A DISCIPLE'S GATHERING PLACE - CHATROOM FOR THIS BLOG ONLY

I am working on creating a blog that is only to have a chatroom on it as a gathering place or disciples only of Jesus Christ.  Nonbelievers who are seeking answers are welcome, of course, but this is mainly for believers and true seekers only.  Trolling, persecuting, mocking or vulgar, filthy, unGodly posts will get you banned.  However, I need help.  If anyone is willing to do a one time only or ongoing group session that deals with unique struggles within the body of Christ (like addiction, lying, cheating, homosexuality, anything at all) to help our brothers and sisters.  Correction using God's Word is fine, judgmentalness and condemnation is not.  We are to lead them to Jesus Christ, not to turn them away.  Please help support this, not with money but prayers and sharing.  Let's take this Gospel of Salvation to the WORLD with love, grace, mercy, humility and gentleness. In other words, the fruits of the Spirit.  No trolls, vulgarity, filth, anti-Christ or other anti-Bible posts/comments allowed.  We stand for God.  Political posts only as it relates in truth to end times.  If willing to help in anyway, contact me ONLY at. . . 

A Disciple's Gathering Place Help Offer

HEBREW WORD OF THE DAY

Cooktop (on a stove)....

I'd sure love to have one like this...

God Bless, Much Love in Christ Jesus and Shalom!

First Corinthians 15:1-11

Ephesians 2:8-9

John 3:16-17

TODAY GOD IS FIRST DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Josiah, God's Leader

June 28

"Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did - with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses" (2 Kings 23:25).

What type of person does God raise up when a nation becomes synonymous with idol worship and sin? God raised up a leader that had the courage to destroy the evil and bring the nation back to God. His name was Josiah. "The nation of Israel had been led away from God by Manasseh who reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites" (2 Kings 21:1,2).

Manasseh's son Amon reigned for twenty-two years after him and was also wicked. However, Amon's son was named Josiah and became king at eight years old after his father was assassinated.

"Josiah did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left" (2 Kings 23:8). He was a courageous leader. "Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke him to anger. So the LORD said, 'I will remove Judah also from my presence as I removed Israel, and I will reject Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this temple, about which I said, 'There shall my Name be'" (2 Kings 22:13).

God responded to the Godly reforms that Josiah brought to his nation. "Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD . . . Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place'" (2 Kings 22:19-20). Judgment always follows the sin of a nation. If there were ever a time we needed God to raise up Josiahs in our cities and nations, it is now. Pray that God brings forth Godly leaders into your city and nation.

DEFUNDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD - CHOOSE LIFE!

Planned Parenthood abortionists in St. Paul, Minnesota would “break the baby’s neck” if the child was born alive, according to a new video just released by Pro-Life Action Ministries. This would be a violation of both federal and Minnesota law In the video, a former Planned Parenthood client says that when she went to Planned Parenthood earlier this year for a late-term abortion (at 22 weeks, 1 day), she asked the two abortionists, “If you guys were to take him out right now while he’s still, his heart rate is still, you know, going, what would you guys do?”

According to the woman, one of the abortionists looked at the other one, then looked back at the client, “and she told me that we don’t tell women this, and a lot of women don’t even ask this question, but if we was to proceed with the abortion and the baby was to come out still alive and active, most likely we would break the baby’s neck.”

This would be a clear violation of Minnesota’s “Born Alive Infants Protection Act,” which, similar to federal law, requires that, “All reasonable measures consistent with good medical practice . . .   shall be taken . . . . to preserve the life and health of the born alive infant.”

The video also describes how on the first day of this two-day abortion procedure, the abortionist searched for the baby with a long needle to inject digoxin and how the baby survived that injection. The woman had started to have a change of heart following this injection, after reading the information given to her by Pro-Life Action Ministries’ sidewalk counselors on her way into Planned Parenthood. That information included the story of another woman who changed her mind, stopped a late-term abortion and gave birth to a healthy baby.

In the new video, the woman said she requested an ultrasound on the second day to see if her baby was still alive and when it revealed that he was and she learned what PP abortionists would do if aborted alive, the woman demanded that the dilators be removed so that she could go home and keep her baby.

“The more I was telling them no,” the woman said, “it was more like they were trying to sell me something, like a seller that pushes you and pushes you until you buy their item or their product. That’s how it felt, as if they were trying to sell me this abortion.”

SIGN THE PETITION! Congress Must De-Fund Planned Parenthood Immediately

Since the video was recorded, the baby has been born at full-term. He is doing very well. The woman’s identity has been concealed so that she will not be subject to retaliation from Planned Parenthood.

“Planned Parenthood in Minnesota must be investigated,” said Brian Gibson, Executive Director of Pro-Life Action Ministries.  “How many other laws are they willing to, and most likely, violating?  We have no idea since there are no inspections, no compliance checks and no investigations when these ugly realities come to light.”

Gibson continued, “This video adds to the considerable evidence that Planned Parenthood must be defunded.”

These St. Paul abortionists are not the only Planned Parenthood abortionists willing to kill born-alive infants.

In a recent release by the Center for Medical Progress (CMP)  another PP abortionist strongly implies that she would kill a baby born alive if she could get away with it. DeShawn Taylor, former Planned Parenthood Arizona Medical Director, was asked by CMP undercover investigators, “Is there any standard procedure for verifying signs of life?”

Taylor responded, “Well the thing is, I mean the key is, you need to pay attention to who’s in the room, right? And like, you know, because the thing is the law states that you’re not supposed to do any maneuvers after the fact to try to cause [fetal] demise. So it’s really tricky. It’s really tricky, so most of the time we do dig [digoxin], and it usually works. And then we don’t have to worry about that because Arizona state law says if any, if there’s signs of life, then we’re supposed to transport them. To the hospital.”

THE REVOLUTIONARY IDEA OF PRAYING TO THE FATHER

Quote of the Day

"In a way, persecution will separate the real from the false, the genuine from the fake."
~Greg Laurie (from "Polycarp: Our Example in Persecution?") 

Today's Answer

The Revolutionary Idea of Praying to the "Father"?
Jack Graham

When Jesus told his disciples to pray to their Father in heaven, it was a revolutionary idea to them as Jewish men.

Because up until then, the disciples knew God by other names like Adoni and Jehovah. And they knew God as Yahweh, which was his personal, covenant, and most holy name.

But now Jesus was saying to these men, "When you pray to this almighty God, start by saying, ‘Our Father in heaven.'" Jesus wanted them to grasp the intimate relationship they could have with God... a relationship much like an earthly father has with his children.

Jesus could have taught us to pray, "Our Creator who art in heaven" as God is our creator. But no, Jesus said, "The secret to connecting with God starts by talking to God your Father"!

As God's child, you can be sure that he is listening for you to call his name in prayer. He is your Father who lives in heaven, you are his child, and he loves you.

Taken from "Connecting with God" by PowerPoint Ministries (used by permission).

Today's Video

Why Didn't Jesus Come to Call the Righteous?
Answered by Stephen Davey 

Do you have questions about the life, ministry, and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
Get real answers at Jesus.org.

TWO TYPES OF ADULTERERS BY CHRISTIANITY.COM

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Dena Johnson

The more I talk with people who have walked the dark path of adultery, the more I realize not all affairs are the same. I have a dear friend who walked the dark, painful days of adultery with me. Her husband had been a pastor at a local church when he had an affair. Through many painful days and tearful nights, they worked hard to redeem their marriage. Today, nearly a decade later, they are madly in love with one another. She had to choose forgiveness; he had to choose repentance and the consequences of broken trust. I received an email today from another man who committed adultery. He longs to have his wife back, tells of the pain he experiences daily facing his sin. He talks of the many consequences, from financial ruin to loss of everything he held dear. His tone to me is one of great anger, disdain, condescension. “You say you’re a woman of God, a minister....Did he repent? ... Would you take him back if he truly repented? ... God allows you to divorce for his infidelities ... but why would you do something Jesus despised? ... all I need is one more chance...” It’s obvious he is struggling with tremendous pain and anguish, the pain of the consequences for a sin he committed. He longs to make it all right again, and yet his wife has chosen to walk away. Or there was the email I once received from a lady who made it clear I must have done something to push my husband into the arms of another man. She talked of her critical nature, of how she pushed her husband away by her negativity. Eventually, he found intimacy with another woman. “You didn’t forgive. If you had forgiven, your marriage would have been saved. Your family would still be intact. I kindly responded that I only wished my story had been like hers, an affair caused by lack of emotional support. I only wished my offer of forgiveness had been accepted and we had been a shining example of what God can do in a broken marriage. I only wished... Yes, there are the adulterers who, for whatever reason, have a momentary lapse in judgement. They step away from their vows and immediately regret their actions. They understand the consequences, the broken trust, the pain they have caused their spouse and their children. If they could go back and change it, they would. They are broken over their sins and long to be right with God and their family, no matter the cost. But... There’s another kind of adulterer. The serial adulterer. The abusive adulterer. The addicted adulterer. The manipulative adulterer. The victim adulterer. The narcissistic adulterer. I lump them all into one category, far different from the above adulterers. These cheaters are not the ones who regret what they did, who are willing to pay the consequences of their actions. They aren’t the ones who long to make things right. These are the adulterers who twist the circumstances to make you think it’s all your fault, you were the cause of the problem. These are the adulterers whose minds are so twisted and warped by pornography that their “love” is truly just a lust, an attempt to get what they want no matter the cost. These adulterers are the ones who will promise never to do it again and yet get caught on an online dating site within a few short weeks. These are the adulterers whose rage controls you and keeps you in the marriage out of fear. These are the adulterers who make your life a living hell whether you stay in the marriage or you leave. “My husband’s addiction always put tremendous pressure on our relationship once he decided recovery was no longer for him.... He started having an affair with a coworker and left shortly after...” “I lived for my husband. Today, with psychological help, I recognize that I was in an emotionally abusive relationship. I feel very emotionally tired...” “I’m married 34 years and I want a divorce...I can no longer put up with his drinking...help!” “I have ... children and a successful career but am married to a man that is a cheater, pathological liar, and has an extreme anger problem. Just this morning he said he was leaving in front of the kids and called me [expletive], [expletive], and retarded as he has numerous times. He’s broken various objects, thrown things at me, and punched holes in walls...I can’t believe I’m in this position and fear the judgement from Church and family...” I read stories like this daily. Pornography. Alcohol. Drugs. Emotional abuse. Verbal abuse. Narcissism. Anger. Control. Can this type of adulterer change? With God’s help, yes. Unfortunately, most see themselves as the victim, rationalize away their sins. Their minds are so warped, so deceived, they can’t see the truth. They’ve told so many lies they believe they truly are the victim. Most don’t have any desire to change. Do they want to keep their family together? Yes! But, they also want to be allowed to continue their relationships on the side. They don’t want to face any consequences for their actions. They want to be able to continue with life and never face the truth of who they have become. My heart aches when I hear of anyone walking through divorce because I know the pain, the heartache, the devastation. I know the far-reaching consequences of divorce. But I also understand there are subtleties the outside world does not understand. Occasionally, I see the repentant adulterers walking through divorce...and it breaks my heart. I wish I could help their betrayed spouse understand their marriage can survive. I applaud the couples who take time to look deeply into their own lives, to evaluate their faults, and do the hard work of restoring broken trust. It’s a long, hard road, but it is worth the journey. And then there’s the second type of adulterer. My heart aches for the victimized spouse, and I long to help him/her catch a glimpse of the vision God has for their future. I long to help him/her know the amazing work God can do in them and through them because of the pain. I long to help him/her understand that divorce may often be the only option, and that it can be a new beginning not an ending. I long to help him/her understand they cannot tolerate the sinful behavior of his/her spouse. I long for him/her to experience freedom in Christ! I hope no one ever thinks I recommend divorce to anyone walking through adultery. That couldn’t be further from the truth. But to those married to adulterer #2? Sometimes, it’s the only option....