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Daily Archives: January 2, 2015
Do you sound like an angry talk show host or a Christian?
Round-up: responses to Kurt Eichenwald’s Newsweek article, ‘The Bible: So Misunderstood It’s a Sin’
January 2, 2014: Truth2Freedom Daily Briefing Report and News Headline Alerts
Jan. 2, 2015
BLOOMBERG
Mario Cuomo, the three-term New York governor who twice declined entreaties to run for president, has died. He was 82.
It’s the final weekend of freedom for the 74 men and women who will make up the freshman class of the 114th Congress. They’re about to dive into Washington politics, an arena many of them declared a cesspool during their campaigns. Some may be unrecognizable the next time they come up for air.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has resigned from all nonprofit and corporate boards as he explores a presidential campaign.
Palestinians applied to join the International Criminal Court and other global bodies, in a defiant move a day after the United Nations Security Council rejected a resolution requiring Israel to withdraw from territories it captured more than four decades ago.
Fewer Americans filed applications for unemployment benefits in 2014 than at any time in 14 years as the economic expansion strengthened. An average 308,500 workers a week filed jobless claims this year, the least since 299,600 in 2000.
Municipalities that installed traffic cameras to boost revenue are scraping for cash to fill budget gaps after complaints by irate drivers forced them to cancel their use.
Mario Draghi gave his strongest signal yet that the European Central Bank is likely to start large-scale government-bond purchases by saying he can’t rule out deflation in the euro area.
Singapore’s home prices dropped for a fifth consecutive quarter, the longest losing streak in more than a decade, as tighter mortgage curbs cooled demand in Asia’s second-most expensive housing market.
Manufacturing in the U.S. cooled in December, settling into a more sustainable pace of growth as the year drew to a close.
Oil dropped to the lowest since May 2009 amid growing supply from Russia and Iraq and signs of manufacturing weakness in Europe and China.
China demanded a review of crowd-safety procedures as dozens of people remain in Shanghai’s hospitals after a deadly stampede on New Year’s Eve killed 36 and caused the cancellation of celebrations across the city.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will hire a laboratory safety supervisor after an Ebola virus sample was mishandled last week, the third reported safety lapse with potentially dangerous pathogens at the agency’s labs in the past year.
AP Top Stories
After nearly a week of searching for the victims of AirAsia Flight 8501, rescue teams battling monsoon rains had their most successful day yet on Friday, more than tripling the number of bodies pulled from the Java Sea, some still strapped to their seats.
A Florida man is charged with first-degree murder after his mother was found decapitated outside their home on New Year’s Eve.
China’s Three Gorges dam has broken the world record for annual hydroelectric power production, more than a decade after it became the world’s largest power plant.
A judge has ordered a California lawyer to pay four prominent non-profit groups, including Doctors Without Borders, a total of $4.3 million for using “undue influence” in arranging to inherit money a client originally meant to leave for charity.
India has scrapped its 65-year-old Planning Commission, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused of stifling growth with Soviet-style bureaucracy, replacing it on Thursday with a body he said would do more to involve the regions.
Kenya’s High Court suspended key parts of a controversial new national security law Friday that the opposition had warned risked turning the east African nation into a dictatorship.
The parents of two teens involved in a Fayetteville store burglary have turned their sons in to police after seeing the surveillance on ABC11.
BBC
“Suggestion of impropriety with minors untrue,” said Buckingham Palace after Prince Andrew named in US sex lawsuit.
Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has commuted the sentence of the state’s four remaining death row inmates to life in prison.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was sworn in for a second term, telling supporters she plans to extend social programs and tackle corruption.
The deadly Ebola outbreak will be ended in 2015, although health teams face an “epic battle”, said the head of the UN team fighting the disease.
Mock security drills in India caused outrage after videos emerge showing the “militants” wearing Muslim skullcaps and shouting pro-Islam slogans.
Japan’s birth rate slumped to a record low in 2014, health ministry figures show, with barely 1m newborns in 2014 – 9,000 fewer than in 2013.
The year 2014 was the deadliest year yet in Syria’s four-year conflict, with over 76,000 killed, 17,790 of the dead were civilians, including 3,501 children.
WND
Approximately 700 Planned Parenthood health centers in the U.S. performed a total of 327,653 abortions in the fiscal year. $528.4 million of the organization’s revenues – 41 percent of its total funds – come from “government health services and grants and reimbursements.”
Reports that Islamic State militants in Mosul have contracted Ebola swirled though Iraqi media sources on Wednesday. World Health Organization officials said they haven’t confirmed the cases, but the organization has reached out to offer assistance.
Daily Digest
January 2, 2015
THE FOUNDATION
“During the course of administration, and in order to disturb it, the artillery of the press has been leveled against us, charged with whatsoever its licentiousness could devise or dare. These abuses of an institution so important to freedom and science are deeply to be regretted, inasmuch as they tend to lessen its usefulness and to sap its safety.” –Thomas Jefferson, Second Inaugural Address, 1805
TOP 5 RIGHT HOOKS
DC Judge Rejects Lawsuit Against Obama’s Amnesty
A federal judge kicked the fight to block Barack Obama’s executive immigration action back into Congress. Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for District of Columbia denied a lawsuit from Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona. Howell said the sheriff didn’t demonstrate how Obama’s actions harmed him and his county — figures, she’s an Obama appointee. But in the ruling, Howell did provide a path for conservatives to attack Obama’s immigration action. “Should Congress disagree with the enforcement priorities set out by DHS in the challenged policies,” she wrote, “Congress has the ability to appropriate funds solely for removal, and the president cannot refuse to expend funds appropriated by Congress.” Moreover, the fight over Obama’s executive actions is not over in the courts, as the lawsuit against the executive legislation brought by 24 states continues to move forward. Put this way, about half of the states stand against Obama’s executive action. Congress should not waver in February when the budget fight is renewed. More…
Presidential Golf Disrupts Wedding
Barack Obama loves golf. He loves it so much that he golfed with the radical Islamist prime minister of Malaysia, who has praised ISIL. And he loves it so much that two Army captains had to move their wedding to accommodate him. Bloomberg reports, “Natalie Heimel and her fiancé, Edward Mallue Jr., a pair of captains in the Army, were walking from their wedding rehearsal on Saturday at the 16th tee box at Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course in Hawaii when they were informed they’d have to move their wedding, scheduled for the next day. President Barack Obama wanted to play through.” To make matters worse, the pair invited Obama to the wedding but received his regrets, albeit with congratulations and well wishes. And naturally, he heard about the whole episode on the news. When asked by Bloomberg about the faux pas, Obama said, “I feel terrible. Nobody told us.” He then called the bride to apologize. She was upset but took it in stride, saying, “We knew there were two things that could mess up the wedding: One was weather and the other was the president.” And one is more predictable than the other. More…
Too Good to Check: The Racist Republican
Republicans haven’t even officially taken control of both houses of Congress yet and they’re already embroiled in a drummed-up scandal. Specifically, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) is a “racist” — like all other Republicans. Why? Because in 2002 he allegedly spoke to a Louisiana white supremacist group affiliated with infamous racist and anti-Semite David Duke, a former KKK leader who ran for multiple elected offices in Louisiana. Reactionary head hunting aside, Scalise didn’t actually speak to the supremacist group in question but to a civic-association meeting before the racist conference began. The two happened to be in the same venue, but at different times. As National Review’s Quin Hillyer, who knows Scalise personally, sums up, “In short, the more we find out about that event, and about Scalise, the more this whole ‘scandal’ looks like a case of guilt not just by association, but by unintentional, second-degree association — a guilt wrongly assessed against a man with a long record of working not to divide the races but to bridge the differences between them.” Even Democrat Rep. Cedric Richmond of New Orleans said Scalise “does not have a racist bone in his body.” But never mind the facts when the Leftmedia can claim a Republican scalp. Still, Scalise took the high road and apologized, while condemning the supremacist group. Perhaps now the media could look into Democrat Sen. Cory Booker, whose website featured David Duke propaganda.
Cops Still Protesting de Blasio
When two NYPD police officers were assassinated last month in a racially motivated attack in retribution for the death of Eric Garner, it was clear the blame rested with the race-bait rhetoric spewed by Barack Obama, Eric Holder, Al Sharpton and Bill de Blasio. New York City’s mayor particularly exasperated cops by blaming “centuries of racism” and criticizing law enforcement. When de Blasio visited the hospital where the bodies of the two officers were taken, other officers there turned their backs on him. They did so again at the funeral for Officer Rafael Ramos last Saturday — for which de Blasio was two hours late. No matter the sentiment, police commissioner Bill Bratton called the move “very inappropriate.” Former mayor Rudy Giuliani likewise said, “[It] doesn’t matter if you like the mayor or you hate the mayor, you have to respect the mayor’s position.” However, de Blasio’s main problem is that he hasn’t proved himself worthy of respect.
New Year Rings in Barrage of State Laws
Can we have just one year where lawmakers make a New Year’s resolution to trim the pork spending and simplify the law books? The first day of 2015 saw many laws go into effect around the nation, from raising the minimum wage in seven states to banning photographs with big cats in New York. Among the more burdensome pieces of legislation, New York residents are now required to recycle old electronics, and students in Nevada can lose their driving licenses if they skip school one too many times. There are, however laws to ensure government doesn’t micromanage daily life. The Associated Press reports, “In Utah, cities and towns can no longer ban specific dog breeds within their limits. At least 10 cities now have restrictions that ban ownership of breeds such as pit bulls.” And a Pennsylvania law goes into effect Jan. 5 that gives gun owners and the NRA more leverage in challenging — and ultimately repealing — burdensome local ordinances that tread on the Second Amendment. While some laws continue to ensure Liberty and Rule of Law, most of the legislation only adds meddlesome red tape. More…
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Have We Finally Turned the Corner?
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| The silver lining |
As 2014 came to a close, it was all about economic good news. Leading off the parade: In December, the Dow Jones Industrial Average capped off a torrid year of 7.5% growth when it reached 18,000 for the first time. Meanwhile, GDP grew at a 4.6% annual rate in the second quarter and an even faster 5% in the third — a pace not seen since 2003. And on top of that, Americans saved $14 billion at the gas pump in 2014, and could save even more this year. Things are looking a bit brighter for 2015.
With all that economic good news, experts feel the job market will further strengthen in 2015 so the headline unemployment rate will slide ever closer to 5%. The labor market may remain a little bit soft as the long-term unemployed will be the last to find work, but as a whole it’s no wonder the Left is boasting of the “Obama boom.” Even those on the Right are admitting this may end the “Age of Suck.”
This general feeling of economic optimism is reflected in increasing consumer confidence. While some worried about sluggish Black Friday sales as well as slower than expected last-minute shopping at retailers as the Christmas season wound down, online purchasing was strong enough to keep sales right around their predicted growth rate for the 2014 season.
While some try to credit Barack Obama for the rebound, the good news is rooted in two areas the president has tried his best to obstruct.
One is an overall slowdown in government spending growth, which is declining as a percentage of GDP. Congress hasn’t done nearly enough to cut spending given its tendency to govern by continuing resolution rather than a set budget — meaning the Obama spending bonanza of 2009 and 2010 is the new minimum.
But as columnist David Harsanyi puts it, “After [2010], Congress, year by year, became one of the least productive in history. And the more unproductive Washington became, the more the economy began to improve.”
The key date is 2010, when Republicans took over the House. Harsanyi argues gridlock has created part of this improvement, and there’s a compelling argument for that point. Imagine what we may have been saddled with had Republicans not taken over the House in 2010: endless government “stimulus” programs, cap and trade, and a faster implementation of ObamaCare for starters — all leading to a national debt far larger than the already-astronomical one we’re facing now.
Another part of the economic rebound stems from lower oil prices, which have plummeted by nearly half in the last six months. That steep drop is now reflected in gas-pump prices, resulting in what Citigroup estimates as an average $1,150 annual boost to consumers. This boom could have been amplified still further if not for Obama’s stalling of the Keystone XL pipeline or his refusal to open up federally controlled land to oil exploration. An activist EPA also waits in the wings with the potential for crippling regulations similar to those imposed on the coal industry.
Obama can try his best, but no president has figured out a way to kill the American free enterprise system. Its resilience has brought us out of numerous depressions, panics, recessions and economic slumps over the years as enough people found a way to work through or around the situation.
We will begin to see the effects of a truly divided government, with Republicans now totally in charge of Congress and Obama threatening to veto more legislation. “I haven’t used the veto pen very often since I’ve been in office,” Obama not-so-subtly threatened last month. “Now, I suspect, there are going to be some times where I’ve got to pull that pen out.”
While the economy is improving — at least according to the numbers our government releases, if not necessarily everyone’s personal situation — it will be up to those respective sides to make the case why things could be even better if their vision prevails. It’s a battle that will be joined as contenders for the 2016 presidential election come onto the scene and spell out their plans to continue the momentum.
Obama’s New Year’s Resolution: More Obama
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Barack Obama sat down with NPR before leaving for Hawaii for his lavish taxpayer-funded holiday to let people know he plans on staying the (golf) course in his final two years in office. The big takeaway from the 40-minute Leftmedia lovefest: He has no intention of changing his game plan.
Obama insists the reason the Democrats were beaten so badly in November was because they didn’t run on his record. “I’m obviously frustrated with the results of the midterm election,” he told NPR. “I think we had a great record for members of Congress to run on.”
Perhaps the president was referring to ObamaCare, which has never achieved any level of respect or approval from the American people. Broken websites, hidden fees, millions kicked off their insurance and a steadily growing bureaucratic nightmare that would make any Beltway pencil-pusher proud — these are just some of the elements of the fiasco that has become Obama’s signature piece of legislation.
Or maybe Obama was referring to the rebounding economy, which is indeed improved but still features tens of millions who have been unemployed for so long that they aren’t even counted in the nation’s official unemployment figures. This, together with literally thousands of new and existing federal regulations stifling small business growth, has laid the groundwork for the weakest economic recovery in modern American history.
Whatever skewed view Obama has about the state of domestic affairs, he feels liberated to continue pushing his agenda, which was soundly rejected by voters in 2010 and 2014. It sends a shudder down the spine to hear the president speak of his liberation from ever having to face voters again. Indeed, since November he has unilaterally acted to grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants and lift the embargo against Cuba. He will have to defend these actions later this month when the Republican House and Senate come back to Washington, but he doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by that.
Obama’s ego, which is considerable, has been boosted as of late by a bump in poll numbers, no doubt fueled by supporters who are comfortable with his imperial presidency. That being the case, we can expect more executive actions and more attempts to bypass Congress and the Constitution to enact his agenda. “I’ve never been persuaded by this argument that if it weren’t for the executive actions they would have been more productive,” he told NPR. “There’s no evidence of that. So I intend to continue to do what I’ve been doing.”
Obama promises that he will use his veto power to protect ObamaCare and other actions that Democrats and federal officials created in the early years of his presidency. When asked about how he plans to work with Congress after several years of frosty relations, Obama said that he has no plans to change his course, but rather he hopes Republicans will change theirs. Clearly, we shouldn’t expect any major bipartisan agreements to come in the next two years.
Obama revealed that he is motivated more by cementing his own legacy for the history books than what is good for the country. His surprise lifting of the Cuba embargo, granted without any reciprocity from the Castro dictatorship, is a perfect example. While he says he has no plan to make the same overtures to Iran, Obama qualified his remarks with, “I never say never.” His meager attempts to squelch that country’s nuclear ambitions or its support of terrorism have given Iran the upper hand in any negotiation that may transpire in the next two years.
Republicans will have their hands full in dealing with the president. He has negated the concept of the lame-duck presidency not through political savvy but through imperial actions fueled by his narcissism.
TOP 5 RIGHT OPINION COLUMNS
- Arnold Ahlert: The ‘Good War’ Obama Surrendered
- Mona Charen: Who Had the Worst Year? Jonathan Gruber
- Victor Davis Hanson: The Ironies of Oil
- Charles Krauthammer: Nylons for Nothing
- Michael Barone: Voter Turnout Boomed Under Bush, Not Under Obama
OPINION IN BRIEF
British novelist C.S. Lewis (1898-1963): “One school of psychology regards my religion as a neurosis. If this neurosis ever becomes inconvenient to Government, what is to prevent my being subjected to a compulsory ‘cure’? It may be painful; treatments sometimes are. But it will be no use asking, ‘What have I done to deserve this?’ The Straightener will reply: ‘But, my dear fellow, no one’s blaming you. We no longer believe in retributive justice. We’re healing you.'”
Mona Charen: “Recall that the 2005 best-seller ‘Freakonomics’ made a huge splash with the claim that Roe v. Wade was responsible for the drop in crime America experienced starting in the 1990s. The theory, simplified for space, was that fewer unwanted babies began to be born after 1973. These aborted babies did not turn 18 in 1991 and, accordingly, did not commit crimes, leading to the dramatic drop in crime. It turns out that the study on which the ‘Freakonomics’ authors based their chapter on abortion and crime was authored by none other than Jonathan Gruber (and others). … Considering that 30 percent of abortions are obtained by African-American women, though they constitute just 13 percent of the female population, Gruber was in effect arguing that reducing the number of poor black children was, not to put too fine a point on it, a positive good. One cannot begin to imagine the outcry if a conservative academic (that rare specimen) had published similar conclusions with such sang-froid. … [W]hat’s more revealing is the casual readiness to calculate lost lives as so many numbers on a balance sheet. If it makes you uncomfortable that such a person helped design Obamacare, you’re not alone.”
Victor Davis Hanson: “Oilmen, not the government, returned hundreds of billions of dollars to American consumers. They, not Ivy League experts and Wall Street grandees, kick-started the economy where federal subsidies had failed to. They, not the policies of the Obama administration or the rhetoric of Secretary of State John Kerry, weakened our enemies. Almost everything Obama tried for six years in an effort to rev the economy — from near-zero interest rates and $1 trillion annual budget deficits to Obamacare and vast increases in entitlements — has failed. His foreign-policy stances of resets and leading from behind led to chaos and emboldened enemies. Yet the United States economy is slowly recovering with cheap energy. Consumers have more money. Industries are returning to U.S. soil. … What Obama once ridiculed is now saving him from himself — after he had championed policies that nearly destroyed him. The Greeks had a word for it: irony.”
Comedian Argus Hamilton: “Obama took off for Hawaii on a two-week vacation where he will relax with his pals, play golf, watch a lot of football and basketball on TV and catch up on movies. Doesn’t he ever like to change things around? The idea of a vacation is to get away from your day-to-day routine.”
Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis!
Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen — standing in harm’s way in defense of Liberty, and for their families.
“The Patriot Post (www.patriotpost.us/subscribe/ )”
January 1, 2015
CONSERVATIVE HQ — CHQ Chairman Richard A. Viguerie has been calling for the replacement of GOP Speaker of the House John Boehner arguing that Boehner’s not a conservative and that his regular failures of leadership disqualify him from heading the largest House Republican majority since 1928…. (more)
January 1, 2015
CONSERVATIVE HQ — It is somewhat lost to history now, but the modern conservative movement grew alongside the civil rights movement. Some fifty years ago William F. Buckley, Jr. made constitutional principles, such as equal protection of the law, fundamental tenets of the modern conservative movement… (more)
December 31, 2014
YOUTUBE — Speaker Boehner keeps enabling Obama – not stopping him. Demand a new House Speaker…. (more)
December 31, 2014
PATRICK GARRY, RA ANALYST — Job creation at every level. The ability of every parent to choose the school his or her child attends. A greater mobility for those at the bottom rungs of the economic ladder. A reformed and more affordable higher education system. Targeted tax relief for low-income workers and parents. Greater access to job-skill education programs… (more)
December 31, 2014
WORLDNETDAILY — Faced with political division regarded by some as worse than at any time since the Civil War, a broken economy, unprecedented national debt, abuse of executive power, an out-of-control judiciary and collapsing public morals, American voters overwhelmingly backed the Republican Party in the midterm elections, clearly signaling a desire to return to the nation’s founding principles…. (more)
December 31, 2014
WASHINGTON EXAMINER — The pace of agencies issuing new rules and regulations has hit a record high under President Obama, whose administration’s rules have filled 468,500 pages in the Federal Register. And, according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the president is poised to unleash another 2,375 new rules on American businesses without first giving Congress an up or down vote…. (more)
December 31, 2014
AARON KLEIN — Jonathan Gruber, the embattled former adviser to President Obama on health-care legislation, once conceded the Affordable Care Act would be costly and could lead to rationing and the denial of some treatments, the Daily Caller reported Wednesday…. (more)
December 31, 2014
MICHELLE MALKIN — There’s no candy coating the truth: Obamacare has had a very terrible, horrible, crappy, none-too-happy year. What it really means is that the victims of Obamacare – taxpayers, health care consumers, health care providers, employers and employees – have had a hellish, nightmarish 2014…. (more)
December 31, 2014
NEWSMAX — Pope Francis is increasingly pitting the Catholic Church against the Republican Party in the United States, The Hill reports. The pontiff’s most recent action, brokering a deal to soften the relationship between the United States and communist Cuba, didn’t sit well with most Republican Catholics…. (more)
December 31, 2014
BOB UNRUH — Washington state officials are being sued to stop them from enforcing a new gun law adopted by voters in November after donations of tens of millions of dollars from some of the wealthiest men in the world, including former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Microsoft’s Bill Gates…. (more)
December 31, 2014
‘Trey Gowdy is my choice for speaker,’ Hannity said
THE HILL — Fox News host Sean Hannity is calling on Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) to step down as Speaker of the House. Hannity, who has criticized Boehner in the past, said it’s “time for new dynamic leadership” for Republicans and threw his support behind Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), the chairman of the House select committee investigating the Benghazi attacks…. (more)
December 31, 2014
BREITBART — House Speaker John Boehner has thrown his full support behind his embattled ally, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, as more ties between Scalise and former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke – including a nearly-decade long close relationship with the ex-KKK leader’s top aide – have emerged…. (more)
December 30, 2014
NEW YORK POST — It’s not a slowdown – it’s a virtual work stoppage. NYPD traffic tickets and summonses for minor offenses have dropped off by a staggering 94 percent following the execution of two cops – as officers feel betrayed by the mayor and fear for their safety, The Post has learned…. (more)
December 30, 2014
JOSEPH FARAH — Like it or not, House Speaker John Boehner is the most powerful Republican elected official in the country. As the organizer of the “Don’t Be Yellow: Dump Boehner Now!” campaign, my goal is simple: Persuade House Republicans that he must go for the following reasons:… (more)
December 30, 2014
NEWSMAX — A lawsuit challenging President Barack Obama’s sweeping executive order on immigration will continue despite a setback last week before one federal judge, the lawyer arguing the case, Larry Klayman of Freedom Watch, told “MidPoint” guest host Ric Blackwell on Newsmax TV on Monday…. (more)
December 30, 2014
WEEKLY STANDARD — Reuters is reporting that: Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan on Monday declared the “defeat” of the U.S. and its allies in the 13-year-old war, a day after the coalition officially marked the end of its combat mission…. (more)
December 30, 2014
NEW YORK POST — With cops on edge following the assassination of two patrol officers on a Brooklyn street, many officers have started turning a blind eye to some minor crimes, sources told The Post, while a union mandate that two patrol cars respond to all police calls has led to slower response times to non-emergencies…. (more)
December 30, 2014
NEWSMAX — Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton says President Barack Obama made an “unforced error” when he said in an NPR interview that he would “never say never” to the United States’ eventually reopening an embassy in Iran…. (more)
December 30, 2014
JERRY NEWCOMBE — Last month, a professor of economics at the University of California, Davis made some headlines by basically asserting that there is no American dream. It’s a myth. He crunched the numbers, supposedly disproving it. Hmm. My dad used to always say, “Did you ever hear about the statistician who drowned in a river, the average depth of which was 6 inches?”… (more)
December 30, 2014
WORLDNETDAILY — The “implosion” in America’s abortion industry is continuing, and the only thing that prevents a complete collapse is a series of court injunctions that are preventing various state safety laws from being enforced, according to a new survey of the situation…. (more)
December 30, 2014
PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY — A high school English teacher at Rosemount High School in Minnesota, which was called a “top ranked school” by the Minnesota Department of Education, given the “Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award” by the U.S. Department of Education and named a top school in the nation for 2014 by Newsweek Magazine, just wrote a shocking letter alerting parents and the public that her high school juniors can’t read. Her letter published by the Minnesota Star Tribune on Dec. 4 was eloquent, so I quote it verbatim…. (more)
December 30, 2014
WASHINGTON EXAMINER — American voters appear eager to find a new Republican name to run for president in 2016, with majorities rejecting Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush, according to a new poll…. (more)
December 29, 2014
ALAN KEYES — “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise… (more)
December 29, 2014
CLIFF KINCAID — I recently asked John A. Stormer, author of the 1964 bestseller ‘None Dare Call It Treason,’ if he thought President Barack Obama was a Marxist. “He’s two things,” Stormer told me. “Is he a Marxist or is he a Muslim? He is really involved in both of these things. He’s anti-American.”… (more)
December 29, 2014
BRYAN FISCHER — Campaign consultants make bank on advising candidates how to win the independent voting bloc. These are perceived to be the 20% of the electorate who are in the middle of the spectrum between left and right… (more)
Ted Cruz will bank on the base (National Review Online)
Vatican Rising: Pope Francis And Obama Form Political Alliance
Pope Francis flexes his muscle as political powerbroker
“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26
In 2014, Pope Francis emerged as a hard-core political player, using the Vatican to conduct secret meetings between the US and Cuba which led to an unprecedented new partnership between the two nations. In 2015, the pope will again attempt to influence events by being the keynote speaker at the United Nations Global Warming conference in Paris.
The Washington Times reports that “for Mr. Obama and fellow Democrats, aligning with Pope Francis offers clear benefits in the short term, as they are able to highlight agreement on controversial issues with one of the most respected figures on the planet.”
While pretending to oppose them, the Catholic Church has long been a supporter of Socialist and Communist regimes in South and Central American countries, something that is very appealing to an Alinsky Marxist community organizer like Barack Obama. Getting the United States to re-open ties with Communist Cuba was a huge win for the Vatican, and will greatly help to advance their agenda. Having Obama submit to the Vatican’s leading is a great portend of things to come.
The pope also has wealth redistribution on his radar of goals to accomplish, and in 2014 gave repeated sermons on the need for nations to end income inequality. Obama has said many times that he is a strong proponent of wealth redistribution. Social entitlements under his presidency have skyrocketed. Social justice, wealth redistribution, economic inequality are all Socialist-Marxist ideals. So a political alliance between Francis and Obama seems like it would be a match made in….well, not Heaven. But a match nonetheless.
Papal Rome is well on the way to regaining the political power they once held on the world stage in glory days of the Roman Empire. Pope Francis ascension as political player has been well-received and it appears that he will be limited only by his own ambition. Which, at the moment, appears to be limitless.
The crown jewel in Pope Francis political ambitions is, however, nothing less than to be the architect of the coming 7 Year Peace Treaty between Israel and the Muslims. But if he is destined to play the role of the False Prophet, he will need his “boss”, the Antichrist, to arrive on the world stage as well.
2015 may just be the year that he does.
The post Vatican Rising: Pope Francis And Obama Form Political Alliance appeared first on Now The End Begins.
Big Question For 2015: Will The Supreme Court Rule On Abortion?
The new year is expected to bring yet another round of state laws to restrict abortion — and 2015 could also be the year a challenge to at least one of these laws could reach the Supreme Court. (Ludden, NPR)
Here Are Some Key People to Watch in 2015
From Potential Presidential Candidates to the Self-Declared Caliph of Islamic State, Here Are Some Figures to Pay Attention to in the New Year. (The Wall Street Journal)
One Hundred Years of Jihad in Australia :: Mark Durie
by Mark Durie
Markdurie.com
January 1, 2015
http://www.meforum.org/4947/one-hundred-years-of-jihad-in-australia
Saudi Clerics Fight for the Right to Marry Children :: Ibrahim in VIE
by Raymond Ibrahim
Veritas International Enterprise
December 30, 2014
http://www.meforum.org/4949/saudi-clerics-fight-for-the-right-to-marry
In Afghanistan, the New Year Begins with an Ignominious End :: Fatah in Toronto Sun
by Tarek Fatah
The Toronto Sun
December 31, 2014
http://www.meforum.org/4950/in-afghanistan-the-new-years-begins-with
Obama’s 2015 Gift For The Mid East: Funding For A New Iraqi Army Controlled By Iran
President Barack Obama’s New Year gift to Israel and the Middle East is a multibillion fund for establishing an Iraqi army as a division of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) …………. Click here for full story
U.S. Publishing Giant Erases Israel Off Map
A Middle East with no Israel? That’s what students in that region of the world will see when they open their new world atlases as provided by the American-based mega-corporation HarperCollins………. Click here for full story
German Chancellor Angela Merkel Warns Citizens That They Must Accept Islam
Muslims waging biological jihad in Germany
Like England, Germany is struggling to deal with it’s own dire Islam problem. Muslims continue to flood into Germany at record rates, bringing with them Sharia Law and the ever-present threat of Islamic submission. England refused to take the threat seriously, and as a result is now paying dearly for allowing Sharia to rise within their borders. Concerned German citizens see this, and are not willing to allow it to take root in Germany.
BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday warned the country’s citizens not to participate in weekly anti-Islam rallies that have attracted growing numbers of supporters in the eastern German city of Dresden. Merkel condemned the organizers of the protests and said they were driven by prejudices and hatred against foreigners.
The chancellor used unusually direct words in her New Year’s speech on Wednesday for the rallies organized by a group calling itself Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the West, or PEGIDA which have been attended by thousands. When the protesters chant “we are the people,” they actually mean to say “you don’t belong — because of your religion or your skin color,” Merkel said. source
When Islam moves into a new country, they term they use is biological jihad, their aim and mission is always the same. (see above video). To increase in number to the point where Muslims outnumber non-Muslims, and a gradual shift in power occurs. Germans recognize fanaticism when they see it and are trying to reverse the tide. This has nothing to do with intolerance or racism, though that’s the smokescreen that they would like you to believe. Political leaders continue to chant “religion of peace” as the body counts rise and the bombs continue to detonate to the tune of “allahu ackbar”.
The German citizenry is right to do what they can to repel the Islamic invasion they are experiencing. If they fail, Germany will be on the verge of a whole new kind of dictatorship.
The post German Chancellor Angela Merkel Warns Citizens That They Must Accept Islam appeared first on Now The End Begins.
Top 10 Most Discussed Issues Inside The Evangelical Church In 2014
What were the most talked about topics discussed within the evangelical community in 2014? The Christian Post had a chance to chat with Ed Stetzer, author, speaker, and executive director of LifeWay Research Division and go over what issues seemed to gain the most attention among both pastors and congregations………. Click here for full story
2014 Best And Worst Faith-Based Movies In Hollywood
Christian moviegoers can reflect on 2014’s plethora of faith-based movies in Hollywood, from Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah” to the latest release, Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken.” ……… Click here for full story
The List: 2015
In an altered landscape, you crave structure; you need direction. What to believe? Whom to trust? The List is here for you. (Argetsinger, The Washington Post)
What (not) to look forward to in 2015
It’s time once again for that most hazardous exercise: guessing what the next year will bring around the world. (Lister, CNN)
Israel protects followers of the cross while neighboring nations eradicate them
Within the borders of Israel, however, according to the country’s Central Bureau of Statistics, the Christian population is growing. Israel provides Christians with security, freedom of worship, excellent education, employment, health care and other rights and opportunities beyond what is available in many parts of the Muslim world. Father Naddaf and other Christian priests of various denominations, both within and beyond Israel and the Middle East, are clear: One of the safest places for Christians in the Middle East today is Israel.
Lists Of NON-GMO Food Companies and of GMO Foods And Companies
Remember: one of the best ways to raise awareness among the food corporations is to voice your concerns directly to them and boycott companies who continue to source ingredients from genetically modified sources.
http://www.whydontyoutrythis.com/2013/06/a-list-of-gmo-free-…
Here’s the bad stuff:
http://www.whydontyoutrythis.com/2013/06/comprehensive-list-…
Reported By Donna Hancock
2014 Greatest Hits: Presenting The Most Popular Posts Of The Past Year
01-01-2015 • http://www.zerohedge.com, by Tyler Durden
A quick glance at the 20 most popular stories of 2014 as determined by you, our readers, shows something troubling: despite the just concluded 6th consecutive year of a rising S&P 500 – the longest such stretch since 1999 of what otherwise would be deemed optimism – despite what should be a steadily improving economy and improving social and economic conditions, what readers founds most fascinating, and troubling, was the increasing preponderance of social disobedience, of covert, proxy or outright wars, and of civil unrest: all phenomena that accompany a world sliding deeper into distress, not as most central banks and their puppet media would have us believe, a global recovery.
But before we get into the details of what has now become an annual tradition for the last day of the year, those who wish to jog down memory lane, can refresh our most popular articles for every year during our brief 6-year existence, starting with 2009 and continuing with 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013: one for every year of the most artificial and fabricated “bull market” in history.
So without further ado, here are the articles that readers found to be the most popular of the past 365 days.
Here’s How Every Major Asset Class On The Planet Did In 2014
01-01-2015 • http://www.businessinsider.com, Shane Ferro
This is the chart everyone is talking about right now: the 2014 performance of various futures. Let’s hope you bet on coffee and beef, rather than oil and cotton.
Planned Parenthood: We Aborted 327,653 in FY2014
Planned Parenthood clinics did 327,653 abortions in its fiscal year 2014 (which ran from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014), according to Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s newly released annual report. That works out to an average of 37 abortions per hour or nearly 1 every 90 seconds.
| Obamas Dine at Restaurant Charging $500,000 for Membership
Posted: 02 Jan 2015 07:25 AM PST
The post Obamas Dine at Restaurant Charging $500,000 for Membership appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
Fukushima radiation in Canada—but not AlaskaPosted: 02 Jan 2015 07:04 AM PST
 The Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power plant after a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami on March 14, 2011 in Futaba, Japan.Although scientists recently discovered radioactive water off the coast of Canada, Alaska has apparently so far been spared any radiation from the Fukushima disaster. Contaminated fish and water samples from the 2011 nuclear disaster have previously been recorded 100 miles off the coast of California, but a recent study found that radioactive elements had also washed across the Pacific to Canada’s shores. Still, Alaskan officials told KTVA that they had not detected any similar issues in their own waters. “It is important for us to monitor it, but at this point, with these levels that are so low, there is no threat to public health, or the fish or the marine mammals or the animals,” State veterinarian Dr. Bob Gerlach said, according to KTVA. Scientists are worried about the potential dangers of radioactive cesium-137 and cesium-134 from the nuclear meltdown. Some have predicted that the contaminates would peak in North American waters in 2016 before then receding back to today’s levels. More The post Fukushima radiation in Canada—but not Alaska appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
| Bono’s Unexpected Response to ‘Who Is Jesus?’Posted: 02 Jan 2015 06:58 AM PST
The post Bono’s Unexpected Response to ‘Who Is Jesus?’ appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
| Chinese economy set to miss growth target for first time since Asian financial crisisPosted: 02 Jan 2015 06:43 AM PST
The post Chinese economy set to miss growth target for first time since Asian financial crisis appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
| Over 76,000 killed in Syria War in 2014, Prelude to Isaiah 17?Posted: 02 Jan 2015 06:39 AM PST
The post Over 76,000 killed in Syria War in 2014, Prelude to Isaiah 17? appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
| EU court declares being obese a disability; employers must now pay for workers’ poor health choicesPosted: 02 Jan 2015 06:35 AM PST
The post EU court declares being obese a disability; employers must now pay for workers’ poor health choices appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
| 65% of American children are now dependent on government welfarePosted: 02 Jan 2015 06:33 AM PST
The post 65% of American children are now dependent on government welfare appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
| Russian companies halt food shipments as economic collapse acceleratesPosted: 02 Jan 2015 06:29 AM PST
The post Russian companies halt food shipments as economic collapse accelerates appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
| German Chancellor Angela Merkel Warns Citizens That They Must Accept IslamPosted: 02 Jan 2015 06:25 AM PST
The post German Chancellor Angela Merkel Warns Citizens That They Must Accept Islam appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
| Planned Parenthood Annual Report: Abortion Biz Killed 327,653 Babies in Abortions in 2013Posted: 02 Jan 2015 06:21 AM PST
The post Planned Parenthood Annual Report: Abortion Biz Killed 327,653 Babies in Abortions in 2013 appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
2014 Best and Worst Faith-Based Movies in Hollywood
One day before the New Year, Christian moviegoers can reflect on 2014’s plethora of faith-based movies in Hollywood, from Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah” to the latest release, Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken.”
With Hollywood studios creating such a high rate of Bible-inspired movies this year, it is easy to rank each film based on their quality, messaging, and adherence to actual Scripture- in the case of the Bible-based films. Using this criterion, The Christian Post has compiled a list of the best and worst Christian films of the year.
Top 10 Most Discussed Issues Inside the Evangelical Church in 2014
What were the most talked about topics discussed within the evangelical community in 2014? The Christian Post had a chance to chat with Ed Stetzer, author, speaker, and executive director of LifeWay Research Division and go over what issues seemed to gain the most attention among both pastors and congregations.
The following issues and topics are in no particular order.
A Year of Anniversaries
By Thomas Sowell
A hundred years ago, the President of the United States was Woodrow Wilson — the first president to openly claim that the Constitution of the United States was outdated, and that courts should erode the limits that the Constitution placed on the federal government.
Today, after a hundred years of courts’ eroding the Constitution’s protections of personal freedom, we now have a president who has taken us dangerously close to one-man rule, unilaterally changing laws passed by Congress and refusing to enforce other laws — on immigration especially.
Top 50 Stories on The Aquila Report for 2014: 41-50
In keeping with the journalistic tradition of looking back at the recent past, we present the top 50 stories of the year read on The Aquila Report. That’s easy for us to determine – we just count the hits! We will present the 50 stories in groups of 10 to run and the five lists on consecutive days. Here are numbers 41-50.
Resolutions? No Thanks. I’ll Take This Instead
I suspect that some people will take this post to mean that I don’t care about obeying God. The term “antinomian” (lawless) will probably get thrown around. Will I seek to be holy and pursue the Lord in the coming year? Of course! I love Jesus and want to be more like him. But if this year is anything like the previous 31 years of my life, I’ll have pretty mixed results, and that’s really okay. I don’t stand on my obedience to God, I stand on the solid, unshakable, solid rock of Christ. To stand on anything else is spiritual suicide.
Healthy Churches: Rooted and Reaching
Not to be too simplistic, but it seems like most churches tend to be either focused on being grounded in doctrine or else on growing numerically. One kind of church is concerned with truth, tradition and theology. The other kind of church is concerned with growth, community engagement and relevance. So, which kind of church is better? It does seem like we need to choose, doesn’t it? Or do we?
Why Do Black Lives Matter?
In a culture that has done all it can to expunge moral virtue from the aspirations of human life, why are we surprised that we are shouting, “Black lives matter?” When human persons are not expected to be in communion with God and others, why are we surprised that the reverence due to the human person is lost? Black lives matter because persons are not autonomous, self-contained, individualistic creatures who do not need others for their flourishing. Black lives matter not simply because they are black but because blacks are persons—persons who are a necessary variable to the flourishing of others so that we all may attain the end for which we were created.
Newsweek on the Bible — So Misrepresented It’s a Sin
Newsweek’s cover story is exactly what happens when a writer fueled by open antipathy to evangelical Christianity tries to throw every argument he can think of against the Bible and its authority. To put the matter plainly, no honest historian would recognize the portrait of Christian history presented in this essay as accurate and no credible journalist would recognize this screed as balanced.
Understanding the “Sin Complex”
The sin complex gives a deeper understanding of sin than one that focuses on specific actions. These actions—whether sexual immorality, greed, gluttony, or any other—provide necessary information and need to be addressed. But the fundamental problem of sin is not our discrete acts of disobedience. It is our entire stance toward God.
When most people think of sin, they picture an individual thought, word, or action that is contrary to God’s word. This is a true definition, but it doesn’t go far enough. Sin is more than the particular behaviors that do not line up with God’s will. Those behaviors are really just the visible expression of a deeper problem.
How can a person stop sinning? First, accept the fact that no one will never be completely sin-free in this life. No one will be morally perfect until death or Christ’s return. But the questions remain, “How can I sin as little as possible?” and “How can I stop committing the same sins time and again?”
Headlines of Interest
The Incredible Forgiveness Story Left Out In the Movie Unbroken
The many sins of Newsweek’s expose on the Bible
2014 in Review: The Year in Prophecy
Click to access prophecyreview2014.pdf
Should We as Christians Celebrate the Jewish Feasts of the Old Testament?
Ben Ammi Ben-Israel Leader of Black Hebrew Israelites Dies at 75
Newsweek’s Bible-Bashing Article Says Criticizing the Government is a Sin
Larry Elder – The Lies of the ‘Hands Up, Don’t Shoot’ Activists
Cold Case Christianity: How Should We Respond to Criticism of Christianity? (Cold-Case Christianity Broadcast #19)
How Should We Respond to Criticism of Christianity? (Cold-Case Christianity Broadcast #20)
In this episode of the Cold-Case Christianity Broadcast, J. Warner discusses the manner in which we, as Christians, ought to respond to criticism. Are you adequately prepared to defend what you believe as a Christian? Have you come to expect the kind of pointed criticism we face today as believers? Do you have a strategy to help you respond to those who don’t share your beliefs? (For more information, visit http://www.ColdCaseChristianity.com)
Our Time is Short
Blogs of Interest
The Waiting Room
by Jarrid Wilson
Waiting is something all of us do in life. And while some people like to ensure that waiting is a great learning experience, in reality it feels more like a mental and emotional torture chamber.
http://m.biblestudytools.com/blogs/jarrid-wilson/the-waiting-room.html
God’s Word for the New Year
by Founders Ministries Blog
What difference does it make if we have an inerrant, infallible Bible if we are unwilling to give ourselves to its study and cultivate a submissive obedience to it’s precepts and doctrines? I fear that the blessing of having God’s Word so readily accessible to us brings with it the great danger of taking it for granted.
http://m.biblestudytools.com/blogs/founders-ministries-blog/god-s-word-for-the-new-year.html
5 Changes to Become a “Going” Church
by Philip Nation
Recently, I shared with our church five changes and one empowering reminder that we need to keep in mind if we are to follow Christ’s commission to us.
http://m.biblestudytools.com/blogs/philip-nation/transition-to-a-going-church.html
Let’s be Crazy Ordinary This Year!
by Stephen Altrogge
But for most of us, being sold out crazy for Jesus will look very…ordinary. At least to the casual observer. Most of the crazy things we do for the Lord will be noticed by exactly no one – except the Lord.
http://m.biblestudytools.com/blogs/stephen-altrogge/let-s-be-crazy-ordinary-this-year.html
New Year’s Resolutions
by Association of Biblical Counselors
The fact of the matter is that the transforming work of grace is more of a mundane process than it is a series of a few dramatic events. Personal heart and life change is always a process.
http://m.biblestudytools.com/blogs/association-of-biblical-counselors/new-year-s-resolutions.html
The Hobbit and the Video-Gamization of Movies
Trevin Wax
Much of The Hobbit was about as enjoyable as watching someone else play a high-definition video game. In other words, not very.
http://m.christianity.com/blogs/trevin-wax/the-hobbit-and-the-video-gamization-of-movies.html
The Kingdom Parables, Another Interpretation
Q. In two of the Kingdom Parables, my study Bible’s interpretation differs from yours. With the Parable of the mustard Seed, it says says the ‘birds’ do not represent evil as they did in the previous Parable of the Sower. It goes on to say that the large growth of the mustard tree is good and represents the huge growth of the Kingdom from such a small beginning. In the parable of the Yeast, it again negates the yeast as symbolizing something evil; but rather its dynamic growth character. Again, pointing out the spread of yeast in dough, parallels the future fast growth of the Kingdom of God by the inner dynamic of the Holy Spirit. Could you give further explanations for your unique interpretation of these parables?
Why Did Fallen Angels Become Male Humans?
Q. My question is why were the fallen angels only attracted to human women and not men? If these angels were able to apparently shape shift and materialize into different bodies why couldn’t they transform into women instead and take husbands for themselves? It is interesting that they were only attracted to women. Does this mean they couldn’t transform into women or that angels are only masculine?
No More Rapture Speculation?
Q. I am not hearing much speculation about the rapture nowadays, it almost seems folks have decided it will not happen in our time. Is this because if we were not correct in our understanding of end times scripture? At the close of yet another year, what do you think?
A Holy And Happy 2015 To You
2014 is now covered with the blood of Christ.
2015 now waits to be written.
What will your story be?
According to Twitter, the top aspirations and intentions people are sharing online include:
#1. Work out
#2. Be happy
#3. Lose weight
#4. Stop smoking
#5. Unplug
“Be happy” doubtless appeared on the first ever set of New Year resolutions carved in stone; it’s likely been on every list since then; and, presumably, it will also be on the last list ever to be written.
But how? How to be happy? Here are some hints.
Never cease to show your people that to be holy is to be happy; and that, to bring us to perfect holiness and likeness to God, was the very end for which Christ died. Andrew Bonar
For if sin is misery, sinners can only be made happy indeed by being made holy. The process of redemption, then, is one whose design throughout is holiness. Robert Dabney
There will three effects of nearness to Jesus, all beginning with the letter h—humility, happiness, and holiness. Charles Spurgeon
If the question be asked, why we should seek the good of mankind, the answer is, from a regard to our everlasting happiness; and if the question be, why we should make the will of God the rule of our conduct, the answer must be the same; So that really all virtue is resolved into a regard to our own happiness. Archibald Alexander
O that all the world but knew that holiness and happiness are one! O that all the world were one holy family, joyfully coming under the pure rules of the gospel! Andrew Bonar
They’re not hunger and thirst…hungering and thirsting after happiness. They’re hungering and thirsting after righteousness, that’s why they’re happy. John Macarthur
Authentic obedience comes when happiness and holiness meet such that holiness becomes the source of happiness rather than its alternative. Holiness is meant to ignite, not eliminate, joy. Dane Ortlund
I wish you all a very holy and, therefore, a very happy 2015.
Reflections for New Year’s Day
The hymn “Amazing Grace” was first sung on New Year’s Day, 1773. In this classic BreakPoint, Chuck Colson tells the story.
download
Words of Comfort: You aren’t alone.
Never be discouraged by thinking that you are the only one God can use to reach the lost. Elijah, fearing that all the other prophets had been killed, said, “I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away” (1 Kings 19:10). Yet God had reserved 7,000 faithful followers who hadn’t bowed their knee to worship Baal (v. 18). Because God has His laborers, we need never panic when it comes to our loved ones being reached with the gospel. If we faithfully reach out and touch the lives of other peoples’ loved ones, God (in His perfect timing) can use others to touch the lives of the ones we love so dearly. Claim your family in prayer, then thank God for His faithfulness in answering those prayers.
Our Time is Short
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Download This Classic work- ‘The Quest for the Historical Jesus’ for Free
How to Keep Collegians from Losing Their Faith, Part 1
[Adapted from J. Budziszewski, “Off to College: Can We Keep Them?,” from Is Your Church Ready: Motivating Leaders to Live an Apologetic Life, edited by Ravi Zacharias and Norman Geisler (Zondervan, 2003).]
In the previous post we examined 12 reasons why college students tend to lose their faith. This begins the first of three posts on ways the church can help prevent this.
What Students in Churches Need to Hear from Church Leadership
Let’s take a closer look at what is missing in the preparation of young Christians for the challenges of college life.
What They Need to Hear about Solitary Christianity
It isn’t enough to urge young Christians to go to church. They’ve heard that already, and they’ve probably had Hebrews 10:25 quoted to them until they’re blue in the face: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.” What they really…
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FYI: I’ll be interviewed by Gov. Huckabee on his Fox News Channel show this Sat/Sun @ 8pm eastern. Details.
Tonight, I’m flying back to the U.S. to begin the book tour for The Third Target.
Tomorrow, I’m scheduled to be interviewed by Governor Mike Huckabee. We’ll discuss the new novel and the rising ISIS threat to the U.S., Israel and our Arab allies in the Middle East — as well as the threat ISIS poses to Christians in the epicenter. The interview on “Huckabee” will air on Saturday night at 8pm eastern on the Fox News Channel.
The program re-airs on Sunday night at 8pm on Fox News.
Please watch — or DVR it — if you can. Thanks so much!
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With just days to go before my latest international geopolitical thriller releases in the U.S. and Canada, here is the Publishers Weekly review, in case you missed it:
The Third Target by Joel C. Rosenberg
Known for his globe-spanning thrillers (The Twelfth Imam), many dealing with the…
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Here’s audio of my Hannity radio show interview on #TheThirdTarget, ISIS & the Palestinian debate at the U.N.
In case you missed, here’s the audio podcast of the interviewwe did on Tuesday.
I’m grateful to Sean for having me on the show, and grateful to Congressman Louie Gohmert of Texas for guest-hosting that day. Sean was with his family celebrating his birthday. (Happy birthday, Sean!)
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The Law of Nature is the Law of God
Artwork by Lorenxo Dowjeon
After a brief “life” interlude, we now return to the series of articles addressing the Law of God and related topics. For the Christian, God’s Law is our rule of life. By grace alone, we love God’s Law and delight in it as it burdens us not (Psalm 1:2, 119:97; Romans 7:22; 1 John 5:3). But for the nonbeliever, God’s Law brings a curse (Galatians 3:10). It is a curse because God’s Law reveals who He is – righteous – and His Law reveals what man is – not righteous. Man’s sinful nature is therefore contrary or opposed to God’s holy nature.
Those in Christ recognize how far short we fall of the glory of God, and the Law serves to continuously point us to Jesus. However, those under the Law of God are condemned and guilty before God the Lawgiver, and the only hope…
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End Times Prophecy Headlines: January 2, 2015
Bible prophecy in Today’s news headlines
End Times Prophecy Report
HEADLINES
January 2, 2015
And OPINION
===INTERNATIONAL
SWEDEN: Sweden hit by third mosque arson attack in a week – Expected.
GERMANY: Only 1 in 8 Germans support anti-Muslim movement – Give it a little time.
ISIS: Islamic state militants claimed to have contracted EBOLA – Sounds like a tabloid headline.
JAPAN: Japan Suffers Lowest Number Of Births On Record As Population Shrinks
GHANA: Inside A Massive Electronics Graveyard
World War 3 Watch: December 29, 2014
===NATIONAL
POLL: 49 percent say they approve of Obama’s performance
Everything You Don’t Remember About The Clintons – The 90s were such a horrid time to be alive and follow politics in America.
Budget war looms for the GOP, Obama – Whatever. One thing readers can be assured of: whatever fake “wars” over the budget loom, the only casualties will be the American taxpayers.
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The Cripplegate: An Open Letter to You in 2015: The Same Old Message for a Brand New Year
As we enter the beginning of the New Year, many people are reflecting on the previous year and how they’ve lived their lives, and are making resolutions and determinations to live better in the coming year, whatever that may mean. The process seems to involve a kind of refocusing on things that are important to us so that when we will have come to the end of this next year we will look even more favorably on it than the previous one.
Though I’m a day late, as we anticipate the challenges and opportunities of 2015, I want to write an open letter of sorts that focuses on the most important realities in the world. And the addressee of my open letter is you. No matter who you are—whether young in the faith, a seasoned saint, or not a believer in Jesus at all; whether we’re good friends, have only spoken a few times, or if I don’t know you from Adam—I can think of nothing more profitable that I’d like to say directly to you. And perhaps the most interesting distinctive about this open letter for 2015 is that it’s nothing new. It’s the same old message for a brand new year, because it’s the only message that is sufficient to transcend all times and cultures. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope you’ll read carefully.
Twelve Reasons Why Collegians Lose Their Faith
[J. Budziszewski, “Off to College: Can We Keep Them?,” from Is Your Church Ready: Motivating Leaders to Live an Apologetic Life, edited by Ravi Zacharias and Norman Geisler (Zondervan, 2003).]
Of course there are more than twelve reasons why so many college Christians lose their faith, but twelve is a nice round number that enables me to cover most of the territory economically.
A number of these dozen have to do with sex. That’s not a reflection of my own obsessions but of the state of the struggle on campuses today. Perhaps in another age the main tasks of apologetics will have to do with war, with sickness, or with work. In ours they have to do with sex.
Young Believers Think They Can Be Solitary Christians
Many young believers go off to college with what I call the “just you and me, God” view of the Christian life. Separated…
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Two more books from Lifeway in praise of Roman Catholic Mystic, Ignatius of Loyola
Here are two more books which Lifeway sells. Both of which are highly supportive of famed Roman Catholic mystic Ignatius of Loyola, a priest who founded the Jesuits and who became their Superior General, as well as who led the charge against the protestants during the counter-reformation. The thrust of these two books are simple: the Roman Catholic mystic developed and created personal spiritual formation exercises which he used to commune with God, and that we ought to do likewise so that we can grow in our spirituality.
The first is Sacred Listening: Discovering the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola by James Wakefield.
From the back Cover:
The second is Journey with Jesus: Discovering the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius, by Larry Warner
Please join us in contacting and tweeting @Lifeway @TomRainer and @EdStetzer with these links and asking them kindly to remove them from not only their…
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Dennis Prager: which sin is the worst sin?
My friend Drew suggested this post to me to blog about, and I was able to find the Prager University video that goes with it. Drew really liked the video, as well.
Excerpt:
The worst sin is committing evil in God’s name.
How do we know?
From the third of the Ten Commandments. This is the only one of the ten that states that God will not forgive a person who violates the commandment.
What does this commandment say?
It is most commonly translated as, “Do not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. For the Lord will not hold guiltless” — meaning “will not forgive” — whoever takes His name in vain.”
Because of this translation, most people understandably think that the commandment forbids saying God’s name for no good reason. So, something like, “God, did I have a rough day at work today!” violates the…
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The Cripplegate: Resolutions for New Year’s Resolutions
We have turned the calendar to begin another year. It’s 2015. Beginning another year is often a good time to pause and reflect on Moses’ prayer: “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom” (Ps 90:12). One way to put feet on this is to consider areas for personal change in the new year. Things like resolutions can be a helpful way to take action along those lines. But it’s no secret that resolutions typically lose their glamour and allure quickly.
Having attempted to keep resolutions in the past, I’ve found a few things that have worked well for me. These are resolutions that have provided a launching pad for other resolutions; or, resolutions for resolutions. I have not perfectly implemented these resolutions, but when I have kept them, they provide the framework to build in other more specific resolutions. And some might put them all to work, while others one or two.
In either case, here are a few resolutions to consider for new year’s resolutions:
Adultery of the heart
by Mike Ratliff
4 Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes! 8 “ If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. 9 If your eye…
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