Free Republic

Three Pastors: Life, Death, and Religion in Muslim Iran In November 1993, not far from ancient Babylon, where Daniel was thrown into the lions' den and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were pitched into Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace, the Rev. Mehdi Dibaj huddled in a Mazandaran Province prison cell praying about how he could defend himself from capital charges. A compactly built 60-year-old man, his short, salt-and-pepper hair bristled above dark, deep-set eyes and bunchy cheeks. His cell contained a cot, a hole-in-the-floor toilet, a line of small snapshots of his four children, and, under the high window that afforded light, a...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 29 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people ... Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him." - Leviticus 19:16, 17 Tale-bearing emits a threefold poison; for it injures the teller, the hearer, and the person concerning whom the tale is told. Whether the report be true or false, we are by this precept of God's Word forbidden to spread it. The reputations of the Lord's people should be very precious in our sight, and we should count it...

Comparing today's Thanksgiving Proclamation by President Obama with last year's by President Bush presents us a study in contrasts. Specifically, one heart that turns in gratitude to God and one that doesn't... A friend observes this may be the first time in the history of presidential Thanksgiving proclamations the President does not call men to give thanks to God. If anyone has the gumption to check it out, please let us know. First, President Barack Hussein Obama; second, President George W. Bush.

Need continued prayers for my wife's healing, and for God to place forgiveness in her heart for me.

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 28 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth." - 3 John 3 The truth was in Gaius, and Gaius walked in the truth. If the first had not been the case, the second could never have occurred; and if the second could not be said of him the first would have been a mere pretence. Truth must enter into the soul, penetrate and saturate it, or else it is of no value. Doctrines held...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 27 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord." - Zechariah 3:1 In Joshua the high priest we see a picture of each and every child of God, who has been made nigh by the blood of Christ, and has been taught to minister in holy things, and enter into that which is within the veil. Jesus has made us priests and kings unto God, and even here upon earth we exercise the priesthood of consecrated living and hallowed service. But this high priest is said to be...

Since most of us have grown up with the Thanksgiving Holiday it is easy for us to assume that this is the way things are and should be but it has not always been so nor is it necessarily so. The American Thanksgiving holiday is the result of a series of presidential proclamations. It became a federal holiday in mid-20th century. The apostolic churches in the first century, however, experienced no such national or official affirmation of their faith. The Apostle Peter called the Christians of Asia Minor “strangers and exiles” (1 Pet 2:11). Indeed they were. They had much...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 26 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." - Ecclesiastes 9:10 "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do," refers to works that are possible. There are many things which our heart findeth to do which we never shall do. It is well it is in our heart; but if we would be eminently useful, we must not be content with forming schemes in our heart, and talking of them; we must practically carry out "whatsoever our hand findeth to do." One good deed is more worth than a...

Reward According to Work November 25, 2009  "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." (Revelation 22:12)  Although the Scriptures teach clearly that it is "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us" (Titus 3:5), they do teach that we are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works" (Ephesians 2:8-10).   Good works will never produce salvation, but they will produce heavenly rewards. "The fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any...

November 25 Spiritual Warfare and Sin: My Kingdom Go Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. --Matthew 6:10 It may surprise you that Aldous Huxley, often a critic of orthodox and evangelical Christianity, has been quoted as saying: "My kingdom go is the necessary correlary to Thy kingdom come."... Certainly His kingdom can never be realized in my life until my own selfish kingdom is deposed. It is when I resign, when I am no longer king of my domain that Jesus Christ will become king of my life. Now, brethren, in confession,...

Crescent Project says Eid Al-Adha is a great time to witness to Muslims. USA (MNN) ― An advertisement in the United States has been greeted with praise and condemnation. This week, a major electronics retailer got flack for including with its circular advertising Thanksgiving Day sales a note saying "Happy Eid Al-Adha," a Muslim holiday, which begins this week. According to the founder and president of Crescent Project Fouad Masri, Eid Al-Adha is a holiday created by Mohammed as he attempted to trace his roots back to Abraham. "He made the celebration to remember that Abraham took his son to...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 25 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "To preach deliverance to the captives." - Luke 4:18 None but Jesus can give deliverance to captives. Real liberty cometh from him only. It is a liberty righteously bestowed; for the Son, who is Heir of all things, has a right to make men free. The saints honour the justice of God, which now secures their salvation. It is a liberty which has been dearly purchased. Christ speaks it by his power, but he bought it by his blood. He makes thee free, but it is by his own bonds....

The New Creation November 24, 2009  "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)  To appreciate this wonderful verse properly, it is helpful to remember two things. In the New Testament both "creature" and "creation" represent the same Greek word and so can be used interchangeably. Secondly, in both Testaments only "God" or "the Lord" can be the subject of the verb "create" or "created," because God alone is the Creator. Men can "make" things, or "form" things, but only God...

November 24 Spiritual Warfare and Sin: Seek God's Remedy My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. --1 John 2:1 I wish it were possible to anoint the head of every Christian preacher so that he would never sin again while the world stands. Perhaps some would consider that a happy way to deal with the subject. But, in fact, if any person can be removed from the possibility of sin, he or she can only be some...

I know, this is hardly revolutionary or unique advice, but I was recently asked about this issue by a young Catholic man who called my "Open Line" radio show (heard every Thursday at 3:00 p.m. ET). He had been dating a devoutly Presbyterian girl, and her father didn't like it one bit that the guy was Catholic. I think my response to his "what do I do now?" question may have surprise him. (It apparently surprised and even dismayed a few of my listeners, judging from some of the e-mails that came in after that show.) My basic premise, which...

An advocacy group for child victims of sexual abuse by clergy on Monday criticized the Church of the Nazarene’s response to a lawsuit. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests points to the lawsuit in Oklahoma that accuses the church of complicity in the sexual abuse of five girls by an elementary church pastor in that state. Specifically, SNAP decries a church response that asserted, in part, that any injuries or damages suffered by the plaintiffs were caused or contributed to by their own conduct. “This is just despicable,” SNAP spokeswoman Judy Jones said Monday in front of the...

"Be thankful unto him, and bless his name." - Psalm 100:4 DEAR LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY, THIS HOUR AND THIS SECOND. LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME YOUR SAINTS CAN GATHER BEFORE YOUR THRONE OF GRACE WITH PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION. LORD, WE PRAY FOR ALL OF YOUR SAINTS NO MATTER WHERE THEY MAY BE OR WHATEVER THEIR NEED. LORD, WE PRAY ESPECIALLY FOR OUR TROOPS AND PATRIOTS WHO FAITHFULLY PLACE THERE PRAYERS FOR OUR HEROES AT THE FOOT OF THE THRONE,AND TO ALL MEMBERS OF GOVERNMENT WHO HOLD YOUR TRUTHS CLOSE TO THEIR HEARTS. LORD,...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 24 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams." - Isaiah 33:21 Broad rivers and streams produce fertility, and abundance in the land. Places near broad rivers are remarkable for the variety of their plants and their plentiful harvests. God is all this to his Church. Having God she has abundance. What can she ask for that he will not give her? What want can she mention which he will not supply? "In this mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all people a...

J.Lee Grady didn't wait for an economic recession to battle the prosperity gospel. He has been fighting it for years. Grady is the editor of Charisma, the magazine that serves as a gathering tent for Pentecostal and charismatic Christians. Its columns and advertisements feature some of the most prominent names in the movement—and some of the most frequent targets of Grady's criticism.Other evangelicals have long criticized the teaching that God promises his followers wealth and happiness. But few within the movement have made their calls for repentance so public."Martin Luther had to say something, or they were going to keep...

A Louisville church that ordained a registered sex offender has found a new home, and one resident who spoke against the church now says this is a partial victory for the Germantown community. The owner of Pillar Properties said four businesses at their Germantown property were asked to vacate the building, including the City of Refuge Center. The owner says it had nothing to do with the dispute between the church and some members of the community, but at least one resident says he's happy to see the church go. Church service hours were posted for the City of Refuge...

The Grace of Quietness November 23, 2009  "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:36)  "Let your speech be always with grace," the Scripture says (Colossians 4:6), "seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man," and "study to be quiet, and to do your own business" (1 Thessalonians 4:11).   There is such a thing as the sin of talkativeness, and many Christians are beset by it. Note some of the pertinent Scriptures: "He that hath...

November 23 Spiritual Warfare and Sin: Mediocre Christianity Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. --Romans 6:12-13 It is disheartening to those who care, and surely a great grief to the Spirit, to see how many Christians are content to settle for less than the best. Personally I have for years carried a burden of sorrow as...

Disgraced former national evangelical leader Ted Haggard brought his message of forgiveness to the House of Praise church on Route 9 Sunday, peppering an hourlong talk in front of a congregation of 200 people with some ear-raising nuggets — like how God has specifically used people like Oprah Winfrey to assist in his resurrection from personal despair and public shame. Haggard, the former president of the National Association of Evangelicals and leader of a mega-church in Colorado, was forced to abandon both posts in 2006 after a male prostitute publicly said Haggard paid him for sex for three years and...

“I don’t have to go to church — God comes to me. He’s with me and around me wherever I am.” Those words, offered by a mother to her son, contributed to the apparent self-actualization of best-selling author — I’m talking been-on-the-New York Times-bestseller-list-for-hundreds-of-weeks-best-selling — Neale Donald Walsch. His books, which all revolve, in one form or another, around the very appealing premise of “Conversations with God,” speak to people in ways that apparently rival Sacred Scripture; however, Sacred Scripture they are not. This prompts the question: How do millions of Christians get duped into believing the ramblings of New...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 23 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Fellowship with him." - 1 John 1:6 When we were united by faith to Christ, we were brought into such complete fellowship with him, that we were made one with him, and his interests and ours became mutual and identical. We have fellowship with Christ in his love. What he loves we love. He loves the saints-so do we. He loves sinners-so do we. He loves the poor perishing race of man, and pants to see earth's deserts transformed into the garden of the Lord-so do we. We have fellowship...

At the bustling Church by the Glades in Coral Springs, pastor David Hughes usually preaches the gospel, the good news. But Sunday, the news was bad. ``There is brokenness, anger and a lot of hurt. This is an ugly story,'' Hughes told a sanctuary packed with several hundred worshipers for the 11:15 a.m. service. The story broke Saturday when Coral Springs police arrested one of the church's youth pastors, Russell Dion Lewis, 28, and charged him with custodial battery and 10 counts of lewd and lascivious molestation. Police said Lewis molested a 14-year-old girl and tried to rape her. Investigators...

What is this world coming to? Another day brings another definition of love, marriage, religion, truth, civil rights and the church. Can anyone remember when there was more confusion? Only in a culture bombarded by "tolerance" could these issues be debated with any seriousness. It has been said loudly and proudly that gay marriage is a civil-rights issue. If that's the case, then gays would be the new African-Americans. I'm here to tell you now, and hopefully for the last time, that the gay community is not the new "African-American" community. In fact, I think Christians are the new Negro...

Although provoked by the indulgences peddled by Johannes Tetzel, the very first proposition which Luther offered for public debate in his Ninety Five Theses put the axe to the root of the tree of medieval theology: "When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said 'Repent,' he meant that the entire life of believers should be one of repentance." From Erasmus' Greek New Testament, Luther had come to realize that the Vulgate's rendering of Matthew 4:17 by penitentiam agite ("do penance") completely misinterpreted Jesus' meaning. The gospel called not for an act of penance but for a radical change of mind-set...

Conservatives shouldn’t just allow same-sex marriage. They should insist on it. The conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks made that argument in a 2003 column, and the liberal Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. recalled his words when he was in Providence on Nov. 8 to speak at the Central Congregational Church. Brooks’ argument is worth revisiting now that Governor Carcieri, a conservative Republican and Catholic who opposes same-sex marriage, has vetoed a bill that would give domestic partners the right to claim the bodies of — and make funeral arrangements for — their loved ones. The bill passed...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 22 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep." - Hosea 12:12 Jacob, while expostulating with Laban, thus describes his own toil, "This twenty years have I been with thee. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee: I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes." Even more toilsome...

"Grieve not the Holy Spirit." - Ephesians 4:30 All that the believer has must come from Christ, but it comes solely through the channel of the Spirit of grace. Moreover, as all blessings thus flow to you through the Holy Spirit, so also no good thing can come out of you in holy thought, devout worship, or gracious act, apart from the sanctifying operation of the same Spirit. Even if the good seed be sown in you, yet it lies dormant except he worketh in you to will and to do of his own good pleasure. Do you desire to...

Slaves of Christ November 20, 2009  "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." (Romans 6:22)  There are several words translated "servants" in the New Testament, but the most common is doulos, as in our text, and its actual meaning is "bondservants," or "slaves." Its root meaning is to tie or bind and was commonly applied to the slaves in the Roman empire at the time of Christ.   The apostle Paul had reminded the Roman Christians that they were the slaves of sin...

Spiritual Warfare and Sin: Examine Yourself Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. --Psalm 139:23-24 The philosopher Socrates said, "An unexamined life is not worth living." If a common philosopher could think that, how much more we Christians ought to listen to the Holy Spirit when He says, "Examine yourself." An unexamined Christian lies like an unattended garden. Let your garden go unattended for a few months, and you will not have roses and tomatoes but...

We, as Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christians, have gathered, beginning in New York on September 28, 2009, to make the following declaration, which we sign as individuals, not on behalf of our organizations, but speaking to and from our communities. We act together in obedience to the one true God, the triune God of holiness and love, who has laid total claim on our lives and by that claim calls us with believers in all ages and all nations to seek and defend the good of all who bear his image.... While the whole scope of Christian moral concern, including...

I was so moved reading this last night. Ballad of the White Horse is Chesterton's poem about the English King Alfred, who fought the Danes in 878. "But it is also the story of Christianity battling against the destructive forces of nihilism and heathenism" (Alquist comments). The Blessed Virgin has appeared to King Alfred right before the battle; he queries her as to the outcome of the battle. "If he fail or if he win/ To no good man is told," she tells him. And continues: The men of the East may spell the stars, And times and triumphs mark,...

www.catholicnewsagency.com Unprecedented coalition of religious leaders call Americans to stand for sanctity of life, marriage, and religious freedom Washington D.C., Nov 20, 2009 / 06:21 am (CNA).- An unprecedented coalition of prominent Christian clergy, ministry leaders, and scholars has crafted a 4,700-word declaration addressing the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty. The declaration issues “a clarion call” to Christians to adhere to their convictions and informs civil authorities that the signers will not “under any circumstance” abandon their Christian consciences. The statement,  called “the Manhattan Declaration,” has been signed by more than 125 Catholic, Evangelical Christian, and Orthodox...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 20 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "0 Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul." - Lamentations 3:58 Observe how positively the prophet speaks. He doth not say, "I hope, I trust, I sometimes think, that God hath pleaded the causes of my soul"; but he speaks of it as a matter of fact not to be disputed. "Thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul." Let us, by the aid of the gracious Comforter, shake off those doubts and fears which so much mar our peace and comfort. Be this our prayer, that we...

The Gates of Hell November 19, 2009  "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18)  Many take this verse to teach security, that although Satan and his henchmen are attacking, the church and the Christian are safe within their fortress. In fact, many commentators and translators understand "gates" metaphorically, feeling that since gates are strong and important, they can be viewed as synonymous with "power," implying that the "power of hell" is marshaled against the church....

Spiritual Warfare and Sin: No Private Sin Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened.... --1 Corinthians 5:6-7 No sin is private. It may be secret but it is not private. It is a great error to hold, as some do, that each man's conduct is his own business unless his acts infringe on the rights of others. "My liberty ends where yours begins," is true, but that is not all the truth....

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 19 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Avoid foolish questions." - Titus 3:9 Our days are few, and are far better spent in doing good, than in disputing over matters which are, at best, of minor importance. The old schoolmen did a world of mischief by their incessant discussion of subjects of no practical importance; and our Churches suffer much from petty wars over abstruse points and unimportant questions. After everything has been said that can be said, neither party is any the wiser, and therefore the discussion no more promotes knowledge than love, and it is...

Devotional using scripture, quote from John Calvin and thoughts for the day each day- on the 500th anniversary of Calvin's birth. Hebrews 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we...

Christ and the Writings of Moses November 18, 2009  "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?" (John 5:46-47)  This sharp rebuke by Jesus to the Jewish leaders who were seeking an occasion to have Him executed came as the climax to a long message following His miracle at the pool of Bethesda. These Jews always made a great show of allegiance to the teachings of Moses in the Pentateuch, so Jesus pointed out that this was hypocritical, since...

Spiritual Warfare and Sin: The Erotic Age It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles-that a man has his father's wife! --1 Corinthians 5:1 The period in which we now live may well go down in history as the Erotic Age. Sex love has been elevated into a cult. Eros has more worshipers among civilized men today than any other god. For millions the erotic has completely displaced the spiritual.... Now if this god would let us Christians alone I for one would let his...

This in depth Bible study will fortify and lock in the unchangeable teachings of the absolute security of the one who has put their trust in Jesus Christ, Almighty God's Savior to all men. Bring your Bible and dig in!

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 18 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "A spring shut up, a fountain sealed." - Song of Solomon 4:12 In this metaphor, which has reference to the inner life of a believer, we have very plainly the idea of secrecy. It is a spring shut up: just as there were springs in the East, over which an edifice was built, so that none could reach them save those who knew the secret entrance; so is the heart of a believer when it is renewed by grace: there is a mysterious life within which no human skill can...

In her new book Sarah Palin writes that one summer at Bible Camp she "put my life in my creator's hands and trust Him as I sought my life's path." For Palin, this grand divine plan was "a natural progression." She writes. And later, "I don't believe in coincidences." Which leads me to ask: What does she believe is God's plan for her? Does she have any free will or is everything preordained. Can she see something coming and change her mind despite God's plans for her? Did God plan for her to become Governor of Alaska. If so, did...

Flowing Faces November 17, 2009  "They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed." (Psalm 34:5)  This is a fascinating verse, speaking of the wonderful afterglow on a believer's countenance when the Lord has answered an urgent and specific prayer. The previous verse contains such a testimony: "I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." So does the following verse: "This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles" (vv. 4, 6). The answered prayer had been so remarkable that...

Spiritual Warfare and Sin: Resentment Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled. --Hebrews 12:15 In the course of scores of conferences and hundreds of conversations I have many times heard people say, "I resent that." But I repeat: I have never heard the words used by a victorious man. Resentment simply cannot dwell in a loving heart. Before resentfulness can enter, love must take its flight and bitterness take over. The bitter soul will compile a list of slights at which...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 17 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "To whom be glory for ever. Amen" - Romans 11:36 "To whom be glory for ever." This should be the single desire of the Christian. All other wishes must be subservient and tributary to this one. The Christian may wish for prosperity in his business, but only so far as it may help him to promote this-"To him be glory for ever." He may desire to attain more gifts and more graces, but it should only be that "To him may be glory for ever." You are not acting as...

You have seen my coming declared by many in many ways , yet now as mary knew and as Gideon saw me I shall not disappoint , for in this very day and time my appointed "yeah" my Apostles shall declare my promises in love for truly I have already come in and through my children of obedience and living zeal, My righteousness " Alive and unearthed " for truly It is heavenly and eternal for " I AM Risen in you as my great cloud of witnesses dressed in My righteousness" ! Yeah My majesty \o/ Rejoice and declare...