Boko Haram in Nigeria;Over 180 Churches destroyed

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Boko Haram in Nigeria;Over 180 Churches destroyed

A prominent Nigerian reverend has revealed Islamist terror group Boko Haram destroyed over 180 churches in the West African country following its capture of towns and villages in the north-eastern states of Borno and Adamawa.

Reverend Gideon Obasogie, the director of Catholic Social Communication of Maiduguri Diocese in Borno State, said the group’s seizure of territory in both states has seen 185 churches torched and over 190,000 people displaced by their insurgency.

In his statement, Obasogie said Boko Haram’s “ransacking and torching” of churches had forced priests to leave their homes for two months while displaced civilians were still unable to return to their towns and villages.

He added the destruction of churches was “sad, heart-aching and potentially dangerous to the territorial integrity and common good of Nigeria.”

“It is over 30 days now that our church communities in Gulak, Shuwa, Michika, Bazza were ransacked by the callous attacks of the Boko Haram terrorists,” the statement said.
Source: BCNN

“Our priests are displaced, while citizens…are counting their losses and regrets as they have been reduced to the status of Internally Displaced Persons [IDP]. Where is the freedom?”

“Life is really terribly difficult. We are waiting eagerly to go back home, even as it is obvious that we are going to [have to] reconstruct our looted and burnt houses and ecclesial structures.

“We have been sleeping in uncompleted buildings, camps and school premises. We have been absorbed into houses of relations and friends in [their] sixties and seventies.”

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who is seeking re-election in February next year, has been increasingly criticised for his inaction against the terror group.

In April, the terror group – which wishes to expand its “caliphate” in north-eastern Nigeria – kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls in the village of Chibok, bringing global attention to the West African nation’s fight against terrorism.

Both states, plus Yobe State, have been placed under a state of emergency since May last year.

According to Human Rights Watch, the militants have killed at least 2,053 people since the beginning of 2014.

Christian Priest fires UN

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Christian Priest fires UN

While Middle East Muslim leaders were gathered at UN Headquarters in New York late last month to lambast Israel, a local Christian cleric was addressing a different UN forum – the Human Rights Committee in Geneva – to set the record straight on freedom for minorities in the Jewish state.

“Every five minutes, a Christian is killed in the Middle East because of his faith,” noted Father Gabriel Naddaf before a largely unsympathetic audience.

The UN Human Rights Committee has made a habit out of focusing disproportionate attention on any and all claims of misbehavior by Israel, all in service to its favorite pet project, the Palestinian nationalist cause.

But Father Naddaf, who had been invited to speak by “The Face of Israel” organization, was not deterred, declaring boldly that “Israel is the only place in the Middle East where Christians are safe.”

The cleric from Nazareth continued by insisting that “leaders of people, seekers of peace, end your witch hunt of the only free country in the region.”

Father Naddaf pointed out the hypocrisy of those who claim to champion the weak and dispossessed, and then turn around and defame Israel.

“It is time the world woke up to the fact that those who want to destroy the Jewish state are signing the death warrant on the last free Christians in the Holy Land,” he said, reminding those gathered that Christians and other minorities across the Middle East are today living under Muslim persecution unprecedented in modern times.

Father Naddaf is the spiritual leader of a growing movement in Israel that encourages young Christians to voluntarily join the Israeli army as a first step toward fully integrating into Israeli society.

The Israeli Christian Recruitment Forum sees national service as a duty for all who would claim the rights of citizens, and increasingly recognizes the strong historical and spiritual ties between the region’s indigenous Christian population and the Jewish people.

Source: Israel Today

Top 10 Richest Pastors in the World, Five Nigerians on the List

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Top 10 Richest Pastors in the World, Five Nigerians on the List

According to RichestLifestyle.com, a list was published showing the top 10 richest Pastors in the World and their individual net worth.

From the list, it showed that 5 prominent pastors in Nigeria made the top 10 richest preachers with net worths ranging from $10 Million to $150 Million .

Topping the list of richest pastors at $150 Million is none other than founder of Living Faith Ministries who recently turned 60 – David Oyedepo beating Chris Oyakhilome (Christ Embassy), T.B. Joshua (Synagogue Church Of All Nations), Matthew Ashimolowo (Kingsway International Christian Center) and Chris Okotie (Household of God Church).

Collated by RichestLifestyle.com, here are the top 10 richest pastors in the world.

10. Joseph Prince – Net worth: $5 Million (Singapore): Annual salary of this Singaporean pastor is $550,000. Pastor Joseph Prince is the senior pastor of the New Creation Church in Singapore. The New Creation Church’s financial income was reported at $44.7 million US dollars in 2008. He hosts a religious program called “Destined to Reign.” He has addressed many congregations worldwide.

9. Chris Okotie – Net worth: $10 Million (Nigeria): Chris Okotie was a pop musician in the 1980s. He embraced the Bible and set up the Household of God Church, one of Nigeria’s most flamboyant congregations. He is an automobile lover and owns several posh cars which include a Mercedes S600, Rolls-Royce, Hummer and Porsche.

8. Matthew Ashimolowo – Net worth: $10 Million (Nigeria): Matthew Ashimolowo’s Kingsway International Christian Center is the largest Pentecostal church in the United Kingdom. It has assets worth more than $40 million and earns profit of more than $10 million.

7. T.B. Joshua – Net worth: $15 Million (Nigeria): Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua is Nigeria’s most powerful, controversial and philanthropic preacher. He heads the Synagogue Church of all Nations (SCOAN), a congregation he founded in 1987. The christian minister, televangelist and faith healer is a big giver; his humanitarian works include education, healthcare and rehabilitation programs. He is the owner of Emmanuel TV, a Christian television network.

6. T. D. Jakes – Net worth: $18 Million (United States): Bishop T. D. Jakes is the apostle/bishop of The Potter’s House, a non-denominational American mega-church that has over 30,000 members. His ministry’s annual revival MegaFest draws more than 100,000 people.

5. Billy Graham – Net worth: $25 Million (United States): Billy Graham is a southern Baptist. He earned celebrity status when his sermons were broadcast on radio and TV stations all over the USA. He founded the Billy Graham Evangelist Association in 1950.

4. Creflo Dollar – Net worth: $27 Million (United States): This American televangelist, pastor is also a Word of Faith teacher. He is a founder of the non-denominational World Changers Church International. He has built a multimillion dollar ministry on the message “It is the will of God for you to prosper in every way.”

3. Benny Hinn – Net worth: $42 Million (United States): This Israeli-American televangelist earned wealth through his ministry and evangelical program. He is well-known for his regular miracle healing crusades, which are held in large stadiums in major cities and broadcasted in the TV.

2. Chris Oyakhilome – Net worth: $50 Million (Nigeria): Chris Oyakhilome’s church Christ Embassy has more than 40,000 members, several of whom are successful entrepreneurs and politicians. This pastor’s diversified interests include magazines, newspapers, a TV station, a record label, hotels, satellite TV and real estate.

1. David Oyedepo – Net worth: $150 Million (Nigeria): Bishop David Oyedepo is the richest pastor in Nigeria and the world. He is the founder of the Living Faith World Outreach Ministry. Ever since he founded this ministry in 1981, it has grown to become one of Africa’s largest congregations. He hosts three services every Sunday in The Faith Tabernacle. This prosperous pastor owns private jets and homes in the US and the UK.

Source: pulse.ng

US Cop undergoes lawsuit for sharing the Gospel in Uniform

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US Cop undergoes lawsuit for sharing the Gospel in Uniform

An Indiana State Police trooper charged with serving and protecting is under fire for concern over the soul of an Indiana woman he stopped for an alleged traffic violation.

Officer Brian Hamilton shared Jesus with Ellen Bogan after handing her a warning ticket, according to The Indianapolis Star. He reportedly asked her questions about her church life and if she knew Jesus as Savior. He also gave her a church pamphlet.

“It’s completely out of line and it just—it took me aback,” Bogan, 60, told The Indianapolis Star. “The whole time, his lights were on. I had no reason to believe I could just pull away at that point, even though I had my warning.”

Wouldn’t you know it? Bogan filed a federal lawsuit against the officer, and so did the American Civil Liberties Union.

Micah Clark, executive director of the American Family Association of Indiana, questioned whether a police officer should lose his right to free speech because he is wearing a badge.

“I have people pass out religious material all the time. Mormons come to my door all the time, and it doesn’t offend me,” Clark told The Star. “(This case) might not be the most persuasive time to talk to someone about their faith, but I don’t think that a police officer is prohibited from doing something like that.”

Source: Charisma News

Nigerian Bishops admonish President

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Nigerian Bishops admonish President

Catholic Bishops in Nigeria have called on the government to protect the lives and property of its people, as militants intensified their killing spree across the country.

In a statement ‘‘While Nigeria bleeds and burns’’ and signed notably by the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Most Rev Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, the Bishops urged the authorities to carry out their ‘‘primary duty’’ to protect the life of every Nigerian, irrespective of tribe, religion, social class or tradition.

“As Nigeria tragically bleeds and burns, we Bishops are really alarmed at the scale of human and material destruction, and the disruption of village and community life with increased levels of hatred and potentials for more conflicts in the nation. While Muslims are sometimes targets of these de-structive attacks, Christians, Churches and non- Muslims in general are the principal targets for extermination, expropriation and expulsion by the Boko Haram insurgents, the perpetrators of all these destructions’’.

The Bishops accuse the government of not doing enough to stop violence and killings.

“In the face of this Boko Haram group and other criminal militias arming themselves beyond our legitimate government, and brazenly killing innocent, defenseless citizens, our government must do more than it is currently doing to safeguard our lives and defend our nation.

Source: BCCN

MUSIC ALBUM:Michael W. Smith & Friends – The Spirit Of Christmas

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MUSIC ALBUM:Michael W. Smith & Friends – The Spirit Of Christmas

An acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician who has sold more than 15 million albums,Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas is Smith’s fourth Christmas project, following the successful releases of Michael W. Smith Christmas (1989), Christmastime (1998) and It’s A Wonderful Christmas (2007).

“This is the most unique and unusual record I’ve ever done in my 31-year career. The entire record was sequenced together before we recorded one song,” recalls Smith. “Sonically you’re hearing me in a way that you’ve probably never heard me before. At one point it’s like Smitty meets Bublé. There’s my granddaughter’s voice singing the song from ‘Home Alone,’ plus the whole orchestral and symphonic feeling of Christmas, mixed together with all these amazing voices and guests – yet it all fits together in a remarkable way.”

Marking his debut as an album producer, CMA Awards and CMA Country Christmas producerRobert Deaton was inspired by Smith’s performance with Jennifer Nettles during the 2013 CMA Country Christmas television program, and suggested to Smith they create a full Christmas recording as co-producers. The two welcomed renowned orchestral maestroDavid Hamilton as a third co-producer, who arranged and oversaw the London Symphony Orchestra’s recordings on the project.

“When we started talking about who could be on this record with him, the list got really narrow really fast,” remarked co-producer Robert Deaton. “There’s a difference between a singer and an artist, or a celebrity and an artist. While we were fortunate to have these amazing guests on the record, it all feels like a cohesive piece and you never leave the fact that it’s a Michael W. Smith record. That was important. That, along with working with co-producer David Hamilton, who is the resident genius, was amazing. This entire process has just been phenomenal.”

Eager to create a one-of-a-kind project to be played at Christmastime for years to come, Smith and Deaton were inspired by the original Carpenters Christmas album, wanting nostalgia to hit listeners right at the top of the record. Thematically, the album is uniquely divided into three sections, creating an overall arc to the recording. Beginning with the childlike and wintery aspects of the start of the Christmas season, the collection evolves with songs and instrumentations reflecting the true meaning of Christmas with the celebration of family and faith, concluding with what Christmas brought to the world, the birth of Jesus.

Source: Praiseworld Radio

ISIS forces advance despite U.S. Airstrikes

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ISIS forces advance despite U.S. Airstrikes

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said Tuesday that the Syrian border town of Kobani, under siege from Islamic State fighters, was about to fall to the militants despite United States-led airstrikes on the group.

Asserting that aerial attacks alone may not be enough to stop the fighters’ advance, Mr. Erdogan called for more support for insurgents in Syria who are battling the Islamic State, and reiterated Turkey’s earlier call for a no-fly zone and a buffer zone along the border. Yet he stopped short of committing Turkey to any ground operation, something he has long said would require an international agreement and a no-fly zone.

His comments highlighted a key sticking point between Turkey and Washington: President Obama wants Turkey to take stronger action against the Islamic State, while Mr. Erdogan wants the American effort to focus more on ousting Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad. Turkey has long supported the armed opposition to Mr. Assad.

“There has to be cooperation with those who are fighting on the ground,” Mr. Erdogan said, addressing Syrian refugees at a camp in Gaziantep, a border province west of Kobani.

But to the Syrian and Turkish Kurds watching in increasing desperation from hilltops here on Tuesday, the ground force that needs immediate help is the Kurdish group fighting the Islamic State in the streets of Kobani, the People’s Protection Committees. They believe that given Turkey’s long history of tensions with its Kurdish population, Mr. Erdogan sees the group, known as the Y.P.G., as an enemy and an even greater threat than the Islamic State.

Such complications are part of the tangled mix of alliances and enmities that have challenged the American effort to battle the Islamic State without wading deeper into the Syrian conflict.

Not long after Mr. Erdogan spoke, an airstrike hit less than a mile to the southwest of Kobani, also known as Ain al-Arab, sending a black plume skyward. Residents said the target appeared to be an Islamic State tank that had been shelling the city for two days. Two more strikes followed in the same area in less than an hour.

Several other airstrikes hit Islamic State positions overnight and Tuesday morning on the southern and eastern outskirts of the town, said Barwar Mohammad Ali, a coordinator with the Kurdish Y.P.G. force who was reached by telephone inside Kobani.

“It is the first time that people have the impression that the airstrikes are effective,” Mr. Ali said, referring to Kurdish fighters on the front lines. “But they need more.”

He said street fighting had continued on Tuesday and that Y.P.G. fighters had killed numerous attackers and captured 20, including 10 foreigners.

The American military confirmed four new airstrikes on the Islamic State, also known as ISIS and ISIL: one strike south of Kobani that destroyed three armed vehicles and damaged another; another strike to the southeast that hit antiaircraft artillery, and two to the southwest that damaged a tank and “destroyed an ISIL unit.”

Source: BCNN

“Ebola is a Human Catastrophe…”, Scientist says

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“Ebola is a Human Catastrophe…”, Scientist says

Professor Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who named Ebola and was part of a team of scientists who discovered the virus in Kinshasa, formerly Zaire, in 1976, says the Ebola outbreak is no longer an epidemic but a “human catastrophe” he never thought “could get this bad.”

“It should be clear to all of us: This isn’t just an epidemic any more. This is a humanitarian catastrophe. We don’t just need care personnel, but also logistics experts, trucks, jeeps and foodstuffs. Such an epidemic can destabilize entire regions. I can only hope that we will be able to get it under control. I really never thought that it could get this bad,” said Piot when asked if the world had lost control of the Ebola epidemic in an interview with The Guardian.

“I have always been an optimist and I think that we now have no other choice than to try everything, really everything. It’s good that the United States and some other countries are finally beginning to help. But Germany or even Belgium, for example, must do a lot more,” he explained.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the 2014 Ebola epidemic is the largest in history, affecting multiple countries in West Africa. Some 7,470 cases of Ebola have been reported in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and 3,431 of them have died. Cases have also been reported in Nigeria and Senegal, and the United States confirmed its first case of the deadly disease in Dallas, Texas, a week ago.

Piot, who named Ebola after the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, explained that the catastrophic outbreak of the virus was caused by what he calls a “perfect storm.”

“I think it is what people call a perfect storm: when every individual circumstance is a bit worse than normal and they then combine to create a disaster. And with this epidemic there were many factors that were disadvantageous from the very beginning. Some of the countries involved were just emerging from terrible civil wars, many of their doctors had fled and their healthcare systems had collapsed. In all of Liberia, for example, there were only 51 doctors in 2010, and many of them have since died of Ebola,” he said.

Piot explained that if Ebola hits large cities, it will be almost impossible to track and lead to an “unimaginable catastrophe.”

“In large cities, particularly in chaotic slums, it’s virtually impossible to find those who had contact with patients, no matter how great the effort. That is why I’m so worried about Nigeria as well. The country is home to mega-cities like Lagos and Port Harcourt, and if the Ebola virus lodges there and begins to spread, it would be an unimaginable catastrophe,” he emphasized.

Piot, however, expressed confidence that an Ebola outbreak in Europe or North America would be quickly brought under control when asked if he thought the outbreak was the beginning of a pandemic.

“There will certainly be Ebola patients from Africa who come to us in the hopes of receiving treatment. And they might even infect a few people here who may then die. But an outbreak in Europe or North America would quickly be brought under control,” he said.

“I am more worried about the many people from India who work in trade or industry in West Africa. It would only take one of them to become infected, travel to India to visit relatives during the virus’s incubation period, and then, once he becomes sick, go to a public hospital there. Doctors and nurses in India, too, often don’t wear protective gloves. They would immediately become infected and spread the virus,” Piot explained.

Source:Christian Post

Hong Kong: Former Bishop Admonishes Faithfuls

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Hong Kong: Former Bishop Admonishes Faithfuls

A former Catholic bishop of Hong Kong has warned of China’s growing influence and urged Christians to unite in the “fight” for democracy.

Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, who at 82 is one of the oldest campaigners to have joined the Occupy Central movement for democracy in the recent mobile-phone torchlit protests in the streets, warned that China’s influence is increasing “day by day”. He said Christians must be prepared to battle for their beliefs if religious freedom in the former British territory is not to become a thing of the past.

The cardinal, who served as bishop between 2002 and 2009 and has been active in the pro-democracy movement for decades, said: “Beijing are taking more and more control of Hong Kong, and going back on the promises of the constitution.

“All of these efforts, all of this courage to take risks and be ready to pay the price is because we are fighting for something very important. If [the Hong Kong leader is chosen by Beijing]…then he will surely do anything that the central authority commands.”

The Cardinal added that “the Communist party have no interest other than their own power, and they made whole people into slaves.”

The protestors are angry at the Chinese government’s insistence on screening political candidates to ensure their allegiance to the CCP.

It was hoped that open elections would be held in 2017, but a motion ruling against this was passed in August. Many locals believe this to contradict Beijing’s promise to one day allow Hong Kong “universal suffrage”.

Cardinal Zen spent days addressing the crowds, many of them students, and spent nights sleeping on the streets in the hopes of making the voice of the people of Hong Kong heard.

“Beijing are taking more and more control of Hong Kong, and going back on the promises of the constitution,” he told Christian Today.

“All of these efforts, all of this courage to take risks and be ready to pay the price is because we are fighting for something very important. If [the Hong Kong leader is chosen by Beijing]…then he will surely do anything that the central authority commands.

“And [the CCP] are also corrupt, not only in the sense of bribery, but they also corrupt the culture, the way of life – people become materialistic, selfish, dishonest and ready to accept slavery,” he said.

“Everybody becomes desperate in their own field. This terrible culture is against what we have instilled here in Hong Kong in our education and in our schools. And in the long run, sooner or later – or very soon – we are going to become like in China, and that is terrible.”

Cardinal Zen, who was Shanghai born but moved to Hong Kong ahead of the CCP’s establishment in 1949, believes speaking out for democracy and freedom is a vital part of his Catholic faith, as well as his position in leadership.

“This is in the teaching of the church; the social teaching says that the participation of people is important,” he said.

“Because we care for human dignity, we are children of God and we can’t be made into slaves: that is the reason we must fight.”

This week the Occupy Central movement has appeared to be on the wane, with just a few hundred protestors – most of them students – remaining, and leaders said last night that they had agreed to hold talks with the government.

Cardinal Zen called on those still demonstrating to go home, but not to give up.

“At this moment, the students should retreat, because to retreat doesn’t mean to abandon the cause,” he explained.

Soure:Christian Today

US Court Ruling to make Gay Marriage possible in 30 States

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US Court Ruling to make Gay Marriage possible in 30 States

Gay marriage will soon be possible in nearly two-thirds of America’s 50 states after a surprise decision by the Supreme Court not to intervene over key rulings of lower courts on the issue.

The decision means a further 11 states will now allow gay marriage, on top of the 19 where it is already permitted, taking the total number into a majority of states for the first time.

It came as nearly 200 Catholic bishops from around the world met in Rome to discuss, among other things, the Church’s hostility to gay relationships. Conservative advocates for the family criticised calls at the Extraordinary Synod on the Family in Rome for the Catholic Church to welcome homosexuals.

The Supreme Court decision affects five states in which appeals courts had struck down bans against gay marriage: Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Utah, as well as six other states overseen by the same appeal courts: North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming.

Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry, told USA Today: “The court’s letting stand these victories means that gay couples will soon share in the freedom to marry in 30 states, representing 60% of the American people. But we are one country, with one Constitution, and the court’s delay in affirming the freedom to marry nationwide prolongs the patchwork of state-to-state discrimination and the harms and indignity that the denial of marriage still inflicts on too many couples in too many places.”

Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the gay rights group, said: “Any time same-sex couples are extended marriage equality is something to celebrate, and today is a joyous day for thousands of couples across America who will immediately feel the impact of today’s Supreme Court action.” But he added: “The complex and discriminatory patchwork of marriage laws that was prolonged today by the Supreme Court is unsustainable. The only acceptable solution is nationwide marriage equality.”

The New York Times said in an editorial: “On Monday morning, the first day of the Supreme Court’s new term, the most exhilarating news came not from anything the justices did, but from one thing they didn’t do. Without explanation and against expectations, the court declined to hear any of the seven petitions asking them to reject a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. By choosing not to review those cases, the justices made it possible for same-sex couples in a majority of states to marry.”

The Times continued: “It has been astonishing and moving to see the unprecedented speed with which the public and the judiciary have come around on the issue. A majority of Americans now support the right of same-sex couples to marry, compared with about a quarter in 1996. Among those under 30, support is at nearly 80 per cent.”

In Rome, however, Voice of the Family, an umbrella group of Catholic laity from major pro-life and pro-family organisations, showed that resistance to gay equality in marriage remains strong on the religious right.

Referring to a testimony given to the Synod where a married couple, Ron and Mavis Pirola, called on churches to welcome homosexual couples, Maria Madise, Voice of the Family’s coordinator, said: “The example given by the Pirolas – of ready acceptance of a son and his homosexual lover to a gathering where the grandchildren would welcome them into the family – gives a false lead to families and parishes. It is no example of love and mercy towards anyone.

“The unqualified welcome of homosexual couples into family and parish environments in fact damages everybody, by serving to normalise the disorder of homosexuality.

“It damages children by presenting homosexual relationships as models which may legitimately be chosen. It damages adults by making them complicit in tacit endorsements of the immoral and dangerous homosexual lifestyle. And it damages the homosexual couples themselves by failing to guide them with the truth in charity – that their relationship is gravely harmful for their moral and spiritual health.”

She urged the bishops meeting at the Vatican not to change the traditional doctrine on homosexuality.

“The Church is clear that a truly pastoral approach will appreciate the need for homosexual persons to avoid the near occasions of sin,” she said. “The Pirolas’ presentation will lead to considerable confusion on the part of Catholics dealing with such difficult situations”

At Tuesday’s daily Vatican press conference on the Synod, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, said that the Synod responded to the Pirolas’ testimony “very warmly, with applause”.

John Smeaton, chief executive of the London-based Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, said: “Those Synod Fathers who, like Cardinal Nichols, welcomed the Pirolas’ disturbing testimony show that they are totally out of touch with the real problems faced by families. The homosexual agenda is forcing its way into schools, universities, workplaces and sports clubs. The last thing families and parishes need is for Church leaders to tell them to welcome homosexual couples.

Source:Christian Today

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