Beacon2Light

I just found this story while reading another though it dates back to this summer. This story, actually a series of them with one focus, is heart-wrenching and outrageous. The evil perpetrated by the Taliban against girls is indefensible. The story of Malala's friend: Brightening girls' lives with educationBy Gordon Brown, special for CNN updated 6:57 PM EDT, Mon July 1, 2013 It Doesn’t Matter if I’m Right By Dionna Sanchez on November 29, 201 Married or not… you should read this. AVMEDIA NOVEMBER 17, 2013 INSPIRING Married or not is a great story of a man who wanted out of his marriage and the odd request that his wife made that eventually changed his mind Muslim official stands up for persecuted Christians By JULIA A. SEYMOUR Posted Nov. 28, 2013, 07:57 a.m. 7-year-old boy tortured, killed for being Christian A story that reveals the moral bankruptcy of the extremists Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board [Kindle Edition] Be...

There is quite a fascinating juxtaposition of Holy Week and an issue being weighed by the Supreme Court. A former IBM programmer is asking the Supreme Court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act which passed by overwhelming margins in both houses of Congress in 1996 with Bill Clinton signing the act into law (incidentally, he is now against it). Arguments began in the challenge to California’s Proposition 8 which resulted in the voters putting an end to same sex marriage in the state. All of this is happening on the federal level while Christians worldwide are observing the events surrounding Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. There have been various reactions to this. To some, the timing is an outrage, to be sure. People are lining up on both sides of the issue and social media is aflame with arguments for and against the expansion of marital rights for same sex couples. Those who embrace Christ as their Savior are divided on the question as well. So, what is a Chr...

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:39-43 (NKJV) Too often this is how people try to come to Jesus.  "If You are the Christ . . . "  That's not saving faith, that's doubt and even finger-pointing.  Such a person is saying that I won't believe in God unless He does this or that for me (or in front of me).  It's not about trusting; it's about doubting.  It's not even about evidence, because such a person isn't looking for a reason to believe but for justification in not belie...