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I heard last night that Dr. Dobson is no longer involved with Ted Haggard's situation. It is a good thing. Paul the apostle would likely have put him in Satan's hands (do you know the scripture?).

The man who performed my baptism was found in 1980 by the church to be a homosexual . I well remember his first word of comfort to me in 1976 was that as a Christian I would be forgiven for all my sins past and future. On the other hand Jesus (and the Baptist before Him) came preaching: repent. I myself had a long history of sexual self abuse starting around age 10, and have never beaten the habits of the flesh down completely in repentance. I am a bitter man, and not at all Christ like in so many ways. But I hope to be saved. Perhaps even healed before I die.

I no longer regularly attend a local "church". There is no transparency in church.

Hear this well: Every pastor, deacon and elder who continues to sin sexually must step down from his position. NOW. The consequences of their exposure having remained in the church as "leaders" is damning in the world's eyes, if not the Lord's.

Ephesians 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
Mark 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

As otherwise qualified as I am, I will never seek or accept again what I might have remained (worship leader) or become (?). The consequences of that could be just horrendous! I was promoted to worship leader in my first year of salvation by the same man who baptized me. I well understand that those who serve desire to remain and others to regain the positions they have held. They are and the church is often deceived as to the disqualifying effect of their sexual iniquities. If Satan has been thrown into hell for coveting, what shall become of these amongst His people who cause little ones to stumble, before or after they are discovered?

Ezekiel 28; Matthew 23:15; Mark 9:42

My bitterness arises out of the perception of my soul being mishandled by those who call(ed) themselves "church" leaders or even just "Christians". In other words I see myself as untaught and mistaught. I just have to face the fact that I remain offended by persons who represented themselves to me as other than they were. I have no faith in men anymore, though my heart is often weighed down in the habit of seeking answers from them. God has better, no, He has the only answers.

A good many of the "ministries" in North America ought to just close their doors, they do more harm than good. Their shepherds are wolves who fleece the sheep. In other cases they are lazy dogs who do not know the condition of their sheep (or even their own hearts). They are so desparate to "build a ministry" they promote the first clean shaven man they see to deacon, and depend on their women to teach Sunday School. I am brutal, but I wonder what I might have been able to do IN Christ, rather than for the Pastor/elder.

All this is so sadly illuminated by the deception that we shall spiritually reproduce OURSELVES (rather than make disciples of Yeshua), and then send republicans to our capitols to save us. Well, that hasn't worked out, now, has it? My best advice to the North American church? : tear down your barns, don't rebuild, sell what you have and give to the poor, then - THEN: go follow Christ.

Coffee time.

D. Severy Baltimore MD