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Christianity in the Middle East on Brink of Extinction
 For two thousand years, the idea has been unimaginable, but now it seems more likely that Christians will no longer have a home in the region that gave birth to their faith. From the beginning of the church to the turn of the 20th century, Christians were a powerful force from Africa through Palestine and into central Asia.
Long before Christianity entered Europe, it was thriving in the Middle East and Asia, according to Baylor historian Philip Jenkins, Jenkins traces the powerful Middle Eastern and Asian church from its....   MORE
Obama Met With IRS Union Boss Day Before Tea Party Targeting Began
The White House Visitors Log reveals that President Barack Obama met with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) union boss Colleen Kelley on March 31, 2010—the day before the Inspector General's report says the IRS began its scheme to target tea party and conservative groups. hermore, Obama appointed Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, to the Federal Salary Council whose job is to recommend pay raises for IRS and other federal employees one week after Obama and Democrats suffered historic midterm losses in 2010.    MORE
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Tuesday, May 21st, 2013
Study: Christians Who Tithe Have Healthier Finances
The finances of Christians who tithe are generally healthier than the finances of those who do not, according to a new study. Some of the more interesting findings from the...
Saudi Arabia Punishes Two Christians for Converting Coworker
The new price of being a Christian in Saudi Arabia? For one Lebanese man, it's six years in jail and 300 lashes.
Christianity Today: Have 8 Million Millennials Really Given Up on Christianity?
....millennials born in the 1980s have shown a steep drop in evangelical affiliation unlike Americans born in the 1940s and 1950s, who steadily increased in evangelical affiliation as they got older.
IRS Scandal Widens: Agency Accused of Abusing Audit Power
The IRS has been accused of misusing its audit powers in addition to singling out conservative groups seeking tax exempt status. 
Man Forces Pre-Teen Rape Victim to Abort at Planned Parenthood
A Washington state man who impregnated a 12 year-old girl forced her to have an abortion at a Planned Parent- hood clinic in order to cover up his sexual assault on her.
White House: It Is 'Irrelevant' Where Obama Was During Benghazi Attacks
CHRISTIANS REMAIN TARGETS AS NIGERIA VIOLENCE GROWS
Texas Abortionist Accused of Killing Live Fetuses
Houston abortionist Douglas Karpen is being accused of performing illegal late-term abortions similar to the ones that Dr. Kermit Gosnell was convicted of last week.
Christian Family Sues After Fleeing Cross-Country Over Abuse Allegations for Spanking Teen Daughter
Two Christian Churches in Egypt Attacked By Muslims This Week
The escalation of Muslim attacks on Christian churches in Egypt continues unabated. This week two attacks were carried out, one in Alexandria and one in Menbal in Upper Egypt -- both prompted by harassment of Muslim women. 
Prisoner Requests Dragon's Blood for Wiccan Faith
Swarmageddon: America Braces for Cicada Plague of Biblical Proportions
America's East Coast is bracing for a cacophonous summer as hordes of flying insects emerge for the once-in-a- generation phenomenon known as "Swarmageddon". 
Florida Man Charged With Murder for Tricking Girlfriend into Abortion
Kindergartener Told He Can’t Sing Christian Song At School
Supreme Court to Hear Historic Religious Liberty Case
On Monday, the Supreme Court granted review in what could be the biggest religious liberty victory for Americans of faith in years.
David Limbaugh: Obama Is Not Outraged; He Adores the IRS
So, we are to believe that it is just a coincidence that tea party groups oppose the Obama administration and for 27 months, beginning in March 2010, the Internal Revenue Service didn't approve even one tea party application for tax-exempt status?
Times of Israel: Despite Secrecy, Interest Builds Around Mysterious First Temple Find Outside Bethlehem
A mysterious First Temple-era archaeological find under a Palestinian orchard near Bethlehem is increasingly gaining attention — despite attempts to keep it quiet. 
Bob Burney: Who's Responsible in the White House?
Scoff if you like-but it's true. A paranormal event has escaped the attention of the mainstream media. Not only is the White House haunted, we know the name of the ghost: It's “Not Me”.
KEN BLACKWELL: 
Where Lawlessness Comes From
...We should not be surprised by the IRS scandal. It was predictable. It is one of the consequences of contempt for law. 
Science Proves Premarital Sex Rewires the Brain
There’s a reason why breaking up from a sexual relationship is much more emotion- ally painful and much harder to forget than one that didn’t involve sex. 
Victor D Hanson: It Can Happen Here
...Suddenly in 2013, what was once sure has become suspect....Does anyone care that five departments of government are either breaking the law or lying or....
NY Times: New Disease For Gay Men?
A new, casually transmittable infection — a unique strain of bacterial meningitis — has cast a pall over the gay night life and dating scene, with men wondering whether this is AIDS, circa 1981, all over again.
Pat Buchanan: WHAT SHOULD AMERICANS DIE FOR?
There is in the U.S.A. today, they write, "a reluctance to commit American blood." 
MIKE ADAMS:Future IRS Agents
Many were shocked to learn that IRS agents actually targeted conservative groups for heightened scrutiny when making decisions concerning their tax exempt status. Why?
MICHAEL BROWN: 
Thank You Mommy For Killing Me!
Chief IRS Counsel Got Jeremiah Wright's Church Out of IRS Probe Before Joining Agency
Reports from the time indicate the now-chief counsel of the IRS, William Wilkins, helped a church connected to President Obama’s friend Rev. Jeremiah Wright get out of an IRS probe in 2008 while working as a private attorney.
Rumsfeld Slams Obama for Absence During Benghazi Attack
Donald Rumsfeld slammed Barack Obama for his handling of the Benghazi tragedy, criticizing him for not even calling a meeting while Americans were being attacked on Sept 11, 2012 and then opting to campaign in Las Vegas....
Judge Tosses Out Most of Abuse Lawsuit Against Sovereign Grace Ministries
Colorado Christian Baker Faces Discrimination Charges for Denying ‘Wedding’ Cake to Homosexuals
Paul Tripp: The Fearful Pastor
He carried with him the dirty secret that many pastors carry; the one that is so hard for a "man of faith" to admit. The dirty secret was that much of what he did was not done out of faith, but out of fear.
Dave Kraft: Traits of a Successful Failure
No one wants to fail. But we all will at some point. How you can turn failures into lessons for future success.
Davis: John Owen on Why God Decreed the Fall
It’s a question that every Christian eventually asks. “Why did God allow the world to go the way it did?” For believers, and often unbelievers, it doesn’t take much to see....
Thom Rainer: The Unspoken Tension Between (Some) Pastors and (Some) Laity
There is a growing tension between some pastors and some laity in churches across America. It is not pervasive, but it’s growing. Frankly, I don’t even like the seemingly opposing labels of pastors and laity. I just don’t know how to describe the groups otherwise.
Daniel Darling: Why Going to Church on Sunday Is An Act of War
Okay, so maybe that title is a bit melodramatic. But I wanted to get your attention, because faithful, weekly attendance at your local church is important.
Larry Osborne: The Myth of Endless Growth
I’ve been told that if a church isn’t growing, something must be terribly wrong. After all, healthy things always multiply and grow.  But frankly, that’s hogwash.
C. Michael Patton: Twelve Ways to Prepare Your Children for Times of Doubt
This does not mean that your children will experience significant doubt, it just means that doubt is a common issue they will experience in a fallen world. 
Traylor: Five Great Needs Among God’s People
Daryll Dash: You Too Can Write a Blog!
...You should consider blogging, because it’s really not that hard, and the payoffs are worth it.
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Monday, May 20th, 2013
IRS Scandal Widens: Agency Accused of Abusing Audit Power
The IRS has been accused of misusing its audit powers in addition to singling out conservative groups seeking tax exempt status. In a series of special reports, Breitbart News is detailing additional stories of what appears to be IRS abuse and potential involvement from other agencies and possible Senate Democratic involvement.
Liberty University Goes After Obamacare In Federal Appeals Court
Liberty University--America’s largest Christian university-- had its day in court yesterday against Obamacare before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. It is the most comprehensive legal challenge currently in....
Catholic Scholar: IRS Asked Who Paid Me to Write Anti-Obama Articles
IRS Sued for Allegedly Seizing Medical Records of 60 Million Americans
Americans Be Warned---Homeschoolers Are Being Stripped of Their Rights
Another Gosnell-like Horror in Texas; Will Mainstream Media Cover This One?
Just days after a Philadelphia jury found abortionist Kermit Gosnell guilty of the murder of three newborn children and the negligent death of a patient, evidence of similar atrocities has surfaced in Houston, Texas.
Christianity Today: Embryonic Stem Cell Breakthrough To Revive Cloning Debate
Human cells have been resistant to cloning—until now.
IRS Audited Conservative Women's Group
The IRS audited a conservative women’s group in 2011, and ultimately found no wrongdoing, in what appears to be another example of the scandal plaguing the tax agency.
'Crazy' Ants Spread Through Southeast U.S. 
A different species of ants, called “crazy ants,” is taking the Southeastern United states by storm. They are called “crazy” by researchers because their movement is not consistent, but much more irregular than fire ants....
Senior Christian Clerics Kidnapped in Syria
In April, two senior clerics caught in the Syrian civil war were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen and remain in captivity, their whereabouts unknown.
Gene Veith:  Rand Paul Courts Christian Conservatives
Sen. Rand Paul is presenting himself as a “libertarian Republican” rather than a “libertarian,” and is courting evangelicals and other Christian conservatives. 
Dalrymple: NOW SAVE GOSNELL
...Now Gosnell has been declared guilty for three murders.  Good.  Now justice is being served for the babies who died.  Good.  Gosnell stands condemned.  Good.  Now let’s save his life.
Holder’s Own Gun Stats Blow Holes In Gun Control Myths
The U.S. Department of Justice just released a study of gun violence statistics and the results blow holes through the anti-gun crowd’s most cherished story lines.
Ibraham: Islamic Forced Conversions-- Past and Present
The lost history of Christians forced to convert to Islam—or die—is reemerging, figuratively and literally. 
Daniel Mandel: Israel and theTriumph of Resilience
Israel, having attained its 65th anniversary, resists easy definition...Any reckoning on Israel, its successes and failures, is also inescapably interwoven with the verdict one gives on the animating philosophy of the state, Zionism, which itself will celebrate later this year its 116th anniversary. 
Glick: Obama and the ‘Official Truth’ 
...From the outset of Obama’s tenure in office, his signature foreign policy has been his strategy of appeasing jihadist groups and regimes like the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran at the expense of US allies, including Israel, the Egyptian military, and...
Robert Weissberg: Witch-Hunting Returns to Massachusetts
By all accounts, today's college campuses grow more intolerant by the day.  We move closer to the old Soviet Empire, where political dissidents risked the gulag for even joking about Marxism. But in the U.S....
Joe Carter: What Day Changed the Course of Christian History?
The Gospel Coalition asked four Christian historians, "After AD 70, what day most changed the course of Christian history?"
Peter Ferrara: Obamacare Implodes
...The proof is in the pudding. As HSAs and similar plans have soared in the private market, health spending growth has plummeted. That is the result of market competition and incentives.
Regent: What Our Government’s Borrowing Buys Us
Jim Emerson: Obama Was Not Around When Bad Things Happened
...In his entire career, Barack Obama has never accepted the responsibility of making decisions; rather, he avoids it. In an actual crisis, the community organizer runs away...
Alex Chediak: Preparing For the Future In the 
Age of Facebook
But the use of our minds is a critical means to loving God in a wide variety of secular occupations, too. Intellectual effort can take many forms. Some read books, others “read” equations, still others historical, financial, scientific data. But the goal for Christians is the same: Using the mind to worship toward God & service towards neighbor...
Am Vision: Josephus Among the Christian
Scholars and Commentators
...There aren’t many historical works from the first century that touch on the period, so to find a source as complete as the works of Josephus of that period of history is a providential find.
Darling: GOD'S PURPOSE AND MENTAL ILLNESS
David Murray: Reading Habits of Today’s Pastors
Mez McConnell: Why American Church Planters In Scotland Need Not Be The End Of The World
...Here in the UK we have been facing criticism in some (middle class) quarters who feel that encouraging Americans to come to Scotland is a huge mistake. 
Regent: The Scholar’s Vocation
How are Christian scholars to understand the place and meaning of the disciplines of study, teaching, research and writing & other disciplines related to a life of scholarship? 
Jeremy Wallace: A Brief Critique of “The Trail of Blood” by J. M. Carroll
The Trail of Blood  is very misleading; it misrepresents the truth, and it ignores historical facts. No opinion or belief should be based on it; to do so is to ingore historical truth.
Doug Wilson: How Envy Devours
...Jesus taught us to defer to one another, to take the lowest seat, to become the servant of all. But in countless situations, we still jockey for position, we still throw elbows.
Paul Tautges: Lessons Learned from the
Dark Valley of Depression
The depression became so severe that I was taken to the hospital completely out of touch with reality. After receiving a combination of psychotropic drugs in the emergency room that morning, it appeared by that afternoon that I had come back to normalcy. However, within a few days the effect wore off and there was need for further medication.
David Crabb: Be Killing Sin
...Sin is ugly and it makes people uncomfortable. So pastors have stopped preaching about it and Christians have stopped thinking about it. After all, it’s not a problem until you bring it up, right? But the result of never mentioning sin is a tolerance of it and a comfort with it.
Matthew Hoskinson: The Gospel for Pastors
...We are pastors.  And yet we are sheep...Since we are pastors, we need to give the gospel to the flock. Since we are sheep, we need to hear the gospel as the flock.
Edmondson: Seven Things I'm Learning About God
Am Vision: Epicurus and the Problem of Evil
...“Mr Epicurus, your famous riddle about evil and the impotence of God has wowed many an atheist with its cleverness, and no doubt stumped many a Christian with its difficulties, but what I am really keen to know is this: what do you actually mean by evil.”
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Weekend, May 18th-19th, 2013
Congressman: IRS Asked Pro-Life Group About 'the Content of Their Prayers'
“Their question, specifically asked from the IRS to the Coalition for Life of Iowa: ‘Please detail the content of the members of your organization’s prayers,’" 
IRS Official in Charge During Tea Party Targeting Now Runs Health Care Office
IRS Scandal Sparks Concerns about Obamacare
...The IRS is tasked with administering the tax breaks and credits included in the health care bill. "This is very troubling because the axiom is, 'The power to tax is the power to destroy,'" Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., said.
WHY WERE MIDDLE EASTERNERS CAUGHT TRESPASSING AT BOSTON RESERVOIR?
Seven people from Pakistan, Singapore and Saudi Arabia – the country of 15 of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers – were caught trespassing in the middle of the night at a reservoir  from which Boston draws its drinking water.
IRS Says It Is 'Close' To Auditing Churches Again
Boy Scouts, Parents Hold National Rallies to Protest Lifting Gay Ban
Those supporting the continued ban on openly gay members in the Boy Scouts are gathering in over 50 locations throughout America Friday to express their concern, as the youth organization will vote next week on whether to lift the ban.
Ariel Castro's Murder of Unborn Highlights Abortion Debate
If ending a pregnancy is murder, what does that say about the legal status of the unborn?
Wisconsin Church Builds 60-Ft Cross to Help Combat Culture War?
A Wisconsin church has built a 60-foot high cross on its property in an effort to make its surrounding community more "Christ-conscious," and perhaps help win the culture war, says the church's pastor.
Pressure Builds Against Christians in Sudan
As pressure between Sudan and South Sudan builds, it seems that the church in Khartoum may expect renewed scrutiny and accompanying pressure.
Arnold Ahlert: Pro-Life Groups Confirm: IRS Targeting Began in 2009
Raymond Ibrahim: Islamic Forced Conversions—Past and Present
The lost history of Christians forced to convert to Islam—or die—is reemerging, figuratively and literally. 
Egyptians Targeted With Blasphemy Charges
The pale, young Christian woman sat handcuffed in the courtroom, accused of insulting Islam while teaching history of religions to fourth-graders. A team of Islamist lawyers with long beards sang in unison, "All except the Prophet Muhammad." 
R.R. Reno: RELIGION & PUBLIC LIFE
IN AMERICA
'I Am Gabriel': Ancient Stone on Display in Israel
A new Israeli exhibit highlights an ancient tablet featuring a quote from the archangel Gabriel. It's called the most important find since the Dead Sea Scrolls. 
ISRAEL ACCUSED OF STRIVING TO REPLACE MOSQUE WITH TEMPLE
Jordan has hardened its rhetoric regarding Israel, with a government spokesman threatening the Jewish state with “political, diplomatic and legal” measures in response to Israeli security restrictions on the Temple Mount ahead of Jerusalem Day last week. 
NY Times: CHRISTIANS ARE UNEASY IN MORSI'S EGYPT
Since the ouster of Mr. Mubarak in February 2011, a growing number of Copts, including some of the most successful businessmen, have left Egypt or are preparing to do so, fearing persecution by the government...
Thornton: What the Obama Scandals Reveal About Progressive Ideology
The three scandals dominating the news this week all reveal the moral and intellectual corruption at the heart of progressive ideology.
Eco Collapse: The Slow, Agonizing Death Of The American Worker
Am Spectator: Pray and Grow Rich
...was the election of Pope Francis Rome’s counter-offensive against the rise of neo-Pentecostalism in the global South? Pentecostalism is the fastest growing sect in Latin America, where a third of all Catholics live, and is giving the established Roman Church a run for its money — so to speak.
Neumayr: Obama’s Far Left Hand
He claims not to know what it is doing.
Denny Burk: God Help Us If We Don’t Learn from Gosnell’s Crimes
Do Pro-Life Mothers Provide Better Nutrition for Their Children?
College President Resigns Following Fight with Denomination
Erskine College and Seminary announced that president David Norman will resign this summer after three years spent helping...
JEFFREY LORD: 
The Liberal Union Behind the IRS
It’s about a union: the National Treasury Employees Union. The NTEU. A left-wing union representing 150,000 employees in 31 separate government agencies....
In England, Christianity Declining 50% Faster Than Thought – as One in 10 Under-25 Is a Muslim
Christianity could be facing a catastrophic collapse in Britain according to official figures suggesting it is declining 50 per cent faster than previously thought. 
Militants Kill Nigeria Christian Leader After State of Emergency Declaration
Suspected Islamic militants have killed a Christian leader in north-eastern Nigeria shortly after the president declared a state of emergency in the region to tackle “insurgents and terrorists” threatening Africa’s most populous nation. 
Study: In an E-book Era, Most Pastors Prefer Hard Copies of Books
A new report from Barna Group that examines the book buying and reading habits of pastors says most pastors still prefer to read hard copies of books despite an increase in use of digital reading devices in recent years.
Wall St. Journal: Experiment Brings Human Cloning One Step Closer 
Scientists have used cloning technology to transform human skin cells into embryonic stem cells, an experiment that may revive the controversy over human cloning.
Joe Carter: Nine Things You Should Know About Human Cloning
Earlier this week scientists at the Oregon Health and Science University reported they had produced embryonic stem cells from a cloned human embryo. Here are 9 things you should know about human cloning....
Blasphemy Charges Becoming New Weapon Against Egyptian Christians
Christian Florist Countersues Over Violation of Religous Right to Decline Gay ‘Wedding’ Order
A Christian florist in Washington has countersued the state attorney general for violating her rights of conscience and religion in declining to decorate the homosexual wedding of a longtime client.
Christianity Today: Three Megachurch Pastors Resign over Adultery in Orlando
The head pastor of one of America's "10 healthiest churches" has resigned after confessing that he committed adultery three years ago.
Justin Holcomb: Why the Rising Social Awareness in the Church Should Encourage Us
Recently, we have begun to see an encouraging trend in Christian circles: a greater awareness of violence and oppression (such as human trafficking), as well as an increased concern for rescuing and caring for victims.
Tim Challies: When I Heard God's Voice
God spoke to me on Sunday morning. It was clear. It was undeniable. God spoke to me in a moment of need, he brought me a word of comfort, and gave me exactly the message I needed to hear.
Grant Phillips: Nice People Go To Hell
...It amazes me that people will rest the eternal destiny of their soul upon what everybody says, except the One who gives them the correct information. 
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