A friend told me recently that pastors do not accept him into the church because he is a "red-ink Christian." This is not to be confused with a Red-Letter Christian, popularized by heretic Tony Campolo who only reads red letters in his Bible. No, a red-ink Christian is one who edits the pastor's sermon notes to test them by Scripture. One who questions the pastor if he finds him twisting Scripture. Such members of the church are not welcome in very many congregations.
Pray that God would raise up male leadership in these dark times. Ones with the Baptism of Boldness, as Walter Martin used to call it. We need strong men in the church who can and will rally the troops and utilize the gifts in the church to restrain the enemy and reach out to the lost. No one-man show will get the job done.
Did you know that God put His endorsement on His favorite OT male servants? He named those who He would hold up as role-models for men. Missing from that list are David, Solomon, Joseph, Moses, and even Abraham didn't make the cut.
"The word of the Lord came again to me, saying, Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God." - Ez 14:12-14
Pray that God would raise up some Noahs, Daniels, and Jobs. These were all godly men who had no blood on their hands and would not tolerate idolatry. It would behoove every pastor to learn from these three. If they impressed God, think what men today could learn from them.
"Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations." - Ez 14:1-6
"But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many." - 1 Cor 12:11-114
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