By Ron Hale Mark A. Gabriel became a marked man after converting to Christianity from Islam. His harrowing escape from Egypt still haunts him! Memorizing the Quran by age 12, earning a PhD at the famous Al-Azhar University in Cairo and teaching there, and serving as the imam of a mosque, provides Gabriel a unique perspective in teaching Westerners about Islam. His most famous (or infamous) professor was the blind sheikh, Omar Abdel Rahman. He became the mastermind of the first bomb attack of the World Trade Center in 1993, and sat in a U.S. high-security prison until his recent death on Feb. 18, 2017. Gabriel started questioning his faith while a professor at Al-Azhar University. Islam’s violent side in the Quran and in Islamic history lay heavy on his heart.  After a few questioning statements, he was arrested and tortured by the Egyptian secret police. He eventually fled his country and found it necessary to change his name after being stabbed, shot at, and repeated death threats on his life. However, he does not see Muslims as his enemy. Muslims are the very ones who suffer the most from Islamic radicals or jihadists according to Gabriel. In reading his revised and updated edition of ‘Islam and Terrorism’ … [Read more...]

By Rebecca Holloway When God's people pray, And take the pains of earth to the doors of heaven. When God's people pray, There is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven. And miracles you can't explain away, When God's people pray. (Wayne Watson, "When God's People Pray." If you'd like to hear this song, click here.) Forgive me for going to the "way back files," but I could not get this song out of my head for the past several days. From the moment we walked in the doors of Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, I knew things were going to be different. But I had no idea how God would massively blow my mind with how He answered my definite requests that I had posted earlier this week. Honestly, I had all but lost hope over our situation with Evan. It had just become so bleak. So dark. I just couldn't see a way that he could ever get better. And yet God had so much more that He wanted to do. He had told me that. Even though I had written about the "exceedingly abundantly" more that He wanted to do, I don't think I even believed it. Now I do. Here's why: when I started the "Prayers for Evan" page, I did it so that our church family and friends could keep up with us as we headed to TCH. I thought we may get as many … [Read more...]

By Waylon Bailey I bought my first personal computer in the early 80s. During that time I was professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. That early personal computer was a perfect fit for my work at the seminary. I was writing books, articles, and preparing notes for lectures. And while I wasn’t at the beginning of the personal computer revolution, I certainly was on the front end. It wasn’t long before I decided that I was ready for an upgrade. A number of my friends had a hard disc instead of the two floppy discs that I was using. As I talked with them I came to the conclusion that I really did need a hard drive and that I needed either a 20 meg, 30 meg, or 40 meg hard drive. The problem was I couldn’t decide which one. Finally, I decided to call IBM to get some advice. My call to the IBM Office was one of the most memorable conversations of my life. Not only did I learn a lot about  computers, but I also received advice about what size hard drive to purchase. I’ll never forget what the sales person told me. He said that I in fact did need a hard drive. That wasn’t hard to digest. The second thing he told me made sense at the time, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. … [Read more...]

By Jack Graham Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. —Hebrews 12:1-3 As Christians, one of the best ways to defeat Satan…the enemy of our souls…is to know how he operates. Far too many believers today are unaware of or don’t fully appreciate how deadly this enemy is…and to what lengths he will go, to thwart and destroy God’s people and God’s plan! So it’s important each of us know our enemy so we can better prepare ourselves for his attack. Of all the schemes and tactics Satan uses against the people of God, his greatest tool is probably the tool of discouragement. Satan knows that if he can pry open your heart with discouragement, he can make you quit. Galatians 6:9 reminds us, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will … [Read more...]

By Joe McKeever Dear Lord, even if I pray in faith and dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s, but am praying something which I will regret forever and which is not what You have planned, please ignore me. Thank you for hearing this prayer!   Three men in the Bible–really godly men, the best of the bunch–prayed at one time or other for the Lord to end their lives. –Moses in Numbers 11:15 “If I’ve found favor in Thy sight, please kill me.” –Elijah in I Kings 19:4 “That’s enough now, Lord. Take my life.  I’m no better than my fathers (and they’re all dead).”  My paraphrase. –Jonah in Jonah 4:3 “Death is better to me than life, so please take my life from me, O Lord.” In each case, it was a prayer of depression and discouragement.  And what caused that?  They were brought on by– –too much responsibility (Moses).  He was tired. –too much opposition (Elijah).   He was stressed. –too little commitment (Jonah).  He was disappointed. From this we conclude the following: One.  It can happen to the best. Two.  It’s the result of too much work, stress, spiritual resources and strength. Three.  In such times, we may do unwise things and pray foolish prayers. Four.  We should give thanks God does not … [Read more...]

By Tony Perkins It seems the hits just keep on coming for America's abortion titan, Planned Parenthood. In the past few days, more devastating facts have surfaced about the organization that profits from the more than 300,000 abortions it performs every year: Planned "Parenthood" is not really for parents. The overwhelming data already supports the fact that Planned Parenthood is not a "women's health" organization. Their clinics provide far fewer services than other federally qualified health centers (Planned Parenthood offers no mammograms, immunizations, or radiological services, for example). And even the liberal Washington Post has lampooned their ridiculous lie about abortion constituting only three percent of their services. Their attempt to pivot and claim they provide "prenatal care" is also being debunked as just more false advertising. Undercover videos have surfaced from Planned Parenthood clinics all around the country. Of their 97 affiliates contacted by undercover investigators at Live Action Network, only five facilities provided prenatal care of any sort. Even more shocking? More than once, workers openly admitted the name "Planned Parenthood" is deceptive! In a second set of videos, Planned Parenthood … [Read more...]

By Waylon Bailey Over the last few weeks, I’ve had a real burden for Chicago and the inner cities across America. I’m sure much of that has to do with the publicity concerning the 700 people murdered in Chicago in 2016 with several thousand others shot and wounded. Part of that concern also comes to my living close to a large city (New Orleans) which suffers greatly in the inner city with crime, drugs, and fatal violence. I often hear people say that the city is safe except for certain parts of the city. They also counsel staying out of those sections. Of course, we do attempt to say stay out of unsafe areas, but that’s a tragedy People have to live in those areas. The people who live in those areas desire to be safe and keep their family safe just as I do. What should we do about our inner cities? I’m sure there are many political answers that could and should be given to that question, but what should you and I do? I am committed to pray for Chicago and for New Orleans. I want to encourage you to do the same. Let us commit to pray for revival nationwide, for a turning of America to Christ. Would anything change our country and our cities as much as a genuine awakening? Let us pray that God would … [Read more...]

By Tony Perkins At the start of the weekend, President Trump was busy doing what President Trump does -- making things happen. In an executive order on Friday, Trump limited travel to the U.S. by citizens of seven countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Making good on a promise to increase national security and prevent future terrorist attacks within our borders, the president suspended the issuance of visas for these nationals for the next 90 days because of the prominence of jihadi violence within their borders. Along with a variety of other measures, the order also brought scrutiny on the process for immigrants and visitors from any nation by creating a temporary hold on any refugee travel to the U.S. Trump's order also prioritizes the admission of persecuted religious minorities in the previous countries after the temporary ban is up, whether those refugees be Yazidi, Christian, or Muslim. Trump has also ordered the Pentagon and the U.S. State Department to prepare a plan to create safe zones in Syria and the surrounding area within 90 days. Predictably, the media and liberal politicians went crazy. Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) took to Twitter, vowing to fight the order … [Read more...]

By Waylon Bailey Prayer is central to our faith. In fact, prayer seems to be a common practice of all peoples. Prayer is important because it’s essential to getting in touch with God. Even many atheists admit to praying in difficult times. If prayer is so necessary and important, are there ways we harm our times of prayer? Are there ways we should not pray? Let me give you three ways you should consider changing about how you pray. First, don’t pray negatively. In itself, prayer is a positive practice. It is a way of getting in touch with God and letting Him have control over our lives. This is, of course, a positive event. How do we make it negative? We do so by emphasizing what we don’t want to do rather than what we want to do. For example, let’s suppose you need to be more patient. You might pray, “Lord, help me not to be impatient and frustrated today.” That’s a negative prayer. A positive prayer might be like this, “Lord, help me today as I struggle with the difficulties of life. Help me to show the fruit of the Spirit in my life. Let me live in patience, gentleness, kindness, and self-control.” A positive prayer emphasizes what we want to do rather than what we don’t want to do. Second, … [Read more...]

By Jeff Iorg Ashley Judd, entertainer and activist, did us all a good service with her passionate speech at the recent Women’s March in Washington, D.C. The diatribe, most of it quoting a poem written by another woman and shared with her permission, was filled with vitriol toward men, personal attacks on President Trump, and vulgar references to female genitalia and feminine hygiene. Ms. Judd’s hateful spewing of leftist dogma served us by clarifying – making crystal clear – the state of American feminism. Women have legitimate needs which should be represented to governing authorities and addressed by legal means. It’s doubtful Ms. Judd has much awareness of those needs – not as a celebrity living a privileged life. My mother was an independent, hard-working, self-sufficient woman who held our family together. My wife is cut from the same cloth. I have a daughter and three grand-daughters, so women’s issues matter to me. Women deserve every opportunity for success but Ms. Judd’s version of their concerns doesn’t resonate with reality. Men and women would both enthusiastically promote women’s causes if American feminist leaders would focus on real issues oppressing women today. Toward that end, here are three ways women … [Read more...]