Personal Accountability and Adulthood-Part 4

IV. Specific Baptist Distinctives Considered

The following portions are quoted from http://www.allaboutbaptists.com/distinctives.html:

A. INDIVIDUAL SOUL LIBERTY

“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
~ 2 Corinthians 3:17
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”   ~  Galations 5:1
“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”   ~ James 1:25

Baptists have had a long-term determination to adhere to the Biblical doctrine that they call “Individual Soul Liberty.”
Church history verifies that Christians have died for this principle.  The teaching that individuals are sovereign in matters of faith is one that Baptists will not compromise.
The individual soul is answerable to Almighty God and to Him alone.  This precludes giving up that independency to a pope, a priest, a system, an organization, a convention, a fellowship, an association, or any other human being.  None of these are given the authority to interpose anything whatsoever between the individual believer and God concerning any matter of faith.

To demand, whether directly or indirectly, that believers submit to any kind of authoritarian rule is both unscriptural and, in fact, questionable.  This generation has seen its Jim Jones’s and David Karesh’s.  Whenever believers give up their individual soul liberty in favor of following the demands of another person or affiliation, they do indeed compromise this essential doctrine of the faith.

B. PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”   ~ 1 Peter 2:5

Every born-again believer has direct access to the throne of God.  Therefore, since every child of God shares in the priesthood of the believers, all have the same right as ordained ministers to communicate with God, interpret Scripture, and minister in Christ’s name.  This is first and foremost a matter of responsibility and servanthood, not privilege and license. Where does the Bible teach that only ordained “priests” can hear confessions and determine penence?  The Baptists will tell you that no such indication exists in all of Scripture and they are right. The Word of God makes it clear that the believer has direct access to God in all matters including confession and seeking His forgiveness.  Who needs a priest when we are already priests ourselves (1 Peter 2:5)?

According to the Scriptures, every born-again believer has access to God.  This was secured by Christ’s redemptive work on the cross. We are to have “boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19).”  Furthermore, the Holy Spirit enables our access as we “have access by one Spirit to the Father (Ephesians 2:18).”

C. BIBLICAL AUTHORITY

The Bible is the final authority in all matters of belief and practice because the Bible is inspired by God and bears the absolute authority of God Himself. Whatever the Bible affirms, Baptists accept as true. No human opinion or decree of any church group can override the Bible. Even creeds and confessions of faith, which attempt to articulate the theology of Scripture, do not carry Scripture’s inherent authority.

“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”   ~ 1st Thessalonians 2:13

Personal Accountability and Adulthood-Part 3

III. True Discipleship Considered

A. Children Dedicated to God’s Service

(I Samuel 1:11, 27-28) And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head… For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.

B. Jesus’ View of Discipleship

(Matthew 10:35-37) For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

(Luke 12:51-53) Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

(Luke 14:25-27) And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

*We can at least conclude from Jesus’ view of discipleship that God’s plan and parents’ perspectives are not always synonymous.

C. The Apostles’ View of Discipleship

(Acts 4:19) But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

(Acts 5:29) Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Personal Accountability and Adulthood-Part 2

II. The Biblical Institutions Considered

From Scripture, we find that God has ordained three specific human institutions. These institutions are government, church, and family. The issue at hand is the timing of when a child attains adulthood and becomes personally responsible to God instead of the parents being held responsible for that child. Scripture does not state in black and white when this time begins. What do the God-ordained institutions say?

The United States government views an individual as an independent adult at the age of 18. Criminals are tried as adults at age 18. The parents do not suffer the punishment if their 18 year old son goes and steals a car, the 18 year old delinquent does. An individual is personally responsible for paying taxes at age 18 and so forth. The God ordained institution of government that we are presently under considers an individual an adult at the age of 18. Christians are to obey the ordinances of government unless they contradict scripture. Take a portion of I Peter 2 for instance:

(1 Peter 2:13-17)  Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

Also consider a portion of Romans 13. We are to submit to the government for the sake of our own conscience:

(Romans 13:1-5) Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

The United States constitution, nor its amendments, nor any Supreme Court decision has ever extended parental authority over an adult offspring. The United States government views a person as an adult at age 18, holding the responsibilities and consequences of such fact. Even though our present government has historically contradicted Scripture many times, there is no proof that the United States government is currently doing so in the manner of adulthood. Therefore, we are subject to this ordinance. The present institution of government considers an individual accountable as an adult at age 18.

The second institution to be considered is the local church. Local churches differ on the issue. The local church should be fueled and driven by the Scriptures. However, different local churches differ on the matter. As a Baptist, the Scriptures hold the final authority and not government or local church. But principles from these can offer insight. Matthew 18 shows that when we join a local church we are making ourselves accountable to that local church. I would be weary to join a local church where the Pastor teaches for parents to make major decisions for their adult children. It denies individual soul liberty and hints of cultism. Romans 14 states that there are some grey issues within our churches that are not perfectly clear. The conclusion is to use individual soul liberty “for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10-11).” When Scripture does not speak plainly on an issue, Christians must make decisions keeping in mind that we all will stand individually before Christ and give account for our lives. If we cannot make a decision out of faith, then it is sin (14:23).

Last (but definitely not least) is the institution of the family. A family must take a systematic approach of Scripture and compare everything on the topic and not just select portions of Scripture. Like local churches, many families differ on their conclusions from Scripture. In such a matter, solid objective council is a must. Proverbs 11:14 states if someone seeks a multitude of dependable objective council, the decision will generally be the right one.

Personal Accountability and Adulthood -Part 1

I. Ephesians 5:22-6:4 Considered

Ephesians 5:22-6:4 gives an outline of a Spirit-filled and unified family. This is God’s design for the family. This should be every household’s goal. The husband is ordained to leadership and accountable for his household. He should take the initiative for the direction and unity of his wife and children. This does not give a husband license to be a dictator. It is the responsibility of a man to raise his son to lead like this. Therefore, Christian men that aspire to marriage should always be honing leadership qualities and character.

Since the theme of Ephesians is unity, it is a no-brainer that Paul teaches the Ephesian churches in this epistle about practical unity between children and their parents. The child still at home is to obey his/her parents. This passage makes an obvious reference to Exodus 20. In Old Testament times in Israel, there were no government programs to enforce obedience to parents. There were no reform schools. If a child wandered from the faith or lived a rebellious lifestyle against his mother and father, he was stoned by the assembly. No “if’s” or “but’s” about it. The provision in the Mosaic Law that held children in check from rebelliously leaving the faith and staunchly dishonoring their parents was the fear of capital punishment. Capital punishment was not so much a provision for parents to demand blind obedience from their children, but was to reinforce faithfulness to Jehovah through the Mosaic covenant.

Today, a child still retains the God-given responsibility to obey and honor the parents. The terms “obedience” and “honour” are both used in Eph. 6. They are both commands. However, the terms are not synonymous. “Obey” means to heed or conform to authority. Children within the household are to obey their parents because ultimately they are obeying God. Little children do not always have the experience, foresight, wisdom, or discernment to make solid and wise life decisions. Therefore, children need to obey their parents because their mother and father often do possess these qualities. “Honour” retains a different definition than “obey.” “Honour” means to fix a valuation upon or to revere (Strong’s Concordance). Obedience means to follow in suit while honor means to give a good name. Obedience is a temporary responsibility until adulthood. Honor is a permanent responsibility (http://drtimwhite.com/category/ephesians-class/). A child must obey until he leaves home, but he must honor for the rest of his life.

Blind obedience is not what it takes to honor a parent. Living a life surrendered to God and His plan is what it takes to honor a parent. Everywhere we go, we must always be giving our parents a good name. Our lifestyle and level of commitment to God best determines what kind of reputation we are giving our parents. If we live lifestyles that honor our parents and are pleasing to God, we will not contract diseases from sinful habits (lung cancer, liver problems, STD’s). We will most likely live a long life span. This is a general principle. Surely we cannot say every young person or teenager who has died, did so because they disobeyed and dishonored their parents. That is simply not the case and Scripture does not give us the freedom to place God in that strict of a box. As an example, there were several kings in Israel and Judah that lived lives dishonoring to their parents, but they still lived long lives (they were the exceptions, rather than the rule). And vice-versa, Absolom was a son who’s life was cut short because of his dishonoring choices. If we rebel against parents and God and pursue a sinful lifestyle, God will let us feel the consequences of being a lifetime smoker or alcoholic-that’s a promise.

The last verse in this portion of Scripture is an exhortation to the parents. The authority parents have while their children are immature and still within the household is not permanent dictatorial rights to micromanage. The phrase “bring them up” literally means “raise them to maturity.” Again, we are hinted that parental authority is temporary and not permanent.  The goal is to raise kids who are Spiritually mature in the Lord (e.g. “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”) who can make their own decisions based on Scripture and leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Review of “The Essential Church”

   There is an undeniable mass exodus of church attendees between the ages of 18 and 22. Kids that sit in church all their lives and go through Awana and Word of Life programs come to the conclusion that church is not essential to their lives. Thom and Sam Rainer answer some questions about the mass exodus in their book, The Essential Church. Unfortunately, churches often deny their responsibility of being non essential with cop outs like, “Well, they are just worldly.” There is an element of truth in their worldliness and surely many college age students never truly had a heart change by being born again of the Holy Spirit. The statistics and facts point to the actuality that baptistic churches are not meeting the Spiritual needs of 18-22 year olds. A degree of responsibility for the absence of 18-22 year olds lies on the church.

     The general premise of The Essential Church is to seek how churches can become essential in the lives of college age Christians. The statistics of those leaving the church are the same for the kids that go to college and the kids that do not. The body of Christ can no longer use college as an excuse.

     One of the most pertinent actions that can be implemented to keep the demographic is to teach them good ecclesiology (doctrine of the church) while growing up. All the kids that do not leave the church, sight one of the major reasons is that they grasp the importance of church in their walk with God. A large percentage of inactives return to church because they see the church as vital to their walk with God. Does hypocrisy play a part in the mass exodus? Yes. While some of those who leave the church sight hypocrisy as an issue, they do not consider it a major reason for leaving. Most inactive students leave the church because they never learn or experience connection with the people who compose the local assembly. The bare bones of the matter is the ones who do not exit the church, stay because they have been taught decent ecclesiology-whether they realize it or not. They have learned their ecclesiology from the Bible or by experiencing the power of connecting with the local church themselves.

The Problem of Pain:Offended by God?

The first chapter in the book of Romans states that God reveals Himself to humanity by nature. Today, God also reveals Himself to the creatures by the human conscience and the Bible. Glacier National Park in Montana is quite a spectacle. The crisp lakes encircled by colossal mountains are awe-inspiring sights. The panoramas reveal just how insignificant the onlooker is in respect to the rest of the universe. Natural wonders demand questions of their origin. According to Romans, human beings know there is a Creator by perceiving creation. The wonders of nature do not produce atheists. The consciences of individual free-thinking humans do not create atheists. And the Bible, which claims to be the exhaling of an infinite and almighty Creator, does not produce atheists. The real atheism manufacturer has taken child like faith and warped it into a twisted and calloused distrust of God time and time again. It has left billions of people in its path of destruction. It has been doing so for millennia. This malicious manufacturer is the problem of pain.

Divorce, broken relationships, trauma, and the loss of loved ones are just a few events that cause life changing pain. When the dust clears and life settles into a new twisted sense of ‘normalcy,’ a dreadful question lags behind. How could a good God allow bad things to happen?

Pain is universal to the human experience. Some people experience a heavier and more intense dose than others. Most people become hardened and calloused because of the pain they have experienced. After all, few people find the narrow way that leads to life. Without the revelation of Scripture, pain would be an intolerable problem. The only answer to the problem of pain would be that it is an offense by God. But Biblical revelation discloses that a good God and pain do co-exist in the universe with the afore mentioned retaining all of His divine attributes. C.S. Lewis offers one suggestion for a solution in his classic The Problem of Pain, “The problem of reconciling human suffering with the existence of a God who loves, is only insoluble so long as we attach a trivial meaning to the word ‘love,’ and look on things as if man were the centre of them. Man is not the centre. God does not exist for the sake of man. Man does not exist for his own sake.” One paragraph from Lewis does not satisfy the investigation by any means. However, a Biblical study of the divine attributes of God and how those attributes can reconcile with the existence of pain is a worthwhile study. A Christian should not shy away or be intimidated by it. The study of the problem of pain may bolster a Christian’s faith and worldview and be a tool the Holy Spirit uses to convert non-believers. The Bible will satisfy any honest search for truth, even the highest of human intellectual prowess.

More to come on the problem of pain…

Choose the Good Portion-Luke 10:38-42

Appointments. Relationships. Final Exams. Allergies. Due dates. Deadlines. Everyone, Christian and Atheist alike, can relate to common stresses. But Christian circles can bring some unique stresses of their own. Keeping up with the church across town. Making sure you have just the right materials for the Sunday school class you help teach. Having all the right decorations for the next church fellowship where everyone hangs around their same familiar clique. Reading the most cutting edge Christian fiction book. Downloading the newest hit of the most popular Christian group. Tracking down Max Lucado’s and Beth Moore’s latest books.

Let’s face facts. Keeping up with Christian culture can be exhausting and unnecessary. In fact, ministry without love for Christ was debilitating for the church at Ephesus (see Revelation 2). There is something grossly wrong when a church speaks more about method and direction than it does about the Savior. And there is something undeniably wrong when the Christian talks more about God than he talks to God.

Two sisters had a unique friendship with Jesus. Martha and Mary were sisters, but they were opposites. Martha was always busy. She was constantly doing something.  Her attitude was that she had to be accomplishing something in the now. No time could be wasted. Let’s call her achievement driven. Mary on the other hand, took things more in stride. We see her several times in Scripture interacting with people, particularly Jesus. Let’s call her relational driven. I think we all have both kinds of people in our lives. We need both kinds to balance ourselves out. An extreme relational person like Mary sometimes misses deadlines and due dates and may not be completely dependable. But the achiever attitude can do far more damage. Martha syndrome is debilitating to the child of God. In contrast, the Mary attitude leads to the branches source of nutrients (John 15). The achievement driven individual may not necessarily have a bad motive- they want to impact for Christ. But they often unknowingly choose the spoiled portion over the good portion. Case in point: Martha.

In Luke 10:39, the sisters are entertaining Jesus. Martha and Mary were entertaining the Son of God, Israel’s Messiah. We see Mary. She is sitting at the feet of the Master and letting Him speak to her. No surprise. After all, this is big. The Christ is sitting in her sister’s living room! But where is Martha? The text is very interesting here. Verse 40 doesn’t really say where exactly in the room Martha is. It says she is “cumbered about much serving,” but it does not say where exactly she is in the room in contrast to Mary being at feet of Jesus. There is a great principle here: IF THE BELIEVER IS NOT AT THE FEET OF JESUS, IT DOESN’T MATTER WHERE HE/SHE IS. Martha is not at the feet of Jesus because she is distracted by a lot of service. The word for “cumbered” means “to draw away from or distract.” It is only used here in the New Testament. Martha is being distracted from cherished time with her Lord. Another interesting nuance to note about the word for “cumbered” here is that it is passive tense. This is something that is happening to Martha. Service can distract the believer from the good portion. A workaholic attitude in relation to ministry swindles the believer from the good portion of fellowship with Christ.

When it comes to our walk with God, the Mary attitude is what we want. Stay connected to the vine, appreciate fellow Christian’s who urgently do likewise, encourage fellow Christians who need to, and introduce the lost to Christ who never wastes our time.

The God-Man: The Biblical Doctrine of Jesus Christ

There are many opinions of who Jesus Christ is. The Jehovah’s Witnesses flaunt one faulty opinion:

“Is Jehovah a Trinity-three persons in one God? No! Jehovah, the Father, is ‘the only true God.’ Jesus is His firstborn Son, and he is subject to God. The Father is greater than the Son.”        -Jehovah’s Witnesses Official Web Site (watchtower.org)

Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the Deity of Christ, a vital doctrine in Scripture. But who is Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ is God (John 1:1; Col. 2:9; I Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:1-3), the second person of the Trinity. Jesus Christ was born of virgin (Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:23). He became God in the flesh at his incarnation (John 1:14). He added flesh, making Him fully God and fully man. I believe Jesus claimed full Deity (John 8:56-58; John 10:30). I believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah promised to Israel in the Old Testament (Luke 2:11; Luke 10:24; John 10:24-25; John 1:45; John 4:25-26). Jesus Christ is every church age believer’s Advocate and High Priest (Heb. 4:14; I John 2:1). Jesus will reign over the whole earth as King during the 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom. Judgment of believers and unbelievers has been delegated to Jesus Christ (John 5:22). A. Impeccability Jesus Christ never sinned nor was ever capable of sinning. His omniscience, omnipotence, and immutability keep Him from susceptibility to sin (Heb. 13:8). B. His Suffering Death Jesus Christ died on the cross as a substitution for sinners (Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45; II Cor. 5:21). His death appeased the wrath of God for those who believe (Rom. 3:25; I John 2:2; I John 4:10). The death of Christ also makes it possible for individuals to be reconciled to God (Rom. 5:10; II Cor. 5:18-21). C. His Resurrection on the Third Day Jesus Christ bodily and physically rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures (I Cor. 15:4-8).

The Title and Theme of Acts

The common titles for the book are “The Acts of the Apostles” or “The Acts of the Holy Spirit.” But the best title for the book is “The Acts of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.” Christ’s ministry continues through the Person of the Holy Spirit. Acts is a transitional book. God’s program changes to the Church in Acts 2 and Christ’s ministry is performed through the Holy Spirit.

     The theme of Acts is the Gospel goes into all the world. Acts continues the theme of the Gospel of Luke. Luke was written to show that admittance to the Kingdom is open for all. In Luke, Christ gives an open invitation to Samaritans (9:51-56; 10:30-37; 17:11-19), pagans (2:32; 3:6, 38; 4:25-27; 7:9; 10:1; 24:47), Jews (1:33; 2:10), publicans, sinners, and outcasts (3:12; 5:27-32; 7:37-50; 19:2, 10; 23:43), respectable people (7:36; 11:37; 14:1), the poor (1:53; 2:7; 6:20; 7:22), and the rich (19:2; 23:50). As the sequel, Acts builds on the theme of Luke: The Gospel goes into all the world. The Gospel starts in Jerusalem and spreads into the uttermost parts of the earth. The Gospel invitation is open for all and given to all because Christ died for all (Titus 2:11; Heb. 2:9; I John 2:2).

 

Overview of Chapter One of Spiritual Leadership-The Leader’s Challenge

Mike was a Christian CEO who was faced with a great problem. Would he veto the two motions gaining momentum in the company even though they went again his biblical convictions?Meanwhile, Pastor Edwards had spent two years giving all of his time and energy to a church who refused to follow his leadership. Eventually, the deacons asked him to resign. He was heartbroken… Mike, the CEO, took a hit for basing his decisions on his convictions. One would think it would be different in the body of Christ. Unfortunately, many times it proves to be just as difficult. The CEO and the Pastor were faced with similar decisions. Spiritual leadership often brings heartache. Spiritual leaders face two major challenges. The first major challenge spiritual leaders face is skepticism of the followers. There is no doubt that Moses had the definite call of God on his life. There probably could not be any clearer subjective call than the Angel of the Lord speaking to you out of a burning bush, with the possible exception of the Risen Lord stopping you in the middle of the road. Moses had been called to lead the massive population of Israelites out of Egypt. God worked through Moses and performed the ten plagues in Egypt. The Israelites had seen God’s clear stamp of approval to use Moses to deliver them. But they still were skeptical of Moses’ leadership during and after the exodus. The Israelites were complaining and critical followers despite God’s calling and approval of Moses. In Exodus 14, the children of Israel stood on the brink of the Red Sea criticizing and complaining Moses’ leadership. Moses also faced criticism and complaining after the Red Sea. In Numbers 16, Korah, Dathan and Abiram led a rebellion against Moses’ leadership. But God affirmed Moses’ authenticity. God caused the ground to open up where the rebels and skeptics stood. It swallowed them and all their belongings. The most significant hurdle that any spiritual leader faces is not whether or not he has the ability to lead. The toughest thing he faces is skepticism from those he has been called to lead. There are three areas of leadership that have given people a reason to be skeptical in following leaders: a. Because of Political Leadership In November 2008, alledgedly the Governor of Illinois was accepting bribes for the empty senate seat left by President Elect- Barrack Obama. Sexual scandals were in the headlines left and right during the Clinton presidency in the 1990’s. Regular scandals from politicians have left culture portraying them as carton characters that selfishly hunt their own agendas. Secular sketch comedy shows boom because they mimic such political figures as Bill and Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush, and Sarah Palin. The results of politicians actions and following portrayals have left the culture disgusted and in a state of distrust. Blackaby states, “Society longs for statesmen but it gets politicians. Statesmen are leaders who uphold what is right regardless of the popularity of the position.” One reason people are skeptical of leadership is because they are use to getting only politicians in positions for statesmen. b. Because of Business Leadership Just the mentioning of a business scandal triggers the name Enron. The head corporate officials of Enron liberally smudged their numbers. They falsely inflated “profits.” Meanwhile they were hiding billions of dollars in debt. Other prominent figures in the last decade have faced prison time for manipulating business endeavors. America’s favorite housekeeper, Martha Stewart, spent time in jail for moving her stocks when she received a tip that the company she was investing into was going to take a significant plunge. Pyramid schemes of small companies also bring about a significant amount of scandals in business every year. c. Because of Church Leadership The last area of leadership that has made society skeptical of leaders is church leadership. This is the most unfortunate of all. Supposed ambassadors of Christ are regularly disgracing their congregations and the Lord. Former president of the National evangelical association, Ted Haggard, was humiliated on a national scale when the news came out about the homosexual scandal in which he was involved. Wolves have also made the body of Christ skeptical in following church leaders. Jim Jones preyed on the poor and the weak-playing to their emotions and needs. After he had won some respect from some political leaders and celebrities, he became nationally known. Jones eventually moved his cult following to Guyana, South America. The town was named for his namesake, Jonestown. “The People’s Temple Christian Church” dissolved in 1978 when 913 of Jones’ followers, including himself, were found dead in Jonestown. Out of the 913 victims, 276 were children. The victims had been forced to consume grape kool-aid that been spiked with poison. Anyone who refused was shot on the spot or injected with cyanide. The “People’s Temple Christian Church” sounded Christian and called itself Christian, but Jim Jones was the very opposite of a spiritual leader. He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The entire time he was totally preoccupied with sex. Blackaby notes that spiritual leaders find much skepticism because they are ministering to people still very familiar with events like the Jonestown massacre. Monetary scams by “faith healers” like Peter Popoff also contribute to the skepticism brought about by sexual scandals and cultists. Peter Popoff Miracle Ministries tells people to take the “Dead Sea” salt they receive in the mail and sprinkle it over a twenty seven dollar check. Five days later, they are to drink the miracle water they receive. Then, they should send another checkPeople are greatly skeptical of leadership because of political, business, and religious scandals. The second major challenge that spiritual leaders face is the preference of wordly methodology over Biblical methodology. In I Samuel 8, the nation of Israel met with Samuel and brought up the realization that he was old and that his sons had no character. Ultimately, they no longer wanted to be ruled and governed directly by God. They wanted to have a king like all the surrounding nations. They wanted a revolution from a theocracy to a monarchy. God made sure Samuel explained to them what exactly that would entail. The King would take their sons, their daughters, their fields, their servants, and their flocks. Israel wanted a monarchy anyway. Their main motive was so they could “be like all the nations.” God gave them what they asked for. The results were they got what they wanted, but they lost what they had. They chose human methods over God. In Spiritual Leadership, Blackaby brings this battle of methodology to the forefront in the question “God or King?” Both spiritual leaders and followers are having problems discerning their answers to this question. Leaders must decide between human methods and Biblical truth. Christian leaders have started adopting secular books on leadership and success. In doing so, they have sacrificed Biblical mandates. Blackaby suggests that in the hunt for new methods, a Biblical mindset has been lost. Blackaby states that churches now “adopt mission statements instead of focusing on the Great Commission.” Churches are paying a price for the emphasis on the secular. Ironically, according to Blackaby, the church is missing the seculars’ renewed interest in Biblical principles because they are leaving the same principles. Spiritual Leaders face a rough climate in the postmodern era. Does their responsibility bring more skepticim than other time periods? Moses dealt with skepticism. The early days of the church ministered during an atrocious time of persecution. Preachers and Teachers will face a more difficult time toward the end of the church age. The call and responsibility given by God demands the faithfulness of spiritual leaders despite skepticism.