Well there you have it....Rick was asked to resign....all fresh from his "FIX RICK TRIP" but alas to no avail...
We would like to have a gathering now that we all 'know' the direction of the elders. Please come meet together so we can worship the Lord, praise His goodness as well as grieve together and talk about the future.
Currently we are considering the beautiful SeaPointe Clubhouse on 6400 Surfside Ln, Carlsbad, CA. which is available and can hold around 100 or so. It is between Pointsettia Lane and Palomar Airport Road (just off Coast Hwy/Carlsbad Blvd along the ocean) turn east onto Island, then North onto Surfside Lane--you can see it from the Hwy.
There are all kinds of options but we do really need to come together as like minded brothers and sisters in Christ ( not men thinking alike). We will let you know further details as a few of us are getting together to discuss options.
what time?
ReplyDeletePS...for those of you supporting the elders 'blindly' or those of you who think the Bible is 'old hat' and you 'know it like the back of your hand' or think you are so 'good' at discernment....RE READ or open it up with FRESH NEW EYES..not the old "yah, I know what this says..." What has been done is NOT Scriptural in the SPIRIT of the 'LAW' the Letter has perhaps been followed but NOT the Spirit. This has been entrenched in legalism.
ReplyDeleteBE BEREANS....open up your own Bibles...read ACTS all the way through...READ the Epistles, READ JESUS' WORDS...read the Sermon on the Mount, READ 1 Tim, 1 Peter, READ the New testament all the way through and in conjunctions with the WHOLE. These Elders have acted as the Pharisees in many, many ways. They have pitted themselves and their way of thinking against.... They have perhaps 'intended well' and thought they were united and doing right ) but then, so did the Pharisees and Saul- he justified murder for God----before Jesus brought him to his knees) but this whole procedure has NOT been with the Spirit of God's Word. They can continually point to this and that Scripture they are using....(ps so can Rick) but they have NOT placed others' (Rick for starters and others in this church) ahead of their own selves, desires, or needs....or agenda. They have taken the 'power' given to them as 'shepherds' of this church and run roughshod over it.
In the Gospel and His Word we find the real TRUTH. What these men have spearheaded at SeaCoast in NOT in alignment with the Spirit of what we find in (ALL) Scriptures - not extracting peices by which they have fed whomever they could get to listen (maybe they have covered every 'jot and tittle') but they are not in line with God's Spirit in their treatment of this whole situation, the church body and ultimately Rick.
ReplyDeleteIt was CLEAR their intent was to fire/release/ get rid of Rick. I hate to say 'I told you so' --but it was very apparent and clear to me and several others; every time they spoke at a meeting. You see, some of us are very 'worldly' as well and very perceptive to the reading of body language and the 'interpretation' of speech and mannerisms...and can put two and teo together.
They have used the last months to wean the church off Rick 'presence' & influence...a very worldly and businesslike approach and process...and much similiar to hostile-corporate-takeovers (but yet also slowly over the past 3 - 5 years)
God allows bad---
WE ARE ALL CHRISTIANS and brothers and sisters and you men, do NOT hold the SOLID, ONLY TRUTH--like a Pharisee. You have caused many, many who are not mature Christians, to sin to be mislead, to have a hardship in their faith or your UNREASONABLE and 'nonessential' agenda and 'vital' as you may have it SEEM TO YOUR NEEDS.... it is not an essential of this church to have shepherding and spiritual growth occur in YOUR DETERMINED manner...and you have done much damaged and have divided this church by YOUR actions.
Rick has responded thtu this whole ordeal in accordance with the Scriptures, humbly, obediently, openly and vulnerably SUBMITTINGLY....as Jesus' picture and example has been put forth in His Word.
Your actions have NOT portrayed God's example as rightly and justified as you think you are in doing what & HOW you have.
AND 3 MONTHS SEVERAGE for a 31 year service. OUTRAGEOUS!!
I encourage those who are concerned with the actions of the elders, as well as for the well-being of Rick & his family...to bring the 'church of Seacoast' to where ever Rick should find himself....
Form the get go of our attending this church I was always told....Tracy, if you cannot 'abide by 'how' this church is (paraphrased) go find another church that is what, and think how you do....for the life of me I cannot understand why Tom Carr, Bill Buchanan, Jim Tkach and Frank SUng & a few others...did not go out to find that church and leave Seacoast, founded and grown by the Lord and the Spirit (and Rick Myatt and his family) to the philosophy and beliefs upon which it has survived AS WELL as brought so-o-o-o-0 many persons like myself and Chris to come to be IN LOVE with the LORD and His WOrd and to utter, complete surrender to our Father and King
Leaders are servants....not tyrants. Where and how have the elders exhibited being a servant to Rick? I fear from what I have seen and heard from some of them -is the suffering from (over) intellectualizing and relying on their own righteous, 'perfect' knowledge of Scripture. I have seen the pride in their knowledge and discernment of the Word..considering the rest of us---as the Pharisee's did--not smart, wise, or knowledgeable enough to be able to interpret understand or discern what God's Word is.
ReplyDeleteIntellectualizing is great and important for reasonableness in our daily normal living, and feelings are valuable for the consciousness of God's presence, but the real test is found in being willing TO DO the FATHER's Will found in His Scripture. Consider others better than yourself...they have NOT considered Rick better, they have only extricated, exploited, and emphasized Rick's shortcomings....and ignored the beam in their own eye.
They sent Rick away to have the Spirit show him himself, because only the 'Spirit is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding' but yet that wasn't good enough for them. Did they trust and allow the Spirit to work in Rick?
Or did they say in their own flesh...."nope, this is NOT what WE wanted Rick to get out of this?"
In January 1991 arriving from NJ, Mary and I planned on "church shopping" in order to find a new church home. Well it never happened. Seacoast was first on the list. One week (and another to be more sure) and we were done.
ReplyDeleteSeacoast was not real organized then--a more seat-of-the-pants kinda' place.
Wow how I miss it.
It was more organic in how it operated and followed scripture. If you were new, someone asked you out to lunch. Soon you're invited to another's for dinner, a bible study etc. It flowed without formalization of process. However, it was an effective well-oiled machine. We grew.
Slowly, a corporate, business mindset set in. More formalization of process, and management du jour remedies being tossed about. Good intentions to meet a growing congregation.
It never could hold a candle to its earlier incarnation. Still, it was a great place to worship and grow.
Now, the suits have taken over.
I think the elders are genuinely good, Godly men who have made a grave, catastrophic mistake. I'll not judge their motives--it's not scriptural and certainly not of God's will. I love them simply because they are my brothers in Christ. They are serious about serving God.
They've also done a disservice to the congregation by asking for Rick's resignation without discussing that specific action with the all of us first. That may be within the statutes of the constitution, but it's not within the Spirit of unity. Some admonition is due to these brothers.
Seacoast isn't IBM.
And that's why Seacoast used to be a healthier, more scriptural place--warts and all.
Everyone knew Rick really delivered the goods, brought them in the door, kept 'em coming back while everyone else picked up the slack and did their part to fill the needs. It was the body principle in all its unsophisticated, organic glory.
We need to sit down with our brothers and have them 'undo' this and maybe take them up on their first-meeting offer to "step down" as one of several possible solutions. They did throw it out there, so it needs to be considered.
We need to restore the Elders (maybe not in that capacity) and Rick and Laurie and hopefully remain as a unified congregation serving Christ.
"Jesus did not say --Make converts to your way of thinking, but 'look after My sheep, see that they get nourished in the Knowledge of Me.' (and wouldn't that be solid, Biblical teaching that Rick has constantly delivered for years? [of course, we understand that the elders think 'good teaching is commonplace, heck they think it is so common, they can do it themselves]
ReplyDeleteor did Jesus have 'great children's ministries, mentoring and adult programs that He forgot to specifically mention?}
We count as service what we do in the way of Christian work; Jesus calls service what we ARE to Him; not what we 'do' for Him. Discipleship is based on devotion to Jesus Christ, not on adherence to a belief or creed or cause or agenda(sound like anyone we know?)...........There is no argument and no compulsion, but simply-----If you would be My disciple, you must be devoted to Me.
A man touched by the Spirit of God suddenly says---"Now I see Who Jesus is," and that is the source of devotion.
Today (and some men of the church) we have substituted credal belief for personal belief, and that is why so many are devoted to 'causes' and so few [unknowingly are not] devoted to Jesus Christ. People do not want [nor understand what it is]to be devoted to Jesus, but only to the 'cause' He started. Jesus is a source of deep offense to the educated, knowledgeable mind of today that does not want Him any other way than as a Comrade.
Our Lord's first obedience was to the Will of His Father, NOT to the NEEDS of men: the saving of men [and their growth] was the natural outcome of His obedience to the Father. If we are devoted to the cause of humanity ( or the 'direction' for our church) only, we will soon be exhausted [and off track]...........but if we LOVE Jesus personally and passionately, we can serve humanity though men treat us like a doormat. (why, that is the picture of Rick through this whole thing, isn't it?)
The secret of a disciple's life is DEVOTION TO JESUS CHRIST.
[sic] not the cause we are devoted to, or the means of the way a church grows, or the spiritual growth of it's members, or the 'correct' concept of mentoring or shepherding.
Concentrate, focus DEVOTE YOUR ENERGY & timeto LOVING Jesus Christ; be passionately devoted to HIM---NOT your service, your 'program', your agenda, your 'direction for the church'
JESUS SAID: 'LOVE GOD and LOVE OTHERS.'
Please READ Philipians everyone...God gives us a great picture of what is happening. I am sure you will recognize what and why Rick has had to 'suffer' this way...but REJOICE, all he has suffered has been for Christ!
ReplyDeleteChapter 2--imitation Christ humility --(not what we have seen from the elders AT ALL!--arrogance beyond belief)
2:2 then make my joy complere by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you look not to your own interests but the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as Jesus Christ. 14 DO everything w/o complaining or arguing (not what has been going on at Seacoast for the last few yrs) 1 so that you may become blamless and pure, children of God.......16 as you hold out THE WORD of life.......I am glad and rejoice with all of you 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice we me!
C
Chapt 3
10 I want to KNOW Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His suffering......
12 Now I want you to know what has happened to me has really served to advance the Gospel.....
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill16 The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the Gospel. 17 the former preach ouit of selfish ambition....
3:12 Forget the what is behind and straining on toward what is ahead......3:15 all of us who are mature should take such view of things. And on some point you (the elders) think differently, that too God will make clear. (what a promise)
thank you LORD JESUS.