Surely criminals will get a hold of this card. Fox 25 has the report:
A new tool coming to the Oklahoma Department Of Public Safety will let troopers scan credit cards, debit cards, or gift cards and freeze them.
DPS says the new car readers will help in credit card fraud cases or identity theft, but also help with civil assets forfeiture.
According to The Daily Signal:
With the departments of Justice and Education’s new announcement on transgender access to showers, locker rooms, bathrooms, and other sex-specific facilities in schools, there is reason for concern.
The Obama administration has unlawfully rewritten law, meddling in state and local matters, and imposing bad policy on the entire nation.
Americans agree that while we should be sensitive to transgender individuals, others also have rights of privacy, safety, and their own beliefs that deserve respect and should not simply be pushed aside, especially when transgender persons can be accommodated in other ways
Christian News Network reports:
Religious publishers in the United States are busy these days, releasing such new books as a biography of pop music phenom Justin Bieber — entitled “Belieber!: Fame, Faith and The Heart of Justin Bieber.” Other tomes mix spirituality with memoir and self-help topics. New editions of the Bible have also been released recently, as well as e-books and audio book downloads by popular religious authors.
“Both in dollars and units sold, the industry is back in line with its historical growth of the last decade,” since the recession, said Byron Williamson, head of Worthy Publishing in Nashville, a center for religious publishing in the United States that some say is second only to New York City for book publishing.
Jeff Maples of Pulpit & Pen continues his report on Together 2016. He writes:
Pulpit & Pen recently confirmed and reported that the Pope of Rome will be joining Southern Baptist President, along with Hillsong United, Lecrae, and many other professing evangelical Christians in Washington D.C. for an ecumenical fornication-fest. The event, dubbed Together 2016, is estimated to host over 1 million attendees.
Recently, a tweet appeared from Together2016’s official Twitter account that stated the following:
See our research paper on Roman Catholicism
From this piece we learn that there are two-tiers of Christian hierarchy. According to Elizabeth Prata of The End Time, “At the top are the super-spiritual, super-intimate believers who are blessed with God’s favor in receiving this special revelation directly. The bottom tier are the unlucky/unfaithful/less-than believers who don’t ever receive such personal ministrations from Jesus.”
Find out if you’re blessed with God’s favor, like Beth Moore is, or if you’re super-unlucky.
Christian News Network reports:
The House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives has called for an investigation into the abortion giant Planned Parenthood and one of its baby body parts buyers as new evidence has surfaced that allegedly suggests the entities violated patient privacy laws.
Chairwoman Marsha Blackburn recently sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to request the investigation, as she included concerning evidence from email correspondence between Planned Parenthood representatives and buyers such as Stem Express.
24 Τότε ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· εἴ τις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἐλθεῖν, ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι. 25 ὃς γὰρ ἐὰν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι ἀπολέσει αὐτήν· ὃς δʼ ἂν ἀπολέσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εὑρήσει αὐτήν. (Matthew 16:24-25 NA28)
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If someone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me, 25 for whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25 translated from the NA28 Greek text)
The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is a message given to be passed on as “Good News” of the completed work of Christ on behalf of those he came to save. The message is about his incarnation, his perfect life, his death on the cross, his three days and nights in the tomb, and his resurrection. All of these things were attested to by witnesses. The resurrection is the proof that our Lord is God and that the work of the Atonement is complete. Those who hear the Gospel, believe it, receive it by grace through faith and repent as they turn to Christ as Lord and Saviour. As is made clear in Ephesians 2:1-10, there is no one is able to do this on their own, God must intervene making then alive in Christ who were once dead in their sins so they could believe and be saved.
Paige Cunningham, executive director of The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity, warns that “Although the prospect is remote, scientists could potentially design people on computers who would be born without biological parents.” World Magazine has the story:
On June 2, the journal Science published a paper written by 25 researchers announcing their intention to begin a 10-year project aimed at synthetically creating an entire human genome—the complete set of genes present in a cell.
Although the researchers are clear the goal of the Human Genome Project-Write (HGP-Write) is to synthesize a human genome in a lab dish—not to create a baby—many bioethicists and other experts are raising skeptical eyebrows.
Molly Roberts of the liberal Washington Post has the story:
A female presidential candidate has clinched a major-party nomination for the first time in U.S. history. No one seems to care — at least not many people in my millennial generation. Not even women, although they should.
Maybe my cohort is caught up in the moment of Donald Trump: Millennial liberals may think it’s more vital to ward off an age of authoritarianism than to usher in a new era for feminism. Certainly, we’ve been distracted by Bernie Sanders: For idealistic young voters, a rabble-rousing revolutionary feels more alluring than a political pragmatist, even one with two X chromosomes.
Christian News Network reports:
The toothpaste manufacturer Colgate-Palmolive has joined the push to promote “gay pride” in the month of June by releasing an advertisement featuring two homosexual men.
The commercial, which generated over 21,000 likes on social media, features two men who are moving into an apartment together. As they stand next to the moving truck looking at the outside of their apartment, one of the men lays his head on the other man’s chest, who strokes his hair.
The men then proceed to carry a sofa up the stairs, at which point they are met by a middle-aged man and a young boy. The two parties stare at each other for a brief moment, not knowing what to think, but the middle-aged man and boy accept the men and gesture to each other to help them carry the sofa.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10 NASB)
As many of you know, I grew up as a Southern Baptist. After God saved me in 1986 I was a Southern Baptist until 2006 when our former church was overtaken by the Purpose Driven paradigm. I was bitter about that for a while. I and many of you found common ground having had our churches ripped away from us and in many cases finding it nearly impossible to find a good Biblical local church remaining in our area after the Seeker-Sensitive tsunamis had moved through devastating what were once good churches, leaving behind man-centered, store fronts for Rick Warren’s brand of man-focused religiosity. However, God is good and through this devastation and some personal fiery trials, which actually began in 2004, He has worked in me to grow me up into a more mature Christian, stronger in the Word of God than ever, more knowledgeable in Biblical Greek, and deeper in the more cerebral areas of our faith that are sorely needed in our day such as apologetics. When I was a Deacon teaching Sunday school at our local SBC church, I was extremely mediocre in most of that and hardly knowledgeable at all in the area of apologetics. Why? I was serving and operating from within a mindset that was extremely immature spiritually compared to today. My understanding of the Gospel and theology was probably deeper than most of my peers at that time, but compared to now, it was probably surface level at best.
Pope Francis is hoping to unite Christians in the “Next Great Awakening” at Together 2016. Jeff Maples and Brandon Hines of Pulpit & Pen have the story:
Where is the discernment?
It has been thoroughly covered that the Together 2016 is hosting many questionable people liked by evangelicals, including Hillsong UNITED, Christine Caine, Kari Jobe, Kirk Franklin, the rapper “who happens to be Christian,” Lecrae, SBC President, Ronnie Floyd, Josh McDowell, Tedashii, Trip Lee, Ann Voskamp, and Matthew West. Since then, we have also learned that Matt Maher won’t be the only Roman Catholic these people are partnering with. Pope Francis has added himself to the lineup stating that he will speak to the people via video. Founder of PULSE, Nick Hall, who helped organize the event, said,
We are humbled and honored by his involvement and eager to share his message with the crowd that gathers at Together 2016…That His Holiness would choose to speak into this historic day is a testament to the urgency and the need for followers of Jesus to unite in prayer for our nation and our world.
See our research paper on Roman Catholicism
This makes perfect sense, as robots are much more reliable than humans — plus robots don’t ask for raises nor do they call in sick. So what will humans be doing when robots take over? Economic Times has the story:
As we reach the middle of the 21st century, half the population of the world will lose their job to a machine. Yes, this is another ‘robots will take our jobs ‘ story.
The latest comes from Moshe Vardi, professor at Rice University , Houston, who delivered a talk to the American Association for the Advancement of Science , exploring the question: “If machines are capable of doing almost any work humans can do, what will humans do?”
According to Bud Ahlheim of Pulpit & Pen:
The Baptist Press just released the Annual Church Profile report for 2015. The article opens with the decidedly Scripture-oblivious words, “Southern Baptists may find cause for hope in the latest Annual Profile Report. The Southern Baptist Convention added more churches in 2015, due mostly to church planting efforts.”
Really?
Over at Borrowed Light, blogger Mike Leake tackles what’s going on with what he calls the “accepting myself” movement that’s becoming so prevalent among professing Christians. Leake laments:
I’m seeing more and more young people follow the path of Knapp and Pearson. It’s becoming quite the broad road. And this broad road isn’t labeled homosexuality. This broad road is labeled “accepting myself”. That is the foundational doctrine of this American heresy. And it is swallowing up more and more of those my age and younger. It’s a doctrine which runs away from the Refiner’s fire.
According to Breitbart:
The NBA launched a marketing campaign for 30 shirts bearing rainbow-colored team logos to benefit a controversial homosexual-advocacy group. “In celebration of LGBT Pride Month, we’re excited to announce a new collaboration between the NBA, GLSEN, and Teespring,” the three groups proclaimed. “Beginning on June 7, fans can purchase an exclusive line of Teespring NBA Pride T-shirts featuring the logos of all 30 NBA teams, with all proceeds benefiting GLSEN.”
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. (Ephesians 2:1-3 NASB)
The fallen nature of man does not understand death. Depending on culture, some fight to stay alive with their all. The correct understanding of death comes to us from God’s Word. The word death is used in three different ways in Sacred Scripture. The first is spiritual death, which is separation from God (Ephesians 2:1,1). Then, of course, there is physical death (Hebrews 9:27). Then there is eternal death, which is referred to as “the second death” in Revelation 20:11-15). While many would consider the topic of death to be a subject to be avoided, it is vital for us to have a clear understanding of all three manifestations in biblical terminology so that we will have a better foundation for sharing the Good News.
According to CNSNews:
The U.S. Defense Department will host its fifth LGBT Pride Month ceremony on Wednesday in the Pentagon courtyard, a spokesman announced on Monday, but don’t expect an announcement on transgenders in the military.
“There continues to be progress on that front, even in the last few days,” Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told reporters on Monday.
“There have been a range of — I’m not going to get into private deliberations…but there have been — the secretary challenged people within the department to work out issues resolving — to try and resolve this issue.
According to Breitbart:
On Saturday, May 28, security officials shot a gorilla named Harambe to protect a three-year-old boy who had fallen into the animal’s pen at the Cincinnati Zoo.
In the five days that followed the animal’s death, the three major networks devoted a total of 1 hour, 28 minutes and 17 seconds to the story during their morning and evening news shows. An unfortunate incident, to be sure, but as one commentator noted, “a tempest in a teapot.”
Berean Research has the story of the latest self-professed Christian to shun Scripture’s clear teaching on the sin of homosexuality and announce that he’s a “gay Christian”:
Ready for your Christian paradigm to shift once again? Put your Bible away and expand your tolerance:
- A Christian contemporary rock star “came out” last week and announced he’s a homosexual.
- The gay rock star has a wife (who supports his lifestyle), and two young children.
- The gay rock star’s Christian band will headline a homosexual pride festival in Ohio next weekend.
Got it? Now open your Bible. God’s paradigm never shifts, even when the culture – and the visible church – does.
14 I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. (1 Corinthians 4:14-16 NASB)
The visible church is flesh driven and, therefore, full of darkness. Evangelicalism is corrupt because of the very same thing. I visit both large and small churches. It seems that in many cases, the larger the church, the more geared the leadership is there to appealing to the flesh to attract and keep the crowds large and entertained. When I enter the physical buildings of these large churches I look around and take a visible inventory of the clues given of how focused the leadership there is to being “in tune” with culture in how church is done, how the music is done, how convicting the message from the Word of God is in all of this and how central that is to the life of that local body of believers. Forget those that have their own television networks or shows or whatever. They have sold out a long time ago to contextualization of the truth in order to keep the money coming in.
Breitbart reports:
Parishioners visiting a church in Italy were told they must “pray in silence” so as not to disturb African migrants being housed there.
Some of the faithful hoping to practice their Christianity at the church of St. Anthony in Ventimiglia were surprised when they were told by Caritas volunteers they couldn’t recite the rosary and would instead have to pray in silence out of respect to migrants who are living there.
Christian News Network reports:
Following a seven month battle, the Norwegian government has agreed to return the four remaining children who were seized from their parents last November after a school principal expressed concern over the children’s “religious upbringing.”
“Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! The Bodnariu family will be reunited!” reads a statement released by spokesman Pastor Cristian Ionescu. “The Naustdal Municipality of Norway has come to terms with Marius and Ruth Bodnariu for the return home of all of their five children.”
According to Breitbart:
The European Commission plans to attack citizens’ right to online privacy, insisting that state-issued ID cards should be used to log into platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and even Uber.
The Vice President for the Digital Single Market on the European Commission, former Communist Andrus Ansip, is behind the next European Union (EU) raid on personal freedoms, promoting the idea of using national ID cards to log in to online services.
6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “ God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6 NASB)
Despite what those say who insist that the only attribute of God that ever comes into play is His Love, the only ray of hope in man’s spiritual darkness is His sovereign grace. It alone can rescue man from his propensity to lust for evil things. The passage above (James 4:6) tells us that God gives “more grace.” What does this mean? It shows that His grace is greater than the power of sin, the flesh, the world, and Satan (cf. Romans 5:20). Who obtains God’s grace? Do the proud?
