Dr Paul Allen

Joel Osteen (Photo credit: cliff1066™ ) ”I am aware of the theological differences that exist between our tribe and Pastor Joel. I also know my Reformed brothers like to treat Pastor Joel like a piñata, but there are worse things than being happy and encouraging at a time when the most common prescription medications are antidepressants. A few guys in our tribe could learn to talk about something other than painful, arduous suffering once and a while—if nothing else than for the sake of variety. Our identity is not in our joy, and our identity is not in our suffering. Our identity is in Christ , whether we have joy or are suffering.” Related articles Pastor Mark Driscoll Might Give You an iPad if You Praise His Book on Amazon (slog.thestranger.com) Pastors? - SoS Saturdays (ptl2010.com) Who Do You Think You Are? (challies.com) Should We Suffer When Doing Good? (raymcdonald.wordpress.com) A perspective on being a pastor's wife! (virtuouswomen.net) 5 Surprising

Image via Wikipedia There's some good news on religious liberty coming from courts in New York and Washington State this week. Our friends at the Alliance Defense Fund scored a major victory in New York City last Friday, when a federal judge said the city has to allow churches to continue holding worship services in public schools for the time being. The city evicted churches from public school buildings in February, but the judge said churches are likely to prevail in court based on the First Amendment's promise of religious freedom. The churches, which serve primarily low-income and ethnic congregations, should be allowed to continue renting empty school buildings from the city on weekends, the judge said—just as every other community group is allowed to do. Also last week, a federal judge in Washington said a state regulation forcing pharmacists to dispense possible abortion-causing drugs against their religious convictions was unconstitutional. In fact, the rule was

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