CHRISTIAN? You're kidding right?

 I recently found this "Pastor" online job posting from a church that is looking for new pastoral leadership.  It was so strange, so disconnected from the Father God I know.

Quote: Please make sure you read all of the information thoroughly before contacting us. This is where we stand. We are not here to debate, argue, answer questions or get advice!!!!  If you meet these qualifications feel free to contact us.  If you fail to meet these qualifications please do not waste our time.

We are currently looking for a Bishop for our church in (name redacted).  Our church is very small and NOT looking for   "rapid growth ."  We simply want to hold fast to Biblical principals and not traditions!

We believe in biblical words such as Pastor, Bishop, Deacon etc. We Reject titles such as Reverend, Doctor, Minister, and Scholar. Reverend is used once in the bible and it is referring to God so unless you're God... Simply put don't give yourself a stupid name and we won't call you by it.

We believe that salvation is through faith and faith ALONE!  We do not believe in repentance of sins to be saved, to be a good person, or to go to church.   We believe that the Holy Spirit DOES NOT Convict you of sins!  It is NO WHERE in the bible unless you are reading an NIV. Salvation is not about emotion; it is about your FAITH.

We believe in Door to Door Soul winning as thee only biblical method to reach the lost. Tracts, Street Preaching, and Life Style Evangelism are all unscriptural and will never work.

We reject the false teaching of the pre-tribulation Rapture. We believe that Gods people always have and always will go through tribulation. The Great tribulation is not God pouring out his wrath.

We believe that God put in his word everything we needed to know, and he didn't write a sequel. We are 100% King James ONLY! We do not consult the History books to see if Man is smarter than God.

In addition to this we believe in a single church. No Sunday schools, Nurseries, Youth Groups etc. We also believe Bible colleges, Christian Schools, etc are biblically incorrect. You DO NOT have to be ordained by a bible college to be a Pastor considering it is NO WHERE in the qualifications! Also we believe that the church should not be selling ANYTHING and that includes an Education. Why do you think Jesus threw tables in the temple? TWICE!!!!!

We believe the women are to have NO PART in the Teaching at church! A woman is to keep SILENT during the Teaching and Preaching. This DOES NOT forbid a woman from singing.

We also believe the King James is the inspired word of God in English! We do not believe in going back to the Greek, Hebrew, Chaldean, Sand Script, Native American Cave paintings, or Finger Paintings by children to   "interpret   " Gods word.   God can speak English just fine and since he promised to preserve his word there is no need to go outside the English language to find it.

Once again do not contact us if you are not interested in the position. Any questions, comments, rude remarks, or suggestions will be considered as an application since that is all we are looking for! If you are looking for an argument find a tree and maybe you will win!  End Quote.

 This posting is so confusing to me.  Is this how Jesus approached people during his ministry?  Jesus ate and drank with "publicans and sinners",  dined with hated tax collectors, healed outcast lepers, spoke with prostitutes, welcomed questioners like Nicodemus, and finally....with his last few breaths welcomed a thief....hanging on a cross.....into Paradise.

This isn't the Jesus I know.   I was a Prodigal Son who's Father welcome him back home with open arms, new clothes, a hot meal, and new friends.  I don't see that Jesus here.   This ad for a Pastor...made me sad.

I didn't apply for the position.  

PUZZLE PIECES

Have you seen those completed puzzles that have been framed and matted?

10,000 magnificent pieces all in their correct place, each complementing the panoramic scene that is the artist's vision.

I saw one the other day...a magnificent landscape with areas of dark and light, sun and shade. Some areas were bursting with colors, bright and vivid, while others were quite drab, subdued, almost monotone.

.....And inside of me a thought popped up...."That is a picture of the Kingdom."

1) Each puzzle piece is unique in size, shape and color. No two pieces are completely alike.

2) Each puzzle piece complements the others. There is a harmonious "fit" when a piece is placed in right relationship to it's peers.

3) Every single puzzle piece is valuable. A puzzle that includes all 10,000 pieces is valuable. A puzzle with 9,999 pieces is almost worthless.

4) Each puzzle piece contributes to the common goal and final vision of the creator.

5) When just one piece in 10,000 pieces is lost, misplaced, or otherwise absent from the whole, the vision is spoiled and incomplete.

1 Corinthians 12:27 "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

We are not all eyes, or hands, or feet....and if we were, how would the whole benefit and what would the final vision be? And why is there division and disunity over what kind of puzzle piece we may be...or want to be?

We must encourage each puzzle piece to discover it's size, color, calling and gifting. We must encourage each one to take their place in the Kingdom.... completing the intended vision of the creator.

I'd Rather Fly a Kite!

When I was a boy growing up in Africa, the temperature at 7,200 feet was a constant 70-80 degrees year round and the winds were mild, ideal weather for flying a kite.

As a kid, we made our own kites out of dried sticks, plastic bags, scotch tape and lightweight nylon string. They flew amazingly well, sometimes so high in the sky that you could hardly see them with the naked eye. Sometimes so high that they flew when the winds at the surface were calm.

I loved those days, carefree, footloose, and as an adult I remember the sheer happiness and joy that flying my kite gave me.

In America we live in a very autonomous, self determining culture where everyone is driven by the tyranny of becoming....rather than just being. There's nothing wrong with growth, progress, or success.....but sometimes just "being" (in Christ) is God's plan.

What if we all decided to be.......what if we decided to fly a kite..........?

Some of the great things about kites....are really about us.

1) The kite was a part of us. We built it. It contained our personality, our character, our DNA. It represents us....it's almost as if we can fly.

2) We hold onto the string. We hold onto the string and when the kite is low we have alot of control, but as the kite flies higher our control becomes less and the winds control becomes greater.

3) We let out more string. As the wind takes the kite higher, we grow by letting outr more string, the uncertainty of what might become of the kite increases the higher it goes but so does the pleasure and excitement of flying it.

4) We fix our eyes on the kite. We would stand for hours watching our kites fly first this way then that way....it was a wonder that we never tired of.

So what is the point here?

What if we lived our lives like we were flying a kite?

1) What if we believed that God has made each of us to fly, each of us with our own DNA, personality, and characteristics...each one of us uniquely important to his Kingdom?

2) What if we understood that to begin with we must hold the string.....but that as we rise higher God begins blowing us this way and that way, causing our lives to fly with his purpose and his design, taking us to places and heights we have never known?

3) What if the longer we fly our kite the more string we let out.....the more insecure we become in our abilities and the more we lean on Gods ability.

4) Finally, as we watch our kite flying under the influence of the wind of God.....we realize things that would have never happened if we had chosen not to fly our kite.

The church sometimes says that we cannot be involved in mininstry unless we fit into a traditional mold, look a certain way, or do ministry the way it has always been done. Sometimes that is good....but not always.

What about the "kite flyers" in the Bible?

Abraham.....just flying his kite, minding his business.....and God came along with a skyhigh adventure...."How would you like to fly your kite in a country you knew nothing about?"

David....just flying his kite.....watching his fathers sheep......when a prophet comes, finds him, and annoints him King of Israel!

All the people in the Bible were kite flyers......when God came along and took them on a sky high adventure.

So, I'm not agonizing, and frantically searching for the next step in my life. My next step is up to God....I'm just keeping my eyes on Him.

I'm not being insincere, I'm just flying a kite.

I'm holding onto my end of the string, watching my kite intently....leaning on God's ability. I know that God is kind and has everything under control....even the wind. And when that gust of wind comes along that takes my kite into a hard right turn....I'll feel the tug and know that God is leading me into the next phase of this sky high adventure.