CHRISTIAN PRIME MINISTER SAYS FAREWELL TO PARLIAMENT

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Scott Morrison delivered a magnificent farewell speech in parliament, full of emotion, splendid gratitude, love of family, faith and country, plenty of substance, and a brilliant little riff, requested by his daughters, on Taylor Swift album titles. Anthony Albanese’s response was equally generous and gracious.

This is a good moment in our politics. The battle of ideas should be ferocious, the battle of people should be civil, decent, and full of human regard. Morrison and Albanese both deserve our thanks for this.

On foreign affairs and national security, Morrison was an effective national leader who left a strong legacy. The big failure across the Coalition’s decade in office was in not producing new defense capabilities. But beyond his share of that failure, a failure fully continued by the Albanese government, Morrison had a lot of positive achievements.

One of his biggest national ­security achievements came before he became PM. Under then-prime minister Tony Abbott, Morrison as immigration minister secured our borders and put an end to dangerous waves of unregulated boat immigration from the north.

As prime minister, his biggest single foreign policy achievement in Greg’s view was not AUKUS, but standing up to China. Beijing made a cold, calculated decision that, using all its coercive power short of military intervention, it would intimidate Australia and force a change of policy on us in a range of policy areas – the ban on Huawei in our NBN, laws against foreign interference, national security limits on Chinese investments in critical infrastructure, closer defense co-operation with the US and a raft of other matters.

The Morrison government resisted this aggression absolutely and pursued policies in Australia’s national interest. I think Scott’s government’s language was sometimes a bit too strong, but this was a pivotal moment in our national story. It was the right thing for Australia and it won enormous international respect, not least in Washington.

Scott Morrison says “authoritarians and autocrats win” if the ­nation’s embrace of secularism ­allows it to drift into a “valueless void”.

In an at-times emotional valedictory speech to parliament on Monday, the former prime minister thanked his family and constituents for their support during his 16-year parliamentary career, quoted the bible and referenced every single Taylor Swift album and some songs after being challenged to a Swift bingo game by his daughters.

He touched on his government’s pandemic response, which he said ensured Australia emerged with “one of the strongest economies through Covid”, and reflected that politics was an imperfect project.

The member for Cook, whose resignation will trigger a by-election later this year, declared respect for human rights has its roots in religion, warning of a decline in Judaeo-Christian values in Australian society.

“You don’t need to share my Christian faith to appreciate the virtue of human rights,” he said.

“I’m not suggesting you do, but equally, we should be careful about diminishing the influence and the voice of Judaeo-Christian faith in our Western society, as doing so risks our society drifting into a valueless void.

“In that world, there is nothing to stand on. There is nothing to hold on to, and the authoritarians and autocrats win.

“In the increasing Western embrace of secularism, let us be careful not to disconnect ourselves from what I would argue is our greatest gift and most effective protector of our freedoms – the ­Judaeo-Christian values upon which our liberty and society were founded.”

This article reporting Scott Morrison’s (former P.M.) farewell speech in the Australian Parliament appeared in The Australian by Greg Sheridan

CHRISTIANS EXCLUDED FROM JURY DUTY

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The nation’s finest legal minds warn that ongoing efforts to exclude Christians from serving on juries due to their biblical beliefs is part of a campaign “relegating Christians to second-class citizen status.” The Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a Missouri case in which potential jurors were kicked off the jury after saying they went to a “conservative Christian church” that taught that having homosexual behavior is sinful – even after assuring they could properly apply the law. Barring Christians from serving civic functions based on their beliefs “exemplifies the danger that I anticipated in Obergefell v. Hodges,” the controversial 2015 Supreme Court decision that invented the “right” to same-sex marriage, wrote Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.

The legal fracas began when a woman named Jean Finney, who identifies as lesbian, said the Missouri Department of Corrections fired her because she “presents masculine,” which she says violates statutes barring discrimination based on sex. The Obama-Biden administration significantly altered the judicial landscape by promoting a novel legal theory that landmark civil rights legislation intended to ban discrimination against women actually applies to people who identify as homosexual or transgender.

Finney’s attorney asked potential jurors if any of them “went to a conservative Christian church” where “it was taught that people [who] are homosexua[l] shouldn’t have the same rights as everyone else,” because “what they did” was “a sin.” One pastor’s wife reportedly told the lawyer that “homosexuality, according to the Bible, is a sin,” and “so is gossiping, so is lying.” Another agreed homosexual relations are sinful, because “it’s in the Bible,” but “every one of us here sins. … It’s just part of our nature.” Furthermore, whether someone sins “has really nothing to do with” the case at hand.

“The jurors specifically said, ‘We are Christians, we have some sincerely held Christian beliefs but can follow the law,’” Bailey told Hice. “Christians can follow the law just like anybody else.”

But Finney’s attorney insisted “there’s no way … somebody [who] looks at a gay person and says … ‘You are a sinner’” could fairly apply the law and denied the Christians their right to fulfill their civic duty.

The Missouri Court of Appeals upheld the Christians’ dismissal, saying the belief that sodomy is “sinful (meaning immoral and wrong)” gave Finney reason to believe “that they could not impartially and fairly decide her claim that she was unlawfully harassed due to her homosexuality — even if [they] claimed that their religious beliefs would not prevent them from serving.” The court said the Christians weren’t thrown off the jury because they’re Christians, but because their Christian church holds to traditional views of same-sex behavior.

The Supreme Court declined to hear the case, Missouri Department of Corrections v. Jean Finney, last Tuesday — a decision Alito reluctantly affirmed due to technical, procedural issues. But in a rare comment on the order, he wrote the case bore out concerns he identified nine years ago at the time of the ruling.

In his dissent to Obergefell, Justice Alito dismissed assurances from the court’s activist bloc that Christians’ “rights of conscience will be protected.”

“We will soon see whether this proves to be true,” wrote Justice Alito. “I assume that those who cling to old beliefs will be able to whisper their thoughts in the recesses of their homes, but if they repeat those views in public, they will risk being labeled as bigots and treated as such by governments, employers, and schools.”

Since that time, left-leaning legal organizations and governments have targeted Christian photographers, bakers, florists, and adoption agencies to deny them their right to practice their religion in business, or in the raising of their children.

Justice Alito similarly warned Obergefell, like Roe v. Wade, constituted a raw exercise of judicial power. “If a bare majority of justices can invent a new right and impose that right on the rest of the country, the only real limit on what future majorities will be able to do is their own sense of what those with political power and cultural influence are willing to tolerate,” wrote Alito in the dissent. “All Americans, whatever their thinking on that issue, should worry about what the majority’s claim of power portends.”

Years later, he sees his warning coming to fruition. “I see no basis for dismissing a juror for cause based on religious beliefs,” wrote Justice Alito on Tuesday. “I am concerned that the lower court’s reasoning may spread and maybe a foretaste of things to come.”

“When a court, a quintessential state actor, finds that a person is ineligible to serve on a jury because of his or her religious beliefs, that decision implicates fundamental rights,” wrote Alito.

The Founding Fathers agreed. In his first inaugural address, Thomas Jefferson listed “freedom of religion; freedom of the press … and trial by juries impartially selected” as part of “the bright constellation” of “essential functions of our government.”

“The wisdom of our sages and blood of our heroes have been devoted to their attainment,” he said.

Jefferson’s predecessor and political rival, John Adams, agreed. “Representative government and trial by jury are the heart and lungs of liberty. Without them we have no other fortification against being ridden like horses, fleeced like sheep, worked like cattle, and fed and clothed like swine and hounds, says Adamas.

Christian jurors grounded in the Constitution say they refuse to sit by as believers to be systematically stripped of their rights and excluded from a civic duty the Founding Fathers described as analogous to voting. “We’re not going to let radical left-wing progressives relegate Christians to second-class citizen status. … We can’t let that happen,” Bailey said. “The right to participate on juries is codified in the United States Constitution. And that’s a right of citizenship.”

“The only people being discriminated against when the states pass these anti-discrimination laws too often are Christians, Christians who believe in biblical truth.”

Fortunately, Jesus told us in advance that the persecution of Christians would escalate in the time before His return to restore righteousness. It will be a time when God refines His church. Sadly, we already see a great falling away in the institutional churches with them compromising with the world on gay marriage and transgender issues.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:9-14

NOW IS THE TIME TO PRAY: FOR LOVED ONES, FRIENDS, YOUR CITY AND NATIONS

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FOR SAVED LOVED ONES AND FRIENDS:

“We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” Colossians 1:9-12

FOR YOUR CITY

 Pray for the churches in your city to be renewed in their efforts to reach the city with God’s Word. As so many of the institutional churches have departed from God’s Word and compromised with the world. Pray that God would convict members of those churches to come out of them. Ask God to pray that He will raise up churches as described in the Book of Acts that will make disciples that make disciples. Churches that will seek to meet the needs of their city, knowing the Lord will guide them if they ask Him.  The LORD says, “I will teach you the way you should go; I will instruct you and advise you.” (Psalm 32:8 GNT)

“In the same way, your light must shine before people so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Pray that people’s hearts will be opened to repent of their sins and confess Jesus as their Saviour. “I tell you for certain that everyone who hears my message and has faith in the one who sent me has eternal life and will never be condemned. They have already gone from death to life.” John 5:24

FOR NATIONS

Jesus calls us to pray for the gospel to be preached to all nations. God created the nations and one nation, Israel, for His purposes, hence Israel needs to be in our prayers.

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Also, in Matthew 28, Jesus tells us that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him, and with that authority, he tells us to go and make disciples of all nations. Jesus cares about all the people of the world and wants every one of them to be saved, but there are still over 2 billion people who have never heard the gospel before. As Christians, this should move us to pray for the nations.

How can you pray for the nations? There are endless verses and promises about God-loving and rescuing the nations. You can ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in your prayers.

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Romans 8:26

You can pray that God would send out workers or missionaries to these people groups, for the believers who are being persecuted, and even for their persecutors. Remember, there is a time coming when every knee will bow and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord. However, Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom is next on God’s agenda. We have had 6,000 years with Satan as Prince of this World. Next is Jesus ruling on this Earth with glorified Saints for 1,000 years only then will this Earth be destroyed. Then, after the second resurrection and the White Throne judgment God will usher in a new Heaven and new Earth where only the righteous dwell.

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue will give praise to God.” Romans 14:11

“All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.“ Psalms 22:27

Pray that we may help bring people from all nations to salvation so they may be among those standing before the throne of God praising Him.

“After this, I (John) looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God.” Revelation 7:9-11

THE TRUTH ABOUT ‘GENOCIDE’ AND ISRAEL

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Israel’s U.N. ambassador, Gilad Erdan, says: “A ceasefire achieves one thing and one thing only — the survival of Hamas. A ceasefire is a death sentence for many more Israelis and Gazans.”

Hamas is unapologetic in its desire to slaughter Jews and destroy the Jewish state. In April of last year, a Hamas leader named Hamad Al-Regeb preached a sermon in which “he prayed for ‘annihilation’ and ‘paralysis’ of the Jews whom he described as filthy animals: ‘[Allah] transformed them into filthy, ugly animals like apes and pigs because of the injustice and evil they had brought about’.”

Why such hatred? Clearly, Satan is its ultimate inspiration. The irrational hatred of a people who compose one-fifth of one percent of the world’s total population cannot but have a spiritual basis. The story of the Bible is, in part, the story of the adversary’s attempts to destroy the Jewish people spiritually, morally, and physically. The Jewish people are the channels of God’s self-revelation in His written Word and in the person of the world’s Savior, Jesus of Nazareth. Of course, the Hateful One wants them dead.

Hence, Erdan says, Hamas must be ended as any kind of viable military or political organization — without qualification. Israel is not trying to kill the families of Gaza. For a time, at least, the Israel Defense Force posted warnings on the internet, dropped leaflets, and even made phone calls into Gaza urging everyone not involved with Hamas to leave for the Strip’s southern region to avoid bombings and ground attacks.

No one can question that the needs of the people in Gaza are profound, and Christians need to be deeply concerned for them. As relief ministries seek to provide essential medical and food aid to the Palestinian Arabs, followers of Jesus should support them.

Yet with all this said, the single greatest irony of the conflict to date is the charge that Israel has a “genocidal” policy toward Gaza’s Arab population while genocide is exactly what radical Islamists have in mind for Israel.

Consider Iran, the greater Middle East’s leader in anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial. As reported by scholar Kian Tajbakhsh in The Atlantic, “hours after Hamas’s horrific attack on Israeli civilians on October 7, all of Iran’s parliamentarians rose from their seats to chant ‘Death to Israel!’” Tajbakhsh notes, “Iran’s fingerprints were all over the October 7 operation. Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, and Hezbollah in Lebanon, are only the biggest in a network of 19 armed groups that Iran has established along Israel’s borders.” These and other groups receive financial support nearing $1 billion annually from Iran, whose military provides them with weapons and training.

On a political level, many Arab leaders see Israel’s representative democracy as a threat to their power. Newsweek columnist Lee Habib, himself Lebanese, writes that “Israel, like America itself, is a threat to dictators, kings, mullahs, and clerics who despise freedom of conscience and the sanctity of the individual.” This has led Arab nations to rally against “a manufactured common enemy” — Israel.

Again, consider the disturbing but undeniable paradox: Those who try to deny that six million Jews were slaughtered by the Nazis and their abettors are the same people who want to fulfill Hitler’s demonic scheme all while claiming that the Jews themselves want to commit genocide against Gazan Arabs. “There can hardly be a charge more false and more malevolent than the allegation against Israel of genocide,” said Israeli attorney Tal Becker in his opening defense of his country at the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands. “Israel is in a war of defense against Hamas, not against the Palestinian people,” he added.

Israel is in crisis, at home and abroad. America has a moral duty and political obligation to safeguard its security. And, at a time when America’s college campuses contain cesspools of anti-Semitism, that safety must be ensured on our own shores. In a 1790 letter to the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, President George Washington wrote to Jews anxious about how they would fare in the then-new republic, “May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the goodwill of the other inhabitants, while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.”

Taken from commentary in the Washington Stand by Rob Schwarzwalder, Ph.D. He is a Senior Lecturer at Regent University’s Honors College. The Truth About ‘Genocide’ and Israel.

TIMELY MOVIE ON THE BIBLICAL WORLDWIDE FLOOD OF NOAH’S DAY

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Noah’s Ark & Flood Movie in Select Theaters in the U.S.A. March 20–21, 2024. The movie site states:

There is a tale over 4,000 years old, preserved in ancient writings from every major culture around the world. Many thought it was only a myth, but recent discoveries confirm what the Bible has said all along. From the Director of Genesis: Paradise Lost, Sevenfold Films and Genesis Apologetics present The Ark and the Darkness. Geology, paleontology, the fossil record, ancient history, volcanism, earth science—all of these scientific fields converge on one simple truth: Noah’s Flood actually happened. Join the team of scientists from Answers in Genesis and Liberty University as they reveal the truth about Noah’s Flood.

A Christian creationist group in California (Genesis Apologetics) released the new movie on the flood called The Ark and the Darkness that will have limited showings in a number of movie theaters across the nation on March 20–21.

This is a documentary-style movie with some impressive animation, and it features various interview segments with a number of creation scientists, including some from Answers in Genesis (such as AiG’s geologist Dr. Andrew Snelling, paleontologist Dr. Gabriela Haynes, and researcher and speaker Dr. Terry Mortenson).

CRAZY GOVERNMENTS PRIORITIES

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The world is in a state of chaos. Government debt is spiraling out of control in the U.S.A. and most Western countries. War in Gaza has been raging for months. War in Ukraine has been raging for years. And Russia has even threatened to use nuclear weapons. Terrorist groups brazenly attack American shipping vessels. Iran keeps stirring the pot by shipping weapons and cash (most of which has been provided by the US) to belligerents around the world. China continues to insist that it will “reunify” with Taiwan by force if necessary, and demonstrates its resolve for war by bombing mock-ups of US ships.

Now, the world has been in far worse shape in the past. World War 2 is a prime example. History shows that it is possible to pull back from the brink of almost certain conflict— the Cuban Missile Crisis is a great example. But putting out all these fires requires serious, experienced professionals who can be laser-focused on achieving their nation’s diplomatic priorities from a position of strength. Yet the US State Department has a far higher calling than achieving peace through strength: gender neutrality.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently sent a memo to State Department employees entitled,“Modeling DEIA [Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility]: Gender Identity Best Practices.”

The memo informs State Department employees that they should use “gender-neutral language whenever possible” because gendered terms such as “manpower”, “you guys”, “ladies and gentlemen”, “mother/father”, “son/daughter”, and “husband/wife” can be offensive.

Offensive to whom, exactly? Does the US Secretary of State honestly believe that the word “father” is in any way offensive to the people with whom they have to negotiate?

Are Hamas terrorists triggered by the term “husband”? Will Ukrainian soldiers be outraged for praising “the brave men and women” who are fighting on the front lines? Obviously not.

Terms like “father” and “mother” are only offensive to a tiny, tiny group of silly extremists in the US who have nothing better to do than wake up every morning and find an excuse to live in a state of perpetual victimhood. But apparently, the State Department is teeming with these whiny perpetual victims… which is pretty terrifying given the state of the world today.

Rather than focus on promoting strength, peace, and stability, there are ostensibly American diplomats who are more concerned about not being triggered by gender-specific words that have existed in the English language for more than 15 centuries.

Now, bear in mind that the entire purpose of the State Department is to interact with officials in other nations, who obviously tend to speak different languages. Yet many of these gender-neutral terms don’t even translate.

In Spanish, for example, mother is la madre and father is el padre. And if you’re referring to both parents, or you’re not sure which one, native speakers say padre, i.e. father. There is no genderless word for parent in Spanish. It simply doesn’t translate. So what exactly is the point of using this new genderless woke newspeak when it cannot even be communicated to foreign diplomats?

A good example of the stupidity of gender-neutral language is the story of Fran Itkoff who worked as a volunteer with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The organization recently implemented a new Diversity and Inclusion policy in which staffers must include their pronouns, i.e. she/her, at the end of an email. Fran didn’t understand the policy and asked why putting ‘she/her’ was inclusive? It’s certainly a reasonable question.

But “why” is the most triggering word of all to Diversity & Inclusion fanatics. They have no answers, they have no logic. So they respond with rage. 90-year-old Fran Itkoff was fired— as a volunteer— for asking why.

Her story started making the rounds online, so the National Multiple Sclerosis Society subsequently issued a bizarre apology, which stated that, even though “Fran has been a committed champion of [the Multiple Sclerosis] cause” for six decades, they fired her “with the best intentions”.

The Multiple Sclerosis Society cares more about pronouns than they do about eradicating Multiple Sclerosis! How does this organization expect anyone to take them seriously?

But the same question applies to the State Department. By publishing this memo, the Secretary of State has made it very clear what his Department’s priorities are. How does he expect Iran, Hamas, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, etc. to take him seriously?

Remember, we’re not talking about a mid-sized non-profit or some random Congressman. This woke newspeak is now official guidance at the US Department of State.

The United States faces a mountain of extraordinary challenges, from geopolitical threats to the southern border crisis to the looming national debt catastrophe. These problems are not unsolvable. Unfortunately, the Inspired Idiots in charge keep making things worse. And this is a perfect example: by publishing this memo, the Secretary of State weakened America’s position in front of its adversaries. He made things worse, not better. Obviously, they don’t believe they’re making anything worse. They think their crusade for justice makes the world a better place. But they’re clearly out of touch with reality.

The State Department’s Newspeak memo states that you should not “pressure someone to state their pronouns” because it is “problematic” and sends a “harmful, exclusionary message”. Wait, so which is it? Are we supposed to demand people state their pronouns or aren’t we? It’s all so confusing… pronouns cannot be simultaneously “inclusive” and “exclusionary” at the same time, can they? And that’s part of this 1984-style newspeak. Nothing has any fixed meaning. Everything is arbitrary and open to interpretation. There is no structure, there is no order. It’s all fluid and ever-changing… just like their definition of gender.

The world has discarded God and His commandments/laws as Jesus said they would before His return to restore righteousness. In God’s Word, we are given incredibly detailed prophecies about the state of the world before His return so we can prepare.

“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them… And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains... “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:3,6-13

There are many ministries God has raised up to prepare Christians for the approaching end times events. One I can recommend is http://www.lastdaysovercomers.org with Nelson Walters, Marquis Laughlin, and Jake McCandless. It is imperative Christian prepare for the coming tribulation.

THE CHURCH THAT IS LEFT BEHIND

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The tragic shooting at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston is another sad reminder that sin is irrational, evil, and enduring.

The mayhem caused when a woman with a rifle opened fire led Osteen to say, “In the face of such darkness, we must hold onto our faith and remember evil will not prevail.” That’s good theology: In the long run, the God of the Bible triumphs. But that long run is much less temporal than it is eternal. Christians know no immunity from pain in a world cursed by sin. Instead, they look to a universe cleansed from sin and everlasting life in the presence of their Lord and King.

Osteen seems eager to talk about other things. According to him, “We’ve got to make our [church] services good. They’ve got to uplift people. They’ve got to walk away saying, ‘You know what, I feel better today.”’

Walk away feeling good? “Uplift?” Is this why God became both a man and, on the cross, the very essence of sin (II Corinthians 5:21)? This is Christianity without Christ, a spiritual oxymoron that removes the centre of the gospel and then throws only a shadow of hope on those in desperate need of transformation. It is grace reduced to psychological slobber and truth as a buffet from which you can select only those things you find appealing.

Lakewood’s statement of belief is sound, although basic. It’s my hope that Osteen and those on his large staff truly believe in the necessity of new birth in Christ and the need for faithful obedience to Him. But these things are not what Osteen preaches. His best-selling “Your Best Life Now” is hundreds of pages about how to obtain fulfillment without a single mention of dying to self and the cost of following Jesus. Instead, Pastor Joel recommends “letting go of the past” and tells us that we must “find strength through adversity.” In themselves, these things can aid you in regaining your emotional equilibrium. But is that it? Is this the message of the cross? Is this why, all over the world, martyrs are dying for their love of Jesus?

John Piper has outlined six problems with the “feel good” gospel. His analysis is a useful summary of where preachers like Osteen go far afield from “the faith once delivered” (Jude 1:3). According to Piper, such ministries as Osteen’s are characterized by:

  1. An absence of a serious doctrine of the biblical necessity and normalcy of suffering
  2. An absence of a clear and prominent doctrine of self-denial
  3. An absence of serious exposition of Scripture
  4. A failure to deal with tensions in Scripture
  5. Church leaders who have exorbitant lifestyles
  6. The prominence of self and marginalization of the greatness of God

The “serious exposition” of the good news of Christ involves things sinners often dislike hearing. As theologian Ray Ortlund reminds us, “The good news of the gospel begins with some really bad news. Our sins only provoke a bigger problem: the wrath of God. Our real problem is not our sins but God. He is angry, he isn’t going away, and there is nothing we can do about it.”

Nothing. We. Can. Do. About. It. No self-talk, no therapy, no learned technique to quell genuine guilt or silence the voice of divine conviction. This is the broad way against which Jesus so vividly warned, the way of Oprah and mysticism and prideful self-reliance. It might indeed lead to transient happiness but invariably takes one through the gates of hell.

The bad news of human sin and our inability to redeem ourselves is not the end of the story. “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked … and were by nature children of wrath,” Paul writes to the Christians in Ephesus, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.” Once dead, now alive: this is the key to your best life now and forever. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” Ephesians 2:1-9

Followers of Jesus should pray that God would so arrest the heart and mind of Joel Osteen and all like him that they would repent of the false gospel they so happily broadcast and issue a new message, one that announces the righteous anger of a holy God and the gracious offer of a loving Father. He is one and the same, and His offer of hope, meaning, transformation, and life itself never changes.

Sadly, Joel and Lakewood Church represent the church of Laodicea that is left behind to go through the Trumpet and Bowl judgements of God.

‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Revelation 3:15-19

Compare this with the church of Philadelphia which is the church that is raptured at the trumpet blast at the opening of the seventh seal.

“‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name… Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.” Revelation 3:10-12

BE ENCOURAGED AND PRAY FOR OUR PERSECUTED BROTHERS & SISTERS

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Deep in the capital of Lebanon, thousands of Christians recently gathered to praise Jesus in a one-night worship experience that organizers say became “a beacon of hope and joy” for the Middle East. “Beirut 2024” was an ecumenical musical event that brought together believers from different Christian faith traditions to worship God and instill hope in its attendees.  The event was held as part of celebrations for the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the 50th anniversary of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).

The MECC organized the gathering and estimated that about 10,000 people were in attendance. According to the “Beirut 2024″ website, the celebration was an event that sought to “showcase the Holy Spirit’s presence in the Church’s worship across ages.” With escalating tensions in the Middle East, leaders also decided to hold a “unique prayer meeting” to unite “diverse Churches in praise, fostering unity as outlined in Ephesians 1. Additionally, it symbolized a beacon of hope and joy for Lebanon and the wider Middle East.” “It is an opportunity to pray for peace in Lebanon and repentance for its people,” the website shares.

A choir of 300 singers and musicians from different churches led the congregation of church leaders and worshippers through the night of prayer and praise. “No one is surprised that this blessed choir speaks with multiple languages, for it is filled with the Holy Spirit who gave it to speak in this way, as happened on the day of Pentecost. Our chant tonight will be ascending to heaven, with the power of the Spirit that unites us, and it will be stronger than the screams of haters and murderers of man, and louder than the blast of their bombs,” said Professor Dr. Michel Abs, Secretary General of the MECC. “Our ecumenical spiritual evening is the product of the Holy Spirit, through believers, who worked with persistence and determination to make it happen and bring together the one Church of Christ with its cultural diversity and richness, in which the Middle East abounds,” he added. Those who attended reflected on the importance of praying for unity and peace in the Middle East. The event was broadcast live on the Lebanese MTV channel and other Christian stations.

Source: CBNNews

40,000 REVIVAL PRAYER GROUPS SPRING UP AS TAIWAN’S CHRISTIANS FACE WAR

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Source: CBN News

China’s sabre-rattling has been escalating for months. “Tensions are peaking. Beijing’s belligerence is once again making Taipei jittery,” said a report from WION News. China’s military recently released a video showing what simulated attacks on Taiwan would look like. “A war here in Taiwan would have catastrophic economic consequences not just for this island, but for the whole world,” warned SkyNews London in a report from Taipei. The tiny island off the mainland coast is now facing almost daily Chinese military harassment. “Taiwan is beefing up its military and training with new U.S. weapons,” reported CBS News, as its military prepares for possible full-scale war. “To be clear, we do not seek conflict or confrontation, but we will not flinch in the face of bullying or coercion,” said a defiant U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin. While the war drums grow louder by day, Taiwan’s Christians are taking to their knees by night.”The united prayers and fasting prayers of the churches in Taiwan are much more than ever before. It’s an unprecedented prayer movement,” Brian Lu, pastor of Shekinah House of Bread of Life in Taipei, told CBN News.

All across this island, people are meeting every day, 24 hours a day, to pray for revival, unity, repentance, and protection over their land. “I believe something so simple is starting to have such a huge impact upon people in the church and also the people around the church,” said Gordon Huang, a prominent church leader. Huang pastors one of Taiwan’s most well-known congregations. His church sits atop the iconic landmark known as Taipei 101 in the heart of the capital city. He fears war with China is coming and wants Christians to be ready. “I think one thing for sure is that people are going to be so shaken and people will want to hear the Gospel. Are you ready or are you going to be on the run yourself?” Huang told CBN News. That theme of shaking gripped Don Young two years ago. “I had heard from the Lord: ‘Time is short, the hour is urgent, it’s time to pray’,” he recalls. In May of 2021, Pastor Young says the Lord spoke to him and gave him a word that there was going to be a shaking coming to this nation. He brought that message to the church leaders of the island and that gave birth to a prayer movement that has since swept across Taiwan.

The Revival Prayer Group or RPG movement began, made up of a handful of people in groups taking turns around the clock to pray for Taiwan. “Prayer is the only way that you can get through anything shaking,” said Young who now works with the Georgia-based College of Prayer International. “Jesus said everything by prayer. He did nothing apart from prayer. Before it was just kind of a moment with God, we all have them, but now it was shaping up to become a movement for God. There’s a huge difference between a moment and a movement.” “Because RPG has two or three people in a group, so if one day a war happens and there are no physical buildings that people can meet in, we can still pray in small groups so the church will not be affected,” said Pastor Lu. Peter Yang has pastored and planted churches in Taiwan since 1978 and says he’s never seen the kind of unity now on display. Churches across denominational lines have been joining the initiative.

“What’s happening today is so rare,” said Rev. Yang who leads the Taiwan Christian Alliance. “Every day, every week, I join pastors from other churches, other denominations, and we pray for our cities, for our nation for other countries. It’s amazing, it’s clearly God’s doing. Unity will be the legacy of this movement.”

More than 40,000 Revival Prayer Groups have sprouted up, with members of China’s underground church movement also taking part. Each group has about 5 members, so that brings the current total to roughly 200,000 participants. “We want to have 300,000 RPG groups where we also unite with churches in China, coming together, all the leaders and members, on both sides, so we can pray with the goal of impacting China as well,” said Yang. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year sent a chill across this island nation of 23 million people with many drawing comparisons between Putin’s obsession with taking over Ukraine and Xi Jinping’s determination to “annex” Taiwan.

Many fear war can erupt here with little notice and it’s prompting some to search for peace amid constant threats from Beijing. “Many people came and joined RPG because they heard testimonies of how God is answering prayer, so you have a lot of unbelieving people joining RPG and as they open their mouths and pray, they experience the Lord so they are coming to the Lord as well,” said Pastor Huang. CBN News spoke with church leaders who said a potential Taiwan-China war would be like David facing down Goliath, bringing untold devastation and loss of life. They believe prayer can make the difference between war and peace.  “We ask churches around the world to pray for this most dangerous place in the world today so that God’s peace can come upon cross-strait relations,” said Pastor Lu. “Ethnic Chinese should not kill one another, but instead, we should together fulfill the end-time missions’ movement, to bring the Gospel back to Jerusalem.”

This is just another end-times sign and it is great to see that Taiwanese Christians recognize it and are responding to it.

GENESIS PROVIDES US WITH A TRUE HISTORY OF THE WORLD

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The video IS GENESIS HISTORY features over a dozen scientists and scholars explaining how science intersects with the history recorded in Genesis. From rock layers to fossils, from lions to stars, from the Bible to artifacts, this fascinating film will change the way you see the world. The film’s goal is to provide a reasonable case for Creation in six normal days, a real Adam and Eve, an actual fall, a global flood, and the tower of Babel. Dr. Del Tackett, creator of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵, serves as your guide—hiking through canyons, climbing up mountains, and diving below the sea—in an exploration of two competing views…one compelling truth.

1. Changing Our Perspective 0:00 2. What do the Rocks Tell us? 3:59 3. A Question of Paradigms 13:49 4. What Does the Text Say? 17:55 5 How do you Measure Time? 23:32 6.A Brief History of the World 34:13, 6 – A Brief History of the World 34:13, 7. The Origin of Fossils 42:26 8. When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth 50:14, 9. Soft Tissue in Dinosaur Bones 55:51, 10. The Genius of Design 1:02:58, 11. The Potential of Created Kinds 1:12:34, 12. The Purpose of the Stars 1:21:22, 13. Where was Babel? 1:28:03, 14. Genesis and Our Culture 1:33:19, 15. A Changed Perspective 1:39:09, 16. Credits 1:41:26

We all need to be equipped with good resources to bring our unrepentant family and friends to a knowledge of God and His redemptive plan for mankind. This video is an excellent tool. As well, go to http://www.answersingenesis.org and http://www.creation.com.

Martyn Isles (formerly of A.C.L) is now CEO of Answers in Genesis. He and Ken Ham (Founder) are in Australia at present. I attended their first meeting (Living in Babylon) in Adelaide at the Convention Centre. It was a sold-out event. The Perth event was last night but they still have Brisbane and Melbourne to go. Sadly, they could not get the numbers for Sydney. You can connect online, by going to http://www.answersingenesis.org.