Earth Day Shouldn’t be Celebrated

Pastor's P.O.V., Special Days

Ira Einhorn hosted the first Earth Day event on April 22, 1970. Police raided his closet seven years later and found the “composted” body of his ex-girlfriend inside a trunk.

Pope Francis said, “We see these natural tragedies, which are the Earth’s response to our maltreatment. We have sinned against the Earth, against our neighbor and, in the end, against the creator.”

Then-candidate Joe Biden, at a 2020 fundraiser, declared, “COVID…is a wake up call to action to climate change overall and to climate justice.

“I’m not against preserving the earth; I am against worshiping it.

The earth has no feelings, we cannot sin against it, it does not think about the things we do and doesn’t mete out retribution nor create wake-up calls.

It’s a planet.

Read More

Struggling With Hope

ABOUT ME, MY BLOG, MY CHURCH, Pastor's P.O.V.,

A well-intentioned friend was concerned that I shared too much in my monthly emails and that it might be better to be less honest about my struggles. Initially, I agreed, but upon further reflection, I thought that would be the wrong way to go.

The whole purpose of a newsletter, after all, is to have family and friends pray for my struggles. What may seem like over-sharing to some is genuine, heart-felt need for me. The setbacks and disappointments are a part of ministry life and it would do no good to put on a happy face and say everything is fine when it isn’t. I value my readers’ prayers, concern, love and interest for my family’s well-being.

Before we moved to Texas to start a new church, the son of my pastor in California sent me off with these prophetic words when I mentioned to him that, perhaps, this endeavor might go without many problems. “It’s my general understanding that these things never go easy,” he replied.

And, he was right!

Missionaries, church planters, evangelists, pastors—anyone who is dedicated to serving the Lord—will experience great difficulties.

Read More

What’s so good about Good Friday?

Special Days, , , , , , , ,

The story is told of a king in Africa who had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life, positive or negative, and remarking, “This is good!”

thumbOne day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off. Examining the situation, the friend remarked as usual, “This is good!”

To which the king replied, “No, this is not good!” and proceeded to send his friend to jail.

Read More

The Ministry of Trouble

4 CommentsPastor's P.O.V., , ,

CONFLICTS AND STRUGGLES ARE A PART OF MINISTRY.

Sometimes the hardships come from extended illnesses: Charles Spurgeon, considered the greatest preacher who ever lived, suffered from extreme depression and gout, describing it this way: “Imagine placing your foot in a vice and tightening the vice as far as it will go; then tighten it four more turns.”

His wife Susannah became an invalid at age 33 and could seldom attend her husband’s services.

Troubles can come from within the family home: William Carey’s wife Dolly refused to go with him to India but was pressured to go. Their 5-year-old died and the other children continually contracted tropical diseases while there. His wife started to go insane and constantly followed him down the street berating him, accusing him of having affairs with women, even threatening him with a knife. Finally, he had to keep her in a locked room. William Carey is considered “The Father of Modern Missions.”

Read More