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Showing posts with the label Prayer

Hope and Comfort for Uvalde, Texas

By Angela Wittman Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.  ~Psalm 30, Verse 5 (NKJV) Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ~Romans 12, Verse 15 (NKJV) As Christians, we are called to offer hope to a dying world and that hope is Jesus Christ. We are to pray, show compassion and to weep with the brokenhearted. But as followers of Christ, we also know with certainty that we have a Christian hope to be reunited with our loved ones who have died in the Lord, and that hope is to be shared with those grieving.  I sincerely pray that we will be lights shining in this dark world and that we will rise to the occasion by offering comfort and the blessed hope only found in Christ Jesus. News Links:  Outrage at Shooting Uvalde, Texas  (Veritas Domain - The Domain for Truth) SBTC dispatches ministers in wake of Uvalde elementary school shooting  (Baptist Press) Gunman Kills 19 Children in Texas School Rampage  (AP - CBN)  19 Students, 2 Adults Killed in

Meekness and the Humble way of the Cross

By Angela Wittman   If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2  fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3  Let  nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Philippians 2: 1-3 AKJV Dear Friends, This morning I am reminded of the humility and meekness of our Lord who became man, was born in a manger, had no place to lay his head and who washed the disciples feet before facing the ultimate humility of dying on the cross to save His people from their sins. And yet, I fear the virtues of meekness and humility are becoming lost in American Christianity. In just the last few years we've seen Christian celebrities go down in blazes due to scandals; some of the names that come to my mind are Mark Driscoll, Doug Phillips, Bill Gothard and most recently the Duggars' fa

A discerning look at 'Biblical Patriarchy' and those who abuse it

By Angela Wittman While much of what Doug Phillips teaches regarding Patriarchy sounds biblical, because of the lack of practical application, his teachings are often taken to extremes. Sometimes, men just hear his vision of men always “leading,” and they become domineering and demanding, causing undue stress on the wife. I know of one family that divorced precisely because of hearing this teaching and not understanding what it really should be. Sometimes, men will try to emulate what they see in Doug Phillips, and start requiring their families to have all the same rules as the Phillips. Unfortunately, if there are no personal convictions behind the rules, they soon become extremely oppressive and smother the family. Some men just have no clue about how to “lead” their families; they just know that it’s being constantly preached at them from the pulpit. Having come from a home without a godly leader, these men need lots of practical examples. (Taken from: Doug Phillips’ Kangaroo Court

Have we lost the Culture War?

By Angela Wittman The  Christian Post recently featured an intriguing article called 'The Bible Belt Is Collapsing;' Christians Have Lost Culture War, Says ERLC President Russell Moore . First of all, I think the "Bible Belt" was collapsing a long time ago. I began my Christian life in 1993 with involvement in the Christian Coalition and other conservative groups. I can remember how frustrating it was to try and get local Christians active in cultural endeavors. The few friends I had that were Christian Activists were looked down upon by local clergy and considered as "trouble makers." We consisted of grandmas, grandpas, moms, dads and perhaps a few youth who joined us for potluck dinners held after our meetings. The only trouble we caused was in trying to wake-up those sleeping in the pews; I suppose we were a bit successful or there would have been no need for opposition from the respectable local church and civic leaders, who I might add included the lib

A Discerning Look at the Christian Pro-life Movement in America

By Angela Wittman Can two walk together except they be agreed? - Amos 3:3, 1599 Geneva Bible First of all, may the Reader be aware that I've been a part of the pro-life movement since becoming a Christian in 1993. In fact, the right to life of the preborn and my complicit silence to their murder is the very first sin the good Lord brought to my attention after my conversion to Christ. The knowledge that as an unbeliever I had bloodguilt on my hands for not speaking up for the preborn burnt like a hot knife into the very depth of my being. But I also had true joy and freedom due to the knowledge that I was now a new creation in Christ and I could repent of that sin - and repent I did! I immediately began attending local meetings for the Christian Coalition and a local RTL group. I quickly became involved in the movement and traveled to the State House in Illinois to speak on behalf of the preborn and to Washington DC for the annual Roe v. Wade marches. My activities included campaig

God Hears Grandma's Prayers

By Angela Wittman "Bring that baby back. If you're scared to bring her back, put her somewhere where you know she'll be safe," said Mary Foiles. She added, "They're going to catch him. I pray to God and God answers my prayers. They're going to catch him, maybe not right away but they will catch him. And I just wonder if that man knows he's going to burn in hell." (Source: Girl's Grandmother: Kidnapper Will "Burn in Hell" Hundreds Gather, Praying For Alisa Maier's Safe Return , KTVI Fox 2 News, St. Louis, Mo. ) The words spoken above by a praying grandmother of an abducted child in Louisiana, Missouri says it all. God does hear the prayers of Bible-believing Grandmas and this story of the abduction of a four-year-old little girl in a small town in Missouri is proof. According to news reports, the little girl was abducted from her front yard on Monday (July 5th, 2010) evening while playing with her six-year-old brother. She was t

Using Our Gifts for the LORD

“Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; Then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” – Proverbs 3: 9, 10 “We all have a certain amount of time allotted to us” is the title of an entry in my prayer journal for August 30th. I had overheard this statement on the radio that morning, and it was one of my first thoughts for the day. After reading Scripture, I then went on to pray that I might spend my allotted time wisely by investing in the kingdom of Heaven. What are some of the ways to invest in the kingdom of Heaven? I think prayer is one of the best investments we can make. Oftentimes we find ourselves at the end of our ability to change circumstances or others whom we care about that need our help. And just as often, I have found that if I start with a prayer for a particular person or situation, the Lord will begin to work a change with me. I don’t know about you, but being used by the Lord to bless

A Christian Prayer for America

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. “I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, w

Prayer

If you are a Christian, prayer is one of the most fruitful activities you can engage in; but it can also be one of the most daunting tasks for a person. After all, we are not sure if we are using the right words or if our motive for prayer is pure. I recently took some time to learn more about prayer by listening to a series of sermons at SermonAudio.com by Rev. Joe Morecraft, III of Chalcedon Presbyterian Church in Cumming, Georgia. Rev. Morecraft makes the point that we often have not because we ask not. We frequently ask for small things while forgetting we are in the presence of the King of the universe who is willing to do so much more than we pray for. How insulting it must be to Him for us to stifle our requests due to lack of belief that He hears and answers prayer! Scripture teaches us that we are commanded to pray to the Lord for all of our needs. How freeing it is to know that we are not dependent upon man for our physical or spiritual well-being; but it is God who takes car

A Meek and Quiet Spirit

By Angela Wittman Dear Friends, This essay is written for today's conservative Christian women who are strong, smart, capable and doing a man's job. Yes, I said doing a man's job. I can remember as a new Christian hearing women in the church complaining that men weren't doing their job, and the women were having to do it for them. Then I also saw many of the Christian women whom I admired, lose their husbands and families to divorce. You may have read the Barna Group's most recent poll results concerning Christians and divorce: "Although many Christian churches attempt to dissuade congregants from getting a divorce, the research confirmed a finding identified by Barna a decade ago (and further confirmed through tracking studies conducted each year since): born again Christians have the same likelihood of divorce as do non-Christians. Among married born again Christians, 35% have experienced a divorce. That figure is identical to the outcome among married adults

A Prayer for the Church and Our Nation

By Angela Wittman "Just before 9 a.m. on October 28, 2001, three terrorists dressed in black "shalwars" ( a long, loose fitting shirt that is common among Pakistani males) and armed with Kalishnikov automatic weapons forced their way into St. Dominic's Church. Catholics share the church building with the Church of Pakistan. The Protestant praise and prayer time had been so joyful; the service was running a bit late. The start of the Catholic mass would be delayed. "Pastor Emmanuel Allah Atta had just concluded his sermon on the importance of prayer during the tumultuous times facing Pakistani Christians. One of the gunmen stormed up to the pulpit and ordered the pastor to throw his Bible to the ground. "I will not!" insisted Pastor Emmanuel. He turned away from the terrorist and embraced his Bible, pressing it close to his heart. The gunman shouted, "Allah Ahkbar!" (God is great) and opened fire on Pastor Emmanuel, shooting him in the back, t