Pope Francis announces 20 new Cardinals

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Pope Francis announces 20 new Cardinals

Pope Francis has appointed 15 new cardinals from countries around the world.

Ethiopia, Myanmar, Tonga have all been given new cardinals by the Holy Father with the new intake coming from 14 countries on every continent.

The only English speaking clergyman to be promoted is from New Zealand.

Msgr. John Atcherley Dew, Archbishop of Wellington, will take up his place with the others on February 14 at a Consistory in the Vatican.

The Holy See says the new appointments shows the “inseparable bond between the Church of Rome and the particular Churches present in the world.”

The new cardinals are:

Mons. Dominique Mamberti , Titular Archbishop of Sagona, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.
Mons. Manuel José Macário do Nascimento Clemente , Patriarch of Lisbon (Portugal).
Mons. Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, CM, Archbishop of Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).
Msgr. John Atcherley Dew , Archbishop of Wellington (New Zealand).
Mons. Edoardo Menichelli , Archbishop of Ancona-Osimo (Italy).
Mons. Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon , Archbishop of Hanoi (Vietnam).
Msgr. Alberto Suárez Inda , Archbishop of Morelia (Mexico).
Mons. Charles Maung Bo, SDB, Archbishop of Yangon (Myanmar).
Msgr. Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij , Archbishop of Bangkok (Thailand).
Mons. Francesco Montenegro , Archbishop of Agrigento (Italy).
Mons. Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet, SDB, Archbishop of Montevideo (Uruguay).
Mons. Ricardo Blázquez Pérez , Archbishop of Valladolid (Spain).
Mons. José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuan , OAR, Bishop David (Panama).
Mons. Arlindo Gomes Furtado , Bishop of Santiago de Cabo Verde (Cape Verde Archipelago).
Mons. Soane Patita Paini Mafi , Bishop of Tonga (Tonga Islands).

 

Pope Francis said: “We pray for the new Cardinals so, renewing their love for Christ, are witnesses of his Gospel in the city of Rome and the world, and with their experience more intensely pastoral support me in my apostolic service.”

His choice could cause controversy because of his focus on the Church around the world and outside of the traditional Western countries.

Austen Ivereigh is the Director of Catholic Voices and author of a biography on Pope Frances.

He told Premier it was an expect announcement.

“It was quite clear from last year’s set of appointments that he intended to increase the representation in the College of Cardinals from those places in the world that have many Catholics but haven’t traditionally had many cardinals.

“He is correcting the current imbalance which is in favour too much of Europe and the developed countries.

“He has gone for the radical option of increasing the representation of the poor.

“There’s a particular emphasis on Asia, this is one of Pope Francis’ great tasks as Pope, to open up Asia.

“I think this is a very Francis set of appointments.”

 

Content by Premier Christian News

Passion 2015 Conference

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Passion 2015 Conference

Christian Post reports – Over 20,000 university students and leaders from around the world converged in downtown Atlanta Friday evening to kick off the Passion 2015 conference, the first of three, 3-day gatherings hosted by Passion this year focused on making Jesus famous while benefitting local communities and impacting the world.

Attendees at this first Passion 2015 gathering represent twenty-two nations and over 1,000 different universities. The majority of conference participants are students and young professionals ages 18-25, along with pastors and church leaders attending with their groups. In addition, over 1,000 volunteers – referred to as “Door Holders” – are assisting with various logistical needs throughout the conference.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYTF_74pczQ[/youtube]

The opening session featured a message from Louie Giglio, founder of the Passion movement and pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta. He focused on Jesus Christ’s final word on the cross, “Tetelestai,” which means “It is finished” in the Greek language. In his dynamic style, Giglio expounded on the meaning of this word and explained the Biblical belief that when Jesus died, He died so all mankind could have eternal life.

“We’re beginning where Christ ended because His last word is our first,” said Giglio. “His last expression on earth makes possible all of our expressions on earth. We’re going to the end of His life to find the beginning of ours—the end of His word to find the beginning of our words.”

Giglio emphasized that the Gospel message is not simply one of forgiveness of sins, but also a call to surrender because of Christ’s finished work on the cross. “We live in a ‘me’ and ‘my’ generation, but we are the Jesus generation united for His fame,” he said. “We rally around the life and death of Jesus. We pray tonight that we will receive the Gospel and relinquish our lives in total surrender.”

Friday evening also included a time of worship through music led by members of The Passion Band including Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockels, Kristian Stanfill, and Brett Younker.

In addition to messages from Giglio this weekend, conference attendees will hear from several notable speakers including Francis Chan, John Piper, Christine Caine, and Judah Smith. Guests Lecrae, Matt Chandler, Carl Lentz, and Ben Stuart will also participate in this gathering.

The intersection of worship and justice is a familiar theme at Passion Conferences, and in recent years students have given over $7 million to provide awareness, prevention, rescue and restoration to fight modern-day slavery. Each year conference attendees are also asked to donate towels and socks – two of the most needed items at homeless shelters. “He [God] wants the people of this city to feel lifted by a gathering of this size,” said Brad Jones, Passion City Church’s Pastor of Community, during Friday’s session. Atlanta’s City of Refuge homeless ministry will receive the items donated during this gathering.  … Read More 

Christians Needs to Stop Asking ‘What If’ and Start Asking ‘What Now’ about Gay Marriage

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Christians Needs to Stop Asking ‘What If’ and Start Asking ‘What Now’ about Gay Marriage
Like a tsunami, so-called gay marriage has swept aside just about every obstacle in its path, creating a very different cultural landscape than even seemed possible a few decades ago—or even a few years ago! According to David Von Drehle in Time magazine, the swift embrace of same-sex marriage is nothing short of a “seismic shift” of American culture, one “as rapid and unpredictable as any turn in public opinion.”
And that, folks, might still be an understatement.
In 1996, just 27 percent of Americans supported so-called same-sex “marriage.” It was the same year that President Bill Clinton signed the bi-partisan Defense of Marriage Act, which defined, for the federal government, marriage as only between a man and woman.
In 2013 however, the Supreme Court struck down part of DOMA and public approval for same-sex marriage had jumped to 53 percent, including 73 percent of 18-29 year-olds. Today, 19 states and the District of Columbia have legalized same-sex marriage, with federal and state courts are constantly striking down state laws banning same-sex marriage it seems every day.
This big change is a big deal. It was the eminent sociologist David Popenoe who said that no civilization ever survived after its family life deteriorated. But if you don’t believe him, listen to G.K. Chesterton, and I quote: “This triangle of truisms, of father, mother and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.”
What does this mean for America, and for the church? A lot of people are understandably pessimistic. Recently a pastor looked me in the eye and said, “John, it’s all over; we’ve lost.”
And I thought, “Well, wait a minute—is a loss on a political and cultural level the loss of the Kingdom of God? What’s this ‘it’ that’s over, and who are the ‘we’ who have lost?
Look, even if same-sex marriage becomes the law of the land tomorrow, and it just may, we Christians still have to wake up, go to church, run our businesses and ministries, schools and churches. This is not a time to throw up our hands and retreat. Given all of this cultural change, of course, the question has changed, from “What if?” to “What now?” So what we need is some kind of framework in which to move forward.
And that’s why Christian apologist Sean McDowell and I are releasing what we think is a very important new book, called “Same-Sex Marriage: A Thoughtful Approach to God’s Design for Marriage.” It takes a very careful look at the new cultural landscape and helps all of us to move forward—not in fear, but in faith.
First, we wanted to help Christians understand the issue biblically, but not just using a proof-text from Leviticus or Romans.
Our model is Jesus, who when asked specifically about the Mosaic law on marriage, went back to the very beginning—to Genesis. Jesus thought that God’s created intent was even more important than the law itself. We’ve got to understand this design—especially with the recent spate of so-called “Christian” books attempting to justify same-sex marriage.
But Sean and I also look at the issue culturally. Same-sex marriage isn’t the start of the problem; it’s the fruit of a long-going sexual revolution.
The ground that has shifted is not just moral ground; it’s worldview ground. We’re not just seeing a moral slide toward more and more sexual immorality; we’ve undergone a complete shift in the way we understand the human person.
Our book will help you understand this shift; but just thinking alone isn’t enough. So in the second half of the book, we describe what we can do, practically and immediately when this issue comes our way. It’s kind of a “how now shall we live” on this issue, and we’ll talk about it more tomorrow on BreakPoint. So please tune in. And come to BreakPoint.org to order your copy of our new book, “Same-Sex Marriage: A Thoughtful Approach to God’s Design for Marriage.”
(This commentary originally aired July 24, 2014)

 

BreakPoint is a Christian worldview ministry that seeks to build and resource a movement of Christians committed to living and defending Christian worldview in all areas of life. Begun by Chuck Colson in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today’s news and trends via radio, interactive media, and print. Today BreakPoint commentaries, co-hosted by Eric Metaxas and John Stonestreet, air daily on more than 1,200 outlets with an estimated weekly listening audience of eight million people. Feel free to contact us at BreakPoint.org where you can read and search answers to common questions.

John Stonestreet, the host of The Point, a daily national radio program, provides thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.

 

Original Content by Christian News Headlines

Billy Graham Named One of World’s Most Admired Men for 58th Time

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Billy Graham Named One of World’s Most Admired Men for 58th Time
Billy Graham was named the number four “Most Admired Man” in the world in 2014, according to a U.S. polling agency Gallup.
The Christian Post reports this is the 58th time Graham was made the Top 10 list.
According to the poll, two percent of poll participants named him as their first or second choice when asked, “What man that you have heard or read about, living today in any part of the world do you admire most.”
The poll included results from 805 adults.
This year, Graham shares the spot with former President George W. Bush.
Graham has never been ranked the number one most admired man in the world. He, however, was ranked second every year from 1969 to 1974. He has had the most appearances on the list than any other person living or dead.
Barack Obama topped the list. He has ranked number one for the past seven years. Pope Francis was second on the list.
Ben Carson and Stephen Hawking shared the number five spot.
Original content by Christian News Headlines

Iranian Aid Convoys Poised to Deliver Aid to Iraqi Christian Communities

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Iranian Aid Convoys Poised to Deliver Aid to Iraqi Christian Communities

Iranian aid convoys are poised to deliver supplies to Christian communities in Iraq which have been affected by the ethnic cleansing policies of Islamic State, according to Iranian Christian parliamentarian Yonatan Betkolia.

Betkolia, who represents the ancient Assyrian and Chaldean communities in Iran, had appealed to the Iranian Red Crescent for aid. The organisation agreed to supply 10,000 blankets and 300 floor coverings for the refugees, and convoys are waiting for permission from the Iraqi government in Baghdad to enter the country.

They will also deliver good, tents, clothing and medical supplies to Christians who have found refuge in the Kurdistan region, having been driven from their homes.

Betkolia told Mehr News that Iran had been sending food and blankets since the onset of Islamic State forces, saying: “A great number of Iranian officials residing in Erbil have had many meetings with Iraqi Christians in order to assess the areas for helping the displaced.”

Iranian humanitarian aid was aimed at helping refugees take shelter in safe areas, he said.

According to the Fides news agency, the Iranian ambassador to Jordan, Mojtaba Ferdowsjpour, had visited the Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Maroun Lahham, before Christmas.

Ferdowsjpour told him that “the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to assist the Christians of Iraq and Syria in order to alleviate their suffering and their sorrows”. Lahham told Fides: “Iran has undoubtedly taken a crucial role in the Middle East.

It is in permanent contact with the Holy See, with which it shares very important dialogues. We hope that the contribution of Iran has a positive effect in the search for solutions to crises that affect the people of Iraq and Syria.”

Source and Original Content by CT

Happy New Year From The Christian Mail

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Happy New Year From The Christian Mail

From All of Us at The Christian Mail,
Rejoice Forevermore,
Pray Without Ceasing,
In Everything Give Thanks,
For This is the Will of God In Christ Concerning You.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015

Nigerian Prophet Makes Shocking Predictions About 2015

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Nigerian Prophet Makes Shocking Predictions About 2015

Foremost Prophet, Primate Theophilus Oluwasaanu Olabayo, is the Pastor and founder, of Evangelical Church of Yahweh, located at Mende Village, Maryland, Lagos State, he is one of Nigeria’s respected prophets whose prophesies has shaken the high and mighty in the country.

In this interview he reveals his predictions for the New Year.

He predicts, that the 2015 presidential election may not hold and if the election holds at all, it may be stalemated. He also predicts that if elections hold, that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will win the governorship election in Lagos State while the All Progressives Congress (APC) will retain Rivers, Ogun and Oyo states. Primate Olabayo also called for prayers against political assassinations in the New Year.

Excerpts:
As the New Year approaches, can you reveal what have been revealed to you particularly as the nation prepares for another general elections ?

You see, in this country, many people do not want to hear the truth. To start with, God has revealed to me that there may not be elections next year because in 2015, we are going to witness one of the worst political assassinations in Nigeria. God further informed me that the South West geo-political zone should be very careful so that the region would not be thrown into another era of wild, wild west because I saw political assassinations everywhere. I also saw some people in masks who were killing people everywhere. Specifically, between now and January, the country will witness one of the worst eras of bloodshed in its history. And if at all there will be elections next year in Nigeria, the seat of the president is not vacant.

Can you tell us what you mean by saying that the seat of the president is not vacant

God has revealed to me that if at all there is going to be presidential election, it will be inconclusive just like (the June 12,) that we had during the time of the late Chief MKO Abiola who flew the flag of the Social Democratic Party under the military administration of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida…Read More

Source and Original Content by Naij.com

Newsweek Article : An Attack on the Bible and Christians

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Newsweek Article : An Attack on the Bible and Christians

Newsweek is launching the New Year with an old school attack on the Bible and Christians. It was just the sort of holiday hit piece that we’ve come to expect from these anti-Christian pinheads.

I imagine the Yuletide season must bring about near celebrations in the hallways of Newsweek as writers giddily try to find new ways to defile the followers of Christ.

This year’s winner was Kurt Eichenwald—and he certainly spun quite a yarn—one truly worthy to be published in a magazine. Mr. Eichenwald is known around literary circles as a man of words—and he certainly used most of them in his verbose essay.

“The Bible—So Misunderstood It’s a Sin,” was the title of his treatise—of such import that editors demanded it grace the cover of the magazine.

At first glance, I thought Mr. Eichenwald’s essay was a failed attempt at satire. However, by the end of the first paragraph, I realized it was meant to be a scholarly work. By the end of the second paragraph I was overcome by the fumes from this steaming pile of stink.

Newsweek’s 16-page diatribe portrays Evangelical Christians as homophobic, right-wing fundamentalist hypocrites who believe an unbelievable Bible. And just in case the reader misses the writer’s subtle nuance, the essay was illustrated with images of snake handlers, Pat Robertson and the Westboro Baptist Church.

That’s because in the minds of Newsweek’s esteemed editors, most evangelical Christians spend their weekends dancing with snakes and picketing gay nightclubs. Merry Christmas, America.

“They wave their Bibles at passersby, screaming their condemnation of homosexuals,” Eichenwald wrote. “They fall on their knees, worshipping at the base of granite monuments to the Ten Commandments while demanding prayer in school. They appeal to God to save America from their political opponents, mostly Democrats. They gather in football stadiums by the thousands to pray for the country’s salvation…Read More

Source and Original Content by Charisma News

Apple Awarded Patent for Communicating Stylus That Writes on Variety of Surfaces

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Apple Awarded Patent for Communicating Stylus That Writes on Variety of Surfaces

Apple has been granted a new stylus patent by U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Tuesday.
The awarded U.S. Patent No. 8,922,530 (via Apple Insider) describes a ‘communicating stylus’ that can write on variety of surfaces, including paper, whiteboards, capacitive touchscreens and more, courtesy its interchangeable nibs.

The patent for the Apple ‘communicating stylus’ also describes the ability to capture handwriting of the user very precisely, because of its onboard 3D motion sensors which can detect the movement in the air, on tablet or at a wall.

Apart from 3D motion sensors, the Apple stylus uses wireless communication hardware and onboard storage to transfer handwritten notes and drawings onto the display of a digital device.

The USPTO patent abstract for Apple’s ‘Communicating stylus’ reads, “A stylus for writing on any type of surface, such as piece of paper or a whiteboard and subsequently displaying the written images or text in display of digital computing device. The stylus may likewise be moved in three-dimensional space and corresponding images displayed on a display of a computing device.

The stylus tracks its different positions while a user is writing or drawing and then either stores the data to be uploaded later or transmits the data simultaneously to a computing device. The computing device then displays the images and text drawn on the surface. The computing device may be located anywhere, as long as it is able to communicate with the stylus, and be able to display the written text or images.”

Notably, the Apple’s stylus patent was filed in January 2010. Now, that it has been granted by the USPTO five years later, the rumours of an upcoming 12-inch iPad with a stylus will certainly takeover.

apple_stylus_patent_image_uspto

apple_stylus_patent_image_2_uspto

Source and Original Content by Ndtv

UAE Bans ‘Exodus’ Movie for Portraying God as a Child

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UAE Bans ‘Exodus’ Movie for Portraying God as a Child

The United Arab Emirates became on Tuesday the latest Muslim nation to ban the “Exodus: Gods and Kings” movie for what Islamic critics say is a series of historical mistakes, including depicting God as a child. The criticism from the Muslim world has partly echoed concerns voiced by Christian reviewers.

“The film shows Moses not as a prophet but as just a preacher of peace,” said Juma Obaid al-Leem, UAE’s National Media Council director of media content tracking. He told AFP that the film, starring Christian Bale as Moses, contradicts the holy books.

“We do not allow the distortion of religions. … When it comes to religious and historical movies, we care about having a correct narrative and avoiding hurting the feelings of others,” Leem added.

Among the historical mistakes Islamic critics have pointed out is that God is depicted in the film as a young boy who sometimes speaks to Moses.

Egypt and Morocco also banned the movie from theatres last week for similar reasons, with Egypt’s censorship board head Abdul Sattar Fathy arguing that it “contains historical fallacies.”

Director Ridley Scott’s representation of Moses’ story, the biblical figure highly revered in Islam, Judaism and Christianity, has come under fire by Christian groups as well, such as entertainment-review website Faith Driven Consumer.

The website wrote in its review of the movie that “all sorts of liberties are taken with the biblical text to propel the story and the supernatural events surrounding the plagues and parting of the Red Sea are largely portrayed as coincidental or are given naturalistic explanations.”

Faith Driven Consumer, which asked Christians to boycott the movie, pointed out that God is never portrayed as “a sovereign God of magnificent and overwhelming glory,” but as a “somewhat dirty young boy who chats with Moses while serving tea.”

In the Muslim world, representations of biblical figures in movies are forbidden, and Islamic nations have banned other Hollywood movies for such reasons before. Darren Aronofsky’s epic “Noah” was banned in several Arab countries in March, including the UAE, for depicting Noah and several other Genesis figures on screen.

Leem insisted, however, that the UAE very rarely bans films, and most movies receive approval for release.

“It is normal if we express reservations about one movie out of 1,000,” he said.

“Exodus: Gods and Kings” received mixed reviews from secular critics, and was given a B- score by moviegoers on opening night, as reported by the Cinemascore website.

It has earned $52 million in the U.S. and $148 million in total worldwide based on a $140 million production budget since its release domestically on Dec. 12.

Source and Original Content by CP

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