. . . believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable . . . —1 Peter 1:8
Christ is the answer to sadness and discouragement. This is a world of thwarted hopes, broken dreams, and frustrated desires. G.K. Chesterton says, “Everywhere there is speed, noise and confusion, but nowhere deep happiness and quiet hearts.”
A Hollywood columnist wrote about a famous movie star, “The bright, carefree radiance has gone from her pretty face.” Optimism and cheerfulness are products of knowing Christ. If the heart has been attuned to God through faith in Christ, then its overflow will be joyous optimism and good cheer. You will never be free from discouragement and despondency until you have been tuned to God. Christ is the wellspring of happiness. He is the fountainhead of joy. Here is the Christian’s secret of joy. Prayer for the day: By Your love I experience the delight of a quiet heart. Deep down is the joy that cannot be taken away. Lord, may I always keep my eyes on You, my source of joy.
Written by Billy Graham, Founder of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association(BGEA). BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.
Topic: Let God Minister To You – Friday October 13, 2017.
John 13:8 “Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.” Text: John 13:5-8
Peter’s refusal to let Jesus wash his feet came from a knowledge that he was totally unworthy to have the sinless Son of God serve him as a common servant would. Peter was correct in his assessment of his relative worth, but what he missed was that God doesn’t minister to us because of our worth but because of His love. Even though Peter’s attitude looked holy and humble, he was actually resisting God’s will and committing an act of pride. Pride is not only exalting yourself above what is proper, but also, it can be debasing yourself below what is proper. Pride is simply self-centeredness or being self-willed instead of God-centered and submitted to God’s will. Peter should have been humble enough to know that Jesus knew what He was doing and he should have submitted himself to God’s will.
Likewise today, some people refuse to let God bless them, thinking they are unworthy of His favor. While it is true that our actions don’t warrant God’s goodness, a truly humble person will receive the Lord’s blessings as an expression of His love and grace toward them. Misguided humility is every bit as damaging as exaggerated pride.
Peter wanted to serve Jesus, but did not want to be served by Jesus. Jesus was telling Peter that unless he received His ministry to him, Peter would be unfit to serve Him. We cannot cleanse ourselves or others. We are totally dependent on the work of God’s grace in our lives. Then and only then, are we equipped to minister to others. Before we can be the blessing that we desire to be to God or to others, we have to let God be the blessing to us that He desires to be.
This message was written by The Association of Related Ministries International (ARMI) is an extension of Andrew Wommack Ministries (AWM). ARMI is a unique partnership committed to providing resources to help like-minded ministers succeed in a spirit of excellence and to draw from the experience and expertise of both the AWM and Charis Bible College staff. (www.awmi.net).
A world-leading genital reconstruction surgeon is alarmed by the increase in his patients seeking reversals of so-called “gender reassignment surgery.” (REUTERS/Marko Djurica)
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A world-leading genital reconstruction surgeon is alarmed by the increase in his patients seeking reversals of so-called “gender reassignment surgery.”
According to a report in The Telegraph, Professor Miroslav Djordjevic has seen a high number of “transgender” people who have undergone sex-change surgeries later express regrets and experience crippling depression and suicidal thoughts. Djordjevic cites two reasons: a lack of robust research on the topic and a lack of psychiatric evaluation and counseling before the surgeries. Although Djordjevic requires his patients to undergo a year or more of psychiatric evaluation followed by hormone evaluation and therapy, some patients seeking reversals have told him that they were only asked if they had the money for the surgery beforehand.
Djordjevic said the average age of his patients has dropped from 45 to 21 since he first started more than 20 years ago, with some in the medical community advocating for allowing minors to get sex-change surgeries. Djordjevic believes that to be dangerous ground and said he personally will not do those surgeries.
“I’m afraid of what will happen five to 10 years later with this person,” Djordjevic said of patients younger than 18 who may eventually have the surgery.
James Caspian, a psychotherapist at Bath Spa University in Southwest England, tried to do research on so-called “detransitioning,” but his proposal was rejected after his preliminary findings revealed that an increase of young people, particularly women, were regretting “gender reassignment surgery,” according to The Guardian.
Liberty Counsel has been instrumental in defeating proposed laws in numerous states which sought to prohibit counselors – including pastors, teachers, and parents—from providing counsel to any minor (including a parent’s own child) about the child’s unwanted same-sex attractions or gender confusion.
Walt Heyer struggled with gender dysphoria as a result of being sexually abused as a boy by a family member, combined with his grandmother’s decision to secretly clothe him as a girl. Heyer had “gender reassignment surgery.” However, after he experienced restoration and healing from a relationship with Jesus Christ, Heyer reverted back to his biological gender as a man.
“I see the tragic consequences of polices to expand gender/sex beyond male and female, in the desperate letters I receive from those who regret gender transitioning and from the families of those who are still caught in the transgender delusion,” said Heyer.
“To suggest that people can change their sex like they change clothes or dye their hair is dangerous,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. “People’s discontentment with their birth sex cannot be solved by hormones and body mutilation,” said Staver.
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A Boy Scout statue titled “Trail to Manhood” stands outside the National Scouting Museum in Irving, Texas. ( REUTERS/Michael Prengler/File Photo)
The Boy Scouts dropped a bombshell announcement Wednesday: They are going gender inclusive. The BSA is about to open its tents to girls—from Cub Scouts to Eagle Scouts.
“This decision is true to the BSA’s mission and core values outlined in the Scout Oath and Law. The values of scouting—trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and reverent, for example—are important for both young men and women,” said Michael Surbaugh, the BSA’s Chief Scout Executive. “We believe it is critical to evolve how our programs meet the needs of families interested in positive and lifelong experiences for their children.”
The move is expected to result in yet another mass exodus of boys from the once-heralded scouting organization.
“When you lose your moral compass the next thing to go is the courage and conviction to navigate in contrary times,” Trail Life USA’s Mark Hancock told “The Todd Starnes Show.”
Trail Life USA is a Christian scouting organization that was founded after the Boy Scouts were conquered by a vocal group of LGBT activists. Trail Life now has more than 28,000 active members in nearly every state. Hancock warned the Boy Scout’s decision was one more example of a “war on boys.”
“Boys are losing out because we are focusing on them. We are not celebrating with them the wildness, the daring,” he said.
Leaders with American Heritage Girls, a faith-based, all-girls program, say it’s important for girls to have their own programs.
“American Heritage Girls is committed to its girl focus and will not acquiesce its dedication to girls due to enrollment decline or political correctness,” Patti Garibay said.
Family Research Council president Tony Perkins also joined “The Todd Starnes Show”—wondering if the Boy Scouts will have to drop the word “boy” from its title.
“This is the slippery slope. Where does it stop? It doesn’t stop until the Boy Scouts is a mere shadow of what it once was. They want the symbolism without the substance, and that’s where we are headed,” Perkins said.
He tells me he’s not terribly surprised by the decision—also calling it a war on boys. So don’t be surprised if you see the Boy Scouts marching in the next Nasty Woman protest, wearing pink neckerchiefs and matching knit hats.
Soon, a new generation of gender-inclusive scouts will earn Emasculation Badges and social justice pins and volunteer for community service hours at the local Planned Parenthood abortion mill.
I wonder if the Boy Scouts are going to start selling cookies?
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Influential media icon Apple has reportedly removed a pro-life app from its iOS App Store after the app received criticism from pro-abortion media.
According to LifeNews.com, Human Coalition launched an app on the App Store which allows individuals and church groups to pray for women considering getting an abortion in real time. The women remain anonymous, but Human Coalition hoped that the app would be a way for pro-life advocates to be aware of specific prayer needs.
There was much pushback against the app from pro-abortion media, however. In a Slate article, Christina Cauterucci penned a sarcastic piece:
“With the help of an app developed by the anti-abortion Human Coalition, it was easy! I saved real-live babies from the clutches of money-grubbing abortion providers with just a couple dozen swipes of my right thumb, as if I were paging through Tinder or wiping a little schmutz off the screen of my phone.
You too can be a baby-saving hero. Your superpower awaits at your favored app store, searchable under ‘Human Coalition.’”
Amelia Tait at The New Statesman also criticized the app: “Are digital anti-abortion prayers sanctioned by the church? Do they reach God? Though these questions may seem faintly ridiculous, their answers seem more important than ever. When it comes to the tech behind these anti-abortion apps however, that is where people – religious or not – might do well to lose a little faith.”
These articles reportedly caused Apple to pull the app from the App Store.
“In July, on the heels of pro-abortion media pushback, Apple notified us that they had removed the Human Coalition app from the App Store, citing violations of certain functionality requirements. However, Human Coalition spoke with Apple and demonstrated that not only were the cited requirements met, but that the Human Coalition app exceeded minimum requirements and functioned better than similar apps from other developers,” a Human Coalition spokesperson told LifeNews.
The spokesperson added that Apple refused to give a specific change the app developers could make to allow the app to be accepted on the App Store.
This incident comes in the wake of another pro-life censorship incident. As ChristianHeadlines.com previously reported, Twitter recently pulled a campaign ad from its platform which condemned Planned Parenthood.
The Wittenberg 2017 Congress, a unique global gathering of more than 750 Christian leaders, will be held Oct. 30-Nov.1, 2017, in conjunction with the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses. Hosted by the Global Church Network, the summit will feature presentations from over 30 cutting-edge Christian speakers.
“This once-in-a-lifetime event will gather leaders from every major Christian denomination to synergize efforts to exponentially grow the size of the Global Church,” said Dr. Leonard Sweet, co-host of the Wittenberg 2017 Congress. “Those who attend will be renewed in their heart for God’s Word, revived in their mind toward the body of Christ and released to go out and complete Finish 2030 in our lifetime.”
The Wittenberg 2017 Congress will convene at the five-star Maritim Berlin Hotel in Berlin for the first five sessions. On November 1, the summit’s closing session will be held at Castle Church in Wittenberg, the historic place where Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door and where he was later buried.
“It was on Nov. 1, 1517, when people arrived at the church for All Saints’ Day, that the 95 Theses were first read and contemplated by the public,” said Dr. James O. Davis, Founder/President of the Global Church Network and co-host of The Wittenberg 2017 Congress. “It’s fitting that the last day of our Congress will take place at Castle Church on the 500th anniversary of the first day of the Protestant Reformation.”
The Wittenberg 2017 Congress’ distinguished presenters include:
Dr. Samson O. Ayokunle
Rev. Eddy Leo
Dr. John Sorensen
Dr. Doug Beacham
Dr. Ron Luce
Rev. Hartmut Steeb
Dr. Glenn Burris
Dr. Jo Anne Lyon
Dr. Leonard Sweet
Dr. Jan Von Camphausen
Dr. Alex Mitala
Dr. Efraim Tendero
Dr. Chuck Conniry
Dr. David Mohan
Dr. Kenneth C. Ulmer
Dr. Gustavo Crocker
Rev. Peter Mortlock
Peter Wenz
Dr. James O. Davis
Pastor Poncho Murguia
Dr. George O. Wood
Dr. Leon Fontaine
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez
Rev. Lazarus Yeghnazar
Dr. Timothy Hill
Dr. Heinrich Christian Rust
Dr. Byoungho Zoh
Rev. Johannes Justus
Rev. Alberto Salcedo
Dr. P. Douglas Small
Dr. Suliasi Kurulo
Dr. David Sobrepena
Biographical information about each speaker is available at luther2017.tv.
The Wittenberg 2017 Congress will be livestreamed exclusively on billion.tv for millions of people around the world to follow all events of the three-day summit.
In Victory for Trump, Supreme Court Dismisses Travel Ban Case
The Supreme Court dismissed a major challenge to President Trump’s travel ban on majority-Muslim countries because it has been replaced by a new version, sending the controversy back to the starting block.
The ruling Tuesday (Oct. 10) is a victory for the Trump administration, which had asked the court to drop the case after Trump signed a proclamation Sept. 24 that replaced the temporary travel ban on six nations with a new, indefinite ban affecting eight countries. That action made the court challenge moot, the justices ruled.
“We express no view on the merits,” the justices said in a one-page order.
The decision effectively wipes the record clean in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, one of two federal appeals courts that had struck down major portions of Trump’s travel ban. That case began in Maryland.
A separate case from the 9th Circuit, based in California, remains pending because it includes a ban on refugees worldwide that won’t expire until later this month. But the Supreme Court is likely to ditch that case, which began in Hawaii, as well.
The challengers in both cases already have renewed their lawsuits in the lower courts, starting the legal process anew. In Maryland, a federal district court has scheduled a new hearing for next week.
But the new travel ban and the Supreme Court’s order vacating the 4th Circuit appeals court judgment puts the administration in a somewhat stronger position, at least for now.
The 4th Circuit case was brought by the International Refugee Assistance Project, which argued that banning travel from six majority-Muslim countries violated the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of religion.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented from the court’s action. She would have dismissed the case but in a way that would have preserved the appeals court ruling against the ban, rather than vacating it.
Under its original schedule, the court would have heard the case Tuesday, but the court had delayed oral argument after Trump replaced his earlier order. The new version followed a three-month review of immigration procedures.
The latest travel ban targets five countries included in two previous versions — Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen — as well as Chad, North Korea and Venezuela. Unlike the earlier bans, it treats some countries and types of travelers, such as students or tourists, differently than others.
The administration told the justices last week that the new ban is “based on detailed findings regarding the national security interests of the United States that were reached after a thorough, worldwide review and extensive consultation.”
The ban’s challengers argued that the case against the last version should go forward because many of the same travelers and their families are adversely affected — not just for 90 days, but indefinitely.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which brought the 4th Circuit challenge on behalf of the refugee group, had said charges of anti-Muslim discrimination still applied “despite some new window dressing” — a reference to the addition of North Korea and Venezuela.
Hawaii, which brought the 9th Circuit challenge, warned the justices that elements of the earlier ban still could be revived, since Trump has said he wants a “much tougher version.”
Photo: Travelers make their way up the arrival ramp at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at the Los Angeles International Airport on June 29, 2017. After months of wrangling, tighter restrictions on travel to the U.S. from six mostly Muslim nations took effect in June after the Supreme Court gave its go-ahead for a limited version of President Trump’s plans for a ban.
A still image from a video posted by the Taliban on social media on Dec. 19, 2016, shows American Caitlan Coleman (L) speaking next to her Canadian husband, Joshua Boyle, and their two sons. (Courtesy Taliban/Social media via REUTERS)
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A kidnapped U.S.-Canadian couple and their three children born in captivity have been freed in Pakistan, nearly five years after the couple was abducted in neighboring Afghanistan, Pakistani and U.S. officials said on Thursday.
American Caitlan Coleman and her Canadian husband, Joshua Boyle, were kidnapped while backpacking in Afghanistan in 2012 by the Taliban-allied Haqqani network, which the United States has long accused Pakistan of failing to fight.
According to Philly Mag, the couple told friends and family in an email: “Only God knows exactly where it will lead or what all can be accomplished, seen, experienced or learned while we travel. So we put ourselves in His hands.”
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been highly critical of Islamabad, praised Pakistan’s cooperation with the U.S. government over the freeing of the hostages, saying it represented “a positive moment” for U.S.-Pakistan relations.
“The Pakistani government’s cooperation is a sign that it is honoring America’s wishes for it to do more to provide security in the region,” Trump said in a statement.
Trump’s chief of staff, John Kelly, drove home the dire conditions that the family had been subjected to during its long captivity.
“They’ve been essentially living in a hole for five years,” Kelly said. “That’s the kind of people we’re dealing with over there.”
It was unclear how precisely the Pakistani military secured the family’s release, which came after the United States shared intelligence about the hostages’ location. It was also unclear when the family would return home.
Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the U.S. military had been ready to fly the family out of the country but said Boyle, who is Canadian, had refused to board the aircraft.
Boyle had once been married to the sister of an inmate at the U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay. The marriage ended and the inmate was later released to Canada. CNN reported he might fear some kind of U.S. legal prosecution.
As of Thursday evening, there was no indication the family had left Pakistan. Boyle’s parents said he told them by phone he would see them in a couple of days.
“So we’re waiting for that,” his mother, Linda Boyle, said in a video posted on the Toronto Star newspaper’s website.
The U.S. officials expressed hope that the hostages’ freedom could represent a turning point in relations between Pakistan and the United States, uneasy allies in fighting Taliban and other Islamist extremists in the region.
In recent days, senior U.S. officials have been more pointed about Islamabad’s alleged ties to militant groups, who are battling against U.S. and U.S.-backed forces in the 16-year-old war in neighboring Afghanistan. The war is at a stalemate.
Pakistan fiercely denies such ties, and it touted the operation as proof of the strength of the alliance.
“The success underscores the importance of timely intelligence sharing and Pakistan’s continued commitment towards fighting this menace through cooperation between two forces against a common enemy,” a Pakistani army statement said.
Rescue Operation?
Boyle’s father, in the video message, offered his thanks to Pakistani forces “who risked their lives and got all five of ours out safely and rescued.”
The Pakistani army said its forces recovered the hostages after acting on U.S. intelligence about their passage into Pakistan from Afghanistan.
U.S. officials did not immediately confirm a military-style rescue and used far more nuanced language. Kelly, for example, said Pakistani officials “got custody” of the family.
One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said there was no indication that the hostages had been in Afghanistan in the days before they were freed, contrary to the Pakistani account.
The United States believed the hostages were probably held by the Haqqani group in or near its headquarters in northwest Pakistan the entire time, two other U.S. officials said.
Declining to discuss U.S. intelligence in detail that was shared with Pakistan, they said the United States had been tracking cars capable of holding six or more people moving from place to place, which analysts had concluded were suggestive of moving hostages.
One of the officials suspected that at least some of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) must have known about the location of the hostages.
A brief U.S. State Department statement used the word “rescue” to describe efforts by the U.S. and Pakistani governments to secure the hostages’ release.
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland asked for respect for the family’s privacy and thanked the governments of the United States, Pakistan and Afghanistan for their efforts to win the hostages’ release.
“Joshua, Caitlan, their children and the Boyle and Coleman families have endured a horrible ordeal over the past five years. We stand ready to support them as they begin their healing journey,” Freeland said.
Coleman was pregnant at the time she was kidnapped, and a video released by the Taliban in December showed two sons born while she and her husband were hostages.
Thursday’s statements from Islamabad and Washington were the first mention of a third child.
Some officials said Pakistanis’ motive for freeing the hostages may have been political rather than humanitarian, intended to reduce the tensions ahead of upcoming visits by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
Tillerson, in a statement, said Trump’s strategy in the region recognized “the important role Pakistan needs to play to bring stability and ultimately peace to the region.”
Last week, Mattis said the United States would try “one more time” to work with Pakistan in Afghanistan before Trump would “take whatever steps are necessary” to change Pakistan’s behavior.
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Franklin Graham Shares What Verse Billy Graham Has on Display in His Home
The Rev. Billy Graham is well-advanced in age. His 99th birthday is coming up next month, but as he grows older, the famous evangelist continues to prioritize Scripture.
Recently, the Rev. Franklin Graham, the elder Graham’s son, shared in a Facebook post that his father has a particular Bible verse displayed all over his North Carolina home.
According to ChristianToday.com, the younger Graham called it his father’s life verse. “Still today, my father Billy Graham has a Bible verse pinned up on the wall in his bedroom, printed in VERY large letters. In fact, it’s in the dining room, his bathroom, and several other spots around the house! Back before his 95th birthday, he was working on a sermon based on this key Scripture. It was his passion to memorize it, to saturate his heart and mind with it. He made it his life verse,” Graham wrote in the recent Facebook post.
The verse, Graham continued, is Galatians 6:14, which reads: “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
The younger Graham went on to say that this verse is “a great verse for us to live by.”
The elder Graham will be celebrating his 99th birthday on November 7. Although he has slowed down in his old age, his son says he continues to focus on Scripture and also enjoys visits from family members and close friends.
(Photo: Facebook/Summit on 16th United Methodist Church)Summit on 16th United Methodist Church, located in Columbus, Ohio.
A theologically liberal United Methodist congregation in Ohio is hosting a pro-LGBT event later this month, having sponsored a similar event in the past.
Summit on 16th United Methodist Church, a Columbus-based congregation that belongs to the LGBT activist group Reconciling Ministries Network, will host the “Come Out, Come Out” event on Oct. 26.
“Summit on 16th UMC is proud to present another year of “COME OUT, COME OUT!” as we celebrate coming out day and allow the LGBTQIA+ community to celebrate openly and honestly in a space that is welcoming to all people,” says the Facebook event page.
“We have an open mic for spoken word, song, dance, jokes, story telling, mime, drag, coming out stories, etc. We are thrilled to have some fabulous special guests including: Mikayla Denise (local drag celebrity), Mr. Teddy Martin (International recording artist), Luster Dela Virgion (drag king icon), Michael Hatcher (local soul singer), and many more!”
Neither Summit UMC nor the West Ohio Annual Conference returned comment to The Christian Post for this story by press time.
The UMC Book of Discipline labels homosexuality “incompatible with Christian teaching” and also prohibits certain financial support for LGBT advocacy.
“[The General Council on Finance and Administration] shall be responsible for ensuring that no board, agency, committee, commission, or council shall give United Methodist funds to any gay caucus or group, or otherwise use such funds to promote the acceptance of homosexuality,” notes the Book of Discipline.
John Lomperis, United Methodist staffer with the theologically conservative Institute on Religion and Democracy, told CP that while he believed the event “appears to be against the spirit of the Book of Discipline,” it is “not against the letter.”
“The Book of Discipline specifically requires all clergy to follow biblical standards for sexual self-control, and forbids any United Methodist pastor from performing or any congregation from hosting a same-sex ‘wedding.’ But there is no indication that these specific, narrow rules will be violated at this event,” explained Lomperis.
Describing the West Ohio Annual Conference as “theologically mixed” with both outspoken liberals and evangelicals, Lomperis also told CP that he believed Summit UMC’s event did not properly welcome people.
“Churches should reach out and welcome all people, including self-identified members of the LGBTQ community. But simply ‘welcoming’ people is useless unless we are very clear on what exactly we are welcoming people into,” said Lomperis.
“If it’s not a transformative life of Christian discipleship and accountable biblical community, then the church is failing to be the church.”
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