May. 20, 2016
BLOOMBERG
Dwarfed by its Communist neighbor and still bearing the scars of a war with the U.S. four decades ago, Vietnam has become a focal point of the race between the two powers for influence in the western Pacific. The tussle over Vietnam will be on display during a three-day visit next week by President Obama.
Egyptian authorities said they found wreckage and belongings from the missing EgyptAir plane that vanished over the Mediterranean Sea en route from Paris to Cairo with 66 people on board, marking the first breakthrough in the investigation. Egyptian military aircraft and naval ships Friday morning found personal items and parts of the plane about 180 miles north of Alexandria.
The U.S. Senate passed its spending bill for transportation, veterans and combating the Zika virus Thursday, continuing a rare period of appropriations productivity.
Rather than being led by economic data or monetary policy, emerging-market exchange rates are the most closely tied to moves in stocks and commodities since at least 2013. When they fall, it’s almost certain the yen will rise, and vice versa.
As a paper published online this week at the Annals of Internal Medicine argues, physicians have both a legal right and professional duty to ask patients about gun ownership and storage.
AP Top Stories
Taiwan inaugurated Tsai Ing-wen as its first female president on Friday, returning the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party to power amid new concerns over increasingly fractious relations with Beijing and a flagging economy.
On Sunday, President Obama arrives for the first time in Vietnam to begin several days of meetings with Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on such issues as the economy and human rights.
The Obama Administration finalized a rule that guarantees overtime pay for middle class workers on Thursday. The new rule from the Department of Labor says salaried employees who earn up to $47,476 annually qualify for overtime, with some exceptions depending on occupation.
California has loosened emergency restrictions on water conservation after El Nino-driven storms boosted reservoir levels this winter in parts of the state, authorities announced.
On Sunday morning, Mars, Earth and the sun will line up perfectly in the sky. This once-every-two-years event is called Mars opposition. That’s because Mars and the sun will be on opposite sides of Earth.
Two Chinese fighter jets carried out an “unsafe” intercept of a U.S. military reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea, the Pentagon said on Wednesday, a further escalation of tensions in and around the contested waterway.
Researchers have confirmed that three Nile crocodiles were captured near Miami, and they say it’s possible more of the man-eating reptiles are still out there, although no one can say for sure.
Israel’s military successfully tested a naval version of its land-based Iron Dome system and would begin deploying it on its newest frigates. The Israeli Defense Force released video of what it is calling “the Iron Dome of the sea” on Wednesday.
NATO foreign ministers were on Thursday finalizing the alliance’s biggest military build-up since the end of the Cold War to counter what they see as a more aggressive and unpredictable Russia.
U.S. home resales rose more than expected in April, suggesting the economy continues to gather pace during the second quarter.
A 42-year-old woman born in Nepal climbed Mount Everest for the seventh time on Friday, breaking her own record for the most summits of the world’s highest mountain by any woman, a hiking official said.
International financial messaging service SWIFT told clients on Friday to share information on attacks on the system to help prevent hackings, after criminals used SWIFT messages to steal $81 million from the Bangladesh central bank.
BBC
A city in India’s Rajasthan state has broken the country’s temperature records after registering 123F, the highest since records began, the weather office said.
A second schoolgirl from the more than 200 seized in the Nigerian town of Chibok has been found, the army said. But a spokesman for the Chibok girls’ parents has cast doubt on the claims, saying that the girl’s name is not on the families’ list of those missing.
The Venezuelan Supreme Court has ruled that a decree issued by President Nicolas Maduro last week declaring a state of emergency is constitutional. The decree gives Mr Maduro extra powers to deal with Venezuela’s economic crisis, including the right to impose tougher security measures.
Lawmakers in the US state of Oklahoma have passed a bill that would make the act of performing an abortion a crime. Under the bill, a doctor who performs an abortion could be sentenced to up to three years in prison and be barred from practicing medicine in the state.
US car-hailing company Uber has joined the race for driverless car technology, confirming it is testing a vehicle on the streets of Pittsburgh.
The World Health Organization says that the Zika virus strain linked to neurological defects in new-born babies in South America has been detected in Africa for the first time. It was found in a sample taken from Cape Verde.
Syrian government and allied forces have retaken a large area south-east of Damascus from rebels, including the key town of Deir al-Asafir, activists said.
WND
American power companies are studying ways to protect electric grids against a high-altitude nuclear blast and other directed energy attacks that could severely disrupt electricity transmission, an industry representative told a Senate hearing Wednesday.
Top News – 5/20/2016
M4.9 Earthquake Strikes off Oregon Coast
A moderate Magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oregon this morning at 3:01 Am eastern US time. The temblor hit at the Blanco Fracture Zone which is west of the Cascadia Subduction Zone as seen on the map below.
GOP Lawmaker Calls for ‘Civil Disobedience’ on Transgender Bathroom Directive
Representative Steve King, R-Iowa, has said that federally-funded schools are not required to comply with a law that is “unconstitutional.” “There’s no reason for us to follow an unconstitutional edict from the president, who is on his way out the door,”
Vatican invites Exorcist Director William Friedkin to Meet a Real Dybbuk
Jewish American filmmaker William Friedkin, 80, who directed the truly terrifying 1973 horror movie “The Exorcist,” this week told an audience at the Cannes film festival that he was invited by the Vatican’s chief exorcist to film a real exorcism earlier this month, AFP and The Local reported.
‘Clinton as president is danger to world peace’ – far-right French leader Le Pen to RT
“There is a candidate who appears a lot more dangerous for France than the others – that’s Hillary Clinton,” the head of the National Front told RT France in an exclusive interview. “I’m not American so I don’t need to make a choice. But… in the interests of France, Hillary Clinton is probably the worst choice out there.”
Edward Snowden warns CIA ‘never destroys something by mistake’
Edward Snowden has responded to reports the CIA inspector general’s office “mistakenly” destroyed its only copy of a comprehensive Senate ‘torture report’ with a stinging rebuttal: “When the CIA destroys something, it’s never a mistake.”
Oklahoma legislature passes bill making it a felony to perform abortions
Lawmakers in Oklahoma approved a bill Thursday that would make performing abortions a felony and revoke the medical licenses of most physicians who assist in such procedures.
‘EU is in process of collapsing on itself’ – Marine Le Pen to RT
the European Union is in the process of collapsing on itself for one simple reason. The two pillars on which it’s founded – Schengen and the euro – are in the process of crumbling,”
U.S. House Passes Religious Freedom Bill Protecting Bris Milah, Shechitah
The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill expanding the protection offered by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to include male circumcision and ritual animal slaughter.
NASA Mini-Balloon Mission Maps Migratory Magnetic Boundary
observations saw something never seen before. During a fairly common space event called a solar storm – when a cloud of strongly magnetic solar material collides with Earth’s magnetic field – BARREL mapped for the first time how the storm caused Earth’s magnetic field to shift and move. The fields’ configuration shifted much faster than expected: on the order of minutes. These results were published in the Journal of Geophysical Research on May 12, 2016.
Temple Mount activist Yehuda Glick slated to be next Likud MK after Ya’alon resignation
Glick is a controversial figurein religious and political life in Israel, becoming the face of the Jewish struggle for prayer rights at the Temple Mount.
Lacking new ideas, G7 to agree on ‘go-your-own-way’ approach
A rift on fiscal policy and currencies is likely to set the stage for G7 advanced economies to agree on a “go-your-own-way” response to address risks hindering global economic growth at their finance leaders’ gathering on Friday.
State Dept. Official’s Deposition Was ‘Embarrassing’ For Hillary
The president of the watchdog group Judicial Watch says that information that a former State Department official provided about Hillary Clinton and her private email system in a lawsuit deposition conducted on Wednesday will be embarrassing for the former secretary of state. The testimony was not helpful for Clinton or the State Department,” Fitton told TheDC in a phone interview.
China’s Nuclear Subs Are Ready to Terrorize the Sea
…After decades of development, 2016 could be the year the Chinese navy finally sends its ballistic-missile submarines…to sea for the first time for operational patrols with live, nuclear-tipped rockets. If indeed the Jin-class subs head to sea this year, China will achieve a level of nuclear strike capability that, at present, just two countries—the United States and Russia—can match or exceed.
NATO finalises military build-up to counter Russia
NATO foreign ministers were on Thursday finalising the alliance’s biggest military build-up since the end of the Cold War to counter what they see as a more aggressive and unpredictable Russia. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the two-day meeting would address “all the important issues” to prepare for a “landmark” summit in Poland in July.
China says it’s ready if US ‘stirs up any conflict’ in South China Sea
China’s attempts to claim a nearly 1.4-million-square-mile swathe of open ocean are without precedent and probably without legal merit, but Beijing…increasingly puts its claims in military terms. Speaking to…reporters…a…Chinese official made his warning clear: The United States should not provoke China in the South China Sea without expecting retaliation.
Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon resigns
Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon has resigned, saying he lacked trust in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It comes amid moves by Mr Netanyahu to bring hardliner Avigdor Lieberman and his party into the ruling coalition, likely offering him the defence post. The deal would shore up Mr Netanyahu’s one-seat majority in parliament.
EgyptAir crash: ‘Debris found’ from flight MS804
Egypt’s military and national airline say debris from the crashed EgyptAir flight has been recovered in the Mediterranean. Flight MS804 was en route from Paris to Cairo with 66 passengers and crew when it vanished early on Thursday. Egypt’s army spokesman said wreckage and passenger belongings were found 290km (180 miles) from Alexandria.
Arabs demand that UN remove a panel from Israeli exhibition
Arab and Islamic nations are demanding that the United Nations remove a panel from an Israeli exhibition that calls Jerusalem “the spiritual and physical capital of the Jewish people.”
Judge orders ethics classes for ‘deceptive’ DOJ attorneys
A federal judge has ordered annual ethics classes for Justice Department attorneys as a punishment for being “intentionally deceptive” during litigation over President Obama’s executive immigration orders.
Second abducted Chibok girl rescued: Nigerian army
A second Chibok schoolgirl abducted by Boko Haram more than two years ago has been found during military operations in northeast Nigeria, the army said on Thursday. Army spokesman Colonel Sani Usman said she was among 97 women and children rescued by troops and civilian vigilantes in the Damboa area of Borno state at about 11:00 am (1000 GMT) on Thursday.
Isis executes 25 Iraqi ‘spies’ by lowering them in nitric acid until their ‘organs dissolve’
The Islamic State (Isis) has executed 25 alleged spies by lowering them into a huge tub of nitric acid, until their ‘organs dissolved’, claim Iocal news sources in Iraq. The alleged spies were captured in the IS (Daesh) stronghold of Mosul, in northern Iraq, accused of working for the Iraqi government’s security forces.
New Surveillance System May Let Cops Use All of the Cameras
THE 30 MILLION or so surveillance cameras peering into nearly every corner of American life might freak you out a bit, but you could always tell yourself that no one can access them all. Until now.
Lake Mead Shrinks to Record Low Amid Ongoing Western Drought
The surface level at Lake Mead has dropped as planned to historic low levels, and federal water managers said Thursday the vast Colorado River reservoir is expected to continue to shrink amid ongoing drought.
Top Headlines – 5/20/2016
Kerry will attend meeting to restart peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians
PA: Liberman appointment shows Israel no partner for peace
Herzog: ‘Judea and Samaria gangs’ prevented unity government
Israel frees Palestinian who spent months on hunger strike
Egypt: Terrorism more likely than malfunction in jet’s disappearance
EgyptAir crash: Plane still missing after debris in Mediterranean deemed unrelated
Will EgyptAir crash impact airport security?
French security head warns of possible ISIS attacks in country
ISIS carrying out ‘crucifixions,’ atrocities in Libyan city of Sirte, rights group says
Islamic State Executes ‘Iraqi Spies’ by Dropping Them in Vat of Acid
Iran-Saudi tensions simmer in Lebanon
Pope Francis to host Sunni Muslim leader at Vatican
Russia says it cracked group preparing Paris-style attacks
Russia’s Vladimir Putin set to tighten internet controls with surveillance law
New Surveillance System May Let Cops Use All of the Cameras
Facebook has a new feature that lets you watch the world in real time
Uber’s first self-driving car pulls out onto the streets of Pittsburgh
Nazis created ‘basic plan’ for European Union, Ukip MEP Gerard Batten says
‘We can’t be the United Nations’: Milwaukee frozen custard shop defends ‘English only’ policy
TSA spending millions on advertising, PR, holograms while travelers suffer
Gun control: California Senate passes sweeping new restrictions on firearms owners
FTC rejects congressional request to investigate Clinton Foundation
Poll: Two-thirds of US would struggle to cover $1,000 crisis
White House and Congress reach deal to save debt-stricken Puerto Rico
US again tells European banks trade with Iran is OK
5.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Mid-Indian Ridge
Popocateptl volcano in Mexico erupts to 21,000ft
Reventador volcano in Ecuador erupts to 18,000ft
Colima volcano in Mexico erupts to 16,000ft
Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupts to 15,000ft
Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala erupts to 15,000ft
Turrialba volcano in Costa Rica erupts to 13,000ft
Lake Mead Shrinks to Record Low Amid Ongoing Western Drought
WHO: Yellow fever outbreak is ‘serious and of great concern’
Superbugs could kill more people than cancer, report warns
Oklahoma legislature passes bill making it a felony to perform abortions
Sen. Lankford to Obama on Transgender Bathroom Edict: Sex Designation Isn’t Sex Discrimination
Chaos on House floor as Dems, Republicans clash over LGBT proposal
College boots ex-Delta Force hero after complaint from LGBT activists
Guard Charged With Assault After Confronting Transgender Woman Using Women’s Restroom, Police Say
‘The Exorcist’ director revealed that he was allowed to film a real exorcism at the Vatican
Beth Moore’s Bible-Twisting Now Includes “Binding Prayers”
Humans Become God? Yes, It’s Catholic Theology
Church of Scotland to consider online baptisms, communion
Israel: Study Reveals Muslims More Devout Than Christians or Jews
Oklahoma legislature passes bill making it a felony to perform abortions
The NAR – You Will Know Them By Their Nuts
SBC’s Floyd: Doctrine of Unity Demands Decree Against Dissenters
Why No School Has to Obey Obama’s Transgender Bathroom Decree
- Lacking new ideas, G7 to agree on ‘go-your-own-way’ approach (Read More)
- Japan’s Aso tells G7 FX stability vital, no competitive devaluations (Read More)
- Snubbed by West, Russia rolls out red carpet for Asian leaders (Read More)
- The Fed Has Something to Prove to Wall Street (Read More)
- Trump’s Supreme Court list: all conservative, some provocative (Read More)
- Nasdaq Raises Lawsuit Threat Over SEC’s IEX Speed-Bump Plan (Read More)
- Credit-Card Debt Nears $1 Trillion as Banks Push Plastic (Read More)
- Alberta’s Wildfires Couldn’t Have Come at a Worse Time for the Local Economy (Read More)
- Paris attack suspect refuses to speak at first French court hearing (Read More)
- Dollar Divergence Trade Spurs Best Run Versus Yen Since August (Read More)
- Yahoo Suitors Expected to Bid $2 Billion to $3 Billion, Below Past Indications (Read More)
- An American Magnate in Puerto Rico Is Confused by the Debt Talks (Read More)
- Lawsuit Claims Another Global Banking Hack (Read More)
- Why the Original Maker of Heroin Wants to Sell Corn to Farmers (Read More)
- San Francisco police chief resigns under pressure after officer shooting (Read More)
- Negative Rates Scorned by Japan’s Megabanks as Charts Turn Ugly (Read More)
NEWSMAX — Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has released a list of 11 potential Supreme Court justices he plans to vet to fill the seat of late Justice Antonin Scalia…. (more)
NEW REPUBLIC — Donald Trump doesn’t read books.Reading is a popular pastime, for both laymen and presidents. Barack Obama routinely visits independent bookstores and releases his summer reading list every year. And George W. Bush famously got into a reading duel with Karl Rove, to see who could read the most books… (more)
NATIONAL REVIEW — A five-year-old girl was suspended from Southeast Elementary School in Brighton, Colo. on Monday for bringing a clear, plastic bubble-soap gun with a picture of a princess on it to school with her because it violated the school’s “weapons policy.”… (more)
NEWSMAX — Melania Trump has taken a shot at Chris Matthews, saying she found it “unbelievable” the MSNBC host panted over her on live television. But the glamorous model-wife of Donald Trump dismisses the wolfish behavior as something men do…. (more)
CHERYL CHUMLEY — An attorney for Donald Trump said Tuesday he would like the New York Times to apologize for a story it ran about the billionaire businessman and his past dalliances with women, as well as issue a retraction, but news executives responded to the call with a terse reply that basically said: Sorry, but that’s just not going to happen…. (more)
WASHINGTON TIMES — It turns out the algorithms that govern the internet can be as biased as the people who create and update them. That may be the most surprising takeaway from the political bias scandal that has enveloped Facebook after former employees told the tech blog Gizmodo that they would sometimes suppress conservative-friendly items and promote liberal reports on the newsfeed’s “trending topics” box…. (more)
When the Compliments Don’t Fix the Insecuritiesby Guest Blogger The compliments didn’t fix it. The modeling offers didn’t make it go away. The attention from cute guys didn’t make it any better. |
Why Blonde Bombshells Don’t Have What It Takesby Guest Blogger How can a girl who seems to have it all miss the message about her truth worth? |
A Dream Come Trueby Bethany Baird It started out just like any other day. Then THE email dropped into our inbox. |
Trusting God When the Situation Seems Impossibleby Bethany Baird Work hard. Do your best. Leave the results up to God. |
This ‘n’ That
- On speaking the truth in love.
- I’m in awe of how much errant theology is crammed into this short article.
- Grace to You is profiling the apostle James.
- Speaking of Grace to You, they are currently airing my favorite sermon series: The Doctrines of Grace.
- Something or someone might have spoken to Rick Warren, but it wasn’t God.
- Poor little possum!
- I think if I had been in Liberty University’s graduating class, I would have walked out on my own graduation.
- I’m shocked! Wait, wait…no, no I am not.
- J.C. Ryle contrasts believers and unbelievers.
- This was disappointing to read.
- The sermon series, “So You Call Yourself a Christian,” by Pastor Don Green, is one you will want to hear.
- I don’t actually want to eat this, but I have to admit, it looks and sounds pretty fun.
- Online baptisms? Eh, not much worse than those fake “spontaneous” baptisms, I guess.
- Steve Lawson on the sovereignty of God:
Featured Blogs
- Losing the Transgender Debate… For All the Right Reasons
- The Need to Be Loved
- How Faith Grows
- 4 Lessons from the Little Sisters of the Poor Case
- If It Doesn’t Work, Stop It!
- 3 Steps to Develop a Solid Christian Ethic
The Daily Discovery (May 20, 2016)
ARTICLES I LIKE FROM AROUND THE WEB:(Click title to go to full article)4 ways to say good-by to yourself – “Jesus was known for some outright difficult (even offensive) declarations, and Mark 8:34 is certainly a prime example: And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’ How does this difficult declaration apply to us today?”Keeping the Faith in A Faithless Age: the Church as a Moral Minority – “‘The greatest question of our time,’ offered historian Will Durant, ‘is not communism versus individualism, not Europe versus America, not even East versus the West; it is whether men can live without God.’ That question, it now appears, will be answered in our own time. For centuries the Christian church has been the center of Western civilization. Western culture, government, law, and society were based on explicitly Christian principles. Concern for the individual, a commitment to human rights, and respect for the good, the beautiful, and the true-all of these grew out of Christian convictions and the influence of revealed religion.”Hey Pastors, Your Preaching Is Not In Vain – “Everyone is prone to discouragement. No matter our vocation, we all face the temptation to feel like what we are doing does not matter. I can remember working in the military and wondering how much my work really supported the mission. I recall working in Insurance Compliance and debating in my mind as to how in the world all of these reports and analysis really did anything. These are natural and common questions.”6 Reasons to Confess Your Faith Corporately – “These days, it’s hard to find churches with a strong and public commitment to their confessions of faith. To be sure, most if not all churches have a confession—at least in some form—but it’s often relegated to obscurity, unknown and certainly unarticulated by the congregation as a whole. But for most of its existence, the church has identified itself as a confessional community. Indeed, from the time of its initial formulations of doctrine—the rule of faith, the canon of truth, the early creeds—to its current practice of recitation of confessional formulas, the Christian church has considered this element to be a normative part of being the church.”
3 Must Reads After the Transgender Accessibility Directive – “Last week, the Obama Administration issued a directive to America’s public schools regarding transgender bathroom/locker room accessibility. The President has ordered every school district in the country to allow students use the bathroom or locker room of their chosen gender identity rather than the one that aligns with their biological sex. The directive does not have the force of law, but it comes with the threat that funding will be removed from school districts that do not comply.”
SERMON:
Dr. Randy White – The Man God Used
VIDEOS:
The worst Christian T-shirts ever???
Genius – The Movie
“All death can do to the believer is deliver him to Jesus. It brings us into the eternal presence of our Savior.” – John MacArthur
The post The Daily Discovery (May 20, 2016) appeared first on Entreating Favor.
W4YW: The Bathroom Debate, Liberal Intolerance, & Why Porn Kills Sex
Wisdom For Your Weekend: your weekly installment of what we’ve been reading (and watching) around the web.
Articles of the Week
Hillary, Bernie, Donald, and Me, John Piper. A lot of people aren’t thrilled with the remaining presidential candidates. John Piper, on the other hand, seems to see something redemptive about Hilary, Bernie, and Donald—their age. All three presidential candidates (and Pastor John) want to spend their 70s doing the hardest job in the world. But they’re only trying to run the tiny territory of the United States. As Christians, we get to be ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. So don’t waste your 70s, your 80s, and beyond. God still has plans to use you.
Four Bigger Repercussions of the Bathroom Debate, Trevin Wax. Everyone is talking about bathrooms these days. But beneath the surface of the debate about transgender rights, Wax notices other trends that are worth following—about governmental authority, education, and the nature of hope. There are more questions here than answers, but they’re enlightening, gracious, and necessary ones. (For more on this, be sure to read Brad Hambrick’s helpful reflections on what it looks like to talk this over with your kids. You can find that here: Talking to My Boys after the Transgender Talk at Their Public School)
The Secret of Consistently Reading, Aaron Armstrong. It’s not a huge secret, really. But Armstrong is on to something here. Reading, like most activities that matter, only happens when we make time for it. Want to read a book this month? Then plan for it. Not sure how to plan it? Then let Armstrong show you the way.
A Confession of Liberal Intolerance, Nicholas Kristof, NY Times. “We progressives believe in diversity…We’re fine with people who don’t look like us, as long as they think like us.” This is a rare admission, so we commend Kristof for making it. It seems that in the media and the academy, diversity definitely has boundaries, and those boundaries cut out conservatives, especially conservative Christians. To me (Chris), this is becoming one of the most critical mission fields in our country: universities shape society, and we need to be thinking of sending some of our best and brightest into universities equipped to be a counter-cultural, gospel presence.
Why Porn Kills Sex, Russell Moore. Pastor J.D. touched on the dangers of pornography during last week’s sermon, and Moore shines another light on the issue. Incredible wisdom here about why pornography is so destructive (instead of just finger-wagging and guilt trips) with implications for what we should do about it. As Moore notes, “Pornography kills sexuality because porn isn’t just about sex and because sex isn’t just about sex.”
On The Lighter Side
Remove a Letter, Spoil a Book, Abby Heugel, 22Words. I (Chris) have always loved this little trick. It’s a favorite game among nerds. Twitter has made it a little more ubiquitous, and offered us a handful of book covers to supplement the joke. (I was glad to see Here’s Waldo, Princess Brie, and One With the Wind. Would have liked to see The Invisible Ma, Back Beauty, or Goodnight Mon. Maybe next time.)
Wisdom For Your Weekend is presented to you by Chris Pappalardo, with occasional guidance from J.D. Greear. This is our attempt to reflect Proverbs 9:9: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.”
A La Carte (May 20)
I’ve got 3 different kinds of deals for you today: First, Kindle deals include Rise by Trip Lee ($1.99) and It’s Not What You Think by Jefferson Bethke ($2.99). Second, Logos just announced they will be adding Christianity Today to their system. (Sign up during pre-order and you’ll also get a one-year subscription to CT.) Third, Westminster Books has a J.C. Ryle bundle that’s well worth it: Iain Murray’s biography of Ryle along with Ryle’s classic Holiness. Some of Ryle’s other works are on sale as well.
Don’t Be Embarrassed by Your Ordinary Church
By definition most churches are ordinary churches, right?
Hong Kong
This video of Hong Kong is beautifully done. (Isn’t it sad to see the empty, superstitious worship…)
Is Your Pastor Happy To See You?
I think you’ll appreciate this one from Jared Wilson. (I feel the need to say that Grace Fellowship Church treats its pastors very well, so this is not much of an issue there!)
Our Respectable Sin—Laziness
“The testimony of the Bible from beginning to end says that laziness is wicked. But we don’t often look at it that way. Why is that? Why don’t we think laziness is a big deal? Why has laziness become a respectable sin among Christians?”
Tim Challies Wins Jeopardy! In Dominant Performance
I thought you might enjoy this satire from The Babylon Bee since A La Carte features prominently. (But I guess he didn’t know that Canadians are no longer allowed on Jeopardy.)
The Manchineel Tree
“You might be tempted to eat the fruit. Do not eat the fruit. You might want to rest your hand on the trunk, or touch a branch. Do not touch the tree trunk or any branches. Do not stand under or even near the tree for any length of time whatsoever. Do not touch your eyes while near the tree. Do not pick up any of the ominously shiny, tropic-green leaves.” (Just ignore the evolutionary mumbo-jumbo.)
This Day in 1690. 326 years ago today, John Eliot died. Eliot was a missionary to the Native Americans of New England and publisher of the first Bible printed in America. *
Preacher, Teacher, Sunday Entertainer?
There are some good lines in this article like “You are boring. The Bible is not” and “Exegesis is like digging in a mine. Digging is hard work and it’s time-consuming. We don’t do it because we like holes, but because we expect to find gold.”
Flashback: A Knight in Shining Blubber
It’s a silly title but makes a serious point—a point about not missing the point.
Those who have left the deepest impression on this sin-cursed earth have been men and women of prayer. —D.L. Moody
Check Out
Blogs
Statement on Racial Reconciliation by Session of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Miss. | David Strain, The Aquila Report
“Session of First PCA in Jackson repudiates actions recorded in its minutes from the 50s and 60s that excluded African Americans from worship in its sanctuary.”
Why I Am Not Atheist | Tim Challies
“I am not an atheist on the basis of evidence I have observed and conclusions I have made.”
How to Criticize a Fellow Christian or an Unbeliever in Controversy | Justin Taylor, TGC
“The best piece on know on how to maintain a godly disposition in theological controversy comes from a letter that John Newton wrote a pastor who was preparing to criticize a fellow minister.”
Canon Fodder Has a New Look! | Michael J. Kruger, Canon Fodder
This is a blog well worth checking out regularly.
Faithful and fruitless? | Jeremy Walker, The Wanderer
“How would you encourage a faithful brother who had been pastoring for several years and has not, in that season, seen a conversion directly from his preaching, though the church is growing and health with saints being built up and believers joining the church?””
Walker Percy’s 1981 Letter to the New York Times on the Con and Doublespeak of the Abortion Discussion | TGC
“There is a wonderful irony here. It is this: The onset of individual life is not a dogma of the church but a fact of science. How much more convenient if we lived in the 13th century, when no one knew anything about microbiology and arguments about the onset of life were legitimate. Compared to a modern textbook of embryology, Thomas Aquinas sounds like an American Civil Liberties Union member. Nowadays it is not some misguided ecclesiastics who are trying to suppress an embarrassing scientific fact. It is the secular juridical-journalistic establishment.”
New Book
The Knight’s Map by R.C. Sproul
Kindle Deals
For your non-Kindle book buying needs please consider using Reformation Heritage Books in the USA and Reformed Book Services in Canada. Good value prices and shipping.
Faithful Preaching by Tony Merida ($2.99)
The Answers Book for Kids (Volume 5) by Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge ($2.99)
Marriage and the Family: Biblical Essentials by Andreas J. Köstenberger and David W. Jones ($3.99)
Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence by Lisa Cron ($1.99)
Video
Drone Fishing for Tuna
Now this is appealing:
The squid bait was loosely dangled from the drone, which whizzed out to sea, its camera easily finding the fish in the seawater as its operators watched on an iPad. Before long, they guide the drone to plant its bait in front of the fish, and wham—a successful take. The drone then even filmed the entire catch.
Links I like
God Met Me in My Discouragement
Darryl Dash:
Life can be hard. Ministry can be hard. Most days, I hold onto hope in the middle of difficulty, but occasionally I go under. I’m not alone. “There comes a time in most of our lives in which we no longer have the strength to lift ourselves out or to pretend ourselves strong,” writes Zack Eswine. “Sometimes our minds want to break because life stomped on us and God didn’t stop it.”
An Al Mohler Prophecy Comes True
At the Ligonier 2016 National Conference, Albert Mohler said the following:
David Murray adds a bit of commentary:
Well, it didn’t take long for “fulfillment.” In Loveless, Narcisstic Sex Addicts: A Gay Man Critiques his Community, a gay man, Dr Jason Hill of De Paul University in Chicago, does exactly what the headline says. I don’t recommend that you read the article, but its basic point is clear: despite there being a “moral minority” (his words) of gay men who want something like traditional heterosexual marriage, the vast majority just want lots and lots of sex.
Why I Am Not Atheist
Tim Challies:
My beliefs about the existence and identity of God originated in my childhood. I was born to Christian parents and raised in a Christian home where I was taught the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Nothing is more foundational to Christianity than the existence of a God. As a child I memorized answer four of the Westminster Shorter Catechism which provides a stirring introduction to this God: “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.” There was never a time in my life when I did not acknowledge the existence of a God, and even a God much like this one. What was assumed in my childish heart and mind later took deeper root in my adult heart and mind.
God Will Not Ask You to Shame Yourself
Michael Kelley:
Shame is the end result of the worship of any idol. That’s because false gods always end up asking you to do things that, at least in retrospect, are shameful. They ask you to lie. To cheat. To live in the shadows. They ask you to spend. To gratify. To obtain. These false gods compel you to go places you never thought you would, do things you never thought you would, and say things you never thought you would.
Everyone Is a Culture Warrior. Some Admit it.
Daniel Darling:
…if we are gospel people, we are always, at some level, at war with the culture, at least the part of the culture that is under the rule of the “prince and power of the air.” In some ways, our definition of culture is deficient, because, as Andy Crouch will point out in his must-read, Culture-Making, culture is more than just the “out there” people and ideas of the world. We are part of culture. We create culture. We live in culture(s) (church, family, home, neighborhoods, etc).
How to Criticize a Fellow Christian or an Unbeliever in Controversy
Justin Taylor:
The best piece on know on how to maintain a godly disposition in theological controversy comes from a letter that John Newton wrote a pastor who was preparing to criticize a fellow minister.
The entire thing is well worth reading, but let me highlight here one section in particular on how we should think about our opponents in a controversy.
Life’s Not Fair, So Win and Lose Well
Barnabas Piper:
Sometime over the past few decades a mindset of “fair” has developed, calling for everyone to finish in the exact same place and receive the exact same reward. Fair has become equity in the finish instead of equity in the process. This perspective says a reward is due just for showing up, not because it’s earned. It cheapens real rewards for actual successes, and as it creeps into different areas of life, it undermines valuable assets such as hard work or giftedness.
The post Links I like appeared first on Blogging Theologically.
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Posted: 20 May 2016 07:37 AM PDT Steve Bassett, executive director of the Paradigm Research Group, is the only registered “alien disclosure” lobbyist in the United States and has been campaigning for… Read more at End Time Headlines. |
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These Signs Prove That We Are Looking at the ‘Last Generation of Human History’ Posted: 20 May 2016 07:09 AM PDT (Billy Hallowell) Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of famed evangelist Billy Graham, believes that “God is removing himself” from America, revealing in a recent interview the… Read more at End Time Headlines. |
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| Okla. Senate approves bill barring doctors from performing abortions
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| HIV cure a step closer after scientists remove virus’s DNA from living tissue
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Mosquito Drones Ready To Make Appearance Posted: 20 May 2016 06:26 AM PDT People fear robots are becoming too human, but, in reality, robots are becoming a little more bug-like every day. A team of Harvard University researchers… Read more at End Time Headlines. |
| India Shatters Temperature Record With Deadly Heatwave
Posted: 20 May 2016 06:20 AM PDT The severe heatwave conditions intensified in dry Rajasthan on Thursday with a majority of stations witnessing maximum temperatures above 46 degrees Celsius. Phalodi in Jodhpur… Read more at End Time Headlines. |
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Posted: 20 May 2016 06:13 AM PDT Southern residents living near the Gaza Strip received instructions on Tuesday to evacuate their residences in the event of emergency, including a call to have… Read more at End Time Headlines. |
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Girl Scouts Now Welcoming Transgender Boys Posted: 20 May 2016 06:01 AM PDT (Jennifer Leclaire) On days like today, I’m glad I was never a Girl Scout. Don’t get me wrong, the principles Girl Scouts of America teaches—courage,… Read more at End Time Headlines. |
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Posted: 19 May 2016 08:37 PM PDT NATO foreign ministers were on Thursday finalising the alliance’s biggest military build-up since the end of the Cold War to counter what they see as… Read more at End Time Headlines. |
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Thousands are dying under government-run healthcare in the UK Posted: 19 May 2016 07:21 PM PDT A new study has revealed that more than 33,000 people have died needlessly in the past decade, as a result of poor care following a… Read more at End Time Headlines. |
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| Abbas Warns “ISIS and Radical Islam Will Invade Israel If Peace Talks Fail”
Posted: 19 May 2016 07:13 PM PDT Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Tuesday to accept a French initiative to revive peace talks between the… Read more at End Time Headlines. |
| Lake Mead Shrinks to Record Low Amid Ongoing Western Drought
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| Obama Admin Demands Hospitals Accommodate Transgenders Or Lose Funding
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| Jerry Boykin Fired for His Opposition to President Obama’s Transgender Mandate
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Our Time is Short
What is The Gospel?
God made everything out of nothing, including you and me. His main purpose in creation was to bring him pleasure.
The chief way in which we as humanity do this is through loving, obeying, and enjoying him perfectly.
Instead of this, we have sinned against our loving Creator and acted in high-handed rebellion.
God has vowed that he will righteously and lovingly judge sinners with eternal death.
But God, being merciful, loving, gracious, and just, sent his own son, Jesus Christ, in the likeness of man to live as a man; fulfilling his perfect requirements in the place of sinners; loving, obeying, and enjoying him perfectly.
And further, his son bore the eternal judgment of God upon the cross of Calvary, as he satisfied the eternal anger of God, standing in the place of sinners. God treated Jesus as a sinner, though he was perfectly sinless, that he might declare sinners as perfect.
This glorious transaction occurs as the sinner puts their faith (dependence, trust) in the Lord Jesus Christ as their substitute. God then charges Christ’s perfection to the sinner, and no longer views him as an enemy but instead an adopted son covered in the perfect righteousness of his son.
God furnished proof that this sacrifice was accepted by raising Jesus from the dead.
God will judge the world in righteousness and all of those who are not covered in the righteousness of Christ, depending on him for forgiveness, will be forced to stand on their own to bear the eternal anger of God.
Therefore, all must turn from sin and receive Christ Jesus as Lord.
What Is the Gospel?
There is no greater message to be heard than that which we call the gospel. But as important as that is, it is often given to massive distortions or over simplifications. People think they’re preaching the gospel to you when they tell you, ‘you can have a purpose to your life’, or that ‘you can have meaning to your life’, or that ‘you can have a personal relationship with Jesus.’ All of those things are true, and they’re all important, but they don’t get to the heart of the gospel.
The gospel is called the ‘good news’ because it addresses the most serious problem that you and I have as human beings, and that problem is simply this: God is holy and He is just, and I’m not. And at the end of my life, I’m going to stand before a just and holy God, and I’ll be judged. And I’ll be judged either on the basis of my own righteousness–or lack of it –or the righteousness of another. The good news of the gospel is that Jesus lived a life of perfect righteousness, of perfect obedience to God, not for His own well being but for His people. He has done for me what I couldn’t possibly do for myself. But not only has He lived that life of perfect obedience, He offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice to satisfy the justice and the righteousness of God.
The great misconception in our day is this: that God isn’t concerned to protect His own integrity. He’s a kind of wishy-washy deity, who just waves a wand of forgiveness over everybody. No. For God to forgive you is a very costly matter. It cost the sacrifice of His own Son. So valuable was that sacrifice that God pronounced it valuable by raising Him from the dead – so that Christ died for us, He was raised for our justification. So the gospel is something objective. It is the message of who Jesus is and what He did. And it also has a subjective dimension. How are the benefits of Jesus subjectively appropriated to us? How do I get it? The Bible makes it clear that we are justified not by our works, not by our efforts, not by our deeds, but by faith–and by faith alone. The only way you can receive the benefit of Christ’s life and death is by putting your trust in Him–and in Him alone. You do that, you’re declared just by God, you’re adopted into His family, you’re forgiven of all of your sins, and you have begun your pilgrimage for eternity.
The Gospel In A Nutshell
Now, with regard to this rule of faith—that we may from this point acknowledge what it is which we defend—it is, you must know, that which prescribes the belief that there is one only God, and that He is none other than the Creator of the world, who produced all things out of nothing through His own Word, first of all sent forth; that this Word is called His Son, and, under the name of God, was seen “in diverse manners” by the patriarchs, heard at all times in the prophets, at last brought down by the Spirit and Power of the Father into the Virgin Mary, was made flesh in her womb, and, being born of her, went forth as Jesus Christ; thenceforth He preached the new law and the new promise of the kingdom of heaven, worked miracles; having been crucified, He rose again the third day; (then) having ascended into the heavens, He sat at the right hand of the Father; sent instead of Himself the Power of the Holy Ghost to lead such as believe; will come with glory to take the saints to the enjoyment of everlasting life and of the heavenly promises, and to condemn the wicked to everlasting fire, after the resurrection of both these classes shall have happened, together with the restoration of their flesh. This rule, as it will be proved, was taught by Christ, and raises amongst ourselves no other questions than those which heresies introduce, and which make men heretics.
Tertullian, “On Prescription Against Heretics,” Chapter XIIl
Ravi Zacharias explains the gospel in two minutes:
The Gospel on 5 Fingers
Can you explain the gospel in 30 seconds? In one minute? In five minutes?Here’s one way I have found helpful. The five main components of the gospel can be remembered on 5 fingers of one hand. Here they are:
1) Jesus’ birth
2) Jesus’ life
3) Jesus’ death
4) Jesus’ resurrection
5) Jesus’ ascension
Obviously each point can be elaborated on depending on how much time you have. Here’s the short version:
1) Jesus’ birth – Jesus, God himself, the creator of the universe, the Messiah, became a human being – took on flesh, and was born of a virgin.
2) Jesus’ life – Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience to his Father. Though he was tempted in every way as we are, he never once sinned.
3) Jesus’ death – on the cross, Jesus himself took all our sins and paid for them. God the father counted all our sins to Jesus as if he himself had personally committed them. Then Jesus bore God’s wrath towards sin – the punishment we deserved – as a substitute for us.
4) Jesus’ resurrection – within 3 days, Jesus rose physically from the dead, proving that his sacrifice for sins have been accepted by God, since the punishment for sin was death. Jesus was seen by numerous people after he rose including 500 at one time (1 Corinthians 15).
5) Jesus’ ascension – Jesus ascended physically into heaven where he reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords. And someday he will return to the earth.
That’s the gospel, the good news, and if we believe in Jesus Christ and this good news and call upon him he will save us from our sins and give us eternal life.
That’s a simple way to remember the gospel – five fingers. Even a child can do it. So ask God to give you opportunities to share his good news today.
Ready to start your new life with God?
Who do you think that I am?
With that brief question Jesus Christ confronted His followers with the most important issue they would ever face. He had spent much time with them and made some bold claims about His identity and authority. Now the time had come for them either to believe or deny His teachings.
Who do you say Jesus is? Your response to Him will determine not only your values and lifestyle, but your eternal destiny as well.
Consider what the Bible says about Him: Read more
Resource Links
CanIKnowGod.com is a website inspired by LifesGreatestQuestion.com, with new content, images, audio and video that will help you understand more about who God is and how to know Him. The site is mobile responsive and has an infinite scroll which makes for a very user-friendly experience. After you indicate a decision on CanIKnowGod.com, you are directed to a page that details what it means to have a new and transformed life through Jesus Christ. There’s even a Facebook page for daily updates, encouragement and scripture sharing.
Look to Jesus
Have you ever felt a little lost and wished there was a quick-start guide to your relationship with God? This is it!
30 Day Next Steps
John Beckett, a leading Christian businessman, has written a series to read over 30 days for new believers.
New Believers Guide
The New Believer’s Guide is a series of articles designed to show you how to walk in the new life Christ has given you— a life of faith and freedom.
Jesus Booklet
Jesus is the Savior of the world. Discover who Jesus is today in this series.
About Christianity
Know Jesus Christ and your life will be transformed
The Perseverance (Security) of the Saints
Notice all the Scripture references!
It is not just a handful of texts that teach the perseverance of the saints: the entire gospel sustains and confirms it. The Father has chosen them before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4), ordained them to eternal life (Acts 13:48), to be conformed to the image of his Son (Rom. 8:29). This election stands (Rom. 9:11; Heb. 6:17) and in due time carries with it the calling and justification and glorification (Rom. 8:30). Christ, in whom all the promises of God are Yes and Amen (2 Cor. 1:20), died for those who were given him by the Father (John 17:6, 12) in order that he might give them eternal life and not lose a single one of them (6:40; 17:2); he therefore gives them eternal life and they will never be lost in all eternity; no one will snatch them out of his hand (6:39; 10:28).
The Holy Spirit who regenerates them remains eternally with them (14:16) and seals them for the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13; 4:30). The covenant of grace is firm and confirmed with an oath (Heb. 6:16–18; 13:20), unbreakable like a marriage (Eph. 5:31–32), like a testament (Heb. 9:17), and by virtue of that covenant, God calls his elect. He inscribes the law upon their inmost being, puts his fear in their heart (Heb. 8:10; 10:14ff.), will not let them be tempted beyond their strength (1 Cor. 10:13), confirms and completes the good work he has begun in them (1 Cor. 1:9; Phil. 1:6), and keeps them for the return of Christ to receive the heavenly inheritance (1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:4–5).
In his intercession before the Father, Christ acts in such a way that their faith may not fail (Luke 22:32), that in the world they may be kept from the evil one (John 17:11, 20), that they may be saved for all times (Heb. 7:20), that their sins will be forgiven them (1 John 2:1), and that they may all be where he is to behold his glory (John 17:24). The benefits of Christ, which the Holy Spirit imparts to them, are all irrevocable (Rom. 11:29). Those who are called are also glorified (8:30). Those who are adopted as children are heirs of eternal life (8:17; Gal. 4:7). Those who believe have eternal life already here and now (John 3:16). That life itself, being eternal, cannot be lost. It cannot die since it cannot sin (1 John 3:9). Faith is a firm ground (Heb. 11:1), hope is an anchor (6:19) and does not disappoint us (Rom. 5:5), and love never ends (1 Cor. 13:8).
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