TWO PASTORS LOSE THEIR CHURCHES
Recently, two pastors have been removed from their positions by the governing body of their denominations because of their actions.
In one instance, a pastor was removed from his position for performing a marriage between two men, in other words, a gay marriage. That removal, was the right thing to do, and I back it 100%.
The reasons for my position are these. First and foremost, homosexuality, regardless of what you may think about it, is an abomination in the sight of God. Two scriptures in the bible tell us this. [LEV. 18 : 22, 20 : 13].
With this being the case, then the authorities of his church, did the right thing. This man was given his position, because he supposedly believed in what the bible says. That is the only way to be put in a pastoral position. Now, if you say you believe that, then go out and go completely contrary to that profession, then you should be removed.
This sets a bad precedent, in that it undermines what God says, and therefore makes it seem that He supports this type of lifestyle, even though the bible clearly, and I stress, CLEARLY, says otherwise.
There is no excuse for this type of behavior, that goes against the very foundation that God established, and that is relationship between man and woman, the only means of pro creation, and the family.
Then, we have the fact that by performing this ceremony, which has no validity, since marriage, in God's eyes, is the union of a man, and a
woman, many people will live in that lifestyle, die, and go to hell, thinking that they have God's blessing on their life.
The bible calls for repentance, and turning from sin. What this pastor has done, and he is not the first, is to say that there is no need to repent. No need to turn from what you are doing.
Then there is the confusion that it brings to the church. When you have some Christians believing that this is right, while others saying it is wrong, usually based on what the pastor says and does, helps to split the church, and therefore bring a distrust of people that hold to the bible truths, and labeling them as homophobes, fanatics, and the 'religious right.'
The same thing can be said about two women, being 'married.' [ROM.1 : 26 - 27] This whole 'man with man', 'woman with woman' thing, is something that should be consistently addressed and put down, for the sake of souls being lost.
The only reasons for a pastor to do what this pastor did, were either popularity, money, or 'political correctness.' The Church, is supposed to be setting the example of what God says is right, not man.
In the second instance, a pastor was removed from his position by the governing board of his denomination, because he didn't support something that they said he should support.
This is one of the problems with, organized religion. Some denominational church organizations, have a sort of political structure, which should be an asset to the running of a large entity, but can be a problem if the leadership of the body, strays away from the principles of the bible, and begins to support things that are detrimental to the goal of the Church, which is to get souls, saved, and ready to stand before God.
Exactly what it was that caused the problem with this pastor, is unclear, except it had something to do with his not endorsing a political candidate, or some sort of legislation that the candidate wanted to see enacted.
Whatever it was, the pastor didn't go along with it, because it violated certain principles of the bible. And in good conscience, he could not support it, therefore he didn't urge his congregation to support it. As a result of his position, he was, fired. In this case, I take his side, because he was standing on the word of God, and going against a leadership, that had gone away from those principles.
In one instance the pastor got away from the bible, and was fired. In the other, the pastor stood up for those principles, and was fired.
What is the lesson we can learn from these examples??? Corruption can come on both sides, and it is up to us to know what the bible says about certain things, and follow them accordingly.
Just because a man, has a degree, or a title, or is ordained by a certain denomination, does not mean that he should be looked on as infallible. This includes the highest offices in the church, including the pope.
If a man says that something is all right, then it is up to you, to get proof of it from the bible. Studying the bible, is a must. Sad to say though, too many of us, rely on a man to tell what is right and wrong, without checking for ourselves.
Remember this, your soul, your eternal soul, is at stake. If God has provided the means for you to get the truth, and you ignore it, because you are too lazy, or don't want to seem like a fanatic, you just may wind up in hell because of it. Is that what you want???
No man, no organization is perfect, but striving to obtain that, should be your goal.
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DECEMGER 1999
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