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Dear Sirs:
I understand that a position as pastor is open in your church and I would like to apply for it. I have some qualifications for the work, and this letter is an honest review of my past service in the ministry.
I am almost 60 years of age and have been in the ministry for about 25 years. Ive never lasted very long in any one place, but once I did stay in one church three years. People say my health is not good, but I ignore these kinds of irritants and press on anyway, believing my ill health is actually an advantage to keep my big ego in check.
Im a strong leader and have usually wound up in charge of everything Ive ever done. Ill be frank with you, Im not always popular, and have been expelled from a number of cities where I ministered. But in every case it was because of a trouble-making opposition I seem to get everywhere I go. I just preach the truth and some people get angry when they hear it.
You may hear about the time when I confronted the highest leader in my denomination to his face -- in front of an entire church body. But he was clearly in the wrong and he backed down. It is that simple: I was right, and he was wrong. I spoke the truth, as I always do. And my truth won the day.
I have seldom been able to work full-time in the ministry, so I have usually had employment outside of my ministry to help support me. In some churches I received no salary at all, and occasionally my job even provided for paying the staff too, though that was not the average situation. Don't the idea though that I worked only with large churches. Most of the churches I've worked with were small, and all of them were able to meet in a house or small hall.
I am a good preacher and well-trained in Bible truths though I often preach longer than people think I shouldsometimes for several hours. And you might hear that I have even preached all night at times.
I have had some success at church planting, though some believe my methods are wrong. What I do is enter a new city and find the local religious gathering. I attend there until I get an opportunity to teach or speak, then I show them how their doctrine is wrong and the doctrine I teach is correct. This usually causes a lot of division, and those who side with me generally split off the original group and with that core group I start a new church.
In case you follow up on my references you may discover some questionable events. So I need to give my side on these stories. Yes, it is true that I am guilty of conspiracy to commit murder. But that was before I accepted Christ. And it is true that because of several problems since becoming a Christian, I have been put in jail. But most of these were short stays, though I have just been released from a four-year stint -- two years in Caesarea and the last two here in Rome. But Ive never given up on my faitheven as a convict. Yes, I have been accused as a trouble-maker but these are false accusations, the real trouble-makers are the Jews who keep following me everywhere I go stirring up trouble against me.
Spiritually I have had an incredible journey. Early in my ministry I had "another world" experiencewhich I do not even talk about. I heard inexpressible things. And you need not worry about a charismatic influence, for I am a hard-liner on that issue, always limiting speaking in tongues to a few at a time, and though I speak with tongues myself more than most everybody else, I never do so in public meetings.
I have always worked in a staff ministry, and usually expect a staff as normal. If your church can't pay them, I will figure out a way to have them work directly for me. My staff is generally loyal to me, in fact I demand it. In my first staff relationship, the senior member of the staff quickly recognized that I was more competent than he was, and he stepped down to the associate role so I could assume the leadership of our staff. Later that year the third member of our staff left abruptly walked out, but I thought at that time he was too soft for the ministry anyway. Eventually I lost my associate too when he tried to persuade me to bring that young fellow back on staff. I refused. He left and started another ministry, though we are still friends. I have been used to working with a large staff, but I admit that I've had a lot of staff turnover -- few of them stay very long. That's what multiplication is all about, though isn't it? As to my wife, I do not give any details other than I will be accompanied wherever I go not by her but by a physician, a faithful layman who has been with me for quite a while. He will be moving with me to wherever I go next.
There may be other rumors and accusations about me that you hear when following up my references Strong leaders have strong opposition. So, I wish to address these other rumors and reports directly to you as follows:
I hope you will consider my application.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
His infidelity if it even happened was 14 years ago. The locker room talk is something a LOT of men do and, frankly, he was correct. Some women WILL let you grab them if you are a Billionaire celebrity.
As to his language....he is a New York contractor, thats how they talk. Anyone who has ever been around him says he has a heart of gold and his generosity is well known, so I dont care about words when deeds are so good. These same people found no problem with Clinton getting bl#w jobs in the Oval Office, or about JFKs sexual exploits and prostitutes parading through the White House.
BTW I dont have a lot of respect for any Christian who doesnt believe in redemption
For some people, once they choose to dislike a person, that person can never be redeemed.
So, Trump is a flawed man. We all knew that from the beginning of the campaign.
However, Trump turned out to be a great leader, helping millions with his policies and actions as POTUS. He has kept his word and stood up against the communists trying to tear down conservatism.
I will take the substance of his actions as more important than his past flaws.
A sign at a local church summed it up best.
“Don’t hate someone because he sins differently than you”.
How self righteous of Galli. I suppose his character has no flaws, and he is pure as the driven snow. Hey Galli, there’s a log in your eye.
I believe God chose Donald Trump for this mission for these times.
bkmk
Christianity Today hates Evangelicals. They Hate Trump.
This editorial was a two-fer for them!
They got to condemn both groups.
Both my wife and I were given Scottish/German genes that did not agree with being in the sun. We had a plastic surgeon who was chartered to remove our occasional skin cancers. He was the most arrogant, annoying and self serving person we had ever met, but he was the best.
My wife REALLY did not like him and was considering going to someone else. I told her that we did not have to go to dinner with him, we just needed to let him do his job.
How can someone who knows so little about the Bible run Christianity Today?
First he needs to acknowledge that God repeatedly used flawed individuals to carry out his plan. We all should acknowledge, and that includes Mr. Galli, that we are ALL flawed and fall short of the glory of God on our own.
Moses was a murderer. David was a murderer and adulterer. Jacob was essentially a thief and liar. The apostle Paul was a serial murderer until his Damascus Road conversion. Rahab the prostitute assisted the spies in the fall of Jericho, and if I am not mistaken, is part of the lineage of Jesus.
Sure, Trump has flaws, but Galli exposes himself to be a political hack and is way, way, way off base. He should resign immediately.
Just a modern Judas who got his silver and slipped away to disgrace and destruction.
Here in Alabama, Sessions is leading Doug Jones; according to the local paper because Evangelicals support Trump. And yet, the New York Times tells me Evangelicals hate Trump.
Maybe he’d like to meet with the witches next time they put a hex on Trump...
Bump