Can Christians Pray the Imprecations of Psalm 69?
In thinking about the imprecations, we must not be wiser than God. He shows us in the New Testament as well as the Old that imprecations have their use. What we do need always to remember is that imprecations apply to those who intransigently and unrepentantly persevere in evil against God.
Just War and Pacifism: A Truce
Put briefly (and as charitably as possible), it is deranged for Christians to allow just war and pacifism to be perceived as diametrically opposed opposites. And yet, for the most part, they are. Without fail, when just war and pacifism are discussed, their differences are relentlessly accentuated and all that is remembered is that the just warrior thinks it is permissible to kill under certain circumstances and the pacifist does not.
Being Pence-ive about Dinner with the Ladies
It’s never possible to completely stop people from putting a nasty spin on your decisions to safeguard the church, your life, or your family. However, I’ve witnessed enough men, in my own life, who have become statistics–men who are still shattered by the sin in their own lives–that I refuse to treat anyone who exercises such care with disdain or disrespect.
The Truth About Missions is That It’s a Long, Hard Slog
The truth about missions is that it’s a long, hard slog. More often than not, I think missionaries feel ineffective. Crossing cultures in Jesus’ name is downright painful. But we are God’s means for His ends and we must step out in faith, trusting His presence and His power, and that He will bear His fruit in His time.
And every dying church I have ever known has people that refuse to see the signs. They are not inward focused, they are not entertainment driven, and they are not catering to culture. And they will cling to that conviction until they shut the doors.
The Pros and Cons of Facebook for Pastors and Church Staff
You might expect me to weigh the pros and cons and determine whether or not you should be on the platform—but that is for you to decide. As for me, even with the cons, the positives of Facebook and the opportunities it presents for ministry far outweigh the temporary frustrations of the negatives.
A call of Jesus that never loses its power
A call of Jesus that never loses its power is for us to have eyes to see any person we don’t know and possibly say profound doctrinal things like, Hello. How are you doing today? The bigger the congregation the easier it is to hide from interaction with others. We seem to believe that we are justified in ignoring those we don’t know for surely somebody else knows them.