Tag: preacher

  • PK’s, EK’s, DK’s: Our kids; God’s kids – 3

    PK’s, EK’s, DK’s: Our kids; God’s kids – 3

    The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.  – 1 Timothy 1:5 NLT

    Continuing in the series of (our Saturday posts) our focus is on ‘Preacher’s Kid’s, Elder’s Kids and Deacon’s kids and the focus of scripture from Paul’s letter to Timothy.

     Why is the integrity of leadership in the pulpit and authority behind the pulpit important?

    Think about your preacher (minister, priest, rector, brother, pastor… whatever you and your church would like to call the man in the pulpit). Why would ANYONE in the church listen? Why would anyone from outside of your church family want to listen to this man, a mere mortal? (And I accept and include some pretty good preaching I have heard from godly women.)

    WE, the people of Christ’s church, recognize the Authority of God and Christ Jesus  inherent in the office of the Pastor of our church.

    Our LORD stands behind the authority of the pulpit.

    Yet IF NOT… IF a church leader of any office: Pastor, Elder, Deacon, even a mere member representing your church and claiming Christ; IF ANY Christian does not preach the gospel with the integrity of our life, Christ Jesus is maligned in our soiled image of claiming His Name in vain.

    The world has retorted our faith with stories enough of the evil of priests and pastors and hateful ‘christians’ with a cause more self-righteous than our own lives.

    PK fishWe would ALL do well to think of ourselves as being in the spotlight of a ‘Preacher’s Kid’ and modify our witness (behavior) in front of others accordingly. Please allow me one personal example.

    A number of years ago a young man in high school met two new students who turned out to be the son and daughter of the new Pastor of his church. These two ‘Preacher’s Kids’ were both well-dressed, well-behaved, more intelligent than most. It did not take long for everyone to learn that they were the new “PK’s.”  This label always preceded everything they accomplished and anything they wanted to do.

    Although he hardly spoke to the new boy and the new girl at school, the young man was more than pleased to participate with them on Youth Sunday along with his ‘church friends’ of the youth class at church. Unfortunately (as often happens in real families who do not live next door to the church), his family was a little late. After the service the new pastor, “Reverend ___,” asked by young man’s mom into a room to talk, closed the door, and talked to his mom at some length (no doubt a continuation of his angry exhortation about lateness in front of everyone as they all hurried into the ‘Youth Sunday’ service.)

    After that, this Christian young man no longer wanted to go to church.

    Pastors have to practice EVERYTHING they preach, don’t they? We expect this.

    And as for the Preacher’s Kids: imagine how well they had witnessed such things before, knowing many of the incidents like these in their biological father’s life (by their dad, who happened to be the preacher). Imagine their embarrassment when later it was found out that Reverend ___, their dad, was having an affair with the church secretary!

    Such stories are all-too-common for leaders of the church. The gossip ruins lives, in addition to the sins of the flesh of a mortal ‘preacher’ of the word. In a greater sense, we are all preacher’s kids. Jesus Christ made no such mistakes as are so often brought to light by the enemies of the Gospel. “See? Christians are no different,” they say.

    That’s right. We are ALL sinners – even the preacher – and even the preacher’s kid’s, like you and me. Jesus Christ is our preacher, God is our Father and in that familial sense, we are ALL preacher’s kids saved by grace.

    Never-the-less, scripture holds the leaders of Christ’s flock to a higher standard. You can see why.

    Paul points his ‘Preachers Kid’ in the faith, Timothy, to these higher standards for choosing his own children who will help him with the leadership of the church. You can see why.

    Once again (and without designation of ‘pastor, elder, deacon, preacher’s kid, elder’s kid, deacon’s kid, our kids, your kids, their kids…) let’s consider the higher standards of God for leaders of Christ’s flock:

    1 Timothy 1:

    8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.

    Paul is not yet speaking of those called to lead the church, but of those who we hope to draw to Christ by our righteousness in the Law. Yet sadly, in these last days, we need to point to a scripture directed toward the world which has not been heeded even by those who train our preachers, fill our pulpits, appoint our church leaders and then are ‘shocked’ to discover scandals by those who do these things even before and while they claim Christ.

    Paul goes on to point out what a sinner he was BEFORE he was saved and came to Christ Jesus in obedience to the Gospel.

     1 Timothy 2

    First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions…

    8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control…

    11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.

    [This is NOT to say that a woman should not preach or teach – a topic we will not approach here.]

     1 Timothy 3

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    Qualifications

    • must be above reproach,
    • the husband of one wife,
    • sober-minded,
    • self-controlled,
    • respectable,
    • hospitable,
    • able to teach,
    • not a drunkard,
    • not violent but gentle,
    • not quarrelsome,
    • not a lover of money. (Though) He must manage his own household well,
    • with all dignity keeping his children submissive
    • He must not be a recent convert (Young perhaps; but not new to Christ)
    • dignified,
    • not double-tongued,
    • not addicted to much wine,
    • not greedy for dishonest gain.
    • 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. (We will not elaborate here.)
    • 10 And let them also be tested first…prove themselves blameless.
    • 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified,
    • not slanderers,
    • sober-minded,
    • faithful in all things.
    • gain a good standing for themselves
    • great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

    It’s a long list of higher standards to which we should hold the leaders of our church. I do not even qualify.

    Do you? Do your church leaders? Does your pastor?

    train up a childIn deed and in witness we are like: Preacher’s Kids, Elder’s Kids, Deacon’s Kids.

    It’s just like when our kids are somewhere else people look at them and say: “We know you are ‘Roger’s kid’ {or Lissette’s kid…or Roger and Lissette’s kid}. They may as well have said, “We know your parents. Why are you acting like THAT?”

    So I ask us:

    If we are children adopted into the Royal and Holy Household of GOD our Heavenly Father,

    WHY are we calling CHRIST JESUS our LORD, while our worldly witness does NOT stand up to these HIGHER STANDARDS of a “Preacher’s Kid?”

    Do we call a man to the pulpit or to church leadership without holding him, his wife and his family to the higher standards of the loving family of God?

    Dear Preacher’s Kid, of the family of God and Christ Jesus:

    Repent! and return to the loving Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who seeks and finds even the lost sheep within the church — the loving Father who runs to meet the prodigal son… (or prodigal daughter…) and would welcome you home.

    He has trained you up in the way you should go.

    Now come home, beloved child of God.

    Pray also for me.

    Roger

  • Are You the One? – 2

    Are You the One? – 2

    Jesus to the multitudes

    Speaking of John the Baptist…

    Luke 7

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    26 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written,

    “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way before you.’

    28 I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 29 (When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, 30 but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)

    31 “To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

    “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
    we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’

    See the contrast of walking into two very different churches and hearing the complaints of the ‘worshipers.’

    33 For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’

    We will have only grape juice (and only on occasion).

    34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

    We will have wine (and every time).

    35 Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”

    One preacher is loud; one is soft. One place of worship is grand; another quaint. One has an organ and a choir; another only one with a guitar. One place they kneel; in another they jump up and down and fall to the floor.

    And what do the multitudes say?

    Jesus is not John… and John was not Jesus.

    Perhaps they were pious before John, while they were joyful around Jesus. Yet they complained of John’s piety and Jesus’ lack of it. Two brothers of the faith; two sons of God — yet both were more than that.

    God has a family of his own children. The speech and ways of one child of God will win the heart of another, while a very different way of  witness will not win this soul.  Our brother or sister of the family of God may win a soul that we cannot.

    John and Jesus (even cousins) were so different in so many ways. And you are so different from me.

    Wisdom is justified by all of her children (and God has many children). The words and ways and witness of the children are important, each for different times, different purposes and different souls for the family of God; but it is the Father and the wisdom of the Father to which all must yield.

    Worship is not for the multitudes; worship is of the Father.

    Wisdom is justified by all of her children.

    John was one child of God (none greater, according to Jesus). Jesus was One child of God. They taught different. They had different purposes for our Father God.

    Some children were chosen for the family of God long before their birth. (Jews.) Some children were chosen by adoption into the family of God before we were conceived in the womb. (Gentiles.)

    I thank the Lord for my inclusion in the family of our Heavenly Father by His redemption for my sin. I thank God for all of my brothers and sisters in the Lord – the multifaceted family of believers who have eternal life in Christ Jesus.

    And the merciful and Almighty God is justified by ALL His children.

    God is NOT justified by those who refuse to worship Him and honor the Lord our God humbly as a child of God. Jesus, John, Peter, Paul, the Prophets have always pointed out that these are children of their father the devil.

    Consider for just a moment the individual living souls of two witnesses:

    Jesus was NOT John and John was NOT Jesus, yet both are children of the Father.

    I am NOT my brother Ed nor my brother Ken nor my sister Jenny. I am NOT my wife Lissette. I am NOT my father Bill nor my mother Marie.  I am NOT my daughter Rachel nor my step-daughter Ashley nor my step-son David. I am not even the same as any Christian brother or sister in the Lord.

    Jesus asks John’s messengers (and the multitudes) to stop comparing one child of God to another and to take no offense.

    Luke 7:23 KJV And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

    It is good advice for ANY brother or sister, whether in the Lord at this time or not.

    Do not be skandalizō by the teachings and miracles of your ‘brother’ Jesus or the right teachings of any child of God our Father.

    The religious ones and outwardly righteous ones in the crowds (as recorded in Luke 7:30) were scandalized by the teachings of Jesus.  The common sinners, tax collectors, drunkards and others (v. 29) repented when they heard John and changed their ways to continue to follow Jesus as their brother and our Lord.

    My dear brother; my dear sister; my beloved wife and beloved children:

    What is my message for you?

    Do NOT be offended by the teachings of Christ Jesus.

    What is the fruit of your witness?

     

  • True of False Teaching?

    True of False Teaching?

    But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will privately bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. – 2 Peter 2:1 – Webster Bible

    How is it that you can listen to false teachers for hours, yet will not READ your Bible even for minutes?

    Do you believe the Bible? How will you know if your teacher is false?

    Peter writes this warning to the church.  Media of this 21st c. rapidly spreads many false teachings who now publicly proclaim ‘damnable heresies.’ You can find whatever you want to believe on the Internet, on TV, on the radio, and in many churches who seek followers of anything to support their false gospel and give to their false causes.

    IF you do NOT hear the Name Jesus, IF Christ is never mentioned, IF you do NOT hear of the Cross and the Resurrection, IF only brief mention of scripture is used to make a point of what God is doing for YOU: beware.

    Most modern Bibles soften the Greek for ‘heresy,’ but the meaning remains. Have you read this warning of Peter to the church? Do you even know what a heresy is?

    Heresy – It’s an act of taking something from someone else, choosing a non-Biblical belief, dissensions arising from diversity of opinions and aims.

    The One certainty of Truth is Christ Jesus. IF you want to follow Him and NOT some false teacher, try reading the Bible just a bit more (daily is best) and listen to those trying to teach you something about God a lot less. False teachers abound.

    Do NOT follow the crowds of false teachers who steal the sheep of Jesus and rob the flocks of their salvation.

    Jesus IS Lord.  Have you heard your shepherd say that lately? Could you be following a liar and a thief? Check out every teaching in the Bible.

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