Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Why is the Worlds Most Prosperous Nation so Depressed?
Sep 20th, 2016
CommentaryPNW STAFF
Categories: Contemporary Issues

The United States is the third most depressed country in the world according to new figures released by the World Health Organization. The US trailed only India and China while Germany, which came in 10th, was the only other Western nation to feature in the top 10. 
The figures may be skewed slightly due to under reporting in some poorer nations, experts warn that the reason America ranked so highly is likely due to certain factors which aren't as prevalent in some other nations.

Americans are under constant pressure to maintain a stable job, raise a successful family and pursue the 'Great American Dream'. This constant pressure seems to be taking its toll on their  mental health.  In some other nations, even ones with significantly lower living standards, the pressure to be successful simply isnt as intense and this may be why they have lower rates of mental illness. 

Part of the problem may also be attributed to lack of treatment. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, 1 in 5 Americans will experience some form of mental illness every year but less than half of those who do will receive any form of treatment. This is likely due to the stigma which still surrounds mental health issues, making people hesitant to seek help, as well as the lack of accessible mental health services.

In the United States there are 13 psychiatrists for every 100,00 people. In some Scandinavian countries that number can rise to as high as 30. The cost of certain medications in the US can also be prohibitively expensive, especially  for those from a lower socio-economic backgrounds.  

In the last couple of months both presidential candidates have announced plans to institute sweeping changes to the way mental health care is delivered but advocates remain skeptical.  This is not the first time politicians have promised to improve the system. Its always easier to make promises from the campaign trail than it is to bring about real change while in office. 

Whereas some people may struggle to access the right medications, the problem isnt necessarily a lack medication overall.  A recent study found that in 2010, doctors wrote out 280 million prescriptions for anti-depressants.

On average 1 in 10 Americans take anti-depressants on a regular basis and that number rises to 1 in 4 when you isolate the results to women in their 40s and 50s. Some doctors believe that Americans are actually being over medicated and that the rush to medicate patients, rather than offering appropriate counseling, may actually be making the problem worse.  

In order to lower that number of Americans who identify as depressed, a couple of things have to happen. The first is that mental health services need to become more readily available and easier to access. 

This will require a political solution and although voters can use their voices to call for change, whether that happens is really out of our hands. What is in our control is how Christians to respond to those who are suffering in our communities.

Christians need to reduce the stigma that surrounds mental illness and encourage people who need help to seek it.  Churches should also recognize their vital role as support networks for those going through a rough time. Many instances of depression are caused by isolation and loneliness, and its up to us to reach out to people who are lonely; to offer them friendship and fellowship. 

Christianity has a unique message of hope and joy which people suffering depression need to hear. We need to recognize that medical help and spiritual help are not mutually exclusive and that we can share the Gospel while also encouraging people to get the medical treatment they need. 

The truth is that what would lower depression rates the most is not more psychiatrists or more funding, though both of these things might help. Its everyone looking out for their neighbors and offering support when they need it the most. 

We need to be prepared to cross the road when we see that someone is in trouble. If we all did that, Im willing to bet America would soon drop to the bottom of the list.

Let the Headlines Speak
Sep 20th, 2016
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines

5 Reasons The U.S. Army Will Lose Its Next War In Europe
The fight would be over control of large expanses of land with few geographical impediments to rapid advance. The U.S. Army would likely do most of the ground combat for NATO, because America contributes over two-thirds of the alliance’s resources. Losing such a war would drastically reshape the geopolitical balance in Europe, and reduce U.S. influence there to its lowest ebb since before World War Two. And yet losing is what the U.S. Army is currently postured to do.  

Powerful Typhoon "Malakas" hits Kyushu with record-breaking rain, heading toward Tokyo
Powerful Typhoon "Malakas" has made landfall over Kyushu, Japan on September 19, 2016, dumping record-breaking rain and causing widespread disruption. Heavy flooding was reported and dozens of flights were canceled. Around 7 000 homes have already suffered power loss.  

Is Another Zika Brewing in the Caribbean?
Florida researchers have discovered a mosquito-borne virus called Mayaro in Haiti, where it had never been observed before. They found the virus in a blood sample taken in January 2015 from an 8-year-old boy who had tested negative for other mosquito-borne illnesses, including chikungunya and dengue.  

Karl forecast to become hurricane later in week; system off Africa forming
As Tropical Storm Karl was forecast to become a hurricane later in the week, another low-pressure system just off Africa was developing and is predicted to turn into a tropical depression by Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center said Monday. Although Karl is strengthening as it heads west, it's not a threat to reach land in the next five days, the center said.  

Belgium: Sick Child Becomes First Minor to be Euthanized
A terminally ill minor has been euthanized in Belgium, becoming the first child to be euthanized in the country since Belgium removed its age restrictions on euthanasia two years ago. According to CNN, the child was suffering from an incurable disease and had asked for euthanasia, Sen. Jean-Jacques De Gucht said.  

Crowd Erupts into Laughter when Charlie Crist Calls Hillary Clinton ‘Honest’
“I think she’s been a very good secretary of state, a very good senator from the state of New York. The thing I like most about her is she is steady. I believe she is strong. I believe she is honest,” Crist said. The crowd erupted into laughter and booed Crist after he said that Clinton was “honest.”  

‘Europe is a Plane Without a Pilot’: E Europeans Threaten to Veto Brexit
During the first post-Brexit EU summit in Bratislava on Friday a group of Central European countries, known as the Visegrad Four, threatened to vote down any Brexit agreement that would infringe on people’s right to work in the United Kingdom.  

Lebanese Insist Syrian Refugees Go Home, Now
Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam on Monday warned that his country was in “serious danger” to the point of facing collapse under the ongoing rush of Syrian refugees, the Daily Star reported Tuesday. Salam said the burden is straining Lebanon’s already struggling economy and infrastructure, to the point where it is threatening their very stability.  

ISIS Releases Video of Jihadis Slaughtering Prisoners Hung From Meat Hooks on Islamic Eid al-Adha
In the ISIS footage, instead of animals, human prisoners were hung upside down on meat hooks at a Syrian slaughterhouse and then had their throats slit like livestock. Their blood was drained down grates as if in a ceremonial ritual.  

France planning big push for Mideast peace conference
Foreign Minister Ayrault looks to use annual UN event to push for Mideast peace conference, promises benefits package if deal reached.  

Putin’s Bringing Back The KGB After Winning Big In Russian Elections
Russian President Vladimir Putin is celebrating big wins by his party in recent parliamentary elections by placing all Russian security agencies under a next generation KGB prototype. The new agency will reportedly be called the “MGB.” The MGB will consolidate both domestic and foreign intelligence operations under the same roof, along with law enforcement jurisdiction, and authority to conduct criminal organizations.  

Curtain rises on world's busiest diplomatic arena at UN Headquarters
World leaders are expected to adopt a political declaration as an outcome document at the summit, during which the UN will see a new addition to its family – a dedicated migration agency. Leaders of the UN and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will sign an agreement to officially make IOM a related agency of the UN system.  

GOP Mostly Powerless in Stopping Obama 'Midnight' Regulations
Republican lawmakers are bracing for a slew of last-minute rules and regulations, as well as more executive actions to place swaths of land under federal protection, during President Barack Obama's final months in office. “Midnight regulations” are a feature of any lame-duck administration and...In many instances, GOP members acknowledge they are powerless to stop him.  

More than 800 immigrants mistakenly granted citizenship
The U.S. government has mistakenly granted citizenship to at least 858 immigrants from countries of concern...according to an internal Homeland Security audit... The Homeland Security Department's inspector general found that the immigrants used different names or birthdates to apply for citizenship...and such discrepancies weren't caught because their fingerprints were missing from government databases.  

Syria conflict: UN suspends all aid after convoy hit
The UN has suspended all aid convoys in Syria after its lorries were attacked by warplanes near Aleppo on Monday. The convoy had received proper permits, and all warring parties - including Russia and the US - had been notified, a UN spokesman said. Eighteen of the 31 lorries, containing wheat, winter clothes and medical supplies, were destroyed.  

Migrants flee burning Greek camp of Moria on Lesbos
Up to 4,000 migrants were evacuated from the Moria camp on the Greek island of Lesbos after a large fire destroyed tents and prefabricated homes. No injuries have been reported, and some migrants have now been allowed to return to the camp. Police are investigating whether the fire was deliberate, but an aid worker said it started after a food dispute.  

North Korea's ground test of rocket engine is 'a success'
North Korea has carried out a "successful" ground test of a new rocket engine to launch satellites, state media says. Kim Jong-un, the country's leader, asked scientists and engineers to make preparations for a satellite launch as soon as possible, KCNA reported. It is the latest in a series of missile-related tests this year.  

Netanyahu to New York to meet with Obama, Ban and the UN
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to leave Tuesday afternoon for a five-day trip to New York, where he will meet with US President Barack Obama on Wednesday, address the General Assembly on Thursday and meet that same day with outgoing UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The meeting with Obama, expected to be their last face-to-face meeting before the president leaves office on January 20...  

Israeli fighter jet shoots down Hamas drone over Gaza
An Israel Air Force fighter jet shot down a Hamas drone over the Gazan coastline shortly after 1 p.m. on Tuesday. The IDF Spokesperson said the drone had been under full surveillance from the moment it took off, and that it did not cross into or fly through Israeli air space.  

A 100-year solar storm could fry our power grids — these are the places most at risk
The sun is the source of nearly all life on Earth. It will also doom our feeble planet in about 1 billion years. Until then, while the star is still technically on our side, we'll have to worry about giant storms of charged particles that it burps off its roiling, plasmatic surface.  

Officials: Aid trucks headed for Aleppo hit by airstrike
A U.N. humanitarian aid convoy inside Syria was hit by airstrikes Monday, U.N. officials said, as the Syrian military declared that the week-long U.S.-Russian brokered cease-fire had failed.  

New York and New Jersey bomb suspect sued his local police claiming they PERSECUTED him for being a Muslim
The prime suspect in the New York and New Jersey bombings sued his local police force and claimed they were persecuting him for being a Muslim. Ahmad Rahami said in a lawsuit that cops in Elizabeth, New Jersey subjected him and his family to discrimination and 'selective enforcement' based on their religion.  

New York bombing: Suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami 'may have been radicalised after visiting Afghanistan'
US authorities were investigating on Monday night whether the New York bomb attacks were an Islamist terror plot as it emerged the alleged perpetrator had traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan several times and showed signs of having been radicalized.  

Russia 'to revive the KGB' after Putin wins biggest majority
Russia plans effectively to revive the KGB under a massive shake-up of its security forces, a respected business daily has reported. 

Twilight of American Jewry
It is hard to know how Israel will be affected by the dramatic enfeeblement of the American Jewish community that we are now witnessing. The fact remains that the vast majority of American support for Israel comes from the evangelical Christian community.  

Allah Has Promised Us White House, Kremlin: Palestinian Cleric
The Muslim call to prayer will be heard from atop the White House and the Kremlin, thundered a Palestinian cleric in an address to worshippers at Jerusalem’s al Aqsa mosque last week. Ayed reminded worshippers, “Allah promised the Prophet Mohammed that Islam would rule the entire land.”  

ISIS Claims Brutal Minnesota Stabbing Spree Attacker as “Son of Islamic State”
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a brutal stabbing attack in a Minnesota mall on Saturday night which left eight injured and the attacker dead. The attacker, a man of Somali descent, was a “soldier of the Islamic state,”  

The Temple Has “Reappeared” - You Won’t Believe How
Last week, some visitors to the Western Wall (Kotel) in Jerusalem reported that they had seen the Second Temple reappear.

Fresh Wave of Terror Attacks in America: Fears of More to Come
Sep 20th, 2016
CommentaryMichael Snyder/End Of The American Dream Blog
Categories: Contemporary Issues

New York City, New Jersey and Minnesota were all hit by terror attacks within a 24 hour time period, and authorities are concerned that this may be the start of a fresh wave of terrorism in this country. 

Those that conduct acts of terror do so because they want to create fear and because they want attention. All three of these attacks accomplished those goals, but in particular the bombing in New York City's thriving Chelsea neighborhood instantly captured the attention of the entire nation.

The following is how USA Today described the attack...

The explosion came just after 8:30 p.m. ET at 133 W. 23rd St., between Sixth and Seventh Avenue in a neighborhood known for its vibrant nightlife. City officials said police located the explosive device in the street next to a trash bin. The explosion was so powerful it blew out the windows in a nearby building. 

The city's fire department said none of the victims had life-threatening injuries, but witnesses reported seeing victims cut by shrapnel, metal fragments and glass. All those injured were released from area hospitals by Sunday morning, according to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office.

A second device believed to be a pressure cooker was found on West 27th Street, four blocks from the initial blast on West 23rd. The New York Police Department said it was safely removed by the bomb squad early Sunday.

Fortunately the second device did not go off, and at this point the city is on a high state of alert. Governor Cuomo has ordered 1,000 state troopers and National Guard soldiers into New York City, and authorities are determined to do all they can to prevent another attack from taking place.

According to some reports, the explosive devices were consistent with the kind of improvised explosive devices that are commonly used in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Middle East.

So that is at least one link to Islamic terror.

There also reportedly is surveillance video which shows the same man dragging a duffel bag to both locations where the explosive devices were placed. This is obviously a disturbing development, but the mainstream media is not telling us anything about the appearance of the man at this point. For example, this is what CNN is reporting...

Surveillance video from Saturday shows a man dragging what appears to be a duffel bag with wheels near the site of the explosion on West 23rd street about 40 minutes before the blast, according to multiple local and federal law enforcement sources. 

Video shows the same man with what appears to be the same duffel bag on West 27th street about 10 minutes later, multiple law enforcement sources said.

In the video, the man leaves the duffel bag where police later found an unexploded pressure cooker. 

After he leaves, the video shows two men removing a white garbage bag believed to contain the pressure cooker from the duffel bag and leave it on the sidewalk, according to a senior law enforcement official and another source familiar with the video.

So why not tell us what the man looked like?

Authorities could have millions of New Yorkers looking out for this guy. By bowing to the forces of political correctness, authorities are potentially putting more lives in danger.

What we do know is that a letter was found with the second explosive device, and at least a part of that letter was written in Arabic...

In another new wrinkle, a hand-written letter, a portion of which is in Arabic, was found inside a plastic bag that held the second device, sources said.

Cops were interviewing two men who claim to have spotted a potential person of interest in the case, sources said.

The witnesses were dining at the Krush bar and grill on 32nd Street about a half-hour before the 8:30 p.m. Saturday explosion when they saw an Arab-looking man who was carrying a suitcase and appeared out of place, sources said.

According to the New York Post, a man called 911 after the Chelsea attack and warned that "there will be more" attacks. In their report, the New York Post did not indicate if there was anything distinctive about the man's voice. Once again, political correctness is getting in the way of solving the case.

But before we firmly conclude that this was act of Islamic terror, we should consider another possible explanation. According to the Daily Mail, someone on Tumblr took responsibility for the attack, and if he is telling the truth then this attack didn't have anything to do with Islam. This was his most recent blog post in its entirety...

Hi. You probably have all seen the news by now, the explosives detonated in New York City, that was me. Those were just some tests, I know where I have made errors and I will not make the same mistake next time.

I did it because I cannot stand society. I cannot live in a world where homosexuals like myself as well as the rest of the LGBTQ+ community are looked down upon by society.

It is 2016 and we are still being viewed as mentally ill, sinners, attention seekers, and just plain weirdos in general. I am not going to stand by while under classed and underprivileged people are oppressed.

I am not going to stand by while there is inequality in my country such as the racism being seen in white police officers all over the country.

I am not going to live in a country where it is OK to have a misogynist, xenophobic, racist Islamophobic, republican candidate running for President of The United States!

That's implying that republicans in general should even be taken seriously as they are all cisgendered privileged white people.

This is not the end, this is just the beginning. I will be remembered. I will make a difference. I will eliminate my targets before it is too late.

In addition to the attack in New York, there was also an explosion at a Marine Corps charity run in New Jersey. This is how that incident was described by CNN...

Saturday's blast was likely timed to disrupt the event in Seaside Park, officials said. No injuries were reported -- most likely because registration problems delayed the start of the race, so no one was near the garbage can when the explosion happened.

Investigators discovered three pipe-bomb-type devices wired together near the boardwalk, authorities said. An initial examination showed the devices were rudimentary, with some type of timer, and only one of them detonated, two federal law enforcement officials told CNN.

Authorities seem to believe that there is a link between the attacks in New York and New Jersey because both devices were detonated using flip-phones.

Meanwhile, nine people were injured when a knife-wielding attacker started assaulting people in a Macy's department store in St. Cloud, Minnesota...

The attacker, who was was wearing a private security uniform when he struck in St Cloud, Minnesota, was shot dead by an off-duty officer, authorities said.

St. Cloud Police Chief Blair Anderson said the knifeman made references to Allah during his attack and asked at least one person if they were a muslim.

In this case, we do know the identify of the attacker. His name was Dahir A. Adan...

The father of the man who stabbed nine people at a central Minnesota mall has identified him as a 22-year-old college student.

Ahmed Adan told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis that police told him Saturday night that his son, Dahir A. Adan, died at Crossroads Center mall in St. Cloud.

Dahir A. Adan was a Somali immigrant that had come to the United States 15 years ago. He currently was enrolled at St. Cloud Technical and Community College, but nobody is quite sure what made him flip out like that.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for this attack, and authorities are looking into what links Adan may have had with the group.

This is another example of why it is so alarming that Barack Obama has announced that we may see up to a fourfold increase in the number of refugees from Syria in 2017.

Without a doubt, most refugees are coming here for our help. But there are others that have other motives, and the past 24 hours have shown us how much damage just a handful of jihadists can do.

We live at a time when terror attacks are on the rise. Worldwide there have already been more than 1000 Islamic terror attacks so far in 2016, and this trend is only going to get worse during the years ahead.

Our world is becoming increasingly violent and unstable. The strategies that worked in the past will not necessarily work in the future, and we all need to start adjusting to the new reality.

Churches Forced to Confront Transgender Agenda
Sep 20th, 2016
CommentaryTom Alago
Categories: Contemporary Issues

The 'transgender agenda' has evolved and is spreading to the point where it is now a very real threat to Christian believers, churches, and ministries in the United States. It is becoming so woven into law and social fabric that those resisting transgenders or refusing to pander to their value systems now face some very real legal and licensing risks. 
Such would potentially include jail terms for 'non-compliant' church leaders and a shutdown of their churches or other facilities of ministry and worship. 

WND.com previously reported on the issue in Iowa in a report by Bob Unruh. There, a church sued the state in federal court, demanding that officials withdraw their threats of prosecution because of the content of the church's sermons, specifically what is said about homosexuality, same-sex "marriage," transgenderism and other related topics.

Most recently, Unruh  has further reported about orders for public building managers, for colleges and even for public schools to allow a male who says he's female to use locker rooms and restrooms set aside for women. The privacy and feelings of the biological females who are in those facilities are of no account.

Now a second state has decided that churches, too, are bound by the agenda. The Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination this month released a "Gender Identity Guidance" that imposes its demands on society.

"The Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination enforces [state law on discrimination]. The MCAD developed this guidance to educate the public about discrimination based on gender identity, to describe what evidence may be submitted to support a claim of gender identity discrimination, to inform individuals of their rights, and to assist employers, providers of housing, mortgage services, and owners, managers and agents of places of public accommodation in understanding their obligations."

The conflict arises under the instructions for "places of public accommodation."

"Under [the law] places of public accommodation may not discriminate against, or restrict a person from services because of that person's gender identity. For example, a hotel or motel may not refuse to book a room for a person because of the person's gender identity," the state threatens.

It continues, "Even a church could be seen as a place of public accommodation if it holds a secular event, such as a spaghetti supper, that is open to the general public."

The demands far exceed simply serving a meal to such persons, but include having church officials, and even members, use whatever pronouns a person would demand, irrespective of their actual gender.

Unruh further explains that at the Volokh Conspiracy legal blog, a commentary by Eugene Volokh pointed out that "churches hold events 'open to the general public' all the time - it's often how they seek new converts."

Volokh's commentary continued: "My guess is that most churches would not turn someone away from a generally open spaghetti supper. ... But some religious leaders, as well as the church employees and volunteers, may refuse to use pronouns that they believe are inconsistent with God's plan as revealed by anatomy."

"Under Massachusetts law, refusing to use a transgender person's preferred pronoun would be punishable discrimination...Indeed, a church might be liable even for statements by its congregants (and not just its volunteers, who are acting as agents) that are critical of transgender people. Tolerating such remarks is generally seen as allowing a 'hostile environment,' and therefore 'harassment'".

Lawyers for the Alliance Defending Freedom, who are representing the Iowa church, have filed a reply in support of their motion for a preliminary injunction that would protect the church members' constitutional rights while the case plays out.

Without that order, they contend the speech of the Fort Des Moines Church of Christ and its pastors and members is being unconstitutionally limited.

ADF Senior Counsel Steven O'Ban said that the court "should issue an injunction that makes certain that this law won't be enforced against our client while this lawsuit proceeds."

"Neither the commission nor any state law has the constitutional authority to dictate how a church uses its facility or what public statements a church can make concerning human sexuality," he said.

The state commission also claims the state law demands that people be given access to church restrooms and locker rooms according to "gender identity."

It remains to be seen how these attempts to rope churches into accepting transgenderism will eventually pan out, considering that the new pro-transgenderism laws are expected to be implemented in ways that ignore the Biblical and constitutional rights of the churches. It isn't surprising therefore that there have been legal push-backs.

What could easily ensue is a snowballing of these legal challenges by the LGTBQ and their proponents to the point where they become nationally enforced with total disregard for Christians and other opponents of immoral, unnatural and perverted views and practices.

As many predicted, this over-reach is evolving to the extreme, as the moral rot continues to grow.  Bethany Blankley, in a recent piece for charismanews.com, noted that the "gay rights" LGTBQ movement, by destroying the traditional institution of marriage, has made possible the extension of similar "legal rights" for other "lifestyle choices". 

These include zoophilia (bestiality), consanguine-amorous (incestuous) relationships, necrophilia (sex with corpses), pedophilia, polygamy, and every other "fluid" sexual preference or identification--including sologamy (marrying oneself) and trans-polyamorous (generally promiscuous) relationships.  

Efforts to normalize sex with animals as an accepted lifestyle choice resulted in one documentary winning an award this year that idolizes a sexual relationship between a man and his bottlenose dolphin lover.

Blankley also reports that now, incest activists in the consanguinamorous community argue it's their turn to have their sexual preference and lifestyle choice validated socially and legally. Because of a case in New Mexico that's making national headlines, incest activists argue to normalize their perversion using exactly the same arguments employed by homosexuals. 

"I was born this way."

"I can't choose who I love."

"I have a right to be happy just like everyone else."

"We aren't hurting anyone."

"Who is the government to legislate love?"

So much for endless human opinions, reflective of the degenerate 'anything goes' attitude that is so prevalent in today's secular and hedonistic culture. 

But does the Bible have anything specific to say about transgenderism? Kevin DeYoung, a recent contributor to the gospelcoalition.org blog believes so. 

DeYoung says that, in short, the Bible teaches that God made us male and female, and regardless of our 'feelings' or confusion, we should act in accordance with the biological reality of Gods very good design. Transgenderism falls short of the glory of God and is not the way to walk in obedience to Christ.

There are three big Scriptural building blocks that lead one inexorably to this conclusion and are as follows:

1. Gender Binary

The Bible knows no other gender categories besides male and female. Whereas men and women in Scripture may express their masculinity and femininity in a wonderful diversity of ways, Scripture still operates with the binary categories of men and women. You are one or the other...Indeed, when God created the first human pair in His image, He created them male and female (Genesis 1:27). 

2. Gender Identity

Someone with respect for Scripture may say at this point, "I agree that God makes as either male or female. But you are confusing biological sex with gender. I know transgender Christians who desire to embrace God's design for men and women, but they also believe that who God created them to be, does not correspond with the sex assigned to them at birth." 

DeYoung explains that the question is not whether such persons and feelings exist. The question is whether the 'is' of our emotional or mental state equals the 'ought' of God's design...Being "true to ourselves" is always a false choice when it means going against God's Word. We understand that following Christ means dying to ourselves (Matthew 16:24), being renewed in our minds (Romans 12:2), and no longer walking as we once did (Ephesians. 4:17-18).

3. Gender Confusion

The third building block follows naturally from the first two. If the binary of male and female is God's idea, and if we are meant to embrace, by divine design, our biological and creational difference as men and women, then it stands to reason that the confusion of these realities would be displeasing to God. 

And so we see clearly in the Bible that men should not act sexually as women (Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10), that men should not dress like women (Deuteronomy 22:5), and that when men and women embrace obviously other-gendered expressions of identity it is a disgrace (1 Corinthians 11:14-15). We do not have an inalienable right to do whatever we want with our physical selves. We belong to God and should glorify Him with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

As DeYoung aptly concludes: "... After all, the goal is not to build a wall to keep people out, but that God might build up His church in truth and grace that we can welcome people into, calling His image-bearers to embrace the life that is truly life" (1 Timothy  6:19).

A Palestinian State Cometh: UN Secretary - General Calls for Imminent Action
Sep 20th, 2016
Daily NewsMichael Snyder
Categories: The Nation Of Israel

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has harshly criticized Israeli settlements in the West Bank and is calling for urgent action to save "the two state solution". He insists that Israeli settlements in the West Bank "are illegal under international law" and he told reporters that the "occupation" of Palestinian-controlled territories "must end". 

These comments represent perhaps the strongest statements that any UN Secretary-General has ever made against Israel, and they come at a very ominous time. As I detailed just a few days ago, there is a major push to try to get some sort of UN Security Council resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before Barack Obama leaves office. 

As you will see below, this is something that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon obviously endorses.

Those that are hoping for a "two state solution" know that fresh negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians are not likely to happen any time in the near future. So if the "peace process" is going to move forward, it is going to have to happen at the United Nations.

Ban Ki-moon is among those that are desperate to try to save the "two state solution", and as the UN begins a new annual session this week he is urging imminent action. The following comes from the official UN website...

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for intensified efforts to encourage Israelis and Palestinians to take the difficult steps required to change the current destructive trajectory of the conflict, which is heading towards a "one-state reality" rather than a peaceful resolution.

"Twenty-three years ago, almost to the day, the first Oslo Accord was signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation," the Secretary-General told the Security Council in a briefing on the situation in the Middle East.

"Unfortunately, we are further than ever from its goals. The two-state solution is at risk of being replaced by a one-state reality of perpetual violence and occupation," he warned.

Using the term "occupation" clearly shows which side of the fence Ban Ki-moon is on, and he went on to declare that the "occupation" of the West Bank by Israel "must end"...

Turning to Israel's settlement activities, Mr. Ban said that in the past two weeks alone, plans were advanced for yet another 463 housing units in four settlements in Area C of the West Bank. Official Israeli data shows that the second quarter of 2016 had the highest number of construction starts in three years.

"The decades-long policy that has settled more than 500,000 Israelis in Palestinian territory is diametrically opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state," he said.

"Let me be absolutely clear: settlements are illegal under international law. The occupation, stifling and oppressive, must end," he said.

Those that have followed Ban Ki-moon's career know that he is a relatively soft-spoken guy.

To make these kinds of incendiary comments is basically his version of shouting from the rooftops. He appears to be obsessed with getting something done to formally establish a Palestinian state, and he knows that he realistically only has until January 20th, 2017 to accomplish his goal.

As I mentioned above, a new UN annual session begins this week, and many are concerned that a UN Security Council resolution that sets the parameters for a Palestinian state will be on the agenda. The following is from a Wall Street Journal article that was published just a couple of days ago...

The United Nations began its annual session this week, and Israel will be prominent on the agenda. Many fear the Security Council may consider a resolution setting definite territorial parameters, and a deadline, for the creation of a Palestinian state. President Obama has hinted that in the final months of his term, he may reverse the traditional U.S. policy of vetoing such resolutions. 

The General Assembly, meanwhile, is likely to act as the chorus in this drama, reciting its yearly litany of resolutions criticizing Israel.

If such a UN Security Council resolution gets passed, it will be far more important than the outcome of the U.S. presidential election in November.

The truth is that most Americans simply don't understand the importance of what is going on in the Middle East.

In fact, one recent survey discovered that less than a third of all U.S. Millennials can find Israel on a map of the world...

Less than one-third of US-educated millennials are able to identify Israel on a map, a new survey has found.

According to the joint study -- titled "What College-Aged Students Know About the World: A Survey on Global Literacy" -- conducted by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and National Geographic, a mere 31 percent of respondents knew the location of Israel on a map of the Middle East.

Can you believe that?

How can our young people go to school year after year after year and not be able to point to Israel on a world map?

That is inexcusable, and it is yet another example of how our system of education has become a complete and utter disgrace.

And I was shocked to learn that UC Berkeley was actually going to have a college course about how to remove Jewish "colonialists" from "the land of Palestine". The following comes from the Jerusalem Post...

This week I learned that beginning this year, the prestigious UC Berkeley will be offering a course on "settler colonialism" in Israel, meaning Jews as colonialists. "Drawing upon literature on decolonization, the course will explore the possibilities of a decolonized Palestine." 

In other words, let's talk about how to eradicate Israel altogether. But not only the course facilitator will explore these possibilities, students will be required to "research, formulate, and present decolonial alternatives to the current situation."

After criticism from the Jewish community, that course was canceled by UC Berkeley, but it still shows how anti-Semitism is on the rise in America.

All over the country, the tiny nation of Israel provokes extremely strong emotional reactions. Most people either really love the Jewish people or they really hate them.

And as the drama in the Middle East continues to unfold, support for Israel is going to become a major, major political issue in this nation.

But the very next thing that we are watching for is a UN Security Council resolution formally establishing a Palestinian state and granting them East Jerusalem as their capital.

Now that a new UN annual session has started, we are officially in the danger zone, and we will remain in the danger zone until the next president is inaugurated on January 20th, 2017.

Let us hope that nothing happens between now and then, because such a resolution would be one of the worst things that Barack Obama could possibly do.