Free Republic

Good early evening to you Beloved, Dear Lord Jesus please Bless and Heal in return all who have lifted my dear husband John up in prayer for his healing from this thing that keeps attacking him. IN JESUS NAME, IT WILL STOP! Tomorrow AM he is scheduled for bloodwork, and his doctor will determine what to do from results of that. He is up and about, good spirits. He will not have to fast for the tests, a good help. O thank you so very very much again, my Dear Beloved FRiends in Christ Jesus!

Beloved FRiends, my dear husband is having a rectal bleeding event again. I am awaiting his gastroenterologist’s callback as to go ahead and bring him to hospital to be evaluated. It is best that his doctor send word to the ED to expect him, it will keep them from setting him aside in the waiting area instead of taking him straight back into triage / bed. He is at the moment exhaustedly sleeping and I am keeping a close eye on him. Asking that The Lord Jesus Heal my husband of this malady that I think is now peptic in...

Scottie Scheffler dedicated his second Masters win in three years to God, declaring that “victory was secure on the cross” as he secured the victory at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday. "I was sitting around with my buddies this morning, I was a bit overwhelmed," the 27-year-old said Sunday after becoming the 10th golfer in history to win two green jackets in three years. "I told them, 'I wish I didn't want to win as badly as did I or as badly as I do.' I think it would make the mornings easier. I love winning. I hate losing....

“‘Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise’” (Luke 23:43). The circumstances are never too adverse, nor the hour too late, to offer the gospel of Christ to someone. Jesus was crucified between two criminals (thieves)—one on each side of His cross. At first the two men both joined the onlookers in hurling unbelieving rhetoric at the Lord (Mark 15:32). But one of the thieves obviously had a change of heart as the hours elapsed. He rebuked the other thief by pointing out Jesus’ sinlessness (Luke 23:40-41) and then expressed his need of salvation: “Jesus,...

“‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing’” (Luke 23:34). As Jesus forgave others (including us), we should extend forgiveness to those who wrong us. Jesus had a forgiving heart right up to the end, even after He had experienced a lifetime of mankind’s worst treatment. He came down to a world He had created, but that world rebuffed Him. Its inhabitants’ eyes were blinded by sin, and they could not see any beauty in Jesus. Almost immediately after His humble birth in a stable, King Herod sought to have Him killed (Matt. 2:13, 16-18). And...

“Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, ‘Before a cock crows, you will deny Me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:75). Even when a believer sins greatly, God is there to forgive and restore. Peter’s denial of the Lord Jesus was a great tragedy. But Peter had already taken a number of steps toward denial before uttering a single word that repudiated Christ. First, he presumptuously boasted that he would never fall away (Matt. 26:33). Second, Peter was insubordinate to Jesus and blatantly refused to accept the Lord’s prediction of his disloyalty (v. 35)....

AP) – The Vatican has issued a new document rejecting the concept of changing one’s biological sex – a setback for transgender people who had hoped Pope Francis might be setting the stage for a more welcoming approach from the Catholic Church. Around the world, major religions have diverse approaches to gender identity, and the inclusion or exclusion of transgender people. Some examples: Christianity The Catholic Church’s disapproving stance toward gender transition is shared by some other denominations. For example, the Southern Baptist Convention – the largest Protestant denomination in the United States – adopted a resolution in 2014 stating...

George W. Truett Theological Seminary, or ‘Truett’ for short, is a Texas-based seminary operated by Baylor University (The World’s largest Baptist university) and associated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. With nearly 400 students, they describe themselves as an “orthodox, evangelical school in the historic Baptist tradition” with a mission to “equip God-called people for gospel ministry in and alongside Christ’s Church by the power of the Holy Spirit.” We recently wrote about Baylor after Greg Garrett, their pro-choice, gay-affirming, trans-affirming professor of Literature and Culture who called a centuries-old hymn “sexist” for containing the word “brethren,” and after...

If there has been a more blatant example of Matthew 19:24 being played out in modern times than the Furtick family, I’ve not seen it. Jesus’s words were clear, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” It’s one thing to cover your expenses, and there’s nothing wrong with earning a living in ministry. But this isn’t ministry, it’s charlatanry, and when you’re bilking your followers for millions of dollars by preaching a false, ear-tickling gospel, one must ask who are what you...

“‘Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?’ They answered and said, ‘He is deserving of death!’” (Matthew 26:65-66). Like many through the centuries, members of the Sanhedrin rejected Jesus Christ without fairly judging all the evidence. Lynching is an activity we don’t hear much about today. But during earlier generations, the heinous crime occurred quite regularly. Innocent people, or those merely presumed guilty (prior to any trial), were tortured and killed, usually by angry, hateful mobs. Often the person lynched was a victim of racial or political prejudice or some other irrational fear held by the...

“The chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, in order that they might put Him to death” (Matthew 26:59). The only evidence of guilt against Jesus was man-made and contrived. The essence of the Jews’ ancient legal system is found in the Lord’s words to Moses and Israel: “You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial” (Deut. 16:19). Therefore, it is truly amazing to consider what twisted measures the Jewish leaders resorted to in their trial of Jesus. The Council, or Sanhedrin, was authorized to judge only those cases in which...

“Then all the disciples left Him and fled” (Matthew 26:56). In defecting from Christ in an hour of crisis, the eleven disciples displayed certain marks of faithlessness. Sometimes no amount of truth and logic will ever persuade someone to change their mind. We all know that is true from times we have debated another person on a particular topic. Nothing we say will convince them that their plans may be wrong or their opinions unsound. Jesus knew that far better than us as he continued to face the hostile crowd in Gethsemane. As the Son of God, Jesus could confidently...

“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword’” (Matthew 26:52). It is wrong to violently take justice into our own hands, even to defend or promote the name of Christ. The Body of Christ does not grow and strengthen itself by physical warfare. Every time it has endeavored to do so, the name and cause of Jesus Christ have been harmed. Such wars as the Crusades in the Holy Land or later religious wars between Catholics and Protestants in Europe served no scriptural...

Are you a True Believer? Our God Reigns

The silence in most churches regarding our “blessed hope” makes our expectation all the more difficult to maintain. On top of that, many of our Christian friends and family members believe it’s irrational to regard the Rapture as something that might happen anytime soon or even in our lifetime. Many in our churches think we are crazy for believing that there is such a thing as the Rapture or a seven-year Tribulation. In spite of the long wait and scoffing that comes my way, I remain convinced that imminency is not only incredibly important for today, but also an essential...

A woke professor at Baylor University has come under fire for blasting acclaimed Harry Potter author J.K. Rowing for her opposition to normalizing the transgender movement, calling her out for her apparent ‘hatred of trans-people.’ While this is deeply troubling, it is hardly the worst thing about him. Founded in 1845 and claiming 16,000 students, Baylor University is the world’s largest Baptist University and one of the oldest. Like many once-faithful institutions that have gone before her, however, Baylor is deeply compromised and is inexorably on the downgrade. Not only have they hosted Beth Moore and Jemar Tisby for a...

“He who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, ‘Whomever I shall kiss, He is the one; seize Him.’ And immediately he came to Jesus and said, ‘Hail, Rabbi!’ and kissed Him. And Jesus said to him, ‘Friend, do what you have come for’” (Matthew 26:48-50). Judas Iscariot, in his attitudes and actions, is a classic example of the false believer. As one of the Twelve, Judas was extremely disappointed at the kind of Messiah Jesus turned out to be. Instead of teaching the disciples how to conquer and control, Jesus taught them how to submit and serve. Any...

“. . . A great multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people” (Matthew 26:47). The crowd that captured Jesus at Gethsemane illustrates the world’s sinful, hateful rejection of Jesus Christ. A crowd can have a positive, uplifting influence, as when a large group of neighbors bands together to help someone in need. But crowds can also have a negative impact, such as when they incite riots or heckle someone who is trying to give a speech. The multitude that came to the Garden of Gethsemane to capture Jesus is a prime example of...

“He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, ‘So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak’” (Matthew 26:40-41). The need for spiritual vigilance by Christians is constant, but it can’t be achieved in the power of the flesh. Jesus must have been terribly disappointed in the Garden of Gethsemane when He found the three disciples sleeping. As He labored diligently in prayer before the Father, Peter, James, and John began their...

“He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt’” (Matthew 26:39). Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is a perfect model of perseverance in seeking God’s will. By humbly and submissively raising the option, “If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me,” Jesus was not questioning the validity of God’s plan of redemption or the Son’s responsibility in it. The thought of His becoming sin for us was weighing heavier and...