A California church won't have to immediately pay a $310,000 fine to reopen its homeless ministry, but it will be expected to dole out the funds in the near future.

City Church Fairfield requested that officials remove the fine as a condition of reopening their ministry, having explained that they have either fixed or are in the process of fixing the issues.

At a planning commission meeting held Wednesday evening, Fairfield officials agreed to remove the fine as a requirement for reopening, however they still expect the church to eventually pay the large sum, ABC 10 News reported.

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Now these were God’s words to the prophet Jeremiah. This was God’s calling upon his life. But this really isn’t much different than God’s calling on all of our lives who believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives. We are all called to deny self, to die daily to sin, and to walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands. We are taught in the Scriptures that God has a plan and a purpose for our lives which he had planned even before he laid the foundation of the earth. He planned who we should be from even before he created us in the wombs of our mothers (see Psalms 139:13-16).

We are all to be like Jesus in character, doing and saying the kinds of things he did and said when he lived on the earth. We are all to serve the Lord and the body of Christ (the true church) with our lives in the areas of ministry assigned to us by God, for his purposes, and for his glory, and for the salvation of human lives from sin so that they can have new life in Christ in walks of holiness and righteousness and in obedience to our Lord. We are all to be exercising the gifts of the Spirit for the encouragement of the body of Christ and for the salvation of human lives, sharing with them the gospel.

And we are to not be those who make excuses for why we cannot obey the Lord, or for why we cannot die to sin and live holy lives, pleasing to the Lord. For where God calls us he will provide. He will give us the knowledge and the understanding and the gifts that we need to do what he has called us to do. And we are not to fear what other people will think about us, or say about us, or how they might treat us because we are now living for the Lord and no longer for self, and because we are obeying the Lord in being, doing, and speaking what he commands.

Every day we are to get up and to do what God has called us to do, to go wherever he sends us, and to speak the messages that we need to speak and that others need to hear. First we must be following Jesus in obedience in holy living, and we must be walking in his ways and in his truth, and then he will guide us each day in what we are to do. Yes, many of you have paid jobs where someone else decides your day for you, but the Lord must be in that, and all of us must be sensitive to hearing his voice and to following his leading. For our lives now belong to him, and he is our Master, not us.


When we are following the Lord in obedience to his commands, and he is truly the one in charge of our lives, and not us, and so we are doing what he says we are to do as his followers, we are going to be faced with opposition. Especially since all of us are to be sharing the true gospel with the people of this world, and in order to share the truth, we must also be refuting the lies and exposing the fruitless deeds of darkness, we are not going to be well liked. And so we are going to have people yelling at us and accusing falsely of wrongdoing and fighting against us to try to get us to back down.

Now, we must be students of the Scriptures who study them in their full context so that what we are sharing with others is the truth of the gospel and not the lies that so many are spreading these days. We should not be getting our gospel message from other humans who may or may not be teaching the truth, but we should get our truth from the Scriptures taught in context. Then, when we are assured of the truth, we should not back down just because others are opposing us. We must stand firm in our faith and on the word of God and keep on speaking the truth even if all reject us.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Gal 6:1; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:11-27; Eph 6:10-20; Php 2:1-8; Col 1:9; Col 3:12-16; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; Jas 5:19-20; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6; Jude 1:22-23]

I Set My Face Like Flint
Video Talk

October 2, 2024

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ABUJA, Nigeria — Fulani herdsmen killed two Christians in central Nigeria’s Benue state on Wednesday and two others in another part of the state on Oct. 3, local sources said.

In Northeastern Benue state’s Logo County, herdsmen on Wednesday attacked the village of Ayilamo, killing university student Solomon Kwanta and another Christian, area residents said.

“Apart from the two Christians killed during the attack, many other Christians were injured,” said Benard Chia in a message to Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “Armed Fulani herdsmen attacked Ayilamo community in Logo Local Government Area of Benue state at about midnight on Wednesday.”

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Michie said:

Here you go- Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery Outside Mass - Midwest Theological Forum

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Thank you!

More than two years after he was charged with first-degree murder for allegedly fatally shooting his wife’s lover after discovering their affair, Matthew Dedmon, the former pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Rogersville, Missouri, has been offered bail.

Dedmon was offered a $30,000 bond, according to Law & Crime, after sitting in jail for more than two years without trial.

The Ozark Police Department reported on May 28, 2022, that they were called to the block of West Church Street at approximately 12:49 p.m. that day about a shooting. Officers found a man, later identified as 57-year-old Joe Newburn, in the roadway suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Newburn died upon arrival at Cox South Hospital in Springfield, and Dedmon was subsequently arrested and charged with his murder.

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RileyG said:

No surprises here. France hates the Church and the faithful.

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Agreed 100%. And the fact that this man's father was a priest, and this man decides to mock the priest uniform. The fact that he laughed about wearing this clerical collar? This is sickening. You know what, France deserves to fail at this point, it is too far gone. Any Christians in France should try preaching the gospel, and if not, then they must evacuate their country, as it is a breeding ground for dark activity. France is a modern Sodom.

In April 2023, the French dude went on to throw a dance party inside of a real church, according to Exron. Just heard about this a few seconds ago when researching Tchami. One word to say about this: Sacrilegious...

Quote from DJ Magazine (periodical on club music):
"So, with all this talk of living his truth, some might want us to set the record straight: Is Bresso actually a clergyman? “It’s a question I get a lot,” he laughs. “People say, ‘Tchami, are you a real priest?’ And my answer is always, ‘No, but I could have been.’"

Quote from Exron Music:
"Tchami states 'Chicago, I got something unique here! I will throw my first party in a real church on April 13. It will be very different from everything you have experienced before, that’s for sure.'"

Source:

David Lamb said:

Thanks for the reply. I suppose it might be Oktoberfest - we don't celebrate that here in the UK.

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There are a large number of Americans of German descent, and plenty of them like Beer.

We don't celebrate it that much either, UNLESS it's when Beer is offered.

DavidTheGnome said:

Corrupting children and causing them to stumble spiritually. That's what this child transgender trash is.

Each person is an artwork of God. If you pull this transgender stuff on your body or anyone else's body, then you are taking God's artwork and thoroughly vandalizing it. I'm sure Leonardo da Vinci wouldn't like it if somebody poured acid all over his Mona Lisa portrait. To do that transgender stuff is to show God that same disrespect about his artwork.

J.K. Rowling said that most children grow out of gender dysphoria.
I say give them that chance.

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Agreed. If anything, it's just a passing phase.

Sad, activist have to make children sexual.

Makes my blood run cold.

I used to be sympathetic to priests being married, but I think that you'd be trying to serve two masters. Try doing some Google searches for how stressful it is to be a preacher's wife, for example. I don't see how people can say that married pastors do "just fine." Maybe they do just fine in their job (the Protestants may call it a job but it's a vocation to Catholics), but I still don't see how you can be truly devoted to your marriage and/or family if you have to put 100% into your flock. One of the two is going to take a backseat. I'm really not sure that the priesthood is compatible with marriage. No wonder Jesus said that some people become eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven. No kidding.

If a priest is already married before joining the priesthood, maybe that's different, but does he have to remain celibate once ordained? That would be awkward on his marriage.

I get really tired when people act like it's just the men who are struggling with celibacy as priests, and not the women, but that's another topic, I guess.

There are many good "methodologies" out there which may get you "Kick-started" in your personal evangelism. Two I can think of off the top of my head are "Evangelism Explosion" (D. James Kennedy) and "Way of the Master" (Ray Comfort). Even the very best of methodologies is no replacement for having a sound theological foundation on matters such as anthropology (the nature of man), hamartiology (man's fall and the nature of sin), and soteriology (salvation, reconciliation, etc.). Not saying you have to attend seminary but there really are no shortcuts either. It will require work. Investing in some good systematic theology books would be beneficial and I highly recommend Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology. Mine is all marked up and dog-eared!

As I recall, the man God used to bring me to faith did not really use any sort of "methodology." He simply allowed for a natural conversation and related to me the story of Jesus's conversation with Nicodemus and when he got to John 3:16-18, God took over from there and faith happened! He was not any sort of a "theologian," just faithful to the Lord's leading and at the right place at the right time. It is not our "methodologies" that get people saved, it is the power of God and it does us good to remember this.

Vambram said:

RFK Jr, Donald Trump, Charlie Kirk and many others have been recently trying to tell Americans that, not only should we Make America Great Again, but we need to also Make America Healthy Again.

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Agreed.

North Korea​

Pastor Zhang Wen Shi is an ethnically Korean-Chinese citizen who ministered to Koreans crossing the border to trade before returning home. He was kidnapped from China in 2014 and sent to a North Korean prison to serve a 15-year sentence. Pray for his release and thank God for all the North Koreans who have come […]
YES - I will Pray

North Korea​

Pastor Kim Kuk-Gi was arrested in 2014 and charged with espionage and spreading ‘religious propaganda’ from an ‘underground church’. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour. Pray that God would sustain his faith and give him peace, joy and hope.
YES - I will Pray

North Korea​

Pray for the security of believers whose lives are constantly at risk as they engage in discreet discipleship and evangelism activities.
YES - I will Pray

North Korea​

Pray for protection, wisdom and boldness for Christians reaching out to North Korean workers in other countries. Such interactions are dangerous both for believers and those they approach.
YES - I will Pray

North Korea​

Lift to God in prayer every North Korean who has received a digital Bible. Citizens discovered with Scripture face severe punishment. Pray that underground believers would be strengthened in their faith as they read God’s word.
YES - I will Pray

Nigeria​

Pray for all those who have been displaced by recent Jihadist attacks. As well as carrying severe trauma, many have lost their homes and possessions and are now living in camps for the displaced.
YES - I will Pray

Nigeria​

Pray for Gushe Philemon who has struggled in his faith after the killing of his father, a pastor. Pray that he would grow strong in his faith again and know the comfort and love of God. (See Voice, R128 pages 6-13.)
YES - I will Pray

​

That's taking squatting to a new level.

The rise of Islamic extremism in the north of Mozambique, especially in regions like Cabo Delgado, has had a devastating impact on the lives of believers. Churches have been burnt down, pastors abducted, and many killed. The objective of these groups is to establish a strict Islamic state, and Christians are often targeted as symbols of resistance to this extremist ideology. In addition, Christians often caught in the crossfire of the ongoing conflict between government forces and jihadist groups, making them even more vulnerable to violence and displacement.
Mozambique has also become a major hub for drug trafficking, with the presence of cartels contributing to a climate of lawlessness and violence, which indirectly affects the Christian community. Church youth workers are particularly at risk, as they are often seen as threats to the cartels.
The government also restricts religious freedom and within families and society, believers can face hostility, particularly converts from Islam.

Meet Pastors Antonio and Paulo​

“You have brought real comfort to this community. It gave them hope. Your help has lifted them up spiritually. We can see a change in their heart. You can see it in their faces.”
Pastors Antonio and Paulo (names changed), who are pastoring people in an IDP camp in Cabo Delgado.

What does Open Doors do to help?​

Open Doors supports persecuted Christians in northern Mozambique by providing emergency aid, persecution survival training, and economic empowerment projects.

Please pray​

• Pray for courage and protection for Christians living under the threat of attacks by Islamic militant groups.
• Pray that Christians facing pressure for their faith will hold onto Jesus, knowing His love and power at work in them.
• Pray for wisdom for Open Doors partners as they encourage the Church to be salt and light even in difficult circumstances.

A Christian woman held without charge in Iran since September 9 wept uncontrollably during the five minutes her mother was allowed to visit her last Monday, a relative said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps arrested Mojdeh Falahi, aged 36, a convert from Islam, when she went to the prosecutor’s office in Shiraz at the request of a Christian who had been arrested the previous day and told her he needed documents in order to be released, Morning Star News (MSN) reported.
Please pray for Mojdeh, who has been transferred to the Pelak-e 100 Detention Centre, a prison run by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, according to Sam Khosravi, Falahi’s brother-in-law.
During the visit on Monday, the second by her mother, Mojdeh wept inconsolably, and her family is worried about mistreatment by the authorities and the conditions of her confinement, said Khosravi.
‘Psychologically, she is in a very bad condition and only cries,’ Khosravi told MSN.
Though no charges have been filed against her, her family believes intelligence agents are intensely interrogating her for information about other Christians. Relatives are particularly worried because Mojdeh’s detention has lasted more than 10 days, unusual in investigations of most Christian women, Khosravi said.
‘Mojdeh’s mother goes to the court every day to pursue the case and asks the judge to release her,’ Khosravi said last Monday. ‘She went to the court today, and after a lot of begging, the judge allowed her to see Mojdeh.’
Relatives are also confused about her detention because Mojdeh, who works as a hairdresser, is not a leader in any church and would be less likely to have information about other Christians, Khosravi said. She has not been given access to a lawyer.
Before Monday, the family went to the prosecutor’s office several times to request a visit but were able to talk with Mojdeh only briefly by phone and see her in person once for three minutes. Iranian officials offered family members, including her mother, more visitation time if they would encourage her to give them more information, Khosravi said, but the family refused.
Relatives have been unable to determine the exact conditions of Mojdeh’s detention because she is unable to speak openly during their visits, Khosravi said.
‘We do not know what exactly has happened to her because she was being monitored,’ he said. ‘We worry and wonder why they have kept her for such a long time.’
Relatives most fear that Iranian authorities are brutalising Mojdeh in a way that could leave her psychologically scarred for life, Khosravi said. He is familiar with Iranian government treatment of imprisoned converts as he has been jailed for his faith along with his wife and sister-in-law, Falahi’s older siblings.
Khosravi said the main goal of detention is not always punishment or even to gather information, but to break a prisoner at such a fundamental level that they are shattered permanently. The intent is to force them to renounce their faith or to spread fear among other converts from Islam.
‘It’s all about humiliation,’ said Khosravi, who is living in hiding to avoid the Iranian authorities. ‘There will be things in their mind and heart they will never get over.’

UPDATE​

We are delighted to report that Iranian pastor Anooshavan Avedian has been acquitted of the charge against him and released from Evin prison, where he was serving a 10-year sentence.
The 62-year-old pastor was acquitted of the charge of ‘propaganda contrary to and disturbing to the holy religion of Islam’ on September 24 by the Appeal Court of Tehran.
Pastor Anooshavan, who had served one year of a 10-year sentence, was arrested during a raid by intelligence agents on a private Christian gathering in Narmak, north Tehran, in August 2020.
In speaking to friends after his release, Anooshavan was excited and glad, saying that he and his family were doing fine.
(Sources: Middle East Concern; Morning Star News)

See all news about IranRead more about Iran

d taylor said:

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​

They are sure polished up. i would not walk across the street to attend this event.

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Well, here's icing on the cake. Following is my email directly to Tim's Foundation and their non-response. I find this terribly sad, but thanks d taylor for making the challenge. Let's all pray for Tim and his foundation, eh?

••••

Greetings.

There is no doubt that Tim's Foundation is doing good work. But where is the concern for the eternal souls of those being ministered to?

Tim claims to be a Christian. So why is the Gospel nowhere to be found on the website, Facebook, YouTube or elsewhere?

Tim is famous for his astonishing promotion of John 3:16 in his football years. So why isn't he preaching it? Including the fact that those rescued from the evil in this world are nevertheless still headed to Hell unless they repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?

Perplexed,
Joseph

••••

Hello Joseph,
Thank you for reaching out to the Tim Tebow Foundation!

Since 2010, TTF has been fighting to bring Faith, Hope and Love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need. Having impacted lives in 86 nations and counting, TTF continues to pursue the vision of finding, reaching, and fighting for the Most Vulnerable People in every country worldwide, while sharing with them about the God who created them in His own image and who loves them with a perfect and lasting love.

Thank you for sharing an interest in what God is doing through our ministry!

God Bless,
TTF Team

Cosmic Charlie said:

She was indeed.

Of all of old Joe's kids the only one who really understood the responsibility of wealth and the greatness of public service and that one was Robert.

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Exactly. He was the best part of the JFK administration IMHO. And she was his better half by a mile.

Cosmic Charlie said:

His son should be jack slapped.

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No comment there. Wasn't gonna vote for him though.

Hans Blaster said:

Persuading people is how activist/advocacy groups work. (They don't "dictate policy". SMH.)

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Sure they do...I'll explain below in the next bit...

Hans Blaster said:

OK, you found some. And I don't care. Extremists have extreme positions and often aren't friendly to those in their direction, but in the middle. (You should know this. Your whole posting position is built around these kinds of things.) The issue was whether they were rejected for holding such a "legal but rare" position by the broad groups supporting abortion rights. (For example the Democratic Party.)

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"The middle" doesn't have any noteworthy PACs or lobbying forces.

They control policy on certain issues by either bolstering up or tamping down certain candidates (usually in a primary environment).

If there's two democrats (one who's moderate on abortion and another who's position aligns with their own), they buy ads, send out mailers and texts, etc... to make sure people see the one who agrees with them as the "true defender of women's rights", and label the other as a "sellout" or weak.

It's often known as the AIPAC playbook, but they all do it.

If you want to see how advocacy/activist groups control policy, this is how


If a candidate isn't voting the way they like on certain issues, they spend the money required to get them replaced with someone who will. (and then others get the message)

Hans Blaster said:

Good grief this is going nowhere. If you want a demonstration that a lot of "pro-choice" people *aren't* denigrating those who take the "legal but rare" position, just look at the way the VP is campaigning on this issue. She speaks of "restoring Roe", not some absolutist, extremist position from the NARAL playbook.

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"How she's campaigning on the issue"

Like being the first President or Vice President in history to do a meet & greet and public appearance at an abortion clinic?


Harris still dodged, however, on providing details about what type of restrictions – if any – she supports around abortion. Instead, she pivoted: saying that she wants to “reinstate the protections of Roe,”

Why did she dodge & pivot? If a centrist position on this is "acceptable" to wide swaths of "regular" pro-choice advocates (or "extreme" pro-choice activists are just a fringe few that nobody is afraid of and don't have any stroke), she should've been able to directly answer the question and proclaim the centrist position on it without fear, correct?

The reality is, she's afraid to tick off NARAL for the same reasons republicans are afraid to tick off the NRA. Doesn't matter if either of those groups are "ideologically radical"... they're one phone/text/mailer campaign or TV commercial away from having their campaign getting torpedoed if they don't "kiss the ring"

They're one text/email blast campaign (which can reach millions of people for a relatively low cost) from having 10+ million people get a negative message about them.

FenderTL5 said:

Reminds me of this one:
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"..can't you see you're not making Christianity better, your just making rock and roll worse."
Hank Hill - King of the Hill

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Yes. I can take about 30 minutes of klove, or any other ccm station. I do like some southern gospel, but I get burnt out pretty quick, on the Gaither channel on Sirius XM

On the secular side; in my younger days, I was a big prog rock fan (RUSH, Jethro tull, etc) and many of those songs have deep lyrics -their song: The Temples of Syrinx from RUSH's 2112 album, reminds me of the times we're in today.

Alan Jackson also has some great meaningful songs ("Remember When" to name one, as well as Waylon.

Grafted In said:

Since my having been baptized as a young child and that it meant nothing to me, and 20 some years later becoming born again in a dramatic manner and being baptized several weeks later was called into question on another thread, does perhaps baptism come before salvation?

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Define salvation. See Once saved, always saved?

Vambram said:

This is a great and I am glad to read that article. Also, I the pray that the improvements in ultra sound quality of technology shall greatly reduce the numbers of abortions.

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Me too!

I sincerely hope Florida does the right thing.

All ye holy Roman martyrs, pray for us.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican’s doctrine office has mandated the laicization of an Argentine priest accused of sexually abusing minors, overturning a surprise ruling from the Vatican Secretariat of State that imposed limitations on the priest’s activities.

In an Oct. 8 communiqué published via the news service of the Argentine bishops’ conference, Archbishop John Kennedy, head of the disciplinary section of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, said that the information regarding the restrictions placed on a priest specified by the Secretariat of State were “voided” and confirmed previous rulings for his laicization.

The case involves former Argentine priest Ariel Alberto Príncipi, who was accused in 2021 of sexually abusing minors while performing “healing prayers” associated with a Catholic charismatic movement. In June 2023, a local interdiocesan court found Príncipi guilty of sexually abusing minors and ruled for his removal from the priesthood. This decision was upheld on appeal by the interdiocesan court of Buenos Aires in April 2024.

Yet in a Sept. 23 message, Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, the substitute secretary for general affairs at the Vatican Secretariat of State, informed the local bishop that the ruling had been suspended as part of an “extraordinary procedure” following new evidence submitted by Argentine bishops and laypeople in June and July 2024.

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