Chronic Pain and the Ministry

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

It is to this hope I seek to point God’s people. No, it doesn’t take away the pain usually. However, It is not a trite answer that does nothing. It is, in fact, the hope of every Christian: to see Christ, to be with Christ, and to be made like him in every respect (1 John 3:2)… So that is how I minister though I, too, suffer. I minister by pointing them to the exalted Minister who knows my agony yet conquered the reason of my anguish.

(William Hill – The Aquila Report)  When I was halfway through seminary, I was diagnosed with a neurological issue that affects my spinal cord. It was a long, drawn-out situation that left many doctors confused and unable to offer much help. The illness results in numerous problems: numbness in my limbs, pain shooting through my head and back, disorientation and dizziness and the constant feeling that I am going to collapse. It is a frustrating issue. In God’s providence, I managed to get through seminary though I struggled immensely for over two and a half years. I still struggle today, and my circumstances have escalated. Continue reading →

Federal Court Sides With Trump Admin’s Transgender Military Ban

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

Prior to his resignation, Defense Secretary James Mattis said he is “prepared to defend” the ban, concluding that troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria carry “impacts of healthcare costs, readiness, and unit cohesion,” and as such present “considerable risk to military effectiveness and lethality.”

(Paul Bois – Daily Wire)  The Trump administration’s ban on transgenders serving in the U.S. military got a major boost on Friday when a federal appeals court ruled that the ban should not have been blocked by a lower court. Continue reading →

Conversion does not equal regeneration

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

12 “While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, 13 at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ Acts 26:12-18 (NASB)  Read verses 15-18 on the site

I once heard an interesting parody of Jeff Foxworthy’s ‘You may be a redneck if…” comedy routine. In the article, the word redneck had been replaced with the word “hypocrite.” After a few of the quips, it became obvious the humor was becoming strained. It was no longer funny because each “You may be a hypocrite if” statement stressed the ugly half-heartedness which plagues the majority of church members. For example, one of them said something like, “You may be a hypocrite if you read “Left Behind” at work and “Fanny Hill” at home. View article →

A New Years Thank You Note From The Evangelical Industrial Complex

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Satire ∙

What is the Evangelical Industrial Complex (EIC)? Some Christians believe that a powerful evangelical “celebrity machine” exists in the visible Church. What exaclty is the EIC?  According to dictionaryofchristianese.com: Major publishers of Christian books, music, and other media as alleged to be secretly, if informally, in league to promote and support selected high-profile Christian pastors, preachers, authors, and musicians in order to continue to make money from sales of books and other media products. Such promotion and support is alleged to be behind the downplaying or eliminating of any criticism or scandal that touches these high-profile Christian leaders.

Over at Messed Up Church, blogger Steven Kozar has penned a thank you note from the EIC — it’s satire:  Continue reading →

Actually, 2018 Was a Pretty Good Year

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“For all the pro- and anti-Trump invective and media hysteria, the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation circus, and the bitter midterm elections, the U.S. was relatively calm in 2018 compared with the rest of the world. There was none of the mass rioting, demonstrations, and street violence that occurred recently in France, and none of the existential and unsolvable divides over globalization and Brexit that we saw in Europe.”

(Victor Davis Hanson – National Review)  The year 2018 will be deplored by pundits as a bad year of more unpredictable Donald Trump, headlined by wild stock-market gyrations, the melodramas of the Robert Mueller investigation, and the musical-chair tenures of officials in the Trump administration. Continue reading →

‘Jesus Never Told Caesar How to Run Rome’: Jerry Falwell Jr. Says Bible Not Meant for Public Policy

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“If you reject the idea that God’s law has anything to do with human civil government, then you have no standard whatsoever by which human civil government can establish justice in the earth.  When Jesus said, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,’ He didn’t say that Caesar can make up any law he wants—that Caesar could say, ‘Let’s go murder babies,’ and that’s fine with God. No, no, no.”

(Heather Clark – Christian News Network)  During a recent interview with The Washington Post, Jerry Falwell Jr, the president of Liberty University, which hails itself as the world’s largest Christian university, said that he doesn’t believe that public policy should be based on the Bible, and agreed that the government should be “free of religious association.” Continue reading →

Trump Spats With Pope Over Immigration and Utterly Smacks Him Down

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The Pope has thus far ignored Trump’s recent comments. He is in the Vatican, behind its walls, currently dealing with the massive Roman Catholic sex abuse scandals throughout the world.

(JD Hall – Pulpit & Pen)  The President of the United States is feuding with the Bishop of Rome, and Trump just had a ‘drop the mic’ moment with the pontiff.

On one side of this dispute is Donald J. Trump, who took an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. On the other side is Pope Francis, a Argentinian Jesuit who was thoroughly indoctrinated by South American liberation theologians. Trump wants to protect America, and the Pope wants to unite the world globally under the banner of Rome. Continue reading →

All Christians are heirs with Christ

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:12-14 (NASB)

If you are anything like me, closely examining your walk before the Lord continually, the concept that sinful believers who vacillate between godliness and carnality with deliverance from those sins not in any way certain, then the concept that we are heirs with Christ is hard to grasp. I have no trouble with God’s absolute sovereignty, holiness, righteousness, justice, immutablility, omnipotence, omniscience, or omnipresence. He is perfect. He is the most High. The problem is that I know that I am not in any way worthy enough to even be in His presence. View article →

Living the Christian life in 2019

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

“…some live as if the price they were bought with wasn’t a major sacrifice. Do you know what the Bible says about Christians who live in the flesh and think they are saved?”

(Clint Archer – The Cripplegate)  The first time I went snowboarding was also only the second time I had ever seen snow. I was truly excited. The invitation to go was easy to accept and sourcing some equipment proved easy enough. The atmosphere among friends was electric. Even the lessons in the basic technique seemed straightforward enough; I’d dabbled in skateboarding in a former life. Continue reading →

A reckoning is underway in US Catholic Church

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

Cardinal Donald Wuerl resigned after being accused of mishandling allegations of abuse against priests. Photo credit Flickr

“In the 16 years between the Boston scandal and the Pennsylvania investigation, only about 30 dioceses around the country had released lists of priests they deemed credibly accused of abuse. Most of those dioceses came clean because they were forced to do so by lawsuits or bankruptcy filings. Some dioceses declined to name any deceased priests, since they could not defend themselves, and some would not identify any clergy members at all.”

(Claudia Lauer – AP)  Over the past four months, Roman Catholic dioceses across the U.S. have released the names of more than 1,000 priests and others accused of sexually abusing children in an unprecedented public reckoning spurred at least in part by a shocking grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania, an Associated Press review has found. Continue reading →

Leading Cause of Death in 2018 Surpasses Cancer, Addiction — and It’s Not Even Close

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“The 41.9 million figure comes from abortion statistics published by the World Health Organization. In 2018, 23 percent of all pregnancies ended in abortion, Breitbart reports, adding that for every 33 live births, 10 children were aborted.”

(Carly Hoilman – Faithwire)  Nearly 42 million human beings were aborted last year, according to Worldometers. Statistics from the independent data collecting site show abortion to be the leading cause of death in 2018, dwarfing other prominent killers like cancer, AIDS, car accidents and suicide, Life News reported. Continue reading →

New York City’s ‘Gender Neutral’ Birth Certificate Option Goes Into Effect

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“The ability to change that mark, to change that F to an X as a way of eschewing the binary systems of male and female, and man and woman, is an essential step towards the breaking down of binary ideological systems, created in order to justify and uphold social, political and economic oppression.”

(Heather Clark – Christian News)  A law that was passed last year that allows New York City residents to obtain amended birth certificates, including with an “X” for their gender, has officially gone into effect. Continue reading →

True Religion And Progressivism Cannot Co-Exist

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion

“The worldview of the Left fills that space handily. Hence, a secular Leftist is not actually secular at all. That person’s original faith is just supplanted by another. Progressivism becomes the main value system of the person, even if they technically are a Jew or a Christian by birth.”

(Jeremy Frankel – Daily Wire)  Why is it that the more secular a culture becomes, the more progressive it becomes as well?

In most religions in the United States, progressivism, otherwise known as Leftism, is pervasive in the secular factions. As a Jew, I always find myself intrigued at the political leanings within my own community. … Continue reading →

Top 10 Progressive Endorsements of Child Abuse in 2018

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“More clinics opened in children’s hospitals to facilitate body mutilation of confused minors. The quackery of childhood gender “transition” treatment continues to gallop through mainstream medicine without valid research to support its benefits, while ample evidence of its harm piles up.”

(Linda Harvey – Mission: America)  There’s a lengthy, sordid history of the damage children suffer because of “progressive” values and policies. In 2018, the harm went beyond passive side effects.

The left is now brazenly cheering over the corruption, pain and heartbreak of children. And sometimes, their deaths. Continue reading →

Vatican letter undermines US cardinal on abuse

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“DiNardo stunned the bishops when he opened the assembly Nov. 12 by announcing that “at the insistence of the Holy See” the bishops would not be voting on the measures after all. He said the Vatican wanted them to delay a vote until after Pope Francis hosts a global summit in February on preventing sex abuse by priests.”

(Nicole Winfield – AP) The Vatican blocked U.S. bishops from taking measures to address the clergy sex abuse scandal because U.S. church leaders didn’t discuss the legally problematic proposals with the Holy See enough beforehand, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press. Continue reading →

Do not be afraid of those killing the body, but are unable to kill the soul…

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

8 And do not be afraid of those killing the body, but are unable to kill the soul, but fear instead the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

In this post we will look at Matthew 10:16-33 which is part of our Lord’s instructions to His disciples as He prepared them for what was coming when they were eventually sent on their worldwide mission to the Gentiles. They had to understand that persecution would inevitably accompany their mission wherever God sent them. View article →

Therefore, when he received the vinegar, Jesus said, ‘It is finished’ and having bowed his head, he gave up his Spirit

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

28 After this, Jesus having known everything that had been completed that the Scripture may be fulfilled, said, “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of vinegar was there, so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on a hyssop branch and put it to his mouth. 30 Therefore, when he received the vinegar, Jesus said, “It is finished.” And having bowed his head, he gave up his Spirit. John 19:28-30 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

Many of those with whom we earnestly contend for the faith have a problem with the absolute truth that is presented to us in the three verses above. Many of them may deny the fact that they hold to a form of salvation that denies the sufficiency of the atoning work of Christ on the cross to accomplish all that is required for all of the elect to not only believe the gospel, but also to persevere. Those who have doubts about that do so because they either do not understand or believe the doctrine of imputation. We have looked at this many times and I do not intend to go into that here. In this post we will look at what Christ meant when he knew that everything had been completed in John 19:28 and then said so in John 19:30. View article →

New Year’s Resolutions for God’s Glory, Not Our Own

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

It seems that every December, many people make well-intentioned resolutions for the new year. With premeditated bursts of enthusiasm, they are caught up in a whirlwind of peculiar, and sometimes public, activities that puzzle even neighborhood children. We witness surprising promises and new year’s manifestos whereupon we are summoned to behold what sweeping changes may come in the new year.

The skeptical observer may ask: Is all this new year’s fervor genuine? Is it helpful? Is it really necessary? Moreover, the curious onlooker may ask: Is it even appropriate to make resolutions? After all, shouldn’t we at all times and all seasons seek to live wisely, obediently, and biblically? Continue reading →

‘Shout Your Abortion’ Founder Talks to Children About Abortion, Claims ‘It’s All Part of God’s Plan’

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

“I could not finish watching this  It broke my heart. These children were used as pawns to promote an agenda. As many … have said, let’s also have a conversation with someone who regrets their abortion. I know from personal experience that most women do regret their choice.”

(Heather Clark – Christian News)  A video that has been denounced as “brainwashing,” entitled “Kids Meet Someone Who’s Had an Abortion,” was posted to social media on Friday. It features “Shout Your Abortion” movement founder Amelia Bonow asking youth questions about abortion and opining to one young boy that she believes it is “all part of God’s plan.” Continue reading →

Birth of the Church

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  Acts 2:1-4 (NASB) (Read verses 3-4 on the site)

The Day of Pentecost just a few weeks after our Lord’s resurrection is marked in Church history as the day the Church was born. The Apostles obeyed our Lord’s commands that He gave them just before He returned to Heaven and were all gathered in a house in Jerusalem.  Carefully read the passage I placed at the top of this post. Where did the power for this miraculous event come from? Was it done according to the will and power of these Apostles? …  View article →

The body is the Lord’s

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

13 Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 1 Corinthians 6:13 (NASB)

Liberal Christianity is, as J. Gresham Machen told us in his masterpiece Christianity & Liberalism:

It is no wonder, then, that liberalism is totally different from Christianity, for the foundation is different. Christianity is founded upon the Bible. It bases upon the Bible both its thinking and its life. Liberalism on the other hand is founded upon the shifting emotions of sinful men. – J. Gresham Machen

In our time here in the early 21st Century we have men calling themselves pastors or Christian leaders telling all who will listen to them that the Bible is not authoritative. They say that even though it condemns certain behaviors as sin, we can ignore all that because people who preach or teach directly from the Bible are not obeying God, but are “cheating.” …   View article →

Boy Scouts Lost 425,000 Boys One Week After ‘Gender Neutral’ Name Change

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One week after the century-old Boy Scouts of America announced its name was becoming “gender fluid,” its single biggest participant announced that it was cutting ties to the Scouts.

(Jay Greenberg – Neon Nettle)  Earlier this month, it was revealed that the Boy Scouts of America, the 108-year-old organization synonymous with traditional American values, is on the verge of bankruptcy.

A report by the Wall Street Journal revealed that a Chicago law firm, Sidley Austin, has been appointed to handle Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Continue reading →

Relying on God During Times of Desperation

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His [God’s] silence is not equal to a lack of care; he works behind the scenes, where together all things work for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28). 

(Meredith Hodge – Rely On The Bible)   His heart pounded, his lips quivered, decay crept into his bones, and his legs trembled (Habakkuk 3:16). He was confused, angry, terrified, and desperate for relief. He cried, “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?” (Habakkuk 1:2). Habakkuk, an Old Testament prophet, experienced a season of trials that seemed endless. He was desperate for relief, for change, for God to intervene. Does that sound like something you can relate to?  Continue reading →