Accountability’

Episode 301-A Gospel Betrayal & a Hiatus

by

Disciple Up #301

Gospel Betrayal & a Hiatus

By Louie Marsh, 4-10-2023

Links Used in the show:

https://dailycaller.com/2023/04/04/pastor-nashville-shooters-trans-identity-jesus-crucifixion/

Pastor Compares Nashville Shooter’s Trans Identity To Jesus’ Crucifixion

A Lutheran pastor appeared to compare Jesus’ crucifixion with the transgender Nashville school shooter in a sermon delivered just days after the attack.

Pastor Micah Louwagie, who leads the St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Fargo, North Dakota, delivered a sermon on Palm Sunday discussing Jesus’ crucifixion and how it was “baffling” that “someone’s existence can be so threatening” that they should be killed. Louwagie then claimed that those who point to 28-year-old Nashville school shooter Audrey Hale’s transgender identity as a potential motive for the shooting are calling for the “eradication of trans folks,” just like those who called for Jesus’ death

“The chief priests and the whole counsel were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, those leaders were looking for any excuse, valid or not, to crucify Jesus,” Louwagie said. “They would kill the one whose reputation as a teacher and healer and whose mission of love and dignity was so very threatening to their own reputation that they needed to kill him in order to preserve their own good image. There are a significant number of people who have deemed that the fact that the Nashville shooter happened to be a trans person, so it’s been reported, is just the excuse they need to call for the eradication of trans folks.”

I wondered if the mainline response to Nashville would be a little less crazy than usual, but nope, we’ve already got a tortured analogy linking Jesus’ crucifixion to the transgender mass shooter pic.twitter.com/ULm1xi9BoV — Woke Preacher Clips (@WokePreacherTV) April 3, 2023

Louwagie later went on to criticize the lack of focus on “gun violence” and that “six people were dead.” The pastor said that the desire to cause “harm” to certain communities “has happened before,” citing the Holocaust, Japanese internment camps during World War II, racial segregation and “migrants being held in cages.”

“Jesus did not die for this,” Louwagie said. “Jesus did not die so violence could be perpetuated in God’s name, Jesus did not die for access to guns. God incarnate did not die on that cross so that people could value money, power, and the preservation of their own image over the bodies and lives of people. Actually, I’m pretty sure that’s what Jesus died to free us from, so why are we still not free?”

Second Link Used: https://www.milarch.org/walter-reed-national-military-medical-center-terminates-catholic-pastoral-care-contract-during-holy-week/

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Terminates Catholic Pastoral Care Contract During Holy Week

Move violates First Amendment Right to Free Exercise of Religion

APRIL 7, 2023

WASHINGTON, DC – Walter Reed National Military Medical Center has issued a “cease and desist order” to Holy Name College, a community of Franciscan Catholic priests and brothers, who have provided pastoral care to service members and veterans at Walter Reed for nearly two decades.

The government’s cease and desist order directed the Catholic priests to cease any religious services at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. This order was issued as Catholics entered Holy Week, the most sacred of days in the Christian faith, in which they participate in liturgies remembering Jesus’ passion, and leading the Church to celebrate the Resurrection on Easter morning.

The Franciscans’ contract for Catholic Pastoral Care was terminated on March 31, 2023, and awarded to a secular defense contracting firm that cannot fulfill the statement of work in the contract. As a result, adequate pastoral care is not available for service members and veterans in the United States’ largest Defense Health Agency medical center either during Holy Week or beyond. There is one Catholic Army chaplain assigned to Walter Reed Medical Center, but he is in the process of separating from the Army.

His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, condemned the move as an encroachment on the First Amendment guarantee of the Free Exercise of Religion. Archbishop Broglio said:  “It is incomprehensible that essential pastoral care is taken away from the sick and the aged when it was so readily available.  This is a classic case where the adage ‘if it is not broken, do not fix it’ applies.  I fear that giving a contract to the lowest bidder overlooked the fact that the bidder cannot provide the necessary service.  I earnestly hope that this disdain for the sick will be remedied at once and their First Amendment rights will be respected.”

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


Check out the Disciple Up Facebook page:

My books – 

Episode 297-The Gospel Coalitions Sex Article

by

Disciple Up #297
The Gospel Coalition’s Sex Article
By Louie Marsh, 3-8-2023

An article was published on the Gospel Coalition’s website last week. It immediately drew criticism, even from people who don’t engage in online criticism like Rick Warren. In response, TGC published a PDF of the intro and first chapter of the as yet unpublished book to help “give context.”

That only drew even more criticism and so as of March 6th, 2023 the link to that PDF became a link to an Open Letter.

I’ll be reading the letter and then reading some excerpts from the PDF which I downloaded and is no longer available. In the show notes you’ll find a few excerpts from the article but not the PDF since I don’t own it and don’t want to break the law. The link to the letter of apology is below.

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/sex-wont-save-you/

Dear Readers,

Thank you for your feedback on the Keller Center’s book excerpt from Joshua Butler posted on March 1, 2023. And thank you for your patience while we took the time to listen to our critics and the serious objections from concerned fellows, as well as discuss this matter with our Board of Directors and care for our friend Josh.

Earlier this week, we accepted Josh’s resignation as a Keller Center fellow. He will no longer lead an online cohort with the center nor speak at TGC23. While he will no longer participate in these events, Josh remains a beloved brother and friend whom we respect and care deeply about.

To our fellows and our readers, please forgive us. The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics is a new effort by TGC, and we are still learning how to work with our directors and our fellows to produce content that will serve our readers in a way that is trusted and wise. To ensure greater accountability with our fellows, we will develop better review systems for our work together. We will also review our publication processes more broadly at TGC and develop plans to ensure greater accountability to you, our readers.

Again, thank you for your patience with us. At TGC, we want to provide a venue for healthy dialogue and robust debate on important matters that affect us all. We want to model grace-filled conversations, and we want to learn from one another. In this case, we failed you and hurt many friends. Thank you in advance for your continued prayers.

For Christ and his gospel,

Julius Kim

President

The Gospel Coalition

 Excerpts from the article that started it all

Sex Won’t Save You (But It Points to the One Who Will)

MARCH 1, 2023

JOSH BUTLER

I used to look to sex for salvation. I wanted it to liberate me from loneliness; I wanted to find freedom in the arms of another. But the search failed.

Sex wasn’t designed to be your salvation but to point you to the One who is.

Union with Christ

Sex is an icon of Christ and the church. In Ephesians 5:31–32, a “hall of fame” marriage passage, the apostle Paul proclaims, “‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church” (NIV; I’ve translated proskollao as “cleave”).

Paul says both are about Christ and the church.

This should be shocking! It’s not only the giving of your vows at the altar but what happens in the honeymoon suite afterward that speaks to the life you were made for with God. A husband and wife’s life of faithful love is designed to point to greater things, but so is their sexual union! This is a gospel bombshell: sex is an icon of salvation.

How? I’d suggest the language of generosity and hospitality can help us out.

At a deeper level, generosity is giving not just your resources but your very self. And what deeper form of self-giving is there than sexual union where the husband pours out his very presence not only upon but within his wife?

Here again, what deeper form of hospitality is there than sexual union where the wife welcomes her husband into the sanctuary of her very self?

Giving and receiving are at the heart of sex.

The Bible makes this distinction explicit. The most frequent Hebrew phrase for sex is, literally, “he went into her” (wayyabo eleha). Translations often soften this for modern ears, saying he “made love to her” or they “slept together.” But the Bible is less prudish than we are, using more graphic language to describe what happens in the honeymoon tent.

Sexual Union Pictures the Gospel

This is a picture of the gospel. Christ arrives in salvation to be not only with his church but within his church. Christ gives himself to his beloved with extravagant generosity, showering his love upon us and imparting his very presence within us. Christ penetrates his church with the generative seed of his Word and the life-giving presence of his Spirit, which takes root within her and grows to bring new life into the world.

 

Inversely, back in the wedding suite, the bride embraces her most intimate guest on the threshold of her dwelling place and welcomes him into the sanctuary of her very self. She gladly receives the warmth of his presence and accepts the sacrificial offering he bestows upon the altar within her Most Holy Place.

 

Their union brings forth new creation.

Editors’ note:

Josh Butler—a fellow at the newly launched Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics—will be leading a seven-week online cohort this spring on “The Beauty of the Christian Sexual Ethic,” based on his forthcoming book Beautiful Union (Multnomah, 2023). The cohort—limited to 200 participants—will meet weekly from May 11 to June 22, 2023. Learn more and register. This article was adapted from Beautiful Union: How God’s Vision for Sex Points Us to the Good, Unlocks the True, and (Sort of) Explains Everything (Multnomah, April 2023) by Joshua Ryan Butler. Copyright © 2023 by Joshua Ryan Butler. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Josh Butler serves as a lead pastor of Redemption Tempe in Arizona, is the author of the critically acclaimed books Beautiful Union, The Skeletons in God’s Closet and The Pursuing God, and is a fellow with The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics. He lives in the American Southwest with his wife, Holly, daughter Aiden, and sons James and Jacob.

 

 

Episode 294-Is John MacArthur Enabling Abusers

by

Disciple Up # 294
Is John MacArthur Enabling Abusers?
By Louie Marsh, 2-15-2023

Grace Community Church Rejected Elder’s Calls to ‘Do Justice’ in Abuse Case

While a former leader hopes for change, women who sought refuge in biblical counseling at John MacArthur’s church say they feared discipline for seeking safety from their abusive marriages.

KATE SHELLNUTT| – FEBRUARY 9, 2023 03:00 PM

 https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2023/february/grace-community-church-elder-biblical-counseling-abuse.html

 Last year, Hohn Cho concluded Grace Community Church had made a mistake. The elders had publicly disciplined a woman for refusing to take back her husband. As it turned out, the woman’s fears proved true, and her husband went to prison for child molestation and abuse. The church never retracted its discipline or apologized in the 20 years since.

 As a lawyer and one of four officers on the elder board at Grace Community Church (GCC), Cho was asked to study the case. He tried to convince the church’s leaders to reconsider and at least privately make it right. He said pastor John MacArthur told him to “forget it.” When Cho continued to call the elders to “do justice” on the woman’s behalf, he said he was asked to walk back his conclusions or resign.

 No one from GCC responded to requests by CT to discuss the church’s counseling philosophy or response to abuse, or to questions about specific cases. Six pastors and elders were contacted for comment by phone and email repeatedly over a three-week period prior to this article’s publication, as well as one former pastor and elder. (Update: Following publication, Grace Community Church released a statement: https://www.gracechurch.org/news/posts/3672 “Our church’s history and congregation are the testimony.”)

 “Now that the facts are indeed known, it is not too late to ‘do justice’ even at this late stage, almost 20 years later,” he wrote to the elder board. “One’s own integrity, and upholding justice and righteousness, and being faithful even in the small things, even for something 20 years ago, all matter immensely.”

 “They sided with a child abuser, who turned out to be a child molester, over a mother desperately trying to protect her three innocent young children. “Numerous elders have admitted in various private conversations that ‘mistakes were made’ and that they would make a different decision today knowing what they know now.”

 After that, Cho said, he was told by elder board chair Chris Hamilton that he would need to “walk back” his findings about the church’s mistakes if he wanted to remain an elder. (Hamilton did not respond to requests for comment.) Cho and his wife resigned their membership the next day.

 “the man who taught me that was John MacArthur.”

Those are just a few excerpts from this article, which I urge you to read in full!

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


Check out the Disciple Up Facebook page:

My books – 

Episode 287-Restoring Leaders Who’ve Fallen

by

Disciple Up # 287
Restoring Leaders Who’ve Fallen
By Louie Marsh, 12-8-2022

Link to article: https://broward.us/2022/12/04/matt-chandler-restored-to-ministry-after-three-months/

Matt Chandler Restored to Ministry After Three Months

The Village Church offers few details about process it says was successful.

Matt Chandler returned to the pulpit of The Village Church on Sunday, restored to ministry by the Texas church’s elders a little more than three months after he took a leave of absence to deal with what one elder called “some challenges that arose.”

A few minutes later, 48-year-old Chandler started preaching about sin.

“It is my understanding that I have fallen short of the glory of God and he has met me with grace,” he said. “It is my understanding that I am inconsistent and I do have spots that are hypocritical, and there are parts of me I don’t even understand.”

Quoting Ephesians 2:13–17, Chandler urged the congregation to see that the true promise of Christmas is reconciliation with God. But that can only start, he said, if people acknowledge their sin, as he himself had done on that same stage in late August.

“To humble ourselves before a living God gives us a shot at peace,” he preached. “I’ve got a part of this I’ve got to own. It might just be 1 percent, but that’s my 1 percent. Forgive me. Now we’ve got a shot at reconciliation.”

While he acknowledged his sinfulness again on Sunday, Chandler didn’t offer any more details about the situation that led to his leave of absence. In late August, he confessed to an inappropriate online relationship with a woman he was direct messaging on Instagram. Chandler said at the time that the ongoing exchange was neither sexual nor secret—his wife knew about it—but the church’s elders were nonetheless concerned “about frequency and familiarity,” and specifically “a familiarity that played itself out in coarse and foolish joking.”

A statement …

“13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.” (Ephesians 2:13–17, ESV)

https://www.amazon.com/No-More-Dragons-Religion-Monsters/dp/140020562X?crid=48GJVTVJUKMV&keywords=no+more+dragons+jim+burgen&qid=1649216200&sprefix=no+more+dragons+,aps,109&sr=8-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=micahdey741-20&linkId=48dd9e661528b87b314308a0f15855ca&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

What Should We Do?

1) Pray for them.

2) Love them enough to hold them accountable.

3) Give them the time and space needed for real recovery.

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


Check out the Disciple Up Facebook page:

My books – 

Episode 285 Stewardship Pt. 8: Use of Finances

by

Disciple Up # 285
Stewardship Part Nine: Use of Finances
Louie Marsh, 11-23-2022

Introduction:  Where we’ve been and where we’re probably going!

9 Biblical Financial Principles

1) God is My Source

The first principle is that God is the source of everything.

“19And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19, ESV)

“8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8, ESV)

2) Giving Is Essential

“38give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”” (Luke 6:38, ESV)

“23And before the Lord your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.” (Deuteronomy 14:23, ESV)

One purpose of tithing was to teach the people of Israel to put God first in their lives.

3) Saving Is Critical

The third financial principle concerns saving money-setting something aside for a rainy day.

“20Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.” (Proverbs 21:20, ESV)

4) Keep Out of Debt

The fourth principle is to keep out of unnecessary debt and thus avoid the debt trap.

“21The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives;” (Psalm 37:21, ESV)

Borrowing for a house or car is one thing but taking on financial obligations one can’t keep-buying beyond the ability to pay-is another.

“7The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.” (Proverbs 22:7, ESV)

5) Be Content with what you have

The 5th principle is being content with what one has.

“5Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”” (Hebrews 13:5, ESV)

“11Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” (Philippians 4:11, ESV)

“10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” (2 Corinthians 6:10, ESV)

6) Have a Budget

The 6th principle is that of keeping records and making a budget.

“23Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.” (Proverbs 23:23, ESV)

“3By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.” (Proverbs 24:3–4, ESV)

7) Don’t Cosign

The 7th principle is, don’t cosign.

“1My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger, 2if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth, 3then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor. 4Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; 5save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.” (Proverbs 6:1–5, ESV)

8) Work Hard

The eighth principle is that of hard work.

“23In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.” (Proverbs 14:23, ESV)

“19Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.” (Proverbs 28:19, ESV)

9) Seek Godly Counsel

The last principle is that of seeking godly counsel.

“1Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;” (Psalm 1:1, ESV)

“22Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22, ESV)

6) How this works in my church/ministry

  • Use of funds

 Churches & ministries must be as open and transparent as possible about their finances. The only thing we keep private is who gave how much. Otherwise our books are open, staff salaries are open, and each month we report on our finances publicly.

  •  Support of those in the ministry – time, finances, marriage support, etc.

 “3I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:3–6, ESV)

  •  Staying focused on the ministry’s purpose

 “25of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” (Colossians 1:25–29, ESV)

  •  Balance my time for ministry & rest, etc.

“1Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” (Psalm 127:1–2, ESV)

“19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20, ESV)

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


Check out the Disciple Up Facebook page:

My books – 

Episode 281: Stewardship Pt 5-Children Ministry & Weaknesses

by

Disciple Up Show Notes #281
Stewardship Pt 5: Children, Ministry Weaknesses
By Louie Marsh, 10-26-2022

 Children

 “4Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4, ESV)

 Again, servants love to help them grow up into Christ – Stewardship.

 Ministry

 “6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 8Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,” (2 Timothy 1:6–9, ESV)

“Talent on loan from God” – Rush Limbaugh

 “4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:4–7, ESV)

“11for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. 13Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.” (2 Timothy 1:11–14, ESV)

“10As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:” (1 Peter 4:10, ESV)

I MUST BE A GOOD STEWARD OF MY WEAKNESSES

 Weaknesses – God deliberately gave me my weaknesses, to use them for his glory. Therefore I must steward them as well.

 “8Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:8–10, ESV)

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


Check out the Disciple Up Facebook page:

My books – 

Episode 257: Can You Trust Your Pastor?

by

Disciple Up # 257
Can You Trust Your Pastor?
By Louie Marsh, 5-5-2022

https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2022/spring/pastoral-credibility-erodes-resilient-glenn-packiam.html

https://churchleaders.com/news/417918-barna-glenn-packiam-american-pastors-credibility.html

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


Check out the Disciple Up Facebook page:

My books – 

Episode 256-Silly Things that Christians Say & Believe

by

Disciple Up #256
Silly Things Christians Say & Believe
By Louie Marsh, 4-27-2022

Intro. Just to show you we aren’t the only ones acting very silly if not downright disgusting sometimes: https://sheershanews.net/men-gang-rape-kill-and-eat-endangered-monitor-lizard/

“Christlikeness is a journey, not a destination. The joy is in the journey.” – Charles R. Swindoll

https://directors.tfionline.com/post/more-jesus-reflections-christlikeness/

https://www.wisefamousquotes.com/quotes-about-journey-not-the-destination/

By saying Christlikeness – is to admit that this is the goal! Example of me going to Texas.

Becoming like Christ is both a journey and a goal, and we won’t be done with either one in this lifetime that’s for sure. If it’s not a goal why did Paul write this?

“7But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:7–11, ESV)

“12Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16Only let us hold true to what we have attained.” (Philippians 3:12–16, ESV)

“8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:8–10, ESV)

“Love Always Wins” –

Probably taken from what Gandhi first said which was…” When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murders, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall.”

The movie about his life ends with this quote.

“16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” (John 3:16–19, ESV)

“13“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13–14, ESV)

“1First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1–4, ESV)

“8But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8–9, ESV)

“30“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. 31Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”” (Ezekiel 18:30–32, ESV)

“10“And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’ 11Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:10–11, ESV)

Love always ends makes perfect sense if you are a universalist, but if you take the New Testament seriously, then you believe that Hell is real and awful beyond belief and that means God’s love doesn’t always win. And if His doesn’t then mine sure won’t either!

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


Check out the Disciple Up Facebook page:

My books – 

Episode 252

by

Disciple Up #252
Character Over Charisma, Godliness Over Giftedness
By Louie Marsh, 3-30-2022

Article that sparked these thoughts:

 https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/march-web-only/hillsong-brian-houston-australia-look-for-character.html

 Other Articles:

https://preachitteachit.org/articles/detail/character-wins-over-charisma/

The Real Point:

 What I find disappointing are the explanations for Houston’s actions. While medication can adversely affect a person’s mental state, it is never a justification for inappropriate behavior. These excuses ring hollow, especially for victims of sexual harassment.

 One obvious issue, rightly noted by the Hillsong board, is that “Hillsong’s governance model has historically placed significant control in the hands of the senior pastor.” Freighting one person with authority is not indicative of a healthy leadership culture. We would do well, then, to reflect on which model of church governance and which style of leadership are more conducive to transparency and accountability.

 As biblical scholar Andy Judd suggests, we should always ask, “Where is power distributed? how are decisions made and reviewed? and what happens next when a leader is forced to move on?”

 But more important than leadership structures is a person’s character. The biblical qualifications for a pastor don’t rely on clicks, downloads, book sales, revenue, conference circuits, the number of bums in pews, or how many celebrities attend your church.

 Instead, they require a pastor to be “above reapproach” and “self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money” (1 Tim. 3:2–3). Jesus taught that “the greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matt 23:11–12).

 During my time in seminary, I joined a wonderful Bible-believing church, and when I was being considered for a place as a pastoral intern, I met with one of the pastors. Having known me only for a little while, he was optimistic about my potential but wisely cautious about my character.

 He said, “I know you’re gifted, but I don’t know if you’re godly.” Those words have stuck with me ever since.

 There is a difference—a big one—between being gifted and being godly. It’s the difference between the show you can put on and what desires you harbor in your heart, between what you do on stage and what you do when you think nobody is watching you.

 The events surrounding Houston are a reminder that the evangelical world needs leaders who demonstrate Christlike character, not simply public confidence; who grow disciples, not groom sycophants; who see themselves as naked before Christ, not robed in the prestige of their platforms. We need leaders who know that when success becomes an idol, cover-ups become a sacrament.

 A Word From Our Sponsor:

“1The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” (1 Timothy 3:1–7, ESV)

“11The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:11–12, ESV)

Character Counts and it trumps charisma and giftedness.

New Testament leaders are chosen for character and how they deal with family, not business and skill tests ratings.

In the end what else is a leader but someone who’s character shines bright and causes others to follow them.

New Testament leadership is all about Servant Leadership. This too takes character.  Story of Crazy Horses’ father taking a new, humble name when he gave his name – Crazy Horse – to his now famous son.

What qualities do we need in a Pastor or leader?

Paul laid that all out in Timothy. They need to be godly, self-controlled, humble and service oriented. Someone who knows how to lead, discipline and love all at the same time. They must be spiritually mature – which means being knowledgeable and active in applying that knowledge to their own lives first and other people’s lives second.

Beyond all that they must have a good reputation among non-Christians! Now why on earth would that be needed in church leaders? Paul says so that he won’t fall into disgrace or a snare of the devil.

The words, “good report,” are marturian kalēn (μαρτυριαν καλην), “an excellent testimony.” “Those without” refers to the non-Christian world in the midst of which the saints live. Expositors says: “In the passage before us, indeed, St. Paul may be understood to imply that the opinion of ‘those without’ might usefully balance or correct that of the Church. There is something blameworthy in a man’s character if the consensus of outside opinion be unfavorable to him; no matter how much he may be admired and respected by his own party.… One cannot safely assume, when we are in antagonism to it, that, because we are Christians, we are absolutely in the right and the world wholly wrong. Thus to defy public opinion in a superior spirit may not only bring discredit (reproach) on one’s self and on the Church, but also catch us in the devil’s snare, namely, a supposition that because the world condemns a certain course of action, the action is therefore right and the world’s verdict may be safely set aside.” – Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 7 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 58–59.

There are, of course, two sides to this matter. Reproach (ὀνειδισμον [oneidismon]). Late word from ὀνειδιζω [oneidizō]. See Rom. 15:3. The snare of the devil (παγιδα του διαβολου [pagida tou diabolou]). Here subjective genitive, snare set by the devil. Παγις [Pagis], old word from πηγνυμι [pēgnumi], to make fast. So a snare for birds (Luke 21:35), any sudden trap (Rom. 11:9), of sin (1 Tim. 6:9), of the devil (1 Tim. 3:7; 2 Tim. 2:26). Ancients used it of the snares of love. The devil sets special snares for preachers (conceit verse 6, money 6:9, women, ambition). -A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), 1 Ti 3:7.

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


Check out the Disciple Up Facebook page:

My books – 

Episode 228

by

Disciple Up # 228
7 Letters For 7 Churches, Pt. 2
By Louie Marsh

Intro. Last week we did the first three and I shared a nice graph on the letters in the show notes. This week we’ll be finishing off the last four.

Next week – I might be focusing on what I preached on September 12th – Gender with a special focus on the end of the message which dealt with why we are thinking the way we are in this culture/

Gender & Sanity:

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/christschurchontheriver/02_reThink_-_Gender__Sanity.mp3

Last Four Letters:

 Website where I got what’s below from: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/end-times/what-do-the-7-churches-in-revelation-represent-summaries-and-explanations.html

  1. Thyatira. The Church that Follows False Prophets (Revelation 2:18-29)

Summary and Explanation: Thyatira was a wealthy commercial city. Jesus’ letter to Thyatira praises the church for having grown in faith and service (Revelation 2:19). The church’s downfall was its devotion to a false prophet that led some members to commit idolatry and immorality (Revelation 2:20). Although the false prophet remained unrepentant, Jesus affirms that the congregation can still repent by turning away from the prophet’s ways (Revelation 2:21-22).

The Lord reminds us in this revelation that He will repay each of us according to our deeds (Revelation 2:23). The payment for sin is death. Those who persevere in faith, however, will receive a share of Christ’s messianic authority over all nations and triumph over death (Revelation 2:26-28).

Significance Today: Just as some in Thyatira’s church were led astray by a false prophet, Christians today fall prey to cult leaders, occult practices, and other false teachings. To share in Christ’s victory, we are to avoid these “so-called deep secrets” of Satan (Revelation 2:24) and hold firm to Christ’s teachings.

  1. Sardis. The Church that is Spiritually Dead (Revelation 3:1-6)

Summary and Explanation: Sardis was a city that had endured two surprise attacks despite its fortifications. Our Lord faults the church in Sardis for maintaining an outward appearance of being “alive,” while actually being spiritually dead (Revelation 3:1). Alluding to the city’s history of prior surprise attacks, Jesus warns the congregation to “wake up” and repent, lest he “come like a thief” to bestow His judgment (Revelation 3:2-3).

Those in Sardis who heed Christ’s warning will be “dressed in white,” a symbol of purity and victory, and will be acknowledged in Heaven’s Book of Life (Revelation 3:5).

Significance Today: Today, Christians can fall into the trap that ensnared the church in Sardis if we merely go through the motions of practicing our faith without really feeding our spirit. We can avoid becoming “the living dead” by engaging in our faith through Bible study, prayer, and fellowship.

  1. Philadelphia. The Church that Patiently Endured Despite Weaknesses (Revelation 3:7-13)

Summary and Explanation: Philadelphia was home to a synagogue community hostile to Christians. Christ praises the Philadelphians for remaining faithful in the face of trials despite their limited strength (Rev. 3:8).

Jesus does not reproach this congregation but condemns its persecutors. (Revelation 3:9). Christ promises that if Philadelphia’s congregants remain faithful to Him, He will protect them from the “hour of trial” and make them pillars in God’s heavenly temple (Revelation 3:10-12).

Significance Today: The message to Philadelphia shows us the blessings that come when we maintain our faith despite life’s tribulations. In fact, those who persevere despite weaknesses will stand strong as pillars in Heaven.

  1. Laodicea. The Church with a Lukewarm Faith (Revelation 3:14-22)

Summary and Explanation: Laodicea was a prosperous industrial and commercial center. Jesus’ letter to this church wastes no time denouncing the congregation for its lukewarm faith, threatening to “spit” the congregation out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16).

Christ scolds this church for allowing its economic prosperity to cause it spiritual bankruptcy and reveals that, despite its economic wealth, only He can provide spiritual wealth (Revelation 3:17-18). Those in Laodicea’s church who open the door to Christ will share in His Heavenly banquet and have the right to sit with Him on His throne (Revelation 3:20-21).

Significance Today: Like the church in Laodicea, it’s easy to become complacent in our faith during times of abundance. Christ warns us in this revelation that he will “spit out” lukewarm disciples. Instead, Jesus urges us to keep seeking the Lord’s face even after His hand has bestowed riches in our lives.

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


Check out the Disciple Up Facebook page:

My books –