Faith Leaders Sign Human Trafficking Declaration

Pope Francis is joining 12 other world faith leaders in a ground-breaking initiative to end human trafficking by 2020.

The Pope, with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew from Greece and senior representatives of the Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist faiths, will gather at the Vatican to sign a Joint Declaration of Religious Leaders this morning.

The declaration underlined that modern slavery in terms of human trafficking, forced labour, prostitution and organ trafficking is a crime against humanity, and must be recognised as such by everyone and by all nations.

The declaration on the World Day for Abolition of Slavery was organised by the Global Freedom Network, which was launched at the Vatican in March.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, is this week hosting a conference in London on sex trafficking. The meeting of the Santa Marta group, named after the guest house in Rome where Pope Francis lives, includes Church leaders and senior police; it will be attended by Cardinal John Onaiyekan of Nigeria, Home Secretary Theresa May and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe.

Last week the Archdiocese of Westminster announced the opening of Caritas Bakhita House in west London, a “triage” centre for the emergency placement of women escaping human trafficking. The house will provide accommodation for up to 14 women over the age of 17, offering both them and non-residents emergency support, psychosexual therapy, legal and financial assistance and mentoring and help with accessing accommodation.

Retired Detective Inspector Kevin Hyland, a Catholic, was appointed Britain’s first anti-slavery commissioner by the Home Secretary last month.

Source and Original Content by Catholic Herald

VIDEO: Was Dr. Myles Munroe PROPHESYING his death

Dr. Myles Munroe, internationally renowned author, speaker and founder of Bahamas Faith Ministries International is dead but he spoke about “DEATH!”. The only thing you can do with death is prepare for it

DID MYLES MUNROE FORSEE HIS DEATH

The unexpected demise of internationally renowned author, speaker and founder of Bahamas Faith Ministries International, the late Dr. Myles Munroe along with his wife came as an unexpected shock to the entire body of Christendom, the tragic loss had a lot of religious faithfuls in pains wondering why a good man such as him had to die.

His death which took place on the 9th of November 2014 via a plane crash might have been unexpected but legacies left behind by the great man of God tend to point otherwise. Recordings of some of his final messages and records seem to point to the fact that the deceased knew and had foreknowledge of his death anytime soon.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/Vi8TFQ2H4Xk[/youtube]

The evidence for this line of reasoning point to the fact that Recorded Videos and Messages went viral immediately after his death which portrayed the Speaker illustrating extensively the concept of Death. In the video he spoke at length on how death was the common equalizer of man, how it could not be stopped and how man was to prepare for death’s eventuality.

Through this teaching it was obvious from his demeanor that he had foreseen it and already made his peace with God’s Will, the late speaker apart from the video recording also had a vision of death in which there was an illustration of the passing of the significant baton from one individual to another which signified a process of succession.

Hence, it might be an appropriate line of thought to say that the signs had been revealed to him to enable him prepare himself for his journey to the glorious home; Heaven.

May his Soul Rest in Peace

Myles Munroe : 20 April 1954 – 9 November 2014

 

Senior Pastor CCC Nigeria,Poju Oyemade Set to Wed

The Senior Pastor of Covenant Christian Centre, Poju Oyemade is about to quit bachelorhood. Oyemade is one of the most eligible bachelors in Lagos. His good looks and gentleman nature makes him an ideal suitor for any woman. But for years, the dynamic preacher has steered clear from relationships which was a worry to most people.

Oyemade is known for his popular Singles Ministry which has received tremendous testimonies of single ladies finally settling down with the man of their dreams after several failed attempts. He also inspires the youths and middle-class income earners with his motivational seminars and forums, one of which is “The Insight for Living Vision.” He is the brain behind the popular conference “The Platform” where successful business moguls share tips of their successes using biblical principles.

Perhaps, he is the only pastor in Nigeria who holds four services every Sunday in all his three stations. Oyemade who
now occupies the former Zoom Telecommunications premises in Iganmu drives himself to other branches of the church in Ebute Metta and Victoria Island every Sunday to minister. The service does not exceed two hours.

In all dimensions, the motivational speaker is meticulous when it comes to his personal life. It is no wonder that few are unaware of his single status for long. It was a baffle to some that with all the wisdom and knowledge he shared with the singles, he is yet to take the plunge. His answer was his waiting in the Lord to direct him because of his reverence for the marriage institution…Read More

Source and Original Content by JustGospel

Update: All Set for the Funeral Service of the Munroes this Week

The Bahamas Faith Ministries International have released the following statement for the homegoing services for Dr. Myles Munroe and his wife Ruth and others aboard the plane that crash Sunday afternoon (November 9, 2014).

“The Board of Governors of Bahamas Faith Ministries International along with the families of Dr. Myles and Pastor Ruth Munroe and Dr. Richard Pinder would like to announce the following dates for Home Going and Memorial Services.
The Home Going Service for Dr. Richard Pinder will be held on Tuesday, December 2nd 2014, at Bahamas Faith Ministries International Diplomat Center located on Carmichael Road in Nassau, Bahamas.

On Wednesday, December 3rd 2014, the Life & Contributions of Dr. Myles and Pastor Ruth Munroe will be celebrated during a National Memorial Service of Thanksgiving & Praise. We anticipate hosting this event at one of our major national facilities that will announced as soon as all official confirmations have been realized.

The official Funeral or Home Going Service for Dr. Myles and Pastor Ruth Munroe will be held on Thursday, December 4th 2014, at Bahamas Faith Ministries International Diplomat Center located on Carmichael Road in Nassau, Bahamas.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Prime Minister, the Rt. Honorable Perry G. Christie, his Cabinet as well as members of the Government for their condolences, words of kindness and support to date. We are in communication with the Government and other relevant stake holders as we continue to fine tune our plans.

We intend to announce shortly a number of additional events leading up to the Home Going & Memorial Celebrations for Dr. Myles and Pastor Ruth Munroe and Dr. Richard Pinder. At that time we will also announce the service time for each event.
We are however pleased announce that several organizations and churches from around the world have already planned and announced Services of Thanksgiving & Celebration in honor Dr. Myles and his wife Pastor Ruth Munroe.

Thanksgiving Services are confirmed to be held in several countries including Africa, Canada, Europe, Papua New Guinea, Barbados, several Latin American countries and at various churches throughout United Stated of America. We are awaiting final confirmations from additional countries.

The Board of Governors with the blessing of the family is also pleased to announce that a Special Memorial Organizing and Planning Committee has been commissioned to assist the family and the board with the planning and organization of the official Home Going and Memorial Celebration Services.

This Special Memorial Organizing Committee will be Chaired by Veteran Broadcaster, Business Executive & President of the CEO Network Deborah Bartlett who also serves as one of our Pastors at Bahamas Faith Ministries. Media Executive, Radio Personality and CEO of Harris Media Group Kevin Harris have been selected to serve as Deputy Chairman and Pastor Jay Mullings who is one of the five founding fathers of Bahamas Faith Ministries International will serve as Honorary Chairman.

We have literally been flooded with calls and well wishes from all over the world. We have also received a number of phone calls from several Head of States including Presidents of Countries, Prime Ministers as well as well known Pastors, Singers, Actors and Dignitaries expressing their sympathies and who have all indicated a commitment to attend.

The Memorial Organizing Committee has already established a Command Center here at Bahamas Faith Ministries where all calls, emails and request for information regarding Home Going and Memorial Services can be addressed.
The direct phone contact to the Command Center is 242-461-6429.”

About Myles Munroe
Dr. Myles Munroe is an internationally renowned bestselling author, lecturer, teacher, life coach, government consultant, and leadership mentor. He has travelled around the world training leaders in business, government, education, sports, media, and religion.

This multi-gifted motivational speaker serves as a business consultant to governments, Fortune 500 companies and corporations, addressing critical issues that affect every aspect of human, professional, leadership, social, and spiritual development.

Dr. Munroe represents his country as the youngest recipient of the Queen’s Birthday Honors of the Order of The British Empire (OBE) Award 1998 bestowed by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth of England, for his spiritual and social contributions to the national development of the Bahamas. He has also been honored by the government of the Bahamas with the Silver Jubilee Award (SJA) for providing twenty-five years of outstanding service to the Bahamas in the category of spiritual, social and religious development.

Pastor Myles is the senior pastor of Bahamas Faith Ministries International Fellowship, where his wife, Ruth Ann, serves as co-senior pastor. They are the proud parents of Charisa and Chairo (Myles Jr.)

Source and Original Content by PraiseRichmond

Church Puts up Christmas-Themed Ad Campaign in NYC’s Times Square

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has put up an ad in New York City’s Times Square in honor of the Christmas season.

Titled “He is the gift,” the overall campaign features a video about the birth of Jesus and includes the Times Square ad that will run through New Year’s Day.

“The commercialization of Christmas tends to have much of the Christian world focusing on the ‘busyness’ of the holiday season. This time of year can bring stress, worry, and loneliness,” said Elder David F. Evans, executive director of the LDS church’s missionary department, in a statement shared with The Christian Post.

In addition to the Times Square ad, the “He is the gift” initiative includes social media outreach, such as posting on Twitter with the message #ShareTheGift.

There’s also a YouTube video posted by the LDS church last week that has already garnered over 222,000 views, along with 2,334 likes and only 16 dislikes.

“The first gift of Christmas was a simple gift given by a father to all his children, to us. He gave us His son, the Christ,” reads the video’s description. “He is the gift. This Christmas season, how will you share the gift?”

Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which governs the LDS church, said in a statement Friday that “Christmas is a time of reflection on what we can become because of God’s sacred gift.”

“As we discover the gift, we learn of the immeasurable love of God and our absolute need for a Savior,” continued Nelson. “As we embrace the gift, we strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ and our desire to become more like Him. As we share the gift, we follow in the Master’s footsteps, who invited all to hear His message.”

Source and Original Content by Christian Post

Sony Develops E-Paper Watch

Sony has formed a new division under the name of Fashion Entertainments and created a simple watch made entirely from e-paper. The watch, codenamed Fes, adopts a retro design and features 24 patterns which mimic a wide range of traditional watch straps and faces. The unit also responds to gestures and alters the watch face so you can easily read the time when you hold the item in front of you.

The Fes’ sole purpose is to be a bold fashion accessory and doesn’t include advanced features like monitoring or voice recognition which are present on the upcoming Apple Watch. However, its e-paper construction is incredibly power efficient and the battery should last approximately 60 days on a single charge.

Compare this to the iWatch which will require daily charging and is undoubtedly less practical in this sense. Furthermore, the basic design of the Fes should make it a fairly affordable proposition.

There has been an overwhelmingly positive attitude towards the Fes so far which began with a crowdfunding campaign back in September…Read More

Source and Original Content by BCNN1

Sneak Preview: Windows 10

Windows 8 has been a massive disappointment for both Microsoft and for PC owners around the world. But it looks like we’re getting closer to the next edition of the company’s operating system.

According to The Verge, Microsoft will show off the consumer version of its upcoming Windows 10 during an event scheduled for late January.

The event will reportedly focus on the consumer enhancements included in Windows 10. The company will also discuss how Windows 10 will serve as a single platform for Windows-based PCs, tablets, phones, and the Xbox One.

Microsoft has yet to confirm a release date, but Windows 10 should be available sometime in 2015.

Microsoft previously showed off an early version of Windows 10 during an event in September, but primarily focused on how business users stand to benefit from the operating system.

Still, what we saw from Windows 10 gave us some hope. The biggest improvement to the operating system is that the Start button is making its triumphant return. The new Start button gets a slick new look that appears to be a combination of the classic Windows start menu and Windows 8’s tile interface.

Desktop and laptop users will also be happy to learn that the classic Windows Desktop is back. The tile interface can still be accessed on the PC version of Windows 10, but it will take a backseat to the desktop screen…Read More

windows 10 two

Source and Original Content by Yahoo

Missouri Christians Clean up after Protests, Minister to Hurting Individuals

The morning after a St. Louis County grand jury decided not to indict police officer Darren Wilson for the death of Michael Brown, pastor Rodrick Burton drove to New Northside Missionary Baptist Church, minutes from Ferguson, to pick up the church van and a few cleaning supplies. Congregants texted him asking how they could help, and he told them it was time to help their neighbors: cleaning up businesses damaged by the riots and helping transport people who felt unsafe out of the area in the church van.

At South City Church, worship and outreach coordinator Michelle Higgins kept soup warm and the church doors open for anyone—including protesters, off-duty police, fearful community members—to find a space for prayer and rest. The church was stocked with medics, sleeping bags, hot dinner, and prayer services, but some just needed a moment to sit in silence as the jury’s decision “spoke deep, deep hurt to their souls,” Higgins said. Other churches in the city similarly prepared for the aftermath of the grand jury decision by creating care centers.

Higgins, an African-American who has lived in St. Louis her whole life, said church members gathered around a computer speaker to hear last night’s announcement on the radio because the church’s internet stopped working. Higgins said when she heard Wilson would not be indicted, “all the blood rushed out of my body.” To her, the decision indicated the justice system valued some people more than others, she said.

Later that night, she and about 10 other Christians from nearby PCA churches joined a largely peaceful protest in South City, about 10 miles south of Ferguson. A predominately non-black crowd shut down Highway 44 and blocked a main intersection. During a lull in the momentum, a few opportunists set a garbage can on fire and vandalized buildings, but other protesters stopped most of the unruly behavior, she said. Law enforcement responded by tear gassing the entire crowd.

In Ferguson, protests became more destructive and violent, with the sound of gunshots and flames engulfing businesses. Burton, who also is African-American, believes the clergy at St. Louis churches should focus on the protesters’ “sin of retribution” rather than only pointing to the sin of the government.

While he doesn’t know what compelled Wilson to shoot, “I do know that Christ is consistent in that we are supposed to pray for our enemy and we are suppose to forgive. The clergy don’t even dare bring that sentiment forward to the table, and when they do, it’s from a position that we are more righteous than them…Read More

Source and Original Content by Christian Headlines

Christian Village Saved from IS Attack

A Christian village in Lebanon has been saved from being overrun by Islamic State forces by a British-built watchtower

According to the Daily Telegraph,the Tango 10 watchtower – one of a chain of 12 built at high speed along the Lebanese border with Syria during the last few months – was all that stood between Islamic State and the village of Ras Baalbek.

The tower, which is platform for artillery, covers the pass leading to the village. A member of the British team responsible for the construction of the tower, made of shipping containers welded together and wire cages, told the newspaper that it had foiled an attempted invasion. “When the invasion came, a line of vehicles split off and headed for Ras Baalbek,” the team member said. “Then they stopped and looked up at the watchtower and all its artillery waiting for them. They turned around.”

Of the Islamic State fighters, one of the team, made up of former officers and engineers, said: “They are drugged to the eyeballs and think they are going to paradise. It’s a pretty tough enemy for anyone.”

The watchtowers stretch half-way along the country’s eastern border and more are planned. They create ‘overlapping arcs’ of sight, meaning that the border is far better protected. “You can’t imagine what it was like when we got out here first,” one former officer said. “There were a few guys behind some tyres filled with rocks with a 50 cal [machine gun]…Read More

Source and Original Content by CT

Christian Students told to Wear Headscarves and Sent Outside to Pray

Malaysia’s Education Ministry is investigating claims that Christian students had to pray outside, as they were not allowed to use any of the rooms inside the college.

It was reported on Saturday that students at the Labuan Matriculation College, Sabah, were ‘forced’ to pray under a tree and not inside the college.

Daily Express, a regional newspaper, also reported that any non-Muslim students who wanted to participate in the students’ parliament would have to wear head coverings – a songkok (traditional cap worn by Muslim men) and tudung (headscarves) for women.

Parents were reported saying: “The poor students are forced to say their prayers under the sun or tree in the compound. Even then, the security guard would allegedly harass them [students] to hurry up, forcing them to stop even before they can finish praying.

“This is ridiculous, especially when freedom of worship is guaranteed in the Federal Constitution and the nation’s leaders keep reiterating this.”

Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh told The Star: “These claims are serious, but we need to remember that in our country, especially in schools, there is a budaya kasih sayang [culture of love].

“These incidents have happened, but they do not represent our country nor our culture,” he said.

This is not the first time there have been concerns about religious liberties at the college. In July 2012, there were reports that several Christian students had being pressured to convert to another faith.

Source and Original Content by CT