has usually been described in a spiritual literature either as a divine being or highly spiritualized state. There are some different notions about Christ among spiritual thinkers, although they also often resemble each other.
Concepts which have been regarded as very closely related or synonymous by some spiritual thinkers: Illumination
, Self Realization
, Christ Consciousness
, Cosmic Consciousness
One view about Christ is wisdom
or understanding, which is not opinion
as man knows or thinks he knows. According to this view, Jesus
was not Christ
but became Christ
when He gave up earthly (belief
"Jesus is the man - the activity, the mind, the relationships that He bore to others. Yea, He was mindful of friends, He was sociable, He was loving, He was kind, He was gentle. He grew faint, He grew weak - and yet gained that strength that He has promised, in becoming the Christ, by fulfilling and overcoming the world (and its beliefs)! Ye are made strong - in body, in mind, in soul and purpose - by that power in Christ. The power, then, is in the Christ. The pattern is in Jesus." Cayce
21. Then indeed should each of you at this Glad Season make the hearts of others Merry by thine own happiness
in the birth?
, the life
, the death
of thy Jesus
, thy Christ
22. Know this had no beginning in the 1900 years ago, but again and Again and AGAIN! And it may be today, He may be born into thy consciousness
; not as a physical birth - but each moment that a physical birth is experienced in the earth
is an OPPORTUNITY for the Christ
23. Then what are ye doing about it in thy daily life, thy daily conversation? For not by might nor in power, but in the still small voice that speaks within, ye may know as He hath given so oft - "Peace - it is I! Be not afraid, it is I," thy Savior
, thy Christ
; yea, THYSELF meeting that BABE in thine own inner self
that may grow even as He to be a channel of blessings to others!
24. For as ye do it unto others ye do it unto Him.
25. May the Peace, the Joy of His Consciousness
, His Presence, His Joy be thine this day; yea, all thy days in the earth! For He is nigh unto thee, He is in thy midst!
26. Praise ye the Lord that gave, then, His Son; that ye might know Him!
27. We are through. Cayce
". . the church?
is within yourself and not in any pope nor preacher, nor in any building but in self
! For thy body
is indeed the temple of the living God
, and the Christ
becomes a personal companion in mind
and in body
; dependent upon the personality
and individuality of the entity as it makes practical application of the tenets and truths that are expressed." Cayce
"The ways of the Lord are only hard to those who have set themselves in ideas (opinions and beliefs). Let the IDEAL of the Christ guide thee. For He hath given His promise, "Take my yoke upon you, and LEARN of me." In THIS Knowledge of Him, thy Savior, as thy companion, the way becomes easy, the burden becomes light. For as He hath given, take not Thought or fret thyself not concerning tomorrow, looking not back but ever upward, onward, into the face, into the love of the Christ. And ye will find His presence giving thee strength for the daily conditions, the daily disturbances. And He will keep thee as in the hollow of His hand. For as He hath given, He hath given His angels charge concerning thee, but the Christ has given, "I - even I - will be WITH thee." Then trust in Him, for this is indeed Knowledge (or wisdom)." Cayce
Helena P. Blavatsky
"Christ - the true esoteric SAVIOR - is no man, but the DIVINE PRINCIPLE in every human being. He who strives to resurrect the Spirit crucified in him by his own terrestrial passions, and buried deep in the 'sepulchre' of his sinful flesh; he who has the strength to roll back the stone of matter from the door of his own inner sanctuary, he has the risen Christ in him. The 'Son of Man' is no child of the bond-woman - flesh, but verily of the free-woman - Spirit, the child of man's own deeds, and the fruit of his own spiritual labour." Blavatsky
, Collected Writings, 8:173.
"Just as a human being has a physical body, etheric body and Astral body, so also the Earth has its physical body, etheric body, and Astral body. With our physical bodies we are all enveloped not only by the air but also by the etheric and Astral bodies of the Earth. An observer from a distant planet with clairvoyant vision would be able to see these etheric and Astral bodies. These etheric and Astral bodies of the Earth had a certain color and a certain movement until the appearance of Jesus Christ. Then the Earth changed and took on new colors and new movement. This event is so profound and far-reaching for our Earth and humanity's evolution that the entire spiritual content of our Earth was changed.
"We must not think that this took place all at once with the birth, suffering and death of Christ. It has been prepared through centuries in the spiritual substance of our planet and is not even today completed. With such an eye we could see how the Earth at that time received a new spiritual impulse, how this impulse is still "condensing" and being consolidated. It will be a long time before the Earth has gathered in all the fruits that were called forth back then by the appearance of Jesus Christ". Rudolf Steiner
, The Christian Mysteries
"The Christ spirit only united with the three bodies (of Jesus) gradually in a process that took three years. Initially the connection was only a loose one. The three bodies were only truly filled with the christ spirit at a time when death was not far off. Compared to all the pain and suffering Jesus of Nazareth? experienced in his three stages of development, the suffering the Christ went through now was infinitely greater. Over a period of three years the Christ spirit slowly found a way of entering into the three human bodies. It was continual pain, but pain that was transformed into love and love and love.
"If we investigate the way Christ Jesus lived among his close followers during the three years, we find it was different from year to year. In the first year Christ was only loosely connected with the body of Jesus of Nazareth?. At any moment the physical body might be in one place and the Christ spirit would be somewhere else. When the other gospels speak of the Lord appearing to the disciples in some place or other, the physical body would be somewhere else, and the Christ spirit would move around the country....
"That was at the beginning. As time went on the Christ spirit united more and more closely with the body of Jesus of Nazareth?. Thus it would happen, later on, that when the Christ was among his closest disciples, these would be so strongly connected to him in heart and mind that he was not separate from them as it were. The more he entered into his body, the more did he come to live in the inmost being of his disciples. Going about in their midst he would speak now through one of them and now through another, for he had become so much a part of them that it would not always be Christ Jesus who uttered the words but sometimes one of his disciples. As Christ went about with his disciples in this way he became increasingly more dangerous in the eyes of his enemies who would say "How can we lay hands on him? We can't arrest the whole company. If we take one who is speaking we shall never know if he is the one or not." They never knew if the one they saw before them was the one they wanted.....
"There was something very special about this company and because of this it was necessary to have a betrayal. The matter was not as it usually represented. The kiss would be meaningless - unless the situation was such that someone who was in a position to know had to show those who did not know which was the right man.
"The Christ spirit only united completely with the bodies of Jesus of Nazareth? when great suffering had to be faced, and the Mystery of Golgotha? was beginning. One of the facts emerging when the seer's eye is directed to those events in the Akashic record is that at the time when the Christ hung on the cross, a darkness fell on the Earth in the region around Golgotha? that was like an eclipse of the Sun. Seen with a seer's eye, life on Earth during an eclipse is very different from the usual. While this change happened on Earth, also in the physical sense, the Christ spirit entered into the living Earth aura. Through the death of Christ Jesus, the Earth received the Christ impulse.
"The greatest event that ever happened on Earth can only be described in such simple, halting words. When the body of Jesus was taken from the cross and laid in a tomb, another natural event occured, rather like something entering the moral life of a person. The seer's eye can observe a whirlwind arising and a fissure opening in the ground. This received the body of Jesus, and the burial cloths were whirled away from the corpse.
"These two events - the darkening of the Earth and the earthquake? accompanied by a whirlwind - show that natural events occured at the same time as the spiritual events at that time in Earth evolution. Normaly this happens only in living creatures, for instance when thinking and an voluntary decision precede a movement of a hand. Only at one special moment did a spiritual and two physical events come together.
"Our studies have gradually shown what must come alive in our souls so that we may truly have a part in the ongoing evolution of humanity. The meaning and purpose of human evolution on Earth is that human souls should become more and more conscious of their mission.
"The Christ has come. His impulse has been a real influence. For a long time it was active more at an unconscious level. Then he had to be able to work through what had so far been understood. He had an influence because of what he was, not because of what people understood. It will however, become more and more necessary for people to understand the Christ, who entered into the bodies of Jesus of Nazareth and through them into the Earth's aura and therefore the living evolution of humanity."
, The Fifth Gospel, Dec. 1913)
from A Dialogue on Awakening
"See yourself with the vision of the Christ and concurrently recognize that it is your vision." A Dialogue on Awakening
, pg 104
"It would be appropriate for me to give you a different understanding as to what happens when one asks for guidance. As we have discussed before, there is the Mind which expresses God which I have called the Christ. Within this Mind of the Christ, resides the truth of God. That truth is, in its essence, entirely whole. Its wholeness is expressed by each unique and individual expression which resides in it. But each expression knowing itself will only express this truth in a slightly different fashion. This expression of truth, in an infinite number of ways, is what is called the movement of Creation.
" A Dialogue on Awakening
, pg 117 see Christ Consciousness
"I would ask you to look upon each other and recognize that what you see regardless of what your senses may tell you, is the light of Christ. Be aware, as you allow your gaze to settle upon one another, that it is the same light you recognize as being me. I encourage you to do this to bring about a better understanding that any time you look upon one another, you do indeed look upon me as well. I would encourage your understanding that it is quite impossible for this not to be so. I will tell you this: there is nothing you can do at this or any other moment to enhance your understanding of your Self or to enhance the validity of your own Divinity to any greater depth than to look upon one another and truly recognize what is there.
"Resist no Thought or feeling that comes to you. Resistance is based upon some past judgement you have made that something could be harmful or fearsome. So to resist means you still hold the belief that this fear is real and justifiable and worth retaining. This also means that you will continue to hold the blocks these fears have built in your mind and manifest them in your body?.
"These thoughts have come to offer an opportunity to choose again - an exchange program of sorts in which continued bondage is let go for freedom. Simply access each one as it appears as to its source. Those from God will speak only of Love, for as clearly stated in the Course, "God is but Love, and therefore, so are you." All other thoughts would hide this truth. Lovingly acknowledge they are no longer needed and choose again for freedom." Jesus
in A Dialogue on Awakening
), page 231.
“How blind we have all been!"
writes the revered Dr. Furness?
, D. D., of Philadelphia, “what a palpable error it is to regard the extraordinary works that Christ wrought as suspensions of the laws of nature. They are directly the reverse; they are illustrations of the power of mind over matter, of the spirit over the flesh. For this representation of the so-called miracles, we have the express authority of Jesus Himself. Although He ascribed his extraordinary work directly to God, in the same breath He declared with equal explicitness that they were wrought, not by any preternatural power which He alone possessed, but by faith; thus basing his authority, as a messenger of God, not upon any departure from the laws of nature, but upon the power of the very highest law of nature." What Electricity Is?
Q: Who is Christ
, and what special happened when [Jesus
died in Golgotha?
explains this as difficult to answer. He went to the Akasha?
I would like to clarify some information today. It is about the station of The Christ
. The Christ
is a state of enlightenment
attained in which the energy is so pure that intention
is manifest immediately and is in synchrony with Divine Will?
. This state is above and beyond the mental state of asking “what do I need to do. . . .?” The Christ
state is one of simultaneous recognition and action.
Few people attain this state, as it is so difficult to achieve the “escape velocity” required to overcome the “human condition” and act from a more elevated state. Along with this state comes responsibility. Each soul
comes in with a promise. That promise is unwrapped or not, according to how closely the person follows the Divine Path prescribed to arrive at the soul’s ultimate destination – enlightenment
equates with attaining spiritual Oneness
and All with one’s realization
that all are One.
So, I, Jesus
, was born with a promise to take the ultimate sacrifice of my life to energetically and spiritually absolve all who came after of the need to sacrifice in order to join in Oneness
and All. However, the focus is not upon my death
so much as upon the Resurrection
. This is the Almighty lesson: That no matter how severe the suffering and sacrifice, you shall be born again in Spirit
. This is your birthright resulting from my life
. More specifically, your birthright results from my fulfilling my promise so you may much more easily fulfill yours.
Energetically, what happened with my death
to the Earth is noteworthy. The etheric
energy of the Earth shifted, which affected the people and their fields. The effect
is that the need to sacrifice for Divine blessing was satisfied universally.
The state of Christedness; the Christ Consciousness
, is one that may be, and has been attained by others. However, they do not hold the same task or promise as I, so their Christedness would express differently.
A word to the reader. The human condition is frequently visited by pre-judged ideas that the ego
is invested in proving or defending. This is why wars are fought and turmoil is perpetuated.
The trick to achieving your enlightenment
and staying on your path is to cast off the preconceived ideas that you hold. They may seem sacred, but look at them very closely and detach from everything that is less than Love
. You will know these by the feeling
that you need to be right or have your own way. The more you feel charged about these controversies, the more you need to detach from them and just Love
. Let others follow their paths, and you follow yours. In this way each can much more easily do their part in achieving Oneness
In this process, I stand ready to assist you whenever requested. All you need to do is ask! (Hint: it’s not as easy as it sounds to not get sucked into daily “life”. So ask – I await assisting you!
[message via Dawn Stranges
Awakening Your Genius


“A powerful preacher of the Word of God!”
…just a few of the descriptions of renowned Healing Evangelist, Pastor April Belt
Known for her international teaching and healing ministry, Pastor April Belt's compassion for people and her love for Jesus have compelled her to travel the globe with a message of hope and the truth of the Gospel as she ministers to lost and broken people throughout the world.
After overcoming severe trials and struggles in her own life, and receiving healing at the hands of God, April serves the Lord by ministering the Gospel to all nations, expanding her crusades, and meetings with bringing newfound hope to thousands—from India to Croatia to Mexico, Philippines to Guatemala, Peru, and beyond.
She also serves as a keynote speaker during local, regional and national women’s conferences, delivering uplifting messages of inspiration and encouragement to all who attend.
Pastor April is currently teaching a women's weekly Bible study.
Through her healing and teaching ministry, Pastor April has seen countless people saved and healed of various sicknesses and diseases, and has watched as they have been delivered from emotional pain and set free from the bondage of these afflictions.
The desire of April’s heart is God’s desire:
To see all people reach their highest calling in Jesus Christ.


God the Father is the only source of divinity, which can not be duplicated. He is the principle and owner of unity among the three hypostases. He was not born and did not proceed from anything. The remaining two hypostases (the Son and Holy Spirit), which are of one essence with the Father but not in principality or ownership, were originated from God the Father and are determined by their relationships with him.
God the Son, Jesus Christ, had two births: eternal from the Father, and in the time of Pontius Pilate, from Virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit, in turn, proceeded eternally from the Father, and sent to the world in time through Christ the Son. Christ said: " But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me" (John 15: 26).
Nature of Christ:
Jesus Christ is the incarnated God the Word. Has a full divinity and full humanity. His human nature is united with his divine nature (present since eternity), which took place from the first moment of the Holy Pregnancy in the Virgin's womb, where a hypostasis with two natures, divine and human, was formed. His two natures remain distinct, without mixture or change; one does not absorb the other, united permanently in the same person.
There was no separation between Christ’ divinity and humanity when he died on the cross, but his soul was separated from his body, while his divinity was never separated from neither his soul nor his body. Thus, his soul, united with his divinity, went to Abaddon to preach the deceased with hope, open the doors of heaven for them, and bring them in. His body remained in the grave united with his divinity, until the third day when his soul, united with his divinity, came to re-unite with his body, united with his divinity, and so was the resurrection.


The Christian TV Guide has a simple vision of wanting to make all the Christian TV and radio channel listings freely and readily available at the click of the button at one website location, so people can make a more informed choice in their viewing and listening.
The idea came about out of my own frustration of not being able to find an easy and convenient Christian TV guide on the net to plan my own viewing. So God strongly laid it on my heart to do something about it – and here we are, to God be the glory, with some points in the vision already being fulfilled.
As a start, please consider being a blessing and encouraging others to watch and listen to Christian TV and radio by copying the hyperlink in your browser above and telling others about this website.
Yours in the harvest


WHO AM I?
A Coach with battle scars.
I know Theresa as the girl that had to overcome obstacles early in life. I know Theresa as the girl that rallies women to find their worth. I know Theresa as the woman that has spent years discipling ladies in spiritual development. I know Theresa as the woman that wants to see you bloom. She's equipped and ready to offer principles of growth. This read will expand your journey!
New York Times
bestselling author of
The Argument Free Marriage
Pastor Theresa McFaddin Ordell grew up against the odds... Black, female, sickly, but not defeated! When the world said she would never be considered naturally attractive, she decided to become Supernaturally Attractive! Theresa is an unparalleled Bible teacher that travels across the country offering keys of freedom to those bound in rejection and insecurity. She searches for "peculiar people" and gives them hope for living. Known for her testimony of conquering many physical challenges, beginning with being born with three fingers on each hand and orthopedic discrepancies with the length of her legs, she has truly fought for her identity in Christ!
While a student at Howard University, Theresa served as an intern and worked for the National Right to Life Committee. It was during this time that she began to develop her skills as a speaker, writer, and encourager for people who have been dumped on the trash piles of life. Years later, Theresa returned to California and earned her bachelors degree from Azusa Pacific University in Business Management with a minor in Biblical Studies. After being mentored by many powerful Christian leaders, serving in ministry for several years, and preaching the gospel with full authority, Theresa was licensed and ordained in November 1997. She then served as the Youth Pastor at the Straight Gate Church in Detroit, Michigan under Bishop Andrew Merritt who is her spiritual father.
Pastor T. has previously served as a former Board of Directors member for the Christian Entertainers Fellowship under the leadership of Pastor Frank Wilson in Los Angeles, California. She passionately served for a decade as the founding President of Sisters Inspiring Sisters (referred to as SiS), an organization designed to offer spiritual support and training for young adult women (between the ages of 20 and 35) and involve them in community service. The group offered on-call lay counseling, weekly discipleship classes, monthly Bible study and prayer, quarterly service events, and was the original sponsor of the infamous, annual summer retreat, "A Date with God" gathering women from all over the country. Her very specific focus on mentoring young adult women required extensive research and development of uncommon ministry materials. As a result Theresa is the author of four books: Supernaturally Attractive for single men and women; SavedSexyCool for the young adult contemporary woman; No Room for Excuses, written for any person plagued by failed attempts to reach their purpose; and her latest, Coaching YOU. In addition, she has written an in-depth one-year discipleship curriculum, which is the foundation of the distinctive weekly discipleship class called Me Management. Me Management became the first intensive discipleship program geared specifically towards the young, fast-paced, urban audience. It includes concentrated biblical training through memorization, homework and life application. Women are challenged in critical life development for proper peer relationships and spiritual accountability to the call of bearing the name of Christ. Since its formation, Me Management has been taught in several churches and ministries for over 12 years graduating several classes of young women tough enough to complete the vigorous and demanding work.
Although she has been mistaken by her peers as unassuming, she is full of focus, anointing, and direction in regards to God's purpose for her life. With limited resources and lots of guts and initiative, Pastor Theresa Ordell has dug deep into the urban fabric of this nation trailblazing effort often untapped by any other woman in the Body of Christ. This little 4' 11" package of a lady holds a big surprise for those who are blessed to experience her distinctive teaching, training and mentoring gifts!
Theresa is the daughter of author and Evangelist Terri McFaddin Solomon. After being single for many years, Theresa married her best friend, Darryl Ordell, at the age of 41, proving that miracles happen at every stage of life. Although she battled doctor’s reports that she would probably never have children, Darryl and Theresa celebrated the birth of their daughter, Iris Grace, after she underwent two major surgeries that could have proved otherwise. Currently, Pastor T. is currently working on her doctorate in education and leadership at Baylor University while teaching disenfranchised students. She formerly served as the COO of Claris Health a non-profit agency offering a variety of services through their medical clinics and support programs.


99-Sheep - magic series
Congratulations! LK's 99 Sheep project has been selected by Yale University's Perch Journal Vol. 5, page 22-23, see link https://en.calameo.com/read/00407006772816438f334?authid=mVy8bijhDdDC
What is a "99-Sheep" art project?
It is the Parable of the Lost Sheep is one of the parables of Jesus. It appears in the Gospels of Matthew (Matthew 18:12–14) and Luke (Luke 15:3–7). It is about a shepherd who leaves his flock of ninety-nine sheep in order to find the one which is lost. It is my story (please see below proposal of the detail story) and maybe yours too, I want to share the joy and sorrow of my life through my paintings. I wish you to experience the peace of green pastures through my artwork, please support my effort.
Do you know the value of art is in the beholder's eyes? It is not a commodity, when art's value becomes a commodity, an artist will act as the hired labor for the purpose to please his/her master. However, a true art needs to be returned to the true soul of artists' creativity, hence an artist has to be true to him-herself.
Do you know your organization can invite L. K. an exhibition and speech to support the above project? Please see proposal below and contact artist at Lily at LilyKostrzewa dot com or 989-854-0829.
Do you ever feel lonely or lost? Sometimes life feels like a slow motion pace, inside a silence of muted sounds. You constantly retreat to it to prevent yourself from living in real time. This is how I felt and the “99-Sheep” project was the healing process.
Before my father passed away on January 2017, I had already started the animal series, which I titled “Life along Life Path”. In these works I created mythical kinds of animals; mixed creatures of deer, horse, goat or sheep. I painted these animals in pink spring time or under a hot summer sun, in the glorious golden autumn or even let them experience the harsh winter winds. Then my father died of Alzheimer's as well as old age. In grief, I turned to paint animals in a group setting. I did a solo art show in Barcelona, Spain in July 2017 to memorialize his love of art, film, and photography. After coming back to the USA from Spain I gradually started a new series call “99-sheep”. The name is from the parable of ninety-nine sheep in the Gospels of Matthew (18:12-14) and Luke (15:3-7). The story talks about a shepherd who leaves his flock of ninety-nine sheep in order to find the one which is lost and he rejoices greatly when the lost sheep is found. In my grief, I actually felt like the one lost and I depicted it in my painting as the invisible sheep in a white outline. The sheep is trying to find the way or the meaning of life and wandered off from the rest of flock alone.
Then an even worse news came to put me in shock, as in July 2018, in a a sudden phone call I realized my beloved mother had passed away by a cold or flu in a hospital E.R. Taipei, Taiwan. I was devastated by not being able to be in her presence for her last breath. Born from her body, I actually felt the physical pain. Grief had overtaken me by knowing she was gone, never to return. For me, losing both mother and father in such a short period of time is like the lost sheep image in the story of the Gospels’ ninety-nine sheep. I felt like the sheep that has lost its way in the shadow of a death valley. I can sense the sheep crying, angry, and scared. The feeling is one of hopelessness and a wandering to find one's way out of the wildness. The sheep desperately needs the comfort from its shepherd’s hug and gentle voice. It longs to share joy with the rest of ninety-nine sheep and desires to walk again in the peace of green pastures.
I am painting and experiencing the on-going process of healing. And the healing becomes my on-going project of “99-Sheep”. Besides the one sheep, the flock of 99-sheep is depicted in a very colorful, joyful, and naive way. They are well protected, and socializing in a friendly environment. They are busy eating and enjoying their peaceful meadow. They have a good life and are often having a good time, they seldom will ever notice that one of their group is wandering off and under so much suffering and pain. I think this pretty much like our society today. We live in a bubble of the comfort zone, green pastures are surrounded by nice gardens; nice homes could be seen by subdivision after subdivision. We eat, drink and be merry. We shop for Christmas year round and eat Thanksgiving turkey year after year. Do we really care about those in pain, lonely, and hopeless? Do we still have compassion and social justice for those in need?
There is a lot of talking points in my project of “99-Sheep”. I hope you will like it.


People do so when they will not endure that preaching which is searching, plain, and to the purpose. Paul could consider timothy a true son in the faith because he probably led him and his mother to faith in jesus on pauls first missionary journey acts 14. Erastus abode at corinth he was chamberlain of that city, romans 16. Study 1 timothy 4 using matthew henry bible commentary complete to better understand scripture with full outline and verse meaning. Charges to flee youthful lusts, and to minister with zeal against error, but with meekness of spirit. The cloke that i left at troas with carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. Trophimus was an asian, of the city of ephesus, the same that is spoken of in acts 20. This invitation is encompassed with salutations, 2 timothy 4. More than a decade prior to writing this letter, paul had first met timothy in the city of lystrain asia minorwhere timothy was known and respected by the christians acts 16. The condition in which it represents him is remarkably contrasted, in several respects, with the conditions of his first imprisonment, as shown in the letters dating from that period. He also wants timothy to bring his books and papers 2 timothy 4.
How many brokendown servants of god are there today, christian men and women, who have proved their sincerity, who do prove their sincerity, but whose thin hand can do little or nothing in raising the stones of the shrine they so passionately desire to build. He understood perfectly timothys shortcomings as a young pastor under his tutelage. Commentary on the book of 1 timothy 1 timothy 1 1paul, an apostle of christ jesus according to the commandment of god our savior, and of christ jesus, who is our hope, 2to timothy, my true child in the faith. Paul wished timothy to come to him in prison without fear, and he was about to deliver up to him before his decease the lamp torchlight of the evangelical office, ch. Second timothy everymans bible commentary everymans bible. When you come, bring the cloak that i left with carpus at troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments. Enrich your faith and grow in spiritual maturity with the incredible bible study and devotional books listed below. A daily bible study in 7day sections with a summary commentary, discussion questions, and daily application book introduction the prior section sunday 2 timothy 1 salutation 1. Erastus remained at corinth, but trophimus i left sick at miletus. Whereas he had exhorted timothy to give attendance to reading, so he did himself, though he was now ready to be offered. For students, pastors, and teachers, check out the list of s top 50 bestselling commentaries. Paul cant help but pause and praise god for his wonderful and gracious sovereign plan and that god would choose to save someone like him.
The good hopes others have had of us, should stir us up to duty. Niv cultural backgrounds study bible and the new bible commentary. Read 2 timothy commentary using matthew henry commentary on the whole bible complete. In order that timothy might fulfil the design of his appointment, it was necessary that he should have a correct view of the design of the law. The particular reason given for this charge was, that the time was approaching when men would not endure sound doctrine, but would turn away from the truth. This refers to demonic spirits angelic beings who have rebelled against god, who seek to deceive men and women and to entice them away from the truth. I have a friend struggling with gods sovereign grace calvinism and she asked me about this verse and i dont know how to put what i think into words. James rosscup writes that this was the great work in the life of the versatile dean of canterbury. Verse 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which god created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth. This also expressed pauls confidence in timothy s integrity and faithfulness to the truth.
Grace, mercy and peace from god the father and christ jesus our lord. John has also written several bestselling books, including the macarthur study bible, the gospel according to jesus, the new testament commentary series, twelve ordinary men, and the truth war. In the court for the first time, he had been successful. Second timothy everymans bible commentary everymans bible commentaries hiebert, d edmond on. Death to a good man, is his release from the imprisonment of this world, and his departure to the enjoyments of another world. A solemn charge to timothy, to be faithful in preaching the gospel, and in the whole. Paul as the recipient of direct inspiration from the spirit cf. The apostle foretells the rise of dangerous enemies to the gospel. I charge thee before god, and the lord jesus christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom. Commentary for 2 timothy 4 the apostle solemnly charges timothy to be diligent, though many will not bear sound doctrine. But all his friends except luke had left him 2 timothy 4. An outcome of this production was the new testament for english readers 4 vols.
Heinrich meyers critical and exegetical commentary on the new testament. Likely the prophecy indicated the divine purpose for him and how he would serve. An exegetical and theological exposition of holy scripture the new american commentary lea, thomas, griffin, hayne p. For i am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. Commentaries, history books, and more are linked to this page. David guzik commentary on 2 timothy 4, where paul charges timothy to truly. Now the spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.
Pauls address to timothy, and declaration of his affection for him, 1 4. He exhorts him to stir up the gift of god that is in him, and not to be ashamed of the testimony of the lord, 68. An exegetical and theological exposition of holy scripture the new american commentary george, timothy on. Of whom is hymenaeus and alexander the former of these is mentioned in 2 timothy 2. Nobody remembers who named the book, but for me it was the beginning of three decades of intensive bible study as i wrote additional commentaries, all of them falling under the new be series. Paul encourages timothy to maintain sound teaching regarding the law and the gospel 1 ti 1. People will turn away from the truth, they will grow weary of the plain gospel of christ, they will be greedy of fables, and take pleasure in them. Timothy is also charged with teaching his church to behave in a godly way, which means he spends even more time discussing. View 2nd timothy 1 in the note window the first design of this epistle seems to have been, to apprize timothy of what had occurred during the imprisonment of the apostle, and to request him to come to rome.
Paul was guided by divine inspiration, and yet he would have his books with him. Prisca and aquila were most likely to be at ephesus 2 timothy 4. He predicts his own approaching death, and expresses the strongest confidence of being eternally happy, 68. Those eight books are now combined into the onevolume bridgeway bible commentary, which is a companion in size, style and format to the bridgeway bible dictionary, an a to z of biblical information. Volume 2 warnings against religious flesh and instruction in piety hamilton smith the first epistle to timothy. Through the laying on of the elders hands, timothy was appointed or designated for special service. Paul, too, knew that the time was close at hand when timothy, still young, would no longer have him to lean upon and look up to, and therefore would prepare him for it. The bible uses the phrase the faith in this way many places. When you come bring with you the cloak which i left behind at troas at corpus house, and bring the books, especially the parchments. Troas, where this cloak, or book press, or book was, was a city in asia minor, that stood upon, or near the same place where old troy stood, and from whence it seems to have had its name, and lay in timothy s way from ephesus to rome.
Book of first timothy overview insight for living ministries. All scripture or the whole scripture, received by the jewish church, is inspired of god respecting the inspiration of the books of the old testament, i find two opinions, says dr. Study 2 timothy 4 using matthew henrys bible commentary concise to better. I charge you therefore before god and the lord jesus christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom. Upon recognizing timothy s impressive qualities, paul recruited the young man to travel with him as he continued his second missionary journey. I have fought a good fight, i have finished my course, i have kept the faith. The apostle charges timothy to be diligent, incessant, and faithful in his preaching.
He urges timothy to try to come before the winter 2 timothy 4. A large, heavy wool garment that doubled as a coat and blanket in cold weather, which paul would soon face verse 21. Study the bible online using commentary on 2 timothy and more. Warnings to shun vain babblings and dangerous errors. An exegetical and theological exposition of holy scripture the new american commentary.
Paul refers to him as my son whom i love 1 corinthians 4. His account of the piety of timothy s mother and grandmother, and the religious education they had given their son, 5. Observe, the best of men have need to be awed into the discharge of their duty. Commentary sections comprise periscopes of scripture e. Read commentary on this popular bible verse and understand the real meaning behind gods word using john gills. The cloak perhaps the toga which belonged to him as a roman citizen, or an upper garment, which might be needful as winter came on. He asks timothy to bring the warm coat that he had left in the town of troas. Others take it to be a courser and meaner garment, wore in cold and rainy weather, to preserve from the inclementencies of it.
When you come, bring the cloak that i left with carpus at troas, also the books. Weekly telecasts and daily radio broadcasts of grace to you are seen and heard by millions worldwide. The eight handbooks were dedicated to people who, in different ways, had a. Commentaries for 2 timothy chapter 4 the apostle salutes titus. Paul was guided by divine inspiration, yet he would have his books. Bowen if we reflect for a moment, we cannot help but realize that. This shows that they had a love and trust for each other. You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in christ jesus.
Second timothy everymans bible commentary everymans bible commentaries. And let us be upright in our conduct in all things. Unlike 1 timothy, however, 2 timothy appears to be more of a personal letter in which paul encourages timothy and gives him a solemn charge to remain faithful even after paul has departed. Timothy probably came to trust in the lord jesus through paul. Death to a good man, is his release from the imprisonment of this world.
The inductive training manual is a series of questions on each section of 1 timothy, designed for small group discussion, to help christians in. Paul thinks about him as his own child in the faith. This workbook was designed for bible class study, family study, or. The charism or spiritual gift, is that of the spirit which qualified him for the work of an evangelist ephesians 4. Read 2 timothy 4 commentary using matthew henry commentary on the whole bible complete. The letter of 2 timothy, like 1 timothy, is addressed from the apostle paul to his younger coworker and is perhaps the last written letter we have from paul. Read commentary on this popular bible verse and understand the real meaning behind gods word using john gills exposition of the bible. Henry alford 2 timothy commentary the new testament for english readers.247 1078 1149 534 246 307 509 96 1279 1191 1455 1462 1627 1497 1548 1077 759 991 1641 581 53 825 1160 295 111 1154 600 1315 727 546 333 393 1629 18 1593 1035 1204 619 1047 517 614 1182 1491 442 133 1313


In the church today, there is something that underlies so many disputes, discussions, deceit and divisions: the Law. Not the law of the land, but the Old Covenant. I have not found another teaching that is so pervasive in its scope and the places that it pops up. It worked its way into my beliefs.
God speaks very clearly about the Law in the New Testament. He says:
Luke 16:16-17 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. 17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
Acts 15:1-2,10-11, 19-29 And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. …10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. … 19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: 20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. 22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: 23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. 24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: 25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well, Fare ye well.
Romans 7:1-4 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. 4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:54-57 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 2:16-21 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Galatians 3:24-25 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
So why do we think that we need to follow the Law? If only we knew! It sneaks into the smallest places and affects our lives. As i have surveyed the church, I have realized that there are many places where the Law sneaks into our thinking. Like:
- A church building being “God’s House” (Referring back to the Temple and the Tabernacle of the Old Testament)
- Going to this house to worship one day of the week.
- Applying the “Sabbath day” to Sunday
- Applying the rules about the Sabbath to Sunday
- Priests (pastors) who go to God for us and are the intermediaries between us and God.
- Sanctioning divorce because the Law allowed divorce
- Following dietary laws based on Old Covenant laws
- Applying Israelite methods of romance to Christians today
- Requiring beards
- Using the Old Covenant as a basis for a doctrine or teaching instead of Jesus’ commands
There are other things that could be on this list. We must beware of “flat Bible” theology: holding that the Old and New Testaments carry equal weight in determining our doctrine and way of life. Most such teachers will not keep all the Old Law or the New Covenant. They pick and choose from each, making a mis-mash of teaching. Others pick out other commands from each section while ignoring some commands. Is that what God wants?
No! God wants us to realize that we are dead to the law. We are not to go back to the Old Law and pull out things to do. Galatians 2:18 says:
For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
If we go back to the Law and try to resurrect certain things in it, we make ourselves transgressors. Nobody keeps the whole Law. They would have to offer sacrifices if they did so. But if we want to use part of the Law, we have to accept the whole thing. We are building again what we have destroyed. You can’t die to something, but bring part of it back to life.
God has brought over certain things from the Old Covenant into the New. For example, He brought over the last six of the Ten Commandments—but not the first four, as such. We are still commanded not to be idolaters and not to blaspheme and use filthy language. BUT—God never re-instituted the fourth commandment—“Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.”
God instituted things in the Old Covenant that were for the nation of Israel—a nation on earth that did not have a Savior. There were things that they did that were types for today.
Such is the Sabbath. In Colossians 2:16-17, God says:
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
So the Sabbath day is a type. In Hebrews, God explains further:
Hebrews 4:1-5 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. 5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
There is an argument that I saw one time: “God never said that we don’t need to keep the Sabbath.” No. God said that the whole Law of Moses no longer applies. That includes the Sabbath. If you want to observe the Sabbath, that’s fine (Col. 2:16). But God does not command us to observe it. Nor do we need to observe feast days, dietary laws, or other ceremonies.
This is so important if we want to have unity in the church. So much division comes from pulling commands out of the Old Testament and holding them up as things we must observe today.
For years, I would have agreed that we are no longer under the Law. I wrote an article called “The Guaranteed Christian Success Formula” in which I said:
No, we do not need to keep the Old Testament law.
At the same time, I had an article online that said that women who wear pants are an abomination to God, because Deuteronomy 22:5 says, “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.” This is clearly part of the Old Covenant, but I said that we still needed to follow it because it said that women wearing pants was an abomination to God.
But when we started studying the Law and its relationship to us as Christians, we saw that there were only four commands in the Law that we need to keep, spelled out in Acts 15: “That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication”. Our guide in life is the New Testament, and you cannot argue from the New Testament alone that women must not wear pants.
The Law is still with us for us to refer to, to help us understand the New Testament. But we must not go back and try to keep the Law. We are dead to it through Christ.


alegory, allusion, Apostle, Bible, brother, Christ, Jesus, New Testament, Peter, religion, Saint, Simon
While the delivery technique for story has advanced significantly over the course of known history – Mesopotamia all the way up to multimedia – the timeless tradition of storytelling has been carried tirelessly down through the time. For the most part, the intent of a story and its layer of tradition remains intact to this day. Good versus evil, man versus nature, and any number of combinations in between are molded and crafted to create a story with a message; they’re known as parables. The Bible represents one parable after another, as Christianity attempted to teach by example. Characters imbedded in the many different stories would demonstrate their strengths and weaknesses as a means of showing the ways of their truth.
Throughout the New Testament, Christ’s Apostles emerge as standout characters, each charged with performing tasks that present the reader with a cornerstone of faith. In Clemency, the characters names, attributes, and activities mimic some of the basic elements of characters that had come thousands of years before them. Can you identify four key elements and a key theme that resonate from The Bible? Lets examine the text!
First, let’s look at the most obvious biblical parable in Clemency: the characters’ names. Andrew Saint = Saint Andrew. Peter Simons = Simon Peter. James Major = Saint James the Greater (a little more obscure, I admit). And as for Amanda? Well, how many different monikers did she actually go by over the course of the book? And do you really know a this point what her TRUE name is? The answer to the first question is three. The names are not the only connections to the Bible in Clemency. Peter and Drew are brothers, just as Saint Peter and Saint Andrew are brothers.
Next, Christ found the two brothers, Peter and Andrew, as fisherman at the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The dominant setting of Clemency being on the water was no accident. Furthermore, James the Greater or Saint James, is credited with getting Simon Peter out of jail. So in Clemency, we have Peter trying to enlist his old friend Jimmy to get him out of jail.
Finally we come to Amanda, or Nicole, or Claire or whatever her name turns out to be. What IS her name? What has her role been in the story thus far? She has been the recruiter – she collected the two brothers and their friend to perform a task. She carefully orchestrates the plans for the mission. As the reader, we have feelings for and about her, but do not have any concrete information regarding her purpose, her mission and her character. If you haven’t taken the time to consider her character, I encourage you to do so now, and let me know: whom do you think she really is?
There are many more biblical allusions throughout Clemency, I’ve only highlighted these to peak your interest. I encourage you to explore the text – explore the deliberate names, places, actions, settings and words. Like the ruins of the Clemency, there are secrets to be found, if you’re willing to look.


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Ben Derringer Replenishment Blood Drive to help with community blood supply from which Ben is using. Please donate in his honor. All proceeds from the Bake Sale will be given to the family to help defer travel costs to UPMC Shadyside for his treatments.
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
-- Psalm 121:1
Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Dear CUP Evangelical Presbyterian family and friends,
Have you ever taken the time when you have been on a long hike to stop and take a look at the view? There are numerous trails in Brady’s Run Park that are breath-taking in more than one sense: I’m out of breath from the exertion of climbing them, but when I get to the top, I’m breathless from the view that awaits me!
This Summer marked my 10th anniversary with you as Teaching Elder/Pastor, and it seems appropriate to take a few moments to ‘look at the view’ of where we’ve come from. For example, let’s take a look at what we’ve done with the three challenges I placed in last year’s congregational meeting cover letter:
‘First, there is a greater need than ever before to share the good news with our neighbors and our children.’
We were blessed during 2013 to have a very successful Vacation Bible School, and while we faced the significant challenge of saying good-bye to our former Children’s and Youth Director Nathan (and Kylee) Bryant, we have been greatly encouraged by the addition of Matt (and Kate) Ulrich on the CUP staff. Joel Cunniff stepped in as our Interim Shine Ministry Director, and this Fall saw the largest number of kids – 46! that this ministry has ever experienced. It was not unusual for our kitchen crew to feed 100 people on a given Wednesday night. I have heard the following comments about our children’s ministry:
‘This is the one place my son feels he can truly be himself.’ ‘This is the finest ministry to children I know of in our community.’ ‘We would put everything else on hold in order to be a part of Shine.’
We have much more work to do, but there are several families who are experiencing the life-changing love of Jesus Christ at CUP that receive it nowhere else.
‘Second, we have an opportunity to play a crucial role in bringing the good news to people who have never heard it half a world away.’
This year our congregation chose to give over and above their regular financial offerings to provide funding for 26 children to attend school in the isolated village of Fintonia in Northern Sierra Leone. We are a part of an initiative involving other area EPC churches that are bringing about the first schooling and sharing of the gospel through pastors that this community has EVER received. In addition, Fintonia is positioned to provide a gospel witness to entire TRIBES – the Fula and the Susa – who have never had a church in their midst. Currently 180 children are receiving an education, and 60-80 children and adults are coming to hear about Jesus Christ each Sunday from Pastors Dominic and Ruth. That a church our size has this kind of role to play in the Great Commission of Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20) is awe-inspiring.
‘Third, we are a part of a Denomination that is growing and transforming before our eyes.’
As I’ve mentioned to you before, when we joined the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in April 2009, we were the first church in Beaver County to be a part of this family, and it was not unusual to drive 7 or 8 hours to be a part of a Presbytery meeting. Since then, dozens of churches in our region have joined the EPC, and we are a part of a new Presbytery of the Alleghenies, and will host a meeting that will likely have close to 200 attendees on February 21-22. We have found faithful, intelligent, gracious partners for retreats, mission work, and ideas for reaching our communities. For the first time in this year’s budget, we will be giving not only to EPC missionaries, but the to the local work of our Presbytery as well.
So – for the coming year – what’s next?
In a nutshell: To persevere, maintain, and develop the same work that we are currently doing.
Eugene Peterson, a Presbyterian pastor, distinguishes between at ‘Tourist’ of the Christian faith and a ‘Pilgrim.’ He writes, ‘In our sound-byte, short cut world, it is not difficult to get a person interested in the message of the gospel; it is terrifically difficult to sustain the interest. . . when the package loses its novelty, it goes on the garbage heap. There is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness.’
Friends, we are intentionally on a journey with our lives, going someplace, going to God, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. As we pray, worship, cry, sing, give, and learn together, and take the time to let the Lord permeate our memories, our hopes, our motives, and our values, we will be changed – for good.
In the end, of course, nothing we do provides us with salvation: it has all been given to us by the costly work of Jesus on the cross (Romans 6:23). Yet as we respond to God’s mercy with gratitude and openness to others as he has encouraged us to do, we’ll find a joy, even in the midst of suffering, that will last longer than a day, or a year – but for eternity.


I recently wrote an article at Desiring God about praying hard prayers for our children. It was one of those articles that came out of time spent in fervent prayer over my children and of God’s work in my heart. As I thought and prayed over their future and their growth in faith, I realized that my prayers focused more on their temporary happiness and well being and not on their ultimate and eternal transformation and growth. (If you missed that article at DG, click here).
The Apostle Paul is one whom I model many of my prayers after. While he had every reason to pray for safety, comfort, and happiness for the churches he ministered to (after all, many of them faced intense persecution), the prayers he wrote in his letters reflected his concern for what was more important than safety, comfort, and happiness–their growth in faith in the gospel of Christ. He prayed for the gospel’s impact in their heart and that they would understand the depths of love God has for them through Christ. He prayed for the Spirit’s work of transformation in their hearts, enabling them to reflect God’s love and grace to others. It is these prayers which I pray for myself, my friends, my family and my children.
Below are several of Paul’s prayers:
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Ephesians 1:17-19
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” Colossians 1:9-12
“To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
I also have a printable listing 31 topics to pray for our children throughout the month. Click here to see it.
“I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.” Abraham Lincoln


We are an independent, fundamental Baptist Church located on the north side of Bakersfield, California. First Bible Baptist Church was founded in 1964 by a group of people who saw a need for a Bible preaching church on the north side of the city. First Bible Baptist Church started a Christian school ministry, Golden State Baptist Schools, in 1979. We have grades K-12. Our school is a member of the Golden State Association of Christian Schools.
A Brief Doctrinal Statement:
- We believe in the verbal plenary inspiration of the Scriptures.
- We accept the King James Version as Gods preserved word.
- We believe in the Virgin Birth, the blood atonement, and the bodily resurrection.
- We believe in a pre-millennial, pre-tribulation rapture.
- We believe in the security of the believer.
- We believe in believers baptism, only by immersion.


We just returned from Haiti with our Cessna 206. We were in Port au Prince, Gonaieves, and Port a Paix. We were able to lead 118 souls to Christ. It was a fantastic trip and God blessed us and kept us safe. We have purchased 17 acres on a small airport near our church in order to help pilots get accustomed to grass field landings and the high performance 206 prior to flying in third world country conditions. We hope to build a training center at Eagles Landing(4y9) as well as a hanger home that the Siegwarts will live in. We appreciate your prayers and support. May God bless you all.
If you are a Bible believing, soulwinning, independent Baptist missionary looking for a place to present your ministry please call 231-884-8500


197200, The MIT Press, jstor.E.
The National Gallery, in a preliminary announcement of the migliore strategia per vincere alla roulette results of the work, said that offerte smartphone euronics it revealed that the painting was largely, possibly entirely, by Leonardo, and unfinished in parts.
External links edit Official page from the National Gallery Official page from the Louvre Leonardo da Vinci and the Virgin of the Rocks, Which is the earlier?
The pearson vue exam voucher microsoft Drawings of Leonardo da Vinci.
Leonardo da Vinci: The Complete Paintings and Drawings.The significant compositional differences are in the gaze and right hand of the angel.It is not the type of heavenly space symbolized by the golden background of older altarpieces, such as those by Cimabue, Giotto, or Duccio. .13 In 1576, the altarpiece was removed from the chapel, which was demolished.Warszawa: HPS, 2006,.6 Geologist Ann.The very smooth transition between colors and between light and dark that Leonardo used in this painting is called sfumato, which means smoky. .There is also a smaller copy of The Virgin of the Rocks (oil on wood) possibly by Joos van Cleve or his circle (private collection Berlin).Marię siedzącą przed jaskinią lub w jej wnętrzu wraz z małym.Both were originally painted on wooden panel, but the Louvre version has been transferred to canvas.
The gestures and glances among the figures results in a more dynamic portrayal of the Virgin and Child that seen in earlier Renaissance paintings. .
This showed the artist's invention.
"The mystery of the two Madonnas".
94 a b Tamsyn Taylor, Leonardo da Vinci and the "Virgin of the Rocks" and Comparison of style a b Kemp,.The Chapel was attached to the church.If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.1 The subject of the Virgin Mary with the Christ child being adored by John the Baptist was common in the art of Renaissance Florence.According to legend, John was escorted to Egypt by the Archangel Uriel, and met the holy family on the road.Leonardo was referred to in the contract as "Master".9 It was painted for the chapel of the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception, in the church of San Francesco Maggiore in Milan.


Rev. Monsignor Dave Tramontini
Because the diocesan bishop has always lived at the Pro-Cathedral of the Assumption it continues to be the Bishop's parish making Bishop Jean-Louis Plouffe our pastor.
However, our parish priest, Msgr. Dave Tramontini who is Rector, is responsible for the day to day activities of running our parish.
The Pro-Cathedral maintains a special significance for all the faithful of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie, while representing the long faith roots of the local North Bay community.


Well, another week has happened here. This week was not so hot since I kinda had a fever for a few days, but whatever. On top of that we have been super busy getting ready for the division in the mission and all that. Nothing too exciting going on. I am just exited for the division to be made already!
Like I said in one of the previous emails, we have been teaching a couple that is deaf, and we have been learning some sign language to be able to teach them. Since it has been hard to learn we haven´t been able to teach much, until now. A couple days we taught them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which was a super spiritual lesson. They later on expressed their desire to be baptized and all that. We are excited for this chance to teach such a great couple the gospel.
Um.. well being in the office, having our pday on fridays is difficult because there are always 501 things that interrupt our pday activities, as if it were any other normal day. This morning we had to go to a zone meeting, so we spend a solid 2 hours of our pday in that stuff. It is just funny because at the end of each pday we don't even feel like we had a pday!
This next week is changes, the last changes meeting before the division, meaning that wherever the missionaries end up, is the mission they will continue in forever. So this week will be kinda.. well not stressful, just pretty intense. I am excited to see what happens.
Well I hope that you all have a great weekend. Talk to you next time!
Love Elder Vaughan


Do You Know Who You Are?
It dawned on me that I didn’t know who I was for a long time. I identified with the things around me — people, accomplishments, failures, things that were and things that still remain out of my control. I’d fallen for lies, for deception. None of it is true as I realize now, but I believed it so strongly then.
The song “Rain” by one of my favorite artists, Kings Kaleidoscope, has the lyrics:
I am enough, always enough
You are enough, precious and loved
Morning will come, sure as the Son
I am enough, you are enough
“Who You Say I Am” by Hillsong has the lyric:
I am who you say I am.
The bottom line is: I know who I am, and I know I’m loved. Fully known, and fully loved.
I’ve lost best friends, good friends, have become distant with family members, felt the double-sided, sharpened, serrated sword of rejection. I’ve felt inferior, unworthy of anything, relationships, jobs, all of it. Deep despair, sadness, it’s all been there, it’s all real. If you’ve felt this at some point or another, let me just tell you that you aren’t the only one here. There’s a horde of people, including myself, that can relate to you. For emphasis: What you are not, is alone.
Now, I know at times it feels like you don’t know who you are and you don’t know where to turn, and if you finally find yourself you will be afraid that people will reject you. 1 Peter 1:6–7 says, “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold — though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”
Guys, trials come. Deep seated, Paul-types of thorn-in-your side trials will come. Huge desires that you have yet to see fulfilled for years. Prayers asked and communicated, wondering if God will come through (PS — he will, so don’t worry about this. As a side note, worrying will do nothing for you except make your situation worse. Philippians says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”) These trials will hurt, they will feel like a constant cramp in your side, and first off know that this isn’t from God. Your desires are from God, but the hurt isn’t. Secondly, know that God has heard your cry. Angels in heaven are recording your prayers. The whole of heaven is rooting for you, for your desires when they align with God’s.
I realized that for a while when I was praying, I thought I was giving my desire to God. But instead I was complaining. Philippians, again, says: “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” As soon as I realized this (thanks to my wonderful roommates who are a BLESSING let me tell you. Get yourself some roommates who will *pray* with you through the good, the bad, and the ugly), I immediately began thinking how selfish I was. Then I thanked God for his goodness, for all of his blessings, for food, for a home, for a source of income, for answers to prayers I was seeing answered right in the middle of my selfish moments that I had prayed for a long time ago.
Isaiah is a crazy book. The highs and lows and prophecies in the book are a little confusing sometimes. But a part of a chapter in that book has been with me for a while, and it continually brings me peace and understanding that I am fully known and fully loved by Jesus. “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine,’” says Isaiah 43. “Because you are precious in my eyes and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchanged for your life.” This God, who I owe my life to because he created me and loved me, knew me when He “knitted me together in my mother’s womb,” says Psalm 139. “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
There are times when we think a person, a job, being better than someone else at something, or attempting to break someone’s opinion of us is so much more important than who we actually are. We are simply loved by God, in whom we “shall be as white as Snow.”
Not a moment of our lives is to be spent comparing ourselves to others, or what we don’t have, when really all we need is Jesus and to live and act in His footsteps.
Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still my heart and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Look guys, God knows the number of your days. He knows the number of hairs on your head, the words before you speak them, when you feel empty and when you feel high on life. He knows when you hurt, when your heart aches, when you desire something that is good and lovely and pure, and when you are waiting for an answer.
God reminds us that he will be with us when we are in trials. In Exodus 3:13–14, Moses tells God, “‘If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you,” and they ask me, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “I AM has sent me to you.”” The servant heart in Isaiah 6:8 is such a beautiful response to God’s calling on our lives. “ And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’” This is the type of response we should have and want and desire.
“We love because He first loved us,” Matthew tells us. Steffany Gretzinger, an amazing vocalist who sings for Bethel Music, has a song called “Promise I Always Will.” It’s a reminder of the promise that God has made in His love for us and that we love him back, and the lyrics go like this:
I love You. I promise I always will. And I chose you, forever I’ll choose you still.
Look, these are very real struggles on which we have to depend on God for guidance and restoration. Sometimes the lies remind us of who we were, and try to deceive us into believing who we are not. But remember your authority in Christ — remember who you are! You are not a failure. You are never alone. You are not incapable. If you know the Lord, then you are CO-HEIRS with Christ. How crazy is it to know that you have literally inherited the kingdom of God simply by obeying him? He loves you so much, it’s really a mystery why He does. But He does anyway.
Do you understand how important this is? How important it is to die to yourself and live as Christ? Do you? It is so important. In fact, it is really the only important, life-or-death question you’ll ever have to face and answer. Because we all answer, but we have a 50/50 chance: yes or no. The right answer is yes, so you can never say you’ve never encountered Jesus if you read this. But no one can force you to answer this question one way or the other → only *you* get to choose whether or not you want to lose the whole world and gain your soul.
So don’t worry, people. You are not the lies you’ve been told, or the lies you believe about yourself that somehow got twisted into your mind somewhere along the way. You are not alone. We have a promise here. Jesus even told us: “I am with you always, even until the end of the age.”


Kelly Baptist Church was organized on October 23, 1841, as the Mt. Zoar Baptist Church with the name later changed in 1935 to Kelly Baptist Church. Matthew and Elizabeth Williams, Elias and Nancy White, and H.H. and Ursula McCutchen signed the original constitution in the presence of Peter Oglesby and Nicholas Lacy.|
The records are incomplete until 1923 when the first session of the Christian County Baptist Association was held. In this particular year, the records show that W.B. Hammack was the pastor. The enrollment of the church was 77. The first building on the present site was erected in 1903. In 1934 one large and two small Sunday School rooms were added on to the back of the church building. The church building was destroyed by a fire on January 31, 1949. The church was rebuilt on the same site with the first service being held on Christmas Day 1949. With growth in church membership it became necessary to build additional Sunday School rooms in 1958. In 1961 the church voted to construct a church parsonage on the land that had been donated to Kelly by Mr. & Mrs. Roy Frey. Later in 1968 a garage was built at the parsonage site.
On April 13, 1969, Kelly Baptist Church voted to construct the present sanctuary. It was dedicated on October 5, 1969. A note burning service was held on March 9, 1975 to retire the indebtedness. In 1990, the church voted to build an educational building, which was dedicated the same year. The church also voted in 1994 to build a garage to house its two vans. Due to a need of more space in the Fellowship Hall, the church voted in 2004 to enlarge it. The expansion was completed that same year.
Kelly Baptist Church has always been a mission minded church. Throughout its history, it has been a strong supporter of associational, home and foreign mission programs. Kelly has had a building team that consisted of church members who went on building trips not only to help build new churches but to also witness to others. The trips included building a church in West Virginia (1991), a church in Missouri (1992), and a church in Georgia (1993). In 1995, the team took a mission trip to Bainbridge, Georgia, to help rebuild homes for flood victims. In 2005, Kelly Baptist Church sent the team to Oneida Baptist Institute where they renovated the kitchen in the school cafeteria. The church has also reached out to support other churches such as First Baptist Church in Antwerp, Ohio in 1983 and Lakeside Community Church in Waterboro, Maine in 2003.


Today was drywall day! After morning chapel and huevos and chilaquiles for breakfast, we headed out for day 2 of hard work! We spent most of the morning hanging drywall, lots and lots of drywall. Some of the crew was painting trim and others were starting on the roof. By then end of our day today, the house was really beginning to look like a home. We have the walls and drywall up for all the rooms and the ceilings. We have even started putting a bit of tarp paper on the roof! Towards the end of the day, we began mudding the walls . With the help of some of the littlest members of the family, we made quite a mess!!! So much fun to be had!
As we pulled away today, we were excited to look back and truly see a house! On our way home, we stopped at a local Amish bakery and picked up some delicious and cheap baked goods. Of course, we also made a stop at Poblanos for tacos!
We headed back to Yugo for much needed showers and Milanessa for dinner. After dinner, we spent some time debriefing and reflecting on the changes God was calling us towards. At chapel tonight we got to hear from Nathan Alpert, the leader of the Yugo ministries team as he preached on Acts 2. He challenged us to be like the early believers by becoming four things: givers, gatherers, good neighbors and go-ers. His message was a great reminder of the power of believers coming together to truly be the good news.
After chapel tonight, we had a fun adventure planned. We headed to a nearby Walmart to pick up some goodies for the final reveal Thursday night. The team was so excited to stock the house and love on the family with everything from cooking tools to a pack-n-play, a couch, diapers and dolls. What a fun evening it will be on Thursday. After another day of hard work, we are ready to hit the sack!


We are all music ministers. However, special ministers, including our choirs, accompanists, instrumentalists and choir director, help us to raise a joyful song unto the Lord. Choir rehearsals are on Thursday evenings. New members are always welcome!
Our dedicated SATB choir rehearses each week and leads us in worship each Sunday from early fall through Trinity Sunday. Do you like to sing? Come along. We would love to have you join us.
A revitalized children’s choir that sings for special liturgical occasions is sweeping the parish! Stay tuned for periodic information on rehearsal and performance dates.
This vibrant instrument, just less than 30 years old has an interesting history that is very much in keeping with the spirit of Easter. It has encountered death and new life! This 20 rank tracker was originally designed and built by Mann and Trupiano of Brooklyn, New York in the early 1980’s for St. Gregory the Great church in Bristol, CT. After some significant expansion and architectural changes to the church it was decided that the organ was no longer sufficient and would be replaced. Through the grace of the Holy Spirit and the generosity of St. Gregory’s, the organ was donated to St. John’s in mid 2007. Southfield Organ builders have done an extraordinary job rebuilding and relocating the instrument. Many thanks to David Melrose and his crew, Susan Wildman our Director of Music and the members of St. John’s for their faithful midwifery.


From left: Pam Kidd, Donna Dowdy and René Stovall
THREE LITTLE GIRLS ages 11, 12, and 13 (or thereabouts) became the best of friends while growing up in the little town of Troup, just outside of Tyler. One of the girls went to the Methodist church, and the other two attended the Baptist church. “On Sunday nights, René and Donna came with me to MYF at the Methodist church,” says Pam Kidd, who is the youngest of the three, “Mainly because it was fun. At the Baptist church, the boys and girls went to separate classes. At MYF, we were together, and sometimes our church group would go to Tyler and eat at the Monterey House.” Today, all three are members of the Baptist church.
“We always dreamed that one day we would open a shop together,” René Stovall comments, “We were all getting close to 50 and our children were old enough that we had more time on our hands. Decorating is a passion for all three of us. All three of us like to visit with people. It is the ideal situation for all of us!”
What better foundation could there be for starting a business? “René is the one who first suggested that if the business ever interferes with our friendship, we will close the doors,” Donna Dowdy states emphatically as a way of explaining how the three make all the decisions together, “It takes all three of us. We each bring a certain ability to the table.”
She means that both metaphorically and literally. Donna is always the level-headed one. When René and Pam let their creativity get the best of them, it is Donna who reins them in. Pam is the adventurous one, the one who is quick to suggest trying something completely off-the-wall, like making handmade throw pillows with floral design to go with dried flower arrangements. René is the get-it-done girl. She is the one who figures out how to make things happen and tends to be the glue that holds everybody together. “Maybe because René is the oldest, I think she was always our ring leader,” Donna says.
René and Scott Stovall bought the building about fifteen years ago. “The idea to open a store was mainly because we wanted to see the downtown area revitalized,” says René. For several years, René, Donna, and Pam used the building as a place to store old furniture and things each had collected over the years. “I think Scott thought opening a store was a way to force us to get rid of some of those things,” René laughs.
“The floors are original, and so is the ceiling,” Donna points out those features as we step into the shop. Donna is one of Ecclectiques’ three proprietors. “The building has been here for over a hundred years. It was the Western Auto for a long time. Before that, it was a dry goods store. At some point, it was a dance hall. The loft area upstairs served as a makeshift morgue after the New London school explosion in the late thirties.”


As a fan of the JK Rowling fiction series Harry Potter, I've read many articles regarding the heresy they represent. From school shootings to disrespect for elders to the mutually assured destruction of morals and Christianity, pop culture has taken the blame for years.
Thinking about these things makes me literally laugh out loud. God, if the bible and other scripture is to be believed, is the entity who created the universe (in seven days). He is omnipotent, all-knowing, and takes a great deal of pleasure in sending people to eternal suffering in fire and brimstone should they ignore his rules. Why, then, if he is such, is his downfall, occurring simultaneously with the destruction of the Christian world, to be brought about by an uneducated hip-hop artist who lacks the ability to correctly pronounce 3/4 of his (or her) own lyrics?


HART (Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust) a charity she founded back in 2004 works mostly in areas of conflict, here Lady Cox often looks for ways to bring sustainability to those courageous organisations HART works with on the ground. Here is a latest great example of life changing innovation Caroline's organisation has recently funded, which is an amazing example of community work.
The event was called ‘Power Brands Global- London International Forum for Equality 2019’ and was on 24th May 2019 at Hilton Kensington. In attendance were 10 global leaders from various walks of life who have built a brand of faith and hope through their conviction and actions while remaining committed to spreading equality. You can find out more about this here on their website is www.powerbrandsglobal.com
Asylum: Christianity:Written question - HL14728
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the Home Office refused asylum applications because of (1) quotations used by applicants from the Bible which “are inconsistent with your [the applicant’s] claim that you converted to Christianity after discovering it is a ‘peaceful’ religion...”; and (2) a candidate “affirmed in your Asylum Interview Record that Jesus is your saviour, but then claimed He would not be able to save you from the Iranian regime. It is therefore considered that you have no conviction in your faith and your belief in Jesus is half-hearted”.


Helping women connect and grow closer to God through powerful keynote messages.
Here are some of the churches Nancy has taught at recently
When you choose author and speaker, Nancy Avera, to minister at your next Women’s Ministry Event, you’ll gain a powerful prayer warrior, a gifted communicator, and a passionate partner who will teach and encourage your women to:
Live a life closer to Jesus
Experience more peace, more trust, more victory in their daily lives
Trust God’s Word in spite of feelings and circumstances
Learn to be transparent with each other and God
Rely on the power of the Holy Spirit
Our Creator says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Nancy is such a gifted speaker! She connects to the heart of women and ministers to the soul. Her story is incredibly courageous and inspiring. Through her teaching, you will learn how to live an emotionally healthy life that will draw you into a closer more intimate relationship with Jesus.
JULIE M. | Tech Guru
Nancy is a truly gifted, inspiring communicator who will take you to a deeper level in knowing Jesus and how to relate that to your life. Authentic, heartwarming, compassionate.
She will encourage you, challenge you, inspire you.
KELLIE R. | Household CEO
Nancy has such a way of bringing me into the presence of God’s love. She helps me slow down and listen for His voice over all the other noise in my head! I thoroughly enjoy her “Stop and Be Still” series and often revisit the scripture she uses to reveal His true intention for me. It’s a breath of fresh air!
MEG S. | Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
When Nancy spoke at our Women’s Spring Tea, her message touched the hearts of our ladies. Nancy is funny, warm-hearted and spirit filled.
She has a message to share that everyone needs to hear, some of us more than once!
JEN R. | Women’s Ministry Director


HONG KONG (SE): At a Mass celebrated at the cathedral on May 31 to mark Pro-Life Day, the bishop of Hong Kong, John Cardinal Tong Hon, challenged all organisations in the diocese to be promoters of life.
It is the first time that the diocese has formally marked Pro-Life Day. In his message, which was published at the end of April, the cardinal stressed that human life should be protected from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.
Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing and a deacon, Reverend William Li Fook-sung, the chairperson of the Diocesan Pastoral Commission for Marriage and the Family, also took part in the Mass which was attended by over 500 people.
A shrine to the patron of the unborn, Our Lady of Guadalupe, was venerated at the Mass and prayers were offered for all the unborn, the sick and suffering, as well as victims of violence.
Cardinal Tong urged people to be courageous in their living out of the gospel of life.
Bishop Ha described what he called a culture of death as depriving people of their hope in life.
The auxiliary bishop of Hong Kong encouraged people to be witnesses to hope in life and work to create a caring society to encourage those who despair and let them know that others do care about them.
Bishop Ha lamented that this is producing a culture of hopelessness in the modern world, which has become a dominant factor in eroding the strength of interpersonal relationships.
He described abortion and suicide as giving in to despair in life, adding that it is especially important to protect the unborn, as they have no voice to speak for themselves.
Quoting from the encyclical of Pope John Paul II, The Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae), Bishop Ha said life is a strong source of joy in people and the protection of life not only refers to its physical dimension, but also to the word of God.
At a commissioning ceremony during the Mass, 10 pro-life organisations from the diocese, lay communities and medical groups, were encouraged to continue with their work.
Joseph Kam Kai-man, a doctor and the chairperson of the Pro-Life Ministry of the Diocesan Pastoral Commission for Marriage and the Family, said he hopes that people will not only see Pro-Life Day as an event organised by the related groups, but also live out its message when they come across such issues in their daily lives.
Kam added that the target of pro-life work can be extended to more marginalised groups.
Cheng Wing-ho, a social worker in a sex education programme organised by the Caritas, was among those commissioned by the cardinal during the Mass.
Cheng said he believes that sex education is important for young people, as it can help them understand the value of life which is something that cannot be treated casually.
He pointed out that popular culture tends to overrate sex, while at the same time undermine the value of life. He believes that both need to be presented in a more balanced context.
Yeung Sau-chun, a member of Faith and Light Group, added that she hopes parishes can develop a more understanding culture for mentally-challenged people and give them opportunities to play a role in various activities.
Display boards depicting the mission of the participating groups were set up outside the cathedral to show the breadth of involvement the diocese has in promoting respect for life.


Meet Lady Gloria!
Standing beside Pastor Roy, for over thirty years in matrimony, is First Lady Gloria Hall Jones. Having been reared by devout, God-loving parents, she has been involved in church-related activities her entire life. Given her strong foundation in virtuous living, First Lady Gloria challenges women to become followers of Christ.
Lady Gloria has been actively involved in Refiner’s Fire Community Church since her husband accepted his pastoral call in 2001. Shortly thereafter, God charged her to be a catalyst for change in the lives of women. As a result, two ministries were founded – “Women with a Purpose” and “Woman-to-Woman Ministries.” Their functions are to encourage and provide guidance and instruction to women in developing an intentional and intimate relationship with God first, and then with each other. Lady Gloria also serves as the Chief Church Administrator and works with Pastor Roy in an area of passion for them both -- Marriage Ministry.
First Lady Gloria is a graduate of North Carolina Central University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. She is also the proud mother of two sons, Willie, III, and Mario.