Deus Misereatur

A Church You Can See: Building a Case for Church Membership by Dennis E. Bills My rating: 5 of 5 stars One of my nagging frustrations as a minister is how many unconnected people I have run across through the years. They claim to be Christians but refuse to affiliate with a congregation for a host of reasons, some substantial and others superficial. Dennis Bill, an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America, addresses church membership in his 122 page softback, “A Church You Can See: Building a Case for Church Membership.” This down-to-earth manual is ideal for disciples of Jesus wherever they are in their life’s journey. The author uses a building metaphor as the backdrop and developmental structure of the book. He looks at the builder of the Church, Jesus Christ, and what our Lord said about the church and what makes someone a Christian. Then Bills unrolls the blueprint to set out the contours and framework of what the Church is and what churches are, echoing the W...

What is gender dysphoria? How are we to think about someone who is transgender? Is there a way to respond that is both compassionate while being committed to the biblical ethos?  Vaughan Roberts, Rector of St Ebbe's Church - Oxford, Director of the Proclamation Trust, and one who grapples with same-sex attraction, has compiled a nifty little 80 page booklet that addresses these issues, and more, in “Transgender: Christian compassion, convictions and wisdom for today's big issues”. It is a quick and easy read that is the right size and right tempo for handing out to anyone asking questions. Roberts defines “transgender” and other sexual/gender recognitions, bringing out the origins and rationale that lies behind these identifications. He further discusses the Scripture’s narrative on what it means to be a sexually differentiated human, how the Fall has contaminated every aspect of our being and existence, and what our hope is in the resurrection. Finally, the author addr...

O God, Creator, Preserver and Governor of all humanity, we humbly pray for all sorts and conditions of people; that you would be pleased to make your ways known unto us, your salvation to all nations. In this regard, then, we implore you to give good success to the work of Dan and Carol Iverson while they train up and teach others to be pastors and church-planters in Japan. More especially we pray for your one, holy universal and apostolic Church, including this congregation, Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, Progressive Baptist, Rising Star Baptist, and St. Jude Baptist Church; that she may be so guided and governed by your good Spirit and holy Word, that all of us who profess and call ourselves Christians may be led into the way of your truth, hold on to the true faith in the unity created and produced by the Holy Spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Almighty God please guide and govern the nations, including Jamaica, Japan and Jordan, to throw off all unju...