Happy Wednesday

Leading with Heart
Isn't it good to see people give it all they've got, whatever they're doing? That's what we see in today's section of Scripture concerning King Hezekiah. Second Chronicles 31:21 tells us, "And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered" (KJV).

This is God's evaluation of Hezekiah's life: he sought the Lord and served Him with all his heart.

When Hezekiah came to the throne, he found the nation in shambles. But his first priority was not the government or the economy, but the spiritual health of the people. He challenged the priests and the Levites to sanctify themselves and get their hearts right with God, pointing out two current examples of their spiritual apathy: the lamps had not been lit and the incense was not being burned. The lamps speak to us symbolically of the Word of God, while incense evokes the prayers of the people of God rising before the throne of grace.

Hezekiah experienced his leadership by calling the priests and the people back to personal worship and spiritual discipline. And when the priests responded to Hezekiah's challenge and the people began to worship God again, the Bible tells us there was great joy in Jerusalem, unlike anything since the days of Solomon.

How's it going in your life today? Do you live like Hezekiah, "with all your heart?" In particular, is your spirit aflame with zeal for God? If not, why not ask Him to rekindle that fire through the study of the Word and the exercise of prayer.
Prayer

Lord, create in me a desire to live for You with my whole heart. Amen.
If we ask for cleansing, God will bring us back to the high road of fellowship ..

FOOTPRINTS OF JESUS

Sweetly, Lord, have we heard Thee calling,
Come, follow Me!
And we see where Thy footprints falling
Lead us to Thee.

   Refrain
      Footprints of Jesus,
      That make the pathway glow;
      We will follow the steps of Jesus
      Where’er they go.

Though they lead o’er the cold, dark mountains,
Seeking His sheep;
Or along by Siloam’s fountains,
Helping the weak.

   Refrain
      Footprints of Jesus,
      That make the pathway glow;
      We will follow the steps of Jesus
      Where’er they go.

If they lead through the temple holy,
Preaching the Word;
Or in homes of the poor and lowly,
Serving the Lord.

   Refrain
      Footprints of Jesus,
      That make the pathway glow;
      We will follow the steps of Jesus
      Where’er they go.

Though, dear Lord, in Thy pathway keeping,
We follow Thee;
Through the gloom of that place of weeping,
Gethsemane!

   Refrain
      Footprints of Jesus,
      That make the pathway glow;
      We will follow the steps of Jesus
      Where’er they go.

If Thy way and its sorrows bearing,
We go again,
Up the slope of the hillside, bearing
Our cross of pain.

   Refrain
      Footprints of Jesus,
      That make the pathway glow;
      We will follow the steps of Jesus
      Where’er they go.

By and by, through the shining portals,
Turning our feet,
We shall walk, with the glad immortals,
Heav’n’s golden street.

   Refrain
      Footprints of Jesus,
      That make the pathway glow;
      We will follow the steps of Jesus
      Where’er they go.

Then at last when on high He sees us,
Our journey done,
We will rest where the steps of Jesus
End at His throne.

   Refrain
      Footprints of Jesus,
      That make the pathway glow;
      We will follow the steps of Jesus
      Where’er they go.


Daily Smile:

From Ainsley, 8 years old

Why did the crow cross the road? !

Because he wanted to prove he wasn’t a chicken!

In The News: 

Pakistani Christians Pray for Americans Affected by Hurricane Sandy
Pakistani Christians are praying for the safety of Americans affected by Hurricane Sandy, according to a message sent to the ASSIST News Service by Ashfaq Fateh, a Pakistani Christian leader who has been working to promote peace, human rights and Christian rights in his country, ASSIST reports. "We have come to know that Hurricane Sandy is about to affect 60 million Americans," Fateh said. "It has been learnt that a state of emergency has been imposed in the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Florida and others. Sixty million is a very big population and we, the brothers and sisters in Pakistan, are worried for the situation in your country. We have been facing nonstop floods for the last three years and we can imagine how difficult it is to survive without shelter, food, medication and schooling for the young. So at this moment, we assure you that we shall be praying for your great people to be protected from the destruction of Hurricane Sandy." Fateh quoted Jesus as saying, "I am the vine and you are the branches," and added: "The branches from Pakistan will be continually praying for you. Please keep us informed about your safety." Fateh said he would welcome updates from people affected by the storm at ashfaq.fateh@gmail.com so he could pray for them specifically.

Ad Comparing Voting for Obama to Losing Virginity Causes Backlash
An ad starring a young actress comparing voting for Obama to losing her virginity has gotten backlash from Christians and conservatives, WORLD Magazine reports. In the ad, Lena Dunham says: "Your first time shouldn't be with just anybody. You want to do it with a great guy, somebody who really cares about and understands women. ... My first time voting was amazing. ... Before, I was a girl. Now I was a woman. I went to the polling station, behind the polling curtain, I voted for Barack Obama." According to the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins, "It's low-brow even for this White House, which seems to think using expletives to describe your opponent is conduct becoming a U.S. president." Perkins thinks the ad will actually backfire with the audience it's supposed to attract -- women. "The gender gap has all but vanished in this election," he said. "What was once a 16-point lead for Obama has evaporated, thanks in part to demeaning strategies like this one. These women are moms, too, and they recognize that a president with two young daughters should know better."

Happy Tuesday

According to his purpose
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."Romans 8:28.

A girl had great difficulty accepting the looks God had given her.

While everyone this girl knew had grown beautiful golden hair, hers was black.

And while they were all still growing, she had stopped.

She grew to be only about four feet ten inches tall.

Eventually, she reached the country to which God had called her to be a missionary.

One day, she stood on the wharf in Shanghai and looked around at the people to whom He had called her.

"Every single one of them" she said, "had black hair. And every one of them had stopped growing when I did."

She was able to look to God and exclaim, "Lord God, You know what You're doing!"

Are you struggling with something specific today?

Have you been asking, "Why Lord?!"

Whether we realize it or not-
God knows what He's doing!

We may not understand it today.
But He has known these things from the very beginning.

And He really is carrying out His great plan in us!

Cheer up!

God is preparing His vessels for GREAT things!

Daily Smile:

From Maya, 13 years old

What do you call a Dinosaur that is good with words?

 

A thesaurus!

In The News: Or Should I Say, "Not In The News"
Facebook used to kidnap, traffic Indonesian girls

DEPOK, Indonesia (AP) — When a 14-year-old girl received a Facebook friend request from an older man she didn't know, she accepted it out of curiosity. It's a click she will forever regret, leading to a brutal story that has repeated itself as sexual predators find new ways to exploit Indonesia's growing obsession with social media.

The junior high student was quickly smitten by the man's smooth online flattery. They exchanged phone numbers, and his attention increased with rapid-fire texts. He convinced her to meet in a mall, and she found him just as charming in person.

They agreed to meet again. After telling her mom she was going to visit a sick girlfriend on her way to church choir practice, she climbed into the man's minivan near her home in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta.

The man, a 24-year-old who called himself Yogi, drove her an hour to the town of Bogor, West Java, she told The Associated Press in an interview.

There, he locked her in a small room inside a house with at least five other girls aged 14 to 17. She was drugged and raped repeatedly — losing her virginity in the first attack.

After one week of torture, her captor told her she was being sold and shipped to the faraway island of Batam, known for its seedy brothels and child sex tourism that caters to men coming by boat from nearby Singapore.

The Presidential Election 

Is Just One Week Away...

TUESDAY

NOVEMBER 6th

GO VOTE!!!

Prayer Before an Election

Lord God, as this election approaches, forgive we pray our many transgressions, and clean our heart of every false and evil desire, so we may be people your Holy Spirit can lead, guide, and instruct.

We seek to fully understand the issues confronting our country in the light of your righteous will and way.
Show us, we pray, how the Gospel guides a response faithful to the high calling we have in Christ Jesus.

We ask for eyes free from worldly blindness so we might see clearly through every subterfuge, illusion, and delusion.

Help us to choose a servant who sees all equal in your love;
treats all with dignity due those who are made in your image.
Give us a man who will follow you in bestowing greater honor on those whom the world would would deny honor.

We ask for a leader with ears that will hear the cries of children unborn and those abandoned by evils previously adopted into corrupt government in the past.

Give us someone who will open our national doors to the oppressed, but will oppose those who seek to enter without respect for our laws and the ideals You have instilled in us.

We ask for minds and hearts that are open to hearing the voice of leaders who will bring us closer to your Kingdom and strength of will to reject and oppose all who would withhold from fulfilling your plan for us as a nation.

Holy Father,
We pray for discernment,
so we may choose leaders who love and obey your Word;
live your precepts, and keep in the ways of Truth;
that follow in the steps of of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy One of Israel, until He comes to call us unto Himself and establish the Kingdom of justice and peace on earth.

We ask this in the Name of your Son Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Jonsquill Ministries
Jonsquillministries@yahoo.com

Happy Monday

Living for the Goal

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. - 1 John 1:3

I always enjoy traveling with someone who knows where they're going, don't you?

John the Baptist knew exactly where he was going. He had a definite purpose in mind and knew exactly how to reach his goal. The message in the book of John is that he wants you and me to find life in Jesus Christ. Everything in his gospel points us to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus.

In John 1:7, we are introduced to John the Baptist and told that "he came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe." The focus is not on the baptismal ministry of John the Baptist or his call to the nation of Israel to repent. He is presented primarily as a witness to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world.
Christian, when people observe your life, what do they see? A person frantically busy doing Christian activities? A person who says one thing and does another? Or do they see a person who knows where he's going? Make it your goal today to point someone to the Savior.
Prayer
Lord, today I need You to refocus my sight on the task You've given me to do.  Amen.

Witnessing involves all that we are and all that we do.
To God be all GLORY! ... HONOR! ... and PRAISE!

Daily Smile:

From Amanda C, 10 years old

What did one elevator say to the other? 

I think I am coming down with something!

 

In The News:

Paki High Court forces Christian to remain with Muslim kidnapper

By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (Worthy News)– A Christian girl who had been abducted from Sukkur in Sindh was recently remanded to her alleged kidnapper husband by the Sindh High Court after rejecting all appeals by her lawyer to send her home with her father.
 
Justice Naamatullah Phulpoto rejected the requests of Rebecca's father, Younis Masih, and his lawyer, Mukesh Kumar, to return the girl home to Darul Aman. Instead, she was instructed to go home with her Muslim kidnapper turned husband, Manzar Daharand; Phulpoto then adjourned the case to early November.

Rebbecca, who remained silent during the court proceedings, was accompanied by the son of Mian Mithoo, a politically powerful member of the National Assembly of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party who himself has been accused of kidnapping non-Muslim girls and arranging their marriages to servants and friends, according to the Pakistan Christian Post.

President of the Pakistan Christian Congress Nazir Bhatti has accused PPP leaders of being involved in the kidnapping and forceful conversion of Christian and Hindu girls to Islam.

He said non-Muslim girls are being kidnapped by PPP members and then either forced to be sex-slaves of Islamic "feudal lords," or sold in marriage to wealthy Muslims in Sindh.

Happy Sunday

Not Allowing Past Sins to Silence Our Witness  

Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers.

BIBLE MEDITATION: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
A young preacher was called out of a life of sin to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. While in the pulpit one day, he received a note in which someone had written all his past sins. In addition it read, “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? And you’re up there telling people to get right with God!”

Do you know what the young preacher did? He read that note, bowed his head in prayer, stood up and said, “Ladies and gentleman I have received a note, and here is what it says.” Then, in front of that whole crowd, he read every one of those sins. Then he said this: “Yes, I am ashamed of myself, but I am not ashamed of my Savior!”

ACTION POINT:
What are some past sins in your life that are holding you back from fully proclaiming God’s power to others? Confess them and bury them in His sea of forgetfulness.


Daily Smile:

From Audrey, 4 years old

Why did the chicken cross the playground?

To get to the other slide!

In The News:

Romney Erases Obama Lead with Women Voters
A new Associated Press-GFK poll shows Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has wiped out President Obama's earlier huge advantage among women voters, CBN News reports. A month ago, Romney was trailing by 16 points, but the new poll shows each candidate now registering 47 percent support among women. And on the issue of the economy, Romney has now pulled ahead among women voters. A month ago, women favored Obama over Romney on the economy 56 to 40 percent, but now the split has shifted to 49 percent for Romney and 45 percent for Obama.

BBC Poll: Every Country But Pakistan Wants Obama for Four More Years
A newly released global poll by BBC World Service has found that President Barack Obama is the clear favorite worldwide over GOP candidate Mitt Romney, the Christian Post reports. The poll, which surveyed dozens of countries and asked 21,797 people for their opinions, found that Obama, who was warmly accepted by the international community four years ago, still remains very popular with foreigners. In fact, every country polled showed people would prefer four more years of Obama rather than a Romney presidency -- with Pakistan being the only exception. Obama received the widest support in France, where 72 percent of respondents said they would vote for him. He enjoyed more than 60 percent support in Canada, Kenya, Nigeria, Australia, Panama, Germany, the United Kingdom and Brazil, and more than 50 percent support in Indonesia and South Korea. Only in Pakistan did respondents say they would prefer Romney to win, and the vote was much closer than the other countries polled. The survey, however, was conducted from July 3 through Sept. 3, meaning it is not reflective of any effects the presidential debates might have had on international opinions.

Happy Saturday

Sorry I was late today - Internet connection problems this morning...

God is in charge of the world
What kind of person makes a good leader?
He appointed judges throughout the nation in all the fortified cities, and he gave them these instructions: "Always think carefully before pronouncing judgment. Remember that you do not judge to please people but to please the Lord. He will be with you when you render the verdict in each case that comes before you. Fear the Lord and judge with care, for the Lord our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes.

2 Chronicles 19:5-7 NLT

Fit for leadership

When Jehoshaphat appointed leaders for the people of Israel, he told them they would represent God in their decisions—a solemn responsibility.
Second Timothy 2 describes the kind of person fit for leadership. Those who want to become leaders should ask God to develop these traits in them: honesty, kindness, patience, purity, and integrity. Verses 24-25 explain:

The Lord's servants must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach effectively and be patient with difficult people. They should gently teach those who oppose the truth.

Leaders who teach God's Word have an even greater responsibility to use their authority carefully. Paul urged his friend Titus to model Christian character and to guard his integrity. People watch Christian leaders very carefully—they must be above reproach. Titus 2:7-8 and 15 state:

And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good deeds of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Let your teaching be so correct that it can't be criticized.… You have the authority to do this, so don't let anyone ignore or disregard what you say.

Daily Smile: 

In 1940

Teacher: In 1940, what were the Poles doing in Russia ?  Pupil: Holding up the telegraph lines !

 


In The News:

LSU Apologizes for Editing Out Cross in Picture of Students
Administrators at Louisiana State University have apologized for censoring photographs of male students who had painted crosses on their chests at a football game, the Daily Caller reports. "We erred in our judgment and we have communicated our apologies to the group of young men represented in the photo, whose school spirit is second to none," said Ernest Ballard, director of media relations at LSU. Following the football team's Oct. 13 win, school officials sent out a photo of the Painted Posse -- Christian students who paint their bodies with school colors and small crosses for home games -- in a weekly email newsletter, and students were shocked to see that the crosses had been edited out of the otherwise untouched photo. Administrators later admitted to altering the image to prevent other students from being offended -- a decision they now regret, according to Ballard. "We did not intend to offend anyone by the editing of this photograph and in the future we will not make this kind of edit," he said. According to a statement on their Facebook page, the students accepted the apology. "We, the members of the Painted Posse, do not agree with the university's recent decision to airbrush crosses out of the photo of some of our members. We ... acknowledge the efforts of the LSU administration and look forward to serving the university as both fans and students."

Planned Parenthood Spends $12 Million for Obama

Planned Parenthood, the nation's leading abortion provider, has spent $12 million on this year's presidential election through its political action committees -- the most it has ever spent in an election, Baptist Press reports. About half of the money has gone for TV ads in battleground states such as Florida, Ohio and Virginia, according to the Associated Press. Planned Parenthood's president, Cecile Richards, said she has "taken a break from [her] day job" to campaign for President Obama. In a video released by the Obama campaign on Oct. 19, Richards said, "Our daughters' and our granddaughters' future depends on" working to re-elect the president. In the second presidential debate, Obama mentioned Planned Parenthood five times, advocating continued federal funding for the organization. Republican candidate Mitt Romney, meanwhile, has called for the de-funding of Planned Parenthood. The abortion provider and its affiliates received $487.4 million in government grants, contracts and reimbursements in 2009-10, the most recent year for which statistics are available, and Planned Parenthood centers reported performing 329,445 abortions in 2010.

Happy Friday

THERE IS ONE FAITH
By HAROLD STEINBRON, Bible Teacher

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:5

Some speak of the Catholic "faith" or the Muslim "faith". I used to, until I studied God's Word. Since God gave His Word to reveal "one Faith", all other "faiths" must be spurious. They may be very similar, but if God has one Faith for our hearts to believe, then we better detail and define that One Faith, because there is none other! !!! The more some of these "faiths" look and sound like the One Faith, the more dangerous they become. Some are so far from the real one, only the most gullible are deceived.

I believe God permitted a variety of "faiths" to cloud our vision, so that only the student of the Word of God ever arrives at the One Faith. The reward for this demanding, even exhausting search, is Eternal Life! A heart void of offense before God! A life of tranquility in a very troubled age! If you have talked to some who are searching for "the truth" or "reality", you see in their eyes the unrest, the unsettled feeling, the uncertainty. No human is TRULY happy until he has discovered and settled his life on -THUS SAITH THE LORD. It is not enough to just read the Bible, good as that is. It is not enough to study the Bible, rewarding as that is. We must persevere in our reading and study until we arrive at the ONE FAITH Paul speaks of, lay hold of it, build our life upon it, and know it well enough to teach others also, then the joy of the Lord will permeate our being even though everything may be going wrong.

The price for this attainment is high. Five minutes a day devoted to a "quiet time" will not suffice. 

Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling

1. Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, 
 calling for you and for me; 
 see, on the portals he's waiting and watching, 
 watching for you and for me. 
Refrain:
 Come home, come home; 
 ye who are weary come home; 
 earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, 
 calling, O sinner, come home! 

2. Why should we tary when Jesus is pleading, 
 pleading for you and for me? 
 Why should we linger and heed not his mercies, 
 mercies for you and for me? 
 (Refrain) 

3. Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing, 
 passing from you and from me; 
 shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming, 
 coming for you and for me. 
 (Refrain) 

4. O for the wonderful love he has promised, 
 promised for you and for me! 
 Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon, 
 pardon for you and for me. 
 (Refrain) 

 

Daily Smile:

From Joe, 10 years old

What kind of song can you sing in a car? 

A cartoon!

In The News: 

LSU Digitally Erases Cross in Picture of Students
A group of Louisiana State University football fans is outraged after the school digitally erased the tiny crosses they painted on their bare upper chests at a recent football game, Fox News reports. LSU officials sent out a photo of The Painted Posse -- Christian students who paint their bodies with LSU school colors and small crosses for home games -- in a weekly email newsletter following LSU's Oct. 13 game against South Carolina, and the students were shocked to see that the crosses had been edited out of the photo, which appeared to be otherwise untouched. "I was a bit surprised, because our pictures get used so frequently, and the cross had never been edited before," Posse member Cameron Cooke said. "The cross painting is important to me because it represents who I am as a Christ follower. And it reminds me who I need to act like in Death Valley," he added, referring to Tiger Stadium's nickname. School spokesman Herb Vincent said the school altered the image to prevent other students from being offended. "We don't want to imply we are making any religious or political statements, so we air-brushed it out," LSU said in a statement. "Only one of the students, who didn't appreciate it, actually contacted us about it. So next time, we'll just choose a different photo. ... It was just a straight sports communication message, no politics involved, no religion."
 
Less Religious are Less Likely to Vote, New Poll Finds
A new poll released Monday from the Public Religion Research Institute finds that Americans who are less religious are less likely to head to the polls this election season, the Christian Post reports. Religiously affiliated Americans are more likely to vote than those who are religiously unaffiliated or less religious, by a margin of 73 to 61 percent, the survey found. If these findings are true, it could spell troubling news for the Obama campaign, since voters who are less religious are also more likely to support the president. Americans who identify themselves as religiously unaffiliated -- now 19 percent of the population -- are the fastest-growing group in America's religious landscape. Obama holds a substantial lead among the religiously unaffiliated -- 73 percent of those polled, compared to only 23 percent of that group who say they support Mitt Romney. The latest Real Clear Politics average of national polls shows Romney with a narrow lead over Obama, 47.7 to 46.9 percent.
 
Research Shows Unborn Twins Interacting in the Womb at 14 Weeks
An Italian researcher has published interesting data about twins and how they develop in the womb, WORLD News Service reports. According to LifeSiteNews, "Umberto Castiello of the University of Padova, Italy, published a report in October showing unborn babies have the ability to interact as early as 14 weeks into the pregnancy." The research team examined video footage of twins gathered by a four-dimensional ultrasound. They found that the "14-week-old twins touched each other head to head, arm to head, and head to arm. At the 18th week, they made more contact and, as the team wrote, began 'spending up to 30 percent of their time reaching out and stroking their co-twin.'"
 
Court Blocks Indiana Defunding of Planned Parenthood
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago ruled Tuesday that Indiana cannot cut off funding for Planned Parenthood just because the organization provides abortions, WORLD Magazine reports. The court upheld the core portion of a lower court order that said Indiana could not enforce a state law barring abortion providers from collecting Medicaid funds for any medical services. The law, signed by Republican governor Mitch Daniels in May 2011, made Indiana the first state to deny Planned Parenthood Medicaid funds for general health services, including cancer screenings. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List, spoke out against the ruling: "Over the last two years -- as 14 states have introduced or enacted measures to end taxpayer funding of abortion businesses -- America's largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, has been able to rely only on sympathetic courts and the Obama administration to buck the will of the taxpayers," she said. "Taxpayers across the country want out of the abortion industry, and pro-life lawmakers will not stop working until every dime of taxpayer funding is cut from Planned Parenthood."

Happy Thursday

THREE TIMES WHEN THE LORD WOULDN'T ANSWER
  by C. R. Stam
 
    In the various accounts of our Lord's earthly ministry we find three occasions when He declined to answer those who appealed to Him or questioned Him.

First there is the Gentile woman of Matthew 15:21-28. Her daughter was possessed of a demon and in her trouble she appealed to the Lord to help her, "but He answered her not a word." Finally, in His grace He did help her, but not until He had taught her the lesson that as a Gentile she had no claim on Him. As Romans 1:28 tells us, the Gentiles had been "given up" because "they did not like to retain God in their knowledge." In this connection we Gentiles should read carefully Ephesians 2:11,12 and see how utterly without hope we are apart from the grace of God.

Next there was a Jewess, in trouble of a different kind. She had been caught in adultery and was brought to him for judgment (John 8:1-11). Unlike the Gentile woman, she belonged to the chosen race and possessed God's holy Law, a distinct advantage -- unless you are a law-breaker. Our Lord also helped her in grace, but not until He had demonstrated that the law is the great leveler of mankind, bringing all guilty before God (Rom.3:19).

But finally we find how it was that our Lord could show grace -- and do it justly -- to both Jew and Gentile, for in the third instance we find the Lord Himself in trouble. On trial for His life before the representatives of Hebrew and Roman law, He is accused of all sorts of wicked crimes. But on this occasion too, He declines to answer.

First Caiaphas, the High Priest, said to Him: "Answerest Thou nothing? What is it which these witness against Thee? But Jesus held His peace..." (Matt. 26:62,63).

Next Pilate, the Gentile judge, said: "Hearest Thou not how many things they witness against Thee? And He answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marveled greatly" (Matt.27:13-14).

Why did our Lord not answer and defend Himself? Because He had come into the world specially to die for man's sins. Had the sinners of all ages been there to accuse Him of their sins, He would still have remained speechless for He stood there as man's representative, so that we might be "justified freely by God's grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom.3:24). 

Daily Smile:

From Arul, 10 years old

Why did the computer catch a cold ?

 

Because he forgot to shut his windows!

 

In The News:

Two Hours After Benghazi Attack, White House Knew Terrorist Group Took Credit
According to emails obtained by Reuters from government sources, officials at the White House and State Department were advised two hours after the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11 that an Islamic militant group had claimed credit. An email identifying the Libyan group Ansar al-Sharia asserting responsibility for the attack -- which killed U.S. ambassador Christopher Stevens and four others -- was sent to addresses including the White House Situation Room, where the president was, no more than 2.5 hours after the attack. In the days following, however, White House spokesman Jay Carney maintained the attacks likely were a spontaneous protest against an anti-Muslim film, and while officials did mention the possible involvement of "extremists," they did not lay blame on any specific militant groups or possible links to al Qaeda until intelligence officials publicly alleged so on Sept. 28. According to Townhall.com blogger Carol Platt Liebau, "Granted, as the [Reuters] story is careful to note, not all intelligence accounts can be immediately credited as automatically accurate in these situations. But what is so shocking about the email Reuters has obtained is that it means that the administration's repeated characterizations of the attack as 'spontaneous' demonstrations in response to a YouTube video -- for two full weeks thereafter -- were knowingly, hideously false, misleading and incomplete." Spokesmen for the White House and State Department had no immediate response to requests by Reuters for comments on the emails.

Pastor and Family Executed in Syria as Violence Continues
More than 30,000 have died in Syria's civil war, with innocent Christians continuing to become victims at the hand of radicals, Mission Network News reports. According to the Middle East director of Christian Aid Mission, bands of militant Islamists are responsible: "They're not necessarily Syrians, but they're very radical Muslims, and their goal is to eradicate Christians. They believe it's an abomination to have Christians within Syria." The director, who cannot reveal his identity for security reasons, cited a Christian Aid-supported pastor who was a recent victim. "There was a band of militia that came through and told all of the people to get out; then they went ahead and killed the pastor and his family. So there [are] quite a few now -- I think there are 11 [Christians] -- who have been killed in that one area from that ministry that we help." The director added: "All of the typical security that you would have in the country is trying to protect the country. They're not worried about providing police protection for the little communities around, and so the people are all vulnerable." Syrians continue to flee into Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey; it is estimated that more than 300,000 have now fled their homeland.

Fatal Shooting Reported at Creflo Dollar's Georgia Megachurch
A gunman reportedly killed another male Wednesday morning inside Creflo Dollar's World Changers Church International in Georgia, and the shooter is still on the loose, the Christian Post reports. The shooting occurred during a 10 a.m. Bible study at the College Park campus in unincorporated Fulton County. The gunman, reportedly a staff member at the church, walked into the service wearing a suit and tie and shot the Bible study leader at point-blank range while he was leading prayer. Initial reports said the victim was transported to a local hospital, but subsequent reports indicate he has died. No official statement has been yet released by the church in response to the shooting. Dollar, who was recently arrested for allegedly physically assaulting one of his daughters, founded World Changers International Church in 1981. The church currently has about 30,000 members.

Taliban Targets Another Girl in Pakistan
The Taliban is targeting a second young girl in Pakistan known for her women's-rights activism and pro-education stance, CBN News reports. Hina Khan, 16, returned home from school this week to find a red "X" painted on the gate of her family's home, then her mother received a phone call warning her that her daughter was the Taliban's next target. Just two weeks ago, Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, a blogger and activist who spoke out for women's education, was shot on a school bus on her way home from school. She survived the attack and is recovering in a hospital in Britain, but the Taliban has threatened to finish their job and kill her. Both Khan and Yousafzai are originally from Pakistan's Swat Valley, an area that was under complete Taliban control for years. Locals say terrorist cells are reactivating their network in the valley, taking advantage of the U.S. military's decision to withdraw forces.

Happy Wednesday

The Greatest Worker Makes The Least Noise

Don't we usually connect loud noise with work? What a racket our great machines make! Perhaps you've seen highways being built. Great earthmovers, concrete mixers, power shovels, and ditch diggers with their big diesel motors make a terrific rattle, clackety, clack, rumble, and groaning. And when rock is blasted to make way for the highway, what a big boom or go in a busy factory. In some you can't hear yourself talk. Or stand by a busy street crossing when all the cars and trucks start up as the light turns green. The very earth shakes with the racket. So we might easily believe that work and noise must always go together. But the world's greatest worker does most of the world's work in complete silence or with very little noise. We are so busy listening to man-made noises we don't take time to think that all about us God is causing great changes right under our noses and with absolutely no sound whatever or with very little. Consider the important ways His work is done.

The grass under our feet, in the cow pastures, on the prairies of the West and the plains of Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America—this grass that covers millions of square miles—is the food for all grazing animals. Without it we wouldn't have milk on the table. All this grass grows without a sound. So do the other crops on which human life depends grow—tomatoes, potatoes, bananas, beans, squash, peaches, apples, and the hundreds of other crops that give us life. The work our human minds perform—how silent that is! The brain sends signals to our muscles, telling them what to do or not to do. And without the faintest whisper of noise, God works through our brains. I could go on to list the silent works done by man, too, and show how most of our best work is done silently. But let's save that for another time. So don't mistake noise for power or work. Don't mistake man's noise for God's voice. For he speaks and works quietly, And we should stop and listen more often. Now stand here quietly before the Lord as I remind you of all the great things the Lord has done for you and your ancestors. 1Samuel 12:7.

Daily Smile:

From Vivian, 7 years old

What do you call witches that live together ?

Broom-mates

In The News:

No Arrests Made in Beating of Pastor, Family in India
An Indian evangelical pastor is recovering from injuries after he and his family were beaten by anti-Christian Hindu extremists near New Delhi, International Christian Concern reports. Lal Mani Prasad of the Immanuel Believers Fellowship congregation was reportedly beaten October 14 at his home while he was getting ready for his church's Sunday service. At least two men entered the house and used "a steel water bucket" to hit his head until he was unconscious, according to his son, who suffered a broken hand. His wife, son and daughter were also badly bruised with rods, and the beatings were encouraged by nearly a dozen other Hindu radicals who had earlier hurled stones and other materials at the pastor's home. Prasad, who required 18 stitches on his head, was taken to the local hospital, treated and released, but after a few days he was readmitted with internal bleeding. Local Christians said the attack came after the family was told this year by "extremist Hindus" that they would kill the pastor if he continued with his Christian activities. So far, no arrests have been reported in the case.

University Bans Christian Group for Requiring Leaders to Adhere to 'Basic Biblical Truths'
Tufts University in Medford, Mass., has banned a Christian group from campus over the group's requirement that its student leaders adhere to "basic biblical truths of Christianity," the Weekly Standard reports. The decision to ban the Tufts Christian Fellowship -- the Tufts chapter of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA -- was made by members of the university's student government, specifically the Tufts Community Union Judiciary. The group "will lose the right to use the Tufts name in its title or at any activities, schedule events or reserve university space through the Office for Campus Life," the Tufts Daily reported, and it will also be unable to receive money from a pool students are required to pay into that is specifically set aside for campus group funding. According to the Tufts Daily, "the group had been operating in a state of suspended recognition after the Judiciary found that the group's constitution excluded students from applying to leadership positions based on their beliefs. The clauses in question require that any TCF member who wishes to apply for a leadership role must adhere to a series of tenets called a Basis of Faith, or eight 'basic biblical truths of Christianity.'" The group is planning to appeal the student board's decision.

Egyptian Christian Youth Unite to Pray for Their Nation
Earlier this month, some 10,000 Egyptian Christian youth gathered for an urgent time of prayer and fasting, seeking God's protection from the rising influence of Islam on Egyptian society, CBN News reports. The massive prayer rally was called One Thing, and the youth gathered each day from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. for praise, prayer and worship. Some traveled hundreds of miles from across Egypt to attend, and an additional estimated two million people around the world watched the event online.

Scottish Church Leader: Don't Force Church on Children
The moderator of the Church of Scotland has warned parents not to "force" church on their children, WORLD News Service reports. According to the newspaper The Scotsman, the Rt. Rev. Albert Bogle "believes it may be counter-productive for the iPod generation to have to sit on pews and be made to listen to ministers 'rabbiting on.'" It’s no surprise that the 63-year-old minister’s stand won praise from the National Secular Society. On the other hand, Rev. David Robertson, of St. Peter's Free Church in Dundee, said the problem in Scotland is not ministers "rabbiting on," but a "famine" in preaching and hearing "the word of the Lord." The Church of Scotland, once dominant in Scottish life, now claims less than 10 percent of the population as adherents and regular attenders. Officially, membership stands at about a half-million, down by more than half since the 1960s.

Happy Tuesday

Who Is Winding Your CLOCK???

Who are you serving? The Bible says that it’s either God or the devil. If it’s God, you will believe that there’s a devil, and if it’s the devil, you won’t believe that there’s a God. Not the God of the Bible, that is. You will either deny God’s existence or you will make up your own image of a god.

If you are serving the devil, you will live for yourself. If you are serving God, you will live for the One who gave you life, for others, and you will care about those who live for the devil. You will plead with them, pray for them, and hopefully weep for them. Whatever their fate, one day they will understand why. They are blinded by the devil, and as the Bible says, he has taken them captive to do his will. And his will they gladly do.

If he is winding your clock, your time is running out. You will soon be in eternity. If you are serving sin, you are serving the devil, and his wages are really bad (see Romans 6:23). I strongly suggest, no I plead with you, quit before Payday.

It Is No Secret

The chimes of time ring out the news, another day is through
Someone slipped and fell, was that someone you?
You may have longed for added strength, your courage to renew
Do not be disheartened, for I have news for you 

     It is no secret what God can do
     What He's done for others, He'll do for you
     With arms wide open, He'll pardon you
     It is no secret what God can do 

There is no night for in His light you never walk alone
Always feel at home, wherever you may go
There is no power can conquer you, while God is on your side
Take Him at His promise, don't run away and hide 

     It is no secret what God can do
     What He's done for others, He'll do for you
     With arms wide open, He'll pardon you
     It is no secret what God can do 

 

Daily Smile:

From Lori, 11 years old

What runs faster, hot or cold?

 

Hot, ’cause you can always catch a cold!

 

In The News: 

Gallup: Only 3.4 Percent of U.S. Adults Identify as LGBT
A comprehensive poll released this week by Gallup based on more than 120,000 interviews shows that only 3.4 percent of Americans say they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender -- far short of the numbers routinely cited by pro-gay groups who claim that approximately 10 percent or more of the population have homosexual tendencies, the Christian Post reports. The study is billed as the largest single study of the distribution of the LGBT population, and the margin of error was projected at approximately 1 percent -- low by poll standards. The poll, conducted between June 1 and Sept. 30 of this year, asked, "Do you personally identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender?" Of the 121,290 total responses, 3.4 percent answered "yes," 92.2 percent said "no" and 4.4 percent refused to answer. Though the exact percentage of LGBT Americans has sparked much debate between pro-family and pro-homosexual groups, the Gallup results mirror those of similar, albeit smaller, studies as far back as 2002.
Court Rules Texas Cheerleaders Can Use Bible Banners
A judge ruled last week in favor of high school cheerleaders in Texas who were fighting to display Bible verses on banners at football games, CBN News reports. Last month, after a complaint from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, school officials told Kountze High School cheerleaders they could no longer use scripture on the signs they created for the football team to run though. But district judge Steve Thomas said Thursday that the school district's policy violated the cheerleaders' free speech rights. He issued an injunction allowing them to display the banners, pending the outcome of a lawsuit next June. Earlier last week, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and state Attorney General Greg Abbott both backed the cheerleaders' right to keep using the banners. "There's a reality here and that is that the First Amendment does not demand hostility toward religion, nor does it demand silence on the part of students in this state or in this country," Abbott said. Cheerleader Kieara Moffett said, "I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders as of right now." Cheerleader Macy Matthews said the banner at Friday night's game would read, "All things which are impossible with men are possible with God."
Welfare Jumps 32 Percent During Obama Presidency
According to numbers released Thursday, federal welfare spending has grown by 32 percent over the past four years, swelled by President Obama's stimulus spending and a growing number of Americans whose recession-depleted incomes now qualify them for public assistance, the Washington Times reports. Federal spending on more than 80 low-income assistance programs reached $746 billion in 2011, and state spending on those programs brought the total to $1.03 trillion, the Congressional Research Service and the Senate Budget Committee reported. That makes welfare the single biggest chunk of federal spending -- topping Social Security and basic defense spending. The biggest item on the list is Medicaid, the federal-state healthcare program for the poor, which at $296 in federal spending made up 40 percent of all low-income assistance in 2011. That total is up $82 billion from 2008. The next big program, food stamps, was at $75 billion in 2011, or 10 percent of welfare spending. That's nearly twice the size it was 2008 and accounts for 20 percent of the total welfare spending increase over the past four years. In that time period, the number of people on food stamps has also risen from 32 million to 47 million.
Study: Fathers Greatly Affect Teens' Sexual Behavior
A new review of studies shows fathers' attitudes toward teen sex and the emotional closeness of their relationships with their teens have a sizeable influence on their teens' sexual behaviors, separate from the influence of moms, Yahoo! News reports. The review showed that dads' attitudes toward teen sexual behavior were linked to the age at which teens first had sex. Teens whose dads approved of adolescent sexual activity tended to start having sex earlier than teens whose dads did not approve, according to studies in the review. In addition, teens who were close to their fathers tended to start having sex later. According to study researcher Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, a professor of social work at New York University, the findings "suggest that fathers may distinctly influence the sexual behavior of their adolescent children. Fathers may parent in ways that differ from mothers, and therefore represent an additional opportunity to support adolescent health and well-being."

The Presidential Election is Just Two Weeks Away...

Happy Monday

What Can Hinder My Prayers?

Pastor LeRoy Carter of Back to Basics Ministries. 

Most prayers are hindered because of sin.  No, I did not make that up.  God said it in His Word.  Sin is a major hindrance to God's hearing and answering our prayers.  We can pray all night long; but, if we knowingly try to hide or deny the sin that is in our heart, our prayers will not be heard. What does Psalm 66.18-20 say?  If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

When we pray and confess our sins, God is faithful and just to hear us and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness.  Once we know that we have cleansed our own hearts by confessing our sins, we know also that God will hear us and bless us.  What does the Word say in I John 1:9? If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

What assurance do we get from God's Word in I John 5.14-15?

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

In the book of Isaiah, God told the people that He would hide His eyes from them when they prayed.  The people made many offerings to God, but they refused to break off their sins.  God did not honor their prayers or their worship practices.  What did God say to the people in Isaiah 1:15-18? Isaiah 1:15-18, And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.  Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

A lot of people's prayers are hindered because they refuse to forgive others.  Jesus taught us the importance of forgiving others if we want God to forgive us.  To harbor unforgiveness in our spirit is a sin and it is also a hindrance to our prayers reaching God's ears. What did Jesus say in Matthew 6.14-15? For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

God has a special Word for husbands, so that a husband's prayers will not be hindered.  What does the Word say in I Peter 1 3:7?  Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

God wants us not only to confess our sins, but also to break off our sins.  We need to discontinue doing those things that we know displease God.  Each of us has areas in our lives where sin has dominion over us.  We need to take charge of our lives and be delivered from these sins.  I'm talking about me too!  What does the Word say in Romans 6.1-2?  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

We should not expect God to hear our prayers and continue to bless us if we are determined to continue to sin against Him. I would like to conclude this lesson by listing some things that we can do, in addition to what we have already studied in this lesson, to make sure that our prayers are not hindered.  Please observe the following:

Maintain a right attitude toward God.

See that you reverence God.

Ask God; don't demand anything from Him.

Ask in faith, believing that God will hear you and answer you. 

Be grateful and thankful to God even as you pray.

Be thankful that God hears your prayer and that He will answer you.

Be thankful for the relationship that you have with your Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ and that He provides the opportunity for you to pray to Him.

How Great Thou Art 
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!


When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.


Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!


And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.


Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!


When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"


Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
  
Bible Verses

"Who is like You among the gods, O LORD?
Who is like You, majestic in holiness,
Awesome in praises, working wonders?"
Exodus 15:11

"There is no one like You among the gods,
O Lord, Nor are there any works like Yours."
Psalm 86:8

"Herein is love, not that we loved God,
but that he loved us, and sent his Son
to be the propitiation for our sins."
1John 4:10

"Jesus said to him,
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life;
no one comes to the Father
but through Me."
John 14:3

"Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds, to meet the Lord
in the air: and so shall we
ever be with the Lord."
1 Thes 4:17 

Daily Smile:

From Grace, 11 years old, USA 

Wanna hear a dirty joke?

The pig fell in the mud!