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1+ hour, 22+ min ago (173+ words) " " " " "It wasn't my fault, my brother made me do it, I was having a bad day, I couldn't help it,"I didn't have time to think, and besides, nobody's perfect." Proverbs 26:13 " "A sluggard says, "There's a lion in the road,"a fierce lion roaming the streets!" "(Excuses, excuses) Luke 14:16-18a " "Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. "At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, "Come, for everything is now ready.But they all alike began to make excuses" Romans 1:20 " "Since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities"his eternal power and divine nature"have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Lord, I stand before you, having done wrong in so many ways, and…...

1+ hour, 28+ min ago (165+ words) I'm Bub Kuns, and today we're talking about the Fruit of the Spirit again. That's because no matter how affluent people are, how much freedom they have, or how many opportunities await them, true peace only comes from the Holy Spirit's work in the lives of believers. Peace, as a Fruit of the Spirit, is a calmness of the soul that's not dependent on success and isn't shaken by defeat. As we surrender to God's will, we possess a confident peace only He provides. As Alexander Maclaren said, "Peace comes not from the absence of trouble but from the presence of God." (Maclaren, Alexander. Expositions of Holy Scripture " Galatians. Christian Classics Ethereal Library) Now what other attribute does the Fruit of the Spirit produce in believers? We'll discuss that another time. For more information go to www.hopetools.net." Stay…...

2+ hour, 27+ min ago (381+ words) Morocco (MNN) " In the mountains of Morocco, children recently received warm clothing from an FMI-supported ministry leader. But the real gift wasn't something they could wear " it was the first glimmer of a story they had never heard. FMI's Patrick Anthony says the leader has made several trips into various Muslim-majority communities still recovering from a devastating earthquake two years ago. On one recent visit, he distributed clothing to children in a remote village. "They said they were doing this in the spirit of Christmas, that it's because of really Christmas that they were giving these gifts to the kids," Anthony says. "It was fascinating because the kids didn't know what Christmas is." The local families in these villages are Muslim "by ritual." However, they are unfamiliar with Islamic teachings, much less the Christian message of the Gospel. The ministry…...

2+ hour, 27+ min ago (117+ words) Armenia (MNN) " A3 is working with pastors in Armenia to promote fellowship, encouragement, and accountability for godly living." A3 works around the world, "changing the few who change the many." By developing church leaders, A3 aims to change the lives of local pastors and other leaders who can make a significant Kingdom impact. Please pray with the Armenian churches as they ask God for continued revival." Please pray that the Armenian revival will be a witness of faith to neighboring Muslim countries. Pray that Armenians in the Diaspora will be a witness to their neighbors and that the people of Armenia will receive a historical revival. Image by Allexxandar on Freepik. A3PO Box 3307Cerritos, CA90703...

2+ hour, 28+ min ago (195+ words) At its meeting Oct. 21-23, the board of directors for the Alliance of Reformed Churches, a network of formerly Reformed Church in America congregations, voted to recognize church in communion status with the Christian Reformed Church in North America. That designation is the closest form of ecumenical relationship the CRCNA has with partner churches. "This step helps to recognize ordination (of pastors) between our organizations as well as reflects (that) we share a common commitment of understanding in our calling in God's Kingdom," said Jami Alferink, executive and communications assistant for the Alliance. Churches with in communion status may engage in joint ministries with the CRCNA or its various agencies; their representatives may be guest delegates at each other's synods; and their pastors may preach in each other's pulpits. The CRCNA Church Order also allows for a simplified process of transferring…...

2+ hour, 28+ min ago (496+ words) In this practical book, Whitney R. Simpson offers carefully crafted guided prayers that provide an accessible way for us to quiet our hearts and enter into God's presence. With God in Every Breath: A Guide to Drawing Closer to Jesus through Your Senses When Whitney Simpson had a life-changing stroke two decades ago at the age of 31, she considered the things that grounded her amid the swirling changes. The gift of facing death gave her a renewed appreciation for life, the world around her, and her relationship with God. Crisis connected her with spiritual longings for the presence of God in ways that life lived at full speed could not. Slowing down allowed Simpson to "come away with Jesus to a quiet place," using her senses, her imagination, and guided imagery. After her stroke recovery process was mostly complete, Simpson became…...

2+ hour, 28+ min ago (184+ words) Being in it (the new building) for a year has been good. It seems to be a joyous place to worship," said the church's pastor, Gary Maas. Maas said the formalization didn't really change anything for their congregation, which had been joint with the RCA before. We were a union church when it was the RCA, and it's stayed the same," Maas said. The only thing that's changed is we go to classis meetings of both, and now (the Alliance regional meeting) is called a network meeting instead of "classis." Marlin Maas, current chair of the Harrison Community Church council, who is also the pastor's brother, said he notices, People come early to church just to visit, mingle, and talk to all the little kids" in what he called a young congregation." Gary Maas said they've had quite a few…...

2+ hour, 28+ min ago (268+ words) When young Kaylee and her dog Keedo wake up, they greet God with a morning prayer: "Good morning, God! Thank you for this brand-new day!" Downstairs, Kaylee opens the front door, and Keedo retrieves the morning newspaper. In the kitchen, Kaylee and Halbi'her Korean grandfather'eat their breakfast and then look at the newspaper together. Sometimes the stories are funny, but oftentimes not. Returning to the kitchen, Kaylee pins the newspaper clipping to the world map on the family's prayer wall. It also includes pictures of children from North Korea, the United States, India, South Sudan, and the Middle East. Kaylee is overcome with sadness and asks, "God, do you care about all these children in the world?" Sensitive to Kaylee's sorrow and perplexity, Halbi invites her to pray for the children of the world. But Kaylee feels at a loss…...

2+ hour, 58+ min ago (94+ words) Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed." R. Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise; from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God. R. Alleluia, alleluia. "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior."...

3+ hour, 5+ min ago (584+ words) An Advent service held in Westminster Abbey this week and attended by King Charles III has drawn attention to the plight of persecuted Christians around the globe. Despite the Anglican setting, the service was very much ecumenical, with both Catholic and Anglican prayers, and a strong Orthodox presence. The main sermon was delivered by Catholic Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, who spoke out against the "massive persecution of Christians in so many places. Also present was Ribqa Nevash, a 25-year-old woman from Pakistan who testimony of her experiences at the service. "As a Christian girl, I advocated for girls as young as 12 who are abducted, kidnapped and forced to marry and convert. Many suffer sexual violence. Others are trapped in bonded labour, including working in brick kilns," she said." It is estimated that around 1,000 girls every year are kidnapped and forcefully 'married…...