Active Faith

The Tale of Saint Patrick

Penni Bulten
3 Mar 2015
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March 17, known around the world as St. Patrick’s Day, is a national holiday celebrated in Ireland with great joy, and Americans join in as well. It is traditional for Irish Americans and others to commemorate the occasion by the “wearing of the green,” putting on clothing in the national color of Ireland, often in the form of a three-leaf clover. Catholics in Ireland and other countries regard St. Patrick’s Day as a day of holy obligation, that is, a day to worship through rest, just as one would rest on Sabbath. In Ireland, the day is a celebration of […]

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Why We stand For 40 Days and Pray

Karen Gushta
2 Mar 2015
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“When I went to have my abortion, if there was someone standing and praying in front of the center, I don’t think I would have gone through with it,” said Tewannah Aman, who had an abortion as an 18 year-old. “If I had seen someone holding a sign, as I now do, that read ‘I regret my abortion’ I would not have done it.” When she first found out she was pregnant, Tewannah was excited. But when she shared her good news with a close family member, “She sat me down,” said Tewannah, “and told me that I was too […]

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40 days and pray

Helping the Homeless with LoveBags

Melissa Presser
3 Feb 2015
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LoveBags

Born out of a call to be doers of the Word and not just hearers of it, Bob Denison, a yacht broker from Fort Lauderdale, and his friends began a ministry known as LoveBags. Desiring to reach the homeless for Christ in a real and tangible way, Denison and a group of friends from Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale about nine years ago began putting together bags for the homeless that included sandwiches, water, socks and other necessary items for daily living. The bags were ultimately put together to encourage people and to spread the love of Jesus through a simple […]

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Ten Reasons Why the Church Should Not Abandon Politics

Jerry Newcombe
1 Feb 2015
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Recent events have raised the issue: Should the pulpit always avoid politics? It depends on what we mean by “politics;” it demeans the pulpit to use it for partisan politics. But here are ten reasons why I don’t think politics and religion should (or even can) be completely separate:   1) The Word of God has something to say about all of life, beyond just the spiritual. My long-time pastor, Dr. D. James Kennedy, once noted that the Church of Jesus Christ has always been opposed to abortion — from the very beginning. It still is. In the last generation, […]

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abandon politics

I’m Loving ‘Em!

Blackstone Grif
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love month

I think every month should be the love month, not just February. Why do we go overboard and pour out love in all kinds of ways in one month on one particular day? Love, one of the most powerful things in life, can also be the most difficult. It’s also the most fun when you get to really love people in the same way God loves us. We all know the part of 1 Corinthians 13 that begins with “love is patient, love is kind,” but the verses just before that are just as important. “If I could speak all […]

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A Place for Jewish Friends to Learn About Jesus

Melissa Presser
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Many Christians have often asked the question, “How do I share my faith with my Jewish friends in a loving and sensitive way.” That question is ultimately what led Michael and Mimi Finesilver, Jewish believers themselves, to bring an unlikely group of people together in their home on Shabbat, the Sabbath day. Shabbat is a special time to rest, reflect and spend time with family and friends, and the Finesilvers couldn’t imagine a better time to invite others into their home to share the gospel in a loving and understanding environment. Shabbat is a joyful time — a time to […]

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What Jesus Understood About Hanukkah

Dr. Susan Michael
6 Dec 2014
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A common understanding of the December holiday season is that Christmas is the holiday for Christians and Hanukkah is the holiday for Jews. Few Christians relate to Hanukkah since it is not one of the biblical feasts of Israel. But, the fact that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah should make Christians curious enough to investigate the possible importance of the festival to their faith.  It is no exaggeration to say that had it not been for Hanukkah, there could have very well not been a Christmas. Hanukkah prepared the way for the birth and ministry of Jesus. Therefore, Christians may want to […]

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Come, Lord Jesus: An Advent Devotional

Jonathan Linebaugh
4 Dec 2014
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The Advent season focuses on expectation and serves as an anticipation of Christ’s birth in the season leading up to Christmas. As you look forward to Christmas day, take a few moments to meditate on this Advent Devotional. Advent Week 1—Know Thyself “Know thyself.” This Socratic call is the fountainhead of the Western philosophic tradition. But it is a call without a compass. How, in other words, do we come to know ourselves? Socrates’ answer is contained in his other famous maxim: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” But again, how do you examine your life and, more urgently, […]

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Reaching the Other Side of the Island

Howard Scott
1 Dec 2014
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When you mention the Caribbean, Jamaica, Bonaire or any other resort destination, most people think of sun, sea and sand.They visualize relaxing on soft sandy beaches, swimming in the crystal clear sea and bathing in the sensual soothing sun, an experience one will remember for years to come. This may be true, but on the other side of the island, life isn’t glamorous at all. In fact, a large number of natives struggle to obtain bare necessities: clean drinking water, wholesome food, clothing and in many cases a safe place to call home. Tourists rarely get to see the depression, devastation […]

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other side of the island