Daily Archives: January 19, 2018

January 19 Embracing the Truth

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“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed . . .” (Eph. 1:13).

✧✧✧

The gospel is true because Jesus is true, not simply because Christians believe in Him.

After stating salvation from God’s perspective in verse 12, Paul here states it from man’s perspective. Faith in Christ is your response to God’s elective purpose in your life. Those two truths—God’s initiative and man’s response—coexist throughout Scripture.

Paul rightly called the gospel “the message of truth” because truth is its predominant characteristic. Salvation was conceived by the God of truth (Ps. 31:5) and purchased by the Son, who is the truth (John 14:6) and is applied by the Spirit of truth (John 16:13). To know it is to know the truth that sets men free (John 8:32). Believers are people of the truth (John 18:37), and they worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24) and obey the Word of truth (John 17:17).

Yet, as profound and powerful as God’s truth is, people have rejected, neglected, redefined, and opposed it for centuries. Some, like Pilate, cynically deny that truth even exists or that it can be known by men (John 18:38). Others foolishly think that denying truth will somehow make it go away.

Perhaps you’ve heard someone say, “Jesus may be true for you, but that doesn’t mean He has to be true for me.” That view assumes that belief somehow determines truth. But just the opposite is the case. Truth determines the validity of one’s belief. Believing a lie doesn’t make it true. Conversely, failing to believe the truth doesn’t make it a lie.

The gospel is true because Jesus is true, not simply because Christians believe in Him. His resurrection proved the truth of His claims and constitutes the objective basis of our faith (Rom. 1:4; 1 Peter 1:3).

You will face today armed with the message of truth and empowered by the Spirit of truth. Truth is your protection and strength (Eph. 6:14). Lost souls desperately need to hear that truth. Represent it well, and proclaim it with boldness.

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Suggestions for Prayer:  Thank the Lord that by His Spirit He has enabled you to understand His truth (1 Cor. 2:14–16). ✧ Ask for wisdom and boldness to speak His truth in love (Eph. 4:15).

For Further Study: Read 1 Corinthians 15:1–11 and Acts 17:30–31. ✧ What key elements of the gospel does Paul list? ✧ What is the relationship between Christ’s resurrection and God’s judgment on sinners?[1]

[1] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1993). Drawing Near—Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith (p. 31). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

There are 3 distinct types of narcissists — here’s how to spot them

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Soroush Karimi / Unsplash

  • Narcissistic personality disorder is one diagnosis, but there are three distinct types of narcissists.
  • People with the disorder are categorized based on how they act and treat others.
  • Some experts say that identifying a person’s type of narcissism can make relationships with them possible, but others say it’s best to stay well clear.

To be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder, someone needs to express five of nine specific traits. People with the disorder are often characterized as having a lack of empathy, a grandiose view of themselves, and a need for admiration.

Though many follow similar patterns, such as love bombing their partners, gaslighting people, and discarding those they no longer have a use for, they can also behave very differently.

Many psychiatrists and therapists separate narcissists into three categories based on their actions: exhibitionist, closet, and toxic.

According to Elinor Greenberg, a therapist who wrote the book “Borderline, Narcissistic, and Schizoid Adaptations: The Pursuit of Love, Admiration, and Safety,” a person’s form of narcissism can depend on their upbringing.

Exhibitionist narcissists represent the stereotype

For example, exhibitionist — or grandiose — narcissists have the “look at me” mindset children often have.

Children generally can’t conceive of their parents’ problems, “so they don’t have empathy that way,” Greenberg said. “If you go through the stage with sufficient attention, then you grow out of it and get satisfied, and it’s over.”

But some people, she said, grow up in homes where children are encouraged to be narcissistic — for example, they may be told their family name makes them special and that they deserve success because it’s “in your blood.”

The exhibitionist is the stereotypical idea of a narcissist, said Shannon Thomas, a licensed clinical social worker who wrote “Healing from Hidden Abuse.”

“They think they’re amazing — they think themselves to be smarter, better-looking, more powerful than other people, and they pretty much believe it,” she told Business Insider. “Even with their friends and peers, they believe themselves to be one step up.”

Exhibitionist narcissists don’t tend to be insecure, Thomas said. When they aren’t bragging about themselves, they’re putting down everyone else. They are often carelessly rude and cruel about people and tend to ignore or not even notice how others react to it.

Closet narcissists have different personas

Some people with narcissistic personality disorder may have grown up with another narcissist in the family competing with or discouraging them, Greenberg said, and they may give approval only when they are worshipped.

Closet — or covert — narcissists want to be special but are conflicted about it. Like exhibitionists, closet narcissists also feel incredibly entitled, but they are also much more insecure.

“A closet narcissist doesn’t say, ‘I am special,'” Greenberg said. “They point to something else — a person, a religion, a book, a dress designer — and they are special, so they feel special by association.”

She added: “When someone feels special because they have a designer thing on and other people can tell, that’s special by association. For closet narcissists, they usually have self-doubt, and they are looking for the person they can idealize.”

They also tend to behave in a much more passive-aggressive way. For instance, they are likely to set their romantic partners up for frustration all the time. They may say they will do something but not do it, then get a kick out of other people’s reactions.

“They do what they want to do when they want to do it,” Thomas said. “And then they make themselves look like the victim.”

Constantly saying one thing and doing another can make people close to a closet narcissist feel gaslighted, where they start to question reality and feel as if they’re going crazy. The closet narcissist may start blaming their partner for things they didn’t do, but the partner can end up believing it because their sense of the world has become so warped.

Whereas exhibitionist narcissists’ behavior is fairly consistent, closet narcissists have different personas. They tend to act differently in certain situations — they may be charismatic and kind in public but abusive and cruel when they are with just their partner, who may feel even more confused.

Toxic narcissists crave chaos and destruction

Toxic — or malignant — narcissists take it a step further. Not only do they want the attention, but they also want everyone else to feel inferior. They tend to be sadistic and enjoy hurting other people, thriving on their fear.

“The toxic narcissist is like the evil queen in ‘Snow White,'” Greenberg said. “When the mirror says Snow White is prettier than her, she decides to kill Snow White and keep her heart in a box.”

Toxic narcissists find it entertaining to set people up and watch them fall, something Thomas calls an extra layer of sadistic behavior.

“It’s bordering on that antisocial personality disorder coming out of narcissistic personality,” she said. “Folks who are perfectly fine destroying careers of other people, basically fine with just imploding people emotionally, physically, and spiritually.”

There tends to be a lot of chaos around a toxic narcissist, Thomas said, because they enjoy it and thrive on feeling that they have created havoc for someone else.

“Harmony is not their goal,” she said. “We’re worn out by it, but they actually gain energy through it. That’s why we see them spinning different issues and different dramas with people. They always say, ‘I hate drama,’ but they’re in the center of it every time.”

Relationships with narcissists can be risky

People with narcissistic personality disorder lack object constancy, meaning that, for example, when they are angry with a partner, they can’t see that in the context of the relationship and tend to display only hatred or a desire to hurt the partner.

This can make relationships with narcissists — whether romantic, familial, or professional — very draining.

Greenberg says it may be possible to maintain a relationship with a narcissist if you identify their type and how they function. Many relationship experts, however, say it’s best to stay away altogether.

In the long run, it’s your decision, but it’s worth reading beforehand about what you may be getting yourself into.

NOW WATCH: Those little bags found with new shoes and electronics are more useful than you think

See Also:

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-spot-different-types-of-narcissist-2018-1

January 19, 2017 Truth2Freedom Briefing Report (US•World•Christian)

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BLOOMBERG

The House passed a spending bill Thursday to avoid a U.S. government shutdown, but Senate Democrats say they have the votes to block the measure in a bid to force Republicans and President Donald Trump to include protection for young immigrants.

U.S. banks are facing a growing threat from cyberattackers and making defense against them more complex by relying on third-party firms for support, according to a report released Thursday by Joseph Otting, the Trump administration appointee who took over a key banking regulator in November.

Firearm theft from licensed retailers including gun stores is becoming increasingly common, according to data released by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives this week. The number of robberies of federal firearms licensees reported to the ATF have increased 227 percent since 2013 and burglaries of such gun purveyors are up 71 percent over that same period.

Digital currencies and the software developed to track them have become attractive targets for cybercriminals while also creating a lucrative new market for computer-security firms. In less than a decade, hackers have stolen $1.2 billion worth of Bitcoin and rival currency Ether.

The U.S. South is providing the solar industry with a few bright spots this year even as growth slows nationally. Florida will lead the way as NextEra Energy Inc.’s Florida Power & Light utility replaces an aging coal-fueled plant that will save customers $183 million a year. Entergy Corp.’s Arkansas utility will get 81 megawatts from a single project, boosting installations in the state.

The benchmark Treasury yield rose to the highest level in more than three years, extending a selloff in the world’s largest-debt market that began last September. The 10-year yield climbed to as high as 2.6407 percent Friday, a level unseen since September 2014, from 2.6256 percent.

AP Top Stories

The Trump administration hopes to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem by 2019, a much faster timeline than expected, according to several media reports. Rather than building an entirely new structure in the city, plans have reportedly shifted in recent days, and the U.S. State Department now plans to retrofit a building the government already owns in West Jerusalem.

The looming federal government shutdown could ruin some vacation plans for Americans hoping to enjoy national parks and monuments this weekend. If Congress fails to pass a spending bill that hits President Trump’s desk by midnight Friday, all the national parks would be shuttered.

US border patrol agents are routinely sabotaging water supplies left for migrants in the Arizona desert, condemning them to death, humanitarian groups have said. Travelers attempting to cross into the US from Mexico regularly die of dehydration, as well as exposure to extreme heat or cold, so aid groups leave water bottles and emergency stocks such as blankets at points throughout the Sonoran desert.

A massive “potentially hazardous” asteroid spanning more than the length of the world’s tallest building will fly by our planet on Feb. 4. The roughly .7-mile long asteroid is considered longer than the Burj Khalifa, which at .5 miles high currently stands as the world’s tallest building, and will fly at a speed of 67,000 miles per hour just 2.6 million miles from Earth.

The so-called “Tide Pod Challenge” is currently one of the leading memes on social media, where people joke of feasting on the colorful capsules and ― yes ― others actually post videos of themselves chowing down on them.

Police in the world’s biggest gambling hub Macau have arrested a croupier and a security guard over a massive casino heist where almost 6 million in gaming chips were stolen from a VIP room.

The U.S. military has put countering China and Russia at the heart of a new national defense strategy unveiled on Friday, the latest sign of shifting American priorities after more than a decade and a half of focusing on the fight against Islamist militants.

A mother and daughter polio vaccination team were gunned down Thursday in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta as they were immunizing children, police said, the latest deaths in the country’s long campaign against the disease.

Electronic warfare and radio frequency (RF) weapons might be the best way to counter the emerging threat of swarming drone attacks. While in previous years, drones were a tool of state actors, increasingly non-state actors are using these weapons against conventional forces as was recently demonstrated when Russian forces came under attack by more than a dozen ‘home-made’ unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) built by an unknown insurgent group.

Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) on Friday raised the monthly fee for Amazon Prime, its fast-shipping and video-streaming service, to $12.99 from $10.99, while maintaining the annual fee.

BBC

Ukraine’s parliament has passed a law defining areas seized by pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country as temporarily occupied by Russia.

Uganda could begin enforcing the death penalty again, President Yoweri Museveni has said, 13 years after the country’s last execution. Mr. Museveni said his “Christian background” had prevented him from going ahead with executions, but this “leniency” was encouraging criminals.

A bus has caught fire in north-western Kazakhstan, killing 52 people. Five people managed to get out and were treated by rescue workers on the spot, reports said.

A security bug that has infected thousands of smartphones has been uncovered by campaign group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). Researchers say they traced the malware to a Lebanese government building.

WND

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D-CA) said during a press conference Thursday that employers in California who cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in their rumored upcoming immigration raids would be prosecuted if they cooperate in a manner that violates California law.

The Briefing — Friday, January 19, 2018

1) With loneliness on the rise, particularly among young people, Britain names a new government minister of loneliness

New York Times (Ceylan Yeginsu) –
U.K. Appoints a Minister for Loneliness

2) Why children’s books in China are different from the same kinds of books in the United States

NPR (Nurith Aizenman) –
What’s The Difference Between Children’s Books In China And The U.S.?

3) Treason, spies, and betrayal are in the headlines once again

New York Times (Adam Goldman) –
Ex-C.I.A. Officer Suspected of Compromising Chinese Informants Is Arrested

January 18, 2018
WASHINGTON TIMES — President Trump will become the first sitting president to address the March for Life in Washington in a live address Friday, the White House said. Mr. Trump will speak to the marchers via video link from the White House Rose Garden. “We are most grateful to announce that President Donald Trump will address the 45th annual March for Life. Since his first day in office, President Trump has remained steadfast on his campaign promises to the pro-life cause and has actively worked to protect the unborn,” said Jeanne Mancini, President of March for Life…. (more)

January 18, 2018
DAILY WIRE — President Donald Trump and the GOP recognized the worst the media had to offer in 2017 on Wednesday with the Fake News Awards. The press release highlighted reports from Harvard, the Media Research Center, and Pew Research Center that show the media has given the president overwhelming negative coverage through their highly-biased coverage…. (more)

January 18, 2018
WASHINGTON TIMES — Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Wednesday that the continued focus on President Trump’s harsh comments at a meeting last week are doing a disservice to her department’s law enforcement personnel. Ms. Nielsen also fired back at a Democratic senator who said she lied under oath by having a different recollection about last week’s controversial comments, saying they’re actually trying to make her lie…. (more)
January 18, 2018
KSL.COM — When a 17-year-old girl jumped out a window from the house where her parents allegedly starved and tortured their 13 children, she broke a silence that had likely lasted years. It’s not clear why the teenager waited so long to act, but psychiatrists say such behavior is not uncommon even in cases of extreme deprivation…. (more)

January 18, 2018
THE EPOCH TIMES — An Amish family must connect to a municipal sewer even though doing so would go against their beliefs, a Pennsylvania court ruled. The five-year legal battle started because the Yoder family wanted to continue using an outhouse that, in line with their traditional Amish beliefs, did not include any electricity…. (more)
January 18, 2018
BOB UNRUH — It’s not clear exactly when the Southern Poverty Law Center, which years ago famously battled the KKK, turned against Christians and conservatives, but the evidence that it has is overwhelming. After all, the group that holds hundreds of millions of dollars in its bank accounts, many of them overseas, once labeled famed surgeon and conservative Dr. Ben Carson, now HUD secretary, as a “hater” because of his Christian worldview…. (more)

January 17, 2018
CLIFF KINCAID — Friday’s March for Life, 45 years after the Supreme Court legalized abortion on demand, demonstrates how difficult it is to reverse the effects of evil decisions and policies. The fact that complete victory is not immediately at hand does not cause true believers to give up the fight. That’s why thousands will turn out for the 45th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade…. (more)
January 17, 2018
WASHINGTON TIMES — Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen testified under oath Tuesday that she did not hear President Trump call Haiti, El Salvador and other developing nations “sh – -hole” countries in a controversial meeting last week – – though she did say he used “tough language.”… (more)

January 17, 2018
VICTOR DAVIS HANSON — Donald Trump continues to baffle. Never Trump Republicans still struggle to square the circle of quietly agreeing so far with most of his policies, as they loudly insist that his record is already nullified by its supposedly odious author. Or surely it soon will be discredited by the next Trumpian outrage…. (more)
January 17, 2018
WASHINGTON EXAMINER — After teasing the press for more than a week, President Trump is expected to hand out his “Fake News Awards” on Wednesday, but it was still unclear as of Tuesday night what the mock ceremony will entail, including whether Trump will hand out any awards himself…. (more)
January 17, 2018
WASHINGTON EXAMINER — Some lawmakers would like to see the Justice Department prosecute former spy chief James Clapper for inaccurate testimony to Congress about domestic surveillance before it’s too late…. (more)
January 17, 2018
WASHINGTON TIMES — Iran’s rulers have inflicted death by torture and gunfire on citizen protesters in a crackdown since the Dec. 28 street uprising erupted, the main opposition group said Tuesday. The Europe-based National Council of Resistance of Iran says the Islamic republic’s ubiquitous security apparatus has arrested more than 8,000 citizens and killed at least 50, all while the West has remained mostly silent. The council attributes at least five deaths to torture…. (more)
January 17, 2018
WASHINGTON TIMES — Conservatives have griped for years about being undermined by Twitter, but after listening to the Silicon Valley giant’s staffers admit on hidden camera to political bias, the right wants answers. Calls for Twitter to come clean are rising in the wake of the latest Project Veritas undercover video, which revealed current and former employees admitting to anti-Trump bias and discussing how to shadow-ban and otherwise limit the reach of unfavored accounts…. (more)
January 17, 2018
Limbaugh: ‘They would never think of themselves this way, but these are pure Stalinists’
BOB UNRUH — Internet giants such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube may have, albeit quietly, declared war on conservatives, with new efforts to shut down their ability to get their message out. And talk-radio icon Rush Limbaugh has identified what he believes is the ideology behind it…. (more)
January 17, 2018
JOHN STOSSEL — Who will warn Americans about hate groups? The media know: the Southern Poverty Law Center. SPLC, based in Alabama, calls itself “the premier” group monitoring hate. Give us money, they say, and they will “fight the hate that thrives in our country.”… (more)
January 17, 2018
NBC NEWS — A former CIA officer who was charged Tuesday with unlawful possession of secrets is suspected of a much worse crime: betraying U.S. informants in China, sources familiar with the case told NBC News…. (more)

January 17, 2018
WASHINGTON TIMES — NBC plans to televise any players who refuse to stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl, but there may be nothing to show. It appears that NFL players are no longer taking a knee during the national anthem, namely because none of the teams with still-active protesters has qualified for the postseason…. (more)
January 16, 2018
ALAN KEYES — I think my positions are going to be what the people in this room come up with,” Trump said. “If they come to me with things I’m not in love with, I’m going to do it. Because I respect them.” Conservatives who were prominent in the effort to elect Donald Trump to the presidency reacted with foreboding to the impression of impending compromise created by last Tuesday’s meeting between President Trump and key Democratic and Republican leaders focused on immigration…. (more)
January 15, 2018
JOAN SWIRSKY — I started watching Miss America and Miss Universe competitions when I was a little girl, mostly because I loved the gowns. To this day, I still tune in, especially toward the end, when all the gowns are on display. A couple of years ago, I saw my all-time favorite! As the expression goes: TDF – – to die for!… (more)
January 15, 2018
NEWSMAX — Sixty-one percent of Republicans say they are satisfied with the direction of the U.S., according to a new Gallup poll. It marks the highest level of Republican satisfaction since February 2007, according to Gallup…. (more)
January 15, 2018
WASHINGTON TIMES — Radio host Rush Limbaugh came out swinging on Monday against “phony” media outrage over President Trump’s language behind closed doors. The man behind “the golden EIB microphone” says last week’s “sh – -hole” remarks attributed to the president during policy negotiations have spotlighted media bias yet again. Mr. Limbaugh told millions of listeners that racism claims and concerns over presidential rhetoric are all part of an act…. (more)

January 15, 2018
WASHINGTON EXAMINER — The White House called out CNN after anchor Chris Cuomo referred to White House principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah as “Raj whatever-his-name-is.”… (more)

January 15, 2018
FOX NEWS INSIDER — An early member of the “Saturday Night Live” cast returned Saturday to join in the lampooning of “Joe & Mika,” Steve Bannon and author Michael Wolff. The show opened with Alex Moffat and Kate McKinnon playing engaged MSNBC couple Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski…. (more)
January 15, 2018
THE GUARDIAN — For many non-believers, it is an instinctive response to a crisis: “Please, God.” So perhaps it should not be surprising that a new survey has found that one in five adults pray despite saying they are not religious…. (more)
January 15, 2018
ROBERT KNIGHT — After Roe v. Wade plaintiff Norma McCorvey became a Christian and revealed that she had not been gang raped as her legal team had claimed, many Americans came to understand that this landmark ruling that legalized abortion was based on a lie…. (more)

News – 1/19/2018

Netanyahu: If Abbas rejects the US as mediator, he doesn’t want peace
“If he doesn’t want the US as a mediator, he doesn’t want peace,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday about Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s rejection of the US as the go-between in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. “There is no substitute for the United States,” Netanyahu told reporters upon landing back in Israel after a five day trip to India.

SOLAR WIND, INCOMING
NOAA forecasters say there is a 45% chance of G1-class geomagnetic storms on Jan. 20th when a stream of solar wind is expected to hit Earth’s magnetic field. The gaseous material is flowing from a crescent-shaped hole in the sun’s atmosphere. Arctic sky watchers should be alert for auroras this weekend.

On Temple Mount, Jews Respond to Arab Incitement by Praising God
In what may very well be a historic turning point in the struggle for equality of religions on the Temple Mount, 42 Jews responded to an aggressive attempt by the Jerusalem Waqf (Islamic Religious Trust) to prevent them from touring the site, by singing praises of God. The Israeli police escort immediately responded by expelling the group of Jewish tourists from the Temple Mount, detaining them and threatening to revoke their rights to visit the site in the future.

What’s The Connection Between the Biblical Esau and President Trump?
Earlier this week, in a talk in Jerusalem that lasted well over two hours, Rabbi Kessin laid out his Bible-based case that Trump has a singular role to play in preparing the world for redemption. He did not claim that Trump is the Messiah, though Rabbi Kessin said, “Trump is a messianic figure,” meaning he is connected to the process of moving redemption forward.

IAF Reportedly Hits Hezbollah Weapons Depot in Syrian Military Airport Near Damascus
Syrian opposition sources are claiming that on Tuesday night, the Israeli Air Force attacked a Hezbollah weapons depot adjacent to the Mezzeh military airport near Damascus, Syria. Neither the Syrian government nor the IDF commented on the attack.

“Explosive”, “Shocking” And “Alarming” FISA Memo Set To Rock DC, “End Mueller Investigation”
“Not only will the release of this memo result in DOJ firing, but people will go to jail.” –Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL)

Abercrombie Kids Launches Genderless Fashion Line For Children
Abercrombie Kids launched a gender-inclusive children’s fashion line Wednesday called the “Everybody Collection.”

‘Catholic’ Georgetown to Offer LGBT Housing to Students
Georgetown University, founded in 1789 and ostensibly a “Catholic” school, will offer a “gender & sexuality” housing complex for students starting in the 2018-19 academic year, which will operate as a residential center for homosexual, transgender, and “questioning”  students, according to Campus Reform. The center was the brainchild of Georgetown senior Grace Smith, who leads the student government’s LGBTQ+ Inclusivity Policy Team.

EXCLUSIVE: Steve King Calls on Leadership, Advocacy Groups to Protect Unborn with Heartbeat Bill
Rep. Steve King (R-IA) says House leadership and one very powerful pro-life group is posturing to prevent his anti-abortion “Heartbeat Bill” from passing in the House.

Venezuelans Throw Worthless Money in Trash Amid Massive Inflation
The financial situation in Venezuela is so bad people are tossing money in the trash because it is worth so little, according to a new report.

EMERGENCY WARNING: Scientific Journals Confirm Plan To Sterilize You
The globalists’ eugenics operation is out in the open

Sweden Prepares Its Citizens For ‘Imminent’ War With Russia
Sweden has issued an official public information manual urging its citizens to prepare for war with Russia urging the public to stock up on essential food supplies as tensions grow.

Senate Votes To Reauthorize NSA Spying Program
While most Congressional observers are focused on the battle to avert a weekend government shutdown (an outcome that’s looking increasingly likely), the Senate on Thursday quietly passed an extension of the NSA’s spying surveillance program, sending the bill to the president’s desk a week after the House voted to authorize the controversial plan.

Damascus warns it may shoot down Turkish planes attacking Kurds within Syrian borders 
The Syrian government warned Turkey against launching a bombing campaign in the Syrian province of Afrin, saying its air defenses may be used. Ankara had threatened airstrikes against Afrin-based Kurdish militias.

Dem IT aides pretended to be congressmen to steal data
In a report on the bizarre scandal centering on Pakistani-born Democratic congressional IT aides, a House investigation concluded the aides accessed the data of members for whom they did not work, sometimes logging in as lawmakers to cover their tracks.

Did the World Just Avoid Two False Flag Attempts Designed to Start World War III? 
…I have concluded that there was a indeed a missile fired at Hawaii in which it is my personal opinion that this was an attempt to provoke the American people into wanting WW III against North Korea. I believe that this missile was brought down and then the coverup started.  I have learned that the mechanism of warning of an impending attack is a 5 step process and the excuse that a wrong button was pushed in shift change is ridiculous….I believe that this was a false flag attack attempting  to frame North Korea for starting World War III.

Trump: Embassy Not Moving to Jerusalem Within the Year
The Times of Israel reports: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday denied the US would relocate its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem within a year, rejecting comments made a day earlier by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

SHOCK: An Elon University Professor Is Using Software To Provide Private Details On American Patriots To The Domestic Terror Group Antifa
In an absolutely shocking revelation, a report from Wired Magazine has revealed that a professor at Elon University has devised a so-called “secret weapon”, in support of Antifa, that allows her to keep tabs on at least 400,000 Americans who she believes are members of the alt-right.

FBI Investigating Millions Of “Mishandled” Dollars Funneled From Australian Govt To Clinton Foundation
The Clinton Foundation received some $88 million from Australian taxpayers between 2006 and 2014, reaching its peak in 2012-2013

Mid-Day Snapshot

 Jan. 19, 2018

Democrats Seek a Government Shutdown

They believe that preventing a bipartisan budget deal bodes well for their election hopes come November.

A Literal Border Wall?

The Leftmedia seeks to suggest Trump has moved away from his campaign promise on the subject.

Trump’s Alleged Stormy Affair

Donald Trump is, as you may have heard by now, alleged to have had an affair with an adult film star known as Stormy Daniels.

The Bell Is Tolling for Common Core

Betsy DeVos says, “at the U.S. Department of Education, Common Core is dead.”

Another Round in the Police Shooting Stats Game

Digging deeper into the numbers on police shootings reveals more than the Left would have you believe.

Robert E. Lee, Man of Honor

Today marks the anniversary of Lee’s birth and its worthwhile to consider the legacy of such an iconic American figure.

Study: Illegal Immigration Is an Economic Bludgeon

The total economic impact of illegal immigration is $116 billion annually — an “unsustainable trend.”

Germans Are Increasingly Leery of Open Door Policy

A 15-year-old girl is murdered by her migrant ex-boyfriend. How much more violence will Germans take?

Friday Short Cuts

“Liberty is the hardest test that one can inflict on a people. To know how to be free is not given equally to all men and all nations.” —Paul Valéry

Friday Opinion

Read Erick Erickson, Tony Perkins, Jonah Goldberg, David Limbaugh, Michael Barone and more.

Friday Top Headlines

More tax cut windfall, jobless claims at 45-year low, half of U.S. covered in snow, and more.

Today’s Meme

Today’s Cartoon
The Foundation

“Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it.” —John Adams (1776)

ZeroHedge Frontrunning: January 19

  • Budget Showdown Looms in Senate; Blame Game Begins (Read More)
  • Empty prisons, grounded warplanes: Budget dysfunction hits home (Read More)
  • U.S. Government Nears Shutdown With GOP Stopgap Bill at the Brink (Read More)
  • Shutdown threat prompts warnings to workers (Read More)
  • Fed Working on Proposal to Ease Up on Bank Leverage Limits (Read More)
  • Williams has Fed vice-chair job in his sights (Read More)
  • SEC Pours Cold Water on Prospect of Bitcoin ETFs (Read More)
  • Tanker With Russian Gas for Boston Makes Mid-Atlantic U-Turn (Read More)
  • Macron rejects special access for City after Brexit (Read More)
  • Former Venezuelan Oil Hub Decays in Hunger and Rust (Read More)
  • Trump to address U.S. anti-abortion march, cementing U-turn on issue (Read More)
  • Gun Theft Is Sweeping America (Read More)
  • Kushner’s Times Square Property Stung by Tenant Troubles (Read More)
  • Wall Street traders brace for meager paychecks as bonus season approaches (Read More)
  • SoftBank tells Uber to focus on US and Europe (Read More)
  • El-Erian: Higher Yields in 2018 Don’t Mean Market Turmoil (Read More)
  • Trump Takes to Twitter Like Clockwork (Read More)
  • Trump Lawyer Used Private Company, Pseudonyms to Pay Porn Star ‘Stormy Daniels’ (Read More)
  • Apple’s Big Cash Winners: Shareholders (Read More)

Headlines – 1/19/2018

Pence heads to Jerusalem, epicenter of rift with the Palestinians

US International Negotiations Envoy Greenblatt Arrives in Israel Ahead of Pence Visit

Jerusalem embassy move complicates Pence trip to Middle East

Trump Administration Pushing For Jerusalem Embassy Move By Next Year: Reports

PMO officials: no contradiction between Netanyahu and Trump’s US Embassy comments

U.S. to convert existing Jerusalem facility into embassy for 2019 opening

EU mum on Abbas speech because ‘we don’t comment on comments’

Haley takes PA to task after ‘hateful’ comments by Abbas

Minister Steinitz calls Abbas ‘anti-Semite,’ says he sabotaged the peace process

Macron trying to convince Abbas not to reject Trump initiative

Hamas: Abbas no longer a legitimate leader

US won’t pay $45 mln pledged for Palestinian food aid for now

Middle East Forum offers UNRWA $1 million – on condition that it redefine who they consider to be a ‘Palestinian refugee.’

US Palestinian rep. says UNRWA funds ‘not a bargaining chip’

‘Fair-minded rightists and leftists agree there is no reason to delay application of Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria.’

Arabs and Muslims Will Not Accept Israel as the Jewish State

Leader of terror cell that killed rabbi said still at large after Jenin raid

Minister Erdan: ‘Terrorists are rats we’ll catch in any hole’

Security expert: Hamas in race to use terror tunnels before Israel destroys them all

Israel Unveils Details of New Underground Wall Along Gaza Strip

India Test-Launches Nuclear-Capable Long-Range Missile While Netanyahu Visits Country

India test-fires missile amid perceived threats from China, Pakistan

Saudi Arabia to allow Israel flyover rights?

Israel to reopen embassy in Jordan, which touts apology over shooting

Opening Holocaust exhibition, Russian FM warns against reviving Nazis

Are Poland’s Proposed Holocaust Restitution Laws A Form of Historical Denial?

Germany establishes an anti-Semitism commissioner

In rare gesture, Jerusalem expresses sympathy for Iraqi terror victims

Al-Qaida moves in to recruit from Islamic State and its affiliates

IS claims responsibility for twin suicide bombing in Baghdad

Iraqi parliament fails to agree on new election date

US Embassy in Baghdad says Washington opposes delaying Iraqi elections

On 27th anniversary of Saddam’s 1991 Scud missile strikes at Israel, Defense Ministry releases interviews with senior officials on how close Israel came to bombing Baghdad

Syrian gov’t: U.S. military presence in Syria is act of aggression

US admits Turkey owed explanation over Syria force

Erdogan’s Turkey prepares for war against the Kurds while U.S. and NATO look the other way

Syria says it will shoot down any Turkish jets carrying out attacks inside Syria

UN chief wants Security Council to revive Syria gas attacks probe

France to launch international group targeting toxic gas attacks

Lebanese Intelligence Turned Targets’ Android Phones Into Spy Devices, Researchers Say

El-Sisi Names New Intelligence Chief in Latest Security Shakeup

African UN envoys suggest Trump meet leaders in Ethiopia after offensive remark

Russia and Iran: Friends and Foes

Russia at UN warns collapse of Iran deal would be ‘alarming’

US lawmakers aim to tighten terms of Iran nuclear deal

Iranian Christian Convert Leads 1,500 Muslims to Christ in Sweden – Woman Keeps Evangelizing Despite Bombing and Murder Threats by Muslims

US ambassador to UN chides N. Korea, Iran, Syria

An Olympian break in the war between the words

North Korea crisis: South to continue talks with ‘clear eyes’

North Korea plans military parade on eve of the Olympics, diplomats say

North Korea Using Winter Olympics to Fuel Online ‘Reunification’ Propaganda

China secretly bought North Korean coal as US watched from above: report

Report: Russia rejects Trump allegation it violating UN sanctions on N.Korea

Russian spy ship spotted off US coast a year ago returns to region

Russia Refuses To Banish Nuclear Weapons and Comply with United Nations Treaty

Ukraine crisis: Kiev defines Russia as ‘aggressor’ state

Congressman Pressed on Assertion of ‘Possible Terrorist Nexus’ in Las Vegas Massacre

TV film crew arrested after TSA catches them intentionally bringing fake explosive to airport

Mexican presidential candidate threatens Twitter tit-for-tat with Trump

Trump’s contradictory tweets keep heads spinning on Capitol Hill

Desperate Trump critics rage against the stock market boom

Stock market’s value under Trump has grown by $6.9 trillion to $30.6 trillion

The Dow’s 31% gain during Trump’s first year is the best since FDR

Asian Shares Subdued as US Government Shutdown Threat Looms

Venezuelans Throw Worthless Money in Trash Amid Massive Inflation

‘Relentless’ growth could see the US topple Russia, Saudi Arabia as world’s largest oil producer, IEA says

Wealthy exodus to escape new tax rules worries California Democrats

People flocking to low-tax states could swing future elections

‘Alt-right’ escalates war against Silicon Valley, pledges to expose bias against conservatives

Why some fracking wells are prone to triggering earthquakes

Almost 250 earthquakes shake Reno area in past week

5.7 magnitude earthquake hits near Ozernovskiy, Russia

5.6 magnitude earthquake hits near Tual, Indonesia

5.3 magnitude earthquake hits near Ayacucho, Peru

5.1 magnitude earthquake hits near Puerto Madero, Mexico

Sabancaya volcano in Peru erupts to 25,000ft

Popocateptl volcano in Mexico erupts to 23,000ft

Reventador volcano in Ecuador erupts to 14,000ft

Karymsky volcano on Kamchatka, Russia erupts to 12,000ft

Sinabung volcano in Indonesia erupts to 11,000ft

Kadovar volcano in Indonesia erupts to 10,000ft

Hurricane-Force Winds In Europe Halt Flights, Rip Roofs And Topple Trees

Videos show a powerful winter storm that wreaked havoc across Europe

Nine dead as huge storms batter Europe

Deadly storm Friederike causes Dutch and German transport chaos

Europe storm: Thousands without power in UK

Israel hit by massive winter storm

Stormy weather brings power outages, road closures and flood warnings in Israel

Satellite Images Capture Rare Snowfall in the Sahara Desert

The planet just had its hottest 4 years in recorded history. Trump is dismantling efforts to fight climate change.

Mother and daughter shot dead while immunising kids from polio in Pakistan

‘Mutant flu’ could lead to more effective vaccine: study

Why Trump is targeting health workers’ religious objections

Steve King Calls on Leadership, Advocacy Groups to Protect Unborn with Heartbeat Bill

Canadian Christians say they can’t apply for federal job funding due to abortion clause

‘Catholic’ Georgetown to Offer LGBT Housing to Students

Breaking down stereotypes, Jewish day school to host drag queen Shabbat ceremony

Pope shocks Chile by accusing sex abuse victims of slander

Sexual harassment and assault rife at United Nations, staff claim

Analysis: Why the latest allegations of a Trump affair are unlikely to hurt the tabloid president

From the Word of Faith to the World of the Faithless

Robots Are Taking Over the World: Jim Bakker Gives New Reason to Buy Survival Slop Buckets

False prophets & their false prophecies over Todd Bentley & Lakeland

The Roman Catholic “Mother Mary” Deception and The Destruction of Souls

‘Pope Francis’ Places Crown on Head of Statue of Mary During Visit to Chile

Luis Palau Reveals Stage 4 Lung Cancer, Asks for Prayer

Draft Bill Would Drop Idaho Faith Healing Protections

Iranian Christian Convert Leads 1,500 Muslims to Christ in Sweden

Charisma News Almost Does the Right Thing

Cindy Jacobs Explains Her Psychic Ability as “Spiritual Reading”

Michael Brown is Either Forgetful or a Liar: Rosebrough Pulls Brown Quotes From the Dumpster

Perry Noble Lashes Out at ‘I Am Praying for You’ Text, Calls It Condescending

Greg Locke Update: Sheep Beating, Sermon Copying, Disappearing Video, Etc…

Former Pastor Conned People Into Thinking He Was an FBI Big-Wig

What is The Gospel?

Selected Scriptures

Code: A335

With that brief question Jesus Christ confronted His followers with the most important issue they would ever face. He had spent much time with them and made some bold claims about His identity and authority. Now the time had come for them either to believe or deny His teachings.

Who do you say Jesus is? Your response to Him will determine not only your values and lifestyle, but your eternal destiny as well.

Consider what the Bible says about Him:

JESUS IS GOD

While Jesus was on earth there was much confusion about who He was. Some thought He was a wise man or a great prophet. Others thought He was a madman. Still others couldn’t decide or didn’t care. But Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). That means He claimed to be nothing less than God in human flesh.

Many people today don’t understand that Jesus claimed to be God. They’re content to think of Him as little more than a great moral teacher. But even His enemies understood His claims to deity. That’s why they tried to stone Him to death (John 5:18; 10:33) and eventually had Him crucified (John 19:7).

C.S. Lewis observed, “You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to” (Mere Christianity [Macmillan, 1952], pp. 40-41).

If the biblical claims of Jesus are true, He is God!

JESUS IS HOLY

God is absolutely and perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:3), therefore He cannot commit or approve of evil (James 1:13).

As God, Jesus embodied every element of God’s character. Colossians 2:9 says, “In Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form.” He was perfectly holy (Hebrews 4:15). Even His enemies couldn’t prove any accusation against Him (John 8:46)

God requires holiness of us as well. First Peter 1:16 says, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

JESUS IS THE SAVIOR

Our failure to obey God—to be holy—places us in danger of eternal punishment (2 Thessalonians 1:9). The truth is, we cannot obey Him because we have neither the desire nor the ability to do so. We are by nature rebellious toward God (Ephesians 2:1-3). The Bible calls our rebellion “sin.” According to Scripture, everyone is guilty of sin: “There is no man who does not sin” (1 Kings 8:46). “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). And we are incapable of changing our sinful condition. Jeremiah 13:23 says, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.”

That doesn’t mean we’re incapable of performing acts of human kindness. We might even be involved in various religious or humanitarian activities. But we’re utterly incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own. The Bible says, “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one” (Romans 3:10-12).

God’s holiness and justice demand that all sin be punished by death: “The soul who sins will die” (Ezekiel 18:4). That’s hard for us to understand because we tend to evaluate sin on a relative scale, assuming some sins are less serious than others. However, the Bible teaches that all acts of sin are the result of sinful thinking and evil desires. That’s why simply changing our patterns of behavior can’t solve our sin problem or eliminate its consequences. We need to be changed inwardly so our thinking and desires are holy

Jesus is the only one who can forgive and transform us, thereby delivering us from the power and penalty of sin: “There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Even though God’s justice demands death for sin, His love has provided a Savior, who paid the penalty and died for sinners: “Christ … died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Christ’s death satisfied the demands of God’s justice, thereby enabling Him to forgive and save those who place their faith in Him (Romans 3:26). John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” He alone is “our great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13).

JESUS IS THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE OBJECT OF SAVING FAITH

Some people think it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere. But without a valid object your faith is useless

If you take poison—thinking it’s medicine—all the faith in the world won’t restore your life. Similarly, if Jesus is the only source of salvation, and you’re trusting in anyone or anything else for your salvation, your faith is useless.

Many people assume there are many paths to God and that each religion represents an aspect of truth. But Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6). He didn’t claim to be one of many equally legitimate paths to God, or the way to God for His day only. He claimed to be the only way to God—then and forever.

JESUS IS LORD

Contemporary thinking says man is the product of evolution. But the Bible says we were created by a personal God to love, serve, and enjoy endless fellowship with Him

The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). Therefore He also owns and rules everything (Psalm 103:19). That means He has authority over our lives and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship.

Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.” Confessing Jesus as Lord means humbly submitting to His authority (Philippians 2:10-11). Believing that God has raised Him from the dead involves trusting in the historical fact of His resurrection—the pinnacle of Christian faith and the way the Father affirmed the deity and authority of the Son (Romans 1:4; Acts 17:30-31).

True faith is always accompanied by repentance from sin. Repentance is more than simply being sorry for sin. It is agreeing with God that you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin and pursue holiness (Isaiah 55:7). Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15); and “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine” (John 8:31).

It isn’t enough to believe certain facts about Christ. Even Satan and his demons believe in the true God (James 2:19), but they don’t love and obey Him. Their faith is not genuine. True saving faith always responds in obedience (Ephesians 2:10).

Jesus is the sovereign Lord. When you obey Him you are acknowledging His lordship and submitting to His authority. That doesn’t mean your obedience will always be perfect, but that is your goal. There is no area of your life that you withhold from Him.

JESUS IS THE JUDGE

All who reject Jesus as their Lord and Savior will one day face Him as their Judge: “God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).

Second Thessalonians 1:7-9 says, “The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.”

HOW WILL YOU RESPOND?

Who does the Bible say Jesus is? The living God, the Holy One, the Savior, the only valid object of saving faith, the sovereign Lord, and the righteous Judge.

Who do you say Jesus is? That is the inescapable question. He alone can redeem you—free you from the power and penalty of sin. He alone can transform you, restore you to fellowship with God, and give your life eternal purpose. Will you repent and believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

Available online at: https://www.gty.org/library/articles/A335
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The Depravity of Man

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But while we recognize and decry the wanton immorality of Hollywood and Times Square, of Washington DC and Wall Street, we ought also to remember that we, too, are radically corrupt, totally depraved, and basically evil. And we are in need of a new nature – a new birth or regeneration – which comes only by grace toward salvation from our due punishment.

If 2017 supported any theory of human nature it undoubtedly once again furthered the proposition that mankind is basically evil. With all the allegations of collusion, political conspiracy, mass murder, sexual predation, racial prejudice and bigotry, libel and slander, dishonest journalism, treason, and dark-state mutiny, the doctrines of human depravity held throughout orthodox Christian history have once again been vindicated.

As a parenthesis I will note that the formulation “basically evil” is important – as it is for synonymic relatives “radical corruption” and “total depravity”. The phrases are meant to imply there is a foundational or fundamental wickedness that affects every aspect of being thereafter. Man is at his base evil; at his roothe is corrupt; and the totality of his being is affected by depravity.  (“Total depravity” is not meant to imply that man is as utterly depraved as is theoretically possible, only that the totality of our being is in some fashion or measure affected by the want of complete and perfect goodness.)

In our generational hubris, we pretend that we are better than those before us – that a sort of moral evolution is taking place, allowing our species to draw closer to ethical perfection. But this can only be true if the concept of morality is approached from the subjective, if we determine for ourselves what consists of keeping and transgressing the moral law. But then again, that would be no law – no law in the same sense as the laws of physics or logic – because subjectivity is the ficklest of judges.

From the standpoint of a moral objectivist – that there is an ontological moral law imposed upon this universe, outside and transcendent of ourselves – the opposite conclusion is drawn; not that we are getting progressively worse, but that progress of our moral essence in our natural state is outside of our human capacity whatsoever; that we continuously violate the objective and created laws of goodness. We violate them because as creatures – that is, that which has been created – we do not serve the interests of that which has created us. We do not recognize our subservience to the creator; to the supreme and sovereign ultimate authority. Rather, we act out of service first and foremost to our own selfish interests. We are slaves to the pursuit of personal gain, and the prevention of personal loss.

Simply put, Natural Man cannot NOT sin.

We may pretend a façade of altruism, but within the natural state that service is still to our own supposed honor, dignity, or empathy, which service is once again a service unto one’s own self.

The fundamental moral law of Christianity and its Hebrew roots is to love YHWH your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. This is an objective law, in the same way likewise that gravity is an objective law, that there is a sovereign “ought-ness” outside mere physical existence in the demand for conformity to that law.

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A Catechism on the Heart

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I must keep my heart healthy by proper diet, growing strong on a regular diet of God’s Word — reading it for myself, meditating on its truth, but especially being fed on it in the preaching of the Word. I also will remember that my heart has eyes as well as ears. The Spirit shows me baptism as a sign that I bear God’s triune name, while the Lord’s Supper stimulates heart love for the Lord Jesus.

Sometimes people ask authors, “Which of your books is your favorite?” The first time the question is asked, the response is likely to be “I am not sure; I have never really thought about it.” But forced to think about it, my own standard response has become, “I am not sure what my favorite book is; but my favorite title is A Heart for God.” I am rarely asked, “Why?” but (in case you ask) the title simply expresses what I want to be: a Christian with a heart for God.

Perhaps that is in part a reflection of the fact that we sit on the shoulders of the giants of the past. Think of John Calvin’s seal and motto: a heart held out in the palm of a hand and the words “I offer my heart to you, Lord, readily and sincerely.” Or consider Charles Wesley’s hymn:

O for a heart to praise my God!
A heart from sin set free.

Some hymnbooks don’t include Wesley’s hymn, presumably in part because it is read as an expression of his doctrine of perfect love and entire sanctification. (He thought it possible to have his longing fulfilled in this world.) But the sentiment itself is surely biblical.

But behind the giants of church history stands the testimony of Scripture. The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart (Deut. 6:5). That is why, in replacing Saul as king, God “sought out a man after his own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14), for “the Lord looks on the heart” (16:7). It is a truism to say that, in terms of our response to the gospel, the heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. But truism or not, it is true.

What this looks like, how it is developed, in what ways it can be threatened, and how it expresses itself will be explored little by little in this new column. But at this stage, perhaps it will help us if we map out some preliminary matters in the form of a catechism on the heart:

Q.1. What is the heart?

  1. The heart is the central core and drive of my life intellectually (it involves my mind), affectionately (it shapes my soul), and totally (it provides the energy for my living).

Q.2. Is my heart healthy?

  1. No. By nature I have a diseased heart. From birth, my heart is deformed and antagonistic to God. The intentions of its thoughts are evil continually.

Q.3. Can my diseased heart be healed?

  1. Yes. God, in His grace, can give me a new heart to love Him and to desire to serve Him.

Q.4. How does God do this?

  1. God does this through the work of the Lord Jesus for me and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in me. He illumines my mind through the truth of the gospel, frees my enslaved will from its bondage to sin, cleanses my affections by His grace, and motivates me inwardly to live for Him by rewriting His law into my heart so that I begin to love what He loves. The Bible calls this being “born from above.”

Q.5. Does this mean I will never sin again?

  1. No. I will continue to struggle with sin until I am glorified. God has given me a new heart, but for the moment He wants me to keep living in a fallen world. So day by day I face the pressures to sin that come from the world, the flesh, and the Devil. But God’s Word promises that over all these enemies I can be “more than a conqueror through him who loved us.”

Q.6. What four things does God counsel me to do so that my heart may be kept for Him?

  1. First, I must guard my heart as if everything depended on it. This means that I should keep my heart like a sanctuary for the presence of the Lord Jesus and allow nothing and no one else to enter.

Second, I must keep my heart healthy by proper diet, growing strong on a regular diet of God’s Word — reading it for myself, meditating on its truth, but especially being fed on it in the preaching of the Word. I also will remember that my heart has eyes as well as ears. The Spirit shows me baptism as a sign that I bear God’s triune name, while the Lord’s Supper stimulates heart love for the Lord Jesus.

Third, I must take regular spiritual exercise, since my heart will be strengthened by worship when my whole being is given over to God in expressions of love for and trust in Him.

Fourth, I must give myself to prayer in which my heart holds on to the promises of God, rests in His will, and asks for His sustaining grace — and do this not only on my own but with others so that we may encourage one another to maintain a heart for God.

This — and much else — requires development, elaboration, and exposition. But it can be summed up in a single biblical sentence. Listen to your Father’s appeal: “My son, give Me your heart.”

This article was originally published in Tabletalk Magazine and is used with permission.

The post A Catechism on the Heart appeared first on The Aquila Report.

Other Religions’ View of ‘Human Life’ Versus God’s View of ‘Human Life

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(Bodie Hodge – Answers In Genesis) Human life—is it precious? Or is it no different from the life of a mosquito? Human life—is it worth living? Or should we just kill whomever we want? Save a human baby? Or sacrifice our children? From the baby in the womb to the elderly in the nursing home—are they made in the image of God? Or made in the image of an animal?

These are serious questions that impact life or death—perhaps your own one day. Our culture is in dire need of direction. You would think these questions would be easy to answer, but depending on your worldview or religion, the answers can be trickier than you may think. View article →

Source: Other Religions’ View of ‘Human Life’ Versus God’s View of ‘Human Life

Archaeologists Uncover Jesus’s Gulfstream Jet

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ISRAEL—New historical evidence uncovered in present-day Israel suggests that Jesus and His disciples traveled around the region preaching the good news of Christ’s coming in a luxurious Gulfstream V jet, sources confirmed Thursday. Archaeologists uncovered the ruins of Jesus’s private airport just outside Nazareth, as well as the rusted-out remains of a luxury jet they […]

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U2 Signs To Four-Year Residency At Elevation Church

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CHARLOTTE, NC—Elevation Worship is one of the most successful, rich, and famous worship bands around today, but they’re about to get the boot from their home church in favor of Irish rock band U2, sources were able to confirm Thursday. The church came to an agreement with the band for an exclusive residency at a […]

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Paula White Confirms President Trump In Excellent Spiritual Health

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WASHINGTON, D.C.—After several serious concerns regarding President Trump’s spiritual health were brought to light in recent weeks, prosperity gospel preacher Paula White examined him and reported that he is in “excellent” spiritual health. White performed a barrage of examinations on the president’s spiritual health to test his orthodoxy, and confirmed he’s “in perfect spiritual condition.” […]

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