Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for today, the first Friday of February. Sunday is coming. In a stormy and turbulent world, which is almost paralyzed by fear, doubt, and hopelessness, we turn our hearts and minds to Jesus the Risen One, who is our sure anchor and solid ground. In the Gospel according to Mark, Chapter 1, our Lord launches His ministry, demonstrating His authority in terms of preaching, teaching, and healing. The first miracle Christ performed was in a Holy Place, a synagogue, where a man possessed by an unclean - demonic - spirit was present. Jesus rebuked the demonic spirits and cast them out with authority and power. He came to destroy the powers of Satan. He has given us power and authority against demonic and diabolic powers even today. We are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us.
It is written in 2 Timothy 1: 7, “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” Fear of following Christ, then, is not given by God. Satan offers that to us and we grab it from him and hold onto it. The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, brings us power, love, and self-discipline. The Spirit of Power that we receive is not like the human power that we recognize as strong. It’s a power unlike anything we can do on our own. I read the following story some time ago about a young man who, growing up in the wrong part of Houston, became a bully. He got into fights in school and in his neighborhood, and he began mugging people to get spending money. He even beat up people just because he enjoyed doing it. He learned to box, and became pretty good at it. He began to make a lot of money and could have almost anything he wanted. One day, during his training session for an upcoming bout, he heard his mom talking to his sister on the telephone about his favorite nephew. The young boy had a seizure and now lay in a coma in the hospital. Doctors said he would probably die, and that if he came out of the coma he wouldn’t be able to move his limbs, or speak, or do any of the human functions we consider part of living. The man ran into the room where his mom was on the phone and shouted, “Momma, call the hospital and tell those doctors to give him the best of everything. Tell them I’ll take care of all the bills, to fly in the best doctors from wherever they have to. Tell them who I am, and that I’ll take care of everything — whatever it costs.” His mom spoke to the doctors, and then told him, “Son, you’re just going to have to pray.” He realized then how grave the situation was. When someone tells you the only thing you can do is pray, things are looking pretty bad. Then it hit him. All of his money, his fame, his influence, his friends — none of that could solve this problem. It was out of his hands, out of the doctor’s hands, out of everyone’s hands. For the first time, he was totally powerless. And for the first time, George Foreman dropped to his knees and prayed. He wasn’t sure God existed, but he knew that when all else failed, people prayed. He asked God, if He really existed, to help his nephew. Then he got back in bed. A few seconds later, he got back on his knees and offered to give up all his wealth if God would heal his nephew. Then he got back in bed again. A few seconds later he got back on his knees a third time and got angry at God for letting this happen to his nephew, a child who hadn’t experienced life yet. George told God to take his life instead. Let the boy live and take George’s life instead. The next morning George’s sister called from the hospital. His nephew had awakened from the coma and could move his eyes, but the doctors still said he wouldn’t ever walk again. She called later that day, and the boy had begun moving his toes. The next day the boy was talking, and a week later he was on his way home, “walking, talking, and back to normal.” The doctors had no logical explanation. But George Foreman knew God had just given him a miracle. In his book, "God in My Corner — A Spiritual Memoir", George wrote about his experience following a deadly bout. “I knew I was dead, and that this wasn’t heaven. I was terrified, knowing I had no way out. Sorrow beyond description engulfed my soul, more than anyone could ever imagine. If you multiplied every disturbing and frightening thought that you’ve ever had during your entire life, that wouldn’t come close to the panic I felt. … I screamed with every ounce of strength in me, ‘I don’t care if this is death. I still believe in God.’ “Instantly, what seemed to be like a giant hand reached down and snatched me out of the terrifying place. Immediately, I was back inside my body in the dressing room.” George accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, and devoted himself to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. He realized his human power, his money, and his prestige were worthless in the next life, and that they were meant to be used as tools to lead others to Jesus during this one. Following this milestone event, he twice went on to win bouts to become the Heavyweight Championship of the World. He was ordained as an evangelist in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and became pastor of a small church. He also became involved in prison and hospital ministries. Though you may know him best for the George Foreman Grills that continue to be sold around the world, he recently baptized his own 23-year-old daughter who finally decided to dedicated her own life to Jesus. That’s God’s idea of power. Paul told Timothy that following Christ gives the power of Christ to act on his behalf. We are the hands and feet of Christ and he wants us to succeed in doing his will. The hate-filled bully from a Houston slum was transformed into a prayerful, loving, father of 10 and compassionate minister through God’s spirit of love. Nothing else could possibly have had that result. Paul ministered in turbulent times, and the church was not welcomed by the general public or government leaders. Persecution against those who chose to follow Christ was increasing and becoming even more hideous than before. As Paul told Timothy, “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” We should have no fear of being salt and light in the dark and flavorless world. If we accept the Holy Spirit in our hearts, he will guide us through every step of our journey with Jesus.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmBCudTMQV8
OBAMA SPENDING BILL STIMULATES ANTI-CHRISTIAN BIGOTRY
Dear Supporter of Traditional Values,
Buried in the rubble of President Obama’s $1 trillion monstrous pork/stimulus plan is a section that bans Christian Bible studies, worship services and other religious activities from many public education buildings!
All of this is found in the “greening” (supposedly to help the environment) of our nation’s school section of the bill and to the tune of at least of $3,500,000,000. The greening funds are to be used for the “modernization, renovation or repair” of higher education facilities, but prohibit the repairs where religious activities or services may be conducted.
The economic crisis is being used as a pretext to curb religious liberty at institutions of higher learning.
The ultimate impact will be to drive religious activities out of public education altogether. If higher education institutions worry about not getting part of this federal grab bag, they’ll simply eject religious activities from their campuses so they can easily get the money.
Andrea Lafferty, TVC Executive Director is leading the fight to address this aggressive anti-Christian section in the bill. We have met with staff, organized conference calls and spent days alerting key Senators and staff to this dangerous section. We are on Capitol Hill fighting for you.
We must not let them take away our precious rights which are currently in danger. America’s current leadership seems to have lost their moral compass.
We know these are difficult financial times. But as you can see, it is vital that we remain here at the nation’s Capitol. Your religious freedoms are in grave jeopardy and we remain vigilant in protecting them for you and your family.
We need your immediate financial help today. In addition, would you please consider a regular monthly donation to Traditional Values Coalition and our efforts to safeguard your freedoms. To make a donation, click here.
This is just the beginning of the aggressive anti-Christian discrimination that we will face over the next four years. As you know, Traditional Values Coalition has led the fight over Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and so-called hate crimes bill for the last decade. When the hate crimes vote took place last Congress, we were able--with your help--to apply enough pressure that some Members of Congress actually switched their votes. And, it was when TVC gave greater visibility to the American Psychiatric Association (APA) definition of the utterly bizarre 30 Sexual Orientations that the ENDA was derailed in the Congress. So we pray we can also defeat this.
The language in the Obama Stimulus bill (S.336, Section 803, pg 164) says:
No funds awarded under this section may be used for …
(C) modernization, renovation, or repair of facilities—
(i) used for sectarian instruction, religious worship, or a school or department of divinity; or
(ii) in which a substantial portion of the functions of the facilities are subsumed in a religious mission; or
(D) construction of new facilities.
As you can see this prohibits any private or religious school from receiving any funding under this bill, in addition to removing religious expression in public buildings.
This should be called the ACLU Full Employment Act since it will be a boon for their anti-Christian litigation. The ACLU will work to sniff out Christian activities such as Bible studies or religious services. Unless the schools banish religious activity on campus, the ACLU will surely sue these institutions for daring to allow these newly “greened” buildings to be used for religious purposes.
If this aggressive anti-Christian bigotry is allowed to remain in the bill, I predict it will soon be in the K-12 sections of this and other school funding bills. That will mean that churches can no longer meet in schools on Sundays, as well as, boy scouts and student Bible study groups.
This new administration and its secularist allies in Congress don’t accept the First Amendment’s protections of religious activity even as they cite the First Amendment to defend all sorts of bizarre and offensive speech and art.
The entire package should be rejected by the Senate. It is pork, not stimulus – and most Americans understand this.
We need your donation today so that Traditional Values Coalition can remain your vigilant watchman. To support Traditional Values Coalition today just click here.
Your voice at the Capitol,Rev. Lou Sheldon
PS- What does $1 trillion equal?
$1 bills stacked one-third of the way to the moon or 68,000 miles into space
Praise the Lord for today, the first Friday of February. Sunday is coming. In a stormy and turbulent world, which is almost paralyzed by fear, doubt, and hopelessness, we turn our hearts and minds to Jesus the Risen One, who is our sure anchor and solid ground. In the Gospel according to Mark, Chapter 1, our Lord launches His ministry, demonstrating His authority in terms of preaching, teaching, and healing. The first miracle Christ performed was in a Holy Place, a synagogue, where a man possessed by an unclean - demonic - spirit was present. Jesus rebuked the demonic spirits and cast them out with authority and power. He came to destroy the powers of Satan. He has given us power and authority against demonic and diabolic powers even today. We are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us.
It is written in 2 Timothy 1: 7, “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” Fear of following Christ, then, is not given by God. Satan offers that to us and we grab it from him and hold onto it. The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, brings us power, love, and self-discipline. The Spirit of Power that we receive is not like the human power that we recognize as strong. It’s a power unlike anything we can do on our own. I read the following story some time ago about a young man who, growing up in the wrong part of Houston, became a bully. He got into fights in school and in his neighborhood, and he began mugging people to get spending money. He even beat up people just because he enjoyed doing it. He learned to box, and became pretty good at it. He began to make a lot of money and could have almost anything he wanted. One day, during his training session for an upcoming bout, he heard his mom talking to his sister on the telephone about his favorite nephew. The young boy had a seizure and now lay in a coma in the hospital. Doctors said he would probably die, and that if he came out of the coma he wouldn’t be able to move his limbs, or speak, or do any of the human functions we consider part of living. The man ran into the room where his mom was on the phone and shouted, “Momma, call the hospital and tell those doctors to give him the best of everything. Tell them I’ll take care of all the bills, to fly in the best doctors from wherever they have to. Tell them who I am, and that I’ll take care of everything — whatever it costs.” His mom spoke to the doctors, and then told him, “Son, you’re just going to have to pray.” He realized then how grave the situation was. When someone tells you the only thing you can do is pray, things are looking pretty bad. Then it hit him. All of his money, his fame, his influence, his friends — none of that could solve this problem. It was out of his hands, out of the doctor’s hands, out of everyone’s hands. For the first time, he was totally powerless. And for the first time, George Foreman dropped to his knees and prayed. He wasn’t sure God existed, but he knew that when all else failed, people prayed. He asked God, if He really existed, to help his nephew. Then he got back in bed. A few seconds later, he got back on his knees and offered to give up all his wealth if God would heal his nephew. Then he got back in bed again. A few seconds later he got back on his knees a third time and got angry at God for letting this happen to his nephew, a child who hadn’t experienced life yet. George told God to take his life instead. Let the boy live and take George’s life instead. The next morning George’s sister called from the hospital. His nephew had awakened from the coma and could move his eyes, but the doctors still said he wouldn’t ever walk again. She called later that day, and the boy had begun moving his toes. The next day the boy was talking, and a week later he was on his way home, “walking, talking, and back to normal.” The doctors had no logical explanation. But George Foreman knew God had just given him a miracle. In his book, "God in My Corner — A Spiritual Memoir", George wrote about his experience following a deadly bout. “I knew I was dead, and that this wasn’t heaven. I was terrified, knowing I had no way out. Sorrow beyond description engulfed my soul, more than anyone could ever imagine. If you multiplied every disturbing and frightening thought that you’ve ever had during your entire life, that wouldn’t come close to the panic I felt. … I screamed with every ounce of strength in me, ‘I don’t care if this is death. I still believe in God.’ “Instantly, what seemed to be like a giant hand reached down and snatched me out of the terrifying place. Immediately, I was back inside my body in the dressing room.” George accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, and devoted himself to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. He realized his human power, his money, and his prestige were worthless in the next life, and that they were meant to be used as tools to lead others to Jesus during this one. Following this milestone event, he twice went on to win bouts to become the Heavyweight Championship of the World. He was ordained as an evangelist in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and became pastor of a small church. He also became involved in prison and hospital ministries. Though you may know him best for the George Foreman Grills that continue to be sold around the world, he recently baptized his own 23-year-old daughter who finally decided to dedicated her own life to Jesus. That’s God’s idea of power. Paul told Timothy that following Christ gives the power of Christ to act on his behalf. We are the hands and feet of Christ and he wants us to succeed in doing his will. The hate-filled bully from a Houston slum was transformed into a prayerful, loving, father of 10 and compassionate minister through God’s spirit of love. Nothing else could possibly have had that result. Paul ministered in turbulent times, and the church was not welcomed by the general public or government leaders. Persecution against those who chose to follow Christ was increasing and becoming even more hideous than before. As Paul told Timothy, “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” We should have no fear of being salt and light in the dark and flavorless world. If we accept the Holy Spirit in our hearts, he will guide us through every step of our journey with Jesus.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmBCudTMQV8
OBAMA SPENDING BILL STIMULATES ANTI-CHRISTIAN BIGOTRY
Dear Supporter of Traditional Values,
Buried in the rubble of President Obama’s $1 trillion monstrous pork/stimulus plan is a section that bans Christian Bible studies, worship services and other religious activities from many public education buildings!
All of this is found in the “greening” (supposedly to help the environment) of our nation’s school section of the bill and to the tune of at least of $3,500,000,000. The greening funds are to be used for the “modernization, renovation or repair” of higher education facilities, but prohibit the repairs where religious activities or services may be conducted.
The economic crisis is being used as a pretext to curb religious liberty at institutions of higher learning.
The ultimate impact will be to drive religious activities out of public education altogether. If higher education institutions worry about not getting part of this federal grab bag, they’ll simply eject religious activities from their campuses so they can easily get the money.
Andrea Lafferty, TVC Executive Director is leading the fight to address this aggressive anti-Christian section in the bill. We have met with staff, organized conference calls and spent days alerting key Senators and staff to this dangerous section. We are on Capitol Hill fighting for you.
We must not let them take away our precious rights which are currently in danger. America’s current leadership seems to have lost their moral compass.
We know these are difficult financial times. But as you can see, it is vital that we remain here at the nation’s Capitol. Your religious freedoms are in grave jeopardy and we remain vigilant in protecting them for you and your family.
We need your immediate financial help today. In addition, would you please consider a regular monthly donation to Traditional Values Coalition and our efforts to safeguard your freedoms. To make a donation, click here.
This is just the beginning of the aggressive anti-Christian discrimination that we will face over the next four years. As you know, Traditional Values Coalition has led the fight over Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and so-called hate crimes bill for the last decade. When the hate crimes vote took place last Congress, we were able--with your help--to apply enough pressure that some Members of Congress actually switched their votes. And, it was when TVC gave greater visibility to the American Psychiatric Association (APA) definition of the utterly bizarre 30 Sexual Orientations that the ENDA was derailed in the Congress. So we pray we can also defeat this.
The language in the Obama Stimulus bill (S.336, Section 803, pg 164) says:
No funds awarded under this section may be used for …
(C) modernization, renovation, or repair of facilities—
(i) used for sectarian instruction, religious worship, or a school or department of divinity; or
(ii) in which a substantial portion of the functions of the facilities are subsumed in a religious mission; or
(D) construction of new facilities.
As you can see this prohibits any private or religious school from receiving any funding under this bill, in addition to removing religious expression in public buildings.
This should be called the ACLU Full Employment Act since it will be a boon for their anti-Christian litigation. The ACLU will work to sniff out Christian activities such as Bible studies or religious services. Unless the schools banish religious activity on campus, the ACLU will surely sue these institutions for daring to allow these newly “greened” buildings to be used for religious purposes.
If this aggressive anti-Christian bigotry is allowed to remain in the bill, I predict it will soon be in the K-12 sections of this and other school funding bills. That will mean that churches can no longer meet in schools on Sundays, as well as, boy scouts and student Bible study groups.
This new administration and its secularist allies in Congress don’t accept the First Amendment’s protections of religious activity even as they cite the First Amendment to defend all sorts of bizarre and offensive speech and art.
The entire package should be rejected by the Senate. It is pork, not stimulus – and most Americans understand this.
We need your donation today so that Traditional Values Coalition can remain your vigilant watchman. To support Traditional Values Coalition today just click here.
Your voice at the Capitol,Rev. Lou Sheldon
PS- What does $1 trillion equal?
$1 bills stacked one-third of the way to the moon or 68,000 miles into space
