Fox News Insider reports:
The war on Easter has begun! The principal of Heritage Elementary School in Madison, Alabama has banned the use of the word Easter in the school saying that it infringes on the rights of students.
Lydia Davenport explained the move, saying, “Kids love the bunny and we just try to make sure that we don’t say the ‘Easter Bunny’ so that we don’t infringe on the rights of others, because people relate the Easter bunny to religion.”
8 “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 “Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11 “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” Matt. 23:8–12, NASB)
This discernment ministry stuff is not for everyone. I often wonder if I am cut out for it at all. I do not like conflict. On the other hand, God gifted me with the makeup that loves the truth and seeks justice because it is His truth and I am compelled, quite often, to speak out when false prophets besmirch His truth and the Gospel is treated as optional by certain “evangelicals.” However, there is a fine line between exposing that which is false and slander. That fine line has to do with intent and evidence.
6 A voice says, “Call out.” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. 9 Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, Lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; Lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” Isa. 40:6–9, NASB
We are commanded in God’s Word to be unified in Christ, to love one another in the Lord. We are commanded to stand firm and rebuke false teachers as we warn the brethren as well, but our role is not to cause division. We are not to separate the wheat from the tares, the sheep from the goats. That is not our job at all. That will happen when our Lord returns in judgment. However, that does not mean that we are to be unified with heretics or to call apostates our brothers. No, there is a unity that we are to have as the Body of Christ that is built by the Holy Spirit that He establishes in God’s truth first then as a visible unity which is the eventual fruit of shared submission to the Word of God.
Fox News reports:
In 1970, Washington became the first — and remains the only — state in the country to legalize elective abortions by a popular vote.
A generation later, and 40 years removed from the landmark United States Supreme Court Roe v. Wade ruling that extended abortion access nationwide, Washington is once again poised to stand out.
With 21 states having adopted bans or severe restrictions on insurance companies from paying for abortions, Washington is alone in seriously considering legislation mandating the opposite.
David Wheaton’s guest on The Christian Worldview is Phil Johnson, executive director of Grace to You. They discuss the significance of the new pope and what it means for the world and for biblical Christians. Wheaton poses the following questions: Is there any special significance to a first Jesuit pope? And what does it portend that evangelical leaders such as Rick Warren proclaim, “Join me today in fasting and prayer for the 115 Cardinals seeking God’s Will in a new leader” and Luis Palau declare that the new pope is “really centered on Jesus and the Gospel, the pure Gospel”?
And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Luke 5:4
The builder and sustainer of the Church, the Body of Christ is the Lord Jesus, not any man (Matt. 16:18). The building of the true Church is accomplished as God works through the foolishness of preaching to draw people from the darkness into the light and life that is found in Christ alone. It is built up in Christ through the means of grace, which are ordained by God not men. While we see that it is God who actually is doing the building, He has chosen to work through His servants to accomplish that which will bring Him glory. These servants that He uses as fishers of men are symbolically like the fishermen in their boats on the Sea of Galilee who cast their nets to catch fish to sell as their business.
NewsMax reports:
Hundreds of thousands of people poured onto the streets of central Paris on Sunday to protest against President Francois Hollande’s plan to legalize gay marriage and adoption by June.
Television footage showed some scuffles breaking out, with security forces firing tear gas on pink-clad marchers waving flags and chanting slogans against Hollande. In France, anti-gay protesters often wear pink.
According to CNS News, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently released a “policy statement” that said it supports “families in all their diversity” as fit for rearing children. Critics allege that the AAP’s policy statement was not based on scientific studies, children’s health or medicine but that it was based on political correctness.
1What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5And to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: 7“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” Rom. 4:1–8
Recently, I was engaged in a discussion where the person with whom I was conversing was very upset because he felt that raising the standard high in churches can be very discouraging to those who are not as spiritually mature as others. He believed that churches need to be more easy-going and less demanding. He also believed that all we have been saying lately against seeker-sensitive church models is unfair because in those churches those who may not be very mature can feel comfortable and welcome. My heart broke while reading his comments because I understood exactly what he was talking about and I began to see that there is another group of Christians out there who are drawn to churches that are not so demanding on doctrinal issues as in a typical Reformed church. They are the ones who feel that they will never measure up. They feel inadequate to the apparent ‘holiness’ seen in the more mature members in those churches.
NewsMax reports that, in a candid interview given before he became Pope Francis I, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio once appeared to suggest that the rigid celibacy laws that now govern Roman Catholic priests could perhaps be changed. The admissions have been published in the Spanish-language book, On the Heavens and the Earth, and “have Catholics wondering if there may be major policy changes ahead at the Vatican.”
Reuters reports:
When the Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of marriage for gay men and lesbians in the coming week, the justices will be taking a major step toward defining their own legacy.
In their first-ever review of same-sex marriage laws, the nine justices on the country’s highest court are hearing arguments on Tuesday and Wednesday on one of the most politically charged dilemmas of the day, bound with themes of religion, sexuality and social custom.
Marsha West once again tackles our corrupt society’s hyper-sexualization of young girls. In this piece she exposes how lingerie company Victoria’s Secret is targeting middle school and high school girls with their new line of intimate undergarments. Marsha also confronts the popular teen girl magazine, Seventeen, for promoting Disney star Ashley Benson’s movie, “Spring Breakers,” on the magazine’s cover. The film is rated ‘R’ for strong sexual content, language, nudity, drug use and violence and contains graphic sex scenes between two women and a man, yet is being promoted to the young readers of this periodical.
Christian News Network reports:
Pope Francis held his first ecumenical meeting at the Vatican Wednesday, greeting Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders, as well as those who ascribe to no faith at all.
“For my part, I wish to assure you, following in the path of my predecessors, of my firm will to continue on the path of ecumenical dialogue,” he said, referencing the Second Vatican Council. “I also ask of you the kindness of a special prayer for myself, so that I might be a pastor in harmony with Christ’s heart.”
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor. 6:9–11
The 21st Century version of pop-Christianity is not doctrinally sound. This ought not surprise since those within it who hold the most influence elevate human philosophy up to the highest esteem while looking at Orthodox Christianity and its solid biblical doctrines as passé, old-fashioned or something to be phased out to make room for what is culturally relevant. One of the components of this pop-Christianity consists of using cool buzzwords like ‘missional.’ Within that paradigm, there are other buzzwords like ‘incarnational’ and ‘Spiritual Formation.’
Baptist Press reports:
Redefining marriage to include same-sex couples would jettison the rationale and logic behind prohibitions on polygamous marriages, according to several friend-of-the court briefs urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the traditional definition of marriage.
“Ultimately, there is no principled basis for recognizing a legality of same-sex marriage without simultaneously providing a basis for the legality of consensual polygamy or certain adult incestuous relationships,” reads one of the briefs, filed by the Christian legal group Liberty Counsel. “In fact, every argument for same-sex marriage is an argument for them as well.”
Life News reports:
The Financial Times has been doing excellent reporting related to Chinese demographics problems. Of particular interest is China’s aging population which has been brought about in large measure to its zero-growth population policies that have been in place since the 1970s.
The most important aspect of these policies is the “one-child policy” which mandates forced abortions and sterilizations.
Christian Post reports:
A healthy society needs fathers. Men, therefore, need to embrace their manhood and recognize the important role they play as husbands and fathers in a family, Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse advised Friday in a panel on the problem of fatherlessness at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md.
The important role men play in a family is due to their natural instincts to protect the weak and vulnerable, Morse explained, but liberals and feminists have made men afraid to embrace their unique role.
The Washington Times reports:
To young conservatives, gay marriage is pretty much a dead issue, Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker said Sunday.
“I’ve had young people ask me. . .why the government is sanctioning it in the first place,” Mr. Walker said, during a televised discussion with NBC host David Gregory. Mr. Walker said that most of the younger conservatives aren’t really focused on fighting same-sex marriage — that they believe it’s a human right much more than older traditional GOP voters do, he said in a Newsmax report.
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33
There is a lot of dispute in our day about the nature of Christ’s atonement on the cross. What did Christ purchase for His people that day? Many imply that our Lord’s sacrifice on the cross was not necessary. Others say that He did not die for the sins of His people, He simply suffered for them. Let us not rely on tradition or ‘feelings’. Let us go the source, God’s Word, to see what the Holy Spirit revealed to us about this through the Apostle Paul.
The study of Pneumatology, or The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, is especially important these days as many professing Christians have an incorrect understanding of the works of the third person of the Trinity. Not including the works of the Holy Spirit prior to and including Christ’s incarnation, He also is intimately involved in the salvation and life of believers. For instance, in 2 Pet. 1:21 we learn that He inspired all Sacred Scripture. All believers come to Christ because they are first regenerated by the Holy Spirit (1 Pet. 1:12; Titus 3:5; Rom. 8:11). All believers are baptized into the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 6:3-4; Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5), and from this we learn of His permanent indwelling of all genuine believers. In the lives of all genuine believers, before they are saved and afterwards as they are drawn into walks of repentance, the Holy Spirit convicts (John 16:8). He sanctifies all believers (2 Thess. 2:13). He is the “helper” sent by Christ to all believers (John 14:16; 1 John 2:1; John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:1; Rom. 8:26). Lastly, we come to the filling of the Holy Spirit. All believers are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and it is vital that Christians understand what this means.