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Discussion Forum : News and Current Events : Plagiarism forces resignation of preacher

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lwpray
Member



Joined: 2003/6/22
Posts: 3318
Sweden

 Re:


A necessary reminder within this forum:

The preachers who gain mighty results for God are the men who have prevailed in their pleadings with God ere venturing to plead with men. The preachers who are the mightiest in their closets with God are the mightiest in their pulpits with men.

Preachers are human folks, and are exposed to and often caught by the strong driftings of human currents. Praying is spiritual work; and human nature does not like taxing, spiritual work. Human nature wants to sail to heaven under a favoring breeze, a full, smooth sea. Prayer is humbling work. It abases intellect and pride, crucifies vainglory, and signs our spiritual bankruptcy, and all these are hard for flesh and blood to bear. It is easier not to pray than to bear them. So we come to one of the crying evils of these times, maybe of all times -- little or no praying. Of these two evils, perhaps little praying is worse than no praying. Little praying is a kind of make-believe, a salvo for the conscience, a farce and a delusion.

The little estimate we put on prayer is evident from the little time we give to it. The time given to prayer by the average preacher scarcely counts in the sum of the daily aggregate. Not infrequently the preacher's only praying is by his bedside in his nightdress, ready for bed and soon in it, with, perchance the addition of a few hasty snatches of prayer ere he is dressed in the morning. How feeble, vain, and little is such praying compared with the time and energy devoted to praying by holy men in and out of the Bible! How poor and mean our petty, childish praying is beside the habits of the true men of God in all ages! To men who think praying their main business and devote time to it according to this high estimate of its importance does God commit the keys of his kingdom, and by them does he work his spiritual wonders in this world. Great praying is the sign and seal of God's great leaders and the earnest of the conquering forces with which God will crown their labors.

The preacher is commissioned to pray as well as to preach. His mission is incomplete if he does not do both well. The preacher may speak with all the eloquence of men and of angels; but unless he can pray with a faith which draws all heaven to his aid, his preaching will be "as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal" for permanent God-honoring, soul-saving uses.

Chapter five
Power through Prayer
E.M. Bounds



_________________
Lars Widerberg

 2004/9/8 5:34Profile
BPReese
Member



Joined: 2004/8/26
Posts: 3


 Re:

IN MY HEART I WAS NOT ASSASSINATING ANYONE-It was 'tongue in cheek' as it were.
Besides-where do I go?? I don't know how many who read this are "paid full time ministers" and how many are "laymen". From a layman's standpoint-and maybe it is as I feared and I am the only one who experiences this-but I would like someone to tell me where I go. Where is the WORD preached without apology? Where is the church where the "paid minister" stands up on Sunday morning and says, "Thus sayeth the Lord?..."
It is easy to say, "get out of there" but there is a crying need for Pastors who are Preachers. As far as I know, there is nowhere to go in this town-and it is a big town. I am pleased for you that you have such a fine place to worship. Maybe you have a 'Man of God' like the quotes just posted from E.M.Bounds. It just so happens it doesn't happen here, much. So, I just abandon the other believers? The other's I worship with because I am not 'served' on Sunday morning? It isn't that easy, sorry. :-(

 2004/9/8 10:01Profile
JCGarc55
Member



Joined: 2004/3/1
Posts: 103


 Re: 'where do I go'

Quote:
Where is the WORD preached without apology? Where is the church where the "paid minister" stands up on Sunday morning and says, "Thus sayeth the Lord?..."



I grieve with you over this. My wife and I found ourselves in the same predicament a couple years ago. And I believe there are others here on this forum who are going through the same thing. One major blessing for me has been having this sermonindex website to download messages and allow God through these Men of God to convict my heart and draw me close to Christ. But my prayer for you would be that God would send you other brothers there to where you are that are likeminded and love the Word of God and want to be drawn to Him. One verse that I took to heart is found in Psalm 107.
starting at the 4th verse:
4 Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
5 They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men,
9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things."

you mentioned at your local church, there are 'others' that you care for. Maybe you could start a little bible study group or prayer group and just start praying and seeking God together.
Listen to one of the sermons here from this site together and just worship the Lord. The wife and I did something like that and it got us through the wilderness we were experiencing.
Today we are now serving in a church that our former young adults pastor started. He totally has a Pastor's heart and seeks the Lord for what to speak to His people. God bless you and I hope you find some encouragement in what I have shared here. Stay in the fellowship here online because Greg, Mike and many of the brothers here are a great example and its awesome seeing what God is doing in their lives.

feel free to email whenever you want. I live in San Jose, CA. who knows? maybe you are next door?
like brother Mike! :-)

 2004/9/8 11:50Profile
BPReese
Member



Joined: 2004/8/26
Posts: 3


 Re:

Thank you for your encouragment. :-D

 2004/9/8 12:25Profile
Gideons
Member



Joined: 2003/9/16
Posts: 474
Virginia

 Re:

Having experienced this famine of the word of the Lord (Amos 8:15 I believe) in part, we will pray for you. I'm believing God that the "unvarnished" Word will make a comeback in America. It will likely still be a minority of churches but brother it's making a comeback.

I just pray the Lord will intensify and then satisfy this longing in your heart for more of Jesus.

I also believe we need to have a heart for those who have struggled in their ministry in some form or another. May we learn to lift up one other and truly function as the body of Christ.


_________________
Ed Pugh

 2004/9/8 19:32Profile





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