The Vatican’s unofficial representative in Hong Kong warned Catholic missions in the city that tough days are ahead for them as China is increasingly restricting religious freedom. Change is coming, and you’d better be prepared," Mexico-born Monsignor Javier Herrera Corona, a bishop who served in the city for six years before his term ended in March, told the city’s Catholic missions that month, Reuters reported. "Hong Kong is not the great Catholic beachhead it was." Herrera-Corona, who is now an archbishop in the Republic of Congo and Gabon, said that Hong Kong’s closer integration with China could lead to mainland-style restrictions on religious groups. Read more.

U.S. Rep Juan Vargas, D-Calif., is calling for an independent investigation into the death of 84-year-old Indian Jesuit priest and human rights defender Fr. Stan Swamy nine months after his arrest without trial under the country’s anti-terrorism laws. Swamy died while in police custody last July after multiple applications for bail were denied despite his deteriorating health. Vargas, who introduced a resolution to commemorate Swamy's death, stated, "Father Stan was a staunch human rights defender who dedicated his life to giving a voice to the voiceless. He advocated for the rights of the indigenous Adivasi people, trained young community leaders, and strived for justice for many mistreated communities in India." Read more.

Conservative lawmaker Tom Tugendhat, a Catholic, and former Tory Member of Parliament, and Kemi Badenoch, who describes herself as a "cultural Christian," are among those running to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who announced his pending resignation last week. "I am putting together a broad coalition of colleagues that will bring new energy and ideas to government," wrote Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, in a piece for The Telegraph. In November 2017, Tugendhat, who has studied Christian and Islamic theology, appealed to Johnson on behalf of British-Iranian mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was held in an Iranian prison on the false accusation of plotting to overthrow Iran’s government, Premier Christian News noted. Badenoch, who grew up in Nigeria, announced her candidacy in a piece for The Sunday Times, writing, "I want to tell the truth. It’s the truth that will set us free." The U.K. is expected to have a new prime minister by early September. Read more.

The question "What is truth?" is popular in many contemporary debates, which has given rise to relativism, the idea that reality is a subjective collection of human interactions and cultural interpretations. With technology making it far more difficult for people to deny the humanity of a baby inside the womb, social constructionist arguments for abortion are unraveling, writes Dr. Jennifer Bauwens. Noting subjective ideologies have stained the truth of biology, causing children to question the truth and fact of gender, Bauwens concludes, "Sometimes we must wait for truth to prevail, but in the end, the Truth isn’t just a concept—it is a person, Jesus ... The Truth is winning." Read more.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes Chief Field Officer Dan Britton shares the importance of the two-word prayer "Yes, Lord!" Britton details the differences between several types of "yes" responses, explaining the key is to make your prayer known to the Lord to experience His power, presence, and provision. Read more.

Here’s a quick update from Jim Daly, President of Focus on the Family, on the progress they’re making in the battle to save even more precious, innocent preborn babies . . .

• Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe vs. Wade, many states have already moved to restrict abortion. But other states will expand abortion.
• That’s why Focus on the Family is working hard to equip as many pro-life pregnancy medical centers as possible nationwide with ultrasound capability. Then, even more women like Marta can see and hear their baby’s heartbeat — and choose life for their child.
• Right now, a special limited-time gift match will DOUBLE whatever you give. That means just $60 can save the life of not ONE, but TWO, preborn babies!

More than 65,000 people attended the three-day Festival Manchester in the Northwest of England last weekend, with more than 3,400 responding to the Gospel, according to organizers. The organizers, which included The Message Trust and Luis Palau Association, said the event marked the largest outreach for a generation. "This is what Festival Manchester was all about —introducing people to Jesus and seeing lives changed both now and for eternity," Andy Hawthorne, CEO and founder of The Message Trust, said, according to Christian Today. "I honestly believe we got to be part of something huge that God is doing." Read more.

The Parents Television and Media Council (PTC) has released a report detailing how the hit Netflix series "Stranger Things" has continued to experience a "shocking increase" of uncensored profanity and graphic violence. The show, which is rated TV-14, has seen a 217% increase in profanity from season 1 to season 4, including a 739% increase in the use of the word "s—." The "f-word" was used six times in season 2 and was up to nine times in season 4, figures that would violate federal indecency laws if the series was shown on basic cable or broadcast television. The PTC's Melissa Henson explained to The Christian Post, "Across the board on these streaming services, standards have slipped dramatically ... [they] have content that would never have been permitted on broadcast TV, in particular." The PTC is calling on Netflix to "immediately" re-evaluate its content ratings for the show. Read more.