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When the Floor Falls In

We were living in my uncle’s rental house that he was so graciously allowing us to use rent free for a time.  Things at the church I had been pastoring hadn’t ended well, and my wife and I found ourselves in the most difficult spiritual and financial season of our marriage.  In hope of sparing both the church and my family as much pain as possible, I chose to resign my position in June 2010 after the Deacon Board gave me the ultimatum, resign or be voted out by the church.

Two years later in September 2012 right before we moved out of the rental house, something seemingly symbolic happened.  We were packing up boxes one evening when three-quarters of our bedroom floor fell in!  It was an old farmhouse, and the termites finally got the best of the floor joists.  I couldn’t help but think of how the “floors” of my ministry had “fallen in” just two years prior.

Resigning from a church you shepherd because of schism is one of the most painful experiences of ministry.  I have known several pastor friends and read about many more who have gone through it, and now I had experienced myself.  But I can say, God uses such pain for glorious things.  Most of these come from my personal experience, but the principles apply to many circumstances.

     1.  Personal Sanctification: At that time, I feared man more than God to the point that I sometimes worried about getting “fired” or having to resign if I were to speak out on all my convictions.  Now, I’m a bolder and better pastor, a better husband, and a better father because of God’s sanctifying grace.  Now my theology of the Church (ecclesiology) is more sound and clear.

     2.  Repentance:  A part of my personal sanctification is repentance.  I don’t write this article out of bitterness but out of the realization that I could have been a more personable and loving pastor to that local church of God.

     3.  Wisdom for Others:  I have a story to share that can be of encouragement and help to other pastors who are in calloused or otherwise difficult churches.  For example, I learned that just because a small group of influential people says the majority of the church wants you gone, it’s not necessarily true.  Since 2010, I have heard from other pastors that experienced this same thing.

Add to this, I have a story to share with churches as to how to go about addressing major differences they have with a pastor.  I actually agree with the deacons of the church I was pastoring that it was probably best that I leave.  That’s a big part of why I resigned.  The issue was the way they went about the process.  (To be clear, the schism was over particular theological points and not any unrepentant or disqualifying sin on my part).

Here are a few words of wisdom for a church having issues with her pastor:

     1.  Be sure to address disagreements, sins, or perceived sins privately.  Jesus commands us in Matthew 18 to address one another privately before getting multiple people involved.  Give the pastor the respect of a proper hearing in private.  This will help clear up any misunderstandings that might be leading you toward the wrong conclusion.  When you give that hearing, be clear about the perceived problem.

2.  Be sure to involve all witnesses that are accusing a pastor of sin.  Beware of entertaining “hearsay” or “secondhand” accusations.  Don’t pass along accusations from others by saying things like, “There’s a family in the Church that said that you said. . . ”  Instead, simply say something like, “There’s a family in the Church that believes you have said . . .  I suggested that they talk to you about it.  Perhaps you should go ahead and reach out to them.”  This is approach is a much better way to guard against gossip, slander, and miscommunication.

     3.  Be sure there are no “secret” meetings of select leaders.  Whether an Elder Board or a Deacon Board, there should never be secret meetings held for the purpose of amassing “evidence” against any leader in the Church.

     4.  Be sure to follow the guidelines outlined in your church’s by-laws.  Some churches fail to realize that the by-laws are a legally binding document.

     5.  Don’t use threats to intimidate a pastor.   Avoid threats like “resign or we’ll vote you out” or declarations like “everybody wants you to leave”.

     6.  Realize it usually takes many months for a pastor to move into a new pastorate.  It took 18 months in my case.  In the meantime, your pastor will likely loose his family’s health insurance, and because church’s don’t pay into the unemployment system, there are no unemployment benefits to lean on.

In the end, resigning or being fired from a church as a pastor because of schism is bitter-sweet.  It’s bitter knowing I could have been a better pastor to that flock.  It’s bitter knowing that the church could have done a better job of handling the situation.  It’s bitter being separated from people with whom you had grown close.

But, it’s sweet to know God gave me an opportunity to repent and grow in spiritual maturity.  It’s sweet knowing my intentions to preach the gospel, see people saved, and disciple men were true, though I fell way short of what I could have been.  My intention in pastoring that flock was true.  It’s also sweet to know that the church I pastored has the opportunity for repentance and growing in spiritual maturity too.  And this is a cause of praising God for His patience and grace demonstrated in His glorious providence!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Jeremy Vanatta

Precious Babies

Among the most sensitive issues with which pastors must deal is the question of salvation regarding babies and very young children that die, whether in utero, infancy, or prior to conscious awareness of sin.  (I would also include here the mentally impaired/special needs person, but for the sake of this article I will simply use the terms baby/babies.)  Because of the deeply personal sensitivity of this issue, I will make four clear and concise statements that I believe are plainly supported by God’s Word.

1.  Babies are not innocent:  This is harshest of the four, but the Bible teaches that there is no such category as an innocent person.  Not only are we born sinful, but we are conceived in the womb as sinful (Jn. 3:1-12; Eph. 2:1-5; Ps. 51:5).  Sin was imputed to us through our ancestor Adam (Rom. 5:12-21).  Physical death, no matter how early or late in life, demonstrates we are connected to the guilt of Adam’s sin (Rom. 5:13-14).

Psalm 51:5—Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Psalm 58:3—The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

Romans 5:12-14— Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.  14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

Romans 9:10-13—And not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born

2.  Babies are incapable of seeing the revelation of God through conscienceBabies have Adam’s sin-nature, but at least two passages of Scripture in the New Testament give us hope for babies.  Both John 9:41 and Romans 1:20 teach that people will be judged for their sin because they are naturally capable of seeing God’s revelation yet reject this knowledge of God.  Thus, we may safely conclude that because babies are incapable of seeing or knowing God’s revelation through conscience, God will extend His grace to them in the same way that He extends grace to conscience sinners, delivering them from spiritual blindness.

John 9:41—Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”

Romans 1:20—For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.  So they are without excuse

3.  Babies that die will be saved by grace: While there is no proof-text verse that we can turn to in the Bible that babies that die will go to heaven, I do believe they will be saved based on principles found throughout both the Old and New Testaments.  The following verses lend themselves in support of this conviction (bold type is added for emphasis).

2 Samuel 12:21-23— Then his servants said to him [David] , “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.”  He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.

Psalm 22:9-10—Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breast.  On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

Luke 1:15—“For he [John the Baptist] will be great before the Lord.  And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

4.  Those who never hear the gospel will be damned eternally:  I have added this fourth statement because talking about babies as being “ignorant” of their need for salvation inevitably leads some to conclude that people who never have an opportunity to hear the gospel will either be saved or at least given a future opportunity to believe.

This category of the “ignorant”, however, is different than babies.  People who never hear the gospel are not ignorant of God’s existence or their sin against Him (Rom. 1).  Although these people are ignorant of God’s saving work through Jesus, they are guilty and accountable because both creation and their own conscience bear witness of God and His righteousness (Rom. 1).  The evidence of their judgment is physical death (Rom. 5:14).

Death’s reign over mankind spares no one.  The good news is that babies are covered by the blood of Jesus by God’s grace.  The bad news is that people who never hear the gospel aren’t.  Why?  Because those who sinned between Adam and Moses are examples of what happens to people who never hear God’s truth.  They are held accountable for their sin even though they do not sin in the same way as Adam, that is by disobeying a direct command (Rom.5:14).  Yet, they are held accountable because they have a universal God-consciousness written on their hearts.

Romans 2:12a, 14-15—For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, . . . For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.  15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.

By no means do I think I’m an authority on the issue of what happens to babies that die, but I do believe the Bible gives enough clues to conclude that in God’s mysterious providence they are a part of God’s elect and precious in His sight.  It is my prayer that families who have faced the loss of a baby would find hope and peace in the words of Jesus: “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matt.19:13).

Soli Deo Gloria,
Jeremy Vanatta

Why We Homeschool?

There is nothing like those awkward moments in conversation to remind you of the importance of knowing why you do what you do and believe what you believe.  Why we homeschool our children has to be one of the top items on the list!  Most people mean well, but the awkward questions and comments can sometimes be trying.  Then you have those obnoxious folks that are flatout rude.

Nonetheless, Sarah and I have what we believe to be some very solid reasons for home educating our children.  But before I share them, let me make a qualifying statement: We do not believe that homeschooling is for everyone, and neither do we look down on others because they choose to have other people educate their children.  With that said, here are the primary reasons that we home edcuate:

1)  We believe that God has directed us to homeschool.  It is not for everyone, but it is for us because God has called us to it.

2)  We believe that we can provide a great education for our children through one-on-one instruction and more specialized curriculum that fits the individual child, increasing the likelihood of personal excellence.  We like that our children are able to study at their own skill level rather than that of the average child in a classroom.

3)  We believe that we can provide a more physcially and spiritually safe environment for our children, specifically in these crucial years.

4)  We believe that we are responsible for reducing negative peer pressure and creating healthy opportunities for appropriate socialization through the Church, homeschool co-ops, enrichment classes, etc.  The debate over “socialization” continues to be the most misunderstood aspect of homeschooling.  What many seem to forget is that homeschooling done right is far more socializing than your average school system.  Being confined to one building, a few classrooms, and one group of children year after year is not nearly as sociable as meets the eye.  This is not even to mention what kind of socializing is taking place (early exposure to vulgarity, sexuality, drugs, disrespect for authority, etc.).  Our children, however, have greater freedom to explore the real world through more frequent field trips, grocery shopping, nature walks, hospital visits, and other such experiences.

5)  We believe it is a more efficient use of time and money.

6)  As a family in the ministry, the frequency of moving can be greater.

7)  We love the flexible schedule!

8)  We love being with our children!

While we believe that God expects followers of Jesus Christ to be “salt and light” in a distasteful and dark world, we also believe that God expects Christian parents to “train up a child in the way that he should go” and gradually release them into the frying pan of the world rather than dropping them in before they are ready.

Now that these are in official print, hopefully I will have a better answer for those who wonder, “Why do you homeschool?”

Soli Deo Gloria,
Jeremy Vanatta

Anti-Santa or Pro-Christ?

[This is an updated version of an article written several years ago]

Christmas is undoubtedly one of my favorite times of the year.  While I abhor the plague of syncretistic paganism that envelopes much of the holiday season as much as the next Christian, God always works it out to His glory.  Despite the world’s effort to euthanize Christ from Christmas, the Star of the show shines brightly on.

But all the traditions do pose a challenge for the Christian.  Specifically, how do Christians maintain as central that which is central to Christmas, namely God’s plan of salvation for sinners through Jesus?

One of those aspects that my wife and I have wrestled with is Santa Claus.  We both grew up in homes that told their young children that Santa was real, Santa knew all your deeds, and Santa was the giver of gifts at Christmas.  After we married and before God blessed us with children, we began discussing the Santa issue.  After many conversations, we opted out of “being Santa” for our then future children for a variety of reasons, but our top five are below.

1)  Being Santa de-centralizes the centerpiece of Christmas–Jesus:  This one is difficult to get around.  Yes, the historical St. Nick is worthy of respect and honor.  We can learn much from his heralded compassion and kindness.  Yet it remains, that it’s all about Jesus.

2)  Being Santa attributes divine characteristics to Santa that belong to Jesus:  In many ways, this may be the most serious issue.  Only the Divine Jesus knows all of our thoughts and deeds.  To ascribe any other being but our God with these divine characteristics is idolatry.  In our minds, it is all pretend.  In the minds of children, it is somethhing altogether different, which leads  to numbers three and four.

3)  Being Santa lends itself to covetousness and idolatry rather than worship of Jesus:  If our children are more concerned about Santa because of what kinds of gifts he can bring than they are about Jesus for the gift that He is to sinners, then we have contributed to our children’s already idolatrous nature.  In addition, I’ve heard many parents proclaim they’re love of “being Santa” because of the priceless “joy” or “look on my kids’ faces.”  It seems this is a slippery slope toward parents idolizing their children rather than worshipping Jesus.

4)  Being Santa introduces mythological themes into historical realityChristmas is about the truth  of Jesus Christ.  Why then would the believer want to introduce mythological elements into a holiday that Christians celebrate as a historical reality, that Christ is born?

5)  Being Santa lends itself to immorality rather than holiness:  Since many parents that “do Santa” lie to their children about Santa, then one must question the very foundation of “doing Santa.”  This is not the same as a temporary, birthday-surprise type situation.  We are talking about a deception that is maintained anywhere from three to ten years.  Add to this, Christmas is supposed to be about the truth that Jesus is indeed “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).  Therefore, it does not seem the wiser to mix fact and fiction at Christmas time.

Of course, many people (often professing Christians) seem to have a beef with folks like us.  Some are genuinely curious as to why we don’t do Santa.  Others are downright indignant.  Here’s some of the reactions we received over the years:

1)  “Aren’t your kids missing out on all the fun at Christmas?”An alternate version of this questions is, “Aren’t your kids missing out on their childhood?”  Of course, this assumes that Christmas is about having fun and getting stuff.  Now granted, Christmas is lots of fun and should be, but I know plenty of children (including mine) that have never been fed the Santa tradition and who think Christmas just as grand.  In essence, they don’t really care so much about Santa as they do about getting stuff.  Either way, you have to deal with a child’s covetous idolatry (the “Mine, Mine, Mine Syndrome), and we believe that task is best accomplished by focusing on historical truth at Christmas.

2)  “You’re just being legalistic.”First off, we must use the term legalism carefully, since it often requires that we know the motivations of someone’s heart, and we can only know their motivations by getting to know them personally.

Second, legalism can only be legalism if it is a belief or practice that a person believes sets them apart as more righteous than another person and obtains for themselves a more righteous standing with God.  And this is certainly not where we stand.  A Christian’s righteous standing with God is by His grace alone through faith in Jesus.  Thus, my wife and I don’t judge other Christians for “being Santa.”  Rather, this article is not religious dogma but a call to consideration from fellow believers.

3)  “So, you don’t celebrate Christmas?”:  We were meeting with a group of Christians once, and we happened to share with them that we “don’t do Santa”.  One lady in the group said, “So, you don’t celebrate Christmas?  You don’t do gifts?”  Indeed, the Santa myth is deeply ingrained even among adult Christians.  Apparently for some, leaving Santa out of Christmas is no longer Christmas.  Thus, we see plainly the real and present danger of neglecting the Savior during the holiday.

All this to say, let us keep central that which is central at Christmas.  Christians, if you choose to “do Santa”, then do it.  But by all means, please be careful in how you deal with the historical truth of Jesus coming into the world at Bethlehem, living a sinless life that we couldn’t live ourselves, taking God’s wrath against sin that we ourselves deserved at the cross, and rising from the dead so that everyone that turns from sin and follows Him will have eternal life.

Merry Christmas!
Jeremy Vanatta