It’s Saturday, January 25, 2025.

Whew! News has come at us fast this week. Today’s edition covers some actions President Donald Trump and his new administration have taken that may particularly interest Christians, everything Proverbs says about the fear of the LORD, and more.

“The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the traitor.” (Proverbs 22:12)

Of Christian Concern

LIST: TRUMP’S ACTIONS OF CHRISTIAN INTEREST

Donald Trump’s inauguration as president of the United States on Monday and his subsequent actions during his first week in office have been the talk of the nation. His administration hit the ground running, and many changes are occurring quickly.

Here are a few of his actions that are of particular interest to Christians:

• Trump signed an executive order banning government censorship of citizens’ speech on online platforms. For some of his later comments on the measure, see here.

• Trump signed an executive order banning the use of gender ideology in the federal government: “It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female.”

  • Following the order, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has banned all passport applications with the ‘X’ gender marker.

• Trump signed an executive order banning  “illegal and immoral discrimination programs, going by the name ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI)” from all federal agencies.

  • The Department of Education announced Thursday that it “has taken action to eliminate harmful Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives,” per the order.

• Trump pardoned 23 pro-lifers convicted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act for their advocacy at abortion clinics.

  • Related: Pardoned pro-lifer Bevelyn Williams was reunited with her family in a video posted Friday.

• Trump defunded International Planned Parenthood on Friday by reinstating the Mexico City policy. He also signed an executive order to enforce the Hyde Amendment, which bans the use of federal funds for abortions.

These are only a few of the many significant moves the Trump administration has made in his administration’s first week. Find a complete list and succinct summary of Trump’s first-day executive orders here. Peruse those and other actions on the White House website here.

Also Noteworthy

→ Marco Rubio, during his swear-in ceremony as Secretary of State, ended his comments “by thanking Almighty God and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” which he hailed as “the singular purpose of our lives” and “the most important priority,” “the only thing that will matter when we take our last breath on this earth.”

→ Other abortion-related news:

• Legislators have introduced abortion abolition bills in four states so far this year: “Indiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and for the first time ever, North Dakota.” These bills seek to establish equal protection for preborn humans.

• Former Planned Parenthood Cecile Richards died on Monday. Pastor Jeff Durbin of Apologia Church commented, “Today, she faced the One Who knows the names of every child she helped to kill. We should shudder over what she faced, today. We can’t comprehend it.”

• The annual March For Life took place on Friday in Washington D.C. President Trump addressed the gathering via video, while in-person speakers included Vice President J.D. Vance and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.

  • Anti-abortion group Abolitionists Rising suggested on social media that the inclusion of speakers like Johnson, who opposes equal protection measures, “shows how unserious” the March for Life is about ending abortion.

→ Oklahoma State Sen. Dusty Deevers, applying the principle from Deuteronomy 19:18-19, introduced a bill to “[ensure] that those who knowingly make false accusations face the same punishment they tried to inflict on their victims.” See the bill here.

→ Then-President Joe Biden, a professing Roman Catholic, became a Freemason on Sunday in what Catholic writer and speaker Joshua Charles called “a blatant violation of the Catholic Faith.”

→ Only 30% of Americans agree that clergy are “highly honest and ethical,” according to a Gallup survey. “Clergy have lost another six points in public esteem since 2021, continuing the long-term downward trend in trust in that profession.”

→ Evangelist Arthur Blessit, a “hippie minister” who traveled the world carrying a 12-foot cross and telling people about Jesus, died last Tuesday.

→ Disgraced preacher Steve Lawson is “attending [a] new church, working on reconciliation, [and] receiving counseling,” Protestia reports. The news comes after months of confusion and speculation regarding the events leading to Lawson’s removal from ministry for an inappropriate relationship. Lawson’s friend, Pastor Clint Archer, provided the latest details in a Cripplegate article on Friday. For a clean telling of the backstory that draws some lessons for practical application, see this video from Mike Stories on YouTube.

Content Catch-Up

Recent, notable content of Christian interest.*

→ Reforming Healthcare: Minister and activist Rusty Thomas interviews naturopathic doctor Jana Schmidt about the state of the United States healthcare system and her involvement with the RFK Jr. and the Trump administration to “make America healthy again.” (Podcast)

*Not necessarily an endorsement

The Bible, Briefly

The Fear of the LORD in Proverbs

The fear of the LORD is a recurring theme in the book of Proverbs. Here is everything King Solomon’s collection of wise sayings says about it.

The fear of the LORD…

• “is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7)

• spares from disaster (Proverbs 1:29-33)

• will be understood by those who diligently seek insight and understanding (Proverbs 2:5)

• “is hatred of evil” (Proverbs 8:13)

• “is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10)

• “prolongs life” (Proverbs 10:27)

• grants a person “strong confidence, and his children will have refuge” (Proverbs 14:26)

• “is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:27)

• when paired with “little” (poverty), is still “better” “than great treasure and trouble with it” (Proverbs 15:16) — i.e., the fear of the LORD is an antonym to trouble

• “is instruction in wisdom” (Proverbs 15:33)

• is the means by which “one turns away from evil” (Proverbs 16:6)

• “leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm” (Proverbs 19:23)

• when paired with “humility,” earns this “reward”: “riches and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4)

Given all that, one can hardly agree more with the final proverb that uses the phrase:

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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.

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