The Capitol. Source: Pierre Blaché / Pexels   Like many democracies around the world, the United States is a representative democracy. One way this manifests is in the Electoral College, which has been the subject of confusion and debate (as well as support) from the people of the United States and abroad. So what is it, why does it exist, and how does it work?   The Electoral College: Background and Purpose Map of the US showing the number of electors per state. Source: Wikimedia Commons   The Electoral College is a process that was established in the Constitution as a compromise between the election of the president by Congress versus it being done by a popular vote of qualified citizens. It was created in 1787, and the system has been used in every single US election.   There are a total of 538 electors, of whom the votes of 270 are needed to win the presidential election. Although the electors can, in theory, vote any way they like, they are chosen by the party, and their allegiance is virtually assured when it comes to casting their vote. The Republicans and the Democrats each have their own “slate” of electors. The party that wins the popular vote in the state has their slate vote for the president.    Each state has the same number of electors as it does members in its congressional delegation, including the two senators who represent each state.    How Do the Elections Work? Voting stickers. Source: istock   While the leaders of many other democracies are elected by popular vote, the presidential elections [link to: How often are US presidential elections held?] in the United States hinge on an intermediary. This is the Electoral College. When Americans cast their votes, what their popular vote determines is who their state is going to vote for.   Once the popular vote in a state has been counted, the party with the highest percentage of the vote in that state gets all the Electoral College votes. At this point in history, there are only two parties that have enough support to expect to win a presidential election—the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Although many other parties participate in the elections, they do not have nearly as much popular support, nor do they have access to the Electoral College votes in all the states.    The first party to reach a total of 270 Electoral College votes is declared the winner of the election.    The Actual Battleground Al Gore lost the 2000 election by a tiny margin. Source: Wikimedia Commons   While the political landscape of the United States shifts, many states have so much support for one party that campaigning in those states is seen as a waste of time and resources. In recent years, California, for example, has been a staunch Democrat state, and the state’s Electoral College votes have been added to the Democrat tally with relatively little effort.    Some states, however, where the numbers of Democrat and Republican supporters are relatively even, become the battlegrounds. These “swing states” are where most of the campaigning takes place. Georgia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania are currently notable swing states, while Florida has a recent history of being a major swing state.    In the 2000 presidential election, Florida was the key to the entire election. After a recount dispute, the Republicans won the state and all 25 of its Electoral College votes by just 48.847 percent to the Democrats’ 48.838 percent of the popular vote.    The election was decided by a margin of just 537 individual votes in Florida!   Criticisms George W. Bush won the 2000 election despite losing the popular vote to Al Gore. Source: Library of Congress   The Electoral College system has been criticized for resulting in American citizens not having equal votes. One Electoral Delegate in Texas, for example, represents roughly three times as many people as one in Vermont. Therefore, each person’s vote in Vermont is more influential than each person’s vote in Texas.   What the Electoral College also means is that a candidate can win the popular vote but lose the election due to the other candidate winning more Electoral College votes. This has already happened twice in the 21st century so far.   As a result, the call to have the Electoral College disbanded is one that receives much public support.

How to emotionally open yourself to God Jesus wept. – John 11:35 Tears are a fundamental aspect of the human condition. Christian author Calvin Miller writes in his book, The Valiant Papers, on crying, Crying is common in this world. It does little good to ask the reason for it. [Earth] is what one might call a weeping planet. Laughter can be heard here and there, but by and large, weeping predominates. With maturity the sound and reason for crying changes, but never does it stop. All infants do it everywhere-even in public. By adulthood most crying is done alone and in the dark. Weeping, for babies, is a sign of health and evidence that they are alive. Isn't this a chilling omen?  Not laughter but tears is the life sign. It leaves weeping and being synonyms.  Yes, weeping and being are synonymous. Yet today, crying is seen as a sign of weakness, an emotion which should be suppressed for the sake of "being strong" in front of others. It leaves us to wonder, then, as to when in our lives this becomes the case. As Miller says, crying is a sign of life among children. But somewhere along the way, this changes. Maybe today you need to shed a few tears with God. You've let emotions build up inside of you for so long that you need to get alone with God and weep. Open your emotional self to God and be fully known as you live your life authentically before Him. Prayer Challenge Pray that God would give you a heart of flesh, and that you'd live authentically before Him when it comes to your emotions. Questions for Thought When is the last time you cried? What emotions have you built up inside of you that need to come out?  Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Chepko Visit the Senior Living Ministries website The post How to Emotionally Open Yourself to God – Senior Living – September 13 appeared first on GodUpdates.

In a recent interview, Bill Gates complained the First Amendment is a barrier to censoring “misinformation” online. Gates, the globalist billionaire Microsoft co-founder, is no stranger to pushing controversial agendas, but his latest comments reveal [...] The post Bill Gates Seeks 1st Amendment Repeal for Real-Time AI Censorship of ‘Vaccine Misinformation’ appeared first on The People's Voice.

Some wag once quipped, “Ministry would be easy if it weren’t for the people.” I’ve felt that way before, and I’m willing to bet you have too. Some people are difficult, and even the people who aren’t difficult go through hard circumstances that can quickly drain our time and energy. Love costs. If we want to minister to people, we’ll need to respond to near-constant demands. I often feel my love is like a small box of Valentine’s Day chocolates. I can offer a piece to a limited number of people, then I’m all used up. How can I go on loving sacrificially? What will sustain us so we don’t grow weary in doing the good God sets before us (Gal. 6:9)? In 2 Samuel 9, we find a story that reminds us of the truths we need to go on loving well. Undeserved Kindness from the King When, per God’s promise, David ascends Israel’s throne and establishes his rule against the pretenders, he remembers his beloved friend Jonathan. As Saul’s son, Jonathan should’ve been David’s enemy. But before dying at the hands of the Philistines on the same day as his father, Jonathan loved David and believed God’s promises to him. If we want to minister to people, we’ll need to respond to near-constant demands. Because he received such kindness from Jonathan in his lifetime, David seeks to show the same to Jonathan’s family. He asks his advisers, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Sam. 9:1, NIV). He learns from Ziba, a former servant in Saul’s house, that Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth still lives, though he’s now lame in both feet, having been injured as a child while fleeing an attack (v. 3; 4:4). When David meets Mephibosheth, he promises to show him “kindness for the sake of [his] father Jonathan” (9:7). Notice Mephibosheth did nothing to deserve David’s kindness, yet David treated him kindly for Jonathan’s sake. Because David loved Jonathan and wants to honor him still, he shows that same love to a member of Jonathan’s family. This is a beautiful picture of the gospel—and a template for our own gospel-shaped acts of kindness. Undeserved Kindness from God Like Mephibosheth, we haven’t done anything to deserve God’s kindness—quite the opposite—yet God delights to treat us kindly for Christ’s sake. He loves us in Christ and honors us because, in Christ, we now belong to his family. As Paul says, “In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” (Gal. 3:26). We aren’t children on account of our genes or deeds but solely by grace through faith in him. The Father loves us in the Son. Consider what this looks like in prayer. The Father hears and answers our prayers not because of who we are but because of him in whose name we ask. Speaking of his impending departure, Jesus told his disciples this would be so: “In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you” (John 16:23). Jesus promises that the Father will give us what we ask in Jesus’s name. Mephibosheth could make bold requests of David because David loved his father. He could importune the king because the king wanted to honor Jonathan’s memory. That’s undeserved kindness, and we know it on a far greater scale. As Tim Keller said, “The only person who dares wake up a king at 3:00 a.m. for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access.” David loved Mephibosheth for Jonathan’s sake, and God loves us for Christ’s sake. Love like that will change the fundamental structures of our hearts. Undeserved Kindness to Others The story of David’s kindness to Mephibosheth not only reminds us of glorious gospel truths but also portrays how that truth should motivate our love for others, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. God’s love for us overflows in love for others. As John makes clear, “This is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:10–11). We love because he first loved us. We aren’t children on account of our genes or deeds but solely by grace through faith in Christ. We rightly see ourselves in Mephibosheth’s shoes: loved not because of who we are but because of who our family is—in our case, because of our older brother Jesus. But we can also see ourselves as David in this story: loving others not because of who they are but because of who their Father is—our mutual adoptive Father. We have many brothers and sisters, across the globe and across the street, who’ve done nothing to deserve our kindness. Some may have treated us poorly in the past. They may “deserve” our insults, retribution, or shunning. But we delight in showing them kindness for Christ’s sake because they belong to the spiritual house Christ is building. We bestow honor, meet physical and emotional needs, speak words of life and encouragement, support financially, use our gifts to serve, and love people sacrificially as an extension of our love for Christ and as an expression of gratitude for the love he has shown us. To Whom Will You Show Kindness? Who is your Mephibosheth? He may be difficult, or facing difficult circumstances, that will try your patience and exhaust your time and energy. But when you remember what it cost God to love you in Christ, the cost of loving others will be a price you’ll gladly pay. After all, you’re drawing from your Father’s bank account. Your love isn’t limited like a box of chocolates. Your heart overflows with the Father’s love, so you never cease loving well for Christ’s sake.

When victims of spiritual abuse walk into my office for biblical counseling, they’re often disoriented and confused, full of shame and self-blame. These precious people have been caught in a web they didn’t weave. The long-term effects of spiritual abuse can often be worse than the abuse itself, because so much trust is lost. One of the greatest losses due to spiritual abuse is clarity. To maintain control, abusers obscure what they’re doing from victims, witnesses, and helpers. They deploy a multitude of manipulative tactics. Confusion is essential to their success. In Understanding Spiritual Abuse: What It Is and How to Respond, Karen Roudkovski, a licensed professional counselor and assistant professor of counseling at Ouachita Baptist University, offers clarity about spiritual abuse. With compassion and care, she provides clear definitions, concrete assessment methods, and recommendations for prevention and healing. What Is Spiritual Abuse? Roudkovski defines spiritual abuse as “a misuse of power in a spiritual context in which a person or a group uses various coercive and manipulative methods of controlling the victim, resulting in the abused individual experiencing spiritual, emotional/psychological, physical or relational harm” (15). Her definition includes both the abuser’s behavior and also the victim’s suffering. This definition highlights the devastating effects of spiritual abuse. However, focusing on the victim’s experience presents two potential problems. First, measuring damage done to an individual introduces subjectivity. Second, as Roudkovski notes, not all harm results from abuse. We’re more likely to recognize abuse when we also understand what perpetrators gain. For example, their abusive behavior might shield them from criticism, enable them to get their way or continue in sin, or feed their need for admiration. We’re more likely to recognize abuse when we also understand what perpetrators gain. Roudkovski’s assessment helps us see spiritual abuse’s effects. She wisely asks victims if they were isolated, exploited, or monitored; if they were allowed to question teachings without retaliation; and if obedience was required to avoid negative consequences. Yet other questions about feeling damaged, spiritually neglected, and blamed for causing trouble require more detail when evaluating abuse claims than the survey indicates. For example, a congregant may feel ignored by her pastor, but not because she was the target of punitive neglect. Her pastor might be busy. The assessment is a way for people to self-evaluate their experience but requires careful follow-up. For example, good practice for a counselor requires soliciting concrete examples of potential abuse, which the evaluation itself does not prompt. This practice helps a counselor understand, for example, whether the alleged victim was grotesquely shamed for sin or confronted with gentleness as Scripture commands us to do (2 Tim. 2:25). The more information we have, the more precise we’ll be in understanding what occurred and in helping those in need. Spiritual Abuse Ensnares No matter how good the assessment tool is, identifying spiritual abuse is hard because abuse involves deception. “Like a spider web, the experience of spiritual abuse can be difficult to see coming and complex to escape,” Roudkovski observes. “Intricate spider webs are difficult to see and appear deceptively delicate” (63). The church often struggles to recognize spiritual abuse unless it’s “paired with other forms of abuse” (45). Spiritual abusers tend to be well-spoken and trusted by their communities. The communities’ first reaction is often to doubt any accusations. Further, spiritual abuse exists on a spectrum and rarely begins by looking like abuse. No two cases present the same way. These realities create barriers to getting help. But spiritual abuse exists according to Scripture. In Matthew 23, for example, Jesus exposes religious leaders for their self-serving tactics. They abused by “emphasizing their authority, not practicing what they teach, tying on legalistic loads, seeking self-promotion and praise, exhibiting dangerous hypocrisy, misusing the name of God, focusing on the outward appearance, and instilling fear” (85). These self-indulgent leaders exploited those in their care and led them away from God. The Pharisees’ exploitation grieved Jesus. Since we love Jesus, what’s on his heart should be on ours. Spiritual abuse should have our attention because it obscures who God is and exploits his people. Roudkovski contrasts the Pharisees’ abuse in Matthew 23 with healthy and humble servant leadership. She also reminds readers that though much of the book (and the contemporary discussions) focuses on damaging relationships in spiritual settings, “a large body of research indicates that spirituality and religiosity correlate with well-being” (175). We need to understand the threat and combat abuse with measured wisdom; we can do harm of a different kind when we label someone abusive when they are not. Our Call to Rescue Based on her clinical experience, Roudkovski frames spiritual abuse in terms of the broader religious community. Not all her applications are distinctively Christian. Furthermore, she uses therapeutic categories and recommends therapeutic interventions, which will raise suspicion among some Christians. Yet there’s a great deal of overlap between Roudkovski’s diagnosis and what Michael Kruger describes in Bully Pulpit [read TGC’s review], which examines spiritual abuse within the local church through the lens of Scripture. As a biblical counselor, my approach to healing differs from Roudkovski’s. Biblical counseling is Christ-centered, and Scripture is the primary lens used to understand and address life’s struggles. Licensed professional counselors like Roudkoviski often describe difficulties and treatment in psychological terms. Yet we both recognize the physical and emotional distress caused by spiritual abuse. Furthermore, we both affirm the importance of the resulting trauma in outlining goals for care. Understanding the trauma of spiritual abuse is especially important for biblical counselors. Abusers often twist Scripture so it feels like the abuse is coming from God. This human abuse distorts the victims’ understanding of God’s goodness and the blessing of his Word. As a result, biblical counselors must anticipate how people’s particular wounds may have affected their ability to engage with God’s Word. There are times when we must be cautious as we appeal to Scripture. Abusers often twist Scripture so it feels like the abuse is coming from God. Awareness of spiritual abuse isn’t optional. Pastors are especially called to protect God’s sheep, and they can’t be effective without other people also being alert for abuse. In Understanding Spiritual Abuse, Roudkovski offers concise assessments that detail the methods of control spiritual abusers use and concrete ways to respond. This book is a valuable tool for the church because it helps us see the web of abuse and recognize the tactics of abusers so we can work to set victims free.

The Gospel Coalition is pleased to announce our first-ever song and video contest. In anticipation of TGC’s 20th anniversary in 2025, we want to mobilize creatives to make fresh, artistically excellent, effective gospel presentations in two powerful art forms: music and video. CLICK TO LEARN MORE There are two ways you can enter—by submitting either an original song or an original short video. But in both contests, the prompt is the same: “What is the gospel?” How can you summarize the gospel—or some aspect of it—in a song or short video? How can you create something so beautiful and compelling that it might end up winning over skeptics and unbelievers to the beautiful good news of Jesus Christ? Song Contest We’re inviting talented Christian musicians to write and record an original song, in any musical genre, that communicates the gospel in a creative, beautiful way. Up to eight winners will be selected and awarded cash prizes, in addition to their songs being included in a TGC-produced compilation album. Video Contest We’re inviting talented Christian filmmakers and video content creators to create a short video (under 5 minutes) that communicates the gospel in a creative, beautiful way. The winner will receive a cash prize and have his or her video featured on TGC’s website and social media. Submission Deadline and Judging Timeline For both the song and video contests, the entry deadline is December 1, 2024. Judging of entries will take place in December and January, with winners announced in early February 2025. More details and the contest application form can be found at TGC.org/gospelcontest.

I love the newness that comes with back-to-school season—new school supplies, new teachers, new opportunities. But for children, a new school year can also bring fresh worries about friendship. Will I have any friends in my class? Will anyone sit with me at lunch? Will I have someone to play with on the playground? Back-to-school season may also signal a lot of driving for parents. While it can be frustrating to spend so much time in the car, some of the best discipleship opportunities with my kids come up through questions they ask while we’re on the road. We’re all facing the same way and we’re usually listening to music, which is somehow the right cocktail to elicit spiritual questions. Perhaps a modern paraphrase of Deuteronomy 6:7 would say of God’s commands, “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you drive by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” We can’t prevent our kids from having anxiety about their relationships, but we can help them understand the security that comes through friendship with Jesus. This playlist is created in the hope that it’ll spark in children’s hearts an understanding that Jesus’s words “I have called you friends” (John 15:15) are meant for them. Find the playlist on Spotify or Apple Music, and see the tracklist below. “What a Friend We Have in Jesus (Kids Sing Version),” The Sing Team “He Calls Me Friend,” CityAlight “Remember the Lord,” Colin Buchanan “He’s My Best Friend,” Betsy Hernandez “Friend of God,” Shout Praises Kids “Even Better,” Lifeway Kids Worship “Wherever I Go,” Ellie Holcomb “The Lord Is by My Side,” CityAlight “Come to Me (Matthew 11:28–30),” Slugs and Bugs “Are You Serving Cap’n Jesus” Colin Buchanan “In My Father’s House (John 14:1–2),” Seeds Family Worship “Jesus Loves Me,” Go Fish “My Jesus, I Love Thee,” Shai Linne “1 John 4:7–12,” The Corner Room “The Joy of Following Jesus,” Colin Buchanan “Jesus Wins” Michael J. Tinker “Romans 8:38–39,” The Corner Room “God Showed Us His Love,” Awesome Cutlery “Jesus, Strong and Kind,” CityAlight, Colin Buchanan “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” African Children’s Choir

In this session from TGC’s 2023 National Conference, Ray Ortlund and Sam Allberry discuss how, with God’s help, our churches can be marked by honesty, safety, and renewal. They discuss the following: The need for gospel culture The role of love in gospel credibility The You’re Not Crazy book and its purpose Honesty and honoring in gospel culture The beauty and blessing of human relationships in gospel culture A vision for gospel culture in churches

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the West would be directly fighting with Russia if it allowed Ukraine to strike Russian territory with Western-made long-range missiles. We talk to Daniel…