The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of BCNN1. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s).

A few decades ago, 90 percent of graduates from Christian seminaries planned to pursue full-time jobs in ministry. But, in recent years, studies have shown that just 41 percent of seminary graduates anticipated finding a career in the church.

In other words, the majority of seminary students in 2020 do not plan to become pastors.

Why has there been such a radical shift?

An article published in Christianity Today entitled “Non-Traditional Seminary Students are Changing the Church,” by Abby Perry, took a closer look at this phenomenon.

Perry maintains that there is a crisis of discipleship in the modern Western Church, where churches are not providing robust theology and Biblical knowledge to satisfy and nourish their members. Sermons are often light, “seeker-friendly” fare that fails to challenge the mature Christian.

“As the days of cultural Christianity and the moral majority become increasingly obso­lete, faithful churches are producing disciples hungry for the Word,” writes Perry. “Individuals who have not found discipleship in the church are going to do what they have to do to find it.” For many, this looks like enrolling in seminary.

Wayne Johnson, associate dean and associate professor of Biblical and pas­toral theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, says, “We’ve lost the educational mandate that is part of Christian discipleship,” he said. In recent decades, churches have emphasized emotion over intellect when it comes to religious experience.

This modern church environment is partially a result of the Second Great Awakening in the mid-1700s, where thunderous preachers like Jonathan Edwards made passionate altar calls to bring people to their knees. Ethan Renoe, writing for Relevant Magazine, argues that the Church, in the last 200 years, “has begun discarding intelligence in favor of emotion, conversion, experiences and passion.”

SOURCE: Christian Post, Meredith Harbman

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The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of BCNN1. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s).

These are the harrowing words delivered by leading-man Joaquin Phoenix in the film Joker. Phoenix’s impressive portrayal of Arthur Fleck, or “The Joker,” has earned him an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

Perhaps it was Phoenix’s performance that made Joker so compelling for people. There’s no debate that it was captivating to audiences, having set records with its October release and being the first R-rated film to gross over a billion dollars.  It was undoubtedly a box office success.

The chilling story also gripped audiences.  Like watching a train wreck, the story of Arthur Fleck is simultaneously horrifying and spellbinding. We watch as Fleck, a failed comedian living in desperate conditions in Gotham City, stumbles from one disappointing venture to the next, attempting to find community, belonging, and purpose. Sadly, his search is met with cold disregard at best and sheer vitriol at worst. We witness his descent into worsening mental illness, quickened by the mistreatment he receives and the vile acts he witnesses, which eventually lead to his violent persona, “The Joker.”

The end of the film has a particularly disturbing scene. We get a glimpse into Fleck’s mind as he fully succumbs to his mental illness and embodies “The Joker.” He reveals what has warped him into the very evil that he hated so much, stating: “Nobody’s civil anymore. Nobody thinks what it’s like to be the other guy.” Shortly after, he murders a man in cold blood.

Nobody’s civil anymore. An exaggeration? Perhaps for some. But for Arthur, that fairly accurately sums up his entire life. Abused, deceived, mocked, manipulated, exploited – he was defined by sorrow. Perhaps as egregious as the injustices themselves that were inflicted upon him was the amount of cold disregard he received in response – no one stepped in to help.

This is the origin story of one of DC Comic’s most notorious villains: unbearable sorrow that led to mental illness that led to violence. And while it’s just a story, one wonders: what intervention might have stopped Arthur Fleck’s plunge into darkness? “Nobody’s civil anymore,” he asserts. But what if that hadn’t been true?

SOURCE: Christian Post, Savannah Aleckson

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The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of BCNN1. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s).

There are many reasons to go to church as a Christian: it was the example given to us in the New Testament and there are numerous scriptures (such as Hebrews 10:24-25) that encourage us to gather as believers. Or there is Paul’s writing in 1 Corinthians 12 that compares a beautifully diverse community of believers to the segments of a body. When we each bring our unique gifts together we form a strong, whole and healthy community.

Nevertheless, church attendance among Christians has steadily decreased over the past 20 years. And the reasons aren’t straight forward. I personally have multiple friends and family members who are serious about their faith, but for reasons varying from work schedules to young children haven’t been able to invest in a church community.

So the question becomes increasingly relevant: how can you continue to grow your faith when you don’t have a home church? Thankfully, though church is an important part of Christian life, it isn’t the only way to stay strong and grow your faith.

1. Friendship with God

This means connection. At the end of the day, Christianity is first and foremost about a relationship with God. The essence of Jesus’ sacrifice was so that there would be no distance between us and Himself. Setting aside time to connect with God can be challenging, especially for families with young children. But one of the perks of God being omniscient and omnipresent is we can connect with Him literally anywhere and at any time!

Treat God like a friend — spend time with Him, talk with Him, ask Him questions, invite Him into moments of your everyday life and He will meet you there.

2. Worship

This doesn’t have to look like putting on a certain kind of Christian music or singing, although if that helps you connect, go for it! Worship can be stirred up in many ways. Maybe getting out in the beauty of nature stirs your heart to worship. Perhaps making a list of what you have to be grateful for moves your heart. We’re all wired differently, figure out what draws your heart into worship and make it a practice.

We were created to connect to the heart of God and worship helps us get to that place of connection. It is what transforms us by placing our eyes on His “higher ways” (Isaiah 55:9).

SOURCE: Christian Post, Lydia Martin

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As over 1,600 people in China have died due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the international evangelical humanitarian agency World Vision is spending millions to provide assistance to nearly 400,000 people in the midst of the deadly health crisis. 

Sponsoring over 55,000 children and employing 300 staffers in China, World Vision is one of the largest humanitarian aid organizations operating in the country.

The organization remains concerned about the increasing rate of confirmed coronavirus cases as China reported at least 121 more deaths from the virus on Friday. The Chinese government reported Saturday that 1,665 people have died from the virus.

Erica Van Deren, World Vision program manager for humanitarian and emergency affairs, told The Christian Post that about 39,000 of World Vision’s sponsored children live in areas of China that are at “immediate risk” of the coronavirus.

However, she said that none of the World Vision sponsor children have contracted the virus.

“We’re working with our sponsor children and their families to make sure their families have the protective equipment that they need,” Van Deren said. “Then also [they need the] education and understanding of how they need to protect themselves from this and talk to kids about the fear and stress they may be having.”

World Vision aims to help 390,000 people in 10 Chinese provinces by distributing personal protective equipment and sanitation products that include facemasks, thermometers, sanitizers and soap.

The cost of World Vision’s coronavirus-related efforts in China is estimated to be about $3.7 million.

Van Deren said World Vision has already distributed 50,000 hospital-grade facemasks to people in five counties in four provinces.

“These are incredibly poor families,” she said. “World Vision China has a history of addressing the needs of these communities.”

SOURCE: Christian Post, Samuel Smith

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According to a stunning new report, a vlogger & citizen journalist named Chen Qiushi has allegedly been “forcibly quarantined” not long after his reports became widely shared across the globe.

According to the report in Time:

After nearly a week of roaming China’s epidemic-struck city, filming the dead and the sickened in overwhelmed hospitals, the strain of being hounded by both the new virus and the country’s dissent-quelling police started to tell.

Chen Qiushi looked haggard and disheveled in his online posts, an almost unrecognizable shadow of the energetic young man who had rolled into Wuhan on a self-assigned mission to tell its inhabitants’ stories, just as authorities locked the city down almost three weeks ago.

Qiushi, who is 34, showed true courage by defying the state line, presumably knowing the risk to his own personal well-being was extremely great. He had gained nearly 750,000 followers before the authorities shut down his channel.

From Time:

His voice trembling with emotion and tears welling in his eyes, he vowed to continue “as long as I am alive in this city.”

“Even death doesn’t scare me!” he said. “So you think I’m scared of the Communist Party?”

Last week, Chen’s posts dried up. His mother broke the silence with a video post in the small hours of Friday. She said Chen was unreachable and appealed for help in finding him.

Later that evening, his friend and well-known mixed martial artist Xu Xiaodong said in a live broadcast on YouTube that Chen had been forcibly quarantined for 14 days, considered the maximum incubation period for the virus. He said Chen had been healthy and showed no signs of infection.

This type of controlled behavior shouldn’t be surprising, as Faithwire has reported on the ongoing crackdowns of Christian churches in the communist nation, which highlights how dangerous it can be to stand up to the state.

Recently, it was revealed that China had anti-religion prison camps set up around the country. The Chinese government accepted an interview request in an attempt to explain, but it only made things worse:

Shocking Leaked Memo Reveals Grim Reality of China’s Anti-Religion Prison Camps

The communist government has also deported families for the crime of practicing Christianity. Just following the religion of your choosing, if it’s not the state government, could get you in serious hot water.

After Spying on Them for years, China Deports 13 South Korean Families for Practicing Christianity

Despite all of this, Christians have been boldly showing the love of Christ in the midst of the crisis, as Faithwire and CBN have reported.

Christians Boldly Share the Love of Christ on the Streets of China’s Coronavirus Hot Zone

Be praying for this man and all the people of China suffering from this outbreak and also the communist government.

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Sandra Martinez’s black and brown Dachshund, Frida, barked from an upstairs bathroom as she squeezed her husband Armando’s hand one cold January evening inside their Brooklyn home. She teared up a little as she recalled the dream they once thought they would never achieve.

“We cannot express how grateful we are and how this dream has to go to another family just like us,” Sandra said as the orange glow from a lamp in her living room warmed her face. “Another family who is dreaming … because that makes a big difference in your life, in your self-esteem, in everything.”

This is Sandra and Armando’s home along Egan Street in Brooklyn’s Nehemiah Spring Creek neighborhood in East New York. It’s part of a multiphase affordable housing initiative of the City of New York, and East Brooklyn Congregations it named after the biblical character that rebuilt the city of Jerusalem in 52 days.

On the first floor, there is a cozy open concept area featuring a living room, a dining area and a special space near the back door that Armando uses as his art studio. There’s also a bathroom and a kitchen.

Upstairs, where the couple confined Frida in a second bathroom behind a gate, there are three bedrooms including one filled with stacks of Armando’s paintings. Other paintings by Armando, who also writes poetry, tastefully deck the walls throughout the home that features a modest crawl basement too.

In the backyard is an immaculately kept lawn where the grass is a refreshing green. A lone, large decorative pine tree is rooted firmly in the ground enclosed by a white fence and a black iron gate. A small but sleek family car is parked on the concrete driveway.

You should see this backyard in the summer. The couple waxed on proudly about gardening and family barbecues as a canopy of clouds hanging over the neighborhood created a dreamscape in the dusky half-light.

The Martinez family are living their dream and they thank God for their blessing when they awake every morning.

Just over 10 years ago, however, after working hard and paying rent in New York City for 32 years, their struggle to own a home had felt like a never-ending nightmare.

Back then, Sandra, 64, and her 76-year-old husband were stretched by their approximately $1,600 a month rental bill in Cypress Hills. They were also worried about how they would afford their modest lifestyle when they could no longer work.

Retiring to their native El Salvador like some of their friends had already resigned themselves to do was increasingly beginning to seem like an option, but it was never a real solution.

“I have friends who are retiring in two years and the only thing they can figure out is to go back home. First, they spend 40 years here. They don’t even know back home. All their friends are gone. They are brand new in the community. They have no clue,” Sandra explained.

“It doesn’t matter from which perspective you see it. It’s very hard,” she said. “It’s difficult here and over there. They are still poor because they have to pay rent, they have to get to know the community. They have to get medication. Healthcare is expensive …”

Even though Sandra worked as a teacher’s aide and Armando taught remedial education to adults for the city, the couple saw no way of owning a comfortable market-rate home in the city where they could live with dignity — not on their income and not in New York City.

Still, they kept praying and believing God for something more than the future they could see until one Sunday when their priest at Saint Rita’s Roman Catholic Church told them about the affordable housing lottery for Nehemiah Spring Creek.

They did their research and applied. After a lengthy process that lasted more than a year, Sandra and Armando finally got the keys to their new home on May 9, 2009, at approximately 11 a.m.

The house, which is now valued at more than $600,000, cost the couple only $196,000, and their down payment, including closing costs, was only $12,000. The city gave them a break in property taxes for 10 years and barred them from selling the house without a financial penalty until they have owned it for at least 15 years.

“When they gave us the key and we entered the house, we just couldn’t believe it,” Sandra said.

The deal for them was amazing because they know they could never dream of buying their home for what it’s worth on the market today.

“I could not even imagine $600,000 together. I cannot even imagine $40,000,” she said.

Since winning the lottery and making their biggest investment ever, Sandra and Armando say their lives have only gotten better.

Armando started making beautiful paintings even though he has had no formal training in art. Shortly after he retired, he was also able to fulfill a promise he made to Sandra when they first started life together decades ago.

“He promised me when we got married he’s going to take me to places. We didn’t have money. We were poor people. He told me he’s going to bring me to Paris and he’s going to buy me a cup of coffee. After we bought the house and he retired, we went there and he bought me the coffee,” said Sandra as she enjoyed a nostalgic laugh with Armando.

“We did it thanks to this house,” she said. “It gave us a peace of mind, something inside I cannot explain. It’s not how much the house is. It’s how much the house means to us.

“This is a true dream. Thank God for the churches and the community that got together that made this possible for all of us who live over here now. If the churches in the East New York community didn’t get together and fight for it, I don’t know. It might be other people, factories over here now. Who knows?”

Like Sandra and Armando did, millions of Americans are still struggling to find affordable housing due to a shortage driven by a confluence of policy, demographics, and market forces that experts say have driven many to homelessness.

In a June 2018 presentation of Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies’ annual State of the Nation’s Housing report, Daniel McCue, a senior research associate, highlighted that median rental housing costs have been growing steadily for decades while median rental incomes have remained relatively stagnant.

Nearly half of renters across the nation (47.5%) are also classified as cost-burdened or spending more than 30% of their income on housing as a result. The Department of Housing and Urban Development also estimated that some 12 million renter and homeowner households are now paying more than 50% of their annual incomes for housing while a family with one full-time worker earning the minimum wage could not afford local fair-market rent for a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the United States.

In The State of Homelessness in America report released by the White House last fall, experts also declared homelessness a “serious problem” with more than half a million people going homeless each night across America. Approximately 65% of the nation’s homeless were counted in homeless shelters while the other 35% — just under 200,000 — could be found on the streets.

“Homelessness almost always involves people facing desperate situations and extreme hardship. They must make choices among very limited options, often in the context of extreme duress, substance abuse disorders, untreated mental illness, or unintended consequences from well-intentioned policies,” the report said.

Almost half (47%) of all unsheltered homeless people in the United States were counted in California while three cities — Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C. — were found to have the three highest rates of sheltered homelessness. New York City alone has over one-fifth of all sheltered homeless people in the nation.

The report summarized the causes of homelessness as: the higher price of housing resulting from overregulation of housing markets; the conditions for sleeping on the street (outside of shelter or housing); the supply of homeless shelters; and the characteristics of individuals in a community that make homelessness more likely.

Last November, just two days after a war of words erupted between Democratic California Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson over the report, Democratic presidential candidates sought to address two of the nation’s most pressing social ills during the fifth Democratic presidential debate, and a number of them called for the building of new housing units in areas of opportunity.

Billionaire candidate from California Tom Steyer called the lack of affordable housing one of the biggest drivers of inequality in America.

“When I look at inequality in the United States of America, you have to start with housing. Where you put your head at night determines so many things about your life. It determines where your kids go to school. It determines the air you breathe, where you shop, how long it takes you to get to work,” he said.

“What we’ve seen in California is, as a result of policy, we have millions too few housing units. And that affects everybody in California. It starts with a homeless crisis that goes all through the state. But it also includes skyrocketing rents, affecting every single working person in the state of California. … We need to apply resources here to make sure that we build literally millions of new units,” he said.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Leonardo Blair

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This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International with the Whyte House Daily Devotional Bible Reading Episode #81. Where I read three chapters of the Holy Bible in the King James Version a day with my family as a part of our family devotions, to encourage you to read the Holy Bible in a year’s time. We are using a modified version of the Five Day Bible Reading Plan. It is modified because we read the Bible everyday and not just five days a week. The benefit of using the Five Day Bible Reading Plan is: you can read the entire Bible in a chronological reading plan that helps the Bible make sense. Today we are reading Leviticus 22, Psalm 59 and Acts 7.

Someone said, “Reading the Bible without meditating on it is like trying to eat without swallowing.”

John Quincy Adams said, “I speak as a man of the world to men of the world; and I say to you, Search the Scriptures! The Bible is the book of all others, to be read at all ages, and in all conditions of human life; not to be read once or twice or thrice through, and then laid aside, but to be read in small portions of one or two chapters every day, and never to be intermitted, unless by some overruling necessity.”

Leviticus 22
1 And the Lord spake unto Mo’-ses, saying,

2 Speak unto Aa’-ron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Is’-ra-el, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the Lord.

3 Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Is’-ra-el hallow unto the Lord, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the Lord.

4 What man soever of the seed of Aa’-ron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;

5 Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath;

6 The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water.

7 And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food.

8 That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith; I am the Lord.

9 They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the Lord do sanctify them.

10 There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.

11 But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his meat.

12 If the priest’s daughter also be married unto a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things.

13 But if the priest’s daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father’s house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s meat: but there shall be no stranger eat thereof.

14 And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give it unto the priest with the holy thing.

15 And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Is’-ra-el, which they offer unto the Lord;

16 Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things: for I the Lord do sanctify them.

17 And the Lord spake unto Mo’-ses, saying,

18 Speak unto Aa’-ron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Is’-ra-el, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Is’-ra-el, or of the strangers in Is’-ra-el, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the Lord for a burnt offering;

19 Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.

20 But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.

21 And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.

22 Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the Lord, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the Lord.

23 Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.

24 Ye shall not offer unto the Lord that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land.

25 Neither from a stranger’s hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.

26 And the Lord spake unto Mo’-ses, saying,

27 When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

28 And whether it be cow, or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day.

29 And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the Lord, offer it at your own will.

30 On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the Lord.

31 Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the Lord.

32 Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Is’-ra-el: I am the Lord which hallow you,

33 That brought you out of the land of E’-gypt, to be your God: I am the Lord.

Psalm 59
1 Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.

2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.

3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord.

4 They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.

5 Thou therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Is’-ra-el, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.

6 They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?

8 But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.

9 Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.

10 The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.

11 Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.

12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.

13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Ja’-cob unto the ends of the earth. Se’-lah.

14 And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

15 Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.

16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

17 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.

Acts 7
1 Then said the high priest, Are these things so?

2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father A’-bra-ham, when he was in Mes-o-po-ta’-mi-a, before he dwelt in Char’-ran,

3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.

4 Then came he out of the land of the Chal-dae’-ans, and dwelt in Char’-ran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.

5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

6 And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.

7 And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.

8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so A’-bra-ham begat I’-saac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and I’-saac begat Ja’-cob; and Ja’-cob begat the twelve patriarchs.

9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Jo’-seph into E’-gypt: but God was with him,

10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Phar’-aoh king of E’-gypt; and he made him governor over E’-gypt and all his house.

11 Now there came a dearth over all the land of E’-gypt and Cha’-na-an, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.

12 But when Ja’-cob heard that there was corn in E’-gypt, he sent out our fathers first.

13 And at the second time Jo’-seph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph’s kindred was made known unto Phar’-aoh.

14 Then sent Jo’-seph, and called his father Ja’-cob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.

15 So Ja’-cob went down into E’-gypt, and died, he, and our fathers,

16 And were carried over into Sy’-chem, and laid in the sepulchre that A’-bra-ham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Em’-mor the father of Sy’-chem.

17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to A’-bra-ham, the people grew and multiplied in E’-gypt,

18 Till another king arose, which knew not J’-oseph.

19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.

20 In which time Mo’-ses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father’s house three months:

21 And when he was cast out, Phar’-aoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.

22 And Mo’-ses was learned in all the wisdom of the E-gyp’-tians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Is’-ra-el.

24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the E-gyp’-tian:

25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.

26 And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?

27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?

28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the E-gyp’-tian yesterday?

29 Then fled Mo’-ses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Ma’-di-an, where he begat two sons.

30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Si’-na an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.

31 When Mo’-ses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him,

32 Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of A’-bra-ham, and the God of I’-saac, and the God of Ja’-cob. Then Mo’-ses trembled, and durst not behold.

33 Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.

34 I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in E’-gypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into E’-gypt.

35 This Mo’-ses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.

36 He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of E’-gypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

37 This is that Mo’-ses, which said unto the children of Is’-ra-el, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.

38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Si’-na, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into E’-gypt,

40 Saying unto Aa’-ron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Mo’-ses, which brought us out of the land of E’-gypt, we wot not what is become of him.

41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

42 Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Is’-ra-el, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?

43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Mo’-loch, and the star of your god Rem’-phan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Bab’-y-lon.

44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Mo’-ses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.

45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Je’-sus into the possession of the Gen’-tiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of Da’-vid;

46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Ja’-cob.

47 But Sol’-o-mon built him an house.

48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,

49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?

50 Hath not my hand made all these things?

51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Je’-sus standing on the right hand of God,

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.

59 And they stoned Ste’-phen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Je’-sus, receive my spirit.

60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

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PRAY
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When I was a teenager I wanted to get wisdom and knowledge, so I set out the read the big family Bible that many families had in those days. But I couldn’t get past Genesis 2 before I got bored with reading the Bible. I found out later in life that you have to believe on Christ and get saved before you can understand the Bible. So here is how I became a Christian and how you can too:

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 18:8: “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.

Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at [email protected] and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.

God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.

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A group described as “grassroots” Southern Baptists announced the formation of the Conservative Baptist Network Friday (Feb. 14). Group spokesperson Brad Jurkovich, pastor of First Baptist Church of Bossier City, La., told Baptist Press the group was launched to address concerns about the direction of the SBC.

Jurkovich is the only person publicly identified as part of the group’s leadership. He declined to share names of other leaders, though he said it was “really local pastor-driven.”

“There’s lots of people involved with the network, and that’s really the passion behind it,” Jurkovich said. “There’s just lots of people around the country and [Southern Baptist] Convention that are involved with this.

“Right now,” Jurkovich told BP, “we haven’t really shared a lot of those names, et cetera, on a lot of fronts. So, and again, part of that is structurally, we’re still putting some things together that when we want to share that, we will certainly be ready to do that.”

In a press release, the network said it is not a new denomination or a competitor with other like-minded ministries. In response to potential division the network’s founding could cause, Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee president and CEO Ronnie Floyd released a statement Friday.

“Since I arrived at the EC, I have worked diligently on moving us towards a clear, concise, and compelling unified Great Commission vision,” said Floyd, who assumed the role in May 2019 after nearly 33 years as pastor of Cross Church in northwest Arkansas. “The Southern Baptist Convention is at her best when churches are partnering together for mission and standing on the inerrant, infallible, sufficient Word of God. Regardless of our secondary affiliations or networks, we must continue to uphold the Baptist Faith and Message, cooperating with one another for the purpose of seeing every person reached for Jesus Christ in every town, every city, every state and every nation.

“Anyone who has questions about our future together, please stay tuned…. Now is the time for all of us to come together around the heartbeat of missions and evangelism.”

Floyd will announce a major five-year vision to the SBC Executive Committee during its Feb. 17-18 meeting in Nashville.

During a radio interview Friday on The Todd Starnes Show, Jurkovich was asked if it is time for a second Conservative Resurgence.

“Absolutely,” he told Starnes.

The network has the support of Chuck Kelley, president emeritus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and various leaders of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Cordova, Tenn.

But when asked by BP, Jurkovich would neither confirm nor deny whether former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary president Paige Patterson, a prominent leader in the original Southern Baptist Conservative Resurgence that began in the late 1970s, is involved in the network’s leadership.

About 800 pastors joined the network within three hours of its launch, Jurkovich told BP, but he provided no names nor churches.

Source: Baptist Press

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SBC Executive Committee president Ronnie Floyd is expected to issue a call for Southern Baptists to reimagine a new future of reaching the world for Jesus Christ at the February SBC Executive Committee meeting next week (Feb. 17-18) in Nashville.

In his remarks with Baptist state publication editors and state executives earlier this week in Tucson (see related story), Floyd announced the unveiling of “Vision 2025” — a call to reach every person for Jesus Christ in every town, every city, every state and every nation. Floyd’s address is scheduled for Monday night in the first of two scheduled plenary sessions of the 86-member board.

The Monday night plenary begins at 6:30 p.m. and will also feature an address by SBC president J.D. Greear. It was in this speech a year ago when Greear issued a convention-wide call to better respond to sexual abuse in local churches and to provide better training to pastors and lay leaders for how to care well for survivors.

One response to Greear’s call was the conception and formation of a standing Credentials Committee at the SBC annual meeting last June in Birmingham, Ala. This new Credentials Committee is scheduled to present its first report to the SBC Executive Committee on Tuesday.

The Tuesday morning plenary session begins and 10:30 a.m. and includes a presentation from Warren Peek, president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Foundation, as well as nearly 30 business items for the Committee to process. Business items scheduled to be addressed include:

Source: Baptist Press

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