|
About Jesus Steve Sweetman "You've
got mail". From:
Rev. Jack Pott -
Subject: email
hacking Dear
John I
wish to inform you that I will be in contact with Rev. Goldman at Gospel
In Motion International Enterprises. (G.I.M.I.E.) concerning you hacking
into his ministry's computers. Hijacking
a reputable ministry's email list to promote your articles is
inexcusable. I'll speak with
Rev. Goldman to see what further action is needed. Rev.
Jack Pott jpmii.com
– all rights reserved donate
to my ministry at - jpmii.com/donate-to-me-now From:
John
- Subject: Re:
email hacking Hi
Rev. Jack Pott I'm
sorry to hear that you think I've hacked into G.I.M.I.E.'s email
account. Even if I knew how
to do that, I wouldn't. I've
been receiving a countless number of blank emails from G.I.M.I.E..
I decided to copy and paste one of my Bible based articles into
one of these blank emails. I
hit the "reply" button, and off it went into cyber space, not
knowing where it would land, or if it would land at all.
Little did I know that G.I.M.I.E.'s computers would forward my
article to thousands of people around the world who were on their email
list. I've had more than
2500 hits on my web site since then. I've
received lots of emails in support of my article, that is, except for
your email. Thanks
for your email, but I'm not a hacker. John john.com sorry,
I have nothing to sell From:
Rev. Jack Pott -
Subject: Re: email
hacking Hi
John I've
visited your web site and saw that you're just an ordinary guy and
probably no threat to G.I.M.I.E.. I
will take no further action. Those
of us in valid ministry can't afford someone hijacking our email lists.
I'm sure you can understand how important those contacts are to our
ministries. Have a good day. Rev.
Jack Pott J.P.M.I.I.
– Jack Pott Ministries International Inc. jpmii.com
– all rights reserved donate
to my ministry at - jpmii.com/donate-to-me-now From:
John -
Subject: Re: email
hacking Hi
Rev. Jack Pott You
might want to read G.I.M.I.E.'s web site.
They had computer problems that caused all the blank emails and
my article being hurled down from cyber space into their email server's
computer. Just thought you
should know. John
- "just that ordinary guy" john.com sorry,
I have nothing to sell The
above email exchange is a paraphrase of a real exchange that took place
about 5 years ago. Names
have been changed to protect the innocent and the not-so-innocent.
John isn't really John. John
is me, "just an ordinary
guy". As ordinary as I
am in the world of "modern mega ministries", in the world of
Biblical ecclesiology, I'm just as important as the next guy.
It's
strange that we view ministry in terms of organizations, C.E.O.'s, and
boards of directors, something the Bible says nothing about.
I know the argument. We
live in a different world than the apostle Paul.
That's true, but that's not the fundamental issue.
The real issue is whether we view church as an evolutionary
process, evolving from Acts 2 to what we have today, or whether we view it through the lens of New Testament
teaching. It we fail to
follow Biblical teaching on this issue, we'll probably fail on other
issues. Biblical
based ministry arises from "functional relationships" in the
Body of Christ. Paul, in 1
Corinthians 12:17 calls the church "the Body of Christ".
This is meant to be taken literally, not figuratively.
Since the believers received the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, in one
sense of the word, we have
literally become Jesus' present day earthly body.
Like our physical bodies, the Body of Christ consists of many
individual parts, all of which are important and vital.
These networked body parts form the whole body.
Each part has his job to do on his own, as well as a job to do
with those he is supported by and joined to, and, we should be joined
relationally, not just organizationally.
Biblical based ministry rises from functioning relationships, not
from organizational structures.
I'm
not entirely opposed to organizational structure, as long as the
organization serves us and not us serving the organization, as is often
the case. I actually think
"para-church" organizations, example Bible collages, are a
more Biblical expression of church than church organizations.
That being said, organizational structures should never replace
the "ordinary guy" in ministry.
He's basic to New Testament thinking.
If we simply view ministry being founded, supported, maintained,
and financed, by an organization's constitution, we're missing the
meaning to ministry. I
anticipate a day coming, and probably sooner than we'd like, when the traditional church will lose its
legal status provided by government.
Without legal status, tax shelters, and corporate capabilities,
the western church will be paralyzed, unable to carry on "business
as usual". We'll then
be forced to appreciate church and ministry as it was meant to be; you
and I networked together in functional relationships, whether we have
all the trappings of modern ministry or not, which I doubt we'll
have.
|