Witnessing to the Watchtower: And the Word was???

Seth Dunn of Pulpit & Pen examines the teaching of the Watchtower Society a.k.a. Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW’s).  Although JW’s claim they’re Christians they deny fundamental Christian doctrine and manipulate the scriptures to fit in with their own beliefs as you will discover in this piece.  What is the most effective way to evangelize JW’s when they come knocking on your door?  Listen to Seth Dunn’s advice.

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A Look Inside 4 Important Goals of the LGBT Movement

The Daily Signal has the story:

LGBT 4Despite being proud of advances they’ve made during eight years under President Barack Obama, leaders of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender movement say they still have work to do.

“The future of the LGBT movement hinges largely on the outcome of this election,” Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Arcus Foundation, said at a global LGBT summit held in Philadelphia during the Democratic National Convention.

Jennings, issuing a warning to a mostly friendly audience, said there are “two very different visions for LGBT equality in the Republican and Democratic platforms.”

More than 25 prominent leaders of the national LGBT movement, including elected officials and other influential voices, gathered for the four-day event called the Equality Forum.

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According to the goal pursue the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus

13 ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ ἐμαυτὸν οὐ λογίζομαι κατειληφέναι· ἓν δέ, τὰ μὲν ὀπίσω ἐπιλανθανόμενος τοῖς δὲ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος, 14 κατὰ σκοπὸν διώκω εἰς τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Philippians 3:13-14 (NA28)

13 Brothers, I do not consider myself to have made it my own; but one thing, forgetting what lies behind while straining forward to the things ahead, 14 according to the goal I pursue the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (a personal translation of Philippians 3:13-14 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

Those truly in Christ are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). Not all agree about what that means, but according to that passage it does tell us plainly, “ὥστε εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ, καινὴ κτίσις· τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν, ἰδοὺ γέγονεν καινά” or “so that if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old things passed away, behold he has become new.” Those who are a καινὴ κτίσις· have moved from spiritual death to spiritual life in Christ Jesus. The Christian now lives for Christ by living for others, effected by the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:3, 6, 18) and the death of Christ (5:14-15). This was destined by God to come amid this evil age. Notice it was never meant to suppliant it, but to be in the midst of it and be continually at war with it. This war causes many casualties. So many professing Christians fall victim to taking the wrong side in this war and find in the end that their profession was nothing more than words. The god of this age blinds the eyes and hearts of his slaves and many of them are very religious. This blindness creates hearts so hard and unbelief so thick that the Gospel, even when well preached, interests them not at all. View article →

Satanic Temple responds to Christian groups at elementary schools with plan for its own after-school clubs

Orange County Register published a piece by Brian Reynolds that he wrote for the Washington Post. Reynolds informs us that Doug Mesner a.k.a. Lucien Greaves of the Satanic Temple wants children to understand that “there are multiple perspectives on all issues, and that they have a choice in how they think.”  So Mesner/Greaves insists that kiddos wrap their minds around Satan and the underworld.  How? By starting an after-school club. Watch the very troubling promotion video and then ask yourself what sort of parents would enroll their child in a club that glorifies Satan and also draws them into the world of the occult.

According to Reynolds:

The group at first intends to roll out the clubs in a limited number of schools in districts that also host an evangelical Christian after-school program known as the Good News Club.

 

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Massive turnout for gay pride march in Jerusalem 1 year after fatal stabbing

DW News labels those who oppose the radical LGBT agenda “ultra-Orthodox extremists.”  According to DW: Israeli military has decided to “re-evaluate” its professional relationship with a West Bank rabbi who called homosexuals “perverts.” The rabbi leads a yeshiva, or religious seminary, that prepares men for army service.

The large turnout was a show of solidarity with the victim’s of last year’s stabbing attack that left Shira Banki dead. The 16-year-old was one of eight people ultra-orthodox extremist Yishai Schlissel tried to kill.

A record number of Gay Pride marchers paraded through downtown Jerusalem Thursday, a year after an ultra-Orthodox Jew went on a stabbing rampage at the parade that left a 16-year-old girl dead and seven others wounded.

Some 25,000 attended this year’s parade – a five-fold increase over last year’s turnout, and far more than organizers hoped for.

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Muslims go to Catholic Mass across France to show solidarity

Outside the Catholic church, a group of Ahmadiyya Muslims unfurled a banner: “Love for all. Hate for none” reports CNSNews:

Dove of peaceIn a gesture of solidarity following the gruesome killing of a French priest, Muslims on Sunday attended Catholic Mass in churches and cathedrals across France and Italy.

A few dozen Muslims gathered at the towering Gothic cathedral in Rouen, near Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray where the 85-year-old Rev. Jacques Hamel had his throat slit by two teenage Muslim fanatics on Tuesday.

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Look, the lamb of God, the one lifting up the sin of the world!

29 Τῇ ἐπαύριον βλέπει τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐρχόμενον πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει· ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου. John 1:29 (NA28)

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the lamb of God, the one lifting up the sin of the world!” John 1:29 (translated from the NA28 Greek text) 

In my Nave’s Topical Bible there is a subsection under “Atonement” titled “Atonement – Made by Jesus.” It covers half of page 85 and runs through half of page 88. I find it interesting that the leaders in the emergent church such as Brian McLaren focus so much of their energies on trying to deny that the Lord Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice on the Cross to atone for the sins of His people was the primary mission of His incarnation. Instead, these false Christian leaders point their followers to follow a man-made Jesus whose purpose in His incarnation was to show people how best to live and make the world a better place. At the same time, so many “denominations” are rapidly apostatizing through cultural compromise and moving away from God’s moral standards. Our enemy has planted easily believable lies throughout the visible Church and has given verbiage to the lying mouths of his prophets that are designed to confuse and take away the clarity of God’s Truth. For instance, the emergent leaders cannot preach a thing without emphasizing that ultimate truth is unknowable while elevating indefiniteness as a virtue. They teach that if solid, defined lines run between professing Christians and God in which doctrines are clearly held and proclaimed then those Christians have made-up what they believe and are no longer in communion with God. Sounds a bit like a post-modern version of Gnosticism to me. View article →

The Beginning of the End

For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ — with all boldness and without hindrance! Acts 28:30-31

Bible 4This is what I like to call the end of the beginning. The book of Acts is just the beginning of the record of the operation of the body of Christ at work in the world since his resurrection and ascension. It is just the first chapter. We have come now to the last page of that chapter. The rest of the record is being written as history is being unfolded. Fresh and wonderful chapters are now being written in our own day, ultimately to be incorporated into this account. It is a tremendous privilege and joy to be a part of this divine record.

One of the most impressive things about this last section is the two last words. Do you notice how the book of Acts ends? With the word without hindrance. That describes the freedom of the gospel. Paul was hindered; still chained day and night to a Roman guard. But he could welcome friends in. He could walk around his house and yard, and he could minister and teach there. Paul never chafed under this restraint. His letters from this period are filled with joy and rejoicing. He never fretted about his condition, but he welcomed all who came and he sent letters back with them. It was during this time that he wrote Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and the letter to Philemon. What tremendous truths are set forth in these letters which he had time to write because he could no longer travel abroad.

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Lawschool: what law are we under?

Clint Archer of The Cripplegate presents his view of which laws in the Bible apply to us. He asks: “When we decry homosexuality (which was condemned in the Mosaic Law) but still eat bacon (which was also condemned in the Mosaic Law), are we just being arbitrarily selective?” Now listen to Archer’s response:

Ten Commandments4Before I travel to a new country I investigate if there are any peculiar laws I need to observe. Luckily I have never had to verify any of these for myself – but they are on the internet so they must be true, right?

In Thailand it is illegal to leave your house without wearing any underwear. In Israel it is illegal to bring bears to the beach. Ireland has prohibited its citizens from pretending to perform any type of witchcraft, enchantment, or occultic practices. It’s not against the law to actually perform them, just to pretend to perform them.

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Clinton Vows at DNC to Defend Homosexuality, Abortion If Elected President

Christian News Network reports:

Hillary ClintonDuring her speech on Thursday accepting the Democratic nomination for president of the United States, Hillary Clinton again vowed to defend homosexuality and abortion if elected.

“We will defend all our rights—civil rights, human rights and voting rights—women’s rights and workers’ rights—LGBT rights and the rights of people with disabilities!” she declared to those gathered and those watching around the world.

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Scientists create the first drug to halt Alzheimer’s

The Times reports:

A drug has stopped brain deterioration in Alzheimer’s patients for the first time, scientists announced yesterday.

Mental decline was halted for 18 months in some patients, in results hailed as the strongest sign yet that an effective treatment for the disease is near. Researchers said that the drug — taken as a tablet twice a day — could soon become the first medicine given to Alzheimer’s patients to keep the disease at bay for as long as possible.

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Fed up with false teaching: Calvary Chapel church says “So Long” to the CC Association

CRN has reported on the direction Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa has taken since the passing of CC’s founder Chuck Smith.  (Here, here and here)  Now Berean Research informs us of a troubling incident that occurred in the tiny town of Appleton Wisconsin.  According to BR, there are “eyebrow-raising concerns [that] have not gone unnoticed by news outlets and other Christian groups,” and she lists what the concerns are:

Calvary ChapelCalvary Chapel pastor who warned of false teachings and apostate movements seeping into the Calvary Chapel organization has been removed from his regional leadership position, and is now removing his local congregation out of the Calvary Chapel Association altogether.

Pastor Dwight Douville of Calvary Chapel Appleton Wisconsin was informed last month that he was being removed from his position as a regional leader, a position he’s held for many years. Why? He says because personal friendships have been put above doctrinal truth, muddying the waters of what Calvary Chapels are all about. And because he advocated for maintaining and staying the course while calling out wolves and yeast seeping into Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa and the organization as a whole since the death of founder Chuck Smith.

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Pence: Roe v. Wade Will Be Overturned After Trump Elected

According to NewsMax:

38th Annual March For Life Winds Through WashingtonMike Pence said Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, will be overturned after Donald Trump is elected president in November, Mlive.com reported.

Answering a question from an audience member during a town hall in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the Indiana governor said a Republican win in the fall will lead to changes in the nation’s highest court.

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1 San Diego Cop Killed, Another Wounded In Shooting

Fox News reports:

Chief Shelley Zimmerman said the gang suppression officers reported they were making the stop shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday and almost immediately radioed for emergency cover.

Video footage showed officers out in force with numerous squad cars with emergency lights flashing lining a street, officers on foot, and a helicopter buzz overhead.

Responding officers put one of the wounded officers into a patrol car after the shooting and rushed off to a hospital, but efforts to save him failed. Zimmerman said that officer had a wife and two children.

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Common Grace: Myth vs. Reality

I have reached a very important crossroad. If you have been following my posts over the last several weeks then you know that I have been focusing on what genuine Salvation looks like, its source, and comparing it with man’s version of it that does not save. Of course, how do we do that? We go to God’s Word. We use the words of our Lord, the Apostles and Church Fathers and the Reformers and good men of faith who have come since to help us clarify God’s truth from every attempt that our enemy makes to cloud the issue, to sow confusion and keep people in the dark. Yes, God’s truth shines the light of our Lord in the darkness of our enemy and his seed’s lies that have created a form of “Christianity” that looks genuine, but is not. Many call it “Churchianity.” I make no apologies that I am Reformed in my faith. My theology is that of the Reformers. However, many who call themselves Calvinists and should, by most men’s measure, be “Reformed” as well, prove that their theology is compromised by what I am about to share in this post. I know that this post will anger some. I will probably lose a few friends. However, truth is truth and I will continue to pursue it with my all with the time the Lord gives me in order to bless the Body of Christ. View article →

Would Jesus refer to certain people on Trump’s Christian Advisory Committee as serpents and hypocrites?

By Marsha West

I have a deep concern for those who are warring against the Lord Jesus Christ.  I’m speaking of men and women who are spreading a false gospel around the globe, a gospel that saves no one.  In Mat. 23, Jesus rebuked false teachers for being full of “hypocrisy and lawlessness.” He also referred to them as serpents and a brood of vipers.  Ouch!

The Lord addressed false teaching in Mat. 7:15-20:

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Yet “ravenous wolves” are frequently given a platform to reach millions with their rotten fruit through “Christian” events.  I’m talking about the events that evangelical patriots attend for the purpose of praying for our nation.  Moreover, wolves are given a platform on popular “Christian” news and opinion sites.  Sad to say that visitors to some esteemed “Christian” blogs really should seek God’s protection before entering.  Three such examples are Christianity Today, Christian Post and Christian Today.  But by far the worst offenders when it comes to spreading a false gospel are cable stations such as Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) and God TV.

During the Republican National Convention, Donald J. Trump allowed a door to be opened for false teachers to impart Word of Faith (WoF) theology to the massive audience in attendance and those watching on TV.  WoF, a.k.a. prosperity gospel, name-it-and-claim-it, health and wealth is a theological cult.  Moreover, it is,

The world’s fastest-growing false religion tells us that our faith is a “force” and the words we speak have the power to create something new. The Word of Faith proponents promise we can obtain health, wealth, success, and more if we simply have enough faith. Biblical Christianity says no. (Source)

So what are God’s people to do about this? In 1 Timothy 6:3-5 Paul tells Timothy what he thinks of false teachers:

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

Those who teach a false doctrine create huge problems in the Church?  Yes!  And 2,000 years after Paul wrote to Timothy, modern-day wolves “puffed up with conceit” are still around, creating constant friction.

Two people who propagate “teachings of demons” are Paula White, senior pastor of New Destiny Christian Center in Florida and Pastor Mark Burns of Harvest Praise and Worship Center. Both of these individuals were invited to take part in the 2016 Republican National Convention. It’s no secret that The Donald has an affinity for affluent prosperity preachers such as White; Joel Osteen calls the mogul a “friend of his ministry.”  Both White and Burns serve on Trump’s “Christian” Advisory Committee that was established to help him win the evangelical vote.

In verse 12 Paul tells Timothy to “fight the good fight of faith.” Before that, in 1 Tim. 1:19, he told his friend to hold on “to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and thereby shipwrecked their faith.”

Could it be any clearer that Bible believing Christians, who are faithful to the teachings of Scripture, are to “out” wolves?

Pastrix Paula

With Donald Trump now in full presidential campaign mode, there is no doubt we’ll be hearing more from the woman who is known as Trump’s “God whisperer.” Thankfully, discernment bloggers have kept us apprised of Paula White’s shenanigans (see links below) and why she is considered a serious threat to the Church. So there are many of us who are not in the dark. One discernment blogger, the late Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries, warned the flock about Ms White back in 2012:

Today she shows us that she’s learned well his WF positive confession. Pastrix Paula White has told us that Jakes is as Paul and she as Timothy; she’s also revealed that she’s Elephant Room 2’s T.D. Jakes’ Spiritual Daughter. Not long ago White would tweet in succession:

    tweet #1 … tweet #2

    In another blog post, Ken included a video of Pastrix Paula “preaching the classic Word Faith sow a seed of money so God will be obligated to bless you.”  Furthermore, says Ken, “she’s doing it for her spiritual father T.D. Jakes at his Potter’s House in December of 2010.”  He included a video that can be viewed here. (Scroll down toward the bottom of the page. Directly below White’s video is another video that shows modalist T.D. Jakes selling WoF snake oil to the crowd, if you can stomach watching it.)Paula White denies that she teaches the prosperity gospel but the videos and her tweets say otherwise.  I have combed the web and was unable to come up with anything that indicates White no longer teaches WoF heresy. Moreover, there isn’t any indication that she has confessed her sin, repented, and turned from it.

    As if all this isn’t bad enough, Paula White also claims the title of pastor and in so doing she is disobeying the command of God:

    A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. (1 Tim 2:11-14)

    So you see that Paul plainly taught that women are not to be in a position of authority over men within the Church.

    Since space does not allow for the details of Paula White’s heretical teaching, research links will have to suffice.  Several links are included below.  Now to Mark Burns…

    Mark Burns — pastor, Harvest Praise and Worship Center

    The man who has been dubbed “Donald Trump’s pastor” made headlines by delivering “the most partisan prayer in convention history.”  What did Rev. Burns say that was so controversial?  He referred to Democrats as the enemy and called on the Almighty to defeat Hillary Clinton. (Watch Burn’s prayer on YouTube)

    Before I move on, I should point out that “imprecatory prayer,” which means “to invoke evil upon or curse one’s enemies” is nothing new.  See Psalm 35:6,  55:15, 58:6, 69:28, and  109:8.

    In a piece for TIME entitled “Meet the Evangelical Outsiders Who Are Flocking to the Republican’s Campaign” Elizabeth Dias observed:

    At a March Trump rally in Illinois, Burns leapt up to the stage, pumping up the crowd in chants of Trump’s name. “Lord, this will be the greatest Tuesday that ever existed, come Super Tuesday Three,” he prophesied in prayer, naming and claiming a Trump victory. He opened his eyes. “There is no black person, there is no white person, there is no yellow person, there is no red person, there’s only green people!” he shouted. “Green is money! Green are jobs!!”

    Until Trump plucked Burns out of the tiny town of Easley, S.C., few Christians knew the black pastor’s name. But it is God, Burns says, who has economically transformed his life—before he found Jesus, he relied on food stamps, lived in section 8 housing, went to jail, and faced a charge of simple assault as part of his self-described “baby mama drama” past. Then last year, Burns decided to transition his ministry to a for-profit televangelism business, so he and his followers could achieve economic success.

    “Jesus said, above all things, I pray that you prosper, I pray that you have life more abundantly,” Burns, 36, explained to TIME in an interview, quoting a verse not from the Gospels but another New Testament passage. “It was never Jesus’ intention for us to be broke.” All of this is wisdom is now contained in a candidate for President. “I think that is what Donald Trump represents,” Burns says.

    Trump is making inroads in the evangelical world by cloaking himself with pastors like Burns, who represent a narrow and often controversial segment of the faith. The preachers who often stand with him are born-again Christians, but most are evangelical outsiders—many are Pentecostal televangelists who often preach a version of what’s often called the “prosperity gospel,” a controversial theological belief that God wants people to be wealthy and healthy.

    Dias states in her closing remarks:

    Burns meanwhile is praying Trump’s way to victory. He started an #IPrayedForTrump hashtag and leads phone conference calls for followers to pray over Trump when he speaks. He says 10,000 people have joined for a five-minute prayer. Ultimately, Burns hopes Trump will help his hometown. “I fantasize about bringing a company like Microsoft to Easley, to bring car manufactures to Greenville, to create more and more jobs,” he says. “You need people like the Trump family to learn.”

    More from 1 Timothy 6:

    As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

    O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.

    Grace be with you. (vs 17-21)

    Paul appeals to Timothy to guard the deposit which God had entrusted to him “by avoiding the empty speculations of the false teachers, who claimed to have knowledge, but didn’t know what they were talking about.  This brings him full circle back to the warnings of chapter one.  Paul meant the deposit of the gospel as well as the spiritual gifts Timothy had been given.”  (Source)

    Setting hopes on the uncertainty of riches:

    Psalm 62:10 Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

    Proverbs 11:28 Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.

    Proverbs 23:5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.

    Paula White Research:

    WF Pastrix Paula White: As Paul is to Timothy T.D. Jakes is to me – Ken Silva

    Pastrix Paula White: Your words create your destiny – Ken Silva

    False Teacher Paula White – Todd Friel

    Debunking Paula White’s teaching regarding generational curses – Chris Rosebrough

    James Dobson Reveals Who He Believes Led Donald Trump to Christ

    Should Christians hold prayer vigils with apostates? By Marsha West

    © Marsha West

The Man Who Tried to Kill Reagan Is Going Free. Americans Should Be Outraged.

Craig Shirley of The Daily Signal believes releasing John Hinkley is a “purely political decision by Judge Paul L. Friedman, who clearly wishes to corrupt Reagan’s legacy.”

The decision to release John Hinckley Jr. from St. Elizabeth’s psychiatric hospital after his attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan is outrageous, disgraceful, and a travesty of justice.

No matter how much supervision he has, Hinckley cannot be trusted to move and function in society.

Even though his victims, Reagan and White House press secretary James Brady, have died, Hinckley remains a threat. According to the Secret Service, he is still obsessed with Jodie Foster. Hinckley’s actions remain a terrible stain on American history and a reminder of the lifetime of damage that can be caused by one man in a matter of seconds.

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Giuliani: Uniformed Police Officers Not Allowed on Democratic Convention Floor

Breitbart reports:

Law enforecmentThursday on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” in an appearance from the site of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani called the convention “the most anti-police” and “the most anti-law enforcement” he had ever seen.

However, he also said that according to “high-ranking police officers” in Philadelphia, uniformed law enforcement was not allowed on the floor of the convention.

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“Homegrown Demagogues”: Obama Accuses Trump of Threatening American Values

According to CNSNews:

In a term evidently aimed at Donald Trump, President Obama said Wednesday night that “homegrown demagogues” – along with fascists, communists and jihadists – threaten American values but would ultimately fail.

In a speech at the Democratic National Convention in support of Hillary Clinton’s presidential aspirations, Obama said that America has changed, but what makes Americans American was not where they came from or looked like but – pointing to his chest – “what’s in here.”

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Life and death

16 οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλʼ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον (John 3:16 NA28)

16 “Thusly, for God loved the world, so that He gave his only Son, that all those trusting in him might not be destroyed but might have life eternal. (John 3:16 translated from the NA28 Greek text)

26 ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος νεκρόν ἐστιν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν (James 2:26 NA28)

26 As indeed for the body without spirit is dead, thusly also the trust without works is dead.  (James 2:26 translated from the NA28 Greek text)

There is no more dramatic contrast between two words than those describing what are alive and those describing what are dead. For instance, in James 2:14-26 James describes the difference between living faith (trust), which is saving faith (trust), and dead faith (trust), which does not save. In v26 the first occurrence of “dead” translates the Greek adjective νεκρόν (nekron), the Nominative, Singular, Neuter case of νεκρός (nekros), which speaks of a dead body or corpse. The second occurrence of “dead” translates the Greek adjective νεκρά (nekra), the Nominative, Singular, Feminine case of νεκρός. What James is describing is a false faith that is as dead as a dead body. The ultimate contrast is to take that which is the state of death compared to the state of eternal life, which our Lord described in John 3:16. View article →

Democratic National Convention to Feature First-Ever “Transgender” Speaker

Christian News Network reports:

The Democratic National Convention is set to feature its first-ever “transgender” speaker this Thursday as a man who identifies as a woman is scheduled to take the stage in support of Hillary Clinton.

Tim McBride, who goes by the name Sarah, serves as the national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign and is also a volunteer on the steering committee of Trans United for Hillary.

McBride explained in 2012 that he felt he was transgender as a child, but buried his struggle with his identity in his love for politics.

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Bill Clinton’s big omission from his speech at the Democratic National Convention

According to Benedict Brock of news.com.au:

Clintons 3It was a glowing tribute to his beloved wife, the woman who aims to make history by becoming President of the United States of America.

At the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Bill Clinton was fulsome in his praise of Hillary, who has now officially received the party’s nomination for the top job.

But there was something big – something huge – missing from his speech.

The former Mr President described the potential Mrs President as the “best darn change-maker” he’d ever met and recounted how he tried three times to get her to marry him, in a speech designed to use his popularity to ingratiate his wife to Middle America.

He took the crowd on a journey through the years of their relationship. It was 1971, he said, when he met the girl with big blonde hair and glasses.

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District Attorney Dismisses All Charges Against Man Behind Planned Parenthood Expose’

Christian News Network reports:

The Harris County District Attorney’s office in Texas has dismissed all of the charges against David Daleiden, the pro-life investigator who recorded undercover videos of the abortion giant Planned Parenthood.

As previously reported, Daleiden, the director of the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) was indicted in January on a felony charge of “tampering with a governmental record” for creating a fake driver’s license in conducting his undercover investigation, as well as a misdemeanor count related to the purchasing of aborted babies.

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