I’ve got an unusual Top 5 for you this weekend and not only because I added links to yet another 5 articles at the conclusion of this post. No, the other thing about today’s compilation is that the Top 5 all come from one source, Harbinger’s Daily. I’m doing this to underscore the importance of this source for those looking to making “biblical sense” out of the day’s headlines. I am finding it a tremendous help in interpreting the culture I live in and then to better inform others, advocate righteous causes, pray more wisely, and live more responsibly. I hope you also find it of value.
Now I’ll also explain that it isn’t the only online news and commentary source I appreciate. Oh no. There are many others, the most important of which are Power Line, Lucianne, the Federalist, Breitbart, City Journal, The Stream, LifeNews, Newsmax, Insta Pundit, American Spectator, Daily Signal, Fox News, Hot Air, Washington Stand, and Decision
But now…on to this weekend’s Top 5.
1) “In The Midst Of Los Angeles Chaos, Biblically Understanding Immigration and Borders Is Critically Important” (Greg Laurie, Harbinger’s Daily)
From the article — We are all alarmed by the rioting, looting, and destruction happening in Los Angeles and other cities across the country. This violence is tearing apart communities, hurting the innocent — and is just flat out wrong.
In the midst of this chaos, some of us Christians might be wondering: What does the Bible say about immigrants? It’s important for us to align our worldview with the Bible, and Scripture has a lot to say about the many issues we’re facing right now in culture. That includes immigration, border policies, and order.
So, what does the Bible say about immigrants? It’s true we find talk about welcoming a stranger in the Old Testament, but that’s only half of it. It doesn’t mean that our nation cannot have order in the process of doing so. In fact, the expectation communicated in Scripture is that the stranger abides by the law of the land and assimilates. There is a right way to come into our nation…
2) “God’s Word vs Man’s Opinion: Why the Church Can and Should Speak Authoritatively on Abortion” (Ken Ham, Harbinger’s Daily)
From the article — Dr. Wright was asked a question about abortion on his Ask NT Wright Anything podcast (I wrote last year about the terrible answer he gave on that program to a question about science and the Bible). And his answer was biblically and theologically atrocious! But that’s not surprising because I find that when a person compromises Genesis with outside beliefs (like evolution/millions of years), it has a detrimental effect on other areas such as we see here regarding his answer on abortion…
Dr. Wright took about 10 minutes to answer to question—and never once quoted the Bible. That’s right, this young lady asked for “Christian reasoning” on this issue and got nothing more than N. T. Wright’s opinion with no reference to God’s Word and only a passing comment of starting with a “sense of respect for God’s creation in all its rich variety.”
Because he refused to stand on the authority of God’s Word and apply biblical principles, Dr. Wright and his cohost just danced around the issue. Over and over, they made sure to point out that abortion is a “hugely sensitive” and “difficult issue.” The cohost even said at one point, “We can’t assume this is a black-and-white answer when every case is going to be somehow different.” In his introduction, Wright said, “When [abortion is] presented as ‘you are killing, you are murdering, an unborn child, I think we do have to be very, very careful.” In other words, you can’t call abortion what it really is because “it’s sensitive” and “difficult.”
3) “Bible Prophecy and the Days of Noah: Is the Earth Once Again ‘Filled With Violence’”? (Breanna Claussen, Harbinger’s Daily)
From the article — When Jesus’ disciples asked Him what the signs of His return would be, the Savior of the World gave a detailed list. Recorded in Matthew 24 and Luke 21, Jesus stated that there would be wars and rumors of wars, distress of nations, and lawlessness. These days, Jesus described, would also be like “the days of Noah.” In Genesis 6:5, 11, we read that in the time before the flood: “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually… The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.”
Is the earth once again being “filled with violence,” just as Jesus forewarned? A brief look at the recent events leads to a sad and unmistakable answer.
In the arena of antisemitism, it was Hamas’ barbaric massacre of over 1,200 Israelis that served as the catalyst for the normalization and acceptance of violence against Jews. Equipped with GoPro cameras, the terrorists gleefully committed unimaginably brutal executions; October 7th has rightly been called “the most well-documented massacre in history.” What followed shortly after was perhaps even more startling. Despite the ease with which people could witness the scale of Hamas’ crimes, individuals across the globe began to justify and celebrate the terrorists.
4) “Spiritual Warfare is the Driving Force Behind The Headlines of Our Day, But Most of the Church is Unaware” (Jonathan Brentner, Harbinger’s Daily)
From the article — The Lord’s warning reveals at least a couple of truths that pertain to our day:
The current epidemic of unawareness should not surprise us; it fulfills Jesus’ prediction for the last days.
Most people will remain in this state of blissful ignorance until the Rapture occurs and another extended time of God’s judgment begins. Even then, the majority will refuse to repent and put their trust in Jesus.
Sadly, many believers fail to recognize that they live in biblical times despite the myriad of signs pointing to the rapidly approaching seven-year Tribulation. I believe a primary cause for such unawareness stems from a lack of understanding regarding the nature of the spiritual warfare that’s driving world events toward an inevitable conclusion. Jesus’ words in John 10:10 certainly concern our walk with Him, but do they not also include Satan’s behavior throughout our world? “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
The rest of the New Testament makes it abundantly clear that redeemed New Testament saints have an enemy, Satan, whose sole objective is to “steal and kill and destroy.” The Apostle Peter describes our adversary as a “roaring lion” who is constantly seeking victims to “devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
The devil continually strives to disguise the existence of the warfare that rages around us, which not only makes believers vulnerable to our enemy’s devices and attacks against them personally, but also accounts for their inability to identify the same driving force behind the headlines of our day.
5) “Unwavering Faith in God’s Sovereignty: Astronaut Barry Wilmore Recounts Test of Faith 250 Miles Above the Earth” (Reprinted from Decision Magazine by Harbinger’s Daily)
From the article — The spaceflight was going as planned until moments before the capsule was supposed to dock onto the ISS some 250 miles above the Earth. That’s when the first thruster failed. As the Starliner got closer to the space station, the second thruster was lost. Then the third and fourth thrusters died.
Wilmore says that before NASA Mission Control commandeered the spacecraft for its final approach to the space station, at 17,500 miles per hour, he briefly contemplated whether aborting the mission and returning to Earth was even possible.
Yet in the midst of an extremely precarious situation, Wilmore was at peace.
“I completely understand God’s sovereignty,” he tells Decision. “That He is in control of all things at all times. And I felt that. I thought that very thing as we were losing those thrusters. The Lord’s got this, and if it means He takes me today, so be it.’ And that’s the way—even before we launched, my wife and I, our daughters, we understand that and we’re OK with that because, if the Lord doesn’t return first, we’re all going to go one day. And if He chooses to take us in certain scenarios, that’s OK.
“He’s working out His plan and His purpose, and how we fit into that is wonderful. Because ‘eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him,’ and we do” (See 1 Corinthians 2:9).
Other Recommendations This Week?
* “Rape Gangs and Liberal Silence” (B. Duncan Munch, Tablet)
* “The Ten Warning Signs: A huge change is coming” (Ted Gioia, The Honest Broker)
* “Summer of Love 2.0: Democrats Unmask Themselves at Riots” (John Kass)
* “Pope Leo XIV Drops Papal Supremacy, Urging ‘Full Communion’ with ‘All Christians’” (The Stream)
* “Trump’s Words — and the Silence of Others — on the Persecution of Christians” (Raymond Ibrahim, The Stream)