‘CLEANSED AND REBORN IN JESUS NAME!": NFL TEAM USES HOTEL POOL FOR BAPTISM PRIOR TO BIG GAME

By Billy Hallowell

Marcus Johnson/Twitter

The Philadelphia Eagles could possibly be the most spiritually active NFL team around.

And in the latest public showing of biblical allegiance, a photo posted to Twitter shows wide receiver Marcus Johnson being baptized in a hotel pool while surrounded by his teammates.

“First time being Baptized! Corporate Worship is a beautiful thing!!” Johnson wrote in a tweet that accompanies the photo. “Cleansed & Reborn in JESUS name!”

CBS News reported that quarterback Carson Wentz, backup quarterback Nick Foles, tight end Zach Ertz, tight end Trey Burton, offensive guard Stefen Wisniewski and linebacker Jordan Hicks appeared to be standing around the pool praying.

The intense devotion to the Christian faith among some Eagles players is hardly a secret.

ESPN published an article last December revealing how players “find common ground through spiritual devotion,” saying they routinely engaging in Bible studies, baptisms and other faith-affirming activities.

It’s a fascinating situation in which a large number of team members vocally place their Christian faith above anything else.

Perhaps most remarkable detail to emerge is the fact that Burton — whom ESPN called the “team pastor” — baptized five of his fellow players in the team’s recovery pool back last October, all while 15 members of the team stood and prayed around them.

Those who were baptized were: linebackers Kamu Grugier-Hill, Mychal Kendricks and Jordan Hicks and wide receivers Paul Turner and David Watford, according to the outlet. Read more about that here.

As Faithwire previously reported, Wentz opened up recently about how his understanding of faith has evolved over the years and why his relationship with Jesus is his number one priority.

“At the end of the day, just kind of how I live and what I’m about and hopefully can kind of speak through,” he said. “I never want to be the guy who’s beating people over the head with the Bible. That’s not what I’m about. That’s not really what Christianity is about.

Wentz continued, “Christianity is all about love and showing that love and that kindness and that grace.”

ONCE GUNNED-DOWN REP. SCALISE AFTER VEGAS: STRONG AS EVER ON 2ND AMENDMENT

By NANCY FLORY 

Republican Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) said Monday that his position on the Second Amendment has not changed. His support for it is “as strong as ever.” The House Majority Whip almost died after being gunned down in mid-June and just returned to the House. He needs a motorized scooter to get around.

In an interview with Martha McCallum of Fox News, Scalise said his views had not changed on the Second Amendment, even given the atrocity in Las Vegas. “I think it’s fortified it, because first of all, you’ve got to recognize that when there’s a tragedy like this, the first thing we should be thinking about is praying for the people that were injured and doing whatever we can to help them and help law enforcement. We shouldn’t first be thinking of promoting a political agenda.”

The demand for gun control after such an event “usually comes from people on the far left who already want gun control on their own,” he told The Washington Post. “They want somehow some transformational event to happen that’s going to convert somebody’s political viewpoints that are based in decades of understanding and studying the history of our country.”

It Touches Your Heart

Speaking to McCalllum, Scalise said the first thing he did when he heard of Las Vegas’ deadly mass shooting was to pray. “It touches your heart. The first thing I think of is to pray for those people that are still fighting for their lives in the hospitals in Las Vegas. … There’s still people fighting for their lives and we ought to pray for them.”

He added that the proposed gun control bills wouldn’t have changed anything. “The gunman actually cleared background checks. To promote some kind of gun control is the wrong way to approach this.”

With his own shooting, he pointed out, the Capitol police were there with their own guns. He added that no one tells the stories of regular Americans who “use guns every single day to protect themselves from criminals.”

In his Post interview, he said that people who think taking people’s guns away will stop such killings “don’t understand, number one, what the Second Amendment stands for and why it’s in our Bill of Rights.”

“So you’re as strong on the Second Amendment as ever?” McCallum asked. “Absolutely,” Scalise replied.

Watch:

TRUMP'S GOD-FILLED REACTIONS TO LAS VEGAS SHOOTING: ‘We Are Searching for…Some Kind of Light in the Darkness’

By Billy Hallowell 

President Donald Trump delivered a statement before the nation on Monday, expressing horror over the Las Vegas shooting on Sunday that claimed more than 50 lives and left hundreds injured.

The commander-in-chief prayed for healing for the victims, their families and the nation at large. He also expressed sadness, shock and grief over the tragic events, saying that the shooter — whom police identified as Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old male from Mequite, Nevada — “brutally murdered more than 50 people and wounded hundreds more.”

“It was an act of pure evil,” Trump said. “The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are working closely with local authorities to assit with the investigation.”

In addition to praising first responders for their quick response — one that he said was “miraculous” in nature — Trump repeatedly invoked God and faith throughout the short address.

“We cannot fathom their pain, we cannot imagine their loss.” he said. “To the families of the victims, we are praying for you and we …  ask God to help see you through this very dark period. Scripture teaches us the Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Trump said that chaotic times create a thirst for meaning and normalcy.

“In times such of these, I know we are searching for some kind of meaning in the chaos, some kind of light in the darkness.” he said. “The answers don’t come easy.”

Trump also announced that the flag will be flown at half-staff and said that he prays for a time in which “evil is banished.”