“Let us receive nothing, believe nothing, follow nothing which is not in the Bible, nor can be proved by the Bible.”

JC Ryle

Table of Contents

1. Pastor Resigns Amidst Abuse Allegations

2. Judge Blocks Title IX Redefinition

3. Other news you should know

4. Remnant Resources

5. Share this newsletter

Pastor Resigns Amidst Abuse Allegations

Robert Morris, founder of Gateway Church, resigned as senior pastor following allegations of sexual abuse during the 1980s. The church's Board of Elders accepted his resignation and announced an independent investigation into the claims made by a 54-year-old woman. Morris had admitted to "inappropriate sexual behavior,” which he had previously described as an extramarital affair, but, according to elders, had not disclosed the true nature of the relationship.

It is the "job" of the forgiven to forgive (Matthew 18:35).

It is not the job of the church to forsake the prosecution of crimes (Colossians 3:25, 1 Timothy 1:8-10).

It is the job of the church to remind all men of their responsibility to repent (Acts 2:38) and, to take responsibility for their actions, and to remind them when they "sin and are harshly treated to endure it with patience" (1 Peter 2:20).

We live in a broken world (Romans 8:20-21).

We are all broken people (Romans 3:10). 

Grace is available to broken people (Matthew 11:28).

Anyone who comes to the Lord can be restored and redeemed (Titus 3:5), but redemption does not necessarily mean being restored to positions of pastoral leadership (1 Timothy 3:2, James 3:1).

By all accounts, Robert Morris committed a crime while in his 20s. If the reported story is true, and there has been no denial of the victim's testimony by anyone involved, there is nothing but sadness here—sadness for the woman and her family, sadness for the church, sadness for Morris and his family. Thankfully, yesterday, Morris had the wisdom to step down as pastor of Gateway Church in Grapevine, Texas.

While Morris had shared publicly about past failures, there is a reason he was not specific about his sin in his initially released statement this last weekend when details of his transgressions were finally being exposed. Had Morris confessed to the details of his actions with moral clarity from his pulpit, he knows he would have lost it. There is a reason he was not specific in his description of his sin when he previously spoke about it from the pulpit and in his books, sharing that his sin struggle was when he was in his teens and implying that others involved were like him. In his recent statement released on June 14th he then stated it was "in his early twenties that he was in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a "young lady"'.  Sadly, it was much more (Luke 8:17).

If it is true that the elders of Shady Grove in the 80s and Gateway knew of Pastor Morris' crimes and failed to report them to the state, they too committed a crime, and they too should be held accountable, both legally as appropriate, and in terms of their fitness for continued leadership in the church (Titus 1:5-11). It is mandatory to report the abuse of a minor, and it is a failure of leadership to allow someone to call a child "a young lady" and five years of abuse of a minor, a "struggle with pride," or a sexually inappropriate relationship, especially when as the perpetrator you were a married pastor of a church and claiming spiritual fitness for spiritual leadership. 

Please join me in praying for all involved and, with humility, meditating with me on the wise and necessary words in 1 Corinthians 10:11-13. 

"Now, these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore, let him, who thinks he stands, take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."

I am thankful for the victim's words at the center of this story, who released a statement explaining that she not only contacted the leadership of Gateway almost 20 years ago but "many other prominent church leaders and ministries" looking for courageous men who would hold Morris accountable. She wrote, and we concur with her request that all those impacted by the news of another tragic story exposing the frailty of man,  "Please remember our faith is in Jesus, not in an institution or a man in the pulpit, keep the faith!" 

(After this remnant response was written, the elders of Gateway issued a statement saying, "The elders did not have all the facts of the inappropriate relationship between Morris and the victim, including her age at the time and the length of the abuse. The elder's prior understanding was that Morris's extramarital relationship, which he had discussed many times in his ministry, was with a "young lady" and not abuse of a 12-year-old child. Even though it occurred many years before Gateway was established, as leaders of the church, we regret that we did not have the information that we now have.”)

_{By: Todd Wagner}

Judge Blocks Title IX Redefinition

U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves ruled, "There are two sexes: male and female," temporarily blocking changes to Title IX in six states. The Biden administration's new rules, announced earlier this year, aim to expand Title IX to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity, diverging from its original focus on biological sex. Critics argue these changes prevent states and institutions from protecting women's spaces from men identifying as women. State attorneys general, including Florida's, have sued to block enforcement. Reeves stated the new rules contradict Title IX's text and purpose, calling them "capricious and arbitrary," potentially harming states and other plaintiffs. Another judge recently blocked these rules in four other states.

Whether he did so intentionally or not, Judge Reeves cited Scripture to begin his ruling. And that is a good thing. It's a good thing because all truth is God's (John 17:17). Contrary to popular belief, individuals cannot have their own truths. Jesus, as the embodiment of truth (John 14:6), has exclusive rights to the truth (Psalm 119:160).

We have a duty to tell the truth (Proverbs 6:16-19). It's neither more necessary than our duty to love nor less (Ephesians 4:15); thus, we must keep both in mind as Scripture commands. Those who are confused should not have the force of the law to impose their confusion on others. The Biden Administration's redefinition of sex and gender is the fulfillment of campaign promises from 2020. When someone tells you their priorities, believe them. And when a judge blocks a heavy-handed and ill-conceived redefinition, be grateful.

Lastly, here are a few of our favorite quotes on truth:

• "Discernment is not optional for the Christian; it is a duty. We must judge wisely, not by the standards of the world, but by the truth revealed in God's Word." - Charles Spurgeon

• "Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it." - Blaise Pascal

• "The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is." - Winston Churchill

_{By: Jamie Wilder}

Other news you should know

🏆 Celtics win the NBA Finals in Game 5.

⚾️ Willie Mays, baseball legend, dies at 93.

➡️ Is Youtube leaning right?

🤝🏼 Do Govs Newsom and DeSantis really agree on something?

✈️ More failures at Boeing.

📈 Nvidia up to $3.3T.

🇷🇺 Putin spotted in North Korea.

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