Free Republic

Tens of thousands of house church pastors and evangelists across China have gone into hiding as the Communist Party prepares for what seems like a "final assault" on Christianity in an attempt to eradicate it from the country, according to missions group Asia Harvest. In its final newsletter for 2020, Asia Harvest said pastors have disconnected from their phones and computers so that government authorities can no longer use those devices to track their movements. These pastors have also reportedly destroyed the microchips inside their ID cards so authorities cannot track their locations using those devices either. “Each person in...

This past Sunday morning, Beth Moore tweeted, “I do not believe these are days for mincing words. I’m 63 1/2 years old & I have never seen anything in these United States of America I found more astonishingly seductive & dangerous to the saints of God than Trumpism. This Christian nationalism is not of God. Move back from it.” Was she right in raising these concerns? Before we can respond, let’s put aside the question of whether you are a Beth Moore fan or not. To some, she is a beloved and faithful teacher of the Word. To others, she...

Source: Credit: Myra Adams: Archaeological findings thought to be Mary’s house in Nazareth, Israel.The verses we study today preface “the reason for the season” — the birth of Jesus Christ. However, months before Christmas Eve, there occurred two fascinating conversations with world-changing implications. The first is called “The Annunciation,” and the second conversation is known as “The Visitation.”The Annunciation, better known in secular culture, is recorded in the New Testament Gospel of Luke. The Christmas story begins when the angel Gabriel visits Mary — an unmarried Jewish teenager at her home in Nazareth, Israel — saying, “Greetings, you who are...

Remember that '80s song "I Need a Hero"? This whole year has me singing the chorus quite a bit. That's why Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are Time magazine's "Person of the Year." Meanwhile, the fact of the matter is the kind of salvation people are looking for does not come from politics, no matter how much we may want it to. I've often thought of Pope Francis' prayer service early on in the pandemic. You couldn't have scripted it better; it occurred on a rainy night in Rome, with the sounds of ambulances and other emergency vehicles constantly in...

Let's take a break from the election. "Eighty and six years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong," said Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, in A.D. 156 before climbing onto a pyre where Roman authorities would burn him to death. Eyewitnesses reported the local authorities respected Polycarp and begged him to recant his faith in Christ. He would not. The Romans did not even tie Polycarp to a post because they knew he would not flee the fire. Polycarp fed his captors, prayed over them and then climbed the pyre to die. Authorities carted off Polycarp's friend...

"What's So Great About Christianity" by Dinesh D'Souza is a look at the reasons why Christianity is responsible for the success of the Judeo-Christian West and the positives Christianity has wrought around the world. What are the strengths of Dinesh D'Souza's book? And what are the weaknesses of D'Souza's Christian apologetic work?

Generally, the Marxists of the left are, like Karl Marx, unapologetic atheists. They slander religious people, openly advocate against religious ideas and practices, and advocate for policies that are antithetical to a religious and moral society. However, come election time, they are forced to reckon with the fact that most of America is still, in fact, a religious society. So, to make themselves seem more electable, the Democrats occasionally pretend that they are religious. Recently, they have been claiming that Joe Biden is a Catholic, despite his support of anti-Christian policies and support for a part that stands against God....

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come” (2 Timothy 3:1). “For men shall be… unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good” (2 Timothy 3:3). Introduction This series is a study examining the societal characteristics of the last days that Paul wrote about in 2 Timothy 3. Admittedly, and not surprisingly, this series might very well be considered offensive to the world. This study is viewed through the lens of the Creator’s revealed character and expectations of His creatures found in the Word of God. The Savior has...

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come” (2 Timothy 3:1). “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, …” (2 Timothy 3:2). Introduction This series is a study examining the societal characteristics of the last days that Paul wrote about in 2 Timothy 3. Initially, this four-part series was basically an outline to aid in the teaching of these passages. There’s really nothing earth-shaking or groundbreaking found within this study – at least for the educated believer. We know these verses very well and have been...

Source: Courtesy of Myra and David AdamsIn the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke is the only book of the Bible that tells the story of what transpired when Simeon met Baby Jesus, along with mother Mary, and Joseph, his earthly father.This Bible story is known as “The Presentation” – one of my favorites because of its complex, prophetic layers of tenderness, tragedy, and hope. The impact that Jesus would have on Israel and humankind is foretold by an elderly man waiting to die. We explore why his words have meaning for your life. For readers who are unfamiliar with...

Source: ©1978 Barrie M. Schwortz Collection, STERA, Inc. Reprinted by permissionAlthough the birth of Jesus is “the reason for the season,” his death and resurrection are the foundational reasons we celebrate Christmas. And the ancient artifact that illustrates Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection is the Shroud of Turin — a linen cloth measuring 14 feet by 3.5 feet with a faint image of a crucified man that millions believe is Jesus Christ. The Shroud has survived over two thousand years and is the world’s most analyzed artifact. Yet, due to its numerous unexplained properties, it remains a mystery. But the...

If you don't have time to read my review of Tom Holland's Dominion, here it is in three words: Read this book. A few more words: Buy this book, give this book to friends, and encourage them to read it. "Dominion" is not only rich, seductive, eye-opening, conversation-sparking, and occasionally surprisingly witty, it is urgently necessary. Read this book – before it's too late. Why do I endorse "Dominion" so zealously? Let me tell you a few stories. I was a schoolgirl in New Jersey. I sat next to "Aisha." She moved like a butterfly and, quiet and shy, she...

Since becoming the head of the Catholic Church in 2013, Pope Francis has not shied away from the political domain. On Sunday, the religious leader used the COVID-19 pandemic to renew his criticisms of free-market capitalism. In a video message he sent to the International Conference of judges members of the Committee for Social Rights in Africa and America, Pope Francis said that the right to private property is “a secondary natural right derived from that which everyone has”, which in turn arises from the “universal destiny of created goods” and affirmed that “the Christian tradition never recognized as absolute...

Past and present, one of the least known -- and, until the modern era, largely futile -- tactics used by Muslims to disarm Christians has been to insist that Christianity is against warfare and violence in general. The most recent Muslim to take on this mantle of Christian theologian is none other than Somalia-born Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn). Around November 18, after Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla) criticized Georgia Senate candidate Raphael Warnock for claiming that Christians could not serve both God and the military, Omar, the Muslim, turned to quoting -- that is, misquoting -- the Bible. In a tweet...

As often happens, when I begin writing this Study, a verse or song suddenly flashes into my brain about the chosen topic. Today I am blessed to report it is a Christian anthem, “Our God is an Awesome God” — usually sung with great passion at large gatherings (pre-COVID) such as this performance by Michael W. Smith.By design, the lyrics are simple and repetitive until the message is drilled into your mind, heart, and soul:“Our God is an awesome God He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power, and love our God is an awesome God.”While trying to decipher why...

While many presidential Thanksgiving proclamations are worth revisiting in 2020, President Grover Cleveland’s 1888 proclamation is especially resonant.American presidents have declared Thanksgiving proclamations more than 165 times since President George Washington delivered the first in 1789. Although none were given between 1816 and 1862, presidential Thanksgiving proclamations became a tradition on October 3, 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Since then, various presidents have used such executive statements as reminders to offer thanks to God and rest from toil, to offer solace, and to help reorient the focus of the nation to the good, the...

Gathering in barns, cafes and bookshops, worshippers are flocking to illegal services around the countryIt sounds like the build-up to an illegal rave. Invitations are passed by word of mouth to trusted people. Minimal information – time, directions – is quietly given with pleas for discretion. Once everyone is assembled in a barn on a remote farm – “away from prying eyes,” says the organiser – it begins. This is no rave, but an English church service under lockdown, and the organiser is a Protestant pastor. The Christians who will gather illegally in the west of England on Sunday morning...

U.S.—A concerning new study has revealed that kids raised in church youth groups are leaving the Christian faith at alarming rates, regardless of how much free Mountain Dew and pizza the church ministry feeds them in high school. "I don't know what else to do," said local youth pastor Kaylen Zedwink, known affectionately as "Z-man" by his youth group. "I've consumed nothing but pizza and Mountain Dew for the last 12 years. My cholesterol is approaching lethal levels now. My body is covered in welts from being constantly shot with paintballs. I spend $1200 per month on cool clothes. I...

Be convinced with these 4 biblical truths: 1. Each of us has sinned; 2. God is just, requiring a punishment for sin; 3. But out of love God sent His Son, Jesus Christ who by dying on the cross, provided forgiveness of sins in taking man’s deserved punishment; 4. Therefore, by faith alone in Christ’s sacrifice for our sins and belief in His resurrection, man can gain eternal life. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 10:9-10, Romans 3:21-26) Read more at https://teleiosresearch.com/salvation-explanation/.

The Constitution is at risk! Tallying the legal votes of this election is vitally important not only for our future but also for your children. Now is the time to stand: write your legislators, congressman and governor demanding action against the vote counting fraud and support the president; attend pro-democracy rallies; pray fervently that God will have mercy and save our constitution, liberties and bring evangelical revival; encourage and educate others about the voter fraud, inviting them also to stand firm and speak out to support our president before we lose our republic; and share this blog with your friends...