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“If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Peter 4:14). The indwelling Holy Spirit allows us to rejoice, no matter how greatly we suffer or are persecuted. One of the greatest scientific breakthroughs of the past half century has been the discovery of the DNA molecule, which carries unique and essential genetic information about all living beings. The most well-known practical application of DNA has been the “fingerprinting” technique in which genetic information from one DNA sample is compared with that of another. If...

Almost five years after hiring The Rev. Tony Lowden as its first black lead pastor, Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, where former President Jimmy Carter is a member, has hired The Rev. Ashley Guthas as its first woman pastor. The 2023 McAfee School of Theology graduate, whose hiring was first reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, previously served as associate minister to families with children and youth at Northside Drive Baptist Church in Atlanta. She is a divorcee who says she still feels "uneasy labeling myself as a pastor." Northside Drive Baptist Church announced her hiring last August, highlighting her...

“But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation” (1 Peter 4:13). We should rejoice in trials and persecutions, not for their own sake, but for the benefits that result. The late D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, in his classic book Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, made the following careful distinction on what it means to rejoice in persecution: “The Christian is, in a sense, one who must feel his heart breaking at the effect of sin in others that makes...

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). We can be certain of God’s love for us, no matter how unexpected or difficult any trial might be. Reassuring words are vital as we strive to deal in a godly fashion with trials and sufferings in our Christian lives. In today’s verse, Peter opens with a pastoral term (“beloved”) that conveys tenderness, love, and concern for his audience. It reinforces in a single word the concepts of fervent love...

On today’s Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck is joined by the Kwak brothers to break down why the year 2030 is so pivotal for the Great Reset agenda—and how the push for global government and a digital currency is growing at an alarming rate. Does this sinister movement have prophetic implications? Watch now!

“Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9). All of Satan’s involvement in our sufferings and trials is under God’s control, which means our success against him is also in God’s sovereign hands. During the past twenty-five years, there has been a tremendous upsurge of interest in the occult, Satan worship, and evil supernatural influences. Such unwise fascination has had an impact on the church and...

“We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). We will be better prepared for what God teaches us through trials if we have a basic understanding of His providence. I believe it is vital that all Christians have an essential awareness of God’s providence if they want to be fully prepared to cope with life’s adversity. Providence is how He orchestrates, through natural means and processes, all things necessary to accomplish His purposes in the world. It is the most...

SÃO PAULO, Brazil (RNS) — Conservative Christians are accusing the pop star Madonna, who gave a free concert on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach May 4, of including satanic rituals in the show, with catastrophic consequences for Brazil. The concert, the last stop on Madonna’s The Celebration Tour, drew more than 1.6 million Brazilians and fans from neighboring countries and was aired in its entirety on Rede Globo, the national TV network. Besides a diverse cast and some sexual play that LGBTQ+ Brazilians and other minorities said spotlighted their communities, the show projected images of Brazilian human rights icons, including...

The Presbyterian Church in America has canceled a panel discussion scheduled for its churchwide gathering next month that would have included Evangelical writer and New York Times columnist David French in response to much opposition. ByFaith, the official magazine of the PCA, reported on Tuesday that the panel scheduled for the theologically conservative denomination's June General Assembly in Richmond, Virginia, had been canceled."The concerns that have been raised about the seminar and its topic have been so significant that it seems wisest for the peace and unity of the church not to proceed in this way," stated the PCA Administrative...

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Genuine believers will react thankfully to trials and suffering. Preventive spiritual maintenance is very important. If we are disciplined believers, we’ll practice it and prepare ourselves for any kind of trials and hardships. Then when the unexpected happens, we’ll be able to respond in a godly manner and truly appreciate what the Lord is teaching us. The attitude expressed in today’s verse is basic and is one of the strongest antidotes to fear and lack of preparation...

“‘And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock’” (Matthew 7:25). Faithfulness in discipleship will mean we are prepared for the worst possible adversity and trial. People are often unprepared for life’s unexpected upheavals. This was vividly illustrated by the once-in-500-year floods that struck the Northern Plains of the United States in the spring of 1997. One community on the Red River in North Dakota was especially devastated by the surprising events. After working diligently for days to...

Hat tip to Maudeen for finding this video Video is 19:24 in length

David Jeremiah is interviewed by someone from 100 Huntley Street Video is 11:36 in length

“God has not given us a spirit of timidity [fear], but of power and love and discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). The true follower of Christ has no reason to fear potential sufferings and trials. Concerning frustration and fear at the 1992 Winter Olympics, speed skater Dan Jansen said, “What happened was I skated a race that I can only describe as tentative. I looked good. I didn’t slip. Yet something kept me from going flat out.” The favored Jansen, haunted by well-publicized failures to win medals in 1988 or 1992, finally overcame his fear and triumphed in 1994 in the...

A pastor in Wichita Falls, Texas, has been found guilty on six charges of indecency with a child by contact. The jury deliberated less than an hour before finding Ronnie Killingsworth, the 79-year-old pastor of Rephidim Church, guilty, the Wichita Falls Times Record News reported. Killingsworth elected to have the jury impose his punishment, who sentenced him to 84 years in prison and $60,000 in fines, KFDX reported. The first four prison terms — totaling 42 years — are to be served concurrently with the sentences for counts 5 and 6 to be served consecutively after the conclusion of the...

“But let the brother of humble circumstances glory in his high position; and let the rich man glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away” (James 1:9-10). God does not exempt any believer, rich or poor, from trials and suffering. There is a basic principle of life that we all know to be true—namely, that trials and sufferings do not exclude privileged people. This is a humbling truth that we don’t always like to acknowledge, yet it operates before us regularly in such things as natural disasters. No one can deny that large-scale floods, hurricanes, or...

“‘But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living’” (Job 28:12-13). God’s wisdom is our source for understanding life and all its trials. The supernatural wisdom believers need in order to understand their trials is simply not available from our society. During Job’s ordeal he soon learned the utter inadequacy both of his reason and his friends’ misguided advice. That led him to the profound conclusion that the Lord’s wisdom is the only source for comprehending life and all its...

Bit of an older video which I'm going to use as a lead-in to a video from a woman shopping in China (6-month old video). In her video (which follows) she must have a phone app tied to a Chinese bank account and MUST have FACIAL RECOGNITION to authorize the spending from that account. Rich or Poor Free or Bond (slave, essentially) Great or Small (Famous or not famous) THIS is how various governments around the world will control their citizens. You don't have to believe it; but you can watch it continue to unfold.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). God entrusts comfort to us, often through trials, so that we may comfort others. The nation of Ireland is nicknamed the “Emerald Isle” for good reason—it contains some of the greenest countryside of any location on earth. In visiting there I have noticed that abundant...

Southern Baptist congregations saw growth in baptisms, worship attendance and small group participation in 2023, while membership decline slowed compared to recent years, according to the Annual Church Profile (ACP) compiled by Lifeway Christian Resources.The 2023 ACP, a statistical census of Southern Baptist congregations that included responses from about 7 in 10 churches in the denomination, found that membership dropped for the 17th consecutive year, dipping below 13 million for the first time since the 1970s. However, the 1.8% decline was smaller than in previous years.Total baptisms grew by nearly 26% to more than 226,000, approaching pre-pandemic levels. Average weekly...