Dear Friends,
In this age marked by cultural brokenness and political division, it can be easy for Christians to shake our heads in resignation to this seemingly discouraging predicament and say, "God's Kingdom is obviously not here right now."
Or is it? In the Gospel of Luke, the Pharisees ask Jesus when the Kingdom of God will come. He said in reply, "The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or, 'There it is.' For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you" (Luke 17:20-21).
What does this mean? When Christ said these words in first century Judea, they would have caused great confusion amongst the Jews since it was clear from the Roman occupation of their ancestral land that there was certainly no "Kingdom" currently present. But Christ wasn't speaking of the potential reign of an earthly king. He was asking those who were listening to realize that God's Kingdom was right in front of them—in Christ's own witness of love, mercy, and healing. He was asking them, and therefore all of us, to look into our hearts and see that whenever we act with love, compassion, and sacrifice, God's Kingdom is literally "among" us.
It should give us great encouragement to know that whenever we show Christ's love to others, we are an ambassador for Christ's Kingdom on earth. Keep in mind that showing love can take the form of seemingly small acts, such as simply giving encouragement to someone we encounter in our daily lives who seems like they are in need of a boost. Whenever we do any act of love, whether great of small, we bring God's Kingdom in our midst.
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
Evangelicals Power Republicans to Senate Victories – David Closson
Voters Say 'Full Steam Ahead' On Judges – Travis Weber and Alexandra McPhee
America Deserves Better Than the Broward County Disaster – Ken Blackwell
School Board Says Boys and Girls Have Different Brains — Except in the Bathroom – Cathy Ruse
Post-Midterm optimism for religious freedom – Alexandra McPhee
Is the Republican Senate Ready to Advance Pro-Life Policy? – Patrina Mosley
The Supreme Court can fix Establishment Clause jurisprudence with the Peace Cross case – Alexandra McPhee
Speaker Series: The Reality of Faith-Based Adoption Services
Truth Obscured by Hollywood Take on Sexual Orientation Therapy – Peter Sprigg
Must the State Recognize All Identities? – Dan Hart
The Times En-"genders" Controversy with Ignorance of "Sex" – Peter Sprigg
Notre Dame Students Take a Stand Against Porn – Patrina Mosley
Religious Liberty
Religious Liberty in the Public Square
Supreme Court's latest church-state conundrum: Must a 'peace cross' memorial to World War I vets come down? – Richard Wolf, USA Today
Muslims, the Bladensburg Cross, and the Preservation of Order – Ismail Royer, Public Discourse
Professor Sues after University Requires He Use Student's Preferred Pronoun – Jack Crowe, National Review
Trump Administration Updates Conscience Exemptions for Contraceptive Mandate – National Catholic Register
The State of Hate – David Montgomery, The Washington Post
Christian student senator at UC Berkeley harassed for abstaining from pro-LGBTQ vote – Caleb Parke, Fox News
Fordham University Political Science Department Mandates Use of Students' 'Preferred Pronouns' – Alana Mastrangelo, Breitbart
International Religious Freedom
What you should know about the persecution of Kachin Christians – Joe Carter, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
78 Kidnapped Cameroonian Students from Christian School Freed – Aliya Kuykendall, The Stream
Christians Dragged Out of Cars and Beaten, Haunted With Fear as Asia Bibi Case Tears Pakistan Apart – Stoyan Zaimov, The Christian Post
Christians, pray for your brothers and sisters in North Korea – Christopher Summers, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Asia Bibi Leaves Pakistani Prison–Open Doors Calls for Urgent Prayer – Lindy Lowry, Open Doors USA
Life
Abortion
The Point of Gosnell – Charlotte Allen, First Things
6 claims of Planned Parenthood's new president debunked – Kristi Burton Brown, Live Action
New Planned Parenthood CEO: "I Plan to Expand" Abortions. We Have a "Moral Imperative" to Kill Babies – Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews
Pro-life ballot measures win passage in two of three states – Valerie Richardson, The Washington Times
Adoption
Philadelphia foster families continue fight for Catholic Social Services – Perry West, CAN
3 ways your church can participate in orphan care and prevention – Brittany Salmon, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Bioethics
Canadian Doctors Get Ready for Child Euthanasia – Wesley J. Smith, National Review
Family
Marriage
How Expectations Affect One's Happiness in Marriage – Dianne Grande, Psychology Today
When the Military Takes a Toll on Your Marriage: Reflections on 'Indivisible' – Gary Chapman, Military.com
Men and Women: Should We Just Call the Whole Thing Off? – Rachel Lu, The American Conservative
One Couple's Fight to Honor God With Their Bakery – Benjamin Hawkins, Focus on the Family
37.8 Percent in Generation That Starts Turning 21 Next Year Was Born to Unwed Moms – Terence P. Jeffrey, CNS News
Parenting
How to Respond When Your Kids Are Bullied – Jonathan McKee, Focus on the Family
Mothers Against Macron – Joy Pullmann, First Things
I'm Raising an Old Soul And It's Such a Gift – Heidi Hamm, HerViewFromHome
Making of a Mom: How Motherhood Helped my Anxiety Disorder – Casey McCorry, Verily
New Findings Add Twist to Screen Time Limit Debate – Jean Twenge, Family Studies
Podcast: Your Teenager Needs Discipleship – Jen Wilkin and Melissa Kruger, The Gospel Coalition
Video: How is spiritual warfare involved in parenting? – Phillip Bethancourt, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
How to Be a Kindness Role Model for Your Kids – Dale V. Atkins and Amanda R. Salzhauer, Greater Good Magazine
Postpartum Depression and the Christian – Kathryn Butler, The Gospel Coalition
Economics/Education
9 Years Into Common Core, Test Scores Are Down, Indoctrination Up – Joy Pullmann, The Federalist
The Wealth of Nations Begins at Home – W. Bradford Wilcox, Family Studies
Your Family, Your Choice – Oren Cass, Family Studies
Faith/Character/Culture
10 ways your unsatisfied life is a blessing – Amy Simpson, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Honoring the 'Invisible Work Force' of Family Caregivers – Amy Ziettlow, Family Studies
How to Love People You Don't Like – Greg Morse, Desiring God
Cultural winsomeness will not be enough for Christians – Andrew T. Walker, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
In An America This Ignorant, It's No Wonder We Struggle To Stay Free – Stella Morabito, The Federalist
I Cremated My Unborn Son – Tish Harrison Warren, Christianity Today
8 Signs Your Christianity Is Too Comfortable – Brett McCracken, The Gospel Coalition
A Fresh Perspective on Joy – Liberty McArtor, The Stream
'Remarkable' decline in fertility rates – James Gallagher, BBC News
Human Sexuality
Where to Find Hope and Help amid the Sexual Revolution – Sam Allberry, The Gospel Coalition
Kissing Purity Culture Goodbye – Abigail Rine Favale, First Things
What 'The New York Times' Gets Wrong on the 'Transgender Memo' – Andrew T. Walker, The Gospel Coalition
Jesus Befriended Prostitutes. So This Victorian-Era Woman Did Too. – Kimi Harris, Christianity Today
'Boy Erased' Suggests Sexual Desire Can't Change, So Religion Must – Brett McCracken, The Gospel Coalition
Where Angels Fear to Tread: The Fraud of Transgenderism – Babette Francis and John Ballantyne, Public Discourse
Pornography
The Problems of Pornography: Sexual Dysfunction and Beyond – Freda Bush, Focus on the Family