After 800 Years, Oxford Theology Students to Swap Christianity for Feminism, Buddhism, Islam Studies

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After 800 Years, Oxford Theology Students to Swap Christianity for Feminism, Buddhism, Islam Studies

Oxford (Photo: Reuters/Paul Hackett/Files)

Christian Post Report – Graduates are seen queueing to have their photograph taken after a graduation ceremony at Oxford University, Oxford, southern England in this May 28, 2011 file photograph. Not much separates Britain’s two oldest universities, Oxford and Cambridge, in their academic standing or the tally of victories in their annual boat race, but when it comes to finances, Cambridge is ahead by several lengths.

Oxford University is deviating from its 800-year-old tradition to remain relevant to “the dramatic change” in the U.K., by allowing its undergraduate theology students to skip studying Christianity after the first year of their degree, and choose instead subjects like “Feminist Approaches to Theology and Religion” and “Buddhism in Space and Time.”

“We recognize that the people who come to study at Oxford come from a variety of different backgrounds and have legitimately different interests,” Times Higher Education quotes Johannes Zachhuber, board chairman of the theology faculty, as saying.

From September 2017, theology students will have to study Christianity only in their first year, and can opt for other areas, including feminism, Buddhism, Islam and mysticism, from second year onwards. A result of seven years of consultation, the new course will be called “theology and religion” for the first time.

“If you have a very rigid curriculum, there will be an increasing mismatch between what lecturers are doing in their research time and what they’re having to teach,” Zachhuber seeks to explain.

“The major driver for change for theology and religion is the dramatic change in the way religion is seen and practiced in the UK,” Zachhuber continues. “The dominance of the Church of England has been receding but at the same time religion hasn’t disappeared. We want to offer to potential students what is interesting for them and that has changed a lot in the last 30 years.”

Andrea Minichiello Williams of Christian Concern, tells Daily Mail that he is not happy with the decision of the university concerning one of the oldest degrees offered in the world.

“I think it’s sad … The founding fathers of Oxford believed that truth was noble and it was found in the pursuit of theology which we understood to be the study of Christianity,” Williams is quoted as saying.

A spokesman for Oxford University is quoted as explaining: “Christianity is still compulsory in the first year of the course – in fact there are two compulsory papers on it. So all students on the course will study Christianity. Christianity is still a major part of the course in second and third year, and it’s very unlikely that a student would choose options that do not cover Christianity in these years.”

Benjamin Thompson, associate professor of medieval history at Oxford, adds that his department has seen similar changes in recent years. “These changes are what students want, because a bigger world is affecting them. The most obvious example is the rise of militant Islam, or how well the Chinese economy is doing.”

Source : Christian Post

Rick Warren Dedicates Freed Prison Inmate With Double Life Sentence as Saddleback Church’s Pastor of Prison Ministries

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Rick Warren Dedicates Freed Prison Inmate With Double Life Sentence as Saddleback Church’s Pastor of Prison Ministries

saddleback church prison ministry (Courtesy of Saddleback Church)

Christian Post Report – Pastor Rick Warren (far right) prays and dedicates Danny Duchene (kneeling) as pastor for Saddleback Church’s prison ministries on Saturday, April 2, 2016. Duchene was released from California’s prison after serving 32 years of a double life sentence and shared his testimony at Saddleback Church during his dedication service. Duchene was released on parole at the request of Pastor Rick Warren to California’s governor.

Danny Duchene, who was given a double life sentence but was released from California’s Sierra Prison after 32 years, on Pastor Rick Warren’s request, was dedicated as a pastor for Saddelback Church’s prison ministries this weekend. Duchene shared his spiritual journey with the congregation.

“God can use anybody, even in the most unlikely places,” Warren told the congregation in his message, “God Can Use Anybody,” and later asked Duchene to share his story, as part of the church’s “The Miracle of Mercy” campaign.

Duchene said he’s been part of the Saddleback family since 2003, and that he once shared his testimony with the megachurch through the phone from the prison 13 years ago.

He grew up in California, and had a lot of freedom during his childhood. “My parents had nice homes and cars, and I grew up thinking that the goal of life was just having nice things.” This thinking led him to insecurities and difficulties in standing against high school pressures, although making friends was easier because he had cars.

One day, he came home from school and saw his parents sitting with a friend with thousands of dollars spread out across the kitchen table. “I was told they were going on a business trip to Peru and that I’d see them at Christmas.”

He was left to take care of his 18-month little brother with the help of some family and friends. “My parents didn’t return from that trip. Instead, on Christmas Even 1979, I learnt that my parents had been arrested in Mexico for smuggling cocaine. This was a total shock since my parents were not drug users or drinkers.”

The news filled him with fear, and it soon turned into anger. So at a parking lot in his car, he got high, which gave him temporary relief. So he began to take drugs everyday and became an addict.

“At 16 years old, I didn’t know if I would ever see my parents again.” He became more and more impulsive and started committing crime to buy drugs and alcohol. He was expelled from school and lost the family home. “I take full responsibility for those self-destructive decisions,” Duchene said.

“There were people around me who loved me, and they tried to help, but I quickly got addicted to my way of dealing with loneliness and pain. I was already imprisoned to my way of life,” he added.

Two years later, his mother was released from prison, and tried to reunite the family. But he was already an addict to alcohol and marijuana. “My life was out of control. I robbed and stole and hurt others because I chose to please myself,” he said.

He was then caught in a crime in which two men were killed. “Thankfully, I was quickly arrested in September 1992, which I also call being rescued,” he said.

In three weeks, he was able to withdraw from drugs and alcohol. “Once I became sober, the full weight of what I had done came crashing down on my conscience. I was overwhelmed with depression and remorse, as I realized how many people I had hurt. I believed I was lost and going to hell. I was truly, truly afraid,” he recalled.

“It was at my lowest point that God’s mercy showed up in my life. God began bringing a lot of Christians to see me who shared the love and mercy of God with me,” Duchene said.

Initially, it seemed too good to be true that God loved him, he said. But the message eventually got through to him. “I learned that Jesus could give me a fresh start, changing me from the inside out,” he told the congregation. He decided to serve Jesus in “whatever life was left.”

He said it was 1982 when he asked Jesus to forgive all his sins and take control of his life, Duchene shared, quoting Romans 5:20, “…But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”

Danny Duchene saddleback church prison ministry (Courtesy of Saddleback Church)

Danny Duchene, who was released from California’s prison after serving 32 years of a double life sentence, shares his testimony at Saddleback Church in Southern California on Saturday, April 2, 2016. Duchene was released on parole at the request of Pastor Rick Warren, who dedicated Duchene as a pastor for Saddleback Church’s prison ministries during the service.

He began to grow spiritually in the county jail. In 1983, when he was 19, he was sentenced to life. He never expected to see the outside world again. “But inside, I had been liberated… I was free,” he said.

“In prison, I read Pastor Rick’s bestseller Purpose Driven Life, and wrote to him. The prison soon started buzzing with cell groups to study the book. Inmates were baptized inside the prison campus. Saddleback’s Celebrate Recovery program began in the prison, and gave an opportunity to prisoners to have support to now do the right thing for the first time in their lives.”

Duchene said he would like to tell everyone, whether they are inside a prison or outside, “You cannot be what God wants you to be on your own. You need support, you need a small group. I’m sure my life would have been very different if I had the support of a godly small group as a teenager.”

He said he didn’t know if it would ever be possible for him to work at Saddleback. However, in 2014, Warren wrote a passionate letter to the governor urging parole for him so that he could be appointed as a pastor at Saddleback.

Duchene was released from prison on Christmas Eve of 2014 after 32 years. And he is now a Saddleback pastor for prison ministries. “God’s mercy is the key for inner freedom,” he said in conclusion.

After Duchene’s testimony, Warren came back to the pulpit, called other church leaders as well as Duchene’s wife, Susan, and prayed for the couple.

Warren’s book not only changed Duchene’s life, it resulted in a Saddleback-inspired “Purpose-Driven Church” started by inmates in the prison, and the adoption of Saddleback’s Celebrate Recovery program by the correctional institution as its official recovery program, the church said in a statement. “In the past 13 years, thousands of lives have been changed and prisons across America have followed Sierra’s example.”

Source : Christian Post

Pastor Greg Laurie Explains What’s Unforgivable Sin

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Pastor Greg Laurie Explains What’s Unforgivable Sin

GL Screenshot

Christian Post Report – Pastor Greg Laurie speaking on the unforgivable sin

The Bible says God is always willing to forgive our sins if we confess them, but there can come a time in a person’s life when she or he reaches a point of no return, and that’s why Jesus warned that there is a sin that is unforgivable, Pastor Greg Laurie said in his message, explaining what that sin is.

It’s very easy for all of us to sin, Laurie, the pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship church in Riverside, California, said, in his message, “The Unforgivable Sin,” which was part of a series called, “God Comes Near.”

Both the New Testament and the Old Testament are consistent in their message that God’s willing to forgive, he told the congregation.

He read Psalm 86:5, “You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.” And Exodus 34:6-7, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”

From the New Testament, he read 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

The “worst conceivable sin ever” was to kill God’s only Son, Jesus, the pastor said, adding that Jesus asked the Father to forgive even those who crucified Him.

“I don’t care what you’ve done. God can and will forgive it. All sin is forgivable – lying, cheating, stealing, drunkenness, immorality – it doesn’t matter,” Laurie told the congregation.

“The only sin God will not forgive is the sin we will not confess… (But) there is one exception. There is one sin that God will not forgive, and that’s called the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.”

To explain, Laurie read Matthew 12:22-32, “Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.’ Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”

According to the Scripture, there is a point of no return, the pastor said. “So, those of you that have disregarded God and His word, and then you go on doing that, I want you to listen up very carefully,” he said.

In the passage, Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees, who didn’t like Him, as He was “bad for business,” their religious business, Laurie explained. They were jealous of Jesus’ growing popularity. For unlike them, Jesus was loving, understandable and approachable.

“As people understood Jesus, they were drawn to Him,” he added.

It was 400 years since Israel had seen a miracle or a prophet had appeared in the scene until the arrival of Jesus. “And instead of rejoicing, they (the pharisees) were angry. Talk about missing the point!”

As if missing the point wasn’t bad enough, the Pharisees attributed the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan, the pastor said. “They had the audacity to say that it was done by the devil.”

Laurie went on to read verses 33-37: “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

From our first “Good Morning” to our last “Good Night,” an average man speaks enough number of words to fill 50-60 pages of a book, and a woman a few more, he said.

There are three take-away truths from the message, he shared.

“One, we must come to church to worship God and learn spiritually.” We need to come with a sense of expectancy to worship and learn, he explained.

Two, never take for granted what God has done for you, he added. Never take your salvation or your church or the Word of God, your freedom to worship in the United States for granted, he said.

Three, “instead of resisting the Holy Spirit, I need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Have a tender conscience, he said. If you’re on the verge of going too far, remember that “there comes a time we know not when, a place we know not where, when a man’s fate is sealed or a woman’s fate is sealed.”

But you can stop now, don’t insult the Spirit, don’t enrage the Spirit and never blaspheme the Spirit and reject Christ, Pastor Laurie said, warning that this could be the last message of their lives for some.

Source : Christian Post

‘God’s Not Dead 2’ Offers Compelling Arguments for Jesus (Review)

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‘God’s Not Dead 2’ Offers Compelling Arguments for Jesus (Review)

God's Not Dead 2 (Photo: Pure Flix Entertainment)

Christian Post Report – “God’s Not Dead 2” will be released in theaters on April 1, 2016.

“God’s Not Dead 2” shines a light on the religious freedom battles being waged across the country that many Americans are not aware of. Using a similar formula as the first film, the creators of “God’s Not Dead 2” move from scientific proof of God’s existence to evaluating historical proof of Jesus’ life on Earth.

Having a female lead this time around, ’90s icon Melissa Joan Hart (“Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Melissa & Joey”) takes on one of her most dramatic roles to date and brings the plot home with her convincing performance of persecuted teacher Grace Wesley.

When not looking after her grandpa, Walter (Pat Boone), Wesley spends most of her time in the classroom teaching high school history. But one day her answer to a student’s question about Jesus’ teachings compared to Gandhi’s ideology, lands the happy-go-lucky teacher in court.

“God’s Not Dead 2” takes viewers on a journey of one student’s discovery of faith at the expense of having to fight for religious freedom for her teacher. The plot unfolds as Wesley is forced to prove the historical validity of Jesus Christ while placed on trial for her faith.

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

All of the main characters are new additions to the franchise. Joining Hart is Jesse Metcalfe, who plays her defense attorney Tom Endler, and Hayley Orrantia, the atheist-turned-believer student, Brooke Thawley.

Returning to part 2 are Pastor Dave (David A.R. White); his friend from Africa pastor Kane, who continue to add humor to the film; Miss Ryan, the reporter whose battle with cancer led to her odd friendship with the NewsBoys, who also return to part two; and Martin Yip, the foreign exchange student who comes to faith in part one and continues his pursuit.

The highly-anticipated sequel hits theaters April 1 on Atheist Day, which the studio says happens to be a coincidence.

In the film, Wesley’s rookie lawyer is admittedly a non-believer, and on the other bench is Pete Kane, the rage-filled lawyer who represents the atheist parents of her student. Ray Wise’ character, Kane, makes it his priority to fight what he calls Wesley’s “repressive belief system” of Christianity in hopes to prove “once and for all that God is dead.”

A line in the film spoken by Wesley’s grandfather in the midst of the vicious court proceedings makes a bold statement about atheism: “That’s the thing about atheism, it doesn’t take away the pain, it takes away the hope.”

Other social topics addressed in the film are non-violent protests, as the students fight for religious tolerance for their teacher; the persecution of Christian converts, as Yip’s character is disowned by his father for becoming a Christian; and pastors having to submit their sermons to the government for review.

Throughout the movie, Hart is seen reading, quoting scripture and praying. When threatened to be put on disciplinary suspension, she refuses to apologize and says one of the most powerful lines of the film: “I would rather stand with God and be judged by the world, than stand with the world and be judged by God. I will not be afraid to say the name of Jesus.”

Perhaps the greatest compelling argument for Jesus in the film is when The Case for Christ author Lee Strobel and former homicide detective J. Warner Wallace, author of Cold Case Christianity, both testify on the stand to the historical validity of Christ. Both men indisputably prove that Christ and His Word are proven history and every famous historian, both Christian and non-Christian, agree that Jesus existed.

As the film comes to a climax and it appears all is lost, Hart gives her most incredible performance of the motion picture. The actress brings the story to life with her raw emotions of feeling victimized while enduring the battle. Her tears, resilience and example of how to stick to your convictions yet let God peacefully fight your battle is the championing theme of the film.

Quotes like “the teacher is always quiet during the test,” gives viewers enough strength to keep on keepin’ on in their own battles of life while watching Wesley fight hers.

The film also includes the hymn, “How Great Thou Art,” and a Newsboys performance of their new song, “Guilty.”

Featuring historical proof that Jesus existed, “God’s Not Dead 2” reveals that the wisdom found in the Bible continues to be an effective resource to helping Christians overcome life’s biggest challenges in the modern world.

Wesley’s world was “colored by her faith” and she stood up for what she believes in spite of the pressure. Her faith inadvertently affected all those around her even in the courtroom. A quote spoken by her lawyer sums it all up best: “They wanted to make you an example but instead you became an inspiration.”

“God’s Not Dead 2” hits theaters April 1, and at the end, at least 50 real-life court cases in which the plot of the movie was based on is presented. Be sure to stick around after the credits roll, there’s a hidden scene hinting at a “God’s Not Dead” part 3.

[email protected]

Source : Christian Post

Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson on Finding Jesus After Bar Brawl, Abandoning Family

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Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson on Finding Jesus After Bar Brawl, Abandoning Family

Phil Robertson (REUTERS/Dave Kaup)

Christian Post Report – Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson fires up the crowd by attacking President Obama before U.S. Republican presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz takes the stage at a campaign event at the Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City, Iowa January 30, 2016.

“Duck Dynasty” reality TV stars Phil and Kay Robertson, the patriarch and matriarch of the down-to-earth, fun-loving family who has won America’s hearts, recently opened up to share the touching story of how Phil reluctantly came to Christ.

In a video for I Am Second, the husband and wife talked about their early, turbulent years as a teen couple trying to find their way as Phil eventually got on the straight and narrow after a run-in with the law.

During his college years Phil Robertson was a self-described “bone to be chewed.” His wife, Marsha (Miss Kay), said the young couple came from very humble beginnings.

“Phil started school and we were so poor,” said Miss Kay. “So in love, but so poor … So we were basically two kids with a kid.”

Phil began to drink and eventually his habit worsened, said Miss Kay. He had even begun to abuse pills. “It was scary to me. It was just all new to me, the whole thing.”

When a Bible-toting stranger walked into Phil’s bar one day, the visitor was unceremoniously showed the door. “He wanted to introduce me to Jesus,” said Phil. “I ran him away.”

After being involved in an unrelated bar brawl, Phil “hid out” in the woods from authorities, abandoning Miss Kay and their sons for months — an experience that brought him to rock bottom.

“You’re all alone. No hope. Miserable. That’s when I began to serious[ly] contemplate: ‘Is there a way out of all this?'” Desperately searching for answers, at Miss Kay’s suggestion, Phil met with the man he had once kicked out of the bar for trying to evangelize.

When the man asked Phil about his understanding of the Gospel of Jesus, Phil was at a total loss. “I didn’t even know what the Gospel of Jesus was,” he admitted. After the man explained, Phil wondered, “How in the world did I ever miss that? I had missed it. I was blown away when I heard that Jesus died for me, was buried and raised from the dead. Something so … simple, but profound … I had never heard it.”

Miss Kay came home to find a note that said Phil had gone to church. She said, “We headed in there [church], and when we got into the auditorium I just stopped because there he was up in the baptistry with a man … I heard Phil say, ‘I want to make Jesus the Lord of my life. I want to follow Him from this day forward’ … The next thing I knew he was baptized … It was a complete family then.”

Over the years, Phil and Miss Kay raised their four sons, Alan, Jase, Willie and Jep, using a mix of love, biblical principles and discipline. Phil previously told The Christian Post ” … They were raised up around biblical instruction. That mixed with discipline — the discipline code, I call it,” he said. “They just had a lifestyle of seeing their parents do good things. I think maybe me loving their mother and me loving my neighbors around me had a profound impact on them. And what came out of that was four sons who are all married to their original wives. And they’re acting godly and I think Miss Kay and I had a hand in that.”

The recent fame that the family has enjoyed as a result of their hit reality show “Duck Dynasty” isn’t something that they put much stock into, according to Phil. “Fame is rather fleeting, as you know, or should know,” Robertson told CP. “Money can come and go, and fame comes and goes. Peace of mind and a relationship with God is far more important, so this is the precedent that we’ve set in our lives.”

The Robertson family owns and operates Louisiana-based Duck Commander — a manufacturer of duck calls and duck-hunting merchandise, which Phil Robertson founded in the early 1970s.

Follow me on Twitter: @kevindonporter

Source : Christian Post

$158K Raised for Family of Muslim Shopkeeper Killed for Wishing Christians ‘Happy Easter’

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$158K Raised for Family of Muslim Shopkeeper Killed for Wishing Christians ‘Happy Easter’

<b>Christian Post Report</b> – Asad Shah” title=”<b>Christian Post Report</b> – Asad Shah” name=”jpg” src=”http://images.christianpost.com/full/95380/asad-shah.jpg” class=”imgPhoto” width=”550″ height=”450″ /> <small class=(Photo: Facebook/Christian Post Report – Asad Shah)

Christian Post Report – Asad Shah

An online crowdfunding page that was set up to support the family of a moderate Muslim man who was stabbed and killed in Scotland last week for wishing Christians a happy Easter has surpassed over $150,000 in donations in just over a week.

Christian Post Report – Asad Shah, a 40-year old shopkeeper who was a member of the peaceful Ahmadiyya sect of Islam, was stabbed to death outside his store in the Shawlands area of Glasgow last Thursday. Shah had posted a Facebook message wishing “beloved” Christians a “very happy Easter” just hours before he was murdered by a fellow Muslim.

After Shah’s murder, a number of local residents who were frequent customers in his store set up an online donations page on GoFundMe.com in order to help support the family Shah leaves behind.

Although the original goal of the page was to raise about £1,500, the fundraising surpassed £111,396, or the equivalent of about $158,394, as of Friday afternoon.

“We are raising funds for his family to use in whatever way they see most fitting — whether that be to contribute toward funeral expenses, provide financial security for his family in the coming months, or simply to do something in his memory,” the organizers explained. “We know money will never make up for his loss but this is our way of showing our support for him, and showing his family how much he was cared for in our commnity [sic].”

“The support we’ve received so far has been absolutely incredible and we would like to say a heartfelt thanks to everyone who has donated and left messages of support already,” the organizers added.

The webpage also includes a statement from the Shah family, which thanks the community for its support in organizing street vigils, online petitions and messages of hope.

“One of our brightest lights has been extinguished but our love for all mankind and hope for a better world in which we can all live in peace and harmony, as so emphatically embodied by Asad, will endure and prevail,” the family’s statement reads. “Asad left us a tremendous gift and we must continue to honour that gift by loving and taking care of one another.”

Police have arrested 32-year-old Tanveer Ahmed, a Sunni Muslim from Bradford, and have charged him with Shah’s murder.

Although many believe that it was Shah’s Facebook post that inspired his murder, it emerged earlier this week that Shah had previously received death threats from a Muslim group that believed he was a “false prophet” and that his moderate Islamic beliefs were heretical. Despite the threats, Shah never told anyone about them.

Ahmed Owusu-Konadu, external affairs secretary for Glasgow’s Ahmadi mosque, told the Daily Mail that Shah received death threats through Facebook and YouTube.

“I only found out about them after a few colleagues looked around at his Facebook. No one I have spoken to was aware of the threats he had received before he was killed,” Owusu-Konadu said. “If he had made the mosque aware of them then we would have passed that information on to the police.”

Owusu-Konadu added that Muslims belonging to the Ahmadiyya community around the world are often threatened but said that he never could have imagined this happening in the United Kingdom.

“There’s nothing at all that we could have done to predict that this would happen,” Owusu-Konadu said. “My memory of him is shown in all the fantastic things that have been said about him since he was killed.”

Follow Samuel Smith on Twitter: @IamSamSmith

Source : Christian Post

David Jeremiah Tells Christians: If Your Hope Is in Politics, It’s in the Wrong Place

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David Jeremiah Tells Christians: If Your Hope Is in Politics, It’s in the Wrong Place

Dr. David Jeremiah, pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church, speaks on stage at A Night of Celebration in NYC with David Jeremiah & Friends at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013. (Photo: Turning Point Ministries)

Christian Post Report – Dr. David Jeremiah, pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church, speaks on stage at “A Night of Celebration in NYC with David Jeremiah & Friends” at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013.

On the heels of Republican Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal’s controversial veto of the Pastor Protection Act, legislation intended to protect the religious freedoms of clergy and religious entities, California megachurch Pastor David Jeremiah held a rally in Atlanta Thursday urging Christians to “stand up for your faith.”

While Jeremiah’s message centered on the resurrection story of Jesus Christ, the pastor also addressed the 2016 presidential election, issuing a wake-up call to those who say they’ve lost hope in America’s political process.

“You’ve had your hope in the wrong place. If this year’s election doesn’t prove to you that our hope is not in politics, I don’t know what else could,” Jeremiah told the audience of 7,000 gathered at the city’s Infinite Energy Arena.

The Shadow Mountain Community Church pastor went a step further, urging rally attendees to be more than just spectators of the political process, but to get involved and educate themselves about the issues and to make their voices heard through their vote. “It’s important for you to vote and to be involved in the process,” Jeremiah said. “Don’t sit at home … make your decision and then go vote. If you don’t vote, don’t complain.”

Jeremiah continued, “Our hope is not in Washington. … I am here to tell you that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. The tomb of Jesus is famous not for what it contains but what it does not contain. It was empty on the first Easter and it has been empty ever since.”

The Atlanta rally comes just days after Georgia’s governor stunned the evangelical community with his decision to veto the Pastor Protection Act, a move seen by many evangelicals as a betrayal of conservative values.

Facing mounting pressure from numerous companies that threatened to boycott the state, including Disney, Apple and the NFL — which said the bill could jeopardize the Super Bowl bid of “the peach state” — Deal decided to strike down the legislation, as previously reported by The Christian Post.

In a statement posted on the Georgia state website Monday, Deal said: “Georgia is a welcoming state. It is full of loving, kind and generous people. And that is what we should want. They choose to worship God in the way they see fit in a myriad of ways, in a variety of different settings. I believe that that is our best side. And our people, every day, work side-by-side without regard to the color of the skin of their fellow mate. Or the religion that their co-worker might adhere to. They are simply trying to make life better for themselves, their families and their communities. That is the character of Georgia. I intend to do my part to keep it that way.”

Jeremiah is planning to host another event similar to his “stand up for your faith” rally, this time in Lincoln, Nebraska, on April 21. Jeremiah is the senior pastor of California-based Shadow Mountain Community Church and the founder and host of “Turning Point,” a 30-minute radio broadcast ministry and television program. He is also the best-selling author of more than 50 titles.

Follow me on Twitter: @kevindonporter

Source : Christian Post

Billy Graham: Christians Should Openly Tell God Their Feelings and Trust in His Plan

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Billy Graham: Christians Should Openly Tell God Their Feelings and Trust in His Plan

Learn to Trust God!

Christian Post Report – Christians should be open with God about their feelings and ultimately trust in His plan for them, the Rev. Billy Graham advises in response to those who feel that God isn’t solving their problems quickly enough.

The 97-year-old Baptist minister was responding to a question published in the Kansas City Star Wednesday that read, in part: “I’m kind of angry at God because he doesn’t seem to be doing anything about my problems. What would happen to me if I told him?”

In his response, Graham encourages Christians to present their true feelings to God openly, saying that He already knows all of our thoughts and emotions anyway.

“Let me assure you that we can be absolutely honest with God. After all, He already knows what’s going on in our minds and hearts, so why shouldn’t we express our true thoughts and feelings to Him?” Graham questions.

The evangelical leader goes on to say that this openness means it is also important that Christians allow God to be honest with them and accept His divine will.

The Rev. Billy Graham(Photo: Reuters/Robert Padgett)Evangelist Billy Graham speaks at the dedication of the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina, May 31, 2007.

Too many Christians will become upset with God when He doesn’t immediately answer their prayers, Graham says, but they must remember that God has a plan for everyone.

“Yes, we can dump all our negative thoughts and emotions on Him, and He won’t get angry with us for doing so. But God also wants to help us overcome them, and He will, if we’ll only seek His wisdom and strength,” Graham writes.

“Sadly, some people get angry or upset with God and are content to stay that way. But when they do, they miss the blessing and hope God has in store for them,” the evangelical leader adds.

Graham then encourages Christians to pray to Jesus, that He help them with their problems and they enhance their commitment to Him.

The well-known preacher has discussed the importance of speaking to God through prayer before, writing in the “My Answers” section of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s website on March 29 that as long as Christians maintain a sincere relationship with Jesus Christ, He will hear their prayers, regardless of their eloquence.

“When we pray, God isn’t concerned with the eloquence of our words but with the attitude of our hearts. If you have sincerely invited Jesus Christ to come into your life, you can be sure God has heard your prayer,” the evangelical leader says.

Graham adds that God desires for all Christians to commit their lives to Him, as seen through His death and resurrection.

The evangelical leader asks if God would have gone through all of that trouble if He didn’t want to offer salvation to His children.

“Would God have done this if He were reluctant for us to be saved? Would Christ have gone through the agonies of the cross if He didn’t want us to be with Him in Heaven forever? No, of course not. God loves us —and the proof is Jesus Christ,” Graham writes, encouraging those who are uncertain of their salvation to “turn to Christ today.”

Source : Christian Post

Pope Calls on Pakistan to Protect Christians in Aftermath of Lahore Terror Attack

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Pope Calls on Pakistan to Protect Christians in Aftermath of Lahore Terror Attack

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  • Pope Francis(Photo: Reuters/Stefano Rellandini)
Pope Francis waves as he arrives to lead his weekly general audience in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican March 30, 20Christian Post Report – 16.
  • Vatican(Photo: Reuters/Stefano Rellandini)
    • Faithfuls are checked with metal detectors by Italian policemen before entering Saint Peter’s square to attend the Angelus prayer led by Pope Francis at the Vatican, March 28, 20Christian Post Report – 16.
  • Pakistani Christians(Photo: Reuters/Mohsin Raza)
    • Family members comfort a woman mourns the death of a relative, who was killed in a blast outside a public park on Sunday, during funeral in Lahore, Pakistan, March 28, 20Christian Post Report – 16.
  • Pakistan bomb blast(Photo: Reuters/Mohsin Raza)
    • Forensic officers look for evidence at the site of a blast that happened outside a public park on Sunday, in Lahore, Pakistan, March 28, 20Christian Post Report – 16.
  • Pakistan bomb blast(Photo: Reuters/Map)
    • Maps of Pakistan and Lahore locating a suicide bomb attack that killed dozens of people in a park on Sunday.

    Pope Francis has asked Pakistani authorities to do more to protect Christians after a terror attack on Easter Sunday killed at least 70 in Lahore.

    Speaking from St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Monday, Francis called on Pakistan’s “civil authorities and all community leaders … to do everything possible to ensure the security and serenity of the population, particularly the most vulnerable religious minorities,” the Catholic News Agency reports.

    Francis added that the attack has “bloodied” the Easter season, meant to be a time of celebration and hope as Christ was resurrected from the dead.

    “I wish to express my closeness to all those affected by this cowardly and senseless crime, and ask you to pray to the Lord for the numerous victims and their loved ones,” the pontiff said. “That violence and murderous hatred lead only to pain and destruction; respect and fraternity are the only way to achieve peace.”

    “The Passover of the Lord inspires in us, in an even more powerful way, prayers to God so that he stops the hands of the violent, who spread terror and death; and makes it possible for love, justice and reconciliation to reign in the world,” Francis added.

    The attack occurred on Easter when a suicide bomber targeted a busy park in Lahore, killing at least 70, dozens of which were children celebrating the Christian holiday.

    The Pakistan Taliban’s Jamaat-ul-Ahrar arm said in a statement to The Associated Press that the terror attack was meant to target Christians, and warned of more planned attacks in the future.

    The group’s spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, also mentioned Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a tweet, writing: “Let Nawaz Sharif know that this war has now reached the doorstep of his home.”

    “God willing, the winners of this war will be the righteous holy warriors,” the tweet added.

    Sharif has responded to the attack by saying in a statement that the country is “resolved” to defeat the “cowardly enemy” of terrorism.

    “Our resolve as a nation and as a government is getting stronger and the cowardly enemy is trying for soft targets,” he said after visiting the injured at a local hospital.

    “I want more proactive co-ordination between law enforcement and intelligence agencies,” he continued, adding that “provinces should speed up intelligence-based operations against terrorists.”

    Pakistani officials also announced this week that they were conducting raids on terrorists in the country’s Punjab region, reportedly detaining over 200 people suspected of being affiliated with the attack.

    “Number of suspect terrorists and facilitators arrested and huge cache of arms and ammunition recovered,” Military spokesman Gen. Asim Bajwa said in a tweet.

    The U.S. State Department has condemned the atttack as a “cowardly act,” saying it targeted “innocent civilians.”

    “The United States stands with the people and government of Pakistan at this difficult hour. We send our deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured, and our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Lahore as they respond to and recover from this terrible tragedy,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

    “Attacks like these only deepen our shared resolve to defeat terrorism around the world, and we will continue to work with our partners in Pakistan and across the region to combat the threat of terrorism,” Kirby added.

    Source : Christian Post