Cartoon Trump Calling Jesus on Cross ‘Loser’ Billboard Stolen While Pastor Conducting Funeral

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Cartoon Trump Calling Jesus on Cross ‘Loser’ Billboard Stolen While Pastor Conducting Funeral

Donald Trump, Cartoon (Photo: The Community of Saint Luke)

Christian Post Report – A billboard cartoon of Donald Trump being promoted by The Community of Saint Luke church in Auckland, New Zealand.

A Presbyterian church in New Zealand that installed a controversial Easter billboard with a cartoon of Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump calling Jesus a “loser” at the crucifixion, says the sign has been stolen.

Calling it a “minister’s public message to Donald Trump,” the Community of Saint Luke in Remuera says the thieves took the whole board, including the corflute sign and its wooden backing, leaving only two poles in the ground.

“What’s more, they made off with it in broad daylight while the minister, Rev Glynn Cardy, was inside church conducting a funeral service,” the church says in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

The cartoon image on the billboard depicted Trump looking across a scene of Jesus Christ nailed to a cross, while holding a hammer in his hand and declaring “I don’t like losers.”

“Some people don’t like the billboard because they like Donald Trump. Some don’t like the billboard because it infers Jesus was a loser. Whereas others, like myself and those here at the Community of St Luke, see the cartoon as showing that the values and views of people like Mr Trump are completely at odds with those of Jesus,” Cardy says.

“It is disappointing that someone decided to break the law and steal something that was stimulating a meaningful discussion in our community about the meaning of Easter,” he adds.

The church will not give up. A new billboard will be erected after the church’s Easter Sunday celebrations of the resurrection of Jesus, the statement says. The church “intends to keep the billboard up as long as the issue of Trump’s candidacy remains undecided.”

At the time of the installation of the billboard, Cardy said, “For those of us at St Luke’s, the cross is about politics. Jesus was killed – violently, publically and shamefully – because he spoke truth to power and confronted the leaders of his day about their treatment of the outcasts. To the Trumps of his day, and to those who see winners as having money and power, the Jesus of the Bible was a loser who associated with those rejected by society. And he died broke. Jesus had an alternative vision of reality, however. He was a person who sided with minorities and those who were most vulnerable, and it was this that got him killed.”

Trump has insisted that he is a Christian and part of the Presbyterian denomination on a number of occasions. He has called many people “losers” throughout his business and campaigns career, including his election rivals, such as former Florida governor Jeb Bush, who dropped out.

In January, Trump attended service at a Presbyterian church in Iowa, where the preacher gave a sermon about taking care of Syrian and Mexican migrants. “Jesus is teaching us today that he has come for those who are outside of the church,” said the Rev. Dr. Pamela Saturnia of Muscataine’s First Presbyterian Churchat.

Saturnia called for healing and acceptance for “those who are the most unloved, the most discriminated against, the most forgotten in our community and in our world.”

After the service, Trump admitted that part of the sermon may have indeed been aimed at him. “I don’t know if that was aimed at me … perhaps.”

Source : Christian Post

Kanye West Thanks God for Paparazzi, Years After Attacking a Photog

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Kanye West Thanks God for Paparazzi, Years After Attacking a Photog

Kanye West REUTERS / Andrew Kelly

Christian Post Report – Kanye West dances during his Yeezy Season 3 Collection presentation and listening party for the ‘The Life of Pablo’ album during New York Fashion Week February 11, 2016.

There was once a time when rap mogul Kanye West had a terrible relationship with members of the paparazzi. These days, he is thanking God for the photographers who captured his images to sell to media outlets.

The 38-year-old rapper and fashion designer recently opened a pop-up store for clothing apparel linked to his recent “The Life Of Pablo” studio album. In two days, the album sold 1 million worth of clothing, according to the rapper.

Now he is thanking God for the social media platform and paparazzi he once disliked.

“Thank God for paps, thank God for social media,” West wrote.

This year, West has had seemingly positive experiences with paparazzi after a contentious relationship with them in 2013. Three years ago, West was accused of attacking a member of the paparazzi.

After the paparazzo refused to stop hounding the rapper, West turned and allegedly attacked the man, attempting to grab his camera equipment and wrestling him down to the floor. West then left in a waiting vehicle with the incident captured by TMZ cameras.

The photographer was treated at Marina del Rey Hospital in Los Angeles, California, and released on the same day. Deputy District Attorney Amy-Hannah Broersma said the level of injuries at hand did not warrant for a felony charge to be brought against the rapper who used no weapon in his attack.

The case had been transferred to the Robbery Homicide Unit after the paparazzo pressed charges against West. It was later referred to the L.A. County D.A., which could have led to a possible prosecution.

Before the incident, within the same year, West made headlines for a similar run-in with the paparazzi after he warned them not to speak to him.

“Don’t talk to me! I don’t want to hear paparazzi talk to me or anybody I know,” West said to the paparazzi member, according to TMZ. “Don’t talk to me, at all and don’t talk to anyone I know … never talk!”

However, West has since changed his tune and even allowed members of the paparazzi to shuttle him around instead of his Uber recently.

“I don’t need Uber anymore, I just have the paps take me where I want to go,” the rap mogul told an X17 Online member of the paparazzi.

Source : Christian Post

Jeremy Lin Shares NBA Struggles, NY Knicks Breakthrough With Math Students: Never Give Up

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Jeremy Lin Shares NBA Struggles, NY Knicks Breakthrough With Math Students: Never Give Up

jeremy lin (Photo: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)

Christian Post Report – Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin (7) drives to the basket as Miami Heat forward Justise Winslow (20) looks on during the first half at American Airlines Arena.

Jeremy Lin is sharing some of his NBA struggles with kids in order to encourage them.

Lin, the 27-year-old Charlotte Hornets point guard, is teaming up with Khan Academy learn system, which is a platform that provides students math resources outside of the classroom. Although Lin’s message didn’t have much to do with math, it did encourage people not to give up when odds seem insurmountable.

“After my first year in the NBA I got cut by two different teams and I remember at that point I was pretty discouraged. I was considering quitting or taking a break from basketball,” Lin said in a Khan Academy LearnStorm video. “I’m glad I stuck with it because the third team that picked me up was New York Knicks and from there I got to find a great opportunity for me to play and showcase what I can do as a basketball player. Had I not given it another shot or had I not continued to play, I would have lost a tremendous opportunity and now I’m entering my sixth year in the NBA.”

While Lin expressed his gratitude for the ability to play in the professional basketball league, he also admitted that he is also struggling.

“It’s just a tremendous opportunity to be here and play. For me, right now this past summer I changed my shot,” Lin said. “I think I’ve been going through a year where I haven’t shot the ball nearly as well as I wanted to. I think that’s been frustrating for me.”

Although some of Lin’s peers have been able to find success with their game this season, Lin admits that hasn’t come so easily for him. However, he remained optimistic when sharing his message with the kids he was encouraging.

“I know some of my teammates have done different things with their shots and they’ve seen different successes this season,” Lin said. “So for me, even in this moment right now because I know as long as I continue to work hard over time I’ll see the results that I want. Sometimes it clicks right away, but sometimes it’s a long process and it can be painful at times.”

For the NBA player, it was important to go through the trials and tribulations of his process.

“Sometimes it’s kind of like a rollercoaster where you might be taking two steps forward, two steps back. But with everything I feel like at some point in time it really clicks,” he said. “You kind of turn a corner and you make an improvement you want to see. So for me, learning new skills through my life has just always trying to stick with it, love the process.”

In his 16th email sent to his digital prayer group earlier this month, Lin expressed his frustrations.

“Please pray for me as recently I have been frustrated with my jump shot and overall performance. The new shooting form has been one of the most frustrating things of my career,” Lin wrote. “I know it will pay off in the long run but going through the adjustment process has been harder than I anticipated, so prayer for the right mindset, great muscle memory and a pure heart that shoots/plays solely for God’s approval would be greatly appreciated!”

Source : Christian Post

Nick Cannon Blames the Devil for Rumors About Ex-Wife Diss

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Nick Cannon Blames the Devil for Rumors About Ex-Wife Diss

Nick Cannon (Photo: REUTERS/Phil McCarten)

Christian Post Report – Actor Nick Cannon arrives at the T-Mobile Magenta Carpet pre NBA All-Star Game event in Los Angeles February 20, 2011.

Nick Cannon seems to be blaming the devil for people fueling a rumor that he made a song that speaks negatively about his ex-wife, singer Mariah Carey.

“The devil is busy,” Cannon tweeted Wednesday. “We got to learn how to navigate through the sensationalism and lies. #DontBeDistracted.”

The 35-year-old multi-talented entertainer’s message comes after the release of the song “Oh Well” on Soundcloud.

“All you needed was a [expletive] with the money, cars and cribs. I still feel bitter about it,” Cannon raps in the song. “You leaving the house. You [expletive] that [expletive], giving me a reason to bounce. Oh well.”

While multiple media outlets attempted to make Carey, 45, the subject of his new song, Cannon revealed that it was a character piece from one his movies. He sounded off on the people perpetuating those rumors.

“Sorry to disappoint the bottom feeders but you won’t be hearing any diss records from me unless it’s about the GOVERNMENT! LOL,” Cannon tweeted. “How many times do I have to reiterate @MariahCarey and I are super cool! Stop trying to create negativity, we will never subscribe to it.”

While Carey is now engaged to Sydney business tycoon James Packer, Cannon made it clear that both parties have moved on since their 2014 split.

“We are both VERY happy and have both moved on, so all the outlets reaching for gossip, it’s not 2014 anymore. Do your jobs better! #OldNews,” he wrote. “Like I have always said I will forever Respect and Love @MariahCarey and will never say anything negative about the mother of my children.”

In 2014, Carey and Cannon announced their split after six years of marriage and two twin children, now 4 years old. While Cannon covered up a tattoo of his wife’s name with a massive image of Jesus Christ on his back, he has spoken about having a tough time dealing with people speculating about his personal life.

Earlier this year, he told Huffington Post Live that it is not always easy to discuss his personal business in the public eye.

“It’s interesting because dealing with your personal life in the public eye and really, a lot of the time, public opinion is the harshest thing about it, so you kinda have to block out all that stuff, even coming and speaking about it and talking about it, because people are gonna have opinions and I always kinda came to that belief that, ‘Hey, what people say about me is really none of my business,'” he previously told HuffPost Live. “Or like, and if people truly feel like they need to be worried about my life, I think I tweeted something, I was like, ‘Hey, don’t worry about my life, worry about why you’re worried about my life.'”

Source : Christian Post

Michelle Williams Believes God Chose Her for Infamous Fall During DC3 Performance?

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Michelle Williams Believes God Chose Her for Infamous Fall During DC3 Performance?

Michelle Williams (Photo: Reuters/Phil McCarten)

Christian Post Report – Singer Michelle Williams arrives at the 2015 BET Awards in Los Angeles, California, June 28, 2015.

God may have chosen Michelle Williams to be the victim of falling during an infamous Destiny’s Child Performance in 2004.

At least that’s what the 35-year-old gospel singer is suggesting on the latest episode of Centric’s “Being.”

“Maybe I’m chosen to go through this because I will handle it and keep it moving,” Williams says in a preview of the show airing March 26 at 10 p.m.

The singer teased the upcoming docu-series by tweeting, “let’s put the rumors about the infamous @106andpark fall to rest this Saturday night on @CENTRICTV’s #BEING.”

Last month the popular radio personality Charlamagne Tha God from New York City’s syndicated morning show “The Breakfast Club,” re-posted a clip of Williams tripping and falling while performing over a decade ago.

“I love @RealMichelleW with all my heart but this is forever funny,” he wrote to over 1 million Twitter followers. “You see how Jesus got her right back up tho??”

Williams defended herself and pointed out that even after the blunder that has gone viral, she kept dancing alongside former group members Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland.

“No one ever gives me credit for getting back up either,” Williams responded. “I didn’t miss nan choreography! Y’all are jerks!”

As someone who has overcome issues with self-esteem, the singer previously told Sister 2 Sister magazine that she felt warranted in responding to her cyber bullies from time to time.

“I think the cyber bullying is just stupid because the majority of the time most of the cyber bullies just type it, but when they see you on the street, they’re not gonna say it to your face,” Michelle told Sister 2 Sister. “Every now and then, depending on what day you catch me, if you say something out of line to me — because I don’t want you to be ignorant, I want you to be knowledgeable — I will spit something back to you that’s factual and I’ll say, ‘God bless you’ at the end.”

Last year, Williams spoke to The Christian Post about overcoming insecurities that led her to write the song “Believe in Me.”

“People might tell you ‘Oh my gosh you’re great, you have a great calling on your life,’ or ‘Oh your hair is so pretty today,'” Williams told CP. “… If I come to you and give you a compliment, it probably should be confirmation of what you already know. I just did not believe, I didn’t think I was as good as other people around me.”

For Williams, the beauty of freedom is more about her learning to let go of other people’s opinions of her.

“Where you’re no longer looking for permission to do your calling, you’re no longer looking for permission to be who you are,” Williams told CP about her definition of freedom. “You might be a goofy outgoing person, and people probably can’t handle your personality. But hey that’s the way God made you.”

Source : Christian Post

Happy Easter From The Christian Post

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Happy Easter From The Christian Post

Happy Easter From The Christian Post

Source : Christian Post

Rick Warren on Easter: 3 Examples of Applying God’s Mercy in Our Lives

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Rick Warren on Easter: 3 Examples of Applying God’s Mercy in Our Lives

RW Screenshot

Christian Post Report – Pastor Rick Warren delivering the Easter sermon to the Saddleback congregation.

In his Easter sermon on Saturday, Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in Southern California stressed that God sent Jesus to show mercy to everybody, and shared three examples of how that applies to our lives.

Warren, a best-selling author, is delivering Easter sermons for all 57 services offered at 16 campuses, including 10 locations in Southern California, as well as international gatherings in Berlin, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, and South Manila during the weekend.

In his sermon on Saturday, Warren said we need God’s mercy when we’ve messed up, as his first example.

None of us is perfect, he told the congregation. “I don’t measure up to my own standards, much less God’s… Nobody is perfect,” he said, and quoted James 3:2, “We all stumble in many ways,” explaining that we stumble in our words, actions and emotions.

“How does God respond when we mess up? The answer is, He always responds with mercy,” the pastor said.

He read John 8:2-11, which is about a woman who was caught in adultery and brought before Jesus by Pharisees, who said the law of Moses demands that she be stoned to death. But Jesus said if there’s anyone who has never sinned may throw the first stone. And the people in the crowd left one by one.

The word “caught” is important here, Warren said, explaining that we can get caught in a wrong relationship or a secret habit or in a bad business deal or in a competition or in addiction. “Everybody has a secret sin… But God knows about it,” he said.

Jesus protects the dignity of the woman publicly, and then deals with her sin in a one-on-one conversation with her, the pastor pointed out. “If we are Christians, we must deal with everyone with dignity,” he said.

“Jesus didn’t condemn her, but He didn’t condone her… He changed her… That’s what Jesus wants to do for you,” Warren added. “God’s mercy forgives and frees me from my past,” he went on to say, and explained that forgiveness takes care of the past and freedom helps one do better in the future.

The megachurch pastor quoted Isaiah 61:1, “I was sent to announce freedom to all held captive and forgiveness to all who’ve been imprisoned.” And John 12:47, “I have come to save the world and not to judge it.”

At the end of the time, there will be judgment where every person will give account of their lives to God, Warren added. But it’s for those who have rejected the mercy of God, and not those who’ve accepted it, he clarified.

Two, “I need God’s mercy when I’m angry or frustrated or disappointed … or when I don’t have what I need,” Warren continued.

None of us have everything we need within ourselves, he said. In fact, we have disabilities, mental, emotional and physical, he added, and underlined that dependence is not always a bad thing, as we are made to depend on God and on others.

He read out John 5:2-9: “In Jerusalem, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, which was surrounded by five covered porches. A large crowd of all sorts of disabled people would lie by the pool, waiting for a miracle. There was a legend that every once in a while an angel would stir up the water, and whoever was the first to get in the water while it was still moving would get what they needed and be made whole. One poor man had been waiting by the pool for 38 years. When Jesus saw this man and heard that he’d been lying there for such a long time, he asked the man ‘Do you want to get well?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘I have no one to help me get into the pool when the water is stirred! While I’m trying to get there, somebody else always get ahead of me!’ Then Jesus simply said, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and start walking!’ When the man trusted Jesus, he was immediately able to walk again.”

Pastor Warren explained, “One reason why you get angry and disappointed in life is you’re looking to other things and other people to meet your needs, and meet the needs that only God can meet.”

What does Jesus have to say about those whose needs haven’t been met and are disappointed? “When I ask for God’s help, God’s mercy makes the impossible possible,” Warren said, but clarified that sometimes, God doesn’t remove the problem, but gives us supernatural power to handle it.

“What is impossible with men is possible with God,” he said, quoting Luke 18:27. He also shared 2 Peter 1:3, “As you get to know Jesus better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need for living a truly good life.”

The third example, Warren said, is, “I need God’s mercy when I’m facing death.”

Death is universal, inevitable and unpredictable, and it is fearful for those who do not know God, he said.

The pastor then read Luke 23:39-43, “One of the criminals being executed on a cross beside Jesus ridiculed him saying, ‘If you’re supposed to be the Messiah, why don’t you save yourself . . . and us too!’ But the second criminal rebuked him, ‘Man, don’t you even fear God when you’re dying? We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong!’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.’ And Jesus replied, ‘I guarantee you that today you will be with me in paradise.'”

The only way we’re ever getting to heaven is by the mercy of God, the pastor stressed. We can’t be good enough or perfect to earn it. “It’s not what you say that gets you into heaven, but your attitude of humility… There’s only one thing that will keep you out of heaven, your pride … arrogance … ego,” he said.

He added, “God’s mercy will save me for eternity… You’re made to last forever,” and quoted John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life! Whoever believes in me, even though he dies, will live again!”

“I’m betting my life that Jesus was not a liar, what are you betting your life on?” Warren asked the congregation. “Anyone who asks for mercy from the Lord shall have it and shall be saved,” he said, quoting Acts 2:21.

Pastor Warren concluded the sermon by urging listeners to consider putting their faith in Jesus, and quoted Isaiah 30:18, “The Lord God is waiting to show you how kind he is and to have mercy on you. The Lord always does what’s right and he blesses those who trust him!”

Through the Easter sermons, the megachurch wants to reach 50,000 people, Nebai Cherrick, the marketing coordinator at Saddleback, told The Christian Post earlier during the week.

Source : Christian Post

Archaeological Discovery: Rare 4th Century Pottery With Christian Symbol Found in London

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Archaeological Discovery: Rare 4th Century Pottery With Christian Symbol Found in London

Archaeologists from the University of Cambridge Archaeological Unit, uncover Bronze Age wooden houses, preserved in silt, from a quarry near Peterborough, Britain, (Photo: REUTERS/PETER NICHOLLS)

Christian Post Report – Archaeologists from the University of Cambridge Archaeological Unit, uncover Bronze Age wooden houses, preserved in silt, from a quarry near Peterborough, Britain, January 12, 2016.

A shard of pottery discovered in modern-day London, England, provides an interesting view into early Christian settlements in Europe, archaeologists say.

The pottery, which was discovered in 1970 near Brentford High Street in London, was recently flagged as showing a depiction of the chi rho, a Christian symbol showing the first two Greek letters of “Khristos,” or “Christ.”

The important religous writing on the artifact had been previously overlooked by archaeologists.

The pottery fragment, which will go on display beginning this Easter weekend at the Museum of London, was discovered in what was likely a 4th century Christian community near the River Thames in Roman London.

Adam Corsini, who serves as the Archaeology Collections Manager for Museum of London Archaeology, told The Guardian that the newly-revealed find shed light on Christianity in Europe during the 4th century.

“Although we can’t say from one object that Roman London and its hinterland were practicing Christianity, it does suggest that Christians were at least present at some point in 4th-century Roman Brentford,” Corsini said. “Christian symbols from the Roman period are rare, especially from sites within Londinium’s surrounding hinterland, and there are only a few examples in our collections relating to London.”

Corsini added to Culture 24 that his team of excavators was lucky to spot the Christian symbol on the pottery shard while sifting through materials that had been excavated decades earlier.

“At first we noticed there was some sort of mark on the pot and then quickly realized the significance of what we had,” the collector said.

Along with the pottery shards, archaeologists have found several other important artifacts at the Brentford High Street site, including coins, jewelry and bronze bowls, among other treasures.

There have been other important Christian finds in England and the rest of Europe in recent months, including the discovery of hidden writing on a Bible dating back to 1535 that was published by King Henry VIII’s printer.

The mysterious writing provides insight into the process of the Protestant Reformation, historians say.

Eyal Poleg, historian for the Queen Mary University of London, explained that the secret writing, which had been covered by paper, indicates that the Protestant Reformation was not an easy, smooth transition.

“Until recently, it was widely assumed that the Reformation caused a complete break, a Rubicon moment when people stopped being Catholics and accepted Protestantism, rejected saints, and replaced Latin with English. This Bible is a unique witness to a time when the conservative Latin and the reformist English were used together, showing that the Reformation was a slow, complex, and gradual process,” he said.

In March 2012, archaeologists also discovered one of the oldest Christian burial sites in Great Britain in a village outside of Cambridge, dating back between 650 and 680 AD.

The discovery included a grave for a teenage girl, along with a large gold cross pendant that was likely placed over her chest during the burial process.

Dr Sam Lucy, who specializes in England’s Anglo Saxon burial proceedings at Newnham College, Cambridge, said in 2012 that the girl’s elaborate burial is evidence that she was likely royalty.

“To be buried in this elaborate way with such a valuable artefact tells us that this girl was undoubtedly high status, probably nobility or even royalty. This cross is the kind of material culture that was in circulation at the highest level of society. The best known example of the pectoral cross was that found in the coffin of St Cuthbert now in Durham Cathedral,” he said.

Source : Christian Post

Billy Graham: Christians Should Cast Away Their Doubts in God

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Billy Graham: Christians Should Cast Away Their Doubts in God

Evangelist Billy Graham (Photo: Reuters/Shannon Stapleton)

Christian Post Report – Evangelist Billy Graham speaks during his Crusade at Flushing Meadows Park in New York, June 25, 2005. Graham, 86, has preached the Gospel to more people in a live audience format than anyone in history – over 210 million people in more than 185 countries. His followers believe that the New York Crusade which runs from June 24 to 26 will be his last live appearance.

Christians should stop doubting God and be thankful for what He’s done, the Rev. Billy Graham wrote in a recent post.

In a March 25 post for the Kansas City Star, the evangelical leader explains that although Christians may have their doubt in Jesus and His ability to rise from the dead, they should “Lay [their] doubts at the foot of the cross, and ask God to help [them] see Jesus as he really is.”

The Baptist minister points specifically to John 20:29, where Thomas’ doubts about Jesus are gone once he sees the Risen Lord.

He also references Luke, who, in spite of being a medical doctor, believed in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

“How was it possible for Jesus to be raised from the dead? It could have happened only if God did it, and that’s precisely what took place. And because he rose from the dead, you and I can have hope — hope today, and hope for life beyond the grave. Death has been defeated!” Graham declares.

The preacher adds that although Jesus was able to rise from the dead, humans cannot escape the finality of death. “…[D]eath is our final enemy, and once a person dies, they never return from the grave,” he writes.

Ultimately, Graham encourages Christians to lay their doubts about Jesus’ death and resurrection at the foot of the cross this Easter season, and just embrace God for who He is and the gift He has given us.

“Lay your doubts at the foot of the cross, and ask God to help you see Jesus as he really is. And on this Easter weekend may you be like Thomas, whose doubts vanished once he saw the risen Christ,” the evangelist urged.

Graham has spoken on the importance of maintaining faith in times of doubt before, writing in August 2015 that instead of wallowing in their doubt, Christians must allow themselves to grow in their faith.

“What will you do with your doubts? Will you let them take root and grow in your heart and mind? Will you even take pride in displaying them (as some people do)? Or will you turn them over to God and ask Him to help you grow stronger in your faith?” Graham asks.

“Don’t stand still in your faith,” he continues, instead, Christians should “make sure of [their] commitment to Jesus Christ, and then learn to walk with Him every day.”

“Build your life on the foundation of God’s Word, the Bible, and seek His help in prayer and in fellowship with other believers,” Graham advises.

In an October 2014 post, Graham encourages Christians to explore their doubts before allowing them to destroy their faith.

“I’m sure most of us have had doubts, but the real question is what we do with them,” the 97-year-old minister writes, adding that Christians should not “let doubt destroy your mind and heart.”

“Instead, look honestly at Jesus as He is found in the pages of the New Testament. When you do, you’ll begin to understand who He was and what He did,” the Baptist minister states.

Again, Graham uses the story of Thomas as an example of faith, as Thomas’ doubts dissolved once he saw the Risen Christ.

Once Christians cast away their doubts like Thomas, then their “faith will grow stronger on a foundation of facts — the facts of Christ’s life, death and resurrection,” Graham concludes.

Source : Christian Post

Drug Lord ‘El Chapo’ Guzman Reading Rick Warren’s ‘Purpose Driven Life’ in Prison Cell

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Drug Lord ‘El Chapo’ Guzman Reading Rick Warren’s ‘Purpose Driven Life’ in Prison Cell

El Chapo REUTERS/File/Henry Romero

Christian Post Report – Recaptured drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is escorted by soldiers

The infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who was recaptured in January and is being kept under tight watch in a prison cell, is reading a Spanish-language translation of Pastor Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life, according to federal officials.

Guzman has read the classic Don Quijote since he was brought back to the Altiplano prison west of Mexico City on Jan. 9, and has now started reading The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for? an official and a colleague told The Associated Press.

The book, by Pastor Warren of California’s Saddleback church, offers readers a 40-day personal spiritual journey. “This book helps readers understand God’s incredible plan for their lives. Warren enables them to see the big picture of what life is all about and begin to live the life God created them to live,” according to the book’s website.

Andrew Chesnut, professor of Religious Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University and a specialist in Latin American religion, recently tweeted saying Guzman’s mother is Pentecostal. Guzman was emotionally attached to his mother, but his father was abusive.

The officials said the 62-year-old drug lord has gained a little weight and lowered his blood pressure. They added that two guards have been deployed to stand outside his cell and watch him every minute of the day even as a ceiling-mounted camera has also been installed.

His food is tested by a dog to make sure it’s not poisoned, they added.

Previously, the Sinaloa Cartel boss would be allowed a four-hour conjugal visit every nine days, but not this time.

The security measures are meant to ensure that Guzman won’t make another escape while the Mexican government works on extraditing him to the United States.

Last July, Guzman tunneled out of Altiplano prison with the help of his associates.

The Mexican government has been focused on an aggressive crackdown on drug cartels, Reuters reported in 2011. Violent drug wars have claimed tens of thousands of lives.

His 26-year-old wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, a former beauty queen, said last month she is “afraid for his life.”

“They want to make him pay for his escape. They say that they are not punishing him…They are with him, watching him in his cell. They don’t let him sleep. He has no privacy, not even to go to the restroom,” she told CNN.

Guzman became involved in drug trafficking in the late 1980s as a trafficker and air logistics expert for the once powerful Miguel Angel Felix-Gallardo, according to the U.S. Department of State.

“The Sinaloa Cartel controls vast trafficking operations on an international scale, with the majority of its drugs being distributed to the United States. The Sinaloa Cartel bases its operations principally in the Mexican states of Sinaloa, Sonora, Durango and Baja California, although it also has representation in several other states throughout the Republic. In addition to its distribution cells in the United States, the DTO transports drug shipments to Canada, Australia, Europe, Africa and Asia.”

Source : Christian Post

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