The Uniform Civil Code seeks “one nation, one law” to govern citizens' personal lives, but religious minorities fear hidden costs.In February, the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand passed a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which aims to implement a common set of rules governing crucial aspects of life, including marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption.This code would supplant existing personal laws that religious groups in India currently ascribe to. Personal laws cover family-related matters such as marriage, divorce, child custody, adoption, property rights, and inheritance.If the ruling Hindu-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has its way, a UCC will eventually be implemented across all of India. (At present, Goa is the only other state with a UCC, derived from the Portuguese-era Civil Code of 1867.)The BJP’s push to implement a national UCC may bring relief for Christians in India, especially in terms of women’s inheritance rights. Under existing personal laws, Christian mothers cannot inherit their deceased children’s property. The UCC proposes to eliminate discriminatory provisions that favor male inheritance, potentially leading to more equitable inheritance rights for Christian women.But few of India’s religious minorities trust the BJP, whose policies have often been more harmful than helpful to Christian communities. In Assam, Christian leaders protested the passing of a bill banning “magical healing” as it unfairly impacted their custom of praying for the sick. Ministries including World Vision and the Evangelical Fellowship of India recently lost government authorization to collect foreign donations. Nine states now have anti-conversion laws in place, and believers have borne the brunt of religious unrest in these areas as a result.As this year’s general elections seem likely ...Continue reading...

Matthew Warner, who had tweeted about gay marriage, is the latest in a string of Christian college faculty who have lost their jobs after being accused of theological misalignment.With glowing performance reviews and above-average student evaluations, by most measures Matthew Warner’s first year as a communications professor at Grace College was a triumph.But he spent most of that first year knowing it could be his last. After four months on the job, Warner was informed by the school’s president, Drew Flamm, that the board had “come to the conclusion that we don’t think it works out to move forward,” according to a recording obtained by Religion News Service.Warner’s termination is the latest in a string of professor terminations at Christian colleges seemingly tied to clashes over narrowing and often unspoken political and theological criteria.While Flamm didn’t specify the reasons for Warner’s dismissal, it was preceded by an online termination campaign clear about its goals. Launched by conservative influencers and Grace College stakeholders, the campaign demanded Warner’s removal due to his social media posts about LGBTQ rights, Black Lives Matter, and critiques of the GOP. Almost all the posts predated Warner’s employment at the college.Grace College declined to answer questions about Warner, saying it was a personnel matter. “Dr. Matt Warner fulfilled his agreement for the year. Grace College wishes Dr. Warner well in his future endeavors,” Norm Bakhit, Grace College’s chief officer of human resources, told RNS in a statement. Flamm did not offer further comment.Warner and his wife said they both left behind jobs and sold their home in metro Detroit to move with their three kids to Warsaw, Indiana, for Warner’s job at Grace. It was his dream position, they said, and noted that they gave up 60 percent of their ...Continue reading...

The Uniform Civil Code seeks “one nation, one law” to govern citizens' personal lives, but religious minorities fear hidden costs.In February, the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand passed a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which aims to implement a common set of rules governing crucial aspects of life, including marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption.This code would supplant existing personal laws that religious groups in India currently ascribe to. Personal laws cover family-related matters such as marriage, divorce, child custody, adoption, property rights, and inheritance.If the ruling Hindu-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has its way, a UCC will eventually be implemented across all of India. (At present, Goa is the only other state with a UCC, derived from the Portuguese-era Civil Code of 1867.)The BJP’s push to implement a national UCC may bring relief for Christians in India, especially in terms of women’s inheritance rights. Under existing personal laws, Christian mothers cannot inherit their deceased children’s property. The UCC proposes to eliminate discriminatory provisions that favor male inheritance, potentially leading to more equitable inheritance rights for Christian women.But few of India’s religious minorities trust the BJP, whose policies have often been more harmful than helpful to Christian communities. In Assam, Christian leaders protested the passing of a bill banning “magical healing” as it unfairly impacted their custom of praying for the sick. Ministries including World Vision and the Evangelical Fellowship of India recently lost government authorization to collect foreign donations. Nine states now have anti-conversion laws in place, and believers have borne the brunt of religious unrest in these areas as a result.As this year’s general elections seem likely ...Continue reading...

The Uniform Civil Code seeks "one nation, one law" to govern citizens' personal lives, but religious minorities fear hidden costs.In February, the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand passed a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which aims to implement a common set of rules governing crucial aspects of life, including marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption.This code would supplant existing personal laws that religious groups in India currently ascribe to. Personal laws cover family-related matters such as marriage, divorce, child custody, adoption, property rights, and inheritance.If the ruling Hindu-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has its way, a UCC will eventually be implemented across all of India. (At present, Goa is the only other state with a UCC, derived from the Portuguese-era Civil Code of 1867.)The BJP’s push to implement a national UCC may bring relief for Christians in India, especially in terms of women’s inheritance rights. Under existing personal laws, Christian mothers cannot inherit their deceased children’s property. The UCC proposes to eliminate discriminatory provisions that favor male inheritance, potentially leading to more equitable inheritance rights for Christian women.But few of India’s religious minorities trust the BJP, whose policies have often been more harmful than helpful to Christian communities. In Assam, Christian leaders protested the passing of a bill banning “magical healing” as it unfairly impacted their custom of praying for the sick. Ministries including World Vision and the Evangelical Fellowship of India recently lost government authorization to collect foreign donations. Nine states now have anti-conversion laws in place, and believers have borne the brunt of religious unrest in these areas as a result.As this year’s general elections seem likely ...Continue reading...

A United Nations watchdog organization published a series of chat room posts by Palestinians purportedly accusing U.N. Relief and Works Agency staff members of stealing humanitarian aid intended for civilians and selling it or hoarding it in their homes.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan officially inaugurated a former Byzantine-era church previously known as the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora, a United Nations World Heritage Site, as a mosque this week, drawing condemnation from the Greek government.

Matthew Warner, who had tweeted about gay marriage, is the latest in a string of Christian college faculty who have lost their jobs after being accused of theological misalignment.With glowing performance reviews and above-average student evaluations, by most measures Matthew Warner’s first year as a communications professor at Grace College was a triumph.But he spent most of that first year knowing it could be his last. After four months on the job, Warner was informed by the school’s president, Drew Flamm, that the board had “come to the conclusion that we don’t think it works out to move forward,” according to a recording obtained by Religion News Service.Warner’s termination is the latest in a string of professor terminations at Christian colleges seemingly tied to clashes over narrowing and often unspoken political and theological criteria.While Flamm didn’t specify the reasons for Warner’s dismissal, it was preceded by an online termination campaign clear about its goals. Launched by conservative influencers and Grace College stakeholders, the campaign demanded Warner’s removal due to his social media posts about LGBTQ rights, Black Lives Matter, and critiques of the GOP. Almost all the posts predated Warner’s employment at the college.Grace College declined to answer questions about Warner, saying it was a personnel matter. “Dr. Matt Warner fulfilled his agreement for the year. Grace College wishes Dr. Warner well in his future endeavors,” Norm Bakhit, Grace College’s chief officer of human resources, told RNS in a statement. Flamm did not offer further comment.Warner and his wife said they both left behind jobs and sold their home in metro Detroit to move with their three kids to Warsaw, Indiana, for Warner’s job at Grace. It was his dream position, they said, and noted that they gave up 60 percent of their ...Continue reading...

Matthew Warner, who had tweeted about gay marriage, is the latest in a string of Christian college faculty who have lost their jobs after being accused of theological misalignment.With glowing performance reviews and above-average student evaluations, by most measures Matthew Warner’s first year as a communications professor at Grace College was a triumph.But he spent most of that first year knowing it could be his last. After four months on the job, Warner was informed by the school’s president, Drew Flamm, that the board had “come to the conclusion that we don’t think it works out to move forward,” according to a recording obtained by Religion News Service.Warner’s termination is the latest in a string of professor terminations at Christian colleges seemingly tied to clashes over narrowing and often unspoken political and theological criteria.While Flamm didn’t specify the reasons for Warner’s dismissal, it was preceded by an online termination campaign clear about its goals. Launched by conservative influencers and Grace College stakeholders, the campaign demanded Warner’s removal due to his social media posts about LGBTQ rights, Black Lives Matter, and critiques of the GOP. Almost all the posts predated Warner’s employment at the college.Grace College declined to answer questions about Warner, saying it was a personnel matter. “Dr. Matt Warner fulfilled his agreement for the year. Grace College wishes Dr. Warner well in his future endeavors,” Norm Bakhit, Grace College’s chief officer of human resources, told RNS in a statement. Flamm did not offer further comment.Warner and his wife said they both left behind jobs and sold their home in metro Detroit to move with their three kids to Warsaw, Indiana, for Warner’s job at Grace. It was his dream position, they said, and noted that they gave up 60 percent of their ...Continue reading...

Churches are combating syncretism among millennials and Gen Z amid a rise of social media healers who call on ancestral spirits.Millions of Black South Africans seek guidance from sangomas, traditional healers or so-called witch doctors who use their spiritual gifts to connect with ancestors, prescribe herbs to heal illnesses, and throw dry bones to predict the future.It’s a centuries-old tradition that has continued in the majority-Christian country and has adapted for the internet age: A new breed of influencer sangomas are positioning themselves on social media as digital-entrepreneurial-spiritual seers.Church leaders across several major denominations in South Africa have long decried the practice as involving “evil, devilish, and unclean spirits.” But as the online sagomas draw in a mass audience of millennial Christians—a generation eager to “decolonize” their lives and reconnect to indigenous African roots—church leaders have new concerns around syncretism as well as internet scams.Condemnation of sangomas and African ancestral worship is the strongest cog uniting European-legacy churches like Anglicans, Baptists, and Catholics as well as African-initiated churches like the Zion Christian Church (ZCC), said Tendai Muchatuta, a cleric with the Apostolic of All Nations Church in Johannesburg.Both kinds of churches say the practice, despite its popularity, is not compatible with Christianity.The ZCC is the largest African-initiated church in Southern Africa, with about 12 million churchgoers, including some 9 million in South Africa. Bauleni Moloi, a ZCC pastor in Johannesburg, called sangomas “dubious agents of darkness out to sway Christians from the true focus on the gospel of the cross.”But younger Christians are more likely to disagree. Many millennial and Gen Z South Africans embrace ...Continue reading...

Churches are combating syncretism among millennials and Gen Z amid a rise of social media healers who call on ancestral spirits.Millions of Black South Africans seek guidance from sangomas, traditional healers or so-called witch doctors who use their spiritual gifts to connect with ancestors, prescribe herbs to heal illnesses, and throw dry bones to predict the future.It’s a centuries-old tradition that has continued in the majority-Christian country and has adapted for the internet age: A new breed of influencer sangomas are positioning themselves on social media as digital-entrepreneurial-spiritual seers.Church leaders across several major denominations in South Africa have long decried the practice as involving “evil, devilish, and unclean spirits.” But as the online sagomas draw in a mass audience of millennial Christians—a generation eager to “decolonize” their lives and reconnect to indigenous African roots—church leaders have new concerns around syncretism as well as internet scams.Condemnation of sangomas and African ancestral worship is the strongest cog uniting European-legacy churches like Anglicans, Baptists, and Catholics as well as African-initiated churches like the Zion Christian Church (ZCC), said Tendai Muchatuta, a cleric with the Apostolic of All Nations Church in Johannesburg.Both kinds of churches say the practice, despite its popularity, is not compatible with Christianity.The ZCC is the largest African-initiated church in Southern Africa, with about 12 million churchgoers, including some 9 million in South Africa. Bauleni Moloi, a ZCC pastor in Johannesburg, called sangomas “dubious agents of darkness out to sway Christians from the true focus on the gospel of the cross.”But younger Christians are more likely to disagree. Many millennial and Gen Z South Africans embrace ...Continue reading...

Despite outrage from pro-choice advocates over abortion bans in some states following the Supreme Court ruling that determined the Constitution doesn't contain a right to abortion, the U.S. remains one of only eight countries that still allow abortion up to birth.

A Honduran church leads the way in local garbage collection while praying for an international plastics treaty.A banner hangs outside the Church of God in the village of El Rincón, Honduras, that says, “Let’s be part of the solution, not the pollution.”It’s a message pastor Wilfredo Vásquez posted after witnessing the harmful effects of plastics in his community.“More and more, I understand that if we want to see changes in any area of society, we as children of God must take the initiative for those changes, because the church is the hope of the world,” he told CT.Vásquez, who shepherds the Wesleyan-Arminian congregation in the Central American town of about 4,000 people, has started taking steps to help his community and hopes world leaders will do the same by establishing an international treaty on plastics.From April 23 to 29, delegates from around the world met in Ottawa for the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-4). It’s the fourth stage in a five-stage process working toward an agreement that has the potential to change how plastic is handled globally.If passed, experts believe it could have a similar impact on plastic usage as the Montreal Protocol of 1987 had on chemicals such as freon.While the final stage of the process isn’t until November in South Korea, after the most recent round of discussions in Canada, delegates from more than 150 countries agreed to begin intercessional work. Right away, delegates will start meeting to develop ways to identify plastic products and chemicals of concern.In El Rincón, 3,600 miles away from the latest round of discussions, Vásquez is praying for the treaty’s passage.Vásquez knows exactly what’s at stake and what a difference even ...Continue reading...

? Temple Baptist Church - 5-5-20242 Corinthians 2:1-11? Introduction:? In these verses, we find the restoration of the fallen brother found in 1 Corinthians, chapter 5.? He got right with the Lord and was forgiven, but the church would not forgive him.? Paul did not want them to be ignorant of the danger of unforgiveness, one of Satan's devices.? A.? I want to continue to preach for a while on the subject of Ignorance.? My work as a pastor is to make sure that you are not ignorant, and your job is to make sure that you are not willfully ignorant!? We have the Word of God, so we are accountable to it.? 1.? Last week, we saw the ignorance of Israel concerning God's righteousness.? Romans 10:3-4? For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.? (4)? For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.? 2.? This morning, I want to start preaching on ignorance of Satan's Devices.? I am not sure how far that I will get this morning, but I am in no hurry because of the importance of what I am preaching so just hang in there.? B.? Lucifer is a powerful angel.? He is a God hater and therefore hates God's children.? Our Lord said that He was hated first, and that hatred would be passed on to us.? John 15:18-20? If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.? (19)? If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.? (20)? Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.? C.? I do not want to preach a series on Satanology or Angelogy (fallen angels) but, in order to understand the fallen angels, we must explore them within the context of Scriptures.? D.? Lucifer was a special angel, a defender of the holiness of God.? Lucifer tried to overthrow the throne of God to no avail and God said, “I will destroy thee, O covering cherub!”? ? Lucifer is a damned angel.? I want to look at a couple of very interesting verses:? E.? Hell was prepared for the Devil and his angels.? ? Ezekiel 28:18? Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will? I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.? Matthew 25:41? Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed,? into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:? 1.? Satan is Determined.? He will never give up nor give an inch.? In his determination, he does not negotiate nor compromise.? 2.? Satan is Dangerous.? His ultimate goal is to destroy everything God created.? 3.? Satan is Deceptive.? In heaven, with God on His throne, Satan convinced 1/3 of the angels there to rebel.? And we think he cannot deceive us.? 4.? WE ARE NOT IGNORANT of his devices!? ? a)? He has used the same devices since he sinned against God in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28!? ? b)? I used the phrase “willfully ignorant” last week because we all have seen what Satan through love of the world has done to people that we know!? ? 1)? He has destroyed their lives!? 2)? He has destroyed their families!? 3)? He has destroyed their health!? 4)? He has destroyed their testimonies!? 5)? He has destroyed their usefulness!? c)? Satan uses different Devices for different People.? We all have our strong points and weaknesses.? d)? Satan uses different Devices for different Purposes.? Sometimes, Satan attacks people and sometimes he attacks churches/governments, etc.? e)? Satan uses these same devices over and over.? Satan does the same thing the same way because it too often brings about the same results.? 1)? I love devices.? Gadgets, appliances, tools, machines, mechanisms, etc.? Devices are normally specific in their usage to get certain jobs done.? ? 2)? I love Harbor Freight.? They have a tool for about everything that you will ever need to get done.? I drop my wife off at Big Lots (female version of Harbor Freight) which is about three hundred feet away from Harbor Freight and tell her to “shop till you drop!”? 3)? Satan's Devices are designed for singular purposes.? They are not profound in their design.? They are quite simple but highly effective in their work. I have many tools in my workshop that I do not use often as these tools are made for specific jobs.? 4)? I said all that to say this, we can know and fully understand what Satan's Devices are doing and still allow them to work in our lives to the detriment of our spiritual condition and God's work!? F.? This morning, I want to look at Satan's Device of Division.? ? 1.? I would say that the subject of division is one that I preach on more than any else, and especially over the past few years as the coming of our Lord draws nigh.? ? 2.? Satan has pulled out all of the “stops” in his unending efforts to destroy the effectiveness of both families and the local church.? ? ? As goes the family, so goes the local church!? 3.? The pastor's nightmare!? Division!? We must not be ignorant of Satan's devices and one of his best is division.? ? G.? Families are falling apart and marriages no longer lasting.? Then there is the local church.? So many local churches are without a pastor.? Smite the shepherd and the sheep will scatter!? Some churches have “run the pastor off,” while in others, the pastor (it is always easy to blame the church rather than to blame oneself) ran himself off.? H.? Satan's Device of Division in the local church.? 1.? Sometimes, wicked people get in the church and divide.? 2.? More often, saved people get their priorities wrong and strive, one with another.? a)? Through Carnality? b)? Through Biblical Ignorance? c)? Through Willful Immaturity? d)? Through Satanic Influence? J.? It is imperative that we remain united and strong as the work of the Lord is of the utmost importance and only a unified body will be effective in reaching the lost.? This type of preaching is not a new thing, nor should it be a sporadic one.? It must be preached often with a no-nonsense approach.? Look in Acts 20:28-31 with me.? Acts 20:28-31 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29? For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30? Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31? Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.? K.? The most important unit on the face of the earth other than the family is the local church.? Satan hates the local Church!? L.? Division can cause much damage to the local church by:? 1.? Division Destroys The Fellowship Of The Church.? (People sit on the pews of the church with malice and unforgiveness in their hearts.)? 2.? Division Destroys The Commission Of The Church.? (Missions have been damaged because of gaining a family and then loosing a family through spiritual nonsense!)? 3.? Division Destroys The Testimony Of The Church. (Church fights and splits have been detrimental to the prosperity of the church, both physically and financially.)? 4.? Division Destroys The Posterity Of The Church.? (Children both see and hear the ungodliness of the parents.? It affects their spirituality and, eventually, they are lost.? 5.? Division Destroys The Worship Of The Church.? (God and His Holy Spirit are grieved with this division and worship is neither holy nor acceptable.)? 6.? Division Destroys The Evangelism Of The Church.? (Instead of keeping our eyes upon the harvest and doing all that we can to win souls, our time is spent in bitterness and souls are lost.)? 7.? Division Hinders The Prayers Of The Saints.? (Malice and unforgiveness are sins and when we regard iniquity in our hearts, our prayers go unheard.)? M.? Division damages the individual believer.? 1.? It Will Divide You From The Pastor – Your Friend? 2.? It Will Divide You From The Pulpit – God's Message? 3.? It Will Divide You From The People – Your Brethren? 4.? It Will Divide You From The Peace Of God – Your Joy? 5.? It Will Divide You From The Place – God's House? 6.? It Will Divide You From The Purpose – God's Harvest? N.? How To Stop Division!? 1.? Always Give Others The Benefit Of The Doubt - 1 Corinthians 13:5? Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;? 2.? Learn To Forgive And To Forget - Ephesians 4:31-32? Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:? And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.? 3.? Beware Of The Root Of Bitterness -? Hebrews 12:15? Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;? 4.? Keep Your Eye Focused Upon The Purpose - Philippians 1:27? ? Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;? Philippians 3:16? Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.? 5.? Esteem Others Better Than Self - Philippians 2:3? Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.? Philippians 2:1-4? ? If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,? Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.? Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.? Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.? 6.? Learn To Keep Your Mouth Shut When There Is A Problem - Proverbs 6:16-19? These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:? A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,? An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,? A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

The International Criminal Court has 133 member nations and six nations that have not joined the Court, including the United States and Israel. Bloomberg News reports “The United States and ... Read MoreThe post Week 29: Israel at War appeared first on The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.

Temple Baptist Church - 4-28-2024Romans 10:1-17? Introduction:? A.? Verse 3 says, “They being ignorant.”? Ignorant?? Lacking knowledge or? comprehension? of the thing specified.? The implication of the word “being” is to ignore.? In the Bible, we find two kinds of ignorance:? 1.? Ignorance as a result of not hearing or being taught.? Amos 8:11-12? Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:? (12)? And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.? 2.? Willful ignorance as a result of rejecting what is heard or taught.? Hosea 4:6? My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.? 3.? As your pastor, it is my responsibility that, if you remain ignorant, it will have to be willful ignorance!? 4.? Israel was Ignorant, but their ignorance was willful!? Look at the preceding verses found in chapter 9:32-33.? “As it is written!”? THEY HAD THE WORD OF GOD!? THEY KNEW THE WORD OF GOD!? THEY DISREGUARDED THE WORD OF GOD!? ? 5.? SO IT IS IN OUR DAY AS WE HAVE THE WORD OF GOD!? The problem today is the same as the problem then.? ? Hosea 4:6? My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:? because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee!? B.? One of the age-old problems (and one that remains in our day) is that people are ignorant of what it takes to get to heaven.? Most religions along with so-called Christian denominations add works to faith in one degree or another.? C.? Self-righteousness in Salvation.? Salvation through personal merit or a mixture of personal merit and faith.? The Bible is perfectly clear about the separation of faith and works.? Romans 11:5-6? Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.? (6)? And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.? Ephesians 2:8-9? For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:? (9)? Not of works, lest any man should boast.? Acts 4:11-12? This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.? (12)? Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.? ? 1.? Self-righteousness manifests itself in those who believe that they are good enough to go to heaven through personal merit.? 2.? Self-righteousness manifests itself in those who believe that they are good enough to maintain their salvation through personal merit.? ? 3.? Both doctrines are heretical!? D.? In our text, we find why Israel turned from their Messiah, Christ Jesus.? Israel, who had the truth of God's Word and the Covenants, turned from the faith of their father, Abraham, to the wickedness of self-righteousness.? ? 1.? In the 400 hundred silent years that preceded the coming of Christ (around 100 B.C.) between Malachi and Matthew, two main branches of Judaism came into dominance: 1)? The Sadducees who upheld the Written Law? 2)? The Pharisees who upheld the Oral Law.? ? 2.? ? Galatians 6:12-14? As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. ? (13)? For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. ? (14)? But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.? ? 3.? They had the unbiblical perspective that they had “arrived” spiritually through their outward appearance and separation from the world.? This attitude resulted in exclusion!? E.? The Pharisees were separatists and, unfortunately, they eventually began to rely upon their system of “do's and don'ts” for righteousness with God instead of becoming obedient to God's righteousness.? The Lord rebuked them for making clean the outer appearance while the inner man was full of dead men's bones and rottenness.? ? In Matthew 5:20, our Lord said, “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”? F.? The problem still exists today.? Separatism and Phariseeism are not the same.? God command us to be separate but, if not watchful, the same problem arises again.? I once saw on a sign this quote, “People are like fish: you catch them but let God clean them.”? ? G.? Paul's desire and prayer for Israel was that they would recognize who Jesus Christ was and turn to Him for salvation.? Israel had “zeal” for God but not according to knowledge.? Spirit is good but leaves one lost without truth.? I want to look at a few things in this text.? 1.? Ignorance of God's Righteousness.? Vs. 3.? “not according to knowledge…ignorant of God's righteousness”? ? Psalms 71:19? Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!? a.? Ignorance is not necessarily a bad word as it means that one has not learned.? In Romans 10, I believe that the ignorance mentioned was willful.? ? b.? Israel was familiar with the Old Testament and especially the Pentateuch.? One of the greatest of Old Testament truths found in these first 5 books was that of the holiness of God.? Mt. Sinai should have left a lasting impression upon the nation of Israel as God thundered from a mountain that was on fire.? ? ? c.? Israel's ignorance was willful!? The world's ignorance is willful!? The world of today tries to bring God down to man's level and man up to God's level.? 2.? Impeccability of God's Righteousness.? Vs. 3.? “God's righteousness”? The Bible declares that God dwells in a light that no man can approach unto.? He is impeccably holy.? He is immutably holy.? He said, “I am the Lord, I change not.”? 1 Timothy 6:15-16? Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;? (16)? Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.? a.? Salvation must always be by grace through faith because God demands absolute perfect holiness, and He alone is impeccably holy.? b.? Acceptance of God's righteousness is the rejection of personal righteousness.? 3. Impossibility of God's Righteousness.? Vs. 3.? “going about to establish their own righteousness.”? ? Ecclsiastes 7:20? For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.1 John 1:8-10? If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.? (9)? If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.? (10)? If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.? a.? One fact that every saved person understands is that of personal sinfulness.? There are those who believe that they are sinless, but they are deceived and lost.? ? b.? No conviction of sinfulness means there is no Holy Spirit there to convict.? Men everywhere are trying to be right with God with what they do instead of what He did.? 4.? Insubordination to God's Righteousness.? Vs. 3.? “have not submitted themselves”? ? Galatians 3:1-3? O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?? (2)? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?? (3)? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?? ? a.? Along with recognition of God's righteousness, one must become obedient to the holiness of God's demand: obedience to the gospel.? Vs. 16.? ? b.? Romans 1 shows the progression of the knowledge of God rejected:? 1)? When they knew God, they glorified Him not as God - God gave them up)? 2)? They changed the truth of God into a lie - God gave them up again? 3)? They did not like to retain God in their minds - God gave them over to a reprobate mind.? 5.? Imputation of God's Righteousness.? Vs. 4.? “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”? Salvation is a result of God's righteousness being imputed to the believer through propitiation and faith.? ? 2 Corinthians 5:21? For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.? Jude 24-25? Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,? (25)? To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.? ? “Dressed in His righteousness alone; faultless to stand before the throne.”? “When He sees me, He sees the blood of the Lamb; He sees me as worthy and not as I AM!”? 6.? Invitation of God's Righteousness.? Vs. 13.? “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”? ? ? ? “Whosoever” covers it all!? Come to Jesus Christ with your bankrupt life and He will impute His righteousness to you.

By Dan Titus,? ACSC, 4-24-2024, shared with APC from his iAgenda 21 article On September 20, 2023, the Biden administration met at the Sustainable Development Summit in New York with the goal of? recommitting? to the [United Nations] 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals—SDGs....

By Derrick Broze The United Nations will meet in September for the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, as well as the highly-anticipated “Summit...The Summit of the Future and the Pact for the Future Will Rapidly Expand the Technocratic Takeover

Adams Cram, who died in 1942 at the age of 78, was one of the most prominent architects in the late 1800s and early 1900s. A practicing Episcopalian, most of his ecclesiastical works were designed for Anglicans, though he also did churches for other denominations.

? Temple Baptist Church - 4-24-2024John 15:12-17? Introduction:? ? A.? Another great benefit of abiding in Christ is that of friendship with Christ.? I find this amazing as we consider just Who this Friend is.? Three times in these three verses, Jesus Christ called His children friends!? 1.? Someone once said that if you end up with 5 True Friends in a lifetime, you are wealthy.? 2.? Here, we fine the possibility of having Jesus Christ as our Friend.? B.? The Value of our Friend.? 1.? Our Friend is Almighty Jehovah God, Creator and Sustainer of all things.? Our Friend created us for His pleasure and fellowship.? John 1:1-4? In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.? (2)? The same was in the beginning with God.? (3)? All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.? (4)? In him was life; and the life was the light of men.? 2.? Our Friend became our Propitiation.? Our Friend died in our place, bearing our sin and our shame.? He gave His life as He became sin for us Who knew no sin that we might be made the righteous of God in Him.? John 1:14? And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.? John 1:29? The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.? 3.? Our Friend is our Mediator between us and God the Father.? Our Friend makes peace between God the Father and us.? 1 Timothy 2:5? For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;? 4.? Our Friend is our Advocate with God the Father.? Our Friend speaks on our behalf when we cannot speak for ourselves.? 1 John 2:1? My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:? 5.? Our Friend is our High Priest.? Our Friend continually cleanses us from all sin and defilement with His own blood.? Hebrews 7:25-26? Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (26)? For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;? 6.? Our Friend is our soon coming King of kings and Lord of lords.? Our Friend said that if He would go away, He would come again and take us home with Him.? When He comes back to set up His Kingdom, He will bring us with Him to rule and reign.? Revelation 19:11-16? 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.? (16)? And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.? C. And people relish friends in high places?? We have the Almighty, completely Sovereign, All Knowing, owns Everything, can do Anything, can Forgive anything God who just happens to Love us.? D.? True friendship is a valuable and rare commodity! We make many acquaintances as we pass through this life, but only very few true and genuine friends. In this passage, Jesus reveals something about the nature of His friendship with His people. When you have Him for your Friend, you have discovered a friendship that knows no limits. He is, by definition, the ultimate Friend.? Proverbs 18:24? A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.? E.? In a true friendship, there must be:? 1.? Investment.? While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.? The greatest love ever shown was at Calvary. There has never been a greater, nobler, or more costly display of love than that selfless moment when Jesus died for us on the cross.? 2.? Intimacy.? These disciples were Christ's inner circle.? They were privy to the most intimate discussions and sharing that only Christ could give.? True friends have a very personal and close relationship with each other.? A closeness that makes for personal sharing of our thoughts and lives.? 2 Samuel 1:26? I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.? 3.? Involvement.? These disciples could share their inner most thoughts, fears, and cares with Christ.? Friends deeply care for what their friends care for.? Someone once said, “A burden shared is half a burden!”? There is more to intimate sharing than just listening.? ? John 11:33-35? When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,? (34)? And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.? (35)? Jesus wept.? F.? The Values of a having Christ as your True Friend:? 1.? A true friend loves at all times.? Unconditional love.? Proverbs 17:17? A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.? Psalms 41:9-10? Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.? (10)? But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.? 2.? A true friend always builds you up and never tears you down.? ? 1 Corinthians 15:33? Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.? 3.? A true friend is always standing by you.? ? Hebrews 13:5? Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.? Psalms 27:9-10? Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.? (10)? When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.? 4.? A true friend cares deeply about you.? ? Hebrews 4:15-16? For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.? (16)? Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.? 1 Peter 5:7? Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.? 5.? A true friend makes you a better person.? ? Proverbs 27:17? Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.? 6.? A true friend gives you godly counsel.? ? Proverbs 27:9? Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.? Isaiah 25:1? O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.? 7.? A true friend will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.? ? Proverbs 27:6? Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.? Ephesians 3:20-21? Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,? (21)? Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.? 8.? A true friend gave his life for us.? When I think of this, I think of the Medal of Honor, our nation's? highest military award for valor.? Due to the nature of this medal, it is commonly presented? posthumously.? ? John 15:13? Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.? Conclusion:? What a Friend we have in Jesus!? He gave His all for His Friends!

? Temple Baptist Church - 4-14-2024Psalm 119:113-120? Introduction:? A.? Psalm 119 – The Magnification of the Word of God.? 176 verses broken down into 22 stanzas with each stanza containing 8 verses.? Each stanza begins with one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet with each verse of the stanza in Hebrew beginning with the correlating letter.? An Acrostic. A masterpiece that only God the Word could have given to us.? B.? SAMECH – infinity or infinite – also used for support or ladder – The 15th? letter of the Hebrew alphabet – its numerical number is 60 which represents completeness.? It is one of the two closed letters with the other being found in MEM in its final form at the end of a word.? It is circular in form with no beginning or end and protects that which is within.? C.? We understand that we live in a sinful world and in sinful times.? ? 1.? In my lifetime, I have seen the world changing in so many ways as it downwardly spirals into utter depravity.? As God's children, we try to abstain from all appearance of evil while living in the midst of it.? 2.? More than ever before, we need to realize that God holds our lives in His hands.? We have a promise of perpetual protection as we walk with God within the Word of God.? ? 3.? We need to make sure that we remain within the “hedge” that God has placed around us.? Through willful sin and willful ignorance, we often remove ourselves to some degree out of the protection of our Lord.? D.? In Jewish tradition, SAMECH represents one's inner journey.? Verse 113 begins with the words “I hate vain thoughts.”? ? These words show the importance of maintaining the invisible man as well as the physical man.? Proverbs tells us “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7)? E.? While we can only see the outside, God is a Discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.? Who we are is what we are inwardly!? This 15th stanza shows the believer that there are Divine inner and outer protection available and this protection is found in God's Word.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? F.? God affords the believer “layers” of protection that will help to keep one's heart and mind (1) Stable and therefore (2) Stayed upon the Lord.? Then there is the outward layer of protection afforded the believer.? 1.? ? Verse 113.? Our Spirit.? The Word of God protects our thought life.? The godly man's hatred of vain thoughts.? Vain – to no avail or worthless.? The most dangerous battlefield known to man is the struggle of good and evil thoughts.? The greatest wars are waged in the mind of the believer.? Inherently, man has a God given understanding of both right and wrong.? I heard it said that man does not have a problem knowing right from wrong.? The struggle is choosing right over wrong.? Here, we once again find the love of God's Law as the deciding factor in our thought life.? ? 2 Corinthians 10:3-5? For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:? (4)? (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)? (5)? Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;? 2.? Verse 114.? Our Surety.? God protects our temporal life.? The child of God is hated by Satan, the world.? God is our infinite Refuge during the hard times of life, but it is through God's Word that we find our sanctity and peace.? When everything is going wrong in life, everything we need is in our hand tonight.? Protection from temporal calamities and persecutions.? God's Word is our chamber of retreat where we hide and find safety both physical and spiritual.? It is in the Word of God that we hide while taking the “shield of faith” in our hands.? The Word of God? supplies us grace, strength, light, life, and comfort here, and for glory hereafter.? Psalms 9:9? The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.? 3.? Verse 115.? Our Sanctification.? God protects our interaction with the world.? The world is a constant distraction of God's people and the ultimate state becomes defilement.? Our protection is through the Word of God.? We that are saved are not only separatist, we are separated from.? In this verse, we see the desire of the godly to distance himself from those who do evil.? This does not speak of staying away from every sinner for the Bible says that we would have to leave this world to do so.? It means to stay away from those who have a pattern of life that is wicked.? “Evildoers” is a persistent condition.? The Power of the wicked:? Psalms 37:35? I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.? 4.? Verse 116.? ? Our Stability.? God protects our feebleness in life.? The Word of God is the “Rock” upon which we stand.? Unmovable, unshakable, unerring, an anchor is an ever changing world.? Through the Bible, we can be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord according to 1 Corinthians 15:58.? Paul said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”? Psalms 94:17-18? Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.? (18)? When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.? 5.? Verse 117.? Our Safety.? God protects us in the perils of life.? We live in perilous times.? In the news, all we hear is about the dangers of living in the greatest nation on earth.? Because sentence against evil works is not executed, people have no respect for law and order.? ? Ecclesiastes 8:11? Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.? Proverbs 21:31? The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.? 6.? Verse 118.? Our Sinfulness.? God protects us in our temptations in life.? One of Newton's Third Law of Motion states: “? For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”? Spiritually, though God is so often gracious to the sinner, with willful sin, for the most part it is followed by a willful judgment.? Their deceit is falsehood.? What they appear outward is not the reality of that which we see outwardly.? Hebrews 4:12? For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.? 7.? Verse 119.? Our Salvation.? God protects us from our enemies in life.? The Lord will take care of the wicked.? We just need to love and stay with the Word of God.? The wicked may seem to be on the winning side for a while but the justice of the Lord will be manifested.? Jeremiah 6:28-30? They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.? (29)? The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.? (30)? Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.? 8.? Verse 120.? Our Submission.? Our protection, “safety is of the Lord,” is perpetually in the hand of God.? Life is still hard at best, but remaining in the will of God through the Word of God affords the child of God a perpetual protection.? Proverbs 19:23? The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

Occasionally I find myself in a conversation with a non-Christian friend. Sometimes, I have to pay close attention to the language I use if the talk turns to things related to God and ultimate reality. I want to be understood, but the normal Christian terms are a foreign language to many people, Christians included. The terms are difficult to use when they don't communicate.No longer are Christian terms and biblical concepts commonplace. Most people are not familiar with the story of Job, or Peter's triple denial of Jesus. Things have changed; meanings that once were common in the culture have become rare in the minds of many people.Certainly we must continue to use large words that carry theological weight: propitiation, justification, atonement, righteousness, regeneration, trinity, incarnation, and redemption (among others). Each of these stands for a definite doctrinal teaching of the Bible that must be explained, grasped, and repeated using special terminology. I don't think that other terms will do for describing these realities of salvation and God.The terms that are distinctly religious but don't seem to communicate any longer are a distinct category that causes me concern. I ask students what they mean when they say, for example, “It's for God's glory.” I reply, “What do you mean by glory?” They don't have a clue. They really mean that that the event or decision in question somehow serves God's purposes. If so, then let's just say that. My concern is that we have settled for using as jargon the Christian terminology because it seems rightly religious, not because we understand or intend the actual meanings these terms stand for.Here is my list of seven troublesome words and brief explanations.Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock

Headlines bombard us with news about the devastation in Gaza—the staggering death toll, the increasing war and bloodshed, the innocent lives lost. People on both sides cry for an end to the violence and the pain. ? As Christians, we hear the news, and our hearts fill with compassion and anguish. Why is this happening? Why are people so eager to fight—and die—over this one small section of land?Gaza, also called the Gaza Strip, is a thin piece of land of about 140 square miles located between Israel and Egypt. Roughly 2.3 million Palestinians live there, and it is a Palestinian territory. It is situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, with Egypt on its southwest and Israel on its east and north.However, there is longtime animosity between Israel and Palestine. In 1947, the United Nations divided Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state. This was to accommodate a post-World War Two desire for a Jewish homeland, but it came against the will of the local Arab population.On October 7, 2023, the Islamic militant group Hamas killed more than a thousand people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage in the deadliest attack in Israel's history. Israel immediately declared war on Hamas, and as of this writing, more than 30,000 people have been killed.Beyond a territory for present-day Palestine, the land is much desired by both groups. But there is also much biblical importance and history surrounding Gaza. Here are five biblical reasons by Gaza is important.Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/pawel.gaul

Author’s Note: Today’s article is not to state what you should do when it comes to the choices you make for your family. I am passing on vital information about schools being used, one more time, to overreach into those decisions, especially when it comes...

? Temple Baptist Church - 3-27-2024John 14:28-31? Introduction:? ? A.? In verse 30, we find the prophecy of coming of the “accuser” to find fault in Christ Jesus.? Satan will find none!? After the crowd took Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, He spoke very little to His disciples or in His defense.? This will be the fulfillment of? Isaiah 53:7, which reads:? “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”? 1.? The “prince of this world” led Israel to its demise.? 2.? The “prince of this world” leads all who reject and accuse Christ Jesus to their demise.? B.? In the word “prince” we find Description.? Satan is called “the prince of this world.”? ? 1.? ? In the word “prince” we see? Power -? Luke 22:53? When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.? 2.? In the word “prince” we see Position -? 2 Corinthians 4:4? In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.3.? In the word “prince” we see Prominence - Ephesians 2:2? Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:? 4.? In the word “prince” we see Pleasure -? Matthew 4:8-9? Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;? (9)? And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.? C.? In the word “prince” we find Delusion:? 1.? He is “god” but only by permission -? Matthew 4:9-10? And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.? (10)? Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.? 2.? He has control, and he is not in control - John 12:31? Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.? 3.? He is powerful and yet he is not omnipotent - Jude 9? Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.? 4.? He is wealthy and yet he owns nothing - Matthew 4:8-9? Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9? And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.? Psalms 24:1? The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.? D.? How did the arch enemy of both God and man become the “god of this world?”? 1.? ? Because He? Is Worshiped -? 2 Corinthians 11:14? And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.? (This prince is transformed into an angel of light; a thing of great beauty.)? Isaiah 14:12-14? How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!? 13? For thou hast said in thine heart,? I will ascend? into heaven,? I will exalt? my throne above the stars of God:? I will sit? also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14? ? I will ascend? above the heights of the clouds;? I will be? like the most High.? ? 2.? Because He Is Adored -? Matthew 4:9? And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.? (The world loves their prince because they love their sin.)? 2 Corinthians 11:14? And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.? ? 3.? Because He Is Emulated - Ephesians 2:2? Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:? (The world conforms to image of their god just as we are to conform to the image of our God.)? John 8:44? Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.? 4.? Because He Is In Control - John 8:43-44? Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44? Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.? (As a father controls his children, this prince controls his.)? Conclusion:? The world is deceived by the “prince of this world” but the redeemed are looking for to their “Prince” who is coming soon.? Revelation 1:5-8? And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,? (6)? And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.? (7)? Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.? (8)? I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

? Temple Baptist Church - 3-24-2024Romans 11:33-36Introduction:? A. A Biblical Interpretation before a Practical Application.? Chapters 9-11 of the Book of Romans make up what is called a Parenthetical. An insertion that acts as an explanation of additional information within the context.? 1. These chapters deal with the Nation of Israel instead of the individual.? Before these chapters, Paul has been dealing with the salvation of men or the lack there of, but chapters 9-11 deal with the Nation of Israel and their relationship to God.? 2. Chapters 9-11 all begin with the? Nation of Israel and end with the Nation of Israel. Chapter 9 shows Israel's Past; Chapter 10 shows Israel's Present; Chapter 11 shows Israel's Prophecy.? 3. Israel was and is God's chosen nation!? These chapters explain what Israel did in? chapter 9 (Rejection of their Messiah), what God is now doing with Israel in Chapter 10 (Salvation to the individual Jews who accept Christ Jesus), and Chapter 11 shows the future of the Nation? (Israel's Repentance and Return to their Messiah).? B. Paul ends this parenthetical trilogy of chapters, 9-11,? with a doxology. “Doxology,” in the Ancient Greek language is compound word:? from? δόξα,? doxa, "glory" and -λογία, -logia, "saying” or “word."? C. God is not done with Israel.? At the end of Jacob's Trouble, also called the Tribulation Period, Israel as a nation will look upon Him whom they have pierced and nationally return to their Messiah.? Zechariah 12:8-10? In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. (9) And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (10) And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.? Romans 11:25-27? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (26) And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: (27) For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.? D. That is the interpretation. Chapter 11:33-36 is Israel's guarantee.? God knows what He is doing! God loves Israel and He will restore the nation back to Himself.? E. I will give three types? of wisdom found in the Bible before I look at this doxology.? 1. Worldly Wisdom:? things that we learn over the years. We gain knowledge and then learn how to apply it rightly. This worldly wisdom can be learned or experiential.? a) Learned wisdom.? It is the wise individual who seeks counsel and advice. It is a wise individual who learns from those who have already learned. When you become “know it all,” you become a foolish individual.? b) Experiential wisdom.? Though learned wisdom is the simplest way to learn, often experience is the best teacher.? 2. Spiritual Wisdom:? spiritual knowledge rightly applied. Spiritual wisdom comes from God! It can be taught by the people of God, or it can be taught by the Word of God.? a. The First Mention of wisdom in the Bible:? Exodus 28:3? And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom? I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.? b. The “spirit of wisdom” comes from God. James 1:5? If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.? 3. God's Wisdom:? The wisdom of God is an all know or omniscient wisdom. God knows all things and there are some things that? only God knows and can only be gotten from Him.? The Bible declares? that God's wisdom in infinite:? Psalms 147:5? Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.? F. Wisdom defined:? accumulated knowledge or enlightenment , the trait of utilizing knowledge and experience with common sense and insight, the quality of being prudent and sensible.? (By my definition, wisdom is the right application of or understanding of how to use knowledge.)? G. One of the attributes of God is that of omniscience.? This is means “omni” or “all” and “science” or “knowledge.” The state of having infinite knowledge. As Dr. B. R. Lakin so put it, “Has it ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to God?” God knows everything about everything!? H. There is a difference between having knowledge and having wisdom.? Many men of our times have had great intellect, extensive education, and yet have died without Christ! That is the most foolish thing that I can think of. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God!” Men like Confucius who have left behind a legacy of worldly wisdom have denied Christ, died lost, and are in hell today.? J. God not only has all knowledge, but He also has all wisdom!? God's knowledge and wisdom are far above that of the smartest and wisest of all men.? Isaiah 55:9? For? as? the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.? (Notice the analogy here: “as the heavens are higher than the earth.”)? K. Verse 36. Now for the application.? If God takes care of His elect nation that rejected Christ Jesus, how much the more will He take care of His children who have placed their trust in Him! I think it important that we? understand God's wisdom as we are taught biblically to trust Him in relationship to our circumstances and needs.? 1. Our Salvation is of Him -? John 6:35? And Jesus said unto them,? I am? the bread of life: he that? cometh to me? shall never hunger; and he that? believeth on me? shall never thirst. (Salvation is an act of God but it is also a choice of the individual!)? Matthew 11:28-30? Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,? and I will give you rest.? (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:? and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.? 2.? Our Circumstances are through Him - Proverbs 3:5-6? Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. ? (6)? In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.? (We are often confused, humanly speaking, by the things that happen in our lives that we cannot control. Yet, the Bible is clear that we are to trust completely when we do not understand.)? Job 23:10-12? But he? knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. (11) My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. (12) Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.? Matthew 6:31-34? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ? (32)? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. ? (33)? But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ? (34)? Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.? (In times of uncertainty, God wants our priority to be Him, not our temporal needs. He has assured us that He knows what we need and will supply them. God wants our unwavering faith to be inn Him as He controls our circumstances.)? 3. Our Future is to Him? -? 1 John 3:1-2? Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (2) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.? Conclusion:? No matter what comes, the wisdom of God is our guarantee that all will work together for good to those of us who love Him and, in the end all will be well.? 1. The Wisdom Of God Penned Down In The Bible.? 2. The Wisdom Of God Previewed In Creation.? 3. The Wisdom Of God Personified In Jesus Christ.? 4. The Wisdom Of God Performed In Salvation.? 5. The Wisdom Of God Personalized In Our Justification.? 6. The Wisdom Of God Perfected In Our Eternity.