Christian Heritage News

Posted at The Heidelblog : For me it has been an odd year. I spent a good bit of it on the road between San Diego, where I live and work and Nebraska, where family lives. That has produced a greater sense of dislocation than usual. Professionally, I am in the midst of several projects but none of them are finished so it there is more discontent than satisfaction. Nevertheless, in the midst of all the miles on the road and all the hours on at keyboard I think I learned three things in 2015. Subjectivism Has Turned Nasty Subjectivism is the position that holds that there is no objective truth, that whatever one wishes to be true is subjectively true, for that person. John Lennon said “Whatever gets you through the night” (1974). It was originally tended to signal a “live and let live” attitude but it seems clear that is not the attitude of the subjectivists now. If you doubt me, go to Yale, ask for a little tolerance and see if that does not create a riot complete with screaming

By Shane Lems - Posted at the Reformed Reader : I always think it’s ironic and comical when a Christian mocks or discredits creeds and confessions then turns around to favorably quote popular evangelical leaders on social media. While social media is new, this anti-confessional and pro-popular leader mindset is not new. It was a central characteristic of 19th century American revivalist religion. For example, Charles Finney talked said it was “highly ridiculous” for a church to recognize and utilize the Westminster Confession of Faith. Finney called the Westminster Confession a “dead Pope;” he said “It is better to have a living than a dead Pope.” Richard Lints explained this well in 1993: “The revivalist located the ‘living Pope’ not in Rome but in the human heart. The experience of the Holy Spirit became the lens through which the works and words of God were interpreted. The work of the Spirit was severed from the confessions and creeds of the church in such a manner that an in

http://thecripplegate.com/ By Eric Davis - Posted at The Cripplegate : Without knowing what the future holds, we can safely say that there is one thing we will need for 2016: godliness. To stably and safely weather all of the we’re-not-in-heaven-yet things coming from this new year, we will need a high dose of christlikeness and, if you’re like me, and increase thereof. So, sanctification should be a dear friend as we turn a calendar year (and as we enter each day, for that matter). Sanctification: God’s work of progressively conforming the Christian into christlikeness from the time of spiritual birth (regeneration) until we see Jesus (glorification), through the Spirit, our effort, the means of grace, and any number of circumstances. Sanctification is not the means of salvation, but the consequence of it. But oftentimes, we can have a myopic, low view of sanctification. For example, it really only occurs when I sit down for my daily quiet time or during the Sunday sermon. Yet sa

Instructions to the Candidate:  Please complete the questionnaire below, sign, and mail to: Christians for Personhood, PO Box 12222, Columbia, SC 2911 , or scan and e-mail to: Christians for Personhood .  [Please Reply NLT January 15, 2016] Questionnaire  1. United States Constitution   I agree with Article VI of the United States Constitution, i.e., there are three and only three things which constitute “the supreme Law of the Land”; namely, the written text of the U.S. Constitution itself, Federal Laws made in pursuance of the written text of the U.S. Constitution, and all Treaties made under the Authority of the United States which are consistent with the written text of the U.S. Constitution. I reject the judicial supremacist view that U.S. Supreme Court Opinions can ever be “the supreme Law of the Land”. Therefore Roe and Obergefell are not “the supreme Law of the Land.” YES _______     NO _______     UNDECIDED _______ 2. Federal Personhood Bill I support Federal Personhood legis

Posted at Culture News : A ruling last week by U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups permits Utah to redirect funding from Planned Parenthood Association of Utah while the state battles the abortionist in court to permanently divert all pass-through federal funds away from Planned Parenthood. And Texas continues its series of measures to defund the abortionist as the Texas Department of State Health Services suddenly notified Planned Parenthood of the Gulf Coast that over $600,000 in funding will now be diverted to other medical service providers. Read more here...

Posted at GraceGems.org :  Rev. Samuel Davies "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good-will towards men!" Luke 2:13, 14 This is the day which the church of Rome, and some other churches that deserve to be placed in better company, have agreed to celebrate in memory of the Prince of Peace , the Savior of men, the incarnate God, Immanuel . And I doubt not—but many convert superstition into rational and Scriptural devotion, and piously employ themselves in a manner acceptable to God, though they lack the sanction of divine authority for appropriating this day to a sacred use. But, alas! it is generally a season of sinning, sensuality, luxury, and various forms of extravagance; as though men were not celebrating the birth of the holy Jesus—but of Venus —the goddess of sex, or Bacchus —the god of wine—whose most sacred rites were mysteries of iniquity and

By Diana Chandler - Posted at Baptist Press : TEHRAN, Iran (BP) -- Iranian pastor Farshid Fathi has been freed after five years imprisonment in Tehran because of charges linked to his Christian faith, Middle East Concern announced Dec. 22, estimating nearly 100 Christians remain imprisoned there. "We are so thankful to the Lord for his protection over Farshid while in prison," Middle East Concern said in a press release. "It is our hope that the Gospel will continue to spread throughout Iran." Fathi was released Dec. 21 from Rajai Shahr prison, five months after prison authorities informed him he would be due for early release this month, although no reason for the early release has been reported. Previously, he was scheduled for release in December, 2017, after authorities arrested him Dec. 26, 2010 for "acting against national security through membership of a Christian organization, collection of funds, and propaganda against the Islamic Regime by helpin

Posted at The Truth About Moscow : Recap: How we got to this point For those just joining us What is wrong with Christ Church, Moscow? The short answer to this question is everything. A longer answer is that in 2001–2005 two child rapists freely preyed on Kirk children. Both men committed horrifying acts against their victims. Pastor Douglas Wilson of Christ Church, Moscow, learned about the felonies in 2005 and urged the criminal courts to show leniency to the felons. The courts honored Mr. Wilson’s wishes and within a few years things began to unravel. To learn more about the first criminal — Jamin Wight — please visit Natalie Rose Greenfield’s blog, starting with these posts: “No more tape over my mouth” “Looking back again. . .” “Perpetuating Abuse (warning:explicit language)” “When Doug Wrote To My Father” “Yes, We’re Still Talking About This.” “For The Sake Of Clarity — The Timeline” “The Last Meeting” To learn about the about the second sex offender — Steven Sitl

By Dr. Joseph Mizzi (January Newsletter) - Just for Catholics.org : "Dear friends, may you experience the peace that the Lord Jesus Christ came to bring us. Please pray for me and my family. God’s blessings upon you and your loves ones." Joe and family. The peace that Christ gives us is genuine and enduring, the peace of the world is shallow and short-lived. Jesus did not come to the world to bring political stability among the nations. Despite all the efforts and peace treaties, humanity has never found rest. The world that rejects the Prince of peace is destined to live without peace. There were wars in the past, there are wars today, and they will continue to the very end. Whether it is strife within families or hostilities between nations, cultures and religions, there will be no end to conflicts as long as sin, jealousy and hatred continue to reign in the human heart. The disciples of Christ are not exempt from trouble. They often find themselves entangled

By Bob Smietana - Posted at Christianity Today : How one of the world’s most beloved worship songs reportedly helped to fuel spiritual abuse at Wayne Jolley’s The Gathering International. Image from Christianity Today "Gill and her husband, Frank, a former preacher, attended the Gathering for a time. But they say that when they asked too many questions at a late night gathering at the Jolleys’ home, they were labeled as having a Jezebel spirit and were cut off from their family. Their daughters were ordered to have no contact with their parents." For the past decade, “How Great Is Our God” has been one of the most popular worship songs in the United States. The song’s success helped to make Chris Tomlin the world’s top worship leader, and turned his co-writer Ed Cash into one of the most sought-after Christian music producers in Nashville. It also helped launch what former members are calling a cult. Cash is a leading member of The Gathering International,

Posted at Culture News: The mostly rural Augusta County School District of the Shenandoah Valley has been shut down due to citizen outrage over Cheryl LaPorte, a geography teacher at Riverheads High School near Staunton, Virginia, assigning ninth-graders to copy an Arabic script as an exercise in calligraphy. After students aired concerns, the teacher admitted the translated text is the Shahada — the Islamic profession of faith. In addition, the teacher insisted that girls in the class don a Muslim hijab (head scarf). "There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." -- The Shahada (the most sacred pillar of Islam) Read more here... 

By Rev. Colin Mercer - Posted at Sermon Audio: Link: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1119121610273 (5 minutes - Q & A with Rev. Mercer)

By Michael Haverluck - Posted at OneNewsNow: After conducting an extensive study on homosexual behavior, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that those involved in such lifestyles experience a far greater amount of violence from one another than those in heterosexual relationships. CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey is a first-of-its-kind study geared to determine the difference between the victimization of men and women by sexual orientation. The results show that men and women involved in homosexual behavior undergo much higher rates of sexual violence than men and women who are heterosexual. Surprising to many, homosexual women experience more violence than men. According to the study, a whopping 44 percent of lesbians were either raped, experienced physical abuse, and/or were stalked by their intimate partners during their lifetime. Even more shockingly, 61 percent of bisexual women endured such violence from their partners. Read more

By Barry York - Posted at Gentle Reformation : Used to be that the only “trannies” we heard of were transvestites, and then only occasionally. But no more. The trans prefix must be the most popular one on the market today, as new words are flying off the shelf at an increasing rate. It was not that long ago that Bruce Jenner aka Caitlyn Jenner made transsexual appear on every magazine cover in the checkout lane at the grocery store. But that seems so yesterday now. For that news was quickly followed by Rachel Dozelal , the black white woman, coming out as transracial. Now the latest trans-fad is transageism, as the news tells us of a 52 year-old man who believes his true identity is that of a six year-old girl. He has abandoned his wife and seven children, and has even been “adopted” by willing “parents” to make his life complete now. If a decade ago a Bork said we were “slouching toward Gomorrah,” today let a York say we are speeding toward it. For those who look at this world

By Dr. R. Scott Clark - Posted at The Heidelblog : Larycia Hawkins, an associate professor of political science, who studies and teaches courses on the intersection of religion and politics at a leading evangelical college in the USA, has created controversy in two ways: first, by wearing the Muslim hijab, as a sign of the common humanity shared by Muslims and Christians and second, by asserting that Christians and Muslims worship the same God. We may affirm the common humanity and dignity as (fallen) image bearers while doubting the wisdom of a Christian wearing the hijab. The act of taking the hijab, though well intended, is likely to be interpreted rather differently by Muslims—as an act of submission to Allah as they understand him—than as intended by Christians. Perhaps more fundamental, however, is the assertion that Christians worship the same God as Muslims. The claim, as she has explained more fully, rests upon an editorial by noted Yale theologian, Miraslov Volf , publi

By Nathan Busenitz - Posted at The Cripplegate: "The Bible teaches that Christ is our King and we are His subjects; He is our Lord, and we are His servants; He is our Master, we are His slaves. 'To follow Him,' then, is to submit to Him, obey Him, swear allegiance to Him, and carry out His will. We can know what Jesus wants us to do by going to His Word where His will is unambiguously revealed." Reaching the peak of its popularity in the mid-1990s, the phrase “What Would Jesus Do?” used to be the de facto slogan of mainstream American evangelicalism. (Remember the bracelets and wristbands?) And although its prevalence has declined in recent years, a quick internet search reveals that WWJD remains a popular motto. You can still find the famous acronym emblazoned on a wide array of available paraphernalia: from the expected forms of share-wear (like bracelets, t-shirts, and buttons) to more-surprising curiosities (like baby onesies and pacifiers). There are WWJ

By Joe Renfro, Ed.D. - Posted at The Christian Observer In Isaiah 42:6 it is recorded that God gave the message to Israel that “I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles.” Then in Isaiah 54:13 it gives the directive to the Israelites, “And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” Teaching political correctness can never bring real peace, but Christ can and will. America, which once highly revered these Judeo-Christian principles has now shifted and is shifting more and more from the teaching about God’s righteousness to a new form of righteousness centered on rights which focuses on so-called rights rather than righteousness in our relationship with God, with others and with ourselves. The lesson plan for it all has become political correctness, as this radicalization is replacing true education in our A

By Heather Clark - Posted at Christian News Network : RALEIGH, N.C. — Several homosexuals in North Carolina have filed suit to challenge a law that was passed this year that allows judges to opt out of officiating “gay weddings” because of their religious convictions. As previously reported , S.B. 2 was introduced earlier this year by Sen. Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, to allow magistrates to recuse themselves from officiating over the services, as well as to permit register of deeds workers to opt out of issuing licenses due to religious objections. The bill comes with one condition: that the individual remove themselves from the marriage business altogether. Read more here...

Image from Wikipedia Posted at Culture News: The principal at Vernon Hills High School in suburban Chicago said he admires Muslim students so much that he supports the Muslim Student Association (MSA) effort to dress non-Muslim school girls in the garb familiar to the oppressed female populations of Islamic cultures. "I think this is an opportunity for our kids to embrace the Muslim community within the school." -- Jon Guillaume, Principal Read more here... 

By Pastor Shawn Mathis - Posted at BarbWire : One political solution to stem the rise of homegrown terrorism is to halt all Muslim immigration. Another solution would be to outlaw Islamic belief the same way racial bigotry is outlawed. Neither solutions are possible today. Or tomorrow for that matter. It would take a cultural redefinition of truth and liberty to ever enact such laws. Instead, stopping homegrown terrorism requires reeducation of the American mind and soul. Many Americans have bought into the liberal view of toleration as I summarized in my previous article . Even conservatives have to be reeducated about what true toleration entails. Read more here...

Photo by Jason Reynolds By Jason Reynolds - Posted at Tennessee Christian News : NASHVILLE — Muslims murdering and enslaving Americans under the name of their religion. U.S. military battles against Islamic aggressors in far-off locations. Lack of foreign credibility. National deficit. Political intrigue. You might think this is referring to current events on the evening news. But it’s all from a new history book about America’s first war as an independent nation. America’s first war “Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War That Changed American History” details America’s war against the Islamic Barbary nations in North Africa at the end of the 1700s and the early 1800s. This was a time when the new United States did not have a true military might, was looked down upon by foreign powers and was desperate to establish foreign commerce to build a robust economy. Read more here...

By Dr. R. Scott Clark - Posted at The Heidelblog : It has been a conviction of a certain segment of scholars since at least the middle period of the German Enlightenment that all religions are essentially the same. The current twin controversies in the West (chiefly Europe and the USA) over what to do with Muslim “refugees” (a disputed term of discussion) and recent violent Jihadist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino have provided an opportunity some apologists for one side of this social argument to defend their case by flattening out the differences between the Qur’an and the Holy Bible. Tension with and fear of Muslim immigrants seems to be rising across the West. In Oslo and in Germany the number of violent attacks (e.g., rapes) attributed to Muslims has skyrocketed in recent months. Americans are afraid of more episodes like San Bernardino in the USA, which has seen a number of Jihadist attacks (e.g., Fort Hood, Boston, Houston, Chattanooga, Moore, OK) since 9/11, when 2,99

By Peter Gilmore - Posted at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette : Christmas bells hadn’t begun ringing this fall when the Christmas culture wars came to visit us again. Fighting back against a perceived “war on Christmas,” some Christians loudly insist that Christ be the center of Christmas as “the reason for the season.” Many devout Christians who built the foundations of the Pittsburgh region we know today would have found the identification of the holiday with their faith baffling, even annoying. Presbyterians in early Western Pennsylvania steadfastly ignored Christmas because, to them, Christ was most certainly not the reason for a season of sinful indulgence. Numerous Presbyterians arrived in the region during the early days of settlement toward the end of the 18th century. They organized Bethel Presbyterian Church in 1778, giving us Bethel Park. Their church on a hill, organized in 1784, became Churchill. The links between their world and ours are many. These were eminently serious C

By James Atticus Bowden - Posted at Deo Vindice : Radical Indians practicing a, distorted, extreme Paganism attack. The King Philip’s War (1675-1676) was the bloodiest war – per capita – in America. Twice as many casualties as a portion of the population than our American Civil War (a.k.a. The Recent Unpleasantness)! Seven times more bloody that WW II – FYI – for all “Greatest Generation” fans. Consider what happened and could happen again. The pagan Indian tribes of New England were at peace with the English colonists for many years. The Indian tribes had historic conflicts, like the Sunni and Shia Muslims do, with each other. The Wampanoag tribe hated their traditional enemies, the Pequot, Narragansett, and the Mohegan and vice versa. A number of Indians had converted to Christianity, lived in English-style towns and were called Praying Indians. The Indian tribes were Neolithic Pagans. They were at least 2000 years behind Western Civilization – the English colonists. They sol

By Barry York - Posted at Gentle Reformation: Following the shooting in Colorado Springs at the Planned Parenthood clinic during Thanksgiving week, our president addressed this tragedy and ended his remarks with these words . "This is not normal. We can’t let it become normal. Enough is enough." Sadly, the president took to the airwaves again last night to speak to yet another senseless slaughter of our fellow citizens in San Bernardino. As I have thought and prayed for him, our nation, and the church, his words above have stuck with me. We need to cry out and plead in prayer like the prophets of old. “Enough is enough.” Enough is enough of believing no correlation exists between the violence of the shooter at the Planned Parenthood clinic and the violence within. The poor victims killed by the shooter were innocent and should not have had their blood shed and lives ended so suddenly and tragically. So what about the unborn being taken into the clinic to be aborted

By Clint Archer - Posted at The Cripplegate : "The real issue isn’t can a woman cope with combat, but should she have to? Women can and do competently step in if and when men neglect their duties. But do we really want to make this the norm rather than a sad necessary exception?" News from America fascinates me. Living in South Africa affords me a vantage point of detachment from local US news. But I nearly choked on my newsfeed last week when I heard President Barack Obama commend the Pentagon for opening all combat military positions to women. So now my two little girls, who are US citizens, will one day in all likelihood be required to register for the draft. (If you don’t think that’s the next station this equality train is heading for, you’re not following its trajectory closely enough; see this New York Times article on drafting women ) Objections to the announcement that we will soon have lady SEALs à la GI Jane have focused mostly on pragmatics and physiology.

Posted at Monergism: Both Muslim and militant Secular fundamentalists are quite alike. They both seek a monopoly on power and wield this power through the worship of an "us vs. them" political deity which will use just about any means, including demolishing their opponents, to accomplish their political ends. Both marginalize their rivals: one uses the tactics of fear in mass media by demonizing their opponents, relegating them to a outer margins of society through the endless repeating of the mantra that those who do not think like them belong to the untouchable status of a bigoted hate group; the other through forced conversions or death. Both groups are ultra-violent and genocidal: one toward those who do not convert; the other to those who are an inconvenience. Both are enemies of free speech: The secularist originally championed free speech but now that they have gained power the first amendment has started to become a liability to them. Political Islam believes outw

By Heather Clark - Posted at Christian News Network: SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — At least two Christians were among the 14 who lost their lives during Wednesday’s massacre in San Bernardino, including a man who had just recently tried to talk to one of the assailants about Islam being a violent religion. As previously reported , Syed Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 28, both devout Muslims, opened fire on a holiday party being hosted at the Inland Regional Center, a facility for developmental disabled persons. Farook’s employer, the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, had rented the conference room for the event. The two had been dressed in body armor and tactical gear, and donned GoPro cameras to record the bloodbath. Among the victims of what many consider a terror attack was Michael Wetzel, 37, an environmental health supervisor who attended Church of the Woods in Lake Arrowhead. Read more here...

By Dr. R. Scott Clark - Posted at The Heidelblog: “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD” (Gen 6:5–8; ESV). We live in a fallen world. Every human heart is corrupt. After the fall, because of our sin, by nature, apart from grace, the intention of the thoughts of our hearts are evil continually. Before the flood it was so bad that Scripture says that God “repented that he had made man on the earth.” This is a remarkable expression. In light of both the narrow and broader context it is clear that this expression is intended to be taken metaphorically. To say,

By Marissa Poulson - Posted at Alliance Defending Freedom : "The New York Daily News cover refers to prayer as 'meaningless platitudes,' but prayer is more than something we say because it sounds nice to say it. Sure, it's easy to tweet a nice message with a trending hashtag, but genuine prayer is a privilege. We are blessed to be able to communicate with a personal God who truly cares about our needs. We can bring Him our requests and He hears us." Between Paris, Colorado Springs, and now San Bernardino (not to mention the dozens of other lives lost around the world that didn't fit into the mainstream media's publication agenda), the world has seen much tragedy in the last month. In all the chaos, the response to these tragedies was almost always the same. Grieving nations and families mourned the lives that were pointlessly cut short. Fingers were pointed every which way trying to place blame, regain a sense of control, and make ourselves feel bet

Michael Wetzel Family By Jason Kandel - Posted at NBC Washington: One of the 14 victims who died in the San Bernardino mass shooting was identified as Michael Wetzel, a father of six, his church confirmed to NBC News on Thursday. The church has set up a page to assist the family while the pastor, Ron Akins, has spent the morning with the family, according to a church spokeswoman. Read more here... See also: Wetzel Family Page at  Church of the Woods

Posted at Wintery Knight: This article is from the radically leftist CNN , of all places. I heard CNN trying to blame the shooting on violent video games (“maybe he played too much Call of Duty”) yesterday. But today they decided to do some journalism for a change: Syed Rizwan Farook — one-half of the couple behind the San Bernardino shooting massacre — was apparently radicalized and in touch with people being investigated by the FBI for international terrorism, law enforcement officials said Thursday.  Farook’s apparent radicalization contributed to his role in the mass shooting, with his wife Tashfeen Malik, of 14 people on Wednesday during a holiday party for the San Bernardino County health department, where Farook worked, sources said. Read more here... 

By Heather Clark - Posted at Christian News Network: SAN BERNADINO, Calif. — The suspects in Wednesday’s shooting that killed 14 and injured 17 at a social services center in San Bernadino have been identified as a devoutly Muslim husband and wife. Syed Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 28, were killed during a shootout with police mid-afternoon local time. The two had been dressed in body armor and tactical gear, and donned GoPro cameras to record the bloodbath that they unleashed on the Inland Regional Center, a facility for developmental disabled persons. The violence is stated to have specifically been unleashed in a conference room where the county health department had been holding a holiday party. Farook used to work for the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, and attended the party for a time until leaving and coming back with his wife dressed for war. “He was very religious,” Farook’s father, also named Syed, told the New York Daily News. “He would go to work,

By Mollie Hemingway - Posted at The Federalist: The media mocked conservatives who prayed in aftermath of shooting, but many journalists showed they're as religious as anyone. At least 14 people were killed and 17 others injured in San Bernardino, California, by Syed Farook and Tafsheen Malik, a couple who later died in a shootout with police. As with the tragic rampage in Colorado just a few days prior, there’s a frustrating lack of details. Many in the media at first focused, as they tend to do during mass shootings, on their anger with the National Rifle Association, a large gun rights and gun safety organization. Some focused on the fact that the shooting took place about a 25-minute walk from a Planned Parenthood facility. Really . Progressive and liberal politicians called for gun control. And other politicians prayed for the victims and their families while waiting for more information. That’s when things got super weird. For some reason, much of the media began moc

By Walt Heyer - Posted at The Federalist : In concert with transgender activists, the federal government is pushing schools across the country to let boys expose themselves to girls in showers, locker rooms, and bathrooms. Recent high-profile demands that schools let boys shower and pee right next to girls are having ripple effects in schools across the country as the transgender wars more militantly encompass young children. Princeton Public Schools in New Jersey are planning to punish teachers who repeatedly refer to a transgender student with pronouns that correspond with biological reality. The American Civil Liberties Union is threatening schools across Missouri that are responding to the case of Lila Perry by requiring children to either use a unisex bathroom or the one that corresponds to their biological sex. Perry is a 17-year-old boy who wants to expose his male genitalia to girls in a school locker room and be protected by law because he says he is a girl. Read

By Kyle Borg - Posted at Gentle Reformation: It is actually embarrassing what makes for “Christian” headlines these days. And, if you’ve been reading the news you’ve probably noticed that Tim Tebow is once again breaking those headlines. Personally, I’ve always been a little confused why he became such a media sensation. His ability to be marketed as a Christian quarterback quickly won him the admiration of many in the Christian community. It leaves me wondering if throwing a good game absolves one from breaking the Lord’s Day. This time he’s making the news for his heroic commitment to abstinence and the resulting breakup with his beauty queen girlfriend, Olivia Culpo. Apparently, it’s commendable to some to put yourself into a morally compromising situation and when you come out of it to be hailed as a champion of Christianity. Again, I don’t get it. Now, before the accusations of friendly-fire get launched in my direction let me say that I can only imagine the press and pressure

By Molly Parker - Posted at The Southern Illinoisan : ...Wigginton said he walks away with a deeper understanding of one of the most difficult, deadly issues facing Southern Illinois: a rapid rise in the illegal use of of heroin, prescription opioids, and foreign-made methamphetamine. After five years on the job as a federal prosecutor for the bottom-third of Illinois, Stephen Wigginton has announced his plans to step down as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. His resignation is effective Dec. 11. Wigginton is returning to the private sector, and has accepted a job with Armstrong Teasdale, a large law firm with offices across the United States and China. Read more here...

Posted at Voice of the Persecuted : The Western Church has been silent way too long on Christian Persecution. Christian Leaders in Iraq say the silence of the West has condemned Christians to death. I couldn’t agree more, the silence has been deafening. Since our leader claimed it shameful to consider Christians for migration to the US, some in the church have jumped on the bandwagon totally ignoring the genocide in the blindness and refusal to admit this from our President. They now call for America to open it’s arms to Syrian Refugees regardless of their backgrounds. All feeling quite guilty to follow Christ’s commands to care for each other and care for the widows and children. I am not going to debate this, but will say the ludicrous accusations from our President that we want a test for religion is just that, Ludicrous . …an age old manipulation technique to turn the tables on truth to shame others. After two pages of personal information on the application for asylum in the