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Times of Refreshing Today's Scripture “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria God promises in His Word to bring you times of refreshing. He doesn’t want you to live overwhelmed, in despair, or weighted down by burdens in this life. Scripture says that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. That means He wants you to live without pressure. He doesn’t expect you to figure everything out because He already has a...

The Never-forsaking God "He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you’ " —Hebrews 13:5 What line of thinking do my thoughts take? Do I turn to what God says or to my own fears? Am I simply repeating what God says, or am I learning to truly hear Him and then to respond after I have heard what He says? “For He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ’The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ � (Hebrews...

June 4, 2012   Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time   Reading 1 2 Pt 1:2-7 Beloved:May grace and peace be yours in abundancethrough knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has bestowed on useverything that makes for life and devotion,through the knowledge of himwho called us by his own glory and power.Through these, he has bestowed on usthe precious and very great promises,so that through them you may come to share in the divine nature,after escaping from the corruption that is in the worldbecause of evil desire.For this very reason,make every effort to...

GARDEN GROVE -- A long-time member of the Crystal Cathedral, whose wife is buried at the church's cemetery, has filed a claim seeking $50,000 for two cemetery sites, $5.6 million from founding pastor Robert H. Schuller and $30 billion from the Catholic Church. David E. Phillippe, of Victorville, argued that Schuller and the Cathedral's board of directors, "that acted at Schuller's bidding," mismanaged the ministry's money and caused the bankruptcy. The sale of the bankrupt Cathedral to the Catholic Diocese of Orange has "permanently desecrated" the campus, Phillippe wrote in his claim, filed April 2 in federal bankruptcy court. The...

“The Secret of the Lord” "The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him . . ." —Psalm 25:14 What is the sign of a friend? Is it that he tells you his secret sorrows? No, it is that he tells you his secret joys. Many people will confide their secret sorrows to you, but the final mark of intimacy is when they share their secret joys with you. Have we ever let God tell us any of His joys? Or are we continually telling God our secrets, leaving Him no time to talk to us? At...

June 3, 2012   The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity   Reading 1 Dt 4:32-34, 39-40 Moses said to the people:"Ask now of the days of old, before your time,ever since God created man upon the earth;ask from one end of the sky to the other:Did anything so great ever happen before?Was it ever heard of?Did a people ever hear the voice of Godspeaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live?Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himselffrom the midst of another nation,by testings, by signs and wonders, by war,with strong...

The Miss USA pageant will be held tomorrow. I’m praying that Miss Texas – Brittany Booker – wins the crown. Not just because she is a “stunning, 5’11”, green-eyed model,” as her Miss Texas biography describes her. And not because she looks fabulous in both an evening gown and a swimsuit (both of which are required in the competition). I’m backing 21-year-old Brittany because she is a devoted Christian. And while she is beautiful on the outside, she is even more beautiful on the inside. A Houston native, Brittany was raised in a Christian family, by parents who instilled in...

Are You Obsessed by Something? "Who is the man that fears the Lord?" —Psalm 25:12 Are you obsessed by something? You will probably say, “No, by nothing,� but all of us are obsessed by something— usually by ourselves, or, if we are Christians, by our own experience of the Christian life. But the psalmist says that we are to be obsessed by God. The abiding awareness of the Christian life is to be God Himself, not just thoughts about Him. The total being of our life inside and out is to be absolutely obsessed by the presence of God....

June 2, 2012 Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time   Reading 1 Jude 17, 20b-25 Beloved, remember the words spoken beforehandby the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.Build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit.Keep yourselves in the love of Godand wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christthat leads to eternal life.On those who waver, have mercy;save others by snatching them out of the fire;on others have mercy with fear,abhorring even the outer garment stained by the flesh. To the one who is able to keep you from stumblingand to present...

There is a price to be paid by reverends who turn their backs on both scripture and their own congregations: The reverend of a St. Paul church says he needs to raise $200,000 to pay off a church loan after most of his followers left because of his support for gay marriage. The Rev. Oliver White runs Grace Community United Church of Christ in St. Paul. The 69-year-old said he needs to raise the money by June 30. “We lost our income when we lost a number of people from our congregation.” White said. White said two-thirds of his followers...

The “Daniel Diet� launched by Pastor Rick Warren at Saddleback Community Church has a lot of people talking. About a month ago, a national paper asked me to comment on this latest plan from a passionately creative Christian leader. It was the health editor. Never talked to a health editor before, ever. I rarely talk to a health provider. So besides unwillingness to criticize a brother in public over a totally unimportant issue, about which I knew nothing except for what the editor told me, I declined in short order.Yet now here TIME magazine spotlights the “Daniel Diet�-and does...

Justin Martyr (A.D. 100–165) is important in the history of supersessionism because he was the first Christian writer to explicitly identify the church as “Israel.”[1] Justin declared, “For the true spiritual Israel, and descendants of Judah, Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham . . . are we who have been led to God through this crucified Christ.”[2] He also said, “Since then God blesses this people [i.e., Christians], and calls them Israel, and declares them to be His inheritance, how is it that you [Jews] repent not of the deception you practise on yourselves, as if you alone were the Israel?”[3] Justin...

Live Forward Today's Scripture “...I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13, NLT) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria Have you made the decision to forget the past? Many people don’t fully understand what that means. They wonder, “How can I forget something that’s happened to me?” But one definition of the word forget is to disregard intentionally or to overlook. In other words, you have to choose to disregard your past so that it doesn’t keep you from moving forward. That means the good and the bad. Sometimes...

The Staggering Question "He said to me, ’Son of man, can these bones live?’ " —Ezekiel 37:3 Can a sinner be turned into a saint? Can a twisted life be made right? There is only one appropriate answer— “O Lord God, You know� (Ezekiel 37:3). Never forge ahead with your religious common sense and say, “Oh, yes, with just a little more Bible reading, devotional time, and prayer, I see how it can be done.�It is much easier to do something than to trust in God; we see the activity and mistake panic for inspiration. That is why we...

June 1, 2012   Memorial of Saint Justin Martyr   Reading 1 1 Pt 4:7-13 Beloved:The end of all things is at hand.Therefore be serious and sober-mindedso that you will be able to pray.Above all, let your love for one another be intense,because love covers a multitude of sins.Be hospitable to one another without complaining.As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one anotheras good stewards of God's varied grace.Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God;whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies,so that in all things God may be glorified...

Yet another Christian pastor's anti-gay rant has come to light in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) blogosphere. As first reported by Good As You's Jeremy Hooper, Curtis Knapp, pastor of the New Hope Baptist Church in Seneca, Kan., appears to call for the death of gays in this disturbing audio. "They should be put to death -- that's what happened in Israel," Knapp proclaims. "That's why homosexuality wouldn't have grown in Israel." Listen to the audio below, then scroll down to keep reading:

BRANSON — In the wake of Big Idea Productions’ bankruptcy and sale to new owner Classic Media, VeggieTales characters are struggling to define their post-Big Idea lives. In a modest but clean condominium in Branson, Mo., Bob the Tomato sits on a rented couch and nibbles cheese curls. The window overlooks the busy thoroughfare jammed with tourist traffic. Bob’s chin shows three days of stubble, his eyes the emotional scars of a recent bout with depression, but tonight he’ll be performing again for the first time since Jonah — A VeggieTales Movie. After bouncing around the country for the past...

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who for years was the pastor of Barack and Michelle Obama, told author Edward Klein in a three-hour interview for his book, The Amateur, that the first couple are not "church people." Released last week, the book instantly hit The New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists and is drawing both praise and criticism for its portrayal of the president's inexperience prior to and during his first term. The Christian Post caught up with Klein, a former editor for The New York Times Magazine, and asked him to discuss some details in his book, especially...

A British psychotherapist tricked into offering Christian counseling to what turned out to be an undercover homosexual activist has lost her case with the British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Lesley Pilkington will lose her senior accredited status because of a complaint filed by journalist Patrick Strudwick, who convinced her in 2009 that he wanted to proceed with Christian counseling to deal with unwanted same-gender attraction (see earlier story). That claim was a lie. Pilkington does not find the BACP's thinking to be correct. "They did look at the bigger picture. They said they did, but they dismissed it,...

He Will Deliver You! Today's Scripture “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all” (Psalm 34:19, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria No matter what “troubles” you may be facing today, God has promised to deliver you! Notice today’s verse doesn’t say He’s going to deliver you from “some” of your troubles as long you say and do everything perfectly. No, if you are righteous today, then God promises to deliver you from all of your troubles. How do you know if you are righteous? When you receive Jesus as your...

Put God First "Jesus did not commit Himself to them . . .for He knew what was in man" —John 2:24-25 Put Trust in God First. Our Lord never put His trust in any person. Yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, and never lost hope for anyone, because He put His trust in God first. He trusted absolutely in what God’s grace could do for others. If I put my trust in human beings first, the end result will be my despair and hopelessness toward everyone. I will become bitter because I have insisted that people be what...

May 31, 2012 Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary   Reading 1 Zep 3:14-18a Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!Sing joyfully, O Israel!Be glad and exult with all your heart,O daughter Jerusalem!The LORD has removed the judgment against you,he has turned away your enemies;The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,you have no further misfortune to fear.On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!The LORD, your God, is in your midst,a mighty savior;He will rejoice over you with gladness,and renew you in his love,He will sing joyfully because...

Mack Wolford, a flamboyant Pentecostal pastor from West Virginia whose serpent-handling talents were profiled last November in The Washington Post Magazine , hoped the outdoor service he had planned for Sunday at an isolated state park would be a “homecoming like the old days,” full of folks speaking in tongues, handling snakes and having a “great time.” But it was not the sort of homecoming he foresaw. Instead, Wolford, who turned 44 the previous day, was bitten by a rattlesnake he owned for years. He died late Sunday. Mark Randall “Mack” Wolford was known all over Appalachia as a daring...

Lasota's book "Karol Wojtyla spiato" (Spying on Karol Wojtyla) is available in Italian and can be purchased exclusively onlineThe extent to which the communist secret police controlled Karol Wojtyla’s actions was incredible…” Marek Lasota who was born in 1960 and has a degree in Polish philosophy, with a specialism in history, lives among mounds of letters accumulated by the communist regime and kept in the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), where he is head of the Krakow section. After years of patient research, he has gathered a number of reports and dossiers on Wojtyla. Lasota’s “Karol Wojtyla spiato” (Spying on...

Blameless Today's Scripture “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalm 84:11, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria What do you need from the Lord today? Do you need peace, provision, guidance? The Word of God promises that no good thing will He withhold from those who walk blameless before Him. Now you may be thinking, “Joel, I’m not perfect. How can I be blameless?” The Good News is that when you receive Jesus as your Lord and...

“Yes— But . . .!” "Lord, I will follow You, but . . ." —Luke 9:61 Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally going against it. What will you do? Will you hold back? If you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time you will turn back at the true...

May 30, 2012   Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time   Reading 1 1 Pt 1:18-25 Beloved:Realize that you were ransomed from your futile conduct,handed on by your ancestors,not with perishable things like silver or goldbut with the precious Blood of Christas of a spotless unblemished Lamb.He was known before the foundation of the worldbut revealed in the final time for you,who through him believe in Godwho raised him from the dead and gave him glory,so that your faith and hope are in God. Since you have purified yourselvesby obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love,love one...

Full Title: Did Veggie Tales prove that you can teach kids to behave Christianly without teaching them Christianity? A very interesting article here. Remember those veggies that sung like helium intoxicated chip munks and told stories from the bible almost similar to bible stories? Now there seems to be a hint of regret. You see… VeggieTales “convinced kids to behave Christianly without actually teaching them Christianity.” So says founder Phil Vischer in a new interview. VeggieTales was a rags-to-riches entrepreneurial success story. Vischer and his counterpart, Mike Nawrocki, left college to pursue their dream of making wildly creative children’s videos....

Flourishing Finish Today's Scripture For I know the thoughts and plans I have for you…to give you hope in your final outcome Jeremiah 29:11, AMP. Today's Word from Joel and Victoria God desires to see you flourish in this life. He wants to see you come out of setbacks stronger, wiser, increased and promoted. He wants to give you hope in your final outcome and see you come to a flourishing finish. When my father died unexpectedly, all in our family was not well. We didn’t know how everything was going to turn out. We didn’t have all the...

Untroubled Relationship "In that day you will ask in My name . . . for the Father Himself loves you . . ." —John 16:26-27 In that day you will ask in My name . . . ,� that is, in My nature. Not “You will use My name as some magic word,� but—�You will be so intimate with Me that you will be one with Me.� “That day� is not a day in the next life, but a day meant for here and now. “. . . for the Father Himself loves you . . .�— the Father’s...

The priest who is the Secretary to the Cardinal's Commission.

May 29, 2012 Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time   Reading 1 1 Pt 1:10-16 Beloved:Concerning the salvation of your soulsthe prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yourssearched and investigated itinvestigating the time and circumstancesthat the Spirit of Christ within them indicatedwhen it testified in advanceto the sufferings destined for Christand the glories to follow them.It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but youwith regard to the things that have now been announced to youby those who preached the Good News to youthrough the Holy Spirit sent from heaven,things into...

A Hebrew University archeologist says finds at a new dig site near Jerusalem are backing up the biblical narrative of an Israelite kingdom centered on Jerusalem in 1000 BC, around the time of King David and his son, King Solomon. Professor Yosef Garfinkel has been digging at Khirbet Qeiyafa near the Jerusalem suburb of Beit Shemesh since 2007. Carbon dating of unearthed olive pits has put the period of activity at Khirbet Qeiyafa at 1020 BC - 980 BC, almost exactly the period of time the Bible says David and Solomon were active in the region. The dating, together with...

Those who hold to replacement theology often claim that the New Testament is silent concerning the idea of a restoration of the nation Israel. But is the New Testament really silent on this matter? Matthew 19:28 and Luke 22:30 appear to be two passages among several that offer explicit New Testament evidence in favor of a restoration of the nation Israel. Matthew 19:28states: And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones,...

God's Value System Today's Scripture Keep me as the apple of your eye… Psalm 17:8, NIV. Today's Word from Joel and Victoria In this day and age, people are considered to be important for so many different reasons—titles, position, possessions, where you go, what you drive. But God’s value system is very different from the value system of the world. God cherishes and values you so much simply because He made you. You are His beloved creation—the apple of His eye; the center of His world! If you’ve ever thought that God has too many other important things on...

Unquestion Revelation "In that day you will ask Me nothing" —John 16:23 When is “that day�? It is when the ascended Lord makes you one with the Father. “In that day� you will be one with the Father just as Jesus is, and He said, “In that day you will ask Me nothing.� Until the resurrection life of Jesus is fully exhibited in you, you have questions about many things. Then after a while you find that all your questions are gone— you don’t seem to have any left to ask. You have come to the point of total...

May 28, 2012 Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time   Reading 1 1 Pt 1:3-9 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hopethrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,kept in heaven for youwho by the power of God are safeguarded through faith,to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.In this you rejoice, although now for a little whileyou may have to suffer through various trials,so that the...

Introduction The purpose of this is to let you know seven differences between Mormonism and traditional Christianity (Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox). Many would think that Mormonism is simply a part of Christianity, particularly since they are called “The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints” (emphasis added). The problem is that we, as traditional Christians, think that Mormonism is teaching another Jesus than what the Bible teaches (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 13-15). The Seven Differences 1. Mormon scripture teaches that all the various Christian denominations, particularly the Presbyterians, Baptists, and Methodists, are all considered by Jesus Christ to be “wrong.”...

The Life To Know Him ". . . tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high" —Luke 24:49 The disciples had to tarry, staying in Jerusalem until the day of Pentecost, not only for their own preparation but because they had to wait until the Lord was actually glorified. And as soon as He was glorified, what happened? “Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear� (Acts 2:33). The...

May 27, 2012 Pentecost Sunday, Mass during the Day   Reading 1 Acts 2:1-11 When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,they were all in one place together.And suddenly there came from the skya noise like a strong driving wind,and it filled the entire house in which they were.Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,which parted and came to rest on each one of them.And they were all filled with the Holy Spiritand began to speak in different tongues,as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.At this...

May 26, 2012 Pentecost Sunday at the Vigil    Reading 1 Gn 11:1-9 The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words.While the people were migrating in the east,they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.They said to one another,"Come, let us mold bricks and harden them with fire."They used bricks for stone, and bitumen for mortar.Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a cityand a tower with its top in the sky,and so make a name for ourselves;otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth." The LORD came down to...

The porn industry was featured last night on CNBC, which took its viewers “inside the $13 billion business of pleasure.” Well, there is no doubt that millions of Americans derive pleasure from porn, which may be found at the magazine stand, in the video store, on regular and pay-per-view cable and, of course, all over the Internet. But it is the passing pleasure of sin, as the Scripture warns us. It has a corrosive effect on our souls. That is borne out by the powerful testimonies of men and women alike who have experienced, first-hand, the deleterious effects of porn...

Thinking of Prayer as Jesus Taught "Pray without ceasing . . ." —1 Thessalonians 5:17 Our thinking about prayer, whether right or wrong, is based on our own mental conception of it. The correct concept is to think of prayer as the breath in our lungs and the blood from our hearts. Our blood flows and our breathing continues “without ceasing�; we are not even conscious of it, but it never stops. And we are not always conscious of Jesus keeping us in perfect oneness with God, but if we are obeying Him, He always is. Prayer is not...

It is a sign of the times that the Trayvon Martin case is waning away from public attention, and that the U.S. Catholic bishops have not addressed the fundamental issues of racial justice at stake for the nation. A failure to address the social structures and culture that is death-dealing for African-American and Latino men and women in America -- the context for the Feb. 26 killing of Martin -- is a “supreme dishonor to the Creator” in terms of the most basic tenet of Catholic social teaching: that we are all made in the image and likeness of God....

May 26, 2012   Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest   Reading 1 Acts 28:16-20, 30-31 When he entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself,with the soldier who was guarding him. Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews.When they had gathered he said to them, "My brothers,although I had done nothing against our peopleor our ancestral customs,I was handed over to the Romans as a prisoner from Jerusalem.After trying my case the Romans wanted to release me,because they found nothing against me deserving the death penalty.But when the Jews objected, I was obliged to...

He’s Working on Your Behalf Today's Scripture “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria No matter what you may be facing, no matter what trial you may be going through, God has a plan to turn things around in your favor. He is working behind the scenes, and He is working for your good! Are you a believer in Jesus? Do you love Him? Then you are called according to His purposes. Right...

The Good or The Best? "If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left" —Genesis 13:9 As soon as you begin to live the life of faith in God, fascinating and physically gratifying possibilities will open up before you. These things are yours by right, but if you are living the life of faith you will exercise your right to waive your rights, and let God make your choice for you. God sometimes allows you to get into a place of testing...

May 25, 2012   Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 25:13b-21 King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesareaon a visit to Festus.Since they spent several days there,Festus referred Paul's case to the king, saying,"There is a man here left in custody by Felix.When I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jewsbrought charges against him and demanded his condemnation.I answered them that it was not Roman practiceto hand over an accused person before he has faced his accusersand had the opportunity to defend himself against their charge.So when they came together...

JAKARTA — Just a few days after Lady Gaga’s concert in Indonesia was canceled after protests by Islamic groups, I flew 1,370 kilometers from Jakarta to Padang, West Sumatra, and drove a further 130 kilometers, a four-hour journey along rough, winding roads, to Sijunjung, to visit an Indonesian atheist jailed for his beliefs. Alex Aan, a 30-year-old civil servant, is a gentle, soft-spoken, highly intelligent young man who simply gave up his belief in God when he saw poverty, war, famine and disaster around the world. He faces the possibility of up to six years in prison, charged with blasphemy,...

It is Well with You Today's Scripture “Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds” (Isaiah 3:10, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria No matter what’s happening in your life, God wants you to know that it is well with you today! Now you may say, “Joel, it is not well in my finances. I’m struggling. I’m in debt.” That’s okay. It’s not the end. God is still working. Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord your Provider, has breakthroughs coming your way. If all is not well in your health, don’t...