Why Do We Need Elders? Many Christians know that 1 Timothy 3 is the place to go to look for the moral qualifications for serving the church as an elder. But sometimes we overlook the full reason why these criteria are there. Elders need to live godly lives, not simply to qualify for office, but in order to carry out the office. It is shameful when a church leader fails to live up to the standard of life that God expects, but God’s main concern isn’t avoiding embarrassment. He wants more people living lives that reflect His glory and so. . .
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Wisdom for Difficult Pastoral Issues In recent weeks, I have seen a lot of internet energy being spent on what could charitably be called “difficult pastoral issues.” To be more specific, the energy is being focused on the relative correctness of pastoral decisions, and whether wisdom was properly applied. I have no desire to get into the specifics of any particular situation, because it really isn’t necessary to get to my main point which is the slippery nature of wisdom. In James 1:5, it says that if we are lacking in wisdom, that we should ask God for it. Furthermore,. . .
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The man in the pulpit has the responsibility for the spiritual care of the people in his particular sacred community and that is no easy task for many reasons and while there are a multitude of ideas and strategies that will benefit him in his calling there are also some presumptions and motivations that can be detrimental and undermine all of his efforts. So, with the intention to help my fellow pastors I offer seven don’ts that I have learned from others or through my own experience. Don’t Take It Personal Some people are just mean, others have been bitter. . .
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Hebrews tells us that we are to “Obey those who are over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17). We live in an age where church membership is looked upon as unnecessary, or worse, unhelpful. That is a grave danger indeed. When we refuse to submit to a group of local elders we put ourselves beyond the reach of the gracious blessing of church discipline. We are all capable of falling. . .
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What did Calvin Think about Church Membership? In the 20th century, it became common to dismiss the visible church as an unnecessary tradition of men. The modern said, “You don’t have to join a church to be a Christian.” We had become “wise” and discarded the outdated church. Contrary to this, stood Cyprian’s ancient claim, “You cannot have God for your Father unless you have the church for your Mother.” Calvin thought more like Cyprian than the modern individualist, saying, Because it is now our intention to discuss the visible church, let us learn even from the simple title ‘mother’. . .
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Here we consider all that made Martin Luther a hero. He both feared God and trusted in Him. We learn to have peace with God and to wage war for His kingdom. Please join us as we look forward and backward, to a hero of yore, and to, we pray, heroism in our own children.
