a Biblical concept.
From the Reformation Movement, the Pastor was one of the serving Elders, hence the requirements listed in yesterday's article for an Elders as logically being applied to the office of Pastor..

My Take On This

The traditional viewpoint is un-Godly and insulting to anyone willing to study their Bible or is female!
I am sorry but the Roman Catholics got it wrong 1700 years ago.

1 Corinthians 11:2 - 16
In this chapter, Paul discusses the concept of hair and head covering for women.
11:5-- “but any woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered disgraces her head--it is one and the same thing as having her head shaved.”

First up, a woman prays...  We are dealing with corporate worship in the church here.  Not over breakfast, not at the grocery store, not behind the wheel of their car.  They are in church and for what ever reason have been asked to pray.
And she is expected by Paul to have a Head Covering.

When my oldest daughter was in 10th grade, she was asked to say a prayer during the Sunday when the youth of the church took over all duties of the church.  She asked what to do.  So, I told her: "Write down your prayer so you can read it and then have a scarf on your shoulders to pull up over your head before you pray."  Seemed easy enough.  And because I am a Hutterite, this was to be considered quite normal.  Because she had been exposed to Russian Orthodox, it again was quite normal to her, even though not done in our church.  You also have to understand that she had not been out of a Russian orphanage all that long was still growing a head of hair.

That simple act of covering her head, you would have thought she had pulled off her blouse and bared herself, the reaction was that violent and so immediate to her prayer!  And the elders decided to take me on, followed by the pastor and the head of the women's ministry.  And we each proved to our own satisfaction the other quite wrong.  (And I am still right ... :) )

I am sorry.  But if she was to lead prayer during the service - she had to cover her head or just be in rebellion to God.  (Don't yell at me yet, finish with this study first!)

Pretty simple really.

Still in 1 Corinthians 11, Paul mentions a woman prophesizing.
Prophesy has two definitions: to foretell and to forthtell.

Foretelling is what most people think of when the terms prophet or prophesy is brought up.  Revealing the future has a means to draw the audience to God.  Many will argue that this no longer exists and certainly the vast majority whom claim a gift of prophesy are full of themselves and not the Holy Spirit.  (And yes, I can say I know of one whom has been 100% in his prophesies.)

Forthtelling is explaining what it is that God has done.  Revealing His hands at work all around us.  This is the role of the Pastor in your church!

So a woman, could very well be Forthtelling in the church service!  But the traditionalist would not accept that she is fulfilling the role of Pastor!  And she is told to have a Head Covering, in order to honor man and her God.

But, wait a minute!  Paul just answered this whole battle right here - there are women pastors he recognizes!  And if they are of God, they will cover their heads.  Ah, but we have oh so much more to cover!

Pre-Christian Culture
Corinth had three temples to the goddess Aphrodite, the goddess of love, employing some one thousand temple prostitutes. The city was renowned for these temple prostitutes, who served the wealthy merchants and the powerful officials living in or traveling in and out of the city.  It is thought that much of what Paul wrote concerning women in Corinth may well have been culturally relevant to Christian woman living in Corinth.

So, you are a Christian woman, you need to have long hair - the prostitutes were either bald or had very short hair.  Then cover your hair when praying or prophesying (per above) to further distance  yourself from the the prostitutes and their activities during their "services".

Christian Culture
The Roman Catholic Church took the stance that Paul's instructions for women in Corinth were for all women everywhere, across all time.  This is based upon the concepts of:

• Verse 2 (παραδίδωμι, παραδόσις) indicates that Paul’s instruction is part of traditional doctrine that he was passing on to the Church.  But Paul here does not give any details of the instruction. That is picked up in the rest of the passage.
• Verses 3-9 base this instruction on a theological hierarchy and on creation.  God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of the man, the man is the head of the woman.  It is important to note that Paul is in no way arguing for the inferiority of the woman to the man, for he roots his convictions in the Godhead. Christ is only functionally subordinate to the Father.  The wife, then, is functionally subordinate to the husband, but in no way positionally inferior.
• Verse 10 bases the  woman’s symbol of subordination on a fine point concerning a witness to angels of man's authority or personal submission.
• Verses 13-15 roughly constitute an argument from nature.
• Verse 16 is an argument from the collective wisdom of the church universal, for Christians elsewhere have no other practice.

The point being - woman are to cover their heads in some manner.

Modern Culture

Today, however, the situation is quite different, at least in the West.  For a woman to wear a head covering would seem to be a distinctively humiliating experience.  Many women--even biblically submissive wives--resist the notion precisely because they feel awkward and self-conscious.  But the head covering in Paul’s day was intended only to display the woman’s subordination, not her humiliation.  Today, ironically, to require a head covering for women in the worship service would be tantamount to asking them to shave their heads!  The effect, therefore, would be just the opposite of what Paul intended.  Thus, in attempting to fulfill the spirit of the apostle’s instruction, not just his words, some suitable substitute symbol needs to be found.  And that answer lay within the realm of the culture to which you are member of.

So, as with most controversy within the Christian body of believers, we have the duty to study all issues, consider all things in prayer and then understand that we represent God - not ourselves or our desires - before all whom surround us.  With that comes the requirement:

"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise", Ephesians 5:15

“You became obedient from the heart to that pattern of teaching to which you were committed”, Romans 6:17

What is wisdom when considering the idea of women in the pastorate?

For some it is a resounding "NO" and God becomes limited in that church to the narrow viewpoint of subjugation of women.
For some it is a resounding "YES" and God is free to use whom He cares to in that church, assuming that those people for whatever positions they are being considered for, they are Biblically qualified for!

As for the entire issue of head coverings ...  We do not live in a culture where they are expected nor respected.  Personally because of my early Hutterite days, yes I think they are appropriate for females personally - whether your church practices this or not.  This something which is between you and God, if you are female.  If you are male - shut your mouth and let the women decide for themselves!  This is not a matter of "maturity" or "special revelation"!  It is their testimony of their faith in God, of their submission, not yours ...

Last Rites

This is a photo I clipped last year because I thought it was a touching, though I had no clue what to do with it.

It was taken during one of the many Venezuelan civil unrests.  In it is Naval Chaplin Luis Padilla, intervening to administer the last rites for a dying soldier just shot by a sniper.  I would like you to notice a few things about this photo:  Padilla is not there in his military capacity, he is there for a wounded man; he is not flanked by soldiers, he is unarmed and quite alone; the dying man is clutching him.

Luis Padilla has it right.

Just like this Chaplin, we are to be of the same material as him, to this world.  We are supposed to be strangers in a strange land, we supposed to be ambassadors for God's kingdom to a world which does not know him,  we are supposed to be at war with the spirit of this age.  But, pretty much, we want to be friends with the world, compromised by this world, as ineffectual as possible in serving God - completely hampered by ourselves and nothing else.  (Yes, speaking about me as well here!)

Padilla has placed his life at risk, to do his duty to God, towards a man in need.  Perhaps this is one of his parishioners, perhaps a complete stranger.  Does not really matter.  No matter whom he is, we are to render what we are able to do for this man about to meet his Creator - including letting him know what we know about God's saving grace.

Like the parable of the Good Samaritan, we are to do what we can, when we see the opportunity to act on God's behalf in this world.  For Padilla, it was exposing himself to taking a bullet to the back to comfort this man at that time of his death.  A week ago for me, it was making myself completely and totally vulnerable for an ex-friend.  For you ...  What is it that you can do to reach out to those whom surround you in this world?  Not because you have anything to gain but because you need to represent God to that person in their time of need?

Our goal in life is to be that representative for God.  Not to accumulate wealth we bury, not to tithe to send others to do OUR job in this world, not to even cluck our tongues at what we see and "know" is wrong.  We are to be active in this world, in our communities, in our friends lives, in our families - representing God's LOVE and His TRUTH.  If you have a mind to, God will use you, as you make yourself available to Him, to serve others.

A Life Worth Living

Those whom know me are often the first to criticize me.  And in that criticism is a common theme of I am very slow to get a clue - take a hint - are you a stalker?  And realize that most everyone in my life has at one time or another taken the tact of seeing how fast -  easily - painlessly it is for them to kill me.  It is one of my strong points - I am a post-war German, I can take the heat, I can take the pain, I have eternity to wait to prove a point.  That is how hardened the children of the American GI's in Germany made our lives as we grew up.  We were NAZI's, we were Jew haters, we were murderers, we were quite literally lower than scum in the hierarchy of the NATO schools.  And it created a class of young men whom have extreme patience.  I can wait to be proven right just as equally as I can wait to see that you get what is coming to you.  And whereas perhaps our fathers and/or grandfathers were NAZI's, I was at least Hebrew by genetics, no one in either side of my family had ever taken a life!  (Well, remember that Vlad the Impaler was one of my forefathers, so yeah all generations since sort of have gone out of the way to not appear like him!  He sort of made up for the next 900 years of my family history!)

And as a Christian, that strength, has been oft tested, never understood, never fully accepted but sought when it is needed.

2 Timothy 3:10-14

That strength is the very basis of being able to be a mentor.  If you want to know about a life worth living - find someone whom can inspire you to follow Jesus!  Because, that is where it can only be found.

But, first you have to find someone whom can play that role in your life!  How can I find that Apostle Paul kind of person that Timothy had in his life?

Look for people who will help you become spiritually prepared:

They Live Transparent Lives.
There is no fakery, they are open for you to see both the good and bad about them.
You can see their struggles.
You know everything there is to know about one another.

They Teach God's Truth.
Paul says to Timothy:
"You saw"
"You were a part of"
"You know what is true"
"You need to stick with the truth"

They Practice What They Preach.
If you are faith - you will be persecuted!
"All" "Will" guaranteed!

The world, evil, Satan will seek to silence you.


Yeah sounds like like a bad sales job here by Paul to his convert Timothy, however, both could see the gains to be greater than the loss the world will try to force upon you.

Paul was a man of patience, willing to be completely transparent, he taught God's truth, he practiced what he preached and he could take the heat - even to the point of being stoned to death!  Of course, in due time, his head was lobbed off by his Roman guards - they did their duty, whom in turn were then immediately executed for having become Christians themselves.

Sad story or one of conquerors?

But the example of the qualities you must find in your own life ...

Love In Action

If you are even an irregular reader, you know that I have been writing about what has been one of the hardest lessons of my life - my assassination at the hands of another and God's demands to use me as a vehicle of mercy for that person.  It has not gone well, is still in motion and I have no idea where things go in the short term - long term, yeah I can have some confidence in.

And it seems daily I am learning quite a bit, so I want to post what I am learning, for me to reread later.  If you enjoy watching Kris self implode, enjoy ...

Back home from my uncomfortable lunchtime yesterday, I retired to the bath to soak my leg, reading and praying over 1 John, in particular chapters 4, 5 and 6.  John is describing love in all of its contexts.  Might have been nice to be able to have used those in my discussions at lunch.  Sigh ...  And this triggered a memory of many discussions, teaching and lectures from my current pastor over resent years:

2 Timothy 2:23 - 26

The short of it: 

• Avoid controversies
• Teach
• Do not argue

Certainly makes sense.  No one likes being argued with.  No one likes being lectured.  And getting involved in controversy will only push others away from truth, not towards it.  And because I was so black and white in my viewpoints on all things in life:

What do  you do when you are solidly right and "they" are so dead wrong?

Stop Arguing
Avoid controversies which will lead to quarrels.
Our job is not to win arguments but to continually point to Jesus.
Do not fight.
Do not be quarrelsome.
Strife will lead to ego problems.
Controversy is viewpoint issues.

Be cautious in:

• Grey areas of faith.
• What might not be sin (rebellion against God).
• Knowing what is really sin and what is not.

Start Loving
One of my two favorite quotes from James:
Be quick to listen, slow to speak.

• Respond, do not just react
• Be approachable to everyone.

Teach:

• Stand for truth always.
• Do not let controversy turn into strife!

Patience:

• Allow others to express themselves.
• Show love.
• Drive for resolution.
• Know that you are human, and so are they!

Gentleness:

• Be slow to take offense.
• Be quick to forgive their attack.
• No one likes being corrected.

Wait
Satan has the unique ability to blind us to the sin (rebellion to God) he is leading us towards.

• We will be tricked into not seeing the true impact of our sin.
• We will no longer be able to see or know truth during this time.
• Sin separates us from God, period.

We must show compassion.

• Only God can change a human heart, not our words, wishes or deeds.
• We are to call them out of sin and back to God.
• God will lead them as they are willing to be led.

-----

In the end, I was able to restate my lunchtime conversation in a much better and simpler manner, with truth from my heart over the situation.  However, I received no response, so I imagine either they are still angry with me or really do not care, perhaps both.  Which is a shame.  I was never the enemy here, just one of the many victims ...

Understanding The Bible

Psalm 19:7 - 14

The Book of Creation - testimony is awesome.
The Book of Scripture - special revelation.

So what are you to do with Scripture as you study it?

1.  Desire It
It must be important in your life or it will never be read, studied, memorized, nor understood!
You must spend time in it.
You must must spend time in prayer over what you have read - if even for just understanding.

2.  Understand It
Currently 20% of Church Goers, NEVER read their Bible!
Another 30% read only rarely.
People lie in surveys and over select what makes them look better than they are.

Read the Bible, not about it.
It is important to read what the Bible actually says, not accept what someone says it says!

3.  Picture It
Sometimes it is valuable to compare what we are trying to understand to what we already know.

So think on Psalm pictures; Bible is like honeycomb, bread, etc ...

4.  Be Changed
The Word rejoices your heart
Warns you
Encourages you
Enlightens you

5.  Respond
It goes through you
Be immersed in it
Even when you are broken - God will answer ...
(thank Heavens!)

The World Versus The Christian

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

You and I live in a world controlled by Satan.  We are surrounded by evil, longing to rub off on us the stain of this world.  A world dedicated to bringing each of us down – compromising our witness, destroying our families, destroying our lives – if at all possible!  No part of us is immune to the constant attack, our spirit, emotions, mind and body are all targeted and all too willing for our defenses to be worn down.

If we are going to spend time surrounded by Satan’s world, eventually the questionable things of this world are going to rob us of the power meant for a Christian life meant to be lived as as witness to a lost world.  The reason we have no power is that we spend our time in the world, filling up on the things of this world – our minds and emotions, answering the siren's call of sin.  If you are like most, you wonder why you have no power in your life to stand up to distraction, no power not to sin, no power to live apart from the world.

When we study the history of the early church, and its impact upon a God-less Roman world, you have to stand amazed at the almost complete lack of impact Christians have today upon an even less God-less world than 2,000 years ago!  "Christians" are taken in by every new doctrine to come along, no matter how far it leads away from the God they claim to know but can not find.  "Christians" no longer have the ability to discern right from wrong, truth from error, much less, to be able to "discern the spirits".

One explanation is the almost complete ignorance Christian’s have of the Bible.  We know about the Bible but not the Bible’s actual contents!  Further, some know their Bible but possess no understanding of what the Bible actual says.  Then to return to the concept of our lack of power, we must know our Bible, we must understand our Bible, we must be able to apply our Bible in our day to day lives. Else, the world will be as the world current is!

The Bible, the Word of God, is meant to be our spiritual food.  The only way to grow spiritually is to spend time in the Bible.  It is this Word which reveals Jesus to us.  We need to see Him and His life reflected in the mirror of the Bible.  We need to have the reality of Him in our daily lives.  And, to do that is to behold the glory of God.

Contemplation of whom Jesus is, is where power is to be found.  We need to leave behind the troubles and lure of this world, digging deep into our Bible where we can contemplate, worship and praise Him.

(with apologies to J. Vernon McGee, from whom the idea for this post was “borrowed” as this fits in with what follows)

Come Together

It seems to be the now prevalent Western mindset that, "I am man/woman", (thump chest loudly), "I need no one ... "  In many ways this has been the Hollywood take on what it took for a person to overcome the wild American frontier, the hearty individualist whom driven by manifest destiny strove forward and conquered a new land!  Thank you Hollywood for that spin on history ...

In all of my reading of diaries of the pioneers, frontiersmen, explorers, etc - there was one (1!), only one, like that!  Without exception most of the fur traders, explorers, etc started out as missionaries using fur to finance their finding, living and witnessing to the American Indian.

Wait a minute!  No they were loners, they ate anything that moved and often each other!  They took what they wanted.  They killed all whom opposed.  Yeah, right.

These "individualists" traveled in groups, died in groups, were wholly dependent upon one another for survival, companionship - every aspect of life.  There was no "me first" or "only me" mentality, that is Hollywood's effect on culture, not real life.  And I mentioned the exception, yeah he did not fare too well - the other trappers hung him at the first fur trade rendezvous ...  You want to do your own thing, don't expect others to be supportive of the idea in real life.

So aside from this sickness throughout Western Culture now, we were born with an engrained desire, need, requirement for others - to just survive the day to day struggles in life.

And Timothy, dependent upon Paul, now faces his church quite alone.  He is not like them, his background is different, his age is below expectation, and he is supposed to do this single handed?  No, he still needs help to survive.  Luckily as Christians we have the expectation and requirement to be there for one another, in all aspects of life - and particularly in prayer.

2 Timothy 1:15 - 18

Acknowledgement
The Roman Provence of Asia was failing.
The Christian Church of Ephesus was failing.
Paul is facing his own death.
Paul feels his loved ones have deserted him.
Paul feels betrayed, abandoned, discouraged.

So, acknowledge the awful in your life!
Then prepare to move on from it.

Turn to Praise
Look at what Paul does in this section, he praises Onesiphourus!
Find the good around you and praise God for that!
Be thankful today, in all things.

Life can be very bleak at times, especially so when our eyes are on ourselves and our failed desires.
I remember laughing so hard one day when life sucked so bad for me in my early Christian days and the one working with me said, "You know when life sucks and you don't want to pray?  That is when you need to pray the most."  I was laughing because all I would have done is pray!  And, maybe that is what I should have been doing ... instead of concentrating on the negative impact of what it was taking to drag me out of the world and into real life as a Christian!

Become a Blessing
Everyone around you, including you needs encouragement!
Be that encourager to others!
When you see a need think on how to help fill it!
Fund what you can, find resources for what you can not!
Help others to succeed with your help!
And be willing to accept encouragement and help as well!

The Rest of the Story
So how did Timothy do?  History becomes silent because people do not connect the dots.  Paul dies around 60 AD, his head lobbed off after teaching his last class, at their request he baptizes his Roman guards, whose heads are then removed as well.  Then probably around 69 AD John suddenly appears in Ephesus, if he came when James was murdered by the Rabbis in Jerusalem.  He may have come later as well but we know that Mary lived and was buried outside of Ephesus, so in 69 AD she would have already been close to 90!  Ancient for anyone in that day and age!  Timothy's church was given the last living apostle for maybe the next thirty or so years!

Today the Ephesus church lies in ruins.  The Christian believers all fell into apostate beliefs throughout Asia - the lure of the Gnostic belief system was too strong a pull for something as simple as Christianity to stand against.  The Gnostics might have even survived to this day - if a major earthquake had not flattened all of the Provence of Asia.  In the end, God silenced the Gnostics and their "mysteries" of the Christian faith.  Their churches flattened, their books buried until the 1950's, their leaders more than likely dead as well.

Today the Western Church lies in ruins.  It drank the Kool-Aid of Hollywood and the ascended man.  It forgot there was a basis for truth and accepted every lie which became convenient.  And man, left with no standard for belief, much less life, was left to his own resources to become the "individual" and chart a course through life of their own choosing - and in the end blaming God for all of their mistakes along the way ...

Throw away the falsehood in your life!  Find/pray to find, those whom can join with you in truth and encourage one another to make a difference in each other's lives as well your own and ultimately the world around you - after-all, that is why you are here.

Live Without Fear

We have all of these gradient words for Christians: born again, convert, believer, follower, disciple, apostle - probably more exist, my mind is tired today.

So, we could argue that this is a growing through steps or stages kind of thing, but honestly I think that is a cop out to make excuses for all of the failures and lack of commitment we witness in the "christian" church of today.  Nowhere are you called to be born again, a convert or a believer and oh, by the way, that is end for the requirement of God on you.  And yet most inside this western modern "christianity" believe is to be true!  God expects oh so much more ...

You are in fact to be a disciple of Jesus.  You are to be someone whom not only follows Jesus, hence a follower, but you are to do as He did.  This does not come naturally nor easily, but then God never said He would ever give easy assignments.  He has to make a disciple out of your willingness to so.  You get to learn.

As Christians, we are called to live in this world and yet not become a part of this world.  What is that supposed to mean?!?!?  No house, no car, no 401k, no stocks, no bonds, no marriage, no family, no anything?!?!?!?!?  You would be mostly wrong - we are expected to pay our way in this world, pay for your housing, food, expenses, etc.  But we are not supposed to be anything more than living in this world, not vested in it.

Of course, this means that we will have a greater requirement for dependence upon God in our daily lives.  And that does not come easily - God will test you, bit by bit, it will be painful - you will question your faith - you will discover fear.  And you are not to have a spirit of fear.

2 Timothy 1:8 - 14

1.  We are not supposed to be ashamed!
In Jesus
In the gospel
Of the Church
Of the messenger

2.  I am willing to suffer!
For God
For Jesus
For His Gospel

You are called to suffer
You are called to do God's Will
You may or may not suffer ~ that is God's plan/will/lesson for you

Suffering is a blessing.

3.  I will follow!
Christianity is not a list of do's and don'ts
Christianity is history
Christianity changed the world once, it can do it again!

Know what you BELIEVE!

4.  I will guard!
God will guard what we give Him

We are to guard the message of the gospel God has entrusted to us.

Today, we find ourselves caught in the perfect storm!
We live a post-Christian world because of the failure of the Christian generations before us!
Our church no longer actually believes in God's reality!
Our church no long actually believes in the power of the Holy Spirit!
Our church questions if there really was a Jesus as the Bible describes!
Our seminaries crank out non-Christians as pastors!
Our seminaries no longer teach truth of the Gospel!
Our seminaries teach man's popular doctrines of the day!
Our seminaries have abandoned Christianity.
Our pastors are beset by immorality.
Our pastors are beset by the secularness of their congregations!
Our pastors are called upon to do all WE should be doing!

So how are you going to start to make a difference in taking the world back?  The answer is to end the fear reigning in your life.  But you have to begin to withdraw from the world system you have been sold out to.

(naturally, there are many specific examples of wonderful Godly men in the pastorate and a few solid seminaries as well - but I am addressing the 90%, not the 10% of what exists)

Curing All Problems

All of us are flawed.  Everyone you hold up on a pedestal as whom you admire, or want to be, is just as flawed - if not so than you are.  Everyone ... means everyone!  Your family, same as you.  Your religious leaders, same as you.  Your politicians, same as you (probably worse than you!).

All of us are flawed and if you join any form of an organization, you are going to take your flaws with you.  Unfortunately, that is especially true of churches.  My church, your church, all churches are teeming with 1000% flawed people.

And flawed people cause nothing but problems with other flawed people ...

Philippians 4:1 - 5

The church in Philippi managed to encounter a run in between two flawed women.  Does not really matter whom they are, they are the same as you and I only the church became embroiled in their fight.

Paul does not tell us what the fight was over, bad coffee choice during fellowship snack time, fighting over how baptisms are done, not being allowed to sing in the choir, etc - ad nausem, as I have encountered through the years in very flawed churches!  And since Paul said nothing as to what the problem was - we can apply his solution to all situations!

All Christians are a part of God's family and we must handle conflict God's way ...

1. Love
If you know Love, if you love, then you will fight less amongst yourselves.

2.  Stand
Stand firm in the Lord and His word in Love, not your opinion.

3.  Plead
Unity is a big deal to God.  We must find a way to get along with one another!  It is important and that lack of our effort is evidenced by the lack of blessings we have from God corporately.

4.  Help
When one fails, we all fail.  When one falls, we all suffer for it.  We are to lift up one another in all regards, without consideration except for our debt to Jesus for what He has done for us.

5. Rejoice
Criticism lives where praise does not - and visa-versa!  So, guard that sharply barged tongue of yours and learn to praise others convincingly in truth!

6.  Calm
Gentileness is needs to be reflected in your attitudes towards others in the church!  It can really make a difference in a family as much as in a church!

Public Pressure

Pick an animal I do not like to eat.
Pick something I would not hunt.
Pick a TV "star" I have never heard of.
Pick a TV show I have never heard of.
Pick an author I have never heard of.
Pick a Christian being slapped around and now I have heard of him!

Yeah, Phil Robertson, of apparently Duck Commander fame has suddenly made the news!

Apparently Phil never heard of Jimmy Carter and his destruction at the hands of Playboy Magazine.  Sure you can be a Christian but when you expect fair treatment at the hands of the world - you are dreaming.

So, Phil commented that with LGBT agenda we are discussing sexual sin - surprise! the Bible says the same thing!  Sexual sin is sin, sin is judged by God, suprise! the world does not believe they deserve judged.  So, A&E called him on this and now he is without a show as A&E's horror at offending between 2 and 6% of the population is greater than offending the Christian majority in this nation.

Oh wait, I forgot, it is okay to trashed Christians because they are powerless.

Well, I do not have cable, so I do not have A&E even as an option.  But, just to pass on a point - I have boycotted Disney since they opened their arms to the gay community and locked out Christians once a year.  They are not willing to have a Christian day ...  So, discriminate against me - why should I use your products?  But, the weakness of the Christians in this country do not allow them to boycott what their children demand.  And consider China whom enslaves Christians to work in factories making junk to ship to America!  I refuse to buy China anything, even if it is the only item available - I will then revert to buying used rather than new, if it means starving China of my dollars!

Should American Christians ever wake up to discover their spine and the power of public opinion/pressure - entities such as Disney would rapidly be starved, as would Sony and Tri-Star all of whom have made anti-Christian statements.  Kiss off most of the TV - imagine Nelson rates now in the 2-3% as a high because Christians are willing to no long put up with their messages.  Conversely, supporting companies which support Christian causes, even if only by not banning Salvation Army bell ringers, would put Kroeger in the lead over their rather God-less competition (Target, K-Mart, Wal-Mart).  Imagine such a new world.  Sure haters would go out of their minds but then again, they can go to France and enjoy all they seek to make America into.

As just a well documented example of what a boycott can due:
I was in Hawaii one time and the police came up with the bright idea of issuing parking tickets to all rentals cars, even if they were parked correctly.  The $25 ticket was nothing compared to the $600 just to return to Hawaii to appear in court to fight the ticket!  So, I told them the situation, provide photographs of my correctly parked car, ticket displayed on the windshield and they told me to pay up or have a bench warrant issued.  Okay, so I told all of my friends, all of my friends friends, co-workers, anyone I heard mention going to Hawaii and at the end of one year I had amassed $1.3m in losses to Hawaiian tourist industry and airlines.  And I wrote and told them so.  Second year was better $2.3m in moneys which did not reach their shores and I told them again.  This continued for 5 years.  I how had amassed over $50m in funds which were redirected to other tourist destinations.  I got a letter of apology from the state's Lt. Governor.  Never got my $25 back but they were able to observe these bright ideas can hurt them - if someone is willing to make their behavior public and hold them accountable.

You have power as a Christian.  Don't be stupid - use it wisely and effectively.  You too can have the ability to starve public corporations and movements into submission just by refusing to use them or to fight them publicly.  Remember evil hates the light of truth and will flee from it, but you have to have the determination to take a stand.

For me, I am not an A&E customer so little I can do there.  But, I can go out and buy one of Robertson's books at Costco this weekend - maybe a present for Dutchman or Swede for next week?  You can also fight by supporting the person being attacked too!

In Passing

Noted in passing on Wednesday is the passing of Ken Hutcherson.  He was a football player, a pastor and a royal pain in the *tush* to the politicians of Washington state.

In Kris' book you think you are something because you are a sports star, I pity you.
In Kris' book you are an ex-sports celebrity, I pity you.
In Kris' book you are a Chrisitian getting wound up in social issues, I pity you.

So you can see I had a few bones of contention with Ken ...  However, I knew Ken and respected him immensely.

Mind you, I had no idea whom he was at first but we both were working on the same issue - Washington State's draconian adoption laws.  This is where I planned on retiring, this is where I knew I would have a family one day, this was where I knew I would have problems because I knew I would eventually adopt internationally!

Ken was far more articulate than I and with his celebrity could gain access to those whom would shun a no one like me.  So, we could talk on the issue at hand and he presented ideas and arguments to encourage the adoption environment in this State.  To a point there was success and we were in agreement. 

Just a chance encounter, two people with nothing in common except the same Lord.

Ken went on to battle the gay and lesbian agenda, which step by step has conquered this state, the definition of marriage, and many other social agenda items around here.

I guess I view the question of marriage as being between a man, a woman and God - just because the government demands the right of taxation and offers you incentives to register with them, does not change whom marriage is before.  But, Ken fought with the government their right to define or redefine the definition of marriage.  All Christians have lost in this state legally but it changes nothing before God.

We are lessened with the loss of Ken and his willingness to remind politicians they stand before a judging God, whether they like it or not.  Outspoken sometimes, even a little rough but a genuine concern for where our culture is going.  And whether you were powerful or poor, even a no one, he had time to talk with you and even work with you ...

The End is Near!

I have always loved End of the Earth predictions.  I was in high school when Hal Lindsey came out with his "Late Great Planet Earth".  I expected something on the wastage of earth resources and how to respect the planet and what it has remaining.  You have to remember I was raised in Germany and one of our lessons was the consumption of earth resources - as in, World War II consumed roughly 20% of the worlds known resources at that point.

So, I was interested, I wanted to be a responsible citizen of the earth.  I was stunned by what I read in those pages.  Really, if you do not own a First Edition - find it, buy it, read it, it was heavily rewritten for the second edition.  Why?  Well, the First Edition was pretty much gloom and doom - lots of dates of wars and battles and players all leading up to the return of Jesus - as prophesied in the Bible.

Apparently, Hal was wrong or the Bible was, so his book was rewritten allowing for less Hal and more Bible - all of those dates were removed.

But, we have always had this gloom and doom approach during my adult lifetime.  Why?  Well it all goes back to a heretic name Dwight Pentecost, whom mentored Hal Lindsey, C.C. Carson and a host of other heretics to come out of the Dallas school of heresy.  Am I being too strong here?  No, the Bible calls this group: heretics, vipers, wolves, etc - we are not to have fellowship with them for they are apostate.  In the pre-Christian days we were told to stone them!  Yet, the Western Theology instead embraces them and welcomes them into their churches to teach and corrupt the next generation. Just in case you wonder if your bookstore, your Church, your Denomination, your Synod is Christian - easy litmus test.

So, it has been with amusement I have followed the host of predictors, each trying to out do the others and even themselves to warn, to prepare, for the end of the age.  Hint: we are told we will not know when it is or when it has even started.  If you disagree then you stand in contrast to the Bible - welcome to heresy...

Why bring this up today?  Mostly because of the passing of Harold Camping, whom was quite active in the field of giving doom and gloom pronouncements to gullible Americans.  He was rich, he had his own TV and radio networks, published magazines, spent a fortune telling everyone about one date, after another, after another ....  until he figured it out.  His fate of someone of any veracity was spelled out in 2011 by the world's press whom loves to pass out black eyes to other Christians, just because they are called by the same name as a wacko.....

May 19, 2011 -- Time to break out the champagne and party hats because it's that time of year once again: doomsday.
Now Judgment Day doesn't always come once a year. In fact, it's often much more frequent than that. But that doesn't mean that all apocalypses are created equal.
While waiting for the end of the world, why not take a look at some of the most famous doomsday predictions in history?
We'll begin with the most imminent doomsday prediction: May 21. Pastor Harold Camping, president of Family Radio, is convinced that, after decoding passages in the Bible, the Rapture will take place on May 21, 2011, an event ushered in by an unprecedented global earthquake. The world will cease to exist five months later on October 21, 2011.
Camping has a small, but dedicated following that feels it is their duty to warn nonbelievers of the impending apocalypse. So they travel around the country with signs, hats, painted buses and reading materials all advertising impending doom.
When asked if he had considered what he might do when May 22 rolls around, Camping told NPR: "There is no Plan B."
Despite his faith in his convictions, Camping has been wrong before. He first predicted the end of the world in 1994, which he insists was a premature assessment since he had not completed his Bible research.

And I comment on Mr. Camping for a real reason, he learned from his mistake and until yesterday, shut his mouth up and stopped giving Christianity black eyes.  Of course, the damage was already done, but for him personally, he had the integrity to realize he was wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong and finally and completely wrong in what he had done.

Best of intention but still a problem.  Yeah, because he realized, because he then shut up, I am thinking he was wrong, as any of us can be.  But, as far as I am aware he is alone in his ability to do just that - repent and disappear in silence as we are told to.  The others, well, their testimony is their heresy, for which they stand condemned, if anyone will bother to look.

So, another chapter in Western Theology comes to a close.  The vipers are still with us, looking to corrupt at any opportunity.  Are you sharp enough to catch them before they snare you?

What The Heck?

What the heck is going on here?

As you might remember, several weeks ago I was treated to inquisition involving a long time friend of mine and his misbehaviors with the females of that church.  It took me a few weeks to get past the idea that I would willing execute him for what he has done.  Today, Thursday, guess what I got treated to - another inquisition!

This time, the guy was the youth pastor of my old church, at least up until three years ago, and his behaviors apparently spanned numerous churches and about 20 years!

Yeah, no one bothered to check any of his references before he was hired - he had been fired from every church he had worked for - for the same problem - inability to control himself around teenage girls!  Good Lord!  What has become of the church when it is too hard to check references?!?!?!?!?  And too hard to let the truth be known, much less charges filed against him!  Yeah, he appears to be getting away with his latest disaster as well.  Grrrrrrrrrr!

I am just sickened that we can place no trust that a job search committee will return qualified candidates, we can not trust the testimony of the answers given in interviews, no one is checking references when hiring those whom will be responsible for the care of the children and the church through more destroyed lives - looses even more the right to bear Jesus' name!

We do not need a revival in this sick Western theology poisoned church - we need a full blown REVOLUTION!

Out with the seminars creating these disasters!
Out with Elderships unable to make God-ly decisions!
Out with Pastors whom can not stand up for God!
Out with Youth Workers dedicated to satisfying their carnal natures!
Out with those whom destroy others through gossip!

The whole lot of you suck!
Get out of my church!

And yeah, that is exactly how I feel on this whole subject!  There is no room in God's Kingdom for these losers - and oh by the way - Jesus flat out said this at least four times I can think of!  It is the doctrine of demons which allow this culture to even exist in the Church, drive men to their baser natures, destroy the lives of the innocent and reduce Jesus' life and sacrifice to a nice story but of no real relevance!

Sorry, you will get what you deserve you sham of a church!  Your ministry is over.  God has left you.  Why do you even keep the lights on?

Now how to cause real change ... ?  Another denomination?  Or can a church be sued for claiming to be Christian when they no longer represent anything Christian?

I really feel pity for the likes of Hutt, Zwingli, Huss and Luther - fairly straight on men whom began a movement to bring people to God and it has grown into a forum for pedophilia ...

Where are our Christian leadership?  And if their absence is indicative of something, I worry for the immediate future of Christianity.

Response to: A call for massive ‘Reformation’ – before it is too late.

I have no knowledge whom Andrew Strom is and it really does not matter one way or another, someone needs to reply to his list of problems within the Church, however, he shows he is a part of the problem as well - a product of the Western (American) Church and its apostate theology ...  So, italicized are his words, non-italicized are mine:

It is a sad fact that today’s church is deceiving itself in some very crucial areas. Below are some plain facts (-absolutely true) that may shock a few people: 

1. “Ask Jesus into our heart” is not in the Bible. Neither is “Give your heart to the Lord”, or repeating a “sinner’s prayer”. These practices do not exist in Scripture at all. The subject of salvation is the most important subject in the Bible and we are being lied to about it. These doctrines are a total fabrication. They were invented to make salvation “quick and convenient”. Many church members today who are relying on these things are clearly not ‘saved’ at all. 
(It is true, however, what has become institutionalized is the "prayer of faith"/"confession"/whatever your group calls it.  There are no magic words in Christianity, but there is the requirement for the acknowledgement of your own unworthiness before God and the need/recognition of Jesus' payment made on your behalf.  This is the most common error I run into in America, that you are "saved" by "the prayer" rather than by a changed heart and life!)

2. Church buildings do not exist in the Bible. They were invented around 200-300 AD, when the church was in serious decline. Only a backslidden church could fall so far away from the simplicity of the early church. Church buildings are anti-New Testament, and bring with them a host of problems and traditions. It was basically when the church fell into the hands of Rome that this concept of the “cathedral” really took over. And we are still spending millions on these monuments today. 
(Not entirely true, here Strom forgets the writings of the Apostle John's disciples whom carried him from place to place, church to church, throughout Galatia.  Paul wrote concerning the running of the church of both Ephesus and Corinth.  There may have been some home churches but in Ephesus we have the building itself John and Timothy shepherded!  The remains of the church Lazarus shepherded on Crete and the second century Basilica of Mary, the largest church ever constructed until the Romans took everything over.  I imagine if I reread my archaeology works for a few hours I could find other first or second century churches we have found through digging. )

3. The “one pastor runs everything” model is totally unscriptural. Far from running everything, in the book of Acts we find the word “pastor” NOT EVEN USED ONCE. (-The early church did have strong leaders and elders. But it was never a “one man band” like we see today. And never was it so “controlling” either). 
(Again, we have to remember James owned the Jerusalem church, Paul claimed primo rights to all the churches he established, Timothy was told to take the reins of Ephesus, John owned the Galatian churches at the end of the first century.  Call that position what you will, but it did exist, as did the concept of Bishop. )

4. “Tithing” is not a New Testament practice at all. And it is being shamefully abused by today’s preachers. In the New Testament we are told to give cheerfully – whatever we purpose in our hearts to give. Telling people that they MUST give 10% to the church or they are “robbing God” is totally sick – and a money-grubbing way of twisting Scripture. There is no evidence that the apostles EVER preached ‘tithing’ to New Testament believers. It was clearly regarded as an Old Testament practice. 
(And now we run smack into the misnomer that somehow Old Testament is Jewish and New Testament is Christian! Nothing could be any further from the truth!  Both are Jewish - however, the positional opportunity was extended to the gentile believers to come into salvation through Jesus (just the same as the Jew!).  There is no such thing as a "tithe" to the church any longer, however, ALL you have is expected of you by God!   It is the Western (American) money grubbing belief system by which God requires nothing or little of you!  If you can not give ALL you have to God, then you need to rethink your theology!  Modern money grubbing apologists such as the radio "Christian" financial advisers are more interested in not trusting God than living a Scriptural life.  By the way, the Jewish tithe was 33% when you include all of the fees and charges for and by the Synagog.  Sorry Dave, God wants everything you have, He will curse you with what you do not willingly give ... )

5. The words “prosper” or ‘prosperity’ were NEVER used by Jesus at all – and only exist a couple of times in the entire New Testament. Yet greedy preachers have built whole kingdoms upon them. The words – “sell what you have and give to the poor” and “deceitfulness of riches” and “you cannot serve God and mammon” and “woe to you that are rich” were DEFINITELY used by Jesus and the apostles. But we don’t hear these things preached too much, do we? 
(Here I agree with Strom, the entire concept of the prosperity paganism, has nothing to do with Christianity - it is a lie as old as gnosticism and almost eclipsed The Way, the original name of Christianity.  Equally God is quite expressive concerning debt and getting out of it - period.  And so I now wonder what his point was above about giving, unless it is just that he does not want to give to support the local church?  But, even in the first century the concept of giving to the "store house" was well known.)

6. There were no Bible Colleges, Seminaries or degrees in the New Testament. The only people who seemed to have “Bible Schools” were the Scribes and Pharisees! The apostles were simple fishermen and tax collectors. It is likely that a number of them could not even read or write. What was their “qualification” for being in the ministry? Simply that they had SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH JESUS. The fact that people expect a “professional clergy” today with degrees from Bible College has helped to make the church sicker and more unscriptural than ever. Simple humble people with a calling from God often cannot get to minister because they do not have a “piece of paper” to make them ‘qualified’. -Yet another disaster for the church. 
(Partially wrong.  First off, Jews were amongst the best educated cultures on earth in the first century!  Both boys and girls were taught reading and writing, in the synagog.  We know this from the Synagog of Gamla.  Jesus taught the Apostles as well as the 120 disciples whom were with him.  These went on to found their own itinerant schools to teach about Jesus.  We have ample proof of this through the writings of the early church fathers.  No there were no degrees, there was only the proof of your work and for some accolades by those whom were known and respected.  It is a remnant of Catholicism that you have to go to school, get a degree, to share the secret knowledge, controlled by the Catholic Church.  Nothing angers me more than someone educated above their abilities, pulling rank with their degrees, when they are dead wrong...  And yes, I have 12 years and refused my degree - I believe in what Paul wrote - if I can not walk the talk, don't listen.)

7. There is almost no evidence whatsoever that the early church had their “main meeting” on a Sunday. They gathered together ‘from house to house’ virtually every day! There were no church buildings. They did not dress up and “go to church”. There were no denominations. There were no separate groups with different ‘labels’. They lived their lives together – all the Christians in the local area. Love and fellowship and ‘koinonia’ were as natural to them as breathing. And the apostles in Jerusalem preached every day at huge open-air gatherings. -Not “hidden away” inside four walls. This was truly a “street church” in every way. 
 (Here a knowledge of Biblical times comes in handy.  We have already covered the concept of church.  People of "The Way", had the ability to meet anytime they wanted except on Saturday because the Jews used the Synagogs then, and the early Christian leaders taught in the Synagogs.  Later this was to change and the now labelled "Christian" sect were thrown out of Judaism.  Some bought their old Synagogs, adding Christian symbolism as early as 70 ad.  In Greece, Galatia and Rome, yes, they started in the streets, the forums and meeting halls - as well as, homes.)


8. The idea that you can replace the moving of the Holy Spirit with programs, programs and more programs just shows how low we have sunk. Man-made programs are everywhere today. The early church had much more of God and much less of ‘man’. 
(Okay, Amen!  Our churches are sick, driven by programs, abandoned by God - long ago.  The Holy Spirit's ministry have been replaced by pragmatic business managers, power is political - not God given and the church has reaped the whirlwind for this lack of faith and false testimony.)

9. We preach a ‘humanistic’ Jesus today. -A Jesus who exists mainly for our own “happiness”. A Santa Claus who wants to rain down continual blessings upon us. A God of grace and mercy without judgement, righteousness or truth. Our gross misrepresentation of who Jesus really is, is one of the most serious offenses of the modern church. Today’s church seems to worship a “plastic” Jesus – one that she has made in her own image. What an offense to God. 
 (Yup again, but let me drive home the point, in case I am misunderstanding his viewpoint here.  Assuming you are a Christian: when you look to see God, you are going to see Jesus.  When God looks like you, it not you and your sin he gazes upon - it is Jesus He sees.  You can not see God in any perspective and you are covered by Jesus blood, dripping with it, hence why God sees His son.  God is a fearful and angry God, if you are not His - that means He will abandon you to torment and destruction under Satan's care if you really want to live in his world.  Conversely, you want to be covered by Jesus' blood and live in that world as well - welcome to utter destruction as you are lulled to sleep by Satans' many blessings to keep you from  seeing or hearing Jesus.)


A lot of preachers are well aware that there is something very wrong with the church today. They know there is little ‘fear of the Lord’. They know there is no deep repentance or deep moving of the Holy Spirit. They know that it is just the same old “game” being played every week. A lot of them are very aware of this. But they will not do anything about it. They will not rock the boat. And they will “squash” anyone who comes along trying to do something. They do not want a real “shaking”. There is too much to lose. They have their careers and their little ‘kingdoms’ at stake. This is the real truth of the matter. This is where the rubber truly meets the road. 
(Remember that fear of the Lord is the BEGINNING of wisdom, not the completion of it!  And yes, the modern church has been compromised by the lure of financial wealth and steady incomes.  When we put money before God, we lose, not God.)

That is why God is about to bring “Great Reformation”. He will not put up with these ‘hirelings’ any longer. He will not have them as leaders over His people. A lot of them are about to “lose their heads”. They will never lead God’s people again.
This is what true ‘Reformation’ is all about. It is the process of replacing the old leadership and the old lies. -It is David taking over from ‘Saul’.
There is a ‘New Wineskin’ coming. In fact it is upon us. There is a new leadership arising – many of them trained in the ‘wilderness’ for such a time as this. The hour is now here. LET THE NEW LEADERS ARISE! The sad fact is that today’s church has sunk so low that it is almost a matter of people needing to be RESCUED OUT OF HER. I never thought I would say something as radical as that, but it is the truth. 
(Nope, God is not going to bring us a reformation as long as we lack men with humble hearts, men intent upon their agendas rather than laying down a foundation of truth from God.  We are surrounded by a hurting world filled with people betrayed by those they should have respected, a church whom could not and would not respond.  If you want to lay it all out there - the MEN of this generation have walked away from God given roles and responsibilities and until WE reclaim that - we never will have anything other than the chaos we deserve...  And yes, I dearly pray for revival, but it will only be when God moves that it will occur.)

Much of the church is living a lie. Many inside her are told continuously that they are “OK” – that they are saved and headed for heaven. Nothing could be further from the truth. Multitudes of them are headed directly for hell. The systemized LYING that is going on has deceived the leaders and the people alike. It is the blind leading the blind. We need to contend for these people – desperately. Much of the church is “lost”. They are mired in deception – an entire system of deception.
Kindest regards in Christ,
Andrew Strom

(Personal Theology is important, the contents of your theology is important, it must be based upon the Bible and not man's opinions.  You must live it!  Men you are judged and God calls you account both now and in eternity.  So, whatcha gona do?

Same old Same is not going to work this time, unless Hell is actually your desired destination..... )

Luring Millennials To Christianity

I have long argued against the blind social agenda the Western Church has impaled itself upon and then I ran into this interesting article this week.  I have removed all of the links to make it readable as well as removing the writer's personal opinion.

Millennials are by far the least religious generation in America today. According to Pew Research, millennials are less likely than any other demographic to be affiliated with a religion, to strongly believe in religion's teachings, or to pray. And they certainly don't like attending church.

So what to do when millennials aren't exactly filling the pews? For some congregations, the answer is to make church as un-church-like as possible.

Hence the Church-in-a-Pub, located in Fort Worth, Texas, where (mostly) young people gather at a brewpub to drink craft beer, eat pizza, and, yes, even take communion. For most of the people who attend, this isn't a supplement to Sunday service — this is it.

It has been so successful that the region's Evangelical Lutheran Church council declared it an official worshiping community, with plans to expand to other bars in the Forth Worth area.

"I think the institutional church now is getting onboard," Pastor Philip Heinze told NPR, "because there's a lot of anxiety frankly about the church's decline and they're trying to think outside of that institutional box."

A similar trend is occurring at Beer & Hymns, a monthly event held at Oregon's First Christian Portland. And in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the millennial hipster Holy Land, full religious services are held every Sunday at two longtime neighborhood watering holes, Trash Bar and Pete's Candy Story.

 

On Monday nights at nearby Union Pool, Rev. Vince Anderson — who originally studied to be a Methodist minister — regularly draws big crowds with his rowdy gospel songs.

"I have also randomly wandered into one of the Rev. Vince Anderson's shows. It's pretty clear that one is more fun than the other — specifically, the one that involves drinking beer."

But a boozy show is unlikely to lead too many youngsters back into the fold, largely because a) there are plenty of opportunities to drink delicious craft beer without being preached to and b) millennials leave the Church for many reasons, but its lack of "hipness" usually isn't one of them.

Even some young people who identify as Christian don't think being "edgy," at least by traditional Christian standards, will attract millennials. Evangelical Christian Rachel Held Evans argued against the idea that the "key to drawing twenty-somethings back to church is simply to make a few style updates." Christianity's problems, she wrote this summer, go much deeper:

Many of us, myself included, are finding ourselves increasingly drawn to high church traditions — Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, the Episcopal Church, etc. — precisely because the ancient forms of liturgy seem so unpretentious, so unconcerned with being “cool,” and we find that refreshingly authentic.

What millennials really want from the church is not a change in style but a change in substance. We want an end to the culture wars. We want a truce between science and faith. We want to be known for what we stand for, not what we are against.

In other words, organized religion has become heavily politicized, and no craft IPA or guitar solo is going to change that. This view, to some extent, is supported by none other than the Pope, who warned against focusing exclusively on divisive social issues at the expense of traditional Catholic priorities like helping the poor.

Vern Bengtson, sociology professor at the University of Southern California, agreed that conservative firebrands have scared some potential churchgoers away.  In Salon, citing research from his book, Families and Faith: How Religion Is Passed Down Across Generations, he claimed that "the political right has become so identified with a conservative religious agenda that it has alienated moderates who consider organized 'religion' a synonym for an anti-gay, anti-abortion, pro-civic religion agenda."

(kjp): The answer to Western Church's problems probably won't be found at the bottom of a pint glass — it can only be found in Scripture, when read, understood and shared by Christians without a social or political agenda.

Before God

Timothy is in Ephesus, a Church under attack from the start by Satan.
Paul is writing to his convert, whom he is giving the pastorate of the Church to.

So, I want to pick up with 1 Timothy 5:17 - 6:2.

Elders
By nature non of us are ones to submit, we lack respect for others, relationships are a problem.  Yet we have to choose wisely our elders because they have to be willing to submit, to hold in respect others, to maintain relationships.  Their responsibility is directly the care of the widows, orphans and other leaders in the Church.  I have yet to see a church outside of third world nations where the Church actually does their duties towards widows and orphans in the Church!

If you feel no condemnation here - then your Church is a rare exception or you need to study yesterday's post again.

Pay Properly
Really?  Paul writes to Timothy to tell the church to pay him what he is worth?  Really?
I guess even 2,000 years ago, people were cheapskates and not wanting to pay their ministers.  Admittedly, it was not a new concept in Ephesus, given that it was a pagan ritual site with plenty of taxes and gifts required to support the temples and bathes.  So, what was the point?

Perhaps a challenge for the congregation of Ephesus to make a choice with their drachmas?  Give to the Church or support the pagan shrines.  Make a choice but do not straddle the fence and claim to be a Christian while starving out your pastor.  Could be, heaven knows, I have seen more than one youth pastor starved out of the ministry - and even a few pastors as well!

Chose Carefully
1 Timothy 3:6, 10
The Church must choose carefully - their future reputation is on the line here.
The leadership must not include new converts.  Even I was to learn the value of that one, the year I became a Christian and my church talked me into being a Youth Pastor.  I told them it was a bad idea, but they did not care.  I thought it was because I was special (but it was because they were beyond cheap!).

Candidates must be trusted.  That same church a year later was to see its Eldership, almost to the man, go to prison and jail for everything from embezzlement to securities fraud.  It was a marvel to witness - and to then understand that God does hold those whom would represent Him, responsible.

Witness Well
Your mission on this earth, one a Christian, is to bring glory to God.  And the only thing that brings glory to God is our lives, lived for him, and not ourselves.
We are all equal before God.

Just as a side note, having said that we are all equate is to also say that we are not all equal.  If we have not made our peace with our Creator and accepted Jesus' payment for our rebellion against God - then we are all equal before God - we are all toast.
On the other hand, if we are Christians and have made that choice to place our hope in Jesus' payment, then we are all equal before God - except God will see His Son, not our sinning faces, when we come up for judgement!
And just as someone, through a long line of witnesses throughout history, lead to our conversion, so it becomes our responsibility to do the same for others in reach them for God as well.