Senator Marco Rubio is unapologetically vocal about his faith.
Rubio discussed his faith, among other critical issues, with Faith Nation hosts David Brody and Jenna Brower on Capitol Hill.
“Faith is the single biggest influence on my life, and it’s a positive influence.”
In addition to his faith, the senator revealed his conviction towards family values.
“The most important institution in the society is the family … When you are raising a child, you are raising a future taxpayer who’s going to help fund Medicare and Social Security. Our tax code should take that into account.”
Rubio was optimistic about the administration’s assistance with Puerto Rico, despite adverse remarks from San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz Soto.
“I don’t have any questions about the Trump administration’s commitment to Puerto Rico. But it’s going to be a long road, and I think everyone needs to understand that.”
Referring to his faith again, some have criticized Senator Rubio for tweeting Bible verses in the morning, a habit he unapologetically favors.
“I’ll continue to do it … if they don’t like it, they don’t have to follow me.”
Reprinted with permission from CBN.com. Copyright The Christian Broadcasting Network, all rights reserved.
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The Surface Book 2 is slated to arrive on November 16.
Microsoft has declared that its upcoming Surface Book 2 is much better than Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Pro in more ways than one. While the upcoming Microsoft laptop-tablet hybrid has a lot to offer, it is said that one thing that obviously sets it apart from its Apple counterpart is its screen.
In a press briefing last week in line with the upcoming release of the Surface Book 2, Microsoft’s corporate VP of devices Panos Panay declared that the Surface Book 2 is more powerful than Apple’s MacBook Pro, and part of the reason for which is due to the Surface Book 2’s higher screen resolution.
“That includes the fact that (Microsoft’s laptops) are both delivering more than 30% pixels in both (13-inch and 15-inch models),” Panay said.
Tech pundits opine that the 13-inch Surface Book 2 is, indeed, an obvious winner in terms of the graphics processor department when compared to the MacBook Pro, thanks to its Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050.
After all, the 13-inch MacBook Pro does not even come with its own Discrete graphics as it only counts on the built-in Intel graphics chips. As the Discrete graphics is a big deal for people who play games, render video, or run any kind of virtual reality, the 13-inch Surface Book 2, indeed, has an upper hand over the MacBook Pro of the same size.
However, it is apparent that the advantage of the 13-inch Surface Book 2 over its MacBook counterpart is not confined to the graphics department alone. While the latest version of the tablet-laptop hybrid packing a dual-core chip that matches that of its Apple counterpart, its battery can last for 17 hours, or 7 hours longer than that of the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
On the whole, the 13-inch MacBook Pro beats the 13-inch MacBook Pro in many aspects. Despite this, though, its price tag only begins at $1,499, or $300 cheaper than the $1,799 starting price of the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
The Surface Book 2 hits the store shelves on Nov. 16.
The patient, in her 70s, is said to be in a “minimally conscious state”, and is in receipt of clinically-assisted nutrition and hydration on an acute hospital ward following a fall last year.
The Court of Protection has heard the woman, who can only be identified as Mrs P, will not regain the mental capacity to make decisions about her health and had not given an advance directive – a living will – as to what she wanted if she was ever incapacitated.
The woman’s two daughters and her partner all believe it would not be in Mrs P’s best interests to continue with the treatment and she should be provided with palliative care.
The court has heard Mrs P was “fiercely independent”, very active in her retirement and whose minimal requirement would be the ability to read and converse.
But one of her three sisters said she believed in the sanctity of life and viewed the withdrawal of feeding from her sibling as a form of “legalised killing”.
Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust has applied to the court to continue providing clinical treatment to Mrs P who would be transferred to a nursing home. It submits there is not “sufficient certainty” of Mrs P’s wishes and feelings to prevail over the presumption in favour of preserving life.
On Wednesday, a friend of Mrs P for more than 40 years said: “(Mrs P) was a very proud and discreet person. Lying there helpless, I feel she would be mortified to be just lying there.
“She was just so determined and full of energy. She did so much for the community. I just think for her to live like that, she could not do it. It was not her.”
Two of Mrs P’s grandsons also gave evidence at the hearing in support of withdrawing treatment. Mrs P’s youngest daughter told the court that she would be “horrified” about her present situation.
She said: “She would hate it. The indignity of not being able to move, to go to the toilet, to keep herself clean. “She would refuse almost all physical assistance.
“She couldn’t be seen as weak, frail and unable to do things. That was not who she was.”
The court has heard the life expectancy of patients in Mrs P’s position was, on average, five years if the artificial feed was maintained.
The case was adjourned as Mr Justice Hayden said he would deliver his judgment on a date to be fixed next week.
Fire ravaged this home in Santa Rosa. (Phil Hotsenpiller)
The brevity of life and uncertainty that we face as human beings was at the forefront of my thoughts last week when my wife texted me, saying she was evacuating Anaheim Hills Church. One week, later the fire in my neighborhood, known as the Canyon 2 Fire, had consumed 9,000 acres and destroyed 25 structures. The Santa Rosa Fire has consumed 36,000 acres, destroyed nearly 6,000 structures and caused a reported 34 deaths.
I knew in my heart that we had to do something for Santa Rosa; it was time for action. Our fire, by comparison, was minor to that which struck Santa Rosa. A few days after evacuating, we were back in our home, and our church were unharmed. But we saw many people, including our own church members, who came home to nothing but ashes. The idea came to launch a campaign called “Fire to Fire” that would collect clothes, gift cards and survival backpacks and take them to our sister city. In addition, we launched the California Wildfire Fund for people outside our community and state to make monetary contributions to victims.
We also partnered with Danny and Erin Williamson, a family in our community who lost their home, to collect items that to be sent to Santa Rosa. We put this fund together in a matter of days, and so far, the outpouring of love from the community has been amazing.
Earlier in the week, we flew to Sacramento and then drove to Santa Rosa to discover how we could best partner with those who had lost everything.
As we drove into Coffey Park, a community in Santa Rosa severely damaged by the fire, I was ill-prepared for what I saw. It looked like a war zone. The first thing I spotted was a U.S. Army Hummer and a military checkpoint complete with barricades. The soldiers took their job seriously and were determined to prevent any unauthorized activity or entrance. The air was filled with the sound of military helicopters that circled the area and sent a clear signal that this is a state of emergency.
Many of the homeowners had constructed makeshift signs that stated, “We’re home, and we’re armed! Any non-residents seen past this point are considered a threat.”
My immediate visceral response was that this was different from anything I had previously experienced in America.
Fear, loss and the unknown were now the order of the day. Everything normal had been stripped away. Experts tell us that episodic or experience and picture-based memories are the most persistent in our long-term memory, therefore the hardest to overcome.
I would agree with that statement, but beyond donations and supplies, there is another way we can help bring about deep-level healing and help victims create fresh “pictures” and memories. This can come in a variety of ways; your caring face handing someone a gift card, offering a hug, prayer or labor digging through the ashes of a home, help to create hope and paint new pictures that will be cherished for many years.
While there is a lot of pain and sadness, the good news is we have each other and an amazing, loving God who will provide for us every step of the way as we rebuild. Even in all of the pain, his love and goodness shine through the people that help create these new, positive memories.
For more information or to donate to the California Wildfire Fund, visit influencechurch.org.
Phil Hotsenpiller is widely considered an expert in the field of end-time prophecy. He has been interviewed by The Washington Post, USA Today, CNN, The Telegraph, The Blaze and The History Channel on the subject of Armageddon and the post-apocalyptic world. Phil is the founder and senior pastor of Influence Church in Orange County, California.
His new book, One Nation Without Law, is available now through major online retailers and bookstores nationwide. In One Nation without Law, Phil warns against the emerging trend of lawlessness in America and around the world. He looks at the history of unruliness going back to slavery, the treatment of Native Americans, the protest movement of the 1960s and more recent incidents including police-involved shootings and terrorist attacks. He links this research to interpret the uprising of unruliness and the role it plays in our nation now as well as the end times. For more information, visit PhilHotsenpiller.com.
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According to International Christian Concern, 300 people are said by witnesses to have attacked members of the Bastar for Christ Movement Church in the Jaripara village, leaving nine members of the congregation injured and two in hospital.
A local pastor told the charity: “The attack on Jaripara’s Christians is inhuman and highly condemnable.
“These attacks are popping up on the backdrop of the state elections that are nearing. The BJP, who is in power in the state, makes it all the more easy for the Hindu radicals to carry on the hate campaign against religious minorities for the political gains.”
The church was also damaged and furniture was set on fire.
It is not the first attack on Christians in recent times in the country – there has been an escalation of violence since the election of the Hindu Nationalist party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (the BJP, ‘Indian People’s Party’) in 2014.
The outpoured water of Aquarius flows down to the bright star Formalhaut (“the mouth of the fish”) in confirmation that the Holy Spirit flowed through the mouth, as the sign of the Holy Spirit was speaking in tongues. (Pexels/Farooq Khan)
Late October brings to view the constellation Aquarius (“the water bearer”) as it rises high in the southern skies in the late evening.
Aquarius is the sixth chapter of the Star Bible. It pictures a man pouring water and represents the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (see John 7:37-39). Stars named Sadalsuud (the pourer out) and Sadalmalik (the record of the pouring out) confirm this understanding, while the star Meon (Urn) is always pictured as pouring out the water of the Holy Spirit.
Follow the outpoured water down to the next constellation, Pisces Austranis (“the southern fish”) for the rest of the story. We know that the fish is an ancient symbol of the believers, and the single fish of Pisces Austranis represents the Jewish believers who received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues at Pentecost in A.D. 30. The outpoured water of Aquarius flows down to the bright star Formalhaut (“the mouth of the fish”) in confirmation that the Holy Spirit flowed through the mouth, as the sign of the Holy Spirit was speaking in tongues.
The constellation Aquarius contains few bright stars and is best viewed through binoculars. Its western stars are north of the zodiacal constellation Capricorn and can then be followed down to Pisces Austranis, which is directly below Aquarius. The Pentecostal star Formalhaut is the brightest star of the grouping and sits on the eastern edge of Pisces Austranis.
So tonight, drink in a little of the Holy Spirit water of Aquarius and the Pentecostal Star Formalhaut.
Ron Allenis a Christian businessman, CPA and author who serves in local, national and international ministries, spreading a message of reconciliation to God, to men and between believers. He is founder of the International Star Bible Society, telling how the heavens declare the glory of God; the Emancipation Network, which helps people escape from financial bondage; and co-founder with his wife, Pat, of Corporate Prayer Resources, dedicated to helping intercessors.
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Fellow participant, 23-year-old Sister Michaela, told Premier: “When I saw the girls walking in very immodest clothes, I thought ‘gosh’.
“But actually, through out the time that they stayed with us, I realised that I have absolutely no right to judge them.
“They are the same as me, human beings, God’s children and he loves them; I think that my heart has become more compassionate through this experience.”
Under convent rules, the women must switch their lights off at 10pm each night and follow the nuns in living off a £25 monthly allowance.
Ken Burns’ historical Vietnam documentary is spellbinding. But even more gripping is what God is doing right now in the hearts of men in that communist nation! Be part of an international tribe of men who make great things happen! Join your brothers at Lions Roar in Fort Worth, Texas, on Nov. 8-10.
Life in the Spirit exists to give you a deep understanding of who the Holy Spirit is, how He works in your life and how you can interact with Him on a daily basis.
When you lead other leaders, there are some specific truths that apply. If you don’t recognize these truths, you could end up losing your leaders and missing your most important goals.
Follow God on the most fulfilling journey of your life with Encounter the Holy Spirit! Break away from past hurts and press into the One who wants a personal encounter with you.
Receive the power and gifts that come through the Holy Spirit Baptism. Don’t go empty-handed; accept all that He has for you! His power is available to those who ask.
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A New Jersey teacher was suspended for giving a student a Bible. A football coach was placed on leave for praying on the field. The Atlanta fire chief was fired for self-publishing a book defending Christian morality.
A Marine was court-martialed for refusing to remove a Bible verse on her desk. A senator castigated a political nominee for his evangelical theology. Christian groups like InterVarsity Christian Fellowship have been expelled from college campuses.
It’s hard for evangelical Christians not to feel that our culture is increasingly antagonistic toward our faith and values today.
I raise this topic because of a fascinating report released yesterday. Sociologist George Yancey shows that those who oppose evangelical Christianity have become wealthier in recent years and thus have more money to bankroll their viewpoint. In other words, we can expect intolerance to continue and even escalate in coming years.
Obviously, American Christians should not compare the opposition we face with the persecution being suffered in countries such as North Korea, Somalia, and Iraq. But Mary Eberstadt is right: “Something new has snaked its way into the village square: an insidious intolerance for religion that has no place in a country founded on religious freedom.”
How should we respond?
God wants his people to work for the common good regardless of how society treats us. He instructed his people exiled in Babylon to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf” (Jeremiah 29:7). The apostles led a movement that met physical, social, and spiritual needs so effectively that they won “favor with all the people” (Acts 2:47).
Conversely, one of the ways God redeems persecution is by using it to remind us that this world is not our home: “Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14). We are “sojourners and exiles” in this fallen world (1 Peter 2:11), knowing that this life is a journey and heaven is our destination.
In The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis famously noted:
“The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature of the world: but joy, pleasure, and merriment, he has scattered broadcast. We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstasy.
“It is not hard to see why. The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and oppose an obstacle to our return to God: a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bath or a football match have no such tendency. Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home.”
Paul called his ministry team “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). He courageously advanced the agenda of his King in distant lands while preparing every day to return home.
Rather than pointing a judgmental finger at Hollywood, we should use this scandal to start a needed conversation at church about gender and justice. (Getty Images/iStock Editorial/Getty Images Plus/anouchka)
This past week, we learned that something really ugly lies underneath Hollywood’s sparkling glamour. Harvey Weinstein, the billionaire mogul responsible for movies including Shakespeare in Love, Chicago and The King’s Speech, was fired from his job and expelled from the Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after dozens of women accused him of rape or sexual harassment.
The women making the charges include actresses Ashley Judd, Kate Beckinsale, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mira Sorvino and Angelina Jolie. And The New York Times, which broke the story, said Weinstein paid off other women after they threatened legal action.
The whole ugly mess also showed us that film industry insiders knew of Weinstein’s behavior, yet they swept it under the infamous Hollywood red carpet. The scandal has revealed a sordid corporate culture in which women are expected to give sexual favors in exchange for career advancement.
This is not the Hollywood blockbuster that film executives were hoping for. But it might get worse, especially since more women are talking openly about the reality of sexual harassment in the movie industry. Actresses Jennifer Lawrence, Reese Witherspoon and America Ferrera now have admitted they were harassed or molested at one point in their lives.
This week, actress Alyssa Milano asked women to tweet #MeToo if they had been molested, raped or harassed. Since last Sunday, the #MeToo hashtag has been used more than 1 million times on Twitter. And more than 5 million people around the world have engaged in the “Me too” conversation on Facebook.
There are also many Christians who can tweet #MeToo. Followers of Jesus are not immune to this problem. And there have been times when both women and men have been sexually abused or harassed by church leaders. Rather than pointing a judgmental finger at Hollywood, we should use this scandal to start a needed conversation at church about gender and justice.
Here are a few of the points we should cover:
We must stop avoiding the topic of sexual abuse. What we avoid from the pulpit will thrive in darkness. Unless we talk about this uncomfortable topic, victims will suffer in silence in our pews. It might help if local congregations launched their own “Me too” campaigns. Christians need to feel free to admit that sexual abuse happened to them, and churches should offer the counseling and healing needed. And let’s remember that sexual abuse doesn’t happen just to women.
We should create a culture of mutual respect. The apostle Paul told Timothy that he should treat older women “as mothers” and younger women “as sisters, in all purity” (see 1 Tim. 5:2). And he wrote those words at a time when women were viewed as property.
The gospel goes against cultural norms. Today, women should feel safer in church than anywhere else. Yet I have known of male preachers who used sexist, derogatory language in their sermons. I have also known of “Spirit-filled” ministers who groped women in counseling sessions or used their spiritual authority to seduce girls. All churches should provide the training and accountability needed to become abuse-free zones.
We must stop blaming victims when sexual harassment happens. Men have been blaming women for the world’s problems ever since Eve listened to the serpent. When a Christian woman is raped or abused, the conversation often turns to how she was dressed. I’ve even heard believers blame a woman who was abused by accusing her of having a “seducing spirit.” That is hyper-spiritual hogwash.
Let’s make it perfectly clear: Abusers, not victims, are guilty of abuse. I don’t care if a woman is wearing a skimpy tank top or hot pants—a man does not have to exert his power over her just because her skin is showing. He can walk away. Just as Joseph ran from Potiphar’s wife, men can control their actions.
It’s sad that many Christian women won’t come forward to talk about their rape or molestation experience because they know a tribunal of Pharisees will point a bony finger at them. I also know a man who was criticized for not fighting back when he admitted to being sexually molested by another man. Why do we kick people when they are down? We need a crash course in godly compassion.
We must launch a revolution in Christian men’s ministry. In many evangelical churches today, men’s ministry often focuses on how to be strong husbands, fathers and leaders. That is commendable, but in our effort to restore “godly manhood” we focus too much on power and not enough on humility. We don’t realize that one of the reasons Christian women suffer so much is that their husbands or boyfriends are so focused on wielding male power that they become brash, domineering, insensitive and even abusive.
Pornography has taught men for decades to look at women as inferior objects to be used and abused. Our corporate culture has taught us that women can be manipulated, seduced and played to our advantage. Locker rooms have taught us to be sexist and vulgar. No wonder we have an epidemic of abuse and sexual harassment.
But we don’t have to be like the world. When a man comes to Christ, he should renounce the culture of exploitation and learn how to respect women and treat them as equals. If we men will take a long look in the mirror, we might see Harvey Weinstein looking back at us. Let’s get honest and repent. Let’s get all sexual abuse and harassment out of the church now.
J. Lee Gradywas editor of Charisma for 11 years before he launched into full-time ministry in 2010. Today he directs The Mordecai Project, a Christian charitable organization that is taking the healing of Jesus to women and girls who suffer abuse and cultural oppression. Author of several books including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, he has just released his newest book, Set My Heart on Fire, from Charisma House. You can follow him on Twitter at @LeeGrady or go to his website, themordecaiproject.org.
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