This Sunday is All Saints’ Day. Many Christians across the world will continue to honor their Saints. It has been a Christian celebration for centuries. “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.” Ephesians 2:19-20
California pastor explains Trump vote with ‘clear conscience’ – Fox News
California pastor explains Trump vote with ‘clear conscience’ – Fox News
The leader of an influential California megachurch says he’s voting for President Trump with “confidence” after comparing his accomplishments to Joe Biden’s nearly half-century-long voting record.
Bill Johnson, a fifth-generation pastor and senior leader of Bethel Church in Redding, located in the northern part of the Golden State, shared his reasoning in an op-ed for The Christian Post, saying the mainstream media has falsely portrayed the president as a “racist, misogynist, and xenophobe.”
The “Born for Significance” author said it’s surprising to many that Trump has “undeniably accomplished — or attempted to accomplish — a majority of his main campaign promises” during his first term. Johnson said it’s “an honorable character trait of any elected official to follow through on their commitments.”
PROMINENT PASTOR GETS BACKLASH FOR EXPLAINING WHY HE ISN’T VOTING FOR TRUMP OR BIDEN
“For me it is worthy of note that I’ve never seen a president who loved prayer as much as Donald Trump — and that includes from those I voted for and those I didn’t,” Johnson, who regularly preaches on revival and the Holy Spirit, said. “His passion for godly counsel is also legendary. His historic actions for Israel should appeal to believers, as the biblical mandate to pray supportively for Jerusalem is a clear priority in scripture.”
Sitting or Running the Risks | Scott Redd – First Things
Sitting or Running the Risks | Scott Redd – First Things
A man sits as many risks as he runs.” This was Henry David Thoreau’s advice to people paralyzed by the belief that cautious inaction is somehow preferable to risky action. Whether one acts or does not act, Thoreau pointed out, he nevertheless contributes to the end result and cannot claim impunity. This advice would be hard-received by many of the Christians currently flummoxed by the difficult choice the upcoming election presents.
Many Christians dislike the options available in this presidential election. I’m not sure that there has been a more difficult political-ethical decision for Christians in America’s recent past. But of course, our options are rarely ideal. More than a few Christians will be whispering in the voting booth the apostle John’s succinct prayer, “come quickly, Lord Jesus.” As with all difficult decisions in life, however, the difficulty of the decision does not give us a free pass to opt out.
One of the most common ways for a Christian leader to respond to the current political dilemma is to rebuke fellow Christians for the sin of making idols out of their politics. We should heed this rebuke. Political idolatry and presumption, whether in the form of revolutionary fervor or some flavor of civil religion, is a theological syncretism—or mixing of beliefs—that the biblical prophets would not tolerate. A Christian’s political platform must not be mistaken for the gospel of Jesus Christ no matter how closely tied his political conclusions are to biblical values. America is not the last
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Words always matter is my point this week. On a lighter note, we can think of words that sound like what they mean: buzz, beep, whack, boom and giggle. Instead of using onomatopoeia, I am thinking about words that have strength when uttered.
My favorite examples are the words righteous and justice. Webster’s defines righteous as “acting in accord with divine or moral law.” Justice means the “establishment or determination of rights according to the rules of law or equity.”
A good start to this discussion is to review the righteousness of God, which is similarly described in the three Abrahamic religions and in some Eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism. The righteousness of God is defined as “the quality or state of being righteous; holiness; purity; uprightness as used in
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Pokin Around: Question prompted by West Plains newspaper ads — How would Jesus vote? – News-Leader
Pokin Around: Question prompted by West Plains newspaper ads — How would Jesus vote? – News-Leader
As Election Day draws near, there’s a debate in West Plains over the voting record of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Oddly enough, it’s taking place in advertising space in the West Plains Daily Quill.
HWJV.
How Would Jesus Vote.
Just so you know, I tried to reach the paper’s publisher, Jim Phillips, who is listed on the website as publisher and editor.
I called him, left a message and when I did not hear back I emailed him before noon, as well as the general manager/managing editor; the news editor; and the person listed as the advertising contact. No one responded by deadline Friday.
Here’s what the ads say
The first ad in the paper said the following:
Can you be a Democrat and a Christian?
NO.
Would Jesus vote for Pro-Choice and Same Sex Marriage?
NO.
MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE.
Paid Advertisement
That’s all it says: Paid Advertisement. It does not say who paid for it.
Then, a rebuttal ad ran in the paper. It said:
Jesus was a Jewish, Middle-Eastern day-laborer whose family fled from Bethlehem to escape King Herod. Jesus, Mary and Joseph were refugees. More than 500 children are in the country alone because their parents were deported. Jesus could have been one of them.
Election day is November 3rd
MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE
Paid for by: Ruth Bader Ginsgurls, 426 W. Fir Rd. #1010.
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Not Our Faith, Christians Against Trumpism & Political Extremism spend $250000 ad buy to reach – Religion News Service
Not Our Faith, Christians Against Trumpism & Political Extremism spend $250000 ad buy to reach – Religion News Service
Pre-election ads remind believers Trumpist-style politics are inconsistent with the core principles of their faith
BOSTON — Not Our Faith and Christians Against Trumpism & Political Extremism are spending a quarter of a million dollars to remind conservative Christians that Trumpism is inconsistent with the core principles of their faith, allying with some of Christianity’s biggest voices to speak out against the spiritual darkness of the Trump era.
In a historic break from the Republican Party and President Trump, a coalition – led by Not Our Faith, Christians Against Trumpism & Political Extremism, and Pro-Life Evangelicals for Biden – has brought together some of Evangelical Christianity’s most prominent leaders to reground the Evangelical Church’s approach to political life, and renew its witness to America.
The ad purchases include a one-quarter page placement in the Washington Post today which lists a significant number of Christian leaders who have opposed Trumpism, reassuring them that they are not alone. Other geographically focused ads will run on Fox News Channel and on a number of websites and social media in key battleground states.
“Thousands of Christian leaders and institutions have stood firm on the foundational truths of our faith and against the disheartening embrace of Trumpism,” said Christians Against Trumpism & Political Extremism co-founder John Kingston. “When the history books are written about this era, the principled, committed and courageous leaders who refused to compromise will be remembered, and we are deeply grateful for their stand.”
Movement co-founder Joel Searby, an ordained minister, seeks to
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First Christian Church of Freedom has new pastor – Conway Daily Sun
First Christian Church of Freedom has new pastor – Conway Daily Sun
FREEDOM — The Church Council of the First Christian Church of Freedom is pleased to announce the appointment of the Rev. Mary Edes of Silver Lake as its new pastor.
At the same time, the congregation wishes Pastor Larry and Nancy Wogman their best wishes and offer sincere gratitude for their service to FCC for almost 10 years as they embark on their next adventure in retirement.
Born and raised in central Maine, the Rev. Edes graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1978 with a B.A. in vocal performance.
She married and raised her family in Newmarket, during which time she was active in the Seacoast theater and music community.
Before entering the ministry, Edes did church work in many leadership positions including Director of Music at South Church UU in Portsmouth. She entered Bangor Theological
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‘Let us be peacemakers’: French Christians respond to terrorist attack – CHVN Radio
‘Let us be peacemakers’: French Christians respond to terrorist attack – CHVN Radio
Christian leaders in France are calling for peace in the midst of terror after three people were killed at a church on Thursday.
“Let us be peacemakers in a French society that lacks it. Pray for our fellow citizens, whatever their religion. Let us love our neighbours, as Jesus ordered us to do,” the National Council of Evangelicals of France (CNEF) said in a tweet on Thursday. The council also quoted Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:9, which says “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Soyons artisans de paix dans une société française qui en manque.
Prions pour nos concitoyens, quelque soit leur religion.
Aimons nos prochain, comme Jésus nous en a donné l’ordre.“Heureux ceux qui procurent la paix, car ils seront appelés fils de Dieu !” La Bible, Mat 5.9 https://t.co/CwAkpqeohm
— Romain CHOISNET (@comcnef) October 29, 2020
The attack took place at the Notre Dame Basilica in Nice, France. Police have since closed all churches in the country as threats of more violence persist. It was the third attack carried out by religious extremists in the country in the last two months.
“May God console the hearts of bereaved families,” said Thierry Le Gall, a pastor and director of the CNEF Pastoral Service to Parliamentarians. “Let us pray for our Nation, the police forces and unite against barbarism, for freedom of religion and expression.”
In another tweet he says, “Evangelical Protestants wish to be peacemakers in
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France attack: Three killed in ‘Islamist terrorist’ stabbings – BBC News
France attack: Three killed in ‘Islamist terrorist’ stabbings – BBC News
BOB KULP: God’s children should be the best citizens they can be – Goshen News
BOB KULP: God’s children should be the best citizens they can be – Goshen News
They say there are two topics you should never talk about … religion and politics. So let’s talk about both of them! What should a Christian do in regard to government and politics? Unfortunately many have chosen to do absolutely nothing out of disgust for the endless wrangling, name-calling and mud-slinging. Rather than choosing the “lesser of two evils,” they choose not to choose at all. Most of us prefer to complain about and criticize our leaders because any one of us could do a better job.
As believers, we have a dual citizenship. “Our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). Our English word “politics” is derived from the Greek word for “citizenship” and means “one’s behavior being in accord with his nation and constitution.” In those days, a Roman was expected to act (express his citizenship) as
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Professing Faith: Early Christians had an ambivalent relationship with government – Redlands Daily Facts
Professing Faith: Early Christians had an ambivalent relationship with government – Redlands Daily Facts
As the United States drives headlong into the 2020 election, it cannot be denied that religion in general and Christianity in particular have played a significant part in the deliberations.
Many evangelicals have backed one party while more progressive Christian denominations the other. The Catholic Church is fiercely divided when it comes to the choice we all shall soon make together.
The relationship between the Christian religion and the body politic has been varied over the centuries. In medieval times, it was the church that placed the crown on the head of the monarch and blessed his rule as being God’s will. From time to time the church managed to remove that crown as well. In 1209, Pope Innocent III excommunicated King John of England and brought him to his knees. In 1073, Pope Gregory VII died in a dungeon for opposing the Holy Roman Emperor. The era of the Reformation was no less religious as the older Catholic Church and the new Protestant faiths contended for power. In the modern period following the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, we have seen a long and slow decline in the political power of organized Christianity culminating with the effective end of state churches. But certainly the religion lives on.
The turbulent
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