The Church at this moment needs men, the right kind of men, bold men… We languish for men who feel themselves expendable in the warfare of the soul, who cannot be frightened by threats of death because they have already died to the allurements of this world.
Such men will be free from the compulsions that control weaker men. They will not be forced to do things by the squeeze of circumstances; their only compulsion will come from within–or from above.
This kind of freedom is necessary if we are to have prophets in our pulpits again instead of mascots. These free men will serve God and mankind from motives too high to be understood by the rank and file of religious retainers who today shuttle in and out of the sanctuary.
They will make no decisions out of fear, take no course out of a desire to please, accept no service for financial considerations, perform no religious act out of mere custom; nor will they allow themselves to be influenced by the love of publicity or the desire for reputation.
A.W. Tozer, from Of God and Men, 11-13.
2 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Completely agree! Pastors need to expect persecution! This is not my opinion but the expectation of the Word of God:
"Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel . . . for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do" (2 Tim. 2).
Paul is saying that he suffers precisely because is he is a preacher and teacher of the gospel! He writes to Timothy to join him in such suffering, which will come if he too faithfully preaches and teaches the gospel. It seems to me, then, that ministers who are not enduring at least some insults for Jesus need to go back and see if they are really proclaiming the gospel faithfully!
A native of Houston, Texas, Todd served as youth pastor in churches in Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma.
Todd was called as the first pastor of Metro East Baptist Church in September of 1999. In November 2008 Todd became the Teaching Pastor of Church of the Saviour in Wayne, Pennsylvania.
Following a call to the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), Todd became the Lead Pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg, VA in August of 2013.
He is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Todd and his wife, Karen, have been married since 1990 and have three children: Kate, Ryan, and Matthew.
"Therefore the Christ who is grasped by faith and who lives in the heart is the true Christian righteousness, on account of which God counts us righteous and grants us eternal life."
Martin Luther
"The Gospel is sheer good tidings, not demand but promise, not duty but gift."
2 comments:
Completely agree! Pastors need to expect persecution! This is not my opinion but the expectation of the Word of God:
"Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel . . . for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do" (2 Tim. 2).
Paul is saying that he suffers precisely because is he is a preacher and teacher of the gospel! He writes to Timothy to join him in such suffering, which will come if he too faithfully preaches and teaches the gospel. It seems to me, then, that ministers who are not enduring at least some insults for Jesus need to go back and see if they are really proclaiming the gospel faithfully!
Anyone know of any good books/teachings on whether Christians should defend their families with weapons if necessary?
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