Click the picture below to be taken to the livestream page.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

By the grace of God, Daniel Whyte III “feels noways tired” and will continue preaching the Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign throughout the year due to the perilous and tumultuous times that we are living here.

As a reminder, here is the purpose of the Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign:

After preaching the Gospel every day for 367 days straight throughout the 2016 presidential campaign season, Daniel Whyte III is preaching the Gospel for 1,000 days during the Trump presidency. If you think a new president being in office is the only thing needed to save America and ‘make America great again,’ you are woefully deceived. The church must follow through and “keep the main thing the main thing: and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,’ and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to ‘pray without ceasing’ for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders.” So, we encourage you to pray for the new president, but not to get caught up in the political happenings like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord. And that is what this campaign is all about.

• Click here to view 2016 mission statement for the Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign.
• Click here to view all previous messages in the Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign.
• Click here to view all previous messages in the Revive the Family, Revive the Church, Awaken the Nation series.

GLORY BE TO GOD! By the grace of God, over the past 40 years, Daniel Whyte III has preached the Gospel over 6,000 times to over 4 million people in over 25 countries personally, and nearly every country of the world online. In addition, Gospel Light Society International and GLM Omnimedia Group LLC have a network of over 1,000 Christian news sites which contain the preaching of the Gospel and Christian discipleship teaching in every country of the world and in every major city of the world. BCNN1 is a part of that network. Please click here to view some of those sites.

Here is what Daniel Whyte III predicted about the Trump presidency weeks before he was inaugurated on January 20, 2017:

Lord willing, Daniel Whyte III will continue preaching the Gospel and the Word of God beyond the inauguration of the new president, Donald J. Trump, on January 20th and each day throughout the first 100 days of his first term. Dear friends, if you think voting in a new president is the only thing you need to save America and ‘make America great again,’ you are woefully deceived. Because of the prayers of the saints, it may be the beginning of something big, however, the church must follow through and do the things we stated at the beginning of this campaign: “Keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,’ and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders.”

America will not be great again until the church is great again. Jesus said, “I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love.” We, as the church, still need to confess our sins, pray, repent, seek God’s face, turn from our wicked ways, and get back to our first love.

And if the new president and vice president do not roll back and repeal the government sanctioning of homosexuality and homosexual marriage just as they plan on rolling back abortion, Obamacare, and the Iran deal, their administration will be an utter failure just like the previous one. There is no record in history where God allowed a country or kingdom to survive and thrive with the government sanctioning homosexuality and homosexual marriage and America is no different. Vice-President Pence and other Christians who are around Mr. Trump need to tell him that none of the great things he plans to do for the country are going to prosper unless he rolls back as much as he can what Obama did to push and sanction homosexuality and homosexual marriage in this country. And the first thing that he can do without the approval of Congress is change things back to the way they were in the military. Since Obama rolled back Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, there has been an increase in rapes in the military including male-on-male rapes, not to mention a huge decrease in morale. God is not pleased. Trump can also resolve this asinine bathroom issue and insist that men and boys (according to their birth certificate) go to male-only public bathrooms and women and girls (according to their birth certificate) go to female-only public bathrooms. If he ignores these issues, he does so at his own peril.

Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”

Jerry Falwell Sr. said, “We will see a breakdown of the family and family values if we decide to approve same-sex marriage, and if we decide to establish homosexuality as an acceptable alternative lifestyle with all the benefits that go with equating it with the heterosexual lifestyle.”

D. James Kennedy said, “It is important that we understand that this is ultimately a theological battle in which we are engaged, not a battle between mere economic outlooks or various political philosophies. It is a battle between Christ and His followers and the spirit of Antichrist and its followers. Therefore, ultimately, it is a battle that will be won, not by bullets, but by beliefs. ‘The most significant political action that any Christian can take is to convert his neighbor.’”

E.V. Hill said, “I don’t care who you are or where you are, you cannot say, ‘I have and can completely please God.’ But if you can’t completely please God — and nobody will go before God unless they are completely pleasing to God — how are you going to get saved? You’re going to get saved by accepting the only One He has put in as our substitute and that’s Jesus.”

Daniel Whyte III thanks God for the support of his family. We thank God for those who have been saved and for Christians who have been encouraged and inspired.

Today will make our one thousand messages preached to a live audience of over 1 million people. Plus over 1500 salvation and discipleship podcasts that support the Gospel preaching to over half a million people. Glory be to God and thank you for your love and support.

If you want to celebrate with us with a CashApp love offering, go to CashApp: $GospelLightSociety.

Finding Rest and Peace in a Restless World, Part 4 (Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign, Day 1000 since Jan. 20, 2017 / Day 1,297 since Jan. 1, 2016)

TEXT: Matthew 11:25-30

25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.

27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

———-

As a reminder, here is the purpose of the Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign:

After preaching the Gospel every day for 367 days straight throughout the 2016 presidential campaign season, I am preaching the Gospel for 1,000 days during the Trump presidency. If you think a new president being in office is the only thing needed to save America and ‘make America great again,’ you are woefully deceived. The church must follow through and keep the main thing the main thing: and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,’ and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to ‘pray without ceasing’ for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders.” So, I encourage you to pray for the new president, but not to get caught up in the political happenings like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord. And that is what this campaign is all about.

Here is what I predicted about the Trump presidency months before he was inaugurated on January 20, 2017:

Dear friends, if you think voting in a new president is the only thing you need to save America and ‘make America great again,’ you are woefully deceived. Because of the prayers of the saints, it may be the beginning of something big, however, the church must follow through and do the things we stated at the beginning of this campaign: “Keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,’ and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders.”

America will not be great again until the church is great again. Jesus said, “I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love.” We, as the church, still need to confess our sins, pray, repent, seek God’s face, turn from our wicked ways, and get back to our first love.

And if the new president and vice president do not roll back and repeal the government sanctioning of homosexuality and homosexual marriage just as they plan on rolling back abortion, Obamacare, and the Iran deal, their administration will be an utter failure just like the previous one. There is no record in history where God allowed a country or kingdom to survive and thrive with the government sanctioning homosexuality and homosexual marriage and America is no different. Vice-President Pence and other Christians who are around Mr. Trump need to tell him that none of the great things he plans to do for the country are going to prosper unless he rolls back as much as he can what Obama did to push and sanction homosexuality and homosexual marriage in this country. And the first thing that he can do without the approval of Congress is change things back to the way they were in the military. Since Obama rolled back Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, there has been an increase in rapes in the military including male-on-male rapes, not to mention a huge decrease in morale. God is not pleased. Trump can also resolve this asinine bathroom issue and insist that men and boys (according to their birth certificate) go to male-only public bathrooms and women and girls (according to their birth certificate) go to female-only public bathrooms. If he ignores these issues, he does so at his own peril.

Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”

Jerry Falwell Sr. said, “We will see a breakdown of the family and family values if we decide to approve same-sex marriage, and if we decide to establish homosexuality as an acceptable alternative lifestyle with all the benefits that go with equating it with the heterosexual lifestyle.”

D. James Kennedy said, “It is important that we understand that this is ultimately a theological battle in which we are engaged, not a battle between mere economic outlooks or various political philosophies. It is a battle between Christ and His followers and the spirit of Antichrist and its followers. Therefore, ultimately, it is a battle that will be won, not by bullets, but by beliefs. ‘The most significant political action that any Christian can take is to convert his neighbor.’”

E.V. Hill said, “I don’t care who you are or where you are, you cannot say, ‘I have and can completely please God.’ But if you can’t completely please God — and nobody will go before God unless they are completely pleasing to God — how are you going to get saved? You’re going to get saved by accepting the only One He has put in as our substitute and that’s Jesus.”

Charles Spurgeon said, “Can there ever be rest to a heart which has sinned? Answer, yes. The believer rests from the guilt of sin because he has seen his sins laid upon Christ, his scape-goat, and knowing well that nothing can be in two places at one time, he concludes that if sin were laid on Christ, it is not on him; and thus he rejoices in his own deliverance from sin, through its having been imputed to his glorious Substitute. The believer in Christ Jesus sees sin effectually punished in Christ Jesus, and knowing that justice can never demand two penalties for the same crime, or two payments for the same debt, he rests perfectly at peace with regard to his past sins.”

John Piper once told a story that he said captures finding rest in Christ: “This is John Paton, the missionary to the New Hebrides in the Pacific in the nineteenth century. It illustrates of how the yoke of Jesus, the word of Jesus, the promise of Jesus, once you put it on, leads you to do some pretty crazy things — such as going to be a missionary among cannibals.

Having served on the island of Tanna, the natives have been mobilized against them. There are hundreds of them even — with muskets and knives. They are trying to find him and kill him. He needs to get on a boat and escape quickly. He has one man that he can barely trust who says, “Climb up in that tree, and stay there while they go underneath. I will lead them down this path, and then you can go down that path when they’re gone.” He had no idea whether he could trust this man. He climbs up in the tree. And years later here’s what he describes:

The hours spent there live all before me as if it were but of yesterday. I heard the frequent discharging of muskets, and the yells of the Savages. Yet I sat there among the branches, as safe in the arms of Jesus. Never, in all my sorrows, did my Lord draw nearer to me, and speak more soothingly in my soul, than when the moonlight flickered among those chestnut leaves, and the night air played on my throbbing brow, as I told all my heart to Jesus. Alone, yet not alone! If it be to glorify my God, I will not grudge to spend many nights alone in such a tree, to feel again my Savior’s spiritual presence, to enjoy His consoling fellowship.

Then he closes by looking us in the eye and saying, “If thus thrown back upon your own soul, alone, all alone, in the midnight, in the bush, in the very embrace of death itself, have you a Friend that will not fail you then?”

I tell you, when I first read that I said, “Jesus, I want that kind of friendship like nothing else.” That’s our question, do we have a Friend that will not fail us at every moment when we feel restless and anxious? He’s right here, saying, “Come to me. I will give you rest.”

If you want rest and peace in your life you need to come to Jesus. This passage is about coming to Jesus and finding rest and peace in Him. If you are struggling under the burden of sin and life you can come to Jesus and find rest in Him. You find rest by coming to Jesus and learning from God.

Second God has hidden things from those who think they are smart and are conceited. The passage reads, “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent.” This doesn’t necessarily mean people with a high IQ or a high grade point average. There are many people of great intelligence who are devout Christians and who have dedicated their lives to God. Many have followed Jesus and some even helped write the Bible. Jesus is referring to people who trust in their own intelligence over the word of God. Jesus dealt with this a lot with the Jewish religious leaders. Tim Maas said, “Jesus made this statement right after condemning cities such as Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, which the passage from Matthew describes as the places where Jesus had performed most of His miracles, such as healing the sick. Jesus said that if He had performed the same miracles in other cities or regions that God had previously destroyed as a judgment against their sin and wickedness (such as Tyre, Sidon, and even Sodom), the people of those cities would have long before repented of their sin and turned to God, and thus been saved. Nevertheless, those who had witnessed Jesus’ miracles had largely remained unrepentant, unbelieving toward Jesus, and unwilling to turn to God. And those who rejected Him were often those (such as the Pharisees and scribes) who thought themselves superior to others because of their learning, worldly wisdom, and pride, and not in need of God’s forgiveness and salvation. By contrast, those who repented and responded to Jesus’ teachings were those without pride and pretense (similar to the humility of little children), who were able to recognize their own sinfulness, and their need for the forgiveness and salvation that He offered. Thus, the “hidden things” to which Jesus was referring were not things that Jesus Himself was hiding or keeping from people, but things to which those who rejected Jesus were willfully blinding themselves, through their refusal to recognize that they were as much (or more) in need of forgiveness and salvation as the “common people” whom they looked down upon.” The people Jesus is talking about do not follow Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” How about you?

——-

Now, if you are with us today and you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, allow me to show you how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and Hell.

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 18:8: “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.

Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at [email protected] and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.

God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.

Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.

He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.

He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

The Church of England has reiterated its long-term stance that sex is proper only between a heterosexual man and woman who are married to each other.

The church’s longstanding tenet was included in a pastoral statement about civil partnerships issued this week by the church’s House of Bishops.

The pastoral guidance was prompted by a British supreme court ruling giving heterosexual couples access to such arrangements. Before the recent ruling, civil partnerships were available only to same-sex couples.

According to the Guardian, the pastoral statement concluded that despite the legal ruling, “the Church’s teaching on sexual ethics remains unchanged.”

The statement notes that the Church of England upholds the beliefs that “for Christians, marriage – that is the lifelong union between a man and a woman, contracted with the making of vows – remains the proper context for sexual activity. In its approach to civil partnerships, the Church seeks to uphold that standard, to affirm the value of committed, sexually-abstinent friendships and to minister sensitively and pastorally to those Christians who conscientiously decide to order their lives differently.”

The statement adds that “Sexual relationships outside heterosexual marriage are regarded as falling short of God’s purpose for human beings.”

The church’s director of mission and public affairs, the Rev. Dr. Malcolm Brown, emphasized the difference between a marriage and a civil partnership saying, “Civil partnership is not the same as marriage, which is founded on the taking of solemn public vows and is recognised in the church’s teaching as the only proper context for sexual relationships.

“So, as with same-sex civil partnerships, there is no formal service or blessing but clergy will, as always, be encouraged to respond pastorally to couples wishing to formalise their relationship in this way,” the Guardian reports.

Source: Christian Headlines

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

Enrique* knew his life was in ruins, but the 35-year-old electrician in Peru felt helpless to repair it.

He had lost the woman he had married at age 24 when she finally decided she had to get away from the violence erupting from his addictions to drugs and alcohol. Enrique wished with all his being to be free of those addictions but couldn’t shake them.

When a neighbor in his village in northern Peru (unidentified for security reasons) brought him to a native missionary’s church, he seemed impervious to the Gospel preaching but liked the worship atmosphere, and he returned to the Sunday services for months. After repeatedly hearing the Gospel from the local missionary, one day the message got through that the Son of God’s death and resurrection could save him from death and his sinful path leading to it.

Upon putting his faith in Christ, he realized he had been living in a kind of spiritual stupor, the native ministry leader said.

“In spite of the difficult circumstances in which the population lives, it is evident that there is a hunger and thirst for the Word of God.”

“After studying the Bible with our missionary, he realized that the addictions and bad habits in his personal life were disappearing,” the leader said. “Then he was baptized in water, and he continues to take Bible discipleship on Saturdays and Sundays. Now he is an active member and collaborator in the activities of our congregation.”

Enrique was one of hundreds of people the native ministry led to Christ in the past year, including 1,500 people who came to saving faith from 15 evangelistic outreaches. The ministry also shares the Word of God through its radio station, which is reaching an increasing number of remote people from the Quechua, Lambayeque and Cañaris ethnic groups, he said.

“We thank the Lord for the opportunity to present the Gospel to extensive areas and diverse populations,” he said. “In spite of the difficult circumstances in which the population lives, it is evident that there is a hunger and thirst for the Word of God.”

Peru has 68 people groups that are 2 percent or less evangelical Christian, according to the Joshua Project.

SOURCE: Christian Aid Mission

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

Leaders of a Minnesota church are denying allegations it intends to send its mostly senior membership packing in order to relaunch later this year with a new emphasis on young families.

“Everybody is welcome,” Lead Pastor Daniel Wetterstrom of Grove United Methodist Church told KARE 11 news.“Our hope is they’re not going anywhere. This is their church.”

In a Jan. 21 letter to their congregants, Wetterstrom—joined by Associate Pastor Kelly Lamon and Core Team Chair Betsy Stites—maintain media coverage “did not accurately portray what is happening with the Planting Project.” The church operates at two separate campuses, the main church in Woodbury, and the smaller congregation meeting in Cottage Grove.

“The worshippers at Cottage Grove are beloved members of our church family; their presence and contributions are part of our identity,” the letter read.

As Christian Headlines reported Tuesday, members at Cottage Grove were reeling after learning their church would be shuttered in June while a new team, led by Jeremy Peters, revamps music and programming to reach a younger audience. It is set to open toward the end of this year. The effort is being underwritten by a $250,000 grant from the denomination’s regional Annual Conference.

“It’s a new thing with a new mission for a new target and a new culture,” Peters said in earlier news reports, adding that current members would not be barred from the Cottage Grove reset.

“If they are on board with that, they are welcome to attend and engage,” Peters said.

According to a Jan. 18 article by the Grand Forks Herald, church leadership sent out a memo to current members, most 60 or older, recommending they stay away from the relaunched congregation for two years, then consult the pastor about reapplying.

The Planting Project was implemented, Wetterstrom said, to resurrect a congregation that has floundered for years. Existing membership numbers less than three dozen. Without intervention, the lead pastor said the congregation would likely die.

Source: Christian Headlines

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

Jim Denison is the founder and CEO of the Denison Forum, a nonprofit Christian media organization that comments on current issues through a biblical lens. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily represent those of BCNN1.

Brad Pitt could have been Neo.

During an interview this week, the movie star was asked to name a movie role he turned down. Pitt reluctantly gave one example: “I did pass on ‘The Matrix.’” The role eventually went to Keanu Reeves, and the rest is movie history.

If I were interviewing Mr. Pitt, I would ask him about his religious views. He has said in the past that he was raised by a devout Baptist family in Missouri but “called myself agnostic” and then atheist as a young actor.

Then he says, “I found myself coming back around to just belief in—I hate to use the word spirituality, but just a belief in that we’re all connected.” He added, “I cling to religion.”

Another celebrity whose religious views have made news recently is Ron Reagan, son of President Ronald Reagan. He recorded an ad for the Freedom From Religion Foundation that aired during the recent Democratic Party presidential debate. He states in the ad, “I’m alarmed by the intrusions of religion into our secular government.”

He then concludes: “Ron Reagan. Lifelong atheist. Not afraid of burning in hell.”

If you were to discuss religion with Brad Pitt or Ron Reagan, how would you begin? What would be a good way not to begin?

President Trump will become the first sitting US president to address the March for Life when he speaks to the Washington, DC, rally later today. Meanwhile, his impeachment trial will continue as Democratic House managers conclude their arguments in favor of his removal from office.

They state that they are acting in the nation’s best interest, claiming that failure to remove the president threatens the integrity of the 2020 elections and keeps in office a person unfit for the presidency. The president’s defense team is expected to counter that Mr. Trump has done nothing worthy of impeachment and argue that removing him from office would damage the office.

The other story dominating the news is the Wuhan virus crisis. Chinese health officials reported today that there have now been twenty-six deaths from the coronavirus. They have expanded a travel lockdown in central China to include twelve cities and thirty-five million residents—nearly the population of Canada—as they try to contain the crisis.

Here’s a difference between the two stories: few people on either side of the impeachment debate believe the other side is acting out of objective concern for the nation’s welfare. If more of the president’s opponents were Republicans or more of his supporters were Democrats, the impeachment fight might seem less partisan.

By contrast, it seems that Chinese officials are acting on behalf of the people. Whether Chinese citizens are grateful or angry, they probably believe their leaders are working out of what they believe to be the public’s best interest.

When we seek to share Christ with our post-Christian culture, how can we learn from the second scenario and avoid the first? Let’s consider three biblical principles.

Jesus met physical needs to meet spiritual needs. He healed bodies to heal souls. He began where people were and led them where they needed to go.

If I could interview Brad Pitt about his faith, I probably should not begin by condemning him for straying from his religious roots. If I were meeting with Ron Reagan, I probably should not begin by explaining the reality of hell. (He clearly knows enough about this doctrine to reject it.) Instead, if I can first persuade them that I have their best interests at heart, they are much more likely to hear my concerns for their souls.

With whom are you building a relational bridge to the gospel?

Source: Christian Headlines

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

John Stonestreet is President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and radio host of BreakPoint, a daily national radio program providing thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily represent those of BCNN1.

Stop me if this sounds familiar: Archaeologists digging in Israel discover artifacts buried for about three millennia. Upon close examination, their find either confirms the biblical narrative or at least undermines a long-accepted dismissal of a biblical claim.

Okay, don’t stop me. After all, it won’t matter if you try, because I never get tired of telling stories like these.

Archaeologists from Azusa Pacific University and Hebrew University excavating at Tel Abel Beth Maacah (a 3,000-year-old site about four miles west of Dan, which is as far north as you can go and still be in Israel) found a room dating back to the ninth century before Christ “that contained broken jars.”

That may not sound particularly exciting or newsworthy, but stay with me here.

During the reign of King Ahab, Abel Beth Maacah was where the kingdoms of Israel, Aram, and Phoenicia met. The city is mentioned in 2 Samuel 20 as a “city that is a mother in Israel” and part of “the Lord’s inheritance.” Now, some scholars have disputed that Abel Beth Maacah was an Israelite city, as the Bible claims. In their reckoning, the biblical authors were “reading back” subsequent events to more ancient history.

However, some of the jars contained residues that suggested that the room was “an ancient wine cellar,” and at least one of the jars had an inscription which was so faint that it required special equipment to see it. The inscription read “lbnayo,” which means “belongs to Benjamin.”

“Benjamin? Benjamin who?” you might ask. “Who cares?” Well, the important detail here is that the inscription was written in Hebrew.

As Biblical Archaeology Review put it, this finding suggests “that Abel Beth Maacah was an Israelite city at the time when Ahab was the Israelite King.”

Obviously, it’s important to be cautious and not over-interpret the data here. The field of biblical archaeology, and archaeology in general, is a human endeavor subject to human failings like most other areas of study. Sloppiness, bias, fraud, or simple good-faith errors can lead to flawed interpretation of findings. Caution is advised.

Source: Christian Headlines

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

Jim Denison is the founder and CEO of the Denison Forum, a nonprofit Christian media organization that comments on current issues through a biblical lens. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily represent those of BCNN1.

Some stories in today’s news animate us in inverse proportion to the degree they affect us directly.

Democratic House managers, led by Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), opened the presentation of their case for impeachment yesterday. They are accusing President Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

For many Americans, the Senate trial frustrates us in large part because we can do so little about the cultural rancor it illustrates. It is our partisan polarization writ large, with the two sides in conflict while one hundred senators sit passively and the nation watches from afar.

If the trial ends as expected, neither side will get what it wants. The president’s supporters will be angry at what they perceive to be an unjust prosecution, while his opponents will be angry at what they perceive to be an unjust outcome. Each will blame the other. And no one seems to know what to do to change the partisan impasse in which the country finds itself.

Other stories in the news animate us in direct proportion to the way they affect us directly.

The death toll from the China coronavirus is now at seventeen. After emerging in a seafood and livestock market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the virus has now spread across China and into the US.

Last night, Chinese authorities began work to quarantine Wuhan, sealing off its highways, public transportation, airport, train station, and long-haul bus hubs. The city is home to eleven million people. It would be the largest city in America (New York City’s population is estimated at 8.3 million).

In addition to the local threat, the Lunar New Year holiday in China is bringing hundreds of millions of travelers across the country and the world. According to the New York Times, this mass migration is “an epidemiologist’s nightmare.”

The virus is frightening because it holds the potential to affect us all. So far, no drugs have been shown effective in treating coronavirus infections in humans. Scientists are working on a vaccine, but it could take more than a year for one to become available.

Doctors advise frequent handwashing, staying clear of people with respiratory illnesses, and avoiding areas infected by the virus.

The best way to change the world is to change what we can.

Consider abortion, our subject yesterday. Faced with intractable pro-abortion activists and a culture that is moving further from biblical morality each day, it seems impossible to make a difference.

But every child we help is an eternal soul worth all we can do and more.

I remember a young couple I met in my last pastorate. They were dating when she became pregnant. Both had their lives ahead of them and knew their families would be traumatized by her pregnancy. Abortion seemed the only answer.

We spent time together in prayer and Bible study. They decided to give their child life and eventually married. Their girl is high-school age today. I will always be grateful to them for allowing me to play a role in their decision.

When we serve others, we serve ourselves as well. A scientific study of first-semester college students examined the relationship between goals they identified as “compassionate” and those that focused on the student’s “self-image.” They found that students who sought to fulfill compassionate goals experienced “decreased distress” compared to those who focused on themselves. By contrast, those who focused more on their self-image experienced “chronic distress.”

Source: Christian Headlines

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

Jim Denison is the founder and CEO of the Denison Forum, a nonprofit Christian media organization that comments on current issues through a biblical lens. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily represent those of BCNN1.

Today is the forty-seventh anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling legalizing abortion. Since that 7–2 decision, the lives of nearly sixty-two million babies have been aborted in America.

There were 862,000 abortions in the United States in 2017. This is the lowest number since abortion became legal in 1973. However, abortion remains the leading cause of death in our country: that same year, 647,457 Americans died from heart disease, the second-leading cause of death.

Worldwide, abortion is the leading cause of death as well, killing forty-two million people last year. By contrast, 8.2 million people died from cancer in 2019, thirteen million from other diseases, and 1.7 million from HIV/AIDS.

A man in Washington state has been diagnosed with the new Wuhan coronavirus, the first case reported in the US from an outbreak that has sickened hundreds of people in Asia.

Imagine that such a virus was attacking babies in the womb and killing 18 percent of them. Medical science would be doing everything possible to protect unborn children from this dire threat.

By contrast, pro-abortion forces in America are conspiring to do everything they can to protect the threat.

For example, Planned Parenthood in New York is pressuring doctors to violate their conscience by performing abortions or leave medicine. The Center for Reproductive Rights(CRR) is working to fight abortion restrictions and to help states enact legislation protecting the practice.

But the legal future of abortion may be more unsettled than ever. In March, the Supreme Court will hear its first abortion case since Justice Brett Kavanaugh replaced Anthony Kennedy, with a decision expected by summer. On January 2, more than two hundred Republican members of the House and Senate filed a brief urging the Court to overturn Roe once and for all.

According to the CRR, if the Court did so, abortion would likely be prohibited immediately in twenty-four states but remain legal and generally available in twenty-one states. The fight would then move to the states and their constituents.

I’d like to focus my response to this tragic anniversary on two popular arguments cited by pro-choice Christians.

The first is the claim that they oppose abortion personally but are not sure they should “impose” their beliefs on others. This was precisely the position taken by a caller when I was recently discussing the abortion issue on a national radio broadcast.

She stated that she believed life to begin at conception based on her understanding of Scripture. But she considered this position to be her personal religious belief. And she has been taught by our culture that the “separation of church and state” means she should keep her religious beliefs private.

Let’s work with the logic of this position for a moment.

If you believe that human life begins at conception, you will view birth as merely the movement of that life from inside the mother’s body to outside it. Prior to this movement, the law allows the mother to abort the baby’s life. After it, the mother and her doctor must do all they can to protect the baby’s life.

Nothing has changed about the baby except its location. We are not “imposing our beliefs” to protect the baby after its birth. In fact, we are preventing infanticide. Why are we imposing them to protect the baby a moment before its birth?

Source: Christian Headlines

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

TEXT: Matthew 11:25-30

25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.

27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

———-

Charles Spurgeon said, �Can there ever be rest to a heart which has sinned? Answer, yes. The believer rests from the guilt of sin because he has seen his sins laid upon Christ, his scape-goat, and knowing well that nothing can be in two places at one time, he concludes that if sin were laid on Christ, it is not on him; and thus he rejoices in his own deliverance from sin, through its having been imputed to his glorious Substitute. The believer in Christ Jesus sees sin effectually punished in Christ Jesus, and knowing that justice can never demand two penalties for the same crime, or two payments for the same debt, he rests perfectly at peace with regard to his past sins.�

John Piper once told a story that he said captures finding rest in Christ: �This is John Paton, the missionary to the New Hebrides in the Pacific in the nineteenth century. It illustrates of how the yoke of Jesus, the word of Jesus, the promise of Jesus, once you put it on, leads you to do some pretty crazy things � such as going to be a missionary among cannibals.

Having served on the island of Tanna, the natives have been mobilized against them. There are hundreds of them even � with muskets and knives. They are trying to find him and kill him. He needs to get on a boat and escape quickly. He has one man that he can barely trust who says, �Climb up in that tree, and stay there while they go underneath. I will lead them down this path, and then you can go down that path when they�re gone.� He had no idea whether he could trust this man. He climbs up in the tree. And years later here�s what he describes:

The hours spent there live all before me as if it were but of yesterday. I heard the frequent discharging of muskets, and the yells of the Savages. Yet I sat there among the branches, as safe in the arms of Jesus. Never, in all my sorrows, did my Lord draw nearer to me, and speak more soothingly in my soul, than when the moonlight flickered among those chestnut leaves, and the night air played on my throbbing brow, as I told all my heart to Jesus. Alone, yet not alone! If it be to glorify my God, I will not grudge to spend many nights alone in such a tree, to feel again my Savior�s spiritual presence, to enjoy His consoling fellowship.

Then he closes by looking us in the eye and saying, �If thus thrown back upon your own soul, alone, all alone, in the midnight, in the bush, in the very embrace of death itself, have you a Friend that will not fail you then?�

I tell you, when I first read that I said, �Jesus, I want that kind of friendship like nothing else.� That�s our question, do we have a Friend that will not fail us at every moment when we feel restless and anxious? He�s right here, saying, �Come to me. I will give you rest.�

If you want rest and peace in your life in life you need to come to Jesus. This passage is about coming to Jesus and finding rest and peace in Him. If you are struggling under the burden of sin and life you can come to Jesus and find rest in Him. You find rest by coming to Jesus and learning from God.

Second God has hidden things from those who think they are smart and are conceited. The passage reads, �At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent.� This doesn�t necessarily mean people with a high IQ or a high grade point average. There are many people of great intelligence who are devout Christians and who have dedicated their lives to God. Many have followed Jesus and some even helped write the Bible. Jesus is referring to people who trust in their own intelligence over the word of God. Jesus dealt with this a lot with the Jewish religious leaders. Tim Maas said, �Jesus made this statement right after condemning cities such as Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, which the passage from Matthew describes as the places where Jesus had performed most of His miracles, such as healing the sick. Jesus said that if He had performed the same miracles in other cities or regions that God had previously destroyed as a judgment against their sin and wickedness (such as Tyre, Sidon, and even Sodom), the people of those cities would have long before repented of their sin and turned to God, and thus been saved. Nevertheless, those who had witnessed Jesus’ miracles had largely remained unrepentant, unbelieving toward Jesus, and unwilling to turn to God. And those who rejected Him were often those (such as the Pharisees and scribes) who thought themselves superior to others because of their learning, worldly wisdom, and pride, and not in need of God’s forgiveness and salvation. By contrast, those who repented and responded to Jesus’ teachings were those without pride and pretense (similar to the humility of little children), who were able to recognize their own sinfulness, and their need for the forgiveness and salvation that He offered. Thus, the “hidden things” to which Jesus was referring were not things that Jesus Himself was hiding or keeping from people, but things to which those who rejected Jesus were willfully blinding themselves, through their refusal to recognize that they were as much (or more) in need of forgiveness and salvation as the “common people” whom they looked down upon.� The people Jesus is talking about do not follow Proverbs 3:5-6 �Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.� How about you?

——-

Now, if you are with us today and you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, allow me to show you how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and Hell.

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death�”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 18:8: “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.

Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved� For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at [email protected] and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.

God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.

Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.

He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.

He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source