The Law of the Messiah - V'ahavta (...and you shall love...") - Hadassah from Jerusalem

Hadassah

Jerusalem, Israel

V’ahavta  

וְאָהַבְתָּ    ‘…And you shall love…’ 

The Law of the Messiah

Hadassah from Jerusalem, Israel

To know and to do God’s will. This seems to be the question on most true Believer’s hearts: LORD what is your will? God has made His will clear in the Word that He has given us- His commandments, His Laws. But especially through His Son Y’shua’s words and example did He reveal Himself and His heart towards us and His will.

With so many decrees and laws to know and follow we can get bogged down- overwhelmed. Even in His day, an observant Jewish man asked Y’shua which Law is the greatest. Recorded in three of the Gospels (Mt 22:37, Mk 12:30, Lk 10:27), Y’shua quotes to him from the well-known daily prayer the Sh’ma (Deut. 6:5): “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

In Mark, Y’shua continues: "The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The second commandment is actually the ‘how to’ live out the first commandment. How do we love God so completely- by loving the Family of Faith.

“If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (I John 4:20)

And the LORD tells us that the world will know we are His- by our love for one another!

“A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” 

(John 13:34,35)

In Galatians 6:2 we read a practical application: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

 In this verse we see the specific fulfilling of the Law of Christ is done by bearing each other’s burdens. How do we show this love for one another in the Body of Messiah? Taking care of the widows and orphans, praying for those who are hurt and sick, sharing physical provision…. The list is endless.

When a Body member is going thru a major illness or crisis- one that seems to have no solution or end in sight- can we come to them in their suffering and walk with them? Can we listen without judgement and unasked-for advice? Will we ‘carry’ them on our shoulders in prayer? Are we able to lay down our lives for them in acts of loving kindness and service?

To bear one another’s burdens IS to FULFILL the Law of our Messiah. It is the maximum of His example when He came and ultimately carried our burden of sin and suffering.

It is not easy to consistently walk with someone who is suffering. To keep them encouraged. To hold them in your heart before the Throne. To not get weary in well-doing. We must remember- that we are yoked with the Messiah in this walk and He says that His burden is easy (Mt 11:30). 

Continually go to Him and ask for the Grace to endure WITH your Brother. To weep with your Sister. Being very realistic about your personal limitations- do not let those be and excuse to not be ‘present’. We each have a part we can play and with the Grace of Y’shua we can answer His passionate garden question:  ‘Will you not tarry with me one hour?’

We can choose to love one another and ‘tarry’ with one another and so fulfill the Law of our Messiah. 

Nissim & Hadassah

Jerusalem, Israel

 Hadassah and Nissim, her accountant husband, live in a settlement just outside Jerusalem with their dog Molly. After making Aliyah (immigrating) from the U.S. with their five children in 1989, they are now semi-retired and open their home to guests and those wishing to make Aliyah. When not busy with their 16 'GrandWonders', they enjoy a quiet life of study, prayer and learning to serve the LORD.

#6  08.24.31

Our niece, Pastor Kylie Groves, at Lyman Wesleyan Church - message on the sacraments, baptism, sin and grace.

Pastor Kylie Groves, my niece

Our niece, Pastor Kylie Groves, at Lyman Wesleyan Church - the sacraments, baptism, sin and grace.

July 16, 2017

This Sunday my mom Lila Parker, husband Bill Parker and I journeyed the hour and a half drive down I85 from Charlotte, North Carolina to Lyman, South Carolina (near Greenville). My niece Kylie Groves, now married to Dillon Groves, was giving the message at their new place of ministry, the Lyman Wesleyan Church. Both are now the pastors of the congregation.

Kylie did a great job with her message, as she shared truth found in the Word of God. 

Along with her two sisters (Chelsea and Jamie), she was grounded in the Word by her parents - my sister Janet Rovenstine, and her husband, my good brother-in-law, Senior Pastor Nate Rovenstine. (They lead the Connect Church in Lawrence, Kansas. Both are graduates of the Wesleyan college in Bartlesville, OK.)

It is very good and encouraging to see our family walk in the ways of the Lord Jesus, teaching and sharing the love of the Lord with those around them.

Good job Kylie! We are proud of you and Dillon. Keep up the great, eternal work of sharing the faith that is so needed in our day. Your generation and mine need to hear you stand strong for righteousness and truth, with courage and boldness.

Be blessed in your blessing others,

Uncle Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love for His People, Inc.

P.S. And I hope you enjoy the three books I gave you! Sorry I misspelled your name Dillon when I signed them. I also have a grand daughter named Dylan Joy.

Pastor Kylie Groves - teaching the Word of God!

  Front: Bill and Lila Parker (my mom)

Pastors Dillon and Kylie Groves

 Family gathering (L-R): Bill and Lila Parker, Janet Rovenstine, my sister (one of five), who is a great pastor's wife, plus a full-time teacher in the Lawrence Public School system, 

Kylie Groves (my niece) and me (Steve Martin)

Be blessed in your blessing!

Yes! Celebrate our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Banner in the Sunday school room.

Also watch another short video from the same message -

Pastor Kylie - church light bulb outreach.

2nd video. Watch here: Reaching into the community

6 Lies the Devil Uses to Condemn You - J. LEE GRADY CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Don't let the devil cloud your mind with accusatory lies. (iStock photo )

6 Lies the Devil Uses to Condemn You

9/28/2016 J. LEE GRADY  CHARISMA MAGAZINE

I have a friend who is a gifted worship leader, a loving husband and an affectionate father. He's funny, smart, passionate about his faith and wholeheartedly committed to his church. People who know him say he's a model Christian.

But underneath this joyful exterior is a lot of pain. He struggles with depression, and then he condemns himself because Christians are supposed be happy. When emotional heaviness drags him to a low point, he knows how to put on his convincing "church face." Nobody knows the dark thoughts that torment him.

My friend is not unique in this struggle. Countless Christians I know engage in a daily battle with the enemy of their souls. And Satan is relentless in his attacks. He is described in Scripture as "the father of lies" (John 8:44), and the "accuser of the brethren" (Rev. 12:10). He wags his bony finger of condemnation and tries to deny us access to the Lord's love and mercy.

You will never find victory in the Christian life if you don't expose, confront and renounce Satan's groundless accusations. If the devil has been replaying his lies in your head, you must hit the "EJECT" button now! The spirit of condemnation always makes these outrageous statements listed below:

1. Jesus can't use you if you have a weakness. The devil is always ready to remind you that you are fat, unattractive, prone to depression or addiction, sexually broken, traumatized or fearful. But guess what? The people God used in the Bible were far from perfect. Every Christian has flaws. God made us weak so we would find our strength in Him. If you were perfect, you wouldn't need a Savior.

2. You should give up if you constantly struggle with sin. Many Christian men I know feel spiritually disqualified because they haven't totally overcome their addiction to porn. They feel bad for being tempted, and then if they stumble, they feel defeated for weeks. This can lead to discouragement and despair—and then they lose all hope of overcoming the habit. The secret to victory is not sweating and straining to resist; instead we must meditate on the love of God and allow His Spirit to rise up inside of us to override sin's power. If you are struggling, do not give up! The Spirit will help you!

3. God's promises are for other people, not you. Do you feel God's goodness always bypasses you? You may have an orphan spirit. Many Christians don't believe the heavenly Father loves and accepts them. They may have been rejected by their parents, or lacked parental affirmation. Life's pain can block our ability to see God as He is. But if you have given your life to Christ, the Father has adopted you, He delights in you, and He has given you full inheritance rights. His promises are yours to claim!

4. God is always mad at you. Many believers base their relationship with God on performance. If they read their Bibles and pray every day, they feel they are on God's "good side"; if they miss their morning devotions they assume He is upset. The devil loves this legalistic mindset because it prevents us from experiencing God's grace. You must come to understand that the Father does not love you for what you do; He loves you because you are His child. He is slow to anger and full of lovingkindness. When you allow this truth to soak your soul, you will enjoy true intimacy with Jesus.

5. Your past mistakes disqualified you. I met a Christian man recently who loves God with all His heart, yet he sits in the back of his church every week feeling inferior because he committed adultery 35 years ago. His wife forgave him, and he repented for his sin, but he assumes he wears a scarlet letter around his neck and that he has been banished to a spiritual wasteland. That's a lie! If you have repented for your sin, God has forgiven and forgotten it! Nothing can separate you from God's love—not abortion, divorce, sexual sin or any other unspeakable mistake you regret.

6. You have committed the unpardonable sin. I've counseled several troubled Christians who read Matthew 12:31-32 and decided that they had blasphemed the Holy Spirit and therefore could not be saved. This is a ridiculous notion, because a person who committed the unpardonable sin mentioned in this passage wouldn't care if they had blasphemed. If you are worried that you did this, then you haven't! Your heart is turned toward God and you want to please Him. That alone is evidence of His grace working in you.

Romans 8:1 is one of the most liberating verses in the Bible. It declares: "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." This promise is for you! Jesus took your punishment and removed all guilt from your record. And His blood is more powerful than any lie Satan can throw at you.

You are now qualified. Your past is irrelevant. You don't have to work to win God's love. When the Father looks at you, He doesn't see your past sins or present struggles; He sees a robe of righteousness. Renounce the devil's lies and believe God's promise. He loves you with an indescribable, unfathomable, unconditional love.

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. He is the author of several books including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, 10 Lies Men Believe, Fearless Daughters of the Bible and The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale. You can learn more about his ministry, The Mordecai Project, atthemordecaiproject.org.

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Let the Dead Bury the Dead - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Let the Dead Bury the Dead

  

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“Yeshua said, “Let the dead bury their own dead; you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God!” 

(Luke 9:60-61 Complete Jewish Bible)

For years I had thought this was a rather harsh response Jesus (Yeshua) gave to the one who said he wanted to follow Him and be His disciple. Jesus didn’t say, “Great! Just come along, do what you want when you want, and I will be sure to accommodate how you live so it won’t cramp your style.” It even seems in some circles that our response nowadays would be, “Wow! Someone who wants to be a Christian! Let’s not make it too hard on them so they won’t start the walk and then later quit. We need all the ones we can get.”

No, Jesus gave the man the one choice he had. Follow Him by letting go of his current life, and live the one I (Jesus) would direct him in. My way is the only way.

Jesus clearly told the one the way it would be, as Luke recounted for us in this historical report.

“As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go." And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have  nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  And He said to another, " Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." 

Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home." But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:57-62 NASU)

I like how The Message words it in a similar, but unique way.

“On the road someone asked if he could go along. "I'll go with you, wherever," he said. Jesus was curt: "Are you ready to rough it? We're not staying in the best inns, you know." Jesus said to another, "Follow me." He said, "Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father's funeral." Jesus refused. "First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God's kingdom!"

Then another said, "I'm ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home." Jesus said, "No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day." (Luke 9:57-62 THE MESSAGE)

(Just one minor side thought to point out before moving on. Jesus said, “We're not staying in the best inns, you know." I wonder how many leaders in the church today would still follow Jesus if they lived as He did? Or walked as He walked? I am sure the numbers would be reduced if such were the case. Maybe they missed it somewhere? And what example are they giving to those who follow them? It doesn’t appear to be Yeshua’s.)

So my thoughts on this now, to let the dead bury the dead?

I think it is time that we quit sugar-coating the Gospel message, trying to make it fit in today’s world, so as not to put too much inconvenience on those needing to hear the Gospel, and repent from living the sinful life. Jesus didn’t make it a convenient choice to become His disciple. He spoke right up front to let them know, “This will change your life. What you did yesterday you will no longer do today. The life you led then, it needs to be gone. Repent, take up your cross and follow Me.”

Maybe it is time we quit making our Sunday morning a nice place to bring people to, hoping they will receive a “helpful message so you can get saved today”, but rather use it as the time to really train Christians to get out into the world to take the Gospel to the dying. For as you may have already realized, they aren’t coming to us. We have to go to them. And when we do, we need to tell it the way it is to be.

Let the truth be known. You want to follow Jesus? It will cost you everything you have. You can’t have it both ways – to continue living the way you have been six days a week and then “be the Christian” one hour on Sunday. Jesus is requiring a complete lifestyle change. He calls it “repentance”. We should too.

Rather then offering a Gospel that allows one to keep doing that which was leading to death anyway, it is time we offered the “radical” Gospel that Jesus did. To all those He came in contact with, He said come, repent, and He would then give eternal life in exchange. There cannot be any other way. There has to be a life change through repentance.

“From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17 NASU)

He also made it clear that if there was no repentance, there would be no salvation. They would perish in their sin.

“There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:1-5 NKJV)

We are called as believers to demonstrate the Kingdom of God in the world around us, by living a life of repentance. We have been called to leave the old life behind, and walk in the new one that Jesus gives us as we do so. And then, the Gospel message is to tell others to do the same. Repent, believe, and follow Jesus. And in that following, they won’t be doing the same thing they were doing, with just a slight change. They will be letting go of the old in order to receive the new.

They too will be leaving the dead to bury their own dead. They too will no longer be participating with the things in life that are here today and gone tomorrow. They too will be living the way of the cross, which will eternally bring life.

Just like you and I should be doing ourselves.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

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Now Think On This - In the New Year of our Lord 02.14.16 - #243 –“Let the Dead Bury the Dead” – Sunday at 5:15 am

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

Rev. Franklin Graham is Today’s TRUE BOLD PROPHET

5 Things That Prove Rev. Graham is 

Today’s TRUE BOLD PROPHET! 

Conservative Post  By

AM

William Franklin Graham III (born July 14, 1952), known as Franklin Graham, is an American Christian evangelist and missionary. He is president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief organization.

Graham lives with his wife, Jane, in Boone, North Carolina. The fourth of five children of evangelist Billy Graham and wife Ruth Bell Graham, Franklin Graham was born and raised in the Appalachian Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina.

Rev. Graham has become a TRUE Prophet and a moral voice to America:

1) On Obama’s celebration of same-sex marriage:

“A lot has changed in three short years! Just three years ago, the President was on record as holding to the biblical definition of marriage. Now he can’t say enough about his support for the LGBT agenda—and right after the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage, he had the gall to disgrace the White House by lighting it up with the gay pride rainbow colors to celebrate. This is arrogantly flaunting sinful behavior in the face of Almighty God. My advice? He might want to have some extra lightning rods installed on the roof of the White House.” – Franklin Graham

2) On Oregon’s decision to let minors have state-paid sex-change operations without parental consent:

In Oregon 15-year-olds are NOT legally allowed to do a lot of things: drive, smoke, get a tattoo, go to a tanning bed, or even donate blood. But unbelievably, now they ARE allowed to get a sex-change operation—and (get this) without parental notification. You’ve got to be kidding me! As a parent and grandparent I’m outraged, and I don’t even live in Oregon! And to top it off, the state will even pay for it through its Medicaid program. What kind of ludicrousness is this? It’s wrong from every angle. The state should not be superseding God-given parental authority. This is another example of why Christians should get involved in politics and policy at all levels to bring about change for the better in our society.” – Franklin Graham

3) On the ESPY’s choice to honor Kaitlyn Jenner for courage:

“Caitlyn Jenner is being honored with the ESPN ESPY Award for courage? I find this hard to swallow after spending time with wounded military veterans and their spouses withOperation Heal Our Patriots—they are true heroes and their lives define courage. Some have had 30 or 40 surgeries, not to change their gender, but to try to put their bodies back together after defending our country. And to recognize the very confused Caitlyn Jenner as a hero before the entire world? Give me a break. If you want an example of real courage, it’s when Jesus Christ willingly allowed Himself to become your sin and died in your place on the cross—the Righteous One for the unrighteous.” – Franklin Graham

4) On Planned Parenthood’s death market

“If the nearly 60 million human beings who have been legally aborted in this country since Roe vs. Wade were here to vote, I’m pretty sure they’d say to pull the plug on any and all government funding of Planned Parenthood immediately. What are we doing in the name of pro-choice? God says to make a choice–His Word says, “Choose you this day whom you will serve.” He wants us to choose Him and His ways; if we choose otherwise, we will face the consequences. To the Church–let’s stand against and let’s pray against the ungodly decisions that our country’s politicians and judges have made. Planned Parenthood should be investigated and prosecuted for selling baby parts. Tell your Congressman that you don’t want any more of your money going to fund this evil organization and the promotion of abortions. Share this if you agree.” Franklin Graham

5) On ISIS

Please KEEP Rev. Graham in your prayers! SHARE TO SUPPORT HIS MESSAGE
!

Finding Redemption in the Josh Duggar Story - Michael Brown

Finding Redemption in the Josh Duggar Story

5/26/2015 MICHAEL BROWN   charisma news

Duggar Family (Facebook)

I have no desire to pile on with more comments about Josh Duggar, who appears to be a very serious and committed Christian and who has made no excuses for the sins of his youth and who deeply desires to make a positive impact for the Lord in the years ahead. I simply want to share some redemptive thoughts, supplementing some of the excellent statements made by others, including former governor Mike Huckabee and Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore.

1. Jesus really does change people. While critics of the Duggar family want to indict them (along with other evangelical Christians, especially those with large families) for Josh's actions, and while many seem ready to throw Josh under the bus, the fact is that while he did sin grievously, through repentance, faith and counseling, he became a new man. Jesus really does transform sinners.

How many of us did wicked things as teenagers? I was shooting heroin at the age of 15 and broke into some houses and even stole money from my own father before being radically converted at the age of 16. I was profane, filled with pride, anger and lust, yet the Lord had mercy on me and totally turned my life around.

Some of us continued to live like this into our adult years, only to find mercy and new life then, meaning that the transformation was even more dramatic.

For me, the first lesson from this story is this: Whoever you are, whatever you've done, there is hope in the Lord. As Mike Huckabee said, "'inexcusable' ...  doesn't mean 'unforgivable.'"

As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, and you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

2. There's no excuse for sin, so own up to it. In today's culture, almost no one is guilty of anything. It's someone else's fault, someone else's responsibility, not our own. We're all victims, and the reason we do bad things is because someone else wronged us. Isn't that how we think today?

I've even heard athletes apologize for some really heinous actions by saying, "I'm not happy with the way things happened," rather than saying, "What I did was wrong and I have no excuses. Please forgive me. I'm seeking to get to the root of my problems and address them."

What a vast difference between the two attitudes.

As Proverbs states, "He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy" (28:13).

According to the accounts we've all heard, Josh confessed his sin to his parents as well as to the proper authorities, and as a family, they worked through the issues. Now, half a lifetime later (he's 27 and is married with four children), when confronted with a police report about his past, he did not minimize his sin nor did he excuse it. He also resigned from the fine Christian organization for whom he worked, not wanting to bring any negative attention to their work.

When I see someone respond like this, I am filled with hope. In fact, over the years, I've seen that people who committed uglier sins but took full responsibility and repented did far better than those who committed less serious sins and tried to sweep them under the rug.

3. Even godly families have kids who mess up badly. Nancy and I only had two kids, and we sought to be godly parents and set godly examples. Yet our older daughter went through a real period of rebellion in her teen years.

As parents, we felt miserable, and I would wonder what I was doing wrong.

Of course, we dealt with her rebellion head on and prayed like crazy for her to really encounter the Lord, but while it was happening, it was terribly deflating spiritually. What kind of father am I? How can I be so ineffective?

Today, we all laugh about those years, and our daughter, who is now 37 and is a devoted wife and mother, is so grateful for the way she was raised. (She and Nancy are the best of friends and are in constant contact.)

The fact that the Duggars, who successfully raised 19 children in the Lord (who can imagine that?), had to deal with one of their kids committing serious sexual sin at 14 should actually encourage other parents rather than discourage them. And perhaps, they can teach us today how this tragic incident helped them come together as a family and draw closer to the Lord.

4. Josh can be an ambassador on behalf of the abused, even helping the abusers, as well. While it can feel like your life is over when your past, largely private sins become public (how many of us would like for that to happen?), the fact is that Josh's future can be bright in the Lord.

He can call on others who are sinning to come clean and get help, using his own example redemptively. And he can encourage those who have been abused to realize that they are not guilty and should not feel shame, also encouraging churches to embrace those who come for help rather than making them feel as if there is something wrong with them.

Why should those who have suffered abuse be stigmatized? They should be our priority for healing and restoration.

5. We need to be careful how we judge. There are many fans of the Duggars who are upset with what they feel is a witch hunt against a godly family, representing one more attempt to remove them from reality TV. (Let me say without qualification that there is life after reality TV, and if the Duggars never do another broadcast, their lives can still be overwhelmingly blessed.)

But would we have had this same attitude of judgment if this was the child of a gay couple? Would we have said, "This proves that gay parents are no good!"?

I certainly believe that kids deserve a mom and a dad and that, optimally, they will do best with a mom and dad, but I don't indict all gay couples because of the failings of one of their kids

So, if you want to show mercy, be consistent. We can all fall into the trap of selective compassion.

6. There are consequences to our actions, but with God, our worst mistakes can become stepping stones to spiritual growth.

Most of us have done things we wish we could take back, and in some cases, the consequences of our bad choices and sinful actions last for decades. Yet with the Lord, no matter how great the stigma of our sin, if we will humble ourselves before Him, He can take those stumbling blocks and turn them into stepping stones, to the point that the worst things that ever happened to us become the best things that ever happened to us.

To the core of His being, God is a redeemer, and I'm personally praying and believing that for Josh Duggar and his entire family, God will turn this painful situation around for greater good.

Let's watch and see.

Michael Brown is the author of 25 books, including Can You Be Gay and Christian? and host of the nationally syndicated talk radio show "The Line of Fire." He is also president of FIRE School of Ministry and director of the Coalition of Conscience. 

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