The World’s Richest King, His Mysterious Fortune, and the Protesters Who Want Answers – Urban Christian News

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Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn is carried on a palanquin during his coronation in Bangkok in 2019. (Sakchai Lalit / Associated Press)
Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn is carried on a palanquin during his coronation in Bangkok in 2019. (Sakchai Lalit / Associated Press)

The crown prince of Thailand’s third marriage unraveled in lurid headlines: The princess was stripped of her titles, her parents and brothers jailed over vague corruption allegations, her uncle purged from his senior police post.

Then the heir to the throne had to finesse a divorce settlement.

Luckily for the prince, he had access to one of the largest royal fortunes in the world, a secretive holding company laden with stakes in blue-chip Thai companies and prime land in the heart of Bangkok. The company covered the payment, reportedly close to $6 million.

Two years later, in 2016, the prince ascended to the throne. One of King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s first major acts was to transfer all the holdings in the vast company, known as the Crown Property Bureau, to his personal ownership, giving him control of more wealth than the reported riches of the Saudi king, the sultan of Brunei and the British royal family combined.

Those assets — conservatively valued at $70 billion — are now a focus of a pro-democracy movement clamoring for greater transparency into the monarchy’s finances and limits on its extensive powers.

In August, students at Thammasat University demanded the king restore the assets to Crown Property Bureau control and place it under government oversight — a startling act of defiance in a country where a strict royal insult law has traditionally silenced criticism of the monarchy.

Some protesters have also called for a boycott…

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Harvest Bible Chapel Reaches Multimillion-Dollar Settlement with Former Pastor James MacDonald

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Harvest Bible Chapel Reaches Multimillion-Dollar Settlement with Former Pastor James MacDonald


Harvest Bible Chapel Reaches Multimillion-Dollar Settlement with Former Pastor James MacDonald

Chicago-based megachurch Harvest Bible Chapel has awarded its former pastor, James Macdonald, $1.45 million and the right to continue his ministry, Walk in the Word, following a contentious falling out between both parties last year.

As Christian Headlines previously reported, MacDonald, who founded Harvest Bible Chapel, was fired last February for making “inappropriate” comments as well as “harmful” conduct amid a financial investigation of MacDonald and the church. MacDonald had led the megachurch for 30 years.

According to Christianity Today, in separate statements last week, both parties addressed the arbitration process, which went through the Institute Christian Conciliation. While an attempt at “relational reconciliation” was made between MacDonald and the Harvest elders, it would later fall through.

MacDonald, however, would be able to retain his teaching ministry, Walk in the Word, under James MacDonald’s ministries, and not under HBC’s oversight.

The church elders explained in a statement that MacDonald will also receive $1.2 million along with a parcel property in Crystal Lake, Illinois. Additionally, the former pastor will have access to the ministry’s equipment, books, and digital resources.

MacDonald will also be reimbursed an additional quarter-million dollars for selling his former home and will receive…

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Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.

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After a 7-Month Wait, This Tourist Got Machu Picchu All to Himself – Urban Christian News

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Jesse Katayama had planned to end a two-year journey around the world 8,000 feet above sea level at Machu Picchu, the sprawling 15th-century Inca citadel high in the Andes Mountains.

Then the coronavirus happened, stranding Mr. Katayama, a 26-year-old Japanese citizen, in Peru and shutting down tourism sites as a lockdown was imposed across the country.

On Sunday, after a wait of seven months, Mr. Katayama finally got to visit the UNESCO world heritage site. And aside from a few guides, he got it all to himself.

“The first man to visit Machu Picchu is me,” he wrote in a post on Instagram that included photos of him with a park representative.

Alejandro Neyra, Peru’s culture minister, said in a virtual news conference on Monday that Mr. Katayama had been granted special access to the site in recognition of his patience.

“He had come to Peru with the dream of being able to enter,” Mr. Neyra said. “The Japanese citizen has entered together with our head of the park so that he can do this before returning to his country.”

Before the pandemic, Machu Picchu welcomed thousands of visitors a day. Tourists typically have to apply months in advance for permits to enter an Inca trail that leads to the ancient fortress.

Mr. Katayama’s original pass was scheduled for March 16, and he arrived two days before, at Aguas Calientes, a town at the foot of the mountain.

But two days turned into weeks and then months. He rented a small apartment in the town and passed the time taking daily yoga classes, teaching local children how to box, and studying for various fitness and sports…

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What is QAnon? Why is it popular and dangerous? And how can Christians respond?

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What is QAnon? Why is it popular and dangerous? And how can Christians respond?

People take part in a demonstration opposing the mandatory wearing of face masks in Montreal, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

On December 4, 2016, Edgar Maddison Welch drove 360 miles from North Carolina to Washington, DC, where he entered the front door of a pizzeria called Comet Ping Pong. Armed with a 9-mm AR-15 rifle, a Colt revolver, and a shotgun, he walked through the restaurant. At one point, he tried using a butter knife to pry open a locked door, then fired several rounds from his rifle into the lock. Behind the door was a small computer-storage closet. 

Welch traveled to Washington because of a conspiracy claiming that Hillary Clinton was running a child sex ring out of the basement of Comet Ping Pong. However, the restaurant has no basement. When Welch realized that Comet Ping Pong was just a pizza shop, he set down his firearms, walked out the door, and surrendered to police. 

Welch has been described as a dedicated father, a devout Christian, and a man who went out of his way to care for others. He had trained as a volunteer firefighter and went on an earthquake-response mission to Haiti with the local Baptist Men’s Association. 

When he went on trial, he wrote a note to the judge stating, “It was never my intention to harm or frighten innocent lives, but I realize now just how foolish and reckless my decision was.” He was sentenced to four years in prison. 

What is QAnon? 

The idea that a cabal of powerful elites is abusing children and getting away with it is part of a movement known as QAnon. This is the name for the family of conspiracy theories promoted by Q (or “Q Clearance Patriot”) as well as the community of supporters who promote and advance these theories. 

The name is derived from “Q,” a mysterious figure (supposedly a military official) who began posting anonymously online. “Q”…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Denison Forum.

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Court Upholds Ky. Pro-Life Law Protecting Women from ‘Unsanitary’ Abortion Clinics

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Court Upholds Ky. Pro-Life Law Protecting Women from ‘Unsanitary’ Abortion Clinics


Court Upholds Ky. Pro-Life Law Protecting Women from ‘Unsanitary’ Abortion Clinics

A U.S. federal appeals court on Friday revived a Kentucky pro-life law by ruling it is not unconstitutional for the state to require that abortion clinics have agreements with a local hospital and a local ambulance service in the event medical complications arise.

The case involves a 1998 Kentucky law that requires abortion facilities to obtain transfer agreements with a local hospital and transport agreements with a local ambulance service. Planned Parenthood joined a Louisville abortion clinic in suing the state to strike down the restrictions, and a district court in 2018 sided with abortion providers, saying the law places an undue burden on women and has few “medical benefits.”

But on Friday, the U.S. Sixth Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, reversed the lower court.

“We cannot say that laws requiring abortion facilities to have transfer and transport agreements with a local hospital are not reasonably related to a legitimate government end,” Judge Joan Larsen wrote in a majority opinion joined by Judge Chad Readler. Both were nominated by President Trump. Judge Eric L. Clay, who was nominated by President Clinton, dissented.

The state’s purpose in passing the law, Larsen wrote, was to treat “patients with unforeseen complications related to an abortion facility procedure.” Larsen further noted the 1998 law was passed due to…

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Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.

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pastor leaves church over Trump support evang abandoned role

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pastor leaves church over Trump support evang abandoned role

By Michael Gryboski, Christian Post Reporter Follow
Pastor Keith Mannes, formerly of of East Saugatuck Church of Holland, Michigan, preaches his final sermon at an outdoor service on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020. | Screengrab: Facebook/East Saugatuck Church

A pastor of a Christian Reformed Church congregation in Michigan has left the ministry due to his belief that the church is too supportive of President Donald Trump.

Pastor Keith Mannes preached his final sermon at East Saugatuck CRC on Oct. 11, telling the Holland Sentinel that he felt the church had “abandoned its role” in not holding Trump more accountable.

“There’s a quote from Martin Luther King where he said, ‘The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state,’” Mannes told the Sentinel.

“The question of the church largely and how it’s functioned in this moment has been really disturbing. That’s been troubling enough that I need to lay it all down.”

According to the pastor, he had to be “very careful to not speak about” his issues with Trump with members of the congregation, adding that it was “tearing me up.”

Mannes, who said his dislike of Trump over his rhetoric and actions had been…

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Bird Breaks World Record for Non-Stop Flight After Flying From Alaska to New Zealand in 11 Days – Urban Christian News

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A bird said to have the aerodynamic build of a “jet fighter” has been tracked flying more than 12,000km (7,500 miles) from Alaska to New Zealand, setting a new world record for avian non-stop flight.

The bar-tailed godwit set off from south-west Alaska on 16 September and arrived in a bay near Auckland 11 days later, having flown at speeds of up to 55mph.

The male bird, known as 4BBRW in reference to the blue, blue, red and white rings fitted on its legs, also had a 5gm satellite tag harnessed on its lower back to allow scientists to track its progress. It was one of four to leave together from the Alaskan mudflats where they had been feeding on clams and worms for two months.

The male bar-tailed godwit, whose standard weight is between 190gm and 400gm, can double in size before a long flight but is able to shrink its internal organs to lighten the load.

After leaving Alaska, the birds headed south over the Aleutian Islands and on to the Pacific Ocean. The journey is thought to have been prolonged by strong easterly winds, which pushed the group towards Australia.

The satellite recorded a point-to-point flight of 12,854km but the scientists believe that once rounding errors are taken into account the journey will have been around 12,200km. It is estimated that the total flight time was 224 hours. The previous longest recorded non-stop flight by a bird, of 11,680km, was recorded in 2007.

Dr Jesse Conklin, from the Global Flyway Network, a consortium of scientists studying epic migratory journeys, said: “They seem to have some capability of knowing where they are on the globe….

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Husband forgives distracted driver who killed his wife: The power of faith in storms of deception and pain

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Husband forgives distracted driver who killed his wife: The power of faith in storms of deception and pain

(Adobe Stock)

Melissa Nielsen kissed her husband Curtis goodbye and told him she would see him soon. She then left for her daily morning walk around their neighborhood in Rigby, Idaho.

Within minutes, Curtis’s phone rang. It was Melissa’s friend saying she’d discovered her on the side of the road. Curtis rushed to the scene, where he found his wife lying on the ground. Their next-door neighbor, Lincoln Lear, was standing nearby in horror. 

Lincoln’s life was already deeply difficult. His wife suffers from a debilitating respiratory condition. In 2014, the couple lost their oldest son to a neuromuscular degenerative disorder. Then came the news that their two other children have the same disorder. 

That morning, Lincoln said he had been driving to work and reached down to plug in his phone to charge. In that moment, he swerved and hit Melissa. 

As Curtis knelt beside his wife’s body, their four children (ages fifteen, eleven, eight, and four) were sleeping at home. “I started breaking down,” he recalls. “I started to pray. I knew she wasn’t going to be with us after this.” 

However, Curtis knew Melissa would want him to forgive Lincoln. So that’s exactly what he did. 

Lincoln was subsequently charged with vehicular manslaughter and pleaded guilty, but Curtis has been supportive of him. Lincoln’s offense is punishable by a year in jail and steep fines, but Curtis insisted he not go to jail or pay anything. “He was always being tortured enough by his own actions,” Curtis explained, “and I didn’t want to jeopardize him not having time with his own family.” 

Lincoln says, “I feel so grateful. Everybody’s been so supportive, caring, and sympathetic. If his attitude was different, I’d be in jail.” 

The difference faith makes in a marriage 

Grace in a world of hate makes headlines and changes hearts. So does faith in a world of…

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8 Reasons It’s Tough for Some Folks to Hear Us When We Preach

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Not everyone listens to us when we preach, even when we’re in the same room. Here are some reasons some people struggle to listen:

  1. Something’s happened during the week that’s captured all their attention. It’s usually a difficulty, and it’s usually something that consumes their mind so much it’s tough to hear anything else. I think particularly of family and work issues.
  2. They’re typically so busy that just sitting still for any length of time—much less listening—is hard. Frankly, I’m one of those persons. I have to make myself listen, and it’s seldom easy.
  3. Distractions in the worship service have already diverted their attention. The distraction can be anything, especially as the enemy wants people not to hear the Word (see #8 below). Anything from a cold room temperature to a crackling sound system to a crying baby or a sleeping adult can turn our attention elsewhere.
  4. In some cases, we’ve hurt them in the past (or, at least that’s their perception), and they’ve never moved beyond that. They still come to church because it’s their church, but they find it hard to listen to us without remembering yesterday’s situation.
  5. Sometimes we’re boring. The problem is that we usually don’t recognize it, and few people are honest enough to tell us. They love us as their pastor. They wouldn’t want to hurt us—so they tolerate boredom but don’t listen.
  6. They’re frustrated with the music part of the worship service. In some cases, they cling to their personal…

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Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Thom Rainer.

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Lakewood returns to in-person worship after 7 months

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Lakewood returns to in-person worship after 7 months

By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post Contributor Follow
Pastor Joel Osteen speaks at Lakewood Church on Oct. 18, 2020. | YouTube/Lakewood Church

Lakewood Church in Texas reopened its doors for its first in-person worship service on Sunday since the COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions began in March. An emotional Pastor Joel Osteen spoke about reigning over problems to more than 4,000 people.

“About a month ago, or a few weeks ago, I felt like God put in my spirit it was time to come back,” said the pastor of the Houston megachurch, which held the indoor service at 25% capacity. Attendees were required to wear masks at all times and follow social distancing.

“We’ve never been closed; the building was closed but can I tell you these last months, we have had our greatest outreach of ministry in 61 years,” Osteen told the congregation, sharing that 12 million people watched the service online during Easter weekend.

“God has raised up Lakewood for this time. Hey, when does the world need hope any more than now?” 

During his sermon, Osteen said, “We were not created to go through life overcome by problems, struggling to make it in mediocrity … God created us to reign, to be the victor, not the victim.”

We can reign over all our…

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