Hunt says UK are doing ‘absolutely everything we can’ to help Asia Bibi

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Hunt says UK are doing ‘absolutely everything we can’ to help Asia Bibi

The Cabinet member, Jeremy Hunt, launched a review on Boxing Day that would look into how much Christians are being persecuted in parts of the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

There have been attacks on the Egyptian Coptic church, Christians in Pakistan and there have been killings of church members in Nigeria, all this year.

Hunt said he wanted to make sure the UK was doing everything it can and using the ‘full weight’ of the foreign office.

The review will be presided over by Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Truro.

When asked whether the foreign secretary agreed with the Archbishop of Canterbury’s statement that Christians were on the verge of extinction in the Middle East and that the UK should take more refugees, Hunt replied: “He makes this very striking observation that a few years back the population in the Middle East was about 20% Christian, that’s declined to about 5% Christian.

“We obviously look at individual refugees on a case-by-case basis but what we want to understand is whether we are using the weight of the foreign office network to support the plight of minorities in general and make sure Christians are one of those minorities we are looking at and doing everything we can.”

The Conservative minister was asked about Asia Bibi, the Pakistani woman who was almost sentenced to death this autumn, accused of blasphemy against the Islamic prophet…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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When Do I Know I’ve Hit Rock Bottom in a Revitalization?

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We end 2018 with a discussion of how churches that may seem “too far gone” are typically not and how God can still work in every church.

Today’s Listener Question from Harold:

I’m very discouraged in my current pastorate. We saw quite a drop in attendance this year (140 to 95) and we’re trying to revitalize, but nothing seems to be making a difference. I’m the only staff member left and I’m in year 3. We see small gains here and there but it seems that with every one comes another death in the church or family that moves away. Is there hope for churches like mine as we head into 2019?

Some highlights from today’s episode:

  • Year three may be the toughest year for a pastor.
  • We serve a God of hope, and we need to realize and remember how He is working in our churches.
  • We could use more hope in our churches.
  • Pastors need to be proactive about building peer groups to help encourage one another.

The five keys that we discuss are:

  1. Understand that effective change typically begins in years 3 to 5
  2. Get an objective outside view
  3. Celebrate more than worrying about the bottom
  4. Get peer perspectives
  5. Understand that negatives are often multiplied from the perspective of the pastor

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Revitalize & Replant is sponsored by the North American Mission Board and ChurchReplanters.com. More than 10% of churches in North America are at risk of closing and the North American…

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

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Six Christians Injured in Stoning of Christmas Service in Burma Area Buddhists Had Told Christian Families to Leave Village.

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Six Christians Injured in Stoning of Christmas Service in Burma Area Buddhists Had Told Christian Families to Leave Village.


Six Christians Injured in Stoning of Christmas Service in Burma Area Buddhists Had Told Christian Families to Leave Village.


YANGON, Burma, December 24, 2018 (Morning Star News) – Unidentified men last week stoned a house full of worshippers for an hour in a predominantly Buddhist village in Burma (Myanmar), injuring six people, sources said.

 

In Kanta Kawn Township, Magway Region in central Burma, 27 Christians were holding a Christmas worship service on Dec. 17 when at 8 p.m. stones began hitting them in Paw Lwe village, the homeowner told Morning Star News. Last year area Buddhists told Christian families to leave the village after a similar attack, he said.

 

U Wah Daw said that some stones damaged a wall of his home and injured the chest, back and hands of some worshippers, including the pastor.


“We were afraid and didn’t make noise while they threw stones into my house,” U Wah Daw told Morning Star News. “They threw stones at my house while we held prayer. My house has minor damages. I filed a lawsuit to police and let them handle the case.”


The stones, which also landed in curries and meals, damaged motorbikes, furniture and dishes and plates. 


Area Christians said attackers signaling each other threw stones at all sides of the house. They also broke into it and vandalized it, they said.


“We are investigating those who are suspected of involvement in the attack,” said a police officer at Min Ywa police…

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

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Unlikely TV star Sister Wendy Beckett dies

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Unlikely TV star Sister Wendy Beckett dies

The Roman Catholic nun passed away on Boxing Day at a care home close to the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham, Norfolk, where she lived.

Jonty Claypole, the BBC’s director of arts, said: “Sister Wendy had a unique presentation style, a deep knowledge of and passion for the arts.

 

“She was a hugely popular BBC presenter and will be fondly remembered by us all. We’re thinking of her loved ones at this time.”

Born in South Africa in 1930 and raised in Scotland, Sister Wendy anchored a series of popular art shows on the BBC, including Sister Wendy’s Grand Tour (1994).

 

According to her publicist, Sister Wendy died from a combination of old age and health problems.

Xinran Xue, a close friend, said: “It is very sad news. Many people see her as a religious person and she was far more than that.

 

“It’s a huge loss for the art world. She was a brilliant…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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Why did the Dow soar more than a thousand points?

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Why did the Dow soar more than a thousand points?

The Dow soared more than a thousand points yesterday, its biggest one-day point spike in history. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 rose dramatically as well.

The markets were not merely in a holiday mood. Investors responded to the largest holiday sales growth in six years, with total sales exceeding $850 billion. Investors also credit oil’s best rally since 2016, President Trump’s assurance that the Fed chairman’s job is safe, and a report that US officials will travel to Beijing in two weeks to hold trade talks.

One economist summarized: “Stocks just got too cheap relative to earnings, future earnings, any reasonable assessment of earnings.”

Looking back, it all makes sense. But looking forward, what will the markets do today?

I have no idea. Neither does anyone else, it seems.

President Trump visits Iraq

Surveying this morning’s headlines, I’m impressed by the fact that so few could have been predicted. For instance, President Trump made a surprise visit to US troops in Iraq. Two years ago, pollsters were nearly unanimous in predicting that Hillary Clinton would be our president today.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg was released from the hospital yesterday after surgery for early-stage lung cancer. When she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer nine years ago, her prospects for another decade of service on the court were unclear at best.

I could go on: the Lakers lost LeBron James to an injury but demolished the world champion Warriors on Christmas Day; drinking alcohol and coffee could be the key to living longer, according to a new study; and a woman from the UK won more than a million dollars in Las Vegas while playing the Wheel of Fortune slot machine–she hit the jackpot on her 960th spin.

Rabbi Abraham Heschel was right: “The course of life is unpredictable; no one can write his autobiography in advance.”

“The real enemies of our life”

As we turn our attention from Christmas to the New Year, we are tempted to focus on…

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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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Apple bans ‘homophobic’ app for same-sex attracted Christians

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Apple bans ‘homophobic’ app for same-sex attracted Christians

iPhone and iPad users can no longer download the software, which was produced by Living Hope Ministries (LHM) – a Texas-based group offering one-on-one pastoral counselling and mentoring.

A petition was started by the gay rights group Truth Wins Out which accused the app of saying gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are “sick”.

 

The organisation’s executive director Wayne Besen said: “We thank Apple for exemplifying corporate responsibility and taking swift action to remove a dangerous app that stigmatizes and demeans LGBT people.

“Ex-gay programmes are consumer fraud and cause significant harm to the people they purport to help.”

Google (creenshot)

 

Founded in 1989, LHM describes its mission as to “proclaim God’s truth” and promote “sexual and relational wholeness”.

Its website goes on to say: “LHM proclaims a Christ-centred, biblical world-view of sexual expression rooted in one man and one woman in a committed, monogamous, heterosexual marriage for life.

 

“Anything less than this ideal, falls short of God’s best for humanity.”

Apps found to contain “defamatory, discriminatory, or mean-spirited” content – including such references to sexual orientation – face being penalised under Apple’s app rules.

Ricky Chelette, the executive director of LHM – which is not related to a UK-based…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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Two people hurt in explosion outside Greek church

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Two people hurt in explosion outside Greek church

Police said the blast occurred at around 7am outside the Orthodox church of Agios Dionysios in the upmarket Kolonaki area of the capital, ahead of a Christmas holiday service to mark St Stephen’s day.

The two victims were taken to hospital.

 

Neither of the two men suffered injuries that are life-threatening, according to police and church officials.

Fr Symeon Voliotis, an aide at the archbishop’s office, told state-run ERT television that the caretaker found the explosive device at the front entrance of the church, moved it and alerted police.

AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

 

“Any action that threatens life or disturbs the peace must be condemned,” he said.

“My first thought was that someone homeless may have been hurt, because they often seek shelter there. But fortunately that was not the case.”

Wikimedia Commons

 

Authorities are already on alert following an attack on the private Skai television station when a powerful bomb damaged the front of the building on December 17.

Militant far-left and anarchist groups have carried out attacks over the Christmas holidays in recent years.

 

Anti-terrorism division officers are leading the investigation into the explosion, and officers cordoned off the busy central Athens area while colleagues gathered evidence.

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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‘We must do more’, Jeremy Hunt orders review into help for persecuted Christians

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‘We must do more’, Jeremy Hunt orders review into help for persecuted Christians

The independent review will also map persecution against believers in “key countries” across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and make recommendations for a “cohesive and comprehensive policy response”.

Mr Hunt said: “So often, the persecution of Christians is a telling early warning sign of the persecution of every minority.

 

“…I have asked the Bishop of Truro to look at how the British Government can better respond to the plight of persecuted Christians around the world.

“We can and must do more.”

 

Approximately 215 million Christians faced discrimination or physical harm last year, according to Foreign Office officials who say there has been a “dramatic rise in violence” against followers of Christianity.

Bishop of Truro Rt Rev Philip Mounstephen, who will report back around Easter 2019, said the issue was “close to my heart”.

 

He added: “Part of the Christmas story tells how Jesus was himself the victim of persecution so it seems particularly timely to…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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Joyce Meyer Devotional 27 December 2018 — You Don’t Have to Burn Out

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Topic: You Don’t Have to Burn Out [Joyce Meyer Devotional 27 December 2018]

“I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” — Psalm 91:2

Are you excessively tired all the time, and even after sleeping, do you wake up feeling tired all over again? You may be experiencing some of the symptoms of exhaustion, or what is commonly called “burnout.”

Long periods of overexertion and stress can cause constant fatigue, headaches, sleeplessness, gastrointestinal problems, tenseness, a feeling of being tied in knots, and an inability to relax.

Some other signals of “burnout” are crying, being easily angered, negativity, irritability, depression, cynicism (scornful, mocking of the virtues of others), and bitterness toward others’ blessings and even their good health.

“Burnout” can cause us to not exercise self-control, and when this happens, we will no longer produce good fruit in our daily lives. “Burnout” steals our joy, making peace impossible to find. When our bodies are not at peace, everything seems to be in turmoil.

God established the law of resting on the Sabbath to prevent “burnout” in our lives. The law of the Sabbath simply says we can work six days, and rest one day. We need to rest and worship and play. Even God rested after six days of work. He, of course, never gets tired, but gave us this example so we would follow the pattern.

In Exodus 23:10–12, we find that even the land had to rest after six years, and the Israelites were not to plant in it the seventh year. During this rest, everything recovered and prepared for future production.

Today in America, almost every business is open seven days a week. Some of them are even open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. When we make ourselves available at all times, we are in danger of “burnout.”

People today are quick to argue that they cannot afford to take a day off, but I say they cannot afford not to.

Some people feel guilty anytime they try to rest, but that guilty feeling is not from God. God wants us to live balanced lives, and if we don’t, we open a door for Satan to bring some kind of destruction (see 1 Peter 5:8). Trust God that your resting time is just as valuable as your working time.

Prayer Starter: Lord, thank You for the examples You have given us in Your Word about rest. I ask for Your help to live a truly balanced life and do whatever it takes to have the proper time to relax and recharge. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Joyce Meyer Daily Devotional HERE’’

From Joyce Meyer’s Ministries.

The post Joyce Meyer Devotional 27 December 2018 — You Don’t Have to Burn Out appeared first on Flatimes.

TREM Devotional 27 December 2018 – God Is All You Need

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Topic: God Is All You Need [TREM Devotional 27 December 2018]

“I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.” Jn. 15:5 (AMP)

Yesterday, I challenged you to develop a plan. But don’t take it out of context and run off thinking that you can succeed without God. Remember, I said you have a part to play and God also has a part. Your part is to work, but His part is to bless.

Many times we are tempted to lean on our own understanding; but I come to you today to remind you that without God, you can do nothing. Yes, you may have succeeded using a certain method yesterday, don’t rely on it today, go back to God and seek instruction from His mouth. You need the word from God daily to remain victorious. Don’t plan to live in 2019 the way you did in 2018 because 2019 is a different year.

God does not want you to be up today and down tomorrow. God does not want you to record a victory today and defeat tomorrow. He wants you to live in victory 100% of the time and the only way to do this is to depend totally on God.

King David knew this truth that despite the victories he recorded in battle, he regularly went back to God to receive instruction from His mouth. The same thing with Jesus, He lived on the proceeding word from the mouth of God and that is why He went from the place of prayer to the place of ministry and back to the place of prayer. Don’t live on yesterday’s revelation; there is a fresh word for every day. In a few days we will be in 2019, receive instructions from Him for the year. Be open to hear what He will say to you and determine that whatever He says, you will do. I look forward to hearing your testimony.

Further Reading: Jn. 15: 1 – 17; 1 Sam. 30: 1- 19

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Zechariah 1-4; Evening- Revelation 18

“If you missed yesterday devotional click HERE to read TREM Daily Devotional by Dr. Mike Okonkwo’’

Written by Dr. Mike Okonkwo; Is the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM); a versatile man of God with over 30 years of dedicated service unto the Lord.

The post TREM Devotional 27 December 2018 – God Is All You Need appeared first on Flatimes.

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