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Showing posts from December, 2021

Words of Hope for 2022

 By Al Baker - Posted at Forget None of His Benefits: “O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years.” -Habakkuk 3:2 The apostle Paul referred to the time in which he lived as a crooked and perverse generation (Phil.2:15). Certainly we can say the same about our generation. We tend to reminisce about the “good ole days”, believing that the wickedness, debauchery, crime, and atheism we see today is worse than at any time in our history. This is untrue.There has always been great evil and wickedness, but the hope for the future, as it has been in the past, is always the same. Take encouragement from this little snippet of our history. By the time of George Washington’s first inauguration in 1789 the glorious benefits of the first Great Awakening of 1735 to 1745 were a distant memory. America was imbibing deeply of the Jacobin, Enlightenment philosophy of the Marquis de Sade, Voltaire, and Jean Jacques Rousseau. The new nation, founded on the Puritan vision of “A City on a Hill”, was

A Son of A Refugee’s Appreciative Letter to a Church in Middle America

 By Slimjim - Posted at The Domain for Truth: The year 2021 is coming to a close. I’m beginning to reflect back this year. Having a blog helps. Soon I’ll write my post of the top posts of the year. But as any writer knows, there’s some posts that one might think should have done better but didn’t make the top 10, etc. Earlier in August I wrote “ A Son of A Refugee’s Gratitude for Christians in America’s Mid-West .” Some of you regular readers of the blog who followed the site for years have said it was probably one of the best posts I wrote. I think I agree. If you remember August was the fall of Afghanistan. The comparison of Vietnam to Afghanistan made me think about my own family history. It turns out the next day after I wrote that post we got a letter from the church that sponsored my mom’s family to the US. It was very emotional for my sisters and I reading it. I also saw the timing was providential. Read more...

Early America's Political Pulpit

 By Glenn A. Moots - Posted at Law & Liberty : The pulpit is essential for understanding Early America and America’s Founding. Regular church attendance, essentially mandatory in Anglican and Congregational colonies for many years, meant that the clerical voice was heard more often than that of any politician—and was likely more influential. Calvinist New England looked to ministers as prophets and mediators of the covenant with God. Clergy served as both representatives of de facto (or de jure) religious establishments and of dissenters against establishments. Ministers delivered not only spiritual counsel and theological instruction, but also essential interpretation of local and world events using lenses of scripture, classical sources, and contemporary philosophies. General interest in religion was not confined to Sunday worship or formal membership. Public occasions such as fasts, thanksgivings, martial mustering, and election day gatherings also put ministers before the publi

Satanic Temple Installs Satanic Holiday Display in Illinois Capitol Building

By Milton Quintanilla - Posted at Christian Headlines: Published 12.23.2021 A new Satanic holiday display inside the state capitol building of Illinois has sparked protests from a Catholic group, who argues that such installations should not be allowed in the capitol building or any public space. The display, which was placed inside the capitol's rotunda on Monday, portrays the deity Baphomet laying in a make-shift crib as an infant, an image similar to the birth of Christ. According to members of the Satanic Temple of Illinois, the piece is "a display of positive values," such as plurality, unity, compassion, and empathy. "The Capitol welcomes a diverse range of religions every year to display holiday statues during the holiday season, so we wanted to join in on that," Satanic Temple of Illinois Minister Adam said. Read more... 

John Calvin: 'The Importance of Customs Being Conformed to Nature'

 Posted at Purely Presbyterian : Although this excerpt is in relation to 1 Corinthians 11:14 and men having long hair being disgraceful, the argument Calvin makes is more widely applicable to all cultural norms and the importance of them being conformed “to the word of God, the law of nature, and human decency.“ Sermon on 1 Corinthians 11:11-16 Men, Women, and Order in the Church , pg. 55-59 translated by Seth Skolnitsky We must learn from these words, that we are not to have a flighty appetite, disposed to change what is accepted; rather we are to follow along. It is true that we must discern whether a custom is good and decent, whether it is according to nature, whether it is edifying and a good example; or if it involves corruption and vice. Whoever would want to keep all customs? Where would that lead? Men, as we know, are rather inclined to evil than to good. And therefore, they give themselves license for debauchery; and once one has begun, others follow; and they make law of c

ISWAP Terrorists Kill 12 Christians in Borno State, Nigeria

 Posted at Voice of the Persecuted : Nigeria ( Morning Star News ) – Terrorists with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) on Sunday (Dec. 19) killed 12 Christians in an attack in Borno state, northeastern Nigeria, sources said. The Islamic extremist militants attacked the predominantly Christian village of Kilangal, Askira-Uba County, in the afternoon, shortly after residents were leaving church worship services, area residents told Morning Star News by text message. Dauda Sabo, spokesman for the Askira-Uba Local Government Council, confirmed the attack in a statement on Monday (Dec. 20), saying ISWAP militants killed 12 people and wounded three others, along with burning down nine houses. “The [Askira-Uba Local Government] Council officials visited the grave where the 12 people killed were buried,” Sabo said. “They condemned the attack and described it as gruesome, sad and inhumane.” The terrorists also were reported to have looted shops. Sources said the assailants faced no

A Letter to PCA Friends from England

 By Peter Sanlon - Posted at Reformation21: I share this letter to brethren in the PCA with some trepidation. With Prov. 26:17 in mind it is arguably foolhardy to get involved in another denomination’s ecclesial debates — especially one on the other side of the Atlantic! However friends in the PCA have suggested it may be helpful to you if I share how things have played out in England over the past decade. Why would you want to read about the recent history of English evangelicalism as you ponder important votes in the PCA? In most matters, American culture leads the Western world. To be sure, any time my children get obsessed with some fad or new toy, I can bet my bottom pound (dollar?) that the toy or movement originated in the USA. However, in regard to the specific debates you today face in the PCA — Revoice, ‘Side B’ views on sexuality — England, rather than America, has led the way. Read more...

Remaining 12 Christian missionaries freed in Haiti

Christian Aid Ministries - Non-Profit International Aid  By Diana Chandler - Posted at Baptist Press: PORT-AU-PRINCE (BP) – Christian Aid Ministries is praising God upon the release today (Dec. 16) of the remaining 12 missionaries a violent gang kidnapped two months ago in Haiti. “We glorify God for answered prayer – the remaining 12 hostages are FREE! Join us in praising God that all 17 of our loved ones are now safe,” the ministry said at ChristianAidMinistries.org . “Thank you for your fervent prayers throughout the past two months.” Haitian police said the hostages were safe, but details of their condition were not revealed. The violent 400 Mawozo gang had demanded $1 million per hostage, but it is not clear whether any ransom was paid for their release. Christian medical missionary David Vanderpool, founder and CEO of the Haiti-based humanitarian ministry LiveBeyond , is familiar with the 400 Mawozo gang. Vanderpool said “everything has been very tightlipped” regarding today’s hos

Damned Lies

 By Wes Bredenhof Don Shipley’s purpose in life is to expose fake Navy SEALs ( like the one portrayed above ). There are heaps of these fakers. They buy a Navy uniform online, add in some insignia and medals, create a dramatic story about themselves, and before long they get all the glory of being a US Navy SEAL without any of the hard work or danger. On the other hand, Shipley is an actual retired Navy special operator. He became a US Navy SEAL in 1984 and retired in 2003 as a senior chief petty officer. Now he and his wife Diane spend their time ferreting out fake Navy SEALs – they go after “stolen valour.” The impostors are lying about their military service, stealing the honour from those who actually did serve, and the Shipleys are all about smoking them out. There’s something satisfying about watching someone expose lies. I suppose it must appeal to our sense of justice. When a deceiver gets caught and humiliated we say, “Serves you right. You got what you deserved.” Per

FAQ on Same-Sex Attraction, Temptation, Desire, and Sin

 By Andrew George - Posted at The Aquila Report: "The question, in the end, comes down to whether homosexual temptation is more powerful than Christ or whether Christ is more powerful than homosexual temptation. As Savior, Christ is mightier than our internal temptations. Therefore, if we counsel same-sex attracted people into believing that they may never be rid of homosexual temptation in this life, we have diminished the power of the Cross." With the rising influence of Christian organizations in America that exist to cater to “sexual minorities” in the church, there has been much confusion among reformed evangelicals regarding temptation and desire, specifically as it relates to same-sex attraction. Confessional Presbyterian denominations are not exempt. The Presbyterian Church in America, at present, is on a collision course with Revoice theology and is inundated with debates surrounding homosexual identity and whether men who profess to be “same-sex attracted” can be a

Regeneration, Not Morality, Our Only Hope

Moral Re-Armament emblem, as used as background decor for the MRA launch meeting in the US, on May 14th, 1939, in the Madison Square Garden theater - Wikipedia  By Al Baker - Posted at Forget None of His Benefits : By 1938 a storm was gathering over Europe as Adolf Hitler was annexing Austria, the Sudetenland, and threatening to invade Poland. It was also clear that he was rearming his nation militarily in direct opposition to the Treaty of Versailles. Frank Buchman, a Lutheran pastor and the driving force behind the Oxford Group, was convinced that military rearmament to stand against Hitler would not resolve the crisis. On May 29, 1938 at East Ham Town Hall, London, he launched a campaign for what he called “Moral Re-Armament.” Buchman said, “The crisis is fundamentally a moral one. The nations must re-arm morally. Moral recovery creates not crisis but confidence and unity in every phase of life.” The phrase “moral re-armament” caught the mood of the time, and many public figures in

Grounds for Divorce

 By Wes Bredenhof With this post, I’m entering into a minefield, albeit with eyes wide open. Relationships are touchy at any rate, but when you talk about the closest relationship God has designed for human beings, the stakes are all that much higher. Marriage and divorce are topics many readers are invested in, if not personally, then certainly by acquaintance. There’s no lack of strong opinions and there are few occasions where people actually change their minds. In what follows, you’ll meet some men who actually have shifted their thinking on divorce. Marriage and divorce, especially remarriage after divorce, have been hotly debated in my church circles over the years. I remember an intense online discussion on the Ref-net (a discussion group originally for Canadian Reformed university students) in the 90s. A fellow-Ref-netter asked me what I thought about remarriage after divorce. I had to honestly say, “I don’t know.” For the longest time, I could safely stay on the fence.

Is DoD oblivious to seriousness of Beijing threat?

 By J.M. Phelps - Posted at American Family News: A former career operations officer with the CIA and expert in national security suggests the Pentagon's penchant for defending "wokeness" as a priority is distracting the U.S. from focusing on the threat posed by China's advancements in weaponry and technology. According to the 2021 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community, "Beijing is working to match or exceed U.S. capabilities in space to gain the military, economic, and prestige benefits that Washington has accrued from space leadership." On Thursday in South Korea, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rebuked China, vowing to confront its potential military threats in Asia and warning that its pursuit of hypersonic weapons intended to evade U.S. missile defenses "increases tensions in the region." "We have concerns about the military capabilities that the PRC continues to pursue, and the pursuit of those capabilities in

Religion or Regeneration?

Philadelphia Skyline - Source: Wikipedia  By Al Baker - Posted at Forget None of His Benefits : The city of Philadelphia recently broke a three decade homicide record, reaching 501 thus far in 2021. The Waukesha, Wisconsin Christmas Parade attack last week resulted in sixty-two injured and six killed as Darrell Brooks drove his SUV into the crowd. Human trafficking in our nation is a massive problem of great proportion. “Side B Homosexuals,” who claim to be Christians, try their best to assure us that though they are homosexuals they are actually very moral since they are celibate and do not act upon their same sex attraction. And the American church has the same problems in about the same proportion as the secular and irreligious people in our communities. Divorce, abortion, and porn addiction rates are all about the same. The United States has the largest “Christian” population in the world with over 205 million “believers.” If there are that many Christians in the U.S., and our prob

School Defied Parents and Orchestrated Student's Gender Transition, Suit Alleges

Image Source:  Deerlake Middle / Homepage (leonschools.net) By Michael Foust - Posted at Christian Headlines : Two Florida parents have filed a federal lawsuit alleging that their daughter’s school orchestrated her gender transition and intentionally deceived the mother and father about the matter. The lawsuit alleges that staff at Deerlake Middle School in Tallahassee, Fla., called the 13-year-old girl by her preferred name and pronouns and allowed her to use the boys’ restroom – all without the permission of her parents. Further, the lawsuit alleges, the school’s staff were told not to use the girl’s preferred name and pronouns around the mother and father. The parents allege that the school violated their parental rights under the U.S. and Florida Constitutions... Read more...