Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Why Preachers Mustn't be Silent on Cultural Issues
Sep 24th, 2019
CommentaryJOHN STONESTREET/BREAKPOINT.ORG
Categories: Contemporary Issues

Earlier this month, South Bend, IN, Mayor and presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg quoted the Bible in an attempt to speak to the question of abortion: "There are a lot of parts of the Bible that talk about how life begins with breath, and so even that is something that we can interpret differently."

If we applied the Bible in the way Mayor Pete suggests, abortion would be justified up until birth, a position now firmly embedded and championed across the Democratic Party.

One of the ways Mayor Pete has distinguished his candidacy from all of the other Democratic hopefuls for president is through constant reference to his religious faith. Already, Buttigieg has applied (and often, misapplied) the Bible to support far-left positions on several cultural issues, including economic policy and same-sex marriage.

These Biblical misapplications are easily taken apart. Or, at least, they should be. The Bible clearly treats unborn babies as persons, see Psalm 139 and Luke 1:15, and Jesus clearly affirms the Genesis account of marriage as between a man and a woman, see Matthew 19:4.

In fact, the Bible Buttigieg goes to for his political positions is missing a lot of pages, and suspiciously reads a whole lot like his party's platform. As Ross Douthat put it, Buttigieg doesn't appear to "support any policy that deviates from the progressive catechism."

Of course, Buttigieg has every right to sermonize. My concern here is what makes it effective. It certainly isn't the strength of his biblical argumentation. As I said on Twitter: "What makes #MayorPete's gross misapplication of Scripture to cultural issues so troubling and so effective is the incredible void left when many pastors who won't apply Scripture to cultural issues."

The reason Buttigieg gets so much mileage out of his biblically revised one-liners is because so many Christians do not get a steady diet of the Bible applied to cultural issues, particularly from the pulpit.

Buttigieg is filling a void that's been left by pastors who only teach the Bible as a personal, private self-help book, in order to help us find our purpose, improve our lives, and feel closer to God. 

For example, back in 2016, when Colorado was facing a ballot initiative on doctor-assisted suicide, at least two prominent pastors told me they wouldn't address it from the pulpit because it was "too political."

A Christianity that is never directly and broadly applied to the cultural moment we live in is one that is eventually reduced down to emotive sentimentalism. A friend responded to my tweet with this one that further clarifies the problem Buttigieg is revealing in the church: "Also, he's Very Nice. Reducing Christianity to bland platitudes and vague kindness leaves us utterly defenseless when the snake oil salesman is vaguely kind too."

Exactly. Do the math. Too many Christians never hear the Bible applied to cultural issues. Too many Christians are left with the impression that Christianity is about being "nice" and happy. Mayor Pete is "nice" and happy. Mayor Pete applies the Bible to cultural issues.

As one of my Tennessee friends used to say, "This ain't rocket surgery."

Christianity is, of course, personal. But it's not private. To say, as Jesus' first followers did, that "Christ is Lord" is to state a public truth. Christ is sovereign not just over our salvation, but over everything. And if Christianity is true, its truth applies to every sphere of life.

I am grateful for those pastors and preachers, and there are many of them, who clearly and courageously articulate the whole truth of the Bible, working out its implications from the pulpit for the cultural moment in which we live.

There's a scene in "Remember the Titans" in which Denzel Washington's character tells his white assistant coach to stop coddling the team's black players. He knows the racist hatred these young men will face. "You're not preparing them for the real world," he says. "You're crippling them for life."

In the same way, pastors who use the Scripture to coddle our emotions, but never apply Scripture to hot-button issues, will leave their flocks cripplingly vulnerable when politicians twist the Bible to their own ends.

Wherefore Look Ye so Sadly to - Day? - Genesis 40:7
Sep 24th, 2019
Morning MeditationF. B. Meyer
Categories: Meditation;Inspirational;Book Study

We may learn from Joseph the true method of bearing grief. Joseph might have become moody and sullen, absorbed in his own misfortunes, and pessimistic about the course of human life. How far removed from all this was his behavior!

He filled his time with ministry. - The captain of the guard charged him with two state-prisoners, and he ministered unto them. A new interest came into his life, and he almost forgot the heavy pressure of his own troubles amid the interest of listening to the tales of those who were more unfortunate than himself. Do not nurse your grief in lonely brooding: arise and minister to some one; do something in the world; exert yourself to alleviate the sufferings of those close by your side, who have not so clear a conscience or so bright a trust in God.

He was quick to sympathize and comfort. - Quick to notice traces of sorrow, because he had sorrowed; able to sympathize, because he had wept; adept at comforting, because he had been comforted of God. We gain comfort when we attempt to comfort. Out of such intercourse we get what Joseph got - the key which will unlock the heavy doors by which we have been shut in. Light a fire in another's heart, and your own heart will be warmed.

He kept his faith in God. - Depression, captivity, loneliness, separation from those he loved, could not quench his faith in God. Still God was near and precious to him. The stifling darkness and oppression of the prison were irksome to the free child of the camp; but God was as near as in Jacob's tent. There is no evil to them that love God; and the believer loses sight of second causes in the contemplation of the unfolding of the mystery of his Father's will.

Live Birth Abortions Continue to Happen in Canada
Sep 24th, 2019
CommentaryJONATHON VAN MAREN/BRIDGEHEAD.CA
Categories: Moral Decline

One of Canada's best pro-life bloggers is Pat Maloney, who writes at Run With Life and has consistently made use of Freedom of Access to Information Requests to uncover shocking and sobering information about Canada's ugly abortion regime. 

Her work on the issue of babies born alive in Canada after abortions and left to die, and her research into the 491 babies that survived abortions and subsequently died between 2000 and 2009 triggered a National Post investigation and a call by Members of Parliament for RCMP involvement. 

In a country where there are no legal restrictions on abortion from fertilization until birth, awful things are guaranteed to occur. Maloney has been fantastic at uncovering those horrors.

Her latest discovery is timely considering the fact that abortion, as always, is a hot topic in Canada's federal election (never in the history of the country has there been a "closed debate" that receives so much media attention, stump campaigning, and oppo research.) 

Canada's progressive politicians (who only campaign on their pro-abortion credentials in English and French, but ensure that their campaign literature in Punjabi, Urdu, and other common languages avoid all social conservative issues to avoid alienating new Canadians, who reliably tell pollsters that regardless of how they vote, they are very traditionalist in regard to their values.) 

Research like Maloney's is very inconvenient to the progressive narrative of a compassionately pro-choice country:

Live birth abortions continue to happen in Canada

Here are the latest numbers of late term abortions in Canada from CIHI. There were 910 late-term (20 weeks and greater) stillbirths and 150 born alive abortions. ([See] previous years here.)

20 of these born alive abortions were greater than 25 weeks gestation.

107 of these born alive abortions were between 21 - 24 weeks gestation.

23 of these born alive abortions were 20 weeks gestation.

Note: These are for hospital abortions only and do not include clinics or physician's offices. These numbers also do not include late-term abortions done in Quebec.

Think about this carefully for a moment: A "born alive abortion" means that the child was born, and then subsequently died, often in the presence of parents or medical personnel. 

This is happening in Canada, while Justin Trudeau scampers across the country claiming that opposition to these sorts of things is evidence of a medieval mindset. 

His government is funding the death of these children around the world and in developing countries--and although he likes to claim that Canadians are in lockstep behind him on this issue, keep in mind that a full 80% of Canadians do not know that we have no restrictions on abortion. That means that the vast majority of people who are claiming to support Canada's abortion regime have no idea how brutal and extreme that regime actually is.

And that, of course, is why abortion activists will do everything to try and close this debate, including the censorship of billboards that simply read "Canada has no abortion laws." 

The supporters of Canada's abortion regime would like the discussion to be filled with rhetoric and devoid of facts--and they want to keep the babies who perish after being born out of sight, tucked away in medical bio-hazardous waste buckets or in dumpsters with lids shut tight. 

Maloney has reminded us once again that they were here, briefly, before dying before they could even see or enjoy this country that our politicians will spend the upcoming weeks bragging about. 

For them, the promise of Canada is a cruel joke.

Let the Headlines Speak
Sep 24th, 2019
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines

NASA Finds Weird Magnetic Pulses on Mars
Notice a weird magnetic pulse? You must be on Mars around midnight. At least that’s what NASA’s InSight lander is finding as it probes the planet for clues to its history, National Geographic reports. The robotic geophysicist—which is recording tremors, measuring ground temperatures, etc—also says there’s much more magnetism in the planet’s crust than expected. “We’re getting an insight into Mars’ magnetic history in a way we’ve never had before,” says a planetary geologist.

The NSA Is Running a Satellite Hacking Experiment
It absolutely is possible to conduct cyber attacks against satellites,” said Brian Weeden, director of program planning for Secure World Foundation. “Satellites and their ground systems are increasingly just computers running some specialized software, but they often run common OSes like Unix or Linux. They are vulnerable to many of the same cyber attacks as every other computer system out there…You generally need access to a specialized ground antenna and wait for the satellite to pass overhead before sending it commands. But if you can hack into the computers controlling that antenna, then you could be in business.”

‘Deal of the Century’ to be significantly delayed
US official tells Arutz Sheva that the election results have changed the picture and peace plan won’t be published any time soon. “There is a different situation here and there may be a fundamentally different government than the one we have been working with in recent years. There is also no certainty that the Prime Minister will be the same person who is currently in office. Therefore, further examination of the situation will be required and the publication of the peace plan will be significantly delayed,” said the senior official.

The AfD’s Ongoing Slide toward Right-Wing Extremism
In recent state elections, the right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany won almost a quarter of the votes. It was primarily radical candidates from the right-wing fringe who emerged triumphant. The party is continuing its slide into extremism.

Democrats Panic Over Biden-Ukraine Scandal As MSM Hits Full Spin Cycle
As Joe Biden plummets in the popularity, Democratic lawmakers and the MSM have gone into panic mode after a whistleblower report of political malfeasance during a July phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the Biden family’s dealings turned out to be fake news. Since the initial report, the Trump-Zelensky call has been downgraded to remove implications of a quid pro quo – and attention is now turning to what the Bidens actually did. Joe Biden, in his own words, in multiple interviews, said that he threw the straw and had to go to the Ukraine and have a conversation and tell them to fire the individual that was doing the investigation into his son…,”

Erdoğan in New York to attend UN General Assembly
Erdoğan said he would address international peace and security issues at the UN General Assembly on the first day of the General Debate on Sept. 24.

‘Marxism’ Pervades Catholic Church in Germany
The German Church’s controversial plan includes the creation of an unprecedented “Synodal Assembly” in close partnership with the Central Committee of German Catholics, a lay group that has demanded the ordination of women, an end to clerical celibacy, the blessing of same-sex unions by the Church and rethinking of all Catholic teachings on sexuality.

Army’s New Weapons System Cuts Down Drone Swarms Like a Hot Knife Through Butter
As part of the “smallest, most mobile dome of protection” for troops on the ground, this system can engage anything a traditional machine gun can. While not a weapon itself, the BLADE is a set of technologies that can push a soldier’s armament to feats of superhuman accuracy and reliability. “Anyone who has fired a machine gun knows how difficult it is to hit a moving target,” the Army’s announcement read.

British press spun ‘positive’ Brexit meeting with Boris Johnson: EU leader
“This was a rather positive meeting,” he said. “Although the British press was reporting it in the other way. But we can get (a deal) done.” “I’m doing everything possible to have a deal (made), because I don’t like the idea of no deal… this would have catastrophic consequences for Britain and the European Union.”

The Equinox Marked at Dawn in the Wheel of the Giants of the Bashan
Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remaining Rephaim. The formation is not recognizable from the ground, appearing as random piles of rocks, but from above it is quite impressive, with an outer ring more than nearly 520 feet wide and eight feet high. It is called Rujm el-Hiri in Arabic, meaning the “stone heap of the wild cat”, and in Hebrew as Gilgal Refaim, or Wheel of the Giants.

Muslims Rooting for Kohanic (Priestly) Replacement of Netanyahu
A wave of Arab media are reacting to the Israeli elections by predicting that Likud will soon have a new leader, one who will carry on Netanyahu’s tradition in a spiritual vein. The possibility of a Netanyahu replacement was quickly picked up by other Arab media. Iran Press took it one step further, claiming the change was imminent:

Israel’s president wraps up talks on forming new government
Israel’s president was to hold his second and final day of crucial talks to find a new prime minister and way out of political deadlock, as he meets with the smaller parties elected in last week’s vote. Reuven Rivlin was to hear from the remaining party leaders on Monday their recommendations for his choice to head a government.

Pope Francis Warns: Money Is ‘the Devil’s Dung’
Pope Francis returned to his criticisms of the economy Sunday, saying that money is “dishonest wealth,” also known as “the devil’s dung.”

United Methodists Float Plans to Split Denomination after LGBTQ Vote
The United Methodist Church’s deadline for petitions for its next global meeting passed Wednesday (Sept. 18), setting the terms for a final reckoning with LGBTQ issues that have divided the denomination for more than 40 years.

Typhoon Tapah slams Okinawa and moves toward Kyushu, closing some Rugby World Cub fanzones
A large, strong typhoon churning over Okinawa Prefecture on Saturday threatened to bring heavy rain and winds to wide areas of Japan over the weekend, the Meteorological Agency said.

Loud explosion at Piparo mud volcano, cracks appearing across roads, Trinidad and Tobago
Residents living near Piparo mud volcano, Trinidad and Tobago reported they heard a loud explosion at 22:08 local time, September 21, 2019 (02:08 UTC, September 22). In May 2019, geologists said pressure is building up under the volcano, raising fears another eruption is imminent. A devastating eruption took place at the volcano 22 years ago. Piparo has a cyclic­i­ty of large erup­tions every 25 to 30 years.

Children as young as SIX are to be given compulsory self-touching lessons
Children as young as six are being taught about touching or ‘stimulating’ their own genitals as part of classes that will become compulsory in hundreds of primary schools.

Facebook suspends tens of thousands of apps following data investigation
Facebook said Friday it has suspended “tens of thousands” of apps that may have mishandled users’ personal data, sparking fresh concerns about the tech giant’s privacy practices and exposing it to another potential standoff with U.S. regulators.

10,500 Steaks at Dem Steak Fry Despite Meat Consumption Concerns
Democrat presidential candidates took part in the Polk County Democrats Steak Fry in Iowa Saturday, which featured thousands of sizzling steaks.

Trump Warns UNC and Duke They Will Lose Funding Over Islamic Teachings
President Trump has notified the University of North Carolina and Duke that he will pull federal funding over their Islamic propaganda. The two schools held a symposium that turned out to be a Jewish bash-fest.

The Catholic-Muslim Interfaith Council Created By Pope Francis Announces New Chrislam Headquarters Opening In 2022 That Combines A Mosque And Church According To Signed Covenant
As far as advancing the end times timeline goes, 2019 has been a banner year for Pope Francis and the coming One World Religion. We told you back in February that the pope has travelled to Abu Dhabi where he met with Sunni Muslim leader Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb.

The Bill Gates and Jeffrey Epstein connection goes deeper, as both shared interests in eugenics 
What in the world would Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates want with a convicted pedophile named Jeffrey Epstein? The disgraced Epstein had already been convicted of two counts of soliciting underage girls for prostitution before he met Gates. Still, Epstein’s influence in the world of billionaires remained. Flight logs show that Bill Gates flew privately with Epstein in 2013, long after Epstein was a known trafficker of young women.