HYDERABAD, India, November 19, 2018 (Morning Star News) – Villagers hostile toward Christians in northern India falsely accused a pastor of an illicit relationship with a woman and, in another village, burned a church building, sources said.

As people throughout the country on Nov. 7 prepared to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, neighbors alerted pastor Satpal Masih that his Pentecostal church building in Giddi village, Gurdaspur District in Punjab state, was ablaze.

The pastor dismissed the notion that the church building caught fire from a festival accident, saying Diwali begins well after 8 p.m., and he rushed to the burning building at 6 p.m.

“Moreover, the church is built on a farm, and it is nearly impossible that anybody would go onto a farm to play with fireworks,” Pastor Masih told Morning Star News. “After looking into all possibilities, we understand that it is an act done by some elements who oppose the ministry in the area. Police came to the spot and filed a First Information Report [FIR] after conducting a preliminary investigation. They clearly said that it can’t be an accident.”

He said the fire seemed to have been set on Diwali to look like a fireworks accident, but that there was no evidence of any such explosives and no loud noises until plastic chairs and equipment inside caught fire.

“In fact, it was a massive fire, and…

A woman who lost all of her limbs due to a severe infection says her faith in God helped her choose to live her life with joy.

Kayleigh Ferguson-Walker, of Coral Springs, Fla., lost both arms and legs after she became ill with Sepsis in early 2017. She was six months pregnant with her second child when she became sick. Doctors were not able to save the baby, and she was taken to a hospital for surgery.

“Her family was at the bedside,” said Dr. James Fletcher, Kayleigh’s doctor. “They had left the previous hospital and come to our hospital with some hope we might be able to restore circulation, but in this situation, there was just nothing additionally that could be done.”

Kayleigh has undergone some 13 surgeries. Today, Kayleigh uses a prosthetic and is adapting to her new lifestyle.

“I try to look at the side ‘let’s see what I can do,'” she said. “I challenge myself a lot what I can do rather than just sit here and be like okay I can’t do nothing, ain’t got no limbs. No, I can’t think that way.

“Many people come to me and my family and say ‘how does she keep that smile through everything she’s going through. She just lost her limbs; how does she keep her smile?’ And I always say to them I don’t smile because I have no bad days. I smile because I’m still here.”

Kayleigh and her husband, Ramon are members of Praise Tabernacle International. Their…

Author and pastor Francis Chan revealed on Wednesday that after praying for his best friend for 30 years, he has decided to dedicate his life to Christ. 

In a blog post on Desiringgod.org, Chan shared with readers how he saw prayer working in his life when his best friend from college decided to get baptized after years of refusing to believe in Christ. 

He wrote, “We all walk in complete spiritual darkness unless God decides to shine his light on us. In some mysterious way, God shines light in a person’s heart so that he instantly sees the beauty of the Gospel. No amount of human effort can produce this. Salvation is a miracle of God,” he said of his friend’s salvation.

He continued, “Many of us would say that we believe this theological truth, but our actions betray us, revealing just how much we trust in people, speeches, and events. On more than one occasion, people have begged me to speak to their lost friends, believing that my words would make the difference.”

“Too often, I have granted their wish (rather than correcting their theology), and tried desperately to come up with the perfect words to talk their friends into falling in love with Jesus. Do you see yet how ridiculous this is?” He questioned.

Chan went on to encourage people to pray. He said, “For now, I’m more than content to obey and pray. Though I’m still uncertain how it…

A popular substitute teacher says he was let go from a Missouri high school after thanking students for standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.  

The teacher, 66-year-old Jim Furkin, had been a long-time sub at Parkway South High School in Manchester, Mo., as well at other schools, according to Fox 2 television. 

“The PA announcer says please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance,” Furkin told Fox 2. “I say, ‘Let’s go.’”

Of the 24 students, 22 stood for the Pledge. 

“I say, ‘thank-you very much, all of you that participated. I appreciate that. I’m sure all of those families that lost loved ones so we could have the freedoms we have today would appreciate that, too.’ That’s what I said,” Furkin added.

Furkin – who subbed at the school for a decade – said it was no different than complimenting one person for a hairstyle and not everyone else, Fox 2 reported. 

At least one of the students complained, and Furkin soon was told he could no longer substitute at the school but could sub elsewhere. His action, he was told, was a form of bullying.  

“I just think that I would try to convey something like that to the kids who just take everything for granted,” he said. “That flag is not to be taken for granted, in my opinion. It is our symbol of freedom.”

The school superintendent said Furkin was not let go because…