(CNS News) An entire family – man, woman, son and daughter – in Arizona is transgender.
The father identifies as a woman. His fiancée, the mother-to-be, identifies as a man. The son considers himself a girl and, of course, the daughter thinks she’s actually a boy. An entire transgender family, all under one roof.
Daniel Harrott was born a woman, while his fiancée, Shirley Austin was born a man. Both have previously been married.
CNBC has the latest statistics on this risky behavior among teens:
Of eighth, 10th and 12th graders surveyed, 24 percent said they’ve used the drug in the past year, according to research from the University of Michigan. The 1.3 percent increase is the first significant rise in seven years.
The increase in teens using marijuana comes as more states legalize pot for medical and recreational use.
This year, 14.1 percent of high school seniors said they see “great risk” in smoking marijuana occasionally, down from 17.1 percent last year. Also, 64.7 percent said they disapprove of using the drug regularly, down from 68.5 percent last year.
NAR prophetess Jennifer LeClaire, aka Sneaky Squid Spirit, recently made this “mega announcement”:
After eight years with Charisma magazine, I resigned from my role as senior editor to follow God’s higher call for my life and ministry in June. I stayed on as a consultant for several months but am now moving forward to the “next” I prophesied in January.
I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as the first female editor in the company’s history. I would like to think the Lord used me to inspire and equip people through this platform, which grew online from thousands to millions of visitors a month during my time there.
I will continue releasing my voice through my book and itinerant travel ministry, my Ignite prophetic network, Awakening House of Prayer, AwakeningTV.com and the other ministries under the umbrella of Jennifer LeClaire Ministries.
Related: False Teacher of the 2017
CBS2 was invited into the Church of the Eternal Circle, a Wiccan church in the state of New York. Witches are all about charms, potions, spells and magic. According to one of the witches “magic is simply the belief that you can make anything happen.” “My thoughts can heal,” sang the church’s high priestess. In other words, positive confession. Some witches actually wear black hooded robes. Brooms are used, not for flying, only for sweeping the circle and clearing the energy. Included in CBS2’s report is a video of the service.
At a time when participation in traditional religions is declining among Americans, the practice of witchcraft is said to be on the rise.
CBS2’s Ali Bauman went inside the secret world of modern-day witches to explore why so many say they’re falling under its spell.
“I am the high priestess,” Lisa Stewart said.
“To be a witch is incredibly relevant in today’s society,” Anton Stewart explained.
Nestled in the heart of the Hudson Valley is the Church of the Eternal Circle, the only legally recognized Wiccan Church in the state of New York.
“We follow the tradition of the craft of the wise — witchcraft — and we are witches,” Stewart said.
For the first time, members invited CBS2 to attend their services.
Because this piece is about a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, some background on Mary is in order. We have no problem with Mariology which is the term used to describe the legitimate study of Mary. However, we do have a problem with Mariolatry. The word literally means Mary-worship. To worship Mary would be idolatry and idol worship is a sin against God. Should we pray to Mary? No. Since the mother of Jesus is in heaven she’s unable to hear our prayers. Moreover, Mary cannot connect us to God nor can she heal the sick and comfort the brokenhearted. To learn more about Mary, see our Research Paper on Roman Catholicism.
So with this background in mind, here’s RNS’s piece posted over at USA Today:
The largest Catholic church in North America is now complete.
After 100 years of construction, thousands of worshippers Friday witnessed the blessing of 24 tons of Venetian glass that embellish the dome of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Called the “Trinity Dome,” the glass mosaic is the final architectural element of the church, a shrine to Mary which sits next to the Catholic University of America and is visited by nearly 1 million people a year.
A 10-minute procession of cardinals, bishops, and priests preceded the two-hour ceremony and Mass to mark the dedication of the dome.
Christian News reports:
The City of Palm Springs, California has sworn in a man who identifies as a woman, as well as a woman who identifies as bisexual, making its city council all-“LGBT” as its other three members identify as homosexual.
Lisa Middleton, a man who identifies as a woman (pictured), and Christy Holstege, an attorney who identifies as bisexual, were both sworn in on Wednesday after being elected last month.
They join Mayor Robert Moon and Councilman Geoff Kors, who both are “married” to men, and Councilman J.R. Roberts, who likewise identifies as homosexual.
According to Christian News:
In one of the feasts and celebrations marked on the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar leading up to Christmas, Catholics around the world observed the Feast of Immaculate Conception on Friday, a day in which those who follow the religion commemorate their belief that Mary was conceived in her mother Anne’s womb without original sin.
Jorge Bergoglio, also known as Pope Francis, delivered an Angelus address, during which he claimed that the angel Gabriel’s reference to Mary as being “full of grace” meant that there was no sin in her. Most Bible translations use the phrase “highly favored,” while a few use “full of grace.”
Christian News reports:
Photo: Kelsey Lucas/Visualsey/The Daily Signal
The U.S. Department of Justice has taken steps to investigate the abortion giant Planned Parenthood and its business partners, requesting unredacted documents from the Senate Judiciary Committee in light of Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley’s letter and report submitted last year.
“The Department of Justice appreciates the offer of assistance in obtaining these materials, and would like to request the Committee provide unredacted copies of records contained in the report, in order to further the Department’s ability to conduct a thorough and comprehensive assessment of that report based on the full range of information available,” wrote Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs Stephen Boyd in the letter, obtained by Fox News and The Hill.
The Pope of Rome has taken it upon himself to make a change to the Lord’s Prayer (Mat 6:13). He made the announcement that, “The current wording that says ‘lead us not into temptation’ is not a good translation because God does not lead humans to sin.” Before we get to the BBC report, following is an excerpt from Barnes Notes on the Bible:
And lead us not into temptation – A petition similar to this is offered by David, Psalm 141:4; “Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with the workers of iniquity.” God tempts no man. See James 1:13. This phrase, then, must be used in the sense of “permitting.” Do not “suffer” us, or “permit” us, to be tempted to sin. In this it is implied that God has such control over the tempter as to save us from his power if we call upon him. The word “temptation,” however (see the note at Matthew 4:1), means sometimes “trial, affliction,” anything that “tests” our virtue. If this be the meaning here, as it may be, then the import of the prayer is, “Do not afflict or try us.” It is not wrong to pray that we may be saved from suffering if it be the will of God. See Luke 22:42.
So with this mind, here’s BBC’s piece:
The pontiff said France’s Roman Catholic Church was now using the new wording “do not let us fall into temptation” as an alternative, and something similar should be used worldwide.
“Do not let me fall into temptation because it is I who fall, it is not God who throws me into temptation and then sees how I fell,” he told TV2000, an Italian Catholic TV channel.
“A father does not do that, a father helps you to get up immediately.”
“After a woman admits to forging a document used in a campaign to destroy the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in Alabama, ABC News quickly moves on as though it is not news of extraordinary consequence,” says John Nolte of Breitbart. Nolte has the story:
Beverly Young Nelson has finally admitted that she forged a portion of the infamous high school yearbook that she and attorney Gloria Allred used as proof of her accusations against U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore.
And in yet another blow to the credibility of ABC News, the disgraced, left-wing network downplayed the bombshell by presenting this admission of forgery as adding “notes” to the inscription.
“Nelson admits she did make notes to the inscription,” ABC News tells us. “But the message was all Roy Moore.”
“Beverly, he signed your yearbook,” ABC News reporter Tom Llamas says.
“He did sign it,” she replies.
“And you made some notes underneath.”
“Yes,” Nelson says.
Christian News reports:
The Trump administration is seeking a hold on a court order that mandated the government to allow those who identify as the opposite sex to enlist in the military beginning Jan. 1.
“Specifically, Defendants request that the court stay the portion of its preliminary injunction requiring Defendants to begin accessing transgender individuals into the military on January 1, 2018, pending a decision by the D.C. Circuit on Defendants’ appeal,” the U.S. Department of Justice wrote on Wednesday, according to The Hill.
Rush Limbaugh recently told his audience that there’s a planned overthrow of the president by the Dems that’s the biggest story in generations. “…and the drive-bys are sitting around ignoring it because they’re part of it.” Moreover, the media is acting as opposition to the people. “We have a corrupt bunch of Democrats who are attempting to overthrow a president. That is such a huge story. But they’re in on it. They’re helping.”
Western Journal explains why Rush is sounding the alarm:
Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh believes the mainstream media is covering up one the the biggest stories in decades — a “deep state” coup against President Donald Trump.
On his radio show Wednesday, Limbaugh claimed that special counselor Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian collusion in the 2016 presidential election is “not a legitimate investigation.” Still, he said, most media outlets refuse to report what he called “the biggest story in generations,” even “bigger than Watergate.”
“Technocracy’s ‘science of social engineering’ is taking a strange and dangerous twist with the invention of AI therapy bots that help humans with their psychological issues. As you confess your darkest secrets to Woebot, rest assured that they will stay in your file forever.” — Technocracy Editor
Amy Ellis Nutt of the liberal Washington Post has the story:
My therapist wanted to explain a few things during our first online session:
“I’m going to check in with you at random times. If you can’t respond straight away, don’t sweat it. Just come back to me when you’re ready. I’ll check in daily.”
“Daily?” I asked.
“Yup! It shouldn’t take longer than a couple minutes. Can you handle that?
“Yes, I can,” I answered.
There was a little more back-and-forth, all via Messenger, then this statement from my therapist:
“This might surprise you, but . . . I am a robot.”
Fox News reports:
President Trump on Wednesday will order the State Department to begin moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, senior administration officials said, a move that fulfills a campaign promise made to religious conservatives but one that could inflame tensions across the Middle East.
In his announcement, Trump will say that the U.S. government recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. One official described it as an “honest” acknowledgement of a “seven-decade old fact.”
“While President Trump recognizes that the status of Jerusalem is a highly sensitive issue, he does not think it will be resolved by ignoring the simple truth that Jerusalem is home to Israel’s legislature, its Supreme Court, the prime minister and is such the capital of Israel,” one official said.
Pulpit & Pen News has the latest on the Perry Noble saga. The “spiritually unqualified” disgraced pastor “took to Facebook for the ‘digital launch’ of his ‘church,’ Second Chance ‘Church.'” P&P posted the video of the event and reviews Noble’s sermon:
Perry Noble was known for primarily three things, prior to self-destructing in his personal life due to alcoholism and bad marital decisions (and now divorce). He was known for (1) being the pastor of a mega-church, NewSpring, (2) playing Highway to Hell for Easter worship , (3) for his theology that was sooooo bad it earned a rebuke from his denomination.
When Noble refused to go away and later announced the beginning of a new church plant, it forced the hand of his former church to formally denounce him as spiritually unqualified (Noble agreed with them, but continued anyway). Even still, mega-pastors like Steven Furtick have continued to embrace him, along with a legion of online followers.
Becky Loggia of Western Journal has the story:
What was seen as a just verdict to some was nothing more than political leniency to others, but the most important view in the entire case of Kate Steinle’s death may belong to the ones that loved her most.
The San Francisco Chronicle detailed an exclusive interview with the Steinle family, from the inception of the event that changed their lives forever to the political turmoil that ensued.
“Each media interview, each exploitation of Kate’s name for political gain, each still shot of her smile on television only amplified the anguish of their loss,” the article states.
“Above all, they wanted it to mark the end of a public profile they neither sought nor enjoyed.”
In a piece over at The Hill, Jonathan Turley, the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, tackles the Michael Flynn situation and explains the affect it could have on President Trump:
The plea agreement of Michael Flynn, the former White House national security adviser, is a case of the the good, the bad and the ugly for the Trump administration. It is an undeniably significant, though not unexpected, development in the Russia investigation. Flynn was always the most exposed of the high-ranking Trump officials and he lacked a clear defense on some of the allegations regarding his work as a foreign agent. In the famous Western “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly,” Clint Eastwood’s character Blondie explained the difference between a man with a defense and no defense: “You see, in this world there’s two kinds of people, my friend, those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig.” Flynn had to dig for a plea but the question is whether he presents a clear and present danger to the Trump inner circle. That is far less clear.
TPM reports:
A federal judge in Washington, D.C. on Monday blocked President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, after five transgender service members filed a lawsuit against the President’s orders.
Trump announced his decision to ban transgender people from serving in the military in “any capacity” in a tweet in July. He made it official with a memorandum in August, saying it was unclear whether transgender troops serving openly would impact “military readiness and lethality” and claiming any medical needs of transgender individuals, like gender reassignment surgeries and hormones, would be too expensive for the Department of Defense to pay for.
CISION has the story:
Researchers have found an imbalance in the brain chemistry of young people addicted to smartphones and the internet, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
According to a recent Pew Research Center study, 46 percent of Americans say they could not live without their smartphones. While this sentiment is clearly hyperbole, more and more people are becoming increasingly dependent on smartphones and other portable electronic devices for news, information, games, and even the occasional phone call.
Christian News reports:
A federal judge appointed to the bench by then-President George W. Bush has struck down a Texas ban on dilation and evacuation (D&E) abortions, also known as dismemberment abortions, finding the prohibition to be an “undue burden” on the “right of a woman” to her child.
“An abortion always results in the death of the fetus. The extraction of the fetus from the womb occurs in every abortion. Dismemberment of the fetus is the inevitable result. The evidence before the court is graphic and distasteful,” U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel acknowledged, but nonetheless added, “But this evidence is germane only to the state’s interest in the dignity of fetal life and is weighed on the State’s side of the scale. It does not remove weight from the woman’s side. And it does not add weight to tip the balance in the state’s favor.”
Western Journal reports:
The Church of Sweden acted Thursday to urge its clergy to stop using solely masculine references to God by adopting a new handbook governing all forms of worship. The handbook makes significant changes to how priests are encouraged to talk about God.
“We talk about Jesus Christ, but in a few places we have changed it to say ‘God’ instead of ‘he,’” Church of Sweden spokesperson Sofija Pedersen Videke told The U.K. Telegraph. “We have some prayer options that are more gender-neutral than others.”
Paula White, who claims to have led Donald Trump to Christ, is also the president’s spiritual adviser. Pulpit & Pen News alerts us to the latest false teaching coming from the popular prosperity pastrix:
There’s no reason a Continuationist wouldn’t believe Paula White’s tweet to be at least credible. Continuationism – the doctrine that undergrids all charismaticism, holds that God is still delivering divine revelation. Although Third Wave charismatics – like John Piper and Wayne Grudem – argue that modern prophecy is not Scripture-level authoritative, it’s a suggestion that is Scripturally untenable. God doesn’t speak both fallibly and infallibility, and the infallible communication of prophecy has always been a benchmark of its divine authenticity (Deuteronomy 18:15-22).
Popular news blog Newsmax has come up with a list of the top 100 most influential evangelicals in America. Not surprisingly the list includes a large number of wolves in sheep’s clothing. A few examples of those who made the list ate Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Joyce Meyer and — are you ready for this? Roman Catholic mystics Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. The top 100 are certainly influential, but evangelicals many of them are not. In fact, a lot of the influencers are not even true Christians, by a long shot. Mark Driscoll, Tullian Tchividjian and Perry Noble are absent from this year’s list.
Evangelicals come from many different Christian denominations, but they all have a common belief in the holiness of scripture and the centrality of faith in Jesus Christ for their lives.
The Pew Research Center estimates that about 25.4 percent of Americans, or about 62 million adults, are evangelicals.
The evangelical faith of these prominent Americans has shaped their lives and influenced their politics, morality, and careers, as well as their personal lives.
This Newsmax list of the 100 Most Influential Evangelicals in America includes pastors, teachers, politicians, athletes, and entertainers — men and women from all walks of life whose faith leads them to live differently and to help others in a variety of ways.
Boston Globe has the story:
Allegations that Roy Moore sexually assaulted teenage girls decades ago have turned many Republicans against their party’s Senate candidate in Alabama, but one bloc of conservative leaders is standing by their man: evangelicals.
It is the latest example of a shift in attitude among Christian conservatives, who polls show are increasingly willing to overlook sexual misbehavior if a political leader is firmly committed to opposing abortion, gay marriage, and transgender rights.
In today’s hyperpartisan environment, ideology trumps personal transgressions for these religious leaders, who years ago called on President Clinton to resign over his liaisons with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
According to Wisconsin Gazette:
An Ohio state lawmaker who won his office with strong support from the religious right has resigned after being caught having “inappropriate conduct with another man” in his official office.
State Rep. Wes Goodman, 33, was a rising star among evangelical Christian voters. He opposed same-sex marriage and a woman’s right to choose whether to give birth.
He’s married and has a daughter.