The event – which took place in the city of Oran, was a first ceremony of its kind in a Muslim country.
The men and women killed from Tunisia, Spain, France, and Belgium were declared martyrs by the Vatican in January because it said they had been killed out of hatred for their faith.
This paved the way for their beatification which is the step before sainthood in the Catholic Church.
Those honoured included seven French Trappist monks who were kidnapped from their monastery in the capital 1996.
Their skulls were discovered two months later but their bodies were never found.
A radical anti-government group – the GIA, claimed responsibility for the killings.
The other Catholics were murdered in separate incidents.
Pope Francis said in a message that he hoped the beatification would “heal the wounds of the past and create a new dynamic of meeting and living together”.
Roughly 1,200 people attended the event where a moment of silence was held for the 250,000 people killed as the army fought an Islamist insurgency between 1991 and 2002.
The ceremony also honoured 99 imams killed in the fighting.
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Open Heaven 11 December 2018 Tuesday Daily Devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Operating on the Right Side
Topic: Operating on the Right Side (Open Heaven 11 December 2018)
Memorise:“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”– Psalm 119:105
Read: John 21:3-12 (KJV)
3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
Bible in One Year: Daniel 7-8, John 9:35-10:21
Open Heaven 11 December 2018 Tuesday MESSAGE:
The story narrated in today’s Bible reading contains some vital lessons for those who desire not to live in failure and frustration. From this story, we discover that our Lord Jesus Christ can choose to be humourous sometimes. Asking a group of frustrated fishermen whether they had food was a dose of humor from the Lord in order to change the gloomy atmosphere of failure that had enveloped the disciples. As a gesture of gratitude for being of great service to me, I once gave a small gift to a young man to pass on to his children at home. Unknown to me, this young man had no child since he got married. The Lord turned the gift into a prophetic tool, because by the time I was visiting that country the following year, the miracle child this young man had been waiting for had come. I decree that God will spice up your life with pleasant humour today in Jesus’ Name. When the Lord asked the disciples whether they had caught anything, He was also teasing them with His question because they were no long supposed to be in the fishing business. You will recall that in Luke 5:10, He had already said to Peter, in the presence of some of these disciples, that from that moment he would be catching men and not fish. Peter and his team failed because they were operating on the wrong side of their destiny.
It would not be out of place to be puzzled by Jesus’ instruction to His disciples in John 21:6 when He said “Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find”. This instruction should not be seen as symbolic, because there was nothing at the other side of the ship. Immediately the disciples cast their net on the right side as instructed, they caught a multitude of fish. Beloved, when you operate on the wrong side of life, you are bound to get nothing out of it. The Lord’s side is the right side of life. He said in John 14:6:
“…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
He is still leading men to the right side of life today through His word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, for you to continually stand on the right side of life, you must be addicted to the study of the Bible and be sure to listen to the Holy Spirit’s voice, guiding and leading you into all truth (John 16:13). However, having experienced the right side of life, it would be disastrous to abandon it for the wrong side of self-will. Jesus committed the work of the ministry to Simeon Peter, but he and his team went fishing instead. What did they get out of their efforts? Nothing! Nevertheless, the compassionate Master went ahead to prepare a delicious breakfast for His errant disciples (John 21:9). There is no form of lack on the Lord’s side. Beloved, I appeal to you to come to the Lord’s side in perfect obedience to His word today, and failure will become alien to you and your generation.
Open Heaven 11 December 2018 Tuesday Prayer Point:
Father, please bring me to the right side of Your purpose for my life, and cause me to begin to succeed where I have been failing.
Open Heaven 11 December 2018 Tuesday Hymn 4: Trust And Obey
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey.
Chorus:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it away; Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey.
Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly repay; Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross, But is blessed if we trust and obey.
But we never can prove the delights of His love Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, Are for them who will trust and obey.
Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet, Or we’ll walk by His side in the way; What He says we will do, where He sends we will go; Never fear, only trust and obey.
Open Heaven 11 December 2018 Tuesday Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Open Heaven 11 December 2018 Tuesday Daily Devotional.
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Transgender Person Who Murdered Parents over Gender Issues is Sentenced
A man who identifies as a woman was sentenced last week to 40 years in prison for the 2016 murders of his parents.
Andrew T. Balcer—who now identifies as “Andrea”—told a local newspaper the murders followed a disagreement over gender identity. Balcer also claims he was sexually molested.
“I wanted to grow up and be a woman,” Balcer told the Kennebec Journal. “They kind of sat me down and told me and kind of physically forced into me that that was something that was not acceptable.”
But Balcer’s brother, Christopher, says his parents would have supported Balcer’s new choice of gender.
Balcer, now 20, stabbed his mother and father to death on Halloween 2016. Balcer spared Christopher, who fled.
“I spent however many years being raised as a boy, as a man. It was drilled into me what men do, what they’re supposed to be,” Balcer told the newspaper. “I was never raised the way I wanted to be. So I am conflicted between the person that I was raised to be and the person who I want to be.”
Balcer regrets what happened.
“Only a monster would not feel remorse at that kind of thing,” Balcer said from jail. “I’m not happy that all of this happened. It just traded one hell for another.”
The Salvation Army and Crisis have had to turn applications from potential volunteers down, as they have had too many people offering their time.
Claire Bonham, Volunteer Development Manager for The Salvation Army told Premier: “It’s a lovely problem to have… it’s hard to be critical of people who want to volunteer at Christmas, and we’re really not!”
Explaining the reason for the boom, she said: “It’s more on people’s minds at this time of year, when people are thinking about family and counting their blessings in a way, to think about those who don’t have what we have, people who are out on the streets when it’s really cold, people who are lonely, perhaps people who are in debt.”
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to give back, but unfortunately our programmes do get filled quite quickly.”
Asked if the Salvation Army had to turn away volunteers at any other part of the year, she said: “There is something really special about Christmas.
“It allows people to take stock, and I think as Christians we’re thinking more about the incarnational ministry of Jesus at this time of year and that leads people to think about those who are less fortunate, so it tends to be mainly Christmas [that is busy].”
In the absence of volunteering opportunities, the Salvation is asking people to pray for its ministries over the Christmas period.
Parents Raising Genderless Baby, ‘Zo,’ Who Will Pick Gender When Older
The father of a 22-month-old says in a new video that he and his partner are raising their child gender-neutral and will let the child choose a gender when older.
They named the child “Zo.”
“We use ‘they’ pronouns for Zo,” the father, Nathan Levitt, says in a new video for TicToc, a Bloomberg Twitter feed. “We felt like there are so many gender stereotypes that get put on kids. From the second they’re born, the question is, ‘Is it a boy or a girl?’ And then so many decisions are made from that. … Are you going to buy pink clothes or blue clothes? Do they play with trucks or with dolls?
“And we felt we really want, as best as we can, to have our child not have those stereotypes put on them. And our child to have the openness to identity as whatever gender they want to whenever they feel that’s right for them.”
Levitt and his husband identify as transgender men.
When strangers ask Levitt or his husband “is it a boy or a girl?” they often respond, “We don’t know yet. We’re waiting for Zo to tell us.”
“We are preparing for whatever Zo might say and however Zo might identify, knowing that might change,” Levitt says. “So there might be a time where Zo says. ‘I don’t feel like a ‘they.’ I feel like a ‘she’ or I feel like a ‘he.’”
The Italian government’s anti-immigration law may make thousands of people homeless.
The “Salvini decree” removes protection for people not eligible for refugee status. Those individuals unable to return home, have been left without a legal residence.
This decree was applied by several Italian cities soon after its approval by parliament earlier this month.
The Catholic Church has responded by saying it will help those who risk expulsion.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said last week that the Vatican’s position is very clear: “You don’t leave migrants in the street…you cannot put people in this position.”
He added: “You must always focus on people and their rights.”
The Bishop of Caltagirone, Monsignor Calogero Peri, has offered space for up to 40 people in beds across church fun facilities in his diocese. These would be used for people who risk expulsion.
Calogero Peri is quoted in the Guardian saying: “And if there are not enough beds? I have already spoken with other bishops: we will open the church doors of every single parish under our control.
“It’s not a question of politics. It’s a matter of protecting individuals. Imagine this: in Italy now it is a crime to abandon dogs, but it is not a crime to abandon people. Even worse, abandoning men, women and children is now the law.”
Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our…
Constitutional Violations Rising as the Result of Same-Sex Marriage Case
There have been some 15 cases where Christian wedding businesses have been taken to court for refusing to serve same-sex couples.
According to WND.com, since the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage, at least 15 cases have come to the courts, including the Colorado case where Christian baker Jack Phillips refused to make a wedding cake for a same sex couple. His case eventually won at the Supreme Court.
The cases were mentioned in Family Research Council’s new report, “Religious Liberty and the ‘Wedding Vendor’ Cases.”
“People of faith increasingly find themselves facing lawsuits (along with censure and hostility) when they refuse to renounce their religious beliefs on marriage and sexuality in living out their faith,” says Alexandra McPhee, director of Religious Freedom Advocacy at Family Research Council.
“One need look no further than the wedding industry, where small business owners are being forced to make the choice between violating their faith and freely running their businesses.”
In many of the cases, the court has awarded damages to complainants.
” … Business owners across the country have had to face the unacceptable choice of violating their religious beliefs or losing their livelihoods—all because they will not use their skills to affirm or facilitate the…
That’s according to a study by the Christian run Toy Shop “The Entertainer” which found that the top festive joy for children over Christmas, is putting up the Christmas tree.
Having time off school and giving presents made the top ten festive joys – but the list was lacking in an activity that reflected the real meaning of Christmas.
Father Christmas made it to the sixth spot on the list of children’s festive joys for Christmas, and making Christmas decorations was in tenth place on the list.
Absent from the list were activities such as carol singing, taking part in a nativity or making a Christingle.
1. Putting up the tree
2. Receiving gifts
3. Having new toys
4. Opening advent calendars
5. Time with friends and family
6. Father Christmas
7. Christmas films
8. Giving presents
9. Time off school
10. Making Christmas decorations
James Cooper who runs the website “Why Christmas.com” told Premier he wasn’t surprised by the list.
“A lot of people are just not aware that there is a Christian or a real good story behind Christmas,” he said. “They just see it as a winter festival where we put up decorations and eat too much”
“The real meaning of Christmas for me is Jesus!”
Cooper runs a website which explains some of the history behind the Christmas story and some Christmas traditions. He says if you feel guilty about children not experiencing the…
Iowa Judge Hears Arguments Over State’s Fetal Heartbeat Law
The battle over Iowa’s fetal heartbeat law continued in a Polk County Courtroom Friday. Judge Michael Huppert heard arguments Friday over whether there are any facts in dispute in the case. If there are facts in dispute, then a trial will be necessary.
The Iowa Legislature passed the law, which bans abortions after a heartbeat can be detected, on May 1stand Governor Kim Richards signed in on May 4th. The Emma Goldman Clinic and Planned Parenthood of the Heartland filed suit to stop the law from going into effect. Judge Huppert granted an injunction in June which prevented the law from going into effect while the suit worked its way through the legal system.
The state’s attorneys argued that many facts are in dispute in the case. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs argued that the law is blatantly unconstitutional and should be thrown out quickly. The state’s attorneys said the law was not a complete ban on abortions, but rather a restriction on when abortions could take place.
Martin Cannon, an attorney for the Thomas More Society, which is representing the state, said the law “does not ban one single abortion.” He continued, “It simply requires that all abortions be done earlier. If you’re going to have an abortion, do it before the child reaches this milestone.”
At a lunch with pro-life activists who attended the hearing, Cannon admitted that the law…
A special prayer released by the 24-7 Prayer movement encouraged them the ask God to bestow his “wisdom and vision” upon the Prime Minister and the UK’s political party leaders.
Author, Carla Harding told Premier shared prayers can be helpful – explaining : “I’m often not alone in feeling overwhelmed in praying for large issues like our nation.
“I know that I appreciate it when people share the prayers that they’re praying so that I can add my ‘amen’ or use their prayers as a starting point for my own prayers.”
The prayer, which describes the present as a “time of turmoil”, also encourages prayers for “truth” among the media and “humility” for politicians.
The full prayer says: “In this time of turmoil… We pray for the Prime Minister and Party Leaders as they negotiate the political future of our nation: Father, give them your wisdom and vision.
“We pray for all in Parliament as they represent their communities: Jesus, give them your humility and strength.
“We pray for the media as they interpret events for the nation: Holy Spirit, give them your truth and compassion.
“We pray for ourselves, your Church, as we show your love to our neighbours: Would we speak hope, embody courage and model unity in diversity.
“Almighty God, we place our trust in you: For yours is the kingdom the power and the glory, now and forever,…
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