February 24, 2017: Verse of the day

16:7 his appearance … height of his stature. Samuel needed to be reminded that God’s anointed was not chosen because of physical attributes. This was initially a difficult concept for Samuel as he was accustomed to a king whose only positive attributes were physical. the Lord looks at the heart. The Hebrew concept of “heart” embodies emotions, will, intellect, and desires. The life of the man will reflect his heart (cf. Mt 12:34, 35).

MacArthur Study Bible

16:7 man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. Outward appearance cannot predict whether someone will faithfully obey the Lord, for a person’s actions flow from his heart (cf. 2 Chron. 16:9; Ps. 51:10; Prov. 4:23; Mark 7:21–23; Luke 6:45; 1 Thess. 2:4). The “heart” in Scripture refers to a person’s inward moral and spiritual life, including the emotions, will, and reason.

ESV Study Bible

February 24, 2017: Daily Devotional Guide Collection

February 24

A Prayer Prerequisite

If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

1 John 5:14

 

Praying in Jesus’ name is more than a formula. Some people think that they have to close every prayer with the phrase “In Jesus’ name, amen.” But the proper kind of prayer involves much more than a formula.

What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name? In Scripture, the name of God embodies all that He is. When God told Moses His name, He said, “I am who I am” (Ex. 3:14). Likewise, Jesus’ name embodies all that He is. When you pray in His name, what you ask should be consistent with who He is. Praying in Jesus’ name is praying in accord with God’s will.

When our requests are in line with God’s sovereign plan, He will answer them and our faith will increase. Instead of invoking a formula at the end of your prayers, perhaps you could say, “I pray this because I believe it to be the will of Christ.”^[1]

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February 24

God Is True

“He who has received His witness has set his seal to this, that God is true.”

John 3:33

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Since God is true in everything He does, we can trust Him and His Word.

God’s truthfulness is taught often in Scripture. Balaam, though no righteous man, got this right: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it?” (Num. 23:19). Samuel said to King Saul that God “will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind” (1 Sam. 15:29). Paul tells us, “God … cannot lie” (Titus 1:2), and “Let God be found true, though every man be found a liar” (Rom. 3:4). Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the “Spirit of truth” (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13).

Because God is true, and “all Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Tim. 3:16), it follows that His Word is completely true. The psalmist says, “The sum of Thy word is truth” (Ps. 119:160), and Jesus says, “Thy word is truth” (John 17:17).

The Bible, and therefore God Himself, is constantly under attack by critics. They say God doesn’t exist. But the Bible says, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’ ” (Ps. 14:1; 53:1). They say the world came into being by itself. But Scripture says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). They say the miracles in the Bible never happened. But God’s Word says that Jesus came “with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him” (Acts 2:22).

Always treat the Bible for what it is: the very words of God. Never deny its truthfulness, neither in your thinking nor in your living. Instead, “be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).

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Suggestions for Prayer: Thank God that He and His Word are absolutely true and trustworthy. ✧ If you have denied the truthfulness of the Bible, either in your thoughts or in your life, pray for forgiveness and for understanding in what the Bible has to say.

For Further Study: Read 2 Timothy 3:16–17. What useful qualities are inherent in God’s Word? Meditate on these, and think of ways they can and should affect your behavior.^[2]

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FEBRUARY 24

ALL ELOQUENCE IS DONE

Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?

—Psalm 106:2

Old Novatian said, “That in the contemplation of God’s majesty, all eloquence is done,” which is to say that God is always greater than anything that can be said about Him. No language is worthy of Him. He is more sublime than all sublimity, loftier than all loftiness, more profound than all profundity, more splendid than all splendor, more powerful than all power, more truthful than all truth. Greater than all majesty, more merciful than all mercy, more just than all justice, more pitiful than all pity. Nothing anybody can say about Him is enough….

If God is not the biggest thing in the world to you, not all your talk will ever impress me. We ought to be where God is everything, where we walk into a meeting and see God and think God and feel God. We ought to see God all around us, where He comes down over us and we see Him in a vision, in the cool of the day. We ought to see Him in a mountain, in thunder and fire. We ought to see Him on the cross in blood and tears, and coming down through the sky, riding a white horse, and sitting on a throne judging the nations. But always, we see God and God is everything. SAT039-041

Lord, You are worthy of praise, though words are inadequate to express Your majesty. Today I bow in silence, for what have I to say about the God who is everything? Amen. ^[3]

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February 24

Why Gentleness Is Necessary

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.—Matt. 5:5

Four basic reasons prove the necessity for people to demonstrate Jesus’ trait of gentleness. First, genuine spiritual gentleness is necessary for salvation. Jesus later instructed His listeners that “unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3; cf. Ps. 149:4).

Second, gentleness is necessary because God commands it. James exhorts his readers, “Putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21). Centuries earlier, the prophets agreed with James’s concern (e.g., Zeph. 2:3), knowing that without a gentle, humble spirit we can’t even hear God’s Word correctly, much less grasp and apply it.

Third, gentleness is a necessity for effective witnessing. Peter tells us, “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15). Pride will always be a barrier between us and those we talk to.

Lastly, gentleness is necessary because it always glorifies God. Pride wants its own glory, but gentleness wants God’s. Gentleness in relation to fellow believers especially glorifies Him: “Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 15:5–6).

ASK YOURSELF

Oh, what we lose by not choosing a life of gentleness, by not letting the Lord grow in us what (for some) is perhaps the most unnatural of His character traits. What temptations work the hardest against your desire to personify the meekness of Christ?[4]

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FEBRUARY 24

GIVE TIME TO GOD

In his law doth he meditate day and night.

Psalm 1:2

 

I have often wished that there were some way to bring modern Christians into a deeper spiritual life painlessly by short, easy lessons; but such wishes are vain. No shortcut exists!

God has not bowed to our nervous haste nor embraced the methods of our machine age. It is well that we accept the hard truth now: The man who would know God must give time to Him!

He must count no time wasted which is spent in the cultivation of His acquaintance.

He must give himself to meditation and prayer hours on end. So did the saints of old, the glorious company of the apostles, the goodly fellowship of the prophets and the believing members of the holy Church in all generations.

And so must we if we would follow in their train!

May not the inadequacy of much of our spiritual experience be traced back to our habit of skipping through the corridors of the kingdom like little children through the marketplace, chattering about everything but pausing to learn the true value of nothing?

 

Dear Lord, help me order my time so that I may get to know You and Your Word more intimately.^[5]

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February 24

Understanding God’s Will

“We have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Col. 1:9).

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Godly living results from being controlled by the principles of God’s Word.

Paul’s prayer for the Philippians (Phil. 1:9–11) is closely paralleled by his prayer for the Colossians (Col. 1:9–12). Both epistles were written from the same Roman prison at about the same time in Paul’s life. Both prayers focus on godly living, but they approach it from slightly different perspectives.

The Philippians were gracious people who needed to exercise greater knowledge and discernment in their love. The Colossians also were gracious, but their devotion to Christ was being challenged by heretics who taught that Christ is insufficient for salvation and godly living. True spirituality, the false teachers said, is found in Christ plus human philosophy, religious legalism, mysticism, and/or asceticism. Paul encouraged the Colossian believers and refuted the false teachers by showing the utter sufficiency of Christ.

At the outset of his prayer Paul stressed the importance of being controlled by the knowledge of God’s will (which is revealed in His Word). That’s the meaning of the Greek word translated “filled” in verse 9. “Knowledge” translates a word that speaks of a deep, penetrating knowledge that results in behavioral change. “Spiritual wisdom and understanding” refers to knowledge that cannot be known through human reasoning or philosophy. It is imparted by the Holy Spirit Himself.

In effect Paul was saying, “I pray that you will be continually controlled by the life-transforming knowledge of God’s will, which the Holy Spirit imparts as you prayerfully study and meditate on God’s Word.”

Scripture supplies the principles you need to live a godly life. And the Spirit gives you the power to do so. Many false teachers will try to divert you from the simplicity of devotion to Christ by offering you philosophy, psychology, and a myriad of other hopeless alternatives. Don’t be victimized. In Christ you have everything you need!

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Suggestions for Prayer:  Thank God for His all-sufficient Son and for the resources that are yours in Him. ✧ Ask for wisdom to apply those resources to every situation you face today.

For Further Study: Read Colossians 1:15–2:23. ✧ What was Christ’s role in creation? ✧ What was Paul’s goal as a minister? ✧ What warnings and commands did Paul give?^[6]

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FEBRUARY 24

GOD WILL NOT PLAY ALONG WITH ADAM

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

PHILIPPIANS 2:5

There is great need for us to learn the truths of the sovereignty of God and the Lordship of Christ.

God will not play along with Adam; Christ will not be “used” by any of Adam’s selfish brood.

We had better learn these things fast if this generation of young Christians is to be spared the supreme tragedy of following a Christ who is merely a Christ of convenience and not the true Lord of glory at all!

I confess to a feeling of uneasiness about this when I observe the questionable things Christ is said to do for people these days. He is often recommended as a wonderfully obliging but not too discriminating Big Brother who delights to help us to accomplish our ends, and who further favors us by forbearing to ask any embarrassing questions about the moral and spiritual qualities of those ends.

In our eagerness to lead men to “accept” Christ we are often tempted to present for acceptance a Christ who is little more than a caricature of “that holy thing” which was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, to be crucified and rise the third day to take His place on the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens.

The whole purpose of God in redemption is to make us holy and to restore us to the image of God! To accomplish this, He disengages us from earthly ambitions and draws us away from the cheap and unworthy prizes that worldly men set their hearts upon.^[7]

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^[1] MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : a daily touch of God’s grace (p. 67). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

^[2] MacArthur, J. (1997). Strength for today. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

^[3] Tozer, A. W., & Eggert, R. (2015). Tozer on the almighty god: a 365-day devotional. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

^[4] MacArthur, J. (2008). Daily readings from the life of Christ (p. 63). Chicago: Moody Publishers.

^[5] Tozer, A. W. (2015). Mornings with tozer: daily devotional readings. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

^[6] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1993). Drawing Near—Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith (p. 67). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

^[7] Tozer, A. W., & Smith, G. B. (2015). Evenings with tozer: daily devotional readings. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

The quality of charisma many wolves possess

Introduction

This week GraceLife Pulpit’s pastor Phil Johnson tweeted out a link to a Nautilus magazine article in a positive light. I usually like what Pastor Johnson likes, so I thought his positive remark to the article might be worth a read. It was. The article is titled “The Anatomy of Charisma“.

I first began hearing the word ‘charisma’ as a very young person. After President Kennedy was assassinated, which occurred when I was nearly three years old, the word became indelibly attached to Kennedy and then the Presidency itself. I used to hear it a lot. This Japan Times article notes that Kennedy set the bar for charisma and the Presidency.

It’s interesting to note that ‘charisma’ and ‘presidency’ are usually intertwined. Or any national leadership position. Truly charismatic people do not remain unknown. Their peculiar light ends up shining more and more brightly to ever widening…

View original post 1,513 more words

February 23, 2017: Verse of the day

Love Your Enemies

But I say to you, love your enemies. (5:44a)

Here is the most powerful teaching in Scripture about the meaning of love. The love that God commands of His people is love so great that it even embraces enemies.

William Hendriksen comments,

All around him were those walls and fences. He came for the very purpose of bursting those barriers, so that love-pure, warm, divine, infinite-would be able to flow straight down from the heart of God, hence from his own marvelous heart, into the hearts of men. His love overleaped all the boundaries of race, nationality, party, age, sex. …
When he said, “I tell you, love your enemies,” he must have startled his audience, for he was saying something that probably never before had been said so succinctly, positively, and forcefully. (The Gospel of Matthew [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1973], p. 313)

The scribes and Pharisees were proud, prejudiced, judgmental, spiteful, hateful, vengeful men who masqueraded as the custodians of God’s law and the spiritual leaders of Israel. To them, Jesus’ command to love your enemies must have seemed naive and foolish in the extreme. They not only felt they had the right but the duty to hate their enemies. Not to hate those who obviously deserve to be hated would be a breach of righteousness.

Jesus again sets His divine standard against the perverted human standards of that heretical Jewish tradition and reinforces it with the emphatic I. In Greek verbs a pronominal suffix indicates the subject, as here with lēgo (I say), and the separate pronoun I would not have been necessary had Jesus intended simply to give information.

But here, as in each preceding instance in the sermon (vv. 22, 28, 32, 34, 39), the emphatic form (egō … legō) gives not only grammatical but theological emphasis. In placing what He said above what tradition said, He placed His word on a par with Scripture-as His hearers well understood. Jesus not only placed emphasis on what was said but on who said it. It was not just that His teaching was the standard of truth, but that He Himself was the standard of truth. “Your great rabbis, scribes, and scholars have taught you to love only those of your own preference and to hate your enemies, ” Jesus was saying. “But by My own authority, I declare that they are false teachers and have perverted God’s revealed truth. The divine truth is My truth, which is that you shall love your enemies.”

As we have noted, the Old Testament concept of neighbor included even personal enemies. That is the truth Jesus expands in the parable of the Good Samaritan. The point of the parable is not primarily to answer the lawyer’s question, “And who is my neighbor?” though it does that, but to show that Gods’ requirement is for us to be neighbors to anyone who needs our help (Luke 10:29, 36–37).

The human tendency is to base love on the desirability of the object of our love. We love people who are attractive, hobbies that are enjoyable, a house or a car because it looks nice and pleases us, and so on. But true love is need-oriented. The Good Samaritan demonstrated great love because he sacrificed his own convenience, safety, and resources to meet another’s desperate need.

The Greek language has four different terms that are usually translated “love.” Philia is brotherly love and the love of friendship; storgē is the love of family; and erōs is desiring, romantic, sexual love. But the love of which Jesus speaks here, and which is most spoken of in the New Testament, is agapē, the love that seeks and works to meet another’s highest welfare.

Agapē love may involve emotion but it must involve action. In Paul’s beautiful and powerful treatise on love in 1 Corinthians 13, all fifteen of the characteristics of love are given in verb form. Obviously love must involve attitude, because, like every form of righteousness, it begins in the heart. But it is best described and best testified by what it does.

Above all, agapē love is the love that God is, that God demonstrates, and that God gives (1 John 4:7–10). “The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. … [and] God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us“ (Rom. 5:5, 8). Because of His love, we can love, and “if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:11–12).

When Jesus told the disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you” (John 13:34), He had just finished washing their feet as an example of humble, self-giving love. The disciples had done nothing to inspire Jesus’ love. They were self-centered, quarrelsome, jealous of each other, and sometimes even argued with and contradicted the One whom they confessed to be their God, Savior, and Lord. Yet everything that Jesus said to them and did for them was completely and without exception for their good. That was the kind of love He commanded them to have for Him and for each other. And that is the kind of love He commands all of His followers to have even for their enemies.

The commentator R. C. H. Lenski writes,

[Love] indeed, sees all the hatefulness and the wickedness of the enemy, feels his stabs and his blows, may even have something to do toward warding them off; but all this simply fills the loving heart with the one desire and aim, to free its enemy from his hate, to rescue him from his sin, and thus to save his soul. Mere affection is often blind, but even then it thinks that it sees something attractive in the one toward whom it goes out; the higher love may see nothing attractive in the one so loved, … its inner motive is simply to bestow true blessing on the one loved, to do him the highest good. … I cannot like a low, mean criminal who may have robbed me and threatened my life; I cannot like a false, lying, slanderous fellow who, perhaps, has vilified me again and again; but I can by the grace of Jesus Christ love them all, see what is wrong with them, desire and work to do them only good, most of all to free them from their vicious ways. (The Interpretation of St. Matthew’s Gospel [Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1964], p. 247)

Love’s question is never who to love-because we are to love everyone-but only how to love most helpfully. We are not to love merely in terms of feeling but in terms of service. God’s love embraces the entire world (John 3:16), and He loved each of us even while we were still sinners and His enemies (Rom. 5:8–10). Those who refuse to trust in God are His enemies; but He is not theirs. In the same way, we are not to be enemies of those who may be enemies to us. From their perspective, we are their enemies; but from our perspective, they should be our neighbors.

In 1567 King Philip II of Spain appointed the Duke of Alba as governor of the lower part of the nation. The Duke was a bitter enemy of the newly-emerging Protestant Reformation. His rule was called the reign of terror, and his council was called the Bloody Council, because it had ordered the slaughter of so many Protestants. It is reported that one man who was sentenced to die for his biblical faith managed to escape during the dead of winter. As he was being pursued by a lone soldier, the man came to a lake whose ice was thin and cracking. Somehow he managed to get safely across the ice, but as soon as he reached the other side he heard his pursuer screaming. The soldier had fallen through the ice and was about to drown. At the risk of being captured, tortured, and eventually killed-or of being drowned himself-the man went back across the lake and rescued his enemy, because the love of Christ constrained him to do it. He knew he had no other choice if he was to be faithful to His Lord (Elon Foster, New Cyclopedia of Prose Illustrations: Second Series [New York: T. Y. Crowell, 1877], p. 296).

The Scottish Reformer George Wishart, a contemporary and friend of John Knox, was sentenced to die as a heretic. Because the executioner knew of Wishart’s selfless ministering to hundreds of people who were dying of the plague, he hesitated carrying out the sentence. When Wishart saw the expression of remorse on the executioner’s face, he went over and kissed him on the cheek, saying, “Sir, may that be a token that I forgive you” (John Foxe, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, ed. W Grinton Berry [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1978], p. 252).

Our “enemies,” of course, do not always come in such life-threatening forms. Often they are ordinary people who are mean, impatient, judgmental, self-righteous, and spiteful-or just happen to disagree with us. In whatever personal relationships we have, God wants us to love. Whether a conflict is with our marriage partner, our children or parents, our friends and fellow church members, a devious business opponent, spiteful neighbor, political foe, or social antagonist, our attitude toward them should be one of prayerful love.

Pray for Your Persecutors

and pray for those who persecute you. (5:44b)

All men live with some sense of sin and guilt. And guilt produces fear, which in its ultimate form is fear of death and of what is beyond death. In various ways, therefore, most people have devised religious beliefs, rituals, and practices they are convinced will offer them some relief from guilt and judgment. Some people try to get rid of guilt simply by denying it or by denying the existence of a God who holds men accountable for sin.

Throughout history the worst persecutions have been religious. They have been the strongest against God’s people, because the divine standards He has given to them and which are seen in them are a judgment on the wickedness and corruption of false religion. God’s Word unmasks people at their most sensitive and vulnerable point, the point of their self-justification-whether that justification is religious, philosophical, or even atheistic.

Because persecution is so often the world’s response to God’s truth, the Lord assures us that, just as He was persecuted, so will we be (John 15:20). Therefore His command for us to pray for our persecutors is a command that every faithful believer may in some way have opportunity to obey. It is not reserved for believers who happen to live in pagan or atheistic lands where Christianity is forbidden or severely restricted.

Jesus taught that every disciple who makes his faith known is going to pay some price for it, and that we are to pray for those who exact that price from us. Spurgeon said, “Prayer is the forerunner of mercy,” and that is perhaps the reason why Jesus mentions prayer here. Loving enemies is not natural to men and is sometimes difficult even for those who belong to God and have His love within them. The best way to have the right attitude, the agapē love attitude, toward those who persecute us is to bring them before the Lord in prayer. We may sense their wickedness, their unfairness, their ungodliness, and their hatred for us, and in light of those things we could not possibly love them for what they are. We must love them because of who they are-sinners fallen from the image of God and in need of God’s forgiveness and grace, just as we were sinners in need of His forgiveness and grace before He saved us. We are to pray for them that they will, as we have done, seek His forgiveness and grace.

Our persecutors may not always be unbelievers. Christians can cause other Christians great trouble, and the first step toward healing those broken relationships is also prayer. Whoever persecutes us, in whatever way and in whatever degree, should be on our prayer list. Talking to God about others can begin to knit the petitioner’s heart with the heart of God.

Chrysostom said that prayer is the very highest summit of self-control and that we have most brought our lives into conformity to God’s standards when we can pray for our persecutors. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the pastor who suffered and eventually was killed in Nazi Germany, wrote of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:44, “This is the supreme demand. Through the medium of prayer we go to our enemy, stand by his side, and plead for him to God” (The Cost of Discipleship, trans. R. H. Fuller [2d rev. ed.; New York: Macmillan, 1960], p. 166).

Manifest Your Sonship

in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (5:45)

To love our enemies and to pray for our persecutors shows that we are sons of [our] Father who is in heaven. The aorist tense of genēsthe (may be) indicates a once and for all established fact. God Himself is love, and the greatest evidence of our divine sonship through Jesus Christ is our love. “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). “God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16). In fact, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” (v. 20).

Loving as God loves does not make us sons of the Father, but gives evidence that we already are His children. When a life reflects God’s nature it proves that life now possesses His nature by the new birth.

One of the commonest and most damaging criticisms of Christianity is the charge that Christians do not live up to their faith. Even though the world has a limited and often distorted idea of what the gospel is, they know enough about the teachings of Christ and the life of Christ to realize that most people who go by His name do not do all that He commanded and do not live as He lived.

But even a person who has never heard of Christ or the teachings of the New Testament would suspect there is divine power behind a life that loves and cares even to the point of loving enemies-simply because such a life is so utterly uncharacteristic of human nature. A life of self-giving love gives evidence of sonship of the Father who is in heaven. That phrase emphasizes the heavenly realm in which the Lord dwells, the realm that is the source of this kind of love.

Those who are God’s children should show impartial love and care similar to what God shows. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Those blessings are given without respect to merit or deserving. If they were, no one would receive them. In what theologians traditionally have called common grace, God is indiscriminate in His benevolence. His divine love and providence in some forms benefit everyone, even those who rebel against Him or deny His existence.

An old rabbinic saying tells of the drowning of the Egyptians in the Red Sea. As the story goes, when the Egyptians were destroyed the angels began to rejoice; but God lifted up His hand and said, “The work of My hands are sunk in the sea and you would sing?” (William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, 2 vols. [rev. ed.; Philadelphia: Westminster, 1975], 1:176).

“The eyes of all look to Thee, and Thou dost give them their food in due time,” the psalmist testifies. “Thou dost open Thy hand, and dost satisfy the desire of every living thing” (Ps. 145:15–16). There is no good thing-physical, intellectual, emotional, moral, spiritual, or of any other sort-that anyone possesses or experiences that does not come from the hand of God. If God does that for everyone, His children should reflect that same generosity.

MacArthur New Testament Commentary

February 23, 2017: Daily Devotional Guide Collection

February 23

Why God Answers Prayer

Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do,that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 14:13

 

Why does God answer prayer? The last part of today’s verse gives the answer: He answers prayer for His sake as well as ours. He does it to put Himself on display. Understanding this concept increases our confidence in prayer: we can know God will answer because it is an opportunity for Him to receive glory. We will grow spiritually as we interact with God through prayer and see His power on display.

The context of John 14:13 shows that the disciples were greatly distressed because Jesus told them He would be leaving. The disciples had relied on Jesus for so long that they feared being without Him. He had provided all their resources. He was their beloved friend and their spiritual, theological, and economic resource. He was their future as well as their present. They panicked at the thought of His leaving, but He left them and us the promise of John 14:13—whatever we need and ask for in His name, He will do.^[1]

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February 23

God’s Wrath

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”

Romans 1:18

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God hates sin and will judge unrepentant sinners.

We now come to a topic that is perhaps unpleasant to discuss, but it is essential if we are to have a right understanding of God: His wrath. The idea of a wrathful God goes against the wishful thinking of fallen human nature. Even much evangelism today speaks only of the joys and blessings of salvation without mentioning that those who are without God are under His wrath (Eph. 2:3).

God’s attributes are balanced in divine perfection. If He had no righteous anger, He would not be God, just as He would not be God without His gracious love. He perfectly loves righteousness and perfectly hates evil (Ps. 45:7).

But God’s wrath isn’t like ours. The Greek word used for God’s wrath in the New Testament refers to a settled, determined indignation. God does not “fly off the handle,” whereas we tend to be emotional and uncontrolled in our anger.

Many times God expressed His wrath to sinful mankind in past ages. He destroyed all mankind except Noah and his family in the great Flood (Gen. 6–7). He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins (Gen. 18–19). The Lord told unfaithful Israel, “Behold, My anger and My wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and on beast and on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground; and it will burn and not be quenched” (Jer. 7:20).

Some people today foolishly think the God of the Old Testament was a God of wrath and the New Testament God was a God of love, but His wrath is just as clearly taught in the New Testament. Jesus says, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36). In the end–times Jesus will return “dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thess. 1:8). God is the same God, and He will always hate sin.

✧✧✧

Suggestions for Prayer: Praise God for His righteous hatred of sin.

For Further Study: Read more about God’s wrath in Romans 1:18–2:16. What specifically causes His wrath? ✧ How does He display His wrath to the unrighteous?^[2]

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FEBRUARY 23

OUR GOD IS TOO SMALL

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

—Genesis 1:1

I am positively sure after many years of observation and prayer that the basis of all of our trouble today, in religious circles, is that our God is too small.

When he says magnify the Lord, he doesn’t mean that you are to make God big, but you are to see Him big. When we take a telescope and look at a star, we don’t make the star bigger, we only see it big. Likewise you cannot make God bigger, but you are only to see Him bigger….

What is the most important verse in the Bible? It is not the one you think it is: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). Nor is it the other one you think it is: John 3:16, “For God so loved the world….”The most important verse in the Bible is this one: “In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1). That is the most important verse, because that is where everything must begin. God is the mountain out of which everything springs, and He is the foundation upon which everything rests. God is all in all. SAT036-037

Lord, I fall to my knees in worship before the God who is all in all, the great Creator and Foundation upon which everything rests. May I see you bigger today, I pray. Amen. ^[3]

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February 23

The Result of Gentleness

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.—Matt. 5:5

God rewards the gentle with His own joy and gladness. But more specifically, He allows such saints to “inherit the earth.” In the future the Father will completely reclaim earth, and believers will rule it with Him. Because only believers are truly gentle, Jesus could confidently proclaim “they shall inherit the earth.”

“Inherit” denotes the receiving of one’s allotted portion and correlates perfectly with Psalm 37:11—“the humble will inherit the land.” We sometimes wonder why the godless seem to prosper while the godly suffer, but God assures us that He will ultimately make things right (cf. Ps. 37:10). We must trust the Lord and obey His will in these matters. He will settle everything in the right way at the right time. Meanwhile, we can trust His promise that we, as those who are gentle, will inherit the earth. This promise also reminds us that our place in Christ’s kingdom is forever secure (cf. 1 Cor. 3:21–23).

The promise of a future inheritance also gives us hope and happiness for the present. More than a century ago George MacDonald wrote, “We cannot see the world as God means it in the future, save as our souls are characterized by meekness. In meekness we are its only inheritors. Meekness alone makes the spiritual retina pure to receive God’s things as they are, mingling with them neither imperfection nor impurity.”

ASK YOURSELF

Yes, it often seems as though everyone “inherits the earth” but us mild-mannered believers. But what truly makes life enjoyable on the earth? And why do the curt and the coarsest among us not really get to experience its simple pleasures?[4]

FEBRUARY 23

THE SPIRIT ILLUMINATES

Your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:5

 

When we study the New Testament record, we see plainly that Christ’s conflict was with the theological rationalists of His day.

John’s gospel record is actually a long, inspired, passionately outpoured account trying to save us from evangelical rationalism—the doctrine that says the text is enough.

Divine revelation is the ground upon which we stand. The Bible is the book of God, and I stand for it with all my heart; but before I can be saved, there must be illumination, penitence, renewal, inward deliverance.

In our Christendom, we have tried to ease many people into the kingdom but they have never been renewed within their own beings. The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians that their faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God! There is a difference.

We must insist that conversion to Christ is a miraculous act of God by the Holy Spirit—it must be wrought in the Spirit. There must be an inward illumination!

 

Lord, I pray for my family, neighbors, and friends who do not yet know You. Illumine their hearts and minds by Your Holy Spirit.^[5]

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February 23

Realizing the Ultimate Priority

“… to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:11).

✧✧✧

To glorify God is to reflect His character in your words and deeds.

Paul’s prayer in Philippians 1:9–11 closes with a reminder that love, excellence, integrity, and righteousness bring glory and praise to God.

God’s glory is a recurring theme in Paul’s writings, and rightly so, because that is the Christian’s highest priority. But what is God’s glory, and what does it mean to bring Him glory? After all, He is infinitely glorious in nature, so we can’t add anything to Him. And His glory can never be diminished, so it doesn’t have to be replenished or bolstered.

In Exodus 33:18–19 Moses says to God, “‘I pray Thee, show me Thy glory!’ And [God] said, ‘I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.’” In effect God was telling Moses that His glory is the composite of His attributes.

That suggests you can glorify God by placing His attributes on display in your life. When others see godly characteristics such as love, mercy, patience, and kindness in you, they have a better picture of what God is like. That honors Him. That’s why it’s so important to guard your attitudes and actions. Paul admonished Timothy to be exemplary in his “speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity” (1 Tim. 4:12). That should be true of every believer!

Another way to glorify God is to praise Him. David said, “Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in holy array. … In His temple everything says, ‘Glory!’” (Ps. 29:1–2, 9).

You cannot add to God’s glory, but you can proclaim it in your words and deeds. What picture of God do others see in you? Does your life bring glory to Him?

✧✧✧

Suggestions for Prayer:  In 1 Chronicles 16:8–36 David instructs Asaph and Asaph’s relatives on how to glorify God. Using that passage as a model, spend time in prayer glorifying God.

For Further Study: Reread 1 Chronicles 16:8–36, noting any specific instructions that apply to you.^[6]

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FEBRUARY 23

KEYS TO GREATNESS: SUBMISSION AND SERVICE

…Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.

MATTHEW 20:26, 27

The essence of Christ’s teaching concerning greatness was this: true greatness among humans must be found in character, not in ability or position.

While a few philosophers and religionists of pre-Christian times had noted the fallacy in man’s ideas of dominion and status, it was Christ who defined and demonstrated true greatness.

“Let him be your minister: let him be your servant.” It is that simple and that easy—and that difficult!

We have but to follow Christ in service to the human race, a selfless service that seeks only to serve, and greatness will be ours! That is all, but it is too much, for it runs counter to all that is Adam in us. Adam still feels the instinct for dominion; he hears deep within him the command, “Replenish the earth and subdue it.” Therefore he does not take kindly to the command to serve! Sin must go and Adam must give way to Christ: so says our Lord in effect. By sin men have lost dominion, even their very right to it, until they win it back by humble service.

Though redeemed from death and hell by the vicarious labor of Christ on the cross, still the right to have dominion must be won by each man separately. Each must fulfill a long apprenticeship as a servant before he is fit to rule.

After Christ had served (and His service included death) God highly exalted Him and gave Him a name above every name. As a man He served and won His right to have dominion. He knew where true greatness lay—and we do not.^[7]

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^[1] MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : a daily touch of God’s grace (p. 66). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

^[2] MacArthur, J. (1997). Strength for today. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

^[3] Tozer, A. W., & Eggert, R. (2015). Tozer on the almighty god: a 365-day devotional. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

^[4] MacArthur, J. (2008). Daily readings from the life of Christ (p. 62). Chicago: Moody Publishers.

^[5] Tozer, A. W. (2015). Mornings with tozer: daily devotional readings. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

^[6] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1993). Drawing Near—Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith (p. 66). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

^[7] Tozer, A. W., & Smith, G. B. (2015). Evenings with tozer: daily devotional readings. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

February 22, 2017 Truth2Freedom Briefing Report

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Feb. 22, 2017 |

BLOOMBERG

The foreign ministers of Mexico and Canada presented a unified front ahead of potential trade talks with Donald Trump’s administration, stressing the North American Free Trade Agreement has benefited all three countries.

The Trump administration outlined a sweeping crackdown on undocumented immigrants Tuesday, proclaiming that it would seek to swiftly deport many more people without court hearings and target migrants charged with crimes or thought to be dangerous, not just convicts.

The world’s largest courier took a step closer to that future on Monday, launching an unmanned aerial vehicle from the roof of a UPS truck about a quarter-mile to a blueberry farm outside Tampa, Florida. The drone dropped off a package at a home on the property, and returned to the truck, which had moved about 2,000 feet.

Crude prices could plunge toward $30 a barrel — a rout of about 40 percent from current levels — unless OPEC extends production cuts that are propping up the market, ABN Amro Bank NV said.

AP Top Stories

The Trump administration is working on a new set of directives on the use of school bathrooms by transgender students, the White House said Tuesday. The announcement alarmed LGBT groups across the country that have urged President Donald Trump to safeguard Obama-era guidelines allowing students to use school restrooms that match their gender identity, not their assigned gender at birth.

The United States is not about to plunder Iraq’s petroleum reserves, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, who was in Baghdad Monday, said as he sought to soothe partners rattled by President Donald Trump.

President Donald Trump’s recent comments about immigration in Sweden made many question the inspiration behind his statement, but the country was tops in Europe for having the highest percentage of foreign born individuals living there last year.

A U.S. judge in Austin issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday halting Texas’ plan to cut Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood, saying the state did not present evidence of a program violation that would warrant termination.

With an uptick in the volume of international arms exchange estimated to be at its highest in 2012-16 for any five-year period since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the world may be a far more dangerous place now than ever, according to newly released data.

Relatives wailed in grief or stared stoically as flowers were placed on 20 caskets at a mass funeral Tuesday for the latest group of inmates who died miserably in Haiti’s largest prison, most without ever having been convicted of any crime.

Former Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang was jailed for 20 months on Wednesday for misconduct in public office, making him the most senior city official to serve time behind bars in a ruling some said reaffirmed the financial hub’s vaunted rule of law.

A significant segment among the Canadians said the mark of 40,000 refugees expected to enter the country this year was too high. One in four Canadians said their government should have implemented its own refugee ban policy similar to the U.S. president’s executive order.

Britain’s top court backed a government attempt to limit immigration by ruling on Wednesday that an income test for those who want to bring their non-European spouses to the UK is acceptable and does not infringe human rights.

China, in an early test of U.S. President Donald Trump, has nearly finished building almost two dozen structures on artificial islands in the South China Sea that appear designed to house long-range surface-to-air missiles, two U.S. officials told Reuters.

Global stocks hit record highs on Wednesday, pushing gains for the year above those for all of 2016, while the dollar rose before Federal Reserve minutes that will be scoured for clues on the timing of the next U.S. interest rate rise. European shares followed Asian bourses higher, buoyed by all main indexes on Wall Street touching record closing highs on Tuesday.

Aerospace company Boeing is in the process of changing the way satellites are built and made operational, according to the Wall Street Journal, with an eye toward automating much of the process and making it easier to ramp production while also increasing overall efficiency

BBC

South Korean women will be the first in the world to have an average life expectancy above 90, a study suggests.

A US Muslim-led fundraising project to help repair a Jewish cemetery that was vandalized has raised almost three times its $20,000 target. The crowdfunding campaign, which calls for “solidarity with the Jewish-American community”, aims to help “rebuild this sacred space”.

A Mexican man has apparently taken his own life just half an hour after being deported from the United States. He jumped from a bridge at the border after he was deported for the third time.

A new toy billed as the world’s “first transgender doll” has created a buzz on social media.The doll is modelled on a teenage activist who was born a boy, but lives as a female. Jazz Jennings shot to fame when she was interviewed about her gender dysphoria by US TV presenter Barbara Walters.

A member of Texas’ House of Representatives has filed a resolution to urge Texans to stop using an emoji representing the Chilean flag when they really mean to use the Texan flag.

WND

NASA thinks aliens might be hiding on the frozen moon of Jupiter, called Europa, and as such, is sending out a search spaceship to root them out, the aeronautics agency reported.

Technology insiders are predicting it won’t be long before robots have taken over key roles within the main U.S. military branches, performing everything from mine sweeps to truck driving. As the San Diego Union-Tribune reported: the wide sweep of robotic technology into America’s military could put “both rear-echelon and front-line positions in jeopardy.”

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Top News – 2/22/2017

Test subjects type fast – using only their brains
Unlike other BCI devices that are placed on either the scalp or the surface of the brain, the system used here is implanted inside the brain where 100 electrodes connect with the electrical activity of individual nerve cells in the motor cortex. The device, which is known as the BrainGate Neural Interface System, is a silicon chip, about the size of a baby aspirin, and the electrodes penetrate into the brain at roughly the thickness of a quarter.

Russia’s defense chief to mobilize new cyber army
“The Information operations forces have been established, that are expected to be a far more effective tool than all we used before for counter-propaganda purposes,” he said. “Propaganda should be smart, competent and effective,” the defense minister stressed.

British ISIS suicide bomber was ex-Gitmo detainee who won £1mn compensation
He left for Syria in 2014, ten years after he was released from the notorious detention facility, only to be killed on Monday.

ISIS releases ‘proof’ it fired rockets on Israel
The Islamic State group on Wednesday morning released images of Katyusha rockets purporting to provide evidence to its claim that it was indeed responsible for the rocket fire that targeted southern Israel on Tuesday. The images show a militant linked to the ISIS affiliate in Egypt, known as the Sinai Province, as he prepares two rockets prior to launching them from the restive Sinai Peninsula.

IDF jets allegedly attack Hezbollah targets in Syria overnight
Israeli jets allegedly struck targets near the Syrian capital overnight on Wednesday, reportedly a weapons shipment to the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, Lebanese media reported. Syrian media reported witnesses hearing “loud explosion sounds” in the early morning hours. According to Lebanese media, the targets that were hit around 3.00 a.m. were affiliated with the Assad regime and were the regime army’s 3rd Division in the al-Katif suburbs of the capital.

South Africa’s decision to leave ICC ruled ‘invalid’
South Africa’s decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been ruled “unconstitutional and invalid” by the High Court. South Africa notified the UN of its intention to leave last October, saying the ICC undermined its sovereignty and pursued “regime change”. But the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) argued that the government had to first seek parliamentary approval.

Germany’s Bavaria to ban full-face veil
The German state of Bavaria has announced plans to ban the full-face veil in government workplaces, schools, universities and while driving. “Communication happens not only via language but also looks, facial expressions and gestures,” said state Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann. But critics say the ban will have little practical impact in a state with only a small number of Muslims.

Trump administration widens net for immigrant deportation
The Trump administration has issued tough guidelines to widen the net for deporting illegal immigrants from the US, and speed up their removal. Undocumented immigrants arrested for traffic violations or shop-lifting will be targeted along with those convicted of more serious crimes. The memos do not alter US immigration laws, but take a much tougher approach towards enforcing existing measures.

Syria war: Arab-Kurdish fighters enter IS-held Deir al-Zour province
A US-backed alliance of Kurdish-Arab fighters has advanced into territory held by so-called Islamic State (IS) in Deir al-Zour province, eastern Syria. Kurdish military sources said the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had captured some 15 villages from IS. Unidentified air strikes killed 11 people in one IS-held village, though it was unclear if this was linked.

US sends specialist ‘nuke sniffer’ plane to the UK as ‘radiation spike’ sparks fears Putin has tested nuclear weapon in the Arctic
FEARS are mounting Vladimir Putin’s military have carried out a secret Arctic nuclear test after a huge spike in dangerous radiation levels were detected across Europe. The worrying claims came as the US Air Force sent a special WC-135 Constant Phoenix – whose main mission is to detect and identify nuclear explosions from the air – to RAF Mildenhall.

Powerful storms continue to batter Northern California amid concern about levees
An “atmospheric river” continued to batter parts of Northern California on Tuesday, causing widespread flooding. The heavy rains prompted the National Weather Service to warn of a dam failure outside Carson City, Nev…But less than 90 minutes after issuing the alert, the agency changed its report to say…it was full and overflowing into drainage areas…However, Lyon County, Nev., emergency officials warned that the situation could change in the next few hours.

Millennials are the most narcissistic generation ever
We might not agree on phone etiquette, or what to put on the radio – but there’s one thing older and younger generations agree on. Millennials (born between 1980 and 1994) are the most narcissistic – according to a study that consulted both millennials and their grandparents’ generations. But there is one thing they disagree on: the extent of their narcissism. Older generations think millennials’ narcissism goes beyond what millennials themselves will admit.

Wednesday Morning Briefing: Iran ready to give U.S. ‘strong slap in the face’
The United States should expect a “strong slap in the face” if it underestimates Iran’s defensive capabilities, a commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday, as Tehran concluded war games. Since taking office last month, U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to get tough with Iran, warning the Islamic Republic after its ballistic missile test on Jan. 29 that it was playing with fire and all U.S. options were on the table.

U.S. appeals court upholds Maryland’s ban on assault rifles
A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld Maryland’s ban on assault rifles, ruling gun owners are not protected under the U.S. Constitution to possess “weapons of war,” court documents showed. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit decided 10-4 that the Firearm Safety Act of 2013, a law in response to the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, by a gunman with an assault rifle, does not violate the right to bear arms within the Second Amendment.

DHS chief calls for 5,000 more border agents, end of ‘catch-and-release’ policies
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly has called for increased Border Patrol agents and the end of so-called “catch-and-release” policies…DHS took steps toward implementing President Donald Trump’s immigration-related executive order, which called for the removal of people in the U.S. illegally who “have been convicted of any criminal offense,” “have been charged with any criminal offense,” “have committed acts that constitute a chargeable criminal offense” or “are subject to a final order of removal.”

Anne Graham Lotz Praises Melania Trump’s ‘Courageous’ Lord’s Prayer Reading Amid Heavy Ridicule
Evangelist Anne Graham Lotz has come to the defense of First Lady Melania Trump for her reading of the Lord’s Prayer at a rally in Melbourne, Florida, for her husband, President Donald Trump, after leftists mocked and ridiculed the First Lady online.

THE FINAL BETRAYAL: Dutch MPs set to force through EU deal voters REJECTED in referendum
Parliamentarians in The Hague were poised to approve the highly contentious pact between Brussels and Kiev which will grant 40 million Ukrainians visa-free access to Europe. Their decision comes despite the fact that two-thirds of Dutch voters rejected the agreement in a referendum last spring, a result which establishment politicians immediately insisted they would ignore.

Top Israeli Minister Says Real Chance for Peace With Trump
Israel Public Security Minister Gil’ad Erdan on Monday said that with US President Donald Trump rewriting the rule of Mideast peacemaking, there was now a real chance for a genuine agreement between the Jewish state and its Arab neighbors.

Church Fails to Give Moral Lead
Is it not time to say: ‘enough is enough’? Undermining the authority of the Bible only leads to heresy within and confusion without. Sure, the watching world sees a church divided, and some would say that is a bad witness. But there are surely issues over which it is impossible to compromise.

Global arms sales at highest level since Cold War
It says the volume of international weapons transfers has “grown continuously since 2004 and increased by 8.4% between 2007-11 and 2012-2016,” with the flow of arms to the Middle East, Asia and Oceania spiking in part due to conflicts raging in the Middle East and tensions in the South China Sea.

Netanyahu hails Trump for taking ‘strong stand against antisemitism’
Netanyahu, who started a five day-visit to Australia on Wednesday, made the remarks to loud applause in a packed synagogue in Sydney regarding comments Trump made the day before about a resurgence of antisemitism in the US.

Is Genetic Engineering Recreating the Sin of Noah’s Generation?
New technology enabling scientists to manipulate genes, mixing human genes and organs with those of animals, is a disturbing trend in science which one rabbi believes mirrors the sin that led to global destruction in the generation of Noah.

Defying Washington, Iran to Begin “Grand Prophet 11” Missile Tests
General Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard force’s ground units, announced the upcoming military exercise on Iranian media on Saturday, saying the exercises were aimed at demonstrating Iran’s “complete preparedness to deal with the threats” and “humiliating sanctions” from Washington. It was not revealed what type of missiles will be used in the exercise.

Left-Wing Front Groups Make Anti-Trump Money Untraceable
Dark money advocacy groups are required to disclose little about their donors, but two left-wing organizations fighting President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominations are using a tax law loophole to make their finances even more opaque.

Iran Renews Destructive Cyber Attacks on Saudi Arabia
After a four-year hiatus, Iran recently resumed destructive cyber attacks against Saudi Arabia in what U.S. officials say is part of a long-term strategy by Tehran to take over the oil-rich kingdom and regional U.S. ally.

Syrian government forces press attack on Damascus outskirts
Syrian government forces fired rockets at a rebel-held area on Damascus’s outskirts on Sunday, pressing an attack that began the day before and has killed up to 16 people, a medical worker and war monitors said.

EXCLUSIVE: Cardinal Zen says ‘naïve’ Pope and bad advisors are betraying underground Church in China
Cardinal Joseph Zen says the Vatican is betraying Catholics living their faith out clandestinely in China. In an exclusive interview with LifeSiteNews, he says he has been urged to speak out by Catholics who lack the freedom to speak for themselves. Priests and bishops in the underground church have faced imprisonment for adhering to the Holy See, rather than submitting to the patriotic church approved by the Communist government.

Facebook freezes out Christian mom for quoting Bible about homosexuality
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg says he wants to use his platform to build a worldwide “inclusive community.” However, a Christian ‘vlogger’ found out there appears to be no room in it for her as long as she quotes Bible passages about homosexuality.

Police: Suspects in N. Korean death coated hands with poison
The women suspected of fatally poisoning a scion of North Korea’s ruling family were trained to coat their hands with toxic chemicals then wipe them on his face, police said Wednesday, announcing they were now seeking a North Korean diplomat in connection with the attack.

U.S. judge blocks Texas plan to cut Planned Parenthood Medicaid funds
A U.S. judge in Austin issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday halting Texas’ plan to cut Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood, saying the state did not present evidence of a program violation that would warrant termination.

Florida Teacher “Reassigned” After Facebook Post Praising Trump On Immigration
“The funny part about immigrants staying home is the rest of us who pay for them are here at work like we’ve always been.  Looks like less mouths to feed today.  Have fun while you still can.  So glad to hear about massive deportation.  Let’s make America great again.  Thanks Donald Trump!!”

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The Briefing 02-22-17

Trump administration poised to reverse Obama’s transgender bathroom directive, leaving issue to states

• Washington Post (Sandhya Somashekhar, Moriah Balingit, and Emma Brown) — Trump administration poised to change transgender student bathroom guidelines

Economic bullying: Global corporations and NFL threaten Texas over proposed bathroom bill

• Reuters (Jon Herskovitz) — Global investors warn Texas to withdraw transgender restroom legislation

New C-SPAN poll ranking the US presidents says more about the historians involved than the presidents

• USA Today (Josh Hafner) — Obama ranked 12th best president by historians in new C-SPAN poll

Michael Novak, major conservative intellectual and defender of human dignity, dies at 83

• Wall Street Journal (Michael Novak) — Democracy, Capitalism and Morality

The post The Briefing 02-22-17 appeared first on AlbertMohler.com.

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Virtually Everyone Agrees That Current Stock Market Valuations Are Not Sustainable And That A Great Crash Is Coming

Current stock market valuations are not sustainable.  If there is one thing that I want you to remember from this article, it is that cold, hard fact.  In 1929, 2000 and 2008, stock prices soared to absolutely absurd levels just before horrible stock market crashes.  What goes up must eventually come down, and the stock market bubble of today will be no exception.  In fact, virtually everyone in the financial community acknowledges that stock prices are irrationally high right now.  Some are suggesting that there is still time to jump in and make money before the crash comes, while others are recommending a much more cautious approach.  But what almost everyone agrees on is the fact that stocks cannot go up like this forever. (Read More…)

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Cash = Bad

MIA has written quite a bit in recent years about the accelerating global war against cash. This war, orchestrated by the global socialists who are hell-bent on establishing a global/one-world government, is about totally controlling people, their finances, their movements – indeed every aspect of their lives. If they can monitor and control all of your spending – they can completely control you, and if you do not completely cooperate with the Big Brother system, or if you in any way resist their tyranny (i.e., if you become “a person of interest”), they can pull the electronic plug on your finances – and you cannot buy, sell, travel, or function.

The cashless society is far advanced in socialist countries like Sweden, and is advancing rapidly across Europe, in America, and in most Western countries. In most parts of the world, you can no longer buy an airplane ticket with cash. Many hotels no longer accept cash. Cash withdrawals from banks are now being restricted in many parts of the world. Very shortly, buying firearms or ammunition with cash will be prohibited. People are being searched for cash and even arrested at airports, on highways in America, and in various places in the US and around the world – using the excuse that they are “suspected money launderers, drug dealers, terrorists, or tax cheats” – and the cash is confiscated by police.

(Excerpt from McAlvany Intelligence Advisor, October 2016)

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Top Headlines – 2/22/2017

• Euro Slips, Bonds Gain as Investors Turn Cautious (Read More)
• Fed Minutes Could Offer Hints on Timing of Rate Rises, Balance Sheet Moves (Read More)
• Trump’s new security advisor differs from him on Russia, other key issues (Read More)
• Tillerson, Kelly Head to Mexico for Talks Amid Diplomatic Tensions (Read More)
• Why Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Could Sink U.S. Home Prices (Read More)
• Auto Makers Ask EPA’s Pruitt to Reverse Fuel-Economy Decision (Read More)
• Canada PM: will not halt illegal border crossing despite opposition (Read More)
• North Korean Embassy Official Sought in Kim Jong Nam Killing (Read More)
• McDonald’s to Cut Prices on Drinks as Fast-Food Industry Slumps (Read More)
• IPO’s 543% Surge Halted by Hong Kong Regulators on Its Debut (Read More)
• Wall Street Getting Anxious on Bank Rally as Downgrades Pile Up (Read More)
• Uber CEO Apologizes for Company Culture (Read More)
• Spokesman for Turkey’s Erdogan calls on Israel to halt ‘illegal settlements’ (Read More)
• Britain’s top court backs government on immigration income test (Read More)
• Planting Decision a No-Brainer as U.S. Farmers Switch From Corn to Soy (Read More)
• In Bavarian town, Syrian sisters get to grips with Germany’s freedoms (Read More)
• U.S. appeals court upholds Maryland’s ban on assault rifles (Read More)
• ABB Uncovers $100 Million Korean Fraud as Suspect Vanishes (Read More)
• Iran ready to give U.S. ‘slap in the face’: commander (Read More)
• PSA says will honor existing Opel job guarantees (Read More)

Egyptian, Jordanian leaders uncompromising on two-state solution

Netanyahu to Australia amid calls by former PMs to recognize ‘Palestine’

Obama administration torpedoed regional peace bid by trying to impose terms last year, Israeli official says

US Jewish leader wants world conference to fight anti-Semitism

Jewish groups seek action from Trump to match his words on anti-Semitism

Trump at African-American History Museum Denounces Anti-Semitism and Racism: ‘It Has to Stop’

White house on increase in anti-Semitism: ‘we condemned it but it’s never enough for them.’

Anne Frank Center: Trump administration ‘infected’ with anti-Semitism

Investors bet on Israel tech stock windfall under Trump

Liberman tells Hezbollah’s Nasrallah to ‘stay in his bunker’

Iran Supreme Leader calls on Palestinians to pursue intifada against Israel

Ayatollah: We will liberate ‘Palestine’, remove cancer of Israel

Iran’s leader calls Israel a ‘fake’ nation, ‘dirty chapter’

Russia To Send Iran $1 Billion-Worth Of Missile Defense Systems

U.A.E. to Build Russian Warplane as Mideast Tensions Rise

Kremlin: Trump associates’ peace plan for Ukraine ‘absurd’

UN says upcoming Syria talks aimed at ‘political transition’

Missouri man accused of plotting ISIS attack in Kansas City

China opposes U.S. naval patrols in South China Sea

China finishing South China Sea buildings that could house missiles – U.S. officials

Military branches drafting expansion plans as Trump vows to rebuild ‘depleted’ force

Lawmakers to Request Probe of $418M Arms Sale to Kenya on Obama’s Last Day

France’s Le Pen cancels meet with Lebanon grand mufti over headscarf

Rioting erupts in immigrant-dominated Swedish suburb

Bodies of 74 migrants heading to Europe wash up in Libya

The migrant slave trade is booming in Libya. Why is the world ignoring it?

Canada PM: will not halt illegal border crossing despite opposition

Poll: Americans overwhelmingly oppose sanctuary cities

Trump administration issues new immigration enforcement policies, says goal is not ‘mass deportations’

Trump administration seeks to prevent ‘panic’ over new immigration enforcement policies

Trump adviser says new travel ban will have ‘same basic policy outcome’

Homeland Security unveils sweeping plan to deport undocumented immigrants

Travel Ban Aside, Trump Has Vast Legal Arsenal for Deporting Millions

DHS cancels Obama policies, orders agents to expand deportations

ICE raids have day laborers on edge across Southern California

After Trump travel ban, immigrants seek to naturalize

American Jewish groups decry new immigration rules as ‘cruel,’ ‘dangerous’

Alumni, former staff at Jared Kushner’s yeshiva ask him to oppose travel ban

Activists drape ‘Refugees Welcome’ banner on Statue of Liberty

Independent cinemas in the US to show 1984 as Trump protest

DHS computer systems reportedly suffer glitch

As market hits record, Vanguard founder Jack Bogle says investors shouldn’t get ‘carried away’

6.5 magnitude earthquake hits near Padilla, Bolivia

5.1 magnitude earthquake hits the Southwest Indian Ridge

Sinabung volcano in Indonesia erupts to 15,000ft

Every 200 years California suffers a storm of biblical proportions – this year’s rains are just a precursor

Storm brings record rainfall, gusts up to 199 mph and flooding to Northern California

Modesto prepares for the Tuolumne River to rise above flood stage as storm batters Northern California

Nearly 200 Evacuated From Flooded Homes In South San Jose

Powerful storms continue to batter Northern California amid concern about levees

Fierce California storm forces rescues, evacuations

Manhattan-Sized Iceberg Breaks Away From Antarctic Glacier

Bolivia declares emergency over locust plague

China reports more severe form of bird flu, threat to poultry: WHO

Sotomayor questions whether lethal injection is ‘our most cruel experiment yet’

Va. gov vetoes bill to defund Planned Parenthood

Judge blocks Texas from cutting Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood

Trump administration poised to change transgender student bathroom guidelines

Trump Retains LGBT State Department Official, Frustrating Christian Conservatives

Milo Yiannopoulos Says Homophobia Did Not Play Role in CPAC Disinvite, Resigns From Breitbart News

Milo backlash is the latest fault line in conservatives’ civil war

Millennials are the most narcissistic generation ever

Church’s Jesus Statue Beheaded for 2nd Time; Jewish Cemetery Vandalized

Celebrating Charismatic Catholicism … As If They Don’t Have Enough To Worry About

Hillsong: Slouching Towards Jerusalem

The Shack’s Author William Paul Young on Substitutionary Atonement

What to Know Before You Buy Jim Bakker’s Morningside Gourmet Meals

59 Percent of Millennials Raised in a Church Have Dropped Out—And They’re Trying to Tell Us Why

MSNBC Anchor says ‘Our job’ is to control ‘exactly what people think’

Poll: Americans overwhelmingly oppose sanctuary cities

Hundreds of campuses encourage students to turn in fellow students for offensive speech

ISIS Affiliate Calls Christians ‘Favorite Prey,’ Warns Believers More Attacks Are Underway

Trump administration working on new transgender bathroom directive Posted: 22 Feb 2017 07:39 AM PST The Trump administration is working to undo an Obama-era directive that allows students to use school restrooms that correspond with their gender identity, the White… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Virginia Governor Benches Home School Athletes Posted: 22 Feb 2017 06:17 AM PST Gov. Terry McAuliffe, D-Va., has effectively sidelined all home school athletes in the state who’d like to compete for their public high school. For the… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Movie Theaters Hosting Screenings of ‘1984’ to Protest Trump Posted: 22 Feb 2017 06:11 AM PST Dozens of cinemas across the United States are planning to screen the film adaption of George Orwell’s 1984 in protest of reports that President Donald… Read more at End Time Headlines.

New York Teacher Under Fire For Handing Out “Anti-Trump” Assignment Posted: 22 Feb 2017 06:07 AM PST A veteran Staten Island teacher who slipped an anti-President Trump question into her homework assignment to her sixth-grade class has been disciplined by school authorities… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Franklin Graham Claims ‘NFL Is Trying to Push Homosexuality Through a New Pro-Same-Sex Ad’ Posted: 22 Feb 2017 06:02 AM PST In a warning about the sinfulness of gay sex and the deceit in calling such acts “love,” Christian preacher Franklin Graham criticized a new Ad… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Brazil’s poorest region suffers worst drought in a century Posted: 22 Feb 2017 05:57 AM PST A cow’s skull lies baking in the sun and nearby another dead cow rots, symbols of the desolation gripping northeastern Brazil during its worst drought… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Life Expectancy to Rise Beyond 90 by 2030 Posted: 22 Feb 2017 05:54 AM PST Average life expectancy will rise in many countries by 2030, breaking through 90 years in some places, and policymakers need to make more efforts to… Read more at End Time Headlines.

‘Possessed’ Girl screams while pastor expels demons… Posted: 22 Feb 2017 05:50 AM PST Disturbing footage shows a 13-year-old girl being held down by her family while screaming in agony in an apparent exorcism. Filmed in the deeply Catholic… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Campuses encourage students to turn in fellow classmates for offensive speech… Posted: 22 Feb 2017 05:45 AM PST Universities are the cradle of free speech, where ideologies and ideas clash, where academics and activists can agree, disagree, or be disagreeable. This is particularly… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Iran ready to give U.S. ‘slap in the face’ Posted: 22 Feb 2017 05:41 AM PST The United States should expect a “strong slap in the face” if it underestimates Iran’s defensive capabilities, a commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards said… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Mayor Declares State of Disaster After 4 Tornadoes Strike San Antonio Posted: 21 Feb 2017 06:59 PM PST On Monday night, Mayor Ivy Taylor issued a disaster declaration for the City of San Antonio, the first step in getting state and federal help… Read more at End Time Headlines.

6 tons of tilapia die in South Cotabato fish kill Posted: 21 Feb 2017 06:52 PM PST Six tons of tilapia died in another fish kill incident in Lake Sebu town in South Cotabato. The town’s lake warden, Rudy Muyco, said the… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Disappearing honey bee population could spell trouble for some crops Posted: 21 Feb 2017 06:49 PM PST The honey bee contributes to a third of the country’s food supply but the population is declining. Last year eight percent of the bees disappeared… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Ayatollah Vows To liberate ‘Palestine’ and remove “Cancer of Israel” Posted: 21 Feb 2017 06:43 PM PST Iran’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called for the “complete Liberation of Palestine” on Tuesday, and slammed the Jewish state as a “cancerous tumor”. The… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Is Genetic Engineering Recreating the Sin of Noah’s Generation? Posted: 21 Feb 2017 06:39 PM PST New technology enabling scientists to manipulate genes, mixing human genes and organs with those of animals, is a disturbing trend in science which one rabbi… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Venezuelans Forced to Eat Flamingos to Survive Socialist ‘Maduro Diet’ Posted: 21 Feb 2017 06:34 PM PST Thousands of locals can’t even think straight as they go into the second year of the “Maduro diet” and are forced to find ANYTHING they… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Robots poised to take over wide range of U.S. military roles Posted: 21 Feb 2017 05:59 PM PST Technology insiders are predicting it won’t be long before robots have taken over key roles within the main U.S. military branches, performing everything from mine… Read more at End Time Headlines.

DEVELOPING: Weather service warns of imminent dam failure in Nevada… Posted: 21 Feb 2017 05:54 PM PST An “atmospheric river” continued to batter parts of Northern California on Tuesday, causing widespread flooding. The heavy rains prompted the National Weather Service to warn… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Global Arms Sales At Highest Level Since Cold War Posted: 21 Feb 2017 05:51 PM PST Global Arms sales have skyrocketed in the last five years, reaching their highest level since the Cold War in sales to the Middle East, according… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Facebook Suspends Christian Homeschool Mom’s Account Over Posts Citing Bible on Homosexuality Posted: 21 Feb 2017 02:00 PM PST A Christian mother is accusing the social media giant Facebook of censorship after her account was suspended over posts on what the Bible says about… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Michigan Woman Claims Sam’s Club Refused to Put a Cross on Son’s Cake Posted: 21 Feb 2017 01:55 PM PST Per a Fox 2 report, a woman claimed Sam’s Club in Southgate, MI denied her request for a cross on a cake. “I was taken… Read more at End Time Headlines.

‘Not My President’ Rallies Continue in America Posted: 21 Feb 2017 01:51 PM PST Anti-Trump activists in California and the U.S. participated in “Not My President Day” rallies on Monday, which marked the public holiday of Presidents’ Day. In… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Professors Warned Not to Assume Gender of Any Student Posted: 21 Feb 2017 01:47 PM PST In response to growing concerns over “implicit bias and stereotype threat,” Penn State professors have been provided a checklist suggesting ways to avoid microaggressing students,… Read more at End Time Headlines.

More False Prophets Declaring the World Will End in 2017 Posted: 21 Feb 2017 01:40 PM PST A fundamentalist Christian website has cited evidence from the Bible to say that the end of the world is nigh. The website ‘Signs of End… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Dozens of Outback, Carrabba’s, and Bonefish restaurants Closing Posted: 21 Feb 2017 01:36 PM PST Forty “underperforming” Carrabba’s, Outback, Bonefish Grill and Flemings restaurants will be closing by the end of the year, according to the company that owns them…. Read more at End Time Headlines.

President Trump speaks out on anti-Semitic threats Posted: 21 Feb 2017 01:32 PM PST President Trump spoke out Tuesday against the wave of anti-Semitic threats against Jewish community centers, calling them “horrible” reminders of the bigotry that still exists… Read more at End Time Headlines.

RUMORS OF WAR: US twin sea buildup against China, N.Korea and Iran Posted: 21 Feb 2017 11:20 AM PST Donald Trump marked his first month as US President with two major military gambits in the Middle East, Asia and the South China Sea. Early… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Iran Preparing For War In the Mideast? Russia To Send $1B In Weapons To Tehran Posted: 21 Feb 2017 11:16 AM PST Russia was set to send Iran about $1 billion worth of missile defense systems, Russian news agency Tass reported Monday. The deal was the result… Read more at End Time Headlines.

LGBT Groups Planning ‘Glitter Ash Wednesday’ in 21 States for Lent Posted: 21 Feb 2017 11:13 AM PST An LGBT group is launching an Ash Wednesday observance in which they will take the traditional ash cross on the forehead and add glitter to… Read more at End Time Headlines.

DEVELOPING: Mysterious ‘Radiation spike’ sparks fears Putin tested nuke in Arctic… Posted: 21 Feb 2017 11:09 AM PST Fears are mounting Vladimir Putin’s military have carried out a secret Arctic nuclear test after a huge spike in dangerous radiation levels were detected across… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Severe Storms Unleash Texas Tornadoes and California Floods Posted: 21 Feb 2017 11:06 AM PST Severe weather in California and Texas has unleashed deadly flooding, powerful winds, and destructive tornadoes in the two states. At least six tornadoes tore through… Read more at End Time Headlines.

More than 100 headstones vandalized at historic Jewish cemetery… Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:59 AM PST Investigators with the University City Police Department are working to determine who knocked over or damaged dozens of headstones at a local Jewish cemetery Thursday… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Jesus statue in Indy decapitated twice in two weeks Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:56 AM PST For the second time in two weeks, members of a church on the south side of Indianapolis have found their Jesus statue vandalized, giving it… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Teen wakes up headed to own funeral Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:54 AM PST A 17-year-old boy reportedly came to while he was being transported to his own funeral, authorities said. The teenager was rushed to a hospital after… Read more at End Time Headlines.

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Celebrating Charismatic Catholicism … As If They Don’t Have Enough To Worry About

Most people are unaware that charismania exists within the Roman Catholic Church. But it does.  The movement is growing and for good reason. Bud Ahlheim informs us that because the RCC was losing millions of adherents to what they deem apostate Protestantism the church’s hierarchy took the advice of Brazilian Catholic priest Marcelo Rossi who urged them to incorporate some of the features of evangelical churches into a more “modernized, spiritualized, and experientially emphatic Roman Catholic church. The primary feature Rossi mimicked was the charismatic element.”

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) will be celebrating fifty years of the movement this month, which is “not cause for celebration, but for lamenting,” says Ahlheim.  In the following blog post over at Pulpit & Pen, he takes a look at the CCR:

According to a recent story in Religion News Service, “This month marks the 50^th anniversary of the birth of the most important Catholic lay movement of the past century.”

That lay movement is called the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. And, just like its Pentecostalism forebear, the movement was birthed in the U.S.A.   Though adherents and proponents of it also claim a lineage to the days of the first-century church, charismania of any flavor is a recent phenomenon. Its lineage doesn’t nearly go back two millennia. Barely a century old, charismania was birthed in America in 1900 in Topeka, Kansas. (For more on it, you could read THIS.)

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MSNBC Anchor: “Our Job” Is To “Control Exactly What People Think”

During a lively discussion centered on fears that President Trump is “trying to undermine the media,” MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski let slip the awesome unspoken truth that the media’s “job” is to “actually control exactly what people think.”

SCARBOROUGH: “Exactly. That is exactly what I hear. What Yamiche said is what I hear from all the Trump supporters that I talk to who were Trump voters and are still Trump supporters. They go, ‘Yeah you guys are going crazy. He’s doing — what are you so surprised about? He is doing exactly what he said he is going to do.'”

 

BRZEZINSKI: “Well, I think that the dangerous, you know, edges here are that he is trying to undermine the media and trying to make up his own facts. And it could be that while unemployment and the economy worsens, he could have undermined the messaging so much that he can actually control exactly what people think. And that, that is our job.”

As grabien points out, the comment failed to raise any eyebrows from her co-panelists. Instead, her co-host, Joe Scarborough, said that Trump’s media antagonism puts him on par with Mussolini and Lenin…

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Barna Update | La La Land to Living Rooms: A Year in Movies

The 89th Academy Awards ceremony is around the corner and La La Land is expected to sweep the field. Leading up to Hollywood’s biggest night, Barna’s annual media survey examines the movie-going (or not going) habits of American adults and their opinions of Hollywood.

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February 22, 2017: Verse of the day

Just as we can only love God because He first loved us, we can only hold on to God because He holds on to us. We can survive any threatening circumstance and overcome any spiritual obstacle that the world or Satan puts in our way because in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

Overwhelmingly conquer is from hupernikaō, a compound verb that literally means to hyper-conquer, to over-conquer, to conquer, as it were, with success to spare. Those who overwhelmingly conquer are supremely victorious in overcoming everyone and everything that threatens their relationship to Jesus Christ. But they do so entirely through His power, the power of Him who loved us so much that He gave His life for us that we might have life in Him.

Because our Lord both saves and keeps us, we do much more than simply endure and survive the ominous circumstances Paul mentions in verse 35. First of all, we overwhelmingly conquer by coming out of troubles stronger than when they first threatened us. Paul has just declared that, by His divine grace and power, God causes everything, including the very worst things, to work for the good of His children (8:28). Even when we suffer because of our own sinfulness or unfaithfulness, our gracious Lord will bring us through with a deeper understanding of our own unrighteousness and of His perfect righteousness, of our own faithlessness and of His steadfast faithfulness, of our own weakness and of His great power.

Second, we overwhelmingly conquer because our ultimate reward will far surpass whatever earthly and temporal loss we may suffer. With Paul, we should view even the most terrible circumstance as but “momentary, light affliction” that produces “for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17).

From the human perspective, of course, the over-conquest God promises often seems a long time in coming. But when, as true believers, we go through times of testing, whatever their nature or cause, we come out spiritually refined by our Lord. Instead of those things separating us from Christ, they will bring us closer to Him. His grace and glory will rest on us and we will grow in our understanding of His will and of the sufficiency of His grace. While we wait for Him to bring us through the trials, we know that He says to us what He said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” And we should respond with Paul, “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (2 Cor. 12:9).

Paul probably wrote his letter to Rome during a winter in Corinth, and it is not likely that either Paul or the Roman believers realized how short the time would be before they would stand in need of the apostle’s comforting words in this passage. It would not be many years before they would face fierce persecution from a pagan government and people that now tolerated them with indifference. It would not be long before the blood of those to whom this epistle is addressed would soak the sands of Roman amphitheaters. Some would be mauled by wild beasts, some would be slain by ruthless gladiators, and others would be used as human torches to light Nero’s garden parties.

Consequently, the true and false believers soon would be easily distinguished. Many congregations would be saying of former members, “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19). But those whom the world looks upon as the overwhelmed and conquered are in reality overwhelming conquerors. In God’s scheme of things, the victors are the vanquished and the vanquished are the victors.

MacArthur New Testament Commentary

February 22, 2017: Daily Devotional Guide Collection

February 22

Loving Obedience

He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.

John 14:21

 

If I could simplify the Christian life to one thing, it would be obedience. I don’t mean just external obedience but a spirit of obedience. It’s not like the little girl who defiantly continued to stand up after her father had told her many times to sit down. Finally her father said, “Sit down, or I’ll spank you.” She sat down but looked up and said, “I’m sitting down, but I’m standing up in my heart!” That’s obeying outwardly but disobeying in the heart. A Christian should be willing to obey.

One evidence of spiritual maturity is loving God enough to obey Him even when it is difficult. God is glorified when we willingly obey Him no matter what the cost. Each time we obey, we grow spiritually, and each time we disobey, we retard our growth.^[1]

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February 22

Being Merciful

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Luke 6:36

✧✧✧

Since we have received mercy from God, we are obligated to show mercy to those with physical or spiritual needs.

Jesus demonstrated His mercy many times as He went about healing people and casting out demons. Two blind men cried out, “ ‘Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!’ … And moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight, and followed Him” (Matt. 20:30, 34). He was also deeply moved in spirit and wept when He saw the sorrow that Lazarus’s death caused (John 11:33–36).

His greatest mercy was shown, though, to those with spiritual needs. Not only did He heal a paralytic, but He forgave his sins (Luke 5:18–25). He also prayed for His executioners, saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

We can show mercy by our physical acts. John says, “But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:17–18).

We must also show mercy spiritually. Because we have experienced God’s mercy, we should have great concern for those who have not. We show spiritual mercy by proclaiming the saving gospel of Jesus Christ to the unsaved and by praying that God would show His mercy to them.

We also demonstrate spiritual mercy by lovingly confronting sinning Christians: “Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourselves, lest you too be tempted” (Gal. 6:1). Sinning Christians bring reproach on Christ and His church and will fall under God’s discipline. In such cases it is wrong to say nothing and let the harm continue.

God has promised us in Matthew 5:7 that we will receive mercy from Him if we are merciful to others. If we have received unlimited mercy from our loving God, if we have been lifted from our poor, sinful, wretched state to become citizens of heaven, how can we withhold mercy from others?

✧✧✧

Suggestions for Prayer: Pray that you would be sensitive to opportunities to show mercy today.

For Further Study: Read Matthew 23:37–39. What was Jerusalem’s condition in verse 37? ✧ How does that intensify the nature of Christ’s compassion and mercy toward His people?^[2]

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FEBRUARY 22

I KNOW THE ONE WHO MADE THIS!

But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

—Jeremiah 9:24

I just listened today while we had our dinner to a sonata by Beethoven and it was beautiful. But I suppose it would have been more wonderful if I could have shaken hands with the great Beethoven and said, “It’s an honor to shake your hand, sir. I consider you one of the greatest composers that ever lived—a genius!”… It would have been wonderful.

And so with Michaelangelo, the greatest artist of his day…. Perhaps he would have called me by my first name and I could have called him by his first name. I would introduce him to my friends and say, “I’d like to have you meet the great Michaelangelo.” That would have been better than knowing his works. I have seen his tremendous sculpture of Moses, but it would have been better if I could have seen the man himself.

So let men turn their telescopes on the heavens and their microscopes on the molecules. Let them probe and search and tabulate and name and find and discover. I can dare to say to them, “I know the One who made all this. I’m personally acquainted with the One who made it.” AOG081-082

I bow before You, great God, realizing the awesome privilege that is mine: the privilege of knowing You personally. Amen. ^[3]

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February 22

Gentleness as Defined by Jesus

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.—Matt. 5:5

In this verse, “gentle” (a word often rendered “meek” in other translations) means mild or soft. Looking ahead to His triumphal entry, the prophet hailed Christ this way: “Behold your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey” (Matt. 21:5; cf. Zech. 9:9).

From Old Testament times, gentleness has been God’s way for mankind. The book of Job says God “sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety” (5:11; cf. Ps. 25:9). “Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3).

Gentleness does not connote weakness, but rather a way of utilizing all its resources and emotions appropriately (cf. Prov. 16:32; 25:28). The gentle person has died to self and therefore does not resort to violence to defend himself, knowing his person has nothing to commend before God. Gentleness is not cowardice, lack of conviction, or niceness. It is the spirit of Christ, who defended the Father’s glory, not His own, and left us an example: He “committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:22–23).

Christ’s gentleness, however, did not mean He was passive in defending righteousness. He guarded the temple against the moneychangers (John 2:14–15), denounced the hypocritical religious leaders (Matt. 23:1–33), and warned the disobedient of judgment (Matt. 25:45–46). His gentleness was power completely surrendered to God’s control.

ASK YOURSELF

What’s been your interpretation of “meekness” or “gentleness”? Is this a quality you value and aspire to? If gentleness was more a part of your demeanor, what benefits would you begin to see in your daily life?[4]

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FEBRUARY 22

OUR INDIVIDUAL WORTH

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Romans 10:4

 

Our lost race has always been prone to discount and reject the wonderful fact of the individual factor in the love of God. Far, far too many men and women in this world are convinced that God’s love for the world is just one big lump—and the individual is not involved.

We have only to look around us with serious observation to confirm the fact that the devil has been successful in planting his lie that no one cares for the individual person.

Even in nature around us, there appears to be very little individual concern. The burden of concern is always for the species.

But Jesus did not preach to the multitudes as though they were a faceless crowd. He preached to them as individuals, and with a knowledge of the burdens and the needs of each one. Our Savior did not come into the world to deal with statistics!

Each of us must come with full confidence that it is a personal word God has spoken to us in Christ, that “whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish.”

 

Lord, Your Word says that each of us is “fearfully and wonderfully made” and that You are concerned about the one lost sheep in a flock of a hundred. Thank You for purchasing my redemption by Your death and resurrection. I love You, Lord.^[5]

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February 22

Cultivating the Fruit of Righteousness

“… having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:11).

✧✧✧

Bearing spiritual fruit is the acid test of a true believer.

After facing life-threatening situations, people often say, “I saw my entire life flash before my eyes.” That’s the picture we get in Philippians 1:11.

“The fruit of righteousness” refers to what is produced in you as you operate in love, pursue excellence, and maintain your integrity. It includes every attitude and action consistent with God’s standard of what is right.

“Having been filled” speaks of something that happened in the past with continuing results. At your salvation the seed of righteousness was planted within you. It bears righteous fruit throughout your lifetime. On the day of Christ that fruit will confirm your salvation.

Fruitfulness has always been the acid test of true salvation. Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine” (John 8:31). When John the Baptist admonished his followers to “bring forth fruits in keeping with your repentance” (Luke 3:8), he was speaking of good deeds (vv. 10–14). Paul said we are God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). John said that all who profess Christ should live as He lived (cf. 1 John 2:6).

Bearing spiritual fruit is not something you can achieve on your own. It “comes through Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:11). Jesus Himself said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4–5).

You were redeemed to glorify God through righteous deeds. Make that your priority today.

✧✧✧

Suggestions for Prayer:  Psalm 71 is a psalm of praise to God for His righteousness and faithful provisions. Read it and meditate on its truths. Then praise God for His righteousness toward you. ✧ Ask for opportunities to demonstrate righteousness to others today.

For Further Study: Read Proverbs 11:1–9, 15:8–9, and 21:2–3, noting the characteristics and benefits of righteousness.^[6]

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FEBRUARY 22

ONLY SERVANTS OF TRUTH CAN KNOW THE TRUTH

…So is every one that is born of the Spirit.

JOHN 3:8

Only the servants of truth can ever know truth. You can fill your head full of knowledge but the day that you decide that you are going to obey God, it will get down into your heart. You shall know!

I once read a book about the inner life of a man who was a sharp intellectual. By his own admission, he stood outside and examined spiritual people from the outside but nothing ever reached him. And that’s possible!

You cannot argue around this. Read your Bible—any version you want—and if you are honest you will admit that it is either obedience or inward blindness. You can repeat the book of Romans word for word and still be blind inwardly. You can know the doctrine of justification by faith and take your stand with Luther and the Reformation and still be blind inwardly. For it is not the body of truth that enlightens: it is by the Spirit of truth. If you are willing to obey the Lord Jesus, He will illuminate your spirit, inwardly enlighten you; and the truth you have known will then be known spiritually, and power will begin to flow up and out and you will find yourself changed marvelously changed.

It is rewarding to believe in a Christianity that really changes men and women. In that great day of Christ’s coming, all that will matter is whether we have been inwardly illuminated, inwardly regenerated, inwardly purified!

The question is: do we really know Jesus in this way?^[7]

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^[1] MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : a daily touch of God’s grace (p. 65). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

^[2] MacArthur, J. (1997). Strength for today. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

^[3] Tozer, A. W., & Eggert, R. (2015). Tozer on the almighty god: a 365-day devotional. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

^[4] MacArthur, J. (2008). Daily readings from the life of Christ (p. 61). Chicago: Moody Publishers.

^[5] Tozer, A. W. (2015). Mornings with tozer: daily devotional readings. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

^[6] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1993). Drawing Near—Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith (p. 65). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

^[7] Tozer, A. W., & Smith, G. B. (2015). Evenings with tozer: daily devotional readings. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

February 21, 2017 Truth2Freedom Briefing Report

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Top News – 2/21/2017

France’s Le Pen cancels meet with Lebanon grand mufti over headscarf
The cleric’s press office said Le Pen’s aides had been informed beforehand that a headscarf was required for the meeting and had been “surprised by her refusal”. French law bans headscarves in the public service and for high school pupils, in the name of church-state separation and equal rights for women. Le Pen wants to extend this ban to all public places, a measure that would affect Muslims most of all.

SWEDEN RIOT: Police forced to shoot at protestors as violence erupts – yet PM is in denial
SWEDEN’S capital was plunged into chaos on Monday as police were forced to fire at rioters after a violence erupted in an area described as high risk. The terrifying scenes took place just hours after the country’s Prime Minister, Stefan Löfven, slammed Donald Trump for claiming Sweden was in crisis as a result of its liberal refugee policy.

Idea of EU Army Signifies Dawn of Europe’s New Foreign Policy Concept
“This year, which will see the reformatting of the US’ attitude towards NATO and its military presence [in Europe], will signify the further prospects for the formation of the European defense union and Europe’s relationship with the European non-NATO member states, such as Sweden, Norway and Finland,” he told the video conference.

PA leader calls on EU to recognize ‘Palestine’
“There is a greater need than in the past for all EU countries to recognize an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with its capital in East Jerusalem,” he said, adding such a move would be an “act of support for the efforts of the Palestinian leadership to end the occupation and to save the two-state solution.”

Ayatollah: We will liberate ‘Palestine’, remove cancer of Israel
The comments were made at the Sixth International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Intifada, a government-sanctioned event held in Tehran. According to the Mehr news agency, representatives of 80 countries joined the event, which glorifies terrorism and acts of wanton violence against Jews and advocates in favor of the destruction of the Jewish state.

SOLAR TORNADO OVER-ROTATES, EXPLODES
Yesterday, an explosion on the sun’s eastern limb hurled a twisted plume of debris more than 250,000 km above the solar surface. NASA’s orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the blast:

Haley Scorches ‘Shameful’ UN Anti-Israel Bias After First Security Council Meeting, Vows Things Will Change
The Trump appointee then declared, in no uncertain terms, that the US would no longer allow anti-Israel bias to go unchallenged. “I am here to underscore the ironclad support of the United States for Israel. I’m here to emphasize the United States is determined to stand up to the UN’s anti-Israel bias,” she announced.

1,800-year-old Hebrew stone inscriptions found in ancient Galilee synagogue
An 1,800-year-old limestone column capital engraved with two Hebrew inscriptions dating to the Roman period was discovered during a recent restoration and conservation project carried out in an ancient synagogue in Peqi’in, located near the Western Galilee. The Israel Antiquities Authority said the work is being conducted by the Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel, as part of a project by the Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Ministry.

Netanyahu heads to Australia amid calls by former leaders to recognize ‘Palestine’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrapped up a 36-hour visit to Singapore on Tuesday that focused on economic and security issues, and headed to Sydney where he is expected to hear much more – at least from opposition politicians and the media – about the Palestinian issue.

Over 100 gravestones desecrated at St. Louis-area Jewish cemetery
Vandals damaged and knocked-over more than 100 headstones at a St. Louis-area Jewish cemetery. FOX2NOW…reported that police in University City, Missouri, were…reviewing footage from surveillance cameras in the area…The station quoted police as saying that it was likely there was more than one perpetrator. The police have not yet confirmed whether the incident is being considered a hate crime.

Trump names Lt Gen HR McMaster as national security adviser
US President Donald Trump has named Lt Gen HR McMaster as his national security adviser. He will replace Lt Gen Michael Flynn who was fired after just three weeks and three days in the job. A lieutenant general with the US Army, HR McMaster served in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he worked on a government anti-corruption drive.

Dangerous radioactive particles have been detected across Europe and no-one knows where they came from
DANGEROUS radioactive particles have been detected in seven different European countries and scientists can’t explain where they have come from. Traces of Iodine-131 were found in Norway, Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, France and Spain in January, but the public were not immediately alerted. These radioactive particles are produced by atomic bomb explosions or nuclear disasters such as Chernobyl or Fukushima.

Reddit Censors Pro-Trump Content in New Crackdown
Reddit is banning the vast majority of pro-Donald Trump posts from appearing on its “most popular” page frequented by new users. The online discussion site announced it was clamping down on what would appear as “popular” by showing visitors only popular posts from handpicked categories, which would apparently exclude anything from pro-Trump subreddits.

China opposes U.S. naval patrols in South China Sea
China said on Tuesday it opposed action by other countries under the pretext of freedom of navigation that undermined its sovereignty, after a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group began patrols in the contested South China Sea. The U.S. navy said the strike group, including the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier the USS Carl Vinson, began “routine operations” in the South China Sea on Saturday amid growing tension with China over control of the disputed waterway.

Nikki Haley slams United Nations for anti-Israeli double standards
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley gave a very strong statement condemning the United Nations for their anti-Israel bias and double standards against America’s Middle East ally. “The first thing I want to do is talk about what we just saw in there,” Haley began. “The Security Council just finished its regular monthly meeting on Middle East issues. It’s the first meeting like that that I’ve attended, and I have to say it was a bit strange.”

It Has Begun, Tillerson Fires Most of the 7th Floor
The infamous 7th floor Americans were stunned to learn of the State Department rogue Shadow Government which operated in secret from the 7th floor. They were behind the corrupt handling of the Clinton documents.

Now Democrats call Obama’s shadow government ‘The Devil’

Two Democratic operatives recently called OFA “The Devil.” When former President Obama issued a call to arms to his OFA troops in order to protect his legacy, particularly Obamacare, Stephen Handwerk, executive director of the Louisiana Democratic Party, wrote in a private email to fellow party leaders, “This is some GRADE A Bulls–t right here.”

David Horowitz: Dems Double Down on Everything Voters Rejected
Democrats are failing by sticking with policies that voters have soundly rejected — including in the election of Donald Trump as president, best-selling author David Horowitz told Larry King’s “PoliticKing” show.

Meanwhile, Rioting Breaks Out In Sweden
Just a day after ‘fake news’ criticizes Trump’s comments on Sweden, a riot in so-called “Little Moghadishu” – the Swedish borough of Rinkeby – occurs. 100s of young people throw stones at police, set fire to eight cars forcing police to fire warning shots…

Government Knows Best – Junk Food Ban Goes Global
One small problem has emerged as a Nanny State in the Pacific islands considers banning imported sugary foods to combat their obesity epidemic…”No country in the world has been able to demonstrate reductions in its obesity prevalence, so we’re not that different…It’s just that our levels are higher to start with.”

Publisher cancels Milo Yiannopoulos book ‘Dangerous’
Right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos’ publisher has cancelled his planned book, “Dangerous.” Simon & Schuster and its Threshold Editions imprint announced Monday that “after careful consideration” they had pulled the book, which had been high on Amazon.com’s best-seller lists and was the subject of intense controversy.

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The Briefing 02-21-17

Oregon considering bill that blurs line between physician-assisted suicide and state-sanctioned murder

• National Review (Ian Tuttle) — Oregon’s Euthanasia Bill Is Intentionally Ambiguous

A crime for not much longer? British police are looking the other way on assisted suicide

• The Economist — Police in Britain increasingly turn a blind eye to assisted suicide

Acceptance is outstripping research on health risks as more pregnant women and retirees use marijuana

• New York Times (Winnie Hu) — When Retirement Comes with a Daily Dose of Cannabis
• New York Times (Catherine Saint Louis) — Pregnant Women Turn to Marijuana, Perhaps Harming Infants

Learning from children: Are kids bad at paying attention, or are adults not paying enough attention?

• Wall Street Journal (Alison Gopnik) — When Children Beat Adults at Seeing the World

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February 21, 2017

The real battle to take down America – Hint: It isn’t just about Trump

WES VERNON — If President Trump were to make a mysterious disappearance or die tomorrow (or a combination of both), the enemies of America (within our shores) would not miss a beat. They are, of course, furious that the Donald would dare to seek the 2016 presidential office that had been reserved for Queen Hillary, whom they had anointed to replace the communist-mentored Barack Obama…. (more)

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February 21, 2017

Flynn’s departure – an enigmatic ejection

ALAN KEYES — Something about the resignation of Michael Flynn makes no sense to me. As the chief of the National Security Council’s staff, the National Security Adviser has, during my lifetime, always been one of the president’s most important and confidential advisers. The job has required frequent contact with the chief executive, as well as a relationship involving the utmost trust, discretion, and confidentiality…. (more)

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February 21, 2017

George & the Dragon Slayer

JOAN SWIRSKY — The original story of Saint George and the Dragon dates back to the 7th century, the narrative maintaining that in a fictitious town in Libya, there lived a king who chose to appease the evil dragon in the town’s lake that was poisoning the countryside. With the agreement of his subjects, the appeasement involved feeding the dragon two sheep every day. But when there were no more sheep, the King’s subjects started feeding their children to the dragon, chosen by lottery…. (more)

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February 19, 2017

Internet-regulating Federal Election Commission official to resign

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON — A Democratic Federal Election Commission official who pushed to regulate the internet and has been absent from public meetings for months is resigning, according to an announcement. Ann Ravel, who wanted to regulate political speech on the internet from websites such as the Drudge Report, announced Sunday that she is stepping down from her post…. (more)

 Democratic member to quit election commission, setting up political fight (New York Times)

 Democrat member of Federal Election Commission to resign (Newsmax)

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February 19, 2017

State officials want Trump to reverse Obama’s last-minute power grab of election system; Trump’s DHS head Kelly resists

DAILY CALLER — State officials across the nation are fighting former President Barack Obama’s last-minute decision to impose federal authority over state-run election systems, the Daily Caller News Foundation has learned…. (more)

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February 19, 2017

Now Democrats call Obama’s shadow government ‘The Devil’

GARTH KANT — First, the Democrats got clobbered in the election by the Republicans. Now they’re squaring off against each other in a civil war. This political Gettysburg pits the Democratic Party base against the Obama machine called Organizing for Action, or OFA, the community-organizing army left over from the former president’s election campaigns…. (more)

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February 18, 2017

Melania opens President Trump’s Florida rally with Lord’s Prayer [VIDEO]

AOL — First lady Melania Trump kicked off President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Melbourne, Florida, on Saturday by reciting the Lord’s prayer and telling the crowd she will “always stay true to myself, and be truthful to you.” “I didn’t know Melania would be reading the Lord’s prayer,” Trump said following the first lady’s remarks…. (more)

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February 18, 2017

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February 18, 2017

Pope Francis: ‘Muslim terrorism does not exist’

BREITBART — In an impassioned address Friday, Pope Francis denied the existence of Islamic terrorism, while simultaneously asserting that “the ecological crisis is real.” “Christian terrorism does not exist, Jewish terrorism does not exist, and Muslim terrorism does not exist. They do not exist,” Francis said in his speech to a world meeting of populist movements…. (more)

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February 18, 2017

‘Blind Sheikh’ convicted in 1993 World Trade bombing dies in prison

NEWSMAX — Omar Abdel-Rahman, the extremist Muslim cleric known as “the blind sheikh” convicted of conspiracy in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and of planning more attacks as part of a “war of urban terrorism” in the United States, has died in a U.S. prison, his son Ammar told Reuters on Saturday…. (more)

 Omar Abdel Rahman, the ‘Blind Sheikh,’ is dead (Andrew C. McCarthy)

 ‘Blind Sheikh,’ mastermind of 1993 World Trade Center attack, dies in federal prison (Washington Examiner)

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February 18, 2017

Pence: U.S. will hold Russia accountable

NEWSMAX — Vice President Mike Pence vowed Saturday that the United States will “hold Russia accountable” even as President Donald Trump searches for new common ground with Moscow at the start of his presidency…. (more)

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February 18, 2017

Bolton emerging as frontrunner to replace Flynn

NEWSMAX — Support was building Saturday for former UN Ambassador John Bolton to fill the White House national security adviser spot left vacant by Michael Flynn’s resignation…. (more)

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February 18, 2017

Tillerson presides over abrupt shakeup at State Department

CNN — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has reassigned a majority of the staff meant to work most closely with the top US diplomat in what career officials at the State Department fear is the start of a major reorganization…. (more)

 Rex Tillerson cleans house at State Department (The Blaze)

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February 18, 2017

Norma McCorvey, Roe v. Wade plaintiff, dead from heart ailment at age 69

WASHINGTON TIMES — Norma McCorvey, the pseudonymous plaintiff at the center of the U.S. Supreme Court case that legalized abortion, Roe V. Wade, passed away Saturday from a heart ailment, The Washington Post reported. She was 69. McCorvey’s death was confirmed to the newspaper by Joshua Prager, a journalist currently in the midst of writing a book about the landmark court ruling. She died Saturday at an assisted-living facility in Katy, Texas, west of Houston, the Post reported…. (more)

 McCorvey, who was at center of Roe v. Wade, dead at 69 (Newsmax)

 Report: Norma McCorvey of Roe v. Wade has died (Washington Examiner)

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February 18, 2017

Gorsuch could join Supreme Court before arguments begin in Missouri religious liberty case

WASHINGTON EXAMINER — The Supreme Court on Friday scheduled oral arguments for April in a crucial religious liberty case concerning state funding. Federal appeals court Judge Neil Gorsuch’s Supreme Court confirmation proceedings begin March 20, and he could be seated on the court before arguments begin…. (more)

 Gorsuch may join SCOTUS in time for religious liberty case (Newsmax)

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February 18, 2017

Gallup: Only 25 percent of voters self-identify as Democrats

BOB UNRUH — The party of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton is taking it on the chin in a daily tracking poll. The Gallup survey found that only 25 percent of voters self-identify as Democrats as of about the beginning of this year. The percentage who identify as Republican is 28, while it is independents who have made the biggest gains, measuring 44 percent…. (more)

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February 17, 2017

The AP blew it big time on that National Guard roundup story

WASHINGTON EXAMINER — The Associated Press dropped the ball Friday with a supposed scoop alleging President Trump is considering deploying approximately 100,000 National Guard units to round up illegal immigrants. The Department of Homeland Security is considering no such thing, an agency spokeswoman said following the story’s publication…. (more)

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February 17, 2017

ICE: 350% more illegals snared in raids under Obama

NEWSMAX — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took to social media to quell what it calls “dangerous and irresponsible” stories that allege the agency is executing “roundups” of illegal immigrants for deportation. Untrue, ICE said in a tweet…. (more)

 ICE: Raid reports are fake news, Obama grabbed 350% more (Washington Examiner)

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February 17, 2017

‘Face the Nation’ host John Dickerson: Press ruined its own reputation before Trump came along

WASHINGTON TIMES — CBS News host John Dickerson says the press ruined its own reputation long before President Trump came along. Appearing on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show Friday, Mr. Dickerson agreed with Mr. Trump’s claim during Thursday’s heated press conference that the American people have lost faith in the media’s credibility…. (more)

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February 17, 2017

Mike Lee to GOP: Repeal Obamacare now, don’t fear the ‘boogeyman’

WASHINGTON EXAMINER — Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said his fellow Republicans should repeal Obamacare before agreeing on a replacement, and dismissed concerns of a potential backlash when current beneficiaries lose coverage as a fictional “boogeyman” designed to scare lawmakers away from delivering on repeal…. (more)

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February 17, 2017

DNC leaders unhappy with aggressive tactics to elect Ellison as chairman

WASHINGTON TIMES — Democratic Party activists who tried unsuccessfully to sink Hillary Clinton’s nomination at last year’s convention are at it again, pestering national party members ahead of next week’s vote on a new chairman. Party leaders are eager to incorporate the energy of progressives who buoyed Sen. Bernard Sanders’ presidential campaign last year – – but less enthusiastic about the activists’ rough edges that continue to irk many Democratic National Committee members…. (more)

 DNC frontrunner Ellison ripped as ‘disaster on every level’ (WorldNetDaily)

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February 17, 2017

Facebook’s Zuckerberg lobbies for new world order

CHERYL CHUMLEY — Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, wrote in a 5,800-word manifesto his personal vision of recreating the world in his image – – an image that includes a true “global community that works for all of us,” he said, in an interview with the Associated Press…. (more)

 Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg: Globalism or bust (Washington Examiner)

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February 17, 2017

Judges: Gays’ feelings trump Christian’s faith

BOB UNRUH — The nine judges on the Washington state Supreme Court – – Mary Fairhurst, Charles Johnson, Barb Madsen, Susan Owens, Debra Stephens, Charles Wiggins, Steve Gonzalez, Sheryl McCloud and Mary Yu – – have decided they can order a citizen to violate her Christian faith…. (more)

 Washington Supreme Court rules against Christian florist in gay wedding case (Washington Times)

 Washington’s Supreme Court imposes its progressive faith on a Christian florist (David French)

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February 16, 2017

Spies keep intelligence from Donald Trump on leak concerns

WALL STREET JOURNAL — U.S. intelligence officials have withheld sensitive intelligence from President Donald Trump because they are concerned it could be leaked or compromised, according to current and former officials familiar with the matter…. (more)

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February 16, 2017

Trump’s clash with U.S. spy agencies spooks intelligence allies abroad

WASHINGTON TIMES — The Trump White House and the U.S. intelligence community moved closer to open warfare in the wake of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s spectacular downfall – – and the fallout is unnerving key American intelligence partners around the world, according to several high-level national security sources…. (more)

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Pope Francis Declares ‘Muslim Terrorism Does Not Exist’ As He Continues To Set The Stage For A One World Religion

When I first started seeing headlines that claimed that Pope Francis said that “Muslim terrorism does not exist”, I thought that it couldn’t possibly be true. After all, who could possibly deny that Islamic radicals are engaged in terrorism? Within the last 30 days, there have been 127 Islamic terror attacks in a total of 25 different countries. And in 2016 global terror attacks set an all-time record high and were up 25 percent from the year before. Unfortunately, there are many world leaders that are so politically correct and that are so married to the idea that Islam is good that they cannot admit to themselves that radical Islamic terror is being fueled by radical Islamic beliefs. And in the case of Pope Francis, he is exceedingly careful never to say anything negative about Islam because it would greatly hinder his efforts to bring all of the major religions of the planet closer together. (Read More…)

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‘Allahu Akbar’ Becomes A Rallying Call As Leftists Join Forces With Radical Muslims To Fight Trump All Across America

An “unholy alliance” between anti-Trump leftists and radical Muslims is beginning to emerge all over America. President Trump’s recent executive order that restricted immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries is bringing a very strange mixture of people out to street protests. On the one hand you have hardcore Muslims that are chanting “Allahu Akbar” and that believe that Islamic law will someday prevail over the U.S. Constitution, and on the other hand you have radical leftists marching right next to them that are protesting for “women’s rights”, “gay rights” and “civil rights”. The ironic thing about all of this is that if the radical Muslims have their way, the leftists will either convert to Islam someday or will be completely destroyed. But for now they need one another, and so a very odd marriage of convenience has taken place. (Read More…)

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It Is About Time That We Had A President That Was Willing To Go To War With The Mainstream Media

Thursday afternoon’s press conference was perhaps the most memorable moment of Donald Trump’s presidency so far.  Trump’s blistering attack on the media was quite a spectacle, but the truth is that it was desperately needed.  For decades, the mainstream media has dominated political discourse in this country no matter who has been in control of the White House or Congress.  They have become masters of guiding and shaping public opinion, and in recent years they have completely discarded any pretense of being “unbiased” or “objective”.  These monolithic media organizations relentlessly push the progressive agenda of their owners (the global elite), and that is why the “news” always seems to be just about the same no matter which network it is coming from.  Their monopoly is slowly being broken by the rise of the alternative media, but the truth is that most Americans still rely on just a handful of ultra-powerful media organizations for their news. (Read More…)

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Why Melania Trump Leading The Public In The Lord’s Prayer At A Rally In Florida Was A Historic Event

We just witnessed Melania Trump’s finest moment as First Lady so far.  After a week in which her husband declared war on the mainstream media, Melania absolutely electrified a huge crowd at a rally in Melbourne, Florida by reciting the Lord’s Prayer.  What Donald Trump had to share afterwards was remarkable as well, but that night will always be remembered for what Melania did.  After beginning with the phrase “let us pray”, Melania stunned the entire world by slowly but carefully leading the crowd in the Lord’s Prayer, and it is being reported that the assembled throng responded to her prayer with “thunderous applause“. (Read More…)

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The Russian Love Affair With Donald Trump Sours As The U.S. And Russia Move Toward War

In recent months Donald Trump has been severely criticized by both Democrats and Republicans for not being sufficiently “anti-Russia”, but the truth is that the Trump administration has not been working hard enough to repair a relationship that is now souring very rapidly.  When Donald Trump won the election in November, the Russians celebrated tremendously, because they greatly preferred Trump over Hillary Clinton.  But just because Trump was victorious does not mean that our relationship with Russia will automatically improve.  Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin both have huge egos, and it is quite easy to imagine a scenario in which things between them go very, very badly. (Read More…)

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New Apostolic Leader, Bill Johnson, Teams Up With Catholic Priests to ‘Proclaim the Gospel’

Jeff Maples of Pulpit & Pen reminds us that “It’s easy for the undiscerning to get caught up in the ecumenism of today’s false church. Everyone wants to be united because disunity is uncomfortable. But the Scriptures clearly teach that it’s the absence of clear doctrine and truth that causes division in the body (Rom. 16:17).”

With this in mind, NAR pastor and self-proclaimed “apostle” Bill Johnson is urging those who pay attention to his egregious teaching to team up with the apostate Roman Catholic Church to share a gospel that saves no one. Maples has the story:

According to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops website, the New Evangelization of Catholics:

calls each of us to deepen our faith, believe in the Gospel message and go forth to proclaim the Gospel. The focus of the New Evangelization calls all Catholics to be evangelized and then go forth to evangelize. In a special way, the New Evangelization is focused on ‘re-proposing’ the Gospel to those who have experienced a crisis of faith. Pope Benedict XVI called for the re-proposing of the Gospel “to those regions awaiting the first evangelization and to those regions where the roots of Christianity are deep but who have experienced a serious crisis of faith due to secularization.”1 The New Evangelization invites each Catholic to renew their relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church.

This is an effort initiated by the Roman Pontiff to draw people back into the Roman Catholic system of works righteousness. The crux is that those Catholics who have left the church should be “re-evangelized” and brought back in.

View article →

See our Research Paper on Roman Catholicism

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Snowflakes Create Fake News Site To Let Liberals Live In Alternate Reality Where Hillary Is President

Liberals seeking refuge from reality now have a fake news website where they can pretend to live in a world where Hillary Clinton is president.

EDITOR’S NOTE: When liberals are in power, they walk about swaggering, crowing and issuing endless reams of job-killing regulations and tax increases. But when they lose, they whimper and cry like little babies, seeking safe spaces and counseling. The latter, and not the former, is what we contend to be the true state of the American Liberal in 2017. 

“Approval ratings for President Clinton hit 89 percent,” “Confused by fake news, Redditers think Trump is president” and “DOJ considers charging Trump with treason” are just a few headlines featured on HillaryBeatTrump.org, a satirical news site devoted to covering stories from an alternate universe where Hillary won last November’s election.

“In the midst of a Constitutional crisis, this is our response,” the site’s description reads. “Long live the true president, Hillary Rodham Clinton.”

The site’s proprietors do not identify themselves online, and did not return TheDC’s request for comment, but their articles suggest they have liberal leanings.

The site’s articles single out prominent Republicans like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and White House press secretary Sean Spicer for mockery.

“On Monday, Senator Ted Cruz went on Ellen to confess that he, of course, killed Deputy White House Counsel Vince Foster in 1993,” reads one recent article, which refers to Cruz as “the Republican front-runner to take on President Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2020.” source

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UK Experiencing Massive ‘Radiation Spike’ Sparks Fears Putin Has Tested Nuclear Weapon In The Arctic

FEARS are mounting Vladimir Putin’s military have carried out a secret Arctic nuke test after a huge spike in dangerous radiation levels were detected across Europe.

The worrying claims came as the US Air Force sent a special WC-135 Constant Phoenix to  RAF Mildenhall – whose main mission is to detect and identify nuclear explosions from the air.

Along with monitoring nuke testing, the WC-135 is sometimes used to track radioactive activity as happened after the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster in the then Soviet Union in 1986. One of these aircraft was also deployed near North Korea in anticipation of Kim Jong-un’s controversial rocket launches in recent years.

Although they cross the European airspace from time-to-time, their deployment to the UK is still rare. And there has been no official statement from the US military about the reasons why it has been deployed here.

However, sources suggest the aircraft has been tasked with investigating the spike in radiation levels detected in northern Europe since January.

And some respected websites claim there are growing fears within military circles that Russia has been testing its nuclear might ahead of a new conflict. Many point to the radiation spike as “proof” the Russians have restarted nuclear weapons testing at Novaya Zemlya near the Arctic.

Others point to the lack of recorded seismic activity to doubt the claims. However, the deployment of the WC-135 to the UK seems to add weight to the test theory.

America’s highest ranking military officer has compared current tensions with Russia to the height of the Cold War ahead of a face-to-face showdown with his Kremlin counterpart.

General Joe Dunford said an immediate meeting with Gen. Valeriy Gerasimov is “absolutely critical” while strains between the two superpowers reach breaking point.

Last Wednesday it was revealed that Russian jets buzzed a US destroyer docked off the Romanian coast in a blatant show of force slammed by Navy officers as “unsafe and unprofessional”. And a 200-crew Russian spy ship armed with surface-to-air missiles reached as close as 30 miles to the Connecticut coastline — and a key US submarine base.

At the weekend, the US Navy released a statement saying its testing of two Trident missiles was “not in response to any world events” after scores of people filmed a mysterious light trailing through the night sky.

Yesterday, we revealed how radioactive particles had been detected in seven different European countries and scientists can’t explain where they have come from.

Traces of Iodine-131 were found in Norway, Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, France and Spain in January, but the public were not immediately alerted. These radioactive particles are produced by atomic bomb explosions or nuclear disasters such as Chernobyl or Fukushima. source

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A Quantum Leap Into the Paranormal

Feb 20, 2017 10:52 am | Marsha West

In this piece over at truthXchange, Dr. Peter Jones warns that more and more people are experiencing visions of divine light…encounters with various blissful and wrathful archetypal deities…communication with spirit guides and superhuman entities…contact with shamanic power animals… Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! “Christian, stay alert!” advises Dr. Jones for we are “moving […]

The post A Quantum Leap Into the Paranormal appeared first on Berean Research.

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Leaving the NAR Church: Maaike’s story

Feb 20, 2017 09:17 am | Amy Spreeman

After literally hours and hours of that prayer I saw myself as a 3 month old baby being raped by my father. I recovered memories about being raised in a satanic cult, abused in the most awful ways possible and suddenly the prophecy about giving my heart to Satan became clear. Maaike is from the […]

The post Leaving the NAR Church: Maaike’s story appeared first on Berean Research.

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Stop Calling Error ‘Anointed’

Feb 18, 2017 12:56 pm | Marsha West

In a spot on piece over at Pulpit & Pen, Costi Hinn calls for Christians to get back to the basics, meaning biblical Christianity.  He raises a two fold question: “What in the world has happened to the body of Christ and what semblance of biblical orthodoxy will be left for our children and grandchildren?” The way […]

The post Stop Calling Error ‘Anointed’ appeared first on Berean Research.

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Leaving the NAR Church: Carter’s Story

Feb 17, 2017 05:00 am | Amy Spreeman

“After their prophecies, visions, and declarations were all proven false, not a single one of them apologized to the grieving father or repented of their vain and powerless deeds.“ Carter has watched his dear friends fall hard for the counterfeit promises of a most dangerous deception. He has allowed me to share his story as […]

The post Leaving the NAR Church: Carter’s Story appeared first on Berean Research.

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Leaving the NAR Church: Jared’s Story

Feb 15, 2017 04:16 am | Amy Spreeman

The deliverance ministry counselor told my wife to close her eyes and allow the demons to speak through her. He explained that each demon has a name, and if bound “by the blood” must be truthful and submissive. Jared and his wife had been experiencing what they called demonic thoughts, and sought help through a […]

The post Leaving the NAR Church: Jared’s Story appeared first on Berean Research.

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How Deliverance Ministries Lead People to Bondage

Feb 14, 2017 07:56 pm | Amy Spreeman

There’s no doubt that Christians are in a war.  Every day we see evil in our world, and we have an enemy who passionately hates that we belong to Jesus Christ. Some churches attempt to engage with the demonic realm in spiritual warfare. Are these so-called “Deliverance Ministries” biblical? See our White Paper on Angels, […]

The post How Deliverance Ministries Lead People to Bondage appeared first on Berean Research.

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Top Headlines – 2/21/2017

• Global Stocks and Bond Yields Rise (Read More)
• Despite Dissents on White House Policy, Mattis Holds Sway (Read More)
• Trump’s Travel Ban Won’t Hit the U.S. Economy, At Least This Year (Read More)
• Pundit Brings ‘Global Jihadist Movement’ Theory to White House (Read More)
• HSBC Plunges After Missing Profit Estimates on Revenue Drop (Read More)
• Euro-Area Economic Recovery Broadens as France Outpaces Germany (Read More)
• Oil rises towards top of recent trading range as OPEC cuts output (Read More)
• PBOC to Cut Reserve Requirement for Qualifying Banks (Read More)
• China adjusts yuan midpoint mechanism – sources (Read More)
• Chinese Banks’ Off-Book Wealth Products Exceed $3.8 Trillion (Read More)
• China Relaxes Curbs on Stock-Index Futures Trading (Read More)
• Yield curve proves hard to steer for nervous BOJ (Read More)
• States Push to Raise Gasoline Taxes (Read More)
• ECB Scouts for Forward Guidance Pitfalls on Road to Stimulus End (Read More)
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• France’s Le Pen cancels meet with Lebanon grand mufti over headscarf (Read More)
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• Seoul Faces Dilemma Between U.S. Protection, China Trade (Read More)
• The Next Financial Crisis Might Be in Your Driveway (Read More)

Singapore PM, hosting Netanyahu, endorses ‘two-state’ plan

Minister close to Netanyahu insists the PM still backs two-state solution

Mideast can’t agree what one-state solution means

PA leader calls on EU to recognize ‘Palestine’

Bennett: Palestinian state would lead to refugee crisis for Israel

Top minister: Peace ‘possible’ under ‘very supportive’ Trump

PM has not backtracked on pledge for new Amona settlement, says aide

Liberman: Israel would be crazy to defy Trump on settlements

Minister: Israel expects Trump to keep vow to move embassy to Jerusalem

US Jewish leaders urge Israel to query Trump on anti-Semitism

White House denounces acts of anti-Semitism

“Why does the U.N. obsess over Israel?” – Nikki Haley

New US Ambassador to UN Nikki Haley Draws Praise From Pro-Israel Community After Calling Out Security Council for Double Standard Toward Jewish State

New wave of bomb threats at Jewish centers across US

Dozens of headstones damaged at Jewish cemetery near St. Louis

Nasrallah: ‘Israel should think twice before entering a war in Lebanon’

Report: Israel warns Hezbollah of ‘colossal retaliation’ if attacked

Arab Israeli charged with planning TA bus bombing, teaching IS how to make nerve gas

Two rockets from Sinai hit southern Israel, IDF says

ISIS Egypt affiliate: Christians are our ‘favorite prey’

Governments ‘must address corruption to defeat IS’, says report

Libya’s eastern authority bans women travelling solo

The migrant slave trade is booming in Libya. Why is the world ignoring it?

Talk of Terror Listing for Muslim Brotherhood Alarms Some Arab Allies

Islamic State vows more attacks on Egypt’s Christians

Defense minister says Sinai’s Islamic State ‘not a serious threat’

Iraq Poised For Disaster As 750,000 Civilians Remain Trapped In ISIS-Held Mosul

Mosul offensive: Iraqi army battles for outskirts of IS city

Trump’s defense chief: ‘We’re not in Iraq to seize anybody’s oil’

US troops in Iraq operating closer to front lines

French far-right chief says Assad solution to Syrian crisis

Four Russian servicemen killed by roadside bomb in Syria

Steinitz: Trump’s test is to expel Iran from Syria

Threatening US, Iran general says his country will be a ‘graveyard’ for attackers

Iran bans private drones from skies over Tehran amid security fears

‘Erdogan assassination plot’ suspects go on trial in Turkey

Turkey dismisses 227 more judges, prosecutors in post-coup probe

Nearly a dozen passengers walked through unattended TSA checkpoint at JFK, police say

House report: TSA airport security standards could fail to prevent insider threats

Trump comment highlights dramatic rise in Swedish crime rate

Trump may have been unclear, but Sweden experiencing a migrant crime wave

Ami Horowitz defends Sweden refugee claims from backlash over Trump remark

Meanwhile, Rioting Breaks Out In Sweden

Migrants are to blame for most serious crimes in Sweden, police officer reveals

Police Officer Who Spoke out on Migrant Crime Now Under Investigation for Racial Hatred

Former Trump pal Russell Simmons leads ‘I Am A Muslim Too’ rally against president

Mayor de Blasio, protesters declare ‘I am a Muslim, too’ in rally against Trump’s immigration policies

Day Without Immigrants: ‘More than 100 workers’ fired over strike

Fmr. McDonald’s USA CEO on Anti-Trump Rallies: You Don’t Go to Work, You Get Fired

Trump administration drafts plan to raise asylum bar, speed deportations

Democrats are obsessed with power, not effective education

Democratic resignation at FEC opens door for Trump to “drain the swamp”

Bill Bennett: Press can’t stand that Trump doesn’t fear them

‘Not My Presidents Day’ rallies bring thousands to the streets

Trump Agenda Is Beset by Opposition on Many Fronts

Even Norway Is Riding the Populist Wave of Politics

Outspoken general named Trump’s top security adviser

NATO chief vows Europe will pay ‘fair burden’; Pence says ‘This must end’

Vice President Mike Pence Vows U.S. Support for European Union

American flag has 51 stars for Pence visit to European Union

UK Conservative MPs back Trump visit in fiery parliament debate

Washington prepares to bring North Koreans to U.S. for talks: report

Kim Jong-nam Killing Was ‘Terrorist Act’ by North Korea, South Says

US Navy carrier deploys to South China Sea for first time in Trump presidency

Russia’s ambassador to United Nations dies in NYC at 64

Kremlin denies knowledge of Ukraine peace plan pushed by Trump associates

Saudi Arabia Breaks Records on Oil Exports and Output for Year

Concerns Grow About A Nuclear “Incident” In Europe After Spike In Radioactive Iodine Levels

5.4 magnitude earthquake hits near Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna

5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Taron, Papua New Guinea

Sabancaya volcano in Peru erupts to 24,000ft

Sinabung volcano in Indonesia erupts to 12,000ft

Rivers in the sky causing widespread chaos in California

Oroville residents prepare to evacuate at a moment’s notice as rainstorm rolls in Monday

Flood fears renewed in California, and 3 tornadoes hit Texas

Harsh weather in Afghanistan kills dozens in blizzard, rainstorms

Famine declared in South Sudan; 4.9 million people need urgent help

Study: Venezuelans lost 19 lbs. on average over past year due to lack of food

Norway Pledges $10 Million to Counter Trump’s Global Anti-abortion Move

Utah’s anesthesia abortion law unenforced

Drop in teenage suicide attempts linked to legalisation of same-sex marriage

LGBTI rights gains in unlikely countries

‘I pee with LGBT’: Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklater directs ad against Texas bathroom bill

Argentinian women will protest topless to claim right to sunbathe bare-chested

Japan men strip off to fight for lucky charms thrown by a priest at Japan’s annual Naked Man Festival

China’s move to ban fentanyl could help curb drug addiction crisis in US

Anne Graham Lotz Praises Melania Trump’s ‘Courageous’ Lord’s Prayer Reading Amid Heavy Ridicule

NAR Leader, Bill Johnson, Teams Up With Catholic Priests to “Proclaim the Gospel”

Five Things You Should Know About Jim Bakker’s End Times Food Products

Just What the Church Needs: “Glitter Ash Wednesday”

Costi Hinn – Touch Not My Anointed

Ken Cascio – Pastoral Oil

Church Militant – Right-wing Catholic fringe group building multimedia empire near Detroit

NJ pastor offers church as sanctuary to undocumented immigrants during ICE raids

France passes law imposing up to two years prison for running pro-life websites

Man Charged in Turkey Nightclub Massacre Says His Intent Was to Target Christians

How to Deal with False Teachers

There is Nothing to Fear in Leaving Alcoholics Anonymous

Gnostic Nonsense – A Transformational Oil Spill Is Coming” Says Charisma Magazine

PepsiCo signs on as first title sponsor as T.D. Jakes’ MegaFest returns to Dallas in June

Why SBC’s Mosque-Gate Has Nothing to Do with Religious Liberty

SBC’s David Platt Apologizes for Division Caused by Support of Islamic Society’s Right to Build Mosque

Prestonwood Baptist will withhold Southern Baptist funds as it mulls organization’s direction

Melania Trump Opens Florida Rally With The Lords Prayer
Regardless of your political leanings this is pretty remarkable

Meanwhile in NYC – Loud Muslim Call To Prayer In Times Square As Muslims Protest Trump, Shout ‘Allahu Akbar!

Norma McCorvey, Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion nationwide, dies at 69

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Powerful Magnitude 6.5 earthquake strikes Bolivia Posted: 21 Feb 2017 07:35 AM PST The United States Geological Survey reports a preliminary magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck near Padilla, Bolivia on Tuesday. The quake hit at 10:09 AM local time… Read more at End Time Headlines.

China opposes U.S. naval patrols in South China Sea Posted: 21 Feb 2017 07:29 AM PST China said on Tuesday it opposed action by other countries under the pretext of freedom of navigation that undermined its sovereignty, after a U.S. aircraft… Read more at End Time Headlines.

India’s Barren Island volcano active again Posted: 21 Feb 2017 07:24 AM PST  India’s only live volcano is active again, say Indian scientists who witnessed the mountain spewing lava and billowing clouds of black smoke. The Barren Island… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Mega-mosque being forced on Christian refugee community Posted: 21 Feb 2017 06:54 AM PST A city of 130,000 people in southeastern Michigan is under the gun of Islamic pressure following its denial of a mega-mosque in a residential neighborhood… Read more at End Time Headlines.

The World Shifted With These 2 Prophetic Events Over the Weekend Posted: 20 Feb 2017 07:25 PM PST “What a difference a day makes.” On Saturday, Feb. 18, my friend and sister Norma (Roe No More) McCorvey passed away. Norma was a valiant… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Major pagan god of Bible honored by world government Posted: 20 Feb 2017 07:19 PM PST It was unveiled in London. It was displayed in New York, just steps away from Ground Zero. And now, the harbinger of the pagan god… Read more at End Time Headlines.

I Am Releasing Reformation and Awakening in America’ Posted: 20 Feb 2017 12:22 PM PST Prophetic author and speaker Cindy Jacobs shared a new word from the Lord with Elijah List readers on Friday about a period of reformation and… Read more at End Time Headlines.

It Is Absolutely Outrageous for the Government to Force Christians to Violate Their Faith Posted: 20 Feb 2017 12:15 PM PST (By Michael Brown) The more you see something shocking, the less shocking it appears, and the more something outrageous happens, the less outrageous it seems… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Why Melania Trump Leading the Public in the Lord’s Prayer at a Rally in Florida Was a Historic Event Posted: 20 Feb 2017 12:12 PM PST (Reported By Michael Snyder) We just witnessed Melania Trump’s finest moment as first lady so far. After a week in which her husband declared war… Read more at End Time Headlines.

Indiana lawmakers consider school prayer measure Posted: 20 Feb 2017 12:09 PM PST Indiana public school students could pray aloud in a public forum under a measure lawmakers are considering. Democratic state Rep. John Bartlett says his measure… Read more at End Time Headlines.

DEVELOPING: Russian ambassador to UN dies suddenly in New York… Posted: 20 Feb 2017 12:03 PM PST Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, a veteran diplomat known as a potent and personable voice for his country’s interests as he sparred with his… Read more at End Time Headlines.

TSA allows JFK passengers to walk through security checkpoint without being screened… Posted: 20 Feb 2017 12:00 PM PST Eleven unidentified passengers walked through a security lane without being screened at Kennedy Airport early Monday because the TSA left the area open and unattended,… Read more at End Time Headlines.

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(Alternative News, Apologetics, Current Events, Commentary, Opinion, Theology, Discernment Blog, Devotionals, Christian Internet Evangelism & Missions Activist).

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What is The Gospel? (Video and Tract Collection)

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Deadly Doctrines: The Pattern and Protection

Paul warns Timothy that people “will turn away from listening to the truth.” The first step in destroying a church is a corporate rejection of the plain teaching of the Bible. First, one individual turns away, and then another, until most of the congregation begins to question what they once held to be true.

We have learned that the church of every age is plagued by false teachers and their deadly doctrine. We have met seven of those false teachers and seen the devastation they bring. We have identified five tests we can apply to any doctrine to determine whether it is false or true. But this leaves us with some important questions: How does a church come to reject sound doctrine? How do we guard ourselves against false teachers and their deadly doctrines? How do we protect ourselves, our families, and our churches from their seductive lies? Thankfully, God has given us clear guidance in his Word, showing us how churches descend into deadly doctrine and how we may protect ourselves against it.

The Pattern of Deadly Doctrine

Most biblical scholars agree that 2 Timothy is Paul’s final letter. He has nearly come to the end of his life, so he picks up his pen to write once more to his young friend. In his last words to Timothy, Paul makes sure to warn him about the danger of false teachers. “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). In these verses he gazes into the future and describes a church being undermined and destroyed. This is not a prophecy of the death of a single congregation, but a general description of the death of a thousand. He outlines four steps that can progressively lead any congregation from health to death.

Step 1: Reject truth. Paul warns Timothy that people “will turn away from listening to the truth.” The first step in destroying a church is a corporate rejection of the plain teaching of the Bible. First, one individual turns away, and then another, until most of the congregation begins to question what they once held to be true. This may happen gradually, as distrust toward God’s revealed truth spreads. Or it may come swiftly, as love of the world chokes the fruitfulness of a congregation. Either way, what was once love of truth morphs into dislike and then disgust. What was once hatred of error becomes intrigue and then interest.

Step 2: Reject truth-tellers. As a church turns away from the truth, its members soon turn against truth-tellers. Paul tells Timothy that in that days to come, people “will not endure sound teaching.” Such people will no longer tolerate the teaching they once enjoyed. Because they have begun to question the truth, they will turn against those who boldly proclaim it. The very teachers who once drew and delighted them will begin to repulse them.

Step 3: Embrace false teachers. Once a church has rejected those who teach the truth, it will replace them with teachers who give them what they want to hear. “Having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.” This church now desires novelty over truth, platitudes over exhortation. They want religion, and they even want the label “Christian,” so long as they can keep society’s respect and stay palatable to a godless world. So they invite false teachers to guide them into a deeper, fuller twisting of the truth.

Step 4: Embrace false doctrine. Once people have rejected truth and truth-tellers, and once they have found teachers who will lead them into twisting truth, they will “wander off into myths.” Now they will embrace full-out heresy. They will become so hardened in their sin that they will elevate error to the status of truth. In their rebellion, they will celebrate in the name of God the very things that God hates. Under the guidance of false teachers, they will fully embrace deadly doctrine. They will wander off, like sheep straying away from the watchful care of a good shepherd into a pack of wolves.

Paul outlines a tragic progression that begins with people growing weary and ashamed of truth.

Paul outlines a tragic progression that begins with people growing weary and ashamed of truth. No longer willing to endure sound teaching, they get rid of the truth-tellers and accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions. Inevitably, they turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. Countless churches have been destroyed by this deadly pattern.

The Protection Against Deadly Doctrine

Remember that Paul is writing to young pastor Timothy to instruct him in protecting his congregation. How can Timothy guard his church against succumbing to false teachers and deadly doctrine? Should he study the methods of the heretics so he can anticipate their every move? Should he study the doctrine of the heretics so he can refute it point by point? Paul offers a far simpler solution: preach. “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).

The solution to false teachers and deadly doctrine is not to obsess with falsehoods, but to pursue truth. The church that remains faithful to God is the church that remains faithful to the Word of God. Here is how Paul tells Timothy—and each of us—to protect the church against the pattern of deadly doctrine.

Preach the Word. The church that wishes to remain healthy must preach the word of God. Preaching is only as powerful as its faithfulness to the Bible. The most faithful way to preach the Word is to preach expositorily (or expositionally), to ensure the point of a text becomes the point of the sermon. This form of preaching constrains the pastor to God’s Word and ensures the congregation that every word is drawn faithfully from the Scriptures.

Read More

The post Deadly Doctrines: The Pattern and Protection appeared first on The Aquila Report.

Americans Divided on the Importance of Church (Fewer People In America Are Attending Church Than Ever Before)

While tens of millions of Americans attend church each weekend, the practice has declined in recent years. According to Barna Group’s 2014 tracking data, overall church attendance has dipped from 43% in 2004 to 36% today. But beyond a dip in attendance numbers, the nature of churchgoing is changing. Regular attenders used to be people who went to church three or more weekends each month—or even several times a week. Now people who show up once every four to six weeks consider themselves regular churchgoers. Many pastors and church leaders are accounting for sporadic attendance in their ministry planning.

Furthermore, the percentage of people who have not attended a church function at all in the past six months has surged in the last decade from one-third to nearly two-fifths of all Americans. The shift is even more drastic among younger Americans: more than half of Millennials and Gen Xers say they have not been to church in the last six months.

Read more here.

Rating the Presidents—and Obama

Editor’s note: This article first appeared at The American Spectator.

I’ve been getting emails from bewildered colleagues asking about a survey of presidential scholars that determined that Barack Obama is the 12th best president in the history of the United States, putting him near the top quartile of our presidents.

How can this be? I, too, was mystified, especially given that I participated in the survey.

The survey was conducted by the impeccably fair C-SPAN. Few sources do their job like C-SPAN does. If you want truly unfiltered news, C-SPAN is unrivaled for its ability to simply place a camera in a room and let reality speak for itself.

When it comes to surveys of presidents, C-SPAN likewise has no peer. I remember the nauseating presidential surveys in the 1980s and 1990s. They were mere measurements of the liberalism of the academy — that is, liberal historians and liberal political scientists expressing their liberalism by their liberal rankings of presidents. It was a farce.

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C-SPAN, fortunately, has endeavored to provide a valuable corrective. In 2000, 2009, and 2017, C-SPAN set out to do its own survey and has indeed assembled a more rounded group of scholars. (I was among those surveyed for the 2009 ranking, as well.) To be sure, most (if not the vast majority) of the scholars surveyed are clearly on the left, but there are a decent number of conservatives: By my estimate, over a dozen, possibly as many as 20. Of course, that’s still far out of proportion with the population at large, where self-identified conservatives have outnumbered liberals for decades (usually in the range of 35-40 percent self-identified conservatives vs. 20-25 percent self-identified liberals). C-SPAN needs to do better next time around. A field of 10-20 conservatives among 91 participants isn’t good, albeit better than the nonsense we used to see in biased surveys.

Likewise befitting C-SPAN’s fairness, the ranking criteria for the presidents are commendably nonpartisan. The criteria are obviously intended to remove ideology from those doing the judging. Here are the 10 criteria:

Public Persuasion
Crisis Leadership
Economic Management
Moral Authority
International Relations
Administrative Skills
Relations with Congress
Vision / Setting an Agenda
Pursued Equal Justice For All
Performance Within Context of Times

For each of the 10 criteria, a president received a scored ranging from one (“not effective”) to 10 (“very effective”). I’d like readers to pause and look at those criteria carefully. Imagine if you were doing the judging.

Given these criteria — again, essentially non-ideological criteria — I personally had no choice but to score very highly presidents like FDR and Woodrow Wilson and LBJ, all of whose presidencies I either did not approve of or outright despised or found destructive. But facts are facts: These presidents were extremely effective. No, I personally didn’t like how they were effective, but they were effective nonetheless. Did Wilson have an agenda and vision and get it through? Oh, yes. You bet he did. So did FDR and LBJ.

And yet, those same criteria prompted me to rank Washington, Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Reagan, and Eisenhower very high. I will not here share exactly how I tallied each, but I will say that those presidents in my top 10 were very similar to those in the overall top 10. Here’s the top 10 that C-SPAN compiled:

Abraham Lincoln
Washington
FDR
Teddy Roosevelt
Eisenhower
Truman
Jefferson
Kennedy
Reagan
LBJ

Following at 11 and 12, respectively, were Woodrow Wilson and Obama. (For the record, I gave Kennedy a decent rating, but to place him in the top 10, and ahead of Reagan, is just plain stupid. Gee, the guy wasn’t even president three full years.)

But what about Barack Obama at 12? I’ll say this as nicely and professionally as I can: I find this utterly perplexing. Do the exercise yourself. Go through those 10 categories. Ascribe Obama a score of 1 to 10, and do so relative to other presidents you’ve ranked. Where would you give Obama a 10? How many (if any) scores above a 5 would you give Obama? For that matter, how would you not score Reagan so much higher than Obama? Yes, Reagan finished with an overall ranking of nine, which is better than Obama, but his total composite score wasn’t much higher than Obama’s.

Who was David Rittenhouse? Join us for lunch and find out. Learn more here.

Seriously, are even liberals that happy with the Obama presidency? Try to remove your ideological lens, whether left or right, and assess these questions:

What did Barack Obama accomplish? What is the Obama legacy? What was the Obama vision/agenda and (more important, since we’re measuring effectiveness) how successful was he in implementing it? In 2012, at the Democratic National Convention, Obama’s promoters could do no better than come up with silly placards about how Obama “got Osama” and “saved GM.” Unlike the vast majority of two-term presidents, Obama’s re-election numbers were much worse. In fact, Barack Obama was the first president ever re-elected with fewer popular votes, fewer Electoral College votes, a lower percentage and percentage margin of victory, and winning fewer states. He never had a sustained period of high favorability. He couldn’t elect a successor to carry on his legacy. To the contrary, Donald Trump plans to repudiate any Obama legacy.

Where is the list of signature domestic achievements by Obama? Obamacare maybe? It was a disaster from the roll-out, and it’s going to be repealed and replaced.

What were Obama’s defining moments of crisis leadership? Where’s his Cuban Missile Crisis? Did he even have a crisis to lead? How about Benghazi as a candidate?

Where was Barack Obama’s Camp David? What did he do for the Middle East, for Arab-Israeli relations, for relations with Russia, the EU, NATO, the G-20? Where’s his NAFTA? Where’s his summit with the Russian leadership? Where’s his missile-reduction treaty? Where’s his chemical weapons ban?

As for Obama’s economic record, it was colossally bad. My economist colleague Mark Hendrickson calls it a “shocking historically weak economic performance,” as many others have shown. During the eight years of Barack Obama’s presidency, the average annual real GDP growth was 1.5 percent, notes Hendrickson, “the weakest economic performance of any post-WWII president, and the fourth worst ever.” And to try to still blame that failure on George W. Bush after eight years is ludicrous. Obama’s GDP growth in 2016 (eight years after Bush) was a terrible 1.6 percent.

Read: Obama’s Shocking Historically Weak Economic Performance

Bush’s economy grew better than that, and he inherited a recession and was hit with 9/11 his first year, which devastated the economy. In fact, not only was George W. Bush’s economic-growth rate better than Obama’s, but so was Jimmy Carter’s. Yes, Carter — typically upheld as the dubious yardstick of economic incompetence — actually had more than double Obama’s GDP growth (3.3 percent)!

Any deficit reduction under Obama (after he exploded the deficit to unprecedented record highs in the first two years of the Pelosi-Reid Congress) is attributable in large part to the Republican Congress that liberals excoriated for spending cuts (and now want to take responsibility for the subsequent deficit reduction). The Obama debt exploded way worse than the debt under Reagan and George W. Bush.

So, where would you score Obama on Economic Management? I can’t imagine anything beyond a 3.

In what way was Obama a master at public persuasion? What new constituencies did he generate? Where are the Obama Republicans, akin to the Reagan Democrats? How were his relations with Congress? Did you observe stellar “administrative skills” in Obama? His notorious lack of meetings with his NSC and intelligence and security staffs were breathtaking in their lack of any administration. As I reported here in 2012, Obama attended only 44 percent of his Daily Briefs in the first 1,225 days of his administration. For 2012, he attended a little over a third. This was totally contrary to Bush and other predecessors. Reagan and Ike both had hands-off leadership styles, but at least they attended meetings.

Who gave him a 10 for that category?

And if you’re extolling Obama’s attempted fundamental transformation of America’s public-school toilets via executive order, or his illuminating the White House in rainbow colors to celebrate the Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision, or his suing the Little Sisters of the Poor via the HHS Mandate, sorry, but those are not among the categories for evaluation.

I want to see the case made by the guy or gal who thinks that Barack Obama merits being listed near the top 10 presidents in history. Actually, some must have rated him in the top 5, because I guarantee my score for Obama (low as it was) surely dropped him a few pegs.

In short, I’m stunned. Based on the criteria we were given for ranking these presidents, I cannot conceive how Obama could possibly score well. I don’t see how Bill Clinton didn’t rate higher than Obama.

As noted, there were some conservatives on C-SPAN’s list. I’m wondering if the conservatives didn’t send in their surveys. The liberal historians must have gone bonkers in merrily giving Obama the highest scores in every category. But forget about that. This shouldn’t be a liberal-conservative thing. That’s the point. Literally half of my top 10 or 12 were Democrats, and I’m no Democrat.

Clearly, the liberal scholars were not able to separate their partisanship when it came to objectively judging Obama. There’s no way that Barack Obama should rate the 12th-best president in U.S. history. Not a chance.

Source: Rating the Presidents—and Obama

Leaving the NAR Church: Maaike’s story.

ChurchWatch Central

Our good friend and fellow polemicist Amy Spreeman, contributor to Pirate Christian Radio, continues with the 12th article in her series about those who found themselves in this dreadful bondage, and what happened when their eyes were opened.

“After literally hours and hours of that prayer I saw myself as a 3 month old baby being raped by my father. I recovered memories about being raised in a satanic cult, abused in the most awful ways possible and suddenly the prophecy about giving my heart to Satan became clear.”

Maaike is from the Netherlands, and her story of inner healing took her back to her childhood, where false memories were inserted into her head. This Sozo or Theophostic – type healing is foundational to New Apostolic Reformation “deliverance ministries,” which Maaike was a part of.

In this series, I want to take readers beyond the textbook What is the New…

View original post 2,119 more words

What Christians Need to Understand about Mercy

What does it mean for Christians to be merciful? Jeremiah Johnson, a writer for Grace to You, has written a blog post titled “Blessed are the Merciful” on GTY.org. He starts out by quoting Martyn Lloyd Jones from his work, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount: “A Christian is something before he does something.” This reflects what Jesus says in His sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:2-11: “And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.’ ‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.’ ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.’ ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.’  ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.’ ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ ‘Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.’” (bold emphasis added) These beatitudes reflect a heart attitude; righteousness comes from the heart and not works.  This doesn’t mean that good works don’t have a place in the Christian’s life because they do…but what motivates good works matters to Christ. Johnson quotes John MacArthur from his book, The Only Way to Happiness: “Living as a Christian means there is to be no veneer, no facade. Christianity is something that happens to us at the very center of our being, and from there it flows out to the activities of life. God has never been interested in only the blood of bulls and goats. He has never been interested in any superficial spiritual activity unless the heart is right. (see Amos 5:21-24) ” The beatitude relating to mercy address an inward heart attitude, but it also relays how we are called to relate to others. So it follows that if God has granted us mercy, we will grant mercy to others. Johnson quotes MacArthur again in his definition of mercy: “Mercy is seeing a man without food and giving him food. Mercy is seeing a person begging for love and giving him love. Mercy is seeing someone lonely and giving him company. Mercy is meeting the need, not just feeling it.” So how can we show mercy to others, and how can we live it out every day? Mercy shows up in our relationships: friendships, family, marriage, parenting, work, people we meet, etc.  Our natural tendency is to act in sinful, selfish ways; it is only with a transformed heart that we can truly be merciful toward someone else. Johnson references MacArthur’s direction for showing mercy through  pitying, prodding, praying, and preaching. 1. Mercy pities. Today pitying has a negative tone associated with it, as no one wants to be pitied for fear they’ll lose their pride. However, there is a righteous pitying which Stephen displays in Acts 7:60: “And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” 2. Mercy prods. Prodding also has a negative association in that people tend to find prodding by others to be annoying. This also has to do with pride and wanting to accomplish everything on our own. But merciful, gentle prodding done with the right motivation can aid in the confrontation of sin. Christians are called to prod with compassion and care, offering truth with grace and mercy. 3. Mercy prays. It is merciful to pray for those who do not know God, and it is also merciful to pray with those who do not know God. As Christians we are called to pray for the lost, our neighbors, and the disobedient. MacArthur explains, “Our prayer is an act of mercy, for it releases God’s blessing.” 4. Mercy preaches. How do you preach mercy to others? By sharing the gospel; for it is through the gospel that you first learned of mercy. MacArthur states, “I believe preaching the gospel is the most necessary and merciful thing you can do for the lost soul.” If we’re not pointing those we love, those we know, and those we just met to the gospel then “we’re withholding the greatest mercy imaginable,” writes Johnson. Johnson brings us full circle to Matthew 5:7 by pointing out: “Getting back to the blessing of Matthew 5:7, what can we expect as the result of showing such mercy to others? Christ says the merciful “shall receive mercy.” That’s not, as some have tried to claim, a promise of reciprocal kindness, peace, and harmony between man. Christ isn’t guaranteeing us that people will treat us the way we treat them. Instead, He’s explaining that the merciful will receive mercy from God.” Since we have received mercy from God, we are called to be merciful in all things and to all people. Because we have been forgiven, we are called to forgive all wrongs against us. As merciful Christians, we are called to show mercy just as Christ showed us mercy. This means mercy to those we love, mercy to those we disagree with, mercy to the refugees, orphans, widows, and the lost. To read Jeremiah Johnson’s article in its entirety, please visit GTY.org. Crosswalk Contributor Michael J. Kruger advises, “In summary, we should be clear that both gospel proclamation and deeds of mercy should be part of the life of the church. We are not forced to choose. But we must also be careful to distinguish between them. Deeds of mercy are not the gospel.” An act of mercy can be sharing the gospel with someone, but good deeds should never be substituted for the gospel. No matter how many good deeds we carry out, even with the right motivation, people still need to hear the gospel. Though we are called to extend mercy, our mercy cannot save someone…only God can, and God’s mercy must be shared through the words of the gospel. Memory verse: “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.” (Proverbs 27:5 ESV) Related articles: God is Merciful to the Grumblers Vessels of Mercy: God, Grace, and Gollum Never be Ashamed to Ask for Mercy Related video: BibleStudyTools.com: What does from biblestudytools on GodTube. Image courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com Publication date: January 30, 2017 Liz Kanoy is an editor for Crosswalk.com.

February 21, 2017: Verse of the day

24:1 the Lord’s. On His universal ownership, cf. Ex 19:5; Dt 10:14; Pss 50:12; 89:11; in the NT, cf. 1Co 3:21, 23.

24:2 This is a poetic, not a scientific, picture of creation (cf. Ge 1:9, 10; 7:11; 49:25; Ex 20:4; Dt 33:13; Job 26:10; Pss 74:13; 136:6; 2Pe 3:5).

MacArthur Study Bible

24:1–2 The Lord Is Creator and Owner of All. The Lord, the covenant God of Israel, is the one who founded the world (cf. Gen. 1:1–2:3, where he is called God, the transcendent Creator). The focus here is on the earth as the dry land, where human beings dwell, as distinguished from the waters (cf. Gen. 1:9–10). Paul quotes Ps. 24:1 in 1 Cor. 10:26 to explain that since God owns everything, foods are included, and thus may be enjoyed without qualms.

ESV Study Bible

24:1 The earth is the Lord’s. God created and sustains the whole earth; it belongs to Him. Paul cites this verse to establish the principle that there is no food, even things offered to pagan idols, which is unlawful for Christians to eat (1 Cor. 10:25, 26).

24:2 he has founded it upon the seas. This section reflects the creation account in Gen. 1. However, the sea is also a poetic image for evil. Throughout the psalms and the prophets, God is pictured as winning a victory over the sea (Ps. 29:10, 11; 77:16–20; 104:5–9; Nah. 1:4; Dan. 7).

Reformation Study Bible

February 21, 2017: Daily Devotional Guide Collection

February 21

Aspects of Praise

Whoever offers praise glorifies Me.

Psalm 50:23

 

What does it mean to praise God? According to the Bible, praise involves three things:

1. Reciting God’s attributes. One great reason to study the Old Testament is that it so powerfully reveals the character of God, enabling us to praise Him better.
2. Reciting God’s works. The psalms are filled with lists of the great things God has done. He parted the Red Sea, brought His people out of Egypt, made water flow from a rock, fed Israel in the wilderness with manna from heaven, and did many other powerful works. When you praise God for all that He has done, your problems pale in comparison. Remembering God’s past performance glorifies Him and strengthens our faith.
3. Giving thanks for God’s attributes and works. At the heart of praise is thanksgiving. Praising God gives Him glory. No matter what happens in our lives, we are to express our thanks to Him for all His attributes and gracious works.^[1]
   

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February 21

God’s Great Mercy

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

1 Peter 1:3

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Because of His mercy, God desires to lift sinners out of their pitiful condition.

Several years ago I spent about a week in India. Each day I saw countless starving, diseased people with no home but a few square feet of filthy street. I could not help but feel compassion and pity on those people who lived in such misery.

In a spiritual sense, though, before God saved us, we were each even more pathetic than any beggar in India. Spiritually, we “were dead in [our] trespasses and sins … and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ” (Eph. 2:1, 3–5). God saw our wretched condition and was moved to do something about it.

How does mercy compare with grace? Mercy has respect to man’s wretched, miserable condition; grace has respect to man’s guilt, which has caused that condition. God gives us mercy to change our condition; He gives us grace to change our position. While grace takes us from guilt to acquittal, mercy takes us from misery to glory.

Doesn’t it give you great joy to know that God not only removed your guilt but looked at you and had compassion? And He’s not through giving us mercy: “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22–23). We can always “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

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Suggestions for Prayer: Thank God for His great mercy, for the forgiveness and blessings you have as His child.

For Further Study: Luke 15:11–32 contains the well–known parable of the prodigal son, a moving illustration of God’s loving compassion. What was the son’s condition when he returned? ✧ What was his father’s reaction? ✧ How does God respond to us when we turn to Him in repentance and humility?^[2]

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FEBRUARY 21

STOP LAMENTING AND LOOK UP

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

—John 14:21

In seeking to know God better we must keep firmly in mind that we need not try to persuade God. He is already persuaded in our favor, not by our prayers but by the generous goodness of His own heart. “It is God’s nature to give Himself to every virtuous soul,” says Meister Eckhart. “Know then that God is bound to act, to pour Himself out into thee as soon as ever He shall find thee ready.” As nature abhors a vacuum, so the Holy Spirit rushes in to fill the nature that has become empty by separating itself from the world and sin. This is not an unnatural act and need not be an unusual one, for it is in perfect accord with the nature of God. He must act as He does because He is God….

If only we would stop lamenting and look up. God is here. Christ is risen. The Spirit has been poured out from on high. All this we know as theological truth. It remains for us to turn it into joyous spiritual experience. And how is this accomplished? There is no new technique; if it is new it is false. The old, old method still works. Conscious fellowship with Christ is by faith, love and obedience. And the humblest believer need not be without these. TIC065-067

Lord, impart to me a fresh measure of faith, love and obedience, that I might know You as perfectly as possible. Amen. ^[3]

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February 21

Are You Mourning as Christ Commands?

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.—Matt. 5:4

Two crucial determinants will tell you if you are mourning over sin as Jesus commands. First, you will have true sensitivity to and sorrow for your sins. Your primary concern will be how your sin detracts from God’s glory, not how its exposure might embarrass you or hurt your reputation.

The mock piety of hypocrites demonstrates no sensitivity to sin, only to their personal prestige and pride (cf. Matt. 6:1–18). Likewise, the mock gratitude of those like the Pharisees who think they are better than others (cf. Luke 18:11) certainly does not show mourning for sin. King Saul twice admitted he had sinned when he did not destroy King Agag and all the Amalekites, and even asked Samuel for pardon, but he was more concerned for his own honor than God’s (1 Sam. 15:10–35).

If your mourning is godly, you will lament the sins of other believers and the world, as well as your own. You will agree with the psalmist, “My eyes shed streams of water, because they do not keep Your law” (Ps. 119:136). You will weep over your community, as Jesus did over His (Luke 19:41).

The second way to know if you are mourning rightly is to check your sense of God’s forgiveness. Have you experienced the sense of spiritual freedom and real release that comes with knowing your sins are forgiven? Can you point to true happiness, peace, and joy in your life that only God gives in response to mourning for sin (cf. Ps. 126:5–6)?

ASK YOURSELF

What is your main problem with sin—only that it gives you that sick feeling of guilt and hypocrisy? Only that it seems to expose you around those who know you best? Take all the personal inconveniences out of the equation, and be more gravely concerned that your sin offends the God you profess to serve.[4]

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FEBRUARY 21

WE HAVE IT ALL

Seek ye first the kingdom…all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew 6:33

 

How much time have you spent in your Christian life meditating on the plain instruction from our Savior?—“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

The God who has revealed Himself to needy men and women wants us to know that when we have Him, we have everything—we have all the rest!

Any of us who have experienced a life and ministry of faith can tell how the Lord has met our needs—even for food and the essentials of life.

Brethren, we ought to learn, and learn it soon, that it is much better to have God first and have God Himself, even if we have only a thin dime, than to have all the riches and all the influence in this world and not have God with it!

Let us go on to know Him and to love Him more dearly, not for His gifts and benefits, but for the pure joy of His presence. Thus we will fulfill the purpose for which He created us and redeemed us!

 

Dear Lord, help me make the transition from wanting more and more “things” to being satisfied—and overjoyed—with only Your presence in my life.^[5]

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February 21

Maintaining Spiritual Integrity

“… in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ” (Phil. 1:10).

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Seek to have a life that bears scrutiny.

In our society, those whose lives are marked by moral soundness, uprightness, honesty, and sincerity are usually thought of as people of integrity. However, society’s standards often fall far short of God’s. Spiritual integrity calls for the highest possible standard of behavior and requires supernatural resources available only to those who trust in Him.

Paul’s prayer in Philippians 1:9–10 outlines the path to spiritual integrity. It begins with “love” that abounds with “knowledge and all discernment” (v. 9) and progresses to the pursuit of excellence (v. 10). The result is sincerity and blamelessness—two characteristics of godly integrity.

The Greek word translated “sincere” in verse 10 speaks of genuineness and authenticity. It literally means “without wax” and is an allusion to the practice of inspecting pottery by holding it up to the sunlight. In ancient times pottery often cracked during the firing process. Rather than discarding cracked pieces, dishonest dealers often filled the cracks with wax and sold them to unsuspecting customers. Holding a pot up to the sunlight revealed any flaws and protected the customer from a bad purchase.

Following that analogy, Biblical integrity requires that you be without wax, having no hypocrisy or secret sins that show up when you’re under pressure or facing temptation.

“Blameless” speaks of consistency in living a life that doesn’t lead others into error or sin. Your standard is to be the same away from church as it is at church.

Being blameless isn’t easy in a world that unashamedly flaunts its sinful practices. You must guard against losing your sensitivity to the heinousness of sin and unwittingly beginning to tolerate or even accept the sin that once shocked you. That’s when you lose integrity and begin to cause others to stumble.

Diligently pursue integrity with a view toward glorifying Christ in all things until He returns!

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Suggestions for Prayer:  Thank God that He is “able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in His presence . . . blameless with great joy” (Jude 24). ✧ Prayerfully guard your heart and mind from the subtle evil influences that can erode your integrity and make you ineffective for the Lord.

For Further Study: Read Genesis 39. ✧ How was Joseph’s integrity challenged? ✧ How did God honor Joseph’s commitment to godly integrity?^[6]

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FEBRUARY 21

“CREATE IN ME A CLEAN HEART, O GOD”

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

JOHN 3:3

The miracle of the new birth was foreshadowed in the Old Testament record: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

There was at least a hint of miracle within the human breast—not the reasoning of yourself into a position, but something happening that could not be explained! Coming into the New Testament, there is no longer any hinting or suggesting about the miracle of the new birth—it is boldly and openly declared. Our Saviour said that if we come to Him and are not born again, we cannot enter the kingdom of God—that we must be born from above.

Paul told the Corinthians: “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

You couldn’t make it any stronger than that! Something happens in a man’s nature that no man can explain!

Just the moment that a man’s experience in Christ can be broken down and explained by the psychologists, we have a church member on our hands—and not a Christian! For that which must happen in the new birth can never be explained by psychology or psychiatry. The professional can only stand off respectfully and say, “Behold the works of the Lord.” He can never explain it! And in that great and terrible day to come, many will be shocked when they find that they depended upon a mental assent to Christianity instead of upon the miracle of the new birth!^[7]

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^[1] MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : a daily touch of God’s grace (p. 64). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

^[2] MacArthur, J. (1997). Strength for today. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

^[3] Tozer, A. W., & Eggert, R. (2015). Tozer on the almighty god: a 365-day devotional. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

^[4] MacArthur, J. (2008). Daily readings from the life of Christ (p. 60). Chicago: Moody Publishers.

^[5] Tozer, A. W. (2015). Mornings with tozer: daily devotional readings. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

^[6] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1993). Drawing Near—Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith (p. 64). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

^[7] Tozer, A. W., & Smith, G. B. (2015). Evenings with tozer: daily devotional readings. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.