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Slaves of Christ November 20, 2009  "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." (Romans 6:22)  There are several words translated "servants" in the New Testament, but the most common is doulos, as in our text, and its actual meaning is "bondservants," or "slaves." Its root meaning is to tie or bind and was commonly applied to the slaves in the Roman empire at the time of Christ.   The apostle Paul had reminded the Roman Christians that they were the slaves of sin...

Spiritual Warfare and Sin: Examine Yourself Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. --Psalm 139:23-24 The philosopher Socrates said, "An unexamined life is not worth living." If a common philosopher could think that, how much more we Christians ought to listen to the Holy Spirit when He says, "Examine yourself." An unexamined Christian lies like an unattended garden. Let your garden go unattended for a few months, and you will not have roses and tomatoes but...

We, as Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christians, have gathered, beginning in New York on September 28, 2009, to make the following declaration, which we sign as individuals, not on behalf of our organizations, but speaking to and from our communities. We act together in obedience to the one true God, the triune God of holiness and love, who has laid total claim on our lives and by that claim calls us with believers in all ages and all nations to seek and defend the good of all who bear his image.... While the whole scope of Christian moral concern, including...

I was so moved reading this last night. Ballad of the White Horse is Chesterton's poem about the English King Alfred, who fought the Danes in 878. "But it is also the story of Christianity battling against the destructive forces of nihilism and heathenism" (Alquist comments). The Blessed Virgin has appeared to King Alfred right before the battle; he queries her as to the outcome of the battle. "If he fail or if he win/ To no good man is told," she tells him. And continues: The men of the East may spell the stars, And times and triumphs mark,...

www.catholicnewsagency.com Unprecedented coalition of religious leaders call Americans to stand for sanctity of life, marriage, and religious freedom Washington D.C., Nov 20, 2009 / 06:21 am (CNA).- An unprecedented coalition of prominent Christian clergy, ministry leaders, and scholars has crafted a 4,700-word declaration addressing the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty. The declaration issues “a clarion call” to Christians to adhere to their convictions and informs civil authorities that the signers will not “under any circumstance” abandon their Christian consciences. The statement,  called “the Manhattan Declaration,” has been signed by more than 125 Catholic, Evangelical Christian, and Orthodox...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 20 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "0 Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul." - Lamentations 3:58 Observe how positively the prophet speaks. He doth not say, "I hope, I trust, I sometimes think, that God hath pleaded the causes of my soul"; but he speaks of it as a matter of fact not to be disputed. "Thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul." Let us, by the aid of the gracious Comforter, shake off those doubts and fears which so much mar our peace and comfort. Be this our prayer, that we...

The Gates of Hell November 19, 2009  "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18)  Many take this verse to teach security, that although Satan and his henchmen are attacking, the church and the Christian are safe within their fortress. In fact, many commentators and translators understand "gates" metaphorically, feeling that since gates are strong and important, they can be viewed as synonymous with "power," implying that the "power of hell" is marshaled against the church....

Spiritual Warfare and Sin: No Private Sin Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened.... --1 Corinthians 5:6-7 No sin is private. It may be secret but it is not private. It is a great error to hold, as some do, that each man's conduct is his own business unless his acts infringe on the rights of others. "My liberty ends where yours begins," is true, but that is not all the truth....

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 19 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Avoid foolish questions." - Titus 3:9 Our days are few, and are far better spent in doing good, than in disputing over matters which are, at best, of minor importance. The old schoolmen did a world of mischief by their incessant discussion of subjects of no practical importance; and our Churches suffer much from petty wars over abstruse points and unimportant questions. After everything has been said that can be said, neither party is any the wiser, and therefore the discussion no more promotes knowledge than love, and it is...

Devotional using scripture, quote from John Calvin and thoughts for the day each day- on the 500th anniversary of Calvin's birth. Hebrews 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we...

Christ and the Writings of Moses November 18, 2009  "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?" (John 5:46-47)  This sharp rebuke by Jesus to the Jewish leaders who were seeking an occasion to have Him executed came as the climax to a long message following His miracle at the pool of Bethesda. These Jews always made a great show of allegiance to the teachings of Moses in the Pentateuch, so Jesus pointed out that this was hypocritical, since...

Spiritual Warfare and Sin: The Erotic Age It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles-that a man has his father's wife! --1 Corinthians 5:1 The period in which we now live may well go down in history as the Erotic Age. Sex love has been elevated into a cult. Eros has more worshipers among civilized men today than any other god. For millions the erotic has completely displaced the spiritual.... Now if this god would let us Christians alone I for one would let his...

This in depth Bible study will fortify and lock in the unchangeable teachings of the absolute security of the one who has put their trust in Jesus Christ, Almighty God's Savior to all men. Bring your Bible and dig in!

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 18 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "A spring shut up, a fountain sealed." - Song of Solomon 4:12 In this metaphor, which has reference to the inner life of a believer, we have very plainly the idea of secrecy. It is a spring shut up: just as there were springs in the East, over which an edifice was built, so that none could reach them save those who knew the secret entrance; so is the heart of a believer when it is renewed by grace: there is a mysterious life within which no human skill can...

In her new book Sarah Palin writes that one summer at Bible Camp she "put my life in my creator's hands and trust Him as I sought my life's path." For Palin, this grand divine plan was "a natural progression." She writes. And later, "I don't believe in coincidences." Which leads me to ask: What does she believe is God's plan for her? Does she have any free will or is everything preordained. Can she see something coming and change her mind despite God's plans for her? Did God plan for her to become Governor of Alaska. If so, did...

Flowing Faces November 17, 2009  "They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed." (Psalm 34:5)  This is a fascinating verse, speaking of the wonderful afterglow on a believer's countenance when the Lord has answered an urgent and specific prayer. The previous verse contains such a testimony: "I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." So does the following verse: "This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles" (vv. 4, 6). The answered prayer had been so remarkable that...

Spiritual Warfare and Sin: Resentment Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled. --Hebrews 12:15 In the course of scores of conferences and hundreds of conversations I have many times heard people say, "I resent that." But I repeat: I have never heard the words used by a victorious man. Resentment simply cannot dwell in a loving heart. Before resentfulness can enter, love must take its flight and bitterness take over. The bitter soul will compile a list of slights at which...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 17 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "To whom be glory for ever. Amen" - Romans 11:36 "To whom be glory for ever." This should be the single desire of the Christian. All other wishes must be subservient and tributary to this one. The Christian may wish for prosperity in his business, but only so far as it may help him to promote this-"To him be glory for ever." He may desire to attain more gifts and more graces, but it should only be that "To him may be glory for ever." You are not acting as...

You have seen my coming declared by many in many ways , yet now as mary knew and as Gideon saw me I shall not disappoint , for in this very day and time my appointed "yeah" my Apostles shall declare my promises in love for truly I have already come in and through my children of obedience and living zeal, My righteousness " Alive and unearthed " for truly It is heavenly and eternal for " I AM Risen in you as my great cloud of witnesses dressed in My righteousness" ! Yeah My majesty \o/ Rejoice and declare...

Around 110 people showed up for a prayer meeting Thursday evening in the home of former megachurch pastor Ted Haggard. Though the meeting, which Haggard said was arranged to connect with friends and help people, was expected to draw between five and 20 people, it ended up drawing around 80 of Haggard's acquaintances and around 30 people Haggard had never met. “It’s a ‘Kumbaya’ moment,” Haggard, 58, told the Denver Post afterward. Thursday’s prayer meeting was held roughly three years after a drugs and sex scandal led to Haggard's resignation from the presidency of the National Association of Evangelicals and...

“Do we regard the Christian way as the only way, so that salvation is not to be found outside it; or do we regard the other great religions of mankind as other ways of life and salvation?” - Religious Philosopher John Hick Pluralism, the belief that all religions are equal, contradicts the entire premise of religion. If all religion is equally true, what is the point of subscribing exclusively to one? People initially believe in a certain doctrine or religion because of faith and conviction that it is true. Likewise they reject other doctrine as false. Within respective faiths, most...

That there are so many ways “to kill a cat” was manifested when a woman engaged a self-styled pastor in brawl over the payment of some cosmetics. The 29-year-old cosmetics seller, Afia Ellen, realising that she could not stand the punches of the pastor, made conscious efforts to bite the tip of his manhood. Opanin Kyeame Badu, an elder of Ahohomasu, told The Spectator that, the pastor, only known as Pastor Emmanuel had been indulging in “pray for me”, and he is yet to establish his church properly. He said, about a month ago, he bought some cosmetics from Afia...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 16 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul." - Lamentations 3:24 It is not "The Lord is partly my portion," nor "The Lord is in my portion"; but he himself makes up the sum total of my soul's inheritance. Within the circumference of that circle lies all that we possess or desire. The Lord is my portion. Not his grace merely, nor his love, nor his covenant, but Jehovah himself. He has chosen us for his portion, and we have chosen him for ours. It is true that the Lord...

BEIJING - As President Barack Obama prepares for his first visit to China, leaders of the unapproved churches there are condemning his administration for indifference to the increasing persecution they are facing. The latest example of that persecution came Sunday as followers of an unapproved church in Beijing were again forced by the government to find a new place to worship. Worship in China, governed by the officially atheist Communist Party, is allowed only in state-approved churches, but millions of people belong to unregistered churches that often face official harassment.

Christians need to realize that being a true Christian does not mean you are to be proud and boastful. It does not mean that you will be blessed with money and riches as the prosperity pimps like T.D. Jakes, Kenneth Hagin, Joyce Meyer, Paul Crouch and others preach. No, true Christianity is a call to be imitators of Christ, not seekers of worldly goods. After all, what did Christ do? Did he go around town riding in style? No. Did he have tons of money? No. What did He do? He gave his own life to Save ours. Yet...

A play depicting Jesus as a gay man played to an appreciative audience in a packed church sanctuary tonight while a handful of protesters outside called it blasphemous. It was the second showing of "Corpus Christi" in Orange County in about two years. The show sparked protests and bomb threats at its 1998 opening at the Manhattan Theatre Club in New York. The play depicts Jesus as a gay man living in 1950s Corpus Christi, Texas, playwright Terrence McNally's hometown. The cast of 13 portray Jesus and the 12 Apostles. The Church of the Foothills in Santa Ana received hate...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 15 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The Lord's portion is his people." - Deuteronomy 32:9 How are they his? By his own sovereign choice. He chose them, and set his love upon them. This he did altogether apart from any goodness in them at the time, or any goodness which he foresaw in them. He had mercy on whom he would have mercy, and ordained a chosen company unto eternal life; thus, therefore, are they his by his unconstrained election. They are not only his by choice, but by purchase. He has bought and paid for...

The beginnings of the Anabaptist movement are firmly rooted in the earlier centuries. The Baptists have a spiritual posterity of many ages of liberty-loving Christians. The movement was as old as Christianity; the Reformation gave an occasion for a new and varied history. The statement of Mosheim who was a learned Lutheran historian, as to the origin of the Baptists, has never been successfully attacked. He says: The origin of the sect, who from their repetition of baptism received in other communities, are called Anabaptists, but who are also denominated Mennonites, from the celebrated man to whom they owe a...

Apologies for the vanity. I'm looking for FReepers in Dallas, TX to try to regain contact with someone in an Evangelical Church there.They helped me make it through one of the toughest times of my life and promised to email me later, but never did. I never got a chance to properly thank them and tell them my life was truly changed.The only clues I have are that they had in 2006 an assistant pastor whose voice sounded like Al Michaels and they were about 20 minutes away from downtown Dallas.Can someone jog my memory?

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 14 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "I will cut off them that worship and that swear by the Lord, and that swear by Malcham." - Zephaniah 1:5 Such persons thought themselves safe because they were with both parties: they went with the followers of Jehovah, and bowed at the same time to Malcham. But duplicity is abominable with God, and hypocrisy his soul hateth. The idolater who distinctly gives himself to his false god, has one sin less than he who brings his polluted and detestable sacrifice unto the temple of the Lord, while his heart...

Evangelist Tony Alamo was sentenced Friday to 175 years in prison for taking underage girls across state lines for sex, effectively punishing him for the rest of his life for molesting children he took as "brides" in his ministry. During Friday's hearing, some of Alamo's victims testified about how their families were destroyed while the evangelist took over their lives. Alamo, 75, was convicted in July on a 10-count federal indictment. U.S. District Judge Harry F. Barnes said Alamo used his status as father figure and pastor and threatened the girls with "the loss of their salvation." "Mr. Alamo, one...

The Story of Nicodemus November 13, 2009  "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews." (John 3:1)  The man named Nicodemus appears only on three occasions in the New Testament, but these three reveal a most remarkable character. In a way, he has become a "type" of all those who come to Christ for salvation. This was not easy for him, both because he was a member of the Pharisees who vigorously opposed Jesus, and also because he was a member of the Sanhedrin, the governing council which would eventually vote to have...

Spiritual Warfare and Sin: Wrong Judgment Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. --Galatians 6:7 Sin, I repeat, in addition to anything else it may be, is always an act of wrong judgment. To commit a sin a man must for the moment believe that things are different from what they really are; he must confound values; he must see the moral universe out of focus; he must accept a lie as truth and see truth as a lie; he must ignore the signs on the highway and drive...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 13 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The branch cannot bear fruit of itself." - John 15:4 How did you begin to bear fruit? It was when you came to Jesus and cast yourselves on his great atonement, and rested on his finished righteousness. Ah! what fruit you had then! Do you remember those early days? Then indeed the vine flourished, the tender grape appeared, the pomegranates budded forth, and the beds of spices gave forth their smell. Have you declined since then? If you have, we charge you to remember that time of love, and repent,...

The Absence of Sin November 12, 2009  "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (2 Peter 3:13)  For thousands of years the followers of God have battled against "principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world" (Ephesians 6:12) led by Lucifer, that old serpent, the arch rebel and self-appointed accuser of the saints of God. Although assured of the ultimate victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, Christians have often suffered cruelly at the hands of Lucifer and his followers.   As Christians, the aching longing...

November 12 Spiritual Warfare and Sin: Be Ye Holy And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: 'You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.'" --Leviticus 19:1-2 No one whose senses have been exercised to know good and evil but must grieve over the sight of zealous souls seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit while they are yet living in a state of moral carelessness or borderline sin. Such a thing is a moral contradiction. Whoever would be filled and indwelt...

America’s mainstream religious denominations used to teach the faithful that they would be rewarded in the afterlife. But over the past generation, a different strain of Christian faith has proliferated—one that promises to make believers rich in the here and now. Known as the prosperity gospel, and claiming tens of millions of adherents, it fosters risk-taking and intense material optimism. It pumped air into the housing bubble. And one year into the worst downturn since the Depression, it’s still going strong. Like the ambitions of many immigrants who attend services there, Casa del Padre’s success can be measured by upgrades...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 12 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The trial of your faith." - 1 Peter 1:7 Faith untried may be true faith, but it is sure to be little faith, and it is likely to remain dwarfish so long as it is without trials. Faith never prospers so well as when all things are against her: tempests are her trainers, and lightnings are her illuminators. When a calm reigns on the sea, spread the sails as you will, the ship moves not to its harbour; for on a slumbering ocean the keel sleeps too. Let the winds...

The Scriptures Teach Christ November 11, 2009  "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." (John 5:39)  This challenge was posed by the Lord Jesus to the Jewish leaders when they objected to His healing a hopelessly crippled man on the Sabbath day. Rather than attempting to justify this Sabbath miracle, however, Jesus realized that their real objection was far more serious, so He proceeded to preach a long message to them (29 verses), assuring them that, not only was He doing the will of the heavenly...

November 11 Spiritual Warfare and Sin: Fight or Die For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. --1 John 2:16-17 Someday the church can relax her guard, call her watchmen down from the wall and live in safety and peace; but not yet, not yet.... The healthiest man has enough lethal bacteria in him to kill him...

EVIDENCE FOR THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST A Challenge for Skeptics [ NOTE: For a response to the book The Empty Tomb: Jesus Beyond the Grave (Prometheus, 2005) by Lowder / Price see the free 500+ page E-book This Joyful Eastertide: A Critical Review of The Empty Tomb  (PDF) by Steve Hays, et al (c) 2006 ] A reasonable challenge to the skeptic is this: If it can be proved that Jesus really rose from the dead, will you believe in him? For if he really rose, that validates his claim to be divine and not merely human, for resurrection from...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 11 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Underneath are the everlasting arms." - Deuteronomy 33:27 God-the eternal God-is himself our support at all times, and especially when we are sinking in deep trouble. There are seasons when the Christian sinks very low in humiliation. Under a deep sense of his great sinfulness, he is humbled before God till he scarcely knows how to pray, because he appears, in his own sight, so worthless. Well, child of God, remember that when thou art at thy worst and lowest, yet "underneath" thee "are everlasting arms." Sin may drag thee...

This topic forces us to assess the relationship between science and spirituality: is the invisible spiritual realm generated from the material or should it be considered as having a separate existence? Is religion a phenomenon that can ultimately be explained by science in naturalistic ways, or does religion represent a dimension of reality that cannot be directly probed by the methodologies of science? In an essay in Science, Elizabeth Culotta writes: ...

DEAR LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY, THIS HOUR AND THIS SECOND. LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME YOUR SAINTS CAN GATHER BEFORE YOUR THRONE OF GRACE WITH PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION. LORD, WE PRAY FOR ALL OF YOUR SAINTS NO MATTER WHERE THEY MAY BE OR WHATEVER THEIR NEED. LORD, WE PRAY ESPECIALLY FOR OUR TROOPS AND PATRIOTS WHO FAITHFULLY PLACE THERE PRAYERS FOR OUR HEROES AT THE FOOT OF THE THRONE,AND TO ALL MEMBERS OF GOVERNMENT WHO HOLD YOUR TRUTHS CLOSE TO THEIR HEARTS. LORD, WE PRAY FOR YOUR CONTINUED HAND OF GUIDANCE AND PROTECTION IN...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - November 10 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "The eternal God is thy refuge." - Deuteronomy 33:27 The word refuge may be translated "mansion," or "abiding- place," which gives the thought that God is our abode, our home. There is a fulness and sweetness in the metaphor, for dear to our hearts is our home, although it be the humblest cottage, or the scantiest garret; and dearer far is our blessed God, in whom we live, and move, and have our being. It is at home that we feel safe: we shut the world out and dwell in...

The issue of the Christian's relationship to government is a very important issue. It has been through all of the church's history. Christian's have always had to face this issue, and even to struggle with it. Where the church has found itself in all kinds of places, in all kinds of governments, under all kinds of rulers, with all kinds of perspectives and forms of leading and ruling. And so Christians have always had to deal with this matter of how do you respond to your government? Traditionally and historically in our own country we have had less trouble with...

Lest We Forget November 9, 2009  "Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons." (Deuteronomy 4:9)  This admonition was given by God through Moses as the children of Israel were preparing finally to enter God’s promised land.   God had done mighty things for them--delivering them from slavery in Egypt, parting the Red Sea for them, feeding them for forty years with water from a...

November 9 Spiritual Warfare and Sin: The Cost of Quitting For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. --Hebrews 12:3-4 If Satan opposes the new convert he opposes still more bitterly the Christian who is pressing on toward a higher life in Christ. The Spirit-filled life is not, as many suppose, a life of peace and quiet pleasure. It is likely to be something quite the opposite. Viewed one way it is a pilgrimage through a robber-infested forest;...

Posted on Nov 9, 2009 | by Staff MOSCOW (BP)--New legislation being considered by Russian lawmakers could drastically restrict missions activity if made into law. Restrictions could include requiring missionaries and Russian Christians to obtain permission to engage in missionary activity and limiting its locations and participants, such as tourists and minors. While the proposals are currently in the draft stages, language introduced by the Russian Ministry of Justice Oct. 12 indicates that if these laws are enacted they will greatly restrict religious freedom. Russian Baptist officials say they believe the new language primarily targets Roman Catholics and Protestants and...

Hello and welcome to another Broadcast of the White Horse Inn. In this program we are going to be taking at a new WHI survey of Christian faith and practice conducted by our producer, Shane Rosenthal. Now we have to say at the outset, this is not a Harris Poll, it is a Rosenthal poll! It is not scientific, but this multiple-choice survey was distributed at a Franklin Graham meeting and Christian music event in St. Louis, August 2, 2009. Facts about the Survey This multiple choice survey was distributed at a Franklin Graham evangelism and Christian music event in...