As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“God knows we’re embattled in this world. That’s why he doesn’t leave us to fight alone. Instead, he gives us pastors. Your pastor may not look like a warrior, but his job description is to battle on your behalf through his ministry of the Word and prayer.” - 9 Marks
Read the series.
There are several false starts that we can make in the matter of separation. There is no doubt that God has called us to a position of separation. The question is how and in what way? There are several false responses that have been devised by man.
The first response is asceticism.
There are those who have said that Christians are not of this world and so they must get away from the world completely. Those who advocated this are called ascetics and they became hermits, went to monasteries, caves, deserts, and the wilderness. They said they had to get away from man and pleasures in order to be separate unto God. That however was a complete distortion of Scripture because we are commanded to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Scripture has told us to witness to, live before, and seek to reach men for Christ. After ascetics arrived out in the deserts and caves they discovered they brought the world with them because the sinful impulses exhibited in the world were also in them. Satan appealed to their pride, self, and false motives even when they were alone, and the world manifested itself in them. Wherever we go we take the sinful impulses exhibited in the world with us. Asceticism is not the answer.
“One worship tradition over another is not the test of genuine worship. Both can be fake. Enthusiasm is not a measure either.” - P&D
Buice has been “suspended from his church for running multiple fake social media accounts…. ‘used to publicly and anonymously slander numerous Christian leaders, including faithful pastors (some of whom have spoken at G3 conferences), several PMBC elders, and others.’” - MinistryWatch
Pope Francis’ recent death is an opportunity for bible-believing Christians to consider what we ought to believe about the papacy. The goal is not to dance on a dead man’s grave, but to think about who oversees Christ’s church. Is the papacy a legitimate institution? Does it have biblical warrant?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (“CCC”) says that:
“One of my greatest joys as a solo pastor is witnessing the dedication and passion of my church’s volunteer ministry teams. However, training and developing these volunteers can be challenging without a large pastoral staff.” - Brian Cederquist
“By May 15, it may need to file a Form 5578 with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Don’t know what Form 5578 is? Most churches don’t. Here’s what leaders need to know.” - C.Leaders
“Rather than give you my own subjective opinions, let me share with you five different ways some churches have actually accomplished this feat.” - Thom Rainer
“On May 8, 2025, the Catholic Church announced the election of a new pope. American-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is now Pope Leo XIV” - TGC
One of the greatest privileges that I enjoy as a church ministries representative for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry is that I get to preach in—and be in—lots of churches.
For the most part, these churches are quite similar in terms of their understanding and interpretation of Biblical truth and, of course, they find common ground with our ministry when it comes to the core issue of the importance of God’s plan for Israel.
Discussion