Orchard Park, NY. -- Orion Capital Solutions is donating Christmas gifts through Watermark Wesleyan Church in support of local families in need throughout our community. The team at our receivables management firm is committed to helping bring these families some additional joy as we celebrate the holiday season.
Throughout the year, we promote several employee-driven efforts within our local area to help make an impact and we strive to serve as a beacon of hope for those in need. Working with Watermark Wesleyan Church to have holiday gifts delivered in our community is our way of offering our compassion to many in need during this especially challenging year.
As we all experience a new landscape of holiday celebrations, many are facing unimaginable financial hardships and stressors. Due to the impacts of COVID-19, more families in our community require assistance this holiday season. Our community relies on donations like ours to help put gifts under the tree for children and families that may otherwise spend Christmas morning without something to unwrap.
"We understand that especially this year, so many families are having to make difficult choices. Many are living without means for gifts and we want to be able to help provide this for them," says Kristin LoVallo, HR/Compliance Director at Orion Capital Solutions. "We are proud to support this charitable giving effort in our community; it is a cause that our team has wrapped their hearts around."
Amidst all of the challenges that were faced this year, we have seen families, neighbors, businesses, and teammates working together more than ever. We embrace this spirit of Christmas and look forward to finding new and creative ways to help our communities grow, flourish, and prosper in 2021.
About Watermark Wesleyan Church
A vibrant part of the Western New York region for more than 60 years, Watermark Wesleyan Church is a community of people who demonstrate the love of Jesus by authentically caring for their community and meeting the needs of their neighbors. The mission of this 501c(3) is to help lift people through every part of life and make a mark on their community, city, and world.
About Orion Capital Solutions
Founded in 2018, Orion Capital Solutions is a nationally licensed collection agency with over 30 years' experience in delivering exceptional results for creditors and realistic solutions for consumers. Headquartered in Orchard Park, New York, the Company provides outstanding service to its clients and consumers through the integration of technology and an experienced and compassionate team.


When we first felt called to adopt, we looked at the cost and were shocked. My husband is a self-employed artist (not much income) and at the time, I was making about $35,000 a year. The cost to adopt from Russia at the time was estimated around $35,000, so needless to say, it was daunting.
The whole thing was daunting to my husband, but I can still hear him say "if God wants us to do this, He's going to have to provide the money" and he said it with an "I dare God" kind of attitude.
Well... God did provide. Not just once - but 3 times (3 adoptions)!
Our first adoption took us over 2 years from application to bringing our son home. During that time, we saw so many miracles. We applied for every possible grant and received 2. We sent out letters to friends and family asking for help, etc.
Here are a few stories...
Old friends we rarely talked with called us. They took us out to dinner and gave us a check for $6500. We were shocked!! One other time we had a matching grant and were collecting money though our church. We attended a low-socioeconomic church, so had not shared our fundraising with the church itself. On the last Sunday that we could collect money a woman of our church comes up and hands me $40. This was a woman whose family had nothing (we're talking ratty clothes, a car that was falling apart, etc). She said God told her she needed to give us the $40. I started crying and explained that we had a matching grant and that this gift would be doubled. She cried with me, then pulled out another $20. Now $60 may not sound like a lot, but it was a beautiful example of how God was multiplying!
Prior to our adoption of our son we also had some significant credit card debt. Shortly after returning home with him we were able to pay off all of our credit card debt.
God definitely provides when you trust Him!
When we decided to return to Russia to adopt again, we did intentionally look for children with special needs. By requesting special needs we were eligble for more grants and also received discounts from the agency. We adopted one daughter with a limb difference and our other daughter, though labeled special needs, was perfectly healthy.
Again, God provided.
At one point, we needed to send the agency $10,000. We had $2500 in savings and just prayed that God would provide the rest. The day before we had to mail the money, our church board met and surprised us with a gift of $7500 towards our adoption. They did not know we had a payment due, nor did they know the amount, nor did they know how much we already had. But God did and He provided!
Our son's adoption cost us about $35,000 and the girls' adoptions (adopted together) cost about $50,000. That is travel, agency fees, hotel, food, everything. Over the four years and 3 adoptions, my salary tripled. At the time, I thought I must be a brilliant HR person, but that wasn't truly the case. God was providing for us. Shortly after we got our girls home and everything paid off, I lost my job. God moved me from a 6-figure salary to a fraction of that. But, my current employment allows me to be home with my kids and I am in full-time ministry, where God called me to be a long time ago.
Looking back, I am still amazed by how God provided for our adoptions and how He set everything up for me to be able to follow His call.
The financial part of our adoption sure seemed like a giant at the time. But God is bigger than anything we face - and with Him all things are possible. It sounds so cliche, but it is so true: Where God guides, He provides.
If you are being called to adopt, obey the call. Don't be afraid of the dollar signs. There are adoption grants available, you can have fund-raisers, and you can watch your household budget to save money for your adoption. All of these options are very practical financially.
But prepare yourself for the supernatural - God is going to knock your socks off when He shows you how He will provide for your adoption expenses!
Where God guides, He DEFINITELY provides.


In the Garden of Eden
God is calling women like Eve to “mother” in the place where it all started- the Garden of Eden. He is equipping mothers to nurture their “seed” and to birth God’s vision in this world. But it must first start with encountering the Tree of life in the garden of Eden.
It all began in the garden when the Lord noticed that Adam had a purpose which was to name all of the living things on the earth but did not have a “helper” to support him in that purpose. God chose to put Adam to sleep while He formed this woman-helper from Adam’s rib.
Join the MCD Collective
You are invited into the garden to experience the rebirth of the garden within you.
Access Your E-Book
When you join MCD Collective you will receive your e-book devotional on the first day of our meeting!
In this book You will learn:
-Your identity as a woman
-Birthing purpose out of pain in the garden
-The calling of a mother (spiritual motherhood)
-Birthing legacy of redemption and hope
Join today and get monthly teachings like the goodness of God!
The goodness of God, started with the story of Eve in the garden. Although, she is known for allowing sin to enter the world, God’s promises of being a good Father still stands to be true. It is important to recognize the goodness of God in your life so that you can move from just doing life to actually producing life, like Eve in the Garden… Read more


Podcast from Yass Jesus!
I wrote below about having written my first song over 50 years ago. But here we are in 2022 and I think everyone is struggling with something. Happily, Nashville musicians know how to pull off remote recording sessions, so I put out a new CD/recording called Stand Closer. It was released on Apple Music and iTunes, but if you're a little older, like me, you may still want a CD. If you do, let me know!! And leave some message about how you like it!! Justin Ryan made a music video of it that you can see here:
Well 1969 was clearly a big year in the world, since I am far from the only one celebrating 50 years about now. It was the summer that set the course of my life. Meeting Jesus put, as Jeremiah put it, a fire in my bones (Jer. 20:9) to share my new faith with my friends. First, in 1969 being a new Christian in high school in Southern California was definitely NOT cool - and Lord knows, we were all desperate to be cool. But history would record that the song I wrote for my friends that summer would be the beginning of a new genre of music. Then, ten years later, as Contemporary Christian music (CCM) became cool, I was the first CCM artist to come out of the closet. Once again I was, you guessed it, UNcool. But the fire in my bones never left...
Welcome to BALM Ministries Website
"If Larry Norman is to be called the father of Christian Rock, then Marsha Stevens certainly deserves to be known as the mother of contemporary Christian music, a title that Christian Century and others have bestowed upon her. She was the leader of what is considered to be the world's first contemporary Christian music group, Children of the Day, and she has continued as a solo artist to produce albums of worship-oriented and edifying adult contemporary pop. As such, she remains the progenitor of what, by 2002, would become the single most popular genre in the contemporary Christian music market." - Excerpt from "The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music", Sept. 2002
Fun being part of history:
Nancy Wilson says that the great thing about getting old is being around to see the fruit of the seeds we plant! This is from an edition of The New Yorker and I’m happy to be included. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/09/24/the-unlikely-endurance-of-christian-rock
Cindy's Mission work
You can follow her mission stories on her Facebook Page - Cindy Stevens-Pino or see the latest trip to Uganda on video at
DONATE TO THIS IMPORTANT WORK BY MARKING YOUR DONATION "CINDY"
Work for 2021
Marsha and Balm Ministries partnered with RMN (Reconciling Ministries Network), the group committed to bringing the inclusion of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in both the policy and practices of the United Methodist Church (UMC). We started a group at our church in Nashville, Brentwood United Methodist Church or BUMC, called "Draw the Circle Wide" to start the inclusion at home. That commission on The Way Forward made a recommendation that the United Methodist Church world wide (UMC) move forward with one of three plans. In February of 2019 for the worldwide UMC had a vote about how they will handle LGBTQ clergy and gay marriages in the church going forward. They voted by a narrow margin to continue to say that "homosexuality is not compatible with Christian teaching" and that "no self-avowed practicing homosexuals" can be clergy, and that "no UMC clergy can perform a marriage between persons of the same gender," and that no same sex marriages may be held in a UMC church. They voted to carry out specific fines and sentences on anyone breaking those rules. Since then several UMC churches, many in the US, have said they cannot in good conscience carry out those sentences and they will not follow those guidelines. The UMC General Conference scheduled for 2022 is considering several solutions to keep the denomination together OR to lovingly separate from one another along the lines of decisions about full inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community in the life and ministry of the church. Just after we left Tennessee, our 8000 member UMC there decided they would "remove the exclusionary language" about the LGBTQ community from their book of discipline. This was HUGE and BRAVE for this church in the heart of the Bible Belt and we are grateful for their courage and your prayers that sustained our work there until we moved back to Florida. We are currently working with a United Church of Christ (UCC) in St Pete Beach to become fully "open and affirming." (I kind of love following all the different denominations as they fine their individual euphemisms for "queers welcome!" Open and affirming. Reconciling. More Light. Welcoming. Accepting.)
Watch for location all through 2021
I’m excited that my book is featured on @suecorbrantheauthor blog today! Read it and let me know what you think. http://wp.me/p7iSaa-ll I don't think any interviewer gets every detail right (I did not come out at age 64, as most of you know!) but she did a great job.
Sample of the comments I've gotten:
“Just wanting to let you know how blessed I am to know you through your writing the book, " For those Tears I died" while in hospital with open heart surgery. It brought me back to those wonderful Jesus years of the 70s. You through it all never gave up on Jesus. I did for 40 years.Only in the last 10 years.I have been free again in Jesus.I would definitely recommend your book. I was blessed out of my Boots over the last week reading it. It recharged me.On fire. Thanks Marsha. Thanks Jesus.”
Two songs that I wrote for Cindy are charting on Broadjam.com. Thank you to everyone voting for "Wherever You Go" at #3 and "I've Been There" at #7. Both are very special songs for me!
Oh, and for everyone guessing, yes August 20, 1952 is my birthday! Quick. Who can do the math ? :-) Interestingly enough, I have to leave my birth date on my site, because Wikipedia had my birth date wrong and I was not enough of an authority to make the correction, but my website was authoritative enough to get them to change it. Wow, welcome to the 21st century :-)
She-wired magazine - this is a magazine which uses language you may not be accustomed to, but a great interview :-) Who is Marsha Stevens
A sweet friend sent me a video from last month in Nepal with a lovely family singing For Those Tears I Died. I'll try to link it to this page, but it's on my Facebook page if you can see that. How sweet is this? Here it is. And it's on YouTube at https://youtu.be/iXe8gKI_0wI
Check out Webisode Wednesdays!!
Marsha and Justin Ryan answer some of your email and Bible questions in online videos.
Click Here to View the Complete Webisodes
Welcome to our home. We hope you feel the Holy Spirit at work here in the lives and stories that we share. (If you are on an aol-based link, you may have to go to another browser to read this all correctly!) Balm Ministries is an outreach to those who feel they have been somehow left out of the Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When I started out, I thought that would mean just the glbt community. But I've come to discover that there are people from all walks of life who feel that God somehow doesn't quite like them. Clearly Jesus knew we would feel this way because He went out of His way to include "the least, the last and the lost" and even told us that He didn't come for people who already had it all together, but for those who needed Him. Then in the book of Romans, the Holy Spirit speaking through Paul tried to shut all the loopholes by listing all the things that CANNOT separate us from God's love - not famine or nakedness or peril or sword, not life, nor death, nor height, nor depth, nor angels, nor principalites, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come...(let's see, have I covered everything? Well, just for good measure) nor ANYTHING ELSE IN ALL CREATION will ever separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus! We're just here to remind you
The CD, I Am Home, is making rounds and getting some reviews. It was one of 8 albums nominated for the OUT music awards, but did not make the finals. For those of you who have moved into the 21st century, I will try to update the download page ;-) I knew everyone would like "Jesus to Me", since we have those people in our lives, but a surprise fave has been "The Wailing Wall". I was so impressed during our trip to Israel at how positive people were. When we talked about the trip here in the US, we got lots of, "Wow, are you sure you want to go to such a dangerous place?" kinds of questions. And, just for the record, there were more people killed in Pinellas County Florida during the 10 we were on our trip than were killed in all of Israel during that time! But, the focus there is on the good, the survivors, the heros, the safety, the blessings. So, that inspired the song. I'll post it now. Blessings, Marsha and Cindy Stevens-Pino
Marsha's son and his family: from left
Bri Joy, Johnny, Cindy, Caleb, Rachael, Marsha and JJ
Marsha's daughter and son-in-law's family. From left
Chris, Marsha, little Hannah, Cindy, Naomi and Joan


Sierra Springs Church
|(520) 378- 4900 church office - (520) 378-6543 pastor's study
8477 E. Hereford Road
Hereford, Arizona 85615
Ministry Coordinator and Worship Director (507) 381-6746
Our Pastor, Dr. John Evans, is a graduate of Wheaton College,
Wheaton, Illinois (Bachelor of Arts); Gordon-Conwell Theological
Seminary, Hamilton, Massachusetts (Master of Divinity); and the
California Graduate School of Theology, Glendale, California (Doctor
Pastor Evans has served six churches over the course of his
ministry. Having organized four of them. Sierra Springs, Your
"Church in the Country" has grown into a sizeable family under Dr.
Evans' leadership since its "birth" 9 years ago.
Dr. Evans served for eleven years as the coordinator of "Gathering
Arizona in Prayer" (GAP), a fellowship of praying pastors from the
greater Sierra Vista area and Cochise County. The pastors have
been meeting together every week to pray for their ministries and
Dr. Evans' ministry emphasizes expository preaching, which seeks to communicate a biblical truth
supported by other biblical truths. At the heart of every message is a single, unifying theme. Each
message seeks to explain, interpret and apply that biblical truth to life.
The explanation addresses the question: "What is the writer of the Bible passage saying?" The
interpretation attempts to answer the question: "What is the meaning of what the writer is
saying?" Finally, the application seeks to bring the message home to the heart of the hearer; so
that the hearer says, "What am I going to do about what I've heard?"
Dr. Evans preaches and teaches the Word of God every sunday morning at
10:30 am ( join us for worship beginning at 10:15), saturday evening at
6:00 pm (worship begins at 5:45 promptly) and every sunday morning on
The Spark radio (90.9 fm) with "Sunday In The Country" at 7:30 am
(previous week's message)
|"He will lead them to springs
of living water."
Relevant - Relational - Real
||Dr. John Evans


Lauren Dungy has been surrounded by children for most of her adult life. As a school teacher, her days were filled with classrooms full of students. Now her days, and nights, are filled with caring for her own children who range in age from infant to early twenties. Lauren and her husband Tony Dungy are the parents of daughters Tiara and Jade, and sons James, Eric, Jordan, Justin and Jason.
In her “free” time, Lauren loves volunteering for iMOM. “I hope to be a voice of encouragement for moms as they build relationships and guide their children.”
Personal: Married to Tony Dungy for almost 30 years
Favorite family night activities: Board games and Bike riding
Ideal date night: Going to the movies followed by dinner at a quiet restaurant
Most effective discipline measure: Timeout followed by talking to my children with the Bible as a guide
The best advice my mother ever gave me: Don’t permit other people to control your mind.
The greatest lesson I’ve learned as a mother: We are called to love and nurture our children, but at the appropriate age “release” them and allow them to make their own decisions.
Lauren’s advice for moms: “It’s extremely important to develop relationships with other Christian mothers and wives, because they too are grounded in God’s word, and their fellowship can support and encourage you.”


Mother house, Ibrine. Sainte Famille, Lebanon
Building the Mother House
The basic objective of Mother Stéphanie was to build the mother house. The decision was taken at once, with the new construction to be built over the blood of the Founding Martyr. Mother Stéphanie, herself, directed the labor force and the works. The first stone of the chapel was laid in 1907.
The Founder consecrated it in 1913 and the work was completed by 1917. The convent doors were wide open to accept young girls, according to the main aim, for which the Congregation had been founded. Mother Stéphanie built a school as well as a boarding home.Fortified by the blood of the Founding Martyr, the unshakable faith and iron will of its co-founder, the nascent Congregation developed and expanded with astonishing rapidity, to become a very huge tree where birds have come to nest, from having been a mustard seed, as the Founder witnessed himself.


Benvenuti nel Sito Ufficiale del Turismo di Baunei e Santa Maria Navarrese.
The Church of San Pietro
THE CHURCH OF SAN PIETRO
The country church dedicated to St. Peter, with that unmistakable, white angular facade that stands out against the backdrop of the mountains separating Golgo from the sea, is one of the most famous sites on the plateau, visited each year by thousands of tourists. According to tradition, the church, located about 8 km from Baunei, was built between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries thanks to donations by Golgo herdsmen who did not want to miss the most important religious events. However, the earliest evidence of the festivities in honour of St. Peter goes back to the beginning of the seventeenth century (1606) and is mentioned in documents (kept in the State Archives in Cagliari) relating to disputes between Baunei and Urzulei on jurisdiction over land at the border of the two towns. The architectural structure of the church is very simple: the interior consists of a single room, which is accessed by a wooden archway. The building, renovated internally in the seventies, is surrounded by a stone wall, enclosing “us istaulus” (from the Latin “stabulum”, meaning “barn”), the quarters that were used in the past by pilgrims who came to Golgo from Ogliastra on public holidays. Not far from the entrance stands an interesting anthropomorphic bethel from the Nuragic era.
The celebrations in honour of St. Peter, which take place on the last Sunday in June, are particularly evocative (up to the late nineteenth century there was also a horse race in which the best riders in the area competed against each other) especially because of the procession that takes place near the church, with the statue of the saint, glittering in its golden vestments, followed by the faithful in religious meditation. Such devotion, according to common opinion in the village, is due to a particular incident that apparently took place on the plateau and involved St. Peter himself. Legend has it that once upon a time the entire plateau was at the mercy of a vicious monster, “Sa Serpente”, a sort of evil dragon who would sometimes come out of the chasm of Golgo (“Su Sterru”) demanding human sacrifices. One day, however, St. Peter came to Baunei and, apprised of the situation, decided to solve the problem of “Sa Snake” once and for all. St. Peter he prevailed in the clash with the evil reptile and has been the most beloved saint of the Baunesis, eternally grateful for being freed from Golgo monster, ever since. According to another version of the legend, however, “Su Sterru” opened up the ground of Golgo, swallowing “Sa Serpente”, when St. Peter threw the evil monster to the ground.


- By Rev. Devadosan Sugirtharaj
- Posted 09/13/2020
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Vital Signs of Growing Church Sermon Series
Commitment to Prayer
- The church grows when the church is committed to prayer. The methods and models of church growth seem to be helpful to grow the church, the vital sign of the growing church is its commitment to prayer in personal, family, congregational and leadership levels.
- When the church dedicates itself to a spirit of prayer and waiting upon the Lord, their vision becomes real and their ministries bring growth. Otherwise, the church becomes like a wind-mill to go around and around but never makes a sign of growth.
- Today’s scripture reading reminds us to call for the ministry of prayer in our church.
- Prayer: Proseuche: The Greek term refers generally for prayer, stresses fervency and also always to pray to God and to pray with a definite aim
- Devote Proskartereo: This Greek term refers to devotion, moving toward, be strong, steadfast, firm, endure and persevere. Paul used this term as continuous devotion in terms of prayer.
- Paul refers to this continuous devotion to prayer as a single-minded action towards a task. This means that the result we expect comes through the continuous devotion of prayer.
Context of the text
- The apostle Paul wrote Colossians Christians this letter from the prison that the church must be aware of the false teachers and they will distort their wholeness and well being in growing and serving. He called the Colossians to come back to the basics of the Church such as worship, word of God, discipleship, prayer and glorifying God.
- Being devoted to and Vigilant in prayer for the Church against all challenges it faces.
- 2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
- Paul reminded the church at Colosse that the church had been facing innumerable attacks and challenges from outside and inside. In the midst of all challenges, God had called them to grow. When they prayed with thanksgiving to God, prayer makes us to experience freedom from anxiety and also to receive the peace of God.
- When we pray together, in the midst of all challenges, prayer becomes God’s way for us to obtain what we need from him and also it becomes the means God has appointed for us to find grace to help in need of time.
- Ephesians 6:12,13,18: Prayer is the way to resist Devil.12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of [c]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
- Philippians.4:6-7: 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
- Biblical Example: Elijah’s devotion to prayer: James.5:13-18
- Sermon illustration: In 1540 Luther’s great friend and assistant, Friedrich Myconius, became sick and was expected to die within a short time. On his bed, he wrote a loving farewell note to Luther with a trembling hand. Luther received the letter and sent back a reply: “I command thee in the name of God to live because I still have need of thee in the work of reforming the church… The Lord will never let me hear that thou art dead but will-permit thee to survive me. For this I am praying, this is my will, and may my will be done, because I seek only to glorify the name of God.”Those words are shocking to us, but they were certainly heartfelt. Although Myconius had already lost the ability to speak when Luther’s letter came, he recovered completely and lived six more years to survive Luther himself by two months.
2. Being devoted to and Vigilant in prayer for the Mission of the Church against all closed doors it faces.
- 3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the [a]mystery of Christ,
- Paul exhorted the Colossians to pray for the mission of the Church and its proclamation of the gospel where it faced enormous pressures and closed doors in the Roman empire. He recognizes that the church, as the body of Christ, prayed for the churches to continue their mission of Christ. God opens the door for the mission to preach God’s word and gospel when the church prays
- As the church, we need more opening doors for God’s ministry in the world. We cannot open the doors by our own strengths and intelligence. They can be opened when we pray for one another. When we pray God will open the door which no man shuts. We need to pray continually for this cause as the church. When we do we will grow.
- 1 Thessalonians.3: 1-2: Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.
- 1Corinthians.16:8-9: 8 But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. 9 For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
- Biblical Example: God’s opening doors in Europe mission: Acts.14:27-28: 27 Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 So they stayed there for a long time with the disciples.
- Sermon Illustration:-One day, nurse Cornelia Dalenberg walked down a street in Chicago, and stopped to read the bulletin on a church door. She read that a missionary nurse would be coming to speak, and also noticed the name of Samuel Zwemer, a famous missionary to Arabia. Cornelia was delighted, for she still remembered the account of his work, Arabia, the Cradle of Islam. She attended the meeting. During the meeting, Cornelia felt the Lord's call to service in Arabia, and afterward spoke of it to her denomination's board of missions. She talked to everyone about her call but no one was really interested in it or encouraged her to go. However, she asked her church to pray for the mission in the middle east. Many joined her and prayed with her. Eventually, God’s spirit moved everyone to be passionate about this mission and sent Cornelia as a missionary to Arabia.
3. Being devoted to and Vigilant in prayer for the Ministers of the Church to speak clearly the word of God in the midst of all persecutions they face.
- for which I am also in chains, 4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
- Paul called the Colossians to pray for him as he was in prison so that he ought to speak God’s gospel in a way that would make it manifest to the people. He urged the believers to pray for him so that he might preach the mystery of God clearly to the people in the midst of sufferings he was going through
- We, as the Church, have the responsibility to pray for all ministers of God so that they may be faithful to God and his mission regardless of suffering they face. Everyone who involves in ministry needs our prayer and we are called to commit this prayer ministry. When we do, we will grow.
- 2 Timothy 2:8-9: 8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, 9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.
- Acts 20:24: 24 [a]But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my [b]race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
- Biblical Example: God’s servants sharing God’s word: Nehemiah 8:8: 8 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
- Sermon Illustration: Charles Spurgeon, the great preacher of the Victorian era said of prayer in the church, "If the spirit of prayer is not with the people, the minister may preach like an angle but cannot expect success. There may be in that church wealth, talent, labour and many outreach efforts, but the Lord is not there. Prayer is as sure evidence of the presence of God as the rising of the thermometer is evidence of an increase in temperature. If God is near a church, it must pray. If he is not, one of the obvious signs of His absence will be lethargy in prayer."
We are called to be a growing church. One of the vital signs of church growth is our commitment to the ministry of prayer. From Colossians.4:2-4, we have learned three important ways we do this commitment to prayer.
- Being devoted to and Vigilant in prayer for the Church against all challenges it faces. Colossians.4:2
- Being devoted to and Vigilant in prayer for the Mission of the Church against all closed doors it faces. Colossians 4:3
- Being devoted to and Vigilant in prayer for the Ministers of the Church to speak clearly the word of God in the midst of all persecutions they face. Colossians.4:4
Questions for Discussion
- We are called to devout our lives to prayer as the church for the church. How is your participation in prayer ministry with the church prayers? What are the challenges we face as the church? How do we pray for it
- We are called to devout our lives to pray as the church for its mission in our country and beyond. In what ways, are you devoted to praying for missions of the church in the world? What are the closing doors we face to do ministry in our country and the world? How do engage in prayer to open doors for our mission?
- We are called to devout our lives to pray as the church for pastors, evangelists, apostles, teachers, prophets around the world. In what ways do you pray for these ministers to do God’s ministry faithfully and also proclaim God’s word clearly? Do you participate to pray for our missions in the church?


Walls have always fascinated me in a way that as a child I used to be so much in awe of this structure which actually divides but was not able to see it’s purpose then. A wall is a self protective barrier the ego puts in place for our defence.
Wall of Jericho was no different in terms of it’s purpose. It was the oldest known protective walls in the world. Massive stone walls surrounding an ancient neolithic settlement in Jericho. Walls of Jericho were 3.6 metres high, 1.8 meters wide at base and had watchtowers up to 28 feet tall. This wall was intended to protect settlement and it’s water supply. Around 1400 BC Jericho was the first city to be attacked by Israelites after crossing Jordon river and before entering Canaan. I wanted to briefly mention the dimensions of the wall in order to bring to our minds that it was not possible humanly to break in Jericho.
Firstly look at the reaction of Rahab who is mentioned as a lady of bad character but she’s also mentioned as an innkeeper. Tikva Frymer Kensky mentions Rahab as a smart, proactive, tricky and unafraid to disobey and deceive king.She’s also credited to be one of Israel’s early savior due to her allegiance to God and Israel. In new testament she is mentioned thrice. In Mathew 1:5 as an ancestor of Jesus.She was not a Israelite still God chose her due to her faith and actions. In James 2:25 her deeds are spoken as acts of faith. In Hebrew 11:31 her name is included in list of people who showed faith in God along with Noah ,Abraham and many others.
Joshua 2:9-12 verses talks about Rahab reaction after meeting the Israelite spies. Firstly acknowledging and accepting God’s promises as her own. Secondly she had knowledge of God’s faithfulness in past. Thirdly she says our heart’s sank and courage failed. Fourthly asking favor in boldness for her believing family along with her.Fifthly She was not afraid of law and the earthly lawmaker.
In chapter 5:13-15 we see that a man is standing with sword in his hand. Many say it was God himself just like he was with Daniel in lion’s den and God himself fought with Jacob. Joshua gets a supernatural visitation from commander of army of Lord. Joshua asks him whose side he belongs to? Joshua’s response is the one of reverence (he falls down to ground). He accepted himself as Lord’s servant and follows his instructions.
In chapter 6:1 talks about how difficult it was for any person to get inside the city of Jericho. The very next verse God declares that He has delivered Jericho into Joshua’s hands and the steps to be followed thereafter. What an astonishing fact is that God already had plans of delivering the great city unto Israelites but he was looking for Joshua’s response in a situation which looked so huge and enormous. Would he use his tiny human brainpower or submit to Lord’s set of instructions? We see Jericho city walls falling at hands of Israelites but actually it was God’s response to Joshua’s reverence and obedience.
I feel we can learn a lot from these two characters Rahab and Joshua both strikingly different in terms of origin, culture and upbringing even countries but had almost similar response to God’s voice that was to accept God’s authority over their lives and obey Lord no matter what your situation expects us to do.


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Last week the invitation was to drop the many things of this world in order to pick up the one thing that will make our hearts sing – a deep and lasting relationship with Jesus Christ. We were invited to Come Sail Away. This week the invitation takes us a step further. In our lesson, Luke 5:1-11, Christ beckons to us to put out into the deep waters. But that can be scary, challenging, and may not at first glance appear to be productive. Yet if we don’t say ‘yes’, if we don’t sail out, we may miss out on the catch of a lifetime… on what God wants to do in us and through us. So heed the call, come Sunday, put out into the deep and learn that in order to reach the port of heaven, Sail We Must!


His Early Life
Bishop Ticobay was born in Masla Tadian, Mt Province to Genaro Ticobay and Subayngan. He finished his Bachelor in Theology at St Andrews Theological Seminary in 1957. He was ordained to the Diaconate on 13 July 1958 and to the priesthood on 7th June 1959. His first area of of assignment was as Assistant Priest of the Church of the Holy Nativity in La Union from 1959 to 1960.


One of our main duties as Catholics is to care for God’s creation, the natural world he made for us. It isn’t an optional dictate, or dependent on whether exploiting God’s creation creates jobs, tax revenues or corporate profits. Genesis 2:15 says, “Humans are commanded to care for God’s creation.”
That’s why we were so disturbed to see Formosa Plastics’ local representative Janile Parks’ (column “Walking the Walk, in Deeds and in Truth,” March 12) to make weak economic arguments for building one of the world’s biggest petrochemical complexes in St. James Civil Parish.
We struggle to live in a community near the proposed plant that’s already suffering from destroyed property values and poor health from exposure to industrial pollution in this corridor known as Cancer Alley. Our community is 90% Black, and Formosa Plastics would more than double our toxic air pollution just to create more plastic, or what Parks called “basic building blocks found in everyday products.”
Pope Francis has been very clear that we must stop exploiting the Earth’s resources just to create more products for our comfort and convenience. In fact, he’s specifically called for environmental justice for poor communities that have endured pollution and criticized our “throwaway” world that’s filling up with plastic pollution – all reasons we cite for opposing the Formosa Plastics project.
“St. Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us,” Pope Francis wrote in the opening paragraph of his landmark environmental encyclical “Laudato Si,” adding, “This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life.”
Indeed, the sickness of industrial greed and systemic racism is in our soil, our water, our air and now our bodies. Our local friends and family members have been dying of cancer and respiratory disease.
When the COVID-19 pandemic came, we suffered and died disproportionately, perhaps because of the pollution we’ve been breathing for generations. Our local leaders must protect our right to life and dignity by preventing any further pollution that will certainly threaten us with death.
As Catholics, stewardship of the Earth cannot be reduced to an afterthought: rather, it is a requirement of our faith. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops explicitly lists “Care for God’s Creation” as one of the seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching, the church’s official stance on how we are to act in regard to our community. Other principles call for protection of vulnerable communities like ours: “A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the last judgment and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.”
That’s not what’s happening in St. James Parish or other poor communities around the world subjected to pollution that corporations profit from. In fact, the environmental racism behind the Formosa Plastics project recently led our secular brothers and sisters at the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to oppose this project as a human rights violation.
As Catholics who keep the faith, we know our God won’t forsake us and let this project proceed. We know God has little patience for the representative of a multinational corporation using a local church publication to try to fool a community that has toiled here since our ancestors were enslaved people, some of them seemingly buried in the very soil where Formosa Plastics wants to build its plant.
Local Catholic leaders have stood with our group, RISE St. James, at the project site to signal their support for our campaign. Bishop Michael G. Duca and Father Vincent Dufresne participated in our All-Saints Day service at the site, blessing our buried dead and ailing community. We know the Scriptures support our cause and we urge all Catholics to stand with us in the struggle.
“Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries,” reads James 5:1. “Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up treasure for the last days.”
In other words, Formosa Plastics, we won’t let you poison our community over plastic and profits.
Lavigne is the president of RISE St. James.
Read the article in The Catholic Commentator


are frequently referred to as The Five Points of Calvinism, but
this is a misnomer because Calvin had died before this statement was
drawn up. They are simply five key teachings found in the Bible and
formulated by the Synod of Dort in 1618-1619. This was done to counter
the five articles of religion published by the followers of James Arminius,
who had refined and developed the erroneous teachings of the English
Monk Pelagious, and the Free Willers of the preceding century, into
a new religious system. This scheme is at variance with the truths set
out in the Holy Bible.
be noticed that Free Willism, rejecting predestination and proclaiming
the possible salvation of all mankind, was already well established,
though in a minority, in protestant England during the 1540's. In some
circles both Pelagianism and Free Willism, a development of Pelagianism
and a precursor of Arminianism, are known as 'the English Heresies'.
In the 1550's censorship was re-established in England against Free-Willers,
Arians and Baptists. (The Church of England, like the Church of Rome,
added the prefix Ana, which has been discontinued.) This state-religious
suppression was also used against the Puritans, as Archbishop Grindal
was to discover.
that James Arminius was a philosopher rather than a theologian. In view
of all available facts it is probable that James Arminius was, actually,
the founder of a Pseudo-Christian Religion.
five articles of faith underline the vitally important truth that God
is in control of all things, God, not man, is the source of salvation;
and mankind can do nothing to save itself. These doctrines glorify God,
not man, and emphasise our total dependence as guilty sinners on the
mercy and grace of God for salvation. It is the teaching that forms
one of the foundations of true Biblical Christianity and therefore pre-dates
the Synod of Dort getting right back to New Testament Christianity.
brethren have written on this subject and I have drawn on some of these
resources. Also I wish to express my appreciation for the writings of
Jack Seaton and Malcolm Watts on this issue.
The Scriptures clearly teach that the effects of sin have extended to
all parts of our being, rendering us incapable of spiritual understanding
and love towards God. Despite the heading of this first article, it
does not indicate that all people are as wicked as they could
possibly be in all areas of belief and practice. However, sin has so
fully and deeply affected our lives that, spiritually speaking, we are
in a totally hopeless condition, unable to do anything to get ourselves
out of this fallen state. Our natural spiritual incapacity prevents
us from being able to respond by our own strength to the call of the
gospel message, yet this does not remove our guilt. We choose to follow
the natural inclinations of our depraved hearts because when left to
ourselves that is all we want to do.
See: Ephesians 4:18; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Romans 1:30; John 15:25;
Luke 19:14; John 5:40; Isaiah 5:20; Titus 1:15; Deuteronomy 32:18; Hebrews
2:1; John 12:39; John 6:44+65; John 3:18.
God has shown us in his Word that from eternity past he has elected
some sinners to be saved from the condemnation that is justly deserved
by all, purely on account of his gracious mercy and love, not because
of any foreseen merits in those sinners. Because of the fact of total
depravity, salvation must originate with God, and we read in
the Bible that it is God's sovereign will alone that has determined
the recipients of that salvation. This doctrine does not render God
unjust, for all are guilty and all deserve to suffer God's
judgement. Rather, it emphasises the grace of God by the fact that he
has chosen some for salvation.
See: Psalm 65:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 9:11; Ephesians 1:4,5,9,11;
Romans 11:5; Romans 9:15,23; Psalm 103:11; 1 Peter 1:2-3; 1 Thessalonians
5:9; Jonah 2:9.
Limited Atonement, or Particular Redemption
Put simply, Christ died only to save the elect, securing with absolute
certainty their salvation. This is not to teach that there is
anything lacking in the power of God, perhaps suggesting that he is
not able to save all men. Rather, God's Word indicates that it was the
Father's intention that his Son was to suffer and die only for his chosen
people, atoning for their sins alone. Christ's atonement was limited
only in extent, not in power, according to the sovereign will of God.
In the Bible we read that the Lord's servant (Jesus) would see the results
of his work (his atoning sacrifice) and "be satisfied" (Isaiah
53:11). But also, Jesus stated plainly that there are many who are heading
for eternal destruction (Matthew 7:13). We can only reconcile these
two statements if we understand that Christ died only for a limited
number of people - for God's elect.
See: Acts 20:28; John 3:14+15; Galatians 1:4+5; Revelation 13:8;
John 6:38+39; John 17:9,10+24; John 10:11; 1 Peter 2:21; Romans 5:8-10;
1 Thessalonians 1:10; Romans 8:33+34; Luke 1:68; Rev.5:9; Is.3:11.
When the gospel is preached, an invitation is issued by the Lord to
all people to come to him for salvation. However, as the first article
clearly states, the natural state of all people renders them incapable
of responding to this invitation, except to reject it. So when God calls
an elect sinner to repentance and faith in Christ Jesus, he does so
by sending his Holy Spirit to work a great change in that sinner's heart,
enabling them to see their sin and their need of a saviour and leading
them to put their faith in Christ alone for salvation. The Lord, by
his Spirit, irresistibly draws his elect to himself, raising them to
spiritual life and making them willing to trust in Jesus.
See: Matthew 11:28-30; John 6:37; Matthew 23:37; John 5:40;
Ephesians 1:12,19; Ezekiel 11:19+20; Psalm 110:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:11.
Perseverance of the Saints
Once God has saved elect sinners, he continues to keep and preserve
them by his power and grace and will never let them go. Thus,
they persevere to the end and can never be lost. If God did not do this,
we would inevitably turn back again to the world, because of the sin
that is around us and within us. Thus God enables his children to continue
in faith and obedience throughout their earthly lives, then to pass
into God's presence forever. This doctrine is not to be taken
as a license to go on sinning, as if the believer is free to act in
any way he chooses now that he is eternally secure in Christ Jesus.
The true believer will show signs of a growing desire for holiness and
an increasing loathing of sin. The one who attempts to use the grace
of God as an excuse for sinful living is in all probability not a true
believer, for where there is spiritual life, the fruit of the Spirit
will become evident.
See: 1 Peter 1:5; James 4:6; Philippians 1:6+19; John 6:39; John
10:28+29; Romans 8:38+39; Romans 8:8; Galatians 5:13-26.
doctrines are often known by the acronym TULIP.
Depravity of man
Election of God
Atonement (Particular Redemption)
Grace of God
of the saints


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Can Leadership Be Learned?Published July 2, 2018
Is leadership something we’re born with, or is it something we learn?
Yes. Both, and.
Some people seem to be born with leadership skills. These people may be more charismatic, sometimes more extroverted, more affirming. Maybe he or she was president of their class and captain of a team in high school. Their voice holds the room’s attention, and their ideas catch on throughout an organization.
You Have to Learn Leadership
But, in my experience, natural leaders often rely on instincts. Instincts work for a while, but eventually they fail. They do not scale up to tackling new or more complex leadership challenges—to creating plans for strategic leadership or for effecting system-wide change. That takes processes, strategies and tools that don’t always come with instinct or experience.
Other people are dropped into leadership positions without natural leadership gifting. Maybe it’s the wise, compassionate woman who is asked to lead her Bible study. Maybe it’s the pastor who loves theology or biblical counseling, but who feels overwhelmed when faced with leading a congregation.
That’s the situation I was in during my second year of a church plant years ago. We’d successfully launched the church, counting 234 people in attendance for the first Sunday. But then we moved past the frenetic energy of the launch, saw our numbers settle at around a hundred and slid toward rhythms of regular church life. And I realized I did not know what to do next. I was stuck, and leadership was the lever I needed to get through.
I am not a natural leader. I am a nerd, thank you very much. While some of my good friends were leading student government in school, I was reading the encyclopedia for fun.
This love of learning became a powerful tool when I got stuck after our church’s launch. I was in the middle of a DMin program during the launch, and I focused my dissertation on leadership and influence.
Through that process, I learned tools of leadership. I learned how to apply ethical principles of persuasion to lead our church to where God wanted us to be.
You Can Learn
Let me repeat that: I learned leadership. Studying leadership principles provided the tools I needed to get unstuck and lead my church well.
That experience showed me that we can learn leadership skills. If you are placed in a position of leadership and you don’t have a natural gift for leadership, you may need to express leadership that’s not in your natural gift set.
You will need to fall back on tools and processes to do that—tools and processes that can be learned.
You do not have to be a natural-born leader to become a strong leader. You can learn how to lead, to move toward strategic goals and to change your church for God.
Furthermore, leadership is different depending on who you are. Some of the best leaders I know are introverted. I’ve seen great leaders who are men and I’ve seen great leaders who are women. I’ve seen them young and old. But, they all know, you have to find the way of leadership that works for you.
Leaders are Learners
There is an old phrase, “Leaders are learners.” I think that is true, but would add you can learn your way into leadership. Most pastors I know have had the same experience over and over. They’re not learning, but just repeating the experience of the last year or years.
So, get some books. Do some reading. Get a mentor. Leadership can be learned if we will be learners.
This article originally appeared on ChristianityToday.com, here.
Never miss an inspiring leadership insight or the latest leadership news!
About the Author(s)
Ed Stetzer, Ph.D., serves as Dean of the School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership at Wheaton College, and as Executive Director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. He has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches, trained pastors and church planters on six continents, has earned two master’s degrees and two doctorates, and has written hundreds of articles and a dozen books. He is Regional Director for Lausanne North America and publishes research through Mission Group. Stetzer is a contributing editor for Christianity Today, a columnist for Outreach Magazine, and is frequently cited in, interviewed by, and writes for news outlets such as USAToday and CNN. He is the Founding Editor of The Gospel Project, a curriculum used by more than 1.7 million individuals each week for bible study. His national radio show, Ed Stetzer Live, airs Saturdays. He also serves as Visiting Professor of Research and Missiology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Visiting Research Professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and has taught at many other colleges and seminaries. He serves as teaching pastor at Highpoint Church located in Naperville, IL.


We are passionate about two main things here at FBCKC. The first is learning to love God with all of our heart, soul and mind. Learning to put Him first in our families, in our jobs, in our thoughts, in every part. And secondly, learning to love each other the way that God loves us, totally and completely! We realize we are all on a journey of following Jesus, and we strive to help each other to get where they are going. We care about you and your family, and would love to have you join us in worship!


At FBC Sparta, we are trusting the Lord to lead us to call a Next Generations Pastor (see job description). This position is open & we will be accepting resumes through February 8th for those interested in this ministry position. Please submit resumes by emailing them to email@example.com. If you have difficulty submitting your resume online, you may submit it to our office via snail mail or in person. Thank you & blessings!
~FBC Sparta Next Generations Pastor–Search Committee


In the midst of the ongoing conversation in The United Methodist Church about division and potential split, I had the opportunity to spend most of the month of May in ecumenical dialogue and partnership around evangelism and discipleship. Despite our theological and historical differences, where are there places we can work together to share God’s love and provide a message of hope through our words and actions?
I began the month in Phoenix with the Directors of Evangelism from the mainline denominations in North America dreaming about our next joint projects and congregational resources. Next, I traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa, where twelve of us gathered from around the globe, representing many strands of Christianity (Orthodox, Evangelical, Pentecostal, Mainline Protestant). During that meeting, we focused on evangelism from the margins, paying particular attention to those who find themselves in migrant, changing, or excluded communities. Finally, last week, I was in Dubai, working on drafting a paper for the World Council of Churches’ Global Mission Conference with twelve ecumenical brothers and sisters from around the globe. Because of the large airport and plethora of hotels, Dubai served as a central location for us to gather.
As I journeyed home from Dubai, I spent quite a bit of time in prayer and reflection on my past month’s work and the current state of the denomination to which I was returning and that I deeply love. I contemplated how, in two days, my subgroup (composed of a Syrian Orthodox bishop, a reformed pastor from Belgium, a representative from the Cook Islands Christian Church, and me) drafted a six-page document on contextualized discipleship, where all voices were heard and everyone contributed. Eighteen hours into my journey, I boarded my second flight from Toronto to Chicago and found myself sitting next to a Canadian who was traveling to Wisconsin to help his future daughter-in-law drive a U-Haul home from college.
I’ll admit, I was fairly exhausted at this point, but it was obvious that my seatmate was eager to chat. He asked about my travels, family, and work. He found it interesting that I was coming from a Christian church meeting held in an Islamic country. He was also curious about what it looked like to work for a church and how The United Methodist Church differed from Catholicism (the only branch of Christianity with which he had any familiarity). I shared a bit about Christianity’s family tree and how the Methodist movement began as an effort to reform the Church of England, intentionally reaching out to include everyone who would respond and methodically linking discipleship, mercy, and justice.
My new friend seemed to resonate with my explanation of a faith that wasn’t simply about head knowledge or intellectual assertions and that sought to reach out instead of build walls. At this point, I tried to shift the conversation and ask about his family and background. He said that his family was in the construction business in Toronto and had immigrated to Canada forty years ago from Albania to escape Communism. He then, a bit sheepishly, told me that he is Muslim. I asked about the Albanian community in the Toronto area and more about his family’s journey over the years. We both acknowledged the wrong perceptions that people often carry about both of our faiths and how different our world would be if we could all see one another as more than our labels and identities. As our plane landed at O’Hare and we eagerly checked for the update on my son’s baseball game, he offered, “I wish we could just see each other as humans, with families, hopes, dreams, and fears.”
“I wish we could just see each other as humans, with families, hopes, dreams, and fears.”
Over the past few days, his words have stuck with me. Reflecting on my work and travels in May, it was the appreciation for each person as a child of God and brother or sister in Christ that allowed us to dialogue and create together. It was the fellowship over meals, sharing pictures of our families, and being vulnerable with one another that quickly turned strangers from very different backgrounds into friends. At Discipleship Ministries, there is a new focus on #SeeAllthePeople. I think this is a good and important start for our congregations (and our denomination). We do need to start seeing who our neighbors are and take off whatever blinders we may have or assumptions we have made. And this is an investment; an investment of time, energy, and an openness to potentially be changed. For when this begins to happen, we are no longer just a Christian pastor and Muslim construction worker. We become the mom of an eight-year-old baseball player and the future father-in-law traveling to drive home a college graduate’s U-Haul.
*The document and study guide for the WCC Global Mission Conference is still in draft form, but will be made available as soon as possible.


St Marys Cathedral
St Mary’s Cathedral stands in the centre of Sydney as a Christian statement of grace and beauty. Generations of artists have bequeathed to it their magnificent gifts in stone and glass, designing a unique space of solace and prayer within this vibrant city. This Cathedral represents the spiritual origins of the Catholic Church in Australia. It is one of Sydney’s most treasured historic buildings and one of the finest examples of English-style gothic churches in the world. William Wilkinson Wardell, the 19th century architect, dreamed of a gothic structure shaped from the local yellow-block sandstone on which this city is built. The building was finally completed 100 years after the architect’s death. The Cathedral is dedicated to Mary Help of Christians.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, invites all who enter this sanctuary to appreciate their own fundamental worth and destiny. We are brothers and sisters beyond all distinctions of race, religion, nationality or economic class. Here we encounter the gracious mystery within whose presence we journey through


Below is an excerpt from the official Jesuit oath, this oath is on record with the United States congress as legitimate. The Jesuit of the fourth vow must take the oath below, when pledging his loyalty to the Jesuit Order.
“I furthermore promise and declare that I will, when opportunity present, make and wage relentless war, secretly or openly, against all heretics, Protestants and Liberals, as I am directed to do, to extirpate and exterminate them from the face of the whole earth; and that I will spare neither age, sex or condition; and that I will hang, waste, boil, flay, strangle and bury alive these infamous heretics, rip up the stomachs and wombs of their women and crush their infants’ heads against the walls, in order to annihilate forever their execrable race. That when the same cannot be done openly, I will secretly use the poisoned cup, the strangulating cord, the steel of the poniard or the leaden bullet, regardless of the honor, rank, dignity, or authority of the person or persons, whatever may be their condition in life, either public or private, as I at any time may be directed so to do by any agent of the Pope or Superior of the Brotherhood of the Holy Faith, of the Society of Jesus.”
As you can see the Jesuit Order is set up much like the Mafia (except the Jesuit Order is far more ruthless and evil than the Mafia). According to former Mafia boss, Tony Gambino, the Mafia is submitted to the Jesuit Order and Vatican. Well known author Jack Chick (of Chick publications) also confirms that the Jesuits and Vatican control the Mafia, these revelations were further confirmed in David Yallop’s book (In God’s names), where it was proven that Mafia drug money ends up in the Vatican bank.
According to the above Jesuit oath, the Jesuit is trained in the use of: firearms, knives, poisons and strangulation (I believe they are trained in many other forms of combat). According to researcher Eric Jon Phelps, Jesuit General; Adolfo Nicolas, is a martial arts expert (It should also be noted that Adolfo spent much of his time in Japan).
The Jesuits hate protestants and ultimately desire them to be dead. However most of the Protestant denominations are secretly working for the Jesuit Order through the Scottish Rite Masonic Lodges, and the leaders of these denominations are secretly working to unite the Protestant churches with Rome. The true Protestant Bible believing churches who resist Rome and the Antichrist Pope, will become the prime target of the Jesuit Mafia.
The Jesuit Order are not a group of benevolent monks. These are highly trained assassins and spies that make the Mafia seem like a choir club. The Jesuits are the ultimate gangsters of the world, and they hide behind religious garments to avoid being seen for what they really are. The Jesuit is an iron fist hiding beneath a velvet glove. We must remember that the Jesuits were once banned from almost every nation on earth, for carrying out assassinations, and for infiltrating and subverting governments.
“I have summoned to the bar of public opinion only a small number of Jesuits; there still remain THREE HUNDRED formidable members whom
I have not unveiled, but whom I shall unveil at a future time. . . . They were powerful; for such was the will of kings. They assassinated princes, and
disturbed empires. . . . That the Jesuits were the disturbers of kingdoms, the oppressors of nations, the masters of the world, I freely admit.” (Marcel de la Roche Arnauld, 1827, Roman Catholic Priest).
The Jesuits also have a different interpretation of the cross compared to Bible believing Christians. To the born again Protestant Christian, the cross is a symbol of forgiveness, but to the Jesuits, the cross is a symbol of vengeance and death. Former Jesuit Alberto Rivera stated, “The crucifixion of Jesus brings forgiveness and life, but the crucifix is a Jesuit symbol for vengeance and death.” The Roman Catholic crucifix, it reads: I. N. R. I. In the extreme oath of the Jesuits, it has a special meaning. I. N. R. I. means: IUSTUM NECARE REGES IMPIOS Translated to English I. N. R. I. means: ‘It is just to exterminate or annihilate impious or heretical kings, governments or rulers.’
As you can see, the Jesuits operate much like the Mafia (The Jesuits created the Mafia). The Jesuit must murder whoever his superior (Capo) or Underboss (Jesuit General) says he must murder. The Jesuit superiors and the Jesuits underneath them, are basically like Capo-regimes like in the Mafia.
Those who understand how the Mafia works or have seen movies that are truthful depictions of how the Mafia operate, should be able to understand how the Jesuits operate. The Jesuit General used to be the Don or Godfather, but now that a Jesuit openly holds the office of the white Pope, I believe the white Pope is the current Don or Godfather of the Mafia Jesuit group. The current Jesuit General, Adolfo Nicolas is like an Underboss to the Jesuit Pope. Hans Kolvenbach who is a previous Jesuit General is like a high level Capo with his own regime of Mafia soldiers underneath him. The other Jesuit superiors located around the world, are like Capo’s with their own regime of Mafia soldiers under them. Remember that the Jesuits are an army of hit men, and managers of legitimate businesses and criminal businesses, just like in the Mafia. The Mafia Don who portrays himself as a legitimate businessman to avoid detection is much like the Jesuit, who hides behind a religious costume and charities to evade detection and arrest. The Jesuits have concealed their true identities for over two hundred years (over two hundred years ago the Jesuits were suppressed and banned from most nations in the world for Mafia type activities).
The Jesuit Mafia control: governments, corporations, intelligence agencies, organized religion and organized crime, all over the world, through their network of secret societies and army of assassins and spies.
For more information on the Jesuits, please read my Jesuits Exposed article.


On Sunday :
7:00 : Office of Readings and Morning Prayer
10:00 : Mass
13:30 : Midday Prayer
16:30 : Eucharistic exposition and silent adoration
17:30 : Chaplet - Vespers - Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
From Monday to Saturday (except 1rst Saturday of the month) :
7:00 : Morning Prayer
8:30 : Mass
13:30 : Midday Prayer (on Saturday, the mass is followed by chaplet)
16:30 : Eucharistic exposition
18:00 : Chaplet - Vespers - Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
On Thursday :
'Holy Hour' : Eucharistic adoration animated from 20:30 to 21:30, then silent adoration during all night
1rst Friday of each month :
Eucharistic Exposition of the Blessed-Sacrament after mass (8:30) ; Benediction of the Blessed-Sacrament after Vespers (about 18:45)
2nd Saturday of each month :
9:00 : Chaplet for persecuted christians after mass.
1rst Saturday of each month :
See specific schedule on activities. Mass : 15:00.
The history of the house (Fundation date : 2 Jul 2008)add
Our home in Bergerac is located in the Carmel of The Sacred-Heart. This was founded in 1861 to accommodate the Carmelites who had already been in Bergerac for three years in a temporary house. They were waiting for this beautiful monastery, built especially for them and according to Carmelite needs, to be completed and to be able to live there.
For almost 150 years, holy Carmelites have lived, prayed and offered in this house, leaving a palpable religious atmosphere.
In 2008, in order to strengthen the Carmel of Athens, the only Catholic Carmel in Orthodox lands, and also because there were only eight Carmelites left, the Carmelites looked for a community that could replace them. The continuity of religious life was important to them. Divine Providence guided everything. Friends told us - on 11 February, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes - that the Carmelites were looking for a community. We didn't think we would be able to embark on this new adventure here: we had just moved to a very large monastery in Sens, a little over a year earlier. During a meeting with the prioress, Mother Monique, in March 2008, we discovered that we had a common devotion to Our Lady of the Snows... which is not so common! Other signs came in addition to this one, such as the encouragement of the bishop of Périgueux, and allowed us to understand that Our Lord wanted it.
On 2 July 2008, a small provisional team of sisters came to settle in, while awaiting the arrival of the definitive team in September, made up of two brothers and five sisters. Today we are six brothers and eight sisters, and this home can radiate out to all our friends in the South West region.


Sometime between 5 and 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6 the torch, carried by runners representing the migrant community, will arrive at St. Peter the
Also, on the Philadelphia Catholic breaking news front, it is semi-, quasi-, just-about official that the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul –
Apparently, the Mexican community of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish wrote a letter to Cardinal Justin Rigali last year requesting that he consider installing an image of La Morenita in the Cathedral given the large number of Latino Catholics in the Archdiocese….at this year’s Day of Sanctification for priests, Nov. 24, the Cardinal announced it is in the works.
No word yet whether it will be in the chapel, or in the Cathedral proper, or whether it will be a statue or a painting, but as soon as I know, the readers of this blog will know.
(Photo of La Morenita at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Philadelphia by Joanna Lightner.)


In Support OfIlluminate Gives Back
All proceeds from #2016Illuminate will be donated to Transforming Hope Ministries.
The #2016Illuminate conference proceeds will support Transforming Hope Ministries, a local non-profit organization that strives to educate the general public on the issue of domestic minor sex trafficking. Transforming Hope works to help restore the lives of girls and their families who have been lured into domestic minor sex trafficking.
Transforming Hope Ministries was founded on November 20, 2010 by our Director, Abbi Tenaglia. Having been through her own journey of exploitation (not commercial), abuse, addiction, and finally restoration and freedom, she desires to equip those who have been commercially exploited through domestic human trafficking with the skills to avoid vulnerability to being re-exploited as well as to help them understand their true value only found through Christ, to experience true freedom in this life and beyond.
We are a faith-based, para-church, public non-profit organization (501c3) currently located in central North Carolina. Christ commanded us to “love others as ourselves” (Matthew 22:39). Every human being deserves unconditional, individual love. Each person deserves to truly be seen and embraced. Transforming Hope works to do this through the Holy Spirit’s guidance and authority. Transforming Hope is founded on the belief that Christ came to give us life to live freely and “to the full”in Him (John 10:10). As individuals who have come to experience freedom in Christ, we, the Transforming Hope team, strive to provide the opportunity for this freedom to those enslaved in human trafficking.
Currently, we have created a video series to offer a holistic approach to understanding domestic minor sex trafficking (or DMST, a term used to refer to people under the age of 18 who are being exploited in the US and are considered US citizens). We strive to educate others on this issue and then equip them with the skills to talk about it with their peers. This is done through collaboration with service providers and first responders to a potential human trafficking situation. To date, we have trained local law enforcement, health care professionals, domestic violence shelter volunteers, Communities in Schools mentors, and system of care employees. To schedule a training with your group, please contact us via this request form.
In October, 2015, we helped to change the law in North Carolina requiring all middle and high schools to provide sex trafficking awareness and prevention to their students. So we also offer a Teen Workshop for middle and high school students. This workshop can be used in schools or churches or other youth groups and we provide training and materials for instructors, as well as resources for parents and students. For more information on this training, please contact our Director.
In 2016, we have many exciting things happening!
We’re creating several local missions trips for teams to work alongside local churches and organizations to serve high-risk populations in the Triangle.
We’ve joined several task forces and rapid response teams around the Triangle to meet and partner with local law enforcement, nonprofits, and social service agencies to end human trafficking in the Triangle.
We’re creating a Prayer Guide to help guide others to end human trafficking through prayer. If you like to write and pray, join us in this endeavor!
We’ve started a monthly Father Daughter Challenge to encourage dads every month to continue being his little girl’s hero through simple challenges and creative activities to help complete those challenges. If you’re a DAD, sign up here!
In the fall, we have HUGE news to share and we’ll share at a HUGE Vision Night, where we’ll celebrate all God has done in the last six years of Transforming Hope, reflect on some of the lessons we’ve learned along the way, and share what BIG things God is doing this year. You don’t want to miss this! More details coming soon!
We invite you to join us on this journey to set the captives free and we ask that you pray daily for us and for those we work with. Please visit either our volunteer page or our donation page to get involved and make sure you sign up for monthly e-updates so that you can celebrate our progress with us. Thank you!
The Illuminate 2015 committee is honored to support the this wonderful local charity. For more information about Transforming Hope Ministries and the families they serve, please visit www.transforminghopeministries.org. You may also learn more about Transforming Hope Ministries by clicking here.


There is a song called ‘Miles’, by Nichole Nordeman that has been stalking me this week. It came to me out of the blue, and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head ever since.
The song describes two women on their knees in prayer with needs so far beyond their control. One mother is grieving the daily battle of keeping her son alive. Everyday she watches her baby hooked up to machines, as she pleads with God to change her circumstances.
Then by the second verse we see the other mother crying out to God in agony over the loss of her darling boy. One minute he is running, playing, and the next he was taken from her—ripped away.
The part of the song that I find so hauntingly beautiful is this line:
“One moment someone whispers thank you
just then another heart cries, how could you?”
When we are in the middle of our own personal battle, it can be so hard to see beyond our pain. How can we find peace? C.S. Lewis writes about true joy, and he describes it as an ‘inconsolable longing’, a ‘pang’, a yearning for a world out of reach. I love that he uses these feelings to describe true joy, because I look at real life situations, and they are gritty, heartbreaking, and sometimes seemingly unkind. I believe that in those dark moments, God is preparing us for ‘true joy’. He is reminding us that death is not an end, but a beginning. Sometimes our ‘unanswered’ prayer is someone else’s answer.
This song is not some carefully crafted ballad to lead you into your own personal sob fest. This is a real life story of two precious families in Sacramento, California. Sweet baby Alex passed away as the result of a ‘freak accident’, but his mother chose to donate her baby’s heart to another boy, named (Can you guess?)…Miles.
The song ends with this:
“It may be miles and miles before the journey’s clear
there may be rivers, may be oceans of tears
but the very hand that shields your eyes from understanding
is the Hand that will be holding you for miles.”
I don’t know what you are facing today, maybe you feel like life has dealt you the wrong hand. Maybe you don’t even want to get out of bed some mornings, but remember you will be held for miles…no matter how long the road is.
If you have the time copy this link into your browser: http://news.stanford.edu/news/2004/december8/med-year-hearts-1208.html
Or Google ‘Miles Coulson’ and follow the amazing journey of this precious little one!


is our spiritual father, the shepherd of the church. He has been graced with the gift of being able to give testimony of our Lord."
Pope Francis, 76, is the first pontiff from outside Europe in more than a millennium. He has spent nearly his entire career at home in Argentina, overseeing churches and shoe leather priests.
Dozens of people listened attentively as Flores spoke kind words of Pope Francis, one day after he was elected pontiff, the first from the Americas.
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around the world. "Even though he is from the old way (of the church), he is bringing reform and we definitely need it," Garcia said. "So I am very, very happy.
Bishop Flores expresses thanks for Pope Francis
"It brings elation (that he's from Latin America) he knows us and we need help, so I think he is going to be very helpful to us. I think he will bring Catholics back to the church. Humility brings a lot of things back. Nobody likes a pompous priest."
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Garcia made the comments shortly before Bishop Daniel E. Flores, of the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville, held a thanksgiving Mass at the cathedral in honor of the new pope.
The pope spent the first part of his day with a visit to Rome's main basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary, a day after cardinals elected him the first pope from the Americas in a bid to resurrect a Catholic Church in crisis.
After Thursday's Mass at the cathedral, Flores summarized to The Brownsville Herald the words of hope he spoke at the Mass and how it is the vocation of all to bear testimony to Christ. He said the pope is called to this, as are all Catholics.
"We are grateful that God has given us the first pope who comes from 'the Americas.' He brings to the leadership of the Church the experience of faith, hope, Ralph Lauren Long Sleeve Polo Shirt White and charity, the suffering and the ongoing struggle to promote human dignity that have formed part of our experience in the Americas." Flores wrote. "This is a great gift to the world and to us all. Pope Francis will bring this richness to bear as he gives his testimony on behalf of Christ crucified and risen," Flores said.
Francis told cardinals he would also call on retired Pope Benedict XVI today and celebrate an inaugural Mass in the Sistine Chapel.
Flores said he has been honored to officiate at the Mass marking the last day that Pope Benedict XVI served as pope, and at Wednesday's Mass, which marked the first of Pope Francis' tenure.
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WHY BE INVOLVED
As alumni, thousands of donors helped you graduate from Cedarville. Student's tuition only covers a portion of the full cost to attend Cedarville. The Cedarville Fund closes that gap. Your gifts to The Cedarville Fund pay it forward.
Nearly one-third of the dollars raised by The Cedarville Fund are distributed as student aid. Your gifts to The Cedarville Fund attract and retain academically talented and ministry-minded students.
Cedarville is one of seven institutions in the 101 CCCU schools to provide daily chapel. Cedarville is the ONLY university to provide both daily chapel and require a Bible minor. Your gifts to The Cedarville Fund support those distinctive programs.


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The Terror of The Lord
If you are lost, you will one day stand before God at a Great White Throne Judgment. If you are saved, then you too will stand before a judgment: the "Bema" Judgment Seat of Christ.
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." (2 Corinthians 5:10-11)
For most so-called Christians, the idea of "knowing the terror of the Lord" sounds strange, perhaps even blasphemous. The reason for such a reaction against God's Word is that such "Christians" are either not aware of this passage of scripture, or else they have a false view of Christ.
Their "Christ" is probably something like a "jolly old Santa Claus" who has a big bag of goodies to give them when they die, no matter how wickedly they lived their lives while on in the world.
If you have such a false view of Christ, then you need to repent and trust the real Jesus, not "another Jesus" (such the one you now believe in). You need to trust the real Jesus, the Jesus who is up in Heaven, the Jesus who is sitting at the right hand of God on His throne.
If you are not a Christian, then you need to become one. If you are a Christian, then you will stand before the "Bema" Judgment Throne of Christ. Do you know "the terror of the Lord"? Paul knew of this great terror. In fact, Paul was the human author of this very passage of scripture.
The good Christians of the past also knew of this terror of the Lord. Such good Christians of the past worked hard for Christ because they loved Him and because they knew that they would stand before Christ at the Bema Judgment to give an account of those things they did or did not do for Christ in this life.
A famous Christian once said, "Only one life, 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last." Your "wood, hay, and stubble" will all be burned up in that day. The endless hours of television and pleasure pursuits will be burned up that day. Your "good works" which you did to be seen by other people will all be burned up as well. Only what you actually did for Jesus Himself will not be burned at the Bema Judgment.
Have you actually worked for Christ -- for Christ alone? Or will you instead be naked before Jesus on that day? Will you be saved as if "by fire", with all your works burned up?
"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)
"Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." (Revelation 2:5)
Let the terror of the Lord grip you. Let the terror of the Lord cause you to persuade men to come to Christ so they will not end up in the flames of Hell to burn there forever when they die. Get ready for the Bema Judgment. Jesus is coming again very soon. Trust Jesus to pay for your sins. Repent now, while you are able!


Biblical theology, stripped bare of denominational confessions and theological systems by exposing context. On what day was Jesus actually born? What year?
In this episode we discuss the divine council and other biblical theological topics. To watch the bonus segment, "5 More Minutes," become a supporter of our ministry by following the Patreon link below. Player FM is scanning the web for high-quality podcasts for you to enjoy right now.
I really enjoyed Dr. Heiser's interview with you. I am really looking forward to reading the material associated with your dissertation when you blog about it or when it becomes published.
Michael Heiserand his layman assistant, Trey Stricklin. Heiser is one of the many voices I listen to about biblical questions and context, and his actual passion and faith are things I sometimes forget about because his lectures get very academic and dense. Our senior pastor and our brand new associate pastor are both well beyond biblically literate, and my senior pastor has been open and inviting whenever I had questions that needed answering from some book or other of Scripture. That said, I really believe that Dr.
Topics we addressed included defining NAR and explaining exactly what distinguishes NAR from other groups and movements, including Pentecostals, charismatics, the Vineyard movement, and the signs and wonders movement. We also discussed ways to help people who are caught up in NAR teachings. Listen to the podcast here.
Michael Heiser: The series has in mind any Christian who reads the Bible with regularity. Regular Bible readers want to feel confident in their ability to understand the Bible, and to not be totally dependent on others for spiritual food. They want competence in finding answers to questions, living biblically in the culture, and discerning what God wants them to know from his Word.
This is a special episode in our series exploring the portrayal of God as a character in the Bible! Michael Heiser. Dr Heiser is a Ph.
Michael S. Heiser is an American biblical Old Testament scholar and Christian  author who has criticized ancient alien astronaut theorists. His area of expertise is the nature of the spiritual realm in the Bible, namely the Divine council and hierarchy of the spiritual order.
Defends the Gospel of Jesus Christ and classical confessional Calvinism. The term "Reformed" refers to the five solas of the Reformation and the two classical confessional standards: the Three Forms of Unity, and the Westminster Standards. Isaiah ; Romans ,2.
Michael Heiser is passionate about asking questions that challenge common views of biblical subjects. In his forthcoming book AngelsMike tackles what the Old and New Testament actually state about angelic beings. All too often, a modern Western worldview blinds even Christians to the reality of the spiritual.


Intro to the Cathedral Class
June 4th - June 18th, 2017
The Intro to the Cathedral Class gives an understanding of our Anglican heritage and our commitment to one another in the church Body. It is an important step as people are considering confirmation, membership, or just greater engagement at the Cathedral.
Listen & Speak: Conversations in Faith and Culture
November 2nd - November 3rd, 2017
Listen & Speak seeks to create conversations around Christian faithfulness in a shifting culture. Join us for a two day conference in Charleston, South Carolina featuring author Andy Crouch and artist Liz Vice.
Limited scholarships are available upon request.


This story appeared on the TTA Press’ 2014 Advent Calendar.
The Angel, Lucifer, begged the Lord but the Lord said to him that the wickedness in the hearts of men and the corruption of their flesh must be cleansed and for this He would send a great flood.
Lucifer cried for those doomed to die in the Lord’s judgement and took pity on them for he was weak, where the Lord was strong. He sought out Cain, descendant of the slayer of Abel and ordered him to build an ark of gopher wood. Its dimensions were far greater than those given to Noah by our Lord and it was furnished for a long journey. Lucifer told Cain the sign that he would send to mark the time for their return to land.
Lucifer asked Cain to bring his wife and children onto the ark to be the keepers of all those that God had sought to destroy. Cain went into the world and brought back a pair of each kind.
There were men and women twisted beyind all recognition by their heinous desires and their voracious appetites. Some ate human flesh. Some walked only by night and fed on blood. Others were wolves at the fullest moon. There were creatures that bore the wings of eagles and the claws of dragons. Some crawled on their bellies and had serpents for hair. Others belonged to the dark earth and had no eyes. Every manner of creature and crime were represented.
They went in two by two, this parade of horrors.
The heavens opened and a great deluge, lasting forty days and nights, cleansed the earth. None that walked upon it survived. The winds rose and the ark tossed to and fro in the mighty swell.
When it ceased and the sun was no longer covered by clouds they came on deck and watched the waters drain away. They cried for Cain to let them walk upon the land that was revealed but he had taken Lucifer’s words to heart. The dark ark stayed at sea.
Time lay heavy in the ark and all manner of wickedness was performed there. Even Lucifer turned his face away in shame. And still the dark ark stayed at sea.
Cain waited until there were metal birds high in the sky for this was the sign promised by Lucifer. He steered the ark towards land.
They saw huge bridges and mighty towers, greater than any in Babylon. And Cain knew it was time to let the children whom the Lord had forsaken to walk upon the earth again; the bastard sons and daughters of the unnatural lusts of man and woman and monsters and murderers.
For it was long enough time for the Lord and Lucifer to have forgotten them and also for the Lord and Lucifer to have been forgotten in the hearts and minds of men.
And so they went onto the land and into the great city.