A United Kingdom pastor says it was the power of prayer that brought him back to life after he was dead for 15 minutes.

According to CBN News, Christopher Wickland, pastor of Living Word Pentecostal Church in Fareham, Hampshire, died in November. He had been jumping on a trampoline at a trampoline park with three of his children when he collapsed.

Wickland, 47, was administered CPR and staff at the trampoline park also used a defibrillator four times on him. He stopped breathing for 15 minutes.

When his heart restarted, he was taken to the intensive care unit of St. Mary’s Hospital.

Doctors told Wickland’s wife that because his heart stopped for so long, they were worried about brain and heart damage.

Wickland’s wife, Tracey, posted about the news to her Facebook page.

“I put it on Facebook and it was amazing because hundreds of people from around the world contacted me and told me they were praying for Chris,” she told The Daily Mail, adding that while the jump park staff and doctors did an “incredible job,” her husband would be dead “if it wasn’t for all these people praying.”

Wickland spent almost 48 hours in an induced coma. He woke up on a Sunday morning during the church’s morning services.

“This is a miracle that is all down to divine providence and the very quick actions of some people,” Wickland told The Daily Mail. “My congregation and other Christians around the world were also praying for me….

In what appears to be the first such legislation in the nation, a Missouri lawmaker has introduced a measure to shield children from being exposed to “age-inappropriate material” at public libraries that receive state funding.

The proposed bill, according to a report in the Kansas City Star, “was drafted in reaction to drag queen story hours being held across the state.” The report went on to say that public libraries that violate the provision by displaying such literature “could lose state funding and even see their librarians fined or jailed.”

The proposed bill – “Parental Oversight of Public Libraries Act” – “did not target books,” said state Rep. Ben Baker, who sponsored the bill.

Baker, a Republican from Neosho in southwest Missouri, told the Star, “In some places – St. Louis, Kansas City and I think St. (Joseph) – they’ve had these drag queen story hours and that’s something that I take objection to and I think a lot of parents do. That’s where in a public space,” he said, “our kids could be exposed to something that’s age-inappropriate. That’s what I’m trying to tackle.”

The dragqueenstoryhour.org website describes the events, which are organized by independent local groups across the nation and in some foreign countries, as “just what it sounds like – drag queens reading stories to children in libraries, schools, and…

Two Nigerian Christian girls were killed at the hands of Fulani militants in the Southern Kaduna State last week. The high school students, Briget Philip and Priscilla David, were killed when Islamist fighters ambushed the village square.

According to Faithwire, three other young men, ages 18, 19, and 12, were also injured.

“After the shooting started, the locals scattered to the surrounding woods to find safety,” said a report from International Christian Concern. “It is unclear what provoked this attack, as there have been claims that it was in reprisal for other actions. It is likely that this attack was conducted to gain supplies or force the locals off of the land to allow for the migration of herders into the area.”

This type of attack is, unfortunately, common in Nigeria from Fulani militants. At least 450 people were killed last year in attacks; two thousand were murdered in 2018.

“The Nigerian Government continues to turn a blind eye to these attacks, allowing perpetrators to walk free and continue the violence. This has allowed this crisis to rival that of the Book Haram insurgency in North-East Nigeria,” said the ICC.

Yesterday, Christian Headlines also reported news that a Nigerian pastor, Rev. Lawan Andimi, was executed after being kidnapped earlier this month.

“Don’t cry, don’t worry, but thank God for everything,” he said in a hostage video after his capture….

The Supreme Court has expressed that it will likely rule in favor of allowing religious schools to receive public funding from the state coffers.

According to NBC News, the court’s conservative appointees indicated that they would consider loosening restrictions on the separation between church and state in order to allow faith-based schools to receive taxpayer dollars.

The case surrounds a Montana program that provides tax credits for individuals who donate money to organizations that offer cash scholarships to students. When an organization called “Blue Sky” identified the program as an incentive-led way for educational institutions to raise money, several religious schools also signed up to the initiative.

However, soon after the program launched, the state passed a constitutional amendment that prevented taxpayer aid from being directed to religious institutions, citing a portion of the Montana constitution which prohibits “any direct or indirect appropriation or payment … to aid any church, school … controlled in whole or in part by any church.”

The Montana Supreme Court ultimately ruled that the scholarship program was in violation of the state constitution and struck down the law completely, meaning that neither secular nor religious schools could benefit.

Now, the Supreme Court justices are questioning the state-level decision to ensure that it doesn’t…

Donald Trump will become the first U.S. president to appear in person at the March for Life Friday when he addresses the annual event that draws tens of thousands annually and seeks an end to abortion.

Although past presidents have spoken to the March for Life via telephone – Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush did that – none have ever appeared live at the rally. Trump delivered a video address to the crowd in 2019.

It is held every January in Washington, D.C.

“We are deeply honored to welcome President Trump to the 47th annual March for Life,” Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life, said in a statement on the organization’s website. “He will be the first president in history to attend and we are so excited for him to experience in person how passionate our marchers are about life and protecting the unborn. 

“From the appointment of pro-life judges and federal workers, to cutting taxpayer funding for abortions here and abroad, to calling for an end to late-term abortions, President Trump and his Administration have been consistent champions for life and their support for the March for Life has been unwavering. We are grateful for all these pro-life accomplishments and look forward to gaining more victories for life in the future.”

The March for Life is honored to announce @realDonaldTrump will be the first U.S. President to speak at the March for Life…

Vice President Mike Pence is under fire within the mainstream and LGBT media for speaking over the weekend at a historically black church where the pastor spoke out against anything that harms the “foundation” of marriage, including homosexuality. 

Pence spoke at the Holy City Church of God In Christ in Memphis, Tenn., ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day – affirming the “ideals” King supported – but it was a pastor’s subsequent sermon that sparked controversy.

NBC News’ website, ran an Out News story under the headline, “Pence attends homophobic sermon streamed on White House YouTube channel.” The Hill’s website ran a similar story with the title, “Pence attends sermon where bishop says ‘demonic spirit’ is behind homosexual attraction.” Newsweek and others posted similar stories. 

The pastor’s sermon, though, was similar to what can be heard in any evangelical church. 

“The church is Christ’s bride. One day He’s coming back for his bride,” Bishop Jerry Wayne Taylor said.

Taylor’s sermon focused on the importance of building on the right “foundation.”

“People are building [their lives] on lies, false prophets, false teaching – but we’ve got to build on the Word of God,” Taylor said. “… His Word will not change for nobody. … When building, the foundation is the most important part of any organization, school, marriage…

After 47 years of legalized abortion in the United States, a new Marist poll found that most U.S. residents want the U.S. Supreme Court to change the law “by stopping legalized abortion or by returning the issue to the states,” said Carl Anderson, CEO of the Knights of Columbus, sponsor of the survey.

A news release announcing the poll’s results concluded “that a strong majority wants to elect candidates who support substantial abortion restrictions. And most Americans still reject the Supreme Court’s reasoning in the 1973 case,” Roe v. Wade, which was decided on Jan. 22 of that year.

Anderson said in the release that responses from self-identified abortion adherents advocating for restrictions show “how misleading it is to conflate the term ‘pro-choice’ with support” for “radically unrestricted abortion.”

The release reported that 41% of self-identified pro-choice adherents “are more likely to vote for candidates who support restrictions,” as are more than “nine in 10 who identify as pro-life (96%).”

When considering a presidential candidate, the poll found that “by a margin of 10 percentage points (45% to 35%), those who identify as pro-life are more likely to say abortion is a ‘major factor’ in their vote” compared to self-identified pro-choice adherents.

Full results of the poll are available on the Knights of Columbus…