By Brady Speers
If you had a friend that had been abused or horribly mistreated by your own priest/pastor and you learned about it, what would you do? What if there was a pattern of this priest/pastor doing this to others for years?
If the abused party was truly a friend, doing nothing would only condone his actions and betray your friendship.
Your options would be one of three things:
1. Work to make him repent and humble himself before God and his congregation and MAYBE let him continue in his role
2. Leave the church and warn others
3. Confront him with others and force the priest/pastor to leave
Either he would have to repent, seek forgiveness or leave, or you would have to leave. It’s really that clear, yet instead, most in the situation do nothing.
A local well-known pastor has been hurting and abusing people in his own congregation for years. I personally know of nearly 10 different couples he has greatly hurt. The Bible makes it clear that Christians are to demonstrate the “Fruits of the Spirit” and certainly a man in his position should even more so. Yet, those of you still attending this church should read the list and ask yourself which of these “fruits” appears in his personal life. If you don’t know him well enough, ask someone who does.
"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Gal. 5:22-23.
Does he demonstrate even one of these?
Knowing and having followed this man myself for 10 years, what I see is lack of control, meanness, uncaring, rudeness, insensitive, power hungry, explosive anger, critical spirit, pride and more. Sure, we all struggle with sin. We all need to work to produce better fruit in our own lives. But when a priest/pastor fails to demonstrate even the basics of humility, grace, love and patience with his own people, but instead berates people, and runs over them emotionally, there is character issue that should keep him from being in his position.
Christians need to unite during this time and reclaim their own church. They must stand up for their friends, even if it means they too get kicked out and escorted off the property. You would have only proved the point even more that this man must go.
Doing nothing lets the devil continue to have his way. Doing nothing hurts your friends who are likely in shock that you have put this man ahead of your dear friendship. Doing nothing means it continues and yet again gets swept under the rug.
Doing nothing is NOT what Jesus did. When he saw the leaders of the church taking advantage of their followers, he responded accordingly. With righteous anger and immediate action.
Now it’s your turn. Pony up and let the Holy Spirit lead you. Though your heart may beat quickly, and fear may come on you, it is the right thing to do!
Your friends deserve it!
“Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.” Matthew 21:12
© 2011, J. Brady Speers
"I say it how I see it and I make no bones about it."
sponsored by http://www.bradyspeers.net/
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Time to Party Because the 4th Was Won by Friends
It’s no secret that the Speers family loves to host parties. Making worlds collide and bringing friends together from a variety of circles makes for a good time of sharing memories, bashing each other, laughing and usually lots of food and drinks. Julie and I live to have everyone over. It makes the tough times easier and good times even better.
We purposefully built the home we have so we could enjoy being with our family and close friends. We made sure it had a game room, large open areas and even put in a pool, so that our place could be “your place” too. It cost us a little more than we like, but it’s an investment we won’t ever regret. Most people can count on one hand how many good friends they really have. It takes two hands for most of you in our group. We all should thank God every day that we have each other.
We look for almost any reason to gather the gangs together. We’ve celebrated end of school, various holidays, birthdays, NFL kickoff weekends, baseball playoffs and most recently the Dallas Mavericks winning of their first NBA title.
But in the scheme of things, fewer better reasons exist than to get together for Family, Friends, Fireworks and Fun in the Sun, than to honor of the birth of Freedom; the birth of America.
Last night we had a patriotic celebration with the Sherman, Jensen, Curlee, Hedger, Butler, Winter, Ermish, Ruzika, Franklin, Stroder, and in spirit with the Rinehart, Atwell, Hadash, McMahon and Novinger families. It was amazing to see all the kids cranking out giggles, pool splashes and serious hot dog eating as the rest of us sat and talked about kids, food, the NFL lockout and who will beat Obama in 2012. We ended the evening watching the Mansfield fireworks which shoot off from what almost feels like our own backyard.
The 4th just brings it all together…just like it must have 235 years ago.
Few think about this fact. But our freedom was paid for by people just like those of us that partied last night. They played together. They worked together. They schooled together. They worshipped together. They partied together. And in the end, many died together.
As we celebrate our nation’s birth and think about those we are lucky to share our lives with, let’s not forget it was people like you and me that gave it all. As the British were coming, the cookouts were stopped, the balloons were popped and the kids were all hidden. Freedom was about to be won and there was one thing each of them called the other.
Friends.
“There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.” John 15:13
© 2011, J. Brady Speers
"I say it how I see it and I make no bones about it."
sponsored by http://www.bradyspeers.net/
We purposefully built the home we have so we could enjoy being with our family and close friends. We made sure it had a game room, large open areas and even put in a pool, so that our place could be “your place” too. It cost us a little more than we like, but it’s an investment we won’t ever regret. Most people can count on one hand how many good friends they really have. It takes two hands for most of you in our group. We all should thank God every day that we have each other.
We look for almost any reason to gather the gangs together. We’ve celebrated end of school, various holidays, birthdays, NFL kickoff weekends, baseball playoffs and most recently the Dallas Mavericks winning of their first NBA title.
But in the scheme of things, fewer better reasons exist than to get together for Family, Friends, Fireworks and Fun in the Sun, than to honor of the birth of Freedom; the birth of America.
Last night we had a patriotic celebration with the Sherman, Jensen, Curlee, Hedger, Butler, Winter, Ermish, Ruzika, Franklin, Stroder, and in spirit with the Rinehart, Atwell, Hadash, McMahon and Novinger families. It was amazing to see all the kids cranking out giggles, pool splashes and serious hot dog eating as the rest of us sat and talked about kids, food, the NFL lockout and who will beat Obama in 2012. We ended the evening watching the Mansfield fireworks which shoot off from what almost feels like our own backyard.
The 4th just brings it all together…just like it must have 235 years ago.
Few think about this fact. But our freedom was paid for by people just like those of us that partied last night. They played together. They worked together. They schooled together. They worshipped together. They partied together. And in the end, many died together.
As we celebrate our nation’s birth and think about those we are lucky to share our lives with, let’s not forget it was people like you and me that gave it all. As the British were coming, the cookouts were stopped, the balloons were popped and the kids were all hidden. Freedom was about to be won and there was one thing each of them called the other.
Friends.
“There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.” John 15:13
© 2011, J. Brady Speers
"I say it how I see it and I make no bones about it."
sponsored by http://www.bradyspeers.net/
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