CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH
‘Sodom and Gomorrah’: Christians slam 2024 Paris Olympic opening ceremony
July 29, 2024 — The Jerusalem Post reports: “The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics on Friday was particularly spectacular, in what was a form of compensation for the previous Olympics in Tokyo, which took place under the COVID-19 restrictions. The five-hour long event was held under the motto of equality, where alongside the history of Olympic sports and of France – it strove to give expression to the multifarious human fabric.
However, some did not find it to their taste.
One part of the ceremony included an homage to Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic painting The Last Supper, which depicts the last time Jesus dined with his disciples before being crucified by Pontius Pilate. This is of course a founding event in the Christian religion.
During the show, the painting was recreated by a human performance of drag artists, infuriating the global Christian community.
Many social media users worldwide, and not only Christians, criticized the move and claimed it was disrespectful, sacrilegious, and expressed contempt for religion. The official X, formerly Twitter, account of the Universitarios Católicos wrote in a post: ‘Sodom and Gomorrah is televised and watched by tens of millions of people live.’
The post further cited, J. R.R. Tolkien, adding, ‘Evil cannot create anything new, only corrupt or ruin what the forces of good have invented or built.’…” (Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting – Galatians 6:7,8. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them – Romans 1:18-32.)
Muslim Father Burns Daughter for Turning to Christ
August 2, 2024 — MorningStarNews.org reports: “A Muslim in eastern Uganda burned his 19-year-old daughter with a flat iron on July 21 after learning that she had converted to Christianity, sources said.
Naasike Maliyati of Nampologoma, Butaleja District said she attended an evangelistic crusade with a friend in the course of a visit to her grandmother in Lwangoli, Busoba Sub-County, Mbale District, on July 15.
‘When they called people to give their lives to Christ, I also went and prayed to receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior,’ Maliyati said. ‘When I went back home, I told my sister that I had left Islam. She went and told our dad of my conversion to Christianity.’
The following Sunday Maliyati, a student at Noor Islamic Institute in Mbale, attended a church service, and upon returning home found her father, 44-year-old Abdulrahim Kutosi, and uncles angry with her, she said.
‘They tied me up, beat me, and finally my dad picked up a hot flat iron and hot water and burned me and shouted loudly that I was an embarrassment to the family,’ Maliyati told Morning Star News. ‘I was burnt for leaving Islam and converting to Christianity, as my father furiously continued shouting that I had ashamed the family. He continued saying that even Allah is annoyed with me as the pain continued inside my body.’…” (Great persecution will soon overtake most Christians in a majority of the world. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. – Matthew 5:10 – 12; If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. – John 15:18 – 21; …When he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. — Revelation 6:9; …I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. – Revelation 20:4; and Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. – Revelation 2:10.)
New Survey Reveals Evangelicals Make Up Smaller Portion of U.S. Population than Expected
August 14, 2024 — Crosswalk.com reports: “A new survey says that evangelicals make up a smaller portion of the U.S. population than commonly believed, even if they remain a significant demographic. The American Worldview Inventory survey from George Barna at Arizona Christian University found that 10 percent of U.S. adults qualify as evangelicals by using a definition consistent with the National Association of Evangelicals’ own definition. That definition, according to the report, ‘defines evangelicals as people who recognize their sinful life, rely upon Jesus Christ for their redemption, and receive practical life guidance and wisdom from the Bible in their quest to live under the lordship of Jesus.’
If the 10 percent statistic is correct, then 25 to 30 million adults in the U.S. are evangelical.
‘In reality, evangelicals are far fewer in number than typically reported, often are far less biblical in their thinking than one might think, and tend to vote in far fewer numbers than expected,’ the report said.
A 2015 Pew study, for example, found that 25.4 percent of U.S. adults were evangelical Protestants…” (…when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? – Luke 18:8. The article makes one wonder what the answer to that question would be. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. – Amos 8:11-12.
Thankfully, God always has a faithful remnant. In I Kings 19 following the victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Elijah fled to the wilderness after hearing a threat from Jezebel. We read: …he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. – I Kings 19:4-18 [Emphasis mine]. Thank God for His faithful remnant.)