| HOLIDAY EDITION | | | | . |
Joseph
Farah Op-Ed:
Rick
Warren Does It, Again
While
millions of other Americans will be celebrating Independence Day weekend, Rick
Warren, often called "America's Pastor," will be serving as the keynote speaker
for a Saudi- backed Muslim group that promotes a radical strain of Wahhabi Islam
in about 80 percent of U.S. mosques. I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired
of Rick Warren's bad judgments.
This
time Warren will be schmoozing with the Islamic Society of North America, an offshoot
of the Muslim Brotherhood – just as... MORE |
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Jerusalem
Post: Can the Third Temple Be Built Without Destroying the Dome of the Rock?
A new Jewish interfaith
initiative launched last week argues building the Third Jewish Temple in Jerusalem
would not necessitate the destruction of the Dome of the Rock. "God's Holy
Mountain Vision" project hopes to defuse religious strife by showing that Jews'
end-of-days vision could harmoniously accommodate Islam's present architectural
hegemony on the Temple Mount. "This vision of religious shrines in peaceful
proximity can transform the Temple Mount from a place of contention to its original
sacred role as a place of worship shared by Jews, Muslims and Christians," said
Yoav Frankel, director of the initiative. The Interfaith Encounter Association
at the Mishkenot Sha'ananim's Konrad Adenauer Conference Center in Jerusalem is
sponsoring the program, which includes interfaith study and other educational
projects. According to Islamic tradition, the Dome of the Rock, built in
691, marks the spot where Muhammed ascended to Heaven. But according to
Jewish tradition, Mount Moriah, now under the Dome of the Rock, is where the Temple's
Holy of Holies was situated. Until now Jewish tradition has assumed that destruction
of the Dome of the Rock was a precondition for the building of the third and last
Temple. However, in an article that appeared in 2007 in Tehumin, an influential
journal of Jewish law, Frankel, a young scholar, presented a different option.
MORE |
|
For Born-Again Governor, Love
Is a Matter of Faith
In
one especially soul-baring e-mail to his Argentine mistress, South Carolina Gov.
Mark Sanford quoted from 1 Corinthians 13 about the nature of love. It is patient
and kind, he wrote. It is NOT jealous or boastful. The Christian counselors Sanford
sought out while trying to decide whether to stay with his wife or jump on a plane
to South America advised him what else love is and isn't. "Their point is that
love is not a feeling," Sanford told The Associated Press in a tearful two-day
confessional. "It's a choice. It's an action." That sentiment might seem cold
to many Americans, but it is perfectly consistent with the born-again, evangelical
Christian world that Sanford inhabits, says sociologist John Bartowski.
MORE |
| Obama: Rev. Wright
is Reason I Haven't Picked Church
President
Barack Obama says he is taking his time picking a church because his choice will
undergo political scrutiny. Obama told reporters from religious news outlets on
Thursday that he hasn't yet selected a place to worship in Washington but has
attended services at the presidential retreat at Camp David. He says last year's
controversy over his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, left his family
a bit shaken. Obama left Wright's church in Chicago after incendiary sermons were
made public and their relationship became a political liability for him as a presidential
candidate. Obama says his family will decide how to handle their place of worship
later this year. He says they might choose to rotate among many churches.
MORE |
| Get
Religion:
The Sanfords
& Their Christianity
As
interesting as South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s bizarre and tormented press
conference was — the one where he announced he had something going on with an
Argentinian woman, it was his wife’s statement about the matter that I found the
most intriguing. In her statement, she overtly references her Christian faith,
even quoting scripture. However, the subtext of the letter is also Christian.
Or, as Salon’s editor-in-chief subtly says, she “sounded creepy Christian right
themes.” You know, creepy stuff such as the sanctity, dignity and importance of
marriage. MORE |
| Brent
Wood at Sharper Iron:
Confessions
of a Recovering Legalist
Hi,
I'm Brent. And I am a recovering legalist. I'm looking for a support group for
people like me. I grew up in a Christian home, had parents who loved me and loved
God. I went to church every Sunday, learned all the stories, gave my offerings—even
went off to a Christian college. And I loved God—and I still do. But I had a problem—
legalism. I didn't know it was a problem, at least not for a long time. I was
addicted to "the list." The list was made up of all the things that you were supposed
to do and not supposed to do if you wanted to keep God happy with you. Most of
the things on the list were good things—some of them even came right out of the
Bible. But some of them didn't. They were passed along to me from several sources,
but mostly from the traditions of the church. Since I am not much of a rebel by
nature, I had no problem with keeping the list. The problem was what the list
did to my Christianity. MORE |
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Render
Unto Caesar: The Place of Politics in Modern Christianity
by R.L. Cobb, Editor
And
he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him,
Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which
are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. When they had heard these
words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way. Should believers
be involved in politics? This question is being discussed in Christian circles
all over the country. A recent book by columnist Cal Thomas puts forth the
premise that Christians have lowered themselves and the gospel of Christ by engaging
in partisan politics. Religious leaders such as James Dobson and Pat Robertson
are on the defensive, trying to justify their past political involvement.
This controversy is ongoing, and will not end soon. Upcoming elections will
ensure it. What does the bible say? Or does it even speak on the matter
at all? Possibly the most pertinent scripture on the subject is the above
quoted Matthew 22:15-22. In it, we find biblical answers to these questions.
READ
MORE | | God's
Personal Message To America On Independence Day
by R.L. Cobb, Editor
Righteousness
exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. Proverbs 14:34
Most of us place a high value on "personal" messages. Form letters and mass
mailings are the norm in our day, so it is very refreshing to receive a "personal"
note from a person or organization. Some have made a concerted effort to
make their mailings seem to be "one-of-a-kind." Today it is difficult to
tell what is personal correspondence and what is "mass mailing." Sometimes
it may seem the same with scripture. While many preachers apply passages
written for Israel to America, our text IS to America! In fact, it is a
blanket statement to ANY nation! What would God say to America, if He spoke
audibly to us this Fourth of July holiday? I believe He would remind us
of this verse. Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
These truths still hold true for any nation today. History is littered with
the echoes of failed nations. Nineveh, the Egyptian Dynasty, Greece, the
Roman Empire.... Today, the United States is a proof text for this verse!
Let us see how this is so as we divide the thoughts into four sections.
READ
MORE | | IS
HELL A MYTH? by R.G. Lee
...If there is no Hell, is not Calvary,
with all its suffering and sacrifice and finished atoning work, a blunder and
all the voices thereof a babel of incoherence? By every contemptuous mouthful
of spit that befouled His face, by every hair of His beard which cruel fingers
tore from His cheeks, by every bruise of His face, by every mark of the scourge
upon His back, by every thorn that punctured His brow, by every nail that held
Him to the tree, by every breath He drew which was a pang of death, by every beat
of His heart which was a throb of agony -by all the shadows that covered the earth
when black midnight came at noon-day, we say that if Calvary be not the way of
escape from an eternal Hell, then Calvary is a mistake! READ
MORE | | A
LOST OPPORTUNITY by J. Wilbur Chapman
"And as thy servant
was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him,
So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it." 1 Kings 20:40 There
is a very striking incident connected with this text. The great battle is
raging, a certain important prisoner has been taken, and if you read between the
lines you seem to know that upon him depend many of the issues of war. His
skill in leading the enemy had been marvelous, his courage in the thick of the
fight striking; and now he is a prisoner. The king puts him in the keeping
of a Jewish soldier, saying, "Guard this man; if he escapes thy life shall be
demanded for his." It is possible that they gave an extra pull to the thongs
that bound the enemy and the guard was left alone with him. It is an important
duty he has to perform. His life hangs in the balance. He must have
been impressed with it. But, as we read on between the lines, strange as
it may seem, he becomes negligent, his bow is laid down and his spear is left
standing against the tent... READ
MORE | | MY
DEPOSIT WITH GOD,
GOD'S
DEPOSIT WITH ME by B.H. Carroll
"For the which
cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom
I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed
unto Him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou
hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good
thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth
in us". - 2 Tim. 1:12-14. ...Now, to shorten the text so that you will
remember it, the text is, “Jesus will keep my deposit, and I am exhorted to keep
His deposit.” Whenever a reference is made to the original terms before a mixed
audience, it is never done in any pedantic sense and the reference will be only
just enough to make you fully understand. MORE |
| SURPRISED
BY GOD'S JUDGMENT
by
Jonathan Edwards
There
are two kinds of persons among God’s professing people: the one, those who are
truly godly, spoken of in the verse following the text, "He that walketh
righteously, and speaketh uprightly" (Isa 33:15a). The other kind consists of
"sinners in Zion" or hypocrites. It is to be observed that the Prophet in this
chapter speaks interchangeably, first to the one and then to the other of these
characters of men, awfully threatening and denouncing the wrath of God against
the one and comforting the other with promises. It may be inquired, "Who are the
sinners in Zion?" I answer, "They are those who are in a natural condition among
the visible people of God." Zion, or the city of David of old, was a type of the
church; and the church of God in Scripture is perhaps more frequently called by
the name of Zion than by any other name. And commonly by Zion is meant the true
church of Christ... | |
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Editor's
Disclaimer
Be
advised that some of the view- points espoused on this page may not be held by
the editor. News For Christians is a news digest, pulling links from all
over the web. We do not endorse all sites linked or agree with theviews
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HEADLINE ARCHIVES
JUNE
2009
MAY
2009
April
2009
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2009 | /////// |
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| Friday,
July 3rd, 2009 | Singers
Say Did Not Lead Michael Jackson to Christ
Gospel
music artists Andrae and Sandra Crouch did not lead Michael Jackson to the Lord,
according to a source close to them. MORE |
ACLU Targets Gideons
in Texas School Case
The
American Civil Liberties Union is investigating what it calls religious liberty
violations in a Texas school district. One of the complaints is that the Navasota
school district permits the Gideons to distribute Bibles at its schools. Attorney
Roger Byron of Liberty Legal Institute notes the Christian organization has been
doing so for decades. MORE |
Gates Looking for
‘Flexibility’ in Law Banning Homosexuals from Military Service
Defense Secretary
Robert Gates said that he is directing the Pentagon's top lawyers to look for
ways to reinterpret the 1993 law that bars homosexuals from serving in the military.
Gates said he was looking to make enforcement of the law more "humane."
MORE |
Alan Keyes:
Immorality at Root of America's Demise
...Where
sin abounds, there does grace more abound, the apostle tells us. I believe the
moral principles of the American Declaration of Independence were the result of
just such Providential grace. It's a shame that even many of those who profess...
MORE |
United Methodist
Members Dying Faster than Americans
Offering
a new perspective on the reality of aging denominations, The United Methodist
Church studied the death rates of Methodists and the general American population
and found that the church is dying faster. MORE |
David Limbaugh:
None Dare Call It Marxism
...Both
his father, Barack Obama Sr., and his mentor, Frank Marshall Davis, were communists.
His church of choice was one of black liberation theology, whose Marxist roots
are inarguable. He associated with far leftists on the "organizing" streets of
Chicago, including Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn. MORE |
Mennonites in Ohio
Protest Exclusion of Homosexuals
Gay
and lesbian Mennonites dressed in bright pink have gathered with others outside
the church's biannual convention in Columbus to criticize its leaders for trying
to push them out. MORE |
Duke's Homosexual Rape Case Elicits Silence
A professor of criminology
at the University of North Carolina- Wilmington says the outrage over a homosexual
statutory rape case at Duke University is a deafening sound of silence. Frank
Lombard, associate director of Duke University's Center for Health Policy, has
been accused of molesting his adopted five-year-old African-American son and offering
him up for sex with strangers on the Internet. MORE |
Obama Hopes To Persuade All To Accept
Homosexuality
President
Barack Obama says that while he's dedicated to expanding homosexual rights, many
Americans still cling to what he calls "worn arguments and old attitudes." At
a White House celebration of Gay Pride Month, Obama said he hopes to persuade
all Americans to accept homosexuality. MORE |
Daughters of Liberty! America in
1776, Iran in 2009
I
also know that Iran’s women stand in the vanguard. For days now, I’ve seen them
urging less courageous men on. I’ve seen them get beaten and return to the fray.
“Why are you sitting there?” one shouted at a couple of men perched on the sidewalk
on Saturday. “Get up! Get up!” MORE |
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| Thursday,
July 2nd, 2009 | Pastor,
Bible College President Greg Baker Dies
Dr.
Greg Baker of FaithWay Baptist Church and College of Ajax, Ontario died suddenly
and tragically this past Tuesday, June 30.
Baker
was slated to be a speaker at the National Sword of the Lord Conference this month.
MORE |
Muslim Mob Burns
100 Christian Homes in Pakistan
This
morning 100 Christian houses and churches were set on fire by local Muslims in
the city of Kasur South, Pakistan. The riots were incited by broadcasts from local
mosques. MORE |
D.C. Judge Rejects
Efforts to Block Gay Marriage Bill
Conservative
groups suffered another blow Tuesday when a D.C. Superior Court judge ruled against
allowing the issue of same-sex marriage recognition to go to voters in the District.
MORE |
Varying Religions
Complicate Faith Healing vs. Medicine
Most
states have child abuse laws allowing some religious exemptions for parents who
shun medicine for their sick children, but a few recent cases highlight thorny
legal issues for parents following less-recognized faiths. MORE |
Many Flock to Boston
to Celebrate Calvin Anniversary
Hundreds
of Christians have gathered in Boston this week for a four-day event commemorating
the influence of the Reformation on Western Civilization over the last half a
millennium. MORE |
Palin Story Sparks
GOP Family Feud
A
hard-hitting piece on Sarah Palin in the new Vanity Fair has touched off a blistering
exchange of insults among high-profile Republicans. MORE |
Planned
Parenthood’s Animated Cartoon Advises Teens
In
an animated video cartoon on its Web site, the Planned Parenthood Federation of
America advises teens that taking part in "sex play" and "outercourse" can greatly
reduce their risk of getting a sexually transmitted transmitted infection.
MORE |
Obama Expected
to Pull Faith-Based Funding
Americans
United for Separation of Church and State is on the warpath against faith-based
grants. MORE |
Poll: Obama's Popularity Plunging
The latest Rasmussen
daily tracking poll shows that President Barack Obama for the first time has a
negative approval index — more Americans disapprove of his job performance than
approve. In an exclusive Newsmax interview, pollster Scott Rasmussen also disclosed
that if the economy does not approve over the next year, Obama's numbers will
deteriorate even further — and Democrats will suffer in 2010.
MORE |
Search for Obamas' Church Home Continues
Home is where the
heart is. And according to White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, a church
home is where a person formally joins, not where they regularly attend services.
That, then, would rule out Evergreen Chapel at Camp David as a possible church
home for the Obama family, which has been without one since withdrawing their
membership last May from... MORE |
Doug Kutilek: The Death of 'Doctor
Death'
On
Sunday morning, May 31, 2009, around 10 a.m., Dr. George Tiller, perhaps the most
notorious practitioner of late-term abortions in America, was killed in the lobby
of a Lutheran church in east Wichita by a lone gunman who fired a single shot
into Tiller’s head. Tiller quickly passed into eternity on the floor of the church
lobby. He had survived a... MORE |
Scott
McKnight in Christianity Today:
Why
Staying Married is a Good Idea
...I
can't remember the last time I heard a sermon called "Stay Married," or even a
sermon that dealt with reasons to stay married. I suppose we can guess why this
is so. At the top of my reasons would be a fear to offend the many—some say as
many as 50 percent of evangelical Christians—who are giving money and serving
in the church who are already divorced... MORE |
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| Wednesday,
July 1st, 2009 | Pro-Life
Democrats Urge Pelosi to Exclude Abortion Funding from Health Care Reform Bill
Nineteen pro-life
House Democrats signed a letter last week to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)
expressing their opposition to any health care reform that includes abortion funding.
MORE |
Texas Megachurch
Pastor Makes Cancer Fight Public
The
pastor of one of America’s largest churches is taking a two- month sabbatical
following a surgery he underwent last month and kept private until last week.
“It is perfect timing to begin that sabbatical now for the continued healing of
my body, soul and spirit,” reported Jack Graham this past week to the more than
26,000 members of Preston Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. MORE |
U.S.-Israel - A
Potential 'Diplomatic Train Wreck'
Best-selling
author Joel Rosenberg believes the U.S. and Israel are headed for a diplomatic
train wreck over the alleged "peace process" with the Palestinians. MORE |
High Court Refuses
to Hear Bible Club Case
The
Supreme Court on Monday declined to stop a school district from blocking a group
of Christian students from forming a Bible club on campus. MORE |
Home prices post
18.1 percent annual drop in April
There
is a clear trend home prices declines are moderating - another sign the beleaguered
housing market is stabilizing, according to data released Tuesday. MORE |
Obama Pledges to
Ally with Gays for More 'Progress'
President
Barack Obama reiterated his pro-gay pledges during a White House reception Monday.
Obama vowed again to overturn the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy and
to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act. MORE |
Obama Tells Jews To Stop Building Homes
– In Israel!
The
Obama administration told the Palestinian Authority the "golden era" of Israeli
construction in sections of Jerusalem and the strategic West Bank will soon come
to an end, a top PA negotiator told WND. "The U.S. assured us that..."
MORE |
Washington
Post:
The Fading
of the Dollar's Dominance
The
days of calling the dollar almighty may be numbered. Since World War II, when
the dollar eclipsed the British pound as the king of world currencies, the United
States has reaped the rewards of its monetary strength. The greenback's sense
of indestructibility allowed the U.S. government to borrow cheaply and gave rise
to an era of rich American globetrotters toting the world's most easily convertible
form of cash. But the financial crisis that started in the United States is dramatically
intensi- fying the debate over the future of the dollar, and whether it can, or
should, remain at the top of the financial food chain. Although a meaningful shift
away from the dollar is likely to take years or more, some analysts believe that
the debate is now reaching a tipping point. MORE |
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