Disappointed in Church Leaders

God’s Desire: God desires a personal relationship with us. Understand that God wants to give you a life filed with joy and peace. God wants us to have a life not just to make it through but an abundant and eternal life because he loves you.

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." ~ John 10:10

"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" ~ Romans 5:1

But to giving you abundant life required the supreme sacrifice:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" ~ John 3:16

What a wonderful gift the Father has given. If God gave His own Son to provide an abundant and everlasting life, why more people don’t have what He has designed for us to receive?
Our Problem: We were created in God’s image for an abundant and joyful life with the ability and need to know God and have a personal relationship with Him. But our freedom of choice of disobedience caused a separation and gap between God and us.

"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear" ~ Isaiah 59:2

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." ~ Romans 3:23

People always try to fill that empty void in their lives with "things." They even try good works, morality, and religion. Yet they remain empty, for only God, through His Son, can fill that emptiness.

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” ~ Proverbs 14:12

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." ~ Romans 6:23

Our Problem is that sin separated us from God. But

God provided only ONE SOLUTION
God’s Solution: God has provided only one solution to sin and separation from Himself.

Jesus Christ, His Son, is the only way to God.

Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sin and rebellion against God and bridged the gap between God and humanity by dying on the cross, shedding His blood, and rising from the dead to justify and reconcile you back to God the Father.

"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." ~ 1Peter 3:18

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." ~ Romans 5:8

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." ~ Ephesians 2:8,9

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" ~ 1Timothy 2:5

Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. “~ John 14:6

God so loved us that he gave his only Son to bridge the gap between us and the Father. God has provided the only way, the only solution. You have to take a decision and choose how to respond to God’s provision.
Our Response: Your relationship with God can be restored and you can be brought back into his family by trusting in Christ alone who can save your life from destruction. Jesus is the bridge to the Father but you have to choose to trust him, you have to make a step forward him, you have to step out in faith and give your life to God. At the Cross you can exchange your worst for Jesus’ best.

This step happens by asking Jesus Christ to take away your sin and to come into your heart to be your Lord and Savior.

The Bible says...
"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." ~ Romans 10:9

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." ~ John 1:12

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." ~ Revelation 3:20

Would you like to invite Jesus to be part of your life, to be your Lord and Savior now? You can start a new life with him. It doesn’t matter where you’re coming from, what you did in the past. When you give your life to Jesus you can start all over again. With Jesus you can have a new chance again.
Receive Christ: If you too need Jesus to give you a new start, if you realized that Jesus is all you need then here is how you can receive Christ:

Admit your need (I am a sinner).
Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the Cross and rose from the grave.
Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Him as Lord and Savior.)

At this moment you can pray the most important prayer of your life by simply saying:

Dear Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I believe you died for me on the cross and shed Your blood for my salvation. I believe you rose from the dead and ascended in Heaven. I believe You are coming back again to earth. Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. Forgive my sins. Cleanse me now with Your precious blood. I want to turn from sins. I invite you to come into my heart. I give you my life now. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior. I receive You now as my Savior, my Lord, and my God. I am Yours forever, I belong to You only. I no longer belong to this world, nor to the enemy of my soul. Amen!

If you sincerely prayed this prayer, confessed your sins, and received Jesus Christ into your heart, God has given you the right to become His child.

The Bible gives you this assurance:
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” ~ Romans 10:13

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." ~ Ephesians 2:8,9

This is just the beginning of a wonderful new life in Christ. If you have just received Jesus Christ into your life, we want to rejoice with you. Click here to send us your salvation praise report.

Comments

+1 #11 Piri D. 2010-07-31 13:11

glebealyth,

Sorry for your disappointment :(

I found too that some questions are not welcomed by church leaders/pastors. When you start to question hands on things, like in your example feeding the poor in your town ... you might get some interesting reactions.

If you ever question the leadership conduct you step on a hot soil.

When I asked my pastor what are we going to do this summer for the youth of our community (mentioned that we have 5000-7000 youth in our community and only 25 youth in our youth group) he asked me if I know the five steps on how to lead someone to Christ.

HELLLOOOOO ... No I didn't attend bible college and I have no theology diploma on the five steps that lead to Jesus, but I know how to listen and care and pray with someone. I might not know in steps how to lead someone to Christ, but I DO know the Bible references and how to pray with someone.

So yes I can relate to your remarks. We shouldn't suppose to know the steps that lead to Jesus, but LIVE a life that leads to Jesus.

Quote

0 #10 2010-07-29 07:22

Piri d,
The records of the Council of Nicea helped me understand why church leaders never practise what they preach. They do what they need to keep their positions, including lying and fraud.
As a believer I was appalled to see the character assassination carried out on anyone who asked real questions, seeking real answers to things the hierarchy found awkward.
I was taken aside by my vicar and told that god had told him to help sort out my marriage. I thought I was about to be prayed for to cure snoring, the only marital problem we had.
But, NO! I don't drive and apparently I was having an affair with the woman who drove me to rehearsals for the worship group I led as a singer.
The evidence? We would laugh together.
The reason? Maybe because I suggested that we should help the poor in our town and not just preach the gospel to them. Empty bellies find a diet of sermons very unsatisfying.

0 #9 Piri D. 2010-07-28 20:44

glebealyth,

Never heard about the Council of Nicea in 325/6 C.E.. I didn't attend bible collage and/or seminaries and I do not hold a theology diploma either. So I googled your suggestion and I read some interesting articles about that event.

I sincerely believe that there are honest pastors and church leaders who are there for the right reason, sadly, most of them are there for themselves.

+2 #8 2010-07-28 17:50

There are no church leaders who are doing anything other than enrich themselves by making use of the scam created at the Council of Nicea in 325/6 C.E..
Xianity was designed to be for political control and continued enrichment of its leaders.

Why should we expect anything different today?

+1 #7 2010-07-24 12:20

I believe if you have an issue with a spiritual leader you should take it to God and directly to the person. This sites that promote talking publicly about our "disappointments " can only bring destruction to the Body of Christ and can badly hurt people's faith and create gossip. May we all receive God's leading to handle our disappointments in a way that we won't be use by the enemy to destroy the church.

+1 #6 Piri D. 2010-05-06 19:56

Quoting Arthur Dimmesdale:

I fell hard from the pastorate.

I was self-righteous in my heart. I had been that way for many years, but didn't realize it. I was judgmental of others, but couldn't see the sin in myself. Despite knowing better and knowing the Word, I was quick to point out the sins of others, but denied it in myself.

On the other side of my fall I would say this - none of us are immune from the sting of self-righteousness. It's easy to see it in others, but difficult to see it in ourselves.

Thanks for your comment Arthur. I often find that we all have that self-righteousness in us, in some is more visible in others not, but until we don't realize that we all fail in some kind of way (and this entire sin categorizing is just the enemy's strategy to feel that my sin "is not as bad") until we don't understand that is God's grace and nothing else this self rightheousness sting will poison our life and many other lives.

0 #5 2010-05-04 20:38

I fell hard from the pastorate.

I was self-righteous in my heart. I had been that way for many years, but didn't realize it. I was judgmental of others, but couldn't see the sin in myself. Despite knowing better and knowing the Word, I was quick to point out the sins of others, but denied it in myself.

On the other side of my fall I would say this - none of us are immune from the sting of self-righteousness. It's easy to see it in others, but difficult to see it in ourselves.

I'm sorry you've been disappointed again by a church leader, as well as those who have posted on this blog. I'm sorry I let down those whom I shepherded. It's something I have to live with. There's no excuse for what I did, nor what any church leader does when they sin.

What we can do in response is what Christ did - as hard as it is - reach out in love, compassion, and empathy. Not condoning the sin, but loving the sinner. The same as we would want if we fell.

0 #4 Piri D. 2010-04-30 18:09

Choices...we always have to make choices in our everyday life. And the choices we make will have the biggest impact on our own life.
Disapointments are inevitable, the feeling is there, but what will I do with my feelings will determine our future. Holding onto anger and bitterness will not change those who disaponted us, but will poison our lives. So be honest with God, tell him that you're angry, tell him your feelings, your disapointment and ask God to help you to forgive.
Forgiveness is NOT excusing. It's not right to excuse sin and unfair behaviour Forgivness is NOT pretending.YOu should never pretend that you're Ok,tell God how you feel. Forgiveness is NOT foolishness.
Forgiveness at is core, chooseing to see the sinner with God's eye. Lord Give me eyes to see, heart to love and ears to hear like you.
It's hard to see with a heart like God, it's hard to see the good in someone when they dissapointed you, but God looks at us with mercy and grace without favoritism.

+1 #3 2010-04-29 19:04

Sometimes the problem is that the body of Christ places leaders on too high a pedestal, toppling is almost inevitable. Perhaps we need to take more literally the saying that the ground is level at the foot of the cross. We should respect our leaders not deify them. I agree that more is expected of people who take up the mantle of leadership in Christian communities but the One we should ultimately look to for leadership is Jesus. In Him, there is no shadow of turning and He'll never disappoint us. Everyone else will disappoint you some time or another but like Piri said, how we choose to respond is entirely up to us. I've learned that however difficult it may be, forgiveness is the only choice for me and when I choose to respond that way, God gives me the grace to follow through.

0 #2 2010-04-21 13:44

Oh my, why this is not new to mee?

Our choire director, who was a board member too, was found having sexual realtionship(S) with not one, but few different women at the same time.

Wonder how he managed them and his time.

He was a man I could of never thought he would be capable to do that and he still takes communion wihtout blinking.

He doesn't even want to repent. We teach youth not to have sex before marriage, so what does this teaches them?

Before marriage is bad, cheating is ok?

Confused really confused and upset.

God help me to understand and to extend forgivness...now I just can't.

I want to get there to give my pain and dissapointment to God.

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