07/24/23 PERSONAL CONTINUUM

07/24/23 PERSONAL CONTINUUM

People need to receive the word of God as a healing agent, not as a torture device. Sometimes the loving, true, searching, healing, saving word of God brings pain, but though the work of redemption hurts for a while, it delivers and heals forever.

Sometimes a person should leave a "church" in order to find Biblical doctrine and spiritual edification. Too often people move from one church to another for carnal or misdirected reasons.

In the past, do you know what the advantage was for "New Church" to require Brother or Sister "Transfer" to get their "Old Church" to send a letter (document) recognizing (recommending) Transfer's moving from "Old Church" to "New Church?"

The communication between churches and pastors gave evidence that "Transfer" had actually made a profession of faith and had taken steps of obedience to Biblical directives, church authority, discipleship and unity with other believers in "Old Church," which would also verify the intention of "Transfer." I did not understand the value of this principle as a young pastor, because I mistakenly thought "letters of transfer" had to do strictly with denominational or organizational alignment.

Sadly, discontented people will leave churches for a variety of unworthy reasons, based on personal preferences or resistance to Biblical standards and authority. Those people carry their discontent wherever they go. "New Church" should consider the history of "Transfer's" church relationships because the well being of "Transfer" depends on him or her submitting to Biblical truth and leadership, and the well-being of the parishioners at "New Church" will be in jeopardy if a discontented church hopper is received with open arms.

As I said, sometimes there are Biblical or logistical reasons (major change in location because of occupation or health needs) for a person to move to another church. But discontent and refusal to accept Biblical doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness is the devil's way of destroying individuals, families and churches.

Churches and pastors should not try to control the minutia of peoples lives. However, churches and pastors have the right and the obligation to require Biblical behavior and relationships in the local body.

It is a disservice to "New Church" and to "Transfer" when "Transfer" comes with disruptive baggage. Even if "Transfer" is able to fit into "New Church," they are still the loser if they do not learn Biblical truth and behavior.

Everyone suffers when "Transfer" moves from church to church for carnal, selfish, unbiblical reasons. God sets the standards for individuals and churches. Loving and Biblical counsel is not a fun thing to go through, but it is required for everyone and for all churches, which are seeking to follow God's directives and minister faithfully to the local body.

A loving pastor and loving church does not want to lose anyone, even the discontented person. No loving pastor or church wants discontented folks to go to another church, without facing and solving their discontent.

I have believed and shared these truth for a long time, but America has moved from the "Me Generation," of the eighties, to the "Millennials," which was called the "Me Me Me Generation," by Time Magazine, ten years ago.

Secularism and Humanism has contributed to the narcissism of of today's young people. Anti-family, anti-Bible, anti-authority influences are now shaping the leadership of Education, Politics and "Churches."