Supreme Court Won't Stop Mississippi Freedom of Conscience Law - CBN News

Supreme Court Won't Stop Mississippi Freedom of Conscience Law

CBN News 01-08-2018

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court is refusing to intervene in a legal fight over a Mississippi law that lets government workers and private business people cite their own religious beliefs to deny services to LGBT people.

Opponents say the law could lead to discrimination against those who support same-sex marriage.

The justices did not comment Monday in their decision to leave in place a federal appeals court ruling that allowed the law to take effect. A three-judge panel held that the law's challengers failed to show they would be harmed by it. The appellate judges did not rule on the law's substance.

The legal battle is not over, though. A federal judge has allowed the law's challengers to try to find people who have been denied services under the law because they would be able to make a strong legal claim that they have been harmed.

The Mississippi legislature drafted and approved the measure in response to the Supreme Court's 2015 decision that legalized same-sex marriage across the country. Gov. Phil Bryant signed it into law in 2016, but it was blocked for more than a year amid several legal challenges. It took effect Oct. 10.

The law says it protects three beliefs: that marriage is only between a man and a woman, that sex should only occur in such a marriage and that a person's gender is determined at birth and cannot be altered.

The law allows county clerks who object to same-sex marriage on religious grounds to avoid issuing licenses to gay and lesbian couples. It also protects merchants who refuse services to LGBT people, and might also affect adoptions and foster care, business practices and school bathroom policies. Opponents say it also allows pharmacies to refuse to fill birth control prescriptions for unmarried women.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

4 Sexual Sins Every Christian Should Avoid - CHARISMA NEWS

4 Sexual Sins Every Christian Should Avoid

9/4/2014 BERT M. FARIAS  CHARISMA NEWS

There are at least four primary sexual sins of which the Word of God speaks of. (Mart1n/freeimages.com)

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Excessive sexual sin and nakedness is one of the marks of our Western culture and much of the world today. Everything is sensual. Everything must be sexy. We live in a sex-crazed world, and nakedness jumps out at us from everywhere. It is becoming more and more difficult for men and women to keep themselves in a state of moral purity.

Sexual sin and neglecting the laws of purity in the body of Christ is one of the elements that can potentially bring weakness, sickness, and even premature death to many in the Church. It is one forgotten aspect of not discerning the Lord's body (1 Cor. 11:29-31).

Those last statements sound so primitive in today's contemporary church. There is a lack of ministry from pastors in this area because of the fear of forthcoming accusations of being unloving, judgmental, legalistic, and ministering guilt and condemnation. Frankly, we've lost our way in this regard. Correction, rebuke and reproof are clearly missing from our counsel in these new crooked days of false comfort and unscriptural mercy.

In days of old it was rather common for correction to be made not only using the Scriptures but through the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. For instance, it was observed by one old timer that in praying for the sick, individuals who had been unfaithful in their marriage and had not repented, but who nevertheless sought healing, had been rebuked sternly by the Spirit of God. Back then they understood that only deep repentance and cleansing through the precious Blood of Christ could the gravity of such a crime be pardoned.

Today, as I said, we are considered condemning and judgmental if we minister in such a manner. Yet it is common for many to get in a healing line and seek deliverance, or submit prayer requests while living in gross immorality without any earnest desire for genuine repentance. Those who practice sexual sin, or any other sin for that matter, and profess Christ, are partaking of the body of the Lord unworthily; and in doing so they are receiving a curse rather than a blessing.

"For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep" (1 Cor. 11:29-31).

I realize that sexual temptations are great, no one is exempt from them, and none should boast of their self-righteousness. I'm also aware that in seeking to turn someone from the error of their ways we must do so in gentleness and humility (Gal. 6:1; 2 Tim. 2:25). But if there is to be victory in this area, it must begin with a reverent understanding and a scriptural estimation of the defiling and degrading nature of sexual sin and its terrible dangers. Before people obey God, they must be thoroughly awakened. Only then will they overcome counteracting forces.

Carefully read these words of one of America's greatest evangelists, Charles G. Finney:

"Worldly desires, appetites, and feelings prevent true Christianity—the human will is, in a sense, enslaved by fleshly and worldly desires. It is therefore necessary for God to awaken people to a sense of guilt and danger and thus produce an opposite excitement or feeling and desire. This counter-feeling breaks the power of worldly desire and leaves the will free to obey God."

That ideology, my friends, is clearly absent from the mainstream of contemporary Christianity, yet it is so sorely needed.

As in modern-day America, sexual sin and nakedness were celebrated in the city of Corinth too and was infiltrating into the church there. Thus Paul had to remind the Corinthian saints that their bodies were now the temples of God and not their own. Their bodies, as ours, are now members of Christ, so a sin against our bodies is a sin against Christ.

"Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 6:15, 19-20).

As far back as the Mosaic books we find some interesting references to sexual immorality and nakedness.

• The first recorded human curse was over nakedness (Gen 9:20-23).
• Nearly two entire chapters along with many other references were a code of ethics on nakedness and sexual immorality (See Lev. 18 and 20).
• Exposed genitalia or nakedness were common in Canaanite demonic worship. Instructions and prohibitions to Moses were so Israel's altars would not be like the Canaanites' (Ex. 28:41-43; 20:26).
• When Moses returned from the mountain, Aaron had lost control of the people as they worshiped a golden calf, "unrestrained" (Ex. 32:25), as the New King James says it. The Old King James says "naked," and the Living Bible says "committing adultery." And all this happened shortly after a move of God.

One of the keys to overcoming sexual sin lies in the meditation of the Word of God concerning it. This will nurture the fear of the Lord in you. For example, in Gal. 5:19-21 the works of the flesh are divided into four basic categories 1) sexual sins, 2) sins connected with pagan religion and the occult, 3) sins of the temper, and 4) sins of drunkenness. It is interesting that sexual sin is listed first, not only here, but also in several other scriptural references in the New Testament.

• Romans 1:24, 6:19 – Uncleanness is singled out.
• 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 – Sexual sins listed first.
• Galatians 5:19-21 – Sexual sins listed first.
• Ephesians 4:19 – Lewdness and uncleanness singled out.
• Ephesians 5:3 – Fornication and uncleanness singled out; let it not once be named among you.
• Colossians 3:5 – Fornication and uncleanness listed first.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3 – Sexual immorality singled out in our walk of sanctification.
• 1 Peter 4:3 – Lewdness listed first from our past life.
• There are at least four primary sexual sins the Word of God speaks of: adultery, fornication, uncleanness and lewdness.
• Here are the definitions of these four sexual sins:
  Adultery: Unlawful sexual intercourse involving at least one married person. Adultery is incompatible with the harmonious laws of family life in God's kingdom, and is under God's judgment since it violates God's original purpose.
  Fornication: Pornography, illicit sexual intercourse including prostitution, whoredom, incest, licentiousness (lack of moral restraint), and habitual immorality (would include sexual fantasies that lead to masturbation).
  Uncleanness: Often refers to homosexuality and lesbianism
  Lewdness: unashamed indecency, unbridled lust, unrestrained depravity (a disposition or settled tendency to evil, the innate corruption of unregenerate man), the person with this characteristic has an insolent defiance of public opinion, sinning in broad daylight with arrogance and contempt. Again, this often refers to sexual sin.
  Here's where many people err in their understanding of their sexuality. Notice the following verses.
  "Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power" (1 Cor. 6:13-14).
  Paul is correcting the dangerous misconception among the Corinthians who believed, "as the stomach is designed for food, the genitals are created for sexual experience." This mind-set is not only common among unregenerate human beings but also among Christians who justify sexual immorality. Paul shows how this analogy is false because your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost and belongs to Christ.
  Eating food is a secondary and temporal arrangement, but sexuality reaches into the eternal and metaphysical depths of one's being. An essential identity exists between the present physical body and the future glorified body (v 14). Sexual intercourse is more than a biological experience; it involves a communion of life. Since Jesus is one with the born-again believer's spirit, it is unthinkable to involve Him with immorality; thus the strong admonition not to let the sin of fornication and all uncleanness "even be named among you" (Eph. 5:3; emphasis added).
  Sexuality is a uniquely profound aspect of the personality involving one's entire being. Sexual immorality has far-reaching effects, with great spiritual significance and social implications (v18). Such immorality is not only a sin against the body but against the Holy Spirit, who dwells in the body. It is one of the ways we are to discern the Lord's body, which when consistently neglected, as I stated earlier, often brings weakness, sickness, and even premature death.
  Regardless of how satisfying and fulfilling sex is in its rightful place within the marriage, it is still a temporal arrangement and not a part of our eternal existence. And yet by it we procreate and give birth to eternal spirits. Sexual immorality messes with the power of procreation with someone to whom you are not married. The sexual drive is not sinful, but it is hurtful if not kept in its proper place. Scripture forbids sexual immorality in order to protect you.
  Politicians, businesses, schools and our public institutions are not qualified to handle the subject of sexual immorality and deviate sex problems we have in our culture. They are a part of the problem, not the solution. Sadly though, the church has fallen so short of addressing this problem from a strong scriptural perspective. Some churches no longer even believe what the Bible says about sexual immorality is pertinent. One high-ranking church official said that the church is going to have to come to an understanding of homosexuality according to the changing culture. That is one of the biggest problems in the church today. Many of us are conforming to the standards of the culture around us.
  Another well-known charismatic television preacher told his audience that homosexuality is not sin but brokenness. "What do you think David and Jonathan were doing? What do you think Ruth and Naomi were doing?" implying that they were involved in homosexual and lesbian relationships. I had to shake my head at that one. And yet this preacher is considered one of the greatest preachers in America with a very large following. It turns out that one of his own children is a homosexual. Although this is a very crushing trial for any godly parent to have to face, one cannot be loyal to his family at the expense of betraying God's holy Word.
  When influential preachers say erroneous things like that, it opens the door for deception and compromise among masses of people who respect these preachers. This will lead to a flood of evil, immorality, and all kinds of perversion among the hearers of such.
  It is sad to see the dilution of sound doctrine in much of the church today. It is grievous to the Holy Spirit to see such cowardice and compromise among preachers who have either departed from the true faith or who are afraid to teach sound doctrine in the area of sexual morality. As a result, our children and young people are getting educated by the reprobate minds of the world.
  Let the preachers of righteousness speak up with strength and conviction, for the time is here when many are not enduring sound doctrine, but with itching ears are heaping up teachers unto themselves.
  Bert M. Farias, founder of Holy Fire Ministries, is the author of The Real Gospel and co-host of the New England Holy Ghost Forum. He is a missionary evangelist carrying a spirit of revival to the church and the nations. Follow him at Bert Farias on Facebook or @Bertfarias1 on Twitter.
  Unless otherwise specified, the opinions expressed are solely the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of Charisma Media.
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Let It Be? - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Let It Be?

- Now Think On This

by Steve Martin

“For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Romans 1:24 NAS


When enough is enough, one has to start pushing back, or even you yourself will start believing that what is being said is the truth. If any agenda is pushed far enough, what you once thought and believed to be right will soon become wrong, and what was wrong will then become what is “right.”

Wrong.

By adding little lies upon another little lie, in time you yourself may start agreeing with the ones who have spoken the longest, and the loudest. Step by step, what was once wrong has now become the new norm, and what was, and still is, truth is said to not really have been the truth after all.

There are agendas being pushed forward in our society which makes it look like “their way is THE way”. What we began hearing back years ago, if even so softly then, has now decades later been brought to the forefront. The local and national media, proponents of a certain lifestyle, have said it long enough, and pushed far enough, where today even those we would have looked to, to be proponents of truth, whether in the church, education, politics or sports, no longer should be counted on for speaking the truth. For they themselves have succeeded in telling us that “this is OK, this is the norm, this is the way it is, so let it be. Just let it be.” They even celebrate and rejoice that “freedom” has now come.

I am not going to “let it be.”

If we stand by and just let it be, that which we know as truth, what we still believe as truth in the Lord’s Word, which is Truth - it will be completely thrown out, trampled down, and ridiculed to the point where those who stand for the Truth will find themselves standing alone. The evil agenda of the demonic forces will have succeeded in deceiving the mass population from the truth. In many cases they already have.

Watching the current broadcast news, listening to the voices in the secular workplace, hearing of that being pushed in the school system, if ever so subtle, has taken us down the road far enough to have given us what was written about in the Bible.
         
“For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are  gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” Romans 1:21-32 NASU

Truth cannot be written off because people say it no longer is, or have even denied that there was any to begin with. What the Lord God Almighty has written, our Creator, cannot and will not be denied, no matter who say it has, or who has pushed it out of the way. The Lord will have His final say in all this.

“Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.” 2 Thess. 2:8-12 NASU

We must stand for the truth. We must not sit back and let our generation, nor our children’s generation, accept that “whatever will be will be”, and that it is OK for each to do as they feel is OK in their eyes.

There is a godly standard. There is a strong foundation of truth to stand on, that will not be changed. There is a time when we must say the “Let it be” words are not what it is to be.

Now is that time.

Steve Martin

Love For His People. Inc.

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.

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Now Think On This #150 “Let It Be?” by Steve Martin 

Date: In the year of our Lord 2014 (05.13.14) Tuesday at 5:15am in Charlotte, NC.

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on our newest website: Now Think On This

Pastor and Singer Donnie McClurkin

Pastor and Singer Donnie McClurkin Says God Used Music to Free Him From Bondage of Shame

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BY NICOLA MENZIE , CHRISTIAN POST REPORTER

April 23, 2014

(PHOTO: YOUTUBE SCREENGRAB)

Donnie McClurkin, pastor and recording artist, shares his testimony at the Holy Land Experience in Orlando, Fla., during an April 12, 2014, performance and recording.

In a heart-stirring testimony, Pastor Donnie McClurkin credited his God-given musical talents and the prayer of an influential gospel singer in helping him to get free from the shame and sense of inferiority he had been experiencing at just 11 years old.

"I never thought that I would be doing this because people told me what I could not do," said McClurkin. "They didn't tell me who I was, they never told me what I could accomplish, who I could be. They put the shackles on and the limits on."

"But God used music to free me by increments of all the bondage. Until I could move past what people thought of me, until I could move past people's opinion, until I could move past people's nay-saying, until I could see in me what others wouldn't tell me was there."

McClurkin, who pastors Perfecting Faith Church in Freeport, N.Y., and is the winner of several Stellar, Grammy, Dove and other awards, gave the brief testimony during a recent performance at the Holy Land Experience in Orlando.

He went on to share how Andrae Crouch, a pastor, a celebrated gospel artist and one of the pioneers of Contemporary Christian Music, encouraged him at the age of 11 with a prayer that God would give to McClurkin what God had given to him.

Watch McClurkin's brief testimony in the video player below:

YouTube/TBN

Donnie McClurkin testifies how God freed him from bondage.

McClurkin has shared publicly the troubles he had as a youth, including the death of a sibling, substance abuse in his family, and being sexually abused by both his great uncle and later his great uncle's son.

The 54-year-old minister and recording artist, born Donald Andrew McClurkin Jr., would go on to confess that as an adult he struggled with same-sex attraction due to his being abused as a child. However, he shared in 2002, that he had been "delivered" from a gay lifestyle.

"I've been through this and have experienced God's power to change my lifestyle. I am delivered and I know God can deliver others, too," McClurkin shared, according to The Washington Post.

McClurkin has faced push-back due to his ex-gay testimony, with a fracas occurring last summer when the Christian singer was allegedly "uninvited" from a Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial concert in Washington, D.C., presumably due to his expressed views on homosexuality.

While McClurkin insisted that D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray had bowed to the pressure of gay rights activists, Gray told reporters it was the gospel singer who had decided to drop out of the event. Read more about the story here: Pastor Donnie McClurkin 'Uninvited' From MLK Memorial Concert Over 'Ex-Gay' Testimony?, and learn more about McClurkin's ministry and popular radio show online: http://www.donniemcclurkin.com.

God Is Angry—Are You? - Larry Tomczak

God Is Angry—Are You?

2/3/2014 LARRY TOMCZAK CHARISMANEWS

Someone once asked, "We know it's a sin to be angry about things that God isn't angry about, yet is it a sin not to be angry about things that God is angry about?"

We don't hear many sermons on the anger of God because He is "slow to anger," but it is real. The Bible tells us to consider both the "kindness and severity of God" (Rom. 11:22, ESV). Once in a while, maybe we should substitute the chorus "God is so good" with "God is so mad."

Scripture tells us, "Be ye angry, and sin not" (Eph. 4:26, KJV). In other words, there is such a thing as righteous anger toward that which is evil in the sight of God.

Jesus demonstrated this when He rebuked the disciples in their shunning of children who wanted to come to Him. The same was true when He cleared the temple of the money changers who were polluting the house of God.

How about you? As we witness the regular mockery of biblical standards for sexuality, marriage and family in our culture, do you feel what God is feeling—righteous anger? May none of us display a yawning indifference and casual dismissal regarding what's happening. May the zeal of the Lord of hosts arise in all our spirits to see righteousness restored! And knowing "man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires" (James 1:20), we must channel God's anger in charitable and constructive ways.

My longtime friend Dr. Michael Brown reminds us to be merciful and reject self-righteousness as we winsomely reach out to immoral people and those practicing homosexuality. But in loving all gays, we must resist the radical gay agenda. "It is the greatest threat to religious freedom in our generation!" he declares. Undergirding this should be a godly passion and holy hatred for what this agenda is doing to destroy biblical morality, marriage and family in our generation.

Going Back to the Grammys

Yesterday someone contacted me, mentioning how timely it was that my last commentary on Michelle Obama and Beyoncé came before Queen Bey's opening performance at the 2014 Grammy awards. This woman, whom our first lady commends as a role model, sang "Drunk in Love" while writhing as a stripper and censors bleeped unprintables during her "sexcapade seranade."

Mind you, this presentation wasn't on late-night cable MTV with Miley Cyrus sensual shenanigans but on a mainstream CBS broadcast during family hours to tens of millions across America and abroad.

The show also featured former Christian Katy Perry flaunting her sex in a satanic witchcraft spectacle with fire, horned men and a sacrificial offering to ... ?

Then Macklemore belted out his gay anthem, "Same Love," as closet lesbian Queen Latifah officiated over a ceremony where same-sex marriages were celebrated.

This annual broadcast is said to represent the very best music has to offer to the world. It also reveals the gravity of the situation we face in our culture today.

That same day, the Disney Channel's kid show Good Luck Charlie introduced two lesbian moms for our children, and later, NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt, an open homosexual, announced his working with lesbian Ellen DeGeneres for a new lesbian-themed comedy called One Big Happy for network TV.

Let's face it: America is in deep trouble and in desperate need of spiritual awakening. Our nation, founded on Judeo-Christian principles, has flourished for three centuries but now is teetering on the precipice. Time is of the essence. We must feel what God feels regarding unfaithfulness to His dictates on sexuality and marriage while praying, proclaiming the gospel and presenting a biblical model for the world to see.

Check Out Ezra and Nehemiah 

Two leaders in the Bible who imbibed the anger of God regarding marital unfaithfulness were Ezra and Nehemiah. They knew that favor comes as faithfulness is upheld. They felt what God felt, rejected a spineless approach to what they observed, and were courageous to speak up in their generation, challenging people to align with divine standards. In light of our current cataclysmic moral upheaval, we must do the same.

When Ezra learned how the people had drifted from God's moral directives, he tore his tunic and cloak, pulled hair from his head and beard, and sat down appalled. He fell on his knees with his hands spread out to God and prayed fervently. He mourned but also took action to call people back to the standards that God had set. No detached, namby-pamby, unemotional approach here! (See Ezra 9 and 10.)

Likewise, Nehemiah, in his day, called the people back to God's standards for marriage and family without any hint of compromise. Those who were following unrighteous standards, he rebuked, called curses down on them, physically attacked some of the men and even pulled out their hair! With all the passion he could muster, he reminded them what covenant marriage was and drove out the scoffers. (See Nehemiah 13:23-27.) Obviously, we don't use curses or any type of physical attacks, but we do pray and proclaim truth with courage, conviction and compassion.

"Larry, isn't this a bit extreme?"

These men were passionate for God's honor and to see God's people obey His holy standards for marriage. The Scripture is honest—announcing without approving their actions. The lesson is that there come times for us to recognize the gravity of a situation, renounce passivity and do what is necessary to get ourselves and others back into alignment with God's Word.

Such a time is now!

Here's the Deal

• Leaders. Declare the "whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27) to those entrusted to your care. Refuse to shrink back from addressing any controversial topics, such as pornography, homosexuality, gay marriage, adultery, fornication, adultery and cohabitation. Winsomely and biblically equip your people so they understand these issues, can speak to others from a biblical worldview, and are challenged to live a life of happy holiness in accordance with the Word of God. No more avoidance of so-called "political, partisan, controversial" topics that might "offend people, hinder fundraising or make us less seeker-sensitive."
• Married Couples. Determine to surround yourself with like-minded people in the context of a local church who reject the notion of easy divorce, understandable affairs or a lack of accountability and transparency in authentic, supportive relationships.
• Parents. Recommit yourself to honoring God's standards for morality and marriage while modeling it at home; prioritizing regular times for creative (not boring or lengthy) devotional instruction and prayer; and carefully monitoring media influence, Internet usage, cellphones and selection of friends.

As pastors, couples and parents, let's also support wholesome entertainment alternatives. Seize teachable moments for instruction and interaction on today's hot button moral issues.

A quality film in the theaters at this time is called Gimme Shelter, which presents the pro-life position in a non-preachy way while upholding the importance of family and care for troubled youth.

I've worked for the past four years on a video that is now available free for viewing on YouTube. It's called "Is Gay OK? 10 Things Everyone Needs to Know." With all the falsehoods swirling around us in our culture deceiving millions—especially our young people—this video is a must-see.

Internationally known evangelist Bob Weiner says, "This is not a product but a prophetic statement to our generation!" Watch it. Post links. Share it on Facebook. Let righteous anger motivate you to Spirit-led action and making a difference in these closing hours of history.

We are not alone in what the Bible calls the "perilous times" of the last days prior to His glorious return (2 Tim. 3:1). We may not be a majority, but we will not remain a silent majority any longer.

On the night of the Grammys, my wife and I watched a special two-hour broadcast of The Bachelor on ABC. We never watch the show but tuned in because for the first time in 17 seasons, they featured a live wedding of a couple that was special. Like very few paraded on the show, this young man and young woman had pledged to live pure; the groom's father was a pastor; and they unashamedly prayed plus spoke of Jesus.

My wife and I could hardly believe what we were seeing! When the beaming groom said unabashedly, "I'm proud of my faith," and his glowing bride stood at his side, it was obvious they were different—ambassadors for the King of kings and Lord of lords. May we all do likewise in these trying times.

"So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life" (Phil. 2:15-16).

Larry Tomczak is a best-selling author and cultural commentator with over 40 years of trusted ministry experience. His passion is to bring perspective, analysis and insight from a biblical worldview. He loves people and loves awakening them to today's cultural realities and the responses needed for the bride of Christ—His church—to become influential in all spheres of life once again.

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