Podcasts about Christians

As the new Redeeming Love movie comes out January 21st, Phylicia talks through three theological cautions for Christians watching the movie and reading the book, as well as seven questions to ask before recommending it to others.   She also reads the testimonials of young women who share their stories of sexual addiction sparked by the Christian romance novel industry.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/707/29 Because Christene Jackman felt estranged from her alcoholic father, she moved out at age 17 and married the first boy who paid attention to her. Not surprisingly, that relationship dissolved in divorce, and when her new relationship resulted in her being pregnant again, Christene got an abortion despite her unsettling conscience. On today's edition of Family Talk, she shares the remarkable story of her conversion to Christ and God's restoration. Cort Langeland, who produced Christine's album entitled The Choice, urges all Christians to move beyond understandable outrage over abortion toward gracious outreach and empathy to those who made that regrettable decision.

Shock Jock, Designed To Enjoy God, Masterclass, Hebrews 12, Garage Door, Perspective on Christians, What We Pay Attention To, Nothing Can Separate, Cammo Desk, Repent, Accordion Ministry, Listener Uniform Update; Quotes: “I can't read people's intentions.” “That was my garage door checking in on me.” “He told us He would bring His peace for those of us who trust Him.” “Heaven throws a party when just one person rethinks.”

How do we break the stereotype of judgmental Christians?This week, Pastor Mike answers tough questions from viewers like you.Check out our other podcasts! Search for these on your favorite podcast app. – The Nonmicrowaved Truth with C.L. Whiteside – Little Things, with Amber Albee Swenson– Bible Threads, with Dr. Bruce Becker– Evening Encouragements With Pastor Jeremy– Time of Grace With Pastor Mike NovotnyTo stay rooted in Jesus, subscribe to our daily email! https://timeofgrace.org/subscribe/ Time of Grace is a donor-supported effort. If you would like to give a gift of support, please donate here: http://bit.ly/2K06lcJYou can also watch Time of Grace daily video devotionals by subscribing to get new videos each weekday: http://bit.ly/385Piz4

Sickness, accidents, conflict, persecution. Our world is broken, and hardship is inevitable in our lives. But how should we respond to hardship? Paul, the apostle, was familiar with suffering. After experiencing blindness and being shipwrecked, he was put in prison, deserted by friends, and had seen fellow Christians fall away from their faith. To top it off, he knew he was going to die soon. So, while Paul was under house arrest, he wrote a letter to Timothy, a young man who Paul had mentored and who was now a leader in the church in Ephesus. Paul was experiencing persecution, but he knew that God was with him and would be his strength (2 Timothy 4:16-18). Paul knew that God had always been faithful and always would be. No matter what happened next, Paul had the hope of eternal life with Jesus (verse 6-8). Even in suffering, Paul was able to encourage Timothy to persevere in the faith, stay strong in Jesus, and continue to lead the church and share the good news of Jesus (verse 5). When we face struggles, as followers of Jesus we can find comfort in knowing God is with us in our struggles. He grieves our hurts alongside us and gives us strength to keep going. God is so amazingly good that He even uses something as horrible as suffering to help us grow closer to Him and rely on Him. And just like Paul encouraged Timothy through hard times, we can reach out to others and encourage them, even when we ourselves are in the midst of struggles (as Paul pointed out in another letter, see 2 Corinthians 1:3-4). No matter the challenges we face, we can find strength and hope by resting in Jesus, who endured the cross because of the joy He knew was coming (Hebrews 12:1-3). In a similar way, we can know that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed when Jesus returns (Romans 8:17-18). • Abby Ciona • What struggles have you been experiencing lately? No matter how big or small your suffering seems to you, God cares about all of it, and He invites you to tell Him about it. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that I might fully preach the word and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. 2 Timothy 4:17 (CSB)

Sermon Overview Scripture Passage: Acts 5:27-32 Being a Christian is a joyous thing; the reason we are not filled with joy in this Christian life could be a matter of disobedience. Adrian Rogers says, “Obedience is the missing ingredient in so many Christians' lives.” What does it mean to truly obey Christ? What is the expedience of obedience? In Acts 5, Peter and the other apostles have caused quite a stir by preaching about Jesus Christ. The religious authorities are trying to stop a revival the apostles began. They command the apostles to stop preaching. “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him'” (Acts 5:29-32). In this text, we are first given the reason for obedience. When God tells us to do something, our obedience is our duty and delight. We are indebted to God, our Lord and Savior, so we must decide to obey Him over men. Just as God cannot fail, act unjustly or deny Himself, He cannot force our loving obedience. It is not because His power is limited—it's because of His very nature; He gives us a choice. We can't obey God unless we first know what it is that He wants us to do. Once we know God's will, we must be intentional about obeying it, and do so immediately. We will be held accountable for what we know, no matter what the cost. When He speaks, we must answer Him, regardless of circumstances. Only then can we see the supernatural rewards of our obedience: We receive the Holy Spirit. There is joy in our hearts. The Gospel is shared and believed. When we obey God rather than men, we will see great multitudes of people come to Jesus Christ. Apply it to your life Would you like to have victory in your life? Know the will of God for your life and do it immediately, inflexible, and passionately.

William Cronnon was mistakenly given bleach at a restaurant and was later awarded $9 million in damages for his injuries. In The Daily Article for January 19, 2022, Dr. Jim Denison sees this story as a metaphor for those who have yet to accept Jesus as their Lord and then calls Christians to exercise compassion on the lost so that they might find the true “Living Water.” Author: Dr. Jim Denison Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe

Today's guest on The Kingdom Driven Entrepreneur Podcast is Mike Henry.  Mike is a former business executive who wanted his faith and his work to be fully integrated in an authentic way. As is the story of many Founders, Mike created an organization that would be  a solution for the very thing he was looking for when he was a corporate executive. He founded a non-profit organization called Follower of One to help Christians in the marketplace make an eternal difference every day.  In this chat, Mike shares how he is growing this organization with God - exercising faith, patience, and diligence, and how he is helping people to be “marketplace missionaries.”

In this episode of Pray the Word on Nehemiah 9:3, David Platt cries out to God to provide spiritual awakening, like what we read about here in Nehemiah 9.View the 2022 McLean Bible Church Reading Plan.

Many people claim to be Christians. But is it enough to say we believe, or does faith require something more? Find out what it means to know, love, and follow Christ when you study along with us on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

If you live up north, like I do, you develop a real love for evergreen trees, because in the midst of winter when everything else is bare and brown, that evergreen tree is still tall and green, giving color and life to the otherwise bleak winter scene. Jeremiah liked evergreens too. And he made a beautiful analogy for us using the evergreens. It's found in Jeremiah 17:7-8: “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Evergreen Christians are Christians who walk worthy of the Lord. One whose roots are so firmly entrenched in the Lord, that nothing turns your leaves brown or keeps you from bearing fruit. It's learning to trust God so completely that whatever heat comes your way, you will have absolutely no fear! To come to the place where no amount of heat could turn your leaves dry, because your faith in God is rooted so deeply. Of course, a tree like this doesn't grow overnight. It takes time to get those roots down deep into that water supply. If you're ever going to be an evergreen Christian, it will take time and discipline to get your roots firmly entrenched in God's water supply. Are you in a situation that seems rather dry or cold or barren? Perhaps you're facing some unknowns on your job or even in your family. As you go through this experience, you have two choices: To worry and fear, ­and thereby shrivel up and get dry and brown. Or to trust God and push your roots deeper and deeper into that spring of living water, Jesus Christ. The only thing that makes sense is to trust God. To walk worthy of the Lord, we need to be evergreen Christians, don't we? People who bear fruit and stay green regardless of the circumstances. You can do it if your roots are firmly entrenched in Jesus Christ, deeper every day.

For generations Christians have found Jesus' famous statement, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's” (Matt. 22:21) a helpful basis for understanding the relationship of the Christian to the State. But how does it apply today?

As the new Redeeming Love movie comes out January 21st, Phylicia talks through three theological cautions for Christians watching the movie and reading the book, as well as seven questions to ask before recommending it to others.   She also reads the testimonials of young women who share their stories of sexual addiction sparked by the Christian romance novel industry.

Lila Rose founded Live Action, a pro-life media organization, as a teenager after she was exposed to the heartache of abortion. Lila shares about the heroes that inspired her to take a stand against the injustice of abortion and personal experiences of how God showed her the beauty of newborn life. We also talk to Lila about some practical apologetics for being pro-life.    Lila Rose Show Notes:  Live Action: https://www.liveaction.org/  Fighting for Life by Lila Rose: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fighting-for-life-lila-rose/1137721958?ean=9781400219872  Pro-Life Replies to Pro-Choice Questions: https://prolifereplies.liveaction.org/   Join Strong Women on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc  Erin and her husband, Brett, run Maven which “exists to help the next generation know truth, pursue goodness, and create beauty, all for the cause of Christ.” Check out more about Maven here: https://maventruth.com/   The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what's happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly book list: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women 

Daily News Brief for Wednesday January 19th, 2022 If you want to see more of this sort of thing, please consider joining the Fight Laugh Feast Club. For less than a few coffees a month, you can help us build a rowdy Christian media response to liberal legacy media, big tech, and build a Christian megaphone for the truth. Got to flfnetwork.com and click on “join the club.” ‘No Authority To Do It': Wisconsin Judge Bans Ballot Drop Boxes, Ballot Harvesting https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-authority-to-do-it-wisconsin-judge-bans-ballot-drop-boxes-outlaws-ballot-harvesting According to the Daily Wire: “A Waukesha County judge ruled Thursday that ballot drop boxes cannot be used in the state of Wisconsin, asserting that the Wisconsin Elections Commission has “no authority” to permit the drop boxes. “It's all good and nice, but there's no authority to do it,” said Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Michael Bohren. Judge Bohren made the determination in response to a lawsuit filed by voters represented by the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL), The Federalist explained Monday. Some 500 drop boxes were set up across the state, collecting tens of thousands of absentee ballots in the 2020 general election. Judge Bohren said a finalized injunction was forthcoming “ordering the state Elections Commission to withdraw long-standing advice to municipal clerks around the state that says they can use absentee ballot drop boxes,” according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The ruling is expected to be appealed.” Our political leaders used the concept of the pandemic to get all sorts of illegal things to pass. In the name of your health, you need ballot drop boxes. In the name of protecting you from dying, you need mail-in ballots. In the name of your health, you need stimulus money. As Christians, we must resolve to never be driven by a spirit of fear, because if you allow for that, than the government will take advantage of that and infringe as far as they can on you rights as you allow them to. Justice delayed is justice denied: Jack Phillips has ‘now been in courts defending his freedom nearly a decade.' https://thefederalist.com/2022/01/17/lgbt-activists-have-been-using-courts-to-harass-this-christian-baker-for-ten-years/ This is an important article written by Joy Pullman over at the Federalist. “Jack Phillips is an American. His nation's supreme law claims to protect his inalienable rights to free speech and to freely practice his faith. Yet for ten years, these same rights have been effectively suspended by a state legislature and multiple courts, despite a 2018 win in the U.S. Supreme Court. Phillips, who lives in the Denver, Colorado suburb of Lakewood, was first prosecuted for faithful Christianity in 2012. He was hauled into Colorado's non-judicial Civil Rights Commission, then later into real courts, for offering to sell a gay couple anything in his bakery, Masterpiece Cakeshop, except a custom cake celebrating homosexual acts. He's still in court now. His ten-year battle, Phillips said in a Jan. 14 phone interview, “had profound effects on me and my faith. My faith is much stronger now, my family is much closer. First coming out, there were death threats and things, hateful phone calls and emails. There was a time when my wife was afraid to come to the shop because you didn't know what you would expect.” In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court found Phillips was essentially the victim of government entities prejudiced against Christians and other traditional religions, noting the personal hostility expressed against him by commission members. “Colorado officials compared Jack's plea for religious freedom to some of the worst things in American history, such as the Holocaust and slavery,” noted Phillips's current lawyer, Jacob Warner, in a phone interview. Warner works for the Alliance Defending Freedom, which has defended Phillips pro bono in court. “The Supreme Court didn't need to reach the free speech issue because of that animosity and that left the door open for other litigation.” Immediately after the Supreme Court decision in Phillips's first case, LGBT activists hauled Phillips back into court, not once but twice more, again with clear personal animus. In the current case, a lawyer named Autumn Scardina claims the right to force Phillips to draw a picture of Satan smoking marijuana and to bake a cake celebrating transgender mutilation. Not being able to force others into expressing things they don't believe, Scardina claims, constitutes discrimination against LGBT people. According to court documents, Scardina has sought for many years to harm Phillips due to his religious beliefs and public stand on their behalf. During trial, for example, Scardina said the goal of this suit was to “correct” the “errors of [Phillips's] thinking.”” While there is a lot to point out here, it is important to note that liars are hateful people, and with hate comes violence. The LGBT+-= community, along with this activist lawyer, want blood and will not stop, even after the Supreme Court dropped the original case again Jack because of “personal hostility expressed against him by commission members”. But here is the other thing to note here. We really need Christians to become judges. In my local case, having a righteous judge makes all the difference. I did a little research in Idaho, and found out that our judicial system leans left. In Idaho! If we are going to have a healthy state in the next 40 years, than we need to have righteous judges who genuinely fear God. Like I said, Joy wrote a good piece, so follow the links in the notes to get to her article. Classical Conversations DNB: Classical Conversations supports homeschooling parents by cultivating the love of learning through a Christian worldview in fellowship with other families. We provide a classical Christ-centered curriculum, local like-minded communities across the United States and in several countries, and we train parents who are striving to be great classical educators in the home. For more information and to get connected, please visit our website at ClassicalConversations.com. Classical. Christian. Get Connected. Get Community. https://www.classicalconversations.com/ They are hiring too: https://cchomeoffice.com/jobs-2/ How billions in pandemic relief funds went to everything but pandemic relief https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/coronavirus/covid-con-part-2-how-billions-pandemic-relief-funds-went-everything Just in the News is doing a multi-part series on where the pandemic money has actually been sent. The Republicans and Democrats passed about $5 trillion in stimulus money in less than one year. So, since we are in the middle of a “pandemic”, you would think all that money went to all the devastating losses from COVID, medical needs to combat the pandemic, and developing the 25th booster shot. Ah but never waste a crisis, as Rahm Emanuel would say. I pulled out the highlights, if I can call it that: -about $86 billion to save private unions' multiemployer retirement funds -$192 million and $419 million in emergency U.S. taxpayer funding to at least 125 Chinese firms with links to the Chinese Communist Party -Kentucky is devoting $250 million to water and sewer infrastructure projects across the state -Colorado plans to put $550 million of its federal funds toward affordable housing and home ownership efforts and another $380 million for transportation, infrastructure, parks, and agriculture -New Jersey only allocated only 27% of its federal pandemic relief for public health -Millions were used for COVID-19 bonuses, teacher pay raises, and even to cover payroll. For example, Detroit Public Schools using $60 million of its pandemic relief funds to give out bonuses and Connecticut spending $21.1 million on "personal services-salaries" and $2.6 million on employee benefits. -Washington state is using $340 million of its pandemic relief to provide one-time cash grants of $1,000 for illegal immigrants, according to the state's Recovery Plan Performance Report -Colorado put $1 billion toward fortifying the state budget and maintaining fiscal integrity -San Jose also devoted $3.7 million to an "Environmental Resilience Corp,"...and Another $1.4 million is going to clean up parks I dug a little bit in my town, and know that at least three of my local city council raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars. This data is public and you can research who got what in your town. https://www.covidmoneytracker.org/ is a helpful example for this. California weighing proposal that could double its taxes https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/california-proposal-double-taxes According to Fox: “California lawmakers unveiled a new bill at the beginning of the year that would establish a single-payer health care system – an ambitious plan that would be funded by nearly doubling the state's already-high taxes. A new analysis from the Tax Foundation, a non-partisan group that generally advocates for lower taxes, found that the proposed constitutional amendment would increase taxes by roughly $12,250 per household in order to fund the first-of-its-kind health care system. In all, the tax increases are designed to raise an additional $163 billion per year, which is more than California raised in total tax revenue any year before the pandemic. California would also expand the payroll tax paid by employees who earn more than $49,990 in annual income if they work for a company that has more than 50 workers. Walczak noted the plan could deter small businesses from expanding by inadvertently creating a tax cliff. For instance, if a company that had 49 workers earning $80,000 each hired one additional employee, they would suddenly create a tax bill of more than $90,000. The taxes would fund government-run health care for all Californians, which supporters say would offset the costs of higher taxes and would save money in the long run.” One of the best things imbedded in our state structure, is that if your state is going commie on you, you can pick up and move to a freer state. Listen to U-Haul Vice President Stuart Shoen has to say about this: Roll Clip I just hope all these people who are fleeing California have learned their lesson. Closing This is Gabriel Rench with Crosspolitic News. Support Rowdy Christian media by joining our club at fightlaughfeast.com, downloading our App, and head to our annual Fight Laugh Feast Events. With your partnership, together we will fight outdated and compromised media, engage news and politics with the gospel, and replace lies and darkness with truth and light. Go to fightlaughfeast.com to take all these actions. Have a great day. Lord bless

Young Christians learn to live a life worthy of the calling of Jesus Christ by following the example set by older Christians. Are you one of these older Christians? That’s a convicting question, isn’t it? But, as Pastor JD teaches through Titus, we’ll see that the Holy Spirit pulled no punches. We need to be an example worth following. Period.

We Believe What do you believe about God? Have you ever thought about it? Church history is full of Christians articulating what they believe and it can be really helpful to know what they've said. Let's check it out! _______________________________________________________________________ So what did you think? Give us your feedback, email us at SALpodcast@gmail.com Join Our KIDScast Family! Like us on Social Media:FACEBOOKINSTAGRAM Rate & Review on iTunes Support Our Work:PATREON Check Out Our Other Show, And The BTWN Network Song Credit:  Seeds Family Worship: “I Believe” , “Young”

We Believe What do you believe about God? Have you ever thought about it? Church history is full of Christians articulating what they believe and it can be really helpful to know what they've said. Let's check it out! _______________________________________________________________________ So what did you think? Give us your feedback, email us at SALpodcast@gmail.com Join Our KIDScast Family! Like us on Social Media:FACEBOOKINSTAGRAM Rate & Review on iTunes Support Our Work:PATREON Check Out Our Other Show, And The BTWN Network Song Credit:  Seeds Family Worship: “I Believe” , “Young”

This week, we're exploring the Unhurried Rhythm of studying Scripture with Professor Jon Weatherly. Are there things about the Bible that put you off, that you're weighing and considering? Do you ever wonder why Christians put so much stock in Scripture? Today we're looking at the contrast between the Bible that people imagine and put at arms length, and the "real Bible" that people of faith experience when we allow Scripture to be what it was intended to be.

This is an apologetics AMA Joel Settecase did on Discord, answering six (5) questions from participants. Questions answered: 1. What was the main reason for the Genesis 6 punishment (the global flood)? 2. Is it true goodness, if it's coerced or bribed? 3. When will the faithful community push back and gain ground against the gay lobby? 4. Should Christians reject all violence, as Tolstoy said? 5. If God is so loving, why does he send all non-believers to Hell? — Listen to the ThinkPod: https://anchor.fm/the-think-podcast Watch on YouTube: http://youtube.com/thethinkinstitute If this blessed you, consider supporting us: https://thethink.institute/partner Facebook: http://facebook.com/thethinkinstitute Twitter: http://twitter.com/thinkinst Mewe: http://mewe.com/i/thinkinstitute Gab: http://gab.com/thinkinstitute Minds: https://www.minds.com/thinkinstitute/ Catechize your kids: http://thethink.institute/catakids. Book Joel Settecase to speak: https://thethink.institute/booking Sign up for the email newsletter: http://thethink.institute/think-updates Join a course: http://thethink.institute/hammerandanvil Music Credits: Driving to the Night by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8085-driving-to-the-night License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Synthwave Intro 03 by TaigaSoundProd Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7299-synthwave-intro-03 License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-think-podcast/message

JLP & Hake…; Jared from Missouri on the people behind the division in the world. Denny from Bulgaria thanks Jesse and has a testimony. — Pastor Mike Todd…;

This message is the first part of our teaching series called, "Profile: About A Christian." We will explore what the Scriptures teach regarding the identifying descriptors of a Christian. In this sermon, Pastor JR reminds us that Christians are Jesus-Centered.

Tonight we are going to tell you a tale. A superb tale. A tale as old as time that takes us from the beginnings of civilization until today. This tale will thrill you and chill you. It may elicit feelings of dread and sadness. It may make you angry.  At times it may make you uneasily laugh like the friend at school that was kicked in the balls but couldn't show his weakness. It's a subject that people continually argue about and debate with savage ferocity. Tonight we are talking about executions! We'll talk about the methods and the reasons behind executions throughout the years. Then we'll talk about some famous executions, as well as some of the more fucked up ones. And by fucked up, we mean botched. Bad stuff. This episode isn't meant to be a debate for or against executions but merely to discuss them and the crazy shit surrounding them. So with all that being said, Let's rock and roll!           Capital punishment has been practiced in the history of virtually all known societies and places. The first established death penalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes.  The Code of Hammurabi was one of the earliest and most complete written legal codes and was proclaimed by the Babylonian king Hammurabi, who reigned from 1792 to 1750 B.C. Hammurabi expanded the city-state of Babylon along the Euphrates River to unite all of southern Mesopotamia. The Hammurabi code of laws, a collection of 282 rules, established standards for commercial interactions and set fines and punishments to meet the requirements of justice. Hammurabi's Code was carved onto a massive, finger-shaped black stone stele (pillar) that was looted by invaders and finally rediscovered in 1901. The text, compiled at the end of Hammurabi's reign, is less a proclamation of principles than a collection of legal precedents, set between prose celebrating Hammurabi's just and pious rule. Hammurabi's Code provides some of the earliest examples of the doctrine of “lex talionis,” or the laws of retribution, sometimes better known as “an eye for an eye the greatest soulfly song ever!   The Code of Hammurabi includes many harsh punishments, sometimes demanding the removal of the guilty party's tongue, hands, breasts, eye, or ear. But the code is also one of the earliest examples of an accused person being considered innocent until proven guilty. The 282 laws are all written in an “if-then form.” For example, if a man steals an ox, he must pay back 30 times its value. The laws range from family law to professional contracts and administrative law, often outlining different standards of justice for the three classes of Babylonian society—the propertied class, freedmen, and slaves.   A doctor's fee for curing a severe wound would be ten silver shekels for a gentleman, five shekels for a freedman, and two shekels for a slave. So, it was less expensive when you were a lower-class citizen. Penalties for malpractice followed the same scheme: a doctor who killed a wealthy patient would have his hands cut off, while only financial restitution was required if the victim was a slave. Crazy!   Some examples of the death penalty laws at this time are as follows:         If a man accuses another man and charges him with homicide but cannot bring proof against him, his accuser shall be killed. Holy shit.         If a man breaks into a house, they shall kill him and hang him in front of that same house.          The death penalty was also part of the Hittite Code in the 14th century B.C., but only partially. The most severe offenses typically were punished through enslavement, although crimes of a sexual nature often were punishable by death. The Hittite laws, also known as the Code of the Nesilim, constitute an ancient legal code dating from c. 1650 – 1500 BCE. The Hittite laws were kept in use for roughly 500 years, and many copies show that other than changes in grammar, what might be called the 'original edition' with its apparent disorder, was copied slavishly; no attempt was made to 'tidy up' by placing even apparent afterthoughts in a more appropriate position.    The Draconian constitution, or Draco's code, was a written law code enforced by Draco near the end of the 7th century BC; its composition started around 621BC. It was written in response to the unjust interpretation and modification of oral law by Athenian aristocrats. Aristotle, the chief source for knowledge of Draco, claims that he was the first to write Athenian laws and that Draco established a constitution enfranchising hoplites, the lower class soldiers. The Draconian laws were most noteworthy for their harshness; they were written in blood rather than ink. Death was prescribed for almost all criminal offenses. Solon, who was the magistrate in 594 BCE, later repealed Draco's code and published new laws, retaining only Draco's homicide statutes.   In the 5th century B.C., the Roman Law of the Twelve Tables also contained the death penalty. Death sentences were carried out by such means as beheading, boiling in oil, burying alive, burning, crucifixion, disembowelment, drowning, flaying alive, hanging, impalement, stoning, strangling, being thrown to wild animals, and quartering. We'll talk more about that later. The earliest attempt by the Romans to create a code of law was the Laws of the Twelve Tables. A commission of ten men (Decemviri) was appointed (c. 455 B.C.) to draw up a code of law binding on patrician and plebeian and which consuls would have to enforce. The commission produced enough statutes to fill ten bronze tablets.    Mosaic Law codified many capital crimes. There is evidence that Jews used many different techniques, including stoning, hanging, beheading, crucifixion (copied from the Romans), throwing the criminal from a rock, and sawing asunder. The most infamous execution of history occurred approximately 29 AD with the crucifixion of that one guy, Jesus Christ, outside Jerusalem. About 300 years later, Emperor Constantine, after converting to Christianity, abolished crucifixion and other cruel death penalties in the Roman Empire. In 438, the Code of Theodosius made more than 80 crimes punishable by death.    Britain influenced the colonies more than any other country and has a long history of punishment by death. About 450 BC, the death penalty was often enforced by throwing the condemned into a quagmire, which is not only the character from Family Guy, and another word for dilemma but in this case is a soft boggy area of land. By the 10th Century, hanging from the gallows was the most frequent execution method. William the Conqueror opposed taking life except in war and ordered no person to be hanged or executed for any offense. Nice guy, right? However, he allowed criminals to be mutilated for their crimes.    During the middle ages, capital punishment was accompanied by torture. Most barons had a drowning pit as well as gallows, and they were used for major as well as minor crimes. For example, in 1279, two hundred and eighty-nine Jews were hanged for clipping coins. What the fuck is that you may be wondering. Well, Clipping was taking a small amount of metal off the edge of hand-struck coins. Over time, the precious metal clippings could be saved up and melted into bullion (a lump of precious metal) to be sold or used to make new coins. Under Edward I, two gatekeepers were killed because the city gate had not been closed in time to prevent the escape of an accused murderer. Burning was the punishment for women's high treason, and men were hanged, drawn, and quartered. Beheading was generally accepted for the upper classes. One could be burned to death for marrying a Jew. Pressing became the penalty for those who would not confess to their crimes—the executioner placed heavy weights on the victim's chest until death. On the first day, he gave the victim a small quantity of bread, on the second day a small drink of bad water, and so on until he confessed or died. Under the reign of Henry VIII, the number of those put to death is estimated as high as 72,000. Boiling to death was another penalty approved in 1531, and there are records to show some people cooked for up to two hours before death took them. When a woman was burned, the executioner tied a rope around her neck when she was connected to the stake. When the flames reached her, she could be strangled from outside the ring of fire. However, this often failed, and many were burnt alive.   In Britain, the number of capital offenses continually increased until the 1700's when two hundred and twenty-two crimes were punishable by death. These included stealing from a house for forty shillings, stealing from a shop the value of five shillings, robbing a rabbit warren, cutting down a tree, and counterfeiting tax stamps. However, juries tended not to convict when the penalty was significant, and the crime was not. Reforms began to take place. In 1823, five laws were passed, removing about a hundred crimes from the death penalty. Between 1832 and 1837, many capital offenses were swept away. In 1840, there was a failed attempt to abolish all capital punishment. Through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, more and more capital punishments were abolished, not only in Britain but also all across Europe; until today, only a few European countries retain the death penalty.   The first recorded execution in the English American colonies was in 1608 when officials executed George Kendall of Virginia for supposedly plotting to betray the British to the Spanish. In 1612, Virginia's governor, Sir Thomas Dale, implemented the Divine, Moral, and Martial Laws that made death the penalty for even minor offenses such as stealing grapes, killing chickens, killing dogs or horses without permission, or trading with Indians. Seven years later, these laws were softened because Virginia feared that no one would settle there. Well, no shit.   In 1622, the first legal execution of a criminal, Daniel Frank, occurred in, of course, Virginia for the crime of theft. Some colonies were very strict in using the death penalty, while others were less so. In Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first execution was in 1630, but the earliest capital statutes did not occur until later. Under the Capital Laws of New England that went into effect between 1636-1647, the death penalty was set forth for pre-meditated murder, sodomy, witchcraft, adultery, idolatry, blasphemy, assault in anger, rape, statutory rape, manstealing, perjury in a capital trial, rebellion, manslaughter, poisoning, and bestiality. A scripture from the Old Testament accompanied early laws. By 1780, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts only recognized seven capital crimes: murder, sodomy, burglary, buggery, arson, rape, and treason. And for those wondering, The Buggery Act of 1533, formally An Act for the punishment of the vice of Buggerie, was an Act of the Parliament of England that was passed during the reign of Henry VIII. It was the country's first civil sodomy law.   The Act defined buggery as an unnatural sexual act against the will of God and Man. This term was later determined by the courts to include only anal penetration and bestiality.   The New York colony instituted the so-called Duke's Laws of 1665. This list of laws directed the death penalty for denial of the true God, pre-meditated murder, killing someone who had no weapon of defense, killing by lying in wait or by poisoning, sodomy, buggery, kidnapping, perjury in a capital trial, traitorous denial of the king's rights or raising arms to resist his authority, conspiracy to invade towns or forts in the colony and striking one's mother or father (upon complaint of both). The two colonies that were more lenient concerning capital punishment were South Jersey and Pennsylvania. In South Jersey, there was no death penalty for any crime, and there were only two crimes, murder, and treason, punishable by death. Way to go, Jersey Raccoons!   Some states were more severe. For example, by 1837, North Carolina required death for the crimes of murder, rape, statutory rape, slave-stealing, stealing banknotes, highway robbery, burglary, arson, castration, buggery, sodomy, bestiality, dueling where death occurs, (and this insidious shit), hiding a slave with intent to free him, taking a free Negro out of state to sell him, bigamy, inciting slaves to rebel, circulating seditious literature among slaves, accessory to murder, robbery, burglary, arson, or mayhem and others. However, North Carolina did not have a state prison and, many said, no suitable alternative to capital punishment. So, instead of building a fucking prison to hold criminals, they just made the penalty for less severe crimes punishable by death. What the shit, North Carolina?!?   The first reforms of the death penalty occurred between 1776-1800. Thomas Jefferson and four others, authorized to undertake a complete revision of Virginia's laws, proposed a law that recommended the death penalty for only treason and murder. After a stormy debate, the legislature defeated the bill by one vote. The writing of European theorists such as Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Bentham had a significant effect on American intellectuals, as did English Quaker prison reformers John Bellers and John Howard.   Organizations were formed in different colonies for the abolition of the death penalty and to relieve poor prison conditions. Dr. Benjamin Rush, a renowned Philadelphia citizen, proposed abolishing capital punishment. William Bradford, Attorney General of Pennsylvania, was ordered to investigate capital punishment. In 1793 he published “An Enquiry How Far the Punishment of Death is Necessary” in Pennsylvania. Bradford strongly insisted that the death penalty be retained but admitted it was useless in preventing certain crimes. He said the death penalty made convictions harder to obtain because in Pennsylvania, and indeed in all states, the death penalty was mandatory. Juries would often not return a guilty verdict because of this fact, which makes sense. In response, in 1794, the Pennsylvania legislature abolished capital punishment for all crimes except murder “in the first degree,” the first time murder had been broken down into “degrees.” In New York, in 1796, the legislature authorized construction of the state's first prison, abolished whipping, and reduced the number of capital offenses from thirteen to two. Virginia and Kentucky passed similar reform bills. Four more states reduced their capital crimes: Vermont in 1797 to three; Maryland in 1810, to four; New Hampshire in 1812, to two and Ohio in 1815 to two. Each of these states built state penitentiaries. A few states went in the opposite direction. Rhode Island restored the death penalty for rape and arson; Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Connecticut raised death crimes from six to ten, including sodomy, maiming, robbery, and forgery. Many southern states made more crimes capital, especially for slaves. Assholes.   The first profound reform era occurred between 1833-1853. Public executions were attacked as cruel. Sometimes tens of thousands of eager viewers would show up to view hangings; local merchants would sell souvenirs and alcohol. Which, I'm not sure if I hate or absolutely love. Fighting and pushing would often break out as people jockeyed for the best view of the hanging or the corpse! Onlookers often cursed the widow or the victim and would try to tear down the scaffold or the rope for keepsakes. Violence and drunkenness often ruled towns far into the night after “justice had been served.” People are fucking weird, dude. Many states enacted laws providing private hangings. Rhode Island (1833), Pennsylvania (1834), New York (1835), Massachusetts (1835), and New Jersey (1835) all abolished public hangings. By 1849, fifteen states were holding private hangings. This move was opposed by many death penalty abolitionists who thought public executions would eventually cause people to cry out against execution itself. For example, in 1835, Maine enacted what was in effect a moratorium on capital punishment after over ten thousand people who watched a hanging had to be restrained by police after they became unruly and began fighting. All felons sentenced to death would have to remain in prison at hard labor and could not be executed until one year had elapsed and then only on the governor's order. No governor ordered an execution under the “Maine Law” for twenty-seven years. Though many states argued the merits of the death penalty, no state went as far as Maine. The most influential reformers were the clergy, of course. Ironically, the small but influential group that opposed the abolitionists was the clergy.    Ok, let's talk about electrocution. Want to know how the electric chair came to be? Well, Electrocution as a method of execution came onto the scene in an implausible manner. Edison Company, with its DC (direct current) electrical systems, began attacking Westinghouse Company and its AC (alternating current) electrical systems as they were pressing for nationwide electrification with alternating current. To show how dangerous AC could be, Edison Company began public demonstrations by electrocuting animals. People reasoned that if electricity could kill animals, it could kill people. In 1888, New York approved the dismantling of its gallows and the building of the nation's first electric chair. It held its first victim, William Kemmler, in 1890, and even though the first electrocution was clumsy at best, other states soon followed the lead.   Between 1917 and 1955, the death penalty abolition movement again slowed. Washington, Arizona, and Oregon in 1919-20 reinstated the death penalty. In 1924, the first execution by cyanide gas took place in Nevada, when Tong war gang murderer Gee Jon became its first victim. Get this shit. The frigging state wanted to secretly pump cyanide gas into Jon's cell at night while he was asleep as a more humanitarian way of carrying out the penalty. Still, technical difficulties prohibited this, and a special “gas chamber” was hastily built. Other concerns developed when less “civilized” methods of execution failed. In 1930, Mrs. Eva Dugan became the first female to be executed by Arizona. The execution was botched when the hangman misjudged the drop, and Mrs. Dugan's head was ripped from her body. More states converted to electric chairs and gas chambers. During this time, abolitionist organizations sprang up all across the country, but they had little effect. Several stormy protests were held against the execution of certain convicted felons, like Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were convicted of spying on behalf of the Soviet Union. The couple was convicted of providing top-secret information about radar, sonar, jet propulsion engines, and valuable nuclear weapon designs. At that time, the United States was supposedly the only country with nuclear weapons. Convicted of espionage in 1951, they were executed by the United States federal government in 1953 in the Sing Sing correctional facility in Ossining, New York, becoming the first American civilians to be executed for such charges and the first to receive that penalty during peacetime. However, these protests held little opposition against the death penalty itself. In fact, during the anti-Communist period, with all its fears and hysteria, Texas Governor Allan Shivers seriously suggested that capital punishment be the penalty for membership in the Communist Party.   The movement against capital punishment revived again between 1955 and 1972.   England and Canada completed exhaustive studies which were largely critical of the death penalty, and these were widely circulated in the U.S.  Death row criminals gave their moving accounts of capital punishment in books and films. Convicted robber, kidnapper, and rapist Caryl Chessman, published “Cell 2455 Death Row” and “Trial by Ordeal.” Barbara Graham's story was utilized in the book and movie “I Want to Live!” after her execution. She was executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin Prison on the same day as two convicted accomplices, Jack Santo and Emmett Perkins. All of them were involved in a robbery that led to the murder of an elderly widow.  Television shows were broadcast on the death penalty. Hawaii and Alaska ended capital punishment in 1957, and Delaware did so the following year. Controversy over the death penalty gripped the nation, forcing politicians to take sides. Delaware restored the death penalty in 1961. Michigan abolished capital punishment for treason in 1963. Voters in 1964 abolished the death penalty in Oregon. In 1965 Iowa, New York, West Virginia, and Vermont ended the death penalty. New Mexico abolished the death penalty in 1969.   The controversy over the death penalty continues today. There is a strong movement against lawlessness propelled by citizens' fears of security. Politicians at the national and state levels are taking the floor of legislatures and calling for more frequent death penalties, death penalties for more crimes, and longer prison sentences. Those opposing these moves counter by arguing that harsher sentences do not slow crime and that crime is slightly or the same as in the past. FBI statistics show murders are now up. (For example, 9.3 persons per 100,000 were murdered in 1973, and 9.4 persons per 100,000 were murdered in 1992, and as of today, it's upwards of 14.4 people per 100,000. This upswing might be because of more advanced crime technology, as well as more prominent news and media.   Capital punishment has been completely abolished in all European countries except for Belarus and Russia, which has a moratorium and has not conducted an execution since September 1996. The complete ban on capital punishment is enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (EU). Two widely adopted protocols of the European Convention on Human Rights of the Council of Europe are thus considered a central value. Of all modern European countries, San Marino, Portugal, and the Netherlands were the first to abolish capital punishment, whereas only Belarus still practices capital punishment in some form or another. In 2012, Latvia became the last EU member state to abolish capital punishment in wartime.   Ok, so now let's switch gears from the history of capital punishment and executions in general and get into what we know you beautiful bastards come here for. Let's talk about some methods used throughout the years, and then we'll talk about some famous executions and some fucked and messed up ones.   Methods:   We've discussed a few of these before, but some are so fucked up we're going to discuss them again.   Boiling To Death:   A slow and agonizing punishment, this method traditionally saw the victim gradually lowered — feet-first — into boiling oil, water, or wax (although uses of boiling wine and molten lead have also been recorded).   If the shock of the pain did not render them immediately unconscious, the person would experience the excruciating sensation of their outer layers of skin, utterly destroyed by immersion burns, dissolving right off their body, followed by the complete breakdown of the fatty tissue, boiling away beneath.   Emperor Nero is said to have dispatched thousands of Christians in this manner. At the same time, in the Middle Ages, the primary recipients of the punishment were not killers or rapists but coin forgers, particularly in Germany and the Holy Roman Empire. In Britain, meanwhile, King Henry VIII introduced the practice for executing those who used poison to commit murder.   Shockingly, the practice is believed to have been carried out as recently as 2002, when the government of Uzbekistan, led by Islam Karimov, was alleged to have tortured several suspected terrorists to death by boiling.   The Blood Eagle:   A technique ascribed to ancient Norse warriors, the blood eagle, mixed brutality and poetic imagery that only the Vikings could. First, the victim's back would be hacked open, and the skin ripped apart, exposing the spinal column.   The ribs would then be snapped from the spine and forcibly bent backward until they faced outwards from the body, forming a pair of bloody, shattered eagle's wings. As a horrifying finale, the lungs would then be pulled from the body cavity and coated with stinging salt, causing eventual death by suffocation.   There is some question whether this technique was ever actually used as the only accounts come from Norse literature. Odin did this shit, you know it.   Several scholars claim that the act we know of today is simply a result of poor translating and misunderstands the strong association of the eagle with blood and death in Norse imagery. That said, every account is consistent in that in each case, the victim is a nobleman being punished for murdering his father.   The good news for any poor soul who might have suffered this brutal death? The agony and blood loss from the initial wounds would probably have caused them to pass out long before the lungs were removed from their bodies.    Impalement:   Most famously used by Vlad the Impaler, 15th-century ruler of Wallachia (in present-day Romania) and inspiration for Count Dracula, the act of impalement has a long, grim history. While images tend to depict people skewered through the midsection and then held aloft — in a manner that would almost certainly bring about a rapid death — the actual process was a much longer, horrifically drawn-out ordeal.   Traditionally, the stake would be partially sharpened and planted, point up, in the ground. The victim would then be placed over the spike as it was inserted partway into the rectum or vagina.   As their body weight dragged them further onto the pole, the semi-greased wooden stake would force its way up through their body, piercing organs with agonizing slowness as it eventually penetrated the entire torso, finally tearing an exit wound through the skin of the shoulder, neck or throat. Holy shishkabob. Or bill. Or Karen.   The earliest records of the torture come from 1772 B.C. in Babylon, where the aforementioned King Hammurabi ordered a woman be executed in this way for killing her husband. But its use continued until as recently as the 20th century when the Ottoman government employed the technique during the Armenian genocide of 1915-1923. Which is super fucked up.   According to some accounts, it could take the victim — exposed, bleeding, and writhing in tormented agony — as long as eight whole days to die. Oh my hell!   Keelhauling:   Walking the plank might not be the most pleasant of deaths, but it seems moderately more humane than the other favored maritime punishment of keelhauling.   A punishment that often ended in death due to the severity of the wounds sustained (or was simply carried out until the point of death), it saw the victim, legs weighted and suspended from a rope, dropped from the bow of the ship, and then rapidly pulled underwater along the length of the hull — and over the keel (the beam that runs longitudinally down the center of the underside to the stern.   In the age of old, old wooden sailing ships, the hull of a vessel would generally be coated in a thick layer of barnacles, whose shells could be rock hard and razor-sharp.   As the drowning sailor was yanked relentlessly through the saltwater, these barnacles would strip the skin from his body, gouging out raw chunks of flesh and even, by some accounts, tearing off whole limbs or severing the head.   If the sailor was still alive, they might be hung from the mast for 15 minutes before going in again. In some cases, the victim would have an oil-soaked sponge — containing a breath of air — stuffed into their mouth to prevent a “merciful” drowning.   Employed mainly by the Dutch and the French from the 1500s until it was abolished in 1853, accounts of its use date back to Greece in 800 B.C.   The Roman Candle:   Many of the worst execution methods ever devised involve fire — from burning witches at stake in medieval Britain to roasting criminals alive in the hot metal insides of the brazen bull in Ancient Greece — but few match the sheer lack of humanity as the Roman Candle.   A rumored favorite of the mad Roman Emperor Nero, this method saw the subject tied to a stake and smeared with flammable pitch (tree or plant resin), then set ablaze, slowly burning to death from the feet up.   What sets this above the many other similar methods is that the victims were sometimes lined up outside to provide the lighting for one of Nero's evening parties.   Being Hanged, Drawn, And Quartered:   First recorded in England during the 13th century, this unusually extreme — even for the time — mode of execution was made the statutory punishment for treason in 1351. Though it was intended to be an act of such barbarous severity that no one would ever risk committing a treasonous act, there were nevertheless plenty of recipients over the next 500 years.   The process of being hanged, drawn, and quartered began with the victim being dragged to the site of execution while strapped to a wooden panel, which was in turn tied to a horse.   They would then experience a slow hanging, in which, rather than being dropped to the traditional quick death of a broken neck, they would instead be left to choke horribly as the rope tore up the skin of their throat, their body weight dragging them downwards.   Some had the good fortune to die at this stage, including the infamous Gunpowder Plot conspirator Guy Fawkes, who ensured a faster death by leaping from the gallows.   Once half-strangled, the drawing would begin. The victim would be strapped down and then slowly disemboweled, their stomachs sliced open, and their intestines and other significant organs hacked apart and pulled — “drawn” — from the body.   The genitals would often be mutilated and ripped from between their legs. Those unlucky enough to still be alive at this point might witness their organs burned in front of them before they were finally decapitated.   Once death had finally claimed them, the recipient's body would be carved into four pieces — or “quartered” — and the parts sent to prominent areas of the country as a warning to others.   The head would often be taken to the infamous Tower of London, where it would be impaled on a spike and placed on the walls “for the mockery of London.”   Rat Torture:   As recently depicted in that horrible show, Game Of Thrones, rat torture is ingenious in its disgusting simplicity. In its most basic form, a bucket containing live rats is placed on the exposed torso of the victim, and heat is applied to the base of the bucket.   The rats, crazy with fear from the heat, tear and gnaw their way into the abdomen of the victim, clawing and ripping through skin, flesh, organs, and intestines in their quest to escape.   Possessing the most powerful biting and chewing motion of any rodent, rats can make short work of a human stomach. Along with the unimaginable pain, the victim would also suffer the sick horror of feeling the large, filthy creatures writhing around inside their guts as they died.   While associated with Elizabethan England — where the Tower of London was said to have housed a “Dungeon of Rats,” a pitch-black room below high watermark that would draw in rats from the River Thames to torment the room's inhabitants — the practice has been used far more recently.   General Pinochet is said to have employed the technique during his dictatorship of Chile (1973-1990), while reports from Argentina during the National Reorganization Process in the late 1970s and early '80s claimed victims were subjected to a version in which live rats — or sometimes spiders — were inserted into the subject's body via a tube in the rectum or vagina….yep.   Bamboo Torture   Forcing thin shards of bamboo under the fingernails has long been cited as an interrogation method, but bamboo has been used to creatively — and slowly — execute a person, too. Allegedly used by the Japanese on American prisoners of war, it saw the victim tied down to a frame over a patch of newly sprouting bamboo plants.   One of the fastest-growing plants in the world, capable of up to three feet of growth in 24 hours, the sharp-tipped plants would slowly pierce the victim's skin — and then continue to grow. The result was death by gradual, continuous, multiple impalements, the equivalent of being dropped on a bed of sharpened stakes in terrible slow motion.   Despite the practice having roots in the former areas of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and Siam (now Thailand) in the 19th century, there are no proven instances of it being used during WWII.   It's certainly possible, however, and it has been shown that the technique, among the worst execution methods ever, works: A 2008 episode of MythBusters found that bamboo was capable of penetrating a human-sized lump of ballistic gelatin over three days.   https://m.imdb.com/list/ls059738828/

We discuss the many prophetic signs in these last days, preludes to the end times (such as vaccine passports), mockers, preppers, and the need to resist nonstop fear mongering while pointing people to Christ. There is no middle ground! A person either supports and defends truth and the biblical Christian worldview or not. Either believe God's Word or deny Him and live in rebellion to the Lord. Jesus is Lord and His return is ever so close! Daily podcast, relevant articles on issues pertaining to Christians and more can be found on Stand Up For The Truth.

Two issues are addressed on this edition.- Attempts to impose a modern ethic over Scripture results in a whacked translation of 1 Corinthians 6-9 for the New RSV. Here is how worldview impact language and translations of the Bible. Bottom line. . . human languages must bend to the biblical worldview, and better translations should follow. But, what happens when the Bible and its translations are made subject to the worldviews of post-Christian or anti-Christian cultures- Then, we ask the question, to what extent should we deal with arguments and polemics-- When conservatives are marked more by what they hate, than what they love, we have the problem of Ephesus.- We are called to hate. . .the deeds of the Nicolaitans, whoever they were.- But, more importantly, we are called too love. . . Jesus. --This program includes---1. The World View in 5 Minutes with Adam McManus -4,000 pastors joined MacArthur - preached on Biblical sexuality, Supreme Court takes Coach Kennedy's football prayer case, Sudanese Muslims killed 28 Christians, burned down 57 homes---2. Generations with Kevin Swanson

Scripture of the Day:   Psalm 17:6“I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.”The Courts of PraiseThanksgiving and prayer are very important parts of prayer. When you believe you have received the answer to your prayers (which is how you should be praying – not begging as if it has not happened yet), you can't help but begin to Praise God! Amen!  Praise was ordained by God for a purpose. Psalm 8 and Psalm 9 point out some things about praise that you need to understand. Psalm 8:1-2 say, “O Lord our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth! Who has set your Glory about the Heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, you have ordained strength because of your enemies, that you might still the enemy and the avenger.”   Now, I want you to notice something here. Jesus, in Matthew 21:16, is quoting this scripture. You do understand that HE IS the WORD OF GOD, right? So, His interpretation MUST BE accurate… Can I get an AMEN on that one? I mean, Jesus, when quoting the Word is talking about Himself. So when He says something in the Word or from the Word – I think we can all agree it must be True, right? Because He also said “The Word is Truth.” Anyway, I could continue to farther along that line – but the point I'm trying to make is this… In Matthew 21:16, Jesus, quoting from Psalm 8:1-2, said, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings YOU HAVE PERFECTED PRAISE.”  Jesus is equating STRENGTH with PRAISE. From these scripture which we just read, we can see that GOD ORDAINED PRAISE for the purpose of defeating His enemies. Praising God will stop the enemy, the devil and any demon, right in their tracks! It is like having a tank pull into position and the enemies small arms fire just starts bouncing off the hull…then, the Holy Spirit spins that turret around and when you start PRAISING GOD – BAMMM!  That big tank gun goes off and the enemy is defeated…and all his little demon buddies take off running! Praise God!  No really – give God some Praise right now! Amen! Psalm 9:1-4 says, “I will praise you, O Lord, with my whole heart. I will show forth all of your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in YOU. I will sing praise to your name, O you, the Most High God. When my enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at your presence. For you have maintained my right and my cause. You sit on your Throne judging right.” Now, notice – this says WHEN your enemies are turned back. Not IF they will be turned back. Folks, these may seem like small things as you read them – but IF YOU BELIEVE exactly what the Word of God says – they make a world of difference. Amen! We are not wrestling with flesh and blood, but against demonic forces. When you Praise God in advance for the victory – you are praying in the Will of God. When you start to enter His Gates with Thanksgiving in your heart – you are entering the Courts of Praise and your victory is guaranteed. Amen! Let's pray right now and give God some Praise for answered prayer. Whatever it is you are going through right now – just start praising Him for the victory… Until next time, this is Pastor Bob Thibodeau reminding you from 1 Thessalonians 5:17 in the Living Bible to “Always Keep on Praying!”  Be blessed in all that you do! Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com/ (https://podcastersforchrist.com). And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, Podcasting for Christians. It will bless you – go and download it today. You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2...

Christians often define success in terms of numbers: the number of people converted, churches planted, church members in attendance, money raised, etc. Would you answer a ministry posting like this one? “Wanted: Person to speak for the Lord. All content provided. Failure guaranteed—no one will respond.” The job, of course, was “Old Testament prophet.” God sent Ezekiel to the Israelite exiles (v. 33). One would think that having already experienced God’s judgment—the Babylonian conquest—they would have been eager to listen and obey. Instead, they “listened” as if the prophet were an entertaining singer (v. 32), then went off and did as they pleased. Their mouths said the right words, but their hearts were in the wrong place (v. 31). They completely failed to put God’s words into practice (see days 9 and 10). Why did they fail to do so? They didn’t take sin seriously. The “detestable things” they had done were the reason for Jerusalem’s fall and their exile (vv. 27–29). We can infer that they didn’t take sin seriously because they didn’t take the Law seriously. Moses had taught repeatedly that keeping God’s covenant would lead to blessing, and breaking it would lead to judgment (see, for example, Lev. 26:14–45). Because they didn’t take sin or the Law seriously, they ignored God’s prophet as well. It seems they were presuming on God’s mercy and hoped their punishment would be over soon. As a result, they hypocritically “listened” to Ezekiel while focusing not on sin and repentance but on “unjust gain” or on their own advantage (v. 31). Though God knew the people wouldn’t respond rightly, Ezekiel’s ministry wasn’t a failure. God, whose standards are different from ours, counted him a success due to his faithful obedience. >> How much of your self-worth do you get from your earthly success? It’s difficult for us to escape this emphasis in our culture. Remember, God sees things differently!

Christians say there is sanctity in unborn life, but what happens when being pro-life goes beyond policy? The story of a pro-life crisis pregnancy center sharing its walls with an abortion clinic. This episode originally aired in July 2017. Want to know more about the current Supreme Court case?: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/overturn-roe-wade/

This week Stephie and Jaime discuss what it looks like to be a disciple and how Christians are called to disciple others.  This call can be daunting but Jesus gives us a perfect example that we can follow. Listen in to hear new perspectives on how to invest in those around you and how you can better develop a relationship with a mentor. As always, keep the faith, and see the joy. Follow us on instagram at: @joyunseenpodcast @stephieclement @jaimemcguire_

Thousands of pastors in Canada devoted their sermons last Sunday to affirming biblical sexual morality in response to a new law, Bill C-4, that some warn could criminalize such teachings. Dr. Jim Denison sees such possible prosecution as a sign of things to come for Christians who believe in biblical morality. Then he offers three reasons Christians should still choose compassion despite an increasingly contentious culture. The Daily Article is written by Dr. Jim Denison and narrated by Chris Elkins. Subscribe to the email newsletter at denisonforum.org/subscribe.

The Big Idea: Imagine being ashamed to speak about Jesus because we were more concerned about someone's opinion of us, potentially someone we don't even know. Yet, this happens all the time.Main Points:1. Christians have been told by our culture that we are not to share our faith in Jesus. It's rude, inconsiderate, and even offensive to talk about Christ, or so we've been told.2. I don't share this to shame you for not being more bold for Christ, but to inspire you to ask God for more courage. It takes courage to speak up for Jesus. It takes courage to live your values in a public way. It requires courage to take a stand for God.3. My prayer is that God would give us courage. Though we may face criticism, rejection, and opposition, may we be bold with this life-changing message of the gospel.Today's Scripture Verse:Romans 1:16 - “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”Luke 9:26 - “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”Quick Links:Subscribe to The 5 Minute Discipleship NewsletterDonate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group5 Minute Discipleship on InstagramLoren Hicks on InstagramRecent Episodes:#513: Sometimes God says no#512 - Why confession is still important#511 - Discovering Jesus is enough

In this episode of Pray the Word on Nehemiah 8:5–6, David Platt teaches us that God's Word ought to lead us to worship him.View the 2022 McLean Bible Church Reading Plan.

Episode Notes In episode 41 we follow up on an earlier episode (24) about Christianity and Abortion. The question asked was if Christians who are pro-life are hypocritical if they support the death penalty. The key texts are Exodus 21:22-25 and Numbers 35:17-24. Also referenced are Jeremiah 1:4-5, Psalm, 139:13-14, and Exodus 20:13. To submit a new questions email us at questions@generations.email.

For generations Christians have found Jesus' famous statement, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's” (Matt. 22:21) a helpful basis for understanding the relationship of the Christian to the State. But how does it apply today?

Our anger in itself is not sinful, but we run the risk of offending God if we allow our anger to make us act out of selfish motives. As Christians, we are called to exercise prudence and meekness and to accept setbacks peacefully. A meditation given by Fr. Timothy Uhen.

“When we see isolated incidents, we should not judge the whole world. When we see racism and hatred, those things are not of God but the devil.” After just having celebrated MLK Day, we talk on the podcast this week to an African-American sheriff in Georgia about the late Dr. King, plus how he's personally dealt with racism, being a bold Christian who practices his faith daily, handling negative views of law enforcement, and more. (5:06) We start our chat with Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman (in Columbus GA) about looking at increased violence – record number of homicides – from a spiritual perspective, with the message being to humble ourselves and stop moving away from God. This sheriff, who's also an ordained minister, talks about prayer and fasting being specific and intentional. As we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Junior (11:29), our guest on the pod talks about the lessons taken from the courageous civil rights icon, who used scripture with all he did. (13:22) As a black sheriff, he also has a lot to say about racism, and how isolated incidents create teachable moments. He's dealt with racial issues too, as a Plains GA native, but wants to forgive like Jesus. With numerous faith-related college degrees, (16:05) how did he get into law enforcement? The dream started for him in the 5th grade. Sheriff Countryman also opens up about overcoming a bad stutter and learning disability, which is partly why he wants to be a voice for the voiceless and why he stays so close to God who brought him this far. (19:27) With more of an anti-police mindset nowadays, this 31-year law enforcement veteran from GA talks about inaction creating problems, building trust back, and special training. Sheriff Countryman also tells the story about being shot at, but why he didn't fire back. (29:14) I asked this unabashed Jesus follower how others can also be bold Christians and share their faith. Part of it is who your friends are. At his sheriff's office, he's always saying, “The Lord is with us.” He's also proud to have brought up 3 sons in the faith. (36:45) So, how do criminals react to his approach and faith? Also, why did he have to remove Bibles from the jail he's in charge of? We talk some about (41:29) the impact of COVID-19 on law enforcement, views of death and faith. (46:01) Sheriff Countryman closes us in prayer. (49:04) In the final segments, the “Food for Thought” is about law enforcement and faith, while we get some “Parting Gift” wisdom from MLK. Thanks for listening! And tell your friends about the #RunTheRace podcast. Subscribe to it! For more info, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.

Matthew 20: 1-16Andrew and Edwin take a second look at the gracious vineyard owner parable. What unified each of the laborers in the vineyard even though they came at different hours and accomplished different amounts of labor? The Master in whose vineyard they decided to work. There's the key to discuss.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=8588The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

Play during opening: 4:43-4:47 The pathetic spectacle of a man who's run out of road…and more on today's CrossPolitic Daily News Brief. This is Toby Sumpter. Today is Friday, January 14, 2022. If you want to see more of this sort of thing, please consider joining the Fight Laugh Feast Club. For less than a few coffees a month, you can help us build a rowdy Christian media response to liberal legacy media, big tech, and build a Christian megaphone for the truth. Got to flfnetwork.com and click on “join the club.” First Up: SuperCringe from Australia: Want to Go on a VAX Date? Play Audio There are wheels within wheels here. First, we have two girls who are apparently going on a date? They're going to see the new Spider Man at 10am? Who goes to the movies at 10am? That's creepy. Then, like it's Nazi Germany, the kid asks for to see their certificates of vaccination. I mean, why not ask for their full medical history? I mean, how many STDs do they have since they're lesbians and more likely to be transmitting sexual diseases? Then the girl says that her parents haven't let her get vaccinated and the other girl says that she doesn't need her parent's permission to get vaccinated and off the go on the vax date. But notice: they don't need parental permission to get foreign substances put into their body that could have significant side effects or life-long impacts, but they do need the government's permission to go see a movie. It's not like parents have been removed, the question is rather who is playing the part of parents. And in totalitarian regimes it's the government. I would also just like to point out here that you cannot remove parental permissions for medical decisions and then pretend that the category of consenting adult still exists. If you can make medical decisions without parental permission, then you can make sexual decisions as well. And the lower that age gets, the closer we get to allowing pedophilia. And if you don't think that's already in the back of some peoples' minds, you're not paying attention. The current freak out over children not being vaccinated is driven, in part, by the ultimate goal of removing parental protections so that they can be groomed and preyed upon by sexual predators. Families have failed to establish their government. Fathers have failed. There is no loyalty to parents and family government because parents have not loved and taught their children well. And parents have not done that because they have not been discipled by the churches. Pastors have limited their teaching to a tiny sliver of what is called the gospel, but it's so tiny and full of emotional fluff, that no doubt many of these pastors and their parishoners in Australia and New Zealand will arrive in heaven to hear the Lord say depart from me, you workers of iniquity, and I never heard of you. Owner of the Golden Warriors Says He Doesn't Care About the Uyghur Genocide https://nypost.com/2022/01/17/warriors-chamath-palihapitiya-no-one-cares-about-uyghurs/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter A minority owner of the Golden State Warriors got in a bit of hot water on social media for callously admitting he does not care about Uyghur genocide in China. Chamath Palihapitiya, a venture capitalist who owns 10 percent of the NBA franchise, expressed cold indifference to the plight of the Uyghurs, an ethnic Muslim minority that has been persecuted in China, on his “All In” podcast over the weekend. When co-host Jason Calacanis said President Biden's statement about the Uyghurs was one of the stronger things he's said, Palihapitiya interjected that nobody cares about them. “Let's be honest, nobody cares about what's happening to the Uyghurs,” Palihapitiya said. “You bring it up because you really care, and I think that's nice that you care. The rest of us don't care. “I'm telling you a very hard, ugly truth. Of all the things that I care about, it is below my line.” David Sacks, the third co-host of the podcast, said that if you bring up everything that is happening with the Uyghurs, Americans care — but it is not at the “top of their minds.” “I care about [empty shelves at grocery stores]. I care about the fact that our economy could turn on a dime if China invades Taiwan. I care about that,” Palihapitiya said. “I care about climate change. I care about America's crippling and decrepit health care infrastructure. “But if you're asking me do I care about a segment of a class of people in another country? Not until we can take care of ourselves will I prioritize them over us. I think a lot of people believe that and I'm sorry if that's a hard truth to hear. But every time I say that I care about the Uyghurs, I'm really just lying if I don't really care.” Here it is: 14:47-15:54 The Warriors distanced themselves from Palihapitiya's opinion on Monday. “As a limited investor who has no day-to-day operating functions with the Warriors, Mr. does not speak on behalf of our franchise, and his views certainly don't reflect those of our organization,” the team said in a statement. The Uyghurs have been subjected to rape, sterilizations and slave labor. Biden signed a bill in Decemberbanning imports from the Xinjiang region of China unless it can be proven the goods were not made with forced labor. Calacanis said it's a sad state of affairs if people can't care about global human rights. “That's a luxury belief,” Palihapitiya responded. “The reason I think that is we don't do enough domestically to actually express that view in real tangible ways. So until we actually clean up our own house, the idea that we step outside our borders, with us morally virtue-signaling about someone else's human rights record, is deplorable.” Human rights in China is a third-rail topic for the NBA. The league had a lot of its future growth pegged to its relationship with China, when then-Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted to “Free Hong Kong” in support of democracy protesters and ignited a firestorm in 2019. AD: Founded in 2018, The Reformed Sage exists to edify Christians with products and services that build the kingdom of God and proclaim the gospel to all. We have created products that are unique, useful, beautiful, and humorous. We have wood art, engraved wall art, apparel, drinkware, decals, stamps, and much more. We also regularly make custom merchandise at wholesale prices for churches, ministries and businesses that want to add or expand their product offerings in turn increasing revenue. Please use promo code FLF22 for 10% off your first order. AND HAPPENING NOW: All apparel is marked down until Super Bowl Sunday! (No promo code necessary) Shirts: $20 Hoodies: $30 and more! They are changing apparel vendors and removing some designs. We do not know at this time what color/sizing options we will have available come March 1. So, if there is an apparel combo you want (design/size/color) better grab it before it is gone for good! This sale ends on February 6th. Prime Minister Boris Johnson Is Being Asked to Resign for Attending Parties During Lockdown https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/17/uks-boris-johnson-clings-to-power-as-partygate-scandal-rumbles-on.html U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's position is looking increasingly vulnerable as more reports emerge of parties and gatherings in Downing Street during periods of Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions. Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, accused Johnson of breaking Covid laws amid numerous allegations of parties and gatherings that were held by government staff, with some attended by Johnson, during lockdown. In the last few days more reports of parties have emerged, with Downing Street apologizing to Queen Elizabeth after it has emerged that two parties took place on the eve of Prince Phillip's funeral in April 2021, in which it's alleged that a staff member was sent out to buy a “suitcase of wine.” Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Starmer said Johnson had “lied” about what he called “industrial scale partying” in Downing Street. “The facts speak for themselves, and the country has made up its mind,” he said, adding it was “blindingly obvious what's happened.” “I think he broke the law, I think he's as good as admitted that he broke the law,” he told the BBC. Johnson admitted to Parliament last week that he had attended a drinks party at Downing Street, the prime minister's office and which he lives next door to, during the U.K.'s first Covid lockdown in May 2020 but said he believed it was a “work event.” 1:03-1:39 Did you catch that? Boris said that he was really, really sorry he thought it was a work meeting in the garden. At this time, people in the U.K. were only allowed to meet one other person from outside their household, and had to meet outdoors, among other strict rules. To which the opposition party leader, Keir Starmer, replied: Play: 4:38-5:18 First off, don't you wish President Biden had to interact with that kind of withering rhetoric? Or at least Dr. Fauci? From a friend: Boris Johnson “is a serial adulterer, and the first PM to have a live-in girlfriend at 10 Downing Street. He is also a serial liar, and has been found out. I suspect he will have to resign, but he will be replaced by someone even more compromised politically - probably Jacob Rees-Mogg, who was pro-brexit, but has also been pro-lockdown. However, Rees-Mogg would not be favorable to the Biden regime, so pressure might be put on Conservative MPs to chose someone like Sajid Javid or Rishi Sunak, which would give Britain either it's first Muslim or Hindu Prime Minister.” Another news sources says that Rishi Sunak's name recognition among voters is high at around 95 per cent to 98 per cent, and a net favourability of plus three shows he is well-liked… Psalm of the Day: 98 0:00-1:09 Remember you can always find the links to our news stories and these psalms at crosspolitic dot com – just click on the daily news brief and follow the links. Or find them on our App: just search “Fight Laugh Feast” in your favorite app store and never miss a show. This is Toby Sumpter with Crosspolitic News. A reminder: Support Rowdy Christian media, and share this show or become a Fight Laugh Feast Club Member. What allows us to continuing growing to take on the Big Media Lie Fest is your monthly membership support. If you've already joined, a huge thanks to you, and if you haven't, please consider joining today and have a great weekend.

Christians are here to draw other people into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s a tall order, but something Jesus calls us to. “Go make disciples of all nations” and “they will know you are Christians by your love.” Such verses, as well as Pastor JD, remind us today that people need to see Jesus through you.

In this lesson given to a high school class, Gary reveals the debate and thought tricks used by unbelievers to support their unbelief. Christians must be aware of the mental trickery being used to identify and uncover the whole story and force the unbeliever to recognize their own inconsistent worldview.

We discuss Heidi's decision to run for congress,  how the church has generally responded to cultural immorality and medical tyranny, and some recent news stories about Joe Biden's sinking approval ratings, assaults on the 2nd Amendment, and WAC 246-100 - literal Covid concentration camps and federal government “strike forces.” We must awake the sleeping giant of the American church and rally the awakened to fight! Daily podcast, relevant articles on issues pertaining to Christians and more can be found on Stand Up For The Truth.

The role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian is a central matter of Christianity. The Holy Spirit is the Christian life. The question isn’t, "do you have all of the Holy Spirit," but rather, "does the Holy Spirit have all of you? " Are you fired up about the Lord like you once were? Find out what you can do to live a more Spirit-filled life. A message in Ephesians 5 from Dr. MacDonald's teaching series, “Holy Spirit Help (And How You Can Find it Everyday).” Subscribe for devotionals and ministry updates: http://jamesmacdonaldministries.org Follow on social media: IG: http://bit.ly/JamesMacDonald-IG FB: http://bit.ly/JamesMacDonald-FB TW: http://bit.ly/JamesMacDonald-TW Dr. James MacDonald preaches without apology straight from the pages of Scripture, provoking Christians to think and act on their faith.

DOCUMENTATION AND ADDITIONAL READING PART 1 (0:0 - 3:52): ────────────────── Why Is There An MLK Jr. Day, and What Is Its Significance? PART 2 (3:53 - 18:8): ────────────────── ‘Power Has to Serve the Cause of Love': Evaluating the Theological Influences of MLK Jr.'s and the Civil Rights Movement — And How the Theology of the BLM Movement Compares Today PART 3 (18:9 - 25:9): ────────────────── Dealing with History As It Happened: The Responsibility of Christians in Evaluating Difficult and Complex Figures in History

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spent his life working tirelessly to secure civil rights for every US citizen, regardless of their skin color. While great strides have been made in this area, recent events show that much work remains to be done.Dr. David K. Bernard addresses the legacy of Dr. King and the civil rights movement and the role the Bible and America's founding documents played in Dr. King's appeals. Dr. Bernard also shares his thoughts on what the church can do to promote justice and equality.If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and a review on iTunes or your preferred podcast platform. We also greatly appreciate it when you share Apostolic Life in the 21st Century with your family and friends.Thank you for listening!

Analogous talk of God and its importance is the topic of the day. Christians have a reality vision that allows us to use creaturely ways of talking about God. But today many talk of God in fundamentally idolatrous ways. The guys address reality issues as they pertain to God-talk and it's significance for worship, doctrine, and life. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-theology-pugcast/support

In this episode of Pray the Word on Nehemiah 7:66, David Platt praises God for the great love that he has shown us through Jesus Christ.View the 2022 McLean Bible Church Reading Plan.

Most Christians know the hymn “Amazing Grace” – even non-believers know it. Yet so few of us truly understand why grace is so amazing. Let's begin looking at the 5 characteristics of God's saving grace in Ephesians 2. Though no one is worthy, God gives this gift freely to those who believe on His Son. God's grace is more than sufficient to save not only a “good” person, but the most wicked and vilest of sinners. Now that's amazing!   Click here to listen (Duration 25:02)

Pranav's nephew Sajel visits the pod briefly! Then quickly leaves. We make fun of Euphoria, which is definitely written by Christians. Usama gets detained by the TSA! Pranav shares his own TSA romance/drama. Some crypto talk! Delhi vs. Mumbai! Our Brown of the Week is Jaswant Singh Chail/Darth Jones who tried to kill Queen Elizabeth with a crossbow after announcing it on Snapchat. Usama discusses some romantic woes and the two unpack the tribulations of vulnerability in the arms of another. Love as a constant flux of power, never fully in balance, and feels super bad sometimes! Pranav keeps saying "love is a battlefield".FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:@pranahaha

The reason some Christians don't feel the Lord's peace and joy is that they are still living in their old worldly ways.