Dr Paul Allen

Russia’s new draft law on freedom of conscience and the religious association will make it impossible for pastors trained outside of the Russian Federation to preach in a church or even conduct home Bible study groups, warn Barnabas Fund contacts. The bill amending Federal Law, which is being recommended for approval by the State Duma today (22 September), calls for the compulsory recertification in Russian educational institutions of pastors and “personnel of religious organisations” who have received religious education abroad, otherwise, they will not be able to engage in teaching and religious activities. Its main goal is to “prevent the participation of clergymen who have received religious education abroad and spread religious extremist ideology in the activities of religious organizations”. The new law is also intended to prevent “the involvement of members of a religious group in extremist activities and activities aimed at financing terrorism”. Sergei Ryakhovsky, head bishop o

Larry King Live title card  Any pastor who regularly addresses even a handful of souls from God ’s word knows the burden of wanting to be faithful to communicating accurately what God has said to his people. Every preacher feels the weight of Paul’s injunction, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15). This is why Hope College Australia offers a 2-year Diploma then a 1 -year Advanced Diploma in Ministry.  The more training preachers get the better. Now, I agree that formal theological training at Bible College level is not a biblical prerequisite for being a preacher of God’s word. The Apostle Peter , for instance, had no Diploma or MDiv degree hanging on his office wall. But I’m sure we all agree that his 24/7 intensive, three year internship with Jesus was, um …adequate preparation. But if an excellent theological education is available to you, there is wisdom in being

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians  9:24 –27) Corinth was the host city to the Isthmian games, where elite athletes from all over the ancient Greek-speaking world gathered to compete in years between the quadrennial Olympiad. So Paul’s analogy was particularly powerful for his Corinthian readers. And what Paul was saying would have been just as convicting to the affluent, indulgent First Century Corinthians as it is to us affluent, indulgent 21st century Christians in the West: the Christian life should be lived with the ruthless focus and discipline of an elite athlete. But let’s not