Justin Bieber ‘Certainty Loves God, Taught Me About Life,’ Pastor Judah Smith Says

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Justin Bieber ‘Certainty Loves God, Taught Me About Life,’ Pastor Judah Smith Says
Justin Bieber prays with Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz and The City Church pastor Judah Smith in this photo shared Nov. 20, 2014, on Twitter. (Photo: Twitter/Arthur Netto)

Justin Bieber prays with Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz and The City Church pastor Judah Smith in this photo shared Nov. 20, 2014, on Twitter.

Christian Post Report – Judah Smith, pastor of The City Church in Seattle, Washington, says mega-pop star Justin Bieber “certainly loves God” and that the celebrity has also taught him about life.

“I’m very proud of Justin. What’s amazing about Justin and many young men today [is] it’s not easy to be a man of faith. It’s not easy to make good decisions,” Smith told FOX411, which also notes that Bieber helped the pastor learn about what life is, as Smith mentions in his new book, Life is ____.

Pastor Smith, who is known for preaching the Gospel with authority and humor, said the struggles of those in Hollywood are not too different from others.

“I think people would be surprised to discover that their challenges and struggles are not too dissimilar to us, average ordinary people. We’re all looking for essentially the same thing and I think that’s faith and hope and love and meaning and of course satisfaction, peace, joy,” he was quoted as saying.

The only difference, Smith added, is that life challenges are bigger for celebrities.

“There’s great challenges as well when you’re someone in the public eye,” he explained. “You can come to some conclusions even quicker and I would say that… I think some of my friends [like Justin] have helped me be able to sit in the front row and watch them do what they do and really, really watch them come to some pretty awesome conclusions about what this [life] is all about.”

Smith also said that Bieber “certainly loves God and is passionate about being… the man that he wants to be.”

Bieber has long been open about his Christian faith. He has, however, admitted to his weaknesses. TMZ.com earlier published photos of him at a social gathering holding what looks like a marijuana cigarette and apparently blowing smoke.

Bieber, who sports several religious tattoos, was arrested in Miami last January for alleged drag racing.

Smith’s new book deals with the “love of God that defies human logic and the life that God intends for us to have in the here and now,” as he said on a The Church Boys podcast.

Smith earlier discussed his book, Jesus Is, and his relationship with Bieber, who had endorsed the book to his nearly seven million social media followers.

When asked how he and Bieber first became friends, Smith told “Fox & Friends” that he initially met the Canadian teen through his mother, Patricia “Pattie” Mallette.

“His mom called me about three years ago, and he was having a concert in Everett (Washington),” Smith said. “Lo and behold he had heard me preach when he was younger in Toronto. I guess I used to put him to sleep. His mom said she’d play my tapes and he’d fall asleep.”

Smith added that he does his best to encourage him, and “he’s a spectacular young man.”

Source : Christian Post

Are You a Birdbrain?

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“God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart. . .”
— Ecclesiastes 3:11

  • Greg Laurie
    (Photo: rever Hoehne for Harvest Ministries)
    Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California and Harvest Orange County in Irvine, California, shares the Gospel with a sold-out crowd of 19,000 for Harvest America at the American Airlines Center and Victory Park in Dallas, Texas, Oct. 5, 2014.

Christian Post Report – Have you ever used GPS? Many cars come equipped with it today, and you can get it on an iPhone or other mobile device. The problem is, sometimes GPS can lead you in the wrong direction!

I read about a motorist relying on GPS in Milwaukee who ended up on a snowmobile trail. Several miles down the frozen path, she stopped and couldn’t turn around. In about a foot and a half of snow, she had to call 9-1-1. The officer responding said, “People shouldn’t believe everything those things tell you.”

Take this sophisticated technology and compare it to birds. There are some amazing little birds God has created that have an internal homing instinct which is more sophisticated then the latest GPS technology.

Consider the Manx Shearwater. These amazing birds nest off of the coast of Wales. They are noted for their outstanding homing instinct. Scientists tagged and released a number of them at different points around the globe to see whether they could find their way back to the coast of Wales.

One bird was released in Boston, some 3,200 miles from home. In just over 12 days, that bird returned to his nest, having traveled 250 miles per day from a place it had never been before to reach its home again.

Then there is the Golden Plover. Native to Hawaii, the Plover migrates during the summer to the Aleutian Isles, 1,200 miles away. There they mate and lay their eggs, and their little fledglings are born. Then the Golden Plovers return to Hawaii, leaving their fledglings to grow up a little. What is amazing is that these little birds later make the 1,200-mile journey—to a place they have never been!

Try doing that with GPS!

That is an amazing homing instinct. So the next time someone calls you a “birdbrain,” you might take it as a compliment.

I think, in a sense, all of us have a homing instinct as humans. It is a homesickness for heaven. God has essentially wired us this way; the Bible says that God has “set eternity in our hearts” (see Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Just like those Manx Shearwaters and Golden Plovers, we have this built-in GPS. So follow that instinct!

Copyright © 2015 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000

Used with Permission

Source : Christian Post

Pope Francis: I’ll Likely Hold Position for Only Few More Years

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Pope Francis: I’ll Likely Hold Position for Only Few More Years
Pope Francis (Photo: Reuters/Alessandro Bianchi)

Pope Francis waves as he arrives to lead the general audience in St. Peter’s square at the Vatican, Rome, Italy, February 11, 2015.

Christian Post Report – Pope Francis said Friday he doesn’t mind being pope, and that he thinks his papacy will not last for more than four or five years. He also said he would like to go to a pizzeria for a pizza without attracting a big crowd.

While the Roman Catholic pope traditionally serves until death, Francis told a Mexican TV station, Televista, that he feels “my pontificate will be brief: four or five years; I do not know, even two or three.”

Francis noted that two years have already passed since his election in March 2013 after Pope Benedict XVI stepped down, according to Britain’s Independent newspaper.

“It is a somewhat vague sensation,” he explained. “Maybe it’s like the psychology of the gambler who convinces himself he will lose so he won’t be disappointed and if he wins, is happy. I do not know. But I feel that the Lord has placed me here for a short time, and nothing more… But it is a feeling. I always leave the possibility open.”

The 78-year-old pontiff also said, “I do not mind” being a pope, according to CNN.

Francis suggested he would like to be in public without attracting a huge crowd.

“The only thing I would like is to go out one day, without being recognized, and go to a pizzeria for a pizza,” he said.

Francis also described his feelings when he stood on the Vatican’s Papal balcony for the first time. “I did not know what to say,” he said. “And you are the witnesses of everything else. I deeply felt that a minister needs the blessing of God, but also that of his people. I did not dare to ask the people to bless me. I simply said: ‘Pray that God may bless me through you’.”

The pope last year encouraged priests to ask themselves some basic questions. “What is the place of Jesus Christ in my priestly life? Is it a living relationship, from the disciple to the Master, from brother to brother, from the poor man to God, or is it a somewhat artificial relationship… that does not come from the heart?” the Vatican Radio quoted Francis as saying in his homily at Casa Santa Marta in January 2014.

“We are anointed by the Spirit, and when a priest is far from Jesus Christ he can lose this unction. In his life, no: essentially he has it… but he loses it. And instead of being anointed he ends up being smarmy,” the pope added at the time.

“And how damaging to the Church are smarmy priests!” the leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics went on to say. “Those who put their strength in artificial things, in vanity, in an attitude… in a cutesy language… But how often do we hear it said with sorrow: ‘This is a butterfly-priest,’ because they are always vain… [This kind of priest] does not have a relationship with Jesus Christ! He has lost the unction: he is smarmy.”

Source : Christian Post

Hillsong Founder Brian Houston to Interview Former Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll at 2015 Conferences

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  • Mars Hill Church Preaching and Vision Pastor and founder Mark Driscoll is seen in this undated photo.
    (Photo: Mars Hill Church/Will Foster)
    Mars Hill Church Preaching and Vision Pastor and founder Mark Driscoll is seen in this undated photo.

Hillsong founder Brian Houston will have a “candid” interview with Mark Driscoll, who resigned last October as the lead pastor of a Seattle-based megachurch due to a controversy surrounding his leadership style, at the ministry’s conferences in Australia and England this summer.

Driscoll had been invited as one of the speakers at the Hillsong annual conferences in Sydney, Australia, and London, England, this summer prior to his resignation in October 2014, Houston said in a statement he sent to Warren Throckmorton, a Pennsylvania college professor who has written about Mars Hill for the Patheos website.

“Rather than having Mark preach or teach, I am excited about interviewing Mark and his wife, Grace from our main platform during our Hillsong Conference 2015,” said the Hillsong Church senior pastor.

“I am looking forward to having this opportunity to speak openly with the Driscolls about life and ministry, as well as recent events and lessons they’ve learned through personal and ministry trials during the past year,” Houston added.

Driscoll resigned due to his admitted “divisive” leadership style. Members of the Acts 29 church planting network, which Driscoll helped found, had advised that he take time off to get help, and rescinded Driscoll and all Mars Hill Church campuses’ membership from the network.

“My aim is to have an in-depth conversation that gives insight into their hearts,” Houston said. “Mark has been candid about mistakes he has made, and if we can, through our conference, help others through his life experiences, we think that will prove valuable.”

In his resignation letter, Driscoll admitted that “aspects of my personality and leadership style, had proven to be divisive within the Mars Hill context” and that he was resigning because he did not want “to be the source of anything that might detract from our church’s mission to lead people to a personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.”

The Mars Hill Board of Overseers’ statement on his resignation affirmed that although “Pastor Mark has, at times, been guilty of arrogance, responding to conflict with a quick temper and harsh speech, and leading the staff and elders in a domineering manner,” they did not find cause for him “to be disqualified from pastoral ministry.”

The megachurch has sold or transferred all property. Mars Hill name and brand was completely dissolved at the end of the last year.

“Everything is closing down at the end of the year, including our central offices,” Mars Hill communications director Justin Dean earlier told The Christian Post. “Mars Hill will cease to exist after Dec. 31, 2014.”

Source : Christian Post

‘Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End’ Delayed Until Spring 2016

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‘Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End’ Delayed Until Spring 2016
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End Youtube Screenshot/ file

A screen grab from the teaser trailer of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Christian Post Report – “Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End,” which is the latest installment in Naughty Dog’s popular action adventure game series, has been pushed back from its original 2015 release date to spring 2016.

In a joint statement posted on the PlayStation blog on March 11, Naughty Dog Creative Director Neil Druckman and Bruce Straley revealed to fans that the game was much more ambitious than what they have originally envisioned.

“After spending so many years with Nathan Drake, he means a lot to the team, and telling the climactic chapter of his adventures is a task we don’t take lightly,” Druckman wrote. “This game deserves every bit of the attention to detail, precise pacing, and nuanced storytelling Naughty Dog is known for. So we’ve made the difficult choice of pushing the game’s release date. Giving us the few extra months will make certain that ‘Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End’ not only meets the team’s high standards, but the high standards that gamers have come to expect from Naughty Dog.”

The game was first announced in 2013 via a short teaser trailer on the same month as the PlayStation 4’s release, with Naughty Dog saying that it will be coming exclusively on the new gaming console. The game will be set three years after the events of “Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception,” with the game’s protagonist, Nathan Drake, now settled into a normal life. Nathan’s world is rocked when his brother Sam, believed to be dead, suddenly appears, and enlists Nathan’s help as they go all over the world to look for a long lost pirate colony and treasure.

Straley and Druckmann assure fans that together with Nathan, they are “in for one thrilling, emotional ride,” once the game is released in Spring 2016.

“We know the extra wait will be excruciating, but you’ll see it will be worth it as we reveal more about Uncharted 4 over the next year,” they promised.

Source : Christian Post

‘Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End’ Delayed Until Spring 2016

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‘Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End’ Delayed Until Spring 2016
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End Youtube Screenshot/ file

A screen grab from the teaser trailer of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Christian Post Report – “Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End,” which is the latest installment in Naughty Dog’s popular action adventure game series, has been pushed back from its original 2015 release date to spring 2016.

In a joint statement posted on the PlayStation blog on March 11, Naughty Dog Creative Director Neil Druckman and Bruce Straley revealed to fans that the game was much more ambitious than what they have originally envisioned.

“After spending so many years with Nathan Drake, he means a lot to the team, and telling the climactic chapter of his adventures is a task we don’t take lightly,” Druckman wrote. “This game deserves every bit of the attention to detail, precise pacing, and nuanced storytelling Naughty Dog is known for. So we’ve made the difficult choice of pushing the game’s release date. Giving us the few extra months will make certain that ‘Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End’ not only meets the team’s high standards, but the high standards that gamers have come to expect from Naughty Dog.”

The game was first announced in 2013 via a short teaser trailer on the same month as the PlayStation 4’s release, with Naughty Dog saying that it will be coming exclusively on the new gaming console. The game will be set three years after the events of “Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception,” with the game’s protagonist, Nathan Drake, now settled into a normal life. Nathan’s world is rocked when his brother Sam, believed to be dead, suddenly appears, and enlists Nathan’s help as they go all over the world to look for a long lost pirate colony and treasure.

Straley and Druckmann assure fans that together with Nathan, they are “in for one thrilling, emotional ride,” once the game is released in Spring 2016.

“We know the extra wait will be excruciating, but you’ll see it will be worth it as we reveal more about Uncharted 4 over the next year,” they promised.

Source : Christian Post

Kate Middleton Baby Due Date Nears, Goes for a Visit to ‘Downton Abbey’ Set

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Kate Middleton Baby Due Date Nears, Goes for a Visit to ‘Downton Abbey’ Set

The due date for Kate Middleton’s new baby comes ever closer, but the Duchess is keeping herself busy. This week she visited the set of the popular British period drama “Downton Abbey”.

Christian Post Report – Ahead of the Duchess of Cambridge’s visit, actor Hugh Bonneville told reporters, “We’re all very excited. Mrs. Patmore is baking a cake and we’re all bringing in sandwiches. It’s going to be a show and tell day.”

Kate Middleton Twitter/ kensingtonroyal

The Duchess of Cambridge with the cast and producers of Downton Abbey

Actress Joanne Froggatt, tweeted about the visit shortly before the Duchess’ arrival as she wrote, “Ooooo, we’ve got an exciting day ahead on the Downton set, a very special visitor popping in.”

Upon arrival, the Duchess, dressed in a cream coat and black heels, was given a bouquet by the cast’s youngest member, who plays the character of Master George Crawley, Lady Mary’s son. The royal was also introduced to writer and show creator Lord Julian Fellowes and other representatives of Carnival Films and Television, ITV, NBC, and Ealing Studios.

The Duchess was taken to see different areas of the production process, escorted by executive producer Liz Trubridge. She met the costume designers, makeup artists, seamstresses and cutters in the workshop, and was introduced to the people behind the design and production process of set scenery and props.

The Duchess, who is eight months pregnant with her second child, met cast members including Frogatt (Anna), Bonneville (Robert), Elizabeth McGovern (Cora), Phyllis Logan (Mrs. Hughes), Robert James-Collier (Thomas), Lesley Nicol (Mrs. Patmore) and Sophie McShera (Daisy).

Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary) and the child actor who plays her son presented the Duchess with a wooden toy train for Prince George.

The Duchess then watched one take of a scene being filmed in the servants’ quarters for season six, and a second take of the scene via a monitor in the video village area, before proceeding to the Servants’ Hall to join cast members, writers, and producers in an official photograph.

It was reported that the Duchess and Prince William are fans of the show since becoming parents to Prince George. According to the palace, the Duchess’ visit to Ealing Studios is to “celebrate the success of the award-winning show.”

Source : Christian Post

‘Spectre’ Casting News: Stephanie Sigman Joins Daniel Craig in New 007 Film

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‘Spectre’ Casting News: Stephanie Sigman Joins Daniel Craig in New 007 Film
James Bond Spectre Twitter/ @007

The first image for the upcoming James Bond movie, Spectre.

Christian Post Report – Daniel Craig, who plays James Bond, will joined by Stephanie Sigman in the next Bond film “Spectre.” This was announced through the movie’s official Twitter account Wednesday.

Stephanie Sigman joins other actresses Lea Seydoux and Monica Belucci, who were earlier cast in the movie. Sigman is a model and actress of Mexican descent, known for her roles in “Miss Bala” and “Pioneer.” Other new cast members include Christoph Waltz, David Bautista and Andrew Scott.

Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes and Rory Kinnear will return to reprise the roles they played in the last Bond movie, “Skyfall.”

Sam Mendes of “American Beauty” fame is directing the movie, while John Logan wrote the script. Filming is underway in various locations in Europe, including London and Rome. The movie will be released in U.K. theaters on November 6, 2015.

Filming has encountered a few hitches recently, with some of the film’s stars experiencing injuries on set. Craig recently sprained his knee while doing a fight scene on location in London.

“Daniel’s injury is a real concern. Missed deadlines are a nightmare in the film world as it pushes everything back. Then not all the iconic locations can be rebooked easily or quickly,” an insider told The Mirror U.K. “In two weeks filming is due to switch to Rome and bosses fear Daniel’s recovery may mean they have to plan around their main star. It’s certainly not ideal.”

An earlier report in BBC also noted that the film was not allowed to shoot scenes at the Senedd chamber in Cardiff Bay by the National Assembly for Wales. The assembly cited that the chamber is “the home of Welsh democracy” and was not “a drama studio.” It is not known whether an alternate location was found by the production team.

The film’s plot will be about Bond’s pursuit of the global terrorist organization called Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion (SPECTRE). No other plot details were available.

Source : Christian Post

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao News, Update: It’s the ‘Biggest Fight in Boxing History,’ Says Mayweather

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Mayweather vs. Pacquiao News, Update: It’s the ‘Biggest Fight in Boxing History,’ Says Mayweather
Floyd Mayweathe Jr. and Manny Pacquiao Reuters/File

Boxing icons Floyd Mayweathe Jr. and Manny Pacquiao present during the press conference for “the biggest fight in boxing history” held in downtown Las Vegas.

Christian Post Report – Famous boxing figures Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao recently met to promote their most talked-about fight at the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles this Wednesday.

Appearing to be quite like a Hollywood awards show, the fighters faced a throng of credentialed media personnel from all over the world.

According to reports, this will only be the joint news conference between the Money and Manny’s camp. The next time they’ll face each other will be with their hands wrapped in boxing gloves May 2.

“I believe this is what you are waiting for since five years ago,” Pacquiao said during his turn at the podium. “The fight is on, and we’re very excited. Both of us will undergo hard training, and we will do our best on May 2 to make you happy.”

The Pac-Man was then followed after by Pretty Boy who, as the media recalled, appeared tamed and far from his usual demeanor.

“It’s been a long road, but we’re here now,” Mayweather said. “May 2, the fight of the century. It’s all about the best fighting the best, and Pacquiao is one of the best fighters of this era.”

The currently undefeated American boxer went on to speak about the match up of which the world couldn’t afford to miss.

“Everything is about timing. I think we couldn’t choose a better time. This is a fight that the world can’t miss,” he said.

The Daily Mail meanwhile added to the news saying that this upcoming clash is set to be the richest in the history of the boxing. According to the publication, the combined proceeds could total $250,000,000.

The showdown, which is slated to happen at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, will cost the public a hefty $1,500 to $7,500 ticket prices.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. currently holds a 47-0 record with 27 wins via TKO. Manny Pacquiao, on the other hand, boasts a 57-5 record, 38 of which came via TKO.

Source : Christian Post

BBC Renews ‘The Fall’ Season 3, Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan Return

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BBC Renews ‘The Fall’ Season 3, Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan Return
The Fall Title Screenshot YouTube/BBC

YouTube Screenshot of The Fall

Christian Post Report – BBC renewed the third season run of the psychological crime drama television series “The Fall”, according to reports. The series stars Gillian Anderson as a senior police detective who pursues a serial killer, played by Jamie Dornan.

Gillian Anderson is known for her role in the “X-files” TV series and more recently as Hannibal Lecter’s psychotherapist in the series “Hannibal.” Jamie Dornan comes back to the series fresh from his role as Christian Grey in the box-office hit “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

The series is set in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Variety reported. Gillian Anderson’s character is Metropolitan Police Superintendent Stella Gibson, who gets seconded to the Police Service of Northern Ireland in order to take over the investigation of a murder which has gone unsolved for more than 28 days.

When the case turns out to be the doings of a serial killer, Gibson needs to work with the local police help hunt down the criminal who victimizes young professional women in Belfast.

Dornan on the other hand, plays the role of the serial killer Paul Spector. Spector is shown as a working family man and counselor who has a dark secret: he is a sadist who assaults women. Seasons 1 and 2 showed Gibson’s pursuit of Spector, even after Spector moved his family to Scotland at the end of Season 1. The final episode of Season 2 shows the confrontation of Gibson and Spector.

Season 3 will have five more episodes of “the cat-and-mouse game between the two adversaries, further exploring the deeper themes exposed by the intimate story line,” according to a report in Digital Trends.

The series was initially shown on the RTE network of Ireland and on BBC Two in 2013. International broadcast followed in the United States and other countries after Endemol Shine International sold the show to over 200 countries through different distribution channels such as Netflix. In the U.K., the series is said to be one of the more popular series in the BBC network.

No date has been set for the series premiere. The series is written and directed by Allan Cubitt.

Source : Christian Post

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