June 21, 2024

Gateway Pastor Resignation Cont., Ten Commandments in LA Schools

June 21, 2024

“Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? Oh be not weary of well-doing!”

John Wesley

Gateway Pastor Resignation Cont.
Ten Commandments in LA Schools
Other news you should know
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Gateway Pastor Resignation Cont.

Tragically, the story continues to develop around the abuse allegations against Robert Morris. Cindy Clemishire, the alleged victim, shared a thorough response following the statement released by Gateway elders denying knowledge of the abuse. Clemishire adamantly refutes the possibility that the specifics of the abuse were unknown to key leaders at Gateway and even other prominent ministry leaders. She writes, “My family and I have gone to leaders of very prominent churches and well-known ministries with this information, hoping that someone would hold (Morris) accountable and remove him from ministry leadership.” You can read the full letter here.

A nation without Nathans (2 Samuel 12) will be a nation with Davids that ruin lives and bring destruction (2 Samuel 11). One of the most disturbing parts of the story involving Robert Morris and Gateway Church is the claim by the victim that she and her family have "gone to leaders of very prominent churches and well-known ministries with this information, hoping that someone would hold (Morris) accountable and remove him from ministry leadership."

The Clemishires should share those names.

God's Word is clear that "equity and justice are the foundations of His throne" (Psalm 89:14), and those who represent Him are charged with representing Him by walking in obedience (John 15:14, Titus 1:9). Leaders are not exempt from accountability, they are in fact to be held to a higher level of it (James 3:1, Leviticus 21:1, 6). God's Word tells us to "maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality" (1 Timothy 5:21). A nation that weaponizes its legal system against political opponents or who covers up wrongdoing by supporters or family is a nation that has lost its way and will soon implode (Deuteronomy 16:19; Proverbs 28:2). A church that doesn't deal with the sins of its leadership in a responsible and ethical way is a church that will lose the respect of the people it is called to witness to and shepherd (1 Peter 2:12, 3:13-16). When Paul saw Peter acting in a way that was inconsistent with the gospel, he confronted him as he would any other person (Galatians 2:11-12) lest "the rest of the Jews join Peter in his hypocrisy" (Galatians 2:13).

When the Bible says, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter" (Proverbs 25:2), it is talking about "concealing" His wisdom and way, not the sins of His people. When an accusation is made, or a "malicious witness rises up against a man to accuse him of wrongdoing, then both men who have the dispute shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days. The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you" (Deuteronomy 19:16-19).

It is a disgrace when men are afraid to expose wrongdoing because "they don't want to bring shame to the Lord's anointed", God expects His people to have the courage to speak as Nathan, as Paul, as Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:17-19) irrespective of social loss or professional advancement. God does not need us to protect His church; He expects us to keep it above reproach and worthy of praise (2 Corinthians 6:3, Philippians 4:8-9).

It would be appropriate for those "well-known ministries" and "influential pastors" contacted by the Cleminshires to identify themselves, explain what they did or did not do, seek forgiveness if appropriate, and accept the consequences of any actions that are not fitting of their position or reputation. Meanwhile, may the Lord continue to raise up Nathans in our land so the Davids of today can rightly deal with the destruction any disobedience has wrought.

_{By: Todd Wagner}

Ten Commandments in LA Schools

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed a bill mandating the display of the Biblical Ten Commandments in every public school classroom by January 1, 2025. This move raises legal questions under the First Amendment, recalling the 1980 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Stone v. Graham, which struck down a similar Kentucky law for lacking a secular purpose and violating the Establishment Clause. Louisiana's law includes a three-paragraph context statement outlining the commandments' historical role in American education. Additionally, it permits the display of the Mayflower Compact, the Northwest Ordinance, and the Declaration of Independence alongside the Ten Commandments, potentially aiming to navigate constitutional challenges by providing historical context.

There is a lot of debate about what an appropriate expression of First Amendment rights is. The First Amendment's "establishment clause" states:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

The First Amendment, part of the Bill of Rights, which has been a federal law since 1789, was written at a time when several state churches existed, and they continued for decades. In fact, in Van Orden v. Perry (2005), the Court upheld a Ten Commandments monument on the Texas State Capitol grounds, acknowledging its historical significance. While its interpretation can be debated, any assertion about the clarity of the First Amendment in every situation must first confront a muddied precedence and interesting history.

Here are a few reminders:

It's good for us to see truth daily; it's better for us to live it (John 13:17).
Ultimately, the heart of the matter is not about hanging commandments on a wall but instilling their truths in our lives (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).
Scripture reminds us that God's laws are a foundation for righteous living: "The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul" (Psalm 19:7).
Heaven and earth, as we know, will pass away, but God's words will never cease (Matthew 24:35).
Regardless of what public schools post or don't, train up your child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).