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

Joe Biden's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a new rule on Monday cracking down on prosecutors' ability to obtain abortion records. The rule strengthens a 1996 privacy law, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), by providing protections for those seeking an abortion, as well as those who perform the procedure, […]The post Biden Issues New Rule to Shield Abortionists Who Kill Babies in Illegal Abortions appeared first on LifeNews.com.

? Temple Baptist Church - 4-3-2024John 15:1-2? Introduction:? A.? In John 15:1, we find the last of the Seven “I AM's” of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is openly claiming to be the great “I AM THAT I AM” of the Old Testament, Jehovah God.? ? 1.? The Jews fully understood the ramifications of each of these statements.? Jesus Christ was telling them? that it was He who spoke to Moses? from the burning bush in the Book of Exodus!? 2.? This Jews knew that Jesus was a great teacher who did things that could have only been done by one sent from God.? ? Here we find great accountability!? John 3:1-2? There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:? (2)? The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.? B.? The Book of John portrays Jesus Christ as the Son of God which makes Him Divine.? In the Book of John, we find that each of the seven “I AM's” express a different aspect of Who and what Jesus did.? “I Am Bread of Life” – John 6:35.? We need sustenance.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “I Am Light of The World” – John 8:12.? We need luminance.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “I Am Door of The Sheep” – John 10:9.? We need entrance.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “I Am the Good Shepherd” – John 10:14.? We need guidance.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “I Am Resurrection and The Life” – John 11:25.? We need assurance.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” – John 14:6.? We need salvation.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “I Am the True Vine” – John 15:1.? We need abiding.? C.? Each of the “I AM's” expressed a different attribute of Jesus Christ and these aspects could only be pertain to Almighty God.? 1.? ? In the phrase “I AM,” we find singularity.? Jesus Christ, in each of these sayings, is telling the world that these 7 things find their totality in Him and Him alone.? ? 2.? ? There is also an unstated truth? found in these words.? If there is a “True Vine,” and there is.? His name is Christ Jesus, our Lord.? ? Then there must also be “False Vines,”? and there are.? 3.? ? Too often God's people break away from their attachment to Jesus Christ? and become attached to the “vines” of this world.? These attachments stop fruit bearing for God and cause fruit bearing for their worldly vines.? We will deal with these believers later.? D.? The analogy:? “I am the true vine.”? I want to look at three aspects of the analogy as to give us the right Biblical perspective of what Christ is telling us in these verses.? 1.? ? The Prophetic aspect? fulfilled in Christ Jesus.? “I am the True Vine.”? 2.? ? The Owner's aspect? fulfilled in the Father.? “My Father is the Husbandman.”? Luke 10:21? In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.? 3.? ? The Spiritual aspect? fulfilled in the Believer.? “Every branch in me.? Romans 12:5? So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.1.? The Prophetic aspect fulfilled in Christ Jesus.? ? a.? When our Lord gave the truths found in John 15 concerning the relationship of the believer to Christ in abiding in the “True Vine,”? these were not unfamiliar words? to the Jew.? ? When speaking to the Pharisees,? our Lord told them Who He was!? John 8:57-58? Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?? (58)? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.? Christ was before Abraham making Christ the Great I AM!? Genesis 1:1? In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.? Ephesians 3:9? And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:? Colossians 1:15-17? Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:? (16)? For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:? (17)? And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.? Revelation 4:11? Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.? b.? We find the Prophecy of the True Vine in the Book of Isaiah which was written app. 740 years before the birth of Christ.? Isaiah 11:1? And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:? ? A rod: a strong branch; a stem: the trunk or stump; a Branch: capitalized: Christ Jesus, which grows from “his roots!”? 1)? “A Branch (Christ, Israel's Messiah) shall grow our of His roots.”? The Branch …His roots!” Christ is both the Root and the Branch that grew from the Root through the Stem of Jesse: of the linage to David.? Isaiah 11:10? And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.? Here, in the same context, Christ the Branch is called the “root of Jesse” from which Christ came.? 2)? Chapter 11 of Isaiah is also prophetic of the Millennial Kingdom of the last days which will transpire after the end of the Tribulation Period or Jacob's Trouble.? At the time that the Book of Isaiah was written, this is prophetic of an event that will be 2,740 years in the future (740 BC to 2,000+ years AD).? Isaiah, chapter 53, which is prophetic of the Messiah's rejection and crucifixion, Christ Jesus is called a “tender plant … as a root out of dry ground.”? A Babe is born in the darkness of Israel Who is the almighty Jehovah God, the “Root!”? Isaiah 53:1-2? Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?? (2)? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.? 3)? In the last chapter of the Bible, Revelation 22, we find that Christ Jesus is the “root and the offspring of David.”? As the Root, He bears David and as the “offspring,” David bears Christ.? Revelation 22:16? I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.? c.? ? In the Book of Luke, chapter 3:23-38, we find the genealogy of Christ from “(as was supposed) the son of Joseph back to Adam who was the son of God.? Luke 3:23? And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,? Luke 3:38? Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.? Conclusion:? ? The Prophecy of Christ, the True Vine, was neither foreign nor was it unknown to the Jews.? “I AM the True Vine” simply spoke of Israel's Messiah, Christ Jesus, being Jehovah God of old.? 1.? Christ is both the “Root” and the “Vine.”? Revelation 22:16? I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.? ? Christ is the root from which David, the King of Israel, was born.? 2.? Christ was the root from which the Messianic Line came.? John 8:58? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.? ? 3.? God's children are the branches that grow out of the vine.? Notice I said “grow out” of the vine because the vine is Christ!

What Is the State of Your Foundation? Tim RasmussenTue, 12/19/2023 - 01:17 Due to a population explosion in Southern California in the early 1920s, plans were made to create a large reservoir to help meet the region's growing water needs. Engineer William Mulholland had achieved a great deal of recognition and respect among members of the engineering community when he supervised the design and construction of the longest aqueduct in the world at that time—the Los Angeles Aqueduct, and he was chosen as the chief engineer for the new project.After conducting a thorough study of the topography and geological features of the area, Mulholland was convinced that San Francisquito Canyon, about forty miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, was the ideal site. Design and construction began in 1924, and at its completion on May 4, 1926, the magnificent St. Francis dam rose to a height of 185 feet above the canyon floor. The dam was an engineering marvel—the crown jewel of Mulholland's career.But there was a problem. Although Mulholland wrote of the unstable nature of the face of the schist on the eastern side of the canyon, he either misjudged or ignored it. As water began to fill the reservoir, several temperature and contraction cracks appeared in the dam, and seepage began to flow from under the abatements.Mulholland and his assistant chief engineer Harvey Van Norman inspected the cracks and judged them to be within expectation for a concrete dam the size of St. Francis. Workers were ordered to seal off the leaks, but they were not entirely successful. Late in 1927, a fracture appeared that ran diagonally across the dam. Mulholland inspected the cleft, judged it to be another inconsequential contraction crack, and left it? alone.On March 7, 1928, yet another leak was discovered by a dam employee. He was concerned not only because there was a new leak but also because the water in this runoff was muddy, indicating possible erosion of the dam's foundation.Mulholland and Van Norman inspected the dam and its various leaks and seepages, finding “nothing out of the ordinary or of concern for a large dam.” Both Mulholland and Van Norman made it clear that there just wasn't anything to worry about. Mulholland had a reputation to uphold. Surely there couldn't be any critical issues with his masterpiece. Acknowledging major engineering shortcomings would have jeopardized his hard-earned position and reputation.Two and half minutes before midnight on March? 12,? 1928, the St. Francis dam catastrophically failed. Within 70 minutes of the collapse, the reservoir was virtually empty as 12.4 billion gallons of water began surging down San Francisquito Canyon becoming a 140-foot high flood wave traveling eighteen miles per hour. Countless workmen and their families were never found. The flood left an appalling record of death and destruction, with hundreds of lives claimed. The St. Francis Dam disaster, which effectively ended the career of William Mulholland, remains the second greatest loss of life in California's history, after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire.Cracks in any foundation can have catastrophic effects, and the most catastrophic tragedies of all are the results of cracks in the foundations of lives. These cracks affect not only us but also those we know and love. In the busyness of life and with all the responsibilities of family and ministry, we need to ask ourselves if we are ignoring foundational issues of the heart that could lead to disaster.These cracks may not be visible yet to our family and friends, but the cracks are there nonetheless and have the potential to cause irreparable harm if not properly addressed. This is why Paul warned Timothy, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (1 Timothy 4:16).A wise man will faithfully and conscientiously inspect his foundation and will be honest with himself and God when cracks are discovered.We would demonstrate great wisdom to inspect our lives for the following cracks, all indicators of a deeper spiritual need:We no longer have a vibrant and growing walk with the Lord.We have stopped guarding our hearts from temptation.We have allowed our thought lives to wander.We rationalize thoughts and behaviors that previously would have convicted our conscience.We put a priority on temporal things such as money, position, or recognition over essentials like holiness, godliness and integrity.We emphasize the public over the private.We dismiss “small” sins in order to protect our reputation.We stop seeking counsel from others and discourage others from requiring accountability of us.We begin to pridefully look to ourselves rather than focusing on Jesus.If we continue to ignore cracks in our integrity, we are positioning ourselves for an inevitable and monumental collapse, bringing great reproach—to our families, to our congregations, and to the cause of Christ. We are in grave danger of not finishing the race God has given us to complete.My oldest brother, Mark, has often challenged me with the following statement: “People remember how you start, and they remember how you finish.”Paul wrote of his daily decision to inspect his foundation and prevent cracks in his life: “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27).Are there cracks forming in your life—cracks that reveal deeper foundational issues? Let us take whatever steps necessary to shore up our foundation and seal up the cracks so that our lives will bring honor and glory to our Lord who saved us.How can we take steps to strengthen the foundation of our lives?By acknowledging cracks and sincerely seeking God in repentance: “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs? 28:13).By determining to live according to the Word of God:? “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).By attending church and exhorting others: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews? 10:25).By seeking God in prayer: John R. Rice said, “All of our failures are prayer failures.” “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice” (Psalm 55:17).By reading God's Word daily and committing it to memory: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11).By sharing our testimony with a lost and dying world and pointing them to Jesus Christ: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise” (Proverbs? 11:30).By intentionally meditating on God's standards: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:2).By guarding our thought life: “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? Corinthians 10:5).By loving God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and loving our neighbor as ourselves: We desperately need a great commitment to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-38).Paul admonished us to build properly, from the ground up: “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon” (1? Corinthians 3:10).When we lay a proper foundation and continually build on it, we can look forward to one day hearing Christ say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”? Category Christian Living Tags Pastoral Leadership Integrity Christian Living Spiritual Growth

What Is the State of Your Foundation? Tim RasmussenTue, 12/19/2023 - 01:17 Due to a population explosion in Southern California in the early 1920s, plans were made to create a large reservoir to help meet the region's growing water needs. Engineer William Mulholland had achieved a great deal of recognition and respect among members of the engineering community when he supervised the design and construction of the longest aqueduct in the world at that time—the Los Angeles Aqueduct, and he was chosen as the chief engineer for the new project.After conducting a thorough study of the topography and geological features of the area, Mulholland was convinced that San Francisquito Canyon, about forty miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, was the ideal site. Design and construction began in 1924, and at its completion on May 4, 1926, the magnificent St. Francis dam rose to a height of 185 feet above the canyon floor. The dam was an engineering marvel—the crown jewel of Mulholland's career.But there was a problem. Although Mulholland wrote of the unstable nature of the face of the schist on the eastern side of the canyon, he either misjudged or ignored it. As water began to fill the reservoir, several temperature and contraction cracks appeared in the dam, and seepage began to flow from under the abatements.Mulholland and his assistant chief engineer Harvey Van Norman inspected the cracks and judged them to be within expectation for a concrete dam the size of St. Francis. Workers were ordered to seal off the leaks, but they were not entirely successful. Late in 1927, a fracture appeared that ran diagonally across the dam. Mulholland inspected the cleft, judged it to be another inconsequential contraction crack, and left it alone.On March 7, 1928, yet another leak was discovered by a dam employee. He was concerned not only because there was a new leak but also because the water in this runoff was muddy, indicating possible erosion of the dam's foundation.Mulholland and Van Norman inspected the dam and its various leaks and seepages, finding “nothing out of the ordinary or of concern for a large dam.” Both Mulholland and Van Norman made it clear that there just wasn't anything to worry about. Mulholland had a reputation to uphold. Surely there couldn't be any critical issues with his masterpiece. Acknowledging major engineering shortcomings would have jeopardized his hard-earned position and reputation.Two and half minutes before midnight on March 12, 1928, the St. Francis dam catastrophically failed. Within 70 minutes of the collapse, the reservoir was virtually empty as 12.4 billion gallons of water began surging down San Francisquito Canyon becoming a 140-foot high flood wave traveling eighteen miles per hour. Countless workmen and their families were never found. The flood left an appalling record of death and destruction, with hundreds of lives claimed. The St. Francis Dam disaster, which effectively ended the career of William Mulholland, remains the second greatest loss of life in California's history, after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire.Cracks in any foundation can have catastrophic effects, and the most catastrophic tragedies of all are the results of cracks in the foundations of lives. These cracks affect not only us but also those we know and love. In the busyness of life and with all the responsibilities of family and ministry, we need to ask ourselves if we are ignoring foundational issues of the heart that could lead to disaster.These cracks may not be visible yet to our family and friends, but the cracks are there nonetheless and have the potential to cause irreparable harm if not properly addressed. This is why Paul warned Timothy, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (1 Timothy 4:16).A wise man will faithfully and conscientiously inspect his foundation and will be honest with himself and God when cracks are discovered.We would demonstrate great wisdom to inspect our lives for the following cracks, all indicators of a deeper spiritual need:We no longer have a vibrant and growing walk with the Lord.We have stopped guarding our hearts from temptation.We have allowed our thought lives to wander.We rationalize thoughts and behaviors that previously would have convicted our conscience.We put a priority on temporal things such as money, position, or recognition over essentials like holiness, godliness and integrity.We emphasize the public over the private.We dismiss “small” sins in order to protect our reputation.We stop seeking counsel from others and discourage others from requiring accountability of us.We begin to pridefully look to ourselves rather than focusing on Jesus.If we continue to ignore cracks in our integrity, we are positioning ourselves for an inevitable and monumental collapse, bringing great reproach—to our families, to our congregations, and to the cause of Christ. We are in grave danger of not finishing the race God has given us to complete.My oldest brother, Mark, has often challenged me with the following statement: “People remember how you start, and they remember how you finish.”Paul wrote of his daily decision to inspect his foundation and prevent cracks in his life: “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27).Are there cracks forming in your life—cracks that reveal deeper foundational issues? Let us take whatever steps necessary to shore up our foundation and seal up the cracks so that our lives will bring honor and glory to our Lord who saved us.How can we take steps to strengthen the foundation of our lives?By acknowledging cracks and sincerely seeking God in repentance: “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).By determining to live according to the Word of God: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).By attending church and exhorting others: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).By seeking God in prayer: John R. Rice said, “All of our failures are prayer failures.” “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice” (Psalm 55:17).By reading God's Word daily and committing it to memory: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11).By sharing our testimony with a lost and dying world and pointing them to Jesus Christ: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30).By intentionally meditating on God's standards: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:2).By guarding our thought life: “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 Corinthians 10:5).By loving God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and loving our neighbor as ourselves: We desperately need a great commitment to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-38).Paul admonished us to build properly, from the ground up: “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon” (1 Corinthians 3:10).When we lay a proper foundation and continually build on it, we can look forward to one day hearing Christ say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Category Christian Living Tags Pastoral Leadership Integrity Christian Living Spiritual Growth

Of the more than 300 pages of bylaws detailing the governance of the Episcopal Church, more than 70 are dedicated to the church's sprawling protocol for responding to accusations of clergy misconduct.The post The Episcopal Church reckons with tangled protocol on clergy abuse and accountability appeared first on Baptist News Global.