Fox News has the story:
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg faced a growing and bipartisan backlash Wednesday — including a call from Donald Trump to resign — as she doubled down on her criticism of the presumptive GOP nominee, calling him a “faker” who is unqualified to be president.
Even political figures and newspaper editorial writers who might agree with the comments swiftly said they were out of line for a high court justice.
Yahoo News reports:
Republican Donald Trump campaigned alongside Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Tuesday evening, the latest in a series of public auditions as the billionaire businessman mulls his vice presidential pick.
Walking onto the stage to cheers, Pence confidently introduced the presumptive GOP nominee and vigorously advocated for Trump as the best person to lead the country. The speech made clear that despite his mild-mannered reputation, the governor and former Congressman could serve the role of attack dog if Trump taps him as his running mate.
“Donald Trump hears the voice of the American people,” Pence said, saying that the billionaire “understands” the country in a way no one has since Republican icon Ronald Reagan. His voice raised, Pence drew thunderous applause when he warned of dire consequences if Democrat Hillary Clinton is elected.
1 Παῦλος δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, κλητὸς ἀπόστολος ἀφωρισμένος εἰς εὐαγγέλιον θεοῦ, 2 ὃ προεπηγγείλατο διὰ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν γραφαῖς ἁγίαις 3 περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ τοῦ γενομένου ἐκ σπέρματος Δαυὶδ κατὰ σάρκα, 4 τοῦ ὁρισθέντος υἱοῦ θεοῦ ἐν δυνάμει κατὰ πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης ἐξ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν, 5 διʼ οὗ ἐλάβομεν χάριν καὶ ἀποστολὴν εἰς ὑπακοὴν πίστεως ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ, 6 ἐν οἷς ἐστε καὶ ὑμεῖς κλητοὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, 7 πᾶσιν τοῖς οὖσιν ἐν Ῥώμῃ ἀγαπητοῖς θεοῦ, κλητοῖς ἁγίοις, χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. (Romans 1:1-7 NA28)
1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, a called Apostle having been set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised before through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 concerning his Son – having come from the seed of David according the flesh, 4 – having been designated Son of God in power according to the Spirit of Holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we received grace and Apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations on behalf of his name, 6 among whom you are also the called ones of Jesus Christ, 7 to all the ones in Rome, loved ones of God, called ones, saints, grace to you and peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:1-7 translated from the NA28 Greek text)
In the passage above the word “faith” in v5 translates the noun πίστεως (pisteōs), which is the Genitive, Singular of πίστις (pistis), “faith, faithfulness.” The verb form of πίστις, πιστεύω (pisteuō) means, “to have faith in, trust; particularly, to be firmly persuaded to something.” Some teach in our time that this “faith” we are describing here simply means “mental assent” and so teach that all one must do to be saved is mentally assent to a few facts about Jesus.
According to CNSNews:
A new report produced by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) shows that people in the United States illegally can in some cases get more food stamps than U.S. citizens.
The report, released on Monday by the Washington, D.C.-based organization, reveals that the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) “provides benefits to families with an illegal alien (or other ineligible alien) wage earner in it, while denying benefits to an identical family comprised of only U.S. citizens.”
Fox News Reports:
Attorney General Loretta Lynch repeatedly dodged specific questions Tuesday about the FBI investigation that yielded no charges against Hillary Clinton over her email use, frustrating lawmakers who planned to question her on the outcome of the politically charged case.
The nation’s top law enforcement official was peppered with questions by the House Judiciary Committee, her first congressional appearance in the wake of the Clinton decision. But she repeatedly deferred to FBI Director James Comey’s comments on the case, declining to elaborate herself.
Christian News Network Reports:
The Republican Party has declared pornography a “public health crisis” in its 2016 platform, as an amendment over the issue was approved during deliberations on Monday.
“The internet must not become a safe haven for predators,” the amendment, proposed by North Carolina delegate Mary Frances Forrester, reads. “Pornography, with its harmful effects, especially on children, has become a public health crisis that is destroying the life of millions.”
“We encourage states to continue to fight this public menace and pledge our commitment to children’s safety and well-being,” it continues. “We applaud the social networking sites that bar sex offenders from participation. We urge energetic prosecution of child pornography which closely linked to human trafficking.”
19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, 20 “Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life.” (Acts 5:19-20 NASB)
We are in a period of the Church in which we must keep our eyes fixed on Christ alone for if we look to men we are in danger of being deceived. We must become focused where God wants us to be focused, doing as He desires us to be doing.
Berean Research reports:
Photo courtesy Apprising Ministries
Several years ago when Rick Warren promoted the pagan mantra technique of Centering Prayer on his Pastor’s Toolbox site, the post was yanked down when concerned Christians became alarmed and spoke up. Perhaps he was dipping a toe in the contemplative water to see if others would join him in the shallow end of the mystical pool. Since that time though, the Saddleback pastor has been getting bolder in his contemplative prayer posts. (Last year for instance, he spoke at the Hillsong 2015 Conference and taught contemplative prayer techniques.)
This post from last week tells us that in spite of the warnings from those concerned about New Age seeping into the church, Warren has no problem with breath prayers, centering prayers or any other mystical practices:
According to NewsMax:
There is no racial bias in shootings involving police officers, contrasting what is a widespread public perception, according to a new study by an award-winning Harvard economist.
The study, however, does confirm that in almost all other interactions with police, blacks are treated more harshly. The detailed report tried to take into account for how, where and when the suspects encounter the police,The New York Times explains.
According to Greenville Online:
About 2,000 members made the warm walk across the NewSpring Church parking lot in Anderson for each worship service Sunday morning.
Few were fully braced for the news that awaited: Perry Noble, the only senior pastor the church has known, has been removed from his duties.
Williamston Town Councilman Rockey Burgess said the news “did come as a shock” in the 9:15 a.m. service, even though recent rumors had prepared him to a degree.
“Everybody was kind of shocked,” Burgess said. “But the church isn’t made up of the preacher, and the church doesn’t worship the preacher. The church is the people who go there, and we all love one another.”
1 Εἴ τις οὖν παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ, εἴ τι παραμύθιον ἀγάπης, εἴ τις κοινωνία πνεύματος, εἴ τις σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί, 2 πληρώσατέ μου τὴν χαρὰν ἵνα τὸ αὐτὸ φρονῆτε, τὴν αὐτὴν ἀγάπην ἔχοντες, σύμψυχοι, τὸ ἓν φρονοῦντες, 3 μηδὲν κατʼ ἐριθείαν μηδὲ κατὰ κενοδοξίαν ἀλλὰ τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ ἀλλήλους ἡγούμενοι ὑπερέχοντας ἑαυτῶν, 4 μὴ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἕκαστος σκοποῦντες ἀλλὰ [καὶ] τὰ ἑτέρων ἕκαστοι. 5 Τοῦτο φρονεῖτε ἐν ὑμῖν ὃ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, 6 ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ, 7 ἀλλʼ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσεν μορφὴν δούλου λαβών, ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος· καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος 8 ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ. 9 διὸ καὶ ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσεν καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα, 10 ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων 11 καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσηται ὅτι κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ πατρός. (Philippians 2:1-11 NA28)
1 Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassions, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, as ones joined in soul, in one mind, 3 doing nothing according to rivalry neither according to empty conceit but in humility, esteeming one another above self. 4 Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but those of one another. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who though in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but he poured himself out, taking the form of a slave being born in the likeness of men, and having been found in appearance as a man, 8 he humbled himself, having become obedient unto death, and that death by a cross. 9 Wherefore also God exalted him and gave to him the name above every name 10 that in the name of Jesus, every knee should bend of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:1-11 translated from the NA28 Greek text)
Here we have Paul’s exhortation for believers to live out their lives in Christ in the Spirit by living in unity. Who is our example? It is Christ! Christ’s humbling himself to become our Saviour is our example to serve one another. We are to consider other people’s interests first. Jesus did not come and set up a huge church or ministry to rival the Temple et cetera. He did not instruct his disciples to do that either. No, that sort of religiosity is not what we should be about. I hope you noticed that throughout this exhortation by Paul, that he focused on our worship and service of our Lord and that was lived through the sacrificial love for each other.
Elizabeth Prata of The End Time responds to Thursday’s massacre during a “Black Lives Matter” protest in Dallas where twelve people were shot by a lone sniper. Five police officers died and seven others were wounded.
We awaken to this today:
How can this happen, people wonder. It happens because of sin. Man is born a sinner, and it is only God’s common grace that retrains a man from murdering every day. However, God’s restraining grace is lifted as He abandons a nation. I wrote about that yesterday.
According to CBS News:
With the Republican National Convention less than two weeks away, moderate Republicans are drafting an amendment that would soften the GOP’s official position on gays and lesbians, CBS News has learned.
The party’s official stance on LGBT issues will be debated during next week’s meeting of the RNC’s platform committee, a 112-member group of Republican activists from around the country.
Outside Republican groups have been publicly pushing the party to modify its stance on same-sex marriage for over a year, but multiple sources told CBS News that the effort has officially taken hold among a group of platform committee members who are furiously polishing their amendment ahead of the party gathering in Cleveland.
Fox News reports:
Police in Minnesota said Sunday they arrested as many as 100 people after a protest over police shootings turned violent, with at least five officers injured.
Police used smoke bombs to clear demonstrators blocking Interstate 94, the Minneapolis Star-Tribunereported. Police said officers were hurt after some protesters hurled rocks, firecrackers and at least one Molotov cocktail at them.
According to Fox 9, protesters also threw bricks, glass bottles and construction rebar at the officers.
12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. (Colossians 3:12-13 NASB)
To complement our study of “foreknowledge” in yesterday’s post, let us look at two other aspects of Doctrine of Election. When people confront me about my “Calvinism” I do not become tense or defensive. Instead, I usually make sure that whoever I am conversing with understands that the basis for my understanding of God and His doctrines is that He is Sovereign. Who in their right mind would worship a God that is not Sovereign and for any reason is dependent upon mankind (one of his creatures) for any reason whatsoever? Also, Reformed Theology (I prefer that term over Calvinism) is rooted in God’s Sovereign Grace. Because of this, and since I am fully submitted to God because of who He is knowing that He is God and without my Lord I can do nothing, I am fully at ease, and resting in His Sovereign Grace. What is the response I usually get? Tense argumentation! I don’t get it. Foreknowledge, as we saw yesterday, is a wonderful word that should cause none of us to squirm or get upset or whatever, but should drive us to our knees in thanksgiving for God foreordaining each of us in Christ before the foundation of the world. Likewise, as we are about to see, election and predestination are both wonderful words that describe God’s exercise of His Sovereign Grace on our behalf.
According to Christian News Network:
Thousands flocked to the grand opening of Answers in Genesis’ Ark Encounter on Thursday, a project of biblical proportions that has been two years in the making.
As previously reported, the Ark Encounter is a theme park in Williamstown that features a full-scale replica of the ark that God instructed Noah to build to escape the coming flood, as outlined in the book of Genesis.
“As the largest timber-frame structure in the US, the 510-foot-long full-size Ark is designed to be family-oriented, historically authentic, and environmentally friendly,” the website for the theme park outlines.
In this piece over at News With Views, Lee Duigon brings to light what is happening at the Bank Street School for Children, in Manhattan, which he calls “purposely-applied wickedness.” He writes:
Of all the crimes of the Obama regime, the worst of many is its purposeful campaign to stir up racial animosity.
The ideology, of course, is that white Americans are to blame for everything that’s wrong in the world and that they must be punished for it. This is at the core of Obamaism. It’s a big part of what makes most Democrats tick. Besides which, “divide and rule” is a time-tested approach to power politics.
It comes down from the top; but let’s first take a look at some of the people that it lands on.
NewsMax reports:
A week of violence that left five Dallas police officers dead during the protests over the killings of two black men by law enforcement officials is bringing fears that the anger simmering just below the surface in the United States is beginning to boil over, and leaving people in public and private life searching for answers to restoring the peace.
Even while Dallas was mourning the officers’ deaths, which came at the end of an otherwise peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstration, shots rang out in other places on Friday night, including in Valdosta, Georgia, where police say a man called 911 and then ambushed a police officer responding to the scene.
28 Οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν τὸν θεὸν πάντα συνεργεῖ εἰς ἀγαθόν, τοῖς κατὰ πρόθεσιν κλητοῖς οὖσιν. 29 ὅτι οὓς προέγνω, καὶ προώρισεν συμμόρφους τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν πρωτότοκον ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς· 30 οὓς δὲ προώρισεν, τούτους καὶ ἐκάλεσεν· καὶ οὓς ἐκάλεσεν, τούτους καὶ ἐδικαίωσεν· οὓς δὲ ἐδικαίωσεν, τούτους καὶ ἐδόξασεν. (Romans 8:28-30 NA28)
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30 NASB)
Unfortunately, “foreknowledge” is a very controversial or contentious term. However, I contend that the debate over it is made overly “intense” by those who really do not understand what it actually means. I have heard more times than I can count from well-meaning brothers and sisters in Christ something that goes like this, “Doesn’t ‘foreknowledge’ in the Bible in those verses such as Romans 8:29 simply mean that God looked down through time and had prior knowledge of who would be saved and elected them?” Well my brethren, that simply is not what it means. The root Greek word used in the New Testament that is translated as “foreknew” is προγινώσκω (proginōskō), which also carries the idea of “foreordination.”
Berean Research reveals that the latest fad known as “circle making” is a decidedly anti-biblical practice that true believers should not participate in. These days many high-profile Bible study teachers, writers, and speakers lack spiritual discernment; thus, they have no clue that they’re promoting a practice that actually stems from witchcraft! Sadly, those who listen to them, who trust them, don’t realize that they’re being led astray.
I received a question today from a woman taking Priscilla Shirer’s Gideon Bible Study. One thing Gideon did NOT do was pray by drawing a circle around himself and demanding that the Lord do something in the circle. No, that example came from a scenario Shirer shared outside of Scripture (“extra-Biblical”) as an example, which she herself demonstrated by standing in a circle. She then instructs women to do the same, using masking tape or even a circle of their children’s toys:
In the last installment of his series, blogger, author and pastor Tim Challies examines a movement known as continuationism or “charismania” as Bible teacher John MacArthur has dubbed it. Whatever you call this movement, one thing is for sure. It is “a fast-growing movement with disastrous implications.”
The charismatic movement is known for its acceptance of miraculous sign gifts a.k.a. “signs and wonders.” Charismatics believe that the sign gifts are still in operation today. Moreover, the spiritual gifts described in 1 Corinthians 12–14 are said to be theevidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. According to Challies, “The miraculous gifts I see and hear in the charismatic movement have only the barest resemblance to the New Testament gifts.”
Now listen to Tim explain why he believes the Holy Spirit does not dispense the miraculous gifts today….
“In my view,” says popular syndicated columnist and Fox News contributor Charles Krauthammer, “Comey didn’t want to be remembered as the man who irreversibly altered the course of American political history.”
In a piece over at NewsMax, Krauthammer explains how he came to this view:
Why did he do it? FBI director James Comey spent 14 minutes laying out an unassailable case for prosecuting Hillary Clinton for the mishandling of classified material. Then at literally the last minute, he recommended against prosecution. This is baffling. Under the statute (18 U.S.C. section 793(f)), it’s a felony to mishandle classified information either intentionally or “through gross negligence.” The evidence, as outlined by Comey, is overwhelming.
Fox News has the story:
The sniper who killed five Dallas police officers Thursday night as they guarded protesters at an anti-police brutality march was angry about recent shootings by police and “wanted to kill white people,” according to authorities.
The Associated Press identified the gunman as Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, who was blown up by a police robot while holed up in a parking garage early Friday morning after negotiations with police broke down.
11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:11-14 NASB)
I have heard many Christians explain their lack of spiritual maturity as not important because, after all, they are not under law but under grace. Some take this concept even further and say things like, “God is not angry!” This is said in reference to the call for Christians to walk in repentance and put to death the sins that cling so close, et cetera. However, if these same people would bother to put into context Paul’s statement about Christians not being under law, but under grace, they would quickly see that it is part of a call for all of us to consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. This is a command to walk in repentance. This is a command to walk before the face of God in total submission to Christ’s Lordship. There are no exceptions. There are no sins overlooked. What God calls sin is sin. It matters not at all that to proclaim that homosexuality is a sin, for instance, may be offensive to some.
According to Fox News:
The State Department is re-opening an internal investigation into whether Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her top aides mishandled classified information, Fox News confirmed late Thursday.
The investigation, which was first reported by the Associated Press, focuses on how classified emails to and from Clinton’s private server were categorized at the time they were sent.
