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Thoughts

It’s Not Only Athletes: What Platform Has God Given You?

Last spring I had the privilege of speaking at a conference for NFL players put on by Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO), a group which exists to unite a community of pro athletes and couples to grow as disciples of Jesus and positively impact their spheres of influence. They have a fantastic outreach to professional football and baseball athletes and their wives. I’ve seen firsthand the amazing difference they’re making. In the off-season I exchanged emails and texts with dozens of NFL players and cha..Continue reading

Motherhood Is a Marathon

I wanted to do great things for God. In the spring of my senior year of college, on the brink of embarking upon my own journey into adulthood, my future was undecided and that was simultaneously terrifying and thrilling. As a philosophy major, my path was narrower than I had realized, but I was sure it would take me on some grand and glorious adventure. I knew the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. “Glorify” sounds like such a grand term. It evokes images of battlefie..Continue reading

Is Love of Money Really the Root of All Evils?

Is the love of money the “root of all evils” or only the “root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10)? “All evils” is the formal English equivalent of the original Greek (pantōn tōn kakōn). It is remarkable that all older versions of the Bible translate 1 Timothy 6:10 in the more literal way: “The love of money is the root of all evils” (or all evil). This includes the Wycliffe Bible, Luther Bibel, Geneva Bible, King James Version, Douay-Rheims, Darby Bible, and Revised Standard Version. Bu..Continue reading

Daily Verses

Ephesians 4:24 (01-04-17)

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.— Ephesians 4:24 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... One of the biggest decisions we face at the beginning of each day is what we will wear. Well, no matter what we choose in the way of clothing, let's make sure we choose to put on the new person God re-made us to be when we became Christians (Galatians 3:26-27). Those are the only clothes that will fit us eternally! My Prayer..Continue reading

“God Says So” Prayers

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7, NKJVPrayer is a conversation. We speak to God in prayer then listen attentively as He speaks to us through His Word. Do you think the promise that Jesus gave His disciples was like handing them a Divine Genie in a bottle? And that if they would just rub the bottle with enough faith, the Genie would pop out and grant them their “wishes”? As ludicrous as that is, it actually is th..Continue reading

Ephesians 4:23 (01-03-17)

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind...— Ephesians 4:23 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... We cannot renew ourselves on our own. We can guard ourselves from corrupting influences. We can offer ourselves to God and come to better discern his will (Romans 12:1-2). Ultimately, however, God himself must do the renewing, not just when we are saved, but daily. Only God's grace can sustain, empower, and renew us. Let's offer ourselves to him. Then, let's confidently ask..Continue reading

Hope

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Christ: The Center

What's the big deal about baby Jesus and his birth? Ah... glad you asked. I want to answer that question in two parts. The first is to center things biblically. The second and the more touching part is the story itself. The Advent, the coming of Jesus Christ to our world, means everything for those of us who believe. The accounts in Matthew and Luke about Jesus' conception, birth, and welcome are more than quaint tales from long ago and far away. The birth of Jesus is the coming of God..Continue reading

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Live Beyond

When my proofreaders see this title, they are going to want to fix that dangling participle, "beyond"! They will want to add an object to the preposition — e.g., "live beyond tomorrow" or "live beyond our children's faith" or "live beyond the present generation." Sometimes, however, what a phrase communicates is more important than grammatical correctness. We need to live beyond... I want you to choose the object of the preposition that is right for your life! Whatever holds us captive, we ..Continue reading

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Nativity Set

Today we are decorating for Christmas. Decorating is a whole family experience. Our grandsons, daughter, son, daughter-in-law, and spiritual daughter, Karen all are part of the event. As we pulled out the nativity set, I couldn't help but remember the story you are about to read. It is one of my favorite Philip Gulley stories because it reminds me why I need Jesus; not just at Christmas, but every day of the year! Blessings to you and yours during this special time of year. Let's not forget the reason for the season and the grace that brought God to the womb of Mary and our Savior to a manger in Bethlehem. —Phil Ware My mother-in-law, Ruby, lives in southern Indiana in the town of Paoli. We spend family Christmas with her. Those good people in Paoli remember what Christmas is all about. Each year, just before Thanksgiving, Herb from the street department hauls the baby Jesus, his mommy and daddy, and an assortment of livestock and shepherds and wise men out of ..Continue reading

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A Caution about Criticism

There is something downright vicious going on out there today. Everybody is passing judgment on you. They are assigning worth to you by measuring your performance. Your boss is criticizing you. Or, if you are the boss, the board has set the date for your annual performance review. Everybody's a critic! Okay, there is a certain legitimacy to it. People can't be carried on the payroll who don't perform. Incompetent persons in critical roles gum up the works for everybody else. Accountability is a good thing. But some things that are done in the name of evaluation and accountability are mean, hateful, and destructive. There is such a thing as a critical spirit that perpetually leaves in its wake a bevy of wounded souls and countless damaged or destroyed relationships. Harsh criticism from people who enjoy dishing it out is like a battering ram against even the most secure, strong-willed people in the world. Enough whining now! The issue is not to decide whether or not such ..Continue reading

Daily Wisdom

Psalm 100:1 (01-11-17)

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. — Psalm 100:1 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... With joy, let's praise and make a joyful noise to the LORD of lords and the King of kings today. Let's find short moments during our day, seize them, and use them to give thanks and praise to our Father in heaven. When we are blessed, let's take a moment and pause for praise. In every good thing, let's share a phrase of praise to our gracious Father. My Pr..Continue reading

We Are God’s Treasure!

"They will be mine," says the Lord Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession." Malachi 3:17, NIVAs we totally yield our lives to the control of God’s Spirit within us, He uses: the responsibilities and relationships and ridicule, the opportunities and obstacles and obligations, the pressures and pain and problems, the success and sickness and solitude . . . He uses all things to work for our ultimate good, which is increasing, progressive, glorious conformity to the image..Continue reading

Prayers

TLG Prayer

Daily Prayer for January 7

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Isaiah 60:1–3, NIV Dear Father in heaven, accept us as your children, whose lives are under your protection and who turn to you for strength. In the midst of all the struggles and temptations in this world keep us ..Continue reading

TLG Prayer

Men’s Dishonor

PassageRomans 1:24-25 PrayerDear Father, to whom all honor and glory is due,How sad that some would choose to dishonor themselves rather than to honor you. When they do so, you give them up to their own dishonorable passions. Women exchange natural relationships for unnatural. The men likewise give up natural relations with women and are consumed with lust for each other. Men commit shameless acts with other men and receive in their own persons the due penalty of their error.Today, Lord, it seem..Continue reading

TLG Prayer

Daily Prayer for January 6

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1–2, RSV Lord our God, we thank you that you have come to this earth. Let a light shine out again and again among those who hear your gospel, also among those with sincere hearts, whether or not they are Christians. May they come to kno..Continue reading

TLG Prayer

God’s Honor

PassageRomans 1:18-23 PrayerDear Father, to whom all honor and glory is due,How sorry I am that men do not honor you as their God and King! It is to their loss and to their hurt, but it insults you! They wickedly suppress the truth. Through creation, you have shown them plainly what can be known about you, so they are without excuse. Although they know of you, the true God, they do not honor you as God or give thanks to you as God. Their thinking is futile and their senseless minds are darkened...Continue reading

Christian Quotes

Chesterton: a single sword

Tuesday, November 8, 2016 Feast of Saints & Martyrs of England Meditation: This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. —Psalm 34:6-7 (ESV) Quotation: O God of earth and altar, Bow down and hear our cry, Our earthly rulers falter, Our people drift and die; The walls of gold entomb us, The swords of scorn divide, Take not Thy thunder from us, But take away our pride. From all that..Continue reading

Woolman: the progress of wealth

Monday, November 7, 2016 Feast of Willibrord of York, Archbishop of Utrecht, Apostle of Frisia, 739 Meditation: But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. —1 Timothy 6:6-9 (NIV) Quotation: I saw that a humble m..Continue reading

Temple: hope in the Spirit

Sunday, November 6, 2016 Feast of William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, Teacher, 1944 Meditation: For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” —Romans 15:8-9 (ESV) Quotation: There is no hope of establishing a more Christian social o..Continue reading

Tozer: self-promotion

Saturday, November 5, 2016 Meditation: But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people...Continue reading

Questions & Answers

Enjoy The Distinctly Christian Holiday We Call Thanksgiving

The pilgrims who came over from England in 1620 were, in many ways, ordinary men and women. Some of them were members of the English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect of Christianity). These Separatists originally fled England and sailed to Holland to escape the religious intolerance and oppression of their homeland. In their day, the Church and the State of England were one, and independent congregations who desired to explore their own, differing relationship with the Christian God were unable..Continue reading

Did The High Priest Have A Rope Tied Around Him When Entering The Holy of Holies?

Is it true that the high priest had a rope tied around his waist when he entered the Holy of Holies? The Holy of Holies The Holy of Holies represents the very presence of God and is a dangerous place to make a mistake or do something without thinking. The high priest could be struck dead if they did something they were commanded to not do and if they were commanded to do something and didn’t do it. There is no grey area about serving as a high priest. You had to get it right or you’d be dead. T..Continue reading

Do You Know Your Role in the Kingdom of God?

Many people say to me that they do not know what God’s plan is for their life. This being considered, in order to know our role there are several things that we must consider when trying to discern this. What most people do not consider is that everyone, believers and nonbelievers, are part of God’s plan in His kingdom. The question is, do you know your role in the kingdom of God? Does God have a plan for His kingdom? Depending on your theological perspective, people have differing ideas about ..Continue reading

Salvation: Why Christians Know They Have Eternal Life (Right Now)

Over the years, I’ve taken many missions teams to Salt Lake City to talk with Mormons about what they believe and the many differences between Mormonism and Christianity. For theists, the most important question we will ever ask (or answer) is simply this: “How does one attain eternal life?” Mormonism is a worked-based theistic system; while Mormons use the word “grace,” they don’t truly believe God gives us eternal life as an unmerited gift. Mormons must work to achieve a place in celestial kin..Continue reading

Church & Ministries

Hot Topics

Pastor, You Need Some Friends!

Perhaps the absence of friends is the training that pastors receive. Perhaps it is the weight of pastoral ministry. Maybe it is due to the years of hurt that has been inflicted by “friends.” Or perhaps the real reason is pastors have not made friendships a priority. (There is a fourth possibility that says pastors really do have good friends, the survey is wrong and this post is wasting your time.) In a day and age when anyone can have thousands of followers on their myriad of social networks, i..Continue reading

Digital Heroin

He noted that “once a person crosses over the line into full-blown addiction — drug, digital or otherwise — they need to detox before any other kind of therapy can have any chance of being effective.”: “With tech, that means a full digital detox — no computers, no smartphones, no tablets. The extreme digital detox even eliminates television. The prescribed amount of time is four to six weeks; that’s the amount of time that is usually required for a hyper-aroused nervous system to reset itself. B..Continue reading

Metaphor or Reality?

How do you represent God’s word to your children? Do you believe the words of God are life to your children or are these words more of a metaphor? Here is an illustration that shows the meaning behind my question. Suppose you gave your child a stack of twenty one dollar bills. Then you tell your child to take good care of them and they will be a blessing to him. An hour later you see your son playing in the back yard with paper airplanes. Then you realize the paper airplanes were made from the ..Continue reading

Why Simple Wins

“The greatest barriers to simplicity, says Bodell, are: meetings, accountability structures, performance metrics and evaluation, red tape, federal regulations and compliance, legal caution, reports, and technology.” On my recent vacation, I read Why Simple Wins: Escape the Complexity Trap and Get to Work That Matters by Lisa Bodell. Although it’s a book written primarily for businesses, I took away a number of lessons not just for my personal life, but also for the Seminary and congregation I l..Continue reading

Women

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Love: The Deep and The Quiet

When you stand down at the river, the world gets mighty quiet. Like the mightiness might actually come in the quiet. My Grandmother never told me that — But it's what I tell the kids a thousand messy times, though they know I'm the one preaching the gospel of it to myself: When you're worked up, whisper. It's how God can usher Himself into a place — ask Elijah. It's best parenting practice. It's best life-survival practice. When the world gets loud, put your ear dow..Continue reading

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Where Have All the Gray-Haired Ladies Gone?

I was 39 when my daughter started kindergarten. Elise’s enthusiasm for her new friends led me to volunteer as a chaperone for the pumpkin patch field trip. I chatted with other parents as the children scurried through the classroom putting toys away and grabbing jackets from wall hooks. Then it happened. The question. “It's so great you can help,” the young mom started. “Is Elise your granddaughter?” A sledgehammer would have b..Continue reading

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The Youth Sports Myth: You Owe It to Your Child

“I don’t really want to pay four hundred and fifty dollars to drive to practices three nights a week or travel to tournaments on weekends,” Jennifer’s friend Amy bemoaned. “But I feel like I owe it to him.” And there it was. Amy had spoken aloud what the nagging, niggling little voice had been hissing in Jennifer’s ear: You owe it to him. He deserves it. All the other kids are doing it. Other parents are willing to sac..Continue reading

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We Accept the Love We Think We Deserve

“We accept the love we think we deserve.” I met these words scrawled on the bathroom wall at a diner in the Twin Cities about a year ago. I found the statement so confronting, so profound, that I felt its truth before I had the chance to process it. All I could do was take a picture of the words, then return to my late night eats with my friend. We talked and people watched into the early hours. I learned later that the statement came ..Continue reading

Life & Society

Minnesota Veterans Agree to Cut Cross Off ‘Religious’ Memorial Following Complaint

BELLE PLAINE, Minn. — Veterans in a Minnesota city have removed a cross from a memorial erected in a public park after a prominent professing atheist group deemed the inclusion of the symbol as being an unlawful government endorsement of religion. According to reports, the Belle Plaine Veterans Club had recently placed the display in Veterans Park next to an inscribed stone honoring local residents who had lost their lives in various wars, from the Indian War of 1862 to the Korean and Vietnam W..Continue reading

Baptist Lawmaker Seeks End to No-Fault Divorce

(Baptist News Global) — A Southern Baptist lawmaker is trying to make it harder for couples in Texas to get a divorce by proposing legislation to eliminate “insupportability” as a grounds for dissolution of marriage. State Rep. Matt Krause (R-Fort Worth) says the prevalence of no-fault divorces has contributed to the breakdown of the family in society. “I don’t know if we don’t take our vows as seriously as we used to, but I think getting rid of the no-fault divorce piece of this may make folk..Continue reading

Music

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One Way & The Fruit of the Spirit by SwordSmith Records

This DVD+CD Combo is an action-packed gospel adventure story and includes 4 new verse songs and a kids worship song! Mr. Luinski, a nasty businessman, overhears a group of unsuspecting friends talking about one of the most incredible things God has given us, the fruit of the Spirit. He hears them say that the fruit is valuable, so Luinski follows the friends around during their fun-filled weekend unsuccessfully trying to steal the fruit. By revealing his need for salvation, his trusty assistant, Jane, explains the truth about Christ and the fruit of the Spirit. Join Luinski, Jane, and a group of friends[...]Continue reading

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Everything Was Sound by Silent Planet

Vocalist Garrett Russell who holds a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology (and revealed that he has been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder) delves wholly into mental health with this release. Each song deals with a different character diagnosed with mental illness, whether caused by environmental factors or they are adapting to the world they find themselves in.[...]Continue reading

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Fearless (Live from DTI 2016) by Vineyard Music UK

Worship is at the heart of Dreaming The Impossible (DTI) and that's what FEARLESS (Live From DTI 2016)is all about. DTI is the national Vineyard youth festival for the UK and Ireland bringing together a generation of young people to meet Jesus and fearlessly follow Him. It's in Jesus that we find purpose, hope, freedom and a secure identity rooted in Him. Then we dream the impossible. DTI is about inspiring and equipping young people to love their local church and change the world. We come together as family to worship Jesus, dig into His Word and expect to be changed as[...]Continue reading

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Minor League by ApologetiX

In theological circles, they sometimes say you should major in the majors and minor in the minors (i.e. focus on the essential doctrines of the faith while allowing for differences of opinion in non-essential matters). This CD, however, majors in the Minors the Minor Prophets, that is. That would be the last 12 books of the Old Testament, from Hosea through Malachi. As noted theologian Junior Asparagus once said, "Little guys can do big things, too." God left a major Messianic trail through the Minor Prophets, including such places as Hosea 2:23, 11:1; Micah 5:2; Zechariah 3:8-9, 6:12-13, 9:9, 12:10, 14:4;[...]Continue reading

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PIECES by Trisha Alicia

"Pieces," with music featuring Canton Jones and Antonio Neal, is full of urban contemporary Christian songs and spoken word that boasts declarations of what God is doing, for those committed to trusting in Him. From the intro, a short piece that gives a grounding of who Trisha is and why the project was necessary, to the title track, "Pieces" the story of Trisha and another woman who, despite setbacks come to Christ and say take my pieces and make them into something beautiful this project is sure to please. The creative body of work takes the listener on an inspirational journey with[...]Continue reading

World

American

Vice President Pence Says Obamacare Repeal Will be Pro-Life: “We Will Protect the Sanctity of Life”

After meeting with pro-life leaders, pro-life Vice President Mike Pence said that any legislation approved to repeal and replace Obamacare would be pro-life. Pence held a “listening session” with several pro-life leaders late Thursday and asked for suggestions or improvement on the legislation that a House committee has already approved. The meeting lasted over an hour. “The conversation focused on ensuring that the sanctity of life is respected and included in efforts to repeal and replace Ob..

Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer Falsely Claims Planned Parenthood Provides Mammograms

The lie that Planned Parenthood does mammograms continues. On Tuesday, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer defended the abortion giant’s taxpayer funding by claiming that it provides mammograms, maternity care and other important health services for women, according to the Daily Caller. #Trumpcare cuts @PPFA funds, hurting millions of women who turn there for mammograms, maternity care, cancer screenings & more. pic.twitter.com/8ZmgEPZikv — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 7, 2017 Pla..

Hawaii Senate Passes Bill Forcing Pregnancy Centers to Promote Abortions

Sailing through the Democrat-controlled senate on a 22-3 tally, a Hawaiian bill that would force the state’s five pro-life pregnancy centers to advertise taxpayer-funded abortions was sent along to the house Tuesday in Honolulu. Patterned along similar lines with a 2015 law in California that is likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court as soon as this year, the Hawaiian senate bill (SB 501) was originally introduced with a parallel house bill, which was on hold as the senate bill went through. ..

Chinese Family Planning Offices Dragged Her Into a Car and Forced Her to Abort Her Six-Month-Old Baby

It was impossible not to shed tears as Yue Zhang shared the trauma of being forced to abort her baby – six months into the pregnancy – a child she wanted and loved. At an event held today at the Heritage Foundation, along with Reggie Littlejohn, president of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, and pro-life Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), Yue Zhang courageously spoke about how the Chinese Family Planning Committee dragged her into a car, took her to the hospital, and forced her to abort her baby. ..

Australia

What the Son of God gave up for us

CHRISTIAN LIVING | Mark Leach – Rector of Darling Street Anglican, Rozelle, Sydney Tuesday 22 November 2016 Some of the most radical, inspiring and challenging verses I’ve ever read are 1 Cor 9:1-23 where Paul outlines his rights as an Apostle. A Roman citizen, a Hebrew of Hebrews, he comes from a background of privilege. In addition, he is an Apostle transformed by an encounter with Jesus and he is the guy who started the church in Corinth. But Paul says he gives up all his rights, his freed..

Teens skip schoolies to teach God’s word

BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS Friday 18 November 2015 A team of 14 young people aged 15-27, mostly schoolies, leave this weekend for a two-week mission trip to Cambodia for Bible Society Australia. The main focus will be visiting the literacy schools run by Bible Society Cambodia. “The schoolies are giving up their party time to go and help out in the literacy schools and give Bibles to the graduates. The team will also run children’s programmes in villages giving out a special booklet, Jesus is Born, th..

The blessed peacemakers of Israel

MISSION NEWS | Anne Lim Friday 11 November 2016 Children in Israel and the Palestinian Territories are going to sleep with a book of Bible stories about peace under their pillows, says Dina Katanacho, director of the Arab Israeli Bible Society based in Nazareth. The colourful picture book in Arabic – containing 15 biblical stories, 15 stories of contemporary children, questions and prayer – is shaping the attitudes of the next generation, Dina said. “The impact of this book was really big, be..

Australia notes:  Guy Fawkes Day

On Saturday night, here in Australia, fireworks started going off everywhere. It dawned on my daughter the lines “Remember, remember/the Fifth of November.” It was Guy Fawkes day! The old boy is burned in effigy and explosions are set off in commemoration of the Gunpowder Plot, in which a band of Catholic terrorists packed the basement of Parliament with gunpowder with the idea of blowing up the English government and killing King James. The plot was discovered when a conspirator wrote a letter ..

Law & Government

Unhinged ‘Street Preacher’ Lambasts Georgia Police Officer: ‘You Deserve a Sniper Bullet’

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — A shocking viral video that has been making its rounds on social media shows a self-identified street preacher lambasting a county police officer as he walks away, tongue-lashing him with the proclamation, “You deserve a sniper bullet in your head.” Jim Gilles of Indiana had been holding signs and calling out to passersby outside of Creflo Dollar’s World Changers Church International on the morning of Oct. 9, 2016 as members were arriving for services. Dollar has been a cont..

Planned Parenthood Asks Court to Stop Texas From Cutting Org From Medicaid Program

AUSTIN, Texas — The abortion and contraceptive giant Planned Parenthood filed for an emergency restraining order on Friday in an effort to stop officials in Texas from cutting the organization from the state Medicaid program. “Defendants’ unprecedented and indefensible actions show these terminations to be nothing more than a politically motivated witch hunt and the culmination of a concerted effort over more than a decade to come between the provider Plaintiffs and the thousands of low income ..

Trump Inauguration to Feature Prayer of Prosperity Preacher Paula White Who ‘Secured His Calling’

WASHINGTON — Prominent Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Franklin Graham, and prosperity preacher Paula White will be among the ecumenical selection of faith leaders who will present prayers and readings at Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony next month, the inaugural committee announced on Wednesday. “Since the first inaugural ceremony, our leaders have paid tribute to the blessings of liberty that have been bestowed upon our country and its people,” Committee Chairman Tom Barrack said in a st..

Conservative Attorney Jay Sekulow Supports Judge on Trump’s Supreme Court Shortlist Who Called Abortion ‘a Right’

WASHINGTON — Well-known attorney Jay Sekulow, who serves as chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, which takes up cases for conservative, pro-life and pro-family causes, expressed his support on national television this week for two of the picks on President-elect Donald Trump’s Supreme Court shortlist—Judges Diane Sykes and Bill Pryor—stating that they have a “proven track record.” However, others have voiced concern about the judges precisely because of their track record, ..

Entertainment

Elizabeth “Liz” Thoman, Media Literacy Pioneer, Memorial Planned

Sister Elizabeth “Liz” Thoman, CHM died on December 22, 2019. She was a media literacy education pioneer, advocate, and educator. Here is a link to her obituary: Sr. Elizabeth Thoman, Media Literacy Leader Dies Here is a link to my essay about her, written in gratitude for her life, work, and influence on my life: Sister Elizabeth Thoman Altered the Course of My Life To RSVP for the Memorial Service, click here (or copy and paste): [email protected] If you come, bring a memory to share! Or you ca..

“Silence” Exclusive Clip Ahead of Wide Release Jan. 13

If you live outside of a major entertainment hub like New York City or Los Angeles, chances are that this weekend might be your first opportunity to see the much-anticipated “Silence,” which is generating a lot of Oscar buzz. Based on an acclaimed novel by the same name, “Silence,” directed by Martin Scorsese, follows two Jesuit priests who endure persecution and violence when they travel to 17th-century Japan to spread Christianity and locate their mentor. Check out this exclusive clip from the..

You Picked What?! Watching God’s Best Movies of 2016

Comment countI love reading year-end lists. I’m not such a big fan of writing them. Hey, it’s not easy to sift through all the year’s movies and coming up with what I think are “the best.” What does that even mean, anyway? Are these the best movies, aesthetically speaking? The stuff that secular critics drool over and take home scads of awards? Or are these the movies that I enjoyed the most? The movies that made me smile while leaving the theater? And what about the movie’s message? This blog i..

Shining a Light on Strong Faith: New “Silence” Exclusive Clip Released

Paramount Pictures -- Clip from 'Silence'Directed by Martin Scorsese, SILENCE tells the story of two Christian missionaries, Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Garrpe (Adam Driver), who face the ultimate test of faith when they travel to Japan in search of their missing mentor at a time when Christianity was outlawed and their presence forbidden. The celebrated director’s 28-year journey to bring Shusaku Endo’s 1966 acclaimed novel to life will be in theaters in New York and Los Angeles o..

Health and Science

Ark-compressed

Ken Ham Rebuts Lutheran Leader Who Says Noah’s Flood ‘Not History’: If It’s Not, Jesus Lied

WILLIAMSTOWN, Ky. — Apologist Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis recently rebutted a liberal ELCA Lutheran minister who asserted in a published column that the biblical account of the global flood is “not history,” noting that the man is also calling Jesus a liar, for He spoke of Noah and the Flood. Steve Hammer is leads Esperanza Lutheran Church in Phoenix, Arizona and writes an opinion column for the Ahwatukee Foothills News. In an article dated Aug. 21, which now brings up a 404 error code but ca..

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A Story Carved In Rock (RJS)

The evidence for an ancient earth – far, far older than the <10,000 year timeline defended in young earth creationism – is abundant and independent of any hypothesis concerning the mechanism of biological evolution. There are only two reasons to doubt the great age of the earth: (1) an ignorance of the data or (2) a prior commitment to a young earth (usually from a specific approach to Genesis). In my experience, adamant defense of a young earth has always been tie..

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‘The Darwinian View is False’: Ph.D. Biologist Dismantles Evolution in New Book

An accomplished molecular biologist with more than two decades of research experience has come out with a new book in which he describes crippling weaknesses in the theory of evolution and argues instead that life must have been invented by God. Dr. Douglas Axe is a credentialed scientist who earned a Ph.D. from California Institute of Technology and held a number of research positions at the University of Cambridge. The author of numerous scientific papers, Axe currently s..

dollythesheep

Scientists Cloning More Animals Using Dolly the Sheep, May Lead to Human Cloning

Apparently clones of the same dead sheep from which Dolly was manufactured are in good health and aging normally. From the LiveSciencestory: Four cloned sheep that are genetically identical to Dolly, the first cloned mammal, are still healthy even in old age, a new study found. The four sheep, which were derived from the same batch of cells as Dolly and could be considered her clone “sisters,” have just reached their 9th birthday, which is equivalent to age 70 in human years, researchers who ha..

US

The new culture war

The old culture war was about morality and was informed by religion. The new culture war, signaled by the election of Donald Trump, is about nationalism vs. multiculturalism and “the people” vs. the elites. Trump has little interest in the old culture wars, with the important exception of being pro-life. But the new culture war is just as emotional, with pretty much the same people on either side. So says Rich Lowry in a piece excerpted and linked after the jump. So where does that leave Christi..

Marching for Life is getting somewhere

Today is the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., where thousands of pro-lifers will commemorate the Roe v. Wade decision on January 22, 1973, by demonstrating against abortion and for the sanctity of life. We’ll see if this mass demonstration gets as much media coverage as the recent Women’s March, which specifically excluded pro-life women. I suspect not. But the pro-life cause is making progress. Abortion rates have dropped below the level they were before Roe v. Wade. (That ruling lega..

No, Trump isn’t censoring government agencies

The media is aghast that President Trump is requiring approval for website posts, clamping down on the use of social media, freezing grants, and forbidding federal agencies from issuing news releases. Censorship! Information control! Orwellian thought police! Well, it turns out, as even the New York Times now admits, this is routine practice during the transition from one administration to another. The same orders were handed down when the Obama administration replaced that of George W. Bush. As..

“The crowd is untruth”

In our discussion of yesterday’s post The Problem with Crowds, Stefan Stackhouse linked to an essay by Søren Kierkegaard, The Crowd is Untruth. That essay is shockingly profound,, with great resonance for today. The Danish Lutheran/proto-existentialist takes a theological, as well as ethical, view of crowds. He points out that the Bible says, “Love thy neighbor”; not “love the crowd.” He deals with “the daily press” and its creation of an abstract “public” that assumes an authority over what we ..

Church & Theology

Chandler_in_hospital

10 Lessons from a Hospital Stay—part 1

Just over two weeks ago, our lives were turned upside down when our three-year-old grandson, Chandler was taken to the hospital by ambulance with severe necrotizing pneumonia. We’re so thankful for the many who have prayed for Chandler in these past days, and we’re thankful for how the Lord has answered prayer in bringing healing. Although Chandler is now at home and resting well, he still has pneumonia and is taking strong antibiotics. We ask for continued prayers for his full recovery and tha..

Chandler-with-Danielle

10 Lessons from a Hospital Stay, part 2

In my previous post, I shared five of the lessons the Lord has been teaching me through my three-year-old grandson Chandler’s illness illness and hospitalization with severe pneumonia. These are in no real order—just the raw truths the Lord has been teaching me during one of the most difficult times in our family’s life. (If you’ve just come across this and are seeing part 2 first, I hope you’ll take a moment to read part 1 which more thoroughly develops those first five lessons with Scripture ..

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What the Trinity Debate Can Teach Seminarians

I wrote the other day about why the Trinity debate matters for the pulpit and pew, hoping to help people outside or on the periphery of the debate understand why they should care about it. (By the way, I gave a bit of an intro and some recommended articles in that post, if you already have no clue what debate I’m talking about.) A group of people who participated more directly in the debate is Bible college and seminary students. From undergrads to PhD students, it seems ..

5 Commitments of Continuing Churches

We have the absolute promise that the church will continue. Jesus plainly declared, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). Thus, we have the advantage of operating from the knowledge that we are on the winning side. Even so, you and I both know of churches that have not continued for Christ—churches who have left off aggressively reaching the world with the gospel and dwindled to nothing or have tried to “reinvent” the church and lost their distinction and effectiveness. So what is the diff..

Finance

Five Ways to Retire With Less Money

What if you are one of the many millions of people who have little chance of having a million dollar retirement portfolio by the time you reach 65? Should you abandon the idea of retirement completely and plan on working until you die? Hardly. The reality is that most people will enter retirement with something much less than $1 million. The ability to retire is often more dependent upon factors beyond your retirement portfolio. Here are some ways to enable you to eventually have some form of retirement, even if you will never amass a retirement fortune. Cut your living expensesA major reason why retirement portfolios need to be so large today is the high standards of living we’ve all become accustomed to. You can cut down on the amount of money that you’ll need in retirement by cutting back on your living expenses now. This will accomplish two positive goals. First, it will free up more money now so that you can invest it either in your retirement portfolio or in other income producin..

How to File the Federal Tax Extension Form

Filing a tax extension is simple. If you need extra time to work through your tax documents and just don’t think you’ll be able to finish your taxes by the April 18th tax deadline, you can file for an extension. Once you file the tax extension form, you’ll have until October 17th 2016 to file your taxes (an extra 6 months). This doesn’t mean that you get an extra 6 months to pay your taxes. That’s why it’s so important to estimate you taxes owed and pay them before April 18, 2016. Otherwise, you might end up with penalties and interest to pay the IRS. Oh and if you still need to file your taxes this year, you can file them for free (even state) here. How to File a Tax Extension Form1. Estimate Your Taxes OwedYou’ll need to have an idea of how much you owe in taxes because you’ll need to send in the payment before April 18th. Gather all your tax documents and create a rough estimate of what you’ll owe. 2. Download and Complete the Tax Extension FormThe IRS requires you to download and c..

Income Tax Calculator: 3 Federal Income Tax Estimators

With tax season around the corner, you might be itching to file your taxes right away. Some people like to file as early as possible, while others are still looking for the answer to their question: when are taxes are due? If you don’t have all your tax forms yet, but want to estimate what your federal income tax return looks like, you’re in luck. There are a few tools available for you to estimate what your return might look like. If you haven’t already received your W-2 or 1099s in the mail, use your last paycheck as a guide to see how much you made and what you paid in for federal and state taxes. Gather as much information as you can about charitable donations, business expenses, or interest paid so that you can get the best estimate when you put your figures into these income tax calculators. 3 Income Tax Calculators to Estimate Your Tax Refund…or Tax BillIRS.gov Tax Refund CalculatorThis no-frills income tax calculator will take into consideration most of the major tax issues tha..

Life Balance: How to Keep it Together

In this ever-changing world in which we live, all of us feel a little “un-balanced “ at times in our lives. What can we do to help us recognize what is causing that unbalanced feeling and how should we go about fixing it? Let’s first identify some of the areas in our lives that we must keep in balance. There are home responsibilities, work responsibilities, community responsibilities, religious responsibilities, educational responsibilities, and social responsibilities – to name just a few. HomeIn your home responsibilities you need to find a balance between all of the many things that you have to do there. For example, who are you at home? Are you a parent, spouse, teacher, cook, seamstress, gardener, doctor, vet, cheerleader, lover, and friend? All of these many responsibilities can wear you down and cause you to feel off-center. It is important that you “job share” these responsibilities. The more you can communicate and share as a family the more understanding and help you will hav..