The campaign cycle for president of the United States kicked off in earnest on Labor Day. It has been predicted to be the most invective and bitter in personal attack as any campaign in American history. So far, after one day, the prognosticators have not been disappointed.

The themes are set, and each candidate is doubling down. For Vice President Biden, the message is: President Trump’s caustic personality. For President Trump, the message is: We must restore law and order, and Biden is partnering with, and sympathetic to, violent protesters.

Mail-in ballots now put the integrity of the election in question. Local election officials are not equipped or trained to compare signatures on ballots that have not been confirmed by a notary public or presented in person. Court challenges are likely.

The election outcome may not be known for weeks after Nov. 3. It depends on whether states require that ballots must be received by election day or just postmarked. In a normal election cycle, it is not unusual for a state to take 17 days after the election to count all the absentee ballots. Normally, outstanding ballots are not sufficient to overcome the vote counts of election day. The year 2020 may set a new standard.

A recent NBC poll found that 70% of Republicans intend to vote in person. Thirty percent indicate they will vote by absentee ballot. It is just the opposite for Democrats, 30% to 70% respectively. President Trump’s vote totals will substantially be known election night. Vice President Biden’s total vote totals may not be known for weeks. Hopefully, activists and supporters of both candidates will be patient until a final vote count is tabulated.

The country is a powder keg capable of exploding upon the simplest insecurity of perceived conspiracies.

In times of crisis, when the United States was in a situation where injurious elements were out of their control, elected and civic leaders prayed. Sometimes they sought God’s counsel after they had tried every aspect of their own counsel. Members of the Continental Congress prayed. Delegates to the Constitutional Convention recessed to pray. Dwight D. Eisenhower prayed before D-Day. Martin Luther King Jr. prayed. George Washington, during the Revolutionary War, said that he was “driven to his knees” on more than one occasion because he had nowhere else to go.

Throughout history, our leaders have prayed for God’s grace on our country. Today, how can we be any less humble?

I feel compelled to pray the following prayer for my country:

Father, I pray for the soul of America embodied in her spirit for freedom. In 1776, You gave us an ideal, a dream that was to be America. It started out as an aspiration. Then it became a hope. Then it became a belief manifested in reality. May we not lose confidence in its truth. As recriminations in the political process continue to exaggerate, may we not lose faith in the Great Commission or in the command to love thy neighbor as thyself. Soften our hearts. Harden our will toward benignity. Restrain us from judgment lest we be judged. Nurture the goodness within us. May the races see each other as one blood as mankind is one blood in You. Stabilize the economy. Help us to visualize the reforms necessary to pursue prosperity. Countenance us to serve the poor, the elderly and the disadvantaged. We pray for single mothers to be aided in all they need to support themselves and their children. Speak to our men and women in uniform and underlie their feelings that we are grateful for their service. As a country, may we show gratitude for classroom teachers, health care professionals, first responders and the police who lay down their lives for us every day.

Father, we pray for our children that they may return to school, be socially complete, nurtured in their growth and held harmless from anxiety. We pray for all elected leaders that they will never forget their oath of office, particularly to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States of America.

And last, Father, we pray for the elections to be held on time, to be finalized and authoritarian in their conclusion. And may all divisions of society accept the compromise of the ballot box to bring peace to our country, keeping civil strife from escalating into civil war.

Father, we repent from our sins. We turn our face toward You. We ask You to heal our country and lead us to be one in family, aligning with Your great purpose. Deliver us from fear. Lead us away from temporal selfishness. Driven to our knees we seek You in a prayer of last resort to save your country and grant to us Your grace.

Strengthen our resolve to protect the gift that started out as an aspiration and, today, is the dream that can be America.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. {eoa}

This article originally appeared at .

Todd Wagner is temporarily stepping down from his role as senior pastor of the Dallas, Texas, church he founded more than 20 years ago.

The reason for his sabbatical is the sin of pride.

“For the first time in 20 years,” he said from the pulpit Sunday, “I’m stepping back from what I usually do so I can do the hard work of hard work. So don’t be looking for some scandal. Don’t even think this is scandalous.”

“What is scandalous,” the preacher continued, “is when a Christian plays with, overlooks or welcomes sin, respectable or not.”

Wagner went on to thank the close friends who have held him accountable in recent months.

“I would call what I’ve heard my friends describing and telling me pride,” he said. “That’s the sin. And it’s really interesting, because, you know, I don’t think of myself—or I fool myself into thinking I’m not a prideful person, because I never look in the mirror and clap.”

The pastor noted he has been discussing the issue with church elders since June. The group reached a decision regarding Wagner’s temporary leave Sept. 6.

He must increase I must decrease. John 3:30 #simpleasthat

— Todd Wagner (@wordsfromwags) September 6, 2020

Click here to read the rest of this story from our content partners at Faithwire.

President Donald Trump unveiled Wednesday afternoon his updated list of potential nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court, should there be an opening in the near future. Three conservative senators made his roster.

Trump told reporters he has added 20 people to the list he released ahead of his election in November 2016. Among those just added are Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).

BREAKING: President Trump announces additions to his list of potential SCOTUS nominees, including Sens. Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz, and Josh Hawley

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 9, 2020

The majority of those added to the list of potential Supreme Court nominees are currently serving as judges.

Read the rest of the story from our content partners at Faithwire here. {eoa}

VidAngel, the family-friendly streaming app and original content studio, announced a recent settlement in its four-year legal battle with Disney, Warner Brothers and other studios. The agreement, which allows VidAngel to now fully emerge from bankruptcy, was finalized in Utah’s bankruptcy court. Judge Kevin R. Anderson presided over the bankruptcy.

Statement from VidAngel CEO Neal Harmon:

“After a long and extremely difficult legal battle in one of the biggest copyright cases in decades, we have finally come to an agreement in which VidAngel can emerge from bankruptcy and move forward as a rapidly growing company. As with any compromise, we had to make painfully difficult concessions to arrive at this agreement, as did Disney and Warner Brothers. We want to thank the team at Disney and Warner Brothers for negotiating this settlement in good faith. We also want to thank our fans and supporters, millions of people who have stood with us through thick and thin over the last four years of a battle that all too often looked lost and hopeless. Now, we can reward you for all of your support with incredible original content like The Chosen and Dry Bar Comedy and expand our mission to help you make entertainment good for your home.”

Overview of Legal Settlement

—Disney and Warner Brothers have agreed to compromise and substantially discount the $62.4 million-dollar District Court judgment against VidAngel.

—VidAngel has agreed not to decrypt, copy, stream or distribute content of Disney, Warner Brothers and their affiliates without permission from the Studios.

—VidAngel has agreed to drop its Ninth Circuit legal appeal.

—VidAngel has agreed to pay $9.9 million over 14 years to Disney and Warner Brothers. {eoa}

About VidAngel: VidAngel helps you make entertainment good for your home. Its top-rated original series Dry Bar Comedy and The Chosen have earned wide acclaim from critics and audiences alike. VidAngel’s proprietary technology—empowering families to “skip” unwanted language, nudity, violence and other undesired content from movies and TV shows streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime—is available on modern devices such as iOS, Android, ROKU, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV and continues to be popular with parents and families.

The Christian community refused to let city officials in Seattle, Washington, shut down a Labor Day worship event organized by “Hold the Line” founder Sean Feucht.

In a video posted on Twitter, Feucht said, “The city decided to barricade the entire park for our peaceful worship and prayer gathering.”

We’re calling tonight a “Worship Protest” for legal reasons.

See ya in the streets next to GasWorks Park!

Live on Facebook at 6pm!

Already so many people here next to this bulldozer. Tonight could get a little wild #LetUsWorship

— Sean Feucht (@seanfeucht) September 7, 2020

So the event became a “worship protest” and was moved into the street near Gas Works Park.

Seattle Parks and Recreation closed the area on Sept. 4, citing that the decision was “due to anticipated crowding that could impact the public health of residents.”

Feucht told CBN News that the worship protest was still powerful and “the Spirit of God moved.”

“The Lord called me to declare that this is a new Jesus People movement,” he added, saying that the restrictions imposed by politicians “are only making the church stronger.”

View this post on Instagram

REALLY REALLY MUST READ!!!! 4 WILD THINGS that happened in Seattle (SWIPE): 1. A local pastor prophesied an earthquake would happen during worship and ONE ACTUALLY DID (swipe). 2. Freaky agitators showed up in hazmat suits with bowls of blood to pour on me (thank you security & Seattle Police for stopping them). 3. Law enforcement surrounded us and had a powerful moment of prayer and reconciliation. 4. I led worship in front of a bulldozer (unrealized life goal). Don’t miss these nights people! You never know what could happen #LetUsWorship

A post shared by S E A N F E U C H T (@seanfeucht) on Sep 8, 2020 at 12:25pm PDT

Click here to read the rest of this story from our content partners at CBN News. {eoa}

Todd Wagner is temporarily stepping down from his role as senior pastor of the Dallas, Texas, church he founded more than 20 years ago.

The reason for his sabbatical is the sin of pride.

“For the first time in 20 years,” he said from the pulpit Sunday, “I’m stepping back from what I usually do so I can do the hard work of hard work. So don’t be looking for some scandal. Don’t even think this is scandalous.”

“What is scandalous,” the preacher continued, “is when a Christian plays with, overlooks or welcomes sin, respectable or not.”

Wagner went on to thank the close friends who have held him accountable in recent months.

“I would call what I’ve heard my friends describing and telling me pride,” he said. “That’s the sin. And it’s really interesting, because, you know, I don’t think of myself—or I fool myself into thinking I’m not a prideful person, because I never look in the mirror and clap.”

The pastor noted he has been discussing the issue with church elders since June. The group reached a decision regarding Wagner’s temporary leave Sept. 6.

He must increase I must decrease. John 3:30 #simpleasthat

— Todd Wagner (@wordsfromwags) September 6, 2020

Click here to read the rest of this story from our content partners at Faithwire.

A Seattle-area church is fighting in court for its religious rights that are supposed to be guaranteed under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

The legal battle is underway because the state of Washington is trying to force churches to violate their pro-life religious beliefs in order to cover elective abortions in their health insurance plans.

The church filed its opening brief last week with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, asking for a reversal of a lower court decision that dismissed the church’s lawsuit against the state of Washing­ton.

The lawsuit, Cedar Park Assembly of God of Kirkland v. Kreidler, challenges the constitutionality of Washington State Senate Bill 6219, which was signed into law in March 2018. The legislation requires Cedar Park to provide coverage for abortion if the church also offers maternity care coverage to its employees or face fines and criminal penalties, including imprisonment.

Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing the church are challenging the constitutionality of the state’s abortion coverage demands. As a result of the state’s mandate, the church’s insurance carrier inserted surgical abortion coverage directly into the church’s health plan. The insurer indicated that it would remove the offensive coverage if a court were to hold that the state law is unconstitutional.

“No church should be forced to cover abortions, and certainly not a church that dedicates its ministry to protecting and celebrating life like Cedar Park does,” said ADF Legal Counsel Elissa Graves. “Cedar Park believes and teaches that every human life begins at conception and is worthy of protection until natural death, so providing insurance coverage for abortions is clearly not something the church can or should be forced to do.”

Click here to read the rest of the story from our content partners at CBN News.

Sharp concern over executive branch and judicial branch violations of state law continues to spread among the citizens of Pennsylvania, as a growing number of the state’s pastors urge churchgoers to embrace their biblical and Constitutional responsibility to hold the state government accountable for the unlawful coronavirus mandates currently in effect.

The groundswell of citizen concern is the latest ripple effect of an open letter that the American Pastors Network (APN) and Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN) recently sent to all three branches of state government.

The open letter affirms the central role and responsibility of the citizen, in God’s plan for civil authority, to promote and uphold lawful and just government—and to hold officials accountable.

“We implore the Governor and the Justices to recognize their accountability to God first, to the people and to the Constitution. We implore them to do their first duty, which is to uphold the law, not to seek to make the law,” the letter states.

“We recognize that these are increasingly perilous days and that in accordance with God’s plan for society and as recognized by our Founders, the citizens and those in civil authority must lead righteously, morally and with fidelity. Any alternative will be destructive to the very foundations upon which this Commonwealth and nation were founded,” the letter continues.

APN President Sam Rohrer, a nine-term state representative, says citizens have a moral obligation to urge the legislative branch to hold the executive and judicial branches accountable for overstepping their authority.

“The executive branch has broken the law, aided and abetted by the Judicial Branch,” Rohrer said. “We cannot wait for the judiciary—which is compromised and complicit—to restore the rights of the people that have been trampled in the name of public health.

“Power belongs to the people, and the people must take it back through their elected representatives,” Rohrer continued. “Citizens across Pennsylvania must work together—starting right now—to contact members of the General Assembly, who are empowered and obligated to speak for them.”

Rohrer is calling on pastors to lead the citizens of Pennsylvania in their shared responsibility to restore the law.

“Everyone has a vital part to play to keep this body politic alive,” Rohrer said. “Pastors must give direction about the biblical source and limitations of civil authority. Citizens must follow their pastors’ direction and act to hold state officials accountable. Officials must respond to the will of the people and respect the source and confines of the power God and the people have entrusted to them.”

According to a resolution accompanying the letter, neither natural law nor Pennsylvania statue permit the state to usurp the sovereignty and consent of the people, whose rights come directly from God, not from a civil authority.

“Citizens of the Commonwealth have their liberties granted by their Creator, and protected by the Constitution of the United States and the Commonwealth … and the Commonwealth has the burden of proof to show citizens a threat to others before removing their God-given liberties,” the Resolution states.

The resolution cites coronavirus-related executive and judicial branch abuses of power, along with defining the problem, the causes and the solution to the governor’s unconstitutional mandates imposed on the Commonwealth’s citizens as a result of his declaration of emergency on March 6, 2020.

APN holds that pastors, congregants, voters and state officials are out of excuses to ignore the governor’s and the court’s abuses of power.

“Now the lawmaking authority of the Commonwealth has been unlawfully seized by the executive branch and the law spurned,” the open letter states. “The serious and deteriorating nature of the COVID-19 policies confronting the citizens of this Commonwealth and the violations of statutory law and the Constitution, precipitated by the actions of the executive and judicial branches, is clear. The disenfranchised and aggrieved position of the General Assembly as the Constitutionally authorized lawmaking body in this Commonwealth is now beyond dispute.”

All people are invited to read and sign the open letter to the citizens and historic resolution at .

Rohrer, co-hosts and guests explore topics like these on APN’s popular, live, daily radio program Stand in the Gap Today. Rohrer also hosts the daily short radio feature Stand in the Gap Minute, and “best of” shows from the week are broadcast on Stand in the Gap Weekend. Likewise, Stand in the Gap TV considers transcending complex and divisive cultural issues, seemingly difficult to navigate, from a biblical worldview perspective. {eoa}

Two of the best-known pastors in America have offered very different (and very public) responses to governmental prohibitions to church gatherings.

Pastor John MacArthur has said no to government overreach and encouraged other pastors to do the same. Pastor Andy Stanley has said yes to government guidelines and feels this is the best example to set. For my part, I agree with both of them.

But first, lest anyone think I’m trying to play both sides against the middle, nothing could be further from the truth.

My public disagreements with Pastor MacArthur are well known, to the point that I wrote a full-length book, Authentic Fire, in response to his full-length book, Strange Fire. (And I did so with the utmost respect for my elder colleague.)

My public disagreements with Pastor Stanley, whom I also hold in esteem, are also well-known, to the point that I told him half-jokingly I would need to write a full-length response to his latest book, Irresistible. (My proposed title was, Why Andy Stanley’s Irresistible Must Be Resisted. For our helpful discussion on radio, see here.)

So I have no problem differing with these prominent leaders.

In this case, I feel they are responding to different circumstances, and I believe that each of them has valid points.

Pastor MacArthur believes the California government has exceeded its rightful reach by forbidding church gatherings, also contending that COVID-19 poses little to no danger.

In his words, “I would say to pastors, ‘have church, open up, have church.’ You don’t have to fear someone’s going to die. You don’t have to fear you’re going to get sick, because they’re not going to be able to trace this back. I haven’t seen anything like that anywhere.”

He continued, “Health mandates and governors’ orders are not law. I don’t think you have to fear that. You need to open the church because this, of all times, when people fear is where they need to come. I don’t think you have to give a clinical explanation; I think you have to welcome them and not make them follow protocol that you know is pointless.”

On the one hand, I do not fully share Pastor MacArthur’s dismissal of health concerns, since I have colleagues who restarted their church services only to shut down because of a serious outbreak of the virus. I have read of other pastors (whom I do not know personally) who flaunted health and safety guidelines and are now dead.

On the other hand, I too have urged pastors to defy government hypocrisy and overreach. This would certainly apply to states like California, where mass, public Black Lives Matter protests were welcomed but Christian gatherings were placed under severe restrictions (including “Thou shalt not sing!”) and even home Bible studies were banned.

As for Pastor Stanley, his position is that the government is doing its best to solve a difficult problem, that churches are no more being singled out than professional sports leagues and that this is how we love our neighbors. Plus, we have plenty of other ways to gather together. (Pastor MacArthur has emphasized the importance of our public gatherings during such a stressful and difficult time.) That’s why Pastor Stanley’s church has cancelled full public services for the balance of the year.

In his words, “This was just our way of loving our neighbors and loving our neighborhoods, trying to keep our neighborhoods safe as we get closer to school reopening.

“The schools are having a difficult enough time opening and staying open. Even the university systems, as you know. So it just seemed like the wisest thing to do as it related to the community and as we wait this thing out and figure out what’s going to happen.”

He added, “I can’t imagine a scenario in the United States of America where the only group being picked on is the church unless it’s a specific local church.”

On the one hand, churches are being singled out for unfair treatment, as in Nevada, where casinos can meet at half-capacity but a congregation with a building that seats 2,000 is limited to 50 people in attendance. That’s why even the Department of Justice has weighed in on discrimination against churches.

On the other hand, Pastor Stanley shares some of the same reasoning I put forth in my COVID-19 book, When the World Stops: Words of Hope, Faith and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis. As much as possible, we should submit to government authority, and as much as possible, we should demonstrate love for our neighbor.

That’s why I have urged pastors to pray, take counsel and come to decisions on their own. On the one hand, we cannot respond to a spirit of fear, paralyzing us from taking action. On the other hand, we cannot cultivate a spirit of rebellion that thrives on defiance to the law.

In this case, living in different states and making decisions for different reasons, I commend both Pastor MacArthur and Pastor Stanley for acting on their convictions out of love for God and their communities. May the name of Jesus be exalted; may the cause of the gospel be advanced; and may a hurting world be touched. {eoa}

“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1).

For many of us, the word “holiness” invokes memories of absurd rules that seemed to make no sense. Also, some of us remember people that were mean, miserable and determined to enforce those rules.

Fueled by some of the bankrupt experiences of our past, many have ceased to talk about holiness in fear of being labeled legalistic. In turn, a generation is missing out on our call to holiness.

Paul, writing to the Christians in Corinth, was filled with passion to see the believers in this incredibly sinful city embrace the call to holiness. In this episode of the Jason Daughdrill Podcast on the Charisma Podcast Network, I believe 2 Corinthians 7:1 offers some insight into how we live out the promise of holiness.

Holiness Is Relational: Embrace God’s Love

This call to holiness is within the context of God’s promise, “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” This was a foundational promise of God given in such places as Leviticus 26:12, Jeremiah 32:38 and Ezekiel 37:27. It shows that relationship with God is the foundation for holiness.

William Greathouse, a Nazarene scholar, authored a book titled Love Made Perfect. The incredibly simplistic summary of this book is that holiness is when we walk in perfect love. If I love God, I won’t sin against God. If I love people, I won’t sin against people. If I love myself, I won’t sin against myself. This paradigm for living is found in Jesus’ great commandment. The great commandment, upon which all the law and the prophets rested, was to love God with all you are and to love others as you love yourself.

With that said, you don’t live for God’s love; you live from it! Paul unpacks this as we receive the promise first and then live in response to it. Far too many of us try to earn the promise. That’s religion. Religion kills. God desires relationship, and from that relationship, you are transformed.

Holiness Is Intentional: Develop a Plan to Overcome Sin

“Let us cleanse ourselves.” This is not something that happens by accident. There is an imperative for intentionality. The motivating factor remains love, and the actions will vary depending on where we are in life and which struggles we may be enduring. For years as a teen, I struggled with lust (as many boys do). I kept praying for God to take away the struggle, but it was an endless cycle of frustration, disappointment and shame.

I didn’t get free from lust because I felt bad enough. I was set free from lust because I made bold, spirit-empowered and strategic moves to position myself for victory. I moved the computer out of my bedroom, I was intentional to find someone I trusted to hold me accountable, and I disciplined my eyes to starve the appetites in my flesh.

What do you struggle with? Ask God to give you bold and audacious steps to take in order to see freedom. God is gracious enough to show you the way and then give you the power to do it.

Holiness Is ‘Affectual’: Let Your Heart Tremble

The transformation of our affections is at the center of our Pentecostal heritage and theology. Paul instructs the Corinthians to “perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord.” I believe the fear of the Lord is our eyes being opened to the reality of who God is in such a way that shifts our hearts to live in response to that revelation.

It is a sobering moment when you catch a glimpse of the vastness and greatness of God. Jesus warned us not to fear him who can kill your body, but to fear God who can kill your body and then cast you into hell.

While it is easy to write this off as “turn or burn” theology; the reality is that we must have a heart that is aware to the consequences of sin.

Recap:

—Receive the love of God in such a way that you reproduce it.

—Allow love to compel you, and the Spirit to reveal to you, the intentional steps you need to take to overcome sin in your life.

—Be incredibly alert to what’s at stake and why your victory matters.

Listen to the full episode titled, “I’ve Been Set Up” here. {eoa}