You may or may not be aware of a certain YouTube video buzzing around of P. Jim Standridge, Pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Skiatook, OK. If you have not seen it, I encourage you to Google or Bing it. It’s terribly frightening....terribly being a variable of terrible, the word being used for a reason. I was appalled at what I saw and heard. It brought shame to the man....and with the world watching....it sure didn’t compliment our God, Lord, or Holy Spirit. One of the strong things he said, in a string of negatives, was that the church congregation should submit to him. Yes, I said, HIM, not God. I am going to say this loudly....DO NOT EVER submit to anyone other than God, Jesus, Holy Spirit. Unless it is to someone whom it is TOTALLY clear the Godhead resides.
Throughout Scripture, the words submit, submission, and submitting are used (see Strong‘s Exhaustive Concordance). The context, in which ALL of these words is placed, refers to humility; humbling oneself; serving God, Jesus, Holy Spirit; loving as God, Jesus, Holy Spirit would love; denying one’s self; giving/bestowing as in love; leadership as God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit would lead with a Master’s love and devotion to those they serve.
IF someone is NOT acting as a loving master as Christ loved the church, giving their life to serve the needs of the people as a servant, RUN like the wind...submit ONLY to GOD. Note the quote: ‘But do NOT use your freedom as cover up for evil. Live as servants. Show proper respect to everyone.’ Read 1 Peter 5:1-11.
Remember this always: Text out of context is pretext. When you are given a reference, it is imperative that you read the whole of the chapter, or paragraphs of thoughts, to understand the full text of the meaning of what is given. Otherwise you run the risk of doing what Jim Standridge has done: Become his own god....little ‘g’. I cannot even call him a Pastor at this moment. It’s incongruent with what I know as a definition for a servant of God....a shepherd of the flock.
I encourage you to read the Scriptures to fully understand the meaning God intended. You will clearly see why I say, “ Shame on Jim Standridge”. I firmly advise his congregation to remove him, or run like the wind. He has lost sight of who he is supposed to be....a Shepherd for GOD. He has forgotten who he is supposed to serve....GOD....and GOD’S people.
The congregation should not submit to Jim Standridge, they should submit to GOD. Jim Standridge has lost sight, lost his way, lost his mind, in my ‘humble’ opinion. How is he any different than any other abuser on Main Street, Anywhere, World? Shame, shame, shame on you, Jim Standridge.