President Donald Trump has announced plans to sue the Wall Street Journal, News Corp, and Rupert Murdoch after the Journal published a report alleging he sent a “coded” birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. [...] The post Trump Threatens to Sue WSJ and Rupert Murdoch Over ‘Coded’ Epstein Birthday Letter Report appeared first on The People's Voice.

I want you to rethink the Song of Solomon (often called the Song of Songs), or at least expand your understanding, application, and appreciation of the Song to your spirituality. Your soul, and not just your body, needs this book. While the Song certainly has wisdom to share about the intimate joys of marriage, this isn’t the main message of Solomon’s poem. Like the rest of the Old Testament, the Song foreshadows and showcases the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. As the apostle Paul unveiled in Ephesians 5, marriage is a vehicle for the mystery of Christ and the church. The Song testifies along with Ephesians that “this mystery is profound” (Eph. 5:32). Throughout the centuries, the Song has been underinterpreted as having no correspondence to Christ and his Bride, and overinterpreted with every word and picture decoded and distorted. To avoid the latter error, many have fallen into the former one. Christ is missing. We need to retrieve the spiritual, Christ-centered reading of the Song. And we can find it in the theological heritage of Reformed spirituality. Your Favorite Figures Loved the Song The Puritan Richard Sibbes (1577–1635) says in a sermon on Song 5:1, “This book contains the mutual joys and mutual praises betwixt Christ and his church.” Similarly, John Owen (1616–83) says in The Glory of Christ, “The whole Book of Canticles is nothing but a mystical declaration of the mutual love between Christ and the church.” Jonathan Edwards practiced the Christ-focused interpretation of the Song, writing in his Miscellanies, “The union between Christ and believers is very often represented to a marriage. This similitude is much insisted on in Scripture—how sweetly is it set forth in the Song of Songs!” Robert Murray M’Cheyne (1813–43), in a sermon on Song of Solomon 2:8–17, shows how important the Song is for our spirituality when he said, “There is no book of the Bible which affords a better test of the depth of a man’s Christianity than the Song of Solomon.” And Charles Spurgeon (1834–92), the focus of my PhD work on the Song, preached more than 80 sermons on the book. I believe it was his favorite book of the Bible. He says, That Song of Solomon is the central Book of the Bible; it is the innermost shrine of divine revelation, the holy of holies of Scripture; and if you are living in communion with God, you will love that Book, you will catch its spirit, and you will be inclined to cry with the spouse, “Make haste, my beloved.” Why don’t we treasure the Song like they did? Why does this feel so foreign? What are we missing? They clearly knew how to read Christ from cover to cover. Read on Key Beholding Christ in the Song doesn’t require the stereotypical examples of goofy allegorizing. But it does require recalibrating our assumptions and reading habits. We need to read on key. First, we must believe and practice Christ’s hermeneutic from John 5 and Luke 24. Our Lord shows us that we misread the Old Testament if we don’t see how it points us to him. Therefore, we must consider how the Song sings about Christ. Douglas Sean O’Donnell writes, The Song is a song about human love set in the context of marriage, which is found in the Bible, and the Bible’s ultimate reference point is Jesus: his birth, life, teachings, miracles, sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension, mediation, and return. We under-read any book of Scripture if we don’t believe and understand that, in some way, it bears witness to Jesus. We under-read any book of Scripture if we don’t believe and understand that, in some way, it bears witness to Jesus. Second, rather than relying on hunches about the Song, read with the rest of the Bible backfilling your minds. Third, look past our recent history of interpretation that’s informed by the hypersexualized atmosphere of contemporary Western culture. Go centuries back. Listen with discernment to church history. Fourth, read the Song in its genre—poetry. Lean into the word pictures and symbols. Interpret the Song literally (What’s there?) and literarily (How does what’s there work in this type of literature?). Interpret the Song as a song. Trace the metaphors, similes, and analogies to the Messiah’s love and the love in marriage. This leads us to having a literate reading of the Song—a well-versed reading of its poetic features in light of the rest of the Bible’s verses. Let’s be literate readers who know how to properly read this kind of literature and understand the Bible’s Noun of nouns: Christ. We can read the Song and find genre-aware, grammar-fueled, canonical connections to the person and work of Christ. Canonical Connections and Melodies The Song is filled with biblical theology. Consider these examples: Solomon, a son of David (1:1) Who is a shepherd and a king in Jerusalem (1:5, 7) Where he enjoys milk and honey with his bride (5:1) Whom else do we know who is the Son of David, who is the Good Shepherd and the King of kings, who will bring his Bride into the new Jerusalem and the eternal promised land of milk and honey? J-E-S-U-S! Solomon, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote a song of messianic music. The theme of God being wed to his people—found in the Psalms, Isaiah, Hosea, Ephesians, Revelation, and more—gives ample evidence for the same application of the Song. Christ told a parable with himself as the Bridegroom (Matt. 9:15; Mark 2:19–20; Luke 5:34–35). John the Baptist rejoiced at hearing the Bridegroom’s voice (John 3:29). And we’re headed to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19). The Song even concludes on the same key as the book of Revelation, with a longing and petition for the quick return of the Groom (Song 8:14; Rev. 22:17, 20). Marriage is a melody throughout the Bible. As Ray Ortlund points out, “Marriage is the wraparound concept for the entire Bible, within which the other themes find their places.” The Song shows us an angle on the Messiah nourishing and cherishing his Bride (Eph. 5:29). Sweet Enjoyments and Harmonies In Jewish spirituality, the Song was read at Passover. This seems odd unless you see that it has something to say about God’s unfailing love for his failing people. This is why early church father Hippolytus (c. 170–235) preached from the Song at Easter and why Spurgeon preached from it on Good Friday. They understood the Song’s lyrical and harmonic theology of the mutual love between Christ and his Bride. As Spurgeon says, “We see our Saviour’s face in almost every page of the Bible, but here we see his heart and feel his love to us.” Solomon wrote a song of messianic music. The Song reminds us of Christ’s real-time love radiating from heaven. The living Christ’s heart beats for you. The poetic theology helps us feel Christ’s love through Scripture’s inspired word pictures, symbols, figures, and types. The Song gives grammar for grasping Christ’s love and for responding in love to him. Solomon’s work provides another dimension to understanding the One who is greater than Solomon. Christ is the greater King, Sage, and Lover of our souls. “For your love is better than wine” (Song 1:2). There’s no harm in drinking deep of his love! Christ’s love never spoils. “Love never ends” (1 Cor. 13:8). “My beloved is mine, and I am his” (Song 2:16). There’s great comfort in knowing we “belong to . . . him who has been raised from the dead” (Rom. 7:4). “There is no flaw in you” (Song 4:7). We’re justified with hearts sprinkled clean (Heb. 10:22) in the washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5–7)—and Christ will present us to himself without any spot, wrinkle, or blemish (Eph. 5:26–27). Our beloved is distinguished among 10,000 (Song 5:10). Christ is supreme—he is before all things and holds all things together (Col. 1:17). We don’t need allegorical gymnastics to sing of Christ in the Song. We only need to connect texts. You need this book. It’s profitable for your communion with Christ, rebuking your cold heart, correcting your doubts of his love, and training you in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). Don’t rob your soul of the greatest song in the Bible. Like “King of kings” and “holy of holies” and “Lord of lords,” this is the “Song of Songs” (Song 1:1). Is it the chief song because it’s about romance in marriage? No. It’s the greatest song because it’s about a greater love, One who laid down his life for his friends, a Bridegroom giving his life for his Bride (John 15:13; Eph. 5:25).

One of the first times I recall feeling friction between the church and disability was talking with the mother of two boys with severe disabilities. I was in their living room speaking with their mom about the family’s church experience. It was riddled with challenges. Then she said something that hit me like a ton of bricks. Sometimes when she thought about the church, she wondered, “Does anyone care that we’re here?” No church would ever state they don’t care about people with disabilities and their families. But the actions of many churches don’t clearly signal welcome. The problem doesn’t lie in desire but in preparation and execution of a plan. This is a challenging ministry many churches are underequipped to manage. In Accessible Church: A Gospel-Centered Vision for Including People with Disabilities and Their Families, Sandra Peoples, a pastor’s wife, special needs mother and sibling, and church consultant, outlines practical tools to employ as we seek to serve individuals with disabilities and the families caring for them. Her passion for this ministry comes from her personal and ministerial experience. The book doesn’t focus on accessibility for the sake of accessibility. Peoples has always been part of a family that’s caring for a member with disabilities, so she’s passionate about getting the gospel to those who may be excluded by their differences. She writes, “We modify lessons, provide noise-reducing headphones, and give support to those who are dysregulated so they can hear and have an opportunity to respond to the gospel” (5). Evangelization and discipleship guide the recommendations in Accessible Church. Overcome Challenges All ministry requires relationship. All relationships require an investment of time and effort. While the need for relationship remains the same, unique challenges exist for serving special needs families—including communicating with those unable to speak, dealing with distracting behaviors, and learning about uncommon medical needs. Peoples outlines a simple three-step approach to welcome those with disabilities that she models after Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26–40). She writes, “We approach them with kindness, we ask questions to figure out the challenges they’re facing, and we adjust so they have the opportunity to understand and respond to the gospel” (46). It sounds obvious, but this sort of basic courtesy can escape us in the bustle of the Sunday morning crowd. In reality, Peoples’s basic model reflects the way we ought to approach everyone in the church. But when we meet someone affected by a disability, we often fear saying the wrong thing or offering unnecessary help. That fear is counterproductive, especially when ministering to families ready for someone to help shoulder the burdens they bear. The whole family is affected when one member has special needs. In fact, Peoples argues there are five phases of special-needs parenting. They begin with the initial diagnosis, where many families struggle to reconcile God’s Plan A with their own expectations. The phases progress through establishing new routines, wrestling with the problem of evil, and rebuilding relationships to eventually serving others in ways previously not possible. The process Peoples outlines offers a hopeful vision for special needs families at every stage of their journey. It also provides pastors and church leaders with a way to thoughtfully engage families affected by disability wherever they are in life. Assess the Church For churches with little to no formal disability ministry, considering next steps can feel daunting. The best place to start is by simply going to the Lord in prayer. Boldly ask God to send people with disabilities and their families to your church. Pray for the Lord to raise up volunteers, to provide resources, and to give direction for the path ahead. The whole family is affected when one member has special needs. The start of an effective disability ministry doesn’t require a multiyear program, a separate sensory room, or purchasing a bus for transportation. It begins with a humble attitude and a willingness to make adjustments so those with disabilities and their families can join the ongoing life of the church. Some churches may be able to create formal programs with budget line items right out of the gate, but that’s not where most congregations will begin. Throughout the book, Peoples offers simple suggestions, some with nominal cost, such as creating intake forms that will identify people’s needs, lanyards that assist volunteers in remembering those specific needs, and family care plans that can help church leaders and families coordinate efforts to run an effective ministry. But assessing the church doesn’t stop with asking how we’re serving those already among us. We need to look outside the church’s walls and ask who’s missing. Are there people in the community affected by disability who feel particularly unwelcome in the church? We should consider reaching out there. Additionally, we can broaden our understanding of disability beyond the most obvious challenges. Peoples identifies three categories to consider: “Those with physical and cognitive disabilities (sometimes referred to as special needs), learning disabilities, and mental health conditions” (29). Churches should proactively evaluate how they serve those in each category. Equip the Church Accessible Church is a treasure trove of ideas for church leaders striving to better minister to families affected by disabilities. Some of the ideas Peoples outlines may be difficult to apply for smaller churches with limited resources. Yet the principles are clear and adaptable to various contexts. An effective disability ministry begins with a humble attitude and a willingness to make adjustments. Some aspects of disability ministry aren’t addressed in the book. For example, questions about navigating baptism and church membership for those with various disabilities are unaddressed. No single resource can do everything. Nevertheless, ministry leaders working to begin a disability ministry or improve an existing one will benefit from this invaluable resource. Portions of Accessible Church would fit well into training church volunteers on classroom management and hospitality. Even pastors with decades of experience are likely to have ministry blind spots revealed as they read this book. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to serving those with disabilities. However, Peoples shows that disability ministry is inescapably important, even as she details reasonable, concrete recommendations for how to do it well. Accessible Church is a vital resource for pastors and church leaders as they equip their churches to reach often underserved people who need the gospel in fellowship with a local congregation.

In this keynote from TGC’s 2009 National Conference, Ligon Duncan urges pastors to recover the centrality of the pastoral epistles—1 and 2 Timothy and Titus—as foundational guides for faithful life and ministry. He critiques two persistent errors in the Western church: theological liberalism, which changes the message to suit the culture, and methodology divorced from theology, which compromises ministry effectiveness. Drawing from 2 Timothy 4, Duncan exhorts pastors to endure, study diligently, build gospel community, and finish the race with faithfulness rooted in God’s grace and presence.

Dictators rarely leave their childhoods untouched. To strengthen their grip on power, many rewrote their early lives to appear humble, heroic, or even divine. These myths often portrayed them as poor shepherds, orphaned laborers, or gifted prodigies born to lead. In reality, their childhoods were frequently far more ordinary—or conveniently forgotten altogether. These false origin […] The post 10 Times Dictators Tried to Rewrite Their Own Childhoods appeared first on Listverse.

Scott Jennings: 'One Year After Butler, I Sat Next to a Real-Life EAR-TRUTHER on CNN!'

If it feels like we were just having this conversation...it's because we pretty much were. Just two weeks ago, we gritted our teeth through the marathon slog of a House vote (and Minority Leader Hakeem…