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“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)


This great verse has been recited countless times by Israelites down through the centuries, setting forth their distinctive belief in one great Creator God. The Jews had retained their original belief in creation, handed down from Noah, while the other nations had all allowed their original mon... More...
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On Heels of Mark Driscoll’s New Church Opening, Seattle Times Reports: “Racketeering suit claims Mark Driscoll misused Mars Hill donor dollars”
By Nina Shapiro Seattle Times staff reporter Mark Driscoll may have moved on to a new city and a new church, but he faces the sharpest demand yet to account for his actions at Mars Hill Church. On Monday, four former Mars Hill members filed a civil racketeering lawsuit against Driscoll, charging that the once […]
The post On Heels of Mark Driscoll’s New Church Opening, Seattle Times Reports: “Racketeering suit claims Mark Driscoll misused Mars Hill donor dollars” appeared first on .
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“But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.” (Mark 6:4)


A town will give great honor to a “hometown boy” if he makes good in athletics or the entertainment world. But if he becomes known as an influential Christian, the hometown folks usually are embarrassed about it. More...
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“And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 4:18)


Every Christian knows that he or she should witness for Christ, but most are very reluctant to speak in His name very often. The most obvious reason for this hesitancy is fear. Sometimes we may be actually forbidden, as were the apostles, to teach of Him, but ... More...
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“And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 4:18)


Every Christian knows that he or she should witness for Christ, but most are very reluctant to speak in His name very often. The most obvious reason for this hesitancy is fear. Sometimes we may be actually forbidden, as were the apostles, to teach of Him, but ... More...
View the full article

“And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 4:18)


Every Christian knows that he or she should witness for Christ, but most are very reluctant to speak in His name very often. The most obvious reason for this hesitancy is fear. Sometimes we may be actually forbidden, as were the apostles, to teach of Him, but ... More...
View the full article

‘Pastor Protection Act’ Unanimously Passes Georgia House
By Heather Clark Christian News Network ATLANTA, Ga. — The Georgia House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill this week that protects clergy from punishment if they decline to perform same-sex “weddings.” H.B. 757 was introduced last summer by Rep. Kevin Tanner, R-Dawsonville, and found support from Democrats and Republicans alike. “No minister of the […]
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“And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.” (Mark 7:37)


Jesus indeed “hath done all things well.” One strong evidence of His deity is this very fact. No matter how carefully we study His deeds, we can find no flaw in any of them—no deficiency, nothing He should... More...
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“And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.” (Mark 7:37)


Jesus indeed “hath done all things well.” One strong evidence of His deity is this very fact. No matter how carefully we study His deeds, we can find no flaw in any of them—no deficiency, nothing He should... More...
View the full article

“And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.” (Mark 7:37)


Jesus indeed “hath done all things well.” One strong evidence of His deity is this very fact. No matter how carefully we study His deeds, we can find no flaw in any of them—no deficiency, nothing He should... More...
View the full article

Israel: Archaeologists Uncover Inscriptions in Jesus’ Language – Proves Existence of Jewish Community
“This discovery is important because it proves the existence of a Jewish community in the region from ancient times–something which the Palestinian Authority continually denies.” From The Berean Call Archaeologists in Israel have uncovered ancient epitaphs in both Greek and Aramaic that date back to the first century. [It was reported] that the inscriptions were […]
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“And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Genesis 9:11)


Those Christians who accept the concept of the “geological ages” commonly have to explain away the great deluge by assuming it was not really a global flood. Th... More...
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America Sends Mennonite Pastor to Prison For Protecting Child Against Homosexual Abuse
LTRP Note: For 6 years, Lighthouse Trails has been following the story of homosexual-turned-Christian-believer, Lisa Miller and her young daughter, Isabella. “Pastor Convicted of Helping Ex-Lesbian Flee Country With Daughter Ordered to Report to Prison” By Heather Clark Christian News Network BURLINGTON, Vt. — A Mennonite pastor who was convicted of providing assistance to an ex-lesbian […]
The post America Sends Mennonite Pastor to Prison For Protecting Child Against Homosexual Abuse appeared first on .
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“But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)


Man does, indeed, look on the outward appearance rather than inward convictions. This has alway... More...
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“And [David] said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” (2 Samuel 12:22-23)


The death of a loved one is always a time of great sorrow, bu... More...
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Do you ever feel ineffective in prayer?
True prayer is really a foundation of true ministry. Without regular, fervent prayer, we may produce much activity, but we won’t see lasting spiritual fruit.
Not only that, but our own spiritual growth is dependent on regular communion with the Lord in prayer. An old Scottish pastor, Thomas Brooks, observed, “The power of religion and godliness lives, thrives, or dies as closet [private] prayer lives, thrives, or dies. Godliness never rises to a higher pitch than when men keep closest to their closets.”
And yet, if you’re like me, you find yourself often echoing the words of Jesus’ disciples, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1).
The full verse says, “And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. (Luke 11:1)
Recorded in the very verse with the disciples’ request we learn three attributes of Christ’s prayer life:
Constant
That the disciples would find Christ praying is no surprise. Not only did He sometimes spend complete nights in prayer (Luke 6:12) and often rise early to pray (Mark 1:35), but Jesus’s life was a state of continual communication with the Father.
Private
It seems Jesus had designated places where He would go to pray. Just before Calvary, Judas knew he could find Jesus in the Mount of Olives at the garden where he frequented as a prayer place (Luke 22:39).
If you’ve ever traveled to countries with an eastern culture, you know that it can be difficult to find privacy. Yet Jesus found places of solitude where He made time for private prayer.
Whole-hearted
Jesus was so engaged in His time of prayer that for the disciples to ask a question would have been an interruption. The way many of us pray, however, is so disengaged that we are constantly letting our own thoughts interrupt us and perhaps thankful for the intermittent distractions coming from our phones.
Jesus was fully involved in prayer. He was bringing definite petitions before the Father. This was no mere ritual—it was real communication.
John Bunyan said, “In prayer, it is better to have a heart without words than words without heart.” I’m afraid we too often pray through a list with no real heart engagement in the serious business of prayer.
Constant, private, whole-hearted—do these adjectives describe your prayer life? If not, could they this week?
Related posts:
3 Helps to a Vibrant Prayer Life Our Heritage of Prayer 3 Hindrances to Prayer View the full article

That’s what we are praying for Spiritual Leadership Conference Asia February 1–3, 2016—that God’s Word would have freedom and work in lives.
This conference is an undertaking of incredible magnitude, and we’re praying that it results in abundant fruit in one of the most needy areas of the world—the 10/40 window. This area contains over four billion people, and 95 percent of these are unreached with the gospel.
The great need of the 10/40 window makes this area one of the most potentially influential in the spread of the gospel—the cutting edge region in worldwide missions harvest.
Will you pray with us for this conference? And will you pray specifically for the following needs?
Pray for the delegates attending the conference. People have registered already from over twenty countries. Many of these are missionaries and pastors who serve the Lord in places with little to no gospel witness. They are often lonely and sometimes discouraged. Pray that the preaching, music, and fellowship of this conference will be a powerful encouragement to them. Pray for those preaching and teaching. I know I speak for all of us when I say we desire your prayers—for God’s power, for health and safety as we travel, and for God to work through us. (For a list of speakers, click here.) We will also be preaching in over a dozen churches across the Philippines on the Sunday before the conference—January 31. Pray that we will be a help and encouragement in these churches. Pray for the coordinators, volunteers, and support staff. So many people are helping with this conference. In addition to some staff from Lancaster Baptist who are assisting, Businessman Niranjan Sudararaj has worked with Missionary Rick Martin to coordinate this conference. Throughout the conference, many people from Baptist churches in Manila will be volunteering with registration, ushering, and many other details. Pray for all of these who are helping to have health and strength. Pray for the daytime sessions. Tuesday and Wednesday sessions will include training for pastors, local church leaders, Christian businessmen, and laymen who want to be used of God in a greater way. They cover topics such as soulwinning, discipleship, church leadership, church music programs and much more. Pray these practical training sessions help delegates leave with specific ideas and action items for their fields of service. Pray for the evening services. We look forward to special music provided by West Coast Baptist College and the area choirs from throughout Manila. Each service will include two preaching messages. Pray these services are instructional and inspirational, challenging attendees to reach souls for Christ in Asia and beyond. Pray for the details. A conference of this magnitude has a million and one logistical details. Pray for the schedules, travel, sound and video recording, book tables, technical equipment, and so much more. Pray that SLC Asia will result in long-term fruit for the glory of God. Our desire is that the fruit from this conference would last long after February 3, 2016. We pray delegates leave with revival in their hearts and renewed passion and instruction for ministry. We pray the lasting fruit of this conference includes souls being saved, churches being planted, new laborers called to ministry, and those currently serving the Lord encouraged to continue for Him. I will be posting updates throughout the conference on Twitter and Facebook. Please do pray that the Word of God would have free course—that through the preaching and teaching of Spiritual Leadership Conference Asia, it would reach throughout Asia and beyond.
Below is a schedule* of the conference. We would greatly appreciate your prayers throughout these four days.
Sunday, January 31
Guest speakers and West Coast Baptist College team preaching and serving in over a dozen churches throughout the Philippines
Monday, February 1
4:00 p.m. Registration
6:00 p.m. Evening Service
Tuesday, February 2
8:30 a.m. Morning Service
10:00 a.m. Breakout Session 1
11:00 a.m. Breakout Session 2
12:00 p.m. Breakout Session 3
1:00 p.m. Lunch
6:00 p.m. Evening Service
Wednesday, February 3
8:30 a.m. Morning Service
10:00 a.m. Breakout Session 4
11:00 a.m. Breakout Session 5
12:00 p.m. Breakout Session 6
1:00 p.m. Lunch
6:00 p.m. Evening Service
*Note: Dates and times given are local Manila time—16 hours ahead of U.S. Pacific Time, 13 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.
Related posts:
Spiritual Leadership Conference Asia Coming in February 3 Prayer Requests for Spiritual Leadership Conference Live Stream: the Next Best Thing to Being at Spiritual Leadership Conference Live View the full article

Lest We Forget: “Ex-Auschwitz medic, 95, to stand trial for 3,681 deaths”
By David K. Li New York Post A 95-year-old man who worked as a paramedic at Auschwitz will stand trial next month as an accessory to the murder of 3,681 death camp inmates, a German court announced Monday. Hubert Zafke, accused by prosecutors of serving as an SS sergeant in Hitler’s killing machine, is set […]
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“The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. . . . The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” (Psalm 121:5, 8)


One of the most precious doctrines in all of Scripture is that of the secure position of the believer in Christ Jesus. Nothing in creation is “able to separ... More...
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“What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.” (Romans 11:7)


One of the saddest aspects of our world is the blindness of Israel. Even the Orthodox Jews, who strongly affirm their belief in the Old Testament Scriptures, seem unable to see what the Scriptures clearly show, that their Me... More...
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Abel makes his offering watched by Cain
I read an article last week that made me think long and hard – and do some verse checking – about Cain and Abel. The author felt sorry for Cain, and God provided some pointed explanations. You can read the article for yourself – click here.
We all know the story about the fratricide, but sometimes we remember what we’re told instead of what we read ourselves. So, here are some verses to read:
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. (Genesis 4:3-5)

Attitude. Cain was very wroth – and you could see it in his face. We aren’t told why God did not respect Cain and I do not believe it was simply the difference of a blood offering. That’s pretty evident in God’s question in the next verse:

And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? (Genesis 4:6-7a)

I’ve read several commentaries on the part B of verse 7. Frankly, I’m not going there in this discussion, and part A is pretty clear: If you do well, won’t you be accepted? We’re back to attitude.
Cain isn’t shown to ask about what was wrong with his sacrifice. It isn’t recorded that he asked God, “Why?” But we are told of his wrath. The next thing we do know:

And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. (Genesis 4:8)

We do not know their conversation, but it could not have been friendly. Had this happened today, there would be a lawyer handy to take the words and create a defense for Abel – the death would be caused by something Abel said. Surely he set his brother off because nothing like this had happened before. But, that brings us back to attitude, and that creates lies:

And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? (Genesis 4:9)

God knew the answer to that question just as He knows all about us. It’s the omnipotence thing – He knows. We will acknowledge that at some time, perhaps only before His throne as we bow before Him. It will be much better for us if we do it know and understand what is required of us:

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:8)View the full article

“What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.” (Romans 11:7)


One of the saddest aspects of our world is the blindness of Israel. Even the Orthodox Jews, who strongly affirm their belief in the Old Testament Scriptures, seem unable to see what the Scriptures clearly show, that their Me... More...
View the full article

Abel makes his offering watched by Cain
I read an article last week that made me think long and hard – and do some verse checking – about Cain and Abel. The author felt sorry for Cain, and God provided some pointed explanations. You can read the article for yourself – click here.
We all know the story about the fratricide, but sometimes we remember what we’re told instead of what we read ourselves. So, here are some verses to read:
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. (Genesis 4:3-5)

Attitude. Cain was very wroth – and you could see it in his face. We aren’t told why God did not respect Cain and I do not believe it was simply the difference of a blood offering. That’s pretty evident in God’s question in the next verse:

And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? (Genesis 4:6-7a)

I’ve read several commentaries on the part B of verse 7. Frankly, I’m not going there in this discussion, and part A is pretty clear: If you do well, won’t you be accepted? We’re back to attitude.
Cain isn’t shown to ask about what was wrong with his sacrifice. It isn’t recorded that he asked God, “Why?” But we are told of his wrath. The next thing we do know:

And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. (Genesis 4:8)

We do not know their conversation, but it could not have been friendly. Had this happened today, there would be a lawyer handy to take the words and create a defense for Abel – the death would be caused by something Abel said. Surely he set his brother off because nothing like this had happened before. But, that brings us back to attitude, and that creates lies:

And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? (Genesis 4:9)

God knew the answer to that question just as He knows all about us. It’s the omnipotence thing – He knows. We will acknowledge that at some time, perhaps only before His throne as we bow before Him. It will be much better for us if we do it know and understand what is required of us:

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:8)View the full article

“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” (Hebrews 10:36)


Christians have certain heavenly possessions, and this knowledge helps put our earthly possessions and welfare in proper perspective. Evidently, some to whom this was written had been imprisoned, and others impoverished for their faith. &ldquo... More...
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“Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.” (Psalm 119:129)


Josiah was eight years old when he became king of Judah. His grandfather was Manassah and his father Amon, both evil kings. While it seemed Josiah would follow the same path, he didn’t. “He did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of D... More...
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