Author Archives: mike@mikelilley.com

“Black” National Anthem to be performed at 2024 Super Bowl

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The NFL announced its pregame lineup for Super Bowl LVIII on Thursday, and the league drew criticism over its intentions to have the Black national anthem played before the game.

“Lift Every Voice and Sing,” known as the Black national anthem, has been played at each Super Bowl since Super Bowl LV and has stirred controversy on social media since. This year, the NFL said the song is to be performed by Grammy-winning R&B singer Andra Day. The Black national anthem has been played at Super Bowl since 2020 season

“Black” National Anthem – Lift Every Voice and Sing
From Saint Peter Relates an Incident by James Weldon Johnson. Copyright © 1917, 1921, 1935 James Weldon Johnson, renewed 1963 by Grace Nail Johnson.

Lift every voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list’ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.

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Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh recites Bible verse to open press conference after playoff win

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The Baltimore Ravens are hosting the first conference championship game in Baltimore since 1971 after Lamar Jackson accounted for four touchdowns — two throwing and two rushing — in a 34-10 victory over the Houston Texans Saturday.

The game was tied at 10 at one point, but Baltimore won with 24 unanswered points. After earning a playoff bye, emotions ran high in Baltimore’s locker room, and it was Jackson’s second playoff win.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh opened his postgame press conference by reading a Bible verse. “Greatness, power, glory, victory and honor belong to you, because everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you. The kingdom belongs to you, Lord,” Harbaugh said, via OutKick NFL insider Armando Salguero, reciting 1 Chronicles 29:11.

Harbaugh’s quote came a week after C.J. Stroud, the quarterback Harbaugh’s Ravens beat Saturday, gave “all glory to my Lord and savior Jesus Christ” after the Texans’ playoff win over the Cleveland Browns. Stroud’s comments were edited out of a post on X, formerly Twitter, from the official account of NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.”

Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb criticized NBC for the move. “It’s very lame. Players always express that as well, and to have that cut out is truly … it’s disrespectful,” he said. “There are a lot of people out there who are Christians and believe in Jesus, and those who don’t believe in Jesus, still, they don’t feel like that’s disrespectful to them.

“For NBC to do this … they really have to go back … and evaluate themselves. They have to get this thing corrected because that’s definitely not the direction it needs to be going in at this point.”

For Sale: Legacy Standard ICR Cowhide

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Features

  • Easy-to-read, large 11 point font
  • Black letter text with red for book titles, running headers, chapter & page numbers
  • Line matched, single column, verse-by-verse typeset
  • Typesetting by 2K Denmark 🇩🇰
  • Over 95,000 cross references and over 14,000 translation footnotes
  • 40 gsm Bible paper
  • 1,696 pages
  • Gold-gilded pages with rounded corners
  • Smyth-sewn, paste-down binding
  • Rounded page corners
  • Foil stamping and 5 raised hubs on spine
  • Genuine cowhide leather with perimeter stitching 
  • Two double-sided satin ribbons
  • A 90-page concordance with over 16,000 Scripture references.
  • 8 full-color maps
  • Tables for weights, measurements, and monetary units 
  • Packaged in an attractive 2-piece box
  • Printed and bound in Korea 🇰🇷

For Sale: CSB Handcrafted VBV Black Goatskin

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FEATURES: 

  • Goatskin premium leather cover  
  • Verse-by-verse layout  
  • Bold and indented verse numbers that are easy to find on the page  
  • High-quality Bible paper  
  • Smyth-sewn, lay-flat, edge-lined binding meant to last a lifetime
  • Two-column text format  
  • Robust cross-reference system to enhance personal study  
  • Topical subject headings  
  • 10-point type size  
  • Black-letter text 
  • Footnotes  
  • Art gilt page edges  
  • Three ribbon markers for easy referencing between pages  
  • Elegant two-piece gift box  
  • Concordance  
  • Presentation page for gift-giving 
  • Full-color maps  
  • 6.875” x 9” page size

For Sale: Cambridge ESV Topaz

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Produced in a larger format and designed to suit both private study and public reading, the new Cambridge Topaz edition is a two-color reference Bible of the highest quality. The Topaz features a brand new design and, as a new Cambridge family, will be made available in multiple translations over time.

The sleek and contemporary design of the Topaz is carefully printed on the finest India-style paper and complemented with traditional binding techniques. Chapter and Verse numbers are printed in red to aid navigation.

Features include:

Black Goatskin with leather edge lined binding
Textblock: approximately 6″ x 9″ x 1-1/4″
Smyth Sewn
Double column
Verse by Verse
Line matched
Modern, digital typeface
10 pt. font
Cross References in the outer margins
Translation notes at the bottom of the page
Red Letter for the words of Christ
28 GSM Indopaque paper
Art Gilt for both Goatskin and Calfskin editions
2 high quality ribbons
Concordance
Maps
Presentation and Family Records Pages

If God exists, why is there suffering in the world?

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When considering how to reconcile the reality of suffering with the concept of a loving God from a Christian perspective, several fundamental theological arguments must be considered.

Free Will
One feature that is frequently highlighted is the gift of free will. According to Christian doctrine, God gave humans the ability to choose freely. Suffering may occur from the abuse of this free will, as individuals make decisions that have bad repercussions. In essence, God permits for free will, even if it causes misery.

The Fall and Original Sin
Christianity holds that pain entered the world as a result of humanity’s disobedience, which is commonly referred to as the Fall. The concept of original sin implies that pain is the result of the separation.

Spiritual Growth and Character Development
Some Christian beliefs highlight the importance of suffering in spiritual growth and character development. In times of adversity, people may get closer to God, gaining strength, resilience, and compassion for others. The Christian faith urges followers to believe in God’s plans, especially in the face of adversity.

The Cross: A Symbol of God’s Love
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is central in Christian theology. Christians believe that God, in the form of Jesus, willingly suffered for humanity’s salvation. The cross is regarded as the pinnacle of God’s love, as He bore the weight of sin and suffering. This event demonstrates that God understands and shares the human experience of pain.

Eternal Perspective
Christians believe in an eternal viewpoint, which holds that suffering in this life is just temporary. The promise of eternal life with God gives hope and assurance that current suffering is not the ultimate reality. This viewpoint urges believers to persevere in the face of adversity while being faithful to God’s larger plan.

To summarize, the Christian response to the existence of suffering in the presence of a loving God entails understanding free will, acknowledging the consequences of human choices, finding meaning in spiritual growth through adversity, contemplating Jesus’ redemptive sacrifice, and maintaining an eternal perspective that transcends temporal suffering.

Scripture Evidence – Why I believe the Doctrines of Grace (Five Points of Calvinism)

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DOCTRINES OF GRACE – CATEGORIZED SCRIPTURE LIST

Unconditional Election

God is Sovereign Exo 15:18; 1Chr 29:11-12; 2Chr 20:6; Psa 22:28

  1. He exercises that sovereignty in actively ordaining everything

Deu 32:39; 1Sam 2:6-8; Job 9:12; Job 12:6-10; Psa 33:11; Psa 115:3; Psa 135:6; Isa 14:24; Isa 45:7; Act 15:18; Eph 1:11

  1. Including matters of “chance”

Pro 16:33; 1Ki 22:20, 34, 37

  1. The wicked actions of men
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