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It's Saturday, May 6, 2023.

Today’s edition covers evangelism at King Charles’ coronation, pro-life organizations arguing to keep abortion legal in Missouri, and much more.

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Of Christian Concern

CHRISTIANS EVANGELIZE IN LONDON AT KING CHARLES’ CORONATION TODAY

Yesterday afternoon, Christians from around the world gathered for a reception in the Amber Lounge at The Hive London to launch an evangelistic outreach that takes place today during the coronation of King Charles III. The group of evangelists assembled in London to receive final instructions about their plans to hand out special gospel tracts and books printed just for the occasion.

The effort, dubbed Coronation Outreach: Operation London, was organized by Living Waters, the ministry founded by popular evangelist Ray Comfort, with the hope of capitalizing on the coronation’s Christian themes. The tracts, called Coronation Millions, are designed as a million dollar bill with the king’s likeness on the front and a gospel presentation on the back—intended as “irresistible memorabilia.”

PRO-LIFE ORGANIZATIONS ARGUE TO KEEP ABORTION LEGAL IN MISSOURI 

As reported last week, the Abolition of Abortion in Missouri Act (SB356) had a committee hearing on Wednesday. Time was given to two parties on each side of the issue to make their cases. Bradley Pierce of the Foundation to Abolish Abortion and Jeff Durbin of End Abortion Now spoke in favor of the bill that would establish protections for the preborn equal to those for the already-born.

The two parties that spoke against the bill represent pro-life organizations. Samuel Lee of Campaign Life Missouri and Susan Kline of Missouri Right to Life opposed the bill, both referencing National Right to Life’s open letter from last May, which successfully lobbied against an equal protection bill in Louisiana last year. Planned Parenthood reportedly had representatives present at the Missouri hearing but made no effort to speak.  

The committee did not vote on the bill. They are reportedly not likely to meet again this session, effectively rendering the bill dead in the water. Learn more about Wednesday’s hearing here and here (videos).

Also Noteworthy

→ Planned Parenthood performed 374,155 abortions (its second-highest number ever) in its 2021-2022 fiscal year, and made a record $1.9 billion, per its annual report.

→ Christians from around the country traveled to Boston last weekend to “infiltrate” SatanCon 2023 and share the gospel with the attendees. While an initial report of salvations among the attendees seems to have been mistaken, evangelists recorded nearly 100 salvations from street evangelism efforts.

→ Substitute teacher Lindsey Barr, who was fired by officials of Bryan County Schools in Georgia for objecting on religious grounds to a children’s book depicting same-sex couples, has been reinstated. She has also been awarded $181,000 in damages and attorneys’ fees, and received a public apology from the district.

→ LeAnn Legans, operations director at a satellite campus of Andy Stanley’s North Point Community Church in Atlanta, features in a video on Twitter, in which she receives a lap dance from a drag queen at a gay bar called The Heretic. A post on the performer’s Instagram gave a shoutout to Legan. Read more about Legan here.

→ Lifeway Research reported last week that more than 3 in 4 American Protestant churchgoers (77%) say tithing is a biblical command that still applies today. The youngest adult churchgoers are the least likely to agree (only 66%). See the full report here.

Content Catch-Up

Recent, notable content by Christian creators.*

→ Sexualization of Children Is Leading To Legalization Of Pedophilia: Writing for Not The Bee, Peter Heck argues that our morally declining culture is on track to green-light legal pedophilia. (Article)

→ The Differences Between the Preborn and the Newborn: Emeal “E.Z.” Zwayne of Living Waters summarizes the only four differences between the preborn and the newborn, using the acronym S.L.E.D. (Video)

→ The Pierced One of Zechariah 12: Messianic Jewish scholars Seth Postell and Golan Broshi of One For Israel make the case for why Zechariah 12:10 refers to the Messiah, Jesus. (Link)

*Not necessarily an endorsement

The Bible, Briefly

Last week we discussed the intensity of the biblical phrase “nothing you desire can compare with her.” That phrase comes from this passage:

“Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.” (Proverbs‬ ‭3:13-18‬)

The personification of wisdom as a desirable, dignified woman is a recurring device in the book of Proverbs—and an effective one, because the book is written as a father to his son, and a young man who’s coming of age can imagine the delight of being in relationship with such a woman.

But since the woman in view is not a woman at all, but wisdom, what can be said of this wisdom? 

In short, wisdom makes life everything you would want it to be. It is the key to a good and satisfying life. It’s better than wealth (“silver,” “gold,” “jewels”); in fact, wealth (“riches”) is merely one of the byproducts of wisdom, and not even the best one. The more important byproduct (“in her right hand”) is “long life,” and only secondarily (“in her left hand”) are the byproducts “riches and honor.” 

Clearly, wisdom has her priorities neatly sorted: what good are wealth and honor if you’re dead? But for one living a long life, they certainly have their value. Yet even long life itself is not everything, because what if it’s a long and miserable life? Wisdom has that covered, too, because “her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” 

So the long life provided by wisdom is a long life whose course is pleasant and peaceful, full of divine blessings. What more could a person ask for? No wonder there’s nothing better a person could desire!

Is wisdom your greatest desire? How would your life be different if it was?  

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Why "18:15"? The name Project 18:15 is based on Proverbs 18:15: “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” The aim is for this weekly email—a Christian news briefing, a Bible study, and a Church history lesson rolled into one—to be one way you keep abreast of current events and acquire knowledge you might not acquire elsewhere.

Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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