The Trump Administration has voluntarily dismissed the government’s appeal in Ave Maria School of Law v. Sebelius, solidifying a legal victory for the Catholic law school and repairing some of the damage done by the ObamaCare abortion and contraception mandate. Ave Maria is represented by Alliance Defending Freedom and Liberty Counsel.
In 2014, the law school won an injunction against the ObamaCare requirement that the school pay for contraception, sterilization and abortion through its health plan. The Obama administration appealed that ruling, and the case had been on hold since. But now the Trump administration, having just announced new exemptions from the mandate for religious employers like Ave Maria, took the additional step of dismissing the Obama administration’s appeal.
The Trump administration announced last week that employers will now be exempt from the federal requirement to provide insurance coverage for contraception in their health insurance plans if it conflicts with their sincerely held religious or moral beliefs. This now limits a rule created under the Obama administration’s Affordable Care Act that required that employers, including non-church religious organizations, must cover all forms of contraception, from birth control pills to abortion drugs and devices, at no cost to the employees.
“The ObamaCare contraceptive mandate seriously threatened the missions of countless Christian schools, hospitals and other institutions that provide invaluable benefits to our country but could not compromise their fundamental beliefs to appease President Obama’s ambition to lead the sexual revolution,” said Roger Gannam,Liberty Counsel’s Assistant Vice President of Legal Affairs. “Bit by bit, religious liberty is being restored by President Trump.”
“The Trump Administration’s decision to reverse the federal requirement for employers to provide insurance coverage for contraception and abortion drugs and devices upholds religious freedom for Ave Maria School of Law and other nonprofit organizations who cannot and will not participate in killing innocent children,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. “A Catholic university cannot teach students to stand for Christian values while it violates those same religious beliefs. The dismissal of this case is a great victory for the sanctity of life and for religious freedom.”
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A Christian Group Was Banned from Participating in Oxford College Student Fair
A Christian group was banned from holding a stall at Balliol College’s welcome week event, known as the freshers fair.
According to the Catholic Herald, student leaders who are part of the Junior Common Room (JCR) at Balliol College, a school associated with Oxford, claimed the Christian Union was banned from holding a stall at the fair due to “harmful” links with “neo-colonialism” and “homophobia.”
Other students took issue with the JCR’s decision and criticized the group for “barring the participation of specific faith-based organisations” and committing “a violation of free speech [and] a violation of religious freedom.”
The opposing students even proposed a motion that condemned the JCR’s decision. The motion passed unanimously.
Although the pushback did not cause the JCR to completely reverse its decision to ban the Christian Union, it did settle on a compromise allowing the Christian Union to man a stall at the fair as part of a “multifaith” display.
“Ultimately, it was reached to have a multifaith stall rather than a CU stall specifically,” wrote JCR president Hubert Au in a Facebook post. “We didn’t want to monopolise the presence of any individual faith/belief society,” he added.
The Christian charity has published a report entitled The Legalization of Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide.
It details the harmful consequences of existing euthanasia laws and practices and also aims to equip those involved in this debate across the world.
Sophia Kuby, Director of EU Advocacy for ADF International and co-author of the white paper said in countries that legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide, there’s been a “slippery slope”.
She said: “The space in society for the weak, the old, and the sick shrinks. The possibility to end one’s life at the hands of a doctor or a ‘helper’ quickly turns into a duty to not be a burden on society.
“Once we open the doors to intentional killing, there is no logical stopping point. There is nothing progressive about a society that refuses to care for its most vulnerable members.”
Euthanasia was legalized in the Netherlands and Belgium in 2002 and Luxembourg in 2009. Assisted suicide was legalized in Germany in 2015.
According to the Belgian Euthanasia Control and Evaluation Commission in 2015, 12,726 people died at the hands of a doctor since the law was adopted.
The ADF International report claimed there’s been euthanasia for dementia and psychological suffering such as depression.
Kuby told Premier that was unacceptable and more attention needs to be drawn to the importance and benefits of palliative care.
She said: “Pain treatment has improved significantly. You can still receive the best possible care before you die.
“We need to foster this, more money needs to go into palliative care, and this is the only humane answer.
“End of life can be hard and heavy to carry, but human care and spiritual care is important.
“[There are many] testimonies we get frequently from people who live such precious moments at the end of life.
“They have reconciliation… that none of their family members left behind would ever want to miss.
“To deprive yourself or anyone else of that, from a Christian point of view, is probably not a good idea. “
Listen to Sophia Kuby speaking to Premier’s Tola Mbakwe here:
U.S. President Donald Trump smiles after signing an Executive Order to make it easier for Americans to buy bare-bone health insurance plans and circumvent Obamacare rules at the White House in Washington, U.S., Oct. 12, 2017. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
President Donald Trump signed an executive order yesterday that will help relieve some of the burdens of the Affordable Care Act, making good on promises he made to Americans on the campaign trail.
In the past several months, Trump has also forged ahead with decisive actions on important issues such as the restoration of religious liberties, the representation of conservative views on the Supreme Court and the protection of the sanctity of life.
Award-winning journalist and author Stephen E. Strang says his interaction with the president—both as leader of the free world and a presidential candidate—has taught him that when Donald Trump makes a promise, he delivers.
Strang’s new book, God and Donald Trump, will be released in less than a month and reveals the strategies, behind-the-scenes activity and profound voices that helped shape the dramatic events of the election and presidency thus far.
“During the presidential debates, Donald Trump very wisely reaffirmed his commitment to making health care affordable and accessible again, appointing strong conservative jurists to the Supreme Court, overturning Roe v. Wade, and restoring religious freedoms for pastors, churches and everyday believers,” Strang said of Trump’s promises. “Those statements struck home with a lot of Christian voters and influenced thousands who had been skeptical to give Trump a chance. His evangelical support began to grow daily, and as it turned out, the evangelical vote accounted for nearly a third of all the votes cast for Trump.
“From the beginning, Donald Trump understood the importance of the Christian vote,” Strang continued. “He courted evangelical support, spoke openly about his faith, accepted invitations to speak to the Christian media, and promised to stand strong for the issues that would bring Christians to the polls. It proved to be a winning strategy, and the success was largely based upon the promises he made—and the promises he is fulfilling today as president of the United States.”
Set for release on Nov. 7, almost a year to the day from the presidential election, God and Donald Trump takes an incisive look at the factors that drove those conservative and evangelical voters to the polls.
Strang is an award-winning journalist and successful businessman who began his career as a newspaper reporter at the Orlando Sentinel before founding a Christian publishing house and media company while interviewing and writing about nearly every Christian leader in the country over the past four decades.
God and Donald Trump is published by Frontline, an imprint of Charisma House, which has published books that challenge, encourage, teach and equip Christians, including 13 New York Times best-sellers.
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Father of Man Wounded in Las Vegas Shooting Says God Intervened to Save Son’s Life
Phil Aurich was one of the victims of the deadly Las Vegas shooting, which took place on Oct. 1. Phil was shot in the left side when gunfire rained down on the attendees of the Route 91 Harvest festival at Mandalay Bay.
A series of events happened to Phil that night that he and his family believe are evidence of divine intervention. After Phil was shot, his girlfriend insisted he keep running to get out of the line of fire, but when he could run no more, a police officer who was supposed to be setting up roadblocks realized it was more urgent that Phil get to the hospital and took him there.
“I don’t know how long he would have lasted if he would have had to sit there and wait,” said Phil’s father, Mike Aurich.
When Phil arrived at the hospital he was met by Dr. Tim Dickhudt.The doctor knew he had to operate on Phil right away.
“The bullet went in on his left side, and of course it did all that damage when it got inside,” Mike continued. “But Tim saw that, and said to the other surgeon, ‘This guy’s got to get on the table now.'”
It also turned out that Dr. Dickhudt had ties to the Aurich family. “Tim’s father John, who is a doctor here in town, and Mindy, my wife, went to grade school together,” Mike said. “Then we found out Tim grew up in Woodbury, about 5 blocks from where we lived. Then it turns out my wife’s mother and Tim’s grandmother were good friends. It’s so ironic. Mindy has a son and raises him to be shot. And John has a son and raises him to be the doctor (who cared) for him. You just can’t get beyond that being a Godly thing.”
Phil is reportedly out of the ICU and recovering well.
“I believe that was God’s hands,” Mike added. “He calls you when he is ready. And I don’t know what he has in mind for Phil. But obviously, he has something left for Phil to do and he chose to spare him.”
Benedict Rogers said he is still awaiting an explanation from authorities over why he was refused entry by border security staff on Wednesday.
He told Premier: “If basic freedoms, the space for civil society and the space for free-thinking in Hong Kong continues to shrink… then, at some point further down the line, that is going to affect the church and affect religious freedom.”
The deputy chairman of the Conservative Party’s human rights commission, Mr Rogers has been an outspoken critic of Beijing’s track record on human rights.
He claims airport staff in Hong Kong took him aside after his arrival on a plane from the Thai capital Bangkok on Wednesday morning.
The case fuels concern that the so-called ‘one country, two system’ principle – established when the UK handed over control of Hong Kong – is being undermined and China is exercising undue influence.
Mr Rogers said: “The decision to deny me entry was not taken by the Hong Kong authorities. It was taken by the Chinese government and that, therefore, undermines the principal of Hong Kong people running Hong Kong.
“If China has control of Hong Kong’s immigration and has the power to deny people entry simply because they’ve been critical of China’s human rights record and the threats to Hong Kong’s freedom, then that’s a very serious concern.”
Earlier this week, the foreign secretary Boris Johnson said the UK will seek an urgent explanation from the Hong Kong authorities and from the Chinese government” over the case.
Premier has contacted the Chinese embassy in London for a response:
Only those who fully enter into this process of grieving over wrongs done to them, or for sin, will ever be able to process their pain to the point where they can be comforted by God. (Pexels/Pixabay)
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4).
For many years I wondered what this verse meant. I used to think that God wants us to feel bad for all the sin in the world and walk around depressed or sad all day. But now I believe this verse has to do with the need for us to fully face and deal with those things that hurt us. Only those who fully enter into this process of grieving over wrongs done to them, or for sin, will ever be able to process their pain to the point where they can be comforted by God.
“To mourn” means to grieve or lament something—the process through which you allow yourself to feel a heavy emotional burden or pain while you deal with a loss or emotional wound. This is different from a pity party or clinical depression; this is actually the opposite of feeling sorry for yourself, since in mourning you are open to reality and God’s inner dealings of the heart. But when you feel sorry for yourself, you actually mitigate against the workings of God in your soul, hindering growth in the process of pain and grief.
The Jews of the Old Testament understood what it meant to fully comprehend and process pain. They used to walk around dressed in sackcloth and would throw ashes on their heads. After Jacob died, they mourned his passing with heavy lamentation for seven days (Gen. 49:10). When Moses died, the nation of Israel mourned 30 full days (Deut. 34:8). This was not just done after someone passed away, but when they were grieved by something or someone, or when they repented for sin (Matt. 11:20-21; Jonah 3:4-10). Nowadays, we continue to sin as if it were nothing—since we refuse to feel the pain of God’s heart and suffer with Him for our actions. When we do not fully face what we are doing wrong, we continue to perpetuate evil deeds!
At least 25 percent of the Psalms are made up of lamentations. For example, Psalm 22 is a prophetic song about how Jesus would be treated and how He would feel emotionally for what people did to Him. Psalm 51 is a whole song about godly sorrow; David was a man after God’s heart because he knew how to process and face the guilt he felt, and he knew how to feel pain for hurting God and His people. There is even a whole book written by Jeremiah called Lamentations. Second Corinthians 7 teaches us that godly sorrow leads us to repentance. David wrote a song that he commanded Israel to sing regarding the loss he felt due to the death in battle of King Saul and his son Jonathan (2 Sam. 1).
Jesus: Our Example for Mourning and Facing His Pain
Jesus was in touch with His emotions. He was angry and grieved at the hardness of the hearts of the religious leaders (Mark 3:5). He greatly rejoiced in the Spirit (Luke 10:21). He groaned within Himself and was troubled (John 11:33-35). He was moved with compassion when He healed people (Mark 1:40-44). Jesus was openly sorrowful, even to the point of death when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane: Matthew 26:36-39 says, “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane and said to the disciples, ‘Sit here while I go and pray close by.’ He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then He said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Wait here, and keep watch with Me.’ He went a little farther, and falling on His face, He prayed, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.'”
Jesus and Lazarus: John 11:33-36 says, “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, ‘See how He loved him'”
Sometimes I feel awkward when a person, especially a female, starts weeping! Jesus didn’t. He fully knew how to enter into someone else’s pain!
Jesus wept over Jerusalem: Matthew 23:37-39 says, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you, how often I would have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not! Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you shall not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.'”
Unlike spiritual leaders and Christians, Jesus did not just move on when people didn’t progress in their faith with God.
Jesus was called a man of sorrows and was acquainted with grief. This doesn’t mean He was depressed or filled with self-pity but rather that He was filled with grief because He entered into the suffering of others.
How We in America Process Pain
In America, we are taught to just suck it up and keep going without dealing with things. Everything in this generation is instant and superficial. Most relationships are an inch deep and a mile wide, even marriages! Most spouses don’t even know their mate the way they should, and most Christians have friendships that are only based on connecting in the context of a lot of people and activity.
Even after a loved one passes away, we are taught to mourn only three days! Jesus said it was a blessed thing to mourn. It is a healthy thing to not only contemplate and mourn the loss of a loved one, but it is also healthy to fully process what happens when someone hurts you, sins against you or when a friendship is broken.
Mourning Is Necessary for Spiritual and Emotional Health and Maturity
You have to fully face and evaluate when someone hurts you, and fully face how it made you feel in order for you to fully release and forgive that person and progress forward to spiritual maturity. Moving forward in relationships without fully facing your own pain and the hurt others have inflicted upon you will enable their ghosts to continue to haunt you. This then causes invisible people (those from your past who still influence you negatively and constitute your emotional baggage) to trigger leakage in your later years that will come out negatively in all other meaningful relationships. Truly, hurt people hurt people.
When we move on too quickly, we don’t even know ourselves. We don’t even understand all the hidden, negative thoughts, unresolved emotions and pain that are still motivating us today! Often, there are songs, neighborhoods, smells, colors and even images, authority figures and events that can trigger great pain, depression and vast mood swings in each of us—and we don’t consciously understand why. It is because of how those memories are connected to a person or symbol that you have unresolved issues with.
Case in point, I remember one day after I saw a baseball movie with my wife for my birthday (The Natural, with Robert Redford) that I became depressed and in a bad mood. At first, I didn’t understand why, but then I realized that the movie reminded me of my dream as a kid to become the center fielder for the New York Yankees and finally, at the age of 25 in the early 1980s, I was finally facing the fact that this particular dream would never be fulfilled! I should have resolved this when I was 13 and a doctor told me that I could never make sports my living because I had a bad case of bursitis or “sand on the knee,” which would cause me to limp in great pain after a few months of playing organized baseball.
Also, a few years ago, I went on a very long fast for one of my children. It was only recently that I realized this juice fast was really triggered because I was fully facing and mourning the backslidden state of one of my older children.
How to Comfort in Mourning Is to Release and Forgive the Invisible People in Our Lives
In John 20:23, Jesus says, “If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained.” Sometimes I will almost be paralyzed for hours because I have learned that I cannot go on with my life until I fully evaluate what others have done to hurt me, my response to that hurt, including honestly assessing how their action made me feel, and then, either speaking to them in person to resolve it or just dealing with it before God and forgiving them without meeting with them. I have been doing this for years. This process is perhaps the greatest reason why I have survived in Christian leadership for almost 40 years.
It is time for you to begin the process of emotional health in your life and in the key relationships around you. Begin now to forgive and release those who have sinned against you. Sometimes the greatest ghost in the room is you; you have to also learn to forgive and release yourself! Sometimes depression is caused by anger at yourself. Self-hatred is also very common. We need to release ourselves from failure if we are going to have a chance and go on with God!
The Wounded Healer Is Here to Heal Your Wounds
Finally, all the provision for both bodily and emotional healing has been provided for in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Isaiah 53:3-5 prophesied this about Jesus: “He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from him; he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely he has borne our grief and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed.”
May we all learn how to process pain honestly with the strength and grace of the One who was wounded so we can experience healing on the inside and outside.
Dr. Joseph Matterais an internationally known author, interpreter of culture and activist/theologian whose mission is to influence leaders who influence nations. He is renowned for addressing current events through the lense of Scripture by applying biblical truths and offering cogent defenses to today’s postmodern culture. He leads several organizations, including The United Coalition of Apostolic Leaders (uscal.us). He also has a blog on Charisma News called “The Pulse.” To order one of his books or to subscribe to his weekly newsletter go to josephmattera.org.
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We have a serious ministry problem, worse today than it’s ever been. Fake ministers. Fake love. Fake faith. Superficiality and a lack of transparency.
My heart breaks and weeps when I see how some got this way.
Through abuse, rejection, forms of pride, disappointment, and lack of validation many leaders/ministers project an image they want others to see – an image of a strong and confident leader who knows the Word of God. Often their resume contains a list of accomplishments and achievements that belie the real truth of who they are.
Some ministers and leaders need constant validation and affirmation. Their peers must know how great they are. Their peers must honor and respect their gifts and ministry. If not, they will exalt themselves in self-aggrandizement to hide the real issues, insecurities, and fears of their own hearts. They are spiritual orphans in our pulpits.
These orphans can never be wrong. They can never admit their mistakes. It is difficult for them to receive correction. Their leadership or personal life can never be challenged even by friends. They defend their right to be who they are, and justify their actions. To me, more often than not, these are symptoms of orphan hearts.
I was one, so I know of what I speak. In 2002 the Lord delivered me after I surrendered all. In an inward vision I was looking up through a glass ceiling at all the things I wanted in ministry – power, anointing, favor, significance, influence, etc. but the Lord directed me to the floor and my foundation. He spoke to me at length about my character saying such things as:
“The reason I have not opened the doors you’ve wanted me to open to you in ministry is because if I did, you would have ceased to be a man after my own heart.”
I broke down and wept when I realized He was keeping me from greater ministry opportunities, power, and influence because of His love and protection for me.
He also said this:
“Take away ‘ministry’ over the last 17 years and what do you have? Your character has not been sufficiently dealt the death blows that it will take to properly develop it to where I can impart to you the mind of Christ. You need more mortification to receive the mind of Christ.”
When I heard this I realized He was requiring crucifixion and death to what I perceived I wanted and return to Him as my first love.
“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Rev. 2:4).
Let me ask you a question: Is Jesus enough for you? If you didn’t have a ministry, a vision from God, an esteemed occupation and reputation, a list of achievements you’re proud of, riches and possessions, how would it be with you? And if you don’t have those things why are you so desperately reaching for them? Have you found your fulfillment in Him alone? And how would you know if you have?
More heart-searching questions: Why are you always talking about yourself? Why are you always defending who you are and what you do? Is it difficult for you to recognize the achievements of others and the honor they receive? Is it painful to celebrate a friend’s success and accomplishments because you don’t have much? If so, you may be a spiritual orphan. You may be insecure, and need so badly to find your security in the love of the Father. When you’re secure in His love and who you are in Him you want to lift up everyone else except yourself. You can wash others’ feet as Jesus did when your security is in Him alone.
You don’t need further validation or the affirmation of friends. All that has done is cover up the real issues of your heart and life, and cause the deception to become thicker. You need the outstretched hand of the love of the Father God to deliver you from the bondage of your mind and soul, and fill your heart with His glory. You need a fresh revelation of His deep love for you. You need to hear the words, “This is my son or daughter in whom I am well pleased.”
Full healing and restoration in a man or woman happens when they receive this revelation, and then have no need to be honored or affirmed by anyone. The honor of God will be enough. Jesus will be your all sufficiency.
When they asked the people of the Yoido Full Gospel Church, in Seoul South Korea, the largest church in the world, what they loved the most about their pastor Dr. David Yonggi Cho, they said it was his humility. When he makes a mistake or misses it with God or the church, he stands in front of the congregation and asks for forgiveness. How rare that is today especially among leaders of large churches and works.
Why am I saying all these things? Because as I grow older I not only want souls to be saved, but my heart grows increasingly burdened for ministers who are called to save souls. They should be the primary agents for change and reformation in the Church, but often they are the main hindrances. If change doesn’t happen in them it won’t happen in many others because leaders transmit and impart what they are to others. In other words, if you save a ministry gift you save souls.
Real deep and lasting change begins in all of us when we begin seeing things as God sees them. Full restoration in a man begins when he truly repents, asks for forgiveness, and surrenders all. Then there will be nothing for the enemy to hang on to. You will cut off his access into your mind, life, and heart. You will be free from the accuser and your past. Once you repent and die to your own reputation the devil will have nothing to hold over you. You will be completely and permanently free.
The Lord saved the gifts in my wife and I from defilement in 1995 for her and 2002 for me. We humbled ourselves and came under the dealings of God. Sometimes there is a season of pain we must endure to lay everything down at the altar. As ministers, we have to even be willing to lay down our ministries and churches for a season, and be willing to reveal to the people where we went wrong.
Orphan hearts are everywhere. They fear the disapproval of men because they have not embraced the approval of God that comes when they humble themselves in His sight. Come to the Father and allow His Spirit to anchor you in His love. I can testify that many old lifelong burdens will be removed off your shoulders and you will enjoy a newfound freedom and rest you’ve perhaps never had before.
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Mt. 11:28-30).
“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:15-16).
Bert M. Farias, revivalist and founder of Holy Fire Ministries, has authored several books with an emphasis on helping to restore the true spirit of Christianity in the Church today, including the newly released, Passing on The Move of God to The Next Generation and the highly sacred book, The Journal Of A Journey To His Holiness. An anointing of fire marks his ministry with frequent demonstrations of the Spirit and power of God. He ministers interdenominationally and cross-culturally in nations, churches, conferences, on the streets and in homes. He and his wife Carolyn also host The Holy Ghost Forum – a school of the Spirit. Follow him at Bert Farias and Holy Fire Ministries on Facebook and @Bertfarias1 on Twitter.
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(Photo: REUTERS/Mike Blake)Firefighters work to put out hot spots on a fast moving wind driven wildfire in Orange, California, on Oct. 9, 2017.
A California nondenominational church and its congregants have opened their doors to those forced to evacuate because of this week’s wildfire in Orange County and will be leading a multiethnic community prayer gathering on Friday.
Members of the 1,200-member Influence Church in Anaheim Hills opened up their homes to neighbors who were forced to evacuate or suffered damage as a result of this week’s “Canyon Fire 2,” which began on Monday and has engulfed up to nearly 10,000 acres as of Thursday.
“During the evacuation, church members and staff helped neighbors move stuff out of their houses. We prayed for those that were in distress during that time. It was like chaos around here,” Pastor Phil Hotsenpiller told The Christian Post.
Thus far, the wildfire has destroyed or damaged a total of 60 structures, including a number of homes. One person has been injured. It was reported Thursday afternoon that the fire was about 60 percent contained.
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Phil Hotsenpiller is a pastor and expert in the field of end-time prophecy.
Hotsenpiller, who disclosed that he was flying to Pittsburgh for a television interview when the wildfire hit on Monday, explained that the church was also affected by the evacuation. The evacuation was issued Monday and lasted into Tuesday.
Hotsenpiller, who returned home Tuesday, said that up to 100 people have come to the church since it reopened Tuesday night. He stated that families came to the church for prayer, aid or a place to wait before they could return to their homes.
“We gave out water. We offered housing. We probably had 50 of our members offer homes for people to stay in. If they didn’t want to do that, we offered to pay for their hotel,” Hotsenpiller said. “Although we didn’t have anyone take us up on the hotel, on the rooms they did.”
Free coffee was also provided by the Bodhi Leaf Coffee Shop located right next door to the church. Influence Church owns a business park and rents out commercial space to the coffee shop and a United States Post Office.
Hotsenpiller added that the church also passed out water and snacks to those waiting on the streets.
“Some of the streets were gridlocked for three hours and they were only maybe a half-mile long. There is just no effective way to get people out of this area. It is not designed for mass evacuation,” Hotsenpiller said. “You see the pictures and it looks like apocalypse.”
“Most of the people now have gone back in their homes because they have lifted the evacuation,” he said. “Some people have had minor damage and some people have had total loss. I think the thing that hit me was there is just so much [travesty] so fast that nobody knows how to mourn and how to react anymore.”
One family that attends Influence Church, the Williamsons, had their home completely destroyed in the fire, Hotsenpiller explained. The mother, Erin Williamson, had just returned from Las Vegas, where she mourned the loss of a friend who was gunned down in the Oct. 1 massacre.
“Because so much has happened to her home and everything with her loss in the shooting, she has had so many donations. Literally, worldwide, people have wanted to donate and give stuff. The irony is you can give them stuff but they don’t have a place to store it. They don’t have a house.”
The church plans to establish a donation fund for those people affected by the Anaheim Hills fire and the northern California wildfires. The wildfires in northern California have been much more severe than the one in Orange County. At least 31 have been killed as a result. Hotsenpiller said the online fund would be created by the end of the week.
“We are also going to collect and distribute to those in need in Anaheim and in Santa Rosa,” he assured.
The pastor told CP that Anaheim city council member Kris Murray called on the church to lead a prayer rally for first responders on Friday. Hotsenpiller said the prayer rally will be held at the coffee shop right next to the church and representatives from the American Red Cross and other community leaders will speak.
“We live in a largely diverse neighborhood in terms of religion,” Hotsenpiller said. “We have a lot of Christians but we also have a lot of Muslim believers. We expect that it will be an multifaith gathering. It will be a good variety of people.”
“We are gathering at the coffee shop to give us a little neutrality from the church,” he added. “We think it is really a good move.”
The church also held a prayer gathering on Thursday.
“We have a prayer wall in our church with about 20,000 prayer requests in the last three years. We have seen so many miracles,” he said. “The prayer wall is really a community gathering spot for people. We have dozens of people who come in for prayer throughout the week anyway. So it is kind of natural to come and pray.”
“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
Surely I’m not the only one who has noticed that Christians tend to be an easily frightened bunch. Spirits of fear are in high demand in churches from coast to coast. Why is this? People take on these demonic spirits of fear because they very successfully masquerade as spirits of wisdom. The more afraid we are of anything that presents a threat, the more careful we will be and the safer we will be—or so goes the logic.
In this article, I want to offer a completely different method of confronting threats. Believe me, taking on a devilish anointing is not part of the plan. We can absolutely can live every moment of our lives without a troubled or afraid heart. The Bible tells me so!
Too many simply reject biblical truth as unrealistic, and fear is an all-too-familiar friend that can help with overcoming faith falters.
In fact, the carnal, unsaved people of the earth seem to exhibit more bold fearlessness than we see among those who have the most powerful, attentive and loving person that has ever lived on their side: Jesus.
The “No Fear” mantra that took off years ago still emblazons T-shirts and bumper stickers across the land. Fearlessness is understood by those who don’t know God. But what about those who carry the immeasurable force of the universe within? What’s up with Christians who live in fear and worry every day of their lives?
Motorcycles, Guns, Diet Soda and Other Scary Stuff
“Worry shows God you are paying attention.” ~Frankie Heck, The Middle
God bless all of you who love me! I mean that with all sincerity. Being in church settings my entire life has provided me a never-ending stream of suggestions and concerns delivered through some of the most wonderful people in the world. The more people love me, the more they worry. This is true for anybody. Frankie Heck (played by Patricia Heaton) revealed the wisdom, in humorous fashion, that many loved ones employ. They worry, hoping it will suffice as intercession. The truth is that worry is atheism. Worry decrees that there is no God. It’s evidence that we doubt any supernatural covering, provision or help is truly reliable.
One of the riskiest things any Christian can do is drink a diet soda in the foyer of the church when the resident essential oil/practitioner of health/organic foods promoter might be lurking. In fact, many years ago someone in the church I was leading jabbed me with a quick comment as I was drinking a diet soda. He said, “I hope you enjoy your brain cancer.”
I gave him a sharp, loving rebuke. I rejected his curse and made it quite clear that he might never say that again. He apologized, and all was well. You see, I didn’t fear soda then, and I don’t fear soda now.
Today we are experiencing an increase in evil in America as mass shootings are becoming bigger and more devastating. Just as with the attacks on 9/11, the goal of the enemy is to instill fear. Of course, he’s out to steal, kill and destroy, but an even more effective strategy is to cause people to fear that he will steal, kill and destroy. That paralyzes us so he can finish the job.
So, the cry of many is to eliminate guns. Many Christians are saying the same thing. Instead of dealing directly with the spirit of fear while standing in our authority, we presume that dealing with the natural threat is the prime answer. It is not. If guns were done away with, fear would visit us in even more horrifying ways. The enemy would be sure of that.
Let’s see, so far, I’ve dealt with diet sodas and guns. Oh yeah, we can’t forget the motorcycles.
Many years ago as a teenager, I owned a motorcycle, and I had a blast riding through the hills of Arkansas and Missouri. I’m 48 years old now, and I’ve wanted to buy another bike since my youth.
My wife was nervous about the idea, as many wives would understandably be, and we had many discussions. I was not winning any of our friendly arguments.
On a Saturday, God spoke very clearly to me. He said, “Tomorrow morning at church, I’m going to speak to your wife through the message. You will own a motorcycle on Monday.”
I was unable to be at church that day. My wife went, and God did speak to her quite remarkably.
She told me the message was breaking off a spirit of fear and entrusting your life and the lives of others into God’s hands. The time of our death or their death is up to him and we can rest in that.
I was stunned. The next day, we drove to a motorcycle dealer in Ozark, Missouri, and I bought a 2015 Kawasaki Vulcan S ABS. Now, admittedly, my wife is still not in love with the idea of me on a bike, but we both agree to trust God with the lives of our family members and others we love.
Many other people have reacted to my purchase in love, but also in fear. Now, if you are one who shared your concern, you are off the hook. I appreciate your love. But I just couldn’t hold back in dealing with an issue of fear that is devastating the church and keeping people both in bondage and with a very dangerous false sense of safety.
While there are natural cautions that we can take when dealing with risky endeavors, fear cannot be a part of that strategy. Fear does not protect, it exposes us for attack.
Of course, if you own a gun, keep it locked up. If you drink diet soda, don’t overdo it. If you own a motorcycle, wear a helmet, a riding jacket, gloves, boots and riding pants every single trip. Take a safety course. Don’t speed. If you drive a car, wear a seatbelt. Don’t drink and drive. If you go boating, wear a life vest. You get the idea. But don’t be afraid! Don’t allow yourself to be possessed by a demonic spirit of fear. It will feel good for a while as the enemy deceives you into a false sense of security, but worry and anxiety will certainly overtake your life. The Holy Spirit will not have access, and the Prince of Peace will not be felt. God has truly called us to be at peace always.
Remember, the enemy wants to masquerade as a spirit of wisdom. He wants us to be so concerned about life that tragedy is a certainty unless we cower and lock ourselves into our homes as we nervously nibble on our fingernails.
The Right Response
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mat. 16:19).
Instead of predicting a crash, instead of sharing horror stories of other motorcyclists who have died, instead of decreeing that I’m going to develop brain cancer because I drink diet sodas, instead of projecting spirits of fear on everyone who takes risk, a right Christian response would be to decree life. We have the keys of the kingdom of heaven. We bind. We loose. We have authority. We decree protection and believe it will come.
Someone in a motorcycle video I watched mentioned people ask him how in the world he could ride a bike if he wants to live. His response (as a non-Christian, mind you) was “I want to live, which is why I ride my bike!”
I’ve met a lot of Spirit-filled Christians who won’t go on mission trips to dangerous or third-world nations because of fear. Others fear death right here in America. Fear has imprisoned millions of Christians, people who have a good, good Father. Everybody, fear must go. The right response is to stare fear in the face and to decree that we will not be stopped.
An overcautious life is not the answer. The Bible is filled with truth that we should apply instead of holding to demonic wisdom of self-protection.
“You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day” (Ps. 91:5).
Instead of decreeing devastation out of fear, we should command life. We are blood-bought believers. We have supernatural power burning within. As we intercede and declare protection as friends and family are living every day in a risky world, we will celebrate with them and rejoice that they have nothing to fear.
“Strengthen the weak hands, and support the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, fear not. Your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you'” (Isa. 35:3-4).
We must wholeheartedly reject any reaction that is tainted by fear. If we consider the tragic possibilities, and that information drives our emotions, we can know that fear has gripped us.
Instead of fear, we must stand in authority. We command safety. We intercede. We exhibit the power and confidence and great faith that God has called us to function in.
“Look, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).
I propose powerfully declaring Psalm 91 as a powerful method of encouragement and intercession for us and those we love:
For He shall give His angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways. They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, and I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation (Ps. 91:11-16).
No fear. Long life. That, friend, is our decree.
John Burtonhas been developing and leading ministries for over 25 years and is a sought out teacher, prophetic messenger and revivalist. John has authored ten books, is a regular contributor to Charisma Magazine, has appeared on Christian television and radio and directed one of the primary internships at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City. A large and growing library of audio and video teachings, articles, books and other resources can be found on his website at www.burton.tv. John, his wife Amy and their five children live in Branson, Missouri.
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