I am not qualified for leadership, and neither are you. Only the mature, with a track record of righteousness and good management, need apply. Those of us who are in the pews for good reason need to pray for these men (and yes, women are not needed: one of the tests for the married is that you manage your wife, and have but one of them).

For above all, an elder has to be orthodox. There are many men who are self controlled, disciplined, hospitable and lack a quick temper, but fall into the error of preaching what this world wants to hear.

They keep their profile low at the very time it has to become high. There is a place for men to stand and hold firm, and doctrine is one of them.

And this is not one of these places where we want diversity. We do not diversity. We do not want to be regulated so that we have a certain percentage of wimmenz, minoriteez, and disabilitiez in eldership. It is not a place for the weak. It is more akin to being in the front line of an army: the casualties will he high.

We need the most qualified and wise: to think these people will be evenly distributed among groups is as foolish as expecting our sports teams to have racial quotas [1]. We need the most qualified in these roles: and these qualifications are set in scripture and a matter for thoughtful interpretation, not democratic subversion.

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Saviour;

To Titus, my true child in a common faith:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

(Titus 1 ESV)

The question here is in particular one of sound teaching. Without this, one becomes unstable, and the consequences in the church and one’s life are obvious and measurable. It is akin to letting the pretty lies rule our voting: the wealth of the nation dissipates, and this is not merely the amount of gold the in the bank.

Mismanagement, corruption and the oil slump are fraying Hugo Chávez’s regime http://t.co/F1ZAX6AEdW pic.twitter.com/TNFrVr4bwc

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) February 18, 2015

We need to be careful of those who screech, those who think that an argument is won by the person who can throw the biggest tantrum. At times, this management of the people in a family makes parents and spouses guilty and that they are the worst parent or husband in the world. This is wrong. They are are doing their duty. They are holding ground, or dealing with the important, placing their feelings to one side for what needs to happen today. They cry when it is over, but keep their eyes dry in the moment.

For most of us will not lead the church. We have a bigger purpose. To live for Christ. We need to consider importance, praise, failure and disapproval to be imposters. Our judge is Christ, and our measure the lives around us.

Religious fanatic vs Social justice warrior #sjw #gamergate #fanatic #religion pic.twitter.com/86EQo5ei1G

— zach mulcahy (@ZachTMulcahy) February 16, 2015

With no effort you can be a great person… at least that is the prevailing lie that was told to them their whole lives.

They have no great conflict or struggle. No great war. No real hardships. They have lived the most comfortable lives of any generation of human beings.

No on has told them what they needed to hear. They were told they could be whatever they wanted to be. That they could follow their dreams. That by doing this, they would become successful. They were going to do whatever it is they wanted to do and they would become rich and famous.

Well they found the hard way that wasn’t true. They are coming to the realization that they cannot do whatever they want and be whatever it is they wanted to be: important. It is actually a lot of hard work to become an important person…. Some people are so hungry to feel important that they would go insane to get it. You don’t believe these SJWs and Tumblristas are insane? Go read some of their blogs or go search on Tumblr. A few decades ago, we would have institutionalized these people for being insane.

They have no dragons to slay. They have not accomplished their goals in life. They have no real purpose. They are failures. Their dreams didn’t come true. They have been unable to achieve in reality. Given that they are entitled little brats who have never had to work for anything in life, they have chosen the path of least resistance that requires little effort. In order to fulfil their most natural desires, to be important, they have chosen the path of insanity.

We need to stand by the gospel. It is the only grounds for salvation. The fallen state of our society is much more apparent, as our leaders have mass tantrums, lack vision, and consider the insanity of SJW and death of the nation as a feature, not a condemnation.

__________

1. South African Rugby has racial quotas for the national Team. NZ does not: we now beat the Saffies regularly when we used to be routinely trashed by them. Because they can no longer stack the team with 130 kg, 2m Afrikaners.