M-5 PEOPLE-FILES
- Cindi McMenamin - Randy McPheron - Peter Mead - James Meeks - Zach Meerkreebs - Brian Mefford - Glenn Meldrum - Ana Mendez - Aaron Menikoff - Laura Merrill - Jonathan Merritt - Russell Meyer - Duane Miller - Kathy Collard Miller - RA Miller - Troy A Miller -
==Cindi McMenamin======
Cindi McMenamin is a national speaker, Bible teacher, and award-winning writer who helps women and couples strengthen their relationship with God and others. She is also a mother, pastor’s wife, and author of 17 books, including When Women Walk Alone (more than 150,000 copies sold), When God Sees Your Tears, When a Woman Overcomes Life’s Hurts, and When Couples Walk Together:31 Days to a Closer Connection, which she co-authored with her husband of over 35 years.
Cindi McMenamin
Israel’s King David—known for his intimacy with God as expressed through many of the Psalms he wrote—experienced a season of sin in which he committed adultery and then murder to cover up his sin. It’s possible it was a full year or more from the time he first lusted after Bathsheba (a woman who was married to one of David’s “Mighty Men” referenced in 2 Samuel 23:8, 2 Samuel 23:39), to the day he was confronted by a prophet of God for taking another man’s wife and killing that man to cover up his sin (2 Samuel 12:1-9).
Upon realizing the extent to which he had betrayed his God, David penned Psalm 51. It’s a heartfelt prayer, begging for God’s mercy, cleansing, and restoration. In Psalm 51:10-12, David prayed: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a wiling spirit. (ESV) According to Bible scholars, when David prayed “Create in me a clean heart” he used the same Hebrew verb that is used in Genesis 1:1 for the creation of the world, emphasizing that the kind of radical cleansing he needed could only come from God. David apparently knew the redirection of his desires and thoughts could only come about through the intervention of God, as well. --Cindi McMenamin; Crosswalk; What Does it Mean to Ask God to ‘Create in Me a Clean Heart?’ 1.7.20
Upon realizing the extent to which he had betrayed his God, David penned Psalm 51. It’s a heartfelt prayer, begging for God’s mercy, cleansing, and restoration. In Psalm 51:10-12, David prayed: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a wiling spirit. (ESV) According to Bible scholars, when David prayed “Create in me a clean heart” he used the same Hebrew verb that is used in Genesis 1:1 for the creation of the world, emphasizing that the kind of radical cleansing he needed could only come from God. David apparently knew the redirection of his desires and thoughts could only come about through the intervention of God, as well. --Cindi McMenamin; Crosswalk; What Does it Mean to Ask God to ‘Create in Me a Clean Heart?’ 1.7.20
==randy mcpheron==============
2023 REWIND: Ky. Baptists remained faithful to the Bible, made disciples, baptized believers
More than one thousand messengers and guests gathered for the Kentucky Baptist Convention Annual Meeting at Somerset First Baptist Church in November. Messengers elected Associational Mission Strategist and evangelist Randy McPheron as KBC president, Dripping Springs Baptist Church Pastor Jeff Noffsinger as First Vice President and First Baptist Taylorsville Pastor Chance McConnell and Second Vice President.
(Mark Maynard/Kentucky Today 1/4/24)
READ MORE>>>>>
More than one thousand messengers and guests gathered for the Kentucky Baptist Convention Annual Meeting at Somerset First Baptist Church in November. Messengers elected Associational Mission Strategist and evangelist Randy McPheron as KBC president, Dripping Springs Baptist Church Pastor Jeff Noffsinger as First Vice President and First Baptist Taylorsville Pastor Chance McConnell and Second Vice President.
(Mark Maynard/Kentucky Today 1/4/24)
READ MORE>>>>>
June 4, 2023: Kentucky Today: Randy McPheron to be nominated as next KBC president
Randy McPheron, an associational mission strategist who also serves as an itinerant evangelist and has pastored for 25 years, will be nominated as the next president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention.
Randy McPheron, an associational mission strategist who also serves as an itinerant evangelist and has pastored for 25 years, will be nominated as the next president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention.
==peter mead======
Peter Mead worked full-time with Operation Mobilisation. In 2011 he helped to launch Cor Deo, a full-time mentored study and ministry training programme that runs for the first half of each year. They also run one-week Intensive courses. In 2014 he was part of the team launching a new church in Chippenham. While Cor Deo and Trinity Chippenham take up the majority of the ministry schedule, he does enjoy other opportunities to serve the church. For instance, since 2013 he has been leading the Bible Teacher’s Networks at the European Leadership Forum in Wisla, Poland.
Peter Mead
Take a look at Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians in 1:15-23. He begins by referencing how thankful he is for their faith in Christ and love for the saints..........Paul spells out this one prayer request with three specifics. He wants God to enlighten the eyes of their hearts to know three things.
First, he wants them to know the absolute certainty of their calling in Christ. We have churches filled with people who carry the label of Christian, and yet have all manner of uncertainty and confusion over God’s calling on their lives. Second, he wants them to know that they are God’s inheritance – an inheritance He considers to be gloriously rich! This is not something new believers readily grasp. Just as it takes a wife many years to truly believe that her husband really loves her, so it is with God’s people. Third, he wants them to know how much power there is toward them as they trust God for it. That is, is there enough power for a life like mine to be truly transformed by the gospel?
Is there enough power for me to be raised from my sinful state of death to do the works God has prepared for me to do? There is if that power is the same power that raised Christ from the dead, seated him in glory, put all enemies under his feet and made him head over the church!
--Peter Mead; Evangelical Focus Europe; 6.29.23
First, he wants them to know the absolute certainty of their calling in Christ. We have churches filled with people who carry the label of Christian, and yet have all manner of uncertainty and confusion over God’s calling on their lives. Second, he wants them to know that they are God’s inheritance – an inheritance He considers to be gloriously rich! This is not something new believers readily grasp. Just as it takes a wife many years to truly believe that her husband really loves her, so it is with God’s people. Third, he wants them to know how much power there is toward them as they trust God for it. That is, is there enough power for a life like mine to be truly transformed by the gospel?
Is there enough power for me to be raised from my sinful state of death to do the works God has prepared for me to do? There is if that power is the same power that raised Christ from the dead, seated him in glory, put all enemies under his feet and made him head over the church!
--Peter Mead; Evangelical Focus Europe; 6.29.23
==James Meeks===============
James T. Meeks (born August 4, 1956) is a Baptist minister and past member of the Illinois Senate, who represented the 15th district from 2003 to 2013. While a Senator, he chaired the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. He briefly campaigned for Mayor of Chicago in the 2003 and 2011 election, before dropping out of the race both times. He subsequently become a leading figure in the campaign to prevent same-sex marriage in Illinois. Meeks was appointed chair of the Illinois State Board of Education by Governor Bruce Rauner and took office January 21, 2017. He succeeded Gery Chico who had resigned the previous week.
Jan 10, 2023: Christian Post: ‘I’m almost afraid to hand you this,’ Pastor James Meeks says in handing over megachurch to Charlie Dates
Founding pastor of the 10,000-member Salem Baptist Church of Chicago, James Meeks, said he was “almost afraid” to hand over the reins of the congregation he led for the last 38 years to Pastor Charlie Dates. In an emotional retirement ceremony Sunday, he revealed he is trusting God to give his spiritual son the strength he needs to carry on the ministry.
Founding pastor of the 10,000-member Salem Baptist Church of Chicago, James Meeks, said he was “almost afraid” to hand over the reins of the congregation he led for the last 38 years to Pastor Charlie Dates. In an emotional retirement ceremony Sunday, he revealed he is trusting God to give his spiritual son the strength he needs to carry on the ministry.
==zach meerkreebs======
Zach Meerkreebs is Writer, Speaker, & Pastor in Residence at Asbury University. He has an M.A. in Intercultural Studies, Asbury Seminary, 2021 and Doctor of Ministry, Asbury Seminary, 2025.
What really sparked the Asbury Revival? True story behind the historic ‘outpouring
On today’s show, we sit down with Zach Meerkreebs, a writer and pastor at Asbury. Mr. Meerkreebs was the preacher who delivered the sermon that essentially sparked the nonstop prayer and worship service; he was also front and center, helping organize what followed. Listen to him share the real story surrounding the Asbury Revival. (Washington Times 2/10/24)READ MORE>>>>>
On today’s show, we sit down with Zach Meerkreebs, a writer and pastor at Asbury. Mr. Meerkreebs was the preacher who delivered the sermon that essentially sparked the nonstop prayer and worship service; he was also front and center, helping organize what followed. Listen to him share the real story surrounding the Asbury Revival. (Washington Times 2/10/24)READ MORE>>>>>
Feb 23, 2023: Christianity Today: ‘No Celebrities Except Jesus’: How Asbury Protected the Revival
The revival began at a chapel service on February 8. Zach Meerkreebs, the assistant soccer coach who is also the leadership development coordinator for the missions organization Envision, preached about becoming love in action. His text was Romans 12.
As he started, Meerkreebs told the students, who are required to attend three chapels per week, that he wasn’t aiming to entertain them. And he didn’t want them to focus on him.
“I hope you guys forget me but anything from the Holy Spirit and God’s Word would find fertile ground in your hearts and produce fruit,” he said. “Romans 12. That’s the star, okay? God’s Word and Jesus and the Holy Spirit moving in our midst, that’s what we’re hoping for.”
The revival began at a chapel service on February 8. Zach Meerkreebs, the assistant soccer coach who is also the leadership development coordinator for the missions organization Envision, preached about becoming love in action. His text was Romans 12.
As he started, Meerkreebs told the students, who are required to attend three chapels per week, that he wasn’t aiming to entertain them. And he didn’t want them to focus on him.
“I hope you guys forget me but anything from the Holy Spirit and God’s Word would find fertile ground in your hearts and produce fruit,” he said. “Romans 12. That’s the star, okay? God’s Word and Jesus and the Holy Spirit moving in our midst, that’s what we’re hoping for.”
“I hope you guys forget me but anything from the Holy Spirit and God’s Word would find fertile ground in your hearts and produce fruit. Romans 12. That’s the star, okay? God’s Word and Jesus and the Holy Spirit moving in our midst, that’s what we’re hoping for.” - Zach Meerkreebs at the beginning of Asbury
Feb 23, 2023: Gospel Coalition: Hearts Strangely Warmed at Asbury
At the ordinary chapel service on February 8 that was the occasion for the current revival, preacher Zach Meerkreebs exhorted Asbury’s students from Romans 12 to live lives marked by the standards set forth there: 30 commandments in 13 verses, calling his hearers to love with perfect love, not polluted, hypocritical, or perverted love. Meerkreebs’s concluding point was that the love demanded by these verses isn’t possible in our own power: “You can’t love the way that this verse speaks. . . . You cannot love until you are loved by Jesus.” We love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19), and “if you want to become love in action then you have to experience the love of God.”
The sermon wasn’t especially impressive (Meerkreebs later shared he felt he was doing a pretty bad job of it), but it had the weight of Romans behind it, and it was obviously shaped by the Wesleyan Holiness emphases of free grace and full salvation. Students heard the invitation and responded. The resulting worship was neither sensational nor dramatic. Watching the intermittent livestreams was at times almost boring. There was nothing to see but people praying together, singing rather quietly, or reading from the Bible. Everyone faced the front of the room but there was no spectacle on stage. Later, pilgrims began arriving and formed a real crowd. People on-site testified to a powerful feeling of reverence and a sweetness that refreshed their spirits and made them aware of God’s presence. But the drama continued to be invisible.
At the ordinary chapel service on February 8 that was the occasion for the current revival, preacher Zach Meerkreebs exhorted Asbury’s students from Romans 12 to live lives marked by the standards set forth there: 30 commandments in 13 verses, calling his hearers to love with perfect love, not polluted, hypocritical, or perverted love. Meerkreebs’s concluding point was that the love demanded by these verses isn’t possible in our own power: “You can’t love the way that this verse speaks. . . . You cannot love until you are loved by Jesus.” We love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19), and “if you want to become love in action then you have to experience the love of God.”
The sermon wasn’t especially impressive (Meerkreebs later shared he felt he was doing a pretty bad job of it), but it had the weight of Romans behind it, and it was obviously shaped by the Wesleyan Holiness emphases of free grace and full salvation. Students heard the invitation and responded. The resulting worship was neither sensational nor dramatic. Watching the intermittent livestreams was at times almost boring. There was nothing to see but people praying together, singing rather quietly, or reading from the Bible. Everyone faced the front of the room but there was no spectacle on stage. Later, pilgrims began arriving and formed a real crowd. People on-site testified to a powerful feeling of reverence and a sweetness that refreshed their spirits and made them aware of God’s presence. But the drama continued to be invisible.
==brian mefford======
Arkansan in Ukraine warns of Russian threat to religious freedoms
Brian Mefford, an Arkansas Baptist living in Ukraine, says Russia has declared a “holy war” on the West and is targeting Protestants, Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses and others within the Ukrainian territory it now occupies. Baptists are among those targeted by Russian invaders, he said. Russian president Vladimir Putin isn't just waging war against Ukraine, he's also battling to extinguish religious freedom, an Arkansas expatriate is warning. (Arkansas Times 3/6/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Brian Mefford, an Arkansas Baptist living in Ukraine, says Russia has declared a “holy war” on the West and is targeting Protestants, Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses and others within the Ukrainian territory it now occupies. Baptists are among those targeted by Russian invaders, he said. Russian president Vladimir Putin isn't just waging war against Ukraine, he's also battling to extinguish religious freedom, an Arkansas expatriate is warning. (Arkansas Times 3/6/24) READ MORE>>>>>
==glenn Meldrum======
Glenn Meldrum Files
One of the greatest obstacles people face in their pursuit of victory is the matter of control. Most people want to be free from the chains of sin, but they want to do it while maintaining control over their lives. “If I can just do this one particular thing, I will find freedom,” they tell themselves. Nevertheless, as long as they believe there is a solution outside of abandonment to Christ, they will remain a captive to sin. Their efforts to win the battle by their own methods and strength are doomed to failure as long as they remain in control. The power to overcome sin will never be found in a person’s own determination or wisdom. Freedom from the bondage of sin only comes through surrender to God. The man must come to the point where he falls unreservedly at the feet of Jesus and cries out, “Oh God, I’m weary of my sin! I can’t overcome it without you. You are my only hope!” It is at this point of helplessness that the man is closest to victory. --Glenn Meldrum Jan 2018
==ana mendez=================
Jan 10, 2023: Baptist News Global: The New Apostolic Reformation drove the January 6 riots, so why was it overlooked by the House Select Committee?
Ana Mendez, who was considered a prophet, claimed she had a vision that a demon known as the Queen of Heaven had an ice castle on Mount Everest and God was calling her to go to Everest for spiritual battle. Wagner believed her vision and supported the trip. So in 1997, a group of 26 prophetic intercessors spent three weeks doing spiritual warfare on Mount Everest in “Operation Ice Castle.”
While some of the team stayed at the Everest View Hotel to pray at 13,000 feet, and others ascended to the Everest Base Camp at 18,000 feet, Wagner wrote in his book Confronting the Queen of Heaven that Ana’s team “which had taken professional alpine training in Mexico and Peru before leaving, scaled the ice cliffs and crossed bottomless crevasses, climbing to 20,000 feet.”
“Our assignment from God was to take down the foundations of The Great Babylon, the harlot over many waters, which supported the false religious systems of the world,” Ana said. “He clearly showed us where we should go for our prophetic act by revealing a large, brown stone formation, completely surrounded by walls of ice resembling a castle, and shaped exactly like an idol of the Queen of Heaven. This seat of the Mother of the Universe was 20,000 feet high, and to get there we had to cross the ice fall, the most dangerous part of the Everest ascent, with no guide but him and no help from other than angels.”
Ana Mendez, who was considered a prophet, claimed she had a vision that a demon known as the Queen of Heaven had an ice castle on Mount Everest and God was calling her to go to Everest for spiritual battle. Wagner believed her vision and supported the trip. So in 1997, a group of 26 prophetic intercessors spent three weeks doing spiritual warfare on Mount Everest in “Operation Ice Castle.”
While some of the team stayed at the Everest View Hotel to pray at 13,000 feet, and others ascended to the Everest Base Camp at 18,000 feet, Wagner wrote in his book Confronting the Queen of Heaven that Ana’s team “which had taken professional alpine training in Mexico and Peru before leaving, scaled the ice cliffs and crossed bottomless crevasses, climbing to 20,000 feet.”
“Our assignment from God was to take down the foundations of The Great Babylon, the harlot over many waters, which supported the false religious systems of the world,” Ana said. “He clearly showed us where we should go for our prophetic act by revealing a large, brown stone formation, completely surrounded by walls of ice resembling a castle, and shaped exactly like an idol of the Queen of Heaven. This seat of the Mother of the Universe was 20,000 feet high, and to get there we had to cross the ice fall, the most dangerous part of the Everest ascent, with no guide but him and no help from other than angels.”
==aaron menikoff================
Aaron Menikoff is the Senior Pastor of Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA. Before entering pastoral ministry, he served as a legislative assistant for the late United States Senator Mark O. Hatfield. He earned an M.Div. and a Ph.D. at Southern Seminary where he studied Christian social engagement during the Second Great Awakening. He is the author of Politics and Piety: Baptist Social Reform in America, 1770-1860 (Pickwick, 2014). Aaron has a heart for encouraging pastors. He organizes a yearly conference called Feed My Sheep, leads a monthly pastors fellowship in his area, and is Visiting Lecturer in Church History at Reformed Theological Seminary in Atlanta.
Aaron Menikoff
The Bible won’t teach you how to change a tire, but it will tell you to honor your parents who may help you change your tire. The Bible won’t teach you how to cook dinner, but it will tell you it’s good to work with your hands and provide for yourself and your family. The Bible won’t teach you how to get hired by your dream company, but it will tell you how to live life for the glory of Christ. The Bible won’t tell you whom to marry, but it will tell you what to look for in a husband or a wife. The Bible won’t tell you how to get straight As in college, but it will tell you that your biggest problem isn’t a C but your sin—and the only answer is the crucified and risen Christ. -Aaron Menikoff; Gospel Coalition 5.30.23
Aaron Menikoff
"...we can better understand today’s racial divisions when we remember that the Civil War didn’t come close to ending political or religious strife. In the years after the war, America remained a nation where racism won the day in congresses, courtrooms, and Sunday school classrooms around the country... A people capable of welcoming the “huddled masses” to Ellis Island proved just as capable of suppressing the rights of freed blacks in Atlanta.
--Aaron Menikoff; Gospel Coalition 11/14/18
--Aaron Menikoff; Gospel Coalition 11/14/18
==laura merrill=====================
May 16, 2023: Christian Post: 67 Arkansas churches leave the UMC
Arkansas Bishop Laura Merrill said in a statement on Saturday that while it was “a difficult day” for the regional body, she was “grateful for the grace that Conference members extended to each other and to me as we accomplished our work.”
“I look forward to healing and continued ministry with United Methodists who lost their church home today, and I trust that God will open a new and fruitful path before us. We will move forward in faith, sharing the love and hope of Jesus Christ with our neighbors,” Merrill stated.
Arkansas Bishop Laura Merrill said in a statement on Saturday that while it was “a difficult day” for the regional body, she was “grateful for the grace that Conference members extended to each other and to me as we accomplished our work.”
“I look forward to healing and continued ministry with United Methodists who lost their church home today, and I trust that God will open a new and fruitful path before us. We will move forward in faith, sharing the love and hope of Jesus Christ with our neighbors,” Merrill stated.
==jonathan merritt===========
Jonathan Merritt
When Jann Aldredge-Clanton enrolled at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1982, she considered herself a bona fide evangelical Christian with a reverence for the Bible and a love for the church. It soon became clear that neither her Southern Baptist denomination nor the wider evangelical world held much space for her. In her preaching class, male students who objected to women teaching men criticized her sermons. One male student in another class dismissively asked if she came to seminary to get an “M-R-S” degree. Her growing interest in feminist theology made her feel like an outsider among her conservative classmates, who felt such ideas were heretical. As graduation neared in 1985, Aldredge-Clanton was informed by the seminary’s placement office that it only sought to place males as pastors. After her applications to evangelical churches across Texas went unanswered, she took the hint. “It had finally been made clear to me that as an ordained woman and a feminist, I was on the outs as a Southern Baptist and in the evangelical world,” she told me recently, “so I took a job as an associate minister at a United Methodist church instead.” --Jonathan Merritt; Religion News Service; Can evangelicalism survive its white, straight, conservative victory? 5.2.23
July 17, 2017: Albert Mohler: The Agonizing Ordeal of Eugene Peterson—You Might Be Next
The ordeal began with Peterson, one of the most influential authors among evangelical pastors, responding to two straightforward questions about homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Jonathan Merritt of Religion News Service referenced homosexuality and same-sex marriage and then asked Peterson if his view on the morality of same-sex relationships had changed. Peterson was pastor of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland for 29 years, before retiring in 1991. In his answer, however, Peterson said, "I haven't had a lot of experience with it." An earlier congregation where he served as associate pastor, included "several women who were lesbians," but didn't "make a big deal about it." The congregation he served as pastor was much the same: "I don't think we ever really made a big deal of it."
The ordeal began with Peterson, one of the most influential authors among evangelical pastors, responding to two straightforward questions about homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Jonathan Merritt of Religion News Service referenced homosexuality and same-sex marriage and then asked Peterson if his view on the morality of same-sex relationships had changed. Peterson was pastor of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland for 29 years, before retiring in 1991. In his answer, however, Peterson said, "I haven't had a lot of experience with it." An earlier congregation where he served as associate pastor, included "several women who were lesbians," but didn't "make a big deal about it." The congregation he served as pastor was much the same: "I don't think we ever really made a big deal of it."
Religion On The Record: Jan 30, 2014: Jonathan Merritt (Religion News Service) reports "Why Rick Warren and 37 other Christians are joining the Hobby Lobby fight." He reports that: "A group of influential Christian theologians and pastors announced on Wednesday their support of businesses like Hobby Lobby who are fighting against the HHS contraception mandate. In a 46-page amicus brief filed with the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), they argued that the mandate violates the First Amendment rights of Christians who believe that all work is sacred. .The list of 38 signatories includes pastor Rick Warren, Bishop Harry Jackson, theologian Wayne Grudem, author Ravi Zacharias, and other theologians and activists. The convening organizations listed on the brief includes Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Coalition of African American Pastors, and Manhattan Declaration, a movement of conservative Christians fighting “for life, marriage, and religious liberty.”
American Spectator: The Truth About Hobby Lobby and the Supreme Court
Fox News: Dem senators intervene in Hobby Lobby case, urge justices to deny ObamaCare exemption
Life News: 19 Democrat Senators Tell Supreme Court to Force Hobby Lobby to Obey HHS Mandate
Life News: Supreme Court Accepts Hobby Lobby’s Challenge to Obama’s HHS Mandate
New Yorker: The Stakes in the Hobby Lobby Birth-Control Case
The Oklahoman: Oklahoma attorney general files brief with Supreme Court in support of Hobby Lobby
US News & World Report: An Assault Upon the Very Notion of Secular Law
Washington Free Beacon: The Hobby Lobby Case Explained
Yahoo News: 56 Briefs Support Hobby Lobby In Supreme Court Case
American Spectator: The Truth About Hobby Lobby and the Supreme Court
Fox News: Dem senators intervene in Hobby Lobby case, urge justices to deny ObamaCare exemption
Life News: 19 Democrat Senators Tell Supreme Court to Force Hobby Lobby to Obey HHS Mandate
Life News: Supreme Court Accepts Hobby Lobby’s Challenge to Obama’s HHS Mandate
New Yorker: The Stakes in the Hobby Lobby Birth-Control Case
The Oklahoman: Oklahoma attorney general files brief with Supreme Court in support of Hobby Lobby
US News & World Report: An Assault Upon the Very Notion of Secular Law
Washington Free Beacon: The Hobby Lobby Case Explained
Yahoo News: 56 Briefs Support Hobby Lobby In Supreme Court Case
--russell meyer------------------
Zorek Richards
May 16, 2023:
National and state Christian leaders spoke out against the white supremacist ideology espoused during two recent Christian nationalist rallies in South Florida. Christians Against Christian Nationalism and Faithful America organized a livestreamed event as a counter perspective to the May 11 “Pastors for Trump” reception and the May 12 ReAwaken America Tour rally, both held at the Trump Doral resort in Miami. “We are here today as Christians who are horrified to see the faith we hold dear being used to spread lies, violence and authoritarian theocracy,” said Amanda Tyler, executive director of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and lead organizer of Christians Against Christian Nationalism. Tyler was joined at All Angels Episcopal Church in Miami Springs by Nathan Empsall of Faithful America, Russell Meyer of the Florida Council of Churches, Jennifer Butler of Faith in Public Life Action, James Golden of Pastors for Florida Children and Charles Toy of The Christian Left. More at Baptist News Global
National and state Christian leaders spoke out against the white supremacist ideology espoused during two recent Christian nationalist rallies in South Florida. Christians Against Christian Nationalism and Faithful America organized a livestreamed event as a counter perspective to the May 11 “Pastors for Trump” reception and the May 12 ReAwaken America Tour rally, both held at the Trump Doral resort in Miami. “We are here today as Christians who are horrified to see the faith we hold dear being used to spread lies, violence and authoritarian theocracy,” said Amanda Tyler, executive director of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and lead organizer of Christians Against Christian Nationalism. Tyler was joined at All Angels Episcopal Church in Miami Springs by Nathan Empsall of Faithful America, Russell Meyer of the Florida Council of Churches, Jennifer Butler of Faith in Public Life Action, James Golden of Pastors for Florida Children and Charles Toy of The Christian Left. More at Baptist News Global
--duane miller---------------
Apr 5, 2023: Town Square Live: Christian schools: Exempt us from certifications and licensure
Duane Miller, head of school at Greenwood Mennonite School, pointed out that besides licensing and certification requirements, religious early education centers still have other health and safety rules.
“We do training on detection of child abuse with mandatory reporters and the fire marshal, the health department, they do inspect us,” he said. “So we welcome the health and safety component.”
He also highlighted that his school receives zero funding from the state.
“Part of our mission is hiring quality teachers that are like-minded with us in religious beliefs,” he said, “And we would kindly ask that we would be allowed to continue with that tradition and mission by being exempt.”
Duane Miller, head of school at Greenwood Mennonite School, pointed out that besides licensing and certification requirements, religious early education centers still have other health and safety rules.
“We do training on detection of child abuse with mandatory reporters and the fire marshal, the health department, they do inspect us,” he said. “So we welcome the health and safety component.”
He also highlighted that his school receives zero funding from the state.
“Part of our mission is hiring quality teachers that are like-minded with us in religious beliefs,” he said, “And we would kindly ask that we would be allowed to continue with that tradition and mission by being exempt.”
--kathy collard miller----------------
Most people consider Paul’s letter to the Philippians the book of joy and contentment. Included in his encouragement, he wrote about his own imperfections and God’s realistic expectations of his earthly children.
Paul emphasized:
•We’ll never become perfect on this earth. We’ll always be “in process.” And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (1:6).
•Seek excellence not perfection. Excellence is doing the best we can with what we already have learned. It means knowing there will always be more we can learn. Perfection means never sinning and is unattainable. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, (vss. 9-10).
•After we become a Christian, we’ll be dependent upon God’s continuing work. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (2:12-13).
• Continue to learn. God uses our circumstances to develop more contentment. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need (4:9).
--Kathy Collard Miller: Heart Change; God Has Realistic Expectations of You 6.27.23
Paul emphasized:
•We’ll never become perfect on this earth. We’ll always be “in process.” And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (1:6).
•Seek excellence not perfection. Excellence is doing the best we can with what we already have learned. It means knowing there will always be more we can learn. Perfection means never sinning and is unattainable. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, (vss. 9-10).
•After we become a Christian, we’ll be dependent upon God’s continuing work. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (2:12-13).
• Continue to learn. God uses our circumstances to develop more contentment. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need (4:9).
--Kathy Collard Miller: Heart Change; God Has Realistic Expectations of You 6.27.23
Every day, every one of us has thousands, even millions, of thoughts which could be identified as a variety of goals, plans, questions, ideas, conclusions, and analysis of circumstances. Like arrows being flung toward our minds and hearts, we are bombarded. Many of those arrows are truth. Many of them are lies. The truths foster trust in God and acknowledgment of his Lordship in our lives. The lies create doubt, confusion, wrong conclusions, and ultimately questioning God’s nature—his goodness, motives, faithfulness, and many other attributes. Ephesians 6:16 tells us, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Those “darts,” our inner dialogue, come from many sources, including our own analysis, our hearts’ desires, the opinions we hear from others, what we read, watch, and hear. Without being viewed through the filter of truth, the influence of the darts turns us toward worry, hate, lack of self-control, criticism, discontent, and many other responses which are the opposite of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). When we use the filter of the truth of Scripture and who God is, we experience the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. --Kathy Collard Miller: Crosswalk: What Does the Phrase 'Casting Down Imaginations' Mean in the Bible
--RA Miller-------------------------
RA Miller
A great sermon from the Proverbs that deals with foolishness is “The Fool and His Sport” by Thomas Adams (1583–1652). The discourse describes four types of fools we may encounter, all with varying outlooks on life. By highlighting the faults of this foolish foursome, Adams provides examples of behaviors and attitudes that are to be avoided. Additionally, these portraits provide us with key evangelistic insights for dealing with a wide variety of people.
To begin, we meet the sad fool. He will never be happy to hear of another’s success, as he languishes in his discontentment at hearing news of his neighbor’s profit. He may even get upset with God when he sees others with blessings he lacks. Adams says this person is “A man of the worst diet,” because he consumes himself in his repining. The sad fool is a bit of a paradox since he is most satisfied when lamenting. If he is to be converted, he must learn to be content with Christ.
Second, we have the glad fool. When I think of the word “fool,” this type of person comes to my mind. For him, everything is a joke. Religion is something to be mocked. You will find it quite difficult to have an earnest conversation with him about sin, as he finds the subject rather amusing. The English clergyman writes, “His mirth is to sully every virtue with some slander, and with a jest to laugh it out of fashion. His usual discourse is filled up with boasting parenthesis of his old sins.” He must begin to understand the seriousness of his offenses, lest he laugh himself out of heaven.
The next fool is the haughty fool. This is the kind of person who thinks too highly of himself. His pride is blinding, and it prevents him from properly assessing his abilities and faults. Adams notes that he “is ever climbing high towers, and never forecasting how to come down.” The haughty fool is above reproach, at least in his own mind. He never reflects on his failures. “When he receives disappointments, he flatters himself still with success,” says Adams. If such a prideful individual is to be right with God, he must see himself for who he truly is, a sinner.
The naughty fool is the fourth and final fool that Adams evaluates. As a particularly greedy individual, the naughty fool would do anything to acquire more wealth for himself. He will, “lose his friends, starve his body, damn his soul, and have no pleasure for it,” remarks Adams. This kind of person’s covetousness trumps any kind of fear they may have for God’s retribution. While Adams has noted several different kinds of fools already, he notes that the avarous fool is the “very fool of all,” which is to say that he is the king of all fools. In his heart, the idol of wealth needs to be torn down. --RA Miller; G3 Ministries; Four Types of Fools 8.24.23
To begin, we meet the sad fool. He will never be happy to hear of another’s success, as he languishes in his discontentment at hearing news of his neighbor’s profit. He may even get upset with God when he sees others with blessings he lacks. Adams says this person is “A man of the worst diet,” because he consumes himself in his repining. The sad fool is a bit of a paradox since he is most satisfied when lamenting. If he is to be converted, he must learn to be content with Christ.
Second, we have the glad fool. When I think of the word “fool,” this type of person comes to my mind. For him, everything is a joke. Religion is something to be mocked. You will find it quite difficult to have an earnest conversation with him about sin, as he finds the subject rather amusing. The English clergyman writes, “His mirth is to sully every virtue with some slander, and with a jest to laugh it out of fashion. His usual discourse is filled up with boasting parenthesis of his old sins.” He must begin to understand the seriousness of his offenses, lest he laugh himself out of heaven.
The next fool is the haughty fool. This is the kind of person who thinks too highly of himself. His pride is blinding, and it prevents him from properly assessing his abilities and faults. Adams notes that he “is ever climbing high towers, and never forecasting how to come down.” The haughty fool is above reproach, at least in his own mind. He never reflects on his failures. “When he receives disappointments, he flatters himself still with success,” says Adams. If such a prideful individual is to be right with God, he must see himself for who he truly is, a sinner.
The naughty fool is the fourth and final fool that Adams evaluates. As a particularly greedy individual, the naughty fool would do anything to acquire more wealth for himself. He will, “lose his friends, starve his body, damn his soul, and have no pleasure for it,” remarks Adams. This kind of person’s covetousness trumps any kind of fear they may have for God’s retribution. While Adams has noted several different kinds of fools already, he notes that the avarous fool is the “very fool of all,” which is to say that he is the king of all fools. In his heart, the idol of wealth needs to be torn down. --RA Miller; G3 Ministries; Four Types of Fools 8.24.23
--troy a miller-----------------------
Dec 15, 2022: NRB: Media Roundup: NRB CEO Joins Newsmax, Todd Starnes Show, and Victory Channel to Talk “Respect for Marriage Act”
On Tuesday, December 13, NRB President & CEO Troy A. Miller joined Todd Starnes to discuss President Joe Biden’s signing of the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act.”
On Tuesday, December 13, NRB President & CEO Troy A. Miller joined Todd Starnes to discuss President Joe Biden’s signing of the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 13, 2022
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Noelle Garnier
202-891-7843
[email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C. (NRB)—The National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) association—a nonpartisan, international association of Christian communicators whose member organizations represent millions of listeners, viewers, and readers—has issued the following statement in response to President Joe Biden’s signing into law the Respect for Marriage Act today.
The statement is from Troy A. Miller, President & CEO of the National Religious Broadcasters:
“The Respect for Marriage Act is a reaction to a fabricated problem that does not exist. The ability to obtain a same-sex marriage is not in jeopardy in America today, and this bill does nothing to change the legal status of same-sex marriage anywhere.
“However, the ability to do business or speak in the public square while holding to traditional values about life, marriage, and family is very much under threat. These are part and parcel of the First Amendment freedoms that NRB exists to defend.
“The Respect for Marriage Act puts faith-driven Americans in legal jeopardy for practicing their beliefs, and instead ‘greenlights’ the interests of radical activists seeking to penalize and bring harm to those who dissent from their views. This exposes Christian social service groups and other entities to predatory litigation with a broad ‘private right of action’ clause and jeopardizes the ability of religious nonprofits to obtain charitable, tax-exempt status from the IRS.
“Tragically, some faith-based organizations signed onto this bill based on the illusion that their rights and freedoms will be protected. Over time, it will become clear they were mistaken. We will continue to fight for our First Amendment freedoms, despite this significant setback today.”
December 13, 2022
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Noelle Garnier
202-891-7843
[email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C. (NRB)—The National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) association—a nonpartisan, international association of Christian communicators whose member organizations represent millions of listeners, viewers, and readers—has issued the following statement in response to President Joe Biden’s signing into law the Respect for Marriage Act today.
The statement is from Troy A. Miller, President & CEO of the National Religious Broadcasters:
“The Respect for Marriage Act is a reaction to a fabricated problem that does not exist. The ability to obtain a same-sex marriage is not in jeopardy in America today, and this bill does nothing to change the legal status of same-sex marriage anywhere.
“However, the ability to do business or speak in the public square while holding to traditional values about life, marriage, and family is very much under threat. These are part and parcel of the First Amendment freedoms that NRB exists to defend.
“The Respect for Marriage Act puts faith-driven Americans in legal jeopardy for practicing their beliefs, and instead ‘greenlights’ the interests of radical activists seeking to penalize and bring harm to those who dissent from their views. This exposes Christian social service groups and other entities to predatory litigation with a broad ‘private right of action’ clause and jeopardizes the ability of religious nonprofits to obtain charitable, tax-exempt status from the IRS.
“Tragically, some faith-based organizations signed onto this bill based on the illusion that their rights and freedoms will be protected. Over time, it will become clear they were mistaken. We will continue to fight for our First Amendment freedoms, despite this significant setback today.”
