Hookers for Jesus says it is “trusting God” after a whistleblower complaint named the group as one of two lesser qualified organizations that received more than $1 million in funding from a U.S. Justice Department anti-human trafficking grant program over other organizations.

An internal department memo cited in a Reuters report showed that as of Sept. 12, two long-established nonprofits – the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach and Chicanos Por La Causa of Phoenix – were originally on the list of recommended grant winners after receiving high marks from outside contractors hired to review applications. Later that month, those two organizations were replaced by Hookers for Jesus and the Lincoln Tubman Foundation, which both received lower rankings and were not recommended for grants by outside reviewers.

A Sept. 23 memo says the change was made in an effort to “distribute funding across as many states as possible.”

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees local 2830 filed a complaint asking the inspector general to investigate whether politics factored in the two grant awards in December Reuters said.

Chicanos Por La Causa has opposed the Trump administration’s immigration policies while the head of Catholic Charities in Palm Beach has reportedly participated in past Democratic National Committees as a delegate or standing committee member.

Hookers for Jesus, a mission-driven nonprofit that seeks to help individuals impacted by sex trafficking and the adult entertainment industry, did not respond immediately to questions from The Christian Post Wednesday but a statement on the Facebook page of the nonprofit run by born-again Christian human trafficking survivor Annie Lobert said, “Don’t believe everything you read—especially when news is written from a biased slant.”

The nonprofit then added on Tuesday: “Trusting God to be our defense in all false accusations, slander & slanted opinions. While we may be misunderstood by many—we know we do great work in helping so many ladies be freed of tyranny, torture & trauma. We love without agenda, serve without coercion & help without a motive.”

SOURCE: Christian Post, Leonardo Blair

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After 115 years, Concordia University in Oregon will close its doors following the end of the 2020 spring semester and faces a potential class-action lawsuit launched by a student who claims he was misled about the institution’s financial struggles.

In a statement, the private Lutheran institution with about 5,700 students explained that its board of regents voted after much prayer and consideration of all options to cease operations of the school in a resolution approved on Feb. 7.

The board’s vote follows “years of mounting financial challenges and a challenging and changing educational landscape.”

Interim President Tom Ries said the board concluded that it’s “impossible to pursue” the school’s mission considering the current and projected enrollment and finances of the school.

“The board has come to this difficult decision recognizing that it is in the best interest of our students, our faculty, our staff, and our partners,” Ries said. He pledged to share more information as it becomes available.

According to Oregon Live, the closure will result in over 1,500 layoffs that will occur by September.

Concordia says it is in “active discussions” with accrediting bodies to provide students with opportunities to continue their education at other higher education institutions. Concordia is also in talks about how to help faculty and staff transition to the next phase of their careers.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Samuel Smith

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Couples who live together before getting married had less frequent sex and had lower levels of overall sexual satisfaction than married couples who did not live together before tying the knot, according to a recent study.

The Journal of Sex Research published a study in December titled “Associations Between Premarital Factors and First-Married, Heterosexual Newlywed Couples’ Frequency of Sex and Sexual Satisfaction Trajectories.”

The study, by Emma Altgelt and Andrea Meltzer, both of the Department of Psychology of Florida State University.

According to the Abstract, the researchers wanted to see what impact cohabitation and “courtship duration” had on sexual relationships during the first few years of marriage.

“Using a 4-year longitudinal study of newlywed couples, results demonstrated that couples with longer (versus shorter) courtships or who did (versus did not) cohabit engaged in less frequent sex at the start of marriage,” the Abstract stated in part.

“Couples who did (versus did not) cohabit were less sexually satisfied initially and over time; couples with longer (versus shorter) courtships experienced less steep declines in sexual satisfaction over time.”

In an interview with PsyPost published last week, Altgelt explained that “life choices that predate couples’ wedding day (e.g., courtship duration, cohabiting, having children) seem to matter for their sexual relationship during the early years of marriage.”

Altgelt warned that her study did not include experimental data, as they were “ethically unable to manipulate couples’ premarital factors.”

“For this reason, we cannot claim that these premarital factors cause changes in couples’ sexual relationships during marriage,” she told PsyPost.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Michael Gryboski

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Richard Logan, a former pastor and CEO of faith-based anti-poverty nonprofit Attack Poverty who fatally shot himself after killing his wife and young son in the family home, also tried to strangle his daughter who survived, police revealed Thursday.

While authorities in Sugarland, Texas, are still investigating the motive for Richard Logan’s actions, the Fort Bend County Medical Examiner said Logan shot his wife, Diana, 48, multiple times and then shot their 11-year-old son, Aaron, once, KHOU reported.

He then drove to San Marcos where his daughter, Ambrielle, is in her final year at Texas State University and tried to strangle her before taking his own life, police said.

“Police believe Richard Logan shot and killed his wife and son in their home before driving to San Marcos in Guadalupe County, physically assaulting his adult daughter and committing suicide. The handgun recovered at the scene of the suicide is believed to be the same weapon that was used to kill Logan’s wife and son. Forensic testing results are pending,” Sugar Land Police said in a statement, noting that Logan’s daughter did not report the physical assault.

Authorities further told ABC News affiliate KTRK that Logan’s wife and son were killed sometime over the weekend of Feb. 8-9. The family’s pastor at River Pointe Church said he last saw them together on Saturday about 5 p.m. They believe Logan tried strangling Ambrielle on Monday evening and then sometime between that night and Tuesday around 8 a.m. he fatally shot himself.

According to news station KPRC, police officers went to the home of the 53-year-old CEO to perform a welfare check after law enforcement in Guadalupe County informed them that Logan’s body was found with what appeared to be a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound on the property of a company called TAS Environmental.

Police Chief Eric Robins said no one answered the door and when they eventually gained access to the home they found the bodies of Logan’s wife as well as their 11-year-old son.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Leonardo Blair

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Dear Chuck,

I’m growing weary of our society’s overuse (and misuse) of the word love. I hear and see it in advertising, on social media and in conversations. If the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God, it appears we’ve confused our priorities. It appears we love money more than Him or His word.

Love is in the Air

Dear Love is in the Air,

Thank you for a great question. I chose to answer your question so I could talk about love and money on Valentine’s Day.

By the way, Americans will spend an estimated $50 billion dollars today on gifts and activities to show their love to a special loved one. My wife prefers that I save the money on chocolate or flowers on this day and show love throughout the year.

Love and Money

You have identified a significant problem. When love becomes misunderstood or misdirected, we all suffer.

Staggering debt levels, lack of savings, and rising stress suggest we have a spending problem and a heart problem. Even recently, experts have declared that when consumption turns into consumerism, it becomes a social disease.

The enemy has convinced people that things will bring happiness. Yet, throughout Scripture, God warns us not to be led astray. He tells us:

Just this week, the Wall Street Journal released information that hints at American’s disobedience and confused priorities. Credit card debt rose to record highs during the last quarter of 2019. Spurred by a seemingly strong economy and job market, spending increased dramatically. Unfortunately, the number of delinquent payments rose too. Consider this statistic sited in the article:

“Total credit card balances increased by $46 billion to $930 billion, well above the previous peak seen before the 2008 financial crisis, according to data released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Tuesday.”

Debt brings stress and bondage. People are unable to live as God designed when they are strapped with debt. In today’s world that includes credit card debt, student loan debt, car loans, mortgages, personal and payday loans. It prevents many from saving money to be used as God directs. Bankrate’s recent poll shows only 41% of Americans could cover a $1,000 emergency with savings.

The Apostle Paul wrote: “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:11 ESV)

There’s only one reason God supplies a surplus of wealth to a Christian: so that he or she will have enough to provide for the needs of others. True wealth comes with the responsibility of giving. God promises blessings to all who freely give and His curse on those who hoard, steal, covet, or idolize.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Chuck Bentley

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A Catholic bishop has responded to controversy surrounding a Rhode Island priest in his diocese who implied in a news interview that abortion is worse than pedophilia. 

The Rev. Richard Bucci of Sacred Heart Church in West Warwick spoke with NBC affiliate WJAR after declaring in a letter published in a newspaper that lawmakers who support abortion would be denied communion, and he called them out by name.

The declaration also came in the form of a flier handed out to parishioners which stated that the lawmakers could not receive communion in “accord with the teaching of the Catholic Church for 2000 years.”

“In addition, they will not be allowed to act as witnesses to marriage, godparents, or lectors at weddings, funerals or any other church function,” added the flier, according to the Providence Journal.

In an interview with NBC affiliate WJAR about his actions, Bucci seemed to be responding to those who compare abortion and pedophilia when he said: “We are not talking about any other moral issue, where some may make it a comparison between pedophilia and abortion. Pedophilia doesn’t kill anyone and this does.”

Bucci also argued that the acceptance of abortion encourages other violence, adding that “once you say an innocent life isn’t worthy of living … then other life becomes meaningless.”

Bishop Thomas Tobin, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, issued a statement on Thursday in response to the Bucci’s comments in the news interview.

Tobin began by stressing that “it is never acceptable to underestimate the harm caused by sexual abuse of minors.”

“Sexual abuse, wherever and whenever it occurs, causes long-lasting, sometimes permanent and devastating harm to the victims/survivors, their families and the entire community,” the bishop said.

Tobin went on to say that “abortion is also a sinful, immoral act” that “destroys innocent unborn life” and “exploits vulnerable women.”

SOURCE: Christian Post, Michael Gryboski

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The Colorado House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee rejected a proposed bill that would protect the lives of babies born alive after abortion.

Dr. James Dobson condemned the vote, rebuking legislators for refusing to protect the lives of “tiny survivors of ‘choice.’”

Read his full statement below:

This week, representatives in my home state of Colorado made a decision that a child’s life is expendable. Specifically, legislative committee members voted down a bill that would have required doctors to provide medical care for a baby born alive following an attempted abortion.

Make no mistake, this is not about “abortion access” or the “right to choose.” This is not about “bundles of cells” or “clumps of tissue.” This is not about “my body, my choice,” or any other despicable euphemism or excuse employed to minimize the horror of killing an unborn child in the womb.

This is about the tiny survivors of “choice.” This is about precious boys and girls, made in the image of God, who survive an attempt to end their lives. This is about whether medical professionals – who take an oath to bring healing and not harm—should be required to “exercise the same degree of professional skill, care and diligence to preserve the life and health” of a child born alive after an attempted abortion that they would for any other child. This is about leaving a helpless and wounded baby to die alone on a porcelain table.

SOURCE: Charisma News

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