You are doing exactly what you accuse the bloggers of. (KY3) - James River Church responded Monday to complaints after social media images show little social distancing and few masks at its Christmas celebrations. I believe this is the 2 Thessalonians time period so it will become increasingly more difficult to avoid false teachers. One of six. OTOH, they may yet surprise us and probably even themselves. He genuinely seemed to care. He was the vulgar shock jock of American Christianity. "We all have desires that are warped as a result of our fallen nature: pride, selfishness, greed, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, lust, envy, covetousness, chemical addiction," Lindell said. and humility i think is something that is a mark of a true christian that cant be faked, it always looks fake when people try to do that. Seriously? This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. These leaders are lacking even a basic level of discernment or judgement. Yes, well, my sense of humor doesnt always translate well in the blogosphere . They really believe that God has anointed the leaders to lead them. As a follow-up (Sydney Morning Herald 1 July 2015), Hillsong conference shows interview with controversial US Pastor, Mark Driscoll see link But in America, (to quote HUG) its all about the Benjamins, baby. Before people know it, feeling loved and valued (and not realizing it was due to preplanned manipulation). He fails all or almost all the qualifications laid out for that role as outlined in the New Testament. Many teach that when Paul said he was chief of all sinners he was claiming to be as evil as he always was. And he cant really do that if he keep holding on to the more sexist, frat boy type of Christianity that Neo Calvinists support that he was espousing at Mars Hill. He did it from one of the most powerful places in Southwest Missouri the pulpit of James River Church, where he leads an Assemblies of God congregation that often tops 9,000 worshipers on. I think it is perfectly ok to say some people are toxic and avoid them for safety and mental health reasons. It was dingy and old. Above all he had that coveted edginess he wore age and occupation inappropriate t shirts and chunky jewelry on the pulpit. And he was not originally trusted or met with open arms by the Jesus believers of the day. Im a done for now but that one meeting made we wonder if I could someday find a narrow gate church like the cult expert said. No one except lemmings following blindly to where the MoG leads believes them when they say that they only learned about certain facts recently. I dont think people that have fallen for false teachers are stupid, i think instead it reflects the degree of deceit in the false teachers and the seriousnes of the manipulations being used. Maybe six months from now, there'll be another terrible story, and we'll know that they BS'd us. people have said to stay involved in churches to keep them encouraged to follow the Lord and speak up if they are going away towards money and corruption, that is no longer even possible, you can get shunned slandered and prob threats to your life for speaking up anymore. Dont you want to be a part of that? Our model gets smarter over time as more people share salaries on Glassdoor. . your post is so right LT, the whole post, and it really needs to be said again and again. . I would not say Driscoll was a jerk. I will post about this. I would lay 50 to 1 odds that a change in MD will be announced and proved to be a change in words not a change in behavior! http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-07/royal-commission-child-sexual-abuse-investigates-hillsong/5795308 And we in the real world of Jobs & Lives have to deal with the resulting Speshul Little Snowflakes. 6100 N 19th St Ozark, MO 65721 Directions. 34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. i am going to get a can of alpha-wolf-away and spray out my apartment now. (I saw a guy do this on a live stage in England once, on a YouTube video. Regardless of your tilt on the subject, Lindell appears to go out of his way to make it into the news on the subject. As much as I distrust Acts29 and the YRR, and as much as many see Matt Chandlers action as mere damage control, at least he admitted that they screwed up, and there is still hope that he really meant it and that they will really act differently in the future because theyve learned something. This pastor was humble! But forgiveness doesnt mean he should ever be in the same position in a church again. If you become used to a certain standard of living, that does not mean you are entitled to that standard of living. Somebody cited a study that the most common characteristic of a Sociopath (well over 90%) was successfully Playing the Victim Card when caught. Whats MDs explanation for the ritual shunnings? (This was all before the sex sermons and book.) Thanks for the link i want to read more of the writers work. No special event meet and greet for high dollar donors. Thats a great question to think about. Mark is playing the victim. also, some have suffered unjustly. The singles have a lot of money to be exploited as well, but churches are stuck in a rut of trying to fleece the married folks. John Lindell, pastor of James River Church, represents a new breed of reformed Assembly of God pastors yes Calvinism in the Assembly of God! It is a winner! IMO, They are still who they are. But what does that mean in the larger picture? His messages change in content, but not in root meaning. How can a reasonable person look past that? The worst thing in the world right now for Chandler is that Mark is in making the Christian news cycle. I think they have handled it with great PR and it is working. What Im curious though is how the church (corporate) can self regulate against that in the face of the money and power, both spiritual and temporal, that types like MD help create. Did you miss a tithe payment? Anyone who knowingly overlooks all this has no judgement. They want him to go away and they want to pretend he never existed for the sake of saving those church plants. From my perspective, the problem with Driscolls repentance is the same as the problem with the Chandler apology. He is a draw. Actually are pews still in general use? James River is a mega church. None of them see anything wrong with this. "It is possible for someone who has practiced a life of adultery to stop," he said in the sermon. But the dishonest churches can be relied upon to cry persecution. Just watch any random hour of TBN or Daystar. I am also pretty sure the accounts of his instrumental role in bringing Russian nuclear-armed ballistic missiles to Cuba to be used against the US were not purely fabricated, so I did not believe I was disseminating false information at the time I wrote that. @Albuquerque Blue So many damaged lives. Hasnt it been around long enough that either people (especially younger guys) are sick of it, or they have finally realized its harmful or obnoxious. I find that when the Lord is using my mouth it is never vulgar or rude. This was not due to the kindness of the elders (who told us we could not leave because we were under church discipline). In case this was not a rhetorical question, I did disagree, however, with this one sentence. It refers to protecting the King of Israel from physical harm, not preventing people from telling the truth. How can they do that? In his introductory remarks, he spoke of Marks kindness, humility. Consider how he attained it fleecing the flock. it sounds like you have a story of sorts. This is why I said above I dont think Driscoll should even be allowed to go on speaking engagements, sell Christian books, or anything involving Christianity. 17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. First, he begins by praying that he wants to make this time just about God and His people; yet he appears to take the stories of Stephen and Paul and apply them to his own circumstance at least that's how it sounded to me. Like God might show up. jesus gets out of his seat yelling forgive him forgive him forgive him, jesus cheers for forgivers who forgive their enemies. (I always pictured Jesus in that moment comforting stephen with great love and compassion, not screaming at him to make sure and do this thing right) James River Church attenders should google What happens if you get a bad teacher. The teachings of Christ are based on love and forgiveness, and I will not write off Mark as a person simply because of the things that people have said about him, a small minority of people signing a petition or statements he has made many years ago for which he has since repeatedly apologised, Houston said. Totally. It was because of a backfire in strategy by then executive pastors Jamie Munson and Scott Thomas, who handled my discipline case. They did not want us to leave. Pokin has been at the paper three years and over the course of his career has covered just about everything from courts and cops to features and fitness. My old church Gateway has atmosphere teams in services to emotionally manipulate members and visitors. I recently darkened the doors of a very small church in another city. The mighty Kari Jobe is featured in some of the faking it videos they play in the classes. But there is an interesting bit in Acts 9 right after Paul was doing a lot of debating/bold speaking in Jerusalem, the Hellenistic Jews want to kill him. We are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of people through relevant teaching, heartfelt worship, and amazing kids & youth programs. It shows also in our perception of ourselves and others when we still have areas of sin. I think MDs desire to be on a stage, at this point, is a sure sign he should not be there. I asked where he got such information. What am I saying? Do I hope they change? I admit that I am rather skeptical of James River's reliability now, most of this information was new to me. Some of it probably is. Working at James River is never be boring because of the mission that you are pursuing and the amazing things that you get to be a part of. When not enough graduates came forward they started begging people please any graduate or relative of a graduate, even if you just graduated from Kindergarten, please please come get your free gift because what Kindergartner doesnt need advice on how to buy a car? Blech!! But with those reading glasses they are losing their hipness and relevance and megas feed off of young marrieds with children. Sincerely want to know what the alternative is. Something has gone seriously wrong in Mega-Land and it aint just thinking about having MD speak at one of their conferences. He is not going to go run to a car dealership the minute he gets out of jail. Same goes for singles. However, with such a massive back door spanning 15 years, I still think more exiles should be speaking up for the good of the current and future naives. GW is also currently preaching John Hagees End Times Armageddon sermons to pump up the numbers, claiming the Rapture WILL take place prior to 12-31-18, in order to scare folks into those spontaneous tubs. I also find him vulgar and misogynistic, so I dont see him as ever having been qualified to start with. He explained that wide is the path refers mainly to churches posing as Christian churches (mostly for millions in profit like GW) not the fringe Christian-like churches or belief systems (like LDS). In your mega travels Lydia, is this homogenization of bad practices the norm? Ok, so i am seeing that a lot of people do not like this church. standing. In the future, people will tell churches and christians to distance themselves from the dishonesty of the dishonest churches. How can a reasonable person look past that? So many use Ches image as some sort of inspirational symbol. Hey Sam you may be interested in how Jews interpret the Mashiach (messiah) passages. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1989926/posts The true character of a man shows when you see how he treats those with less power who depend on him for his income. Marks of a bully, and definitely not qualifications of an elder. According to the Pastor John Lindell, Driscoll has spoken there on three other occasions. Three women have now blown the whistle on a program operated by the Ministry, including allegations they entered as independent people, however came out of the program as broken and suicidal. Sincerely want to know what the alternative is. But I am surprised he delivered his message from on high the pulpit. thats the same conclusion i came to, i think the Lord is showing us, for ourselves and others that we do need to look at fruit. I sometimes think the man has no friends, but if he does, they should help him now. They just want to give us a little more time and "context" to receive the brilliance. And Shifting the Blame. Unfortunately I dont see loose associations of Christ followers functioning in my locale but I continually find more dones, those done with institutional church. ), Warren Throckmorton quickly put up a post on this development and featured the following video. Now the floodgates will open wide now that his massive deception becomes public knowledge in Australia and the UK. Driscoll, IMHO, is completely unsuited for any position of authority. Why I did not run I do not know except I had a contract. Interestingly, he chose the title of his message to be 'Paul the Forgiven' and goes on to say that Paul has a name change because of a life change. It takes at least 6 months before you start seeing things clearly. Its all PR spin, because they got caught with their (or, pardon the metaphor, MDs) pants down. ", Meanwhile, here's what was communicated 'Down Under' "Houston, we have a problem.". All you have to do is say some magic words and we end up being the mean ones if dare say we otherwise. So as long as Driscoll can provide entertainment and ratings, Pentecostals will continue to book him. Click below for times and locations: Learn More Stronger Men's Bible Study 6am on Tuesdays | March 7th - April 11th, 2023 | All Campuses I was shocked and deeply saddened to see photos from the James River event over the weekend. I said some decent things, but one can and probably ought to take that with a grain of salt. I am more interested in why the pew sitters fall for it and focusing there. Even after becoming a believer he wanted more. Wow! If so you may be onto something. @ sam: The world has a lot higher standards and integrity than the whole xtian celebrity machine put together, and the internet helps everyone to see that. http://www.richmond.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/article_4d131547-f913-5d43-bfc5-5a292f4c27e1.html, What I dont get is why Hillsong and Assemblies of God (James River Church), who have extremely different views on women in the church would even consider someone like Mark Driscoll as a special speaker. Many others voiced their concerns about the images coming out of the church over the weekend, including Springfield-Greene County Health Director Clay Goddard, who said he was shocked by what he saw considering Missouri currently has more than 328,000 cases of the virus and no less than 4,358 deaths since the pandemic began. He is a draw. Not a fan but many are. My old church Gateway has atmosphere teams in services to emotionally manipulate members and visitors. Theres a persistent rumor that hes going to bring his show here to Phoenix. His career has been a total focus on getting his narcissistic supply. Are you not reporting instant healing to keep the confirmed miracle count up? I study a lot of the giant DFW megas but most of my data is still filtered through the Gateway lens. Youre not trying hard enough! COuld someone explain how its supposed to work without a leader . I dont want other people having that same regret. I assumed that it was just me and 25,000 other people had no issue. No, there is no reason to believe CJ committed actual crimes. Based on my experience, this public story should be seen as somewhat inevitable in how they operate. The Bible tells us lotz of neet stuff before it happen/happens. Where David cut the fabric from Sauls garment in the cave, showing he could have killed Saul but didnt, reflects Gods desire that David not physically harm Saul. Mark begins to describe what happened with Stephen in Acts 6:8-15. And the same shtitck but did not call them atmostphere teams but hosts. I have a young friend who was totally enamored with him. Vulgarity and filth get fed to us little by little until we hardly notice weve ignored those first red flags and become part and parcel of the heresy. James River Church Reverend John E Lindell. At a certain level they wanted leaderless teams who would function by consensus. The question may even be wrong, maybe it isnt what is the church but who is. Far as I can tell Driscoll is arrogant, a lover of money, unholy, not above reproach, etc. But MD has been a jerk as far as Ive read, not a criminal or anything. That got my attention as I was reading the comments yesterday evening. This is off topic but your question has been the basis of discussion with many associates for the last 6 months, many recently leaving an authoritarian church. Good point as far as it goes. The US pastor, who has courtedcontroversy for what has been dubbed his "more-macho-than-thou" brand of Christianity, resigned from his Seattle megachurch in October after being found "guilty of pride" as well as abusive, controlling and manipulative behaviour. "In other words, you can believe what you want within the confines of the four walls of the church as long as you don't live it outside of the church.". All he has to do is say "I repent" and it has to be forgiven and forgotten or we are the meanies. now it seems that it has just gone to big business making a dollar off of Jesus name and some easy to quote scriptures. The bathrooms were tiny and not particularly nice. He needs a revenue stream and using Jesus is all he knows. Welcome Home to Church Online! Che badgered/shamed the workers that receiving a pat on the back from their boss/comrade for increasing the quota should be enough for them to continue to increase production without any chance of being compensated for it monetarily. Gateway also directly lifted the slogan every number has a name, every name has a story.. spiel verbatim from Perry Nobles NewSpring to try to distract from the reality that every member is seen as a giving unit number (no attribution to Perry, of course). The kid starts expecting it. Really? "A missionary is a qualified Christian sent out under the authority of a local church to an area of recognized need in order to pursue the work of the Great Commission." Mark pretty much mandated participation in weekly Life Groups plus you had to use their social media platform The City to stay connected. that is not walking in love that is running a business, and i am not a judge. I think the guys a jerk and theres plenty of evidence out there for it. Sorry, I dont know why I wrote that, Ive always thought of you as a him. Im really glad that you are reaching out to GW and other exiles. He cannot or will not go back to school to become a plumber or a dentist or what ever, so he has to figure out how to get back into the Christian preaching / book writing / convention circuit. It didnt occur to me because I havent seen that modeled in a very long time. well i cant finish watching the whole thing. Did Driscoll forget about the part where Saul went away for years after his conversion. He is a draw. 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, Go! Mega-church Christianity with its rock bands, light shows, huge screens, and glitz reminds me more of Broadway than a church. Come on Lindell, Morris, Kellogg and Johnston. Because 12 years ago Walter Salles made an awesome movie about him called The Motorcycle Diaries starring the gentle heartthrob Gael Garcia Bernal as Che. Would you hire back the embezzler to count your cash drawer after he served a short sentence because you forgave him? Im sure someone wittier than I can do something with his Training ourselves to sense right from wrong. Feel sorry for him instead as a burned out shell without compassion.
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