Atheist Support Group Serves Faithless Christian Pastors

Source: Charisma News

Support groups exist for people struggling with all sorts of things—from mainstream issues like divorce and cancer to offbeat items like caffeine and hoarding—but many are shocked by a new community created by atheists.

The Clergy Project, formed by the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Science and Reason and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, aims to help clergy who have “seen the light” move beyond faith.

“The Clergy Project exists to provide a safe haven, a forum where clergy who have lost their faith can meet each other, exchange views, swap problems, counsel each other—for, whatever they may have lost, clergy know how to counsel and comfort,” atheist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins writes on the site.

Although the Clergy Project launched as a private, invitation-only website in March, it went public on Oct. 7. It started with 52 members and has grown to nearly 100. With the unveiling of the website, the group expects hundreds more.

“We know there must be thousands of clergy out there who have secretly abandoned their faith but have nowhere to turn,” Dan Barker, a former evangelical preacher, said in a statement Friday.

“Now they do have a place to meet, a true sanctuary, a congregation of those of us who have replaced faith and dogma with reason and human well-being.”

The Clergy Project was started by Barker, Dawkins, philosopher Daniel Dennett and researcher Linda LaScola.

In a study conducted by Dennett and LaScola, “Preachers Who Are Not Believers,” several pastors were interviewed in 2008 and 2009 who no longer believed what their parishioners thought they believed. The study was the source for some initial members of the project.

The administrators of The Clergy Project are both active pastors in the United States who claim to have lost their faith and are looking for an “exit strategy.” The project says the most difficult issue for these religious leaders is financial.

“It is hard to think of any other profession which it is so near to impossible to leave,” Dawkins wrote on the site in a welcome message. “If a farmer tires of the outdoor life and wants to become an accountant or a teacher or a shopkeeper, he faces difficulties, to be sure. He must learn new skills, raise money, move to another area perhaps. But he doesn’t risk losing all his friends, being cast out by his family, being ostracized by his whole community.”

The website currently features two testimonies: one from “Lynn,” who writes she is “an active Methodist pastor who is also an atheist;” and one from “John Compere,” a psychologist and former Baptist minister.

What could cause these pastors to lose their faith? It could be loneliness and discouragement. According to a recent LifeWay Research survey, 98 percent agree with the statement, “I feel privileged to be a pastor,” with 93 percent strongly agreeing. Only about 0.5 percent of pastors disagree with the statement. Still, these same pastors are keeping their faith.

“Many oft-quoted statistics speak of miserable and unhappy pastors, but that’s not what we see when we actually ask them,” explained Ed Stetzer, vice president of research and ministry development at LifeWay Christian Resources. “There is discouragement and loneliness, but when 98 percent agree it is a privilege to be a pastor, we also know there is a great honor to being a pastor.”

Could these pastors be part of the great falling away that Paul described in 2 Thess. 2:3? Or is this atheist group simply trying to exploit a rare occurrence?

His Eye Is On The Sparrow
365-Day Devotional

Hillary Clinton Tells Supreme Court not to Call Jerusalem Part of Israel

In a legal brief filed with the US Supreme Court, Hillary Clinton has urged the justices not to call Jerusalem part of Israel.

At issue is the birthplace designation on passports given to US citizens born in Israel. The Administration’s policy is to require those born in the Jewish capital to have their place of birth listed as Jerusalem rather than Israel.

This rule applies to no other capital city on earth; its only purpose can only be to refuse to acknowledge that Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish state.

The Supreme Court has agreed to take up the case of nine-year-old Menachem Zivotofsky, who was born in Jerusalem in 2002. His parents want his birthplace listed as Israel.

Congress passed a law in 2004 requiring Israel be listed as the place of birth to those born in Jerusalem at their request, but the State Department headed by Hillary Clinton has refused.

They may as well say people born in London aren’t British!

The “world” seems determined to divide up the Land God gave His Chosen People, a job antiChrist will complete. “Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain.” — Daniel 11:39.

How close are we to the Return of Christ and the Rapture of the Church?

Look up, believer, and tune in your ears for the trumpet blast!

Yes, the Rapture is on schedule and no amount of arguing will change God’s plan. Soon the Church will meet Him in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Val

P.S. Pop along to The Internet Church and listen to Ray Ludik sing “I Can’t Keep My Eyes Off The Clouds.” Your spirit will leap with you!

His Eye Is On The Sparrow
365-Day Devotional

Some years ago, I was working as a Pastoral Assistant at a local church in Durban North when the Janitor came rushing into my office.

“My wife is having a baby,” he said excitedly.

“That’s nice,” I responded, thinking he wanted a lift to the local hospital.

“You don’t understand,” he shouted. “She is having a baby right now in the Church kitchen.”

We rushed through the sanctuary to the kitchen and, sure enough, there she was on all fours about to give birh. The Zulu people in South Africa are a hardy folk and I knew the baby was on its way.

I ran to the little chapel and interrupted about forty folks enjoying an early morning prayer meeting.

“Come, help deliver the baby!”

I could just see the whites of forty pairs of eyes, but no-one moved.

“You’re all parents and grandparents. You’ve been there. You know what to do…” I said as panic began to set in.

“We will help!”

I turned around to see two middle-aged bachelors. They had never been married and I doubt they had ever held a baby.

“We know what to do,” they said. “We saw it on TV.”

One rushed to find some newspaper and water (he’d seen that on TV) and the other stood over the hapless lady shouting “Push.”

I was on the ‘phone to the hospital and shouting “DON’T PUSH!!!!”
at the same time.

Fortunately for all of us, the ambulance arrived on time, but it was touch and go. The contractions were really coming thick and fast – and so was the baby.

It made me realise the truth of what Jesus said. The more “Signs of the Times” we see happening in our world .. the more the world’s contractions increase .. the closer is the Return of the One Who was once The Babe of Bethlehem.

I’m looking forward to His Return with great anticipation. How about you?

Val

His Eye Is On The Sparrow
365-Day Devotional

The Christian and the Bible

“Listen to the statutes… teach them to your children and your grandchildren.” – Deuteronomy 4:1, 9

Jesus said the love of many would grow cold in the End Times. Despite our profession of faith, the facts speak loudly about the general level of spirituality among believers. The only true source of spiritual sustenance is the Inspired Word of God and neglect is causing many Christians to suffer from Spirtual Malnutrition.

Recently comedian Jay Leno asked his television audience to name one of the Ten Commandments. One person ventured: “God helps those who help themselves.” Leno asked if anyone could name the four Gospels. No one could; but responding to another question, almost everyone in the audience could name the four Beatles.

As biblical instruction wanes, large numbers of young people are biblically illiterate. Our society is developing a profound ignorance of Jesus. Many don’t understand the term “Good Friday” or the meaning of our basic Christian vocabulary–grace, sin, redemption, and salvation.

The number of people who read the Bible “occasionally” has declined from 79 percent in the 1980s to 59 percent. Only 16 percent of Christians say they read the Bible daily. (Clayton Hardiman, Bible Literacy Slipping, Experts Say, at Religious News Service, posted at home.snu.edu/~HCULBERT/literacy.htm)

Read your Bible every day. Teach it to your children. Don’t depend on others to do it. Offer to lead Bible classes at your church, and volunteer to work in the children’s ministry. Reversing the tide of biblical illiteracy is going to take all of us doing our part.

“Many Christians expect the world to respect the book they neglect.” -E.C. McKenzie

Source: David Jeremiah

His Eye Is On The Sparrow
365-Day Devotional

A Very Important Message That Speaks To My Heart And, I trust, To Yours..

By: Andrew W Roebert

Email: andrew@alivetogod.com

Website: www.alivetogod.com

INTRODUCTION

God has a unique purpose and destiny for each one of us. Within each one of us HE has placed something of great value. Something that was designed and breathed into us, which was meant to be used by God to touch and reach others. At the same time God is at work within us, so that what He has placed and planted within us can grow, develop and bloom into all He intended it to be. Our greatest happiness can be discovered when we do what God has called us to do. When we are fulfilling the destiny and purpose that He has placed within us, we can discover a place of fulfillment and happiness. We should not become restless, discontent or dissatisfied. When we pursue what is not part of what God has placed within us, it can destroy us and those around us. We should remain faithful to what God has called us to do. Be what God meant you to be!

TESTIMONY

I have always known that God has placed within me the desire to encourage other people. I am an encourager at heart. In fact, I do not enjoy confrontation. I prefer to encourage and inspire people, even though sometimes confrontation is an essential part of life. If I operate in this God-given gift, it brings the greatest joy and fulfillment to my life. If I decided that I would rather correct or admonish people, I would soon run out of steam and get discouraged. When I operate in what God has called me to do, I thrive, I make progress and I take ground. When I do what comes naturally to me, because of what God has placed within me, it is easy. It is not a battle or a struggle.

I have discovered that the best thing to do is to be faithful to what God has called me to do and to operate in line with what He has placed within me. If I do this, I am strong. But when I try to be what God has not called me to be, it saps the very life out of me! When we try to be what we were not meant to be, it is usually destructive. If we take what was not intended for us, we usually have to spend our lives fighting to keep it!

SCRIPTURE READING

Judges 9:7-13 When Jotham heard about this, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted, “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem! Listen to me if you want God to listen to you! Once upon a time the trees decided to choose a king. First they said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’ But the olive tree refused, saying, ‘Should I quit producing the olive oil that blesses both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?’ Then they said to the fig tree, ‘You be our king!’ But the fig tree also refused, saying, ‘Should I quit producing my sweet fruit just to wave back and forth over the trees?’ “Then they said to the grapevine, ‘You be our king!’ But the grapevine also refused, saying, ‘Should I quit producing the wine that cheers both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?’

In this story Jotham was speaking to a group of people who wanted to be something they were not intended to be. They wanted to take something for themselves that was not intended for them.

1. DON’T TRY TO BE SOMETHING YOU ARE NOT

In this parable we see a story about not trying to be something we are not. How often we wish we were more like someone else. Perhaps we even wish we had another person’s anointing or calling. Maybe you wish you could just be more like someone else and we end up striving in our own strength to lift ourselves up and elevate ourselves. In this parable the olive tree was asked to be king. The fig tree was asked to be king and the grapevine was asked to be king. They were not designed to be kings! They were designed to be an OLIVE tree, a FIG tree and a GRAPEVINE! Trees were never designed to be kings. Trees were designed to be trees.

Years ago there was a Pastor whom our family knew. He was a good Pastor who enjoyed Pastoring. But his wife felt he could be so much more. She wanted her husband to be in the ‘big-league’! She pushed and pushed and pushed for her husband to be something he was not. It eventually destroyed them, their ministry and their marriage. Be comfortable in your own skin, in your own anointing, in your own gifting and in your own special purpose in God! Develop what God has placed in you and don’t try to be something you are not.

2. NOT EVERY OPPORTUNITY SHOULD BE TAKEN

In the parable above, each tree has the opportunity to respond. In each case the tree asks the question: ‘Should I?’ When we get offered opportunities, we should ask ourselves if this opportunity or promotion is in line with the peculiar and unique gifts God has given us. We should ask ourselves if this is what we are actually called to do! A better position or more recognition may seem like something very attractive, but would it be the right thing and what would the costs be? Can we expect God’s blessing when we operate outside of the unique and special calling God has placed on us? Often the deciding factors are things like power, wealth and honour. Perhaps we should also ask the question: ‘Should I?’ Perhaps we need to carefully examine our hearts and our own secret motivations and intentions of our hearts. We may be risking more than we could gain.

Judges 9:9 They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’ But the olive tree refused, saying, ‘Should I……’

Also note that the Olive Tree REFUSED the opportunity to be something it was not, even though being the king would have been something more than just a tree.

3. DON’T UNDERESTIMATE YOUR NATURAL, GOD-GIVEN TREASURES

God has placed treasure within you. This treasure is something unique and special. It is exactly what those around you need and are longing for. The greatest joy and blessing in life is to be useful to God and useful to others.

Judges 9:9 First they said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’ But the olive tree refused, saying, ‘Should I quit producing the olive oil that blesses both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?’

‘Should I quit producing the olive oil that blesses both God and people?’ Why would we give up the very thing that was placed within us that would be a source of blessing to both God and man? What God has placed within you was designed to be a blessing. Don’t underestimate what God has placed within you.

The King James Version of this scripture says is more insightfully:

‘But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?’

There is something rich and ‘fat’ about what God has placed within you. It is of great value. It would be unnatural for the olive tree to give up this great asset. In the same way it should be unnatural for us as Children of God to give up that special dimension that God has placed in us. God knows best about what He has placed within you and I.

4. DON’T BE TEMPTED TO LOOK OUTSIDE OF WHAT GOD HAS PLACED WITHIN YOU

There is often a temptation to look outside of what God has placed within us. Perhaps this is just one of those human traits. We always think that the grass is greener on the other side and so we are tempted to look outside of what God has placed within us, assuming that something else would be better. There was once a story told about a man who worked with scorpions. He loved to work with these dangerous little creatures and he would always try to save them. Often he would get bitten by the very creatures he was caring for. One day someone came to him and said: ‘Why do you continue working with scorpions when they bite you?’ He responded and said: ‘Why should I stop doing what comes naturally to me just because the scorpion does what comes naturally to it?’

Don’t look for reasons to stop doing what comes naturally to you. What God has placed within you is a part of His very character and personality. What God has placed in you will reveal something of God’s nature and personality to others. We must deal with the temptation when it comes. We will be tempted to look outside of what God has placed within us, but when we are tempted we should even hold our calling tighter.

5. WHEN WE STAY WITHIN OUR GOD-GIVEN GIFTING, GOD HEARS US!

Judges 9:7-13 Jotham climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted, “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem! Listen to me if you want God to listen to you!”

The lesson is that we should be faithful to what God has called us to do. The reward is that when we do this, HE will be faithful to listen to us. If however we will pursue and take that which does not belong to us, we can get to a place where God does not hear, listen or harken to us. This is for me such a serious warning. Don’t try to be something you are not or were not intended by God to be and in this way you will stay connected to God. Be something that you were not called to be and there is a very real chance that you will experience a disconnect with God and this can lead to destruction.

I once heard someone say: ‘If you take something that does not belong to you, you will have to fight for that thing for the rest of your life!’ and then on top of that is the real likelihood that you will NOT enjoy closeness with God! BUT, if we will stay within our God-given calling and gifting, we can know real fulfillment and a sense that we do not need to fight to hold onto what we have and we can enjoy the knowledge that God is with us and that He hears us when we call!

(These notes may be shared with others)

His Eye Is On The Sparrow
365-Day Devotional