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Growing Through Difficulty Today's Scripture “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold...” (1 Peter 1:7, NLT) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria One thing we have to realize is that God is not going to deliver us from every difficulty. He is not going to keep us from every challenge. If He did, we would never grow. The Scripture says, “Our faith is tried in the fire of affliction.” When you’re in a tough time, that’s an opportunity for your faith to shine. Anybody can get negative...

The Source of Abundant Joy "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" —Romans 8:37 Paul was speaking here of the things that might seem likely to separate a saint from the love of God. But the remarkable thing is that nothing can come between the love of God and a saint. The things Paul mentioned in this passage can and do disrupt the close fellowship of our soul with God and separate our natural life from Him. But none of them is able to come between the love of God and the...

One day Voltaire said to a friend, "It took twelve ignorant fishermen to establish Christianity; I will show the world how one Frenchman can destroy it." Setting to his task, he openly ridiculed Sir Isaac Newton. One day Newton made a prophecy based on \reference{Dan. 12:4}{Daniel 12:4} and \reference{Nahum 2:4}{Nahum 2:4} when he said, "Man will some day be able to travel at the tremendous speed of 40 miles an hour." Voltaire replied with, "See what a fool Christianity makes of an otherwise brilliant man, such as Sir Isaac Newton! Doesn't he know that if man traveled 40 miles an...

On the website of the liberal Catholic outlet, Commonweal, Mollie Wilson O’Reilly accuses Pope Francis of ignoring the problem of priestly sexual abuse. According to her, “he [the pope] has said and done little about the scandal itself,” maintaining that “things haven’t been fixed.” Similarly, Father Thomas P. Doyle says the pope “has done almost nothing” about this issue,” calling one of the pontiff’s efforts “so meaningless it is almost comical.” An editorial in the National Catholic Reporter also expresses its chagrin with the pope on this issue, imploring him “to meet with victims of clergy sex abuse.” Here are...

Only trusting the Bible without the Church would be like loving "Romeo & Juliet" and hating Shakespeare's explanation of it. "Follow" me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/crucifixwearer"Like" Answering Protestants on Facebook: http://facebook.com/AnsweringProtestantsAdd Answering Protestants to your Circles on Google+: http://plus.google.com/106938988929282894016"Subscribe" to my YouTube videos: http://youtube.com/user/crucifixwearer

Seven words set off a Twitter firestorm: "First off I want to thank God." Not because it's radical to thank God in public (at least not yet), but because the person who did had just won Best Actor at the Academy Awards. And because he isn't a person known for public displays of religiosity. Matthew McConaughey's statement in full: "First off I want to thank God, because he's the one I look up to, he's graced my life with opportunities which I know are not of my hand or any other human kind. He has shown me that it's a...

March 7, 2014Friday after Ash Wednesday    Reading 1 Is 58:1-9a Thus says the Lord GOD:Cry out full-throated and unsparingly,lift up your voice like a trumpet blast; Tell my people their wickedness,and the house of Jacob their sins. They seek me day after day,and desire to know my ways,Like a nation that has done what is justand not abandoned the law of their God;They ask me to declare what is due them,pleased to gain access to God.“Why do we fast, and you do not see it?afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?� Lo, on your fast day...

You Were Not an Accident Today's Scripture “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you...” (Jeremiah 1:5, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria God knew you before you were even born. What an amazing thought! He saw your unformed substance and said, “I have a purpose for this life. I have good plans for them!” Then He breathed His life into you and sent you through your mother and father. They may have had issues, but that doesn’t have to stop you from becoming all that God intended for you to be. You have been handpicked...

Taking the Next Step ". . . in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses" —2 Corinthians 6:4 When you have no vision from God, no enthusiasm left in your life, and no one watching and encouraging you, it requires the grace of Almighty God to take the next step in your devotion to Him, in the reading and studying of His Word, in your family life, or in your duty to Him. It takes much more of the grace of God, and a much greater awareness of drawing upon Him, to take that next step, than it...

I would like to know what FReepers think of Joyce Meyer, the prolific speaker, author and teacher. I write book reviews for my church, and I worked on a review of "God Is Not Mad At You". A friend at church told me that Meyer's theology is very controversial, so I asked my pastor about it. He said that he would not want to promote a book by Meyer because of some things she has said, for example, Jesus went to hell to pay for our sins, was forgiven by God, and was the first born-again man. I know that...

March 6, 2014Thursday after Ash Wednesday    Reading 1 Dt 30:15-20 Moses said to the people:“Today I have set before youlife and prosperity, death and doom.If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God,which I enjoin on you today,loving him, and walking in his ways,and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees,you will live and grow numerous,and the LORD, your God,will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy.If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen,but are led astray and adore and serve other gods,I tell you now that you will certainly perish;you will...

Your Future isn’t Defined by Your Past Today's Scripture “...If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria I heard somebody say, “Don’t let your heredity stop your destiny.” In other words, don’t let the way somebody treated you, or what they did or didn’t give you keep you from pressing forward and becoming all that God has created you to be. The people who raised you may have had addictions, but that doesn’t have to be your future. You can be the one to break that negative cycle....

Is He Really My Lord? ". . . so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus . . ." —Acts 20:24 Joy comes from seeing the complete fulfillment of the specific purpose for which I was created and born again, not from successfully doing something of my own choosing. The joy our Lord experienced came from doing what the Father sent Him to do. And He says to us, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you� (John 20:21). Have you received a ministry from the...

Almighty God, help us to take to heart through Your Holy Word the truth that sin entered the world through human disobedience to You. Our sin has filled this world with envy, selfishness, hatred, greed, and other sins too many to list. Yet human sin cannot be victorious over the grace of God that is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord. We pray that You pour Your grace upon us as we strive to lives of sacrifice and holiness. Enable us to daily defeat sin, so that we will know that joy which is unspeakable and full of glory. Through...

Lately I have been confronted by individuals I thought understood the Scriptures, only to learn that they think God did not say what he said, or that Christ changed the rules on sex when he walked with the apostles. Sadly, there are too many false teachers leading many poor souls straight to hell by claiming that Jesus never spoke against the union of two men or two women. Thus they claim that homosexuality is now either condoned by God, or since the day Moses spoke to God, Moses misunderstood Him about what he said about sexual perversion. So until...

just finished 6 months at a manufacturer, they are downsizing seasonally, I was an inspector on the production line, me and another inspector got it, more of the production crews are going to get laid off this week.

March 5, 2014Ash Wednesday   If the blessing and distribution of ashes take place outside Mass, it is appropriate that the Liturgy of the Word precede it, using texts assigned to the Mass of Ash Wednesday. Reading 1 Jl 2:12-18 Even now, says the LORD,return to me with your whole heart,with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;Rend your hearts, not your garments,and return to the LORD, your God.For gracious and merciful is he,slow to anger, rich in kindness,and relenting in punishment.Perhaps he will again relentand leave behind him a blessing,Offerings and libationsfor the LORD, your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion!proclaim...

What God Calls You Today's Scripture “And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, ‘The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.’ ” (Judges 6:12, ESV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria In Scripture, God called Gideon a mighty man of fearless courage. Now Gideon looked around and said, “God couldn’t be talking about me. I come from the poorest family. I’m the least one in my Father’s house.” Gideon saw himself as weak, defeated and not able. But God saw him as strong, confident and more than a conqueror. The question...

Is This True of Me? "None of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself . . ." —Acts 20:24 It is easier to serve or work for God without a vision and without a call, because then you are not bothered by what He requires. Common sense, covered with a layer of Christian emotion, becomes your guide. You may be more prosperous and successful from the world’s perspective, and will have more leisure time, if you never acknowledge the call of God. But once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory...

Editor’s note: This story is the first of a two-day series on the aftermath of the proposed bankruptcy settlement of sex-abuse cases against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena. HELENA — Most of the 362 sex-abuse victims who sued the Catholic church of western Montana, saying they were abused years ago by priests and nuns, will get monetary damages from a settlement with the church. But they’ll see something else they consider vitally important, their lawyers say: Public identification of their abusers. “They wanted their abusers to be publicly identified and for the Diocese to accept responsibility,” says Tim Kosnoff,...

Since late January, some neighbors have expressed dissatisfaction with the arrangement between City of God church and its landlord, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. Azin Ehsan, who moved to the area in 2001, complained that the church service at Grant is noisy, has too many signs and banners and brings more cars to the neighborhood. "I don't want anything happening here on Sundays," said Ehsan, a mother of three. "We have so much noise during the week, we just want it to be quiet. They should find a better venue."

March 3, 2014 (Breakpoint.org) - The call for tolerating same-sex marriage has become a demand for compliance. Cases like Masterpiece Cake Shop in Colorado and Elane Huguenin’s New Mexico photography business have shown us that “tolerance” ends exactly where the right to say “no” begins. And so people, businesses, and non-profits are forced to choose between their livelihoods and their convictions. Some fellow Christians are giving this new state of affairs a thumbs-up, including Kirsten Powers, whose fearless stand against abortion I admire, and Skye Jethani, a friend I respect greatly. They argue that Christians who won’t participate in gay...

Featured Term (selected at random:NOSTRA AETATE Declaration of the Second Vatican Council on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian religions. It is addressed to Christians and urges them to promote fellowship with persons and groups who do not profess the Christian faith. Singled out are tribal peoples, Hindus, Buddhists, Moslems, and Jews. The principal theme is that Catholics should "enter with prudence and charity into discussion and collaboration with members of other religions." All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission. 

Pope Francis stunned a live audience in St. Peter’s Square Sunday when he accidentally dropped the Italian equivalent of the F-bomb instead of a similar-sounding word he meant to use. “If each of us were to accumulate wealth not only for ourselves but to put at the service of others, in this f*** — in this case God’s providence would manifest itself in this gesture of solidarity,” he said. The pontiff apparently meant to use the word “caso,” which means “example” in Italian. Instead, he said “cazzo” — a simple mistake, but one that came along with wildly different context,...

March 4, 2014Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 1 Pt 1:10-16 Beloved:Concerning the salvation of your soulsthe prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yourssearched and investigated itinvestigating the time and circumstancesthat the Spirit of Christ within them indicatedwhen it testified in advanceto the sufferings destined for Christand the glories to follow them.It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but youwith regard to the things that have now been announced to youby those who preached the Good News to youthrough the Holy Spirit sent from heaven,things into...

Who’s Your Daddy? Today's Scripture “...the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ ” (Romans 8:15, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria There used to be a billboard that asked the question, “Who’s the father?” It was advertising DNA testing. They can take a child’s DNA and test another person’s DNA to see if it matches in order to scientifically prove if two people are related. Out of the billions of people on earth, the chances of your DNA matching someone that’s not your family is so small that...

His Commission to Us "Feed My sheep" —John 21:17 This is love in the making. The love of God is not created— it is His nature. When we receive the life of Christ through the Holy Spirit, He unites us with God so that His love is demonstrated in us. The goal of the indwelling Holy Spirit is not just to unite us with God, but to do it in such a way that we will be one with the Father in exactly the same way Jesus was. And what kind of oneness did Jesus Christ have with the...

Over much of its history, the Academy Awards have been the backdrop for some rather off-putting acceptance speeches. In 2011, for instance, Melissa Leo dropped a so-called “F-bomb” when she accepted the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in “The Fighter.” In 2003, “Bowling for Columbine” was awarded Best Documentary, which provided Michael Moore a platform to rant against duly-elected President George W. Bush. “We live in the time,” he said, “where we have fictitious election results that elects a fictitious president. And, in 1972, Jane Fonda took the stage after winning “Best Actress” for her performance in “Klute,”...

Last year I presented a paper to this body regarding the Jewish historian Josephus’ understanding of the Olivet Discourse and the Fall of Jerusalem and particularly how Preterists had written about Josephus’ recording of the event. ... As I demonstrated last year, little if any of Josephus’ description satisfies the words of our Lord in His discourse. ... is there support for this type of understanding of the Fall of Jerusalem and the predictions of Christ within the writings of the Church that follows A.D. 70? Did the Church Fathers of the ensuing centuries look back on A.D. 70 as...

I. “The Farther A Society Drifts…”As the generations progress, man’s relationship with what the ages have known as the truth grows evermore tenuous. It is rejected for reasons as laughable as being considered in our eyes not applicable, as if after the many thousands of years of man walking upright, man is suddenly the arbiter of what is and is not true. Man, accordingly, wields this fictitious staff with much erroneous license. Truth, however, neither yields nor changes in the face of criticism or critique. Historically speaking, if one were to conduct what would be the most ambitious survey in...

Several years ago I was encouraged to consider the practice of observing Lent as a preparation for the Easter celebration of the resurrection. Honestly, I did not give it much serious thought, one way or the other. I had other things occupying my mind and it seemed harmless enough. However, sometime later I had the opportunity to study with Dr. Hughes Old. His writings as well as his lectures, compelled me to think more carefully about the observance of Lent. As a result of my study I have come to the settled conviction not to observe Lent or to promote...

March 3, 2014Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 1 Pt 1:3-9 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hopethrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,kept in heaven for youwho by the power of God are safeguarded through faith,to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.In this you rejoice, although now for a little whileyou may have to suffer through various trials,so that the...

Roma Downey and Mark Burnett’s ‘Son of God’ Film Posted by pjmiller on February 20, 2014 in Current Events, Discernment Just wanted to pass this along. Over the past few months I’ve been reading a lot about the Roma Downey/Mark Burnett film, Son of God, which is due out in theaters in about a week. It’s really being played-up on a number of Christian websites as a “break-through epic film” for Christians and their families, and even an “evangelistic-tool”. The Christian Post, for instance, has posted a number of stories concerning this film over the last 6 months, including an...

Have You Felt the Pain Inflicted by the Lord? "He said to him the third time, ’. . . do you love Me?’" —John 21:17 Have you ever felt the pain, inflicted by the Lord, at the very center of your being, deep down in the most sensitive area of your life? The devil never inflicts pain there, and neither can sin nor human emotions. Nothing can cut through to that part of our being but the Word of God. “Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ’Do you love Me?’ � Yet he was...

God willing, the new evangelization will happen, but let us not imagine that this time will be like the first time. The old evangelization proclaimed the Good News among pagan, pre-Christian peoples to whom it came as something new. Nothing like that had been done before. But nothing like our task has been done before either. Re-evangelizing is not evangelizing as though for the first time again; the very fact of past proclamation makes re-proclamation different. For we proclaim the Gospel to a neo-pagan, post-Christian people to whom it does not come as new. The old world had not yet...

March 2, 2014Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time    Reading 1Is 49:14-15 Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;my LORD has forgotten me.�Can a mother forget her infant,be without tenderness for the child of her womb?Even should she forget,I will never forget you. Responsorial Psalm Ps 62:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 R/ (6a) Rest in God alone, my soul.Only in God is my soul at rest;from him comes my salvation.He only is my rock and my salvation,my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.R/ Rest in God alone, my soul.Only in God be at rest, my soul,for from him comes my...

The Piercing Question "Do you love Me?" —John 21:17 Peter’s response to this piercing question is considerably different from the bold defiance he exhibited only a few days before when he declared, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!� (Matthew 26:35 ; also see Matthew 26:33-34). Our natural individuality, or our natural self, boldly speaks out and declares its feelings. But the true love within our inner spiritual self can be discovered only by experiencing the hurt of this question of Jesus Christ. Peter loved Jesus in the way any natural man loves...

Last year the History Channel featured the epic television event, “The Bible Series,” which was produced by Roma Downey and her husband Mark Burnett. This show captivated audiences and became the talk of many churches. Churches even purchased pre-written sermons to go along with the show, which according to outreach.com made it into 180,000 churches. Roma and Mark were endlessly interviewed in Christian magazines, and on Christian radio. All along saying that they were sold out Christians and believers filled with the Holy Spirit. And the churches bought it. They promoted it...

March 1, 2014Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time  Reading 1 Jas 5:13-20 Beloved:Is anyone among you suffering?He should pray.Is anyone in good spirits?He should sing a song of praise. Is anyone among you sick?He should summon the presbyters of the Church,and they should pray over himand anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.The prayer of faith will save the sick person,and the Lord will raise him up.If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one anotherand pray for one another, that you may be healed.The fervent prayer...

Wissam Akiki is a Catholic priest and a married man. The pews were packed Thursday (Feb. 27) as Akiki became the first married man in the Maronite Catholic Church ordained into the priesthood in the United States with the blessing of the pope. Bishop Elias Zaidan of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, which is based in St. Louis, led the ordination ceremony held at St. Raymond’s Maronite Cathedral. Manal Kassab, who has been married to Akiki for about a decade, and their daughter, Perla, 8, were also present. Akiki had been a deacon at St....

Your Spiritual DNA Today's Scripture “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” (Romans 8:14, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria Have you ever really considered your spiritual DNA? Your Heavenly Father spoke worlds into existence. He flung stars into space. He painted every sunrise. He designed every flower. He made man out of dust and breathed life into him. Now here’s the key: He is not just the Creator of the universe. He is not just the all-powerful God. He is your Heavenly Father. You have His DNA. Imagine what...

“Do You Now Believe?” "’By this we believe . . . .’ Jesus answered them, ’Do you now believe?’" —John 16:30-31 Now we believe. . . .� But Jesus asks, “Do you . . . ? Indeed the hour is coming . . . that you . . . will leave Me alone� (John 16:31-32). Many Christian workers have left Jesus Christ alone and yet tried to serve Him out of a sense of duty, or because they sense a need as a result of their own discernment. The reason for this is actually the absence of the resurrection...

Do you know that strip club down by the airport? You've probably never been in there. You likely have no interest in going in there. The only reason you even know about it is because your uncle, the one you have to pick up from the airport every Thanksgiving, makes a joke about the sign that says they have an all-you-can-eat buffet. (It's a lame joke made lamer by the fact that he tells it the same way every year.)There's something you probably don't know about that buffet: Jesus would have no qualms about sitting at the bar eating scrambled eggs....

(RNS) Bill Gothard, an Illinois-based advocate for home-schooling and conservative dress and who warned against rock music and debt, has been placed on administrative leave after allegations of sexually harassing women who worked at his ministry and failing to report child abuse cases. Gothard’s Institute in Basic Life Principles was once a popular gathering spot for thousands of Christian families, including the Duggar family from TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting.” Gothard’s Advanced Training Institute conferences were also popular among devotees of the Quiverfull movement, who promote large families and eschew birth control. He’s also rubbed shoulders with Republican luminaries. He...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- A Christian ministry's long-stalled plans to build Noah's Ark in the hills of Kentucky have been revived. Creation Museum founder Ken Ham announced Thursday that a municipal bond offering has raised enough money to begin construction on the Ark Encounter project, estimated to cost about $73 million. Groundbreaking is planned for May and the ark is expected to be finished by the summer of 2016. Ham said a high-profile evolution debate he had with "Science Guy" Bill Nye on Feb. 4 helped boost support for the project. Nye said he was "heartbroken and sickened for the...

Washington, DC (LiveActionNews) — Black leaders in Illinois have closed ranks, calling for increased accountability and safety regulations for abortion mills after the death of Tonya Reaves, who bled to death after a botched abortion in a Chicago Planned Parenthood. Reverend Ceasar LeFlore, Bishop Lance Davis, and State Representative Tom Morrison are leading the crusade for legislative change in the state of Illinois to prevent future tragedies like Reaves’s. Rev. LeFlore stated: tonyareavesWhile Roe v. Wade provides a women with choice it does not guarantee the safety of her life nor set a standard for abortion clinics demanding due diligence...

February 28, 2014Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Jas 5:9-12 Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,that you may not be judged.Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.Indeed we call blessed those who have persevered.You have heard of the perseverance of Job,and you have seen the purpose of the Lord,because the Lord is compassionate and merciful. But above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear,either by heaven or by earth or...

Your Heavenly Heritage Today's Scripture “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria In life, we all have negative things that happen to us. We go through situations that are unfair. I know people who were raised in an unhealthy environment. Their parents had issues, and now it’s making life much more difficult on them. But here is the truth: when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord...

The Impoverished Ministry of Jesus "Where then do You get that living water?" —John 4:11 “The well is deep�— and even a great deal deeper than the Samaritan woman knew! (John 4:11). Think of the depths of human nature and human life; think of the depth of the “wells� in you. Have you been limiting, or impoverishing, the ministry of Jesus to the point that He is unable to work in your life? Suppose that you have a deep “well� of hurt and trouble inside your heart, and Jesus comes and says to you, “Let not your heart be...

Returning home from a recent business trip, I flew over the city purported to have more churches per square mile than any other in America. As I gazed down sleepily at the numberless steeples checkering the landscape and dimly pondered their equivocal significance, I was suddenly startled awake by a strange transformation occurring before my incredulous eyes: The spires of the church buildings had morphed into so many cruciform chimneys belching skyward an almost palpable, smoke-like darkness. Only the darkness wasn't smoke. What I saw ascending to heaven from each sanctuary was praise—the grotesquely incongruous praise of Christians worshiping a...