Whereas we have 1 nose and 1 mouth, it is we have 2 eyes and 2 ears. I have no doubt the inference to be that we are to refrain from sticking our noses in other people's business, speak half as much, albeit view twice as much and listen equitably.
Thus it is a crying shame that we endeavor to work our abilities in inverse proportions. This may be excusable in most, but it becomes a hindrance in those who purport to be leaders, be it of our nation, our state, our city, in our homes or... in the church.
I am certain that there are reams of articles written regarding this, and yet here is this one more...
It seems we never fail to see such "leaders" shamelessly fail at the most obvious of characteristics necessary for leadership: honor, truthfulness, integrity, strict organization, meticulous respect for the management of time and money, the ability to delegate chores to others, and see that they be done... lest the craft sink! There is but one to be blamed for any minimal failure, and that belongs to the guy who sits at the helm!
I cannot begin to imagine being in charge of other people's money and not knowing the balance of bank accounts for months on end, yet, continuing to write checks... until the day comes these bounce! Monies given for a specific purpose by other church missions gone, and not able to cover such purpose! $6,700.00 to be precise, donated by several other churches for the specific purpose of replacing the concrete work in front and back of the church. The work done, the money was not there to effectuate the payment for such work!
Payments not sent to Missionaries for three months, and the "leader" not knowing of it. It needs be said that the "pastor's family," regarded as "leaders" them all, work within the church office, and WILL NOT ACCEPT HELP offered in office matters. I know this for I offered such help countless times, when I heard of lists not available because Barbara "was busy," such as the prayer list or the member directory, ever since mid-July, and here we were on September 29th.
Of such "leadership" I was not aware prior to the very last day I attended, when such was presented in the "Prayer List" made available after an elderly member complained, which reads as a hodgepodge! I am sure the most illiterate person around would know to make a more legible "list!" But in bold print it left no mistaking who were "OUR CHURCH LEADERS: Pastor Furan & Family"!
No pastor's family, to include the wife and children, ages 7, 12 (a girl), 15 and 19, will I ever have as my "leaders!" IT IS UNBIBLICAL!! Now I also understand the why of not wanting "strangers" helping in the office! This is exclusively a family affair!
And here freely begins the merciless finger-pointing to another, the treasurer, who was, conveniently perhaps, not present, when it is that it is ONLY the so-called leader who is deserving of the blame, he who brazenly acknowledges not having "seen a bank balance for over six months!" I have extreme difficulty even beginning to imagine such utter irresponsible behavior! It simply nauseates me! Interestingly, too, it is that we were invited to ask questions of the deacons, but not the treasurer, himself. And, there not being a directory available, no one can contact him. "Pastor" demands that any communication go first through him, it seems! The makings of a Jim Jones cult, no doubt! I wonder if there be any more land available in the Guyanas!
No amount of God-given eloquence for sermons, nor knowledge imparted in carrying them out can or should overshadow such utter dereliction of duty, such immoral behavior, such disregard for the very word of God! No self-respecting "shepherd" can tell me from the pulpit how it is that I am to carry my life... when it is that theirs is in such utter disarray, when it is that their behavior does not pass scrutiny! Much to the contrary! It invites suspicion when it comes to matters of "disappearing" money!
Oh! Don't misunderstand me! I am full of faults, but I know my limitations, and I do not put myself in a position of leadership through which I presume admonish others and readily demand further EXTRA tithing to cover my irresponsible spending. I refer to those who there have placed themselves and their families, and most immodestly, and have falsely "earned" the respect of the simple-minded just for being in the position they are. Who invite others out to lunch to pump them for information, and result to slander and gossip, absurdly denying that which they themselves stated from the pulpit! No! No true shepherd is to be a compulsive liar and resort to such indignant behavior!
No! I expect my pastor to be scrupulously honest and truthful in all he says and does!
1 Timothy 3 (King James Bible)
1This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
9Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
11Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
15But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Thankfully, God has given me extremely good visual and hearing acuity, the exercise of which have made me quit the Calvary Baptist Church of Niagara, the SUPPOSEDLY King James Bible Only church I had been so very happy to have found just three months ago! I shall keep up the Matthew Furan's sermons I had posted here on my blog, ironically, Psalm 23, that tells of the Good Shepherd! It was at the end of the 12th installment that the finance scandal broke, and I went back no more!
Not surprisingly, although this is SUPPOSEDLY a King James Bible Only Church, its few members used a variety of versions, the importance of the King James Bible not to have become known to these (KJV versus NKJV) until it was I introduced "The Real Bible Version Issue EXPOSED!!" video by Bryan Denlinger, which was viewed by the congregation, and subsequently "inspired" Matthew Furan to do his series on the King James Bible. For the third installment of such series the gentleman that recorded the sermons had a family gathering and was not present to do it! I was baffled that this "pastor" would not have made provisions to have someone else record it! This is certainly not the behavior of a leader!
Although he had promised to do the sermon privately in order to have it recorded, Matthew Furan never did, as never did he follow through with many other things! The finance matter was the definitive item that had me stay away from this wolf in sheep's clothing!
Helga Hickman 10/18/2010
NOTE:
UPDATE AS OF OCTOBER 31, 2010, 2:27 pm:
For more on the subject, please view my post Ecumenical Excuses for Unequal Yokes, more specifically the following to be found in the article:
There are certain fruits by which we can know that a man is not saved. Not drunkenness, for Noah and Lot and other Christians have been drunk. Not murder nor adultery, for David and other Christians have been guilty of those sins. But one who does not accept Christ as what He claims to be, cannot trust Him as a Saviour. So when a man's fruit is open antagonism to the Christian faith, rejection of Christ and the Bible, he is not saved. And on this matter of certain outward fruits in doctrine we can judge whether a man is a believer in Christ or a false prophet. And I have a right and duty not only to judge false prophets but to expose them.
But the Scripture also teaches clearly that there are some matters of Christian action which we are to judge by the Bible. In I Corinthians 6:1-3 Paul was inspired to write:
"Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? [here mention of the Millennium!] and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?"
And in verse 4 he says that we should "set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church." In verse 5 he says, "Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?" [here I need make mention that I called for a meeting of the elders, Matthew Furan and me, and "pastor" Matthew Furan did not allow for this! The elder that was to call me back... never did! What a shame that there be those who deem to dispense the word of God but cannot follow it themselves! Indeed! By their fruit ye shall know them! My post Leadership (updated 10/18/2010) He insisted in meeting with me, privately! Well, I might have done so, if I could have the meeting recorded, for this man had already proven himself to be a compulsive liar! I cared not for a "he said she said" end-result! I pursued the matter not further! I haven't the time nor the inclination to debate stupidity!]
So on matters of action, right and wrong, where the facts are clear, Christians can and are required to judge. We cannot judge the heart but we can judge actions by the Word of God.
Related posts:
Leadership in the Church (updated last on 10/31/10...
Revisionist's History, according to MATTHEW FURAN,...
and many more! Matthew Furan was the gift that kept on giving!
Just enter his name in the search box to find any more post relating to him!
A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city:
ReplyDeleteand their contentions are like the bars of a castle.
¶ Proverbs 18 : 19