Deus Misereatur

What happens if someone comes to your church and after some days of getting to know them they inform you they’re Gay or Lesbian? What if a Christian you’ve known for years unexpectedly opens up to you and admits that they find themselves sexually attracted to those of their sex? These real-life possibilities, and more, are addressed in the 96 page paperback “Is God Anti-Gay: And Other Questions about Homosexuality, the Bible and Same-Sex Attraction” by Sam Allbery, who is part of the team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, works as UK Editor for The Gospel Coalition, and has been same-sex attracted (SSA) for years. This little handbook is a thoughtful and Scriptural guide, written with solid biblical convictions and compassion. Allberry addresses what the Scriptures say about the beauty of human sexuality, and how from page one God’s plan and standard for sex has always been single and celibate or marriage between one man and one woman as long as they both shall live. He ...

Back in 2012 I presented six reflective posts on Church-Renewal Movements, using William Abraham's " The Logic of Renewal " as my discussion partner. Here, in 2018, I thought I would bring this six posts back up for air, since I think they are still very relevant. I hope those of you who dare to venture through this virtual portal will be encouraged, and find these perceptions beneficial. The link to each installment is below: Considerations on Church-Renewing Movements Part 1 Considerations on Church-Renewing Movements Part 2 Considerations on Church-Renewing Movements Part 3 Considerations on Church-Renewing Movements Part 4 Considerations on Church-Renewing Movements Part 5 Considerations on Church-Renewing Movements Part 6 Mike

A couple of perceptive quotations I was reminded of recently.               “It is not true at all that dogma is “hopelessly irrelevant” to the life and thought of the average man. What is true is that ministers of the Christian religion often assert that it is, present it for consideration as though it were, and, in fact, by their faulty exposition of it make it so. The central dogma of the Incarnation is that by which relevance stands or falls. If Christ was only man, then He is entirely irrelevant to any thought about God; if He is only God, then he is entirely irrelevant to any experience of human life. It is, in the strictest sense, necessary to the salvation of relevance that a man should believe rightly the Incarnation of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Unless he believes rightly, there is not the faintest reason why he should believe at all. And in that case, it is wholly irrelevant to chatter about “Christian principles”” (Dorothy Sayers...

This is one of my favorite quotations from Flannery O'Connors letters: “To see Christ as God and man is probably no more difficult today than it has always been, even if today there seem to be more reasons to doubt. For you it may be a matter of not being able to accept what you call a suspension of the laws of the flesh and the physical, but for my part I think that when I know what the laws of the flesh and the physical really are, then I will know what God is. We know them as we see them, not as God sees them. For me it is the virgin birth, the Incarnation, the resurrection which are the true laws of the flesh and the physical. Death, decay, destruction are the suspension of these laws. I am always astonished at the emphasis the Church puts on the body. It is not the soul she says that will rise but the body, glorified. I have always thought that purity was the most mysterious of the virtues, but it occurs to me that it would never have entered the human consciousness to conc...

(Governed and Governing) : O God, you have shown us what is good, and what you require of us; that we are to do justly, to love mercy, and the walk humbly before you (Micah 6.8). Throughout this nation guide us – the citizens and the civil authorities – that we will be a people who do justly at home, in the business world, the courtrooms, the legislative halls, and the executive offices; that we would be a nation who loves mercy , who seeks to work mercy out in all of our actions, affections and assessments. And that we, the governed and the governing, would always walk humbly before you . Have mercy on our nation, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. O Lord, hear our prayer. (Persecuted) : Lord God, the Almighty, we persist in praying for your people in hard places – especially where they face severe, threatening pressure, intimidation and maltreatment for the sake of Christ and his Gospel…Fortify them that they will remain true and faithful witnesses no matter what; break...

Our Father, who has cheerfully adopted us through Jesus Christ, we come and hand over our burdened hearts to you for this world and for your church. We find that we are restless and uneasy about the things going on in our lives, amongst our friends and family, and in our world. Sickness, sorrow, trouble at home, problems at work, uncertainty about the future. We remember these who are wrestling and wrangling with specific misfortunes…; grant them and us courage, faith, graciousness, comfort and relief.  We thank you for the linemen, power crews and others who brave freezing cold and freighting storms to re-establish lost power, and preserve not only our comfort but our safety. And we are grateful for the many power crews, such as those from OG&E, who gave their time in Puerto Rico, working hours and days and weeks and months away from their families to help bring some healthy normalcy there. Preserve them all, and keep them safe.   We call upon you to take ...