Category: Pastoring

2020 Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation Summit

~ Justin Tilghman

The 2020 Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation Global Summit is online this year! We are very excited about the opportunities this provides, including the participation of abolitionists from all corners of the world, creating increased unity for the movement, and decreased costs for attendees. 

So, I wanted to be certain to invite you all to join us and thousands of others this July 18-28 for more than 140 talks, strategy and training sessions and networking events. There will be talks from speakers representing 30+ countries and general admission is FREE. Already, we have nearly 10,000 attendees registered from 103 countries. You can register here.

As more children fall prey to predators online, efforts to decriminalize sex buying, pimping/trafficking sweep legislatures around the world, and mainstream pornography websites actively continue to host sexual abuse videos, it is imperative that our movement be on the OFFENSIVE! This event will equip leaders and aspiring advocates all around the world with the knowledge, resources, and partnerships needed to move towards freedom from sexual abuse and exploitation.

I hope you will join us!

#EndExploitationNow

Does Eschatology Matter?

~ Justin Tilghman

I had the privilege of joining one of my very good friends, Davis Lacey, on the Rooted Youth Ministry podcast to discuss the importance of teaching eschatology to teenagers.

Even if you’re not a teenager, I hope you’ll find some of what I shared helpful as I think through how our eschatology (view of the end) shapes the way we live in the present.

Monthly Q&A: July 2020

~ Justin Tilghman

Q: What happens to the soul after death?

A: There is much debate regarding what happens to our souls immediately after we die. Some believe that we enter a type of “sleep” and await the final judgment. Others believe we go to a temporary heaven or hell to await the final judgment. And others believe we are immediately present in either heaven or hell. There are arguments for and against each suggestion. Several scriptures, however, seem to point to the fact that our souls enter immediately into heaven or hell and await the resurrection of our bodies at the last day. For instance, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 6 that to be in this earthly body is to be absent from the Lord. He then goes on to say in verse 8 that the believers desire to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. This can lead one to assume that since being present in the body means absence from the Lord that when we die our souls leave the body and enter into the presence of the Lord. While some may believe this to be a stretch in terms of interpreting the verse, we can look at other areas of scripture to help us interpret what Paul might be saying. In the book of Revelation 20:4 John says that he saw the souls of martyrs under the throne of God in heaven. So, apparently souls are indeed in heaven with God. Also, in Jesus’ parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man in Luke 16, we see that both men were immediately present in either hell or heaven immediately after death. When we take these scriptures together we can deduce that when one dies their soul immediately departs to one place or the other to await the
resurrection of the body. However, it is important to remember that this, the immediate disposition of the soul after death, is a secondary doctrine and has what one believes on the matter has no real bearing on one’s salvation. Therefore we should extend charity and understanding to those who may hold an opinion that differs from our own.

If you have a particular question you’d like to have answered, feel free to submit it via the contact page.

Monthly Q&A: April 2020

~ Justin Tilghman

Q: Since Jesus calls us to be selfless in serving others, is it selfish to seek time to rest from serving others?

A: Time alone and rest are just as vital to the Christian life as is selfless service. We are absolutely commanded to serve the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Luke 10:27) and we are called to die to our desires and our own wants daily in our efforts to follow Christ. However, we are also commanded to rest. Yes, commanded. In the Old Testament God commanded that time be set aside to rest. It was so important that it was included as one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8). Now it is important to remember that even on the Sabbath day of rest individuals were called to meet needs if they saw them; we are never removed from our calling to serve others. However, setting some time aside to rest and rejuvenate is within the realm of biblical principles, when done for the right reasons. In fact, Jesus himself took time to rest during his earthly ministry. In Mark 6:31 Jesus tells his disciples, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while”. The disciples were exhausted; the next verse says they had not even had time to eat. Other verses such as John 6:15 and Matthew 14:13, 23 also speak of instances where Jesus felt the need to draw away to a desolate place to pray. If Jesus, the most selfless individual in history, took time to rest then it must not be selfish to set some time aside for you.

Jesus knows we are human and he understands that we will indeed grow tired and weary (Isaiah 40:30-31) and he knows the importance of rest. However, as was said earlier, it’s important for us to examine the reasons we desire to be alone. If we want to be alone because we just don’t want to serve others that is a sinful attitude. If we want to be alone because we are not willing to do what God has called us to do that is a sinful attitude. However, if we are being faithful to serve others and being faithfully obedient to God’s call on our lives then we are also more than able to rest when those opportunities present themselves and we are also able to set aside time for rest from our ministry work when we need it. As far as determining when it is appropriate to rest and how long we should rest, that is something each individual must prayerfully determine for himself. Resting is permitted but, like other blessings from God, it should not be abused and overdone so that we become characterized by laziness and sluggishness. But, there is certainly biblical ground for setting aside time to rest.

If you have a particular question you’d like to have answered, feel free to submit it via the contact page.

Monthly Q&A: March 2020

~ Justin Tilghman

Q: How did Jesus respond to the poor and to children, and how should Christians respond?

A: Just as Jesus did, Christians should have a large heart for children. Christ told his disciples to “let the little children come to [him]” (Matthew 19:14). He also told his followers on many occasions that they must trust him in the way that I child trusts or  else they wouldn’t be able to enter into God’s kingdom (Matthew 18:3). We also see throughout scripture that Jesus had a heart for the hungry and the poor, regardless of their age. He often times told his disciples to give to the poor and meet their needs (Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:21; Luke 14:13; Luke 14:21; Luke 18:22). The apostles and early Christians also thought it important to give to the poor and we see many occasions where they did just that (Acts 2:45, 4:25; Romans 15:26; Galatians 2:10). So we can determine from these verses that Jesus cared deeply for the poor and hungry children and therefore Christians should do the same. In fact Christ says that if we even give just a small cup of cold water to a child, in His name, we will be rewarded (Matthew 10:42).

Scripture even goes so far as to say that taking care of the poor and those who are not able to provide for themselves is the essence of Christian service. In James 1:27, James says that pure religion consists of looking after orphans and widows in their distress. In Bible times widows and orphans were often poor and hungry because they had no one to provide for them.

In Matthew 25:35-37 we can see that how someone treats the poor is indicative of whether or not that person will enter into God’s kingdom. This is not saying that we have to work to get into Heaven. However, it is telling us that those who are truly
Christians will be characterized by a selfless spirit that gives to those in need, including hungry children.

So, we can see that the poor and hungry are very important to God and it is a Christian’s
responsibility to take care of those individuals.

If you have a particular question you’d like to have answered, feel free to submit it via the contact page.