Worst Flooding in over 20 Years Hits Hawaii

 Back==to--back Kona storms have caused the worst flooding in Hawaii in over 20 years,leading to emergency evacuations on  Oahu over the imminent failure risk of a 120--year--old dam and extensive damage to homes, roads, and infrastructure with projected losses up to $1 billion, the USA Today website reports today(March 22,2026).

The flooding is the worst the state has seen since the 2004 Manoa Flood, according to Governor Josh Green. 

An emergency evacuation was ordered on  March 20 for thousandsof residents in  Hale'iwa and  Waialua after a 120--year--old dam near Schofield Barracks was deemed at imminent  risk of failure.Gov. Green reported no deaths, about 200 people rescued and roughly  10 patients treated for hypothermia.

The National Weather  Service forecast rain rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour and maintained a flood watch for  the entire state through the  afternoon of  March 22. 

Church Was America's 1st Volunteer Network

 The Church was America's first volunteer network, the Christian Daily website reports today (March 20, 2026).

The U.S. will soon mark 250 years of the Declaration of Independence. Such an occasion reflects not only where we have been, but also what we long to become.

The Church needs to remind America of the profound hope that God has entrusted to His people.

The Church was America's first volunteer network. .Long before  civic  and governmental infrastructures existed, congregationas faithfully fed families, welcomed immigrants, cared for the vulnerable, and stitched together the fabric of our society. 

This anniversary invites us  to remember who we were and to remember who we are in Christ, It's a call  to reclaim the Church's public witness through the faithful,tangible love that Jesus modeled and gives to us as our mission.We need to follow Jesus' words when He tells us "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Mark12:31).

Antisemitism Is Growing Globally

 Antisemitism is rising  globally, the Christian Post website reports today(March 19, 2026).

Violent attacks make headlines for a day and then fade. Anti--Jewish sentiment  has begun slipping into Evangelical conversations.

Ninety--one percent of American Jews say they feel less safe in the U.S. becaus of violent antisemitic attacks in the past year. Near;ly one--third say they have personally been targeted by antisemitism -- online or in person -- within the last year.

We have become increasingly detached from the Old Testament.  The  result is a generation of believers who love Jesus, but have almost no understanding of the covenant story He stepped into and fulfilled.

Contempt for Jewish people is incompatible  with Christian faith. 

The antidote to antisemitism  is biblical literacy. It is remembering that Christianity did not begin in Rome or Washington. It began in Jerusalem.

Teaching on Obedience and Faith

 Following God's direction , obeience leads to clarity and peace, the Crossmap website reports today(March 18, 2026).

Obedience is a natural response to loving God, not a legalistic requirement.

God's commands are purposeful. They are designed for our good -- spiritually, emotionally, and relationally.

We need to focus on God's heart behind His commands , not viewing  obedience only through reward or punishment.

God's commands are not restrictions, but expressions  of His  love and guidance, meant to protect,shape, and draw believers closer to Him.

 

Franklin Graham Calls for National Time of Prayer

 Franklin Graham is urging Americans to join him in a national time of prayer and repentance warning that "our nation is in trojble" amid political volatility and moral decline, the Christian Post  website reports today (March 17,2026).

Graham, son of the late world famous evangelist Billy Graham, announced a special prayer time  for March 18 at noon. He emphasized that  the  U.S.is facing deep spiritual and cultural turmoil.

Franklin  Graham, CEO  of  Samaritan's  Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association,  continues to be one of the most influential evangelical  voices in the U.S.

Graham frames the moment as a spiritual crisis requring national repentance,not just political solutions.

Survey: Religious "Nones" Reach Record High in U.S.

 The number of Americans who  claim no religious affiliation has reached its highest level ever according to Gallup findings, the  Christian Today website reports today (March 16,2026).

The findings  reveal a nation undergoing spiritual change -- one  in which fewer than  half of adults now say  religion is very important in their lives.

Gallup's  survey of more than 13,000 adults shows that 24% of Americans now identify as "nones" --those with  no formal religious  identity. This marks a steady climb from just 2% in 1948, and from 21--22% over the past four years.

Twenty--eight percent of Americans say religion is "not  very important," a figure unchanged since 2022.

This shift also presents an opportunity: A spiritually  hungry generation  is searching  for meaning,identity, and truth -- often outside traditional  structures.

The Church's  mission remains unchanged: to proclaim Christ  with  faithfulness, compassion, and courage.

How to Overcome Your Sinful Desires

 Sinful desires are part of the human condition, but they don't have to define a person's life or spiritual direction, the Crossmap  website reports today (March 13, 2026).

Scripture teaches that while temptation is real, God provides strength, clarity, and a path toward freedom. 

Overcoming these desires is not about willpower alone; it's about transformation -- of the heart, mind, habits, and environment.

Sinful desires often arise from three sources: internal weakness, external influence, and spiritual opposition. They tend to follow a predictable pattern -- attraction, rationalization, and action. Recognizing this pattern helps you interrupt before it becomes behavior.  Internal weakness refers to desires rooted in old habits, wounds, or unmet needs.

 External influence involves cultural pressures, relationships, or environments that normalize sin. Spiritual opposition is temptation that aims to distort truth and weaken faith. Awareness is the first step toward victory.

The most consistent biblical strategy to resisting full desires is renewing the mind. Desires are shaped by thoughts and thoughts are shaped by what you feed your heart.

Every sinful desire is rooted in a lie. Scripture exposes these lies and replaces them with God's perspective.

Renewal is a daily practice that reshapes desires.

Thousands Respond to Gospel Message at Peru Festival

The Gospel message at the Peru festival was a powerful proclamation of forgiveness, salvation, and new life through Jesus, the Christian Daily website reports today (March 12, 2026).

Evangelist Franklin Graham preached to over 90,000 people gathered at Peru's National Stadium, emphasizing that only through Jesus' sacrifice can people find true peace and redemption.

Thousands responded to the invitation to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, marking a significant spiritual moment for many attendees.

The event also featured worship led by prominent Christian artists, uniting believers from various churches in a shared celebration of faith and hope. 

The festival showcased the transformative power of the Gospel to bring renewal and hope to individuals and communities.

Herdsmen Kill 86 Christians in Nigeria

Military emergency is sought   as herdsmen kill 86 Christians in Benue state in Nigeria, the   Christian Daily website reports today (March 9, 2026)

A prominent attorney has petitioned Nigeria's   president to declare a military   emergency after Fulani herdsmen killed the   86 Christians in predominantly Christian areas of Benue state over two weeks. The petition   calls for immediate action   to halt the growing   bloodshed and protect vulnerable   communities.

President Trump Bombs Iran

The United States and Israel  have launched "major combat operations" against Iran, the Christian Today website reports today (March 8, 2026).

Explosions were reported across Teheran, Isfahan, and multiple  military installations. Iran's supreme leader Khamenei was killed in the initial wave of strikes.

In retaliation, Iran has launched missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, U.S. bases, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE.

U.S. Embassies and Americans in the region are under threat.

President Trump has stated there will be  no deal unless Iran agrees to "unconditional surrender."

He also warned that the U.S.will strike "very hard" if attacks continue. 

The U.S.launched the offensive to cripple  Iran's nuclear infrastructure and eliminate "imminent threats." 

The Story of the Good Samaritan

 The story of the good Samaritan teaches us that kindness, compassion,and how to love like Jesus, the Crossmap website reports today (March 7, 2026).

It's a reminder that our own, demonstrating  true love can be challenging, but through our faith, anything is possible.

There are various types of love, including eros,or romantic love;philia, or deep platonic friendship;and agape, or unconditional love, which God shows us. 

No matter the type of love, it is not usually instantaneous(other than Christ's love for us).

God's love for us is unconditional and filled with acceptance,  but for us, true love takes time  to develop.

In the story of the good Samaritan, we see unconditional love expressed through action.

A Samaritan, as he was traveling along, came across the man. When the Samaritan  saw him, he felt sorry for the man, went to him, and cleaned and bandaged his wounds.

Then he put him on his own animal,brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

How is it possible  that the good Samaritan, a stranger, was able to show love?

He felt sorry for the man, which indicated he took time to notice him.

After noticing the man, the good Samaritan went to him and cleaned his wounds, which shows compassion. 

This kind of love in action, without expectation, is possible  through Holy Spirit--led agape love.

Jesus  lived a life of agape love and still offers His love to us.

Jesus expressed His love in many ways, even washing His disciples' feet, including Judas, who would betray Him.

We Must Believe in God's Love

 We need something greater than ourselves to observe success-- we need Jesus, the Christian Today website reports today(March 5, 2026).Throughout the Gospel of John,  Jesus  repeatedly  calls us to  believe in Him.

Jesus said,  "Do not let your hearts be troubled.You believe in God. Believe also in Me. (JOHN1:4). "I am the Resurrection and the Life. The one who believes in Me will never die. Do you believe  this? (John 6:35). I am the bread of life. whoever comes to me will never go hungry. And whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

Jesus calls us to believe in Him because He is the physical manifestation  of God's unifying love.

To believe in Jesus is to trust in God's   perfect, unchanging love. Unlike human  confidence, which waves,  God's love is steadfast and eternal.

Instead of asking, "Do I believe in myself?" ask Do I believe in the One  who holds all things together? Because in Him , and Him alone, we find  the strength  we truly need. 

New Study: Singapore,u.s. Are Most Religiously Diverse Countries

 Singapore is the most religiously  diverse country in the world,  while the U.S. ranks first in religious diversity among the world's most  popular nations, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center, the Christian Daily website reports today (March3, 2026).

The report examines the religious composition of 201 countries and  territories as of 2020. It divides populartions into seven categories -- Christians, Muslims. Hindus. Buddhists, Jews, adherents of other religions, and religiously unaffiliated -- and calculates a Religious Diversity Index (RDI) score based on how evenly those groups are represented in each country. 

While Christianity remains the majority faith in many regions, believers increasingly  live in religiously plural societies where engagement with neighbors or other faiths -- or none -- is part of daily life.

With an RDI score of 9.3 out of a posssible 10,  Singapore comes closest  to an even distribution of the seven religious categories analyzed, Pew reported.

Buddhists make up 31% of Singapore's population. The religiously unaffiliated acccount for 20%, Christians 19% Muaslims 16%, Hindus 5% and Adherents of other religions 9%.  No single group holds a majority.

Although the U.S.ranks 32nd  overall, it leads in religious diversity among the 10  most populous  nations, each with at least 120 million residents.

 

Among the world's largest countriethes , the U.S. has the highest RDI score at 5.8, followed by Nigeria, Russsia,India, and Brazil, according to Pew.

Christians make up an estimated 64%of the U.S. population as of 202 0. Religiously unaffiliated people account for  about 30%, while  Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists,Jews, and adherents of other religions together comprise roughly 6%, with each group representing about 1% to2%. 

Nigeria, Africa's  most populous country,  is the second--most religiously diverse among the 10 largest nations. Christians and Muslims  each account for more than 40%of the population, making  Nigeria one of the  countries most evenly divided between  two major  religious groups.

A Call to Careful Devotion

 Two small  words we tend to use when a family member leaves home are "Be careful," the Cerossmap website reports today (March 1, 2026).

What you are saying to a loved one is, I care about you. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Moses uses a similar expression more than 20 times   in the book of Deuteronomy.  In the context of this part of the Old   Testament  tempting to read the Phrase Deuteronomy is a book of the law. It's also Moses' farewell caution to "be careful" is not a cold command. It's the language of a faithful shepherd   -- protective, pastoral and rooted in love -- meant to guard Israel's faith and, through the preserving grace of God's Word, to guard ours as well.

We have all seen  what happens when someone  is not careful. Sometimes the consequence is small: a bruised ego, a minor repair, or a slightly embarrassing  moment. Other times,  the fallout is heavier , causing irreparable damage, broken trust, or pain that could have been prevented. .Moses didn't  live to see whether or not the people heeded his warning but the  rest of Scripture reveals what unfolded in the generations that followed.

Deuteronomy explains the success of Joshua and the failure of the period of the judges. To have success, Joshua was instructed(Josh:1:8) to mediate and keep "this book of law (that is,Deuteronomy)..Joshua faithfully executed the teaching of this book, even to the point of conducting a covenant renewal ceremony at the end of his life...Joshua was successful because he knew  and lived Deuteronomy. The complete opposite happened in the  period  of the judges. It was a chaotic period,full of flawed leaders when  "everyone  did  what was right in his own eyes"( Judg. 21:25). .In that time period, Israel was not doing  what was right, according  to the  book of law,"and so it experienced failure. 

Deuteronomy explains the success and failure of the Israelite kings (Deut.17:14--20).Each king was to handwrite his own personal copy of the  "book of the law" ... That way he could not feign  ignorance of God's commands. King David  most likely  followed this injunction (Psalm 1:19;119), whereas his son Solomondid not(Deut, 17:16--17).Jeoboam clearly violated the commands of Deuteronomy in 1 Kings 12, and this was true of other  evil  kings (1 Kings 15:34; 16:26).

When Jesus was asked, "Which command in the law is the greatest?" He quoted Deuteronomy: 'Love the Lord your God  with  all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength' (Deut. 6:5).Imagine how Israel's history would have been different  if they had heeded these words.