Pope Francis reportedly told a group of bishops that homosexual men should not be allowed to enter seminary to train for the priesthood and is accused of using a vulgar Italian phrase to describe the queer community in his remarks.?

Country star Blake Shelton says he “absolutely loves” “The Chosen,” adding that there is “no question” why the first-ever multi-season series about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ is a worldwide phenomenon.

? Temple Baptist Church - 5-26-2024Psalm 119:145-152? Introduction:? A. Psalm 119: 176 verses broken down into twenty-two stanzas with each stanza correlating with one of the 22 letters in the Hebrew Alphabet. Each stanza is comprised of eight verses which, in the Hebrew Bible, each verse begins with the associated letter of the Hebrew Alphabet forming an Acrostic. What a wonder that we hold in our hands tonight!? B.? KOPH? ק? – the? 19th letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. KOPH in Hebrews means The Palm of the hand or the sole of the foot. God's perpetual protection in salvation and our personal protection in walk of life.? 1. The child of God is in the Hand of God and is therefore protected. John 10:28-30 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (29) My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (30) I and my Father are one.? 2. The child of God holds in his/her hand the Word of God and is therefore guided. Psalms 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.? Proverbs 6:20-23 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: (21) Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. (22) When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. (23) For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:? C. KOPH? ק? has a numerical value of one hundred in the Gematria (numbering system), which speaks of fullness or completeness in quantity: an entire lifetime or fulness in a biblical sense. It is sometimes associated with the fulness of age or experience.? D. KOFH? ק? is said to be derived from a pictograph of the eye of a needle. To see what lies ahead in a straight or narrow view signifying paying attention to the end or completion of something.? “Tunnel Vision!”? The Word of God keeps our focus on the end instead of the circumstances. Within God's hand, we are guided in our walk by the Word of God and subdued by the will of God.? E. The meanings of this letter are "bend" and "curve," from the shape of the palm, as well as to "tame" or "subdue" as one who is been bent to the will of another.? F. The life of the child of God is in God's hand and illustrated here in this stanza by both prayer and answer to prayers. Prayers are to according to the will of God. Then prayers are answered by God in His way and His time. This stanza shows us the importance of living a life of prayer.? 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.? G. In our verses, we find the memories of prayer of the Psalmist. He accounts the times that he prayed in his devotion and his prayers for divine deliverance from his trials in life. I read this somewhere: “He who has been with God in the closet will find God with him in the furnace.”? 1. The Psalmist prayed, and God answered but, in His time, and in His way.? 2. The Psalmist bowed to the will of God when answers were delayed.? Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. (9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.? 1. Verse 145. How he prayed. A Heart Felt Prayer. “cried … whole heart”? a. Much of the prayer life of the Christian is spend in communication and communion with the Lord and these things are essential to the believer.? 2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.? b. Then there are times when the cry is one of distress. Here in verse 145, the word “cried is used: to accost or to call out. A sincere, plaintive, painful, natural utterance, as of a creature in pain. This cry was a plea for help.? Psalms 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.? c. It is followed by a vow to continue in obedience to the Word of God. “I will keep thy statutes.”? 2. Verse 146. What he prayed. “save me” The plea of a drowning man. The plea of a helpless man who could not save himself.? a. The Psalmist prayed to the only One who could save him. There will be situations in life that are out of the power or control of the believer and his ability to overcome.? b. The Psalmist prayed in full assurance of God's willingness and power to perform.? Psalms 121:1-4 A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. (2) My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. (3) He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. (4) Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.? 3. Verses 147-148. When he prayed and how long he prayed. This was not “Now I lay me down to sleep” praying (though it is good to say “Good Night” to the Lord, this was lengthy praying. Not only did the Psalmist fervently pray, but he also continuously prayed.? a. Prevented – to precede. In the New Testament, we find the same wording during the Rapture of God's Church. He prayed before the dawning of the new day.? 1 Thessalonians 4:14-15 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.? b. Prevent – to precede. He prayed through the night watches: during the night season.? c. A two-fold promise: hope in the word (faith) and meditation in the word (saturation).? 4. Verse 149. The basis of his praying. “according … lovingkindness” The Psalmist based his plea on the love of God for His children.? a. It is not a plea based upon deserving or debt. It was love based on God's side.? b. Asking God to overlook sinfulness and imperfections in prayer. The believer appeals to the love of God from whom nothing can separate.? c. Quicken – to give life through strength as we, through weakness, become strong in the Lord.? 2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.? 5. Verses 150-151. The faith of his praying.? a. The wicked draw near. They will never compromise nor quit.? b. But God IS nearer. He will never leave nor forsake His own.? c. God's Word can be trusted in all aspects of life and for a lifetime.? 6. Verse 152. The witness of his praying.? Psalms 119:152 Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.

? Temple Baptist Church - 5-26-2024Isaiah 2:1-4? Introduction:? Tomorrow is Memorial Day.? A day set aside to honor the memory of America's war dead.? May we never forget those who died or were wounded in the fight for freedom and liberty.? May we never forget those who served our nation and continue to do so today.? A.? War has always been a way of life for people as there is no freedom or liberty without it!? The Bible says that there is a time for war!? Ecclesiastes 3:1-8? To every? thing there is? a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:? ? 2? A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up? that which is? planted;? ? 3? ? A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;? ? 4? A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;? ? 5? A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;? ? 6? A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;? ? 7? A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;? ? 8? A time to love, and a time to hate;? a time of war, and a time of peace.? 1.? There are times when it is War or Slavery.? 2.? There are times when it is Kill or be Killed.? B.? ? It has been estimated that in the last 5,900 years there have been an estimated 14,600 wars and less than 300 years of world peace. The hearts of people worldwide long for peace! People have talked a lot about peace over the centuries, but they have experienced precious little of it.? C. This Memorial Day, our nation will once again honor our war dead with the placement of flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.? ? 1.? Our nation's freedom and propriety have come at great cost!? People nowadays stake these things for granted because they have not had to pay the price for them.? ? 2.? They called the people of WWII the greatest generation.? Those who have paid the ultimate price have always been the greatest generation in their times.? What a tremendous price has been paid for the freedoms that we enjoy today!? ? 3.? These statistics are In all of the American wars, either by our country or within our country, over 41,892,128 men and women have served in wartime with app. 1,190,085 war dead and app. 1,430,290 wounded in action.? ? 4.? That is a tremendous number of young lives who gave their lives and future so that we could live and have a future of freedom, privilege, and joy.? “Live, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”? 5.? Freedom is a privilege, not a right!? There are many in this country who enjoy their freedoms while misusing them.? We do not have the freedom to do wrong in this land.? We do not have the freedom to live here and defame this land.? America has had some sordidness in its history and still is not a perfect land, but it is my country and I say, “Love it or leave it.”? 6.? Coming to America is a privilege, not a right!? Come to America and be vetted.? Come right or stay where you are.? D.? This Memorial Day, we need to remember those in the Bible who gave their lives because of their commitment to God's Word and Ways.? ? 1.? From the blood of righteous Able, the blood of the prophets who would not bow their knee to Baal, to the blood of God's Son of died on the cross for the sin of the world, to the Apostles and New Testament saints who gave their lives for Christ's name sake.? (Hebrews, chapter 11)? 2.? To the saints throughout the Church Age (50 to 100 million of the) who died to bring to us the Word of God and the Old Paths,? 3.? To the Christians in our day around the world who die daily for the cause of Christ and the sake of the Gospel.? Christians are persecuted worldwide as the hatred for Christ and His children continues. (Foxes Book of Martyrs; Trail of Blood)? 4.? But it doesn't end there as the Tribulation Saints will be martyred!? (Revelation6:9)? E.? But now, it's our turn!? We who love God, love the Son of God our Saviour, love the precious Word of God that we hold in our hands, and try to live a life pleasing to the Lord through separation from the world are now hated because we stand for the Bible which condemns the satanic actions of this present evil world.? F.? This Memorial Day, we need to remember those that have gone on before, those who are dying now, and those who will continue to die after our days are done.? ? President Ronald Reagan said,? "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.? We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same,? or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."? G.? War and Peace are two sides to a revolving door with neither side being open permanently.? War is necessary!? War is a way of life and war is a right thing!? The first mention of war is in Genesis 14:2 and the last in Revelation 19:19.? 1.? God taught David to War -? Psalms 144:1? Blessed? be? the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war,? and? my fingers to fight:? 2.? God taught Israel to War -? Judges 3:1-2? Now these? are? the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them,? even? as many? of Israel? as had not known all the wars of Canaan;? ? 16217? Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;? 3.? We must teach our children to war!? ? Judges 3:1-2? Now these? are? the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them,? even? as many? of Israel? as had not known all the wars of Canaan;? ? 2? Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;? H.? Isaiah is the Bible in miniature.? ? 1.? Sixty-Six chapters which correspond with the sixty-six books of the Bible.? There is a false teaching that the Book of Isaiah had two individual writers: Deutero-Isaiah.? ? 2.? The error of such teaching comes from ignorance of the division in Isaiah.? The first thirty nine chapters correspond with the thirty nine books of the Old Testament.? 3.? The last twenty seven chapters correspond with the twenty seven chapters of the New Testament.? 4.? Why this information?? Because in Genesis, chapter 2, we find the end of the six days of creation, and everything created is “very good”.? Isaiah chapter two is prophetic of the Millennium or one thousand years reign of Christ on the throne of David.? ? 5.? In that day, the earth will be much like it was in the beginning of creation.? It is here that we find Isaiah's prophecy concerning the end of? learning to war.? ? 6.? One day all earthly wars will end except for the Battle of Gog and Magog which God will fight.? ? Isaiah 2:4? And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.? J.? But, until that blessed day, we will have to continue to wage war.? War, since the fall of man, has been—is – and will be a way of life.? 1.? Until Then We Will Have To Fight A War With Our National Enemies.? ? a.? The enemies of peace understand only one thing:? strength!? You cannot negotiate peace from a position of weakness!? As long as sinful man is in control, wars will be fought.? ? b.? Just before the Rapture of God's Church, one of the signs of the Lord's coming are wars and rumours of wars… For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.? Ecclesiastes 3:8? A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.? ? Exodus 15:3? The LORD? is? a man of war: the LORD? is? his name.? Psalms 24:8? Who? is? this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.? Psalms 45:3? Gird thy sword upon? thy? thigh, O? most? mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.? Revelation 19:11-15? And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him? was? called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.? ? 12? His eyes? were? as a flame of fire, and on his head? were? many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.? ? 13? And he? was? clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.? ? 14? And the armies? which were? in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.? ? 15? And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.? 2.? Until Then We Will Have To Fight A War With Our Flesh.? ? a.? Until we get a new body at the coming of the Lord, our old nature will not be eradicated as we will have to continue to dwell in a sinful body!? ? b.? Our Lord Jesus Christ will deliver us from the body of this death.? At His coming, we shall all be changed and our new body will have no sin.? Romans 7:23-25? But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.? ? 24? O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?? ? 25? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.? ? Galatians 2:20? I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.? Luke 9:23? And he said to? them? all, If any? man? will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.? 3.? Until Then We Will Have To Fight A War With Satanic Foes.? a.? We live in perilous times with our enemy active while the church sleeps!? He devours us while we devour each other.? ? b.? We are to “withstand” in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.? “Withstand” means to take a punch.? Do not think that Satan is either retreating or giving up.? One day, he will be put in the bottomless pit.? ? c.? One day, Satan will be cast into the lake of fire but—until then—we are in a battle for our very lives.? Ephesians 6:12-13? For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high? places.? ? 13? Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to? withstand? in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.? ? 1 Peter 5:8-9? Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:? ? 9? Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.? 4.? Until Then We Will Have To Fight A War For The Faith.? a.? The Battle for the Old Paths of our Fathers.? b.? The Battle for the Doctrines of the Faith.? c.? The Battle for the Word of God.?

By Rosanne Lindsay, Naturopath People say hindsight is 20/20. So what happened in 2020? The following is an update of an April 2020 blog.? Sometimes...In Hindsight: Pandemic or Global Reset?

The frontman for the legendary rock band Stryper says Christians almost alienated him and his bandmates from the church some three decades ago and that the church still hasn't overcome its judgmental tendencies.

Teens and young adults are facing challenges that previous generations did not confront as they move from childhood to adulthood, the study says, noting that young people are growing up “in a world that's overwhelmed by more digital access than their minds can process.”

The artist who is behind the hit song Honestly, We Just Need Jesus says she is on a mission to help reclaim R&B for Christ and to “plant a seed” in the hearts of non-Christians. Terrian released her debut full-length album Give It Time this year, and a song off that chart -- Honestly, We Just Need Jesus? -- quickly began climbing the Billboard charts.

Pope Francis drew backlash on social media for saying that the human heart is "fundamentally good" during a recent interview with “60 Minutes.”

Actress Emily Rose has made a name for herself with her roles in such popular series as Haven and ER, but for the first few years of her life, her eyes were not set on Hollywood but on the farm.

In a day and time in which the American people say they want their politicians to be courageous, Lankford was exactly that courageous in standing up and telling the truth along with being able to confront Former President Trump, who many in the party fear and are willing to back down because of any comment that he may make against an issue.

Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley says she plans to vote for former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election months after she exited the race without endorsing him and as she continues to receive votes in Republican presidential primaries.

I should have invited Ruth to our wedding—to acknowledge how much our ordinary moments point to the story of Christ.This piece was adapted from Russell Moore’s newsletter. Subscribe here.On Monday of next week, my wife, Maria, and I celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. As I think about those two kids standing at the altar, I would want to say “I do” all over again to everything. One of the very few exceptions would be one decision that had to do with the wedding, not with the marriage. After 30 years, I’ve changed my mind about the biblical text I wouldn’t let us read.Somebody suggested that we read at the ceremony a passage from the Old Testament book of Ruth, one that we heard read or sung at almost every wedding at the time. In the King James Version (which was what people almost always used), the text reads, “Whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God” (1:16). It’s about the young widow Ruth from Moab, pledging to her dead husband’s mother, Naomi, that she would go with her to Naomi’s homeland of Israel.I believed then, and still do, that all Scripture is inspired and “profitable” (2 Tim. 3:16, ESV throughout), but I didn’t think that particular Scripture was appropriate for a wedding.“It’s not about marriage,” I said. “It’s about someone taking a trip with her mother-in-law.” I wanted something about the mystery of Christ in Ephesians 5 or about love from Song of Songs or about Jesus at the wedding at Cana. I could even have lived, I said, with 1 Corinthians 13. Of all of the things about the wedding ceremony, I only insisted on two—that we use the traditional vows and that we read some other text than that one. You could say that I was ...Continue reading...

A Catholic hermit has come out as transgender male on Pentecost Sunday — the Christian celebration of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church — declaring that the Catholic Church must "deal with" trans-identified people.

In what has been dubbed the largest synchronized baptism in American history, more than 12,000 people were baptized in the name of Christ across California on Pentecost Sunday. The pastor who founded the movement to make it happen called? Baptize California? says he plans to take it across America and then the world.

On praying past the end of silver linings to a God who often does not answer as I hope.Around the bonfire at church camp on the Oregon coast, we sang “River of Life” to get warmed up, and then, to mellow the mood for the gospel presentation, “Seek Ye First.” A haunting descant rose over the melody, swelling my 12-year-old heart with grateful longing. I walked forward to accept Jesus into my heart, and a counselor prayed for me, shadows from the flames flickering across our faces.Back home again, I needed to learn how to pray. I thought it was weird for the Lord to expect me, gangly and grappling with my fleshly nature, to carry on what felt like a nonreciprocal relationship with an invisible, inscrutable, and ineffable God—but I was willing to give it a shot.Only I couldn’t tell if I was doing it right. “God is not a vending machine,” our youth minister told us. “You have to pray according to his will.” So I began by asking for help in various areas of self-improvement: I should be nice to my brother. I should have a cheerful attitude when vacuuming with the heavy canister Electrolux and not slam my bedroom door when I got mad. I needed to avoid Judy Blume books that celebrated masturbation and stop sneaking the M&Ms my mom hid in the freezer. God, please help me to be better.My self-examination concluded, I tendered other requests, like to make the premier soccer team and for a boy to return a crush. When those things didn’t happen, I swallowed a slight doubt. Perhaps James 4:3 was at play here: “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” Maybe I had bad motives.Much else went unasked because I didn’t know how to say ...Continue reading...

On the eve of the vote on the WHO's Global Pandemic Treaty, FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf issued a stark […]

? Temple Baptist Church - 5-22-2024John 16:15-22? Introduction:? A.? Staying within the context of chapters 14-16, we find the sorrow that has filled the hearts of the disciples because of the impending departure of the Lord Jesus, their Friend, Mentor, Guide, Provider, Protector, and constant Companion.? ? B.? We know a little about what they were feeling when we sit at the deathbed of a loved one knowing that shortly we will never seen them again in this life.? I thank God for pictures of these departed loved ones that bring back the pain of loss, the joy of remembrance, and in the case of the believer an assured hope.? C.? “A little while.”? This phrase is used 7 times in our text for tonight.? The Lord used “a little while” 4 times and the disciples used it 3 times.? 1.? The phrase “a little while” refers to a short but indefinite time period.? 2.? The “times” are in the Father's hand.? ? Acts 1:7? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.? 1 Timothy 6:15? Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;? 3.? To some degree, we can understand the times.? ? 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2? But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.? (2)? For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.? D.? Our Lord was going away for “a little while” which means a “small space” or time.? The disciples wanted to know what “a little while” was.? ? 1.? When Bro. Harold Smith was in the Nursing Home, we would always tell him that we would be back shortly or after a little while because he would want to go home with us.? “Shortly” or “after while” he would be good with, but he got wise to us.? One day, I told him that I would be back in “a little while” and he asked, “Preacher, how long is little while?”? ? 2.? The disciples wanted a definite period of time!? No one likes “open ended waiting!”? E.? Verse 20, the Lord said that the “a little while” would be a time of weeping, lamenting, and sorrow while the world rejoiced.? BUT the disciples' sorrow would be turned into joy!? F.? Life is hard at best for all people, but for the child of God, sorrow is increased.? The worldly belong in this sinful world but the children of God, though sojourning here on earth, are a heavenly people.? This world is not my home, I'm just a-passing through,My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue;The angels beckon me from heaven's open door,And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.Refrain:O Lord, You know I have no friend like You,If heaven's not my home, then, Lord, what will I do?The angels beckon me from heaven's open door,And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.? (Anonymous)? 1 Peter 2:9-11? But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:? (10)? Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.? (11)? Dearly beloved,? I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;? ? (Strangers – foreigner, not belonging to; Pilgrims – resident foreigner)? G.? Our Lord knew sorrows and wept.? If Christ sorrowed and wept, we will not be exempted!? Isaiah 53:3? He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.? H.? Verse 21.? The Lord gave the disciples an analogy of suffering that turns into joy.? A woman who carries a child in her womb for 9 months and then faces the travail of childbirth.? After childbirth, the travail of delivery is forgotten because of the joy of a son or daughter being born into this world.? J.? Using Biblical Hermeneutics is one of the most beneficial ways to study your Bible.? I want to look at the First and Last Mentions of sorrow.? In the Bible, the First Mention and the Last Mention will always be consistent and will show you God's mind on the subject.? 1.? The First Mention of Sorrow is followed by Joy.? Genesis 3:16? Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.? John 16:21? A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.? 2.? The Last Mention of Sorrow is followed by Joy.? ? Revelation 21:4? And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.? K.? There is much sorrow in life.? “Life is hard.”? ? Job 14:1-2? Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.? (2)? He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.? 1.? The sorrow of sin.? ? So many people ruin their lives with sin.? ? Proverbs 23:29? Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?? Ecclesiastes 1:16-18? I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.? (17)? And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.? (18)? For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.? 2.? The sorrow of youth.? So many young people make bad choices in life.? ? Ecclesiastes 11:9-10? Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.? (10)? Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.? 3.? The sorrow of the times.? “Change and decay in all around I see.”? A world gone mad because of rejection of the one true and living God.? ? ? Matthew 24:4-8? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.? (5)? For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.? (6)? And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.? (7)? For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.? (8)? All these are the beginning of sorrows.? 4.? The sorrow of the lost.? Family, friends, acquaintances, and the world.? ? Romans 9:1-3? I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,? (2)? That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.? (3)? For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:? 5.? The sorrow of fainting and failure.? Jeremiah 8:18? When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me.? Job 17:7? Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.? 6.? The list could go on, but I believe that we all get the point: sorrow is a part of life.? L.? The Bible gives the problem of sorrow.? ? 2 Corinthians 2:7? So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.? 1.? “Overmuch sorrow” is a combination word expressing two things.? Much sorrow is a terrible state of mind and heart.? Overmuch means “over the top” or an unrealistic sorrow that discourages the heart to the point of spiritual desolation.? ? 2.? “Overmuch sorrow” is the lack of acceptance of the promised consolation and comfort of the Holy Spirit.? ? 2 Corinthians 1:3-5? Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;? (4)? ? Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.? (5)? For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.? M.? The Bible gives the promise of sorrow.? ? Psalms 30:5? For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.? (Joy follows weeping.)? ? 1.? The Joy of Repentance unto Life.? ? 2 Corinthians 7:10? For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.? 2.? The Joy of Trials and Tribulations.? a.? The Old Testament.? Job 23:10? But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.? b.? The New Testament.? 1 Peter 1:6-7? Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:? (7)? That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:? 3.? The Joy of Death.? At life's end, we “fly away!”? “One glad morning, when this life is over, I'll Fly Away.? I'll fly away, O Glory, I'll fly away.? When I die, Hallelujah, I'll fly away!” Though sorrow is a part of life, there will be joy for the child of God in the end of life.? ? Psalms 90:10? The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.? 4.? The Joy of the saints gone on before us.? ? We sorrow but we sorrow in hope.? You cannot lose that which is not lost.? They cannot come to us, but we can certainly go to where they are.? 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14? But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.? (14)? For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.? 5.? The Joy of “no mores!”? Revelation 21:4? And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.? No more broken bones? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No more Dr. KevorkiansNo more incurable diseases? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No more heat by dayNo more suffering? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No more cold by night? ? ? ? ? ? No sightless eyes? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No more hungerNo cripples? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No fat bodiesNo retarded children? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No crazy dietsNo more jails to build? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No more povertyNo law officers? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No more stormsNo more guns ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No more divisionNo more wars? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No more thorns? ? ? ? ? No more devil to annoy? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No more chiggers? ? No more funeral homes? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No more mosquitos, ticks, fleas,No more headaches? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No more heartachesNo more death? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No more filth to seeNo more nursing homes? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No more temptation to sinNo more disappointments? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No more fightingNo more Discouragements to hinder? ? ? No more inflationNo more dismal failures? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No more hurt feelingsNo more wicked thoughts? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No more confusionNo more strife and contention ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No more broken families? 6.? The Joy of Eternity.? ? WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE

Christians with neurodivergence are exploring other options for devotions and Bible study.Emily Hubbard recalls a trend in women’s discipleship that urged women to rest in Jesus and “stop trying to do it all.” The problem was, Hubbard wasn’t trying to do it all. She just wanted to remember to run the dishwasher.“All discipleship was for type A people, but I was a type Z person,” she said.Hubbard is a mother of four, a school board member, and an adjunct professor. Laziness isn’t her problem; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is.More than eight million US adults are affected by ADHD. Because the disorder impairs executive function—the self-control needed to work toward a goal—building habits for spiritual growth can be far more challenging for the ADHD brain than for someone who is neurotypical.Lifeway Research found that nearly two-thirds of Protestant churchgoers intentionally spend time alone with God at least daily. Cru lists Bible reading, Bible study, Scripture memorization, and prayer as the top four spiritual disciplines that Christians should develop.ADHD makes these kinds of repetitive tasks hard to maintain. Christians with ADHD may struggle to focus and get distracted when they sit down for an extended time of Bible reading and prayer. It can seem impossible for them to grow spiritually when the church around them views daily “quiet time” as a marker of discipline.“For years, all I could do was go to church on Sundays and pray for my children at night, and that was my best,” Hubbard said. “Good thing Jesus died for my best.”Like Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12), Hubbard says, she finds her ADHD is an abiding reminder that her performance doesn’t earn God’s approval. Her church, ...Continue reading...

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent visit to Nigeria has sparked criticism, with a leading rights activist calling it a superficial public relations exercise that ignored the ongoing violence against Christians that some say has reached genocidal levels.

Her final work was continually revised but never finished. Can we know what she was aiming to achieve?Flannery O’Connor was an inveterate rewriter, working, reworking, and deleting episodes from her stories and novels. Her archives, collected at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, bulge with deleted scenes and alternate versions of characters scarcely recognizable as the people who inhabit the published versions of her stories.O’Connor spent five years crafting Wise Blood, her first novel. It took her seven years to complete a draft of her second novel, The Violent Bear It Away—and it was only 45,000 words long! (In her defense, she was simultaneously producing some of the best short stories ever written.)When O’Connor died in 1964 at the age of 39, she left behind scraps and pieces of a third novel called Why Do the Heathen Rage?—a dozen or so episodes repetitively, even obsessively rewritten. In the early 1980s, the scholar Marian Burns described these literary oddments as “an untidy jumble of ideas and abortive starts, full scenes written and rewritten many times, several extraneous images, and one fully developed character.”In the intervening decades, Why Do the Heathen Rage? has been mostly ignored. But in the last few years, author and Pepperdine University professor Jessica Hooten Wilson has dived into that untidy jumble, hoping to make sense of it for the rest of us. The result is Flannery O’Connor’s “Why Do the Heathen Rage?”: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in Progress, a book that alternates between Wilson’s explanatory essays and scenes from the novel that might have been.Editorial choicesThe manuscripts from O’Connor’s archives totaled 378 typed pages dispersed over 20 file folders, in no particular order. ...Continue reading...

You can't trust what Big Science says any more. It's up to individuals with integrity to rebuild science.