PASTORS RANKED LOWER THAN COLLEGE TEACHERS!
CHECK OUT THE LATEST SURVEY BY GALLUP BELOW.... THEN WEEP!
"Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach..." 1 Timothy 3:2 (ESV)
The word for overseer above, in the original language of the New Testament, translates into elder. Every pastor is an elder of his church and the qualifications of this position are, without question, directly from the Mind and Mouth of God. He spoke it and we had better believe it. So what part of that don't we get?
Why are pastors...and the rest of "clergy" listed by Americans lower than College Teachers, who are corrupting our young people with pluralism, evolution and alternate lifestyle glorification - thereby minimizing and even pronouncing hatred of the Word of God? Why? Why are only 52% of Americans seeing American pastors/clergy as being men of integrity, honesty and NOT 100% or close to it....as it used to be when men like Billy Graham and David Wilkerson were in their forefront?
Could it have something to do with Congressional investigations of "Health and Wealth" Prosperity gospel "preachers"?
Could it be these same guys with their "Word Faith" theology telling people on late night TV to sow their $1100 into these people's ministries and "shazzaaam" - all your bills will be paid and $10,000 checks will show up in the mail and you will drive a BMW i740..."because God wants you to"?
Could it be folks went to church and Sunday School all through living at mom and dad's...even youth group...then even raise their hands or said a prayer....but it meant nothing to them?
Could it be they sit in...or used to sit, in a pew Sunday after Sunday and listen to a nice sounding Bible lecture, technically correct from the text, but it had absolutely NO relation to their lives or what they have to face at work or school on Monday morning?
Could it be somebody like Rob Bell telling them there is no place like hell, so live and believe what you want, because ....well, you know the rest of the claptrap!
Could it have something to do with one high profile sex scandal after another - from biblically unqualified men like Eddie Long to Jack Schaap over in Indiana?
Could it be calls and requests for money week after week for this worthwhile project after another - all good things - but they see no leadership from the pulpit or change in the conditions of the heart of society?
It could be (and is) a myriad of things. But no matter what the combination of factors, this is really a foul odor before the Lord. We have persecuted Persians risking their lives to preach and reach and lead thousands to Christ in Iran and the rest of the world...beaten and jailed. We have Chinese saints beaten, blinded and jailed for not being part of the official church there, because they want to follow the REAL Christ of the REAL Bible. The result of that is there are over 300 million Christians underground in China....I can go on and on, but we know all of this.
I have been reading some troubling in depth surveys by Barna in the past few years and it is getting worse out there. People wonder how Hitler and other dictators can capture the minds and even hearts of normally sane people. Well, how would you explain the coming rise of Anti-christ?! Well for one thing, it is easy to be intellectually lazy and then use the term "Spiritual" to define any so-called "relationship" one has with God. It is also easy to be biblically illiterate when you have well-known seminaries pumping out pastors who just teach enough to say a prayer, pass the plate, shake hands and see you next week, while building their resumes and tenure...it is easy because "that's what we pay you for"!!!!
Just two days ago, I had a conversation with a gentleman from a well known Missionary Baptist church, whose pastor just got up and walked out...then moved to Louisiana to, as they found out, "pastor" yet another church for more money! You wonder why people think we have no integrity? I know of another senior pastor of a politically active liberal congregation whose wife caught him in Las Vegas with another woman and then divorced him. He was also misusing a church credit card....and on and on....it is no wonder Clergy is ranked just higher than chiropractors and psychiatrists in occupation in the Gallup poll above!
What can we do about this? What can we do if the church leadership and committees do not demand accountability from these guys in the pulpits? Well, we walk out and find a church which does that! Don't feed the beast which is helping the culture destroying our future generations. Above all, pray for all pastors, clergy and church leadership here and around the world. We have more than anybody else, at anytime in history....with less and less to show the Lord for it! Oh, the horror of it all.....
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