PASTOR'S VIEW


05-24-10 MacArthur on Forgiveness

04-03-10

The following report is given to answer all the local critics that say, had they known my theology regarding election (I, in fact, fully believe in God's sovereign election), I would not have been "hired."  Well, judge for yourself.   This is an excerpt from the 70+ questions I was asked before being brought here as pastor.  All 70+ questions were given to or made available to the whole membership of the church prior to my coming here in view of a call.  

I direct your attention to the boldface and underlined text. The bold and underlined text deal with "election" or church discipline and the expectations the Bible puts on us as Christians to live for Christ.  I have also included in italics and underlined, some changes I would make to the document if asked today.  

The questions I included here speak more closely to my theology and/or philosophy of ministry than the others which either were less relevant or more personal in nature.  This addresses the issues of those who refused the teachings of Scripture that I began and continue to teach as I remain here.  

It still saddens our hearts that professing Christians would so quickly dismiss the Word of God for the traditions of men or to maintain their own personal relationships with others.  If we are not ready to forsake all to follow Him, we are not worthy of the Kingdom of God.  We pray that the name of Jesus will not be sullied by the tares among the wheat or those professing beleivers who are in open, unrepentant sin.  May your hearts be softened and turned back to Jesus and may you come and be reconciled to His Body.  May Psalm 51 settle in your hearts this day!  

1. What doctrines do you think are essential?

1. Non-negotiables – the absolute authority of Scripture over tradition, justification by faith alone, the deity of Christ, and the Trinity
2. The Doctrine of the Bible
3. The Doctrine of Salvation
4. The Doctrine of Christ
5. The Doctrine of the Trinity
6. All of these doctrines are summed up in the person and work of Christ

My current answer to this question would be the doctrine of salvation.  Within that doctrine comes a correct knowledge of the Triune God, Jesus as the Word Himself, and the way a person is saved by Christ alone. 

2. How do you measure success in ministry?  How do know when you have done a good or a bad job?

1. I measure success in ministry by whether people are being equipped for ministry and becoming more holy as evidenced by changed lives.
2. God will give increase if I am faithful in equipping His saints for the works of ministry.
3. As people become more holy, living lives for Christ, a growing hunger for serving God and glorifying Him in all things will be evident.

3. Who are your mentors/models in ministry (past or present)

1. Jerry Johnson – mentor, model
2. John MacArthur – model
3. Al Mohler – model
4. Alister Begg - model

(I would also now add, James White, Spurgeon, Calvin, a host of Puritans, Stuart Scott, others within the Biblical Counseling movement.)

Denomination and Community

4. What is your relationship with the denomination?

1. I am a member of an SBC church

5. Do you support the Cooperative Program?

1. Yes, I believe it is an effective way for the churches to work together to perform the Great Commission.

6. How active are you in:  Associational work?  State convention work?  Southern Baptist Convention work?  Civic clubs/social organizations in the community?

1. I have been occasionally involved in Associational work, but due to the fact that I have been bi-vocational, I have not had a lot of time to be more involved.
2. I have not been involved in State convention work as of yet.
3. Nor have I been involved in SBC work.
4. I do not belong to any civic or social organizations but have supported the Boy Scouts in the past.

(I would also add that I am dismayed with the current direction of the SBC in general, the vitriol hurled against anyone who does not uphold man as the center of salvation, and the general sense that programs will turn the Convention around.  If the SBC membership does not get back to obedience to the Word and church discipline, the SBC will go the way of most other denominations, forsaking the Bible and giving in to liberal theology.)

7. Give us your beliefs concerning the basic Baptist doctrines as stated in The Baptist Faith and Message.

1. The Scriptures are written by men through the Spirit, inspired, infallible, inerrant in the original autographs, sufficient for the believer’s faith and practice in all things necessary to glorify God.
2. God  - triune and revealed to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-equal, co-existent, and co-eternal.

                                                              i.      The Father – providentially cares for His creation, is sovereign and full of grace toward His people, all powerful, all knowing, all loving , and all wise.

                                                            ii.      The Son – Jesus Christ – 100% God, 100% man, the agent of creation, the eternal Word of God, the Redeemer of mankind through His substitutionary atonement, alive today interceding for man before the Father.  He will return one day to claim all His own to Himself and to exact eternal judgment upon the lost.

                                                          iii.      The Spirit – Inspired men to write the Scriptures, illumines the mind to understand and accept the truth of God, is the drawing agent in salvation, and regenerates man, becoming an indwelling part of the regenerate man.  He points mankind to the Son, never drawing attention to Himself, and empowers the believer to worship God in spirit and in truth.

3. Man – special creation of God, made in His image, under condemnation from the original sin in the Garden, a sinner by choice and separated from God because of his sin.  Freely capable of exercising choice, but his choice is stained by sin, until the Spirit draws him to salvation.

(This is a section where the BFM is very weak.  I personally now look upon man as totally depraved as outlined by the Canons of Dordt, just as the founders of the SBC did.  Man’s choice, as I now more fully understand it, can only follow after man’s nature.  His freewill is free according to his nature, which is totally corrupt and depraved.)

4. Salvation – involves the redemption of the whole man, including regeneration (repentance and faith as gifts of regeneration), justification, sanctification, and eventual glorification.  Justification is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.  There is nothing that man can do to merit salvation in and of himself.  Sanctification is the life-long process of becoming more holy, culminating in the transition from this life to the next.  One day, after the second coming of Christ, all believers, past, present, and future will receive their glorified bodies which is the final state for the believer.
5. God’s Grace – God, in His infinite grace and wisdom, elected some to spend eternity with Him according to His good pleasure.  Because of God’s election, the true believer will persevere to the end, since no one can thwart the plans and purposes and will of God.  The believer is not without sin in this life, but his final state has been determined already through regeneration and justification.
6. The Church – local, autonomous body of baptized believers, operating under the Lordship of Christ.  The offices of the church are pastor or elder and deacon, limited solely to men as qualified in Scripture.  The two ordinances of the church are baptism (symbolic) and the Lord’s Supper (symbolic) of which no special grace or merit is attached.  The universal church is the worldwide congregation of the redeemed from all ages, past, present and future.
7. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper – baptism is accomplished through immersion, symbolizing the faith one has in the atoning sacrifice of Christ and the power of His resurrection. The believer is rendering himself dead to his old ways and willing to obey all that Christ commands, walking in a new life.  The Lord’s Supper signifies Christ’s death until he returns, a memorial and testament to Jesus’ sacrifice for believers.
8. The Lord’s Day – The one day a week set apart for works of service and worship to the Lord, a day of rest from worldly work, administered on the first day of the week commemorating Jesus’ resurrection.

( I now believe the New Covenant does not require one day to be set apart as more holy than another.  Paul instructed us not to observe new moons or sabbaths, or esteem one day as more holy than another.  The Sabbath is no longer in effect, since it is an Old Covenant law.)

9. The Kingdom – God’s sovereignty over those who hail Him as King and His rule over His total creation, of which will find final consummation upon the return of Christ.
10. The Last Things – in the end, God will judge finally the saved and unsaved, the saved living eternally in heaven with God and the unsaved living in eternal torment in hell.  This will take place after Jesus’ visible, bodily return to earth.
11. Evangelism and Missions – it is the duty of every believer to share their faith and the gospel message with other, and the church to involve itself in sending out missionaries into the world to evangelize the lost.
12. Education – all believers should be seeking to become more holy and to glorify God in all things through continuous training in the Word of God.  This training is best accomplished through the local church.
13. Stewardship – God has entrusted the things of this world to His children to care for while they await the return of Christ.  All things belong to God and we serve at His good pleasure.  We should therefore serve God with our time, talents, and treasures as enumerated in His Word, the tithe being a beginning amount for the cheerful giver.

(I do not believe the New Covenant saints are required to tithe.  We are specifically instructed to give with a cheerful heart.  Tithing was a command under the Old Covenant.)

14. Cooperation – we should seek to associate and cooperate with others of like faith and practice, pooling God’s resources and gifts for the furtherance of the Gospel and the care of His people.
15. Social Order – we should seek to be beacons of light on the hill in the way we interact with people in the world, that they may see our faith and be drawn to it through the power of the Spirit.  We should oppose all those things that God hates and accomplish all things that are pleasing to God.
16. Peace and War – we are to live at peace with all men as much as it is possible for us to do. 
17. Religious liberty – we are not bound by any authority other than God’s and those God empowers to lead us in the church and through worldly governments. Nobody has the right to dictate to us how we should worship.  A free church in a free state is the ideal.
18. The Family – God ordained and instituted the family in Genesis 3.  Marriage is only between one man and one woman and is a lifetime covenant made by the two in the sight of God.  Sex is to be reserved for this union alone.  It is God’s gift to husband and wife.  The husband and wife are co-equal in God’s eyes, there are differing roles that He has assigned each of them.  The wife is to submit to the husband’s authority as he submits himself to Christ.  Children are to submit to their parents and are given to their parents for a season of time, during which they owe their obedience to.  Parents are to train up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

8. How do you relate to other denominations?

1. I believe we can fellowship and worship with those we are in substantial agreement with on the essentials of the gospel. 
2. For those we are not in substantial agreement with we can come together and perform works of charity for the poor and disadvantaged in our communities, but not coming together for worship.

(I would add that we cannot have any dealings with an unbiblical church, which is really no church at all.  By this I mean that we cannot have fellowship or work together with to do the works of God if they do not believe in biblical salvation.  This necessarily excludes groups like Roman Catholics, Emergent Churches, and others who are in direct disobedience to the Scriptures.)

9. What is your philosophy of stewardship and tithing?  Do you tithe?

1. We are commanded to be cheerful givers, giving out of the abundance God has given to us.  All that we have is because God has chosen to give it to us, for us to look after and manage.  The tithe is the beginning of our gifts to God.  We should meet that percentage and exceed it with gifts as God blesses us more bountifully. 
2. We tithe, though what we have had to give over the last few years has been much less than in the past.

(I do not believe the tithe is for today, as New Covenant saints.  As I mentioned earlier, we are commanded to give with a cheerful heart, and not once in the New Testament, nor the New Covenant ushered in as the Covenant in Christ’s blood, are we commanded on the amount we are to give.)

10. How many what books have you read in the past twelve months?

1. I have read over thirty books in the last year.  They have all been for classes at SBTS.
2. Most were biblical counseling, theology, or preaching books, from authors like Jay Adams, Stuart Scott, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Mark Chappell, A.W. Pink, Spurgeon, John Frame, J.C. Ryle, and others.
3. If you would like I could put together a list of them for you.

Positions and Polices:

11. What is your concept of the Bible?

1. The Bible is inerrant, infallible, inspired, and sufficient in the original autographs.
2. It is God’s story of creation, fall, redemption, culminating in the blessed Second Coming of Christ.

12. What is your position concerning missions?

1. I believe the local church should support mission work, not only in the local area, but in the state, around the U.S., and on foreign soil as well.
2. I believe the Cooperative Program is a great way for the local church to extend its reach around the world.

13. What is your conviction and personal practice concerning evangelism?

1. I personally share Christ as often as I can, at least once a week, more as God gives the opportunities to. 
2. I believe that every professing believer is commanded to share the gospel message with others, whether family, friends, co-workers, etc.  There is really no excuse for not sharing the Gospel with others. 
3. I believe that believers should listen intently to others and bring the Law of God to an unregenerate person who is proud, etc. or grace to the humble in heart.  This is the way Jesus talked with people and I believe it is a great model to follow; Law to the proud, grace to the humble.

14. What is your policy concerning pastoral visitation?

1. I believe that I should regularly visit with each member / family every year, and depending on the size of the church, more than that.
2. I also believe that I should be training everyone in the church to become involved in the lives of others at church so not only will I be visiting, but throughout the year, everyone will have multiple visits from other people as well.  We are to be a family at church, and families get involved in each others lives, to exhort, admonish, rebuke and correct, as well as love and honor, too.
3. I will perform visitation two or three times a week, splitting time between the hospital, shut-ins, and regular visitation of each member/family at church.

15. What is your policy concerning pastoral counseling?

1. I expect to counsel church members.  I will be available 2-4 hours per week (counseling typically in one hour time periods, seeing up to four cases per week).  I also plan on training up men and women in the church to counsel the Scriptures to each other.

16. Do you do personal counseling and, if so, on what level? How extensive is your training in this area?

1. I plan on, and have done in the past, personal counseling.  My training in this area is very extensive, especially since my MDiv is in pastoral care and counseling.

(I would re-word this answer to state that my MDiv is in theology with a focus in biblical counseling)

17. What are your convictions concerning these issues?  Alcohol and drugs, gambling, pornography, racial prejudice, divorce.

1. Alcohol and drugs – I see no restriction in Scripture on the use of alcohol, but much in Scripture against its abuse.  I personally do not drink, nor does anyone in my family.  Prescription drugs are suitable in so far as a person does not become habituated to them and they are an effective treatment for physical problems.  Illegal drugs are illegal, which really is enough to say about that.
2. Gambling – this is presumption against God’s care for your life as a believer and is not only not necessary, but sinful, especially since it tends to affect the believer’s giving practices to the local church.
3. Pornography – a profaning of God’s perfect gift of sex to be practiced through marriage only. 
4. Racial prejudice – God created only men and women, not cultural groups.  Those that God created have a tough enough time dealing with original sin and becoming right with God rather than having to deal with man-made discriminations.  All of God’s creation is good in His sight, has worth and value from the Creator.  We ought not disobey and profane God’s creation statutes.

( I would change this answer slightly by removing the statement about becoming right with God.  Man can only be right with God when Jesus saves them.  This only happens when the Spirit regenerates their heart and they begin to understand spiritual things, then hear the preached Word and are justified by the blood of Christ through trusting in Him for their salvation.  It is totally a work of God.)

5. Divorce – Nowhere have I read in Scripture where God approves of divorce, nor did Jesus condone it.  God’s ideal is one man and one woman married for life.  Anything else is against God’s plan.  However, since man disobeys God at most turns and his heart is desperately wicked, divorce will be a part of any church.  I plan on teaching the whole counsel of God and thereby hope to prevent divorce in the church.

                                                              i.      I believe that though divorce is not necessarily a litmus test for or against ministry suitableness, however, in many cases it does not prevent serving in the Church.  For elders or pastors, and deacons I believe the standard is raised higher, and in many, if not all cases, at least with pastors/elders, it would be better for them to step aside and minister in the church in a different capacity rather than the preaching ministry/pastoral ministry.

Leadership:

18. When you change churches, what do you think is the most important thing for to do during the first year?

1. Preach the Word faithfully
2. Get to know the members and visit them all.
3. Model Christlikeness and love the people.

19. What do you consider, in the order of importance, your chief duties as pastor?

1. To minister the Word from the pulpit
2. To minister to the flock, loving them and binding their wounds through the hope of the gospel and
3. Tending the sheep, equipping them for service, training them in righteousness, in order that they may glorify God with their lives.

20. Do you think your best work can be done in a relatively short or a relatively long pastorate?

1. Long pastorates are more effective than short term pastorates.  I am seeking a long-term pastorate.

21. What would the ideal decision-making model look like?

1. In the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace, understanding that I am a shepherd leader of the flock imbued with authority from the Word to carry out the mission of the church, not lording it over the flock but in mutual submission, regarding others more highly than myself, exercising joint decision-making with and through the body with the assumption that the body is seeking holiness and humbleness, as well as exercising trust in the leaders of the church, so that the church can come to agreement on carrying out the mission in an effective, God-honoring manner.
2. This can be accomplished through understanding that if the Word of God commands something to be done, we have no right or authority to question it or not undertake the task.  Also, for non-essential matters or matters of more personal preferences, that we can all esteem others more highly than ourselves, putting others before our own ambitions, sacrificing ourselves with love for the brethren, and jointly, through God-given intellect and reason, make choices that exalt God and push forward the Kingdom of God.

22. What method do you use in accomplishing the goals and business affairs of the church (such as pastor-led, committee-led, team-led, deacon-led, etc.)?

1. I do not believe that any one model should be used for every happening or situation at a church.
2. Spiritual oversight, including curriculum selection, teacher qualifications, and the like should be decided by the pastor(s) since they are held responsible by God for the spiritual well-being of the church and will give an account for the spiritual direction of the church.
3. Yet, deacons are tasked with ensuring that the widows and orphans are cared for, and that the physical church (buildings, etc.) are in good order.  Deacons who are in the know about the situations should have significant input into the process of distribution of physical things to meet needs.

(I would delete the words, “in the know” and merely say “Deacons who need to know about specific situations…”)

4. It appears that the early church did not have a democratic model that they followed.  When decisions needed to be made, the elders appear to have made most decisions by themselves as they sought to glorify God.

23. What will be your involvement with committees?

1. Typically the pastor has been ex-officio member of each committee.  I do not believe that I would have to be in attendance at all committee meetings.  Much would depend on how much counseling and visitation time would be spent weekly.

24. How do you see the role of deacon in the church?

1. The biblical role of deacon is one of meeting the physical needs of the widows
2. Acts 6 shows their work was practical, relieving the elders of this responsibility so the elder could be devoted to the ministry of the Word and prayer.
3. Deacons are accountable to the pastor(s)/elder(s).
4. The work of the deacon is assigned and was not related to decision-making for the church as a whole.
5. Deacons are free to use their other gifts in service in the church.
6. We see from Scripture that the pastors chose the number of deacons, their task, explained their qualifications, the people chose them, and the pastors set them apart.  The deacons are an acting body, not a decision-making one.

25. The church allows you revivals, conventions, etc.  How many of these do you normally conduct/attend in a year?

1. In the past I have not conducted any revivals since many of the churches I have pastored or supplied for were small churches. 
2. I believe a focal week would be appropriate, though I pray and preach for God to revive our hearts individually, as well as a body.
3. I do not anticipate preaching any revivals at other churches, since I would have my time better spent ministering to the flock God entrusts to me.  I have not had the opportunity to attend the SBC Annual Convention because of work and would have to consider the fruitfulness of attending from year-to-year.  Your input will be helpful in this area.

26. What style of public worship and preaching do you prefer?

1. I prefer to worship God as He prescribes in His Word, in spirit and in truth through psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, prayer, reading of the Word and preaching of the Word.  Expository preaching is my preference.

27. How would you describe an effective worship service?

1. If all of the elements listed in the previous question are there, and God’s people come with a submissive and willing spirit, God will change the hearts of men (people) and His Word will proceed forth without returning void.  It will hit its intended target and God’s will will be done.

28. What is your personal belief about the nature and function of the church?

1. The Church is the Bride of Christ.  It is not a building, but God’s elect.  The church is both local and universal, meaning, the local body of gathered believers constitutes the church and is a part of the universal church worldwide, and from and to all ages (past, present, and future).
2. The function of the church is to worship God and glorify Him, preparing herself for the imminent return of the Bride-groom, Jesus Christ.
3. Part of the preparation involves obeying Christ’s commands to worship, make disciple-makers, and train up believers to glorify God in all things.
4. Put succinctly, the church is to exalt God, edify the saints, and evangelize the lost.

29. Describe your leadership effectiveness.

1. I am not sure exactly what is meant by the question but an effective leader, one that I seek to be, is humble, follows God’s will in His Word, is a servant, does not seek to be in the limelight but serving others without recognition, sharing responsibility and authority with others in church to effectively carry out the mission of the church.

30. How do you go about making changes in the church?

1. Teach what the Word of God says about the matter

                                                              i.      Modeling graciousness, humility, and holiness

2. Pray, depending on God for His change to take place, not necessarily ours (not our will, but Yours be done)
3. Love people
4. Plan the change through congregational meetings
5. Cultivate unity among the leadership – keeping in mind that we are building for the next 100 years, not the next 1 or 2 yrs.  Taking time in making some change decisions is warranted.
6. Be patient – no one changes overnight and lasting change takes time.

31. How do you work with the leadership of the church in planning?

1. Ideally, as issues are brought forth concerning the church’s mission, the issues can be discussed openly and honestly, without strife, and in an orderly fashion.  Obviously it would be great to have the leaders of specific areas of ministry coming together to meet and brainstorm on being effective agents in the Potter’s hands.  A yearly church-wide ministry planning meeting would be helpful to lay out concerns from the body for the upcoming years’ ministry outreach.
2. This would include the leaders and the input of the body.
3. Specific details of each ministry would not need to be micromanaged by others not involved in that ministry.  However, quarterly input from other ministry leaders can bring a new set of inputs that may enhance each others’ ministries, so that may be effective as well.

32. What role do you see for the laity in the decision-making process of the church?

1. Biblical congregationalism is not a true democracy, nor any other form of government as we see in the world. 
2. Congregations are responsible for the doctrines they listen to, the disputes they allow, the discipline that must be carried out on unrepentant members, and the regenerate nature of the membership of the church.  It is also responsible to obey the leadership and respect their authority.
3. The congregation is not an infallible guide to faith and practice, only the Word of God is that.
4. The congregation is the final court of appeal in discipline, doctrine, personal dispute, and membership, with each member having an equally weighted vote.
5. All other matters within the church can be made by those who have been appointed by the church to oversee the church, thereby eliminating the need for votes on every simple matter within the church.

33. How do keep up-to-date with recent developments in church-related issues?

1. I keep up-to-date through reading recent books, journal articles, reputable weblogs, Baptist news reporting, as well as associating with other pastors.

( I would remove Baptist reporting since I do not see any faithful nor accurate SBC  reporting taking place.  Most reporting I have seen is terribly inaccurate when compared to the Word of God.  It is political rather than godly and edifying.)

Staff and Church Relationships:

34. What would be your relationship with the church staff?

1. I understand there is no other paid staff than the pastor, so the staff you speak of would be lay leaders in the church, at this time.
2. As pastor, it is my calling to equip the saints for the work of ministry, which for any staff personnel, would be to aid them spiritually in their service, then to help them implement those biblical teachings/commands in their weekly service.
3. This necessarily would entail biblical training and possibly outside training in their respective areas, such as accounting and finance, or secretarial duties/office management practices, etc.  Regarding teachers in the church, their equipping mostly will come through biblical training.

35. Would you expect to make changes in the current staff?

1. The only changes that would be made would be based on current staff who are teaching unbiblically or heretical doctrines, stirring up strife, etc.  As pastor, and accountable on judgment day to God for how I fed His flock, I feel it would be mandatory for this type of change to take place.
2. If there were issues of inadequate training for the ministry undertaken, a plan would be put in place to acquire suitable training or to train the personnel myself (biblically), and nurture them in the Lord.
3. The bottom line is that Scripture dictates most of the change needed within a church.

36. Do you see the staff as being called by the church?  Are you willing to work with the present church staff?

1. The church body is responsible for putting staff in the position to minister to the flock.  Pastoral staff decisions would receive my input, praises and concerns, but the ultimate decision is from the body.
2. The Bible calls each of us to live peaceably with everyone, as much as it is possible on our own parts.  I would be willing to work with any staff, so long as the final arbitrator is the Word of God.

37. How do you rate your interpersonal skills?

1. I would rate my interpersonal skills as getting better over time.  In God’s eyes I am a work in progress and I am striving for better relational skills with others, through my study and practice of the Word of God. 
2. I pray that they get better as God trains me up, but I believe they are adequate for the task of pastoring God’s church.

38. What is your concept of the role of the laity (both men and women) in the church?

1. The role of the laity is to become equipped for the works of ministry, in order to glorify God in all they do.

39. What is important to you in handling conflicts between yourself and a member of the congregation?

1. First I would want to keep in mind the “one another’s” of Scripture, i.e. love one another, etc.
2. Second, I would discern, if I was offended, whether to cover over the offense with love in prayer. 
3. Third, I would want to ensure that both of us were becoming more like Christ through the conflict, becoming more humble, repentant, etc.

40. How do you manage disagreements in your church?

1. At my previous church I helped institute a church discipline plan based on the major texts in the NT. (Matt 18, 1 Cor 5, Gal 6)
2. This was necessary due to a significant problem that had arisen in the church 6 years before I became the pastor.
3. I believe that if a believer does not discipline him or herself, then the next steps of church discipline take over.  The offended should go to the offender and explain the situation.  If the offended is unwilling to do this, they must then use the love covering principle and let their love for Christ cover a multitude of sins.
4. Matt 18 is fairly straight forward and is mandatory to follow.

(I would now add that if the sins could not or should not be covered over in love, the process Jesus gave to us in Matt 18 would HAVE to be followed immediately.  Unreconciled Christians can ruin a church in a day!)

41. How comfortable do you feel in working with all the age groups that make up the membership of the church?

1. I am comfortable working with all ages of people in the church.  I love being a kid with the kids, yet knowing that they need the gospel and there is a seriousness they need at times.
2. Since I am getting older, many of my family and friends are too, and I am understanding more of the mindset of the generations older than myself.
3. All the ones in-between I have worked with inside and outside the church and in a nutshell, I love them all!

Update - 05-10-10- Unfortunately, regarding the situation below, things have NOT followed the prescription of Scripture and so I have struck through the text below.  It is truly amazing to me that God's people are filled with so much pride they will not do the hard things nor the biblical things.  My disappointment grows and there is little hope, save a true miracle of God, for those who are so-called leaders of Christ's church to stand up and defend the truth and humble themselves under God's Word.  To many in the church it is more improtant to be right than it is to be biblical.  May god change hearts at a quick pace that our witness here in the valley may not be totally lost!  At the rate it is declining, by the testimony of many who have come to me over the last several months, hope is dwindling rapidly and God may have to find new believers to come in and change the landscape.  My God is mighty to do that work, but I pray it won't be necessary!  Maybe more to come!


03-20-10 - A recent conversation with a fellow believer has caused me to alter what was previously posted.  Although I have not removed all of this "report," because of the obedience and humblesness exhibited it is necessary for me to drop some of the things that were previously posted.  I thank the Lord for His work in the lives of those concerned and as a testimony to God and His Word, some reconciliation has taken place regarding some of the previous issues.  This is what is right according to the Word and I can only pray that more will take place in the future with others.  To God be all glory and power forever.  AMEN!!



The following post is only for those who sincerely want to see unity and faithfulness among God's people.  It is a strong indictment against the sin found among God's "people" in Richfield.  In prayer, continue reading:

I am, and have been, quite dismayed at the actions of so-called brothers and sisters in the Lord here in our neighborhood.  I came here thinking that the major effort of my work would be to the Mormon people here in Richfield.  I have come to find out that my major work here is to call on my fellow believers to repent and act like salt and light, to obey the Bible.  This Christian community has made true the saying, "Christians shoot their own."   It is truly an embarrassment how so-called believers act here.  

I have heard almost nothing from most believers here that would cause any Mormon to desire to be in our ranks.  The Christian community treats others far better than they do their own.  To my fellow Richfield residents of the local LDS wards, do not fear most of the Christian churches or our witness, because we have virtually nothing for you to fear.  There are 5 or so Protestant churches here that show no unity in the Spirit of God.  They show very little, if any, love for each other.  They back stab and gossip and ridicule those whom the Lord Jesus has commanded them to love.  Don't worry, your people are not, nor will they, convert to such a religion!

Many Christians in our area have removed much of the Scripture from their Bibles.  The God of most professing believers here is an impotent god who hopes that some people will believe in him and give up their sinful lives and come to him.  He is a hand wringing god who hopes that some will choose him so his son Jesus will not have died in vain.  He is a god only of love, not wrath.  It has been said that, "In the beginning God created man in His image, and ever since then, man has been returning the favor!"  (i.e. man has been creating God in man's image ever since!)  Evangelism here is done within the "community of faith," not outside the community of faith.  Churches here seem more bent on swapping unrepentant sheep than witnessing to the lost and calling the unrepentant to obedience to Christ.  From what I have seen, many of the leaders of these Protestant churches are cowards and refuse to follow the commands of Scripture.

Let me give some examples of behavior that is condoned, because it certainly is not held up as sin:

It's OK to be an angry old person.  Just leave them alone.

It's OK to be a church leader and verbally and physically abuse others.  

It's OK to be sinfully angry at another if they do not agree with your own doctrine.

It's OK to say that the Holy Spirit is not in a church, calling all those who worship there unbelievers (believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit, unbelievers do not have the Spirit), and not be called to repentance for that.

It's OK to call the pastor's wife Satan and not be called to repentance.

And again, these people see no need to repent of these types of sins, because they don't see them as sins.  I have been told that I am not to judge them because these are issues between them and God and if they have repented toward God and sought His forgiveness, there is no need to seek forgiveness from the offended.

These are just some of the egregious acts that have taken place in our "Christian community."  Every one of these situations is sinful, yet most of these leaders / believers haven't a clue what Jesus taught in Matthew 18, nor what Paul taught in 1 Cor 5.  Christianity for many of these people is nothing but emotionalism run amok.  To many of these people, the ends justify the means.  Evangelizing is about whatever it takes for someone to make a decision for Christ, to get someone to pray a sinner's prayer (show me that in the Bible!).  I believe we have a town full of human social clubs, but few, if any, true churches of Christ.

For any members of our church that may be reading this, I know we have not come to Ephesians 6 yet, but we will soon.  In the meantime, put on the whole armor of God and know that you will be protected from these false Christians, tares, false teachers, wolves, brood of vipers, etc. as the Bible calls them.  Remember, He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.  Satan only persecutes those who pose the fiercest threat to his earthly kingdom, those who wield God's Word effectively, since the Word is the power of God unto salvation and for pulling down strongholds.

For those in Richfield in other Protestant churches, how long will you suffer these sins to be so?  How long will you put up with those who dispense ungodliness?  How long will you have fellowship with those caught up in unrepentant sin?  I confess Christ as my Savior and Lord.  Why do many of you expect me to treat you as believers (though your fruit shows otherwise in your treatment of myself, my family, and our church!) yet you do not feel the need to treat me as a believer, a brother in Christ?  Is that not hypocritical on your part?  As some of you have told me, I cannot see your heart and God is the judge of your heart, so I cannot dispute your claim to be a Christian.   Well, I can say the same to you.  But I remind you, Jesus told us that we are to judge the fruit on the vine.  If there is no repentance, no good works, no church discipline, no love for the brothers, there also is no SALVATION!  Think about that the next time you are about to gossip about a brother or sister.

Though this piece may seem to be a diatribe, it is not.  I am greatly grieved that the Word of God is being trampled under foot.  I am grieved that my Savior's love is being manipulated for selfish ends.  I am saddened that so many good Christians are having to explain why their faith is worth following after, but not being heard because they are having to apologize for the shameful acts of the few who deny the faith by their actions (fruit). My prayer and hope is that God will in fact change many hearts here within the Christian community so that one day we will have a true witness to the Mormon community around us.  My God is powerful enough to change even the most sinful, yet He will not strive forever with the unrepentant.  Christians, wake up and humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, fall on your face in repentance before Him. Pray for His forgiveness. Go to those you have offended and seek their forgiveness, be right with the Lord, and worship according to the Word, not your own fleshly desires!  This life is all you have and this short time on this earth before eternity is best spent glorifying God and His Son Jesus, rather than straining out gnats and being so unloving and hurtful. 

Before continuing to speak of things you are ignorant about, be like the Bereans, and go to the Scripture and test all things against Scripture, not against your own tradition.  You may find out that what you thought was biblical, isn’t even found within its’ pages.  You may find out you have held beliefs about other believers that are not true.  But, my prayer is, that as you go to Scripture, God will humble you so deeply, that just thinking some of your previous thoughts will be sickening to you. I pray that you will vomit out that hatred and unbelief, being purified to the core of your soul.  God will not be mocked and He will not be fashioned according to man’s will.  Be aware that the Potter (God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth) has every right to do whatever He pleases, according to His nature, with His own creation, which includes you and me.  I want to say so much more, but I think my point has been made.  If you sincerely want to discuss these issues, and not just rant against what has been said, send an email through this website.  If you want to rant about how wrong I am, go do that somewhere else, because I don’t care what you have to say.  Either, come and reason with me, or shut up and stay home.  Those are the only choices.  I am attaching a post from a brother who speaks much wisdom to this issue of disagreement among Christians.  I exhort you to read it.  As I said, in closing, if you want to reason together, I am ready, willing, and desirous to do so.  If not, may God have mercy upon you and bless you, but only as you follow Him and His Word.

Sincerely,

Craig Schmidt

Disagreements without Separation

By Alan Knox on unity