Good Works vs. Works Righteousness

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

36 And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. 38 At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38 (NASB) 

When I was a young man and even prior to that when I was a teenager, I was quite religious. I went to church with my family and tried to emulate what I saw my parents do in their devotion…. Continue reading →

Christ is the Foundation Stone

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

42 Jesus *said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone; This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44 And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” Matthew 21:42-44 (NASB) 

The message to the Christian throughout the New Testament is to deny self, to view with contempt the temporal or world system, to understand that love of the temporal and genuine discipleship are mutually exclusive because it is from the former which all genuine believers are being delivered…. Continue reading →

The Real Reasons Africa Has Another Locust Plague

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙

“The obvious, burning, essential question is this: In this era of amazing modern agriculture, aviation and pest control technologies, how could Africa have reached this frightening precipice yet again?”

(Paul Driessen – Townhall) The China coronavirus and COVID-19 outbreaks, deaths and responses continue to dominate US, European and Asian news. Meanwhile, an equally or even more serious infestation is devastating East African crops and leaving tens of millions at risk of starvation and death. If COVID hits these weakened populations, amid their malaria and other systemic diseases, it would bring tragedy on massive scales. Continue reading →

Roman Catholic Church Forgives Sins Via Plenary Indulgence Of Anyone Struck With Coronavirus

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , , ,

“May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and of the Church, Health of the Sick and Help of Christians, our Advocate, help suffering humanity, saving us from the evil of this pandemic and obtaining for us every good necessary for our salvation and sanctification.”

(Pulpit & Pen)  The Vatican’s Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary, (i.e., a tribunal that is responsible for overseeing issues dealing with the forgiveness of sins in the Catholic Church) issued a statement yesterday declaring Continue reading →

Coronavirus Communism Comes to California

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , ,

“The coronavirus isn’t Communism, but it has created social, political, and economic conditions similar to that of Communism, with an authoritarian state, a frightened populace, and resource shortages.”

(Daniel Greenfield – Frontpage Magazine) A few weeks after Californians cast their votes for Bernie Sanders, there are huge lines to buy toilet paper. Toilet paper, like dairy products and cleaning supplies, are limited to two per household.

Savvy shoppers have learned, like their counterparts in the old Soviet Union, to get what they need by bartering what they can buy. Toilet paper for antibacterial soap. Milk for wipes. Continue reading →

Truth in a World of Lies

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

28 And you shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips. Jeremiah 7:28

Fifteen to twenty years ago, media ecologists were noticing how the increase in dialogue on the telephone meant that certain nonverbal aspects of communication were omitted. This trend has accelerated in our day, leaving us with essentially two broad mediums of communication: virtual (through a keyboard) and direct (through audible speech, body language, etc.)…. Continue reading →

‘Disgusting, Despicable, Depravity’: Drag Queen With Exposed Buttocks Dances for Child While Adults Approve

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , , , ,

“Having so many members of our society who are comfortable with and enjoy such lewdness is already concerning for our society, but not having the sense or moral compass to not purposefully invite your children to watch from the front row and take part in the disgusting act is a whole new level of debauchery. This is despicable. Not even one person concerned, but many actually laughing and getting a kick out of it.”

(Heather Clark – Christian News)  A TikTok video, which has since been removed, shows a Canadian drag queen, dressed in cut-off shorts that expose his buttocks, dancing for a young girl as other adults look on smiling. The footage has generated disgust online, with many stating that such performances are inappropriate for children. Continue reading →

Doctor says he’s 3-4 weeks from developing treatment to ‘neutralize’ coronavirus

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“Glanville said that he believes “social distancing” is working to reduce the spread of the virus, but that medicine is needed to further combat the spread.”

(Victor Garcia – Fox News) Distributed Bio co-founder and CEO Dr. Jacob Glanville revealed on “The Story with Martha MacCallum” Thursday that his company’s  laboratory is three to four weeks away from engineering a therapeutic antibody to combat the coronavirus. Continue reading →

‘I feel that my heart is ready,’ James MacDonald says days before return to pulpit

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , , , , ,

“From January 2016 through mid-February 2019, [the disgraced pastor] MacDonald’s spending included $170,851 on hunting and fishing trips; $139,502 on meals and entertainment; and over $94,000 for clothing and eyewear. The church maintained two private checking accounts that gave MacDonald $3.1 million during those three years.”

(Leonardo Blair – Christian Post)  Founder of Harvest Bible Chapel in greater Chicago, James MacDonald, believes his “heart is ready” for what is expected to be an unusual return to the pulpit Sunday at Calvary Chapel South Bay in Gardena, California, just over a year after he was booted from ministry at his former church. Continue reading →

A Prison for Our Souls

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. Matthew 18:27

William fought with his wife, Natalie. They took all afternoon to resolve the issue. But Natalie held a grudge. She was hurt, and she didn’t forgive him. She knew she needed to, but she didn’t. Bitterness trapped her heart.

Jill got into a disagreement with a coworker, Amber. Though it seemed to be a minor issue, neither woman would budge. Their boss settled the matter, but Jill resented Amber. Continue reading →

Trump announces FDA making anti-malaria drug available ‘almost immediately’ to tackle coronavirus

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Watch the video.

(Fox News)  President Trump announced Thursday that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is making experimental drugs — including those used for treating malaria — available as part of the ongoing effort to tackle the spread of the coronavirus.

Trump announced at a White House press briefing that chloroquine, a drug designed for use in malaria, has been FDA approved and will be made available by prescription “almost immediately.”…. Continue reading →

Cheap TVs, Expensive Flu

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , ,

Is it really worth paying $3 for a T-shirt at Walmart, rather than $9? The precise reason Chinese goods are so cheap is that they skip the crucial quality-control step.

(Ann Coulter)  Here’s a thought: While self-quarantining with their families in multimillion-dollar Manhattan co-ops, Wall Street wives ought to have a chat with their Master of the Universe husbands about China, globalism and political correctness. Those are the vectors of their robber-baron wealth.

Thanks to “globalism” — i.e., cheap goods from China — we’ve gotten many wondrous things, for example: Continue reading →

CDC analysis shows coronavirus poses serious risk for younger people

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“We’re talking to young people about doing their part and being good millennials because they could be asymptomatic spreaders, That’s true, but it’s also true that some high number of them will also get sick enough to be hospitalized, and many of them may have lasting consequences.”

(Reid Wilson – The Hill)  Early data analyzed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that younger Americans are at substantial risk of experiencing serious medical problems from the coronavirus sweeping the globe. Continue reading →

Rejoicing in God in the Arena of Pain

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

Now, suppose I’m afflicted with suffering. Why? Why am I afflicted? There could be several reasons. It may be that God needs to correct me and that it is part of His corrective wrath to make me sick or to bring me low. He does that. There are manifold examples of that in Scripture. How did Miriam get leprosy? God gave her leprosy to bring her to repentance. What is Jesus saying here? “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Sometimes the suffering that we have in this world is because God is correcting us or disciplining us, but we can’t jump to the conclusion that every time we get sick or every time we suffer that there’s a direct correlation between our disobedience and the pain that we’re experiencing. Continue reading →

Baltimore mayor asks residents to stop shooting each other so coronavirus patients can have hospital beds

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“Young declared a citywide emergency and urged people to stay inside. Baltimore had five positive cases of the coronavirus as of Wednesday.”

(Madison Dibble – Washington Examiner)  Baltimore Mayor Jack Young pleaded with his city to stop filling hospital beds with gunshot wound victims.

A mass shooting in a park on Tuesday left seven Baltimore residents hospitalized. In a statement about the shooting, Young said hospitals don’t have room to tolerate gunshot victims as the coronavirus pandemic sweeps across the United States. Continue reading →

Social distancing for coronavirus will save lives – look at these numbers

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

“The scariest part of coronavirus is how fast it spreads to other people. This rate is affected by a multitude of factors but the most important ones are incubation period and contact rate. Coronavirus can have an incubation period of up to 14 days, meaning that you can have it and spread it to others while having no idea that you have it. That makes the “I feel fine, why can’t I go out?” argument null and void.”

(Liberty Vittert – Fox News)  As I hunker down for the long haul at home with my Newfoundland dog Henry, I can’t help but feel real frustration and, fine, outright anger, at the many individuals who are choosing to ignore the social distancing advisories. Continue reading →

Finding God

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“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.”  John 14:23-24

We have all heard evangelists quote from Revelation: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20). Usually the evangelist applies this text as an appeal to the unconverted, saying: “Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart…. Continue reading →

Giant Faith-Healer Gathering Canceled Due to Coronavirus

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“So far we have, Bethel’s affiliated pastor, Shawn Bolz, declared a prophecy that God had ended the virus. Perhaps Bethel didn’t get the memo. Rodney Howard Browne promised to bind coronavirus from the United States (again, it’s growing), Jim Bakker claimed his venereal disease ointment also heals coronavirus, and Rick Wiles claimed Christians are immune altogether….” 

(Pulpit & Pen)  Well, this sounds like satire, but it’s not. The world’s largest gathering of notable faith healers are canceling the grand opening of a faith-healing center because of coronavirus. Continue reading →

Oregon Orders All Restaurants And Bars To Restrict Access, And Bans Groups Larger Than 25

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“The partial shutdown of bars and restaurants will hit businesses that employ tens of thousands of Oregonians, many of them low wage workers. Eating and drinking establishments provide roughly 160,000 jobs in the state, according to ballpark figures from the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. Those businesses spent some $285 million in wages every month.”

(Lauren Dake &  Dirk VanderHart – OPB)  Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced Monday she is banning seated dining at the state’s bars and restaurants and prohibiting gatherings of more than 25 people, in the latest set of drastic actions meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Continue reading →

How to tell if it’s allergies or coronavirus

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“People get confused with the name of the virus. When you hear them say coronavirus, that’s speaking in a general sense, that’s called the family coronavirus,” she said. “There’s a lot of subsets underneath that family, including the common cold, which also can be caused by a coronavirus.”

{Matt London – Fox News) As spring arrives in the United States amid the coronavirus outbreak, some people may be having a difficult time discerning between the symptoms of seasonal allergies and the highly infectious COVID-19. Continue reading →

Coping with Anxiety

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25

In 1 Peter 5:6–7, the Apostle Peter wrote to the Christians spread across the Roman Empire who were suffering persecution from the unbelieving Jews and gentiles: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” In this passage, Peter shows in what way his readers were to face the anxiety they were feeling in this situation: they were to cast their anxiety upon God…. Continue reading →

Democrats Give Christians Advice on Not Worshiping ‘Lesser Gods’ by Being ‘Too Involved in Politics’

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , ,

“These political plants in Evangelical circles think they’re smart — and sadly, many fall for their rhetoric. They claim political neutrality, stating things like we “should critique both parties,” when, in reality, these people are just anti-conservative progressives.”

It’s beyond fascinating to watch the progressive left act like they have some kind of moral high ground by pretending to abstain from politics all the while, they are demonstrably shilling for the liberal agenda…. Continue reading →