Kari Jobe praises Jesus Christ’s great sacrifice for all humanity in the song “Oh the Power.” She performs the worship hit live in this concert video. Watch it and listen to the song’s powerful lyrics: “Your hands bear the scars of a love that led You to the tomb.”
Jon Tyson, pastor of the Church of the City New York, addressed the controversial subject of privilege in a sermon last week. For those unfamiliar with or even skeptical of this oft-invoked term, Tyson breaks down the true meaning and origins of “privilege.” But where his sermon really shines is in his application of privilege to the life of Jesus—and how Jesus’ life creates a model of laying down privilege that we should all follow. Tyson says Jesus calls us to redirect our privilege. Watch to find out what that means.
“Speak the Name of Jesus,” “Never Let the Devil See You Sweat,” and “Break the Stranglehold of Worry” are just a few of the strategies Jennifer LeClaire offers in 101 Tactics for Spiritual Warfare: Live a Life of Victory, Overcome the Enemy, and Break Demonic Cycles (June 5, 2018).
Each chapter equips readers with the insight, encouragement and scriptural support to send the devil fleeing. From reminding readers to bless their enemies to teaching them how to discern spiritual climates, the range of tactics in this book ensures no stone is left unturned when navigating spiritual storms.
One of the tactics LeClaire expounds on is to avoid being led by emotions. The enemy might use reason to turn you away from God, but an even greater stumbling block occurs when you have misguided emotions.
“Your emotions can be a great motivator at times and a great enemy at other times,” LeClaire says.
When you submit your emotions to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to lead, you find stability, even as the Christian life causes you to feel joyful one minute and exhausted the next.
LeClaire references King David, who poured out his heart with feelings of anger, confusion, hurt and disappointment, but also directed his emotions to the one who could stabilize him. From his example, readers see how their emotions can be used to glorify God, but only when they “set the Lord always before [them]” (Ps. 16:8a) so that they will not be moved.
“If you give God the reins of your heart, you will find stability, but you have to give Him full control of the reins, or you are in danger of pulling in the wrong direction in the heat of the battle,” LeClaire says.
Her book reminds readers of these truths in the face of a severe enemy onslaught. Through 101 Tactics for Spiritual Warfare, LeClaire offers a practical battlefield manual that will empower you to take an offensive rather than a defensive stance against the enemy.
After a long, cold winter in many states, Americans are ready for summer, anxious to start the season on Memorial Day. With picnics, cookouts and pool parties on many calendars, shoppers will be headed to stores to pick up last-minute items, barbecue fare and summer supplies.
But the American Family Association (AFA, ) is reminding shoppers this Memorial Day week to steer clear from Target, which remains committed to its dangerous and misguided bathroom and fitting room policy.
Last month, AFA marked two years of the highly successful and effective #BoycottTarget initiative, which has garnered the signatures of more than 1.5 million Americans who say they won’t shop at the retailer until it makes restrooms and changing areas safe for everyone, including women and children. After a dismal downturn in revenue, stock prices and foot traffic over the past 24 months—and, more importantly, many traumatic and criminal incidents in Target restrooms—the retailer refuses to change the policy.
“Target executives still won’t acknowledge that the powerful #BoycottTarget movement has anything to do with waning business,” said AFA President Tim Wildmon. “But we know better. Millions of shoppers and thousands of families no longer spend their hard-earned money at Target. There is strength in numbers, and this significant community is making a difference. The refusal of shoppers to patronize Target sends a message to shareholders and Target executives that morals mean more than convenience and safety outweighs personal preference of shopping at what once may have been their favorite store.
“Just as important,” Wildmon added, “besides not shopping at Target for Memorial Day or anytime this summer, we remind shoppers to steer clear from shopping online at Target as well. Clicking through purchases may seem ‘safer’ than entering stores with dangerous bathroom policies, but shopping online still drives revenue to Target. It’s clear that families who have chosen to shop elsewhere—both in-store and online—are making a huge difference.”
AFA is urging those who want to join the 1.5 million who have already signed the #BoycottTarget pledge—and push the numbers to 2 million—to take action in several ways:
“As AFA has stated many times,” Wildmon concluded, “our worries do not stem from fear of the transgender community, but rather, from both the real and potential threat that predators and voyeurs would take advantage of the Target bathroom policy to harm women and children—and there are plenty of incidents to show that they have.”
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., recently reappointed Kristina Arriaga, and on May 15, President Donald J. Trump appointed Gary L. Bauer, Nadine Maenza and Johnnie Moore to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
Kristina Arriaga was first appointed to the commission on May 13, 2016 by Speaker Ryan. Prior to joining the Commission, she served as the executive director of Becket Law, a law firm that defends the free expression of all religious traditions.
In this position, she launched the only religious liberty clinic in the United States, at Stanford Law School. She also led the firm in various cases to secure the freedom of religion rights of Native Americans, a Sikh servicemember and an order of Catholic nuns. Arriaga also served as adviser to the United States delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Commission and as an appointee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission.
Bauer currently serves as president of American Values, a public policy think tank, and as Washington Director of Christians United for Israel Action Fund. In the administration of former President Ronald Reagan, Bauer was appointed assistant to the president for policy development, a position he held until January 1989.
Prior to this, Bauer served as Under Secretary of Education from 1985-1987 and Deputy Under Secretary of Education from 1982-1985. After leaving the Reagan White House, he served as a senior vice president of Focus on the Family and president of the Family Research Council.
Maenza is the executive director of Patriot Voices, a grassroots and online organization dedicated to helping working families. She is also a founding board member of Hardwired Global, which works to stop religious oppression around the world, and has served as its chairman since 2015.
Maenza previously worked as the national finance director for Rick Santorum for President in 2012 and for Mitt Romney for president in 2008. She also has worked with the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, the Republican National Committee and several members of Congress.
Moore is founder and CEO of The KAIROS Company, a public relations consultancy. He began his career at Liberty University, where he served as the school’s senior vice president for communications.
After a dozen years at Liberty University, Moore served as chief of staff and vice president of faith content for the United Artists Media Group. He has advocated for religious freedom in the Middle East and has appeared on numerous television, radio, print and online outlets to provide analysis and commentary on various topics.
When you do the work of the kingdom, you’re sure to make a few enemies, as Francis Frangipane learned the hard way.
“You’re such a nice guy, I find it hard to understand how you had thousands of witches and warlocks fasting and praying and cursing you,” Sid Roth says as he interviews Frangipane. “But even more important question that that is, you survived. How did you survive?”
Frangipane tells all his interview. Check it out.
In November, Manchester, New Hampshire-based New Life Home will celebrate 40 years of providing long-term, faith-based recovery programming for women and their children with an event featuring words from our founder, Pastor George Rosado, as well as Pastor Jim Cymbala from The Brooklyn Tabernacle Church, a longtime partner of the home.
A Different Approach
A voluntary, residential treatment facility like few others and one of the oldest of its kind, since 1977 New Life has been providing long-term (18-24 months vs. the typical two- to three- month) recovery programs showing women how to love themselves and build productive lives. The program also prepares women for higher education and vocational training. A foundational and fundamental principle setting New Life Home apart from other recovery ministries is their emphasis on the holistic recovery of the family.
This is accentuated through the inclusion of children from newborn through 12 years old living on site with their mothers.
Powerful Stories
After overcoming a difficult childhood and his own issues with recovery, Pastor George Rosado and his wife, Grace, made a conscious decision to give back by founding New Life Home. The couple has devoted their lives to developing and maintaining this unique recovery program, acclaimed by church leadership across the Northeast as well as community and government leaders in the state of New Hampshire.
Recovery Is a Challenging Process
When women enter New Life Home, together we confront the past situations that brought them into the program, supporting a reflective process that encourages women to reevaluate their lives, put them in perspective and look to the future with optimism and faith. By focusing on their current skill set and growth opportunities, they move past old routines into a space where they can live emotionally and spiritually healthy lives.
With a success rate over the national average for long-term programs, New Life’s graduates include women like “Kimmy,” who went from years of using meth and a cycle of abusive relationships to a grounded recovery that includes a loving, structured home for her son and daughter.
Recovery Based in Faith
Many factors make New Life Home unique, including our outspoken commitment to incorporating the teachings of the gospel into our programming, which we believe is essential to long-term recovery. Because of our faith-based approach, New Life Home receives no government funding, instead relying on support from churches, local businesses, foundations and a growing, committed group of individual donors. New Life Home is also offered without cost to the residents of the program and their families. The organization believes that a mother’s ability to heal and grow with her children should far outweigh her ability to pay for services.
Click here for more information on New Life Home.
Investigations into the special counsel, and then counter-investigations on campaign surveillance allegations. An alleged payoff to cover an affair and an exposé of her attorney, too.
And those are just the headlines of the past week.
But one thing is consistent: 90 percent of the media coverage on President Donald Trump in the first four months of 2018 has been negative, reported Fox News, citing a study from the Media Research Center. Despite this, however, Trump’s approval rating is ticking up point by point, from 37 percent in December to 43 percent in April.
Best-selling author of God and Donald Trump and award-winning journalist Stephen E. Strang isn’t surprised—by either figure.
“The relationship between the media and President Trump has been like no other president before him,” Strang said. “From Day One, they didn’t know how to handle him—and still haven’t figured it out. The night of Nov. 8, 2016, stymied the media; they never expected to cover his inauguration, let alone 18 months of his presidency. Yet, here we are. And for the most part, Trump has not played into their hands. He has skipped correspondents’ dinners; aligned with certain, fairer members of the media regardless of the stature of their networks; and is now even threatening to revoke media credentials because of the unfair and inaccurate coverage. The truth is, the media doesn’t know how to deal with a force like Donald Trump—and maybe that’s how he prefers it.”
In God and Donald Trump, Strang gives an inside look at the Donald Trump campaign, election and the presidency, including how he engaged with evangelicals and other faith groups to claim victory.
Strang is an award-winning journalist and successful businessman who began his career as a newspaper reporter at the Orlando Sentinel. He later founded a Christian publishing house and media company while interviewing and writing about nearly every Christian leader in the country over the past four decades.
For more information on God and Donald Trump, visit .
God and Donald Trump is published by Frontline, an imprint of Charisma House, which has published books that challenge, encourage, teach and equip Christians, including 14 New York Times best-sellers.
A concerned mother has warned other parents about the new movie Show Dogs, which she says depicts bizarre scenes of sexual abuse. Terina Maldonado explained how she had taken her kids to see the fun PG-rated movie, when suddenly they were confronted with a scene that left her utterly horrified.
“What could have been solely a fun movie for kids that would get my highest recommendation is damaged by a dark and disturbing message hidden, not so subtly, between the fluffy dogs and glamorous parties of the show dog lifestyle,” she wrote at Macaroni Kid, an online parenting resource. “As part of any dog show, contestants are judged on their abilities and physical attributes. One part, in particular, is the inspection of the dog’s private parts.”
Maldonado recalled that, due to Max, a talking police dog, being new to the competition, he was required to “learn the process,” so his human partner, Frank, offers to touch him. {eoa}
Click here to read the rest of this story from our content partners at Faithwire.
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On April 8, John Oliver—host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight—aired an episode titled “Crisis Pregnancy Centers,” contending CPCs “….deceptively steer women away from abortion.” Featuring strong criticism of one particular pro-life organization, Oliver even created his own mock Stork Bus.
In response, Save the Storks, a pro-life organization partnering with pregnancy resource centers to empower women with choice during pregnancy, has issued the following statement:
“Despite false accusations to the contrary made most recently by HBO’s John Oliver, Save the Storks has not ever and will never take any taxpayer funding to further our mission to help mothers and their babies,” said Victoria Robinson, director of external relations at Save the Storks. “We are entirely funded by Americans who voluntarily partner with us and believe in our work.”
Save the Storks has captured the imagination of millions with its innovative fleet of luxury mobile medical vehicles, known as the Stork Bus. To date, Save the Storks has helped launch 42 buses, with 4,000 women choosing to keep their babies.
You can watch Oliver’s attack on Save the Storks here. In response to Oliver’s show, Save the Storks launched a major social video campaign, which you can view here. Watch “Thousands of women have changed their mind on abortion after visiting a Stork Bus. Why so many?”
“Since the launch of our social video campaign just before Mother’s Day, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in that support, and are incredibly gratified to see that our work is capturing the imagination of so many who believe in promoting a culture of life,” Robinson said.
Save the Storks praised the Trump administration’s recent proposal to cut funding to abortion providers under Title X.
Here are some statistics of note: