Armed guards at church? Really?

In light of the tragedy at Lakewood Church in Houston I felt it might be good to take another look at the question: Would Jesus have armed guards at His church?
Please don’t jump to conclusions but track with me till the end here.

I know all the logical reasons why this is necessary but so often Jesus didn’t do the “logical” or the “necessary.” So I genuinely wondered what would Jesus do?

Jesus did have an armed guard at a prayer meeting. Peter sprang into action defending Jesus by cutting off a man’s ear. Jesus rebuked his protector, told him to put the weapon away, healed the wound and quietly went with the intruders to His death. (Luke 2:50+)

Additionally, He witnessed the slaughter of his apostles and thousands of followers even up until today when many are still brutalized and killed for following Him. But, for His precious flock in America, surely He approves of armed men gunning down any who threaten to do them harm. Right? Continue reading

I have family in Gaza and Israel

In 2005, the year Israel turned Gaza over to Palestinian control, my wife Jana and I had the privilege of going into Gaza with one of our missionaries who served there. We were warmly welcomed into the homes of several Palestinian Christian families. As the wives served tea and the children played on the floor around us, I asked about their lives as believers in such a hostile environment.

They openly shared how isolated they felt – distrusted, even hated, by most Israelis because they were Palestinian. Yet, they were despised infidels and traitors to most Palestinians because they were Christians. My eyes were opened as they shared stories of atrocities they had suffered from both sides. Continue reading

The most encouraging thing happening in the world today.

Recently, while in Turkey, I was asked a very thought-provoking question by a church leader. “What is the most encouraging thing you see happening in the world today?”

Because I lead a worldwide mission ministry, I’m sure he expected some 30,000-foot view of exciting things happening in the nations. Like, the fact that more Muslims are coming to the Lord than at any time in history. Or that Latin American churches, in increasing numbers, are rising up and sending missionaries to the nations. As exciting and encouraging as those developments are, I realized something else encouraged me even more. Continue reading

Would Jesus have armed security at His church?

I’m troubled by the fact that most churches today have a covert team of armed men wandering the halls and guarding the entrances. I know all the logical reasons why this is necessary but so often Jesus didn’t do the “logical” or the “necessary.”

Actually, once Jesus did have an armed guard and that person sprang into action defending Jesus by cutting off a man’s ear. Jesus rebuked his protector, told him to put the weapon away, healed the wounded man and quietly went with the intruders to His death. (Luke 2:50+)

Additionally, He witnessed the slaughter of his apostles and thousands of followers even up until today when many are still brutalized and killed for following Him. But, for His precious flock in America, surely He approves of armed men gunning down any who threaten to do them harm. Right? Continue reading

I want my vapor to impact eternity.

Last month, while Jana and I were with our missionaries in Rwanda, East Africa, I received this alarming text.

Two of our long-time missionaries in the jungles of Guatemala, Jim and Bonnie DeHart and Bonnie’s sister, Ellen Coon, were killed in the crash of Jim’s small plane. The shock wave it sent through our staff and missionary family reminded us again of the dangers missionaries, in fact, all of us, face every day.

A few days later, I received this text from another CTEN missionary, Continue reading

A coffee cup encouragement

I was fixing coffee for my wife, Jana, and I pulled out a special Christmas cup. It says, “Let Heaven and Nature Sing.” That caused me to start singing (silently, to spare Jana’s ears) the wonderful Christmas carol, “Joy to the world.”

As I hit the start button on the coffee maker, I got to the part that says, “He rules the world” and I stopped.

“Wow,” I thought, “that is a message we all really need to be reminded of at this time – He rules the world.” Continue reading

What you see is what you get

Last week, while my wife, Jana, and I enjoyed breakfast under the shade of a tree on an unusually cool Honduran morning she commented on how pretty a nearby flower looked. I turned and there was a beautiful orchid growing on a nearby tree. It was lovely.

As we finished our tortillas, black beans and fried platanos, I thought back to a few weeks earlier when we were in an exclusive area of Dallas attending the funeral of a longtime friend and ministry partner. If we had seen the same scene there, we likely would have viewed it differently.

Continue reading

Yes, we have missionaries in Ukraine

Prayers for UkraineAs you likely know I founded agencies that send missionaries and help national workers around the world.

Commission To Every Nation USA and
Commission To Every Nation Canada send US and Canadian missionaries.
Commission Ministers Network primarily helps national workers (people serving their own people in their own country.)

With the developments in Ukraine, I’ve been regularly asked if we have people serving there and, if so, how are they doing. Yes, we do have ministers still in Ukraine and the surrounding nations that are involved in providing relief and sharing the compassion of Jesus with people in deepest need.

Because of the level of interest, I have created a special page where I will post periodic updates from our folks there. You can check it out at: www.rickmalm.com/ukraine
Feel free to share this link with others and check back regularly for updates as we get them.
You’ll also find a giving link there if you would like to contribute to help the relief efforts.

Thanks for your concern, prayers and partnership.
Rick
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Galatians 6:2
Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
Investing in compassion in Ukraine