The paragraphs below are the opening lines of John Piper’s mini-biography on Charles H. Spurgeon. From nearly 40 years of pastoral ministry, from the work I do with pastors since I left full-time pastoral ministry, I am convinced that these descriptions and observations are spot on. At the end of this post I want to … More Haunting Words for Pastors and the Rest of Us
Dateline: July 2005 “First one sheep jumped to its death. Then another and another, and then dozens more. Having left their herds to graze while they ate breakfast, stunned Turkish shepherds now watched as nearly 1,500 others leapt off the same cliff. The first 450 animals died under the billowy pile.” . . . The … More Shepherds Have One Job – Protect the Flock
You are reading John 10 and come across Jesus saying “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). You think of a number of books that might be helpful to explore the idea of Jesus being the “Good Shepherd.” Phillip Keller’s classic work, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, or perhaps Timothy S. Laniak’s While Shepherds … More The “Shepherd” Group
Shepherds of flocks will sometimes put small stones on the top of the stone enclosures for their sheep. The idea is that if a thief or threat to the flock (bear, hyena, lion, or wolf) climbs over the wall to harass the sheep, the tumbling stones will alert both sheep and shepherd that an intruder … More Tumbling Stones and the Art of Pastoral Care
Years ago while living in California I had a number of experiences with sheep. We lived at the base of a place called Little Mountain in San Bernardino and there was a shepherd who annually grazed his flock of about 200 sheep on its hillsides. (Bit of Trivia: Little Mountain is the site where Sammy … More What Does it Take to Be a Shepherd?
Weekend Links Video, audio, articles, —it’s all here. As always, inclusion here doesn’t necessarily mean support of all of the particulars in any. Documenting the Demise of Western Culture How Same-sex Marriage Will Hurt You (Besides bringing down the wrath of God, some practical considerations.) Lincoln Was Wrong: the Southern States Could Legally Succeed? (An … More Persecuted Church; Plagiarism among Pastors; Paying in Blood; Elephant Room News; and much more.
ChosenRebel's Blog 