Catholic CEOs’ group Legatus withholds Vatican tithe, cites ‘recent revelations’

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The Catholic Church has faced a number of challenges in recent decades. Recently Archbishop Viganò accused Pope Francis of covering up for now ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s serial sex abuse of seminarians and priests. (Read the reports here)  As a result of continuing revelations that some priests sexually abused children and that their superiors covered it up, there has been a decline in membership and a shortage of priests. So now Legatus, described as “the most influential lay organization in the Church” has put the Holy See’s annual tithe in escrow.  Lianne Laurence of LifeSiteNews has the story:

The highly influential Catholic business association Legatus has put its annual Vatican tithe “in escrow,” citing the current crisis in the Church. Continue reading →

Personal holiness is not an option

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14 Pursue peace with everyone and pursue holiness, without which no one will see the Lord, Hebrews 12:14 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

Are we to accept the profession of faith from everyone who claims to be a Christian? This is a hot button issue in our time. I know of several people who once fellowshipped here who no longer do because they are convinced that it is wrong to rebuke and contend with those who profess faith in Christ, but whose fruit show otherwise. What about this fruit? Is it an indication of the veracity of one’s faith? According to Hebrews 12:14 we see that only those who possess holiness will see the Lord. This is a way of saying that those who will see the Lord, those who are truly saved, will possess some degree of personal holiness. View article →

Kavanaugh hearings, Times op-ed, Woodward book make it official — Washington elites have gone mad

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“What this week reveals is that the Washington elites have gone mad. They have not only lost touch with the real life struggles of the working men and women of America whom they despise.”

(Steve Hilton – Fox News)  If you’ve been living your life rather than following the latest circus in Washington, you may have missed the fact that the Swamp’s chief scribe has a new book coming out. Or maybe you’re unaware that some anonymous, arrogant Trump administration staffer who no one voted for has written in The New York Times about how he or she feels entitled to overrule a president elected by the American people according to the Constitution. Continue reading →

Who are the genuine children of God and who are not?

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28 And now little children, abide in him that when he is manifested, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you also know that everyone practicing righteousness has been born of him. 1 John 2:28-29 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

There is a term that some of us use from time to time referring to those who profess faith as Christians and who have “supposedly” placed their faith in the Incarnate Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. However, they actually display a moralistic, therapeutic, deistic religiosity that is centered in their own moral uprightness. This term is actually an oxymoron. It is “atheistic Christianity.”  View article →

5 Signs of a Dangerous Pastor

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This pastor knows exactly what he wants and his will, ahem…I mean God’s will be done. You may hear this pastor say something like, “I started this church and this is how it’s going to be!” or “This is my church and no one is going to take it from me!” Those exclamatory statements may seem shocking but they are not uncommon. 

(Costi Hinn – For the Gospel)  Trustworthy leadership is hard to find. Inside and outside Christianity, men and women with fancy letters behind their names are doing nasty things to innocent people – and children. It’s becoming more and more apparent that academic degrees (while important) and achievements (while admirable) are not the measure of success for a leader.

Integrity is. Continue reading →

‘Drag Queen Story Hour’ Sparking Protests in Southern Cities

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One passerby returned to counter-protest, holding a sign that read “Ignore the trash” and telling the protesters, “If you died right now, you would make a lot of people very happy.”

(Heather Clark – Christian News)  Residents in some Southern cities have pushed back against plans to bring “Drag Queen Story Hour” to their local library, an event that features men dressed as women reading stories about topics such as homosexuality and “gender fluidity” to young children in an effort to impart acceptance of those lifestyles. Continue reading →

By the grace of God we are what we are in the Lord

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10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NASB) 

There are two extremes that Christians must avoid at all costs. The first is over confidence in one’s own ability, which is pride in its positive form. This causes believers to rely on their own abilities to do “good works.” The other extreme is to become paralyzed into inactivity because of pride working in its negative form. It tries to resemble humility by proclaiming things such as, “I’m not sanctified enough to do that sort of work.” Both are attitudes of pride and are in rebellion against God. View article →

Colin Kaepernick Is the Face of This New Advertising Campaign, and Fans Are Furious

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“What is rather humorous about it is that Kaepernick has not lost everything — not even close. Since his departure from the NFL, leftists have made him a hero.”

(Zachary Leeman – LifeZette)  Former San Fransisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is the centerpiece of a new advertising campaign by Nike celebrating the 30th anniversary of the company’s famous slogan “Just Do It.”

Kaepernick tweeted out the first image from the campaign on Monday. Continue reading →

Baptist women, called to communicate, hold key roles

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From all appearances the SBC will eventually join the apostate Methodists and the PC(USA) in ordaining women pastors.

(Margaret Colson – BP News)  Just as Jesus affirmed first-century women, calling them to confess Him as Lord and tell the good news of the Gospel, He continues to call women in the 21st century to communicate His story to the world.

Many women communicators today are answering that call, serving in denominational “seats of influence,” a term Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear used in his post-election press conference during the SBC annual meeting in Dallas. Continue reading →

Defeating Worldliness

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This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations: Concerning Egypt: This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah…” Jeremiah 46:1-2

This takes us back to the year 605 B.C., when Nebuchadnezzar first came up against Judah. He was met by the armies of Egypt at the city of Carchemish on the Euphrates River, and there one of the great strategic battles of all history was fought. …  View article →

My daughter prayed to Alexa – Here’s the incredible thing that happened next

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As any parent, teacher, or coach knows, children are full of questions, trying to understand how life works. If you are too distracted or closed off to them, someone or something else will answer those questions. Whether they turn to Alexa, Siri, Google Home, or even J.A.R.V.I.S., we need to consider who is behind the curtain programming these “smart” answers.

(Jeremiah J. Johnston – Fox News) The most meaningful parenting experiences often come in the unplanned, organic moments of life. The problem is, all the interruptions of our always connected society can cause us to miss out on teaching and learning some incredible lessons with our children and grandchildren. Continue reading →

Wise to the Ways of the Worldly: 4 Ways Worldliness Sneaks In, and the Scriptures to Slay It

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Worldly Christians are more concerned with the affairs of the world than with spiritual things. The Apostle Paul has a lot to say about worldliness in 1 Corinthians. For one thing, Paul makes clear that worldliness is the polar opposite of godliness; therefore, to be worldly is a sin against God. In this piece, Bible study author, speaker and blogger Michelle Lesley tackles the age old problem of the worldly Christian and reveals what she refers to as “sneaky snakes” of worldliness. So, how should believers mortify those sins and respond in a godly way?  Lesley proposes 4 ways to slay the sneaky snake that has slithered into your life and provides the scriptures to slay it.  She writes: Continue reading →

U.S. Bishop: Homosexual Abuse of Youth is a ‘Wickedness’ That ‘Should Be Hated With a Perfect Hatred’

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Cardinal Theodore McCarrick stepped down from the College of Cardinals for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old altar boy in 1971.

Columnist and best-selling author Pat Buchanan, a Catholic, said, “it needs be stated clearly: This is a homosexual scandal. Almost all of the predators and criminals are male, as are most of the victims: the boys, the teenagers, the young seminarians.”

(Michael W. Chapman – CNSNews) Commenting on the recent revelations of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, specifically those of predator Archbishop Theodore McCarrick and the cases detailed in the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report, several bishops and lay leaders have blamed a “homosexual subculture” in the hierarchy of the Church and called for the removal of the priests, bishops, and cardinals involved in that subculture.

Bishop Robert Morlino, head of the diocese of Madison, Wisc., in an Aug. 18 letter, stressed that the Church must stop excusing sin “in the name of a mistaken notion of mercy” and must express more “hatred” toward sin. “What the Church needs now is more hatred!” he said. “It is an act of love to hate sin and to call others to turn away from sin.” Continue reading →

Not Ashamed

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For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed — a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17

This quotation from Habakkuk that Paul uses is the great fact that he is expounding in the gospel. He is not ashamed of it, and that is a way of saying that he is proud of it.

Paul especially is not ashamed of the gospel in Rome because the Romans appreciated power, just as Americans do. The Romans prided themselves on their power. They had military power that could conquer all the nations that stood in their path; they had a tremendous program of road-building; they had some of the greatest law-makers of history; they had the power to write literature and create art. But Paul knew that the Romans also were powerless when it came to changing hearts. … View article →

Preachers are Servants, Not Celebrities

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(Alistair Begg – Truth For Life)  On Sunday morning, August 5, 1855, 21-year-old Charles Haddon Spurgeon stepped behind the pulpit of New Park Street Chapel to challenge his congregation to follow the example of one of the saints who had inspired his ministry, the apostle Paul. “As a preacher of the word,” Spurgeon said of Paul, “he stands out pre-eminently as the prince of preachers and a preacher to kings.”

Young Spurgeon’s description of Paul was prophetic of his own future ministry. Within a few short years of that Sabbath morning, Spurgeon also earned the moniker “the prince of preachers” as he proclaimed God’s word to congregants from every stratum of society. The boy preacher from humble beginnings even became the “preacher to kings” as members of the British royal family filled his pews. View article →

VICTORY: California Dem withdraws bill banning help for unwanted gay attraction

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“AB 2943 would have criminalized even ordinary religious speech on same-sex attraction, and it also would have forbidden LGBT persons from making a deeply personal choice to explore conversion therapy,”

(Calvin Freiburger – LifeSiteNews) – California’s controversial ban on virtually any form of treatment for unwanted same-sex attraction appeared to be on the verge of becoming law, but its lead Democrat sponsor has just withdrawn it from consideration. Continue reading →

Latest Kids’ Books Drenched with ‘Social Justice’ Porn

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According to Linda Harvey, kids who attend public schools are exposed to books that are a Satanic stew designed to mess with their minds, souls and bodies.  She’s talking about your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and neighbors.  Most public schools are nothing more than centers for “progressive” indoctrination. One of the goals of progressives is to see that youngsters in grades K-12 become sexualized as early as kindergarten. Christians need wake up to what has been going on right under their noses.  It’s called social engineering. To learn more about what progressives and the LGBT community has in store for children, read Berean Research’s White Papers on Progressive (Social Justice) “Christianity” and the Homosexual Agenda. Continue reading →

Heal Our Land

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In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall was broken through. Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate… When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah. Jeremiah 39:1-4

In the further historic detail given in the last chapter of Jeremiah, we are told that they burned the temple of God as well. The long-delayed hour of judgment came at last. The city was taken. The temple was burned. As you read this account you can see a certain poetic justice which is always characteristic of the judgments of God. The city that refused God, God refused. … Continue reading →