She has no obligation to say anything.
This is more communist agit-prop
Ping from Zacharias story, detailing the pain brought upon the families of the preachers and pastors in question.
Myself, I try to discern whether any person's message has wisdom and value, beyond that I am never star-struck. The human heart is exceedingly wicked. My focus and hope is always on the One who Created me.
I have been in the ministry for many years, in varying degrees. For the last ten years or so, I have been a senior pastor. Before that, I was an associate a few years, and a children’s pastor for several years before that.
So, I feel reasonably qualified to say this:
In my observation, many in the church have moved away from serving Christ, to a position of thinking of Jesus as its servant.
Simply put, there is a “what’s in it for me” attitude. No, it’s not the majority of the church, but it has crept in and caused people to lose focus.
I’ve had enough of all of these prosperity gospel preachers. That comment alone is going to unsettle some here. Yes, God blesses His people, but that should be a side effect of serving Him diligently. Anyone that disagrees with me should simply send me $10,000 and see how much God blesses you for it.
In 1 Corinthians 11:1, the Apostle Paul states, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”
Also, in Luke 8:18, Jesus told us to “Be careful what you hear....”.
The church is in trouble with this kind of stuff because the congregations don’t always demand excellent Christian behavior from it’s leadership.
I don’t care how big a church is. My concern is whether or not the Pastor follows Jesus.
Priorities.....
There is another thread that is about an Oriental woman of God who wrote that when need to be more mindful of how men perceive them by the way they dress.
No one but a man of God understands the way they can be tempted by the wiles of a woman. Even if said woman does not realize she is doing it. I would never apologizes for another persons behavior, that is between them, the church, and the women they offended and God.
However, if anyone thinks it’s easy to stay away from sin, you are truly delusional, and NO ONE is tempted more than those who proclaim Christ as the Savior of man. Billy Graham made a pact years ago when he was a young minister. Never ever be alone with a woman that is not your wife or daughter. Alway have another woman present, and the doors wide open.
He knew what Satan would do, and you know, so did his wife. His wife protected him. When ever she was able, she was there for him, and stood guard. Not because he was weak, but because Satan would send women his way to tempt him.
My wife is a paraplegic, and I could tell you tales of women I respect who have come on to me, and made it known they wanted me. While I was a deacon at my church, women would approach me right in the church with reasons that had nothing to do but to strike up conversations. I would talk thinking nothing, but as time went by they seemed to be a bit too friendly.
I remember one time I saw my wife in the waiting area taking to one of her friends. I excused myself and walked over to my wife. I sat on her lap, because she uses a wheelchair, wrapped my arms around her and gave her a big kiss telling her how much I loved her. I wanted her, the women, and everyone to see how much I loved my wife. Satan has used my wife’s situation to tempt me many times. It is hard. I even had elderly women at the nursing home I ministered at flirt with me, and begin dressing more eloquently as time went by. VERY Very difficult.
These men should have removed themselves from their situations the moment they realized they were getting weak. When they got to the point of caving, they should have temporarily resigned from their position, because they knew they were unable to withstand the temptation. That is what I have to do time and time again. I must remove myself from a situation that becomes too difficult for me to handle.
I also know women are tempted, and men come onto them all the time. Yes, even in the church. Satan loves using God’s house to tempt us all. That is why we must always remind our spouses that we love them and let everyone know we are off limits.
I understand his daughter taking her time, and I understand her apology. We all must handle the affairs of our family members as best we can. No one is perfect, and while the abused is hurt the most, we must never ever believe that the pain of the abusers family is not real. They have found out that their rock, their spiritual guide, the head of their home who is respected by all, was a man who miserably failed when it came time for him too be strong. Not only did he fail, he went the way of Eli’s sons.
It is a fact, that when a man of God falls, he falls farther than anyone could imagine. God moves away from him. The Holy Spirit backs off, because he refused to listen to the Spirit. Thus he is left open for Satan to move in and make him worse than many unbelievers.
Sam Kinison comes to mind. He was an aspiring minister, how had a knack of making people laugh. Then he fell away, and his stand up routines was one of the vilest of all. Andrew Dice Clay was mild compared to Kinison.
He left the stage, and had a rebirth with Christ, and returned to his first love. He thought he could go back to doing stand up, but clean this time. Well, on his way to his first gig, he died in a car crash. I believe God told him, no, time to come hime before you mess up again.
Interesting story of him. He wasn’t all that bad after the accident. His friend said that Sam was sitting off to the side talking to someone, but no one was there but him. He heard sam say,
“No, I don’t want to go, I’m not ready”
Then he was quiet, he friend was going to ask him who he was talking to, when he heard Sam say,
“OH Ok, OK, I’ll go with”.
That’s when hi friend said Sam fell over dead.
You make out of it what you will. I think God said, no, don’t go, you will fail. I think it’s time for you to come home Sam. He finally said OK.
Never underestimate Satan’s ability to destroy good men, but also. Never underestimate God’s ability to forgive and renew one. Manasseh comes to mind. King Hezekiah’s son. He was the most evil of all kings. He started real bad, but if you read in 2 Kings, you will see that he finished well. He repented.
I pray for the women this pastor molested and abused. I also pray for the pastor, and his family.
God bless, Chuck