Kissimmee Florida (FL)

Hotchkiss Colorado (CO)

Independent Baptist church in Kissimmee, Florida

Independent Baptist church in Pratt, Kansas

Kissimmee Florida (FL)

What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

By Morey

Sermon Preached from the Historic pulpit of the Oldest Church in Ennis TX, We are a KJV, Bible Believing, Devil Hating, People ...

Luke 7:36-50 Pastor Hafelin Sunday Evening Service October 1, 2023.

Many Kisses for Returning Sinners, or Prodigal Love for the Prodigal Son Delivered by ch Spurgeon On Lord's-day Evening, March 29th, 1891 "And kissed him....

Two new memoirs, Troubled and Between Two Trailers, make a powerful—if unintentional—case for the Christian ethos of family and community.Growing up, our car radio was always tuned to 90.7, American Family Radio. We lived about 15 minutes from the nearest town, so we spent a lot of time driving. If we were lucky, Mr. Whittaker’s warm, grandfatherly voice invited us to join him for Adventures in Odyssey. But more often, we’d listen to alarmed (and alarming) talks from Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association, or Focus on the Family’s James Dobson, each warning my parents of all the ways the world was coming for us.Their message was convincing, and not only for my parents. I’d plug my ears when Ms. Barbie, my warm-hearted school bus driver who wore denim cutoffs and had brightly lacquered nails, sometimes tuned her portable radio to 96.9 KISS FM, “Amarillo’s #1 Hit Music Station,” and started singing along to secular music on the 45-minute ride to school. I felt palpable relief when I instead climbed aboard to the sound of Garth Brooks crooning about his friends in low places. After all, everyone in Texas knows God has a soft spot for country.One of the strangest things about being raised in that embattled mindset was how my side seemed embarrassed of what we had to offer the wider world. We said we knew the truth about God and humanity, but I got the distinct impression that we were far from confident that the truth could hold its own out there.My elders and the voices they heeded on the radio seemed to take a defensive posture, self-conscious about our intractable fuddy-duddy-ness and anxious that these commitments would cost us. It felt like they weren’t sure we could ever compete on a level field. We had God on our side, but they had MTV. Our only option was to circle ...Continue reading...

? Temple Baptist Church - 1-31-2024John 13:10-11; 18-30? Introduction:? ? What a sad story!? I know that Judas was a traitor and led the religious crowd to the Garden where He was.? But the world has been and continues to have multitudes of “spiritual traitors” as well as Christ rejectors who die out of the will of the Lord and spend an eternity in a place called hell!? A.? Who was this man, Judas Iscariot?? ? There are theories about who Judas Iscariot is and who he might be during the Tribulation Period floating around.? Was Judas the incarnate devil?? Will Judas be resurrected during the Tribulation Period as Antichrist?? They use such verses as these to substantiate their theories.? John 6:70-71? Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?? (71)? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.? John 17:12? While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.? Acts 1:25? That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.? B.? I will not take the time to dispel these theories? but will say that I do not believe that Judas was either the devil, as many wicked people are referred to in that manner.? I believe that the Bible teaches that Judas was just a man.? ? C.? Judas Iscariot.? The only disciple who was non-Galilean but was born of the same Tribe as Christ Jesus: The Lion of the Tribe of Judah.? ? Genesis 49:8-12? Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.? (9)? Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?? (10)? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.? (11)? Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:? (12)? His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.? Judas – The Greek spelling of the Hebrew word? Judah:? of the posterity of Judah and its region.? Iscariot -? inhabitants of Keri-oth.? A city in southern Judah in the Negev.? D.? ? Why was the Lord “troubled in spirit?”? ? John 13:21? ? When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.), we find that Jesus was “troubled in spirit” because “one of you shall betray me.”? ? ? 1.? Because Judas Iscariot was a friend of Jesus Christ.? a)? Prophesied in one of the Davidic Psalms:? ? Psalms 41:9? ? Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.? b)? Performed in the betrayal of Judas Iscariot:? Matthew 26:48-50? Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.? (49)? And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.? (50)? And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.? c)? For those who teach that Judas Iscariot? and Antichrist are the same, Jesus Christ would have never called the devil “friend.”? 2.? Because Jesus Christ died for the sin of the whole world which included Judas Iscariot!? John 3:16-17? For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.? (17)? For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.? 1 Timothy 2:4? Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.? 1 John 2:2? And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.? In John Gill's Commentary, a 17th? century “theologian” and pastor (who was also a Calvinist) explained “the whole world” as 1) the Old Testament Saints who believed on the Messiah plus all the New Testament Saints who would believe on Christ Jesus, both Jew and Gentile.? The “whole world” is the entirety of all who ever lived or would ever live!? Typical Calvinistic “stretching” the Word of God to prove their damnable heresies.? E.? Judas Iscariot was prophesied in Psalm 55.? Psalms 55:12-15? For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:? (13)? But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.? (14)? We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.? (15)? Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.? 1.? The interpretation of the Psalm? was about Ahithophel, David's counselor and Bathsheba's grandfather, who betrayed David.? ? ? 2.? The prophesy of the Psalm, which is Messianic, was about Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Christ.? ? F.? Judas Iscariot.? 1.? Judas Iscariot was a Disciple.? “one of you”? ? John 13:21? ? When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.? a.? Judas Iscariot's Calling.? ? The Lord chose Judas as He did the other disciples.? b.? Judas Iscariot's Circumstances.? ? He saw, lived with, and heard Christ.? He shared the same conditions as the other disciples.? His accountability was great.? c.? Judas Iscariot's Communion.? ? He spent a lot of personal time with Christ, a personal friend to Judas as He was to the other disciples.? ? d.? Judas Iscariot's Choice.? ? He had the same right to choose as the other disciples.? 2.? Judas Iscariot was a Deceiver.? “Lord, who is it?”? John 13:24-25? Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.? (25)? He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him,? Lord, who is it?? a.? Judas Iscariot Deceived others.? ? The other disciples could not believe that it was Judas.? John 13:26-29? Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.? (27)? And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.? (28)? Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.? (29)? For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.? b.? Judas Iscariot Deceived himself.? ? Matthew 26:25? Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.? c.? Judas Iscariot never Deceived the Lord!? ? John 13:26-27? Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.? (27)? And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.? 3.? Judas Iscariot was a Damned Man.? ? Matthew 26:23-24? And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.? (24)? The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.? a.? Judas Iscariot's Discovery.? Matthew 27:3? Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,? b.? Judas Iscariot's Discourse.? ? Matthew 27:4? Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.? c.? Judas Iscariot's Despair.? Matthew 27:5? And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.? 4.? Judas Iscariot's Decision.? ? I believe that the Bible teaches that Judas Iscariot could have been saved up to the point that he received the sop.? When John asked the Lord who would betray Him, Jesus said, “To whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it.”? Judas did not have to take the sop from the hand of our Lord but could have said, “Forgive me, Lord.? I do not want the sop.”? John 13:26-27? Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.? (27)? And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.? Conclusion:? Here we find the sad end of a life that could have been saved but chose to reject the Saviour.? Not the Devil, not the future Antichrist, just a man for whom Christ died.?

by Phil Johnsone regard the wearing of masks in worship first of all as a matter of conscience—and since we are forbidden by the teaching of Christ not to make extrabiblical religious rules that bind men's consciences (Matthew 23:1-7; 15:1-9), we neither mandate nor forbid the wearing of masks in worship.Veils and face coverings have profound religious significance in many world religions. Indeed, much of the rhetoric surrounding COVID masks (even among evangelical Christians) describes them as symbols of personal piety. Serious questions about the usefulness, effectiveness, or medical necessity of masks are routinely dismissed or swept aside, and people are told to wear them simply because they are a tangible, visible means of showing love for one's neighbor. This rationale is pressed on people's consciences regardless of whether it can be proved statistically that they really safeguard anyone from the virus, and irrespective of the fact that masks can cause other medical problems. But COVID masks have become, in effect, secularism's substitute for religious vestments. No one can reasonably deny that face coverings have become the chief symbol of popular culture's sanctimonious devotion to the secularist credo.But one of the distinctives of Christian worship is face-to-face fellowship. Koinonia is the Greek expression the New Testament uses to describe it. The word conveys the idea of community, close association, and intimate social contact. Thus the apostle's instructions: "Greet one another with a holy kiss" are repeated four times in the Pauline epistles (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:22).The importance of face-to-face koinonia is stressed repeatedly. Paul writes, "We . . . were all the more eager with great desire to see your face" (1 Thessalonians 2:17). "We night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face" (3:10). The apostle John writes, "I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full" (2 John 12). "I hope to see you shortly, and we will speak face to face" (3 John 14).Worship, in particular, is best seen as an open-face discipline. Covering the face is a symbol of disgrace or shame (Jeremiah 51:51; Job 40:4). Concealing one's mouth while praising God suppresses the visible expression of worship. The Psalms' calls to worship are filled with the words "tongue," "lips," and "mouth." "Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise" (Psalm 81:1). " Wholehearted worship cannot be sung as intended—unrestrained and unmuted—from behind a state-mandated face covering. We see "the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (4:6), and our faces were designed by him to reflect that glory back to heaven in uninhibited praise.It is true, of course, that for now, "We see in a mirror dimly, but [someday] face to face" (1 Corinthians 13:2). That speaks of a face-to-face encounter with Christ himself, when we will be brought into the fullness of knowledge and moral perfection. John the apostle says, "We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is" (1 John 3:2).Despite the temporary limitation of seeing heaven's glory as if we were looking in a dim mirror, we nevertheless are privileged as Christians to have a view of divine glory that is superior to what Moses and the Israelites enjoyed at Sinai. We see God's glory revealed in Christ—"glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Unlike Moses, who was shielded in the cleft of a rock from seeing the full display of divine glory; and unlike the Israelites, who only saw the fading reflection of glory on Moses' face (and even that was covered with a veil) we see Christ so clearly revealed that it is as if we are looking in the very face of God's glory. "We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18). Again: we see "the glory of God in the face of Christ" (4:6).Yes, the language of that biblical passage is symbolic. We don't literally see the face of Christ physically. For now, we see him as he is revealed on the pages of the New Testament. But the symbolism embodied in Paul's description of seeing him with "unveiled face" is important, and the wearing of masks—especially government-mandated masks that serve as the vestments of secular religion—feels like a covert attempt to erase one of the core truths that makes Christianity unique.Those are my personal convictions about masks. It's not a dogma we teach. It's certainly not a rule we expect people in the church to swear fidelity to. Again, we don't want to bind anyone's conscience with manmade restrictions. We especially do not want to shame the person who wears a mask purely because he or she genuinely believes the current orthodoxy about masks as an effective shield against viral transmission. People in the church are free to wear masks if they choose. But people who share the above view are likewise free to worship, sing, pray, and proclaim God's Word without a face covering—even if that goes against the vacillating, sometimes arbitrary, and frequently heavy-handed dictates of government officials. It is simply not the church's duty to enforce executive orders based on a politician's whimsy—particularly when those edicts impinge on our freedom of worship.

The first two teams faced off in Battle:Ritz to see whose food would reign competitive. The Giuseppe Francos, led by Gloria, brought forth a competitive lineup of three dishes. They were: “Tomato, Tomato; Cilantro, Cilantro”, “Tuna Alejandro”, and “The Finisher”, and are pictured here: Victora and her team the Kissena Beats prepared three competitive dishes as [...]