. . .
Visiting places and talking with people in those places helps to broaden our understanding of how we are all connected as brothers and sisters in Christ and how we can stand in solidarity with one another. By witnessing firsthand some of the challenges that face these brothers and sisters of ours, we become more committed to bringing attention to their lives and their voices.
From time to time, Incarnation offers immersion trips to places in our region, our country, or internationally. Though service may be a part of these trips, our goal is not to go and do for others, but rather to immerse ourselves in a reality different than our own and to spend time sharing our lives and our stories with one another. Ultimately, this can lead to a deeper connection to one another and a firmer conviction to work for a more just world that moves us closer to God’s vision for God’s people.
Below are three current immersion trip offerings. Watch the bulletin and listen to Parish Family Business to learn more about what’s happening in this area. Contact the Coordinator of Justice & Charity in the office () if you have questions or ideas.
Border Immersion Trip – El Paso, Texas
In the spring of 2013, a group of five Incarnation parishioners traveled to El Paso, Texas, to learn more about the realities of immigration and life on the border. We were hosted by the School Sisters of St. Francis and the Columban Fathers. By spending a week learning about the complexities of the US immigration system and the many factors that contribute to the desire and need to migrate, the group became much more knowledgable about this issue, as well as much more able to empathize with the challenges that immigrants–especially those from Latin America–face.
In visiting places like a farmworkers’ center, professors at the UTEP, Border Patrol, the store for a woman’s craft cooperative located in Juarez, youth detention centers, the Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services, shelters for immigrants, and a chaplain from an adult detention center, as well as spending time in the colonia neighborhoods and talking directly with immigrants, the group came to better see that now is the time for humane, just, and comprehensive immigration reform that upholds the dignity and worth of all people, everywhere.
. . .
Our parish community tries to send a delegation to Pandiassou, Haiti, each year to strengthen our twinning partnership with the Little Brothers and Little Sisters of the Incarnation. Check out the Haiti page to the left to learn more about this relationship.
(Haiti photo credits: Linda Hexter)
. . .
Eco-Pilgrimage to Appalachia/Eastern Kentucky
Interfaith prayer service at a mountaintop removal site


Nettles, Thomas J.
The real problem of the hour is not that we view our problems as insurmountable, nor that we fail to view our God as insuperable in the midst of all these problems, but primarily that we fail to count our God as inestimable, even above our need to solve all of these problems. It is the failure to perceive the supreme glory of Christ that moves the church to promote counterfeit offers that compete with His glory, and moves men to receive a counterfeit Christ, whose highest value consists not of His own excellency, but of His willingness to bestow upon us that which our earthly, carnal and temporal nature counts most excellent. This magnetic pull of the world upon our affections will only cease by a God-ward attraction. It is in the face of Jesus Christ that the brightness of the glory of God shines forth. He alone is the brightness of His glory. And unless we exalt Him to preeminence, we know nothing of that glory.
The extensive teaching ministry of R. L. Coursey has taken him throughout the continental US and into 19 countries. Besides speaking at various pastors, missions and leadership conferences, he has preached in churches from over 20 different denominations. His unique experience of serving on the faculty of several seminaries, including Methodist, Reformed and Pentecostal, has given him an invaluable insight into the length and breadth of the body of Christ that was necessary to write a book directed exclusively to the church. He now resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with his wife of 28 years, Claudia.


THE PAPACY: AN EXPOSE OF THE MASONIC INVASION
Based on the Writings of Father Luigi Villa, Th.D
and the Book Who is Father Luigi Villa?
by Dr. Franco Adessa
Published by the Apostolate of Our Lady of Good Success
Assembled and Integrated by Pauly Fongemie
Who Is Father Luigi Villa?
He was born in Lecco, Italy, February 3, 1918 and ordained a priest on June 28, 1942.
Known for pursuing vocations and as a lecturer and preacher, particularly with youth, he became the target of the Fascist party leader, Farinacci who issued a death warrant against him. Thanks be to God an official in the Ministry of Justice warned a confrère of Father Villa, who was able to escape through a window just as the jeep with six heavily-armed men arrived. During the war he was able to rescue 57 Jews from the Nazis.
In Bari he had a friend, a chaplain, Fr. Berni who wanted to take him to San Giovanni Rotondo to meet with Padre Pio. But Fr. Villa was reluctant. Then he turned and saw a magnificently featured man who told him to go as Padre Pio was waiting for him. Then the "man" disappeared before his very eyes. So he went to the convent into the area of the Padre's room where he noticed a strong scent of flowers. A passing friar say, "A good sign, good sign."
When Padre Pio came he answered Fr. Luigi's list of questions which he had assembled while he was waiting for the revered friar. At the conclusion of their meeting Padre Pio urged Father Villa to dedicate his life defending the Church from the work of Freemasonry, especially Masons in the hierarchy, which he knew existed. Padre Pio further told him to go the Bishop of Cheti, Msgr. Bosio, who then went to the Vatican. Pope Pius XII gave his approval for the mandated mission and Fr. Villa was told to get a degree in theology and was placed under the direction of Cardinal Ottaviani, prefect of the Holy Office, among other Cardinals.
These Cardinals had to guide him and educate him. He was warned that under no circumstances ought he associate himself with Montini [the future Pope Paul VI]. Bishop Bosio told Father Villa that Montini was on the side opposite of humanity. The Bosio family was long acquainted with the Montini family and so knew well what he was talking about. The Bishop incardinated Fr. Villa into his diocese in 1957.
In the second half of 1963 Fr. Villa had his second meeting with Padre Pio who told him that "I have been waiting for you for a long time." He thought that the priest was taking too long a time but he continued to press him on, saying "Courage, courage, courage! for the Church is already invaded by Freemasonry." He then added, "Freemasonry has already reached the Pope's slippers." [Paul VI!]
During these years Father Villa worked secretly under Card. Ottaviani, documenting senior officials of the Catholic Church into Freemasonry. Thus he was well-known in Police Headquarters and other similar agencies. In September, 1978, during the 30 day Pontificate of Pope John Paul I, the "List of Pecorelli" appeared in the Political Observer, the magazine of lawyer Mino Pecorelli, which was no surprise to Fr. Villa, because the Vatican had already learned of some of them and they had been removed prior to the publication of the list.
One of the most notorious cases was that of Card. Joseph Suenens, who was driven from his Brussels headquarters. Not only was he a Mason he was married and living with a son. Another Cardinal Mason was Achille Lienart. Both were liberal periti of Vatican II. Lienart was instrumental in the election of Pope Paul VI. Others on the list were  Annibale Bugnini, architect of Pope Paul VI's New Mass, who triumphantly proclaimed that with the New Mass, "The Catholic Church has been conquered." Spoken like a true Mason. Bugnini had originally been deposed, then put back in power, then, when the notoriety was too great for even the Masonically-inspired Paul VI, he was sent into "exile." But the damage was done!
 Agostino Casaroli, a public supporter of the pantheist-heretic Theilhard de Chardin, served as Secretary of state under John Paul II.
 Jean Villot, who also served as Secretary of State.
 And many many others, a few the Catholic in the pew might recognize, mostly not, but the number of Cardinals with validated Masonic membership is staggering and proof that the aims of Masonry to conquer the Church for its own goals and its boast that it did not need an actual Masonic Pope, only one in league with their ideas and willing to have Masonic ties including in the episcopacy, was not an idle threat.
After the death of Pope Pius XII a new phase, which was Father Villa's "Way of the Cross" began. The policy was now "Ignore him and make him ignored." He would survive with the help of God seven assassination attempts.
One day Father sought and obtained an audience with Pius XII who received him warmly. But under Paul VI he was publicly ignored - the Pontiff would not even look at him, even when taking books from the priest.
To fight the intense battle that Padre Pio had entrusted to him, Father needed a public means that would be free of ecclesiastical pressure. Bishop Bosio suggested that he join the Order of Journalists and found his own magazine, which he did. That publication is Chiesa viva.
It has correspondents from the various continents. The first issue was released in September, 1971. In Vienna on December 14 of that year he encountered Card. Joseph Mindszenty who had been publicly humiliated and degraded by Paul VI since he did not support the Pontiff's pro-Communism dealings, and had left Rome. The Cardinal read the entire first issue of Chiesa viva and was so enthusiastic that he put his signature to the copy he had read. At the end of the meeting, a two and a half hour interview he told Father Villa: "Believe me, Paul VI delivered entire Christian countries into the hands of Communism."
The war against Father Villa and his magazine was renewed. The Mason, Pro-Secretary of State, Msgr. Giovanni Benelli authored the strategy mentioned above, "Ignore him and make him ignored."
This was not enough for the Masonic hierarchy, they wanted to silence his voice altogether and that of the magazine.
But Chiesa viva did not receive a frontal attack because its deputy Director was the renowned Professor Dietrich von Hildebrand, a converted Jew, whom Paul VI knew and feared. Pope Pius XII had called him informally the twentieth century "Doctor of the Church." So Benelli wrote a letter to each theologian who worked for the magazine ordering them to cease their association. Father Luigi learned of this action of the Holy See and he knew that it would be a "scorched earth policy" from then on.
His enemies, with the help of the type of clergy who prefer a life without hassle, began the campaign of slander: the good priest was suddenly "lazy, fascist, anti-Semite, and outside-the-Church." Sound familiar? He was also hailed as a "heretic", and "extreme" and "a destroyer of Charity."
This was the warm up session. Phase 3 were the late night telephone calls of insults, more slander and profanity. These lasted a long time. Chiesa vive continued unperturbed. He would not be silenced. This was when the assassination attempts began. We will describe but three of them:
 Father Luigi Villa was returning from Rome to Brescia by car. Just before reaching the city of Arezzo, the road on the right borders a sheer drop of more than 100 meters. This was then that he realized another car had been following him and as the approach to the drop came, that car came along side and tired to edge him off the cliff. By Divine Providence, a police car approached and went past Father Villa and the other car. Father beeped his horn and as he did so the side-swiper sped off in haste. When Father related this episode to Card. Palazzino in the presence of a Professor, named Gedda, the Professor replied, "So we are at war."
 Again Father was traveling by car to visit with his friend Father Berni in Vincenza. He left the highway for the road that led to Father Berni's residence, when suddenly his limbs - hands and legs - were paralyzed. Someone had given him a drug, but he did not where or whom. At a bend in the road, Father, whose eyes were wide open, saw the car pitch toward a deep canal. Everything past before as a dream, he was paralyzed and could do nothing to help himself, when just as the car reached the canal, it came to an abrupt stop on its own. It was a miracle! As soon as the car stopped, the paralysis dissipated. The car restarted, too and he was able to drive on his own without further hindrance. Whatever drug he had been given him had worn off.
 Some months later Father paid a visit to a priest, whom he thought was friendly, but after finishing lunch with a cup of coffee, he went home - during the trip he began to feel sick, so much so that he had to see his doctor immediately who said that he had been poisoned. Father was in danger of death but the doctor pulled him through. Just before this incident the issue of "Chiesa", No. 231, Luglio-Agosto  N. 7, was published with the list of Mason Cardinals and other Vatical officials. Below is the picture on the cover, that of St. Michael the Archangel.
This issue had a presentation by magistrate Carlo Agnoli who says:
" ... Father Esposito informs us that among the protagonists of the bilateral dialogues between representatives of the Church and Masonry, which took place between 1966 and 1977, there was the Salesian Don Miano, Secretary of "the Secretariat for non-believers"... It was Paul VI who encouraged these meetings."
During the Pontificate of John Paul II. "Chiesa" denounced the membership of Card. Casaroli in Freemasonry; when a prelate showed this information to the Pope, he said, "I know, I know, but I do not know who to put in his place."
Casaroli was the head of not one, but four Masonic Lodges in the Vatican.
Because the Masonic cardinals were so strong they influenced the elections of the Popes. After the death of Paul VI, a Card. Siri had the most votes in the first round, but the Masonic group was able to sop his election, but there was no agreement among them, so Card. Luciani [pictured left] was the compromise. After his sudden death in just a month Fr. Villa asked one Card. Palazzini, who could be trusted, to have an autopsy conducted. All three examinations concluded "Assassination!"
After the Pope's untimely death, Siri and Benelli [for the Masonic wing] clashed once more. But this time there was no compromise candidate because the Masons had already predetermined the final outcome - Wojtyla, and with his election Card. Casaroli, would later become the most powerful Mason in the Vatican as Secretary of State under John Paul II.
"Chiesa" still maintained a vigilant, stalwart staff because there were officials of high position in the Vatican who were outspoken about the goings-on of a sinister and or dubious nature and supported Father Villa's Review.
One of these was Msgr. Sarale who wrote for both "Chiesa" and Osservatorio Romano.
Msgr. Sarale worked in the Secretariat of State between 1978 and 1995, the year of his strange death.
In the last years of his life, he denounced the growing crisis in the Church in Osservatorio.
He was in touch with Father Villa through letters on sensitive issues and current topics that were of great interest. He was also courageous because he took 50 copies of "Chiesa" every month and which he distributed within the Secretary of State dicastery; he went so far as to defend Fr. Villa in front of senior prelates and the Pontiff.
One day Msgr. Sarale developed an ailment in his knee and the doctor he saw for it gave him injections. He got worse not better and he saw his own doctor who determined that the injections were causing cancer - no reputable doctor would do such a thing. He died following an operation for the cancer. That doctor who gave him the injections may have been the doctor for John Paul II. All anyone knows is that John Paul II's doctor was found to be incompetent and was dismissed.
This concludes Part 1, of Section 1 Who Is Father Villa? For Part 2, click the forward button below or use the following links for the rest of the expose:
WHO IS FATHER VILLA? Continued
THE BEATIFICATION MANEUVERS FOR PAUL VI AND JOHN PAUL II
THE INFILTRATION OF FREEMASONRY FURTHER INTO THE CHURCH
THE BEATIFICATION OF JOHN PAUL II
THE ILLUSIVE ANTI-COMMUNISM OF KAROL WOJTYLA, THE FUTURE JOHN PAUL II
THE THEOLOGY OF JOHN PAUL II
THE "MARIAN DOCTRINE" OF JOHN PAUL II
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On The Godcast with Josh Fritz Episode 60, Josh in light of the death of Kobe Bryant, a celebrity death that has shook the sports world, and the world at large, expresses the greatest need for the salvation from sin through Jesus Christ.
The Godcast with Josh Fritz
Joshua Fritz, a sinner saved by the grace of God at age 11, lives on Long Island and shares in the leading of worship music at his local church in Yaphank, NY. He has also ministered within his local church’s youth and rest home outreaches for many years.
You can reach me at the Godcast hotline and email me below:


Our pastor: email@example.com
Our church email: firstname.lastname@example.org
The church office hours are Tuesday – Friday, 1:00 – 5:00. Call 712-335-3663.
Specific information about our church can be found on our Hope UMC Brochure
You can also follow Hope UMC on Facebook!
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Thank you so much for thinking of the PAC educators as we started back to school. We loved the apples and prayer cards. Thanks again for lifting us up.


Charities and churches have had an unprecedented year as the pandemic has caused great pressures and offered new opportunities. But for PCC members and charity trustees already facing significant demands from ever-changing legislation and public expectations, knowing how to respond is not easy. So just what are a charity trustee or PCC member’s responsibilities? Is there a biblical way of thinking about their roles? How does a board balance risk and faith? Why are regulations increasing and how can trustees navigate the changes?
This readable, non-technical book helps trustees of charities and PCC members to understand their role and responsibilities. It has four sections: ‘godly tracks’, which includes chapters on vision, what does God want you to do, and risk versus faith; ‘personal tracks’, considering who should be a trustee, the role of the chair and relationships; ‘organisational tracks’, with the nitty-gritty such as how to run successful meetings and manage money; and ‘future tracks’, with succession planning, possible future trends and a just-before-printing reflection on the impact of COVID-19. Each chapter ends with questions for trustees to consider, and there are three appendices with various resources as well as a comprehensive index.
Using quotes from careful research, author Heather Wraight brings the issues alive as she reflects on them through the lives of Nehemiah and Daniel. The topic of each chapter is considered in the light of relevant biblical thinking taken especially from the lives of these two Old Testament characters, both administrators who had huge responsibilities, which they carried out faithfully in spite of serving a foreign king.
The book was written for trustees of charities – who always know they are trustees – and those, like PCC members and Deacons, who hold the same legal responsibility in a local church but often don’t realise what being a trustee involves. It is also relevant to those in similar situations, such as school or college governors. The author carefully researched what would be the most helpful content, and quotes extensively from the people she interviewed, allowing them to tell their own stories of trusteeship.
‘I wrote the book because while there are other resources for trustees, none have biblical reflections on the role in quite this way.’
About the author: Heather Wraight made Christian radio programmes for more than 20 years. After getting an MTh in Theology and Ethics of Communication she undertook many qualitative research projects and helped churches and agencies apply the findings. She has served in various roles on a range of church and charity trustee boards. She enjoys photography, gardening, cryptic crosswords, Pilates and spiritually ‘parenting’ young people.


Walters marries Vitale
Steve and Starrla Walters have announced the wedding of their daughter, Jill, to Todd Vitale of Sturgis, S.D., son of Hilton and Cindy Biero of Sturgis.
The bride is formerly of Mountain Home. She graduated from Mountain Home High School in 2003.
The couple were married Sept. 26, 2009, at Trinity United Methodist Church in Lead, S.D., with the bride's uncle, Pastor Gary Walters, officiating.


Grandma Cynthia joined us for church Christmas Eve morning...both girls particpated in the service as shepherds...
After church we all came home and tried to wait it out a while before diving into the presents, but the girls were so anxious, I think more so to give their presents than to receive, but either way we began the present opening around noon! Thomas and I were so touched with the gifts the girls made for us. They put so much time and thought into each one and those gifts were by far my favorites!
The girls were thrilled with all the gifts they received as well.


Imudia Mark Uduehi, and his wife, Oluwakemi Funmilayo Uduehi are the new parents of quintuplets who were welcomed at the National Hospital, Abuja, on April 12, 2017, have shared their birth story and testimony.
In an exclusive interview with Sunday Tribune, the unemployed graduate from Edo State and his civil servant wife opened up about how they met, their shock and initial apprehension on finding out they were expecting five children, all girls, at once and the outpouring of goodwill from well-meaning Nigerians.
The babies were named last week Wednesday.
Read excerpts below…
The journey into miracle
Having become friends during their undergraduate days at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, going on to become graduates of the same department (Computer Science), both in 2009, while still remaining friends, Mr Uduehi, who noted that both remained friends even after graduation and youth service, decided to “change the pattern” and they eventually got married on December 5, 2015. However, in spite of having twins on both sides of their extended families, nothing could have prepared the couple for the scan test that first revealed that Oluwakemi was carrying quintuplets.
‘We thought the first scanning machine was faulty’
Uduehi stated that though “We haven’t had any children before now. We didn’t plan for five children. However, when my wife was pregnant and she went for a scan, we were told that she was pregnant with five children. I was a little apprehensive because of the number. We weren’t convinced about what the scan revealed and we even assumed the machine could have been faulty. So, we went to another facility to verify and we were told the same thing. So, we knew then that God was up to something in our family. There are twins on my father’s side, while on my wife’s mother and father’s side there are twins. My father-in-law is a twin.
While Mr Uduehi works with a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), which has no ongoing project at the moment, but focuses on maternal and child care, and has also done consultancy work with the Gates Foundation and had worked on projects dedicated to providing support for women and children, his wife works with the National Population Commission.
People have been coming to show support. Our pastor, Pastor Adewunmi Adeolu, of the Living Faith Church including the church has shown support. Pastor Adeolu has really been supportive and we are grateful to him. We are also grateful to the doctors for their professional assistance with the delivery. We have also been reached out to by members of the House of Representatives, specifically, Honourable Sargius Ogun, including others. Representatives of the Social Development Welfare Board were also here to show support for us and the babies,” he stated.
Pregnancy without complications
Uduehi stated that he and his wife didn’t have any premonition that she would conceive five babies at once.
“I actually wanted to start with one, while my wife wanted twins first. However, as God would have it, we have five at once. When it happened, we had words of spiritual encouragement from our pastors.
There was also one from Pastor E.A. Adeboye, where he declared that with the children, there would be no miscarriage or complications and that declaration really encouraged my wife. The truth is that everything about this pregnancy is a miracle because she carried the pregnancy for 34 weeks and three days and from day one, she didn’t have any complications. The only issue she had at 33 weeks was itching in the stomach. Apart from that, there was no issue at all till she had the babies. In fact, during her pregnancy, she was even helping women who also had babies. All I can say is that it has been God.”
On whether they would like to have more children
The question on whether we will have more children is very interesting. Having children, and of the same sex, is very rare. So, our having them at this time, we cannot but give God the glory. Being someone who has always advocated gender parity, one thing I know is that every child is important. I welcome them and I am very happy to have them. They are my children. Having witnessed what my wife went through during and after delivery – she was in the Intensive Care Unit for three days and she could not even talk during that time – she needs a break.
I would say we would stop. It’s not easy to care for children. Besides, if one attempt is bringing five, who knows what the next attempt would be? [laughs]. For now, we have no plans for more children. We have five children, and the focus now is how to care for them. When we consider the situation in the country, we would instead focus on giving their lives meaning. Having children is not just about having them. It’s about adding value to their lives. Our focus now would be all about ensuring we do what it takes to give them the best,” Uduehi said.
When asked if he could identify them, he said it was easier with the tags on them, noting that the children had been given fifteen names in all.
Responding to the question on if there were medical interventions or challenges before the conception, the ecstatic father stated that “Before now, we didn’t have challenges having children. For me, everything about the pregnancy is divine.”
On whether they have any regrets
Is there any regrets having five children at a go? Uduehi who is not employed stated that “There are no regrets. The children have come to stay and we have the duty to ensure they are fine. I’m glad God brought them to the Uduehis. I have no regrets whatsoever. For myself, I would love to have something sustainable for the children.
I can work anywhere and if an offer comes up in which I’m confident I can function, I would gladly accept. I would be delighted to have a good job that will help me to care for the children. We are working on opening a dedicated account for the children which will be strictly for their welfare which can be tracked by donors.
Asked if he intended to reach out to anyone in particular for assistance, Mr Uduehi said: “I believe the news is all over the place and I believe our leaders must have heard about it. For those who God has really laid it in their hearts to be a blessing to the children, the door is open to them. We know that in the future, they will win medals for Nigeria. Corporate organisations, NGOs (local or international), government, and our leaders, we know God has put them there to be a blessing to us and we know they love children.”
Luckily for him, the Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, promised to give a house to the couple. Oyo-Ita made the promise while visiting the children on Saturday in Abuja.
She said that the house will be given under the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) Scheme.
She also promised father of the babies a job with the Federal Civil Service. She described the children as great blessings given to the couple by God on a platter of gold. She said the job offer to Uduehi will enable him cater for the children.
In addition, she presented cash gifts and diapers to them, thanking the doctors for their efforts in ensuring the babies and mothers are alive.
Photo credit: Tribune


The Great Turnaround
November 4, 2017 Holy Spirit
(When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie that’s Amore ! Old song Went through my mind)
“Strengthen your FAITH! FAITH COMES BY HEARING & IT IS ALSO A GIFT. EAT THE SCROLL! There is coming A Great Equalizer! I am not a man that I should lie, Nor a son of man that I should change my mind. My mind is made up. My armies are ready and waiting for orders. Multitudes in the valley of decision. Multitudes will be apprehended for the kingdom of God. No other name in heaven or on earth will resound like the name of My Son! My Holy Spirit is the Great Equalizer.
He is coming like a whirlwind out of the south! (South represents the place of refreshment per Kevin Conners.) As HE is poured out nothing will be the same! Everyone will have the chance to repent and be saved and changed in the moment. Not everyone will make the choice for Me, but everyone will know Who I Am. There will be no excuse anymore.
Great is the army that I have prepared and that I will empower to do great exploits! Sons and daughters will come to glory! Chains will be broken and demons annihilated from your lives! This is a great reprieve! Because I know what the enemy has done through generations, to keep you bound and gagged or infirm, and suffering.
I know all the assaults on your mind and your heart. I know your history better than you do. The generational and ancient spirits that have bound and gagged my own will be routed. The deliverers are being raised up NOW! Ho! It will not take striving! For I will fill you with my Glory as you have desired for many years! Knees will bow. Hearts will be convicted and changed. Those who refuse My love & PREFER to bow to the lesser gods, will in the end receive their reward. None of you who prefer ME will say “I don’t know what God wants.” For you will hear my voice behind you, saying go this way or don’t go that way. The little child will be as mighty as the elder!
ALL Of you who have longed for freedom because you know you’ve been bound will receive what your heart have longed for! LIBERTY IS COMING! JUSTICE IS COMING! FREEDOM IS AT THE DOOR! REJOICE FOR YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWS NIGH! SHOUT FOR JOY, FOR THE HOLY ONE IS IN YOUR MIDST! GLORIOUS DAYS ARE AHEAD NO MATTER WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD FOR YOU WILL BE MY HOLY HABITATION!”
South Symbolism from another source
4. The South: The south is primarily a negative symbol. But the fact that it is represented by the right hand makes it also a positive one. It is negative because to the south of Israel was the wilderness, a region where life does not prosper (Isa. 30:6). To the south was Egypt, which opposed God’s power and oppressed His people. But the south was also the place where the Lord appeared to Moses, went with Him to Egypt, liberated His people, and appeared to them on Mount Sinai (e.g., Deut. 33:2).
The ambivalent nature of the symbols of the four cardinal directions seems based on the fact that evil was perceived to be present everywhere and that God’s saving presence was always accessible to His people from any corner of the world (Ps. 139:7-12). In a sense they pointed beyond the points of the compass to the cosmic conflict between good and evil.


About Our Parish
Saint Barbara was founded in 1926 by struggling immigrants, this magnificent structure once a synagogue, has provided and continues to provide the greatest comfort of our beloved Martyr Saint Barbara.
As the patron Saint of firefighters and the artillery, Saint Barbara was a haven to those who fought during World War II. The Church at that time was a thriving community with newly arriving families from Greece finding religious solace at her door.
The Greek immigrants making their way in a new society, began moving out of lower Manhattan, thereby creating a better life for their families. Their love and beliefs are memorialized in Saint Barbara's church.
Saint Barbara's church continues to be a haven for all those in need of spiritual uplifting and comfort. The community is now very small, its members coming mostly from outside the immediate area to pray and worship.
Saint Barbara, a humble parish, is maintained by second, third and fourth generation children of the original immigrants. Alone, these community members cannot sustain the Church. It is through the generosity of all Orthodox Christians nationwide that her doors remain open.
Nektarius the Wonderworker, Metropolitan of Pentapolis
Saints and Feasts Commemorated
Visit the Online Chapel for more daily readings, hymns, a monthly calendar of saints and feasts, and more.


I remember growing up and believing myself to be the face of future Christianity. I thought I was going to be a Seventh-Day Adventist pastor. I wore my GOD DOESN’T BELIEVE IN ATHEISTS t-shirt, listened to Petra, Michael W. Smith, and DC Talk sing songs like “I Am On The Rock,” “Place In This World,” and “Jesus Is Still Alright With Me.”
I got out of the pool during swim practice and left my teammates like a good Adventist at Sundown each Friday. I didn’t drink or party with my friends. I had a HE LOVES ME bumper sticker on the back of my 1980 Toyota Corolla right next to an anti-abortion bumper sticker. I read Christian books, attended Christian youth conferences, and even spoke sermon-style to a group of church members at a vespers meeting.
But, there were some issues that weighed heavily on me at that time. They were issues that would continue to weigh on me for years to come: What was I supposed to think about my dear grandparents who loved me, provided breakfast for me each morning before college classes, co-signed a loan for me to buy a car, but, didn’t attend church? What was I to think about the Contemporary Christian Music artists that I so avidly adored and that I perceived to be so sincere, but, in reality were no better than I? Or, wait a minute, maybe they were better. Maybe they were closer to God. No. That can’t be right. They weren’t Seventh-Day Adventists! What about babies born in China or third-world aboriginal cultures where they will never hear about Jesus? Are they going to hell just because they didn’t have the technology to get the Billy Graham broadcast that included an altar call? What about those friends of mine who, though they taught me to get drunk, smoke cigarettes, and do other things I shouldn’t do, also taught me what it meant to have somebody I could rely on?
The truth is that God’s grace surfaces in so many different forms throughout our lives. Nobody in this world is as they should be. We are all lost: The condescending Christian that responds to your apology with an I-told-you-so-type attitude. The Pope, Ellen G. White, Ghandi, John Lennon, Trent Reznor, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Billy Graham, Michael Jordan, Paris Hilton, Bono, Tony Blair, my in-laws, and myself.
If any of us had to lay our hope in our own pathetic efforts to be good, attend church services, pay tithe, perform rituals, or argue our way into heaven, we would all face eternal seperation from God. I don’t know if there is an eternal Hell or if all the damned just cease to exist. What I do know is that our only hope is in God’s grace. His grace and his Love far supercede any church doctrine, any liturgy, any papal mandate, and any governmental law. The Creator knows the hearts of those who have never heard the gospel and He knows the hearts of those who have heard, but, persistently deny the gospel. His justice will be served.
Its strange indeed that anybody on earth would have the audacity to try to outwit God. Instead, I admit my flawed self. I concede that my own direction will only lead to pain for myself and those around me. My hope rests in my faith. My faith built on His grace. God offers his fatherly, unconditional, loving, eternal acceptance to me. I accept it. I pray that you do, too.


17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 18 Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.'" 20 He said to him, "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth." 21 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." 22 When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" 24 And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." 26 They were greatly astounded and said to one another, "Then who can be saved?" 27 Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible."
28 Peter began to say to him, "Look, we have left everything and followed you." 29 Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age - houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions - and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first."
“He went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.”
We typically read this story with the assumption that the rich man is sorrowful because he won’t sell his possessions, but sometimes I wonder.
The story doesn’t necessarily say that. Could it be that the man grieves precisely because he intends to obey? Perhaps he knows exactly who Jesus is, and he intends to follow the command. He’s been told to give away his “stuff,” and it’s not easy. Giving is tough. Obedience is tough. He grieves the loss of his favorite things. He grieves the loss of the little luxuries that he knows he doesn’t need, but enjoys nonetheless. Perhaps he grieves at the loss of the old, because he’s not yet ready to rejoice at the birth of the new.
Message provided by the Miller Summer Youth Institute.


Words of Wisdom
Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:
And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?
And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:
And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him. Numbers 16:1-5
And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:
Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?
Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up. Numbers 16:12-14
Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.
And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.
So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children. Numbers 16:24-27
And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram, which were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the LORD:
And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign. Numbers 26:9, 10
And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel:
But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which he did. Deuteronomy 11:6, 7
The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abiram. Psalm 106:17


Jesus claimed his interpretations would bring out the true intention of the Torah’s commandments without rendering a single verse, word, letter, or even pen stroke superfluous.
Possessed Man in Girgashite Territory
Holiness and purity play a hidden role in the story commonly known as the Gerasene Demoniac.
What Is the Leaven of the Pharisees?
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke give three different answers. Which, if any, is original?
Faith Like a Mustard Seed
Trust in God and faithfulness to his Kingdom will surmount seemingly impossible obstacles.
Quieting a Storm
Is the quieting of the storm proof of Jesus’ divinity?
Fig Tree Parable
The Fig Tree parable offers assurance that despite the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, Israel will eventually be redeemed.
Son of Man’s Coming
Son of Man’s Coming describes the cessation of the times of the Gentiles and the ultimate vindication of Israel in terms of the apocalyptic image of “one like a son of man.”
In Yerushalayim Besieged Jesus describes and laments the consequences that will befall Israel as a result of its rejection of the Kingdom of Heaven and its ways of peace.
A Synoptic Approach to ‘Lord of the Sabbath’
Listen to Lindsey discuss his approach to the ‘Lord of the Sabbath’ pericope.
Premonitions that the Temple’s destruction is at hand.
Temple’s Destruction Foretold
Overhearing an innocent expression of appreciation for the beauty of the stones from which the Temple was constructed, Jesus uttered the prediction that the time was shortly to come when not one of those stones would remain in its place.
The Historical Jesus, a Tanna? Charity and Deeds of Loving-Kindness in the Gospels and Early Rabbinic Thought
When nearly precise rabbinic parallels to stories and sayings in the Gospels exist, it may indicate that the Gospels are preserving traditions of the early Jesus movement and, perhaps, the historical Jesus.
Preserving and Destroying
Jesus’ Preserving and Destroying saying may play off two different senses of the noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul”).
Lesson of Lot’s Wife
Lot’s wife serves as a warning that overattachment to possessions can come at the cost of one’s life.
What was “the sign of Jonah”? This LOY segment offers a new and surprising answer.
The LOY reconstruction and commentary on the story of Jesus’ temptation.
The words of the heavenly voice that spoke at Jesus’ immersion foreshadowed the trajectory of Jesus’ career.
Yohanan the Immerser’s Execution
The story of John the Baptist’s martyrdom was rich with allusions to stories from the Hebrew Scriptures.
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The Startling Puritan
In 1829 an English publisher issued a compendium of George Whitefield’s sermons and letters titled The Revived Puritan—a very apt description, in fact, of what Whitefield was.
Whitefield was an intelligent, clear-headed, articulate communicator, but he was not original or innovative in his theology. Like all evangelical clergy in eighteenth-century England, he insisted that he taught the doctrines of the Church of England (defined in the Thirty-Nine Articles, the two Books of Homilies, and the Book of Common Prayer). The five-point Calvinism of his preaching came to him through the Puritans. His biblical interpretation followed Puritan Matthew Henry, whose Exposition of the Old and New Testaments was Whitefield’s lifelong companion. At every point the substance of his message was conventionally Protestant and Puritan—no less, no more.
Yet the things Whitefield took from this tradition came out in his own way, cast into a direct message calling for present response. His message consisted of five principal themes.
People live thoughtlessly, drifting from one day to another, never thinking of eternity. But God the Creator—mankind’s lawgiver and holy judge, the sovereign Lord who made us for himself and has us in his hands every moment—has revealed in Scripture that a day of judgment is coming when he will either welcome us into heaven’s eternal joy or banish us forever to hell.
Thus, Whitefield delivered urgent imperatives with agonized compassion for fellow mortals in dreadful danger: “Before ever … you can speak peace to your hearts, you must be brought to see, brought to believe, what a dreadful thing it is to depart from the living God.”
G. K. Chesterton described original sin as the one Christian doctrine that admits of demonstrative proof, and that was how Whitefield presented it. From Genesis 3 and Romans 5 he analyzed it in the standard Reformed way: the sin of Adam was imputed to his posterity, and we all now share the penalties for his sin—physical decay, mortality, and a morally twisted disposition.
Whitefield testified, “Our first parents contracted [original sin] when they fell from God by eating the forbidden fruit, and the bitter and malignant contagion of it hath descended to, and quite overspread, their whole posterity.… All the open sin and wickedness, which like a deluge has overflowed the world, are only so many streams running from this dreadful contagious fountain.”
Before salvation can be known, “You must be made to see, made to feel, made to weep over, made to bewail your actual transgressions against the law of God.”
“Would you have peace with God?” Whitefield asked. “Away, then, to God through Jesus Christ, who has purchased peace; the Lord Jesus has shed his heart’s blood for this. He died for this; he rose again for this; he ascended into the highest heaven, and is now interceding at the right hand of God.”
Whitefield’s preaching, like his personal faith, centered upon the person of “dear Jesus,” the once-crucified, now glorified God-man, the gift of the Father’s love and the embodiment of divine mercy. Through plain biblical exposition, Whitefield set forth the Incarnation, Jesus’ friendship with sinners, his pity for the needy, his atoning death, bodily resurrection and ascension, his present heavenly reign and future judgment.
It has been said that nineteenth-century evangelist Charles Finney rode down sinners with a cavalry charge. Whitefield’s way, however, was to sweep them off their feet with an overflow of compassionate affection; as Christ’s ambassador he modeled his master’s goodwill toward the lost.
By Whitefield’s time, Anglican minds had taken up with a moralistic, indeed legalistic, recasting of justification by faith. Faith had ceased to be self-despairing trust in the person, work, promises, and love of Jesus Christ. It had become, in the words of influential Bishop Bull, “virtually the whole of evangelical obedience”—a moral life of good works lived in hope of acceptance at the last day.
Through the cross, in Jeremy Taylor’s grotesque phrase, “Christ has brought down the market”—that is, made it possible to secure final salvation through a devotion that is not flawless. The effect of Christ’s death was thus to rehabilitate self-righteousness. Works were the way to heaven, after all.
This was in essence the theology of young John Wesley and the Holy Club in Oxford, which Whitefield had at one time imbibed. It produced a religion of aspiration, perspiration and, in sensitive souls, periodic desperation. Whitefield came to see it as blasphemous and destructive nonsense, the religion of the natural man masquerading as Christianity: “This is … the most common evil that was ever under the sun,” an evil that “cannot sufficiently be inveighed against.”
Whitefield focused not on human works but on the life and death of Jesus Christ: “Behold, what man could not do, Jesus Christ, the Son of his Father’s love, undertakes to do for him.” Thus, “The Lord Jesus Christ is our righteousness.… This, this, is gospel, this is the only way of finding acceptance with God.”
Grasp God’s Grace
The conversion process involved a change of moral nature called regeneration, or new birth. Psychologically, the praying and decision making that repentance and faith involve are human acts (done with the Holy Spirit’s help); theologically, one’s conversion should be understood as a work of the Holy Spirit from first to last.
Whitefield described God’s irresistible grace, which dissolves our resistance: “Never rest till you can say, ‘the Lord our righteousness.’ Who knows but the Lord may have mercy on, nay, abundantly pardon you? Beg of God to give you faith; and if the Lord give you that, you will by it receive Christ, with his righteousness, and his all.”
Whitefield admonished the converted to realize they were objects of God’s special, eternal love to his elect, and this love guaranteed their protection and preservation till they came to glory. “None, none can tell, but those happy souls who have experienced it,” he said, “with what demonstration of the Spirit this conviction comes—Oh, how amiable, as well as all sufficient, does the blessed Jesus now appear! With what new eyes does the soul now see the Lord its righteousness! Brethren, it is unutterable.”
To know this, Whitefield insisted, will prompt wholehearted holiness: “Those who live godly in Christ, may not so much be said to live, as Christ to live in them.… They are led by the Spirit as a child is led by the hand of its father.… They hear, know, and obey his voice.… Being born again in God they habitually live to, and daily walk with God.”
It was this mature Puritan orthodoxy that God blessed in Whitefield’s evangelistic and pastoral ministry.
“Other ministers could, perhaps, preach the Gospel as clearly, and in general say the same things,” wrote John Newton, “but … no man living could say them in his way.” That is fair: Whitefield was free of doctrinal novelties, while unmatched in application to the conscience.
All that George Whitefield ever preached, or desired to preach, was personal salvation and godliness, and for that Puritan orthodoxy served him superbly well.
Dr. J.I. Packer is a professor of theology at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia, and author of more than a dozen books, including A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life (Crossway, 1990).
Copyright © 1993 by the author or Christianity Today/Christian History magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Christian History.


Don’t let them cry is a call to respond back to the community by giving a helping hand to the less privileged and indigent students, widow/ widowers, abandoned children, homeless, the sick in hospitals/healing homes. fatherless and motherless children.These we do through the program called
Don’t let them cry.
We have been in mission for over 15 years touching lives in different nations.Your little support will cloth or put a meal on someone’s table..Help us to assist the dying brothers and sisters and the good lord will bless you and your entire family in Jesus name Amen. To partner with us or Be a blessing Click Here


Ephesians 5:29-31 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
29 For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and carefully protects and cherishes it, as Christ does the church,
30 Because we are members (parts) of His body.
31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.
Ephesians 5:29-31 New International Version (NIV)
29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[a]


You are currently browsing the archives for the Missions category.
In the summer of 2010, I traveled to South Baja with Laura Vitale, Rita Smith, Rick Darge, and Fletcher Allision to film a documentary on the lives of migrant farm workers.
The goal was to hear their stories, and communicate them to you.
Many Mexican migrant farm workers travel from south Mexico up to the Baja Peninsula, hoping for a better life. Many of them begin to work in the fields, and choose to live in the migrant worker camps, often times having no other options.
Some of the camps are very accommodating, others are not. Some of the workers are able to make enough of a living to obtain their own home, etc. Others never seem to break free from the worker camp, and they become part of a system that keeps them working, but leads to a very challenging life in many cases.
Often older children (10-12 years old) are left at home to care for 4-5 younger siblings, while both parents work in the fields. When a child is old enough to work, (12-14 year old and younger) the next oldest sibling becomes the babysitter. Many of the the kids don’t go to school, and the cycle of working hard manual labor jobs repeats itself from parents to children.
One of the ministries of Capilla Calvario de Vizcaino ( the church we planted and support) is to pick up families and bring them to church. We have a school bus, and we pick the families up and bring them to church. The migrant workers do not own cars, and they are happy to be able to attend church, and be a part of something uplifting and edifying.
Another ministry of CCV and La Posada, Vizcaino (the missions base) is to feed needy families and provide for their physical needs. “Project Rice & Beans” is a ministry out of Cornerstone Napa which has helped feed many families. The needs in South Baja are endless.
We are pleased to present this short video documentary as a way to share the plight of many Mexican migrant farm workers who are simply trying to eke out a living under some very tough conditions.
We are also pleased to announce that “La Estancia” has been included in the 2011 Napa Valley Film Festival. Information can be found on the La Estancia website, listed below.
Gracias por todo, y que dios te bendiga….Bill Walden
Cornerstone Spring Break in Mexico. Trip information can be found here.
I never have been into “March Madness”, the college basketball tournaments, etc.
I have always preferred the NBA. Except for the Lakers. 🙂
But better than both of those is Mexico Madness in March. Cornerstone is heading down with a group of 16 people, to do construction, humanitarian aid, and some sightseeing and fishing, if we get our work done.
We’ll be doing plumbing, electrical, wood framing, and cabinet installation.
On Friday, I’ll be meeting with a group of Mexican national pastors to discuss plans for our Pastor’s conference in October, as well as joining Capilla Calvario Vizcaino for their midweek service.
If you aren’t aware of our work in Mexico, visit our missions website at http://lpviz.wordpress.com
Take some time and check out our site there.
And oh, yes…we might try to force down a few fish tacos. 🙂
Pastor Sam Scotti recently joined us at our Leadership Conference in Vizcaino.
Here is a link to a video that he put together regarding the conference.
When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land, God dried up the Jordan for them, and they crossed over on dry land.
God then told them to set up Memorial Stones in Gilgal, so that when their children asked about those stones, they would tell their story of God’s faithfulness to them.
I want to share some of my story regarding my experiences in Mexico. Some of you have heard this a few times. If that is the case, skip forward to the latest photo album, courtesy of Pastor Sam Scotti, of Genesis in Upland. Sam has posted images of our latest Leadership Conference. Thanks Sam.
The images are under the “Vizcaino Conference 2008” folder and if you double click on the photos they will enlarge.
I was on staff at Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa from 1989-1991. During that time, I was singing in a band called The Mirrors. The Iron Curtain fell, and Eastern Europe opened up to the West. We traveled with Brian Broderson (then pastor of CC Vista, CA) to Yugoslavia and Hungary, and sang and shared about Jesus. Lots of young people got saved, and churches were birthed. Read more »
How To Greet A Yellowtail
Debbie and I arrived home safely Monday night about 11 p.m. Since then I have been going non stop. Somebody puh-leeze call the wam-bulance. 🙂
Our time in Baja was great. I was able to teach Romans 1-8 in the AViD program, and also teach the first 23 chapters of Passion And Purity, by Elisabeth Elliot. The book has 43 chapters. I highly recommend that every Christian read this book. I wish I would have read it years ago. It is a very well written book about sexual purity, but also speaks of the sanctity and the rightness of God given passion. The book does get a bit more “transparent” in the later chapters. Elisabeth shares the letters she received from Jim Elliot, and he describes his desire for her. Read more »
The first image is that if a Triqui (Tree’-kay) Indian girl. The Triquis comes to the Vizcaino Valley to work in the fields. They live in migrant worker camps. They have a very meager existence. They come from the state of Oaxaca, Mexico.
The second image is of a Triqui mother and her kids, sitting in their migrant worker housing.
The third image is of a woman who lives in Las Sierras de San Francisco. The people there live very simply, and make their living of raising goats, and selling the meat and cheese.
We, the missionaries we support, and other churches reach out to these people groups with the love of Jesus, with food, clothing, with gospel presentations, and with medical outreaches.
Click on the thumbnails above to enlarge them.
Images by Laura Vitale, who attends Cornerstone, Napa.
More of Laura’s work can be seen at http://www.richard-darge.com/artists/Vitale/vitale.htm
Here’s a link to a true story that happens to be part of the inspiration behind the new Rambo movie.
I am not advocating seeing the movie, but it’s nice to know that some Kingdom work is being recognized, at least according to this article.
In fact, the movie is rated “R” because of lots of violence. Be forewarned. I am blessed enough to know the inspiration behind the movie was a local Nor Cal brother in Christ.
According to the newspaper article, Pastor Joe Tuccinardi is doing some awesome work for the Lord in Burma.
Praise the Lord.
Take some time and read the article. It was inspiring to me.
Editor’s Note- Since originally posting this, the link changed, and the story can’t be found. I’ll keep checking. It’s a shame, it was a good interview. 🙁
New Editor’s Note- I found a blog that shares the story about Pastor Joe. It quotes the newspaper article. Here’s the link.


Yahweh’s blessing brings wealth, and He adds no trouble to it.
The twenty-second comic of Fools Made Wise starts with Clark Washington, lead anchor of Channel 11 News, interviewing Pop. Clark is impressed with his farm, and is even more impressed with how hundreds of families have been blessed through his generosity.
Instead of taking the credit, Pop tells Clark that the Lord has certainly been good at blessing them. This shows the first part of Proverbs 10:22, that Yahweh’s blessing brings wealth. Pop knows that without God’s help, Steady Pace Farms would not be in existence.
The scene now shifts to Leroy standing in front of Officer Ralph, hands cuffed behind his back. Officer Ralph is looking over his record on the computer, and tells Leroy that his record is nasty because he has swindled hundreds of people through his dishonesty.
Leroy smiles and tells him that the cops sure have been good at catching him. This shows the second part of Proverbs 10:22, that He (God) adds no trouble to it (His blessing).
So with this comic, you have two ways of living on display: we can live like Pop, using whatever God has given us to bless others. Or we can live like Leroy, selfishly taking from others for our own desires. One way comes with blessing; the other the lack thereof.
May we be people who receive what God did for us in Jesus, and then from that new place, bless others like we’ve been blessed!
For more from Pastor Travis Woronowicz, visit foolsmadewise.com.
Categories: Fools Made Wise


Please click here to see this News article, with pictures, on the www.FrontlineMissionSA.org website.
Born in 1948, Rev. Jeffreys Kayanga, one of my most trusted friends and co-workers in Sudan, passed away after a short illness on 28 June 2020. Jeffreys Kayanga and I walked many hundreds of kilometres together in the war zones of Sudan. Together, Jeffreys and I conducted hundreds of services, outreaches and lectures in remote villages and towns throughout Western Equatoria, amongst the Moru, Zande, Bari, Dinka and Nuer people. We conducted leadership training programs for pastors, chaplains, teachers, evangelists, youth workers and medics. He was my translator on many hundreds of occasions. Jeffreys was a capable organiser and gifted negotiator resolving many complications and avoiding conflicts amongst different tribes and officials. When we brought Samaritan's Purse in to renovate the hospital in Lui, he became the coordinator between SP, the local church and government officials.
Under Fire in Sudan
On numerous occasions we had to dive for cover when under fire from aerial and artillery bombardment and when under rocket attack. Jeffreys Kayanga was one of my most trusted friends and co-workers in Sudan. Along with Bishop Bullen Dolli and Canon Kenneth Baringwa, Jeffreys was one of my three main co-workers in Sudan. Jeffreys was the person I worked with more than any other. He and I enjoyed many great outreaches, services, projects and adventures for the Kingdom of God. South Sudan has lost one of its most stalwart heroes who played a vital role in working for the independence and freedom of their nation. His work and witness will continue to bear fruit for all eternity. Jeffreys Kayanga can now declare: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the Faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
Pray for the Kayanga Family
Please remember in prayer, Rev. Jeffreys Kayanga’s wife, Vaida Odra’ba Ezikia and their children: Silivia Afiya Jeffreys; John Fakiri Jeffreys; Charity Arufa Jeffreys; Faith Dodocia Jeffreys and Jonathan Ingila Jeffreys.
In Sure and Certain Hope of the Resurrection
We praise God that our Lord Jesus Christ is “…the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live…” John 11:25-26
Please see the video that we have produced to honour our brother Rev. Jeffreys Kayanga, here.
You can also view an interview with Rev. Jeffreys Kayanga, filmed just after South Sudan won her independence, 2011, click here.
Rev. Dr. Peter Hammond
P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725
Cape Town South Africa
To listen to a video which includes Jefferys explaining about the bombing
of the Lui Cathedral on Christmas 2000 Click HERE


A cursed King.
Damian’s rule has been questioned. With people dying, can his son, Knox, overcome the darkness shrouding Avelina while his brother tackles a possessed king on the Island? Will both brothers fall to ruin? Will Damian’s rule … and lineage … come to an end? ”
With college students being recruited like puppets into the arms of fallen angels, Jessie has the guardians to keep her safe. In this compelling story of love, loss and betrayal, will Jesse choose the love of eternal damnation? Or will she choose the love of eternal harmony? ”


In 2018, General Convention established the Task Force on Liturgical and Prayer Book Revision, a new committee with lay and clergy members. In 2022, General Convention transferred the work of this task force to the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music.
Clergy, musicians, artists, educators, and liturgical ministers will find all authorized liturgical resources of the Episcopal Church at this site: https://www.episcopalcommonprayer.org/.
The website includes everything from Expansive Language Eucharistic Prayers of the BCP to the revised Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage to Alternate Psalters to the most recent editions of The Book of Occasional Services and Lesser Feasts and Fasts. For the growing number of parishes in our diocese who use the sixth baptismal vow – “to cherish the wondrous works of God, and protect and restore the beauty and integrity of all creation” – the website also includes liturgical resources for Honoring God in Creation and the Care of Animals.
But wait, there’s more! The Task Force was charged with receiving new liturgical resources – texts and actions – for consideration in the expansion of ritual practice around the Book of Common Prayer. Should you have a liturgy, a set of liturgical prayers, blessings, or other rituals, you are welcome to send them to the Bishop’s Commission for Liturgy and the Arts. In turn, the Commission will forward them to the bishop for review and approval or the request for revision. With the bishop’s approval, you are then welcome to submit your new liturgical resource to the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music: the website contains the submission form.
For those who seek to use all authorized liturgical and musical resources in preparing worship through the feasts and seasons of the year: a subscription to Rite Planning includes the easily downloadable Book of Common Prayer, all authorized hymnals and liturgies, as well as The Book of Occasional Services, Lesser Feasts and Fasts, and the NRSV Bible: https://www.churchpublishing.org/riteplanning
Not every liturgical minister or lector is aware of this: the liturgical calendar with the Episcopal version of the Revised Common Lectionary is available at: https://www.lectionarypage.net/CalndrsIndexes/Calendar2024.html
This announcement is intended to present the great array of liturgical resources available for the parishes of the diocese. May they enrich and enliven our worship: what is for many our most public face to the world.


In the fast-paced world we live in, it's easy to get caught up in the latest trends and fads. We often find ourselves searching for the newest and most innovative strategies to lead, whether it's in our personal lives or in our ministries. But sometimes, the most powerful truths are the ones that have stood the test of time – the ancient truths that have been passed down through generations.
As Christians, we have access to an ancient truth that has the power to transform our lives and our leadership. This truth is found in the pages of the Bible, God's Word, which has withstood the test of time and remains relevant and powerful in our modern world.
1. The Power of Relationship with God
At the heart of our Christian faith is the belief that we have a personal relationship with God. This relationship is not based on performance or religious rituals, but on grace and love. When we understand and embrace this truth, it changes the way we lead.
Instead of striving to please others or seeking validation from our accomplishments, we can lead with confidence and humility, knowing that our worth and identity are found in Christ alone. We can lead with authenticity, vulnerability, and transparency, because we know that our value is not based on what we do, but on who we are in Christ.
2. The Call to Servant Leadership
In a world that often values power, status, and authority, the Bible teaches us a different kind of leadership – servant leadership. Jesus himself set the example for us when he washed the feet of his disciples, showing us that true leadership is not about lording over others, but about serving them.
When we embrace this ancient truth of servant leadership, we become more effective leaders. We prioritize the needs of others, seek to understand and empower them, and lead with humility and compassion. We become leaders who are willing to get our hands dirty, to walk alongside those we lead, and to sacrifice our own desires for the sake of others.
3. The Importance of Wisdom and Discernment
In a world filled with information and opinions, it can be challenging to discern what is true and what is false. But the Bible offers us timeless wisdom and guidance for making wise decisions and discerning the voice of God.
When we prioritize seeking God's wisdom and discernment, we become leaders who make decisions based on God's truth rather than on popular opinion or personal preferences. We become leaders who are able to navigate complex situations with grace and wisdom, and who lead with integrity and character.
4. The Power of Prayer
Prayer is not just a religious ritual; it is a powerful tool that connects us with the heart of God. When we embrace the ancient truth of the power of prayer, it changes the way we lead.
Instead of relying solely on our own strength and abilities, we recognize our dependence on God and invite Him to work in and through us. We seek His guidance and direction, and we intercede on behalf of those we lead. Prayer becomes a vital part of our leadership, empowering us to lead with confidence, clarity, and compassion.
5. The Impact of Authentic Community
As Christians, we are called to be in community with one another. The Bible teaches us that we are not meant to walk this journey alone, but to support, encourage, and challenge one another.
When we embrace the ancient truth of authentic community, it transforms the way we lead. We prioritize building relationships and creating a culture of trust and vulnerability. We surround ourselves with a community of believers who can speak truth into our lives and hold us accountable. We lead with authenticity, knowing that we are not perfect, but that we are growing and learning together.
In conclusion, as Christian leaders, we have access to an ancient truth that has the power to transform our lives and our leadership. When we embrace the power of relationship with God, the call to servant leadership, the importance of wisdom and discernment, the power of prayer, and the impact of authentic community, we become leaders who are grounded in truth, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and equipped to make a difference in the lives of those we lead.
Let us not be swayed by the latest trends and fads, but let us stand firm on the foundation of God's Word and the timeless truths it holds. May we lead with humility, grace, and love, knowing that our ultimate goal is to bring glory to God and to point others towards Him.
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2018 is the year of new beginnings. The understanding is that we will experience something new – we will enter a new season and experience a new dimension. This new dimension is something that surpasses the ordinary – something supernatural.
What we must do to experience this new dimension is to set our minds on things that are above, no on earth (Colossians 3:1-4). People generally think life is only about the physical things. To live a happy life, people think they need success, fame, acknowledgment and wealth. In reality, it seems like those who do not have money have a bad life. The result is that people only look after the physical or materialistic things. Those kinds of people will not experience a new dimension.
‘Things that are above’ are not the things people chase after on earth. These are the things that surpass all things, which are spiritual and heavenly things. To get these, we need to set our minds on them and seek after them. For example, in the story of Job, Job reached the maximum level of what others say is a success. One day, everything he had vanished and he did not understand the cause. He had thought that when everything was gone, his life also ended. But the Lord had a different plan. In his great suffering, Job had an encounter with the Lord. He listed to God’s Word which opened his spiritual eyes. The truth is success in life isn’t the main goal, but it is the personal encounter with the Lord (Job 38:1). At the end, Job understood why he had to experience those difficulties. His life did not end because he lost all of his possession. Instead, he went to the next level spiritually and physically.
For us to understand the things above, the way we think has to be changed by God’s Word. Then, we will be able to follow God’s will correctly. Reading and meditating on His Word daily is a way to have a new mindset. Our ways of life must also be changed to new. ‘Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.’ (Romans 6:4). A new way of life means we must leave behind our old ways that were not pleasant before God – every sin, lust, fleshly desire, compromising with sin and worldly things. We must guard our lives to be holy and have a fear of the Lord.
New way of life also means depending on the Lord, not on our strength and mind or even others. Those who depend on the Lord will always build an intimate relationship with the Lord – close with Him through prayer, praise and worship, as well as reading the Word of God. Let us experience a new dimension with the Lord. God bless.
Source: Article from GBI Gatot Subroto, Jakarta


OUR CITY, COUNTRY AND THE WORLD
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The name 'Jehovah-shammah' means 'The Lord is there'. It is mentioned only once in the Bible and thats in the last verse of the last chapter of the book of Ezekiel.
"And the name of the city from that time on will be:the Lord is there.” (Ezekiel 48:35).
This name of the Lord is symbolic of the Lord's holy city 'Jerusalem'. In Ezekiel's days, when the people of Jerusalem repeatedly sinned against God, and were unrepentant the presence of the Lord left not only the temple, but also from the city. Ezekiel saw the presence of God leaving the temple and the city in a vision. What a tragedy !!. With God's protection removed, the people were taken captives and scattered across the surrounding nations. However, the Lord did not completely abandon them. His compassion and mercy was always there for them as he continually brought them back to him. As a climax to his restoration and revival, The Lord promised that the city will be rebuilt, and renamed as 'Jehovah-Shammah' meaning that the 'Lord is there'.
Dear friend, Cheer up. The Lord is THERE in your life as well. He knows your future and has perfect control of it. So don't loose heart. He will walk with you and carry you through the toughest battles in your life. All you need is to desire his presence in your life, and invite him to walk with you, and put all your trust in him. God Bless you!!.
Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. (Genesis 21:1, NIV, Holy Bible)
கர்த்தர் தாம் சொல்லியிருந்தபடி சாராள்பேரில் கடாட்சமானார்;
கர்த்தர் தாம் உரைத்தபடியே சாராளுக்குச் செய்தருளினார். (ஆதியாகமம் 21:1.)
Dear friends in Christ,
This verse really touched me last week during the special meeting we had at our home. Our Lord is a Lord that never forgets what He promised and what He has planned for each one of us. So be cheerful and glad. Just like how He fulfilled the plans and promises as told in the verse above, He will fulfill every plan and promise He has for you. Rejoice in His grace and mercies.
When seven year old Australian boy Sabastian Kent was taken to his family barn, the boy erupted with joyful tears on seeing the pony. He had reasons to be joyful. He had sold lemonade for two years, saving every penny he could, in order to raise money to pay for his own pony. What a joyful moment it was when he saw the pony that he had purchased through his own hard work. (Source : CNN, www.cnn.com/2016/10/16/asia/australia-boy-pony-trnd/).
Thinking about it, I am reminded that You and I were bought for a price( 1 Cor 6:20b). A price so high, that was paid for in full on the cross by Lord Jesus Christ. We were redeemed not by perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot ( 1 Pet 1:18-19).
Yes, the price has already been paid, and you are freed by Jesus Christ. Imagine the joy it would bring to see you and me with him in eternity.
God Bless you !!
Many times when we pray, we pray like little naughty children who press the door bell and run away. We do not wait for Gods response. We are hasty and in rush and unable to pray with persistence. May God grant us the patience and perseverance to seek his will and act accordingly.


Testimony – Speaking the Praises of Jesus
My name is Beverly and I retired from the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, where I met Chaplain David Burgher in the hall years before I retired in 2010. Even though I worked there, during my lunch one day, I had the privilege of having Chaplain David pray for me in the hall. At the time I didn’t know him. I thank God for the opportunity of knowing him now and how God uses him through prayer. He is a godly man of the Word. Since I have retired I met Chaplain at a meeting we both attended. He extended an invitation for me to meet him and others at the courthouse (as he would say the hospital) for intercessory prayer — that was another new beginning for me. It is a joy to be in his presence and see how God uses him to touch people’s lives. It is like no other person I know, his way of reaching people at the jail and courthouse as he shares a spirit of hope with them.
Beverly Foote now ministers in the dormitory at the Gwinnett Detention Center.


“The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?” - Psalm 27:1 Dear Friends,
The difference between the silently read word and the spoken word is downright startling.
When you and I were learning to read, the first step was that someone - a parent, grandparent, older sibling or teacher would read to us aloud. Then we would begin tackling small, moving on to bigger words, sounding them out an


Author: Jeanne Perego
Illustrator: Donata Dal Molin Casagrande
Published: St Pauls Publications (Australia and New Zealand, Ignatius Press elsewhere)
Age Range: 6 -12
This is a gentle book – a picture book that is not so much a story, as the daily observations of Pope Benedict from the point of view of a blue rock-thrush. For a picture book aimed at this age range, there is a lot of text, but younger children will enjoy having this book read to them.
His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, is presented as a serene, amiable man who works hard prays regularly and is very devoted and dedicated to his role. We learn that the Pope meets hundreds of people, says Masses and gives special blessings to thousands of people who gather to see him. He writes. He has meetings. He prays. By book’s end, we have a much clearer idea of what the Holy Father does all day.
The book is as much about the birds who fly about the Vatican as it is about the Pope. We learn the names of the birds, and their favourite places to nest, eat and play. The author gives personalities to different species – some are pesky, some majestic and some scary to the little blue-rock thrush. We also get to know our narrator as he flies about the Vatican going about his business. He closely watches the Pope and gets to know his daily habits.
The illustrations are dreamy and impressionistic. The overall design is gentle and thoughtful, which adds to our sense of a Pope who serenely passes his days attending to his many duties. I wondered if there could have been more illustrations depicting the inside of the Vatican, or of the Pope mobile or the summer residence. Children’s understanding of the Pope and the Vatican might have been increased with more detailed illustrations of where he lives most of his life. On the other hand, the story is told from the point of view of a bird as he lives his relatively carefree life, flying about Vatican City.
I would pair this book with the Pope’s Cat by Jon M. Sweeney as a means of teaching children about the Pope and the Vatican. Max and Benedict is still a beautiful book despite being published in 2008, and I would recommend it for children learning about the Holy Father.
You can purchase Max and Benedict HERE
Homeschool and Teacher Ideas.
Firstly, take a look at my ideas for teaching children about the Pope and the Vatican HERE.
This book particularly focuses on the birds of Vatican City.
Check out this website here: https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/checklist.jsp?region=VA
Most of the birds listed in Max and Benedict on page 34 (in my publication) are found in the list. You can click and find a picture of the bird and a few other facts.
Why not ask children, depending on their age and capability, to research one or two of the species of birds and create a project/podcast/powerpoint that describes the bird and one or two interesting facts. Why do you think the birds gather at Vatican City?
Draw the birds flying about the Vatican.
Creative response: tell/write/draw a story of one of these birds having an adventure and meeting the Pope. Maybe they meet the blue-rock thrush who narrates Max and Bendict.


11 Things to Know about the Doctrine of the Trinity
Did Jesus Really Descend into Hell?
Who Killed Jesus? The Historical Context of Jesus’ Crucifixion
How Did We Get the Old Testament?
Angels in the Bible: What Do We Actually Know About Them?
Do You Know These 7 Differences Between the Bible and Quran?
Who Wrote Ecclesiastes and What Does It Mean?
Who Wrote the Book of Hebrews?
The Seven Churches of Revelation: Why They Matter and What We Can Learn
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: How Is One God Three Persons?
Who is Jesus? (John 8:24) – Mondays with Mounce 310
Jesus says, “This is why I said to you that you would die in your sins, for if you do not believe that I am he (ἐγώ εἰμι), you will die in your sins.” This is one of the more interesting conundrums I have seen in a while.
Where does the “he” come from? More importantly, who is “he.” The “I” is Jesus, but who is the “he” Jesus is referring to? Does this really make any sense? Almost all translations say “I am he,” but that doesn’t make it right.
The reason this is an interesting conundrum is because there are several things at work. We all know of the use of ἐγώ εἰμι to make reference to God’s name in Exodus 3:15 (אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה, Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν). Jesus says, “I tell you the solemn truth, before…
Translating the Name of the Lord (Hebrew and You with Lee M. Fields)
One of the many benefits of knowing a little Hebrew (and Greek!) is that it can help readers understand their English Bibles better. Understanding the name of the Lord is a good example.
There are many expressions used to refer to the God of Israel, but the one that may confuse English-only readers is the name of the Lord. There are several terms related to this. First we will look at pronunciation. Then we will explain Hebrew terms and translations.
The name of the Lord in Hebrew is יהוה, YHWH, known as the tetragrammaton (a Greek term meaning the “four-letter word”). The Jews often substitute the expression “the Name” for the actual name of the Lord, so that they do not even accidentally give offense to the Lord. It is a useful shorthand that we will use here. Many Jews…
What is a leap of faith?
We hear the phrase “leap of faith” all the time. It refers to a momentous decision we must make that lies outside reason, or one that forces us to grapple with a difficult belief or moral position.
Surprisingly, the phrase isn’t very old.
The idea first appears in Søren Kierkegaard’s book, Fear and Trembling, which he wrote under the pseudonym Johannes de Silentio.
Let’s take a closer look at the phrase “leap of faith,” and see what Kierkegaard meant by it.
How we know Jesus is God: 2 ways of understanding religion
We’re all on a search for God. Who am I to impose my version of God on you?
There are two ways of understanding God, religion, and spirituality.
One way is to say we’re all on a journey, we’re all searching for the truth, and we’re all searching for God, and we all have our own experiences and perspectives. If Jesus says He’s God to me, fine. But if you have found some other God,…
What History Tells Us About Jesus
Which makes it open to historical scrutiny.
As John Dickson explains in his new book A Doubter’s Guide to Jesus: “If you claim that something spectacular took place in history, intelligent people are going to ask you historical questions.”
How has it fared in the face of such critical observation? Surprisingly well! Particularly because Jesus is mentioned several times outside of the New Testament.
One lucky outcome of this flurry of ancient literary output [about the Roman Empire] is that a small-town Jewish teacher, named Yeshua ben Yosef, or Jesus son of Joseph, happened to…
The Myth of Literal Translation (2 Thessalonians 2:3) — Mondays with Mounce 309
I know I have been beating this drum pretty hard recently, but it is so easy. I keep coming across example that clearly illustrate the problem.
The claim is that a translation can be at least somewhat literal, and that by doing so the translator reduces the amount of interpretation (often true) and the informed reader can see the Greek structure behind the English.
Frankly, the “informed” reader should be reading Greek if he or she is able to learn anything of significance from the English structure. But more importantly, I doubt there is even one verse in the English Bible that actually, clearly, reveals the Greek structure underlying it. The languages are just too different.
I am helping my friend Martin read Greek, and we looked at 2 Thessalonians 2 last Wednesday. In the ESV v 2 reads, “Let…
Your Sermon, Your Body Language – An Excerpt from Preaching God’s Word, Second Edition
You have a great sermon prepared, and the hard part is done. It would be great if all you had to do was to stand up and speak the words for maximum effectiveness. But it takes more than just words to deliver the message.
In today’s excerpt taken from Preaching God’s Word, Second Edition, authors Terry Carter, J. Scott Duvall, and J. Daniel Hays remind us that spoken language is only a fraction of the way you effectively communicate your sermon.
Experts tell us that a major part of sermon delivery is body language. Roy DeBrand suggests that the “visual in preaching is vitally important to communication.” By visual, DeBrand means things related to your body, such as clothing, posture, gestures, facial expressions, and…
The Basics of Hebrew Numbers
If you’re studying the biblical languages, you’ve probably noticed that numbers are handled very differently in ancient Hebrew than they are in English. While modern Hebrew uses European digits to represent numbers, biblical Hebrew has no numerical symbols, and is always written out.
These written numbers have masculine and feminine forms which have to agree with the gender of the noun they describe. (If there’s no noun, the feminine form is used.) To help you navigate the unique challenges of biblical Hebrew numbers, Dr. Miles Van Pelt and Dr. Gary Practico created an online course, Basics of Biblical Hebrew.
The video below explores their material, and you can hear Dr. Miles Van Pelt pronounce the numbers.
By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from HarperCollins Christian Publishing (501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN…
Why science hasn’t disproved Christianity
We used to live in the Dark Ages, where we believed in unicorns, fairy godmothers, and goblins. But then science came along and it rescued us from superstition and our age of darkness.
…Or that’s how the story is often told.
If we want to believe in a God, aren’t we going back to the Dark Ages, where we also believe in unicorns and leprechauns and fairy godmothers? Hasn’t science disproved Christianity?
The benefits of science
Before we talk about what science can’t do, we need to recognize what it can do.
Science has given us so many good things, from microwave ovens to mobile phones.
We can’t have it both ways: upholding Christianity doesn’t mean we need to disparage the benefits of science. If you want to enjoy the microwave oven, you can also believe in God at the…
How we know Jesus rose from the dead
How do we really know that Jesus rose from the dead?
I could give you a traditional answer. It would be something like:
“Well the Bible says he rose from the dead, and the Bible contains many contemporary eyewitness accounts which are corroborated by non-Christian, non-Biblical evidence, and it’s been transmitted to us accurately through multiple sources.”
This is how many Christians would respond, and they would be right.
Or, I could say:
“You know what? We live as if Jesus rose from the dead, because we live as if there is such a thing as unconditional love, because somehow we feel that we should love everyone no matter what—especially the marginalized, the poor, and the outcast.”
By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from HarperCollins Christian Publishing (501 Nelson Place, Nashville,…
How Much Exegetical Material Should You Share in Your Sermon?
But how much of that “science” and exegetical material should you share in your sermon in order to preach God’s Word effectively?
In other words: how much of the “then” should you share to help them get the “now” meaning and see the connection?
In their second edition of Preaching God’s Word, Terry G. Carter, J. Scott Duvall, J. Daniel Hays offer this insight:
If your audience does not make the connection between the exegetical meaning in the text and the applicational meaning you are proclaiming to them, your message loses its tie to biblical authority.
How Can You “Answer” When There is No Question? (Matt 14:28) – Mondays with Mounce 308
(Note: you can also watch this blog post on my YouTube channel. )
Translation is a trade-off. Often you will find different key policies in conflict with one another.
One policy may be that you keep concordance, so you try to translate a Greek word with the same English word. Another policy may be that the translation actually makes sense and does not confuse the reader.
Those two policies come into conflict in Matt 14:28. The gloss for ἀποκρίνομαι is “I answer,” and so the more formal equivalent translations try to use that translation whenever possible. But in English, “to answer” means that someone actually asked a question. Right?
In this story, Jesus is walking on the water toward the disciples. When they see him, they are fearful and Jesus responds, “Take courage, it is I! Do not…


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Pope’s Nazi Ties Questioned—Again
Posted on May 12, 2009
It was just the second day of his Holy Land Tour 2009, but unsurprisingly, the presence of Pope Benedict XVI in Israel stirred up more static on Tuesday—this time over his personal wartime history.
A row has flared over Pope Benedict XVI’s membership as a teenager of the Hitler Youth, as he paid a historic visit to Jerusalem’s holy sites.
A Vatican spokesman said the pontiff had “never, never, never” belonged—contradicting the Pope’s own admission.
The comments came as he visited the Dome of the Rock—the first pontiff to do so—and then the Western Wall, one of Judaism’s holiest places.
AP photo / David Silverman, pool
Pope Benedict XVI inserts a written prayer into the cracks of the Western Wall on Tuesday.