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What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

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Matthew 7:24-27 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 ...

Here are two reminders of how we live privately influences our public life and ministry. Also all who live godly in Christ Jesus will face opposition and even some ...

Why do we feel such a palpable sense of spiritual relief when the problem is with the body rather than the mind?Five years ago I received a telephone call from a friend. She told me that one of our mutual friends had taken his own life. No one knew why.Brian was a successful health-care professional, with a wife, a family, and an apparently very bright future. Many of us had not seen any indications that something was wrong, although those in close contact with him knew there were problems. He just got up one morning and was never seen alive again. Everyone was devastated.What do you do with such news? One of the most painful human experiences must be to say goodbye to a loved one in the morning and then never see that person alive again. I was asked to do the sermon at the celebration of Brian’s life. I preached on the psalms of lament and the unending, unfailing love of God. I tried to help people see that the joy that God promises includes suffering and that the psalms of lament offer faithful language to express our hurt, brokenness, anger, and disappointment at what my friend had done and what God had seemingly not done: save him.Two AffirmationsBrian was a Christian; he was a lover of Jesus, as were his family and many of his friends. And yet, despite the profound consolation of the gospel, for some, the first response to his death by suicide was not comfort but fear. In spite of the apostle Paul’s firm assurance that “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38–39), they were afraid for Brian’s eternal future. I guess that is the problem with hypercognitive theologies that assume ...Continue reading...

Catholic Bishop David Zubik urged voters to consider how the “right to be born” is the most fundamental of all human rights when they vote in November. Zubik, who serves the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, wrote about the upcoming election in a letter to Catholics on Sept. 22,� the Catholic News Agency reports. “I recognize that […]

A 2013 article from Notre Dame Magazine� offers more hints of Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s opinions about abortion. Barrett, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame and judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, is considered to be one of President Donald Trump’s top choices for the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump plans to […]

Issues related to life, family, and religious freedom continue to be debated in Congress in the lead up to the election. Family Research Council wrapped up another busy week monitoring these issues and being your voice on Capitol Hill. Here are the biggest items from the past week:Senate Seeks to Save Moms and BabiesSenator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) made a unanimous consent request for the Senate to pass the Support and Value Expectant Moms and Babies (SAVE) Act, which would codify the safety restrictions (risk-evaluating and management strategies, or REMS) placed on chemical abortion pills by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).First approved by the FDA in 2000 under pressure from the Clinton administration and its pro-abortion allies, chemical abortion pills are known to have serious complication risks, which can sometimes be life-threatening for the women who use them. The REMS impose several commonsense safety restrictions on the dispensing of chemical abortion pills, such as ensuring women receive the pills from physicians, are made fully aware of the associated risks, and know how to seek follow-up care from a doctor in the event of complications. � Recently, some Democrats have pushed to repeal the REMS. In his remarks on the bill, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) noted that some Democrats advocate for chemical abortion pills being available by mail, with no additional information or care provided.The risks chemical abortion pills pose to women are real, and they are serious. As Lee pointed out, “Women have suffered tragic, gruesome, and horrific experiences using the abortion pill.” Since its approval, abortion pills have caused over 4,200 medical problems, including more than 1,000 hospitalizations and nearly 600 life-saving blood transfusions. Twenty-four women have died from complications caused by abortion pills.The repeal of the REMs would surely lead to greater harm to mothers. The SAVE Act should not be controversial, but pro-abortion Democrats have turned even the most basic conversations about women’s health into debates about Roe v. Wade. The truth is, Sen. Hyde-Smith’s bill says nothing about the 1973 Supreme Court decision.As Lee said, “Something’s terribly wrong if we can’t have a conversation about women’s health without being accused of wanting to undo an entire line of precedent dating back to 1973.”For those who care about expectant mothers’ health, Sen. Hyde-Smith’s bill is a welcome measure.Untangling Government Subsidies for the Abortion IndustryCongress is taking steps to untangle Planned Parenthood from taxpayer subsidies.� Representative Michael Cloud (R-Texas) and Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) introduced the Women’s Public Health and Safety Act, a bill that would amend the Medicaid statute to give states the ability to exclude abortion businesses from participating in Medicaid.Medicaid is a joint federal-state program that provides health care coverage for millions of low-income Americans. The Hyde Amendment does prohibit federal Medicaid funds from paying for elective abortions directly. However, Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses will perform other services besides abortion and are reimbursed for those services with a mix of federal and state Medicaid funds.The most recent report published by the Government Accountability Office revealed that in 2015 Planned Parenthood received $414.37 million in federal Medicaid reimbursements alone! Although the funds cannot be used to pay for abortions directly, these funds subsidize the abortion industry by allowing abortion facilities to be reimbursed for other services they perform, which then frees up other money to hire abortionists, pay for abortions, or build abortion facilities.Fourteen states have attempted to exclude Planned Parenthood from participating in Medicaid, but because of a provision in the federal Medicaid statute, all of these efforts have been blocked by federal courts. Now is the time for Congress to clarify the Medicaid statute once and for all and give states the ability to make their Medicaid program free from elective abortion.Senate Bill Would Protect Female Athletes NationwideSenator Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) introduced the Protection of Women and Girls and Sports Act, which would make it a violation of Title IX for a school receiving federal funds to permit a biological male to participate in a sports program designated for women and girls.Title IX is well known for its expansion of educational and athletic opportunities for women. With this bill, Loeffler is taking action to block what may be the biggest threat to girls and women’s sports since Title IX was adopted—the effort by some biological males who identify as female to compete against biological females. In the state of Connecticut alone, female high school track athletes have lost 15 medals to biological males in state competition in the last two years, reducing their chances for college athletic scholarships in the process.Loeffler is the perfect senator to introduce this bill. She is a grateful beneficiary of Title IX, having played basketball and run cross-country and track in high school. As an adult, she invested financially in women’s sports by becoming a co-owner of the Atlanta Dream of the Women’s National Basketball Association. Now, as a U.S. senator, she is seeking to protect the opportunities afforded by Title IX for future generations of female athletes.Regardless of what one thinks about the transgender movement or “gender identity” protections in other areas of life, fair athletic competition demands a policy like the one outlined in the Protection of Women and Girls and Sports Act. It is great to see Sen. Loeffler and her bill’s co-sponsors standing up for the rights of women and girls.Other Notable ItemsThe House took action to protect religious freedom in China by passing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. The bill would require companies to prove that goods produced in Xinjiang, China, and imported to the U.S. are not made using forced labor of the Uyghur Muslim minority. It passed with near-unanimous support!The House Judiciary Committee attempted to hold a hearing on oversight of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division. However, it quickly turned into a partisan grandstand against Attorney General Bill Barr and his team of lawyers. Representatives Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) did a great job defending DOJ’s work to protect religious freedom from aggressive state and local coronavirus lockdown measures.� Acting United States Secretary of Homeland (DHS) Security Chad Wolf sat before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee in a nomination hearing to be confirmed into the role of DHS Secretary. The acting secretary has been a strong leader in protecting American cities against the recent threat of violent mobs and riots.

Here are “The 7” top trending items at� FRC� over the past seven� days:1. Update:� The Left’s anti-Christian Dogma Is Already Living Loudly within ThemWith the recent death of Justice Ginsburg, politicians and members of the press have already launched a full-scale assault on Judge Amy Coney Barrett—who has emerged as a leading contender for the vacancy—for her faith and religious beliefs.2. Update:� Education to Form a More Perfect UnionWith public schools going virtual, many parents are finally taking a closer look at what their children are learning. And it’s not pretty. Parents are realizing their kids are being taught almost exclusively from materials produced by progressive organizations and are not learning American history.3. Blog: Should Christians Vote?Do American Christians have a moral obligation to vote? If the gospel has implications for all areas of life, including politics, pastors should strive to ensure their members are equipped and sufficiently informed to faithfully engage in the public square.4. Washington Watch: Dan McLaughlin on the historical precedent for Republicans to fill the Supreme Court vacancy in 2020Dan McLaughlin, Senior Writer at National Review Online, joined Tony Perkins to discuss his column, “History is on the Side of Republicans Filling a Supreme Court Vacancy in 2020.”5.� Washington Watch:� Sec. Betsy DeVos on President Trump’s efforts to restore patriotic education to American schoolsBetsy DeVos, U.S. Secretary of Education, joined Tony Perkins to discuss President Trump’s efforts to restore patriotic education to American schools.6.� Washington Watch:� Sharon Fast Gustafson on Kroger for firing employees who would not wear pro-LGBT apronsSharon Fast Gustafson, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) General Counsel, joined Tony Perkins to discuss the EEOC filing a lawsuit against the grocery company Kroger for firing employees who refuse to wear pro-LGBT aprons.7. Values Voter Summit 2020:� America, Pray Vote StandFRC Action hosted the first ever virtual Values Voter Summit this week. Viewers heard leading conservative voices like Dana Loesch, Mark Meadows, Eric Metaxas, Allie Stuckey, and many more! You can hear from these speakers as well by accessing the video archive.For more from� FRC, visit our website at� frc.org, our blog at� frcblog.com, our� Facebook page,� Twitter account, and� Instagram account. Get the latest on what� FRC� is saying about the current issues of the day that impact the state of faith, family, and freedom, both domestically and� abroad.Family Research Council's vision is a prevailing culture in which all human life is valued, families flourish, and religious liberty thrives. Join us to learn about FRC's work and see how you can help advance faith, family, and freedom.