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PASTORAL POISON PENMANSHIP

WHAT HAPPENED TO FIERY PREACHING?

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Pastor Harry Seese asked a church member, “How was your trip? And, did you get to attend the worship service at Dr. N.E. Minster’s church?”

“It was a wonderful trip, and yes, we got to go to that church,” answered Mr. D.O. Trofees. “But, do you know what he said from the pulpit?”

“No, What was that?” asked Pastor Seese - - his curiosity piqued.

“Well, don’t quote me, but I am almost positive that I heard him say, “The position of this church on the inspiration of Scripture is changing!”, D.O. reported. (Actually, Dr. Minster had said, “UNCHANGING”. However, D.O. was evidently distracted by a fidgeting child, overcome by one of his frequent, “I am not asleep!” dozes, or maybe - - since he is a regular cola kind of guy - - he just didn’t register the “UN”.... Sadly - - like many hair-trigger hearers - - that was all he heard! Reporting it, he thought, was the only really “spiritual” thing to do! So, D.O. was tickled pink that Pastor Seese had asked. Isn’t it amazing how easily the wrong thing always works?)

“Are you certain? Maybe you misunderstood him. Are you sure that he said that?”, an incredulous Pastor Seese asked.

“Yes. Oh, yes!...isn’t it sad? They all seem to fall into apostasy sooner or later,” D.O. lamented; yet, he inwardly reveled in his revelation. In fact, both he and his pastor were reveling in the attitude shared by many Christians that nit-picking on someone perceived to be higher on the “spiritual ladder” places you at, or even above, the “pickee’s” level.

Apostasy?? Changing?? Minster? MINSTER??? - - -the premiere pastor of the showcase church of a certain Bible School- - -an apostate? I’d better verify this. If it is true, them I’ll be the one to break the scandal - - My name will be in all the newsletters!” Pastor Harry Seese, thinking to himself, was already basking in the glory. The glory that it would be his “sad task” to bask in.

He fired off a letter to Dr. Minster. With all the skill of a ten cent prosecuting attorney, he asked Minster if his position had indeed changed? Was this a reflection of a change at Minster’s Alma Mater? Did his associates agree with him? Did all of the boards of various institutions and ministries on which he served agree with his position? Seese demanded, “due to the seriousness of the allegations”, that Minster respond by the end of the following week, or else!!

Pastor Seese dropped the letter into a curb-side mail drop box, and waited. However, he would wait in vain. When the mail carrier came by and opened the side of the box to unload it, the prince of the power of the air, blew one letter out of the box as the carrier stuffed the others into his mail bag. The letter blew down off the curb and into the storm drain.

Two weeks later, Pastor Harry Seese gave that “snake-in-the-grass, that “Judas Minster” a few extra days of grace to respond. Yet, there was not a response forthcoming.

“Hmmph....too arrogant to even bother to respond,” Seese hissed. “Well, pride and heresy go hand in hand!”

Pastor Seese fired off letters to the head of his fellowship and his close pastoral friends, who reciprocated by firing off their own letters to their associates, and he sent his expose to a national newsletter. The letter contained, “Brethren, sadly, another of the mighty has fallen. His failure to respond is silent affirmation of his changed position. Such apostasy cannot be tolerated. Is it not further evidence of the University’s slip-sliding into error, etc...?” The leaven of those few letters leavened a whole bunch of lumpy preachers, and many “inquiring minds want to know” preachers read that national inquisitor newsletter. Unfortunately, as far as this fiasco is concerned, Dr. Minster never read that national newsletter. He believed that it contained very little of redeeming or edifying value.

When he attended a few subsequent pastoral fellowships, he felt like he had leprosy; that he should have been wearing rags and crying, “unclean; unclean; unclean.” However, he dismissed those feelings, obeying the Scripture, “charity thinketh no evil.”

A well-known evangelist called and canceled their up-coming meeting. He left the message with the secretary. She said he gave no reason. Dr. Minster could not contact him, or the evangelist would not answer. Although he left messages for him to please get in contact, there was silence.

“Well, it must have been something serious for him to have to cancel like that. I’ll pray for him.” Dr. Minster thought to himself. And he did pray for him- - -everyday.

The formerly frequent calls from missionary candidates fizzled. Designated, but unused, mission funds piled up. Dr. Minster became even more burdened for the mission field. He fasted and prayed “the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers.” He saw the fields white already to harvest, dying in the fields. He even sought the Lord’s will about going to the mission field. The devil has used a Christian as the bait and a pastor as the snare. However, the Lord tripped the trap and used a truly spiritual servant, a Nathan, to approach Dr. Minster face-to-face about the allegation. Dr. Minster was shocked and saddened by the accusation. However, he was able to produce a tape recording of that morning service. The “UN” on the tape was very clear, and the context of his comments made it doubly clear that he was NOT changing his position on the Scriptures.

Although the confronter apologized, both agreed that the damage could not be UNdone. However, Dr. Minster asked the confronter to take the tape to the one who had told him and then to ask that person to take the tape to the one who told him, and so on, in an attempt to set the record straight.

Dr. Minster included the following message with the tape:

A pastor preached against gossip. One of the church members, a woman, was greatly convicted about her having gossiped about her neighbor. The pastor advised her to ask the Lord to forgive her, in compliance with I John 1:9, and then apologize to her neighbor. She did, and she was forgiven both by the Lord and by her neighbor. Yet, she regretted that she could not somehow undo what she had done; take back her words. The pastor told her that there was no way to do that. She could not accept that there was no way. She continuously questioned the pastor as to what she could do.

“Well, okay,” the pastor said, “there is something that I want you to do.”

“What is that?” she anxiously asked.

“Get a bag of feathers, take a feather to every house where you shared this gossip and place it somewhere next to the front gate of the house. Then come back to me.” he instructed her.

She gladly left, relieved that she could do something. She did as the pastor instructed and then returned to him.

She said, “I did what you told me. I placed one feather at the front gate of every house where I gossiped against my neighbor.” She waited for absolution- - naively.

“Now, go back and pick up every feather.” the pastor said.

“What?” she stammered, “How can I ever find them? The wind has blown them everywhere by now!”

The pastor lamented, “So has your gossip! There is nothing more that you can do, than you have already done, other than to determine to never do it again.”

The sadder, but wiser, woman said, “I see what you mean. I will never do it again.”

“Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.” Matthew 18:15