Iran's President Raisi Killed in Helicopter Crash

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country’s foreign minister were found dead hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in the Shiite theocracy, quickly named a little-known vice president as caretaker and insisted the government was in control, but the deaths marked yet another blow to a country beset by pressures at home and abroad. At first, many were quick to blame either Israel or the United States for the crashed chopper, assuming it had crashed through some type of sabotage or assault. However, Iran has offered no cause for the crash nor suggested sabotage brought down the helicopter, which fell in mountainous terrain in a sudden, intense fog.

A hard-liner who formerly led the country’s judiciary, Raisi, 63, was viewed as a protege of Khamenei. During his tenure, relations continued to deteriorate with the West as Iran enriched uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels and supplied bomb-carrying drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine. His government has also faced years of mass protests over the ailing economy and women’s rights.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. continues to monitor the situation surrounding the “very unfortunate helicopter crash” but has no insight into the cause. “I don’t necessarily see any broader regional security impacts at this point in time,” he said. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Raisi’s death is not expected to have any substantive impact on difficult U.S.-Iran relations, or Iran’s support of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Yemen-based Houthi rebels. “We have to assume that the supreme leader is the one who makes these decisions and the supreme leader, as he did in the last so-called election, made sure to stack the deck with only candidates that met his mandates,” Kirby said. For now, Khamenei has named the first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, as caretaker, in line with the constitution.

Condolences poured in from allies after Iran confirmed there were no survivors. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on the social media platform X that his country “stands with Iran in this time of sorrow.” Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a statement released by the Kremlin, described Raisi “as a true friend of Russia.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, China’s Xi Jinping and Syrian President Bashar Assad also offered condolences. Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, said he and his government were “deeply shocked.”

The United States officially stated, “The United States expresses its official condolences for the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian, and other members of their delegation in a helicopter crash in northwest Iran. As Iran selects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

Many questioned why the US government would offer their “condolences” for a man that had not only been a part of orchestrating the October 7th attack on Israel, but has also been part of the government that supported terrorism throughout the region, including against US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Biblical Connections: In Genesis 12:3, God told Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” It should not shock students of the Bible that many of those leaders throughout history that have had a negative and hateful stance to the nation of Israel have come to their end in quick and sudden ways.

PRAY: Pray that this would wake up Iran and that new leadership would be less hostile to Israel in the future.

Fewer Than Half of Christians Regularly Attend Church

A new report recently came out that shows the decline of Christianity in America is increasingly on the rise. Three in 10 people in the United States attend religious services on a regular basis, representing a decline compared to the past couple of decades, according to a report by Gallup. Gallup reported that 21% of Americans said they attend religious services on a weekly basis, while 9% said they attend religious services nearly every week. By contrast, 11% of respondents reported attending about once a month, 25% reported attending “seldom,” while 31% said they “never” go to religious services.

This represents a decline from one decade ago, when Gallup found that 38% of Americans attended weekly or almost weekly, and from two decades ago, when 42% of Americans reported attending weekly or almost weekly. For its research, Gallup drew from aggregated data from surveys conducted over the phone in 2021, 2022 and 2023, with previous samples being collected from surveys done in 2000-2003 and 2011-2013, respectively.

Gallup found that Mormons were the most likely to report going to their services regularly, with 67% saying they attended weekly or almost weekly. Protestants were the next highest at 44%, followed by Muslims (38%), Catholics (33%), Orthodox Christians (26%), Jews (22%), Buddhists (14%) and Hindus (13%). The report also found that Catholics experienced the sharpest drop in attendance compared to two decades ago, going from 45% regular attendance in 2000-2003 to 33% in 2021-2023.

Over the past several years, much has been made about the rise of the religiously unaffiliated population in the United States, also known as the “nones,” especially among younger generations. In January 2023, for example, the Survey on American Life, a project of the American Enterprise Institute, released a report which found that church attendance still hadn’t recovered from what it was before the COVID-19 lockdowns.

While the number of Americans who attended worship services had increased from 13% in the summer of 2020 to 27% by the spring of 2022, this was still below pre-pandemic levels. Furthermore, according to the SAL, 33% of Americans reported in 2022 that they never attend religious services, an increase from the 25% who said the same before the pandemic. The largest declines in attendance were seen among adults younger than 50, Hispanic Catholics, black Protestants, and white mainline Protestants.

Biblical Connection: Paul, writing in 1 Timothy 4:1-3, stated, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”

Similarly, in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 he wrote, “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” While we do not know for certain this decline of Christianity is the type of falling away Paul wrote about, it certainly fits the type of pattern Paul described would happen prior to the Rapture of the church and the start of the Tribulation with the rise of the Antichrist.

PRAY: Pray this decline in church attendance in America will reverse and Americans will return to church once again.

President Biden Wants Pride Flags to Continue at US Embassies

The Biden administration is promising to fight a GOP-led rule in the recently signed $1.2 trillion spending package that effectively bans the rainbow pride flag from being flown at U.S. embassies and consulates. A provision slipped in the bill spanning more than 1,000 pages requires that “none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be obligated or expended to fly or display a flag over a facility of the United States Department of State,” other than the U.S. flag, with some exceptions, according to Axios. Other permitted flags include the POW/MIA flag, the U.S. Foreign Service flag, the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag, as well as flags that represent states, American territories, Indian tribal areas, and the District of Columbia. Flags of other nations are also allowed.

President Joe Biden signed the spending bill, but a spokesperson for the White House expressed the administration’s disapproval of the pride flag ban and promised to pursue repealing what they suggested amounts to discrimination against LGBT Americans. “President Biden believes it was inappropriate to abuse the process that was essential to keep the government open by including this policy targeting LGBTQI+ Americans,” a White House spokesperson told the outlet. “While it will have no impact on the ability of members of the LGBTQI+ community to serve openly in our embassies or to celebrate Pride, the Administration fought against the inclusion of this policy and we will continue to work with members of Congress to find an opportunity to repeal it,” the spokesperson added. It should surprise no one that President Biden would be against this provision, as he has been one of the most pro-LGBT leaders in the world, constantly promoting the agenda wherever and whenever possible and going out of his way to promote LGBT individuals within not only his administration but also throughout the entire government, including the US military.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., a Southern Baptist, praised the provision behind closed doors as a win for conservatives, according to a source who spoke to Bloomberg News. Some U.S. embassies began displaying pride flags to mark so-called pride month or other LGBT-related holidays during the Obama administration. The blanket authorization was repealed under former President Donald Trump, though some continued to display the rainbow flags anyway, according to The Washington Post. The Biden administration then reversed Trump’s ban in April 2021, allowing the flag to be unfurled again at U.S. embassies such as the one to the Vatican, which prompted outrage from Roman Catholics in June 2022. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also permitted the Black Lives Matter flag to be flown at U.S. embassies, which critics denounced as unnecessarily political.

The provision in the current spending bill remains effective only until Sept. 30. In 2023, Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., introduced the Old Glory Only Act, which would permanently ban such displays at diplomatic facilities. “Our beautiful flag, Old Glory, should be the only flag flying and representing our country over our diplomatic and consular posts worldwide,” Duncan said in a statement at the time, according to Fox News Digital. “The American flag is a beacon of liberty, and no other flag or symbol better portrays our shared values than the Stars and Stripes.” In 2021, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York proposed a similar bill and accused the Biden administration of permitting “inherently political flags that are in no way affiliated with the U.S. government.”

Biblical Connections: Romans 1:26-27 states, “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.” Any nation that continues to promote the things God calls evil is not a nation that follows after the Lord.

PRAY: Pray the sinful forces that are pushing this anti-God agenda will be defeated and the ways of the Lord will be established once again.

Activism Replacing Religion in the West?

The Western world was the center of Christian civilization for centuries. Missionaries were sent around the world from places like Great Britain and America in the late 1700s and 1800s. Men like Hudson Taylor and CT Studd left everything to go out to the ends of the earth to spread the Gospel to the nations. The missionary movement has continued for the last two centuries, with people like Eric Liddle, Lottie Moon and many others continuing this great missionary tradition.

However, as the Western world has slowly moved away from its Christian foundation and become more secular, the passion and enthusiasm for the Christian mission has disappeared in many circles. It has instead been replaced by other causes. The younger generations today, specifically Gen Z and younger Millennials, are generations that are searching for meaning and purpose in their lives. Earlier generations in the West found this purpose through religious devotion, pursuing God’s purpose in their lives. In contrast, these two generations, much of which are comprised of an increase in what has been called the nones (no religious affiliation) which is just another way of saying they are secularists, are searching for purpose and meaning in other places outside of the church.

Many are finding other places to fulfill this meaning and purpose through activism, either politically or socially. This activism really began to take off in the mid 2010’s with a focus on Global Warming/Climate Change. For example, Greta Thunberg became a worldwide celebrity as a small child because she became a climate activist. This expanded during the mid-2010s with the LGBT protests and activism during the second Obama term and the Trump Administration. This activism continued during the summer of 2020, when young people throughout the nation went to the streets in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Today, this activism continues with both the “Free Palestine” protests as well as the abortion protests, specifically in the US.

Many have noticed that a lot of the same people have been involved in all of these protests. Some of this comes from the predominately liberal academic institutions throughout the West that have been pushing both secularism and activism for several decades. It is no surprise when these protests begin, the universities are some of the first places to become activist hotbeds. While universities have certainly played a role, social media platforms, such as Tick Toc and Instagram also have played a crucial role in building this activism mindset into these generations.

The question that arises is why is this occurring now? The answer may be very simple. When religious conviction is denied or lost, people do not simply stop looking to fill that hole in their lives. Instead, they look to find something to “fill that hole” in their lives. Because they have no religious affiliation, they have turned to activism to replace their religious convictions. This is why many of these activists just move from one movement to the next, even if the movements themselves do not connect. It has become their religion and their purpose. They have turned from God to activism.

Biblical Connections: In Romans 1:24-25, Paul wrote, “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Paul understood when people reject God, they try to fill that hole with paganism, sinful lusts including homosexuality and worshipping God’s creation instead of God. It should not surprise us then that many of these activists movements that are secularly driven mix in occultism, are LGBT affirming and in many ways worship the environment.

PRAY: Pray that this drift away from God in the West would change and that revival would break forth to move the West back to its Christian roots.

Believing Rights Come from God Now Considered Extremism

An award-winning investigative journalist for Politico claimed during an MSNBC panel on that believing rights come from God is a marker of “Christian nationalism.” Heidi Przybyla also claimed on “All In with Chris Hayes” that former President Donald Trump is surrounding himself with an “extremist element of conservative Christians” who are misusing “so-called natural law” in their attempt to roll back abortion and LBGT rights.

Przybyla went on to make a distinction between Christians and “Christian nationalists,” which she said are “very different.” What unites all Christian nationalists, she said, “is that they believe that our rights as Americans, as all human beings, don’t come from any earthly authority. They don’t come from Congress, they don’t come from the Supreme Court, they come from God,” she added. “The problem with that is that they are determining — man, men, and it is men — are determining what God is telling them.”

Przybyla’s comments echoed assertions in her recent article for Politico titled “Trump allies prepare to infuse ‘Christian nationalism’ in second administration,” which argued that Christian nationalism is likely to play a major role in public policy if Trump takes back the White House. The article, co-written by Alexander Ward, defined natural law as “the belief that there are universal rules derived from God that can’t be superseded by government or judges,” and likewise called it “a pillar of Catholicism” that has “been used to oppose abortion, LGBTQ+ rights and contraception” in recent decades.

The main target of the article was Russell Vought, Trump’s former director of the Office of Management and Budget, who was among many on X (Twitter) who excoriated Przybyla for comments they claimed showed ignorance of basic American political thought as found in the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence. “Mike Johnson should put a resolution on the floor reaffirming that we are one nation, under God. Make the Dems vote against it or be called Christian Nationalists,” Vought posted.

The Politico article also hit at former Trump administration official William Wolfe, labeling him a Christian nationalist because he “advocated for overturning same-sex marriage, ending abortion and reducing access to contraceptives.” ... [Wolfe] called for ending sex education in schools, surrogacy and no-fault divorce throughout the country, as well as forcing men ‘to provide for their children as soon as it’s determined the child is theirs’ — a clear incursion by the government into Americans’ private lives,” the article said.

Wolfe also responded to Przybyla on X, “Apparently believing in the ideas set forth in our Founding documents now makes you a — you guessed it — ‘Christian Nationalist’. Yes, Heidi, our rights do come from God. Again, the ignorance of these regime journalists is astounding. They know nothing about the American founding or Christian political thought.”

“Politico has twice now, in print and with its reporter on MSNBC, raised flags about an idea central to the founding of the American Republic,” journalist Erick Erickson posted on X. “This is troubling because it suggests a lack of education and understanding by its reporters.”

“Believing rights come from God is now Christian Nationalism,” wrote Andrew T. Walker, an ethics and public theology professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. “This is a civics failure, a talent failure, an intelligence failure, a historical failure, an ethics failure ... shall I keep going?”

Biblical Connection: The founding fathers of America believed the Biblical concept that our rights come from God, not man. This has been the Christian understanding for 2,000 years. That it is under attack shows how far some in America have fallen away from the founding ideas of the nation, many which came directly from the pages of the Bible.

PRAY: Pray those seeking to drive America away from the Christian values it was founded upon will be stopped and fundamental Biblical principles will again reign.

Christian School Targeted in Maine

A Christian school in Maine must adhere to the state’s LGBT antidiscrimination policy to qualify for a state tuition assistance program while the lawsuit against the state continues, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge John Woodcock, a George W. Bush appointee, denied a preliminary injunction requested by Bangor Christian Schools run by Crosspoint Church, concluding the church’s lawsuit against assorted state officials is not likely to succeed. He ruled that Bangor Christian Schools must follow all the Maine Human Rights Act provisions.

“The Court determines that the educational antidiscrimination provisions do not violate the Free Exercise Clause because they are neutral, generally applicable, and rationally related to a legitimate government interest,” wrote Woodcock. “The Court concludes further that the educational provisions do not violate the Free Speech Clause because they regulate conduct, not speech. Finally, the Court concludes that the employment provisions do not proscribe any constitutionally protected conduct.”

First Liberty Institute Senior Counsel Lea Patterson, who represents Crosspoint, denounced the decision and expressed plans to appeal. “Government punishing religious schools for living out their religious beliefs is not only unconstitutional, it is wrong,” said Patterson, as quoted by Bangor Daily News.

In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Carson v. Makin that Maine cannot lawfully stop parents from using a state tuition program to send their children to Christian private schools. The lawsuit that led to the Supreme Court ruling was driven by parents from Bangor Christian School who sued Maine over the ban on state tuition assistance for families sending their children to a private school that includes sectarian aspects in its curriculum. In response to the high court ruling, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said that BCS was still ineligible for the program because of its conservative religious stance on LGBT issues. Crosspoint requires staff and students to support a biblical stance on marriage and sexuality.

“The education provided by the schools at issue here is inimical to a public education,” claimed Frey, a Democrat. “They promote a single religion to the exclusion of all others, refuse to admit gay and transgender children, and openly discriminate in hiring teachers and staff.” Frey promised to “explore with Governor Mills’ administration and members of the Legislature statutory amendments to address the Court’s decision and ensure that public money is not used to promote discrimination, intolerance, and bigotry.”

In response, Crosspoint sued state officials over the requirement that the private school adhere to Maine’s antidiscrimination policy on LGBT issues. The complaint labeled the state standards a “poison pill” and that “BCS was no longer eligible to participate in the tuitioning program, and eligible families could no longer use their tuition benefit at BCS. Thus the sectarian exclusion operated to allow religious schools to participate in the tuitioning program if, and only if, they held religious beliefs the State approved.”

Biblical Connections: It is hard to believe that in America a school could be discriminated against simply for adhering to their Christian beliefs. However, the secularists and LGBT proponents have made it their mission to try to destroy anything resembling a Christian worldview. Jesus said in Matthew 5:11-12, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

PRAY: Pray this agenda that seeks to remove Christianity from the public square will be stopped and Christians will be treated fairly.

Biden HHS Rescinds Protections

The Biden administration has issued a new proposal seeking to amend conscience protections for healthcare workers and institutions that wish to refrain from performing abortions and other procedures that violate their religious beliefs, drawing concerns from pro-life activists. In a final rule slated for publication in the Federal Register, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced its intention to partially rescind a rule implemented by the Trump administration in 2019. The rule, due to take effect 60 days later, amends the 2019 rule and returns federal policy to “the framework created by the February 23, 2011, final rule entitled, ‘Regulation for the Enforcement of Federal Health Care Provider Conscience Protection Laws.’”

The 2019 rule, titled “Protecting Statutory Conscience Rights in Health Care; Delegations of Authority,” contained several provisions outlining explicit protections enabling “individuals, entities, and health care entities to refuse to perform, assist in the performance of, or undergo certain health care services or research activities to which they may object for religious, moral, ethical, or other reasons.” The rule was blocked by federal courts and was never able to go into effect.

The Biden administration’s proposal eliminates several provisions outlining protections for individuals and healthcare facilities that receive federal grants, contracts or loans. Specific declarations include protections stating that federal law shall not require individuals “to perform or assist in the performance of any sterilization procedure or abortion if his performance or assistance in the performance of such procedure or abortion would be contrary to his religious beliefs or moral convictions.”

Protections also prohibit mandating that recipients of federal funds make their “facilities available for the performance of any sterilization procedure or abortion if the performance of such procedure or abortion in such facilities is prohibited by the recipient on the basis of religious beliefs or moral convictions” and “provide personnel” for the provisions of said procedures. The 2019 rule also forbids discrimination in employment against people who refuse to participate in abortions or sterilizations.

Part of the rule remains in place, including a section proclaiming that certain federal statutes “protect the rights of individuals, entities, and health care entities to refuse to perform, assist in the performance of, or undergo certain health care services or research activities to which they may object for religious, moral, ethical, or other reasons.” The provision also maintains that “such laws also protect patients from being subjected to certain health care or services over their conscientious objection.”

The department’s proposal comes a year after it attempted to amend the 2019 rule in a proposed rule titled “Safeguarding the Rights of Conscience as Protected by Statutes.” As noted by the pro-life advocacy group CatholicVote, the proposal would have had the effect of returning federal policy to the way it was in 2011. More than 9,600 people submitted letters to the Biden administration against the proposal in response to a campaign started by CatholicVote warning that changes to the 2019 rule would revoke the moral exemption for employers who did not want to pay for abortifacients in their employer-sponsored healthcare plans. The proposed rule did not go into effect.

Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee, addressed the new rule in a statement. “President Biden is once again showing his allegiance to pro-abortion groups and their demands,” she said. “His administration is willing to trample on the rights of millions of healthcare workers by changing a rule designed to protect them from having to perform abortions against their religious or ethical convictions,” Tobias added. She said, “This administration has been more than willing to comply with the demands of pro-abortion groups and their allies.”

Biblical Connection: A nation that does not accept the sanctity of life is a nation that puts itself in the crosshairs of God’s judgments.

PRAY: Pray these regulations that force believers and businesses to assist with or perform abortions will be stopped and the unborn will be protected.

Iran-Backed Proxies Escalate Attacks

Three American service members were killed in a drone attack in Jordan, the White House said in a statement. The soldiers were killed near the Syrian border. The US is continuing to gather information about the attack, but the White House has blamed “radical Iran-backed militant groups.” The pro-Iranian “Islamic Resistance” in Iraq claimed in January that it had attacked five locations in the region: Erbil in Iraq, as well as Shaddadi, Tanf, and Rukban in Syria. US forces were present in four of these locations.

This is a major escalation in the region and shows that Iran is willing to expand the war into new countries. Iran has already operationalized the Houthis in Yemen to attack ships in the Red Sea. It has also prodded its proxies in Syria and Iraq to carry out more than 150 attacks on US forces. Iran has also pushed Hezbollah to fire more than 2,000 rockets at Israel. Iranian-backed proxies have already become a headache for Jordan because of drug smuggling. Now, it appears they have crossed yet another red line in the region.

Tanf is a US garrison in Syria in a desert area that is near the Jordanian border and also not far from where the Jordan-Syria and Iraq borders meet. The US came to the area during the war on ISIS to support anti-ISIS fighters. Since then, the garrison has become a forlorn area. It has been targeted by drones linked to Iran in the past. Iran and its proxies have now escalated.

The Iranian pro-government Tasnim News says that “Islamic Resistance” in Iraq also claimed they had targeted a place called Khirba Adnan in Syria. This regional escalation constitutes Iranian willingness to expand its wars by proxies. The Iranian Tasnim News mentioned the deaths of three US soldiers in a separate article. Jordan’s Al-Ghad also discussed the attack but did not elaborate. There have been numerous attacks over the last two days by the Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria. This appears to be the sign of a new campaign by Iran against US forces. Pro-Iranian politicians in Iraq, many of them linked to militias, have also called for US forces to leave Iraq.

The pro-Iranian Al-Mayadeen media also carried coverage of other attacks in the region. Hezbollah claimed it had targeted Israel. The Iran-backed Houthis also targeted the HMS Diamond with a drone overnight. Even if all the attacks on the evening of January 27 were not directly coordinated by Iran, it is clear that Iranian proxies carried out drone attacks and other attacks from Yemen and also in Iraq and Syria. This represents a new stage in the Iranian-backed attacks on the US and UK. The attacks began in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.

The Daily Wire reported bipartisan Senate support for direct military action against Iran. Senators from both parties called for accountability and decisive action, with some advocating for strikes inside Iran. “I am calling on the Biden Administration to strike targets of significance inside Iran, not only as reprisal for the killing of our forces, but as deterrence against future aggression,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was quoted as saying. “Hit Iran now. Hit them hard.” Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., wrote on X: “Iran must be held accountable.”

Biblical Connections: We have seen over the past few years Iran’s continued push to make significant disruption in the region. It is safe to say that if Iran continues on this path, either the Gog-Magog war of Ezekiel or another conflict will be on the horizon.

Arrested for Praying in America?

A Christian father of 11 children is facing prison time alongside five other pro-life activists after being convicted of violating a federal law against blocking access to abortion clinics. A federal jury found Paul Vaughn guilty of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act when he and five others blocked access to an abortion facility in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, in March 2021. In addition to Vaughn, the other defendants found guilty of obstructing access to the Mount Juliet facility were Chester Gallagher, Heather Idoni, Calvin Zastrow, Coleman Boyd and Dennis Green.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 2. The six pro-life activists are facing up to 10.5 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine not to exceed $260,000.

“These defendants knowingly chose to violate laws they disagreed with. The jury’s verdict today is a victory for the rule of law in this country and a reminder that we cannot pick and choose which laws we follow. It is also a testament to the outstanding work done in this case by the trial team and our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee in a statement.

The Thomas More Society, a religious liberty law firm that helped to represent Vaughn, has expressed disappointment with the jury decision and intends to appeal the verdict. “This was a peaceful demonstration by entirely peaceable citizens — filled with prayer, hymn-singing, and worship — oriented toward persuading expecting mothers not to abort their babies,” said TMS Senior Counsel Steve Crampton in a statement.

“Unfortunately, the Biden Department of Justice decided to characterize Paul Vaughn’s peaceful actions as a felony’ conspiracy against rights,’ to intimidate and punish Paul and other pro-life people and people of faith.” Crampton described the jury decision as “a frustrating setback, for Paul, for his family, and for the extended pro-life community,” adding that he believed the Biden administration’s “pattern of arresting and prosecuting peaceful pro-life advocates is disturbing.”

In October 2022, Vaughn was one of 11 people originally indicted for their blocking of the entrance to the Mount Juliet clinic, which was advertised by Gallagher and Boyd on social media. Seven of the 11 defendants faced conspiracy charges under the FACE Act, while the remaining defendants were charged with misdemeanors that carried a punishment of up to one year in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser released a statement at the time condemning the indictments as the latest example of “the Biden administration’s egregious abuse of the Justice Department.”

“Pro-abortion Democrats will stop at nothing to protect the abortion industry that spends millions to elect them while demonizing pro-life advocates working to save lives and turning a blind eye to violence against them,” stated Dannenfelser in 2022.

The FACE Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994, coming in response to a reported increase in violence against abortion facilities and personnel. “We simply cannot — we must not — continue to allow the attacks, the incidents of arson, the campaigns of intimidation upon law-abiding citizens that has given rise to this law,” said Clinton in 1994, as quoted by The New York Times. “No person seeking medical care, no physician providing that care should have to endure harassments or threats or obstruction or intimidation or even murder from vigilantes who take the law into their own hands because they think they know what the law ought to be.”

Biblical Connection: John 15:20 states, “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.”

PRAY: Pray for the individuals who are facing prison sentences. Pray for their families. Pray for all who are dealing with persecution for simply praying, singing hymns and trying to save the lives of the unborn.

School Board Member Sworn in on Stack of LGBT Books

A member of the Fairfax County School Board in Virginia was sworn in on a stack of LGBT books, some that are pornographic in nature, that have stoked outrage among parents who object to such material being used in public schools. Karl Frisch, a Democrat who serves as vice chair on the Fairfax County School Board opted to be sworn in for his second term on books that reportedly included The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, Lawn Boy, All Boys Aren’t Blue, Gender Queer: A Memoir, and Flamer. Four of the books Frisch featured during the ceremony are among the top five most banned books, according to the American Library Association, and have been at the center of a political firestorm that has engulfed the largest school district in the U.S. for years.

A graphic novel by self-identified nonbinary author Maia Kobabe, Gender Queer: A Memoir details the author’s struggles with gender confusion and contains violent nudity and graphic descriptions of various sex acts. Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison depicts scenes where an older man grooms an underage boy, prompting critics to allege that it effectively promotes pedophilia. Flamer by Mark Curato featured during a school board meeting in Dearborn, Michigan, last year, when a mother read explicit passages from it that referred to ejaculation. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson contains graphic descriptions of homosexual sex, excerpts from which Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., recently read during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on alleged “book bans.”

After a school board meeting in 2021 during which an outraged mother read aloud from the sexually explicit content in Gender Queer: A Memoir and Lawn Boy, Frisch tweeted in apparent defense of the material, writing: “It’s not every week the School Board receives two exorcisms during public comment. To be clear, nothing will disrupt our Board’s commitment to LGBTQIA+ students, families, and staff. Nothing.”

After his swearing-in, Frisch said: “Fairfax County residents want safe and inclusive schools with exceptional, well-compensated educators and equitable access to the rigorous academic and enrichment opportunities every student needs to succeed. I am grateful for the trust Providence District families have placed in me, and with tonight’s Oath, I commit to standing strong for these values and advancing these priorities with my new and returning colleagues,” he added.

The video of Frisch’s swearing-in was widely panned by users on X, with some describing the swearing-in ceremony as “demonic.” “We have never before seen American figures publicly mock God like this,” Christian author Eric Metaxas tweeted. “It is a chilling thing. Pray for this nation every day. We are in a spiritual war between good and evil. God deliver us.” “Karl Frisch getting sworn-in on a stack of kiddie porn he wants kids to access without [parents’] knowledge or approval is perfectly on brand for the Fairfax County School Board,” radio host Larry O’Connor wrote. Former White House strategic senior advisor Mercedes Schlapp called the gesture “disgusting,” adding that the “leftist goal is to sexualize the children at a young age.” “They are more obsessed with promoting sex and gender confusion than they are in teaching them how to read,” she added.

Biblical Connection: The Bible has long been a standard in American political and legal work for swearing in new political leaders, witnesses, jurors, etc. for centuries. That a public political figure would feel comfortable removing the Bible for books that are contrary to the Bible shows just how far many in our nation have moved away from the biblical foundation that established America.

PRAY: Pray that the agenda that seeks to remove the Bible from society and replace it with pagan idolatry would be stopped and the Bible would be restored again.

China Continues Crackdown on Christianity

The level of control imposed on Christians by the Chinese government continues to increase — particularly on children. Since 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping has implemented a campaign framework called “Sinicization” to govern religious affairs in China. Under this movement, religions in the country must have Chinese characteristics and adapt to socialist Chinese society.

Beijing is most heavily reinforcing its religious restrictions on minors, with the goal of ensuring that future generations are ideologically indoctrinated to listen to and follow the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). A pastor who founded a house church in the coastal area of southeast China recently shared with Global Christian Relief the strategy the Chinese government employs to strictly control minors, which he calls “The Pharaoh Policy.” Just as Pharaoh targeted the Israelites’ children in Exodus 1, Beijing’s tactics highlight its determination to eliminate opportunities for young people to learn about God.

Before Xi came to power, children during the era of former President Hu Jintao were allowed to attend Sunday School. Now, under Xi, many parents of kindergartners and middle schoolers must sign and submit a “pledge to not believe in religion” to their children’s schoolteachers. Government staff monitors to make sure no child enters places of worship. Protests by parents who say they cannot leave their children home alone go unheard. To bypass these restrictions, many churches secretly host Sunday School in member’s homes.

To further deter Christians from setting up home schools, authorities have issued fines starting from $98,000 to an astronomical $838,500. School leaders refuse to accept the unreasonable penalties to delegitimize the government’s actions. Given these challenges, many Christian parents have little choice but to send their children overseas for education. Those who cannot afford this option continue their homeschooling in secrecy, believing that education based on biblical principles, coupled with homeschool co-ops with other Christians, is vital to the upbringing of their children.

Christian college students are also facing increased crackdowns on college campuses. In the past, campus fellowships run by churches were common at universities. But beginning in 2014, many churches were forced to display signs that read, “Minors and college students are not allowed to participate in religious activities,” leading to the shutdown of campus activities. Christian students in universities are prohibited from proselytizing to their classmates on campus, and face being reported to authorities for doing so. Fellowship leaders are targeted with threats and surveillance. Christian professors are also not allowed to share the Gospel with students.

The harsh clampdown on seminaries associated with unregistered churches is another indication of Beijing’s willingness to reign over religious education. In the cities of Chengdu and Xuzhou, several seminaries have been raided by the police and their leaders have been taken away for questioning. In 2022, two Bible institutes in Wenzhou were labeled as “illegal social organizations” by a civil affairs bureau and disbanded.

Historically, Chinese Christians would travel to Hong Kong for seminary or to connect with believers there. After the pro-democracy movement in 2019, Beijing grew wary of the region’s influence over Chinese citizens. Chinese Christian leaders who visit Hong Kong risk interrogation after their return. Studying at seminaries is now more precarious for Christians looking to escape the mainland. Hong Kong, along with the rest of China, is no longer a haven for Christian education.

Biblical Connection: Daniel 1:8 states, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” While persecution like this runs rampart in China, it is only a matter of time before similar things come to the West. Believers must be like Daniel and determine that they will stand up for God and His Word no matter the circumstances.

PRAY: Pray for the believers in China that are putting their very lives on the line for their faith. Pray that this level of persecution will stay away from the rest and that the Gospel will still move forth with freedom.

Catholic Church to Allow Blessings for Same Sex Couples

Pope Francis has approved a measure that will allow Roman Catholic priests to offer blessings to same-sex couples, under the condition that the blessing is not considered akin to marriage and while still labeling such relationships sinful. In a Declaration titled “Fiducia Supplicans” that was issued, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith provided “a broadening and enrichment of the classical understanding of blessings, which is closely linked to a liturgical perspective.”

“It is precisely in this context that one can understand the possibility of blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples without officially validating their status or changing in any way the Church’s perennial teaching on marriage,” stated the Catholic Church leadership. “This Declaration is also intended as a tribute to the faithful People of God, who worship the Lord with so many gestures of deep trust in his mercy and who, with this confidence, constantly come to seek a blessing from Mother Church.”

The Vatican document goes on to state that “when people ask for a blessing, an exhaustive moral analysis should not be placed as a precondition for conferring it” and that “those seeking a blessing should not be required to have prior moral perfection.” For same-sex couples, “a blessing may be imparted that not only has an ascending value but also involves the invocation of a blessing that descends from God upon those who—recognizing themselves to be destitute and in need of his help — do not claim a legitimation of their own status, but who beg that all that is true, good, and humanly valid in their lives and their relationships be enriched, healed, and elevated by the presence of the Holy Spirit.”

The declaration warned that “one should neither provide for nor promote a ritual for the blessings of couples in an irregular situation.” “At the same time, one should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing,” the Vatican document continued. “In a brief prayer preceding this spontaneous blessing, the ordained minister could ask that the individuals have peace, health, a spirit of patience, dialogue, and mutual assistance — but also God’s light and strength to be able to fulfill his will completely.” The declaration was part of a series of guidance given by the dicastery regarding Catholic doctrine in response to “dubia“ or questions issued by bishops from across the world. The dicastery released guidance clarifying that single mothers who have confessed their sins can receive the Eucharist even if they “lead a very complex existence.”

In October 2020, Pope Francis garnered controversy when he appeared to endorse civil unions for same-sex couples, being quoted in an Italian documentary. “Homosexual people have a right to be in a family. They are children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable over it,” said Francis in the film, adding, “what we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that.” In response, the Vatican Secretariat of State sent out a statement to Catholic Church officials around the world explaining that the comments did not change church teaching on the issue.

Biblical Connections: While the leaders of the Catholic Church claim that these blessings are completely different than accepting civil unions and that the church has not changed its acceptance of homosexuality, it is clear that Pope Francis continues to move the Catholic Church closer and closer to outright accepting these unions, something that is clearly against the teachings of Scripture.

PRAY: Pray that the Catholic Church and its leadership will stop moving closer and closer to accepting something so clearly against biblical teaching.

Iran Unveils New Destroyer

Iran has recently announced a new destroyer for its navy, continuing its advancement in this arena. Iranian Army commander Maj.-Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, Iranian Navy commander R.-Adm. Shahram Irani, and Iranian Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff Maj.-Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri were present at the ceremony, Iran’s Mehr News said. The destroyer will be part of Iran’s Caspian sea fleet. The ceremony for the new ship was held at the port of Bandar Anzali on the Caspian.

Iran announced the commissioning of the new Iranian warship, named the IRIS (Islamic Republic of Iran Ship) Deylaman which they said has modern equipment and will contribute to Iran’s navy. The destroyer is part of an Iranian class of similar ships called the Mowj or Moudge class. They weigh around 1,500 tons and are based on Iran’s IRIS Jamaran destroyer which was launched in 2010.

These locally made ships have been produced since the early 2000s when Iran sought to bolster its navy. Tehran doesn’t have a very large navy or air force, in part due to sanctions. Often, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a separate military system in Iran, sponge up assets for defense needs, meaning that the actual Iranian army, navy and air force don’t receive key resources.

The new destroyer joins its sister ships, the Dena, Sahand and Damavand, along with the Jamaran. Despite being launched more recently, her superstructure is less modern than the preceding IRIS Sahand. That featured slightly canted sides to reduce the radar signature, and a new 30mm ‘Kamand’ AAA, which is based on the Russian AK630 family. IRIS Dena has older weapons, such as the 40mm Bofors AA gun. But the Dena does have a version of the Asr phased-array radar which may be a major step forward for the frigate program.

This announcement comes at a very strenuous time in the Middle East. Iran has technically stayed out of the Israel-Hamas fight up to this point, although how much help they gave to Hamas in the initial attack on Israel is still unknown. Iran has consistently been increasing both its own military forces and their proxy military forces like Hamas and Hezbollah over the last decade in preparation for a future conflict with Israel and the West. For example, Hezbollah, located in Lebanon, is said to have around 100,000 advanced rockets in their possession. This is on top of Iran’s work on their own nuclear capabilities.

Western powers have been reluctant to get tough on Tehran for fear of aggravating Middle East tensions as Iran grows its nuclear program and reduces cooperation with the United Nations watchdog, diplomats say. Worries of a wider regional conflict have sharpened since Hamas’ October 7 attack and Israel’s retaliatory bombardment and ground offensive aimed at destroying the Palestinian militants in Gaza.

Recently at a Board of Governors meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, the United States and the so-called E3 group — France, Germany and the United Kingdom — condemned Tehran’s lack of cooperation. Despite saying that Iran’s actions had “pushed unprecedented boundaries,” they held off on submitting a binding resolution. “The picture is pretty bleak, but the fact at the moment is that there is no appetite to provoke a reaction in Iran in the context of the war in the Middle East,” a senior diplomat said in summing up the current deadlock.

Biblical Connection: It is becoming clearer that the possibility of the Gog and Magog war described in Ezekiel 38-39, in which Iran will play a major role in, could be on the horizon. Iran certainly wants to destroy Israel and two of their major allies in the region, Russia and Turkey, are both mentioned in Ezekiel.

PRAY: Pray for God’s will to be done and for peace between these two nations, as well as the surrounding region.

Pastor Removed from San Diego Police Oversight Board Over LGBT Beliefs

A San Diego County human relations commissioner and pastor has filed a lawsuit against San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria for removing him from a city board, alleging discrimination against his religious beliefs. The action followed the pastor’s abstention from a vote condemning transphobia, citing his Christian faith. Dennis Hodges, pastor of the Church of Yeshua Ha Mashiach in Lemon Grove, California, and a member of the San Diego County Human Relations Commission since 2021, filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

The complaint alleges that Hodges’ fellow commissioners influenced Gloria to veto his reappointment to San Diego’s Citizens Advisory Board on Police/Community Relations. Hodges, a member of the city board since 2017, abstained from a November 2021 Human Relations Commission vote on “an agenda item relating to the transgender community.” Video from the meeting shows that the agenda item in question was “a letter from the City of San Diego Human Relations Commissioner Tootie Thomas Regarding Ending Discrimination and Transphobia by Amplifying the Visibility and Voices of the Transgender Community.” One commission member identified the agenda item’s purpose as to “send a strong signal that the city and the county” are committed to “ending transphobia.” It would entail drafting a letter and sending it out on behalf of the commission.

 The lawsuit attributed Hodges’ abstention vote to his religious beliefs, specifically “because the agenda item conflicted with his Christian beliefs on creation, God’s design for humankind, and human sexuality.” When asked about his abstention at the meeting, Hodges assured his fellow commissioners, “I love all people. I love transgenders as well. But to me, it’s an abomination to the eyes of God, so I don’t agree with it.” While some of Hodges’ fellow commissioners urged him to resign following his “abomination” remark, he defended his position as consistent “with the Word of God.” He indicated that he had no intention of stepping down.

 In June 2022, a majority of Hodges’ fellow commissioners voted against removing him at a special meeting called by its chair. The lawsuit contends that efforts to oust Hodges from his post on the Human Relations Commission continued for over a year. The filing describes the effort as “a crusade to cancel a man for holding traditional, religious beliefs regarding the biological nature of a man and woman.” In August 2023, Gloria used the authority granted by the City Charter to veto Hodges’ reappointment to the San Diego Citizens Advisory Board on Police/Community Relations. The lawsuit cites a memorandum from Gloria, highlighting Hodges’ comments about the LGBT community, particularly trans-identified individuals, as a reason for his dismissal from the city board.

 The complaint contends that Gloria’s decision was “solely based on Hodges’ beliefs about human creation and transgenderism,” which the document stresses are “unrelated to his role on the Advisory Board.” Asserting that Hodges’ removal from the city board violated his rights under the Free Exercise Clause and the Free Speech Clause to the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and reinstatement to the board. In a statement, Hodges said he is “standing up for religious people nationwide who have been discriminated against solely because of their faith.” “What happened to me at the hands of our government should never happen to anyone else,” Hodges said.

 Biblical Connections: In Matthew 10:22 Jesus stated, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” Many have made the LGBT movement their religion and will not allow Christians to be involved in the world if they do not accept their movement without exception.

 PRAY: Pray the movement that is pushing the LGBT agenda throughout the Western World will be stopped and people will return to God’s understanding of sexuality.

Iran Backed Rebels Attempting to Close Red Sea Trade

The Red Sea trade route is one of the key trade routes not only in the Middle East, but in the entire world. However, recently Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, have attacked commercial ships to try to shut down the trade route. Two Houthi attacks on the Maersk Hangzhou commercial ship in the Red Sea represent a new escalation by the Iranian-backed Houthis. It also represents a forceful new approach by the US to stop small boats from trying to interdict the ship.

It is important to note that the Danish company Maersk said it was going to resume shipping via the Red Sea after several companies had paused shipping via the important waterway due to Houthi attacks. The BBC reported on December 27 that “Danish shipping giant Maersk has said it is preparing to resume shipping operations through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The move follows the deployment of an international military operation to prevent attacks on commercial ships by Yemen's Houthi rebels. Several firms have paused shipments via the Red Sea following the attacks.”

US Central Command said that at 8:30 pm in the evening in Yemen, the Houthis first attempted to attack the Maersk Hangzhou. The ship “reported that they were struck by a missile while transiting the Southern Red Sea. The Singapore-flagged, Denmark-owned/operated container ship requested assistance, and the USS Gravely and USS Laboon responded to the ship. The vessel is reportedly seaworthy, and there are no reported injuries.”

The Gravely is one of the numerous US ships now protecting ships in the Red Sea. It has joined the Laboon, USS Mason and others that have played a key role in trying to keep trade open in the region. “While responding, the USS Gravey shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen toward the ships,” the US said. Central Command also specified that “this is the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping since November 19.”

What’s interesting is that the Houthis did not stop with the missile attack. They then dispatched a number of small boats to attack the ship. US Central Command was blunt in its language about the second incident, which occurred at 6:30 am on December 31. “Iranian-backed Houthi small boats attack merchant vessel and U.S. Navy helicopters in Southern Red Sea,” the US said. This is an important statement blaming the Houthis and mentioning Iran. The Maersk Hangzhou issued a distress call saying it was being attacked by four small boats. “The small boats, originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, fired crew-served and small arms weapons at the Maersk Hangzhou, getting to within 20 meters of the vessel, and attempted to board the vessel.”

The US ships in the area then sent helicopters, which represents a new tactic they are using to confront the Houthis. The statement by US Central Command says the helicopters came from the US aircraft carrier the USS Eisenhower and the Gravely. “The small boats fired upon the US helicopters with crew-served weapons and small arms. The US Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense, sinking three of the four small boats and killing the crews. The fourth boat fled the area. There was no damage to US personnel or equipment.”

The incident is unique in several ways. First of all, it is interesting the Maersk had decided to resume shipping, and the Houthis then targeted this specific ship. It is not clear if the Houthis chose the ship, but it does send a message that a company that sought to resume shipping was then attacked. The US response to the attack was robust. The sinking of the small boats is an important development. The Houthis are trying to escalate, and they are being matched with the defensive capabilities of the US Navy.

Biblical Connections: This is yet another example of Iran/Iranian backed forces trying to stir up more trouble in the region. Their push for domination in the region and their hatred of Israel could eventually lead to a larger conflict, possibly even the Gog-Magog war.

PRAY: Pray that the United States and other allies will continue to fight against these rebels and that the shipping lanes will both stay open and be safe for innocent civilians.

Over 100 Harvard Faculty Say Accusing Israel of Genocide is not Anti-Semitism

Over 100 Harvard faculty members signed a letter to the university president declaring that labeling Israel an “apartheid state” and accusing the country of committing genocide against Palestinians should not automatically be considered anti-Semitism. The letter accused Harvard University President Claudine Gay of enforcing a “one-sided” debate about Israel by preventing students and faculty from criticizing the Jewish state. “As Harvard faculty, we have been astonished by the pressure from donors, alumni, and even some on this campus to silence faculty, students, and staff critical of the actions of the State of Israel,” the document stated. “It is important to acknowledge the patronizing tone and format of much of the criticism you have received as well as the outright racism contained in some of it.”

The faculty members wrote the letter in response to Gay's Nov. 9 directive, titled “Combating Antisemitism,” which announced the plan to implement a program intended to educate Harvard students and staff about anti-Semitism. In the directive, Gay condemned the phrase “from the river to the sea,” noting that the phrase calls for the eradication of Jews and Israel and is harmful to the Jewish community. In their letter, the faculty members expressed understanding that Gay would want to highlight the importance of language following Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault against civilians in Israel that killed over 1,200 people. The terrorist group has called for the murder of the Jewish people, and Hamas members have bragged about the Jews they killed on Oct. 7.

While the faculty agreed that certain language merits condemnation, they argued that it is not anti-Semitic to criticize the Israeli government or to compare it to “ethno-nationalist” governments, like dictator Robert Mugabe’s government in Zimbabwe. “Nor can arguments that characterize Israel as an ‘apartheid’ state or its recent actions as ‘ethnic cleansing’ or even ‘genocide’ be considered automatically antisemitic, regardless of whether one concurs with such arguments,” the letter stated. The letter asserts that the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine must be free” is a matter of debate, stating that the history behind the slogan is “complicated.” “Its interpretation deserves, and is receiving, sustained and ongoing inquiry and debate,” the letter reads.

The faculty also cited numbers from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry to imply that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 11,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes and a ground invasion seeking to eradicate Hamas, a terrorist group that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007.

Days before beginning its ground invasion, Israel urged the over 1 million civilians in northern Gaza to flee to the south. Israel maintains it has the right to defend its citizens from the threat of Hamas and is doing all it can to prevent civilian casualties. Israel has accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields. The letter concluded with a list of steps for the Harvard president to support “intellectual freedom” at the university, including the creation of “an advisory group on Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racism.”

The faculty members requested Gay resist calls to suspend the Palestine Solidarity Committee for releasing a statement holding Israel responsible for the violence committed against it. Several student groups that signed onto the letter — including Amnesty International at Harvard, Harvard College Act on a Dream and the Harvard Undergraduate Nepali Student Association — later withdrew their signatures. A spokesperson for Act on a Dream claimed at the time that its board members were unaware that the organization had signed the letter, which does not reflect AOD's views on the situation in Israel.

Biblical Connections: The Israeli people have been hated throughout their history in both the Old and New Testaments and throughout much of world history. It should not surprise us that Satan has continued to attack the Jews in our modern time.

PRAY: Pray that this movement of hatred against the Jewish people will be stopped and that God would continue to protect them.

Biological Male Named 'Woman of the Year'

Trans-identified influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who has been recognized as a "Woman of the Year" by an LGBT magazine, is characterizing anyone who refuses to acknowledge the social media personality's preferred gender identity as "hateful." Attitude Magazine, which identifies itself as "the UK & Europe's best-selling LGBTQ magazine," unveiled Mulvaney as its Woman of the Year in a post on X. Mulvaney, a biological male, is one of several LGBT personalities included in the publication's "Awards Issue,".

The post announcing Mulvaney as Attitude's "Woman of the Year" includes a snapshot of the cover of the forthcoming Awards Issue, which features a picture of Mulvaney. Mulvaney is sporting blonde hair, makeup, lipstick, long nails and a dress in the photograph. Additionally, Attitude's post includes a quote from the influencer proclaiming, "Knowing that my community sees me this way and acknowledges my womanhood is all I need to keep going."

Mulvaney, who has documented his gender transition in a series of TikTok videos titled "Days of Girlhood," expressed gratitude for receiving Attitude's "Woman of the Year" award in an acceptance speech at the awards ceremony in London. The internet personality lamented that "some people don't see me as a woman at all," adding, "receiving this honor from a queer publication like Attitude means so much more to me" in light of many people's refusal to recognize him as a woman. "No matter how hard I try or what I wear or what I say or what surgeries I get, I will never reach an acceptable version of womanhood by those hateful people's standards," Mulvaney concluded. "As long as I have the queer community that sees me for my truth, I'm going to be OK."

Mulvaney recalled receiving a warm reception in London after traveling there earlier in the year, favorably contrasting the city's atmosphere with that of the United States. "I didn't walk into rooms and wonder, 'Oh, does that person hate me?' I was just another gal walking around in a Burberry trench on her way to a West End musical." Mulvaney claimed critics of LGBT ideology "want us to be in competition with each other; they would love nothing more than to see the Ls and the Bs and the Gs turn their backs on the Ts."

Several notable corporations have faced backlash from critics for partnering with Mulvaney. The beer brand Bud Light was the subject of a boycott effort earlier this year after presenting Mulvaney with a customized beer can featuring the internet personality's face on it to recognize his one-year anniversary of girlhood and tapping the activist as a brand spokesperson to "authentically connect with audiences." In response to Bud Light's collaboration with Mulvaney, country singer John Rich stopped selling the product at his Nashville bar Redneck Riviera while country singer Travis Tritt pulled all products manufactured by Bud Light's parent company Anheuser-Busch from his tour hospitality rider. Kid Rock, another American musician, filmed a video of himself shooting at a stack of Bud Light cans with an assault rifle.

Mulvaney's emergence onto the national scene comes as many women view their identity as under attack, particularly as trans-identified males who identify as females break women's sports records. The social media influencer is not the first biological male to win a "women of the year" honor. In 2015, Glamour magazine named Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner, as its "Woman of the Year." In 2022, Trans-identified Biden administration official Dr. Rachel Levine, formerly known as Richard, was named among one of USA Today's "Women of the Year." In March, first lady Jill Biden and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken presented an award designated for "women of courage" to an Argentinian man named Alba Rueda, hailed as Argentina's "Special Envoy for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade in Worship."

Biblical Connection: Romans 1:26-27 states, “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.”

PRAY: Pray that this madness will stop. God created humans as men and women, and we simply cannot allow for God’s creative design to be changed.

Israeli Ambassador Calls for UN Secretary-General to Resign

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations called for the resignation of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres for what he described as a “shocking speech” suggesting the Hamas attack against Israel “did not happen in a vacuum.” “The shocking speech by the UN Secretary-General at the Security Council meeting, while rockets are being fired at all of Israel, proved conclusively, beyond any doubt, that the Secretary-General is completely disconnected from the reality in our region and that he views the massacre committed by Nazi Hamas terrorists in a distorted and immoral manner,” Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan wrote on X. “His statement that, ‘the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum,’ expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder,” Erdan continued. “It’s really unfathomable. It’s truly sad that the head of an organization that arose after the Holocaust holds such horrible views. A tragedy!”

Erdan asserted in another post that Guterres “shows understanding for the campaign of murder of children, women, and the elderly,” and, therefore, “is not fit to lead the UN. I call on him to resign immediately,” he added. “There is no justification or point in talking to those who show compassion for the most terrible atrocities committed against the citizens of Israel and the Jewish people. There are simply no words.”

Guterres’ remarks came during a meeting of the UN Security Council, where he condemned the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas targeting communities in southern Israel near the border with Gaza. At least 1,400 people, including 32 Americans, were killed, and over 200 were taken hostage. The attack drew retaliatory Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, which the Hamas-run Palestinian health authorities claim has taken the lives of 5,700 people.

“Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians or the launching of rockets against civilian targets,” Guterres, a Portuguese politician and diplomat who has served as UN secretary-general since 2017, said. “It is important to also recognize that the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their lands devoured by settlements and plagued by violence, their economy stifled, their people displaced, and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their fight have been vanishing but the [grievances] of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas,” he continued. “And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. Excellencies, even war has rules. We must demand that all parties uphold and respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.”

An Israeli official said that Erdan’s call for Guterres to step down was the first time an Israeli ambassador has demanded the UN secretary-general’s resignation. Other Israeli officials expressed outrage in response to Guterres’ comments. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen canceled a planned meeting with him, saying that the Oct. 7 attack shows “there is no place for a balanced approach” and “Hamas must be erased off the face of the planet.” Knesset member Benny Gantz claimed Guterres is a “terror apologist.”

The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), a global coalition, echoed Erdan’s sentiments and called on Guterres to resign. “It is unbelievable and unconscionable how out of touch with reality the UN secretary-general is,” CAM CEO Sacha Roytman Dratwa said in a statement. “Over the last couple of weeks, our generation has had a chance to reflect and better understand how the Holocaust was allowed to happen by the silence and complicity of global decision-makers and opinion-shapers in the face of Nazi-style atrocities.” Dratwa went on to accuse Guterres of “victim-blaming” and exhibiting “different rules for Jews among all the other peoples of the world.”

Biblical Connection: When national leaders such as the Secretary-General of the United Nations shows blatant Antisemitism, it begins to give us an idea of what things will one day look like during the Tribulation when the Antichrist similarly attacks the Jewish people.

PRAY: Pray this rise in antisemitism within our world leaders will be called out and corrected and that people will be unwilling to elect these types of leaders.

Western Christianity in Trouble Because of Collapse of Family?

J.P. De Gance, the founder and president of Communio, a nonprofit that equips churches to strengthen the marriage and relationship health of its members, recently discussed the results of the Communio Nationwide Study on Faith and Relationships at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank. During his speech, De Gance said the study’s results suggest that the decline in resident fatherhood and the collapse of marriage are likely explanations for the increase in religious non-affiliation throughout the United States.

The study’s conclusions are drawn from a nationwide survey completed by 19,000 attendees at 112 different churches across 13 different states. The survey also analyzed a variety of denominations, including Protestant and Catholic churches.

Overall, the survey found that 80% of church attendees grew up in a home where their mother and father stayed married, a trend that remained true regardless of age. In addition, 87% of all 25- to 29-year-old never-married men in church had parents who remained married. “So what this means is folks in church on Sunday are categorically more likely to have grown up with a resident dad in the home than someone who is not in church on Sunday,” De Gance said, noting that the results are not “definitive,” as one in five people in church grew up without married parents. “But it does make it less likely for those folks to show up on Sunday morning,” he said.

Presenting the data on the growth of non-religious affiliation, De Gance said the findings show that religious non-affiliation began to increase between 1986 and 1991 and then rapidly grew in the mid-90s. According to De Gance, this result makes sense, as the children who grew up in homes where their parents didn’t remain married became adults. He asserted that a “married dad” is the “missing ingredient now,” citing an Oxford University Press longitudinal study referenced in the Faith and Relationships study. The longitudinal study followed 3,000 adults and 350 families within a 40-year time frame.

One of the study’s most notable findings, according to De Gance, is that adults who reported a close relationship with their fathers were more likely to report having the same faith as their parents by 25 percentage points. On the other hand, the study found that a closer relationship with their mother did not appear to have a statistical effect on whether an adult had the same faith as their parents.

De Gance referenced a book by Paul Vitz titled Faith of the Fatherless: The Psychology of Atheism, which analyzed 30 of the world’s most well-known atheists. Throughout the book, according to De Gance, there is a reoccurring theme of absentee fathers or broken relationships with a dad.

Biblical Connections: It should be no surprise to followers of the Bible that the statistical data backs up the idea that family matters when it comes to faith. God Himself established the family in the early chapters in Genesis and the Book of Deuteronomy has a strong emphasis on how the family is the main unit for sharing faith. For example, Deuteronomy 6:6-7 states, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” The breakdown of the family is a massive tragedy that has not only occurred in our culture but has also occurred in our churches. This breakdown of the family leads to a breakdown in faith and a loss of passing down our faith to the next generation.

PRAY: Pray this attack and destruction of the family unit in America will change and God’s design for the family will once again became the normal structure in society.

Young Woman Sues American Academy of Pediatrics Over Trans Procedures

A 20-year-old woman who detransitioned after being placed on cross-sex hormones as a young teenager is suing her doctors and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for allegedly lying about their long-term effects. Isabelle Ayala and her lawyers are accusing the defendants of “civil conspiracy, fraud, medical malpractice and other related causes of action” related to what she alleges was a misleading “gender-affirmative” model of care, according to the lawsuit first reported by The Daily Wire.

Ayala, whose suit characterizes her as “an unfortunate victim of a collection of actors who prioritized politics and ideology over children’s safety, health, and well-being,” names the AAP, the Rhode Island-based Lifespan Physician Group, as well as Drs. Jason Rafferty, Michelle Forcier, Meghan Gibson, Gillian Morris, Brittany Allen, Ilana Sherer, and Licensed Clinical Social Worker Jill Wagner.

The young woman alleges that when she was first hospitalized for suicidal ideation at age 14, Rafferty and others rushed her down the “path of ‘gender-affirming’ medicalization” after a brief meeting instead of recommending psychological counseling. She claims that after six months of testosterone treatment, she attempted suicide. Ayala’s suit pinpoints AAP’s 2018 policy statement, spearheaded by Rafferty, as especially egregious, alleging it enabled an “entirely new model of treatment” that was based on “outright fraudulent representations.”

The lawsuit further notes Ayala experiences regret because of the experimental procedures performed on her, and that she “longs for what could have been and to have her healthy, female body back. The changes the testosterone have had on her body are a constant reminder that she needed an unbiased medical expert willing to evaluate her mental health and provide her the care she needed, rather than a group of ideologues set on promoting their own agenda and furthering a broader conspiracy at her expense,” the suit says.

Ayala further claims that Rafferty and the other defendants have continued “to promote and profit off” their gender-affirming model of treatment, which she said have rendered her and other young people “victims of a conspiracy entered into and perpetuated to the present day by certain ideologically captured individuals in positions of power at the American Academy of Pediatrics.” “[Rafferty] has gone from a little-known resident during his time drafting the Gender Policy Statement to having a highly successful practice in pediatric gender care and considered a leading authority on the subject, all while operating under the imprimatur of the authority he falsely created,” the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit further claims that the defendants have continued to advocate for the gender-affirming model despite mounting international skepticism. In 2020, the Finnish Health Authority recommended psychotherapy as the first-line treatment for minors experiencing gender dysphoria. In October 2021, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists also released a statement citing a lack of quality evidence and emphasizing the necessity of receiving a proper mental health evaluation before undergoing irreversible and disfiguring trans procedures. In February 2022, the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, urged “restraint when it comes to hormone treatment,” which was followed by similar guidance from the National Academy of Medicine in France later that month.

Advocates of gender-affirming care, as laid out by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, have pointed to the AAP’s endorsement of such standards to shut down debate about such practices. “There is no debate in the medical community about the medical or scientific validity of gender-affirming care,” a spokesperson for Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine told Fox News Digital last year, noting that WPATH’s standards of care have been endorsed by the AAP, as well as the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Biblical Connections: In Mark 9:37 Jesus stated, “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.” We must protect our children from the forces of evil that wish to pervert them.

PRAY: Pray that America will wake up to the long-term damage that it is enabling to its children.