12 year old speaks out, watch video

Despite facing threats of disqualification, a 12-year-old girl took first place in a speech contest when she eloquently argued for the rights of unborn children – after an offended judge quit.

"What if I told you that right now, someone was choosing if you were going to live or die?" the seventh-grader begins More..in a video recording of her speech on YouTube. "What if I told you that this choice wasn't based on what you could or couldn't do, what you'd done in the past or what you would do in the future? And what if I told you, you could do nothing about it?"

"Fellow students and teachers, thousands of children are right now in that very situation. Someone is choosing without even knowing them whether they are going to live or die.

"That someone is their mother. And that choice is abortion."

Despite Lia's enthusiasm for her topic, her teacher "strongly encouraged" her to select a different one for her class presentation or she would be considered ineligible for an upcoming speech contest.

"[S]everal teachers discouraged her from picking the topic of abortion; she was told it was 'too big,' 'too mature' and 'too controversial,'" her mother wrote. "She was also told that if she went ahead with that topic, she would not be allowed to continue on in the speech competition."

Lia's mother continued, "Initially, I tried helping her find other topics to speak on, but, in the end, she was adamant. She just felt she wanted to continue with the topic of abortion. So she forfeited her chance to compete in order to speak on something she was passionate about."

Lia's teacher was so impressed by the speech that she allowed her student to advance as the winner. Lia presented her speech to judges in front of her entire school on Feb. 10.

The school principal and teachers called Lia's presentation the "obvious winner" – but the judges suddenly disqualified her the following day "because of the topic and her position on abortion," her mother said.

Lia's father later revealed that the judges had a "big disagreement." One was offended by the speech and voluntarily stepped down while the others reversed their earlier decision – declaring her the winner.

Now Lia plans to take her message of life to a regional speech competition, and more than 100,000 visitors have viewed her presentation online.

Live holy, preach Jesus!

Captain's meditation on Luke 7:1-10, What amazes Jesus?

Check out this scripture from Luke:7:1-10 - When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

The centurion was a man of position and power (at least 100 men under his leadership), was respected by his servants and elders of the jews who pleaded on his behalf, he was caring and generous (caring for his servant and helping to build the synagogue).

What amazes Jesus? What did this Roman centurion have that "amazes" Jesus? The centurion was humble and acknowledged that he wasn't "owed" anything or even "worthy" of Jesus coming into his home. He also had faith enough to understand that at the very word of Jesus he could have his prayers answered (even without Jesus there in physical form).

Do you want to amaze Jesus today? Come before Jesus today with both humility and a bold faith that says "Lord, we know we aren't owed anything, but You can do anything, so just give Your word and we know that Your will is going to be done, and as for us, we are soldiers under your command ready to obey."

Live holy, preach Jesus!

Captain's meditation on Exodus 14:13-15

Listen to the loving Heavenly Father's advice to His children... Calm down, quit your whining, and move on!

The Enemy is closing in, they might kill, destroy, and enslave us, but listen to God's response in Exodus 14:13-15 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.

I don't have a new great revelation for a deeper meaning in the text, maybe God just needs to occasionally tell his children to Calm down, quit your whining, and move on!

Lord if that is us today, may we be obedient to your command.

Calm my spirit and release me from worry, knowing that you intend to deliver me completely from everything that is currently attacking me. Help me to turn my whining into prayers of praise, prayers for wisdom, prayers for protection and deliverance, and prayers that your will be done. Now Lord let me not be paralyzed by fear, but walk in Your Spirit of power, love, and self-control. Amen

Live holy, preach Jesus!

Captain's meditation on Luke 18:9-14

Do you remember the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector? Luke 18:9-14 reads this way... To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Two quotes to consider...
"God is just as concerned with self-righteousness as He is unrighteousness".

"The only man who the Lord cannot fill, is the one already full of himself".

Live holy, preach Jesus!

Captain's meditation on Exodus 13:17-18

Look at this scritpure - Exodus 13:17-18 - When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle.

God had His people take the long route because if they faced war, they might have gone back to captivity, but look at the last sentence "THE ISREALITES WENT UP OUT OF EGYPT ARMED FOR BATTLE!

God promised His people He would take them to the promised land.
God would have fought for His people.
God had already equipped His people for battle.
They could have taken the short route.

God knowing that His people would have changed their minds and settled for captivity if there was a war between them am their promised land.

If we really want to see victories for God, if we want to see new territory won, if we want to see our Corps (churches) grow, if we want to be freed from captivity, and if we want results fast, one of God's requirements is BE READY TO GO DO WAR FOR IT!

It's time to soldier up. Let's face every challenge head on with boldness, God will fight for us, He's promised us the victory, we've already been given resources and spiritual weapons and armor, we just need to resolve up front that we won't turn tale and go back to captivity at the sight of war.

Live holy, preach Jesus!

Sunday's Sermon - I am thirsty

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God bless your study!

Live holy, preach Jesus!

A prayer thought for your Sunday meditation

John Burton, Jr. (1803-77) writer of songbook #588 "I often say my prayers" penned these words to consider while you pray and seek God's face today...

I often say my prayers; but do I ever pray?
And do the wishes of my heart go with the words I say?

I may as well kneel down and worship gods of stone,
As offer to the living God a prayer of words alone.

For words without the heart the Lord will never hear;
Nor will he to those lips attend whose prayers are not sincere.

Lord, show me what I need, and teach me how to pray;
Nor let me ask thee for thy grace, not feeling what I say.

Live holy, preach Jesus!

Bad news / Good news!

Capital Punishment of Sin

I don’t recall the source of this illustration in some old notes, but it’s good none the less…

Thinking of the analogy of execution (of sin), killing them, here are some thoughts about treating our sins to capital punishment. First, you have to pronounce them guilty. This is important. Denying that something is sin only increases its power over us and decreases our joy and usefulness to God. Call it what it is. That bad attitude, that bitterness, that griping, those thoughts… if the Bible calls it sin, so should you.

So now that you’ve declared the sins as guilty, you need to take care of them. You have to starve them. They’ll fight, they’ll be nasty, they’ll scream and holler. But you need to starve the sources. Whatever tempts you, stay away from it. Whatever leads you to argue with someone in your head, get away from it. Sin needs to be fed to be dangerous. The battle for sin is first won or lost in the mind before it’s ever acted out. Learn to control your thoughts.

Now, you have to practice corporal punishment. That is, be prepared to suffer. Some cave in at withdrawal. Some can’t picture their lives victorious, so it never happens. Sometimes living without sin hurts. Of course, living with it hurts more. Be willing to suffer. Hebrews 12: 4 says, “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” It’s a battle, but the victory is promised to us.

Next, to treat sin like a prisoner on death row, neglect your sins. Don’t dwell on them. Don’t treat them like they deserve some special place in your life. You’ve already starved them, now just pay no attention to them. Don’t remind yourself of their supposed power. Understand they are forgiven and in the past. Understand that you are forgiven. They don’t need to be in your life or in your thoughts. Let them wither away by neglect.

And lastly, replace them. It’s not enough just to be so concentrated on your sins that you forget Who forgave them. Some people are so bogged down by the thoughts of their sins. I think of Martin Luther before he was converted. He was so overwhelmed with guilt, that he continually went to his bishop for confession. The issues were things like, having too comfortable a chair or getting too good a night’s sleep. Well, the bishop grew so tired of his whinings that he said, “Look, Luther, I don’t want to hear your sins anymore until you do something worth confessing.”

Clearly, God has better things for you than to dwell on things that need forgiving, and things that don’t. Focus on Him. Set your mind on things above. Fix your eyes on Jesus, not always on yourself. Spend time with Him. Yes, ask Him about what needs to change in your life, most certainly. But replace thoughts of your sin or guilt with thoughts of the Lord.

Declare them guilty! Starve them! Make them suffer! Neglect them! Replace them. This is how to live as Christians with circumcised hearts. Yes, every person has an appointment with death. Well, so do your sins. Deal with them. Put them to death. Then you will live.

Live holy, preach Jesus!

3 simple rules to keep from backsliding...

When Billy Sunday (former baseball player) was converted to Christ, a Christian man put his arm around his shoulder and said, "Billy, there are three simple rules I can give you, and if you hold to them, no one will ever write BACKSLIDER after your name.

1. Take 15 minutes a day to listen to God talking to you.
2. Take 15 minutes each day to talk to God.
3. Take 15 minutes each day to talk to others about God."

Not bad advice, try it today.

Live holy, preach Jesus!

Captain’s meditation on Exodus, Pharaoh’s offer of compromise.

Egypt and Pharaoh in the bible (although a factual place and people) are “types and references” to captivity, bondage, and the devil.

Exodus 8:25,28 & 10:11, 24-26 (go ahead and look it up…) Pharaoh is reaching the end of his rope and is ready now to obey God, but suggest a compromise so that Moses will feel he has won some victory, while not fully getting what God intends for His people.

God intends that all His children be freed from their captivity and slavery, and that they can worship the Lord, and be taken to the promised land. See if the devil has ever tried this same old offer of compromise with you.

Here are the compromises that Pharaoh offered, and the devil still offers today…
1. (8:25) Go and sacrifice but don't leave, worship God, but stay in captivity here in Egypt.
2. (8:28) Go and sacrifice in the desert, but you must not go very far, worship but don't get carried away.
3. (10:11) Go but leave your families (women and children) behind.
4. (10:24-26) Go but leave your “stuff” (your livestock or things that could be used for worshiping God.

Moses’ response was they would be going, going all the way, taking their families, and taking their “stuff” because until they get to where God is taking them who knows what God might have them use to worship Him.

Determine today to be saved, set free, living holy, and going as far with God as He can take you, but also be 100% determined to take your family with you (let’s leave no one behind), and let’s even take our “stuff”. Who knows what God might have us use to worship and glorify Him today.

Live holy, preach Jesus!

Captain's meditation on Exodus 8:20-24

IS YOUR LIFE ONE OF DISCTINTION, OR ONE OF FLIES?

Look up Exodus 8:20-24 (go ahead and take the time… a “bible gateway” link is just on the left of the screen if your Bible isn’t handy….)

Going again through Exodus in my personal Bible reading, as I read this portion I heard the question, “Is your life one of distinction or one of flies?”

Moses again tells Pharaoh God’s command to let His people go so they can worship Him or there will be a plague of flies, but God promises that although the houses will be “full” of swarms flies, God said he would deal differently with the land of Goshen (where His people lived). God declared there will be no swarms of flies in the land of His people, WHY?, “so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land.” God said he would make distinction (or one translation was God would put a deliverance) between His people.

The purpose of a people who where delivered and distinctly different from the world swarming with flies, was in order to show the fly filled world that the Lord was there in the land.

We as believers have a God given deliverance and distinction, we must stand starkly different from the fly filled world as a proclimation to the world that the Lord is in the land, and that they too can choose to leave a world of flies for one that is uncongested and uncontaminated by the swarms.

In Hebrews 12:14 God’s Word says, “make every effort to … to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

We are called to live in a state of deliverance and distinction, SO LIVE HOLY TODAY.

IS YOUR LIFE ONE OF DISCTINTION, OR ONE OF FLIES?

Live holy, preach Jesus!

Sunday's Sermon - An Illustration of Separation

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To listen to past sermons see the full size sermon player at the bottom of this blog page. Note it may several seconds to start below.

Live holy, preach Jesus!

This is the Lord's day, don't be so busy that you miss it.

A blessed Sunday to you all, especially those of you having to miss worship at your Corps (or church) due to work or other obligations (whatever those might be).

Here is a scripture thought for you today from Exodus 5 (feel free to look it up right now). Under God's direction Moses tells Pharaoh to let His people go so they can worship Him.

Pharaoh's response was to tell the slave drivers to no longer supply straw for making bricks, make them collect their own supplies, but to keep the quota the same. Pharaoh's thought was to make the work harder for the men so they would keep working and pay no attention to the "so-called lies" that they would ever be free from slavery, and free to worship God.

There are many reasons you may have missed a time of worship today, or maybe you were at the Corps (or church) and were so busy "doing ministry", or distracted with other things, that you never really encountered God yourself. A great tool of the devil is to increase the work so there is no time for God. Don't fall into the trap!

Take time this day to worship your God, read His word for yourself, spend some time in prayer, seek His face and a new touch of His Spirit. God Himself wants you to take time to worship Him today. Who knows, you might just find that today is the day He will free you from something you're enslaved to.

Live holy, preach Jesus!

Painful to watch - a moment of truth?

Orders and Regulations for Soldiers

From the Soldiers O and R's Chapter 11 - Section 2. Saved to Save

1. Just as the central word of the name of his Movement is salvation, so the salvation soldier will recollect that his Soldier's Covenant begins with a declaration about having personally received it and concludes with a dedication to personal work for the salvation of the whole world. The love of Christ requires him to make an unreserved commitment to His service.

2. Behind the unreserved dedication to the salvation war is the assurance 'that the sure and only way to remedy all the evils in the world is by bringing men to submit themselves to the government of the Lord Jesus Christ' (The Soldier's Covenant).

3. The salvation soldier must not therefore comfort himself with the knowledge that he is taking part in the collective endeavors of an association of people. He is also an individual agent of the Lord Jesus and has to show personal enterprise in the endeavors to win people one by one. He will be surprised how the numbers will grow if every soldier wins one person each year.

4. The salvation soldier must not be satisfied with a corps, however flourishing and attractive and strong, which is not above all striving to win new people for Christ. Soldiers who are truly saved must pray and work earnestly to save others.

5. While the soldier will be gripped by the assurance that 'all have need of God's salvation', he will generally be well advised to give special attention to those with whom he has much in common and whose problems and situation in life resemble his own. An adolescent is likely to be the best ambassador of Christ to another young person, a housewife to another, a converted alcoholic to one who is seeking deliverance from the same addiction and so forth. But the most important thing is to be led by the Holy Spirit and to act with tender love, assured that the motto, 'Every soldier a soul-winner', is pleasing to God.

Now soldier up! We are an Army of Salvation - Share the message of Jesus today. Only Jesus Saves!

Live Holy, Preach Jesus!

Captain's meditation on Exodus 4:3-14

Look up the scripture (go ahead look at it - here is the recap)...

Moses was called by God, but he wasn't sure anyone would believe it. God said to him, "What is that in your hand?", "a staff" Moses replies. The Lord said, "throw it on the ground" and it became a snake and Moses RAN FROM IT. Then the Lord instructed Moses to "TAKE IT BY THE TAIL" and it again became a staff.

After the promise of yet two more signs Moses responds with, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." To which the Lord said, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

What is Moses' response now??? Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." We then read that prior to sending Moses a helper, verse 14 says "then the Lord's anger burned against Moses."

How many times has God asked me to do something for Him, only to be met with a list of signs I want to see, or excuses I have. Isn't it enough to know that God Almighty has spoken. He will provide you with whatever resources you need. He knows your talents and short-comings (He made you) and is ready to use you anyway.

It angers me to tell my kids something over and over again without hearing, "yes daddy". Certainly God Almighty, our Heavenly Father, is worth the same response from His children, "Yes Father, Your will be done."

No matter what you have to do today, or what task is set before you, no matter how inadequate you feel, or how simple the tool in your hand, God can and will use it - all you need to do is QUIT RUNNING FROM GOD'S DIRECTION AND GRAB HIS GRACE BY THE TAIL!

Live holy, preach Jesus!

A section from the Orders and Regulations for Officers

Lord help me always keep first things first, and may every soldier and officer alike be ever mindful of our "orders" to preach the good news to all creation.

(This is from the "O & R's" pages 15 and 18, Part 2 – The officer's principal responsibility – soul-winning)

As The Salvation Army was raised up by God to bring men and women to experience the saving power of God, an officer’s first duty is to further this purpose. Every officer should personally seek to bring the sinner to God and, by example as well as precept, to train his people in their divine task. It hardly needs to be said that like officer, like soldier. Where an officer is zealous in soul-winning, so will his people be. Where he is indifferent, his spirit can affect the entire corps. Other duties – such as planning meetings, caring for his people, attending to fund-raising – are all essential, but nothing should take priority over this primary duty for which he has been specially trained. This applies to all officers, whatever their specific appointment may be.

The officer will not be content if the work of the Army is better understood, or if his youth sections flourish, or if he secures more time on the mass media for the Army’s message, unless these become the means whereby young and old alike personally commit themselves to Jesus as Savior and Lord. To this end he will not only make use of the Army’s time honored methods of evangelism, adapting them in the most effective way possible to the needs of the hour, but he will courageously experiment with new ways of making Jesus known as Savior of men. In other words, he will be willing to be dedicated to failure. In the divine economy this could be the way to God-glorifying success.

Officers, Soldiers, & Followers of Christ, tell someone today that Jesus is the only way to escape hell and be saved for heaven. Remind the "believers" that we are "saved to saved" and remind a "saint" that we are "saved from sin and from sinning".

Live Holy and preach Jesus today!

Captain's meditation on Mark 7:36

Mark 7 verses 31-37. People brought a man to Jesus who was deaf and could hardly talk. Jesus took the man aside and healed him. Afterwards Jesus healed the man he could hear and speak plainly.

Verse 36-37 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement, (and they said) He has done everything well...

Why is it that Jesus commanded people not to tell anyone and they kept talking about it, and He commands us to preach the good news to all creation and we remain silent?

Perhaps we just aren't overwhelmed with amazement?.... If we are - how could we keep from talking about it.

SOLDIERS OF JESUS - Let's start proclaiming that our Jesus saves and has done everything well?

Sunday's Sermon - Standing near the cross

To listen to this past Sunday's sermon, just click the play arrow here for audio or download options. For sermon notes see the full size sermon player at the bottom of this page - next to today's title is a PDF for notes.
God bless your study!

To listen to past sermons see the full size sermon player at the bottom of this blog page. Note it may several seconds to start below.