Maybe you’ve done something awful. You asked God for forgiveness and He forgave you (1 John 1:9). However, you think you need to punish yourself anyway. God doesn’t need your help. Jesus paid the price in full for your forgiveness. That shame you feel comes from the devil himself. He is known as “the accuser of our brethren” (Revelation 12:10).
It was exactly one year ago when the Obama Administration announced it would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act, legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by former President Bill Clinton.
Since then, the effort to protect traditional marriage has suffered several setbacks. This week alone:
1.) The Maryland Senate followed in the footsteps of the state House, passing a measure to legalize gay marriage. The bill now heads to Gov. Martin O'Malley, who promised to sign it, making Maryland the eighth state to allow gay marriage.
The Syrian government has a long history of restricting Christian activity.The Assad (Alawite minority) regime, for the most part, has left Christians alone. As long as Christians followed the regime's rules, registered their churches, and didn't evangelize Muslims, they would avoid beatings and imprisonment. Those who violated the rules would be punished.
Diligent leadership starts with a determined re-evaluation of what we value. When we are clear about what we prize above all then our leadership will be clear and effective.
Here is an excerpt from my interview in Antwerp with the head of Sharia4Belgium, Abu Imran.
He says the label “democratic Muslim” is a contradiction in terms; that Sharia (he means the full Sharia—amputation for theft, stoning for adultery) is inseparable from true Islam; and he is very confident that the whole world will be brought under the control of Islam.
Check back for more excerpts from my interview with Abu Imran, and the full story on March 15 on "The 700 Club" and CBNNews.com.
This past week, I watched the televised coverage of the Whitney Houston funeral. Most of us can relate to losing someone before we thought it was their time to go. To my complete surprise, my chair at medical school died suddenly of an intracranial bleed. His funeral was this week as well. The shock and sadness of his passing reminded me once again that the grieving process takes both a physical and emotional toll.
There were no game changers tonight in the presidential debate in Arizona but I will say this: Someone must have given Rick Santorum smile lessons before the debate. I have NEVER seen him so relaxed and happy in a debate setting.
Has anybody wondered why Rick Santorum does well with the Tea Party despite the fact that he does not have the purest fiscal conservative record? Sure he was against the bank and auto bailouts but he isn’t ashamed of earmarks, he voted for No Child Left Behind, Medicare Part D, the Highway Bill and voted to increase the debt ceiling several times.
So what gives?
President Obama released this statement on this Ash Wednesday:
"Today, Michelle and I honor Ash Wednesday with Christians around the country and across the world. This is at once a solemn and joyous occasion, an opportunity to remember both the depths of sacrifice and the height of redemption. We join millions in entering the Lenten Season with truly thankful hearts, mindful of our faith and our obligations to one another."