Crisis in Church Leadership; Relaxing God’s Standards

There is a crisis of monumental dimensions brewing within the church due to years of watering down the Word of God and relaxing the criteria for leadership.  The result is a diminished quality of overseers and a dramatic increase of clergy abuse cases, financial mismanagement and spiritually hurt believers.  Through leadership flaws, many have left and are leaving congregations and are being devoured by the enemy at an alarming rate.  

In the epistle of First Timothy, Paul gives Timothy specific instructions concerning a wide range of topics that deal with church administration and leadership.  After discussing prayer and how women should act in public worship; Paul spends the first 13 verses of chapter three laying out the qualifications for bishops and deacons.  Bishops are not someone in a tall hat or flowing robe who sit on thrones in old cathedrals.  Bishops in the book of Timothy are the same as “overseers” in the book of Acts.  A bishop is one who oversees an assembly of believers.

A deacon is literally one who “runs to serve”.  A deacon is part of the “leadership team” of a fellowship but their duties tend to be more physical in nature vs. a bishop whose duties are more spiritual.  Both bishops and deacons have very strict qualifications laid out for them.  God most certainly holds those charged with the oversight of His people to higher standard.

The number one qualification for a bishop is to be blameless, which does not mean “faultless”.  The only faultless man to ever live was Jesus.  Everyone else has plenty of faults and God does not expect a leader to be perfect.  What God demands from an overseer is that he be above reproach.  In other words there is to be no secret sins and no scandals hidden in the closet.  An overseer cannot lead two lives.  What people see on the outside must reflect the integrity and character on the inside.

If a person wanted to apply for a job, there is a list of qualifications that must be met to even be considered.  This section of Timothy started with the statement that if a person desires the office of a bishop, he desires a good and noble task.  But, in order to be considered, certain qualifications must be met, with “being above reproach” at the top of the list.  The remaining qualifications will narrow the list of potential candidates greatly:

1.       Husband of one wife—in both Greek and Roman law, it was very common for man and wife to separate, and marry other parties during their lifetimes.  Thus, a man might have three or four living wives meaning women who had all successively been his wives.  This phrase is best described as “successive polygamy” rather than “simultaneous polygamy”.

2.       Vigilant—sober or temperate

3.       Sober—self-restrained, serious-minded, prudent

4.       Of good behavior—orderly, a well ordered life

5.       Given to hospitality—hospitable, showing love for, and being a friend to the believers, especially strangers and foreigners

6.       Apt to teach—skilled in teaching, a ready teacher, ready, willing and able to teach at any moment

7.       Not given to wine—not a drunkard, not addicted to wine, not a hard drinker

8.       No striker—not combative, not given to brawls, not quarrelsome, not violent

9.       Not greedy of filthy lucre—Omitted in best MSS

10.   Patient—gentle, forbearing, peaceable

11.   Not a brawler—considerate, peaceable, not contentious, averse to strife, avoiding quarrels

12.   Not covetous—not a lover of money [insatiable desire for wealth and ready to obtain it by questionable means], free from the love of money, not fond of money-grabbing

13.   One that rules well his own house—ruling his own household well, able to manage his own household properly,

14.   Having his children in subjection with all gravity—keeping his children under control with true dignity, whose children are kept under control and well-behaved, keeping his children under control with true dignity, commanding their respect in every way and keeping them respectful

15.   Not a novice—not a new convert, not a new Christian

16.   He must have a good report of them which are without—ought to have a good reputation among those who are without the church, be well thought of by those outside the church, have a good reputation with the non-Christian public, bear a good character in the world’s eyes

The qualifications necessary for one to become an overseer seem from one perspective to be so rigid no one could possibly fulfill them all, but from another, so logical they should be demanded from any leader.  The reason for all these qualifications is so that the leader is blameless first and foremost, but also so that they do not fall into the condemnation, reproach or snare of the devil.

The three great pitfalls of Christian overseers are; condemnation, reproach and the snare of the devil.  These three things spell nothing but doom and disaster for the leader who falls into them.  The condemnation of the devil results from being blinded by pride which is what happens to a novice.  To fall into the condemnation of the devil can mean just that or it can mean the same condemnation as the devil receives.  Either way, it is not something an overseer can fall into and expect to escape from.

To fall into the reproach of the devil is what happens to those who do not have a good witness from those outside the fellowship of believers.  This is referring to falling into scandals or more specifically to become involved in slander.  Once a leader falls into the reproach of the devil he is ensnared by him.  The ultimate aim of the devil is to trip up, slander and trap those who are overseers of God’s people. 

How many times in the past twenty five years have we seen great Christian leaders build huge ministries and become so full of themselves that they feel invincible.  Then, once the pride is there, they fall into the condemnation of the devil and begin doing scandalous things.  They abuse money and crave power.  Their ethics slip and they get caught in sex scandals and other illegal activities.  Once exposed, they are in the devil’s trap and snare.  Their ministry is finished and their witness is forever shamed.

The reason these verses are in the Bible is to show those who desire to be a leader in the church what is expected of them and to provide an accountability factor for all who serve as overseers within the church.  God is extremely protective of His people and is very selective as to who watches over them. The responsibility of an overseer in the church is an awesome privilege but it demands a level of integrity, honesty and pureness very hard to find and even harder to keep. 

 I know all too well what it means to serve under those whose ethics have been compromised and flagrantly disregard this section of God’s Word.  This is called hypocrisy and deceit and God will deal with those who practice it in His due time.  As a believer you have the right to hold those who are your overseers to the standards of God’s Word.  Please, at least hold them to the first and greatest principle of them all; to be above reproach.  If they reject this message, find a new assembly.

Sad Commentary on Christianity

I stand in utter awe at the venom that flows out of the mouths of those “Christians” who despise the idea that there might be an event called the Rapture ever taking place.  I posted an article on my “secular” blog site daring to call into question the “Global Warming/Climate Change” movement and whether it might be tied into the false prophet and worldwide religion of Revelation 13. 

Within minutes my post was appearing all over the internet on environmental, Al Gore and Christian sites all railing on yet another deceived “Rapture” believer.  Sometimes I tend to forget that the overwhelming majority of “Christians” do not believe in the rapture of the church. 

Herein is the problem.  Rapture terminology is associated with fundamentalist Christians who are hated and despised by not only unbelievers but many other Christians.  The argument against the rapture theory is that it diminishes the importance of this world.  Duh, what is wrong with that? 

Those who want to stay on this earth devoting their lives to saving it instead of the lost people living on it, are becoming the fundamentalist Christian’s biggest enemy.  The battle lines are being drawn even as I write this.  One side firmly believes this world is the center of the universe and thus every effort must be made to save it from man’s pollution, making it too warm etc.  The other side firmly believes that the church is to be taken from this earth to meet the Lord in the air and forever be with Him, and that a few years later Christ will come to rule this earth for one thousand years and then God will create a new heaven and earth wherein only righteousness dwells.

One side lives for the NOW and the other side lives for ETERNITY.  One side devotes all its resources to worshipping “mother earth” and the other side worships and serves God and His Son Jesus Christ.  The sad reality is that the fringe elements of the environmental movement have taken over a movement with many good ideas and has turned it into a religion and demands all bow down and worship it.

Global warming is a scientific myth.  Every true scientist who has not sold his or her soul out to the big money foundations and agencies knows this.  Every scientist who dares speak out against this myth is blackballed and deprived grant money for his or her research which is how they are able to keep going.  The entire Global Warming/Climate Change movement is built upon a lie and the lie is now believed by billions of people worldwide.

Stopping pollution and trying to not destroy the land and water and air of this planet is not the same as the new religion of global warming/climate change.   Although related, one exercises common sense and good stewardship and the other is built on a lie and demands insane things should be done to stop something that doesn’t exist.

If my recent experiences with some of these people are any indication of what is to come; then perhaps my parody of global warming being linked to Revelation 13 better be stripped of its humor and investigated for possible truth.  Whether or not there is any truth in the idea or not, one thing I know for sure.  Any of us who firmly believe in the rapture of the church represent a small percentage of Christianity and a mere fraction of all humanity.  What a truly sad realization this is and what a sad commentary on the state of “Christianity”.

Many Trunks But Still One Tree

In many respects, Christianity is as a huge tree.  The gigantic trunk represents certain basic truths which most Christians believe in.  The pillars of the faith which once made up the trunk of Christianity used to produce a trunk far bigger than the tree above it.  It seems that now, the tree is being turned upside down.  The trunk is getting steadily smaller and the limbs and branches are multiplying above it.

There used to be commonly accepted tenets which formed the trunk of Christianity.  These fairly universally held beliefs consisted of things like; Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.  Jesus came into the world to save sinners and was raised from the dead by God and ascended into heaven where he sits at the right hand of God the Father.  One day He returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  We are members in particular of His church and of His body.  The Bible is the Word of God, the Holy Spirit is the Comforter and salvation is by grace.  As Christians we should strive to love one another and live righteously. 

There might have been differences of opinion regarding specific elements of these beliefs, but for the most part, Christians agreed on these basic things.  Some form of these things represented the trunk of the Christian faith.  To be quite honest, I really don’t know what is left of that trunk.  In other words, I am not quite sure I know of anything everyone who calls themselves a Christian universally believes to be true.

Over the past few centuries, Christianity has branched into one denomination after another.  Denominations arise, and then split into sub-denominations due to differences of opinion in various doctrinal and practical matters.  Sometimes denominations keep one thing in common (such as Baptists regarding baptism) but other than that have little in common.  A good case in point would be the American Baptists and the Southern Baptists. 

No split among Christianity is any deeper and more radical than that which separates the liberal and conservative sides of the faith.  In many respects, it is almost as if there are two trees.  Being perfectly honest, there is very little common ground between these two branches of the faith.  Although common terminology is used, definition of terms is entirely different in many cases.

It is very interesting that although I am a Protestant, I have far more in common with many of my Catholic friends than those on the liberal side of Protestantism.  That is because the Catholic faith is very conservative.  I certainly have doctrinal issues with these friends, but on ethical, charity and lifestyle issues; we basically agree.  It may appear outwardly that I would agree with some doctrinal issues promoted by liberal Protestantism, and should thus have that in common.  But, upon further review, those similarities usually fade when scrutinized closely.

For many centuries the chasm was between Protestant and Catholic.  Even to the point of war.  I question now that the greater chasm is between the liberal and conservative sides of Protestantism.  Unfortunately, on most issues, there is little chance of reconciliation between the “far left” and the “far right” sides of Protestantism.  In the middle, there is much common ground, but on the fringes there is little, if any. 

What do we do?  Christianity has been split since the days of Martin Luther.  Christianity has gone from either one is Catholic or one is Protestant to thousands of divisions on both sides of the original split.  What was once a magnificent tree with two massive trunks is now a bush with hundreds of trunks and thousands of limbs and branches.  Good bad or otherwise, one thing can be said for the thousand plus years of the Holy Roman Empire; the church was one. 

The days of there being any possible way for Christians to unite ended before the death of Paul, Peter and John in the First Century.  Internal bickering and factions splitting from the main body of believers started even in the book of Acts and went on until around the Fourth Century.  There was a “forced unity” of sorts until Martin Luther.  But, soon after Luther, different great men rose up with differing opinions on theological matters and developed followings.   In time, these followings took on the name of their founder and became major denominations. 

I have attended services at Lutheran churches and masses at Catholic churches.  The difference between them was miniscule.  I have attended services at Methodist churches and I have attended services at Presbyterian churches.  The difference between them was nonexistent.  I have attended services at Assembly of God churches and many non-denominational churches.  I could find no difference between them.   I have attended services at two different churches in the same denomination and found little or nothing in common.

Here is the truth, as I see it from having studied denominationalism and having attended numerous different kinds of services.  It mainly comes down to the local pastor or priest and what he believes and how he chooses to conduct a service.  In other words, I have been to Catholic mass and except for communion thought I was attending a small non-denominational church because the priest was very open minded and independent.  I have also attended some non-denominational churches where I honestly couldn’t figure out what they believed due to all the emphasis placed on the “worship experience”.

The differences between us as Christians are not so much in what the individual governing bodies claim is their statement of faith, but more the individual’s personal beliefs.  Some good friends of ours attend a Southern Baptist church because they lead the worship band.  They are no more Southern Baptists than the Pope.  Yet, they attend church, are blessed and have no serious problems.  Why?  Because they chose to set aside their differences and instead be blessed by what they have in common.

We had a funny looking “tree” outside our front door that we had to have removed because it was too close to the house.  This “tree” must have had 100 trunks.  It was almost as if there were 100 separate trees.  But, when it was dug up, there was only one root system.  I was told earlier by a tree specialist, that if I wanted to, I could tie a heavy cord around all those individual trunks and make the tree look more like a normal tree instead of a huge bush. 

Think about this.  Colossians 3:14 speaks of love being the “bond of perfection”.  This bond is like a cord which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony.  Perhaps during this season when, for a change, Christians agree on many things, we can go out of our way to love one other.  Perhaps we could allow the love of God to act as a giant cord to bind all our thousands of trunks together, so at least for the next ten days, we could look like the majestic tree we once were.  After all, we still do all share the same root system.

 

What is the True Church and Who are True Christians?

Religion is not Christianity and true Christianity is not a religion.  I have written on this before and I will continue to hammer away at this subject until I am chased away.  Sincerity is not guarantee for truth and truth needs no defense.  I have written on this before and I will continue to hammer away at this subject until someone succeeds in hammering me away.  Theologians have no better grasp on true Christianity and the truth than any believer who honestly studies the Bible and allows the Holy Spirit to guide them into the “all truth”. 

Sheep are very stupid animals.  They, along with cattle and pigs will follow the leader wherever he goes.  When Jesus cast out the demons from the lunatic, they went into a herd of swine that proceeded to one by one walk right off the cliff to their demise.  Both the Old Testament and the New speak of “sheep being led to the slaughter”.  This is because sheep will literally follow each other to the slaughterhouse. 

People with “sheep mentality” will not think for themselves.  They want someone else to do their thinking for them.  They want someone to just tell them that 2+2=22 and be done with it.  They do not want to take the time or expend the energy to figure out on their own that 2+2=4.  Thus, they become charter members of the “new math” club.  Laziness in thinking breeds willingness to follow whomever has the best and easiest message.

People attend a particular church many times because they “like” the people, pastor or building.  Whatever happened to liking the message?  People many times choose where they are going worship using the same criteria as when choosing a doctor.  Namely, they go where their friends tell them to go.  When a church becomes popular, the message ceases to be the reason for attending, and the social aspects take over.

I see a billboard every time I drive an interstate near home.  It advertises a church with a white guy, an oriental woman, a black teenager and an Indian child with the message; “So and So Church, where friends become family.”  Hold on here, since when do churches need to put up billboards to begin with.  Even if they do, is the purpose of the church to provide a nice and comfortable social club?  Is the reason Jesus gave his life so that “friends can become family?”

This stuff turns my stomach.  I love my Lord and Savior far too much to hold any other view of such foolishness as that it is pure error.  Years ago there used to be laws on the books prohibiting lawyers from advertising.  Their lobby got those laws overturned in many states and now the billboards and the television commercials are full of advertisements for some personal injury attorney who is going to win you millions of dollars for that stubbed toe you got when kicking a rack at the store.

My attitude about churches advertising is about equal to attorneys advertising.  It should not be done.  I cannot imagine Jesus putting up billboards all around the countryside announcing he was in town for a week of “signs, miracles and wonders”.  I cannot imagine Jesus taking up a special offering after healing people and then climbing into his camel driven motor coach to head to the next town.

Jesus did what he did because he loved God and he loved the people.  He taught them because he wanted them to know the truth and receive eternal life.  He healed them because of the compassion he felt for their misery.  He died for them because it was why he had come in the first place.  He knew his mission and purpose in life, and it dealt fully with doing His Father’s will and manifesting love.

Every time I drive to southwest Missouri, I go past the biggest church complex I have ever seen.  This huge place has a building big enough to hold many thousands for its Sunday services.  It has other buildings scattered around for other events.  It has huge electronic billboards bigger than those at some baseball stadiums with bright lights scrolling messages of upcoming events.  I have never seen more than a couple of cars parked in the spacious lot. 

Is the church supposed to mimic the world and turn itself into a multi-media spectacular theatre putting on productions worthy of academy awards?  Is the church to become so huge that an individual member is known only by their nametag?  Is the church’s purpose to “win” the world by bedazzling it with lights, sound and the such?  Yes, if that church is the counterfeit church of the apostasy.

I am sorry, but there is no way I can believe these ridiculous edifices springing up along the nation’s interstates are God’s churches.  So what if some charismatic leader can inspire twenty five thousand sheep to “follow him or her”.  So what if they can persuade thousands of wealthy people to give millions of dollars to buy “the ministry” airplanes, mansions and vacation condos.  Just because a person has a million dollar smile and is the walking personification of charisma doesn’t mean they know one iota of the truth. 

Christians are being deceived by the same glitter that deceives the world into believing its lies.  Christianity is not about mega-churches, mega-billboards and mega multimedia productions.  Christianity is not about filling stadiums with screaming teenagers who were lured in by some rock group who claim to be Christian.  Christianity is not about plastering the interstates with billboards advertising your church as some fuzzy place to go and hold hands.

What true Christians are left, better wake up and see what is happening to their beloved church before it is too late.  Anybody who loves Jesus as their personal Savior and obeys him as their Lord better request a personal audience with him so as to hear firsthand what he thinks about all these things being done in his name. 

Any ministry, church or group built upon the charisma of one person is a cult.  It is not about the leader, it is about the Head of the Church—Jesus Christ.  Until my dying day, I will call to account every person who built a “ministry” and then had the audacity to name it after themselves.  Not only is this the height      of egotism, it is an automatic clue that the ministry is not legitimately from God.

Christianity does not consist of what is on the outside.  That is religion.  The huge complexes being built in the name of Christianity are nothing more than buildings made of brick and stone.  Sticking a cross or a steeple on a building does not suddenly make the cement and lumber used in building it “holy”.  The true church of Jesus Christ is not a building, but rather the body of believers who have been born again and who have made Jesus Christ Lord of their lives.

If people want a social club, then by all means develop one; but do not call in the church of Jesus Christ.  If people want a building to assemble themselves together in; by all means build one, but do not call it the church of Jesus Christ.  If people want to get dressed up and sit through some type of elaborate religious service on a Sunday morning; by all means do so, but do not call it the church of Jesus Christ.  The true church of Jesus Christ is the body of those who are totally committed to Him as their Lord.  It is that plain and simple.

The next time you see a particular “Christian” group advertising their building, program or pastor; ask yourself if Jesus were walking on earth today, is this how He would build His church?  The next time you see a particular “Christian” group decide to focus all their energy on building a “family” at the expense of all else; ask yourself if that is really what Jesus did with his disciples.  Was his purpose in coming to earth to open the door to umpteen thousand denominations who all claim to be His one true church, and to make available cozy campfires, ice cream socials and rummage sales?

Jesus Christ gave his life to make eternal salvation available to those who are willing to believe He died for their sins and that God raised him from the dead.  Jesus Christ gave his life so that God could crown his King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  So that when a person willingly and publically confesses that Jesus is Lord and is THEIR Lord; they can be saved.  Jesus Christ gave his life so that God could ascend him into the heavens far above all principalities and powers and might and make him to be the Head of the Body made up of his believers.

Jesus Christ did NOT give his life to form a new religion.  He did NOT give his life to watch his body be splintered into thousands of small sects and proceed to argue with each other all day.  He did NOT give his life so buildings could be built “in his name”.  He did NOT give his life so that two thousand years later a religion bearing his name would make a mockery of all he did and God did for him.

I am sorry, but what most people call Christianity is nothing more than a fabricated religion that uses my Lord and Savior’s name in vain.  True Christianity is a personal matter between a penitent sinner, a merciful God and loving Savior.  True Christians need no building to worship in, for God is in Christ in them.  True Christians need not have a big “family” to function as a gigantic support group to cope with all life throws them. 

True Christians need only the love of God, the support of their Lord Jesus Christ and the prayers of fellow believers to “survive”.  I pray we all strive to be “true Christians” who are members in particular of His “True Church” which is His body of which He is the head.  Thank you and God bless your heart.