6+ day, 5+ hour ago (438+ words) At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath" (Matthew 12:12). Keeping the Sabbath was still a binding ceremonial duty for the Jews of Jesus day, but most of them had little idea of Gods original purpose for the day. Instead of being a day of rest, it had become a day of burden with thousands of man-made restrictions. Ironically it became harder to rest" than to work the other six days. The Sabbath had ceased being a delight for people but had become oppressive and frustrating. They were undoubtedly tired of the unscriptural system imposed on the day and welcomed…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (435+ words) All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him" (Matthew 11:27). Any genuine invitation to salvation such as Jesus gives here must include mention of Gods revelation. Nobody, even the most sincerely religious or philosophically determined, has ever obtained real salvation unless God sovereignly revealed it'and such revelation has to include the truth that Jesus Christ is God. Without question, Jesus audience knew that His statements about a relationship with His heavenly Father meant He was claiming to be the Son of God. The unbelieving Jews did not at all accept this claim. On other similar occasions they would want to kill Him for such blasphemous" assertions (see John 5:18; 10:3038). That Jesus…...

4+ day, 16+ hour ago (584+ words) Libby Hilsenrath, reflecting on the uncertainty of the High Court's weighty decision, commented: "This is the path God has chosen for me, and whatever happens is in His hands. Regardless of the outcome, I will continue to fight for the education of our children because they are the future of our country." The Crucible of Conflict Eight years ago, when Mrs. Hilsenrath first voiced her legitimate concerns as a parent that the school was subjecting her son to religious indoctrination, little did she know that she was about to face a crucible of conflict. Throughout those eight years, she has endured constant vicious public attacks by the school board and from her own community. What started as her legal battle on behalf of her son has now become a battle of great consequence to public schools across the country as…...

6+ day, 5+ hour ago (508+ words) But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone?" (Matthew 12:34). David the great king, psalmist, and warrior was a true hero of the Jews, even more so than the prophets and patriarchs were. Jesus here reminds the Pharisees of what happened when David and his men sought to escape the vengeful and jealous King Saul south of Gibeah. They asked for food when they came to the town where the tabernacle was located. Ahimelech the priest gave David and his men the bread of the Presence because there was no ordinary bread on hand" (1 Sam. 21:4). That consecrated bread…...

3+ week, 1+ day ago (204+ words) But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Lord Jesus, we come to you again today to pray for our nation and Israel. We thank you for your hand of protection and pray that your people would honor you in the days of diversity we now struggle with. Lord, it seems the enemy is relentless in its deception and wickedness. We have successes but many failures in trying to enforce righteous laws. Lord Jesus we pray that those who have been compromised would repent and stand up for the truth. Lord, if not, we will fail again, putting ourselves in a…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago (321+ words) A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed by The Satanic Temple challenging Idaho's abortion ban, delivering a major victory for the state's pro-life protections. The ruling rejected claims that the law violates the group's religious rights. U.S. District Judge David C. Nye ruled that The Satanic Temple lacked standing to sue because it failed to show any of its members had suffered a concrete injury from Idaho's Defense of Life Act, which prohibits abortions except to prevent the death of the mother or in cases of rape or incest reported to law enforcement. "The Satanic Temple has not alleged that any of its members have been pregnant and denied an abortion in Idaho, or that any member intends to become pregnant and seek an abortion in Idaho," Nye wrote in his 19-page decision. "TST's claims lack merit and could not…...

6+ day, 2+ hour ago (954+ words) A single mother is challenging a custody order that prohibits her from taking her 12-year-old daughter to a Calvary Chapel church in Maine after a lower court accepted the claim that the denomination is a "cult," granting the girl's father the power to determine which religious activities she's allowed to attend. In combating the December 2024 custody order, the mother, Emily Bickford, is receiving legal assistance from the Liberty Counsel, a Christian legal group that has helped bring the mother's case before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. "Calvary Chapel is not a cult. This custody order banning Emily Bickford from taking her child to a Christian church because of its biblical teachings violates the First Amendment," Liberty Counsel founder and Chairman Mat Staver said in a statement shared with The Christian Post. "The breadth of this court order is breathtaking because…...

3+ week, 5+ day ago (123+ words) This article is part of "Pastors and Prey," a series investigating sex abuse allegations in the Assemblies of God. A children's pastor was caught filming girls in a church bathroom in Arkansas. Elders suspended him for a few weeks. In Illinois, a preacher was accused of sexually abusing children. Church leaders sent him to therapy rather than call police. In California, a worship minister went to prison for molesting boys. His congregation threw him a party when he returned. All of these men remained in ministry in the Assemblies of God, the world's largest Pentecostal denomination. All went on to abuse more children. The result is a patchwork system that has protected accused predators and left generations of children in danger....

3+ week, 6+ day ago (446+ words) [Catholic Caucus] From the Church of the Twilight ZoneYou know you're in the Twilight Zone of Catholicism when:A German priest, with full approval of the diocese, holds a "queer Mass" publicly broadcast and not a peep or rebuke comes from the Vatican in correction. Meanwhile the attack on the Traditional Latin Mass and all things traditional get the hobnailed boot!The priest wears a rainbow flag stole.The paschal candle celebrates not Christ the King but LGBTQ pride.The lights in the church, glorify, not God, but the LGBTQ lifestyle.Rorate Caeli reported:German public broadcaster ZDF has for decades presented Sunday "divine services": Evangelical... [Catholic Caucus] From the Church of the Twilight Zone - A German priest, with full approval of the diocese, holds a "queer Mass" publicly broadcast and not a peep or rebuke comes from the Vatican…...

3+ week, 6+ day ago (146+ words) Dear FRiends, To honor Jim, I'm about to donate beyond my monthly donation to FR, in lieu of flowers. Please join me if you're able. It would be nice it if we could end a FReepathon early for a change. God bless you, JimRob, and your family. Thank you for all you have done for us. To honor Jim, I'm about to donate beyond my monthly donation to FR, in lieu of flowers. Please join me if you're able. It would be nice it if we could end a FReepathon early for a change. God bless you, JimRob, and your family. Thank you for all you have done for us. Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. Could you please ping your list to this thread? Thanks, FRiend!...