Would God redeem sinners at the cost of His own Son’s blood, then cast those same blood-bought believers aside? Having brought us to salvation at so great a price, would He then withhold any grace from us? Won’t He finish what He started? Romans 8:32 provides us with a clear and emphatic answer.

"God told me." "The Holy Spirit laid it on my heart." "The Spirit is compelling me." Those phrases and others like them are frequently thrown around the church today without giving many people pause. In fact, it seems the Holy Spirit’s primary role is laying burdens on believers and compelling them to deliver specific, timely messages to the church.

We’ve all had strange dreams from time to time. Sometimes the details are so confused and convoluted you can scarcely believe your mind concocted them in the first place. And no matter how vivid the dream appeared, you likely wouldn’t base something as insignificant as your lunch order—much less your life—on those bizarre mental images. Sadly, the same is not true for many professing believers in the church today.

If God is still speaking to us today—even if only through mental impressions and still, small voices—shouldn’t we consider those messages to as relevant as anything written in Scripture, if not more so? That very issue was hotly debated during the Great Awakening. It was one area where Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield did not (in the beginning) see eye to eye.

If you rely on internal, subjective messages and promptings from the Lord, what prevents you from imagining the input you want from Him? Moreover, what reliable, objective mechanism exists to keep you from misinterpreting your own imagination as divine instruction?

Go with your gut. That might be good advice when shopping for shoes online, but it’s not a reliable means for interpreting or understanding God’s Word. Too many people in the church today trust the inclinations of the upper abdomen to be the final arbiter that determines both when God is speaking and what He is saying.

It is ironic that when Paul begins his most thorough systematic presentation of the good news of the gospel, he starts with a statement that is decidedly bad news: “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men” (Romans 1:18).

Seeking God is what fallen sinners ought to do, and God has every right to command them to do it. But they don’t come. They disobey His commands—as is their common practice. In fact, they can’t come, because they love their sin too much.

We no longer have confidence in politicians, health experts, social activists, academics, or the media—all of them have lost credibility by pursuing agendas over honesty. Even religious leaders have shown a knack for doublespeak and outright deception when it suits their purposes. We have been lied to so routinely that we treat every claim as dubious. Living in that constant state of doubt and suspicion is both exhausting and exasperating.

Education Cannot Wait (ECW) has delivered quality education to children in crisis “against all odds,” ECW Executive Director Yasmine Sherif said at the United Nations today. “And you can imagine the odds. We are seeing more armed conflict, a growth of climate-induced disasters and the biggest refugee movement since World War 2.”  Education Cannot Wait’s […]

Amid unprecedented global challenges and a growing list of countries in crisis, there is an existential threat to decades of development gains—with the global community marked by intensified armed conflict, forced displacements, and the debilitating effects of climate crises. One in five children worldwide lives in or flees from conflict. The number of crisis-affected children […]

Parliamentary representation by women in Pacific Island countries remains stubbornly low at 8.4 percent. Yet women leaders across the region have been meeting every year for the past four decades to discuss goals and drive action to address gender inequality and the most pressing development challenges in the Pacific. One of the critical issues discussed […]

Women in Afghanistan have continued to advocate for their rights and have called on the international community to not only stand in solidarity but to take decisive action to prevent the erosion of their rights and presence in public space. On Monday, the New York missions of Qatar, Indonesia, Ireland and Switzerland, with the Women’s […]

Climate change is driving a mental health crisis and accelerating eco-anxiety. Dr. Emma Lawrance is leading Climate Cares, Imperial College London, a centre dedicated to research on climate change in mental health. The researcher spoke to IPS about the need to address this growing concern.

On the heels of the Summit of the Future and the sidelines of the United Nations High-Level Meeting Week, governments and philanthropies pledged to commit at least USD 350 million to boost family planning, sexual and reproductive health and supplies on the national and global level. As enshrined in the newly-adopted Pact for the Future, […]

Georgia’s ruling party has put LGBTQI+ people firmly in the firing line ahead of next month’s election. On 17 September, parliament gave final approval to a highly discriminatory law that empowers the authorities to censor books and films with LGBTQI+ content, stop discussion of LGBTQI+ issues in schools, ban people from flying rainbow flags and […]

Last week, UN member states adopted the Pact of the Future – and its two annexes: the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration for Future Generations. These action-oriented documents are envisaged to counter emerging threats to development and acceleration of progress on Agenda 2030. Nonetheless, there remains little political prioritization of reproductive justice on this agenda. […]

When the weather is bad, the residents of the Litoral neighborhood in Manzanillo, Cuba, are forced to evacuate their houses. When it’s calm, the sea penetrates the foundations of houses, leaving them vulnerable. Now the community is getting together to restore the mangroves and improve the environment to return their homes to safety.

Countries around the world are experiencing low birth rates. In 2022, more than one hundred countries, representing two-thirds of world’s population, experienced fertility rates below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman. Fertility rates below the replacement level were relatively uncommon in the distant past. But today, many of the countries with sustained rates […]

Rejoice Muzamani is studying in preparation for her next paper during the end-of-term examinations at Mwenje Primary School in Chiredzi, southeast Zimbabwe. The 13-year-old girl, who is in Grade 7 or final year of primary school, is not worried about leaving school early to make the 7-kilometer journey back home before dusk, risking attacks from […]

  CIVICUS discusses Afghanistan’s system of gender apartheid with Shaharzad Akbar, Executive Director of Rawadari, a human rights organisation founded by Afghans in exile. Since regaining power in August 2021, the Taliban have banned women from all education beyond primary school and most jobs. They don’t allow women to travel without a male guardian or […]

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Children in northern Syria are suffering from hunger, illness, and malnutrition as a result of poverty, poor living conditions for most families, and the collapse of purchasing power amid the soaring prices of all essential food commodities. Displacement and a lack of job opportunities make this worse. Nour al-Hammoud, a 5-year-old girl whose family was […]

Until recently, Margaret Natabi would never have dreamed of taking her anti-corruption fight on the streets of Uganda’s capital, Kampala. Natabi, 24, is a University student. She has first-hand experience of how corruption affects marginalized groups, especially women and girls. She was orphaned during childhood. Her mother died while giving birth to one of her […]

In a significant move to address the challenges faced by people with disabilities and the elderly, six Egyptian parliamentary committees met in Cairo on October 12 to discuss national strategies and legislative efforts. The Forum of Arab Parliamentarians on Population and Development and the Asian Population and Development Association (APDA), with support from the United […]

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted in 1995 during the Fourth World Conference on Women, remains a cornerstone in the global pursuit of gender equality and women’s empowerment. With the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Beijing+30 Review fast approaching, now is the time to reflect on the progress made and the challenges that […]

Gang violence has ravaged Haiti, causing thousands of civilian deaths, displacements, and violations of international humanitarian law. Turmoil is expected to escalate following the removal of Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille from office on November 11. On November 10, the Haitian government announced plans to replace incumbent prime minister Conille, with entrepreneur and former senate […]

During an in-house podcast interview, the Economic Freedom Fighters leader said he had been surprised by the suggestion

Azerbaijan's commitment to diversifying its economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions mirrors similar aspirations in Africa

Online gambling platforms are always open, meaning you can gamble when you feel like it

The party has vowed to regain the support it lost to former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe party in the May election

Half of the participants in the Taxing Times survey still find compliance with tax obligations difficult

Endangered succulents in the Richtersveld have been given a lifeline from poaching, mining, overgrazing, and climate change

A British business person is keeping the skeleton of the dilapidated R20 million Upper Constantia house, but has to replace the roof and the interior

Wonka is based on Roald Dahl’s book 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'Timothée Chalamet starrer, Wonka, which turned out to be a commercial success in 2023, will now be getting a sequel.Director Paul King confirmed the new entry of the family-musical in an interview, where he also...

Britney Spears responds to ex husband Kevin Federline's claims with subtle moveBritney Spears has responded to claims made by her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, regarding her recent reunion with their son, Jayden.The Toxic hitmaker took to her Instagram to share another cryptic post with her...

William's new beard style didn't go down well with his daughter, Princess CharlottePrince William has reclaimed his title as the "Sexiest Bald Man Alive" for the second consecutive year, surpassing Hollywood stars like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. This honour, based on a study of search traffic...

Simon Cowell gets candid about 'punching' 90's popstarRecord executive, Simon Cowell has spilled shocking details about indulging into a physical fight with one of the biggest boy band stars of the 90s.The revelation was made in a newly released documentary Boybands Forever, featuring renowned...

During a 1990 visit to Moscow, Princess Anne showcased her signature wit when a student innocently asked her about Buckingham Palace, assuming it was her "private property." With a smile and a quick seven-word retort, the Princess Royal replied, “Well, I don’t know because it...

Jennifer Aniston is one of the highest paid actresses of HollywoodAmerican actress, Jennifer Aniston revealed that she was once told by one of her show’s producers that popular sitcom Friends will not 'make her a star'. Globally acclaimed NBC show aired on TV in 1994. At the same time,...

Meghan Markle ready to make peace with Kate Middleton, Queen Camilla Meghan Markle has reportedly made a big decision about the years-long royal feud.According to Closer magazine, the Duchess of Sussex may take advantage of Christmas to send a message of "peace and harmony" to Kate Middleton...

Chloe Fineman named 'SNL' host that made cast cry on the comedy sketch show. Chloe Fineman has recently come out and called the businessman Elon Musk for his time hosting on Saturday Night Live . In a now deleted TikTok video, the American actress claimed that the Tesla CEO made cast...

Princess Beatrice stepped into the spotlight earlier this week during a visit to The King’s Foundation’s Future Textiles exhibition at the Garrison Chapel in London. The 36-year-old royal was warmly greeted by Jacqueline Farrell, the charity’s Education Director, and had the...

Madonna's close friend reveals she dated Tupac Shakur but never publicised about himPop singer, Madonna silently steps into her single era again, as she reportedly parted ways with her boyfriend, Akeem Morris.A close source revealed that the duo separated in the month of October and their bond had...

Princess Diana's former chauffeur raises eyebrows with shocking revelationPrince William and Prince Harry's mother Princess Diana's former chauffeur has finally broken his silence for the first time in 30 years about his service to the royals.In chat with The Mail on Sunday, Steve Davies revealed...

Timothée Chalamet was told to gain weight to get more roles.Timothée Chalamet doesn’t struggle to land big roles for movies anymore.However, there was a time when the Wonka star was rejected from two movie roles at the initial stages of his career.On Monday, November 11th,...