Pastor Jim and Lori discuss the importance of Christians staying connected and not becoming disengaged in these critical times. With special guest Bobby Conner.
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Tag Archives: Scripture
Christians Must Not Disengage (Day 1)
Pastor Jim and Lori discuss the importance of Christians staying connected and not becoming disengaged in these critical times. With special guest Bobby Conner.
Continue reading
The Expected Unexpected
On Monday morning, April 27th, the people of Baltimore woke to a normal Monday morning. There was tension in the air from the recent demonstrations that the city had been experiencing. But most families, I would imagine, were not thinking about riots and looting or fires and destruction. People woke up, had their breakfast, got their children to school and went to work. Most were not prepared for what was to come. Continue reading
“I Met Messiah”
A new website is showing video testimonies of Jews who have received Jesus as Messiah.
The site, IMetMessiah.com, is aimed at bringing the good news of Christ to Jews who are interested in knowing more about Him.
“As Jewish people, most of us grow up without considering whether or not Yeshua is the Messiah expected by our people for millennia,” Eitan Bar, the site’s founder, explains in a video. “Yet, something happened in our lives that changed each of us and caused us to rethink the usual Jewish views about Jesus.”
“We offer these stories to you and hope that your relationship with God will deepen through meeting our storytellers,” Bar adds.
The site has over a dozen testimonies from Jewish businessmen and women who have discovered Jesus as Lord.
“I was frustrated,” Grant Berry recalled. “Here Maria was, this Christian girl that had a relationship with my God—the God of Abraham—and here I was, a Jew, trying to have a relationship with my God—the God of Abraham—and nothing. I was disconnected.”
Berry told his Christian friend about frustration with feeling that he was unable to reach God.
“I have been trying to tell you for six to eight months … You can’t have the Father without the Son,” Maria replied.
Historic Christian Library Saved From ISIS
A group of monks, watching the Islamic terrorist group ISIS advancing on their monastery, acted quickly to save an ancient Christian library.
The monks collected all the works, including handwritten books of Christian manuscripts, and rushed them into nearby areas that were firmly under the control of Kurdish militia.
The manuscripts are being held in an apartment with no indication of the historical treasure inside its walls. Christians who have fled the terrorists are standing guard over the documents.
The Associated Press viewed the library and reported copies of Bibles and Bible commentaries, most of them written in a form of the ancient Aramaic. The oldest item in the collection is a copy of letters from the Apostle Paul that date back 1,100 years.
ISIS has been systematically destroying historical locations and documents of religions as part of their campaign to “cleanse” the region.
The terrorists were eventually stopped before they could reach the monastery and the road to the site is now protected by Kurdish forces.
“Thank God they were unable to reach the monastery,” said Raad Abdul-Ahed, a local Christian who helped transport the library. But “we will keep it here until the crisis is over, until the situation is stabilized.” Abdul-Ahed, who fled his hometown near Mosul, now lives in the apartment with the manuscripts.
School Votes Not To Restore Ten Commandments Plaque
An Ohio school board has voted not to place a plaque of the Ten Commandments that was donated by the class of 1956 back in the high school.
The plaque was removed after a complaint from a parent who kept their identity hidden.
The Marion City School Board voted to “indefinitely loan” the plaque to the Marion County Historical Society for display so that it won’t be placed inside the high school.
The removal sparked outrage in the community. Residents spoke up in favor of restoring the plaque within the school.
“It was a gift and it was a very nice gift, and I would like to see it stay,” 1956 graduate Bob McQuiston told those gathered, according to the Marion Star.
“I’m ashamed of Marion City Schools right now,” stated parent Sheri Cook.
“What’s so dangerous about the Ten Commandments?” resident Phillip Bates asked.
The board hid behind their legal counsel who said that they should not restore the plaque.
Texas School Gives In To Freedom From Religion Foundation
A Texas school principal that had been quoting Bible verses during the morning announcements and whose superintendent said he wouldn’t give in to virulent anti-Christians demanding he stop, has given in.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation had attacked the school because allegedly a student contacted blogger, Hemant Mehta, who calls himself “the friendly atheist.” Mehta contacted the FFRF to demand the school stop quoting scripture.
School superintendent Michael Gilbert stood up for his principal and said that he would not punish him nor make him stop.
“The residents were offended at the use of Scripture, demanding that it be stopped and calling for disciplinary action against Mr. Noll,” he stated. “I am fully aware of the practice at the high school and will not pursue any action against our high school principal or any other member of our faculty/staff concerning this issue.”
“Let me also be clear that we have not (in my opinion) violated anyone’s rights and/or subjected anyone to undue stress,” Gilbert continued. “Bible studies and Scriptures are allowed in schools. The requirement is that the material be presented in a neutral manner. It is my position that we met that standard with the morning announcements.”
However, Saturday, principal Dan Noll said he would be giving in to the FFRF and no longer quote scripture during his announcements.
Prosecutor Refuses To Drop Case of Christian Ticketed For Scripture On Truck
A Christian who was ticked for posting a sign on his truck that quoted Scripture is reporting the prosecutor handling the case refuses to drop it because of the New York protests against police.
“The prosecutor stated that he was not going to drop the case because he wanted to respect the authority of police,” Luis Zapata, whose defense attorney spoke with the prosecution last week, told Christian News Network on Wednesday. “Especially with the events with the police officers in New York City—the protests and the negative view of the officers—he was going to stand by the officer.”
Zapata has been posting scripture on his truck for two years until last August. He said that he felt God telling him to share the gospel with the word and to place a sign on his truck about the Lord’s return.
Police officer Mark Van Wormer began to harass Zapata when he was parked near an abortion clinic for a protest with other Christians. Van Wormer told Zapata to take his signs down or he would be ticketed. Zapata moved the truck at the officer’s approval and then was later ticketed by Van Wormer at the new location.
Zapata said the tickets are part of a harassment campaign by the police against the Christians who protest the clinic.
“I feel that the city of Englewood got together with the abortion mill to try to drive us out of there by giving us petty citations,” he said.
Mississippi Lawmakers Propose Making Bible State Book
Three Mississippi lawmakers are fighting to make the Bible the official state book.
Rep. Tracy Arnold of Boonville, who is also a pastor, introduced a proposal in the House to “recognize the value of the Scriptures.” Two state senators, Tom Miles of Forest and Michael Evans of Preston, introduced a similar bill in the state senate.
“Me and my constituents, we were talking about it and one of them made a comment that people ought to start reading the Bible,” Evans told AL.com.
“The Bible provides a good role model on how to treat people,” Miles added to the Associated Press. “They could read in there about love and compassion.”
The state currently does not have any book designated as the official state book.
The Bible has been lauded in the past by many politicians including former President Ronald Reagan, who declared 1983 the national “Year of the Bible.”
“Many of our greatest national leaders—among them Presidents Washington, Jackson, Lincoln, and Wilson—have recognized the influence of the Bible on our country’s development,” Reagan stated. “The plainspoken Andrew Jackson referred to the Bible as no less than ‘the rock on which our Republic rests.’”
“Today our beloved America and, indeed, the world, is facing a decade of enormous challenge,” he continued. “There could be no more fitting moment than now to reflect with gratitude, humility, and urgency upon the wisdom revealed to us in the writing that Abraham Lincoln called ‘the best gift God has ever given to man . . . But for [without] it we could not know right from wrong.”’