Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)
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The Old Gray Dog
is the most clear and concise yet comprehensive "Reformed" theologian
known to me.
He understands,
advocates, and articulates ecclesia
reformata, semper reformanda secundum verbum Dei more than
most professors, pulpiteers, and pewsitters.
You can learn
more about his witness to Him by going to the right column and clicking on The
Westminster Fellowship.
You'll also want
to click on www.bnnsradio.com and
watch/listen for a new internet radio broadcast from him in the very near
future.
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Having said that,
I have often confessed a few things to/about him.
First, I am a
theological BB gun compared to his heavy artillery; which is why I urge you to
tap into Him through him.
Second, being a
PCUSAer, noting anyone who takes Jesus by the book seriously will get this, I've found it sooooooo stunningly sad
that it's sooooooo hard
to get too many mainline denominationalists into Jesus by the book; meaning
it's pret' near impossible to move to the meat when folks ain't even been
nursed by/on the milk.
Mixing metaphors,
I've found it to be pret' near impossible to take folks to the frontier when
they haven't even stepped into the forest.
It's hard to
disciple those who haven't been evangelized to conversion.
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That really hit
home when Chuck pulled out a stunningly sad statistic for me.
He said 80% of
America does not know Jesus as personal Lord and Savior; and that while
mainliners like to talk and talk and talk about saving the planet from global whatever, we might want to
consider saving souls as a prerequisite to a broader understanding/passion
of/for stewardship.
People who are
saved want to save everyone/everything.
Then I got the
stats below.
Whoa.
Then I preached
from John's letters about ecclesiastical hypocrites who say they love God while
hating others for Christ's
sake.
Then I...
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Stats are
notoriously imprecise.
But if Chuck and
Barna's are anywhere...
Here's the point.
We gotta get
folks into the forest before we take 'em to the frontier.
I think it's a
great idea to save the planet from fossil fuels and aerosol cans; yet I know
people won't be really concerned about His creation until they have an intimate
relationship with Him as Creator/Sustainer/Savior.
First comes an
authentic relationship with the Lord.
Then comes an
acting out of that relationship in caring for others and everything else in His
creation.
That's why sooooooo many churches are
sooooooo messed
up these days and enabling Chuck and Barna's stats.
We can't get
right with everyone/everything else until we get right with Him.
We gotta step
into the forest before crossing
into the frontier.
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Blessings and Love!
1500 CLERGY LEAVE PASTORAL
MINISTRY EACH MONTH! Source: The Barna Research Group.
Many clergy within this group leave pastoral ministry due to the Clergy Killer Phenomenon. This phenomenon is affecting our ministries, congregations and communities. Day after day, call after call, The Ecumenical Educational Council receives the alarming news, “I am simply unable to proceed in my ministry.”
After several screenings of the documentary BETRAYED:
The Clergy Killer’s DNA, discussions with theologians,
sociologists, psychologists, pastors and religious scholars, The Ecumenical
Educational Council selected BETRAYED:
The Clergy Killer’s DNA the most important Christian documentary of
2013. We recommend every pastor to study this documentary.Many clergy within this group leave pastoral ministry due to the Clergy Killer Phenomenon. This phenomenon is affecting our ministries, congregations and communities. Day after day, call after call, The Ecumenical Educational Council receives the alarming news, “I am simply unable to proceed in my ministry.”
Since the release of BETRAYED in late 2013, we have been contacted by hundreds of clergy, from all denominations, expressing their gratitude for what they call “a film, long overdue” and “the most important Christian movie since The Passion of the Christ.”
We recommend that all Christians, pastors and clergy, church leaders and church members, see this movie so they will develop an increased alertness in order to expose and neutralize the clergy killer phenomenon before it destroys more clergy.
Examined in the documentary are the following eye opening statistics:
70% of pastors report a
continuing struggle with depression. Hartford
Institute for Religious Research
90% of clergy in all denomination will not
stay in ministry long enough to reach the age of retirement. U.S. Bureau of Labor and
Statistics
50% of pastors indicate that they would leave
the ministry if they had another way of making a living. Hartford Institute for Religious
Research
61% of congregations have forced a pastor to
leave. Christianity Today Magazine
83% of clergy spouses want the spouse to leave pastoral ministry. Hartford
Institute for Religious Research
80% of pastors reported they
receive no support from peers. Hartford Institute of
Religious Research
I pray you will join the growing number of men and women who are finding this film to be of paramount importance for healthy congregational life, and a tremendous resource for overworked clergy who are often targeted by clergy killers.
A critique of the documentary by Rev. Dr. Jason Miller and a
synopsis of the film follows below. Please support this
extraordinary film. Post this urgent message to your facebook.
Inform your congregation and fellow clergy about this most important
educational film. It is, in our studied
opinion, a defining chapter in the life of the Church.I pray you will join the growing number of men and women who are finding this film to be of paramount importance for healthy congregational life, and a tremendous resource for overworked clergy who are often targeted by clergy killers.
In His Service,
David
Rev. Dr. David Moreland
David
Rev. Dr. David Moreland