How hard is the way of life with Jesus?

This Jesus saying is a part of what I call the Jesus Manifesto (Matthew 5 – 7) aka the Sermon on the Mount. It eats at the religious life myth of leading a good life.

Jesus warns us that it won’t be easy. Jesus is pulling no punches here. It will be hard.

For example, it may be easy to not commit adultery. It will be hard not to lust. Few are actually going to find God. Most Christians won’t.

I didn’t know how tough it would be. May I be one of the few. May you be one of the few.

Is a Fetal Human Being a Person?

Amy Hall of Stand to Reason explains why all humans are also persons. For more information, visit str.org.

Why we believe in life?

We believe that LIFE is sacred, both in the womb and outside the womb. There are numerous teachings in Scripture that make it abundantly clear what God’s view of life is. Jeremiah 1:5 tells us that God knows us before He forms us in the womb.

Does Jesus know what He is talking about?

Miracles Happen

Am I the one Jesus brings into the room with Him or am I the one provoked to sarcasm and left out of His presence?

This is an essential question. Imagine telling Jesus he didn’t know what he was talking about. Oh my goodness. God is God. He will do what He wants regardless of what we think.

Being snarky with Jesus is deadly. Jesus has a way of dealing with it.  Telling Jesus He doesn’t know what He doesn’t know what He is talking about is way over the top. Why do we do it? What is in our heart?

Peter, James and John got in. I want to be one of the ones who goes in with Jesus.

I don’t want to be sarcastic about what our Lord can do. Nothing is impossible for Him!!

The events of the day had been stunning. A 12 year old had just been raised from the dead. At Jesus command, she got up from the dead and walked around. Everyone was beside themselves. She was 12. She had died. Now she was alive. God is great. Nothing is impossible with Him.

What is Jesus first concern after He has raised her from the dead? She is hungry. Get her some food.

Jesus knows what is important and when it is important. He never ignores what we need and when we need it.

That is just the way God is. God is good and in a good mood. He knows when we are hungry and will give us something to eat.

He permitted no one to go in with him except Peter, James, and John. They entered the leader’s house and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and neighbors bringing in casseroles. Jesus was abrupt: ‘Why all this busybody grief and gossip? This child isn’t dead; she’s sleeping.’ Provoked to sarcasm, they told him he didn’t know what he was talking about.

 

But when he had sent them all out, he took the child’s father and mother, along with his companions, and entered the child’s room. He clasped the girl’s hand and said, ‘Talitha koum,’ which means, ‘Little girl, get up.’ At that, she was up and walking around! This girl was twelve years of age. They, of course, were all beside themselves with joy. He gave them strict orders that no one was to know what had taken place in that room. Then he said, ‘Give her something to eat.’

Mark 5:39-43

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Check out our upcoming ministry programs for young adults and families. Please click here.

Our programs are like an immersion into a new language – the language of living in Jesus.  The goal is fluency in the language of relationships.  Programs share a sequential vision, building an understanding of relationships and family culture.  The foundation is an encounter with Jesus.  This encounter is the means for both insight and vision.  Encountering Jesus leads a radical change in living and relationships.

Heroes Semester is a 10-week residential, “family style” living experience like no other! | — Sept 2 – Nov 9, 2019 | Participants ages 18-26 come with one purpose – to go deeper with the Lord. ow.ly/Nhag30oRYRK

Strengthening & Restoring Family Relationships — Train to Reign Program — Oct 20 – Nov 2 | Family is the most vital relationship and the one under the most pressure and attack. Come strengthen your family in a strong relationship with God. http://ow.ly/l5SU30oS5pQ

If you would like to donate to the Christian Training Center, please click here.

John Irving’s Pro-Abortion Nonsense 

Here is some great insight from RAMESH PONNURU. He is a senior editor for National Review, a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion, a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and a senior fellow at the National Review Institute.

Abortion ‘Blueprint’ Would Strip Fundamental Rights

This is horrible. We must continue to pray. We must continue to elect men and women who will protect life.

Abortion for anyone, anytime, anywhere — and you’ll pay for it.

In 114 pages, over 70 groups recently laid out a legislative agenda in their “Blueprint for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice” that is, in a few words, focused on one goal: abortion anywhere, anytime, for anyone — at any cost.

These groups — Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Abortion Federation, Population Council, Catholics for Choice, People for the American Way, et al. — are not content with the U.S. Supreme Court decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton.

They want more: more access, more acceptance, more money, and greater control. In truth, they want your tax dollars to pay for abortion; they want local doctors, hospitals, physician assistants, midwives, and nurses to perform or refer for abortions; they want your children to have easy access to one without your knowledge or approval; they want your children exposed to information promoting abortion — early and often; and they want to see the U.S. promulgate and push abortion and its availability around the globe.

Read More Here:

Abortion ‘Blueprint’ Would Strip Fundamental Rights | National Review

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Check out our upcoming ministry programs for young adults and families. Please click here.

Our programs are like an immersion into a new language – the language of living in Jesus.  The goal is fluency in the language of relationships.  Programs share a sequential vision, building an understanding of relationships and family culture.  The foundation is an encounter with Jesus.  This encounter is the means for both insight and vision.  Encountering Jesus leads a radical change in living and relationships.

Heroes Semester is a 10-week residential, “family style” living experience like no other! | — Sept 2 – Nov 9, 2019 | Participants ages 18-26 come with one purpose – to go deeper with the Lord. ow.ly/Nhag30oRYRK

Strengthening & Restoring Family Relationships — Train to Reign Program — Oct 20 – Nov 2 | Family is the most vital relationship and the one under the most pressure and attack. Come strengthen your family in a strong relationship with God. http://ow.ly/l5SU30oS5pQ

If you would like to donate to the Christian Training Center, please click here.

Does death have the last word on things?

Where is the sting of death? Jesus is Risen

Death has no power over us. It has been swallowed up whole by the triumphant resurrection of our Master Jesus. Jesus gives us life.

We know that “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.” ~Jesus (John 3:36)

This is reality.

Does death have the last word on things? Not hardly. No way.

Jesus has seen to that. It is over.

Who should be afraid of death knowing what we know? No one. Certainly not me.

It was not following God’s plan and missing God’s goal (aka sin) that gave death it’s leverage. It doesn’t have that hold now. Jesus has given us, in one single victorious stroke of life, a life free from guilt. A life free from sin. A life free from death.

The old life of trying to live up to all the rules is gone.

How destructive was that? Way too much guilt for sure. But it is gone in His redeeming power of His death and the victory of His resurrection.

May we experience that gift every day. May we experience it today for sure!!!

Three Babies in Minnesota Were Born Alive After Failed Abortions and Left to Die

Here is some sad news as reported by LifeNews.com.

Three babies survived botched abortions but later died in 2018 in Minnesota, according to a new state Department of Health report.

The news comes as Democrats in Congress block a federal bill to require that basic medical care be provided to newborns who survive abortions. Democrats have argued that legislation to protect abortion survivors is a waste of time and not necessary.

But data from Minnesota, the Centers for Disease Control and other sources indicate that babies do survive abortions, and laws are needed to protect them.

Minnesota has been keeping track of abortion survivors since 2015 when pro-lifers passed the state Born Alive Infants Protection Act. The law recognizes infants who survive abortions as human persons and requires that they be provided with reasonable medical care.

Since the law went into effect, state reports indicate that 11 babies have survived abortions: five in 2016, three in 2017 and three in 2018, according to Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life.

According to the most recent report:

• • • For the calendar year of January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018, three (3) abortion procedures resulting in a born-alive infant were reported.
    • In one instance, APGAR score was 1 at 1 and 5 minutes. There were anomalies incompatible with life. No measures taken to preserve life were reported and the infant did not survive.
    • In one instance, comfort care measures were provided as planned and the infant did not survive.
    • In one instance, the infant was previable. No measures taken to preserve life were reported and the infant did not survive.

Read more here:

Three Babies in Minnesota Were Born Alive After Failed Abortions in 2018 and Left to Die | LifeNews.com

If you would like to donate to the Christian Training Center, please click here.

Check out our upcoming ministry programs for young adults and families. Please click here.

Our programs are like an immersion into a new language – the language of living in Jesus.  The goal is fluency in the language of relationships.  Programs share a sequential vision, building an understanding of relationships and family culture.  The foundation is an encounter with Jesus.  This encounter is the means for both insight and vision.  Encountering Jesus leads a radical change in living and relationships.

Heroes Semester is a 10-week residential, “family style” living experience like no other! | — Sept 2 – Nov 9, 2019 | Participants ages 18-26 come with one purpose – to go deeper with the Lord. ow.ly/Nhag30oRYRK

Strengthening & Restoring Family Relationships — Train to Reign Program — Oct 20 – Nov 2 | Family is the most vital relationship and the one under the most pressure and attack. Come strengthen your family in a strong relationship with God. http://ow.ly/l5SU30oS5pQ

Does death come from a phantom life of evil and their friends?

Community of Faith

There is a way to live and there is a way to die.

Living comes from aligning myself with God and His loyal servants. God has called us to a community of service.

Being loyal to that community gives us alignment with God himself. That is so very powerful. That is the Way of Jesus.

Death comes from a phantom life of evil and their friends. Evil is a phantom. It is real. It is the way to death. I don’t want to go that way.

Wisdom knows the difference.

God’s goal for me is that I align myself with the faithful and live.

I will take a stand with God’s faithful. That is the way to life. That is the way of Wisdom.

“Take your stand with God’s loyal community and live, or chase after phantoms of evil and die.” ~King Solomon

Proverbs 11:19 (The Message Bible)

If you would like to donate to the Christian Training Center, please click here.

Check out our upcoming ministry programs for young adults and families. Please click here.

Our programs are like an immersion into a new language – the language of living in Jesus.  The goal is fluency in the language of relationships.  Programs share a sequential vision, building an understanding of relationships and family culture.  The foundation is an encounter with Jesus.  This encounter is the means for both insight and vision.  Encountering Jesus leads a radical change in living and relationships.

Heroes Semester is a 10-week residential, “family style” living experience like no other! | — Sept 2 – Nov 9, 2019 | Participants ages 18-26 come with one purpose – to go deeper with the Lord. ow.ly/Nhag30oRYRK

Strengthening & Restoring Family Relationships — Train to Reign Program — Oct 20 – Nov 2 | Family is the most vital relationship and the one under the most pressure and attack. Come strengthen your family in a strong relationship with God. http://ow.ly/l5SU30oS5pQ

33 States Have Passed 479 Pro-Life Laws in the Last 10 Years Protecting Babies From premature death

We stand for life. All lives are so precious. Here is some good news on progress to protect the lives of the most vulnerable.

A new report from the Guttmacher Institute shows how pro-life advocates can make a difference when they elect pro-life leaders to office.

Since 2011, state lawmakers have passed a record 479 restrictions in 33 states, according to Guttmacher, the former research arm of Planned Parenthood. To put that number into perspective, states have passed 1,271 pro-life laws since 1973 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade, the report states. This means more than one third of all pro-life laws in the U.S. have been approved in the past decade.

Of those 479 laws, 40 percent directly protect life in some way, whether at a gestational age or as a means of protecting unborn babies from discrimination based on a disability or their sex, the report found.

That number includes 17 pro-life laws that states passed this year. Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio all passed laws banning deaths after an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detectable, about six to eight weeks; and Alabama passed a law banning deaths almost completely. Arkansas and Utah also passed laws banning deaths after 18 weeks, a point by which most European countries also ban premature deaths.

Read More Here:

33 States Have Passed 479 Pro-Life Laws in the Last 10 Years Protecting Babies From death   LifeNews.com

Why we believe in life?

We believe that LIFE is sacred, both in the womb and outside the womb. There are numerous teachings in Scripture that make it abundantly clear what God’s view of life is. Jeremiah 1:5 tells us that God knows us before He forms us in the womb.

The word of the Lord came to me: I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations.

Psalm 139:13-16 speaks of God’s active role in our creation and formation in the womb.

For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.

Exodus 21:22-25 prescribes the same penalty — death — for someone who causes the death of a baby in the womb as for someone who commits murder. This clearly indicates that God considers a baby in the womb to be as human as a full-grown adult.

For the disciple of Jesus, life is not a matter of a woman’s right to choose. It is a matter of the life or death of a human being made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27; 9:6).

• God said “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.” (Jeremiah 1:5)
• David said “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.”(Psalm 139:13-16)
• Luke said “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Luke 1:41)
• God said “You shall not murder.” (Deuteronomy 5:17)
• King Solomon said “There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood.”  (Proverbs 6:16)
• Biblical authors unanimously refer to the preborn as people.
  • Job describes miscarried babies as “infants who never saw the light” (Job 3:16).
  • Pregnant mothers are referred to throughout the New Testament as being “with child”(Matthew 1:18, Luke 2:5).
  • Of Rebekah and Abraham’s twin sons, Moses records “the children struggled together within her” (Genesis 25:22).
  • Luke refers to Elizabeth’s baby with the exact same word, υἱὸν (Greek for “son”), both before and after his birth (Luke 1:36, 57).
  • They’re not ambiguous “blobs of cells” or “scrambled eggs” but sons, daughters, children, infants.

If you would like to donate to the Christian Training Center, please click here.

Check out our upcoming ministry programs for young adults and families. Please click here.

Heroes Semester is a 10-week residential, “family style” living experience like no other! | — Sept 2 – Nov 9, 2019 | Participants ages 18-26 come with one purpose – to go deeper with the Lord. ow.ly/Nhag30oRYRK

Strengthening & Restoring Family Relationships — Train to Reign Program — Oct 20 – Nov 2 | Family is the most vital relationship and the one under the most pressure and attack. Come strengthen your family in a strong relationship with God. http://ow.ly/l5SU30oS5pQ

Is the resurrection of Jesus evidence of God?

Good news of God

Jesus rose from the dead. That is amazing and represents the good news of God.

God is not dead. We stand against the notion because we know the power of God. We have great evidence that Jesus rose from the dead into an incorruptible body.

We are a people of good news. People are confused. They are looking to find the way. Jesus is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE! That is amazing.

Jesus calls on us to be a witness to the goodness of God. I can do that!

“The urgency to preach the Good News is as true today as it was two thousand years ago, even if some scholars have naively declared God to be dead, forgetting that they are dealing with a God who found His way out of the grave…”

~ Roman Catholic Cardinal Ivan Dias implores Anglican Bishops at the Lambeth Conference to stand against “moral confusion.”

If you would like to donate to the Christian Training Center, please click here.

Check out our upcoming ministry programs for young adults and families. Please click here.

Heroes Semester is a 10-week residential, “family style” living experience like no other! | — Sept 2 – Nov 9, 2019 | Participants ages 18-26 come with one purpose – to go deeper with the Lord. ow.ly/Nhag30oRYRK

Strengthening & Restoring Family Relationships — Train to Reign Program — Oct 20 – Nov 2 | Family is the most vital relationship and the one under the most pressure and attack. Come strengthen your family in a strong relationship with God. http://ow.ly/l5SU30oS5pQ

What Does the Bible Say about Abortion? 

Here is a great article from Tamela Turbeville. She has a desire for every woman with a difficult past to know God loves them. She is wife to Richard, and mother to three grown sons and two beautiful daughters-in-law. When doing what she loves most – studying God’s Word, reading and writing – she is surrounded by her six rescue dogs in her small office in south Arkansas.

There is no question the subject of abortion is a controversial topic. Nearly every day, news reports cover the fast-changing laws and the heated clashes between pro-life and pro-choice proponents. Both sides of the issue stand firm on their beliefs and rights.

Often if you are not on the side of the loudest advocates, you may feel as if you are under attack by both the world and the enemy. The world calls the choice of abortion a right, but what is the position of Christ-followers on the subject?

As followers of Jesus, our stance should align with God’s. Now, more than ever, our voice should speak truth against the enemy, and the best defense against the world and the enemy is knowing the truth found in the Word of God.

The Bible is clear that God is the Creator of life and all life is precious, born and unborn. So, what does the Bible say about abortion?

Read more here:

What Does the Bible Say about Abortion? – Topical Studies

If you would like to donate to the Christian Training Center, please click here.

Check out our upcoming ministry programs for young adults and families. Please click here.

The Ancient Enemies of Israel Have Entered Our Land

Thank you for joining us as we seek to better understand some of the things going on in our lives and nation today. This is an in-depth study written by Susan Pons. As you read, please ask the Holy Spirit to give you ears to truly hear and understand this important message.

“Behold, I will send you Eli′jah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse.” (Malachi 4:5-6 RSV)

This is the perfect Scripture to begin with in order for each of us to perhaps face the happening that a curse has been released across our land and the reasons for its release.As a culture, the hearts of the fathers are not being turned toward their children.This makes it almost impossible for the hearts of the children to be turned to their fathers. Malachi declares the consequence of the sinful divide between fathers and children… ‘lest I come and smite the land with a curse’. Amazing as it is, this is the final warning of the Old Testament.

When a curse comes upon a nation, it covers the nation except for those people who recognize its debilitating force.

What happens when enemies enter our land?

Exodus 34:10 (The Message) says“And God said, As of right now, I’m making a covenant with you: In full sight of your people I will work wonders that have never been created in all the Earth, in any nation. Then all the people with whom you’re living will see how tremendous God’s work is, the work I’ll do for you. Take careful note of all I command you today. I’m clearing your way by driving out Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Stay vigilant. Don’t let down your guard lest you make covenant with the people who live in the land that you are entering and they trip you up”.

Who were these enemies that had entered the land of Israel? Let’s define them and compare them to our America in today’s world.

1. Hittites – literally translated means, sons of terror”; and as we know the word terror refers to an extreme manifestation of fear. The Hittite spirit will bring intimidation and fear and discouragement. In Numbers 21:1-4, King Arad heard that Israel was coming. He fought against Israel and took captives. Israel made a vow to God and asked for His help. God accepted the vow, and Israel with God’s help, won the battle… but the Hittite spirit did its damage.

“And the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way” (Num 21:4 KJV).

The Hittite spirit had done its job causing Israel to become fearful.

In America today, it may do us well to recognize the Hittite spirit operating in our nation to bring fear to those who disagree with their agenda that goes against the peace and safety of our nation and citizens. School, church, and synagogue shootings; violent shows over our television and movie screens; violent video games; in Chicago 75% of Black homes are fatherless…thus the Hittite spirit is free to operate.

2.  Ammorite – the word for Ammonite in Hebrew comes from another Hebrew word, amor,which means to utter, to say (gossip, slander, and evil speaking). This implies that people with Ammonite spirits are people who want their name uttered or mentioned. Ammonites are haughty fame-seekers; seekers of human glory and greatness. Practically all dictators in history are Ammorites. These are people like Saddam Hussein, Fidel Castro, Adolph Hitler, and Joseph Stalin, who like to dominate and control others. Ammorites are again mentioned as people who followed false gods. Cherish was the name of a god they worshipped whose whose name means “destroyer”. The aim of the Ammonite spirit is to stir up discord and division in our mind as it beats us down in spirit.It is aimed at the Christian faith that preaches liberty to the human soul.

Perhaps we can place much of the media into the tribe of the Ammorites.

3. Canaanite – the name Canaanite means trafficker. This is the exact same description given to Satan in Ezekiel 28:13-18. This spirit is behind addictions and sexual impurity. This is why in the Scriptures, Sodom and Gomorrah were said to be Canaanite cities (Genesis 10:19). Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal king of Sidon, which means she was Phoenician, who were Canaanites. The Canaanite spirit uses wealth and material gain to bring God’s people into compromise and backsliding.

Sexual trafficking, labor trafficking, and drug trafficking, are all start examples of the Canaanite spirit that has invaded our land.

4. Philistine – The name Philistine means strangers, emigrants, foreigners, forces foreign to the Spirit of God.

A person who is guided by a Philistine agenda is usually disdainful of intellectual or artistic values. Philistine also means a people who are contentedly commonplace in ideas and tastes. They are called Allophyli, (foreigners in the Septuagint). They are spoken of as uncircumcised in the Books of Samuel. Philistines are a people who are lacking in, or hostile, or smugly indifferent to cultural values such as art work, theatre, manners, respect, homes in God’s order, etc. Christian and Godly cultural values are taught and learned in the home. Uncleanness can enter our homes in what we view, read, and the way we speak to each other.

The giant Philistine spirit operating in our nation today is tolerance of the Muslim faith but persecution of the Christian faith.

5. Hivite – Hivite means dwellers in the land.The first time they play an active roll in the Bible is when Shechem the Hivite raped Dinah. The Hivite spirit’s goal is to lure us using illusions, delusions, and sensual pleasures that place the mind and imaginations into a snare.

The word Hivite can mean tent dweller, living a lifestyle that is lived out in the confines of the systems of the world and in conflict with the Kingdom of God. The Hives speak of our conflict with the world and its lifestyles. The prodigal son operated under the Hivite spirit.

Movies, television, the internet, pornography, and sexual abuse (especially with children) are ensconced with the Hivite spirit.

6. Jebusites – Jebusite means thresher. From this we can infer that Jebusite spirits, being threshers, are spirits that tread or stomp on others. People whose hearts are infected by Jebusite spirits tend to be people who do not hesitate to put down and humiliate others. By stomping on people, Jebusites make a concerted effort to prevent them from growing taller. They like to make people feel small, and deliberately put them down anytime they see them trying to establish spiritual authority.

Here again, arrogant politicians, media, Hollywood, and government systems are rampant with the Jebusite spirit.

In our homes we need to make certain that we are not bullies and our children are not growing up to become bullies. We need to learn how to confront this arrogant spirit.

7. Perizzite – Perizzite means unwalled town, city, or village. Ezekiel 38:10-11 says, “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. You [the evil army] will say, ‘I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people – all of them living without walls and without gates and bars’.”

A nation without borders loses its identity. A home without boundaries is a home without an identity. Illegal immigrants and foreign enemies easily enter into our unwalled cities and towns. Many cause violence, harm, and aid in the cultural collapse of America. This is the Perizzite spirit invading our unwalled nation, cities, and our citizens.

This Perizzite spirit can operate in our homes that have become unwalled…homes without fathers…homes that do not give their marriages or children a holy identity to carry with them throughout life.

“Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including the best fighting men. The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you”. The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon” (Joshua 10:7-8).

Perhaps each of us should embrace the challenge that we are included in the fight for our nation. Some examples of ways we can make a difference are calling our representatives, writing letters, posting facts and articles, teaching our children truths about the history of our country, sending funds to those organizations that stand for true American values, or writing editorials to our local newspapers, etc…

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!”(Ephesians 5:14).

There are so many ways that we can truly get involved in the way our nation is run. Even a small effort (which may seem insignificant) will be blessed by our Father who is always looking for righteous people that honor Him. These people are a blessing to Him.

Here at CTCI, we pray for our nation and government daily, weekly and sometimes more often. It’s that important! We believe Godly character is taught and begins in the family. We offer “Train to Reign” programs throughout the year to guide and teach (and many times restore) families, experientially, to know how to honor God and fulfill their God-given role in the family – with love. Everything we teach is based on God’s Truth found in His Holy Word.

If you would like information about our Train to Reign program, or other programs and events we offer throughout the year, please click  here, or fill out the form below and we will get back to you promptly. We thank you for your interest in this ministry for our Lord Jesus.

If you would like to donate to the Christian Training Center, please click here.

What is a Disciples Life Like From a Christian Perspective? 

Here is a great perspective on a disciples life in Jesus. Lisa Brown is an aspiring writer and owner of The Family Roadmap Blog and a Parent Coach at the National Center Of Biblical Parenting. She has a 10-year-old son, a 9-year-old daughter, and has been married to her husband for 13 years. Prior to marriage, she worked over 20 years enriching the lives of hundreds of children and families. Lisa has a Bachelors in Social Work and Early Childhood Education.

Is life the air that we breathe? Or is life pure energy? From a Christian perspective one would say that life is action, faith, belief, and relationships. Life is full of emotion, miracles and facts. Life is growth, change, and experience. Life is intelligent, sorrowful, and full of regrets. Life is a story filled with forgiveness, hate, love, disappointment, discouragement, and questions.

The word of God reminds us what life is! In sad moments of despair, confusion, and fear, God’s word comes alive and Jesus is the one who turns our mourning into dancing.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Jesus is the air that we breathe and it’s Jesus who gives us our daily dose of energy.

We live in a culture that sells us happiness and advertises good life to those who can afford it.  Money and things are for those who deserve it. Culture defines life as a time and place to get the best of everything.

A Christian’s perspective about life is very different from our culture.  We see life as an opportunity to love others and to serve God faithfully. Jesus is our life. Following are seven ways to view life from a Christian perspective.

Read More Here:

What is Life From a Christian Perspective? – Topical Studies

If you would like to donate to the Christian Training Center, please click here.

Check out our upcoming ministry programs for young adults and families. Please click here.

A fetus is a person!

“A fetus is not a person; it’s a clump of cells.” You’ve heard abortion advocates make this argument before. But what happens when we deny a group of people their personhood? The Holocaust, enslavement of African Americans, and the oppression of women, to name a few atrocities.

Dr. Christopher Kaczor, Professor of Philosophy and author of the book, “The Ethics of Abortion: Women’s Rights, Human Life, and the Question of Justice,” digs into the moral and literal meaning of personhood and details exactly why it applies to preborn children.

Join the fight for the preborn. https://liveaction.org/

If you would like to donate to the Christian Training Center, please click here.

Check out our upcoming ministry programs for young adults and families. Please click here.

Texas City Bans Abortion Clinics, Declares Itself a “Sanctuary for the Unborn” 

Members of a Texas city council declared their home a “sanctuary city for the unborn” Tuesday in a unanimous vote.

KETK News reports leaders of Waskom, an eastern Texas city, said their pro-life ordinance is a preventive measure that they hope will keep abortion businesses out of their area.

Waskom is not far from the border of Louisiana, which recently passed a law banning abortions after an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detectable. City leaders said they do not want abortion businesses to try to open in their city to attract women from across the border.

The ordinance says Roe v. Wade and other laws permitting abortion are “unconstitutional usurpations of judicial power, which violate both the Tenth Amendment the Republican Form of Government Clause, and are null and void in the City of Waskom.”

“We decided to take things into our own hands, and we’ve got to do something to protect our cities and to protect the unborn children,” said Mark Lee Dickson, director of the Right to Life with East Texas, according to KTAL.

The mayor and city attorney expressed concerns that the ordinance likely would be struck down in court as unconstitutional. They said the city cannot afford an expensive lawsuit.

However, the city council passed the ordinance unanimously.

Here’s more from KTAL:

The final vote approving the move was met with cheers from the public.

In response to a possible lawsuit, the people of Waskom said they still support moving forward because they say God will take care of them.

Advocates of the ordinance say they got the idea for this ordinance from Rosewell, New Mexico, which passed a similar one earlier this year.

Roswell city leaders passed their pro-life resolution in March after state lawmakers considered a radical pro-abortion bill to expand late-term abortions. The bill narrowly failed in the state Senate.

About a month later, the Riverton City Council in Utah passed a similar resolution, declaring the city a “sanctuary for the unborn.”

In New York state, Batavia city leaders and Putnam County legislators also took action to condemn a radical new pro-abortion law in their state earlier this year.

ACTION: Thank city officials by going here.

Source: Texas City Bans Abortion Clinics, Declares Itself a “Sanctuary for the Unborn” | LifeNews.com

The Ancient Enemies of Israel Have Entered Our Land — Who are the Philistines?

Thank you for joining us today as we study the fourth part of our series.  We are looking at the ancient enemies of Israel, who and what they represent, and how these spirits are still relevant today in our nation and world. This is extremely valuable information to raise our awareness of the battles we fight daily. We know these battles are not of flesh and blood, but of spirits and principalities.

                                What happens when enemies enter our land?

Exodus 34:10 says “As of right now, I’m making a covenant with you: In full sight of your people I will work wonders that have never been created in all the earth, in any nation. Take careful note of all I command you today. I’m clearing your way by driving out Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Stay vigilant. Don’t let down your guard lest you make covenant with the people who live in the land that you are entering and they trip you up”.

Who were these enemies that had entered the land of Israel? Let’s define them and compare them to our America in today’s world.

Part 4 – Who are the Philistines? ~~ by Susan Pons

Philistine – The name Philistine means strangers, emigrants, foreigners, forces foreign to the Spirit of God.

A person who is guided by a Philistine agenda is usually disdainful of intellectual or artistic values. Philistine also means a people who are contentedly commonplace in ideas and tastes. They are called Allophyli, foreigners, in the Septuagint, and in the Books of Samuel they are spoken of as uncircumcised. Philistines are a people who are lacking in, hostile, or smugly indifferent to cultural values such as art work, theatre, manners, respect, homes in God’s order, etc. Christian and Godly cultural values are taught and learned in the home. Uncleanness can enter our homes in what we view, read, and the way we speak to each other. Tolerance of the Muslim faith but persecution of the Christian faith, this is the giant Philistine spirit operating in our nation.

Before we pray it’s worth mentioning that the Philistines were known to have giants among them. Do you remember the story of David and Goliath (the Philistine)? This is a giant problem in our nation today.

Father God, we pray for Your mercy and we repent for the sin of allowing uncleanness into our homes. We have slowly faded into a nation that allows things that You hate. We don’t even notice or see it as a sin anymore. Our values should and do begin in our homes. May we have eyes that see the areas that we need to change to please You. Let us be the change we want to see in this world and let us stand out as Christians to be an example for others.

Here at CTCI, our conferences and retreats throughout the year provide a time for Christians from far and wide to come together for insightful teaching, sincere worship and life-changing ministry. We have been blessed to host a number of outstanding Bible teachers including Lance Lambert, Derek Prince, Bob Mumford, Johannes Facius and Gary Bergel. We are please to welcome Dave Kubal from Intercessors For America this summer as our repeat speaker during our Appeal to Heaven conference. Bob and Kathy Fittts will be leading worship! Most importantly, in all we do, we seek the presence of the Lord.

If you would like more information about our upcoming conferences or our ministry, please go to our website at http://www.lifeisrelationships.com, or fill out this contact form below and we will get back with you promptly.

If you would like to donate to the Christian Training Center, please click here.

Check out our upcoming ministry programs for young adults and families. Please click here.

A Place of Encounter

Welcome from all of us at CTCI. We trust you’ll enjoy this short yet extremely profound devotion from day three of Mike Bickle’s Growing in Prayer Devotional book. 

“Prayer should not be regarded as a duty which must be performed, but rather as a privilege to be enjoyed, a rare delight that is always revealing some new beauty.”       -E. M. Bounds

“First and foremost, prayer is about encountering God and growing in relationship with Him. In prayer we position ourselves to receive fresh insight into His heart as new desires are formed in our hearts, enabling us to commune deeply with Him. Prayer positions us to be energized to love – to love God and people. Yes, it is biblical to pray to get answers and to see God’s power. But prayer is first of all an opportunity to commune with God.

The call to prayer is a call to participate in the love that has forever burned in God’s heart. From eternity past, the Father has loved the Son with all His heart, and the Son has loved the Father with the same intensity. This love is the foundational reality of the kingdom of God. It is this very reality that we participate in as we grow in prayer, and it is what prayer is mostly about – that is, participating in the family dynamics of the Godhead.

God created the human race to share His love. Why? Simply because “God is Love” (1 John 4:16).

God’s heart burns with love, and He calls us to experience it – to enter into what I refer to as “the fellowship of the burning heart.” Salvation is an invitation to this fellowship.

WHAT CAN I DO?

As you pray today, actively position yourself to receive the love of God, and ask the Holy Spirit to draw you into the fellowship of the burning heart.

FOR REFLECTION

“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16).

Lord, I will seek daily prayer encounters with You, not only to strengthen our relationship but to partake of the abiding love that is only found when I am in Your presence.”

Prayer is a huge part of our walk with Lord. If you have a prayer request and you would like us to join you in prayer, please fill out the contact form below and we will pray for and with you.

If you would like to donate to CTCI please click here.

Check our upcoming ministry programs for young adults and families. Please click here.

The Ancient Enemies of Israel Have Entered Our Land — Who are the Canaanites?

Welcome, and thank you for joining us today as we share the third part of our series.  We are looking at the ancient enemies of Israel, who they are and what they represent, and how these spirits are still relevant today in our nation and world. This is extremely valuable information to raise our awareness of the battles we fight daily. We know these battles are not of flesh and blood, but of spirits and principalities.

Part 3 – Who are the Canaanites? ~~ by Susan Pons

What happens when enemies enter our land? Exodus 34:10 says “As of right now, I’m making a covenant with you: In full sight of your people I will work wonders that have never been created in all the earth, in any nation. Take careful note of all I command you today. I’m clearing your way by driving out Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Stay vigilant. Don’t let down your guard lest you make covenant with the people who live in the land that you are entering and they trip you up”.

Who were these enemies that had entered the land of Israel? Let’s define them and compare them to our America in today’s world. Today we will talk about the Canaanites.

Canaanite – The name Canaanite means trafficker. This is the exact same description given to satan in Ezekiel 28:13-18. This spirit is behind addictions and sexual impurity. This is why in the Scriptures, Sodom and Gomorrah were said to be Canaanite cities as told in Genesis 10:19. Jezebel was the daughter of Ethical king of Sidon, which means she was Phoenician, who were Canaanites. The Canaanite spirit uses wealth and material gain to bring God’s people into compromise and backsliding. Sexual trafficking, labor trafficking, and drug trafficking are start examples of the Canaanite spirit that has invaded our land.

Father God, we repent on behalf of our nation for all of these trafficking offenses that are so evil in Your eyes. When we look from a heavenly perspective it’s so hard to believe what our nation has become. We know that Your promises are real, and if we repent and turn away from these things You will heal our land. We pray for Your help and Your healing, holy, and righteous Spirit to increase in our nation. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

Here at Christian Training Center International, we put much time and effort into making sure we are all updated and at least aware of current news and happenings in both the spiritual and also the physical realm in this world. The spiritual battle on earth is not new nor has much changed in the enemy’s tactics. It is so important for us all to be involved in prayer to Almighty God for our government and nation and other current world events.

If you would like more information about our ministry, please go to our website at http://www.lifeisrelationships.com, or fill out this contact form below and we will get back with you promptly.

If you would like to donate to CTCI please click here.

Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good. He came to make dead people live!

Jesus lives. He is resurrected. God is a God of resurrection. God is a God of life. In Jesus we have life.

We live a resurrected life with Jesus. That is His promise to us.

Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good. He came to make dead people live!

And live we do. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. When we believe in Him, we are buried in Him and resurrected in Him.

Jesus also clues us in that there will be those who live a resurrected life of judgement. We need to choose Jesus. Jesus give life to anyone He chooses. He chooses us.

Jesus doesn’t shut anyone out. Neither does God. They are both in a very good mood. God has handed authority over to Jesus. This is a fact. We can believe it.

God is God. He is good. He has a goal for us. We must choose to live it out every day. That is the resurrection life.

We must choose to hear His voice today.

“The time is coming when everyone dead and buried will hear his voice.” ~Jesus  John 5:28-29 (The Message Bible)

Why is Jesus the light for all of us? Why can’t His light be overcome?

Light shines

What is Jesus to me? Jesus is life. In Jesus, and only Jesus, I have life. There is no way around it. I can’t, and don’t, want to deny it. It is reality for me. Jesus is life!

In Jesus [him] was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.

The true light that gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. | John 1:4-13 (CSB)

Life is a key theme in John’s good news book; it is used thirty-six times. What are the essentials for human life? There are at least four: light (if the sun went out, everything would die), air, water, and food. Jesus is all of these!

Jesus is the Light of life and the Light of the world. He is the “Sun of righteousness”. By His Holy Spirit, He gives us the “breath of life”, as well as the Water of life. Finally, Jesus is the Living Bread of Life that came down from heaven. He not only has life and gives life, but He is life.

Light and darkness are recurring themes in John’s good news book. God is light while Satan is “the power of darkness”. People love either the light or the darkness, and this love controls their actions. Those who believe on the Messiah are the “sons of light”. Just as the first Creation began with “Let there be light!” so the New Creation begins with the entrance of light into the heart of the believer. The coming of Jesus the Messiah into the world was the dawning of a new day for man.

You would think that blind sinners would welcome the light, but such is not always the case. The coming of the true light brought conflict as the powers of darkness opposed it. A literal translation of John 1:5 reads, “And the light keeps on shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it or understood it.” The Greek verb can mean “to overcome” or “to grasp, to understand.” Throughout the good news book of John, you will see both attitudes revealed: people will not understand what the Master Jesus is saying and doing and, as a result, they will oppose Him. John 7–12 records the growth of that opposition, which ultimately led to the crucifixion of the Messiah.

Whenever Jesus taught a spiritual truth, His listeners interpreted it in a material or physical way. The light was unable to penetrate the darkness in their minds. This was true when He spoke about the temple of His body, the new birth, the living water, eating His flesh, spiritual freedom, death as sleep, and many other spiritual truths. Satan strives to keep people in the darkness, because darkness means death and hell, while light means life and heaven.

This fact helps explain the ministry of John the Baptizer. John was sent as a witness to Jesus the Messiah, to tell people that the Light had come into the world. The nation of Israel, in spite of all its spiritual advantages, was blind to their own Messiah! The word witness is a key word in this book; John uses the noun fourteen times and the verb thirty-three times. John the Baptizer was one of many people who bore witness to Jesus, “This is the Son of God!” Alas, John was martyred and the Jewish leaders did nothing to prevent it.

Why did the nation reject Jesus as the Messiah? Because they “knew Him not.” They were spiritually ignorant. Jesus is the “true Light”—the original of which every other light is a copy—but the Jews were content with the copies. They had Moses and the Law, the temple and the sacrifices; but they did not comprehend that these “lights” pointed to the true Light who was the fulfillment, the completion, of the Old Agreement.

As you study John’s good news book, you will find Jesus teaching the people that He is the fulfillment of all that was typified in the Law. It was not enough to be born a Jew; they had to be born again, born from above. He deliberately performed two miracles on the Sabbath to teach them that He had a new rest to give them. He was the satisfying manna and the life-giving Water. He is the Shepherd of a new flock, and He is a new Vine. But the people were so shackled by religious tradition that they could not understand spiritual truth. Jesus came to His own world that He had created, but His own people, Israel, could not understand Him and would not receive Him.

They saw His works and heard His words. They observed His perfect life. He gave them every opportunity to grasp the truth, believe, and be saved. Jesus is the way, but they would not walk with Him. He is the truth, but they would not believe Him. He is the life, and they crucified Him!

But today we need not commit those same blunders. John 1:12–13 gives us the marvelous promise of God that anyone who receives Christ will be born again and enter the family of God! John says more about this new birth in John 3, but he points out here that it is a spiritual birth from God, not a physical birth that depends on human nature.

The Light is still shining! Have you personally received the Light and become a child of God?

If you would like to donate to CTCI please click here.

Sources:

1. Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Jn 1:1–51). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
2. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 285–286). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

The Ancient Enemies of Israel Have Entered Our Land 2 of 7

Thanks for joining us today as we read the second part of our series by Susan Pons regarding the seven types of ancient enemies of Israel, and how these evil tactics are still relevant in today’s world. We pray that this seven part study raises awareness and causes more believers to pray for healing of our nation. This same spiritual battle of old continues to affect our nation and world today.

The Lord is Molding This Guy

Welcome from all of us at Christian Training Center International. Today we would like to share a testimony from one of the students who attended our spring 10-week Heroes Semester Program. Actually, he came 6 months early to volunteer here at the ministry, then he stayed on after the program to continue volunteering and helping us out here through the busy summer. We are so very thankful and grateful to the Lord for sending Ian to us! You can hear his take on it by clicking on the video below.

Father God, it is only by Your grace, mercy and favor that we even exist. We thank You so much for Ian, he is such a blessing. We also thank You for the opportunity to share Your gospel and Your love with families and young people here at CTCI. As You send people to us, we pray that all of our efforts, teaching, and work, would be for Your glory and honor only, amen.

If you would like information about how we may be able to help you and your family or details regarding our ministry or any of the programs we offer, please go to our website at http://www.lifeisrelationships.com or fill out the contact box below and we will get back with you promptly.

If you would like to donate to CTCI please click here.

The Ancient Enemies of Israel Have Entered Our Land 1 of 7

Welcome, from all of us at CTCI. Please join us today and the next six Mondays as we study, one at a time, the ancient enemies of Israel and how these spirits are still relevant to our world today. This is extremely valuable information to raise our awareness of the battles we fight daily. We know these battles are not of flesh and blood, but of spirits and principalities.

Part 1 – Who are the Hittites? ~~ by Susan Pons

“Behold, I will send you Eli’jah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse (Malachi 4:5-6).

Yes or No?

Welcome from all of us at CTCI. Please join us today as we see what the Lord God says about how we should handle our responses to others’ requests of us.

How often do we make a promise and fail to keep it? Our intention at the time we committed was good. We know that it’s wrong to go back on our word, but still we say to ourselves “It’s not very important what’s the big deal? What does it matter?” Well, the Word of God tells us that it is very important. I for one, am guilty of missing the mark, but convicted today to do something about it. Where and when did this business of promising begin anyhow? Why do we need to go beyond the simple answer of yes or no? Here is what the Bible has to say:

Will you join us at the Christian Training Center this summer? Heroes Week — Ages 14 – 18 — July 15-20, 2019

Welcome, here is a little taste of what you can experience here at the Christian Training Center this summer during our Heroes Week program. Ages 14 – 18 — July 15-20, 2019

If you are interested in becoming a hero and would like more information about how you or someone you know can attend this summer, visit our website by clicking here or fill out the contact form below and we will get back with you promptly.

Learn More and Register

If you would like to donate to and/or pay for a young person to attend this summer here at CTCI, please click here.

Under Pressure-Devotional

I was crushed…so much so that I despaired even of life, but that was to make me not rely on myself, buy on the God who raises the dead. (2 Corinthians 1:8-9) 

What other faith in this world expresses such experiences in truth such as this scripture? Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake for when I am weak, than I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10) Or, how about this one?…

The Life I Live

“To life by faith is to trust and obey – if you trust AND obey that’s a living relationship. There is intimacy. There is growth. There is vitality.”

On November 5th our dear friend, Herman Weits, came and shared with us about the life of his ministry.

Herman and his wife, Ross, lead Bali Christian Retreat Center which is a ministry of Words of Hope International and he came to spend some time with us while on a visit back to the states.

WATCH the full video HERE.

The Fullness of Life | Jay Fesperman (3/3)

Finally, Paul tells Titus (Titus 3:14): “Our people must learn to DEVOTE THEMSELVES to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities, and not live un-productive lives!”

Here then is the principle upon which the Kingdom of God will be built. Like the human body, the Church – the BODY OF CHRIST –  will thrive and grow up, until “We all reach UNITY in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become MATURE, attaining to the whole measure of the FULLNESS OF CHRIST!” (Ephesians 4: 13). Jesus said, “Whoever tries to keep his LIFE will lose it, and whoever LOSES his LIFE will PRESERVE IT. . .” (Luke 17: 33).

The Fullness of Life | Jay Fesperman (2/3)

God’s highest purpose for man is. . .”FULFILL OTHERS!” Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” This is the first and greatest requirement of God’s law. And the SECOND IS LIKE IT: “LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF!” All other laws hang on these two.

In order for man to grow up into this kind of citizen, God knew he must be brought forth in such a way that he would be TOTALLY DEPENDENT on other people. A human baby comes into the world totally devoid of the capacity to supply his own needs in response to the natural laws inherent in his being. Without a total contribution from others than himself, he will surely die. So, as he grows up into maturity, most of the support systems are governed and controlled by other people; so “God set the solitary in families.” He establishes us in relationships with others; father and mother, brothers and sisters. As these relatives – members of our family – nurture us out of our state of helplessness and our self-gratifying nature, we learn how to live. As we mature, we develop the capability of following the natural laws and, equally important, we come to see our roles of responsibility as members of a family, imparting life to others. We learn how to RECEIVE life; therefore, we learn how to GIVE life. . . God’s basic, most elementary structure of society then is the FAMILY.

The Fullness of Life | Jay Fesperman (1/3)

Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they might have LIFE and have it to the FULL.” (John 10: 10). One of the most deceptive things the thief, the devil, is bringing forth in the world today is the idea that DEATH is the solution to many social problems. The highest court in the land, by its 1973 decision, opened the floodgates to abortion, and millions of children have been murdered. Many of these deaths, it is said, are “for the convenience of society”; either the family, the community, or the nation. Now, serious consideration is being given to PLANNED LIFE-TERMINATION for the elderly, the poor, and the maimed. . .Wars and terrorism all over the world continue unabated – indeed, are on the increase. In many of these instances, people in certain religions are told that dying in a “holy war” will assure their eternal destiny. Elsewhere, life is cheap and expendable; the state owns its people. . .and so forth!

Life is Relationships

“Life is relationships. If you’re having a good life it’s because you have good relationships. If you’re having a tough life, it’s because you have problematic relationships.” – Jay Fesperman

Jay’s quote is such a truism.  Relationships are so vital and central to life that it is a wonder we can be so negligent at times of our relationships – our relationship to God and our relationship to others. It is when we become careless in our relationships that our lives can become tough.

Consider this…