Written by Teri Paulson

We are by now all familiar with the following chain of events. It has become so common that any deviation from it is rare:

A public figure makes a politically incorrect statement. Their reputation is quickly destroyed in the kangaroo courts of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Calls for their firing follow. Friends and colleagues denounce them. At that point, in perhaps the strangest twist of all, instead of fighting back and calling out the aggressors for their obvious dishonesty and intolerance the victim capitulates and issues multiple groveling apologies; with tears. And this goes on and on–until the next ‘thought criminal’ is discovered by the online mob.

You may or may not realize it but these kinds of attacks are happening to people who aren’t even public figures. The mob has come for authors, teachers, small business owners, high school kids…and it will come for you. What will you do then?

The following quote explains a lot about this phenomenon. Writer Barrett Wilson goes into painfully honest detail in an essay over at Quillette revealing the motivation for participation in the mob.

“How did I become that person? It happened because it was exhilarating. Every time I would call someone racist or sexist, I would get a rush. That rush would then be reaffirmed and sustained by the stars, hearts, and thumbs-up that constitute the nickels and dimes of social media validation. The people giving me these stars, hearts, and thumbs-up were engaging in their own cynical game: A fear of being targeted by the mob induces us to signal publicly that we are part of it.”

According to Wilson the motivation of the aggressors is continued belonging to and approval from the crowd. But what about the victims?

Strangely enough, the motivation is the same. It’s two sides of the same coin. Both the bullies and their ever apologizing victims are motivated by the same desire. The desire to belong to and be accepted by ‘the crowd.’ The bullies want to maintain their membership while the victims want to regain it.

Belonging. We crave it. We go to great lengths to gain it. We fear losing it. It is hard to overstate the power of the desire to belong to “the crowd.”

How many self-professing Christians in the public eye over the years, have apologized, obfuscated or simply recanted when challenged by unbelievers about what the Bible says? Instead of saying simply, “Yes. This is what God says, and I believe Him.” How many of us have remained silent or capitulated to lies in our professional and even personal lives when we had opportunities to be gentle witnesses for the truth? We are no different than our unbelieving counterparts when we use political calculations instead of faith in making decisions about whether we should speak the truth or remain silent. That is the opposite of faith and none of us is completely innocent.

God tells us that we cannot serve two masters. It’s not just a bad idea. It’s not possible. It IS possible to stumble and repent (like Peter), but if we find ourselves consistently stifling the truth in order to please the crowd we are fooling ourselves. The stark truth is, the crowd to which so many of us are dying to belong is the crowd on the road to dying. (Matthew 7:13-14)

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” ~Luke 14:26

“If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous generation…” ~Mark 8:38

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ~Matthew 7:21

The scary language in the Bible is there for a reason. “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28) Cowards are first in the list of people headed for the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:10) Fear and the desire for human approval is perhaps our greatest nemesis. The desire to belong to the crowd will lead you to hell.

Christian hear me. The time is coming when we will each have to publicly choose a side. You don’t belong to the crowd. You don’t belong to the internet mob. You don’t belong to the people at work. You don’t belong to your classmates. You don’t even belong to your family. If you are in Christ you belong to the Unseen God. Make up your mind now to trust Him. Let the crowd scream and curse. Their end is tragically destruction. You are set apart from the crowd and that should be apparent to both you and to them.

This article was originally published at For Such A Time As This.

UPDATE: The sponsor of HB 3023 has “tabled” this bill.
This proposal is dead for the session.

America was birthed as adventurous. Persecuted people braved an Atlantic crossing to establish new lives with new opportunities and freedoms in a wild and unknown land. Initially, many had the blessing of England and the Crown, and were seen as emissaries founding new colonies for the glory of England and The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

For the Pilgrims and the Puritans, and some other Protestant families, this new land was a merciful opportunity to live and worship away from the ever-increasing tyranny of King George III.

Government schools rarely mention the devout beginnings of our nation. Consider a distributed tract published by the Virginia Company (circa 1606) titled, “True and Sincere Declaration of the Purposes and Ends of the Plantation” which stated their purpose:

First to preach and baptize into Christian religion and by the propagation the Gospel, to recover out of the arms of the devil a number of poor and miserable souls wrapped up unto death in almost invincible ignorance; to endeavor the fulfilling and accomplishments of the number of the elect which shall be gathered from out of all corners of the earth; and add to our mite the treasury of heaven.

Even the new King James applauded and encouraged the spiritual mission in 1606:

We greatly commend and graciously accept their desires for the furtherance of so noble a work, which may, by the providence of Almighty God, hereafter tend to the glory of His Divine Majesty, in propagating of Christian religion to such people as yet live in darkness and miserable ignorance of the true knowledge and worship of God and may in time bring the infidels and savages living in those parts to human civility and a settled, quiet government.

However, by 1775, George III, a young and poorly advised monarch, “turned the screws against the Americans. To cut off the colonists’ ability to resist at the source, George III decreed a ban on export of arms and ammunition to America, with orders to his Royal governors to prohibit the import thereof in the colonies. At the same time, General Gage instituted general searches and seizures for arms and gunpowder…” [The Founders’ Second Amendment]

On April 19, 1775, the Shot Heard Round the World propelled America into a revolution. As noted in a 2018 article, Stephen P. Halbrook (foremost authority on the Second Amendment in America) writes in his excellent (and indispensable) book, The Founders’ Second Amendment: Origins of the right to Bear Arms:

The militiamen of Lexington and Concord consisted of all able-bodied males aged 16 through 60, from its gentlemen and yeomen to its laborers and apprentices, excluding the town’s Harvard students and a dozen African American slaves. All provided their own arms except for a few poor men who had to borrow them.

Women and children assisted the militiamen in preparing for the conflict. On the eve of the clash, Militia Colonel James Barrett’s 15-year-old granddaughter Meliscent taught the other young women of the town how to assemble cartridges.

. . .

The patriots made good many shots at various distances. The Redcoats fired more rounds per hit than did the Americans. Some 50 Americans were killed, 39 wounded, and 5 missing, for a total of 94 casualties. According to Gage, the Redcoats suffered 65 killed, 157 wounded, and 27 missing, for a total of 272 casualties.

The patriots exhibited excellent marksmanship for shooting flintlocks in anger, many for the first time in their lives.

Again, knowing this history equips us with the context of our Second Amendment.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

The Second Amendment bolstered the First Amendment which bestowed the Free Exercise clause.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

As the U.S. Constitution was being debated and written, there were those who thought it inconceivable that future leaders and government bodies would ever seek to disarm the populace. After all, a high price — the blood of patriots — had secured America’s independence from the tyranny of King George, and they all well-remembered the indispensable part firearms played in the costly victory.

According to some historians, an armed citizenry also precluded Japan attacking the U.S. mainland following the Pearl Harbor attack. The well-known, though debated, quote by Japanese Admiral Yamamoto, “…an American behind every blade of grass with a rifle.”

Thus, America has a storied tradition (Roe v. Wade notwithstanding), of protecting life. Our Founders wrote our Constitution from a biblical worldview which condemned murder — the killing of innocents — but supported killing as an act of protecting innocents.

Thou shalt not kill [murder innocents]. [Exodus 20:13]

Today the socialist Left pushes daily to eradicate our national history of protecting life AND of an armed citizenry warding off governmental tyranny.

An unarmed populace makes a controllable populace, and control is the end game.

Illinois State Representative Yehiel “Mark” Kalish (D-Skokie) has introduced House Bill 3023, which would prohibit good citizens who hold valid concealed carry permits from exercising their 2nd Amendment civil right at their church or other place of worship.

Illinoisan patriots/Christians must react and react strongly. Note — there are already far too many locations in Illinois where citizens are not able to exercise their concealed carry rights (incomplete list):

• a public or private elementary or secondary school
• a preschool or child care facility
• a circuit court, appellate court, or the Supreme Court, or any building or portion of a building under the control of the Supreme Court
• a public or private hospital or hospital affiliate, mental health facility, or nursing home
• any bus, train, or form of transportation paid for in whole or in part with public funds
• any public playground
• any public park, athletic area, or athletic facility

Illinois leftists, with anti-conceal carry legislation, create target-rich environments for thugs, terrorists, and other ne’er-do-wells. Under HB 3023, churches and churchgoers become soft targets.

HB 3023 countermands our U.S. Constitution — specifically our Second Amendment rights — as well as our God-given right and instruction to protect innocent life.

And of course, HB 3023, in addition to being absolutely dangerous, enables the Left to more fully control conservatives and Christians in every aspect of their faith and lives.

Citizens of Illinois must NOT be silent! We must contact our representatives and demand our public servants reject this horrible bill and repel any future attempt to disarm lawful citizens!

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send a message to your state representative to ask him/her to reject HB 3023. Ask them not to strip law abiding citizens of their right to protect themselves, their families and their church family.

You may want to remind your state representative that the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the 22nd section of Article 1 of the Illinois Constitution both guarantee the civil right of law abiding citizens to “keep and bear arms.”

America’s history remembered includes the heroic actions of ordinary citizens standing up to tyranny. Those Americans equipped themselves first with prayer, then with firearms.

We would do well to remember the lessons learned, of victories that secured the liberty we enjoy today to live and worship freely.

Remain vigilant. Remain prayerful. And speak up against any and all unconstitutional and ungodly measures!

IFI Worldview Conference!

On Saturday, March 16, 2019, the Illinois Family Institute will be hosting our annual Worldview Conference. This coming year, we will focus on the “transgender” revolution. We already have commitments from Dr. Michelle Cretella, President of the American College of Pediatricians; Walt Heyer, former “transgender” and contributor to Public Discourse; Denise Schick, Founder and Director of Help 4 Families, and daughter of a man who “identified” as a woman; and Doug Wilson, who is a Senior Fellow of Theology at New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho, and pastor at Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho .

The Transgender Ideology:
What Is It? Where Will It Lead? What is the Church’s Role?
Click here for more information.

Written by Pastor Calvin Lindstrom
Church of Christian Liberty & Christian Emergency League

To any discerning Christian, it should be obvious that we have serious moral, cultural, political and financial problems in our nation and our state.

Especially for those who have been living in Illinois, it is easy to be discouraged and weary. For all of our prayers and efforts to stand for truth, we ask where is the fruit?

A study of Scripture and church history shows that there are times when God’s people are called to endure long seasons of challenge. We are also called to recognize that the battle we face is ultimately a spiritual battle. We are not given a full understanding in Scripture of all that takes place in the spiritual realm, but from the book of Daniel and other places in Scripture we know that much more is taking place than we realize.

Paul says in Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

What are God’s people called to do in during great spiritual battle? We are called to pray and stand boldly as witnesses to God’s truth.

In Romans 15:30 Paul begged his readers to strive together with him in prayers to God for his ministry. The Greek word translated as strive together means to join with someone in severe effort.

There is a blessing in prayer, but the word striving reminds us that prayer is not always easy or pleasant.

We must continually battle the world and our flesh as we stand alert to the wiles of the devil.

On Wednesday, February 20, 2019, Governor J. B. Pritzker is scheduled to present his budget proposal for fiscal year 2020 (the fiscal year begins July 1).

The Illinois Family Institute is calling for a Day of Prayer and fasting on this day.

We know that our state is broke financially. In the midst of this financial brokenness, forces of evil are pushing for laws to promote even more killing of unborn children.

Abortion is just one of the fruits of sin, but it is a particularly poisonous fruit. We pray against wicked legislation that will only encourage more killing.

As part of your prayers and witness, keep in mind two bills regarding abortion: HB 2495 (which further promotes abortion) and HB 2467 (repeals parental notification).

Let us pray that as God humbles us, He will also strengthen us (Psalm 31:24).

Let us pray that God, through the mighty working of the Holy Spirit, will revive His people and church in our state and bring many more to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Psalm 85:6).

Let us pray that God will bring conviction to our lawmakers that each one will have to give account to Him for all their votes (Psalm 2:12).

And let us pray that God will bring glory to His name and that all might know that our God is alone Lord and ruler over heaven and earth (2 Kings 19:19).

Dear Pastors and Ministry Leaders,

Illinois Family Institute is hosting an important Pastor’s Breakfast on Monday, January 28th in Oak Brook regarding the proposal to legalize recreational marijuana in our state. There are many consequences for our churches and communities to consider. The colossal costs to society must be thoroughly deliberated before we embrace legalization. Once you investigate the many different aspects of this policy, it is our hope that you will be alarmed at the significant ramifications to families, students, communities, the market place, law enforcement, the environment, first responders, emergency medicine, etc.

Your congregation and community should understand the negative repercussions of this policy before state lawmakers approve recreational marijuana, because it is the public who will reap the fallout. Please join us to learn more about what is going on in states that have already legalized marijuana. Colorado, California and Washington can give us a glimpse of what may be coming our way in the very near future. We believe that the consequences far outweigh the perceived benefits. 

Please contact us if you have any questions, by phone at (708) 781-9328.Click here for a PDF flyer.

The new session of the Illinois General Assembly has already begun. Unless there is an deafening hue and cry from citizens across the state, this policy will be foisted on us all with little to no regulation. If you’d like to know what that looks like, please watch or listen to this presentation by Jo McGuire.

Please also read these recent articles in major publications sounding the alarm about the trend to legalize marijuana:

What Advocates of Legalizing Pot Don’t Want You to Know (The New York Times)

Marijuana Is More Dangerous Than You Think (Wall Street Journal)

Is Marijuana as Safe as We Think (The New Yorker)

Please pray that our state lawmakers will listen to the objections and concerns of industry leaders, law enforcement officials, clergy members, educators, parents and grandparents in this once great state. May God have mercy on us!

Written by Peter Heck

The Social Justice church continues embarrassing itself.  And while I continue praying for unity within the church of Christ, for the diminishment of manufactured schisms and the futile exaltation of man-made schemes for worldly reconciliation, it’s getting to the point where I’m convinced that this movement is just going to have to burn itself out by butchering its own credibility amongst the brethren.

Commentaries like the one offered recently by social justice theologian Timothy Isaiah Cho convince me the credibility-butchering has commenced in earnest.  Check out this masterpiece:

Timothy Isaiah Cho

“If the references in your pastor’s sermons, the books used in small groups, the resources passed between the laity, the music sung in worship, & even the reflection quotes in your worship bulletins are predominantly by White men, your church is promoting a truncated Christianity.

This communicates to those in the church that the real gatekeepers of orthodoxy – and those who are the only ones worth listening to – are White men. It says that authentic worship – and that which we should rightly emulate – originates from White men.  It declares that the church property belongs to, is led by, and influenced by White men. It says that women and people of color are properly always to be listeners, submitters, and passive bystanders in the church who should be grateful for the place they’ve been allotted by White men.

In contrast, Jesus’ church is the epicenter of equity and diversity. Each part of the body is weak and incomplete in faith without all of the other parts, and we are called to mutually submit one to another while exercising our respective gifts in service to one another.”

Apparently, Cho has determined that his “gift” is sowing division in the body along the lines of man-made, social constructs like race.  Offering no exegetical evidence for his position, it’s just a stunningly tone-deaf statement in light of the reconciling work of the Holy Spirit, and it stands in flagrant contrast of the command Jesus gives His disciples, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

In other words, while Christ is instructing His disciples to test all things against the perfect standard of His word alone, social justice theologians like Cho would discard that benchmark in favor of a skin melanin quota system.

It’s as absurd as it sounds.

Luckily, as I alluded to earlier, this kind of conspicuous nonsense is increasingly being exposed.  That’s good for Christendom.  For instance, by Cho’s standard, if the preaching of your church featured the writings of predominantly Jewish men, it would be promoting a truncated Christianity.  Given that predominantly Jewish men were the authors God selected to write His Word, the accusation would seem to have some inherent flaws.  It’s almost as though the real test of the references, quotes, and perspectives offered in a church service should be their fidelity and faithfulness to the text.

But again, what is most unflattering about Cho’s social justice gospel is that it masquerades as a path towards reconciliation while flying in the face of the testimony of inerrant Scripture.  Writing on the ministry of reconciliation himself, the Apostle Paul penned these words inspired from the Holy Spirit:

“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.”

Truncated Christianity is the kind that doesn’t offer the full counsel of God; the kind that falls short of God’s declared Word to man, or worse, the kind that undermines or conflicts with it.  Regrettably, that’s the kind being peddled so fervently by social justice activists like Timothy Isaiah Cho.

This article was originally published at PeterHeck.com.

Hail Satan?

It seems like Satan is getting a lot of positive nods in the last couple of months. In December, the secretary of state’s office at the Illinois Capital in Springfield allowed the Satanic Temple in Chicago to add a monument, which was placed next to a Nativity scene for Christmas and the Menorah to mark Hanukkah.

It sparked a great deal of controversy across the country. Even Franklin Graham spoke out against the move, quoting IFI’s executive director: “They fail to realize that the little baby in the manger has CRUSHED Satan’s head and the gates of hell will NOT prevail.”

Last Sunday evening at the Golden Globes, actor Christian Bale won the best actor award for his portrayal of former Vice President Dick Cheney in the film Vice.  In his acceptance speech, he thanked several individuals, including Satan.  He said, “Thank you to Satan for giving me inspiration for playing this role.”

While it was clearly a jab at Cheney, the Church of Satan praised Bale, tweeting this:

To us, Satan is a symbol of pride, liberty and individualism, and it serves as an external metaphorical projection of our highest personal potential. As Mr. Bale’s own talent and skill won him the award, this is fitting. Hail Christian! Hail Satan!

To those who hail Satan, to those who cheered on Christian Bale as he thanked Satan and to those who stood up for the justification of the Satanic Temple placing its pagan monument in the name of the devil himself, understand that Satan is a real being.

Jesus called him a murderer in John 8:44. He also told us that Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10).  Jesus reminded us that he is a liar (John 8:44). In Ephesians we’re told that we need to put on the full armor of God to protect ourselves and extinguish the fiery arrows that come from him.

Satan is evil:

• Satan is the twister of truth
• The father of fallacy
• The shifter of Scripture
• The prince of perversion
• The first rebel who prided himself as equal to God
• The one who enticed Adam and Eve to sin
• The one through whom all rebellion, sin and evil came into the world
• And the slanderer of those whom God loves: the saints
• He is the motivating force behind murders, sexual assaults and every other evil and perversion we see today

But let us never forget that this battle of evil versus good, truth verses lies and hate verses love has already been won–at the Cross–over 2,000 years ago. And that victory will be fulfilled when Jesus returns for His faithful followers, His bride.

Let us also never forget that every knee will one day bow to Him who paid the ultimate price for the redemption of sin, and everyone will acknowledge Him as Lord, regardless of where they will be spending eternity. His Name is Jesus.

We sincerely hope that those reading this message will do it now.

Download the IFI App!

We now have an IFI mobile app that enables us to deliver great content based on the “Tracks” you choose, including timely legislative alerts, cultural commentaries, upcoming event notifications, links to our podcasts, video reports, and even daily Bible verses to encourage you. This great app is available for Android and iPhones.

Key Features:

• It’s FREE!
• Specific content for serious Christians
• Performs a spiritual assessment
• Sends you daily Scriptures to encourage and equip you
• You determine when and how much content you get

There’s a reason that the first openly bisexual senator did not take her oath on the Bible. There’s a reason that an atheist website rebuked me for “misgendering” someone. Simply stated, to embrace the God of the Bible means to embrace His standards. To reject the God of the Bible means to reject His standards. Conversely, to reject His standards is to reject Him. This is really not rocket science.

Breitbart reported that, “Newly elected Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema refused to be sworn in on a Bible, opting, instead, to place her right hand on a book of laws, including the U.S Constitution and the Arizona Constitution.”

It is no coincidence that she is our first openly bisexual senator as well as the only member of the U.S. Senate who has no religious affiliation.

This doesn’t mean that she is a terrible person or that she has no moral values at all. And it doesn’t mean that she cannot serve the government. Of course not. There is no religious test for leadership either way (in other words, you can’t be disqualified for being a Christian or disqualified for not being a Christian).

But it does mean that her lifestyle and identity are at odds with the God of the Bible, hence her lack of religious affiliation and her refusal to swear in on the Bible. That is perfectly consistent.

Over at the “Friendly Atheist” site, a site which is certainly atheistic if not always friendly, Sarahbeth Caplin wrote an article titled, “Christian Writer Deliberately Misgenders Trans Woman to Defy ‘Social Madness.’” She accuses me of “faith-based bigotry masquerading as Christian love.”

As for one of the websites which published my article, she said this: “The folks at Charisma are eager to start off the new year with yet more doses of the only things they have to offer: fear-mongering and anti-LGBTQ bigotry.” (See here for my article.)

The truth be told, it is not bigotry to affirm biological realities, and the average transgender activist does not have science on his or her side. (By this I mean that the average person identifying as transgender is clearly of one biological/chromosomal sex but identifies as the opposite.)

Yet an atheist website that certainly claims to be rational and science-based embraces transgender activism with enthusiasm, vilifying those who reject it. Why?

And why is it that, according to a Pew Research poll, 92 percent of American atheists support same-sex “marriage”? Or, according to this same poll, 87 percent of these atheists believe that abortion should be legal in most or all cases?

A recent article by Sally Hunt on the Friendly Atheist website critiques the video arguments of pro-life atheist Terrisa Bukovinac. Hunt writes, “I watched [the video]. I’m not convinced. And that’s because it seems abundantly clear that the atheist ‘pro-life’ argument is identical to the religious one, except Bukovinac didn’t invoke ‘God’ throughout the monologue. Both arguments are logically flawed, though. An atheist who opposes abortion essentially says Abortion should be illegal because of my feelings, while a religious person would say Abortion should be illegal because of my feelings, which also happens to be what God wants.”

Obviously, Hunt misrepresents why Bible believing Christians so strongly oppose abortion. It’s not that we have our feelings, which happen to be what God wants too. Instead, we are convinced by God and His Word that the baby in the womb is a real human being, and therefore we align our feelings with the Word.

Hunt, however, rightly represents the atheistic worldview by stating, “Not every form of life is inherently precious, sacred, and valuable. That includes human forms of life.” Indeed, she states, “To say otherwise is arguably a religious position. (It’s religious people who believe we possess souls from conception thanks to God.)”

And with that observation, we come full circle to our premise: If we fail to recognize God and His Word, we will inevitably stray from biblical morality. We will reject the idea that He created us male and female. We will reject the idea that men and women are uniquely fashioned for each other. We will reject the idea that human life is sacred, beginning in the womb. And we will certainly reject the idea that human beings are created in the image of God, with all that implies.

That’s why I have argued that the only type of conservatism that can bring lasting change to America is a biblically-based, God centered conservatism. All other efforts will fall short in the end.

It is true that there “is far too much diversity among both atheists and theists to assume that they stand on opposite sides of any particular issue.”

But it is also true that general patterns apply and that the worldview of an atheist will be a very different than the worldview of a Bible-based theist. And that means that any true moral transformation in America will start with a “back to God” movement. It is the absence of God that is our greatest problem today.

This article was originally published at AskDrBrown.org

This past weekend, I contacted a committed Christian friend who is a public middle school administrator in another state to ask if his school mandates that staff, faculty, and administrators use incorrect pronouns when referring to “trans”-identifying students. He responded that his school does not currently have any such students; that neither the administration nor school board has discussed the issue; and that if or when a “trans”-identifying student demands to be referred to by incorrect pronouns, the administration will consult school attorneys about what to do.

I was, as the British say, gobsmacked.

The “trans” issue has been roiling the cultural waters for years now. Students who masquerade as the sex they are not are suing school districts; teachers are being fired for refusing to use incorrect pronouns (i.e., they refuse to lie); a male middle school teacher was disciplined for refusing to supervise a masquerading girl as she used the boys’ locker room; Obama sent “Dear Colleague” letters to every public school in the country ordering them to treat sexual delusions as reality; children are being taught that in order to be compassionate, they must share restrooms and locker rooms with opposite-sex peers; and girls and boys are being forced to compete in sports against opposite-sex peers. In the face of this science-denying, privacy-eradicating, intellectually and morally vacuous ideology, it’s both incomprehensible and indefensible that school districts are burying their heads and moral compasses deep in the shifting sand.

It’s also baffling that deeply committed Christ-followers who work in public schools have not begun preparing for the inevitability that they will be ordered by the government—that is, their employer—to speak lies in the service of a body- and soul-destroying ideology.

In answer to a question regarding how Christians should refer to “trans”-identifying persons, esteemed pastor, author, and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary, John Piper, writes that he would “probably… submit to [using the preferred first name] in the short run at least” because the gender-association of proper names is arbitrary and shifting. For example, the name “Joycelyn” is a boy’s name in France, and “Aubrey” is a boy’s name in England, whereas both are deemed girls’ names in the United States. More important, Piper provides the reasons Christians must not use incorrect pronouns when referring to “trans”-identifying persons:

[I]f in the office…  I was compelled to identify every so-called transgendered person by the pronoun they preferred in all of my emails, or conversations… or I would get disciplined… I would say to my superiors, I cannot treat he’s as she’s and she’s as he’s.

“I will draw a line and say that I will not call he ‘she.’ I will not call she ‘he.’”

…. I would be lying to call a he a “she”…. And it would be contrary to my understanding of sexuality and I would start looking for another job.

The same thing applies to bathrooms, locker rooms, and hotel rooms where women identify as men or vice versa. I would refuse to have a roommate who said she was a man, even though I share a room in my travels with my assistant all the time. He is a man, and I know he is a man, and that is a perfectly normal thing to do. But if they insisted that I share the same bathroom, share the same locker room, or share the same hotel room, I am looking for another job.

…. Naming may have a certain ambiguity and arbitrariness to it, but the language of “he” and “she” and the use of bathrooms and hotel rooms does not. And I will draw a line and say, I will not call he “she.” I will not call she “he.” And I will not intrude on the sexual privacy of a person of the opposite sex or walk into a situation where they would intrude upon mine.

So, what should every Christian administrator and teacher employed by Big Brother in government schools do? They should immediately ask their superiors and school board this question:

If a “trans”-identifying student were to request that I use incorrect pronouns when referring to them, would I be required to do so even if it conflicts with beliefs about sexuality and about lying that derive from my religious faith?   

No parent should place their children in a purportedly educational environment in which the adults charged with teaching do not respect the reality and meaning of biological sex, who use incorrect pronouns, who pretend that boys can be girls or vice versa, who teach implicitly or explicitly that compassion and inclusivity require students to share private spaces with opposite-sex peers, and who require them to lie about the sex of peers through the use of incorrect pronouns. So, parents too should ask their administrators and school board these questions now:

1.) If a “trans”-identifying student were to request that teachers use incorrect pronouns, will teachers be doing so?

2.) If a “trans”-identifying student were to request that peers refer to them by incorrect pronouns, would peers—like my child—be required to do so?

3.) If a “trans”-identifying student were to request use of opposite-sex locker rooms and restrooms, will they be permitted to use them? If so, would those students whose parents do not permit them to share private spaces with opposite-sex peers—like my child—be forced out of restrooms and locker rooms that correspond to their sex?

4.) Will teachers be telling students—like my child—that in order to be compassionate and inclusive, they must use incorrect pronouns when referring to “trans”-identifying students and should share private spaces with opposite-sex peers?

Parents are entitled to this information and should have it sooner rather than later so that they can make informed decisions about how and where to train up their children in the ways they should go. And Christian employees in public schools are entitled to this information because they need to know whether they should start looking for alternative employment.

We don’t get to choose whom God calls to the frontlines of cultural battles or to what task he may call us. Right now, it seems obvious that he has called—among others, including church leaders—Christians employed in wedding-related businesses and in government schools to the frontlines. I hope I’m wrong, but it appears that, apart from a handful of notable cases that become court cases and news stories, Christians are taking the broad and easy road, seeking the approval of man over God.

Listen to this article read by Laurie:

https://staging.illinoisfamily.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Christian-Teachers-and-Parents-What-Will-You-Do.mp3

Save the Date!

On Saturday, March 16, 2019, the Illinois Family Institute will be hosting our annual Worldview Conference. This coming year, we will focus on the “transgender” revolution. We already have commitments from Dr. Michelle Cretella, President of the American College of Pediatricians; Walt Heyer, former “transgender” and contributor to Public Discourse; Denise Schick, Founder and Director of Help 4 Families, and daughter of a man who “identified” as a woman; and Doug Wilson, who is a Senior Fellow of Theology at New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho, and pastor at Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho .

The Transgender Ideology:
What Is It? Where Will It Lead? What is the Church’s Role?
Click here for more information.

As we begin 2019–with new federal lawmakers being sworn in to office last week in Washington D.C. and new state lawmakers being sworn into office this week–it is vital that we are intentional about praying for those in authority. Although we may disagree with the political philosophy of many of our elected officials, we must not neglect God’s instruction to pray for them (1 Timothy 2:1-3) or ignore the power of prayer to change hearts and minds (Proverbs 21:1; James 5:16).

It is important to regularly appeal to God for the well-being of our state and nation. It is essential to ask Him to work in the hearts and minds of each one of our local, state and national our leaders. Let’s ask the Lord to help our officials understand what is good and true. Ask Him to give them wisdom and to open their eyes to those who are trying to mislead or deceive them. Let’s pray that God would bring into their lives a Daniel or a Paul to be trusted godly influences who will not shrink back from telling them about God’s standards of right and wrong.

Additionally, here are some other ways to pray this week and throughout the year:

• Thank God for this new year in which we can serve Him. Thank God for what He has done in our lives during the last year, and what He will be doing this year in not only our lives but also in the lives of our family members and in His church worldwide. Throughout history we can see how His hand has been upon the nations.

• Thank God that He is making all things new (Isaiah 43:18–19; Revelation 21:5; Isaiah 65:17).

• Pray that He would prompt us to stay in His Word, reading it daily so that we are fully equipped for what He is calling us to do.

• Pray that He would train us in righteousness and give us wisdom to know how to respond to the growing immorality and unfaithfulness in our culture.

• Pray for a successful and peaceful March for Life Chicago next Sunday. Pray that our culture would come to understand the preeminence of the sanctity of life.

• Pray for key federal officials–including President Donald Trump, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

• Pray that federal officials would be serious about military readiness, national security, border protection and the importance of defunding Planned Parenthood.

• Pray for key state officials–including Governor-elect JB Pritzker, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, Illinois Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, and Illinois House Minority Leader Jim Durkin.

• Pray that the effort to legalize recreational marijuana fails. Pray that state lawmakers would understand the alarming consequences and high costs of approving this legislation and not be swayed by the potential of a new tax revenue source.

• Pray against efforts to indoctrinate children in government schools–especially the legislation to mandate the teaching about homosexuality and the “trans” ideology positively in government schools (SB 3249) from kindergarten through 12th grade.

• Pray that God would increase our reverence and love for Him and His Word and that we would be effective servants.

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May I propose a New Year’s resolution for 2019? Let’s determine to speak up and to speak out, to raise our voices with clarity and compassion, to refuse to hold back regardless of cost or consequence. Will you join me?

To those of you who are already doing this, I encourage you to continue to stand strong.

To those who are not, now is most certainly the time. What are you waiting for?

One of the most important principles taught by Jesus was that if we try to save our lives, we lose them. But if we lose our lives for Him – for the gospel – we find them.

To apply this concept to our contemporary situation, if we try to avoid controversy and conflict so as to preserve our presence on social media platforms, we lose our souls in the process. We become compromisers, fearers of man rather than fearers of God. We are no longer guided by conviction; we are guided by convenience. We survive but we do not thrive.

If we speak what is right and do what is right and live what is right, we might lose a lot in the process, but we will find our souls. We become alive!

We can learn a lesson here from Wang Yi, pastor of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. He was addressing the sinful policies of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is fashioning himself to be the new Mao and is actively persecuting Christians and other minorities.

In a sermon dated September 9, 2018, Pastor Yi said, “President Xi Jinping does not repent he will perish!”

Yes, he said, “The government he is leading has sinned greatly against God, for it is persecution the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and if he does not repent, he will perish!”

But won’t Pastor Yi suffer consequences for preaching such a message? No doubt. In fact, he was subsequently arrested and is currently imprisoned. Yet he still preached with boldness and conviction.

“When we are not being persecuted,” he said, “we spread the gospel. And when persecution comes, we continue spreading the gospel. If we are talking about a President, we declare he is a sinner. And if we are talking about a general secretary, we still declare that he is a sinner. We believe that we have the responsibility to tell Xi Jinping that he is a sinner.”

What a contrast with today’s “gospel of nice,” a PC-compliant, made-for-America message if ever there was one. Whatever you do, don’t offend! Better to skirt the truth. Better to mislead. Just be sure to smile and be nice!

Of course, we should speak the truth in love. With broken hearts. With compassion.

Being mean is no more Christian than being weak.

But if ever there was time to crucify our cowardice, it is now. If ever there was a time to speak up and to speak out, regardless of cost or consequence, it is now. If we don’t, day by day, our freedoms will be taken from us, one at a time, until we find ourselves confined to a tiny, silent corner. This is how those words of Jesus’ apply.

Back in March, 2018, despite not being a fan of Infowars myself, I wrote an article titled, “Why YouTube’s Conflict with Infowars Should Concern Us All.”

I closed the article with this poem, inspired, of course, by the famous World War II poem of Martin Niemoller:

First they came for Infowars, and I did not speak out—because I found them offensive.

Then they came for Geller and Spencer, and I did not speak out­—because I found them obnoxious.

Then they came for Prager U, and I did not speak out—because I found them opinionated.

Then they came for a host of others, and I did not speak out—because I have my own life to live.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

I followed this up with an article on August 6, 2018, “Conservative Speech Be Banned!” This added further documentation and closed with the same poem.

Since then, many other conservative and Christian outlets have been affected (see this shocking list for 2018 compiled by Allum Bokhari). And most recently, Rev. Franklin Graham, arguably the best-known, most-prominent evangelical voice in America, was banned from posting on Facebook for 24 hours because of an innocuous post dating back to 2016.

Facebook quickly apologized and said he was banned in error, but the fact that this could happen at all is another sobering wake-up call.

In 2016, I drew attention to a ridiculous attempt at Princeton University to ban the “m” word (man!) from its campus. No more “man hours” or “manpower” or “layman.” Different, non-sexist terminology must be employed, such as “person hours” (for “man hours”) or “personnel” (for “manpower”) or “non-specialist” (for “layman”).

You might say, “But who cares about what happens on a university campus. That’s already an extreme PC-environment.”

Of course, we should care about what happens on our campuses, since that’s where the next generation is being educated.

But these things are not just happening on college campuses. The UK Telegraph reported on December 27, 2018, that “The European Parliament is attempting to stamp out the use of words such as ‘mankind’ and ‘manpower’ and have them replaced with more gender neutral terms such as ‘humanity’ and ‘staff”.”

Yes, the European Parliament is trying to enforce this hyper-PC speech control.

And, on a related note, let’s not forget that Canada passed a law in 2017 against “misgendering” people, while a similar law had already been passed (with stiff fines) in New York City.

So what will we do? Will we continue to retreat in order to avoid conflict, thereby muting our own voices? Or will we speak the truth in love – as compassionate as we are bold, as Christlike as we are firm, as wise as we are unwavering?

If not now, then when? If not you and me, then who?

Let’s make this our resolution in 2019: “I will not hold back for fear of consequences. I will speak up and speak out as the occasion demands. I will love my neighbor by speaking the truth.”

Are you in?

This article was originally published at AskDrBrown.org.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  May the peace and love of “the baby born in Bethlehem” be in your heart this season and throughout the year. It is an amazing gift to be able to freely celebrate our faith and to proclaim the birth of our Savior who came to give life and give it abundantly (John 10:10).

Our Christian faith is centered on the belief that our perfectly holy, omnipotent God had a virgin give birth to His only Son who became a carpenter, a healer and a teacher. When Jesus’ life, teachings and followers threatened the religious order of the day, He was rejected, betrayed, humiliated and brutally crucified on a Roman cross in order to pay the penalty for our sins. When He defeated death three days later, He secured salvation for all who willingly confess that He is Lord (Romans 4:25; 10:9-10).

Our culture desperately needs the life found only in Jesus Christ, and our culture will be attracted to Jesus Christ not because He is safe,  popular, or relevant or because His followers vote a certain way. They are attracted to Jesus Christ because He is the Truth Incarnate (John 14:6; 18:37), and the truth is attractive to every human being.

Thank you for standing with us as we boldly stand for truth in the public square here in Illinois. We pray this that this Christmas season you and your family will rejoice in how marvelous it is that our Savior came to us from Glory, through a virgin, to a manger. Only our wondrous God could have ordained such a gift! We also pray that your willingness to shine the light before others (Matthew 5:16) will touch the lives of friends, relatives and neighbors during this Christmas season and throughout the new year.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
~John 1:14~

I was thinking about the birth of John the Baptist recently when an aspect of the story struck me in a new way.

The scriptural account of his birth (and even his life) is relatively condensed. We know that Zechariah and Elizabeth were old and childless when the angel made his appearance to Zechariah foretelling the birth of John the Baptist. We know there were the nine months of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. And then we know there was a period of years before John began his public ministry.

We can learn all of that in just a few minutes of Bible reading. And when we do, it’s easy to get caught up in the miracle and drama of it all and forget something that Zechariah and Elizabeth would have experienced very keenly.

The waiting.

Imagine what it was like for them to be told that they would be the parents of the very special child who would grow up to be the prophet who would precede the long-awaited Messiah. Imagine the excitement when they realized that the hundreds of years of God’s silence were ending, and that He was about to bring to fulfillment His longstanding promises to send a Deliverer to Israel.

What exciting news! What an extraordinary time it must have been for them!

But then they had to wait.

They had to wait for nine months while a child grew inside Elizabeth’s womb.

They had to wait for perhaps thirty years, more or less, until John began his ministry.

Think about how they must have felt. They knew God was moving. They knew He was doing something incredible. They knew He was about to reveal the Messiah.

But the process couldn’t be rushed. A baby had to grow into a boy. And the boy had to grow into a young man. And the young man had to grow into fully mature adult. Think about all the long, ordinary days between the promise and its fulfillment. Hundreds of them. Thousands of them.

Days stretching into weeks, into months, into years, and into decades.

That’s a lot of waiting.

And yet, I can’t help but think that Zechariah and Elizabeth were well-accustomed to waiting. They had waited many years for a child who never came. And finally, perhaps, they had given up waiting and had accepted their lot in life—only to begin the waiting anew one miraculous day when an angel paid a visit.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to wait. My guess is that most of us don’t. When I’m facing a problem, I want it to be solved now. And when a challenging season of life starts drawing out, it’s easy to begin chafing at the delay and wondering why we can’t experience breakthrough sooner.

No doubt it’s partially human nature, but our culture of speed hasn’t helped this natural propensity. There’s hardly any aspect of our lives that can’t be performed exponentially faster today compared to several generations ago.

Unfortunately, that mindset of speed can get in the way of waiting on God.

We want everything now.

We like our answers from God to be immediate. We like our miracles to be fast.

But some miracles are slow.

Sometimes we have to wait.

Just ask Zechariah and Elizabeth.

But you know, I have a hunch they’d say some miracles are worth waiting for.

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New York Times columnist Ross Douthat says the culture war in America may not be so much about secularism or atheism replacing Christianity but the rise of an old Christian foe – paganism.

This ancient religion differs from atheism in that it allows for a spiritual dimension to life and creation, but not an omnipotent, benevolent God.  The power is in the creation itself, which is why so many New Age adherents find divinity when they look at a sunset, a flower, or in some cases, their own mirror image.

Mr. Douthat explains the clash of worldviews presented in a new book by Steven D. Smith, “Pagans and Christians in the City: Culture Wars from the Tiber to the Potomac”:

“What is that conception? Simply this: that divinity is fundamentally inside the world rather than outside it, that God or the gods or Being are ultimately part of nature rather than an external creator, and that meaning and morality and metaphysical experience are to be sought in a fuller communion with the immanent world rather than a leap toward the transcendent.”

This is quite different from, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1) and “All things were made through Him” (John 1:3).

Increasingly, “the universe” is replacing references to God in current TV shows and movies.  On the flip side, some of this year’s new Hallmark holiday flicks lean the other way, featuring sacred carols such as “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.”

The pagan worldview is promoted by leading figures such as Oprah Winfrey, with her New Age version of “can’t we all just get along?” and the prolific writer Sally Quinn, widow of longtime Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee.

Ms. Quinn writes on religious topics for the Post, and used to edit the Post’s religion page, which is a smorgasbord of modern heresies, the wilder the better.   The Left favors almost any religious expression other than orthodox Christianity, which is why it’s soft on paganism and even Islam.

The latter’s militants are inflicting terror all over the world, most recently when a gunman yelled “Allahu Akbar” before gunning down 16 people, killing at least two, at a Christmas market in Strasbourg, France on Dec. 11.  The Post, like the rest of the media, downplayed it, ignoring the religious motivation and playing up the shooter’s criminal past.

Ms. Quinn chronicles her own plunge into witchly pursuits in her 2017 memoir “Finding Magic” in which she describes dabbling with the paranormal and hexing people she didn’t like.

She says she left behind the dark arts following three deaths that occurred shockingly soon after her hexing.  But she’s not done with the occult.  In a Washingtonian magazine profile in August 2017, Michelle Cottle wrote, “Ouija boards, astrological charts, palm reading, talismans—Quinn embraces it all. And yes, she has been in contact with her husband since his passing. Through a medium. Repeatedly.”

A week ago Monday, Ms. Quinn moderated a bookstore appearance by porn star and Trump accuser Stormy Daniels.  She said, with her son looking on, that she planned to attend Daniels’ strip show that evening, and that “I’ve watched Stormy’s porn, and it’s good. She knows what she’s doing.”

If you wonder why the Post gives short shrift to the biblical view that sex is a God-given gift to be enjoyed only in marriage, well, it shouldn’t be a mystery.

Elsewhere in the Post’s Style section, columnist Monica Hesse admits an addiction to the classic movie “White Christmas,” but makes sure to point out its politically incorrect flaws, such as a song about minstrel shows.  The movie is redeemed when Danny Kaye rebuffs a kiss from the beautiful Vera Ellen.  Mr. Kaye “demures so vehemently that the ‘White Christmas’ message boards have speculated that the character might be gay. Well, if so, kudos to that subversive choice, too.”

Kudos for subversion of romance between a man and a woman?  This is liberal virtue-signaling at its purest.   In the progressive worldview, everything is political, including sex.

Ms. Quinn says that friends have repeatedly asked her to place a hex on President Trump, an idea which, to her credit, she’s rejected. But think about that. Sally’s lefty pals hate Mr. Trump so much they want him magically killed, not just removed from office.

Pre-and-Post Christian pagan societies are not known for their qualities of mercy.

Robert Knight is a Townhall contributor. His latest book is “A Nation Worth Saving:   10 Steps to Restore Freedom” (djkm.org/nation, 2018).

This article was originally published at Townhall.com