Galatians 2:1-10
1) Paul’s Coming (Galatians 2:1–2)
Acts 15:1-7 ,10-11, 12
Philippians 2:16
2) Paul’s Companion (Galatians 2:3–5)
Acts 15:13-14
Romans 6:18
3) Paul’s Commission (Galatians 2:6–8)
Acts 15:22-29
2 Peter 3:15-16
4) Paul’s Commendation (Galatians 2:9-10)
Sarah and Todd Palin's decision to complete her recent pregnancy, despite advance notice that their baby Trig had Down syndrome, is hailed by many in the pro-life movement as walking the walk as well as talking the talk.Read the whole thing @ the LA Times .But a senior Canadian doctor is now expressing concerns that such a prominent public role model as the governor of Alaska and potential vice president of the United States completing a D
own syndrome pregnancy may prompt other women to make the same decision against abortion because of that genetic abnormality. And thereby reduce the number of abortions.
Published reports in Canada say about 9 out of 10 women given a diagnosis of Down syndrome choose to terminate the pregnancy through abortion.
Dr. Andre Lalonde, executive vice president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in Ottawa, worries that Palin's now renowned decision may cause abortions in Canada to decline as other women there and elsewhere opt to follow suit.
He says not every woman is prepared to deal with the consequences of Down babies, who have developmental delays, some physical difficulties and often a shortened lifespan.
Wider use of blood screening and amniocentesis during pregnancies can now accurately predict the presence of Down syndrome.
Lalonde says his primary concern is that women have the....
...choice of abortion and that greater public awareness of women making choices like Palin to complete a pregnancy and give birth to their genetically-abnormal baby could be detrimental and confusing to the women and their families.
William D @ writes on worldliness. He notes:I want to deal with the term: "world" in the negative manner in which the Bible describes it, not referring to the people of the planet:2 Corinthians 4:3-4 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
What is Textual Criticism?
Are there errors in the manuscripts?
How significant are the variants?
How do text critics make their decisions?
1. Date.
2. Geographic Distribution.
3. Number of manuscripts.
The shorter reading is usually closer to the original.
Conclusion
In the end, I believe because of the faithfulness of many text critics who tirelessly endeavor in this field, we can be more than confident that the Bible we read today accurately represents the original, even if it does not do so with technical perfection. The message of Scripture has been preserved due to men of the past whose names we do not know and because of men of the present who work with these men of the past to hand us the word of God in a reliable form.
Paul Tripp talks about what can be said to bring hope to those who have been horribly hurt by what people have said to them:
songs, children's Christian music that teach Biblical truths, then we highly recommend Jamie Soles. These are great for family devotions, children's groups, homeschool, in the car, and even adults can enjoy them".Here are a few samples of lyrics and tunes
Greater is He
Download song sample
"High up on Mount Carmel under the blazing sun
Prophets in attendance, four hundred fifty one
Most of them were there to fight
The only man that's good
Sounds unfair, but this man understood...
"Pharaoh thought he was the sun god
When you think such rot you're bound to be bad
Though he tried to keep us under
In the end he died, and God's people were glad
So may all Your enemies perish
But let the righteous shine like the sun
We are the friends of God and He will save us
Because we worship His Son."
The book of Proverbs is a unique gift to those in their teenage years. Whether you're a parent or a teen, do you value the wealth of wisdom contained there? In these two messages, C.J. highlights the danger of foolishly “dissing” Lady Wisdom, and the importance of listening to her words.
http://www.puritanfellowship.com reports on Mob violence in India's Orissa state continues to escalate, and reports coming from Gospel for Asia leaders in Orissa say that as many as 20 GFA-related churches were destroyed and hundreds of Christian 
families have been burned out of their homes. At least a dozen members of GFA-related churches have been murdered, but no one knows the overall death toll.
"The Christians in Orissa have fled for their lives into the forests," GFA President K.P. Yohannan said, "and some have been in hiding for three days without food or water.
"Several of our pastors are in the forest along with their church people, and one said that he could have escaped, but would rather die with his people than leave them."
Dr. Yohannan called the situation "unprecedented in his 30 years of ministry in South Asia."
"I have never seen persecution so bad in my life," Dr. Yohannan said, "and I have seen a lot of opposition to the Gospel over the years."
Full report and Video Here.Do you ever wonder what kinds of priorities should be reflected in your prayers? Matt Waymeyer @ http://expositorythoughts.wordpress.com notes how Jesus Himself tells us in Matthew 6:9-13 where He exhorts us to pray for:
1. The Manifestation of Divine Glory (9)
2. The Coming of God’s Kingdom (10)
3. The Provision of Physical Needs (11)
4. The Cleansing of Daily Sin (12)
5. The Blessing of Spiritual Protection (13)
Galatians 1:13-24.
1) Preconversion Proof (Galatians
Philippians 3:5-6
Acts 8:3,
Acts 9:1-2
Acts 26:11
2) Conversion Proof (Galatians
Acts 9:3-6,
Acts 26:15-17
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
3) Postconversion Proof (Galatians 1:16b-24)
Jude 3
In an audio (courtesy of Faith and Reason), Jakes can be heard giving credibility to the astonishing fallacy that Ruth and Naomi had a lesbian relationship. Why is TD Jakes advocating two of the favorite lies of the gay christian movement?
“Ruth turns to Naomi and says “I shall not leave thee.” She makes her statement to this woman…that sounds somewhat, somewhere in between poetry, intimacy, and borders on lesbianism. People don’t even know how to explain what Ruth said to Naomi. It makes them uncomfortable. They’re afraid to talk about it. They don’t want to teach on it. Same thing with David and Jonathan…where there were same-sex relationships getting too close, people don’t even know what to say.” (our italics)
Richard Youngblood became the subject of a vendetta orchestrated by TD Jakes causing him to lose his marriage and family. Youngblood, who knew and worked with Bishop Jakes since he first came into Higher Ground Always Abounding Assemblies (HGAAA), recently wrote that Jakes is the type of man characterized in Jude 4 as one who ”crept into the church unawares”. Youngblood’s story of Jakes’ sexual pursuit of him is nothing less than stunning.
While Bishop Jakes was not successful in his attempt to have sex with me, he did everything he could to try to convince me. After seeing that I would not fall for his tactic, he said something to me that to this day still reverberates in my ear…”sometimes to much light hurts the eyes.” At first I had no idea what he meant. Then later understood that he was saying to me that he had revealed too much of himself to me. DUH!!! What an understatement from such an articulate man. This is where my personal warfare began. Questions began to surface in my head like…”what kind of sign was I giving off that made him think he could approach me?” Then the warfare took on a feeling that I felt a need to prove my manhood. I began to have sex with as many women as would allow me to satisfy my lust to prove my manhood. All the while protecting his”too much light.” The saddest part to this warfare is that because of the information that I had, Bishop was afraid that I would use it against him so he began to forecast me as a trouble maker and a liar. All of the mutual friend [sic] that we had received phone calls and were told not to invite me to speak at their events. Obviously because of his reputation, he was believed and I was not. He even sowed seed [sic] in my home between my wife and I by telling her that I was no longer welcomed to the church but that she could continue coming. That marriage eventually ended in divorce.”
There will be those, who will without the slightest hesitation, defend the men they have made idols. We have much evidence of that right here on this site.
When Gay Christian Movement Watch first exposed the connection between Bishops Jakes and Taylor, they sent a letter (click thumbnail for larger view) claiming claiming the post was “libelous and grossly inaccurate”. Sources later told GCM Watch Taylor was thrown under the bus by Watkins and Jakes in order to cover their own involvement. Bishop Andrew Merritt left the organization after he became aware that HGAAA leadership was complicit and condoning of homosexual activity.
RELATED POSTS:
Justin Taylor @ http://www.newattitude.org reviews the question: How could God command Genocide in the Old Testament? He notes:
2. God is not only the ultimate maker, ruler, and owner, but he is just and righteous in all that he does.
3. All of us deserve God’s justice; none of us deserve God’s mercy.
4. The Canaanites were enemies of God who deserved to be punished.
5. God’s actions were not an example of ethnic cleansing.
6. Why was it necessary to remove the Canaanites from the land?
7. The destruction of the Canaanites is a picture of the final judgment.
At the end of the day we will join Moses and the Lamb in singing this song of praise:
“Great and amazing are your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!
Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.” (Rev. 15:3-4)
God is sovereign and can choose to answer any prayer He sees fit. But Scripture clearly indicates that God does not listen to or answer every prayer. In fact, Scripture gives at least fifteen reasons for unanswered prayer. God does not answer the prayer of those:
1. Who have personal and selfish motives.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures (James 4:3).
2. Who regard iniquity in their hearts.
If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear (Psalm 66:18).
3. Who remain in sin.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear (Isaiah 59:2).
Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him (John 9:31).
4. Who offer unworthy service to God.
“You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The table of the LORD is to be despised.’ But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?” says the LORD of hosts. “But now will you not entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?” says the LORD of hosts. (Mal. 1:6-10)
5. Who forsake God.
Thus says the Lord to this people: “Thus they have loved to wander; They have not restrained their feet. Therefore the Lord does not accept them; He will remember their iniquity now, And punish their sins.” Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for this people, for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence (Jeremiah 14:10-12).
6. Who reject God’s call.
Because I [Wisdom] have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke…. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me (Proverbs 1:24-25, 28).
7. Who will not heed God’s law.
One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination (Proverbs 28:9).
“But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 7:11-13).
8. Who turn a deaf ear to the cry of the poor.
Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, Will also cry himself and not be heard. (Proverbs 21:13).
9. Who are violent.
When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood (Isaiah 1:15; see also 59:2-3).
10. Who worship idols.
Therefore thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will surely bring calamity on them which they will not be able to escape; and though they cry out to Me, I will not listen to them. Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they offer incense, but they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble. For according to the number of your cities were your gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to that shameful thing, altars to burn incense to Baal. So do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble.” (Jeremiah 11:11-14; see also Ezekiel 8:15-18).
11. Who have no faith.
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-7).
12. Who are living in hypocrisy.
Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy (Luke 12:1).
13. Who are proud of heart.
God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).
14. Who are self-righteous.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men-extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.” And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 18:11-14).
15. Who mistreat God’s people.
You have also given me the necks of my enemies, So that I destroyed those who hated me. They cried out, but there was none to save; Even to the Lord, but He did not answer them (Psalm 18:40-41).
You who hate good and love evil; Who strip the skin from My people, And the flesh from their bones; Who also eat the flesh of My people, Flay their skin from them, Break their bones, And chop them in pieces, Like meat for the pot, Like flesh in the caldron. Then they will cry to the Lord, But He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, Because they have been evil in their deeds (Micah 3:2-4).
So, does God answer the prayers of unbelievers? A strict yes or no answer is difficult without qualifying the answer in various ways. However, it is noteworthy that the above mentioned principles represent some of the key characteristics of an unbeliever. Thus we can safely say that, in general, God does not answer the prayers of an unbeliever.
eports out of India over the past week or so describe a dramatic increase in violence against Christians, mainly at the hands 
of radical Hindus in the state of Orissa. The conflicts are to a large degree rooted in Hinduism's caste system and Hindu resentment over lower-caste people who have converted from Hinduism to Christianity.
Every four years politicians and pundits will wax eloquent about the “difficult” and “controversial” issue of abortion. Debates about “a woman’s right to choose” and “a baby’s right to life” will quickly degenerate into shouting matches that obscure rather than clarify the issues.
As Christians, we don’t have the luxury of speaking with vagueness, ambiguity, and cliché. When we open our mouths, we must speak clearly (Ephesians 6:19-20; Colossians 4:3-4).
But if we are to speak clearly, we must first think and feel clearly about difficult and controversial moral issues.
So we need to realize that abortion is not mainly about a woman’s right to choose.
And it isn’t mainly about a baby’s right to life.
Abortion is about God, the Creator of the universe, the Giver and Sustainer of all life, the Judge of the living and the dead, the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the Redeemer and Forgiver of all who trust him. Abortion is about God.
To leave God out of the picture of abortion is to trivialize it. All things are trivial without God. God is the ultimate reality over the universe. All other reality is derivative and dependent and has no ultimate meaning at all without reference to God the ultimate reality. In him we live and move and have our being. If we leave him out of account, we know nothing of any lasting significance about ourselves or the world. (John Piper, “Where Does Child Killing Come From?”)
During this election season, as politicians court the evangelical vote, it is vital that Christians remind themselves why abortion is the transcendent moral issue of our time.
To that end, The Bethlehem Institute has designed a unique, six-week Sunday School curriculum advancing the truth that the deepest evil of abortion is that it defies God’s supremacy over life in the womb.
Entitled Abortion Is About God: Reframing a Moral Issue, the course provides a biblical and theological foundation for the pro-life cause from a God-centered perspective.
At a time when being pro-life is marginalized in some evangelical circles, we want to lift up the cause of the unborn and urge our fellow Christians to not grow weary in doing good.
We will reap a harvest if we do not give up. And the strength to persevere comes from realizing that God’s supremacy over all things includes his work in the womb.
Abortion is an assault on the person-forming work of God. Children are a gift from God. To reject them through abortion is to reject him.
But we do not merely preach against sin. We also preach Christ crucified—crucified for women who have had abortions; for family members who have pushed for abortions; for doctors who have performed abortions; and for Christians who have failed to love both mother and baby as we ought to.
In that spirit, we commend this new curriculum to you. Our prayer is that God would use it in churches around the country to reawaken people to the centrality and supremacy of God in the cause of the unborn so that one day soon abortion will not only be illegal, but unthinkable.
* * *
Discounted Pro-life Resources
Free Online Pro-life Resources
Senator Obama has shared his perspective if this were to happen: he wouldn't want them to be "punished with a baby":
“For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” (Ezra 7:10)
“Give me understanding to learn your commands.” (Psalm 119:73)
“Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.” (Proverbs 9:9)
“Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.” (Proverbs 10:14)
“Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.” (Proverbs 23:12)
“A woman should learn in quietness and full submission.” (1 Timothy 2:11)
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
“When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls [books], especially the parchments [Scriptures].” (2 Timothy 4:13)
Hear God’s Word (Luke 11:28; Romans 10:17), which means that listening to sermons, lectures, and audio Bibles is very beneficial.
Read God’s Word (e.g., Revelation 1:3) as Jesus often did.
Study God’s Word (e.g., Ezra 7:10; Acts 17:11) as Jesus often did, which caused people to be amazed at His insights (Matthew 7:28–29).
Memorize God’s Word (Psalm 119:11; Proverbs 22:17–19) as Jesus did, which enabled Him to freely quote Scripture as needed (e.g., Matthew 4:1–11).
