| | World leaders react to assassination of Japan’s Shinzo Abe | | Curated for you byCP Editors | | Good afternoon! It’s Friday, July 8, and today’s headlines include reactions to the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a poll measuring the potential impact of the overturning of Roe v. Wade on the midterm elections, and a former Satanic "pastor" who left the organization after experiencing the love of Christ. | Shinzo Abe, Japan's former and longest-serving prime minister died Friday morning after he was shot while campaigning for a candidate ahead of national elections. Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, was charged with attempted murder before Abe’s death was announced, per The New York Times. Abe was pronounced dead shortly after 5 p.m. in Japan, which was approximately five hours after he was brought to the hospital showing no vital signs. World leaders were quick to react to Abe's assassination, with President Joe Biden saying he was "stunned" and "outraged." Former President Donald Trump released a statement asserting the assassination is "bad news for the world." Read more.Also of Interest ...Pastor convicted of raping grandchildren awarded $2M after prison beatingPCUSA votes to become ‘sanctuary and accompaniment church’ for illegal immigrantsChristian band We the Kingdom believes in miracles of God despite experience with church abuse |
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| California Gov. Newsom under fire for vacationing in state on his travel ban list | | California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2024, is facing criticism for vacationing in Montana, a state he banned state employees from traveling to on publicly-funded trips. California officials decided to ban state-funded travel to Montana last year over a law that prohibits men who identify as female from competing in women's sports. Although it's likely that Newsom used California Highway Patrol officers for his security, Politico reported that the state’s travel ban does not extend to state-funded security personnel. The National Review's national affair reporter, John Fund, argued that the Montana vacation was proof that Newsom was hypocritical on this matter and other issues, writing, "This isn’t the first example of Newsom flouting the rules. He famously violated his own indoor-dining ban in 2020, when he attended a birthday party at the deluxe French Laundry restaurant in Napa. Months later he appeared maskless at a football game where face coverings were mandatory. Last summer, he had to pull one of his kids out of a summer day camp that did not require kids to wear masks, a violation of state policy." Read more. | | Also of Interest... | | California megachurch pastor calls on congregants to recall ‘immoral’ Gov. Gavin NewsomCalifornia lifts 'mandatory' COVID-19 capacity limits for churchesCalifornia churches celebrate win for religious liberty as state agrees to pay $2.1M over lockdown battles | | Pa. ministries cited for violating city's definition of 'church' | | Two church-affiliated ministries in the suburbs of Philadelphia have been warned they could incur penalties for breaking the community's zoning code's definition of a "church" by running charitable outreaches to feed and help the poor. Officials in Pottstown Borough in Montgomery County have issued citations to High Street-based ministries Mission First, an outreach program affiliated with Cedarville United Methodist Church, and Christ Episcopal Church, The Mercury reported Monday. "It's a sad state of affairs," Clare Schilling, the director of Mission First, told WHYY News. "Everything we do is what a church should be doing. … We're feeding the needy. … We're helping the community." The organizations have until Sunday to appeal the citation to the city zoning hearing board. Read more. | | Poll: Roe reversal will have 'net-neutral' impact on midterms | | The U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade is not expected to have a significant impact on the midterm elections, per a poll from the Harvard Center for American Political Studies and the Harris Poll. The poll, which surveyed Americans on multiple topics in late June, included more than 1,300 voters. Among its findings, 36% of respondents indicated that the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization made them more likely to vote Democrat in the midterms, while another 36% responded that the court's ruling made them more likely to vote Republican in the midterms. Twenty-nine percent said the ruling had "no effect" on who they would vote for. Read more. |
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| The imperial judiciary, 1962-2022: Rest in peace | | Christian Post Executive Editor Richard D. Land writes about the Supreme Court's overextension of authority since the 1960s and why the overturning of Roe v. Wade struck down an "imperial dictate from a Supreme Court that ignored the Constitution and sought to impose its view of abortions on the nation." Reminding readers of the intentions set forth by the creation of the United States of America's three federal constitutional branches, Land concludes, "Americans, thanks to the Supreme Court, our decisions about our nation’s future have been placed back in our own hands. A passage in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians comes to mind, 'So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do'" (Eph. 5:14-17). Read more. | | How do I gain financial freedom? | | Crown Financial Ministries CEO Chuck Bentley shares how to gain financial freedom when money is tight. Bentley's first piece of advice: make a plan because failure to plan is to plan for failure. Second, find your financial margin to understand your income and expenses, categorize your spending, and create a surplus for savings. Read more. |
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| A New Faith-Based Video Streaming Platform, Early Access for CP Readers | | Let’s admit it, YouTube is one of the most popular apps on our devices. We’ve all aimlessly scrolled down a feed of videos we never thought we’d watch, but YouTube’s algorithm says so. | | This is why we’re coming out with a video-streaming on-demand solution called Good News Line (GNL). | | GNLi.com is a universal video platform providing FREE high-quality, faith-relevant, uplifting videos appropriate for the whole family. Currently, all of our videos are from YouTube but arranged in a no-endless-scrolling, intentional and edifying way. And we will be introducing more unique and exclusive content throughout 2022 and beyond. | | For CP readers, create a FREE account on GNLi.com and get early access to GNL first. | | |
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| Pakistan: Christian handed death sentence for 'blasphemy' | | A Pakistani Christian man has been sentenced to death by hanging after being accused of blasphemy in 2017, the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), an interdenominational organization working on behalf of persecuted Christians in Pakistan, reports. Ashfaq Masih, 34, called the charges against him "quite baseless, false and frivolous" and said they stem from a June 2017 incident when a customer refused to pay him for a job. In a not-guilty plea obtained by Church in Chains, Masih said the man "refused to give me money and said, 'I am a follower of Peer Fakhir [a Muslim ascetic] and don't ask for money from me.' I told him that I am a believer in Jesus Christ and I don't believe in Peer Fakhir and please give me my labor." The man told Masih's rival bike shop owner, who accused Masih of blasphemy and filed a police report. Under Section 295-C of Pakistan's penal code, defiling the name of Islam's prophet Muhammad carries a mandatory death penalty. Read more. | | South African Satanic Church co-founder finds Christ | | Riaan Swiegelaar, now a former "pastor" at the South African Satanic Church, took to social media over the weekend to share that the overwhelming love of Jesus recently inspired him to step away from Satanism. Swiegelaar explained how he gave an interview during which he denied the existence of Jesus. Afterward, a woman came up and hugged him and "held me in a way that I've never been loved." He later discovered she was a Christian. During one of his Satanic rituals, Swiegelaar says he opened himself up, and Jesus appeared and "flooded me with the most beautiful love and energy. And I recognized it immediately because that woman at the radio station showed it to me. That's how I recognized the love of Christ." Read more. | | Also of Interest... | | Ex-satanist who hated Christians spent 33 years praising evil — until a book mysteriously appeared on his jail cell floorSatanist TikTokker thanks progressive Christians |
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| LISTEN: Author's mission to stop cancel culture's attack on the Founding Fathers | | Author Douglas MacKinnon, a former White House and Pentagon official, is on a mission to stop contemporary culture from canceling the Founding Fathers. His new book, The 56: Liberty Lessons From Those Who Risked All to Sign The Declaration of Independence, explores the stories of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence. MacKinnon, who firmly believes people must stop canceling history, says, "The United States of America is a work in progress … none of us is perfect. None of us is flawless. All of us are sinners, right? And the 56 men who signed the Declaration and all of the Founding Fathers were not perfect. They were flawed." Listen to MacKinnon's full interview on the Edifi podcast with Billy Hallowell now. | | 'Stay Prayed Up' highlights gospel singer's legacy of faith | | Lena Mae Perry, 82, is considered a hero of the faith in North Carolina where she spent a half-century as the bandleader of the gospel group The Branchettes. A new film, "Stay Prayed Up," highlights her legacy and impact, documenting the group's time recording their first fully live album. Co-Director Matt Durning told The Christian Post he wants the film to honor the black community and its long commitment to gospel culture in America, explaining, "[W]e hope the film can reach African-American communities like Newton Grove, congregations like Long Branch, all over the country and play a small part in helping them to feel seen and appreciated and celebrated." The film is currently streaming on all major platforms, including Amazon and iTunes. Learn more here. | | | | | | | | Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We look forward to seeing you again on Monday! -- CP Editors |
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