Too often folks anxiously try to fix the fix that God has fixed to fix some problem. Never works. Never has, never will.
If you’re in a fix, own it and let God do His perfect work.
If someone else is in a fix, let them own it so God can do His perfect work!
A good article that provides much needed perspective on sexually exploitive church leaders. In Marianne and my experience with Nathan’s Voice, a ministry of our fellowships which has helped literally hundreds of abuse survivors over the years, this is spot on. It describes the typical personality, motives and means of predation by those who use their emotional and spiritual position of trust to sexually exploit others.
Abusive Church Leaders – Mandatory Public Warnings
It is always painful when we learn that a beloved church leader has used his position of trust to sexually exploit those under his care. The recent disclosures about Frank Viola are no exception. But when it’s confirmed by multiple witnesses, how should we react? Fortunately, the New Testament provides clear instructions.
Sexual Predation by Christian Author and “Apostle” Frank Viola, by Nathan’s Voice
After months of investigation, Nathan’s Voice has confirmed through multiple witnesses a history of abuse, sexual predation and cover up involving Christian author and self-proclaimed “apostolic worker” Frank Viola.
Relational unity must be built on relational truth – and never on lies.
God’s not into pendulums. He’s into plumb lines. Big difference!
Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine. By Greg Allison
This is a GREAT book. I’ve often used it as a reference when researching some of the crazy claims you see on the Internet – like the doctrine of the plenary authority of scripture originated with the Constantine church or the Protestant reformers. Wrong! It goes back to the earliest writings of the church, including pre-Constantine.
I highly recommend this book for those interested in understanding that the essentials of the faith have been consistently affirmed throughout the entire history of the church. We need sound scholarship to refute popular but unsubstantiated claims to the contrary, which are frequently touted on the Internet.
For the next several days, it is on sale for only $5.99 (it’s normally many times that price, and worth it!).
Gregg Allison is Professor of Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is a recognized expert on historical theology.
You may be Calvinist or Arminian, pre-trib or post-trib, charismatic or cessationist, dispensational or covenantal, or whatever. But absent a vibrant relationship with the Living Word, in submission to the authority and discipline of His written Word, on what other foundation do you expect to build together?
We spend more money on short term mission trips than we do on actually supporting the work of bringing forth indigenous churches.
Fracturing The Logos of the Gospel:
This is another timely and important blog by Miguel Labrador.
As he points out, the “Christ is All” crowd has a fractured view of Jesus and scripture.
As I’ve discussed in my own blogs, those who follow existential authors like Frank Viola and his fellow itinerant “workers” like Milt Rodriguez, Jamal Jivanjee and Jon Zens, often create a Jesus in their own image based on their own sensibilities.
They then elevate their very postmodern Jesus over His own written word of scripture, under the mantra that “Christ is All” – such that Christ (or at least their perception of Him) trumps scripture.
As a result, they sever the Living Word from His written Word.
When called out, they make feeble assurances that they have a “high view” of scripture and think it is “inspired”, while nonetheless rejecting its plenary authority.
In fact, they follow the existential “theology” of Karl Barth, which elevates our own perceptions of Christ as higher revelation than God’s own chosen revelation of scripture. The result has been a pattern of anemic churches, introspective faith, weird doctrines and practices, manipulative and at times exploitive “leadership”, and self-referential “truth”.
In essence, they eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil – by choosing their own subjective perceptions of Christ and His Church over His sovereign authority to objectively define what, in fact, is true, real and right.
Fortunately, more and more are looking behind the curtain and seeing what’s what.
I look forward to Miguel’s new series on keeping the Messenger integrated with His message – and us in sync with both!
Until you get “grandiose” out of your system, you’re not much good for the Kingdom of God. Really. Just … say … no ….
Those who think the Great Commission is saying come and find Christ in my new church, seldom create real community. Those who go and express Christ in existing community, often create real church.
Why is it so hard for some to grasp that we can express the heart of the Living Word, while still submitting to the truth of His written Word?
Steubenville and the Misplaced Sympathy for Jane Doe’s Rapists, by Megan Carpentier.
This article addresses a disturbing phenomenon: In America, we have a cultish worship of those who are charming, gifted and inspiring. They are given every benefit of the doubt, and then some.
So it always goes… sympathy and excuses by some for the gifted predator, shame for his “wayward” victim.
As an aside:
Thanks for bearing with us as we take a week or so to focus on these issues. In the Body of Christ, we should be better than this. Unfortunately, we often aren’t.
Miguel Labrador
In mid-March, Miguel Labrador will be with several of the fellowships and ministries relating to each other here in Virginia.
We will meet in living rooms, around dining room tables, and even with brothers in the jail to talk about the things of God as we work among ourselves to encourage and strengthen the different churches.
I think this is going to be a significant step for us, especially as some of our key people with a mission orientation come together for intentional, trans-fellowship discussions and to hear what Miguel has to teach us from his own work in the cloud forest region of Ecuador.
For most Christians, the greatest struggle is not resisting sin but in being willing to let go of our hurts. More than sin, we allow our hurts to define us, and find it difficult to leave the familiarity of our pain for the unfamiliarity of a truly new life in Christ. Even among Christians, few risk the grace of confession, forgiveness and repentance to become whole and complete in Him.
Really, it’s not that difficult…
Here’s a story of one man’s journey: Getting to Simple.
We’ve added a new feature: A gallery of all the e-cards (called “memes”) posted in the past.
It also will be updated with new e-cards as they’re added, and can be opened anytime by clicking “Memes” on the top menu.
Check it out!
The Super Guru Culture, by Rob Morley.
We need to avoid the tendency to make gurus of those who have helped us through their ministries, and to not set them up where they become untouchable or beyond questioning. It cripples the Body of Christ.
Confronting the Error of Hyper-Grace, by Michael Brown:
“The biblical message of grace is wonderful, glorious and life-transforming. We can’t live without it for one second of our lives. But there is a message being preached today in the name of a new grace reformation, mixing powerful truth with dangerous error. I call it hyper-grace…”
Two recent blogs I liked are:
Giving in Simple Church, by Tim Day.
Like Tim, Marianne and I reject the idea that Christians are obligated to tithe or that the tithe carries over into the New Covenant. But like Tim, we still give at least 10% of our income because we feel that’s what God wants of us personally, as we help and serve others.
Tim’s blog provides some very balanced, practical insight on giving.
The Changing Face of Full-Time Ministry, by Alan Knox.
We need to move past the old mentality of “full-time ministry” and realize that we all are ministering Christ full time.
Both of these brothers, and their blogs, should be on your “must read” list.
~ Jim
At least 90% of bad doctrine, practice and theology is reaction to bad doctrine, practice and theology. Unfortunately, the “cure” is usually worse than the diagnosis, and so it just gets weirder and weirder…
I have learned that God sometimes lets us walk through things that others could not bear, in order to buy a grace they will not fathom – yet because of it, the world around us is forever changed.
This blog by Kelly Clark embodies that kind of grace.
We need to be discerning about those who come in the name of Christ to promote their own measure of Christ as being “all” – no matter how charming they might be, how popular their books or blogs, or how long they’ve been around.
The Problem with “All”
In our fellowships, we literally embrace those struggling with sexual identity, as well as other life controlling issues. We affirm our common humanity in the Lord, while showing grace in our common journey towards healing and wholeness in Christ.
Read this blog by Sam Allberry, on How Can the Gospel be Good News for Gays, for a vitally missing perspective.
When a church, movement or religious organization protects itself by hiding the exploitation, improprieties and sins of its leaders, it ceases to be a church, movement or religious organization. It becomes a cult.
Crossroad Junction 