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

By Evangelist Russell Kiddman

This video is a sermon preached from 1 Corinthians 7:17-23. The topic of the message is spiritual liberty. The premise is that we must use the freedom God has ...

This message from Romans 8:1-2 deals with the freedom that belongs to the Christian. For more resources visit http://www.puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

 

BR Lakin - Two White Horses from the Liberty Channel "Pulpit Classic" Series.

BR Lakin - Two White Horses from the Liberty Channel "Pulpit Classic" Series.

Our staff members were blessed by Mat Staver, an attorney from Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit religious freedom group, when he came and spoke recently. […]

Our staff members were blessed by Mat Staver, an attorney from Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit religious freedom group, when he came and spoke recently.

Dear Friends,For the first time since the 1930’s, the overall life expectancy rate in America has declined. Why? Because the suicide rate is increasing all over the country.There are a multitude of factors that have contributed to this increase. However, all of these factors can be boiled down to one primary cause: despair.From where is this increasing level of despair coming from? I would argue that one of the primary causes for increasing despair is increasing unbelief in God. The Pew Research Center reports that 23 percent of Americans currently describe themselves as “nones,” or those who consider themselves either atheist, agnostic, or “nothing in particular.” This number has been steadily rising since at least 1972, when “nones” made up seven percent of the population. In just the last 10 years, this number has jumped eight percent, from 15 to 23 percent.It has been statistically verified that those who attend religious services are far less likely to commit suicide: In a study of 89,000 people “between 1996 and 2010, those who attended any religious service once a week or more were five times less likely to commit suicide.” In another study, “of the 6,999 Catholic women who attended Mass more than once a week, none committed suicide” (emphasis mine).Without a belief system built on divine revelation, human beings will form their own belief systems around whatever suits them. The secular world is more than happy to fill this demand for what to believe—we are constantly bombarded by the news media and popular entertainment about what we should believe is right and wrong, what is good and evil, what is tolerant and intolerant, what constitutes equality and inequality, etc. If we don’t have religious belief that provides a moral framework grounded in absolute truths, we put ourselves in the risky position of having to ultimately trust in human beings for the ultimate answers. The inevitable culmination of purely human thinking is despair, because we are and never can be ends in ourselves. As discussed previously, we know where despair can eventually lead.Christ reveals an infinitely better way: divinely revealed truth. In Matthew 16:23, he rebukes human thinking: “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” As Christians, we must do all we can to turn back the tide of unbelief that is steadily rising in America, trusting not in the ways of man, but in the ways of God.Thank you for your prayers and for your continued support of� FRC� and� the� family.Sincerely,Dan Hart Managing Editor for Publications Family Research� Council� FRC Articles'Sanctuary Cities' Aren't Brave. They're Obstructing Law Enforcement. – Ken BlackwellWhen We Choose Love Over Fear, God Stretches Our Hearts – Dan HartTrump’s Attorney General Jeff Sessions is bringing the hammer down on leaks – Ken BlackwellThe Decay of Liberty and the Rule of Law in 21st Century America – Peter JohnstonHuman Sexuality and the Goodness of Marriage – Clara Ramos and Shania BurchIran Heightens Its Crackdown On Christians – Dan HartAttention Millennials: True Religious Freedom May Make You Feel Uncomfortable – Mary Beasley� Religious LibertyReligious Liberty in the Public SquareReligious Liberty Protection Kit for Students and Teachers – First LibertyCake Wars And The Coming Conflict Over Religious Liberty – Nathanael Blake, The FederalistThe Threat of Free Speech in the University – Roger Scruton, Ethics & Public Policy CenterChristian wins the right to refuse to photograph homosexual ‘weddings’ – Peter LaBarbera, LifeSiteNewsThe Continuing Threat to Religious Liberty – Ryan T. Anderson, National ReviewGoogling Moral Purity – R.R. Reno, First ThingsNo One Expects The Google Inquisition, But It’s Coming – Robert Tracinski, The FederalistPrayer Walks draw protest in Mississippi school district – Ron Maxey, USA TodayWyoming Judge Appeals To Nation’s Highest Court After Losing Job For Being A Christian – Jonathan Lange, The FederalistInternational Religious FreedomPray for the persecuted church in Sudan and South Sudan – Ethics & Religious Liberty CommissionIran Punishes Religious Minorities with Lengthier Sentences – Elisabeth Doherty, 21st Century Wilberforce InitiativeSaving Christians From Genocide – William Doino Jr., First ThingsChristian Persecution in India Hits Record High in First Half of 2017 – Anugrah Kumar, The Christian PostLiu Xiaobo’s Stern Warning – Jianli Yang, National Review� LifeAbortionAmerican Abortion, American Freedom – Miles Smith, Public DiscourseMore than half of women getting abortions also use contraception – Emma Court, New York PostWhy Life Is Winning – Jeanne Mancini, Heritage FoundationPro-Life Laws Do Not Lead to Poor Public Health – Michael J. New, National ReviewGoogle And Facebook Co-Sponsoring Protest Of Pro-Life Women’s Health Care Clinic – Peter Hasson, The Daily Caller"What kind of society do you want to live in?": Inside the country where Down syndrome is disappearing – Julian Quinones and Arijeta Lajka, CBS NewsAdoptionThe Changing Face of Adoption in the United States – Nicholas Zill, Family StudiesThe other Russia story we need to talk about is adoption – Mary Vought, USA TodayMom Walks in Door with Adopted Baby in Arms. Moment Daughters See Her, They’re Brought to Tears – Carolyn Marie, LiftableBioethicsHospital tries to force baby off life support, parents won’t give up fight – Claire Chretien, LifeSiteNewsEuthanasia Used for 4.5 Percent of Deaths in the Netherlands – Maria Cheng, APStop Assisted-Suicide Opioid Abuse – Wesley J. Smith, First ThingsA Tale of Two Sams: You Should Not Actively Euthanize Your Baby – Aaron D. Cobb, Public DiscourseExplainer: American scientists “edit” human embryos – Joe Carter, Ethics & Religious Liberty CommissionPlease don’t edit me out – Rebecca Cokley, The Washington PostFDA warns doctor not to promote ‘three-parent’ fertilization procedure – Lianne Laurence, LifeSiteNewsObamacareHow Obamacare Is Eroding Private Insurance – Jarrett Stepman, The Daily SignalThousands Visit Free Clinics In Barns And Fields: ‘We’re The Middle Class, And We’re Here‘ – Chris Togneri, The FederalistThis is How You Make Health Care Affordable – Jay Bowen, The StreamHere Are 7 Implications of Ending Obamacare’s Cost-Sharing Reduction Payments – Edmund Haislmaier, The Daily Signal� FamilyEconomics/EducationWhen It Comes to Helping People, Facts Don’t Care About Your Intentions – Jacob Roth, The Daily SignalHow Should American Christians Help the Poor at Home? – Rob Schwarzwalder, The Stream4 Reasons To Pick A College That Doesn’t Want To Destroy Your Principles – Chandler Lasch, The FederalistWhy Men Are the New College Minority – Jon Marcus, The AtlanticPlay Hard. Work Maybe? – Melissa Langsam Braunstein, Family StudiesMarriageHalf of those thinking of divorce reconsider a year later – CBC NewsAmerica Abandons Marriage at Its Own Peril – Jerry Newcombe, The Christian PostParenting Is Not a “Job,” and Marriage Is Not “Work” – Jonathan Malesic, New RepublicThis incredible medical breakthrough could save the lives of millions of preborn babies – Cassy Fiano, Live ActionFaith/Character/CultureReligion and Politics at the Dinner Table: Challenging the Old Maxim – Christopher W. Love, Public DiscourseServing God and a woman in need at the Walmart – Patty Knap, AleteiaHave Smartphones Destroyed a Generation? – Jean M. Twenge, The AtlanticI Don’t Understand Christians Watching Game of Thrones – Kevin DeYoung, The Gospel CoalitionDoes Conscience Point Towards the Existence of God? – Matt Nelson, Word On FireGuys Need Bros – Bryan Stoudt, Desiring GodWhat Having a Ton of Kids Has Taught Me – Jared Zimmerer, Word On FireOn Fields of Praise – Robert Royal, The Catholic ThingThe Great Wall of Cotton: Why We Hit Snooze on God – Greg Morse, Desiring GodDon’t Let Politics Turn America Into Another Charlottesville – David Harsanyi, The FederalistHuman SexualityStudy finds more Americans are approving of polygamy – Catholic News AgencyTalking about sex with your kids: 5 things I’m learning – John Powell, Ethics & Religious Liberty CommissionExamining the History of Sexual Exploitation and the Fight to Eradicate It – Madeleine Ayers, National Center on Sexual Exploitation‘Gender Expert’: Boy Won’t Play With Trucks. Let’s Make Him A Girl. – Hank Berrien, The Daily WireThis debate is about gender dysphoria, not transgender military service – Jamie Shupe, MercatorNetWhy Are Lesbian Teens Having Two To Seven Times As Many Babies As Their Heterosexual Peers? – Glenn T. Stanton, The FederalistHuman TraffickingSenators: Alter Internet laws to hold Backpage liable for sex trafficking – Aamer Madhani, USA TodayAt Las Vegas’s Mayweather-McGregor Fight, Human Trafficking May Happen Right In Front Of You – Vinciane Ngomsi, The FederalistPornographyWhy Both Sides of the Aisle Can Agree that Pornography is a Public Health Crisis – Dawn Hawkins, Huffington Post

The Greek word 'aphesis' means forgiveness. But in this particular verse it's translated as both deliverance and liberty. Isn't it interesting that deliverance and liberty are directly tied together with forgiveness?The post ...and liberty and deliverance for all! appeared first on Worthy Christian Devotional - Daily Devotions.

The place and value of sex is a complex issue in modern American culture. The view of sex as the intimate union between a man and woman brought together by marriage under God has largely been lost. It has been replaced by an entitled inclination toward convenience and conceding to a desire for the instant gratification of sexual and emotional fulfillment.Being a part of a culture engulfed in endless choices, including the choice to have sex at any point in life regardless of the type of relationship between the partners, makes it necessary for Christians to bear witness to God’s intention for human sexuality. Using the guidance of the Bible, early Church fathers, and Christian scholars, Christians can promote God’s will for sexual intimacy as the exclusive and supreme physical act of unity between a man and woman who are drawn together under Him in marriage.The Modern View of SexContemporary Americans place utmost importance in their happiness and freedom of choice. What often defines happiness, according to Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman, is summarized by the acronym PERMA: pleasure, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments. Many seek their purpose, freedom, and sources of fulfillment in their activities, contribution to their environment, and ability to enjoy such pleasures as food, sex, and material comforts.From the Christian perspective, true freedom is attained by dedicating one’s life to the glorification of God and living in liberation from sin. Paul the Apostle verifies this by asserting that man should glorify God in body and spirit and flee from sins, such as sexual immorality, in order to uphold God’s sacred gift that is the human body (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). In the modern view, however, individuals tend to perceive their sexuality as a part of their humanness that demands and deserves total autonomy, and, as a result, use it to exercise their freedom of choice and self-expression.Robert Buffington and his colleagues expand upon the value of sexual freedom in their book, A Global History of Human Sexuality: The Modern Era, by highlighting the way in which the fight for sexual freedom has become a major political issue in contemporary culture. Due to the strongly Western ideal of liberty, sexuality has become yet another aspect of life that can be expressed at the discretion of the individual and supported by advocates within mainstream culture who believe that one’s sexual identity can be self-created.The Implications of the Modern View of SexThe values of modern Americans show that what is deemed to be most important is the idea of choice. Choosing to be involved in relationships, to engage in one’s community, and to enjoy pleasure in proper ways are important for human flourishing, but they are often overemphasized. When we concede to the desire for personal happiness in this way, we distance ourselves from God and move closer to a false self-identity that dictates our choices. Aspects of sexual freedom, such as freedom from sex trafficking and gender-based bullying, are certainly important; but placing sexuality at the center of one’s identity and using it without discretion degrades God’s purpose for human sexuality.In contemporary culture, sex is no longer the act of a man and woman united under God, engaging in sexual unity to raise a godly generation; rather, it is an act of personal choice and freedom where reproduction is often seen as an undesirable consequence.Christians know that true freedom is not anchored in a sexual identity, but in an identity in Christ (Colossians 3:3). Christians have the opportunity to share with others that God’s intention for human sexuality is an exclusive act of union that follows, rather than precedes, deep, God-centered love. Genesis 1:24 demonstrates that kind of love by stating that “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh,” making it clear that God first created men and women, then united them in one flesh by the goodness of marriage.The Goodness of MarriageMarriage is a profound mystery, one that God has planned from the beginning of time. When God created Adam, He gave him the task to name and rule over all the animals of the field and of the air; yet, God saw that Adam was lonely and had “not found a helper like himself” (Genesis 2:20). The beasts of the land, the birds of the air, and all living creatures brought a sense of joy and delight to him, but were not and could not be a fulfilling match for him.So God created woman from the rib of Adam and brought her into Adam’s sight. He exclaimed, “This now is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman” (Genesis 2:23). God blessed this first marriage, saying “increase and multiply,” (Genesis 1:28) for they were to become the models of marriage for humanity as the first parents in complimentary union.The Trinity and MarriageMarriage is true, good, and beautiful because it resembles the oneness of the three divine Persons of the Trinity. The perfect bond and oneness of the Blessed Trinity makes them inseparable; this also occurs in the sacrament of matrimony when the marital bond of husband and wife is sealed by God.Sam Allberry further reflects that “by virtue of their marital union, man and wife are able to arrive at a kind of oneness that can reflect the oneness of God the Trinity.” This oneness is possible by the gifts that proceed from the Trinity and should reflect in marriage: totality, unity, and fidelity. The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church states:…the characteristic traits of marriage are: totality, by which the spouse gives themselves to each other mutually in every aspect of their person, physical and spiritual; unity, which makes them “one flesh” (Gen 2:24); indissolubility and fidelity which the definitive mutual giving of self requires; the fruitfulness to which this naturally opens itself.Marriage also images the Trinity by way of the Holy Spirit, which is the fruit of the Father and the Son’s reciprocal love. In the same way, a child is the fruit of the husband and wife’s love.These traits seem to have faded away in modern society. The totality of marriage has been degraded to merely pleasure and selfishness. Pornography has objectified women and men by taking the sexual act out of its proper context within marriage, thereby debasing it by taking away its inherent beauty and unity. This perversion of marital fidelity and privacy, which continues to grow with an ever-increasing number of porn websites and a consuming public that justifies its consumption through a relativistic mindset, prevents the world from seeing the goodness and dignity of marriage.The Purpose of MarriageGod’s oneness, which only He can give, can be seen in the creation of man when God made woman from the rib of Adam, her husband. God did not take a foot or a strand of hair from Adam to create Eve. No: He took a rib to show man the equal dignity of male and female. Matthew Henry expands upon this: “[T]he woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.”The purpose of marriage is not, as John Chrysostom puts it, for “indecency and laughter,” but “for the sake of begetting offspring and in the fidelity of chastity” (Augustine). Chrysostom understood that the unique beauty of marriage will dissipate in the swamps of infidelity. Thus, marriage is and can only be between one man and one woman. Anything other than this is contrary to God’s plan. Its purpose is unitive and fruitful, and glows in the eyes of God. It is precious and holy, for it has the potential to bring into this world another human being that is capable of knowing God.The nature of marriage is ordained for “the procreation and education of the offspring, and it is in them that it finds its crowning glory.” Yet, God’s merciful love and compassion not only enriches the fertile womb, but exceeds in bounty to marriages that have gone through the hardships of infertility and miscarriage, thus making marriage not only procreative in nature, but also unitive. God’s love ensures that experiencing these great trials can still bear the fruit of unitive marital love. The Catechism of the Catholic Church plainly states: “Spouses to whom God has not granted children can nevertheless have a conjugal life full of meaning, in both human and Christian terms. Their marriage can radiate a fruitfulness of charity, of hospitality, and of sacrifice.” This shows the infinite goodness and love of God, whose love makes “the human person the authentic image of the Blessed Trinity, [the] image of God.”Clara Ramos and Shania Burch are students at Regent University.