Billy Graham Reveals Why Some Christians Lose Their Faith

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Billy Graham Reveals Why Some Christians Lose Their Faith

The Rev. Billy Graham (Photo: Reuters/Robert Padgett)

Christian Post Report – Evangelist Billy Graham speaks at the dedication of the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina, May 31, 2007.

While some Christian children “lose their faith” and turn away from God and the church, they must realize their faith needs time and effort to grow, the Rev. Billy Graham said Tuesday.

In response to a question regarding lost faith in The Kansas City Star, the 97-year-old evangelical leader says that while there are many reasons why a young Christian might turn away from God, one of the main causes is they don’t realize their relationship with Him needs to grow.

“Like the seed in one of Jesus’ parables, a plant with no roots eventually withers and dies — and the same is true of faith,” Graham writes.

Young people also turn away from their faith because they lack commitment, or they get distracted with other values and friend groups, ultimately making the decision that there is no room for God in their adult life.

Even though children may lack commitment, this doesn’t mean they don’t understand the meaning behind it.

“Children may not understand everything — but they can understand that God loves them, and Jesus Christ came into the world to offer them the gift of eternal life,” Graham writes. “Moreover, they can understand that they need to commit their lives to Jesus by inviting Him to come into their lives. Faith and commitment go hand in hand.”

This basic understanding of commitment equips children with the ability to grow in their faith, but they must make an active effort to do so.

Children must also keep their faith as a central part of their life despite distractions and potentially harmful influence from friends.

Sometimes, young Christians “… simply get too busy or preoccupied with other things. Or they get in with a group of people who never think about God, and they give in to the pressure of the crowd.”

“Still others conclude that faith simply has no place in an intelligent adult’s life,” the Baptist minister says.

Graham concludes his message by encouraging adults to pray for children, that they might maintain their commitment to God throughout their lives.

The evangelical leader has addressed the topic of leaving the church before, writing in an April 2008 post that no matter how long you’ve been away from the church, God loves you and will always welcome you back.

God “yearns for you to leave the dead-end road you’re on and come back to Him. He knows the price you’ve paid for leaving Him out of your life and going your own way — and He doesn’t want you to have to pay it any longer,” Graham wrote. “This is why He is willing to forgive you, if you will only turn back to Him in repentance and faith.”

“After all, Jesus Christ has already paid the price for your forgiveness — the price of His own blood, which He shed on the cross for you,” the evangelical pastor continued. “Satan will try to convince you that you have gone too far — but it isn’t true.”

Graham then cited Isaiah 55:7, which reads: “Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”

Source : Christian Post

Adrienne Bailon Breaks Silence on Romance With Gospel Singer Israel Houghton

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Adrienne Bailon Breaks Silence on Romance With Gospel Singer Israel Houghton

Adrienne Bailon (Photo: Reuters/Fred Prouser)

Christian Post Report – Adrienne Bailon, one of the members of the pop music group “The Cheetah Girls”, poses as she arrives for the world premiere of the animated film “Wall-E”in Los Angeles, California, June 21, 2008.

Mainstream entertainer Adrienne Bailon has finally broken her silence after it was recently reported by celebrity news sites and confirmed by Israel Houghton, multi-Grammy Award winning gospel singer, that they were dating after he recently finalized his divorce to his former wife of over 20 years.

Bailon, 32, had stayed mum as photos of her in a bikini on the beach in Mexico with Houghton, who is also the worship leader at Lakewood Church (currently on indefinite leave), circulated, sparking allegations that they were dating just a month after the gospel singer had publicly announced in February that his marriage was legally over. But during a recent episode of “The Real,” Bailon addressed her new relationship for the first time.

“Yes I am dating, his name is Israel Houghton as some of you guys may know. I think I’m more than anything grateful that I have a platform like this, where I can be with my girls. The show is called ‘The Real,’ it is a place where we can speak about the truth,” the TV personality and “The Real” co-host said. “With that being said, the man pictured here is not married. Praise God.”

Bailon continued, “He had actually put out a statement. He is single, number one. The other thing people were saying was that I was the cause of the divorce, which I think any divorce is obviously a sad thing. People have to go through it, [it] takes time to get through that sort of thing, and I think no one put that time together. I think people see an announcement was made at the top of the year and then they see these photos and then they think well let’s put this together but this is why I’m grateful for things like this because it allows you to set the facts straight and God forbid the facts get in the way of a really juicy story. I’m going to say the truth and the truth of the matter is he isn’t married. He obviously is divorced.”

Houghton addressed his divorce in an open letter posted on Facebook in February, where he publicly repented of his wrong doing. “It is with a collective heavy heart that we announce that after over 20 years of marriage and a long separation, Meleasa and I are officially divorced,” he wrote.

“Several years ago I failed and sinned in my marriage,” he confessed. “Though this is new to many, it is not new to us as we have been working through this for over 5 years. Although we tried, the challenges in our relationship have proven too much to overcome.”

Bailon was pegged as the reason for 44-year-old Houghton’s divorce when the beach photos surfaced, but the actress maintained that she didn’t even know him at the time of his personal failure, and said that the public blaming her for a marriage ending was “obviously hurtful.”

The two first worked together on the 2013 flick produced by Houghton, “I’m in Love with a Church Girl.” During promotional tours for the film, Bailon said she was a fan of Houghton’s music.

Bailon ended her relationship with ex-fiance Lenny Santiago back in September 2015, and Houghton announced his legal split from his former wife, Meleasa, of 20 years, in late February of this year.

Source : Christian Post

Susan Sarandon Claims Supernatural Experience With Rosary Beads But Left Catholic Church

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Susan Sarandon Claims Supernatural Experience With Rosary Beads But Left Catholic Church

Susan Sarandon(Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)Actress Susan Sarandon, nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries for “You Don’t Know Jack,” arrives at the 17th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, California, January 30, 2011.

Christian Post Report – Susan Sarandon claims to have had a supernatural experience with her rosary beads.

The 69-year-old actress, who received a Catholic School education that includes the Catholic University of America, no longer practices the faith. Still, she can recall experiencing some powerful things while rooting herself in Catholicism.

When speaking to Interview magazine, Sarandon spoke about once seeing her rosary beads glow as a child.

“I had these rosary beads that I would sleep with every night, and I just wanted the blessed Virgin to be on my side,” she told Interview. “Then one night I looked down and my rosary beads were glowing. And I realized that I did not want to see the blessed Virgin. I was terrified.”

While Sarandon is no longer a member of the Catholic Church, she has maintained a connection in her adult life. She received the lead actress Oscar for her portrayal of a nun named Sister Helen Prejean in the 1996 film “Dead Man Walking.”

She told Interview that it was interesting for her to connect with the nun despite not agreeing with the Catholic faith she was raised in.

“That’s why it was so interesting to find myself back with Sister Helen [in ‘Dead Man Walking’], this new breed of nuns who were making a difference in the community,” she said.

When the movie first appeared on the big screen two decades ago, Sarandon spoke about her connection with Sister Helen, whose real-life story of befriending a death row convict inspired “Dead Man Walking.”

“She was the antithesis of most of the nuns I knew when I was growing up,” Sarandon told St. Anthony Messenger in 1996. “Helen was so full of life, such a great storyteller, so life-embracing. It was clear to me that her faith was a practical one.”

Last year, the actress served as an executive producer for the documentary “Radical Grace.” In a Variety report, Sarandon spoke about her decision to help bring awareness to the “Nuns on the Bus Tour” documented in the film, which highlights nuns fighting for women’s equality and economic inequality.

“This film comes at a major crossroads in the Catholic church, and the nuns are everything that’s right with the institution,” Sarandon said in a Variety report. “They stand with the marginalized, and won’t be bullied by a hierarchy that still doesn’t treat them as equals.”

She went on to express her connection with the members of the Catholic community despite differences in beliefs.

“I was raised Catholic…,” Sarandon said. “I feel a deep connection to the women featured in ‘Radical Grace,’ and this film will hopefully build a movement toward a more inclusive and just church, and world.”

Source : Christian Post

Wycliffe Associates Plans Secret Session to Help Christians Risking Their Lives to Translate the Bible

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Wycliffe Associates Plans Secret Session to Help Christians Risking Their Lives to Translate the Bible

Egyptian Coptic Christian (Photo: Reuters/Stringer)

Christian Post Report – The father of Saber attends Sunday service in the Virgin Mary Church at Samalout Diocese in Al-Our village, in Minya governorate, south of Cairo, May 3, 2015. Saber was amongst a group of 21 Copts killed by Islamic State militants in Libya this year. Copts have long complained of discrimination under successive Egyptian leaders and Sisi’s actions suggested he would deliver on promises of being an inclusive president who could unite the country after years of political turmoil. However, striking out at extremists abroad might prove easier than reining in radicals at home. Orthodox Copts, the Middle East’s biggest Christian community, are a test of Sisi’s commitment to tolerance, a theme he often stresses in calling for an ideological assault on Islamist militants threatening Egypt’s security.

Wycliffe Associates, a ministry focused on Bible-translation work that recently suffered a terror attack on one of its officers where four workers were killed, has announced that it is scheduling a training session for Bible translators working in the most dangerous places for Christians on Earth.

“There is no place on Earth where God’s Word is more urgently needed,” Bruce Smith, president and CEO of Wycliffe Associates, said in a statement shared with The Christian Post Tuesday. “This is a place of terror, oppression, violence, death, and heartache. To be a Christian is to be a target. Yet the few Christians living there are pleading for Bibles to share secretly with the many, many people around them who are hungry for the truth.”

Wycliffe Associates said that four of its workers were killed at an office in the Middle East in March, but did not reveal the exact location due to the dangers associated with the work.

Two of the workers, killed by suspected Islamic radicals, reportedly died by gunshots, while the two other victims were beaten to death after laying on top of the lead translator to save his life.

“The remaining translation team has decided to re-double their efforts to translate, publish, and print God’s Word for these eight language communities,” Wycliffe Associates affirmed, following the attack.

The group has scheduled the first Mobilized Assistance Supporting Translation training session at an undisclosed location in order to help Bible translators working in areas that are under terrorist control and where Christians are being routed out.

The training sessions will use new translation strategies that could significantly shorten the time needed to translate the Gospel for the mother-tongue speakers in the region, with portions of the Bible available in weeks or months rather than years.

Smith told Fox News last month that despite the danger that comes with the work, the nonprofit will continue to operate abroad, rather than in the safety of its Orlando headquarters.

“Yes, there is a tremendous cost. But as Tertullian, an early Church father, said — the blood of martyrs are the seeds of the church,” Smith said.

In order to help translators in hostile regions, Wycliffe Associates Scriptures for New Frontiers Fund also said it will be providing computer tablets with software, other technology and equipment, shelter, meals, and basic day-to-day support.

“God’s Word will be placed in the hands — and the hearts — of people in multiple nations, nations I can’t name because the risk is so great,” Smith added. “Our response to the terror and tragedy is to flood the area with God’s Word, in the language of the local people.”

The goal is to facilitate MAST teams starting in projects in at least 500 additional languages in 2016, the group noted.

Source : Christian Post

‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Character Groot Inspired by Jesus?

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‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Character Groot Inspired by Jesus?

Guardians Of The Galaxy (Photo: James Gunn/Facebook)

Christian Post Report – ‘Guardians of The Galaxy’ Writer/Director James Gunn showcases deleted scene with

Groot, a walking and talking tree character from the 2014 blockbuster hit “Guardians of the Galaxy,” was inspired by Jesus Christ.

The film’s writer and director James Gunn took to his Facebook to reveal a screenshot of Groot acting as Jesus in a recreated image of Leonardo da Vinci’s famed “The Last Supper” painting. Groot is pictured surrounded by twelve other characters from the film, before sacrificing himself for his friends in the movie.

Although the scene was not included in the final cut of the film nor any extra scenes for the DVD release, Gunn decided to reveal it to fans.

“Groot’s Last Supper. This was a shot from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 that got cut from the movie and was never finished,” Gunn told fans. “The great artists over at Framestore finished a frame and just gave it to me as a gift. Thanks, guys!”

Gunn, who often responds to his fans’ questions and comments on social media, pointed out that Groot seemed to form a cross when he died after one viewer noted the tree character’s ability to do so.

“If you watch the end of the movie you’ll see that as well,” Gunn commented. “An Easter egg no one has seemed to notice (no not the one I’ve been talking about).”

While some questioned if his deleted last supper scene was taken out because it could be deemed as blasphemous, Gunn assured people that was not the case.

“This scene wasn’t cut because anyone thought it was blasphemous, it was just a slow moment in the wrong place in the film,” he wrote.

While Gunn and his cast are working on “Guardians of the Galaxy 2,” scheduled for a May 2017 release, the film’s main character Star-Lord, played by Christian Pratt, has been vocal about his own Christian faith over the years.

Since 2014, Pratt’s fame has skyrocketed with leading roles in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and “The Lego Movie.” Before the fame, the actor, who has also appeared in “Zero Dark Thirty” and the television comedy “Parks and Recreation,” had a godly encounter when he was living in Hawaii.

Pratt, 36, recalled not being old enough to drink alcohol at the time, and admitted that he and his friend got somebody to buy them alcohol before a man stopped to evangelize to them.

“This guy came by and was like, ‘What are you doing tonight?’ I was like, ‘Oh, I dunno. I was just gonna wait out here, my friends are gonna buy me a bottle of Carlo Rossi and a sixer of Milwaukee’s Best Ice,” Pratt recalled to Esquire magazine. “So he’s like, ‘Will you fornicate tonight?’ I was like, ‘I hope so.’ ‘And drugs and drinking?’ It’s like, ‘Most likely, yeah. Probably all three of those things. I mean, at least two of them, possibly all three.'”

However, the man had a message for Pratt.

“He was like, ‘I stopped because Jesus told me to stop and talk to you. He said to tell you you’re destined for great things,'” Pratt recalled. “My friends came out, and I was like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna go with this guy.’ I gave my soul to Jesus within, like, two days. I was stuffing envelopes for his organization, Jews for Jesus. I’m not even sure, at that age — I was nineteen years old — I knew what Jewish was.”

Four weeks later, the actor was discovered, which he believes was a part of his destiny.

“I do believe in destiny…,” he told Esquire. “But I didn’t walk into 7-Eleven, buy a scratch ticket, scratch it off, and star in Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Source : Christian Post

Melissa Joan Hart Compares Criticism From ‘God’s Not Dead 2’ to ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’

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Melissa Joan Hart Compares Criticism From ‘God’s Not Dead 2’ to ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’

Melissa Joan Hart, Jesse Metcalfe (Photo: Grace Hill Media)

Christian Post Report – Melissa Joan Hart plays teacher Grace Wesley, while Jesse Metcalfe portrays her lawyer Tom Endler defending her Christian faith in “God’s Not Dead 2,” which hits theaters April 1, 2016.

For almost a decade, Melissa Joan Hart played a witch on television, which drew the ire of some Christians. Now that she is portraying a very different role, that of a devout Christian teacher in the film “God’s Not Dead 2,” people still have something to complain about, says the 39-year-old actress. This time, however, her critics seem to be the opposite crowd.

“For the longest time, while I played a witch on television [on ‘Sabrina, The Teenage Witch’], the Christian community attacked me for popularizing the magic aspects on that secular TV show,” Hart told the Chicago Sun Times. “Now it’s the opposite. I’m getting grief for playing the good Christian woman who is being persecuted by the outside world!”

In the film that is currently in theaters, Hart portrays a Christian teacher name Grace Wesley whose career is on the line after her decision to answer one student’s question about the teachings of Jesus Christ sounding similar to those of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi.

“What makes nonviolence so radical is its unwavering commitment to a non violent approach,” Wesley tells a classroom full of students.

After a student questioned if this was similar to Jesus preaching to love our enemies, the teacher agreed.

“You have heard it said love your neighbor and hate your enemy,” Hart told her classroom, repeating Matthew 5:43. “But I tell you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

The exchange prompted a student to text his parents, which resulted in Wesley being reprimanded by her principal and co-workers. However the stakes are raised higher when an anti-God civil liberties group tries to make her an example in an attempt to remove people’s religious liberties by convincing the student’s parents to sue the teacher.

Hart explained why she felt called to the film.

“Today, there are a lot of Christians being persecuted for their faith far beyond the freedoms this country was founded on,” Hart told the Sun Times. “In the past, mainstream Christians were members of what we could call the big powerhouse religion at the time — and may have been doing a fair amount of persecuting minority religions. But now those Christians feel their faith is something that is trampled on or ignored. Now the tables have turned.”

In a CBN Europe report, the actress admitted that she struggled with the idea of doing the film.

“[I] felt a little bit of resistance to go and do this movie away from my family. I promised them I would be home,” she said. “I had just finished six years of Melissa and Joey. This was my time to be home and be a mom. Now, I was feeling like I was picking up and leaving again.”

Still, Hart enjoyed taking on the controversial role.

“I’m not someone to shy away from controversy. I actually enjoy taking it head on,” she told CBN. “What we are trying to do here is to break down any boundaries and really show Christ’s mission of bringing love and tolerance to the world.”

Source : Christian Post

Watchdog Group Blasts TV Ratings System for Exposing Kids to Violence, Nudity

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Watchdog Group Blasts TV Ratings System for Exposing Kids to Violence, Nudity

<b>Christian Post Report</b> – A family watches television in an undated photo.” title=”<b>Christian Post Report</b> – A family watches television in an undated photo.” name=”jpg” src=”http://images.christianpost.com/full/53430/a-family-watches-television-in-an-undated-photo.jpg” class=”imgPhoto” width=”550″ height=”450″ /> <small class=(Photo: Reuters/File)

Christian Post Report – A family watches television in an undated photo.

The Parents Television Council has denounced the TV ratings system, saying in a study released this week that it’s “failing America’s children” because it’s not protecting them from graphic content in programming.

Authored by Christopher Gildemeister, Ph.D., PTC’s head of research operations, the report stated that programs with graphic content are increasing and yet few are being rated properly.

kids watching tv

“Between 2011 and 2014, all violence per hour of programming on prime-time broadcast TV increased 6 percent; weapon-related violence (involving guns, bladed weapons, and blunt force) increased 17 percent; and nudity increased 93 percent,” wrote Gildemeister in the report released Monday.

“Every hour of content on broadcast television is rated as appropriate for a 14-year-old child, or even younger ages. Despite containing explicit content, no continuing program on broadcast television is rated TV-MA, appropriate for mature audiences only.”

For data the report relied on past studies by the PTC as well as an examination of the primetime programming over a two-week period in November 2014 on CBS, NBC, ABC, and FOX network channels.

PTC President Tim Winter said in a statement Monday that the study’s findings “are enormous and should give the TV industry significant pause.”

“The industry should have to answer as to why TV-G rated primetime series are extinct; why the lines between TV-PG and TV-14 shows are blurred; why more adult content is being shown on TV-PG shows; why nudity and violence are increasing on broadcast TV overall,” stated Winter.

“Congress, the FCC, public health advocates, and parents must insist that the TV Content Ratings System be accountable to the public and meet the needs of the parents and families it was intended to serve.”

Introduced about 20 years ago, the TV Parental Guidelines system was created with the intention of helping parents determine what televised content is acceptable for their children.

According to the TV Guidelines website, the ratings “are modeled after the familiar movie ratings, which parents have known and valued for decades.”

“They are designed to be easily recognizable and simple to use. The Guidelines apply to most television programs, including those directed specifically to young children. However, sports and news shows do not carry the Guidelines,” noted the site.

“The guidelines appear in the upper left corner of the TV screen at the beginning of TV shows, and often again after commercial breaks.”

This is not the first time that the PTC has studied the TV-PG rating and concluded that it was not effectively working as intended.

In 2012, the PTC released a study titled “What Kids Can See When It’s Rated TV-PG,” which drew from data the watchdog group gathered during a two-week period in 2011.

During an interview with The Christian Post in 2012, PTC spokesperson Melissa Henson argued that it is “time to scrap the system and go back to the drawing board. We need a ratings system that is consistent, accurate, and transparent.”

“Ninety-eight percent of what airs on primetime broadcast television is rated either TV-14, or TV-PG. Assuming most parents allow the least restrictive of the two ratings, the PTC found that a child would still be exposed to objectionable content roughly every 5 minutes,” said Henson.

Source : Christian Post

‘Risen’ Actor Cliff Curtis, Typecasted as Villain, Says It’s Miracle He Got Role of Jesus

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‘Risen’ Actor Cliff Curtis, Typecasted as Villain, Says It’s Miracle He Got Role of Jesus

Risen (Photo: Sony Pictures)

Christian Post Report – Film still for “Risen” (2016).

Cliff Curtis used to be recognized for the villainous characters he played in movies, but now, people are recognizing him for his portrayal of Jesus Christ.

The 47-year-old actor from New Zealand starred as Jesus in “Risen” earlier this year, which tells a story about the events that took place after the Messiah’s resurrection. The film is told from the perspective of a fictional Roman military official named Clavius who is charged with the task of disproving the fact that Jesus actually did rise from the dead.

While a number of people recognize him as a gangster named Smiley from the 2001 film “Training Day,” or drug dealer Pablo Escobar from “Blow,” Curtis has now received recognition for playing the son of God.

“Some people call me ‘Smiley,’ other people call me ‘Pablo Escobar.’ I had my first person call me ‘Jesus’ the other day,” Curtis told Enstarz. “I was just in the hotel and there was a whole family and they stopped and one of them is like ‘Are you Jesus? It was hilarious.”

Curtis told Enstarz that he enjoys taking on roles that prove to be challenging for him.

“As a storyteller and a producer, I really do try to be conscious to choose projects that are going to be significant. And in my career as an actor, you know, you have your highs and your lows…,” he said. “But by and large, no matter what project I’m on or what genre I’m in (whether it’s action movies or art house movies or television), I’m trying to look for roles that are going to be challenging…I love to transform myself.”

To prepare for his transformation in “Risen,” Curtis did more than just read a script.

“For a month I lived on my own in Malta and it was a really beautiful experience. I had very humble meals and I lived monastically pretty much,” Curtis told Wenn, according to Scout. ” I could not not speak to my wife because she’s my other connection to the divine. I didn’t speak to anybody and I spent a lot of time in meditation and silence and would sit for hours alone.”

The 47-year-old New Zealand actor considers it a miracle that he was cast as Jesus, considering he has played villainous characters in movies like “Live Free or Die Hard” and “The Last Airbender.” Other than the fact that he has been typecast in many films, Curtis was surprised that he landed the role that Hollywood usually granted to younger actors with fairer skin complexions.

“Jesus was crucified by age 33 and I’m in my late 40s. And when you look at my work, what makes you think that I’m right for this role,” he said. “It was a miracle!I just thought I wasn’t fair complexioned enough to get the role and I needed blue eyes.”

For Curtis, gaining the opportunity to play Jesus was a pleasant surprise, since the former altar boy once dreamed about doing so.

“I was a devout Catholic as a child and I was an altar boy and served mass and I did the whole thing and had the crucifix next to my bed, everything,” he revealed. “So when I became an actor and the question would arise, ‘What roles do you want to play?’ I’d say, ‘Jesus…'”

Source : Christian Post

Ancient Symbol for Jesus Christ Discovered in Gaza Among 1,500-Y-O Byzantine Church Ruins

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Ancient Symbol for Jesus Christ Discovered in Gaza Among 1,500-Y-O Byzantine Church Ruins

Byzantine church (Photo: Reuters)

Christian Post Report – A man walks past ancient ruins which archaeologists say may be part of a Byzantine church or cathedral dating from around 1,500 years ago, in Gaza City April 4, 2016.

An ancient Greek symbol for Christ was reportedly discovered at the ruins of a Byzantine church in Gaza dating back from around 1,500 years ago, the Palestinian Tourism and Antiquities Ministry revealed Monday.

“Our first thought is that the site is a cathedral or a church from the Byzantine period,” said Jamal Abu Rida, the general director of the antiquities ministry, according to Reuters.

“During that era, there was a great interest among the Byzantine rulers to build churches in the Gaza Strip.”

Construction workers say they discovered segments of marble pillars with ornate Corinthian capitals, alongside a 90-centimeter foundation stone bearing a Greek symbol for Jesus Christ.

Abu Rida noted that Gaza is a place of great historical significance, which once hosted diverse populations of Greeks, Romans, Jews, Egyptians and Persians during the Roman period. Christian churches began being built in the late 4th and 5th centuries, before Islam took over the region with the conquest of Gaza by the Muslim general Amr ibn al-As in 637 C.E.

He admitted that the ministry does not have the necessary resources to properly excavate the site, but said the mission is to “preserve our Palestinian history before Islam and after Islam.”

“The site we are talking about is 2,000 square meters and 10 meters deep and requires hundreds of workers and millions of dollars to carry out proper excavation to extract pieces and read the texts written on them,” Abu Rida added.

The construction workers had been preparing the ground for a shopping center, but now the preparation may have to be halted if excavation efforts discover more ancient pieces.

The Gaza Strip meanwhile remains a volatile region, with Christians living in the Palestinian Territories facing a “complex” situation regarding their religious freedom rights, as persecution watchdog group Open Doors USA pointed out.

“Christians are squeezed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, their ethnicity causing many restrictions from the Israeli side and their religion putting them in a minority position within the Palestinian community,” the group said back in March.

“The West Bank’s ruling Fatah Party is formally based on secular principles, and Christians enjoy several rights. Though Christians are largely tolerated by Islamist Hamas, the rights of Christians are neither upheld nor protected in Gaza. Apart from this discrimination, Christians face threats from radical Islamic vigilante groups.”

Israel extended a gesture to 850 Palestinian Christians in Gaza, however, when it allowed them to visit Jerusalem to celebrate Easter for the first time this year.

“Muhammad al-Maqadma [spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Civil Affairs] said the permits were the result of ‘dedicated efforts’ by Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein al-Sheikh in order to enable hundreds of Christians to celebrate the holidays within a span of 45 days,” Ma’an News reported at the time.

“This is the first time such a large number of Christians from Gaza received permits to travel to the West Bank and Jerusalem,” al-Maqadma said.

Source : Christian Post

Pastor Craig Groeschel: Popular Bible Verse ‘Plans to Prosper You’ Among Most Misinterpreted

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Pastor Craig Groeschel: Popular Bible Verse ‘Plans to Prosper You’ Among Most Misinterpreted

Craig Groeschel (Photo: Catalyst Conferences/Ryan Longnecker)

Christian Post Report – Pastor Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.tv attempted to bridge the gap between generations inside the church while speaking at Catalyst West conference held at Mariners Church in Irvine, Calif., April 19, 2012.

Craig Groeschel, senior pastor of Oklahoma megachurch Life.Church, warned listeners about misusing a popular verse from the Old Testament Book of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 29:11 reads “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”

Groeschel recently told those listening in person and watching online that the often quoted Jeremiah verse needs to be put into context.

A man on the beach is seen with Jeremiah 29:11 tattooed on his back in this June 30, 2012, photo.(Photo: Tony Alter/Flickr Creative Commons)A man on the beach is seen with Jeremiah 29:11 tattooed on his back in this June 30, 2012, photo.

After all, the verse was part of a letter the Prophet Jeremiah sent to the elders and others of the nation of Israel who were exiled after the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonian Empire.

“When we read this verse what we need to understand is there will be specific promises in the Bible and there will be general promises,” stated Groeschel.

“There are specific promises made to a specific group of people and there are general promises made to everybody. The truth is that Jeremiah 29:11 is a specific promise made to the Jewish exiles.”

Groeschel stressed that while the verse is meant for the elders of the Israelite exiles, there were parts of the verse that did apply to modern believers.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you.’ Does God have plans for us? Does God have a purpose for us? All day long,” continued Groeschel.

“Does God have plans to bless people? All day long. The Bible says that, [and] we interpret scripture with scripture, God is a good God who loves to give good gifts to His Children. Does God prosper people? All the time.”

Groeschel’s sermon on Jeremiah 29:11 was third in a series of messages titled “Twisted: The Most Misused Verses of the Bible.”

“The Bible is full of wisdom. People love to quote their favorite verses to encourage and inspire each other — but sometimes, those verses get taken out of context. What happens when the most important message of all gets Twisted?” read the series’ description.

Past sermons focused on 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” and Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”

Back in 2013, spoken word poet Jefferson Bethke had also warned Christians about misapplying Jeremiah 29:11. In a 2013 YouTube video, Bethke stressed that “we can’t just take one verse out and kind of prostitute it out on our Facebook and our Twitter without looking at the narrative.”

“I think sometimes we take verses that God meant for a specific people for a specific time and we then wrench it out of its context and use it for (our) individual walk,” continued Bethke.

“Notice that He says ‘for I know the plans I have for you.’ I think a lot of time with this verse, we really prostitute God out, turn Him into a Santa Claus or turn Him into a genie… We make our plans and then say ‘now God do them.'”

Source : Christian Post

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