February 25, 2021
1 Corinthians 2:1-2, "And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
Paul writes this letter to the church in Corinth. Corinth was the capital of Achaia and was the richest city in Greece, and it was corrupt (nothing new under the sun). Corinth was also known for having many religions and philosophers. Paul says when he spoke he didn’t use “excellence of speech or of wisdom” all he shared was “Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Have you ever felt like you couldn’t share the Gospel with someone? I know I have, but these verses are encouraging. To think, someone like Paul who was well taught in the Scriptures (Acts 22:3) would preach the Gospel, so simple. Take a pause....do you know the Gospel? The word means “Good News”- Jesus died on the cross for our sins and three days later rose from the dead - faith in Him brings life to us.
The Lord wants to use us to share this Good News. When’s the last time you shared the Gospel with someone? Maybe you’ve never shared it with anyone. There are people who are hopeless, searching to find that missing piece in their lives and you know the Prince of Peace. Pray and ask the Lord to bring someone your way so you can share the Good News with them, not with “excellence speech or of wisdom” but the simple Gospel message. With a willing heart and the power of the Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:6) you watch and see what the Lord will do in-and-through you to reach someone.
“You may think you lack ability to serve God, but God can turn your weakness to strength” ~ Warren Wiersbe
Your brother in Christ,
- Raymond
Paul writes this letter to the church in Corinth. Corinth was the capital of Achaia and was the richest city in Greece, and it was corrupt (nothing new under the sun). Corinth was also known for having many religions and philosophers. Paul says when he spoke he didn’t use “excellence of speech or of wisdom” all he shared was “Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Have you ever felt like you couldn’t share the Gospel with someone? I know I have, but these verses are encouraging. To think, someone like Paul who was well taught in the Scriptures (Acts 22:3) would preach the Gospel, so simple. Take a pause....do you know the Gospel? The word means “Good News”- Jesus died on the cross for our sins and three days later rose from the dead - faith in Him brings life to us.
The Lord wants to use us to share this Good News. When’s the last time you shared the Gospel with someone? Maybe you’ve never shared it with anyone. There are people who are hopeless, searching to find that missing piece in their lives and you know the Prince of Peace. Pray and ask the Lord to bring someone your way so you can share the Good News with them, not with “excellence speech or of wisdom” but the simple Gospel message. With a willing heart and the power of the Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:6) you watch and see what the Lord will do in-and-through you to reach someone.
“You may think you lack ability to serve God, but God can turn your weakness to strength” ~ Warren Wiersbe
Your brother in Christ,
- Raymond
Late last week, Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives introduced the Equality Act, a grave threat to religious liberty and conscience rights that would, in effect, erase all legal distinctions between male and female in public life. The Equality Act would make gender identity and sexual orientation protected classes under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, forcing compliance in areas such as public accommodation and education.
You should only care about the Equality Act if you are a Christian, or a person of faith, or a woman, or own a business, or run a non-profit, or go to school, or teach at a school, or are a medical or mental-health professional, or (especially) are a female athlete, or under the age of 18, or ever use a public restroom. That’s not an exaggeration. In fact, here is the exact wording from the Equality Act:
“An individual shall not be denied access to a shared facility, including a restroom, a locker room and a dressing room, that is in accordance with the individual’s gender identity.”
This applies to…
“any establishment that provides a good, service, or program, including a store, shopping center, online retailer or service provider, salon, bank, gas station, food bank, service or care center, shelter, travel agency or funeral parlor, or establishment that provides health care, accounting or legal services,” along with any organization that receives any federal funding.
As Ryan Anderson of the Ethics and Public Policy Center described in an op ed this week:
“Medical doctors, secular and religious, whose expert judgment is that sex-reassignment procedures are misguided would now run afoul of our civil-rights laws. If you perform a mastectomy in the case of breast cancer, you will have to perform one on the teenage girl identifying as a boy. All in the name of equality.”
Shelters for battered women would be forced to admit biological males. Prisons would not be able to protect female inmates from predatory males who claim to be females. Biological males will be given the opportunities, scholarships, and championships of female athletes. It’s not clear that women’s sports would survive. More religious adoption and foster-care agencies would be forced to compromise their convictions about marriage and the family or shut down.
School bathrooms and locker rooms would be open to both sexes.
In addition to these effects, the Equality Act would bring with it three broad, sweeping changes. First, specific conscience protections of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which have long been legal priorities, would be circumvented in cases deemed discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. Effectively, conscience rights considered religiously-based would be tossed aside.
Second, anyone who affirms the biological reality of the sexes would be, in law, relegated to the same status as the racists whose oppression of African Americans made the 1964 Civil Rights Act necessary.
Finally, The Equality Act would have a dramatic impact on education, public or private. According to a new coalition called “Promise to America’s Children,” a coalition I’m proud to be a part of, the Equality Act greases the skids for even more graphic curricula “about sex, abortion, and politicized ideas about sexual orientation and gender identity ideology ...” Not only that, but as federal legislation, this would affect every state, not just progressive ones, “overriding efforts by concerned parents and community members at the local level.”
It’s not over, however. The Equality Act still faces significant obstacles in the Senate. CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW TO TAKE ACTION.
Publication date: February 24, 2021
You should only care about the Equality Act if you are a Christian, or a person of faith, or a woman, or own a business, or run a non-profit, or go to school, or teach at a school, or are a medical or mental-health professional, or (especially) are a female athlete, or under the age of 18, or ever use a public restroom. That’s not an exaggeration. In fact, here is the exact wording from the Equality Act:
“An individual shall not be denied access to a shared facility, including a restroom, a locker room and a dressing room, that is in accordance with the individual’s gender identity.”
This applies to…
“any establishment that provides a good, service, or program, including a store, shopping center, online retailer or service provider, salon, bank, gas station, food bank, service or care center, shelter, travel agency or funeral parlor, or establishment that provides health care, accounting or legal services,” along with any organization that receives any federal funding.
As Ryan Anderson of the Ethics and Public Policy Center described in an op ed this week:
“Medical doctors, secular and religious, whose expert judgment is that sex-reassignment procedures are misguided would now run afoul of our civil-rights laws. If you perform a mastectomy in the case of breast cancer, you will have to perform one on the teenage girl identifying as a boy. All in the name of equality.”
Shelters for battered women would be forced to admit biological males. Prisons would not be able to protect female inmates from predatory males who claim to be females. Biological males will be given the opportunities, scholarships, and championships of female athletes. It’s not clear that women’s sports would survive. More religious adoption and foster-care agencies would be forced to compromise their convictions about marriage and the family or shut down.
School bathrooms and locker rooms would be open to both sexes.
In addition to these effects, the Equality Act would bring with it three broad, sweeping changes. First, specific conscience protections of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which have long been legal priorities, would be circumvented in cases deemed discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. Effectively, conscience rights considered religiously-based would be tossed aside.
Second, anyone who affirms the biological reality of the sexes would be, in law, relegated to the same status as the racists whose oppression of African Americans made the 1964 Civil Rights Act necessary.
Finally, The Equality Act would have a dramatic impact on education, public or private. According to a new coalition called “Promise to America’s Children,” a coalition I’m proud to be a part of, the Equality Act greases the skids for even more graphic curricula “about sex, abortion, and politicized ideas about sexual orientation and gender identity ideology ...” Not only that, but as federal legislation, this would affect every state, not just progressive ones, “overriding efforts by concerned parents and community members at the local level.”
It’s not over, however. The Equality Act still faces significant obstacles in the Senate. CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW TO TAKE ACTION.
Publication date: February 24, 2021
TODAY'S PRAYER REQUESTS:
Please continue to lift Juliet up in prayer as she recovers from her surgery.
Please continue to lift up Sandra who will be having surgery on March 23.
Please pray that the Equality Act will not pass (see article above)
Please pray for all the churches who are being persecuted for being open. We believe churches are essential and all people should be free to fellowship.
Please keep the family of “Phillip” in prayer as Phillip passed away from Covid last Saturday. Phillip was a believer, also Esther and their children are believers too. Esther is asking prayer for wisdom , strength and peace. (submitted 2/24)
Grace – (UPDATE) Grace went home to be with the LORD at 12:30PM Wednesday. Please pray for her husband Wiwik and all the family for GOD to give them comfort, peace, and strength. (submitted 2/24)
Jeanise – Please lift up Jeanise (believer) whose niece’s daughter is in foster care. Jeanise would like to foster her. Praying for the LORD’s will in this situation. (submitted 2/24)
Baby Alaina – who is in remission from eye cancer. Please pray as she will be having an eye exam tomorrow, and for her parents Josh and Roselle to have peace regarding results from the exam. (submitted 2/24)
Elia R. – (Friend of Ruth) Elia will be having intestinal surgery today due to chemotherapy damage. Please pray for a favorable outcome, and peace for Elia’s daughter and family (submitted 2/24)
Baby Ethan – battling leukemia, please lift up this precious little one to be healed. Thank you so very much for all the prayers. (submitted 2/24)
Jessica M. – Please keep Jessica in prayer, as she is starting her first 6 rounds of chemotherapy today.(submitted 2/24)
Please continue to lift Juliet up in prayer as she recovers from her surgery.
Please continue to lift up Sandra who will be having surgery on March 23.
Please pray that the Equality Act will not pass (see article above)
Please pray for all the churches who are being persecuted for being open. We believe churches are essential and all people should be free to fellowship.
Please keep the family of “Phillip” in prayer as Phillip passed away from Covid last Saturday. Phillip was a believer, also Esther and their children are believers too. Esther is asking prayer for wisdom , strength and peace. (submitted 2/24)
Grace – (UPDATE) Grace went home to be with the LORD at 12:30PM Wednesday. Please pray for her husband Wiwik and all the family for GOD to give them comfort, peace, and strength. (submitted 2/24)
Jeanise – Please lift up Jeanise (believer) whose niece’s daughter is in foster care. Jeanise would like to foster her. Praying for the LORD’s will in this situation. (submitted 2/24)
Baby Alaina – who is in remission from eye cancer. Please pray as she will be having an eye exam tomorrow, and for her parents Josh and Roselle to have peace regarding results from the exam. (submitted 2/24)
Elia R. – (Friend of Ruth) Elia will be having intestinal surgery today due to chemotherapy damage. Please pray for a favorable outcome, and peace for Elia’s daughter and family (submitted 2/24)
Baby Ethan – battling leukemia, please lift up this precious little one to be healed. Thank you so very much for all the prayers. (submitted 2/24)
Jessica M. – Please keep Jessica in prayer, as she is starting her first 6 rounds of chemotherapy today.(submitted 2/24)
Today at Calvary Chapel El Monte
Thursday, February 25, 2021
Midweek Bible Study 7PM
Join us tonight as we study Proverbs 30!
Midweek Bible Study 7PM
Join us tonight as we study Proverbs 30!