Free Republic

The Gospel According to Mark recounts the circumstances that led to the beheading of John the Baptist by order of Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee. “Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Phillip’s wife; for he had married her. Because John had said to Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’” Beau Biden, the eldest son of former vice president Joe Biden died of brain cancer in May 2015. Not even two years later, Beau’s younger brother Hunter has left his...

One archeologist was quoted as saying that ISIS's act of “destruction has actually led us to a fantastic find.” A find that shows the Bible to be correct once again. ...snip So here's how it happened. In 2014, ISIS destroyed a site believed by many to be the burial site of Jonah in Mosul because...that's what ISIS does. They destroy. For some reason they went to town on the place, even using dynamite to destroy it. But a few weeks ago, the area was liberated by Iraqi forces from ISIS. But because the site was blown to smithereens, what was...

March 12, 2017 Second Sunday of Lent Reading 1 Gn 12:1-4aThe LORD said to Abram: "Go forth from the land of your kinsfolkand from your father's house to a land that I will show you. "I will make of you a great nation,and I will bless you;I will make your name great,so that you will be a blessing.I will bless those who bless youand curse those who curse you.All the communities of the earthshall find blessing in you." Abram went as the LORD directed him. Responsorial Psalm Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22.R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on...

The Presbyterian Church (USA) is looking into ways to handle an apparent drop in satisfactory rates in Bible test scores among people preparing for ministry within the Mainline denomination. Earlier this month, a task force created by the executive committee of the Committee on Theological Education released a statement on the Bible Content Examinations and a trend of lower than average evaluation rates that began in the summer. The Presbyterian Church (USA) is looking into ways to handle an apparent drop in satisfactory rates in Bible test scores among people preparing for ministry within the Mainline denomination. Earlier this month,...

WILL ROGERS ONCE OPINED that a sure way to prevent war would be to abolish peace conferences. Of course Will, as usual, had his tongue in his cheek; he meant only to poke fun at the weak habit of substituting talk for action. Still there is more than a little uncomfortable truth in his remark. This above all others is the age of much talk. Hardly a day passes that the newspapers do not carry one or another of the headlines "Talks to Begin" or "Talks to Continue" or "Talks to Resume." The notion back of this endless official chatter...

"O Lord, in accordance with all Thy righteous acts, let now Thine anger and Thy wrath turn away from Thy city Jerusalem, Thy holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Thy people have become a reproach to all those around us. So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Thy servant and to his supplications, and for Thy sake, O Lord, let Thy face shine on Thy desolate sanctuary. "O my God, incline Thine ear and hear! Open Thine eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by...

“Walk . . . with all humility” (Ephesians 4:1-2). The first step to humility is understanding our sinfulness. I’ll never forget a meeting I had at my house with some seminary students. One student asked me, very seriously, “John, how did you finally overcome pride?” I said jokingly, “Well, it was two years ago when I finally licked it, and it’s never been a problem since then. It’s so wonderful to be constantly humble.” Of course, I have not completely overcome pride; it’s a battle I face every day. Satan makes sure we always struggle with it. Overcoming pride in...

March 11, 2017 Saturday of the First Week of Lent Reading 1 Dt 26:16-19Moses spoke to the people, saying:"This day the LORD, your God,commands you to observe these statutes and decrees.Be careful, then,to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.Today you are making this agreement with the LORD:he is to be your God and you are to walk in his waysand observe his statutes, commandments and decrees,and to hearken to his voice.And today the LORD is making this agreement with you:you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you;and provided you...

"Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments. . . . righteousness belongs to Thee. . . . To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness" (Dan. 9:4, 7, 9). God’s attributes authenticate your prayers. Prior to the Babylonian Captivity God had warned His people not to adopt the idolatrous ways of their captors. Their gods were idols that could neither hear nor deliver them from distress (Isa. 46:6-7). In marked contrast, our God loves us and delivers us from evil. When we confess...

“Walk . . . with all humility” (Ephesians 4:1-2). Christ showed us humility by becoming a man and living as a servant. Humility is not a very popular concept in our society, is it? We are taught to pursue honor and recognition from a young age. When my children were young, they stacked up trophies to the point of absurdity. Award shows are commonplace on television. We seem to have prizes for everything. Humility is an elusive quality. The moment you think you are humble is the moment you forfeit it. But humility is the heart of the worthy walk;...

March 10, 2017 Friday of the First Week of Lent Reading 1 Ez 18:21-28Thus says the Lord GOD:If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just,he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him;he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced. Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked?says the Lord GOD. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil waythat he may live?...

"We have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turning aside from Thy commandments and ordinances. . . . We have not listened to Thy servants the prophets. . . . Open shame belongs to us, O Lord . . . because we have sinned against Thee. . . . Indeed all Israel has transgressed Thy law and turned aside, not obeying Thy voice. . . . Thy people have become a reproach to all those around us" (Dan. 9:5-16). Others should be the primary focus of your prayers. In verses 5-16 Daniel identifies with his people and intercedes...

“Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:10). God graciously bestows every spiritual blessing on the humble. Those who are scripturally humble will recognize their unworthiness when they come before God. They will be like the prophet Isaiah who, in seeing God, cursed himself: “Woe is me, for I am ruined [damned]! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6:5). Whenever you see who God really is—infinitely holy, sovereign, mighty, majestic,...

[God] made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. - Acts 17:26–27a Providence, one of the two overarching works by which God executes His eternal decree (plan for all creation), includes both our Lord’s preservation of His creation and His governing of His creatures and their actions (WSC 11). We have considered God’s providential preservation, so we now move on to what Scripture says about...

March 9, 2017 Thursday of the First Week in Lent Reading 1 Est C:12, 14-16, 23-25Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish,had recourse to the LORD.She lay prostrate upon the ground, together with her handmaids, from morning until evening, and said:"God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you,for I am taking my life in my hand.As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathersthat you, O LORD, always free those who are pleasing to you.Now help me, who am alone...

Nearly 600 catechumens — those discerning full Communion in the Catholic Church — were received during this year’s Rite of Election celebrated March 5 at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral. The rite continues a nine-month process that began last summer for individuals wishing to become Catholic and baptized Catholics in need of Confirmation. The process culminates with the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation during the Easter Vigil Mass.

This New York mom has gone from porn star to the pulpit. Crystal Bassette, 33, ditched her lucrative career in the porn industry and her lavish Los Angeles lifestyle to become a church pastor in the small town of Fulton, New York. “It is definitely the ultimate change. It’s going from one extreme to the next. I had to get away from this whole life,” Bassette told Barcoft Media, referring to her 10-year stint doing porn. She said, “The day I was saved, I felt like the preacher was just speaking to me directly. It was like he was preaching...

[God] makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. - Matthew 5:45b Reflect on God’s works of creating and preserving the universe for any length of time, and it will soon become apparent just how gracious He is. Since God is not dependent on anything outside Himself, He did not create the universe by necessity, nor can His creation obligate Him to preserve its existence. That the universe continues on at all is entirely the result of His free choice to sustain and preserve it. Because of...

"I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed" (Dan. 9:4). Confession brings forgiveness and guards God’s character. Confessing your sins means you agree with God that you have offended His holy character, are worthy of punishment, and in need of forgiveness. That's exactly what we see Daniel doing in verses 5-16. Verse 20 summarizes his prayer: "I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God." Unlike some who suffer God's chastening, Daniel didn't shift the blame for Israel's calamity. Instead he admitted that...

“Let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to gloom” (James 4:9b). The humble individual will come to see that sin is not a laughing matter. Humor has always had a place in popular culture. But in recent decades a more worldly side to humor has emerged. Situation comedies dominate the list of top-rated TV shows, but many are far from what’s really best for people to view. The shows’ contents so often pander to the immoral and tend to put down scriptural values. Meanwhile, the world also runs headlong after activities that stress fun and self-indulgence. Most...