Dear Friends,
By now, you have no doubt heard the wonderful news about the release of Pastor Andrew Brunson, an American who was wrongly imprisoned in Turkey while spreading the Gospel to the Turkish people. During an interview on Good Morning America, Pastor Brunson related a wonderful insight on how God increases the work of His servants’ hands in unexpected ways: “We’re not known people. We’re not very important people. We’ve been working in Turkey in obscurity for a number of years. But then, around the world, I think millions of people in many countries were praying for us. Even though [being imprisoned] caused us a lot of hurt, I think that God is using this, was planning to use this to bring blessing to Turkey. Now there are millions of people who have prayed for Turkey.”
This is an important lesson for all of us who are striving to live out our faith as Christians. As I know I have experienced, there are days (or maybe even weeks or months) during our faith journey when we feel like we are living in obscurity, seemingly unable to accomplish anything of importance and feeling like we don’t matter. I’m sure there were times during Pastor Brunson’s 23 years in Turkey when he perhaps felt discouraged in this way. But day in and day out for 23 years, Pastor Brunson kept the faith and ministered to the Turkish people in “obscurity.” And then, seemingly out of nowhere, he was thrust into the spotlight and into a situation he never could have imagined or asked for. And as Pastor Brunson has pointed out, God used his physically and mentally anguishing experience of imprisonment for a greater good that only He could have imagined.
Following Pastor Brunson’s courageous example, we too are called to live out our faith, day in and day out, even when we feel like we are living in obscurity. When we do this, we are preparing ourselves for the day when God will call us forth to perform a mighty work for His glory.
Thank you for your prayers and for your continued support of FRC and the family.
Sincerely,
Dan Hart
Managing Editor for Publications
Family Research Council
FRC Articles
The Kavanaugh Circus Shows The Supreme Court’s Political Power Is Out of Control – Travis Weber
Man Steals Gold Medal From Top Woman in World Cycling Race – Cathy Ruse
Allied for Truth and Freedom Regarding Unwanted Same-Sex Attractions – Peter Sprigg
Hacksaw Ridge and the Value of Conscientious Objectors – Alexandra McPhee
We’re In a Spiritual Battle of Good vs. Evil. Gosnell Proves It. – Patrina Mosley
Christians Should Be Fearless in Living Out Their Faith. Even Supreme Courts Agree. – James Selvey
Pakistani Christian Woman’s Fate Hangs in the Balance – Travis Weber
Millennials and the Future of Marriage – Caleb Sutherlin
Reversing Roe—Or Ignoring Her? – Alexandra McPhee
The Unity of Body and Soul: Why It Matters – Caleb Sutherlin
Americans Can “Afford to Not Care” About Voting. Yet We Should Still Care. – Travis Weber
Religious Liberty
Religious Liberty in the Public Square
Defining The Thing – Dan Hitchens, First Things
Trump Signs Bill Expanding Criminal Code on Church Vandalism to Protect Religious Nonprofits – Samuel Smith, The Christian Post
Senior Google Search Engineer Advocates for Censorship of ‘Terrorist’ Marsha Blackburn – Allum Bokhari, Breitbart
Complaint prompts Utah’s Dixie State University to remove Bible, Book of Mormon from hotel rooms – Peggy Fletcher Stack, The Salt Lake Tribune
Church Ordered to Pay $13,000 in Property Taxes Heads to Court – Emily Jones, CBN News
Swastikas painted on Northern Virginia JCC – Jared Foretek, Washington Jewish Week
Americans By a 2-1 Margin Say Media Coverage Was Biased Against Kavanaugh – Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews
VICTORY! Atlanta Pays Ex-Fire Chief $1.2 Million in Religious Liberty Lawsuit – ToddStarnes.com
International Religious Freedom
Pastor Freed by Turkey Kisses American Flag, Prays for Trump – Chuck Ross, The Daily Signal
China Trying to 'Rewrite the Bible,' Force Churches to Sing Communist Anthems – Samuel Smith, The Christian Post
Hindu Attacks Against Christians on the Rise in Southern India – Steve Warren, CBN News
Hundreds of Chinese Christian Schoolchildren Forced to Declare They Follow ‘No Religion’ – Will Maule, CBN News
Pakistan’s Supreme Court Reserves Judgment in Asia Bibi’s Final Appeal – Persecution.org
Iran: Two Christian converts receive prison sentences – Middle East Concern
UK High Court Rules That Declining to Bake ‘Gay Cake’ Isn’t Discrimination – Troy Worden, The Daily Signal
Life
Abortion
When the abortion industry fights regulations, it proves it isn’t pro-woman – Cassy Fiano-Chesser, Live Action
Fact Check: Tweet Shows Exponential Growth in Planned Parenthood Campaign Contributions From 2014 to 2018 – Emily Larsen, CheckYourFact
AGAIN? Another pro-abortion activist violently attacks pro-lifers in Canada – Cassy Fiano-Chesser, Live Action
Chicago Planned Parenthood botches at least six abortions in under a year – Nancy Flanders, Live Action
Bioethics
15 Celebrities who are showing us how to welcome people with special needs – Cerith Gardiner, Aleteia
The Expansion of Assisted Suicide North of the Border – John Stonestreet and Roberto Rivera, BreakPoint
Family
Marriage
The Best Marriage Ever – Nancy Guthrie, Crossway
Every marriage has its rocky patches. And given good sense, survives – Harry Benson, The Conservative Woman
How Moving In Together Makes It Harder to Know If He’s the One – Galena Rhoades, Family Studies
Parenting
Lord, Teach Us—and Our Kids—to Pray – Megan Kennedy and Jared Kennedy, The Gospel Coalition
In light of Brett Kavanaugh, an indepth look at how and when character is formed in kids – Jennifer Graham, Deseret News
Regaining the Joy of Family Life: A Review of How to Be A Happier Parent – Naomi Schaefer Riley, Family Studies
The Kanye-Trump Bromance Highlights Our Culture’s Yearning For Fathers – Melissa Langsom Braunstein, The Federalist
6 Ways to Ruin Your Children – Jeff Robinson, The Gospel Coalition
Economics/Education
Higher Rent, Fewer Babies? Housing Costs and Fertility Decline – Lyman Stone, Family Studies
Faith/Character/Culture
Rejecting Second-Wave Feminism: A Review of Mona Charen’s Sex Matters – Ashley McGuire, Family Studies
Former Nightclub Owner Addicted to Drugs, Porn, Gambling Now Brings Life-Saving Water to 8 Million – Michael Gryboski, The Christian Post
Obey God with Your Creativity – John Piper, Desiring God
On Moments – Tod Worner, Word on Fire
A Morning with Big Brother – Joseph Pearce, Intellectual Takeout
Why Christians Don’t Go to Church (and Why They Must) – Joe Carter, The Gospel Coalition
Human Sexuality
School District Changes Its Restroom Policy – Then Ignores the Sexual Assault of a Five-Year-Old Girl – Sarah Kramer, Alliance Defending Freedom
How can we discuss sex ed without talking about marriage? – Andrea Mrozek, Hamilton Spectator
Biological Male Wins World Championship Event in Women’s Cycling – Peter Hasson, The Daily Signal
Human Trafficking
123 missing children found in Michigan during sex trafficking operation – Emily Jacobs, New York Post
Amnesty International Expels Member for Standing Against Prostitution – Ben Miller, National Center on Sexual Exploitation
Pornography
The Shame-Free System This All-Guys’ College House Has To Fight Porn Is Brilliant – Fight the New Drug
