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December 9, 2013 Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary,Patronal Feastday of the United States of America    Reading 1 Gn 3:9-15, 20 After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,the LORD God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?�He answered, “I heard you in the garden;but I was afraid, because I was naked,so I hid myself.�Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?You have eaten, then,from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!�The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with meCshe gave me fruit from...

Imagine if an activist group blanketed a major city with 55 billboards urging that illegal aliens go back to their own country. Or that homosexuality is a crime against nature. Or that Muslims are responsible for most of the world’s terrorist attacks. The mainstream media would be all over the story. Organizations – like La Raza, like GLAAD, like CAIR – would organize protests. President Obama would publicly condemn the billboards (while defending illegals, homosexuals and Islam). And the sponsors of the billboards would be branded a “hate group.” Yet, there has been little outrage over the 55 billboards that...

The Impartial Power of God "By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" —Hebrews 10:14 We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. “. . . Christ Jesus ....

December 8, 2013 Second Sunday of Advent    Reading 1 Is 11:1-10 On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,and from his roots a bud shall blossom.The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,a spirit of counsel and of strength,a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.Not by appearance shall he judge,nor by hearsay shall he decide,but he shall judge the poor with justice,and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of...

Repentance "Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation . . ." —2 Corinthians 7:10 Conviction of sin is best described in the words:My sins, my sins, my Savior, How sad on Thee they fall.Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8). And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person’s conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person’s relationship...

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Today (December 7th) marks the 72nd year anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor naval base. How sad that this date - which would live in infamy - has been nearly forgotten by toady's American population and especially our youth. Tragically it has been the successful revision of our American history by the Left and the evils of it that has made us weak and vulnerable to a present day "Pearl Harbor" of EXPONENTIAL proportions (Rev. 6). To set the stage for 1941, tensions were high between Tokyo and Washington. Japan had been flexing its military muscle through out China...

December 7, 2013Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church    Reading 1 Is 30:19-21, 23-26 Thus says the Lord GOD,the Holy One of Israel:O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem,no more will you weep;He will be gracious to you when you cry out,as soon as he hears he will answer you.The Lord will give you the bread you needand the water for which you thirst.No longer will your Teacher hide himself,but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:“This is the way; walk in it,�when...

Love Much Today's Scripture Therefore I tell you, her sins, many [as they are], are forgiven her—because she has loved much. But he who is forgiven little loves little. Luke 7:47, AMP. Today's Word from Joel and Victoria Did you know that forgiveness opens the door for love to operate in your life? This scripture passage is talking about the story of the woman with the alabaster box of costly perfume. She was a notorious sinner in her day, and when she saw Jesus, she fell at His feet and began washing them with her tears and drying them...

“My Rainbow in the Cloud” "I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth" —Genesis 9:13 It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn’t God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn’t God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is— will I step into that covenant relationship?...

So, Rick Warren has a new diet book about to be released. Surprise, surprise, it centers around 40 days of eating healthier. I agree that a healthy diet is very important. I am pretty strict about what I consume, and watch my weight. I exercise regularly, and I strive to control my blood pressure with a low sodium diet. I get it. But why is it that celebrity pastors inevitably feel compelled to mind everybody else's business when it comes to food. For Pete's sake, why do I need Rick Warren to tell me what to eat (actually he has...

Lift Your Eyes Today's Scripture I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2, NKJV. Today's Word from Joel and Victoria What are you looking at today? Are there challenges in your life to overcome? Don’t just look at your problems day in and day out; lift up your eyes and look toward heaven. You will naturally move in the direction that your eyes are looking. If you are always looking at your problems—meditating on them, feeling sorry for yourself, telling everybody...

“The Temple of the Holy Spirit” ". . . only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you" —Genesis 41:40 I am accountable to God for the way I control my body under His authority. Paul said he did not “set aside the grace of God�— make it ineffective (Galatians 2:21). The grace of God is absolute and limitless, and the work of salvation through Jesus is complete and finished forever. I am not being saved— I am saved. Salvation is as eternal as God’s throne, but I must put to work or use what God...

December 6, 2013Friday of the First Week of Advent   Reading 1 Is 29:17-24 Thus says the Lord GOD:But a very little while,and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,and the orchard be regarded as a forest!On that day the deaf shall hearthe words of a book;And out of gloom and darkness,the eyes of the blind shall see.The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.For the tyrant will be no moreand the arrogant will have gone;All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,those whose mere word condemns...

We are not living in a season of peace. Thinking Christians must surely be aware that a great moral and spiritual conflict is taking shape all around us, with multiple fronts of battle and issues of great importance at stake. The prophet Jeremiah repeatedly warned of those who would falsely declare peace when there is no peace. The Bible defines the Christian life in terms of spiritual battle, and believers in this generation face the fact that the very existence of truth is at stake in our current struggle. The condition of warfare brings a unique set of moral challenges...

There are many parallels to the Titanic and United States of America that we can see today. Both seemed invincible and yet both were destined to doom. As the Titanic of old could not float with a huge fatal hole in her hull, so also America cannot stay afloat with a hole of a dominate godless, licentious and moral relativistic society only seeking to do evil and lawlessness. America with its ever increasing abandonment of moral absolutes and turning away from Almighty God has set herself up for doom (Rom. 1:18-32, Jude 1:10). On the fatal night in 1912, the...

December 5, 2013 Thursday of the First Week of Advent    Reading 1 Is 26:1-6 On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah: “A strong city have we;he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.Open up the gatesto let in a nation that is just,one that keeps faith.A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;in peace, for its trust in you.� Trust in the LORD forever!For the LORD is an eternal Rock.He humbles those in high places,and the lofty city he brings down;He tumbles it to the ground,levels it with the dust.It is...

Ten Basic Facts about the NT Canon that Every Christian Should Memorize: #10: “Early Christians Believed that Canonical Books were Self-Authenticating.” _________________________________________________ How do we know which books are from God, and which are not? There are many answers to that question, some of which we have covered in prior posts. Certainly the apostolic origins of a book can help identify it as being from God (see post here). And, the church’s overall consensus on a book can be part of how we identity it as being from God (see post here). But, it is interesting to note that the...

Exactly What You Need Today's Scripture And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19, NIV. Today's Word from Joel and Victoria Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed by the challenges and obstacles we face. But, we have to remember that God equips for every season of life. God will not allow you to face Goliath, He will not allow a major challenge and then just give you a little favor, a little strength, a little wisdom. No, God equips you with exactly what you need to overcome every...

The Law of Opposition "To him who overcomes . . ." —Revelation 2:7 Life without war is impossible in the natural or the supernatural realm. It is a fact that there is a continuing struggle in the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual areas of life.Health is the balance between the physical parts of my body and all the things and forces surrounding me. To maintain good health I must have sufficient internal strength to fight off the things that are external. Everything outside my physical life is designed to cause my death. The very elements that sustain me while...

Although, in the Roman liturgy, St. Barbara is merely commemorated in the Office of St. Peter Chrysologus, yet the Church has approved an entire Office for the use of those Churches which honour the memory of this illustrious virgin in a special manner. The legend which follows, although of considerable weight, has not, consequently, the authority of those which are promulgated for the use of the whole Church, in the Roman breviary. Let us not, on this account, be less fervent in honouring this glorious marytr, so celebrated in the east, and whose feast has been for so many ages...

I would like to offer a two-part entry on Isa 2:1-4, a passage that describes international peace among nations under the rule of Messiah in His kingdom. These conditions are not taking place in our present age but will when Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom. Isaiah 2 addresses the coming kingdom and the roles of Israel and the nations in it. The message predicts international harmony among nations as a result of the Messiah's reign. The sons of Israel that God raised up "revolted" against Him (Isa 1:2). They were a "sinful nation" and "people weighed down with...

The Holy See will not share information from its internal proceedings related to clerical sexual abuse with the United Nations’ Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Reuters news agency reported. The Committee on the Rights of the Child is responsible for examining compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a 1989 treaty signed by 193 states. The Holy See signed the treaty in 1990. The United States is not bound by the treaty: although President Bill Clinton signed it in 1995, the Senate has not ratified it. “In the light of the recognition by the...

On 24 November, the Roman Bishop, Francis, issued a document, Evangelium Gaudii which the Vatican classifies as an “Apostolic Exhortation.� It’s a book, a really long (217 pages) sermon. Rome is a complicated creature with seemingly endless categories of offices, canons, decrees, laws, and instructions. Darryl Hart has a helpful summary of the various types of communications issued by the Vatican. Suffice it to say that the papacy does not issue mere advice. In this case it appears that Francis took it upon himself to go beyond more that a synod on the “new evangelization� had concluded in 2012. He can...

"For as man, disobeying, drew death upon himself; so, obeying the will of God, he who desires is able to procure for himself life everlasting. For God has given us a law and holy commandments; and every one who keeps these can be saved, and, obtaining the resurrection, can inherit incorruption." - St. Theophilus of Antioch, to Autolycus (Book 2, Chapter 27) [link] Are we still under a Law? Yes. However, we are not under the Mosaic one. The Mosaic Law worked for a while, but ceased to be the best option after the "time of reformation" (Hebrews 9:10). At...

December 4, 2013 Wednesday of the First Week of Advent    Reading 1 Is 25:6-10a On this mountain the LORD of hostswill provide for all peoplesA feast of rich food and choice wines,juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.On this mountain he will destroythe veil that veils all peoples,The web that is woven over all nations;he will destroy death forever.The Lord GOD will wipe awaythe tears from all faces;The reproach of his people he will removefrom the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken. On that day it will be said:“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!This...

Identify with Him Today's Scripture Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17, AMP. Today's Word from Joel and Victoria So many people fall into the trap of identifying with their challenges instead of identifying with Christ. For example, you may be dealing with a sickness, but understand, you are not a sick person trying to get well. You are a well person fighting off sickness. You may...

“Not by Might nor by Power” "My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power . . ." —1 Corinthians 2:4 If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality. Take care to see while you proclaim your knowledge of the way of salvation, that you yourself are rooted and grounded by faith in God. Never rely on the clearness of your presentation, but as you...

Our proclamation this morning is 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24: Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you [us] completely; and may your [our] whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you [us] is faithful, who also will do it. We’ll carry on from yesterday evening when I did my best to analyze, what I consider to be a problem. This morning I purpose to analyze how the problem arises in terms of Scripture. This is very important because the problem continues to arise. I’ll give you five examples...

December 3, 2013Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest    Reading 1 Is 11:1-10 On that day,A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,and from his roots a bud shall blossom.The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,A Spirit of counsel and of strength,a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.Not by appearance shall he judge,nor by hearsay shall he decide,But he shall judge the poor with justice,and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.He shall strike the ruthless with the rod...

Lack No Good Thing Today's Scripture …Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Psalm 34:10, NIV. Today's Word from Joel and Victoria When God created you, He put in you everything you need to fulfill your purpose in the Earth. You have the talent, the creativity and the ideas. You are full of discipline, focus and self-control. You have strength, determination and resolve. The Creator of the universe has crowned you with His favor. If you’re going to live a victorious life, you have to see yourself as a “no lack” person. If you go around thinking,...

Christian Perfection "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfect . . ." —Philippians 3:12 It is a trap to presume that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do— God’s purpose is to make us one with Himself. The emphasis of holiness movements tends to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His museum. If you accept this concept of personal holiness, your life’s determined purpose will not be for God, but for what you call the evidence of God in your life. How can we say, “It...

My friend Michael Horton often comments on the phenomenon of “cage-stage Calvinism,” that strange malady that seems to afflict so many people who have just seen the truth of the Reformed doctrines of grace. We’ve all known one of these “cage-stage Calvinists.” Many of us were even one of them when we were first convinced of God’s sovereignty in salvation. Cage-stage Calvinists are identifiable by their insistence on turning every discussion into an argument for limited atonement or for making it their personal mission to ensure everyone they know hears—often quite loudly—the truths of divine election. Now, having a zeal...

Katie Scrivener worried that her infant son, Fulton, would cry when he encountered a very important man in Rome. She was the one who wound up weeping, albeit tears of joy. One of the enduring images that came out of the weekly general audience Pope Francis gave in St. Peter’s Square Nov. 20 has the pontiff trading gazes with Fulton Scrivener, who will celebrate his first birthday Dec. 19. In a photo that ran the next day on Page 1 of L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, the Holy Father shows unabashed joy as he places his right hand on the...

December 2, 2013 Monday of the First Week of Advent    Reading 1 Is 4:2-6 On that day,The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory,and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendorfor the survivors of Israel.He who remains in Zionand he who is left in JerusalemWill be called holy:every one marked down for life in Jerusalem.When the LORD washes awaythe filth of the daughters of Zion,And purges Jerusalem’s blood from her midstwith a blast of searing judgment,Then will the LORD create,over the whole site of Mount Zionand over her place of assembly,A smoking cloud by...

<p>Four calling birds? A partridge in a pear tree? No one is sure exactly what the twelve gifts in the “The Twelve Days of Christmas” represent, but there have been several theories. One interesting claim is that the song was written to help young Catholics learn their faith. In this interpretation, each Christmas gift represents something connected to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Looking at the song this way helps families focus on the true meaning of Christmas. We've taken this tradition and added a little bit of an LDS spin to it.</p>

The combination of the Rapture and the Battle of Ezekiel 38 will fill the world with anguish and uncertainty as Daniel’s 70th Week begins. Where did all those people go? How did Israel so utterly destroy that massive invasion force all by itself? How did all these things happen so suddenly? Why didn’t somebody see this coming and do something to prevent it? The Seal Judgments In the midst of all the chaos and confusion one leader will stand out (Rev. 6:2). He’ll demonstrate an incredible ability to restore the world’s hope for the future, and promise to bring them...

December 1, 2013 First Sunday of Advent    Reading 1 Is 2:1-5 This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.In days to come,the mountain of the LORD’s houseshall be established as the highest mountainand raised above the hills.All nations shall stream toward it;many peoples shall come and say:“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain,to the house of the God of Jacob,that he may instruct us in his ways,and we may walk in his paths.�For from Zion shall go forth instruction,and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.He shall judge between the nations,and impose terms on many peoples.They...

From the "180" Movie website,  an amazing story demonstrating the power films have to educate and change minds.  If we want to change laws so that all innocent human life is protected, we need to first create a Culture of Life in our society.  "180" is doing just that!  Read the "Pro-life Plant" below and then view the shocking, life altering video "180." Pro-life Plant Ray Comfort I was doing a radio interview recently with a host who said that he loved “180.” This was because the 33-minute movie was able to do what he had been trying to do...

November 30, 2013 Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle    Reading 1 Rom 10:9-18 Brothers and sisters:If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lordand believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,you will be saved.For one believes with the heart and so is justified,and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.The Scripture says,No one who believes in him will be put to shame.There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;the same Lord is Lord of all,enriching all who call upon him.For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But...

TAYLORSVILLE, Utah - Members of a Mormon congregation in a Salt Lake City suburb encountered someone they thought was a homeless man at church on Sunday. What they did not know was the man was a bishop for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

November 29, 2013 Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Dn 7:2-14 In a vision I, Daniel, saw during the night,the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea,from which emerged four immense beasts,each different from the others.The first was like a lion, but with eagle’s wings.While I watched, the wings were plucked;it was raised from the ground to stand on two feetlike a man, and given a human mind. The second was like a bear; it was raised up on one side,and among the teeth in its mouth were three tusks.It was given the...

Since the fall of man God has enacted a plan to bring this rebel planet back into conformity with His will (see Gen 3:15). Central to this plan is God's Son, Jesus the Messiah, whom the Father wants to establish as King over the nations (see Psalm 2). Through the prophecies of the Old Testament and direct connections made in the New Testament, the Bible presents Jesus as the One who will bring salvation to God's people and the One who will reign as King over this world. Yet we must acknowledge that while millions in history have bowed the...

November 28, 2013 Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Dn 6:12-28 Some men rushed into the upper chamber of Daniel’s homeand found him praying and pleading before his God.Then they went to remind the king about the prohibition:“Did you not decree, O king,that no one is to address a petition to god or manfor thirty days, except to you, O king;otherwise he shall be cast into a den of lions?�The king answered them, “The decree is absolute,irrevocable under the Mede and Persian law.�To this they replied, “Daniel, the Jewish exile,has paid no attention to you,...

The law did not require Jews to be at the Temple in Jerusalem, as this was not one of the pilgrimage festivals. Every one observed it in his own place, not as a holy time. Jesus was there that He might improve those eight days of holiday for good purposes. Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch when the Sadduciens asked him “How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ tell us.” They pretended to want to know the truth, as if they were ready to embrace it; but it was not their intention....

Mark Driscoll has attempted to briefly answer a very pressing and important question that should be on the radar screen of each and every Christian. The post is titled "Does God hate cotton blend T-shirts?" and deals with the prohibition against mixed threads in Deuteronomy 22:11 and Leviticus 19:19. Deuteronomy 22:11: “You shall not wear cloth of wool and linen mixed together.�Leviticus 19:19: Nor shall you wear a garment of cloth made of two kinds of material.� Driscoll, in his post, deals very superficially with the above question and basically ends up appealing to the classic three-fold division of the...

Thanksgiving is the great American holiday. Regardless of distinctions, the American spirit celebrates November's long weekend with family, football, and food. Thanksgiving is the iconic recognition of America as the cornucopia, the breadbasket of the world. Most Americans know something about the origins of Thanksgiving, dating to the Pilgrims' celebration of their first bountiful harvest in 1621 after nearly starving to death in the wilds of New England. Some even know about George Washington's presidential proclamation calling the new nation to give thanks in 1789 for its new constitutional freedoms. But relatively few Americans know that the origins of Thanksgiving...

Dr. Donna Freitas, perhaps the nation’s leading expert on university hookup culture, has being doing research among college students and on college campuses regarding sex, the hookup culture, and student religiosity for several years.  She has produced many scholarly publications and studies.  One consistent finding she has observed is that evangelical college students are significantly less likely to hookup than any of their counterparts (Catholic or secular).  Why?  An excerpt from an interview: The attitudes toward sexuality on evangelical campuses were remarkably different from everywhere else. Everyone is struggling with sex, but they do it in very different ways.It’s impossible on...

The seven year tribulation - which will engulf the world shortly - will absolutely manifest the EXPONENTIAL godlessness, lawlessness and violence of mankind as they heap upon themselves the EXPONENTIAL consequences of their rebellious designs against Almighty God and His moral absolutes for this world (Rom. 1:18-32, Rev. 6-16). The demonic wrath and oppression, the wrath of lawless men, and the ETERNAL Wrath of Almighty God's RIGHTEOUS indignation will be manifested to it's zenith and one attribute that will be completely missing during this seven year period will be the outworking of the love of God among mankind. "Then shall...

November 27, 2013 Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Dn 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his lords,with whom he drank.Under the influence of the wine,he ordered the gold and silver vesselswhich Nebuchadnezzar, his father,had taken from the temple in Jerusalem,to be brought in so that the king, his lords,his wives and his entertainers might drink from them.When the gold and silver vesselstaken from the house of God in Jerusalem had been brought in,and while the king, his lords, his wives and his entertainerswere drinking wine from...