Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy Name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Psalm 103:1-5, NKJV
This Psalm teaches us adoration. Adoration is not thanksgiving; it is silent wonder. I once saw a striking instance of this in a sick one, who said to me, "I got such a sight of the Lord Jesus - His wonderful Person - His finished work - that at last I was obliged to stop giving thanks, and just look, look, look!"
Adoratrion is wrought in us by the Holy Ghost, and it is very sanctifying when He gives us such moments of nearness to Himself. This psalm is a call to praise "His holy Name." His doings come after. His holy Name is the fountainhead; His doings, the streams from Lebanon. We are called to praise Him because:
1. He forgives all our iniquities. Our first true acquaintance with God is when He pardons us. He does not leave a single sin resting on the conscience; the blood that cleanses one sin cleanses all. For our sins are linked together, one great awful chain round our soul, and God takes hold of the first link, and so casts the whole chain "into the depths of the sea."
2. He heals all our diseases. I like to think of the palsied man brought by his four friends to Jesus, and Jesus looking on him, and saying, "Your sins are forgiven you." Then a few minutes after, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." When God takes away our sin He does not forget our bodily trouble. He may not heal us completely, but He takes the sting out of the disease.
After pardon He gives healing of the soul's diseases. It is in the repeated use of the forgiving blood, day by day, that we mortify our corruptions, just as it is by the blood that we quench the fiery darts of the devil. There is not a corruption over which He will not give you victory.
3. He redeems our life from destruction. We every day escape dangers that we are not aware of. If we but saw the snares Satan lays for us spiritually, how we would adore the Lord who enables us to escape them all! How often the devil tries to make us unwatchful, or gives us false peace, but God is watching over us, and He redeems our spiritual life from these spiritual injuries.
4. He crowns us with loving-kindness. Look at the comforts of your lot. Think of the spiritual mercies of your life. "Bless the Lord, O my soul!" Is He not satisfying your mouth with good things? Faith has a good memory; unbelief forgets. Let us ask the Lord to give us better memories for all His benefits, that we may fix our minds on His grace, in spite of all that may happen to us.
(by Andrew Bonar (1810-1892),minister of the Free Church of Scotland. Prayer Point, Spring 2013,
www.samaritanspurse.org)
Friday, July 26, 2013
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Abortion supporters Chant "Hail Satan" in Texas Capitol as Pro-Lifers Sing "Amazing Grace"
For several hour between Tuesday and Wednesday (July 2 & 3), the phrase "Hail Satan" trended on Twitter as word spread that abortion supporters had chanted it at pro-life Christians singing "Amazing Grace" amid mounting tensions over the pending passage of strict abortion laws in the Texas Capitol, The Christian Post reports. Two weeks ago, Texas Gov. Rick Perry convened a second special session in the Texas Senate after Democratic activism botched the passage of legislation that would have banned aortions in the state after 20 weeks. The legislation would also require that abortions be performed at ambulatory surgical centers and mandate that doctors obtain admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their practice. Opponents of the proposal argue that the proposal would virtually shut down abortion clinics in Texas - and pro-life supporters have no problem with that. Democratic Sen.Wendy Davis of Fort Worth and her colleagues attempted to kill the abortion legislation with a 13-hour filibuster on the last day of the first special session. Republicans,however, rallied using a parlamentary technicality to shut down Davis' attempt before the midnight deadline to vote on the bill kicked in. Once that happened, however, unruly abortion-rights advocates erupted in a loud protest in the pubclic gallery of the Senate, which prevented the senators on the floor from hearing sufficiently to vote on the bill. (The bill did eventually pass and Gov. Perry has signed it into law.)
Polygamists Celebrate Supreme Court Marriage Decisions
Across America in June, homosexuals gathered in so-called "pride Parades." This year, they celebrated the recent supreme Court decisions regarding the Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8 - but they're not the only ones celebrating, WORLD reports. Polygamists are celebrating too. "We're very happy with it," said Joe Darger, a Utah polygamist. "I think the court has taken a step in correcting some inequality, and that's certainly something that's going to trickled down and impact. us." Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council said: "Proponents of 'plural marriages' are riding the homosexual movement's wave of success all the way to legitimacy. They're using the same playbook, the same sound bites.....After all, who are we to say that two or three or nine consenting adults shouldn't be able to make the same commitment? Love is love, right?"
Belgium Weighing Euthanasia for Children
Belgium appears on the verge of becoming the first developed country to legalize euthanasia for children, Baptist Press reports. The Belgian Federal Parliament reportedly has a consensus for passing legislation that would permit some seriously ill children to choose to die by euthanasia, according to the International Business Times,which based its reporting on an article in the Belgian newspaper Der Morgen. To conduct euthanasia, a physician administers a lethal dose of drugs that takes a patient's life. Belgian legislators are considering a bill that would guide doctors in determining if a child's health is serious enugh to merit euthanasia and whether he is mature enough to decide to end his life, according to the June 11 report. Euthanasia of children is a reality now, according to the testimony of the head of the intensive care unit at Fabiola Hospital in Brussels. "We all know that euthanasia is already practiced on children," he told a Senate committee. "Yes, active euthanasia." The Netherlands has not legaized euthanasia for children but has agreed since 2005 not to prosecute doctors who follow a set of rules while performing euthanasia on some minors.
Another Christian Dies in Eritrean Prison Camp
Open Doors USA has recently learned about the death of another Christian in an Eritrean prison. Yosief Kebedom Geiai, a recently converted single Christian, died in Medefera on July 5. Sources told Open Doors that Yosief, 41, had been sick for a long time, but that the harsh treatment at a secret Medefera incarceration center aggravated the effects of the unknown disease. Yosief is the 24th reported death connected to punishment for religious activities outside of the government-sanctioned Catholic Church, Orthodox Church, Lutheran Church and Islam. However, because of the government's secrecy surrounding prisoners and denied access to watchdog organizations, there may be many more deaths and burials that have not been reported. Yosief was originally from Asmara, but went to Mendefera to teach at a primary school some time prior to his arrest. Six months after his arrival Yosief came to faith in Christ. His devotion to Bible study and prayer caught the attention of representatives of the ruling Eritrean People's Front for Democracy and Justice at the school. Authorities arrested him in December and took him to the secret incarceration center in Mendefera, where he was kept incommunicado. Sources say the center holds many other religious prisoners whose whereabouts were previously unknown to family members and churches. "Christians should be hugely encouraged to see how God through His Holy Spirit enables His children, even new and isolated ones like Yosief, to remain firm in their devotion to Christ no matter the circumstances," said an Open Doors team member.
(Articles from Religion Today, www.ReligionToday@crosswalkmail.com)
For several hour between Tuesday and Wednesday (July 2 & 3), the phrase "Hail Satan" trended on Twitter as word spread that abortion supporters had chanted it at pro-life Christians singing "Amazing Grace" amid mounting tensions over the pending passage of strict abortion laws in the Texas Capitol, The Christian Post reports. Two weeks ago, Texas Gov. Rick Perry convened a second special session in the Texas Senate after Democratic activism botched the passage of legislation that would have banned aortions in the state after 20 weeks. The legislation would also require that abortions be performed at ambulatory surgical centers and mandate that doctors obtain admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their practice. Opponents of the proposal argue that the proposal would virtually shut down abortion clinics in Texas - and pro-life supporters have no problem with that. Democratic Sen.Wendy Davis of Fort Worth and her colleagues attempted to kill the abortion legislation with a 13-hour filibuster on the last day of the first special session. Republicans,however, rallied using a parlamentary technicality to shut down Davis' attempt before the midnight deadline to vote on the bill kicked in. Once that happened, however, unruly abortion-rights advocates erupted in a loud protest in the pubclic gallery of the Senate, which prevented the senators on the floor from hearing sufficiently to vote on the bill. (The bill did eventually pass and Gov. Perry has signed it into law.)
Polygamists Celebrate Supreme Court Marriage Decisions
Across America in June, homosexuals gathered in so-called "pride Parades." This year, they celebrated the recent supreme Court decisions regarding the Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8 - but they're not the only ones celebrating, WORLD reports. Polygamists are celebrating too. "We're very happy with it," said Joe Darger, a Utah polygamist. "I think the court has taken a step in correcting some inequality, and that's certainly something that's going to trickled down and impact. us." Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council said: "Proponents of 'plural marriages' are riding the homosexual movement's wave of success all the way to legitimacy. They're using the same playbook, the same sound bites.....After all, who are we to say that two or three or nine consenting adults shouldn't be able to make the same commitment? Love is love, right?"
Belgium Weighing Euthanasia for Children
Belgium appears on the verge of becoming the first developed country to legalize euthanasia for children, Baptist Press reports. The Belgian Federal Parliament reportedly has a consensus for passing legislation that would permit some seriously ill children to choose to die by euthanasia, according to the International Business Times,which based its reporting on an article in the Belgian newspaper Der Morgen. To conduct euthanasia, a physician administers a lethal dose of drugs that takes a patient's life. Belgian legislators are considering a bill that would guide doctors in determining if a child's health is serious enugh to merit euthanasia and whether he is mature enough to decide to end his life, according to the June 11 report. Euthanasia of children is a reality now, according to the testimony of the head of the intensive care unit at Fabiola Hospital in Brussels. "We all know that euthanasia is already practiced on children," he told a Senate committee. "Yes, active euthanasia." The Netherlands has not legaized euthanasia for children but has agreed since 2005 not to prosecute doctors who follow a set of rules while performing euthanasia on some minors.
Another Christian Dies in Eritrean Prison Camp
Open Doors USA has recently learned about the death of another Christian in an Eritrean prison. Yosief Kebedom Geiai, a recently converted single Christian, died in Medefera on July 5. Sources told Open Doors that Yosief, 41, had been sick for a long time, but that the harsh treatment at a secret Medefera incarceration center aggravated the effects of the unknown disease. Yosief is the 24th reported death connected to punishment for religious activities outside of the government-sanctioned Catholic Church, Orthodox Church, Lutheran Church and Islam. However, because of the government's secrecy surrounding prisoners and denied access to watchdog organizations, there may be many more deaths and burials that have not been reported. Yosief was originally from Asmara, but went to Mendefera to teach at a primary school some time prior to his arrest. Six months after his arrival Yosief came to faith in Christ. His devotion to Bible study and prayer caught the attention of representatives of the ruling Eritrean People's Front for Democracy and Justice at the school. Authorities arrested him in December and took him to the secret incarceration center in Mendefera, where he was kept incommunicado. Sources say the center holds many other religious prisoners whose whereabouts were previously unknown to family members and churches. "Christians should be hugely encouraged to see how God through His Holy Spirit enables His children, even new and isolated ones like Yosief, to remain firm in their devotion to Christ no matter the circumstances," said an Open Doors team member.
(Articles from Religion Today, www.ReligionToday@crosswalkmail.com)
Saturday, July 20, 2013
A Few Articles
Chick-fil-A CEO: "Founding Fathers Would Be Ashamed" of Supreme Court Ruling
Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy has spoken out against gay marriage once again. Following the Supreme Court ruings striking down the Defense of Marriage Act and opening the door for same-sex marriages in California, Cathy took toTwitter to criticize the rulings,CBS reports. "Sad day for our nation, founding fathers would be ashamed of our gen. to abandon wisdom of the ages re: cornerstone of strong societies," Cathy tweeted. It was later deleted from his account. In a statement to The Wall Street Journal, Chick-fil-A said it was not focusing on the Supreme Court rulings. "We believe in providing great-tasting food and genuine hospitality to everyone - so our focus is on running an exceptional restaurant company," the statement read. "Therefore, we are leaving political decisions and discussions to others and focusing only on what we do best." Cathy created a firestorm last year when he spoke out in favor of traditional marriage, leading to protests and boycotts of Chick-fil-A. Thousands of supporters though flocked to restaurants nationwide last August for "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day" to stand behind the company's platform.
Syrian Christians: "Why is the U.S. at War With Us?"
Syrian Christians are asking why the United States supports extremists who want to turn Syria into an Islamic state, according to CBN News. That testimony came during a congressional hearing on Syrian's religious minorities last month. Rep.Chris Smith, R-N.J., who chairs the House subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights, called on President Barack Obama to defend the rights of Syrian Christians. Smith said satatistics showed that "Christians are even more fearful for their lives and safety than other segments of the Syrian population." Nina Shea director of the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, testified that Islamic insurgents were targeting Christians for "ethno-religious cleansing." Christian Solidarity International CEO Dr. John Eibner said displaced Christians were asking him, "Why is the U.S. at war against us?" Eibner told the panel he recently returned from a trip to Syria where he met with "many resilient and courageious Syrians," mainly displaced Christians and church workers. "Victims recounted to me the religous cleansing of Christian neighborhoods in Homs and Qusair by armed jihadists who threatened them with death if they did not leave their homes." he said. He added that the U.S. should work with Russia to negotiate peace rather than help Sunni Muslims turn the country into an Islamic state.
National Cathedral Rings Bells to Cheer Gay Marriage
The National Cathedral rang its church bells, along with some other Washington churches, to celebrate the Supreme Court's decisions on gay marriage, CBS DC reports. Cathedral spokesman Richard Weinberg said the bells rang at noon Wednesday, June 26, for 45 minutes to an hour. Bells also rang at other Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian and Unitarian churches. The cathedral scheduled a prayer service for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families that evening at 7 p.m. to celebrate the ruling. In a statement, the cathedral's dean, the Rev.Gary Hall, said the church was ringing its bells "to celebrate the extension of federal marriage equality to all the same-sex couples modeling God's love in lifelong convenants." Hall said the ruling should serve as a call for Christians to embrace religous marriage equality.
(articles from
Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy has spoken out against gay marriage once again. Following the Supreme Court ruings striking down the Defense of Marriage Act and opening the door for same-sex marriages in California, Cathy took toTwitter to criticize the rulings,CBS reports. "Sad day for our nation, founding fathers would be ashamed of our gen. to abandon wisdom of the ages re: cornerstone of strong societies," Cathy tweeted. It was later deleted from his account. In a statement to The Wall Street Journal, Chick-fil-A said it was not focusing on the Supreme Court rulings. "We believe in providing great-tasting food and genuine hospitality to everyone - so our focus is on running an exceptional restaurant company," the statement read. "Therefore, we are leaving political decisions and discussions to others and focusing only on what we do best." Cathy created a firestorm last year when he spoke out in favor of traditional marriage, leading to protests and boycotts of Chick-fil-A. Thousands of supporters though flocked to restaurants nationwide last August for "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day" to stand behind the company's platform.
Syrian Christians: "Why is the U.S. at War With Us?"
Syrian Christians are asking why the United States supports extremists who want to turn Syria into an Islamic state, according to CBN News. That testimony came during a congressional hearing on Syrian's religious minorities last month. Rep.Chris Smith, R-N.J., who chairs the House subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights, called on President Barack Obama to defend the rights of Syrian Christians. Smith said satatistics showed that "Christians are even more fearful for their lives and safety than other segments of the Syrian population." Nina Shea director of the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, testified that Islamic insurgents were targeting Christians for "ethno-religious cleansing." Christian Solidarity International CEO Dr. John Eibner said displaced Christians were asking him, "Why is the U.S. at war against us?" Eibner told the panel he recently returned from a trip to Syria where he met with "many resilient and courageious Syrians," mainly displaced Christians and church workers. "Victims recounted to me the religous cleansing of Christian neighborhoods in Homs and Qusair by armed jihadists who threatened them with death if they did not leave their homes." he said. He added that the U.S. should work with Russia to negotiate peace rather than help Sunni Muslims turn the country into an Islamic state.
National Cathedral Rings Bells to Cheer Gay Marriage
The National Cathedral rang its church bells, along with some other Washington churches, to celebrate the Supreme Court's decisions on gay marriage, CBS DC reports. Cathedral spokesman Richard Weinberg said the bells rang at noon Wednesday, June 26, for 45 minutes to an hour. Bells also rang at other Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian and Unitarian churches. The cathedral scheduled a prayer service for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families that evening at 7 p.m. to celebrate the ruling. In a statement, the cathedral's dean, the Rev.Gary Hall, said the church was ringing its bells "to celebrate the extension of federal marriage equality to all the same-sex couples modeling God's love in lifelong convenants." Hall said the ruling should serve as a call for Christians to embrace religous marriage equality.
(articles from
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
The Blessing of Persecution
In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33;NIV)
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matt. 5:11;NIV)
In 1997, while in Hong Kong to write about the British handover of that city to the mainland government, I visited the pastor of one of the largest house churches in China with a missionary friend who knew him. Pastor Lamb, as he was called, was in his 70s at the time. He told me he had spent half his life in prison for preaching the gospel. I asked him if the Public Security Bureau still came around to observe his activities.
"Not so much now," he replied.
"Why not? I asked.
"Because," he said, " every time they threw me in prison, the church grew."
We Americans know nothing about such persecution. We think we are being persecuted when a newspaper editorial criticizes us, or someone uses the Lord's name in vain in our presence, or calls us religious fanatics. Most of the world understands persecution in terms of jail, torture, beheadings, and ostracism from family and friends.
Jesus said, "A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20).
In effect, this means that if you are being persecuted, it isn't you they are persecuting; rather, it is Jesus in you who is their target. Jesus exposes sin. He is the "smell of death" (2 cor. 2:16) to those who are perishing, as my pastor, Dr. Robert Norris, once preached in a sermon. People don't like the smell of death, which, it might be argued is their smell, not ours, because we are alive in Christ and they are dead in their sins. Some try to get rid of the "smell" by persecuting believers.
The small price I have paid for my faith - angry letters to the editor, some cancellations of my column by a few newspapers (though many more retain it), the social cost of not being invited places because as one person admitted to me, "I was afraid you would start quoting Bible verses" - is nothing compared to my fellow belevers in the rest of the world today and throughout history.
If one seeks to live a life pleasing to God,one will be persecuted, according to no less an authority than Jesus. It is not something to be avoided; it is something to be accepted if the persecution is for the right reason. It validates out life in Christ and His life in us.
Note that Jesus said in Matthew 5 that we are blessed if we are persecuted by those who "falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." If we are persecuted because of a judgmental attitude, a condemning spirit, or just because we behave in a boorish fashion towards unbelievers, then we get no "credit" from Jesus.
Suffering is a companion to persecution. Only masochists enjoy suffering, but if one is a follower of Jesus, it comes with the territory. If we seek to avoid persecution and suffering, we are denying Christ because He said we will be persecuted. By seeking to accommodate ourselves to the world in order to avoid persecution and suffering, we are keeping Jesus bottled-up inside and not allowing Him to get out where he can turn our suffering into a powerful witness.
We live in a relativistic age that says to all of us: you have your "truth," I have my "truth," and whatever makes you feel good ought to be fine with everyone else. That this philosophy has produced a social train wreck has not deterred those who believe and behave this way to change their minds.
If you presume to speak of the truth, as in "I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me" (John 14:6), you will be called all sorts of things. I have been. So was Jesus.
The price one pays for public criticism in my business is nothing compared to the rewards that are to come. I have not won many prizes or awards and don't expect to. My rewards are not denied; they are just deferred. The rewards Jesus gives are far more valuable than any framed document, gold statue, or large check the world can offer.
Deferring rewards and gratification is the antithesis of the spirit of our age, or any age. Believing there is something better ahead is viewed as fanaticism and "pie in the sky" by those who are perishing. To the rest of us, it's called faith.
Only Jeus could claim to have overcome the world, and because He did, we can accept persecution, suffering and criticism, knowing He will wipe away every tear and make all things new. Great will be the reward of those who think, believe and act this way, not in spite of persecution,but because of it.
(by Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated columnist, Tabletalk, June 2013, www.Ligonier.org/tabletalk)
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matt. 5:11;NIV)
In 1997, while in Hong Kong to write about the British handover of that city to the mainland government, I visited the pastor of one of the largest house churches in China with a missionary friend who knew him. Pastor Lamb, as he was called, was in his 70s at the time. He told me he had spent half his life in prison for preaching the gospel. I asked him if the Public Security Bureau still came around to observe his activities.
"Not so much now," he replied.
"Why not? I asked.
"Because," he said, " every time they threw me in prison, the church grew."
We Americans know nothing about such persecution. We think we are being persecuted when a newspaper editorial criticizes us, or someone uses the Lord's name in vain in our presence, or calls us religious fanatics. Most of the world understands persecution in terms of jail, torture, beheadings, and ostracism from family and friends.
Jesus said, "A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20).
In effect, this means that if you are being persecuted, it isn't you they are persecuting; rather, it is Jesus in you who is their target. Jesus exposes sin. He is the "smell of death" (2 cor. 2:16) to those who are perishing, as my pastor, Dr. Robert Norris, once preached in a sermon. People don't like the smell of death, which, it might be argued is their smell, not ours, because we are alive in Christ and they are dead in their sins. Some try to get rid of the "smell" by persecuting believers.
The small price I have paid for my faith - angry letters to the editor, some cancellations of my column by a few newspapers (though many more retain it), the social cost of not being invited places because as one person admitted to me, "I was afraid you would start quoting Bible verses" - is nothing compared to my fellow belevers in the rest of the world today and throughout history.
If one seeks to live a life pleasing to God,one will be persecuted, according to no less an authority than Jesus. It is not something to be avoided; it is something to be accepted if the persecution is for the right reason. It validates out life in Christ and His life in us.
Note that Jesus said in Matthew 5 that we are blessed if we are persecuted by those who "falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." If we are persecuted because of a judgmental attitude, a condemning spirit, or just because we behave in a boorish fashion towards unbelievers, then we get no "credit" from Jesus.
Suffering is a companion to persecution. Only masochists enjoy suffering, but if one is a follower of Jesus, it comes with the territory. If we seek to avoid persecution and suffering, we are denying Christ because He said we will be persecuted. By seeking to accommodate ourselves to the world in order to avoid persecution and suffering, we are keeping Jesus bottled-up inside and not allowing Him to get out where he can turn our suffering into a powerful witness.
We live in a relativistic age that says to all of us: you have your "truth," I have my "truth," and whatever makes you feel good ought to be fine with everyone else. That this philosophy has produced a social train wreck has not deterred those who believe and behave this way to change their minds.
If you presume to speak of the truth, as in "I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me" (John 14:6), you will be called all sorts of things. I have been. So was Jesus.
The price one pays for public criticism in my business is nothing compared to the rewards that are to come. I have not won many prizes or awards and don't expect to. My rewards are not denied; they are just deferred. The rewards Jesus gives are far more valuable than any framed document, gold statue, or large check the world can offer.
Deferring rewards and gratification is the antithesis of the spirit of our age, or any age. Believing there is something better ahead is viewed as fanaticism and "pie in the sky" by those who are perishing. To the rest of us, it's called faith.
Only Jeus could claim to have overcome the world, and because He did, we can accept persecution, suffering and criticism, knowing He will wipe away every tear and make all things new. Great will be the reward of those who think, believe and act this way, not in spite of persecution,but because of it.
(by Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated columnist, Tabletalk, June 2013, www.Ligonier.org/tabletalk)
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Mollifying Muslims, Punishing Christians
Culture War: Worried the FBI's "Most Wanted Terrorists" ads offend Muslims, the Obama administration is taking them down. Yet it has no qualms offending Christians or their faith.
After the Council on American-Islamic Relations complained the terrorist posters feature too many Muslims, including three Muslim Americans, the administration agreed to remove them from buses and other venues across the country.
The "Faces of Global Terrorism" ad campaign includes photos of 16 of the deadliest terrorists in the world, and offers a $25 million reward for information leading to their capture.
CAIR - which has distributed its own posters advising Muslims to slam the door shut on FBI agents looking for terrorists - whined that the campaign could lead to "hate crimes" against Muslims, though the group has cried wolf about such attacks in the past. Still, the administration backed down, proving once again it's more concerned with appeasing Islamists than protecting U.S. citizens. Some 46 bus ads running in Seattle, where the campaign kicked off, will come down over the next few weeks, reducing the chance the terrorists will be caught.
The move comes just a few weeks after the Justice Department launched a campaign threatening residents outside Nashville,Tenn., and other cities in the South against saying anything blasphemous about Islam. Justice officials warned some anti-Muslim statements could be persecuted as "hate crimes." Former FBI special agent John Guandolo says the administration is appeasing the U.S. branch of the radical Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt, which in its founding archives declared a "civilization jihad" against America. He says it's outrageous that federal prosecutors are warning "citizens to understand that defamatory language toward Islam and Muslims may bring criminal charges." Guandolo said without overstating it, "It is a pivotal moment for our nation."
Internally, he says, the department has scrubbed all FBI counterterrorism training material of references to "jihad" and "Islam." This took place after an October 2011 order from headquarters was issued to all FBI field offices. And that was the same month agents were ordered by Attorney General Eric Holder to no longer conduct surveillance of mosques where they suspect terrorist activities are taking place.
At the same time, Justice and other federal agencies have come down on Christian groups. Recently, it defunded two Louisiana youth programs that carry a Christian theme and mention "God" in their pledges. "As a Christian, sheriff and American citizen, I am writing to express my frustration and concern over the persistent aggression and infringement of our religious freedoms which have been imposed upon the law enforcement grant programs," wrote Bossier Parish Sheriff Juian Whittington in a letter to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.
This comes on top of the IRS targeting Christian groups for audits, and Health and Human Services forcing Catholic charities to fund abortions and contraceptives as part of ObamaCare.
In the latest anti-Christian outrage, the State Department reportedly asked Christians in Egypt not to oppose Mohamed Morsi and his Islamist regime. The request by the U.S. ambassador to Egypt is all the more shocking in light of the brutal atrocities carried out against Coptic Christians by Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood thugs, including church burnings and the abduction and rape of Christian children. If anybody has a right to protest the regime on its one-year anniversary, it's the Copts. Yet our government is telling them - along with pro-Copt groups in the U.S. - to shut up about human-rights abuses at the hands of radical Muslims.
"Christians across the country ought to be protesting this," said the Center for Security Policy's Christopher Holton. "This request is incredibly insuting. We are facilitating what is proving more and more to be a Sunni Islamist regime in Cairo along the lines of the Shia regime in Tehran."
We concur. And if we didn't know any better, this administration is deliberately protecting - even promoting - one religion over another - in direct violation of the Constitution's establishment clause.
(Investor's Business DAily, July 2, 2013)
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Several Items of Interest
U.N. Seeks Host Countries for Syrian Refugees
The United Nations is asking the United States and Europe to take in thousands of Syrian refugees, CBN News reports. Since the beginning of Syria's civil war, more than 1.5 million Syrians have fled the country to seek refuge, and U.N. officials think that number could reach 3.5 million by the end of the year. According to spokesman Adrian Edwards, the U.N. is seeking to relocate 10,000 refugees. Edwards told the Associated Press last week that "resettlement is only one of the tools we use and tends to apply to a very small number of highly vulnerable individuals of any refugee population." Germany has already agreed to take in half; Edwards says the United States and Germany usually offer the most help.
Air Force Removes Painting With Biblcal Reference
The U.S. Air Force has removed an "inspirational" painting because it contained a Bible reference, WORLD reports. The painting, which featured a medieval crusader behind an Air Force pilot, was in the dining hall of Mountain Home Air force Base in Idaho. In bold letters was the word "INTEGRITY," and in small letters was a biblical reference, Matthew 5:9, which reads, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." The Military Religious Freedom Foundation said the painting was "repugnant" and an "overt display of Christian nationalism."
Forced Marriage Immigrates to the U.S.
WORLD reports that the Tahirh Justice Foundation identified 3,000 cases of fored marriage in the U.S., mostly immigrants from Muslim countries, but also victims from Hindu, Buddhist and Catholic backgrounds. Tahirh found that non-profits and government agencies lack a clear definition of forced marriage, which the organization distinguishes from arranged marriage, where individuals can object to their partner. A forced marriage occurs without willing consent, and most victims are women under 18. Parents continue the practice to follow custom, settle debts and create family alliances. If the girl actively refuses the marriage, abuse soon follows, Many child brides never return to school after marriage, often have children early, and their husbands control where they can go and who they can visit. U.S. courts have granted asylum to women fleeing forced marriages, and Internet searches reveal groups that offer help; along with two U.S. government-sponsored websites with material on forced marriage. Few private organizations have been involved. The United Kingdom has a state bureau devoted to the issue and multiple advocacy organizations; a United Kingdom advocacy group, Against forced Marriages, specfically addresses the connection between Islam and forced marriage, using verses from the Quran and Hadith (a book of Islamic practice.)
House Approves Bill Banning Most Abortions After 20 Weeks
The Republican-led House on June 18 passed a far-reachng anti-abortion bill that conservatives saw as a milestone in their 40-year campaign against legalized abortion , Fox News reports. The legislation, sparked by the murder conviction of Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell, would restrict almost all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, defying laws in most states that allow abortions up to when the fetus is considered viable, usually considered to be around 24 weeks. It mirrors 20-week abortion ban laws passed in some states and lays further groundwork for the ongoing legal battle that abortion foes hope will eventually result in forcing the Supreme Court to reconsider the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion legal. The bill passed 228-196, with six Democrats voting for it and six Republicans voting against it. In the short term, however, the bill will go nowhere; the Democrat-led Senate plans to ignore the bill and the White house has already issued a veto threat.
Military to Begin Women Combat Training by 2016
The U.S. military is making plans to integrate women into combat roles, including special operations, CBN News reports. Under the new rules, women could start training as Army Rangers by mid-2015 and Navy SEALS a year later. Women and men would be required to meet the same physical and mental standards to qualify for certain infantry, armor, commando and other front-line positions. The Navy intends to open up its Riverine force and begin training women in July. Women make up about 14 percent of the 1.4 million active U.S. military personnel; more than 280,000 women have been sent to the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan or neighboring nations.
(all articles from ReligionToday@crosswalkmail.com)
The United Nations is asking the United States and Europe to take in thousands of Syrian refugees, CBN News reports. Since the beginning of Syria's civil war, more than 1.5 million Syrians have fled the country to seek refuge, and U.N. officials think that number could reach 3.5 million by the end of the year. According to spokesman Adrian Edwards, the U.N. is seeking to relocate 10,000 refugees. Edwards told the Associated Press last week that "resettlement is only one of the tools we use and tends to apply to a very small number of highly vulnerable individuals of any refugee population." Germany has already agreed to take in half; Edwards says the United States and Germany usually offer the most help.
Air Force Removes Painting With Biblcal Reference
The U.S. Air Force has removed an "inspirational" painting because it contained a Bible reference, WORLD reports. The painting, which featured a medieval crusader behind an Air Force pilot, was in the dining hall of Mountain Home Air force Base in Idaho. In bold letters was the word "INTEGRITY," and in small letters was a biblical reference, Matthew 5:9, which reads, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." The Military Religious Freedom Foundation said the painting was "repugnant" and an "overt display of Christian nationalism."
Forced Marriage Immigrates to the U.S.
WORLD reports that the Tahirh Justice Foundation identified 3,000 cases of fored marriage in the U.S., mostly immigrants from Muslim countries, but also victims from Hindu, Buddhist and Catholic backgrounds. Tahirh found that non-profits and government agencies lack a clear definition of forced marriage, which the organization distinguishes from arranged marriage, where individuals can object to their partner. A forced marriage occurs without willing consent, and most victims are women under 18. Parents continue the practice to follow custom, settle debts and create family alliances. If the girl actively refuses the marriage, abuse soon follows, Many child brides never return to school after marriage, often have children early, and their husbands control where they can go and who they can visit. U.S. courts have granted asylum to women fleeing forced marriages, and Internet searches reveal groups that offer help; along with two U.S. government-sponsored websites with material on forced marriage. Few private organizations have been involved. The United Kingdom has a state bureau devoted to the issue and multiple advocacy organizations; a United Kingdom advocacy group, Against forced Marriages, specfically addresses the connection between Islam and forced marriage, using verses from the Quran and Hadith (a book of Islamic practice.)
House Approves Bill Banning Most Abortions After 20 Weeks
The Republican-led House on June 18 passed a far-reachng anti-abortion bill that conservatives saw as a milestone in their 40-year campaign against legalized abortion , Fox News reports. The legislation, sparked by the murder conviction of Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell, would restrict almost all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, defying laws in most states that allow abortions up to when the fetus is considered viable, usually considered to be around 24 weeks. It mirrors 20-week abortion ban laws passed in some states and lays further groundwork for the ongoing legal battle that abortion foes hope will eventually result in forcing the Supreme Court to reconsider the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion legal. The bill passed 228-196, with six Democrats voting for it and six Republicans voting against it. In the short term, however, the bill will go nowhere; the Democrat-led Senate plans to ignore the bill and the White house has already issued a veto threat.
Military to Begin Women Combat Training by 2016
The U.S. military is making plans to integrate women into combat roles, including special operations, CBN News reports. Under the new rules, women could start training as Army Rangers by mid-2015 and Navy SEALS a year later. Women and men would be required to meet the same physical and mental standards to qualify for certain infantry, armor, commando and other front-line positions. The Navy intends to open up its Riverine force and begin training women in July. Women make up about 14 percent of the 1.4 million active U.S. military personnel; more than 280,000 women have been sent to the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan or neighboring nations.
(all articles from ReligionToday@crosswalkmail.com)
Monday, July 1, 2013
Several Items of Interest
Marriage and Civil Rights
Pew Research Center released a report showing that media coverage of the debate over the redefinition of marriage was biased by a factor of 5 to 1 in favor of same-sex marriage. The report also showed that for those supporting the redefinition of marriage "the central argument...was one of civil rights." Even President Obama makes these arguments. With so much of the debate about marriage centering on civil rights, it's important to think clearly about the issue.
All Americans stand equally before the law and have their civil right equally protected. All have equal protection of their rights to free speech, religious liberty, free association, and every other traditional civil liberty. But there is no civil right for the government to redefine marriage. There is no civil right for the government to coerce all citizens into recognizing the consenting adult relationship of your choice as a marriage.
(by Ryan T.Anderson, The Heritage Foundation, newsletters@heritage.org)
Marriage Keeps Kids Out of Poverty
In 1965, the U.S. Department of Labor produced a report arguing that "the decline of the black nuclear family would significantly impede blacks' progress toward economic and social equality." The document, known as the Moynihan Report, stirred heated controversy. This year, The Urban Institute revisited the subject WORLD reports. The new study again focused on the African-American community and its disproportionately high poverty rate, and once again, it found that increasing single-parent households lead to poverty - but now the percentage of black children born to unmarried mothers is three times higher than it was in the 1960s. The share of white children living without fathers has also increased, but rates remain significantly higher among blacks. In 2009, nearly three-quarters of African-American children were born outside of marriage, resulting in 40 percent of black children living below the poverty line. Regardless of race, single-parent families are far more likely to live in poverty, with four of every 10 single-mother families in poverty,and only one of 12 two-parent homes in poverty. Another study by the Heritage Foundation found that most poor children are from single-parent families. The new Urban Institute study gives a sobering perspective: "Over the past five decades, the statistics that so alarmed Moynihan in the 1960s have only grown worse, not only for black, but for white and Hispanics as well." Things are bad, but they don't have to stay that way: marriage, which is available to everyone, drops the proabability of child poverty by 82 percent.
Brazil: Evangelicals Rally for Marriage
A rally that attracted more than 40,000 people last week to stand against homosexuality and abortion highlights the growing presence of evangelicals in Brazil, South American's largest country, WORLD reports. According to Reuters, there are 44 million mainly Pentecostal evangelicals in Brazil. Also, "in the last national election in 2010, evangelicals increased their presence in Congress by 50 percent and now have 68 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and three in the Senate. Though belonging to a dozen different parties, evangelicals have begun to act as a caucus in Brazil's fragmented legislature where only the farm lobby tends to speak with one voice."
Gender-Based Violence "Wielded Mercilessly" In Muslim Countries
The conclusion of a new report by the U.S. Hudson Institute researcher Lela Gilbert is clear and unequivocal: gender-based violence plays a key strategic role in the plans of those who wish to eradicate Christians and Christian belief from Muslim lands, Open Doors USA reports. "Gender-Based Violence as an expression of Christian Persecution in Muslim Lands," written for the World Watch List, describes how a profound lack of equality between men and women in Muslim countries means that all women in these societies are structurally vulnerable to systematic violence and discrimination in their daily lives. A parallel review of statistics on Christian persecution in these lands is made in order to infer a picture of the plight of Christian women in Muslim lands. The resulting image is striking: the combined status of being both Christian and female significantly increases the likelihood of experiencing aggression and repression in society and at home. Gilbert focuses on Iran,Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt in her disclosure of the appalling legal and social situation for women living in sharia law-based societies.
(Above articles from ReligionToday@crosswalkmail.com)
Pew Research Center released a report showing that media coverage of the debate over the redefinition of marriage was biased by a factor of 5 to 1 in favor of same-sex marriage. The report also showed that for those supporting the redefinition of marriage "the central argument...was one of civil rights." Even President Obama makes these arguments. With so much of the debate about marriage centering on civil rights, it's important to think clearly about the issue.
All Americans stand equally before the law and have their civil right equally protected. All have equal protection of their rights to free speech, religious liberty, free association, and every other traditional civil liberty. But there is no civil right for the government to redefine marriage. There is no civil right for the government to coerce all citizens into recognizing the consenting adult relationship of your choice as a marriage.
(by Ryan T.Anderson, The Heritage Foundation, newsletters@heritage.org)
Marriage Keeps Kids Out of Poverty
In 1965, the U.S. Department of Labor produced a report arguing that "the decline of the black nuclear family would significantly impede blacks' progress toward economic and social equality." The document, known as the Moynihan Report, stirred heated controversy. This year, The Urban Institute revisited the subject WORLD reports. The new study again focused on the African-American community and its disproportionately high poverty rate, and once again, it found that increasing single-parent households lead to poverty - but now the percentage of black children born to unmarried mothers is three times higher than it was in the 1960s. The share of white children living without fathers has also increased, but rates remain significantly higher among blacks. In 2009, nearly three-quarters of African-American children were born outside of marriage, resulting in 40 percent of black children living below the poverty line. Regardless of race, single-parent families are far more likely to live in poverty, with four of every 10 single-mother families in poverty,and only one of 12 two-parent homes in poverty. Another study by the Heritage Foundation found that most poor children are from single-parent families. The new Urban Institute study gives a sobering perspective: "Over the past five decades, the statistics that so alarmed Moynihan in the 1960s have only grown worse, not only for black, but for white and Hispanics as well." Things are bad, but they don't have to stay that way: marriage, which is available to everyone, drops the proabability of child poverty by 82 percent.
Brazil: Evangelicals Rally for Marriage
A rally that attracted more than 40,000 people last week to stand against homosexuality and abortion highlights the growing presence of evangelicals in Brazil, South American's largest country, WORLD reports. According to Reuters, there are 44 million mainly Pentecostal evangelicals in Brazil. Also, "in the last national election in 2010, evangelicals increased their presence in Congress by 50 percent and now have 68 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and three in the Senate. Though belonging to a dozen different parties, evangelicals have begun to act as a caucus in Brazil's fragmented legislature where only the farm lobby tends to speak with one voice."
Gender-Based Violence "Wielded Mercilessly" In Muslim Countries
The conclusion of a new report by the U.S. Hudson Institute researcher Lela Gilbert is clear and unequivocal: gender-based violence plays a key strategic role in the plans of those who wish to eradicate Christians and Christian belief from Muslim lands, Open Doors USA reports. "Gender-Based Violence as an expression of Christian Persecution in Muslim Lands," written for the World Watch List, describes how a profound lack of equality between men and women in Muslim countries means that all women in these societies are structurally vulnerable to systematic violence and discrimination in their daily lives. A parallel review of statistics on Christian persecution in these lands is made in order to infer a picture of the plight of Christian women in Muslim lands. The resulting image is striking: the combined status of being both Christian and female significantly increases the likelihood of experiencing aggression and repression in society and at home. Gilbert focuses on Iran,Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt in her disclosure of the appalling legal and social situation for women living in sharia law-based societies.
(Above articles from ReligionToday@crosswalkmail.com)
Govern the World by Pastor Bill
For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside." Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (1st Corinthians 1:18-20)
Former President Bush said that He accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and Jesus changed his life. He also said that he prayed for guidance and this, predictably, brought criticism from the "keep God out of schools government and public life" crowd.
He was accused by, "self-styled" critics of not being an intellectual. The Bible assures us that trusting in Jesus Christ is the most intelligent thing that anyone can do. It is written, "...Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God..." (v30) What could be more wise on our part than to look to Jesus who is wisdom personified, for guidance and direction?
God considers the wisdom of the world, (that so called wisdom that has progressed beyond any need for belief in God) to be foolishness. Many world leaders promote education as the solution of the world problems but God's word tells us that education that denies God is a recipe for disaster.
Many of the world's most brutal and heartless tyrants were educated with godless teaching. It was C. S. Lewis who said, "History demonstrates that education has only made man a more clever devil."
By the wisdom of this world is meant those teachings which are contrary to and which deny the revealed word of God. Those teachers are 'great debaters' now, but at the judgment they will be speechless. "...and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' (that robe of righteousness that is acquired only by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior) And he was speechless." (Matthew 22:12)
The many discoveries that men have made and the knowledge that they have acquired are wrong, only when men take the credit for them and do not consider God in the use of them. Nebuchadnezzar is a prime example: "The king reflected and said, 'Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?'" (Daniel 4:30) We know what happened to him.
We have many in Congress and in our courts who dispute this, but I like what George Washington said. "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."
(by Pastor Bill Cummins, drbc@bresnan.net)
Former President Bush said that He accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and Jesus changed his life. He also said that he prayed for guidance and this, predictably, brought criticism from the "keep God out of schools government and public life" crowd.
He was accused by, "self-styled" critics of not being an intellectual. The Bible assures us that trusting in Jesus Christ is the most intelligent thing that anyone can do. It is written, "...Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God..." (v30) What could be more wise on our part than to look to Jesus who is wisdom personified, for guidance and direction?
God considers the wisdom of the world, (that so called wisdom that has progressed beyond any need for belief in God) to be foolishness. Many world leaders promote education as the solution of the world problems but God's word tells us that education that denies God is a recipe for disaster.
Many of the world's most brutal and heartless tyrants were educated with godless teaching. It was C. S. Lewis who said, "History demonstrates that education has only made man a more clever devil."
By the wisdom of this world is meant those teachings which are contrary to and which deny the revealed word of God. Those teachers are 'great debaters' now, but at the judgment they will be speechless. "...and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' (that robe of righteousness that is acquired only by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior) And he was speechless." (Matthew 22:12)
The many discoveries that men have made and the knowledge that they have acquired are wrong, only when men take the credit for them and do not consider God in the use of them. Nebuchadnezzar is a prime example: "The king reflected and said, 'Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?'" (Daniel 4:30) We know what happened to him.
We have many in Congress and in our courts who dispute this, but I like what George Washington said. "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."
(by Pastor Bill Cummins, drbc@bresnan.net)
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