Sunday, July 12, 2026

Joel Osteen Tells Believers: ‘Quit Being Against Yourself’

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Joel Osteen Tells Believers: ‘Quit Being Against Yourself’

Pastor Joel Osteen (Photo: The Christian Post)

Christian Post Report – Pastor Joel Osteen leads his Lakewood Church congregation in prayer in Houston, Texas, on Sept. 22, 2013.

All too often people speak pessimistically about themselves, and in doing so, unintentionally invite negativity into their lives. But a new book by Lakewood megachurch Pastor Joel Osteen reminds readers that words have power, and aims to help people kick the habit of speaking negatively and to invite good things through the power of the tongue.

“You have to invite the right things into your life,” Osteen tells viewers during a segment on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Tuesday.

In his latest self-help title The Power of I Am, Osteen teaches readers how to create a narrative of positivity in their lives using the two words “I am,” followed by positive affirmations. In the opening chapter, he writes, “What follows those two simple words will determine what kind of life you live.”

The megachurch pastor’s new book isn’t just for Christians. “Anybody can read the book,” says Osteen. “I’ve always tried to get outside of just the church world.”

The pastor’s inclusive message in the book is typical of his upbeat sermons, which often center on subjects like forgiveness, having a positive attitude, and reaching one’s dreams —  themes contrary to religion that “pushes people down.”

Dogmatic preaching that elicits guilt is often a reason why people don’t go to church, the pastor says. His consistent message, however, is that “God is for you. … You don’t have to live under the guilt of condemnation.”

Osteen encourges believers and non-believers alike, “to not be against yourself.” He says, “You’re made in the image of God. He made every person a masterpiece. Quit being against yourself.”

Joel and his wife, Victoria, are currently on tour for A Night of Hope, a multi-city event intended to uplift audiences through testimony, song, and sermon.

As previously reported by The Christian Post, Osteen was recently consulted by National Geographic for its upcoming six-part documentary series on God titled “The Story of God.” The host of the docu-series, Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman, will carry viewers to seven countries and 20 cities where he’ll delve into the religious beliefs and practices of several cultures.

Texas-based Lakewood Church is a non denominational Christian megachurch that averages over 45,000 weekly attendees, making it one of the largest church congregations in the U.S.

Email me: [email protected]
Follow me on Twitter: @kevindonporter

Source : Christian Post

‘No One Loved or Touched Us’ Before: Gospel for Asia Aids 4,000 on World Leprosy Day

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‘No One Loved or Touched Us’ Before: Gospel for Asia Aids 4,000 on World Leprosy Day

leprosy (Photo: Reuters/Rupak De Chowdhuri/Files)

Christian Post Report – A woman suffering from leprosy waits for alms on a roadside on the occasion of anti-leprosy day in Siliguri January 30, 2009.

Christian organization Gospel for Asia and its supported missionaries have helped over 4,000 leprosy patients in India on World Leprosy Day as part of its ongoing ministry, and noted that social stigma and fear continue to block sufferers from getting the treatment they need.

While leprosy, a disease which has been known since biblical times, has been cured throughout much of the globe, the World Health Organization points out that small pockets of populations, especially in Asia, are still not getting the treatment they need.

There were close to 180,000 leprosy sufferers registered worldwide in the first quarter of 2014, and as many as 50 children a day are believed to be diagnosed with the disease.

Gospel for Asia has been one Christian ministry supporting national missionaries and programs that go out to leprosy colonies to help people and entire families, providing social and relief work in the form of food distribution, medical aid, health and hygiene awareness, adult education and tutoring centers for children.

While World Leprosy Day, which commemorates the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s death, took place this past Sunday, GFA has said that it will be expanding its outreach efforts this year to new colonies in West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

In an interview with The Christian Post, the ministry noted that there are still big obstacles in the way for people who need treatment, such as overcoming fear and social stigma.

Below is an edited transcript of CP’s interview with Taun Cortado, who heads Gospel for Asia’s U.S. Broadcast and Media Relations Department, about World Leprosy Day:

CP: As a press release noted, GFA-supported missionaries hoped to reach more than 4,000 leprosy sufferers on World Leprosy Day. Do you have updates on how the outreach effort went? And how do you calculate the number of leprosy sufferers in those colonies?

Cortado: Praise the Lord, the outreaches went really well. We were able to distribute food, clothing, mosquito nets and even shoes to leprosy patients in dozens of colonies. Our brothers and sisters were well received, and the Lord is using them to touch people’s lives.

In one of these colonies, some of our Sisters of Compassion (specially trained women missionaries) passed out food and soap packets to 25 leprosy patients. These are patients we have already been ministering to in other ways for some time, but now had the opportunity to bless them in a special way during World Leprosy Day. Two of the recipients, women in their 70s, shared how amazed they were at the constant love the missionaries have shown them:

“Since our legs were amputated,” they shared, “No one loved us or touched us. We were in a hopeless situation. But when Gospel for Asia started the ministry in our colony, [the missionaries] visited our home almost every day and cleaned our wounds, houses and clothes. Moreover, they touch and hug us lovingly. We feel like we are no more lepers.”

By the grace of God, we have work going on in several dozen leprosy colonies across South Asia. The colonies are, in many ways, more like communities, held together by a common bond of illness and isolation.

Oftentimes, healthy children follow their mothers or fathers into the colonies, only to be ostracized later in life because of where they were raised. Most of the people are incredibly poor, because no one wants to hire a leper. Those who have lost limbs or fingers have a hard time with daily tasks, and many of them beg for a living.

So when we want to do a big outreach, like on World Leprosy Day, we already have some idea of how many people are in each colony and how we can best help them, because we already have some level of work among the people there. One team may say, “There are 75 leprosy patients here who need mosquito nets.” Or “it would be good if we can give food to 150 people in this colony,” and so on. And we do what we can to meet those needs in each area for the special outreach and ministry.

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Source : Christian Post

Open Heavens – REVIVAL BY THE WORLD OF GOD I – 05022016

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Open Heavens – REVIVAL BY THE WORLD OF GOD I – 05022016

REVIVAL BY THE WORLD OF GOD I

Friday February 5th 2016

Memorise: For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of  the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Read: Nehemiah 8:1-10

1 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.

2. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.

3. And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

5. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:

6. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped theLord with their faces to the ground.

7. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.

8. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

9. And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

10. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Bible in one year: Matthew 26:68-28:20, Job 16:1-17

MESSAGE

To have a full understanding of the term “revival by the Word of God”, we need to carefully consider the various interpretations of the Word of God in the view of the Old Testament and the New Testament. In the Old Testament, the Word of God implied both a word about God and a word from God. In effect, the word of God refers to what God says, and at the same time describes God, His essence and attributes. The New Testament on the other hand, presents the Word of God as a person, the second person of the Trinity. Jesus Christ our Lord, who was with the Father from the beginning of creation. The New Testament presents the Word of God as follows:

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the prominence.” Colossians 1:16-18

The special ability of the Word of God to revive is based principally on the fact that He is the source of all things in heaven and earth. Since all things were created by Him, the power to revive is embedded in His creative power. God spoke all things into being by the power of His Word. Since the power to create is greater than the power of His Word. Since the power to create is greater than the power to repair, it is well within the power of the Word to repair and revive a corrupted creature at will.

To this end the Bible says the Word of God is living and active, He has the power to quicken and animate anything He chooses. The Word is able to examine and judge those who hear Him; He does not fail, but always accomplishes the set purpose. The Word of God is in fact a weapon of warfare that is able to penetrate and deal with material objects such as joints and marrow, and even the immaterial word such as the soul and spirit.

The passage further confirms that there is no hiding place for any creature before the Word as all things are made bare and completely exposed before Him. Furthermore, the thought and intents of the heart of men are correctly discerned and decoded by the Word of God.

Dearly beloved, I admonish you to stop playing games with God. Ask God for forgiveness, renewal, revival and re-dedication today. He will answer your prayers beyond your wildest dreams. He will revive you by the power of His Word and give you a new beginning of joy, peace, and prosperity. You will also reign with Him in heaven in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point

Father, please revive me by the power in your Word in the mighty Name of Jesus.

7 Things the Anointing Will Do For You – by Benny Hinn

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7 Things the Anointing Will Do For You – by Benny Hinn

We live in a day that is filled with both unthinkable peril and unimaginable opportunity. And if ever there was a time in history when the body of Christ needed God’s anointing power, it is now!

But what is the anointing, how do you move into it, and how do you see it increase?

Seven Results of Abiding in God’s Anointing

prayerboyThe anointing is the overflow of Christ in your life!It comes to us as we spend time in God’s Word, seek Him with our whole heart, and worship Him. Jesus said:“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).

We increase the anointing by spending time in His presence. And you will certainly know when the presence of the Holy Spirit has come upon your life.

Here are seven things that the anointing will bring to you when it begins to increase and flow:

  1. Healing. Just like when the good Samaritan ministered to the man who had been robbed, stripped, and left for dead (Luke 10:33-34), the minute God’s anointing starts to flow on you, it will heal you. Your heart will be healed. He will restore your health. And you will become a minister of His healing power. That is promised in God’s Word.
  2. Revelation. The anointing will change your life. Exodus 25:6 talks about the oil that brings light. It pierces the darkness and illuminates everything around it. Nothing can stop it because the anointing is the overflow of Christ’s life. And once the anointing starts to flow over you, it brings revelation knowledge, allowing you to move into a supernatural walk with God.
  3. Provision. In 1 Kings 17:14 , we read about Elijah and the widow of Zarephath. She desperately needed a miracle. All she had left for herself and her son was a handful of meal and a small amount of oil. God performed a life-changing miracle for her, multiplying her offering far beyond anything she could have dreamed. The oil did not fail. And today, when God moves in your life, the oil begins to flow, meeting every need in your life. There will be no lack. That’s what God wants for you today. He is moving mightily upon the earth—as you seek Him with your whole heart, the oil will flow on you, and every need in your life will be met!
  4. Debt-free living. A widow came to Elisha and cried out about the debts that had overtaken her and her sons after her husband’s death (2 Kings 4:1-7). God used all she had, a pot of oil—it multiply supernaturally, and she was able to pay off all her debts!
  5. Deliverance. David spoke of the oil of anointing (Psalm 23:1-5) and how it delivered him from all his enemies. Not only that, but he also spoke of God’s faithfulness in protecting him when he wrote, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”
  6. Faith. We are told that the watchman, of Isaiah 21:5, was directed to anoint the shield. Just as oil was used then, the oil of God’s anointing must be used today. Faith must be activated and released, then God will protect you with the shield of faith because of that anointing. Today, regardless of your circumstances, He wants to release a mighty anointing on your life to protect you, completely and totally, but you must first activate it!
  7. Blessings. Psalm 133 speaks about the precious oil of anointing that flowed over Aaron, then God directed the high priest to command His blessings: “The Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore” (verse 3) upon the children of Israel. Today, He commands the blessings on you through His Word. He even says, “All the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Every one of these seven promises of His anointing is for us today, to the glory of God!

Benny Hinn

Source : Benny Hinn Ministries

EU Parliament Recognizes ISIS’ Genocide of Christians, Calls on World Leaders to Take Action

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EU Parliament Recognizes ISIS’ Genocide of Christians, Calls on World Leaders to Take Action

Christian Post Report – Displaced Iraq Christians who fled from Islamic State militants in Mosul, pray at a school acting as a refugee camp in Erbil September 6, 2014.

The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly Thursday in France to designate the ongoing mass slaughter in the Middle East being carried out by the Islamic State terror group against minorities a “genocide,” something which religious freedom advocacy groups said could save lives.

“Genocide is an internationally recognized legal term and it is necessary to call for further steps such as a referral by the U.N. Security Council to the International Criminal Court in order to condemn and punish the perpetrators of genocide. We hope that the resolution that the European Parliament adopted today will ultimately help to save lives,” Sophia Kuby, director of EU Advocacy at Alliance Defending Freedom International, told The Christian Post in a statement.

Kuby added that Christians in the Middle East are in urgent need of international institutions like the EU Parliament to recognize their plight.

What is significant about the genocide resolution, which last week was also passed by the Parliamentary Assembly Council of Europe, is that it calls on nations that are signatories to the U.N. Genocide Convention of 1948 to take action.

As ADF pointed out, the next step is for the Security Council to refer the matter to the International Criminal Court, which will investigate the genocide further.

The EU resolution is also calling for the creation of a “special EU representative for Freedom of Religion in the World.”

IS has captured significant territory across Iraq and Syria, though its influence has spread through affiliated groups in other countries as well, and has been reportedly carrying out mass murders against Christians, Yazidis, and other minorities.

A number of world leaders have spoken out against the treatment of Christians in IS-held territory, with Britain’s Prince Charles warning that believers might be entirely erased from their birth land within five years.

“According to Aid to the Church in Need, which is a truly remarkable organization, Christianity is on course to disappear from Iraq within five years unless emergency help is provided on a greatly increased scale at an international level,” the Prince of Wales warned back in December.

“This affects us all, consequently the greatest challenge we face is how to ensure the spiritual and cultural heritage of Christianity in the Middle East is preserved for future generations.”

The EU Parliament vote could also put pressure on the U.S. to issue a similar resolution declaring IS’ actions a genocide, which would prompt more direct action. Such proposals have been introduced at the U.S. House and Senate, but they have not yet passed, despite calls by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

The USCIRF has called for “American and other world leaders to condemn the genocidal actions and crimes against humanity of ISIL that have been directed at these groups and other ethnic and religious groups.”

Others, however, such as U.S. State Department’s Ambassador at-Large for International Religious Freedom David Saperstein, have argued that President Barack Obama’s administration won’t change its strategy in Iraq and Syria regardless if such a resolution is passed.

“Had we a year ago made a determination about genocide crimes against humanity, it would have resulted in what we are doing [now],” Saperstein, who is a rabbi, said back in January at the introduction of the 2016 World Watch List by persecution watchdog group Open Doors.

“You phrase the question, ‘Is there significance?’ ‘Is their importance?’ We are doing what we would have done regardless of whether the designation had been made or not,” he added.

Source : Christian Post

What’s Up With That: Your Best Thinking Seems to Happen in the Shower

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What’s Up With That: Your Best Thinking Seems to Happen in the Shower

You’re in the shower. The water sounds like a gentle, rainy static, and feels like a Plinko massage. You’ve just started to lather up and suddenly, you’re hit with a flash of brilliance. Maybe it’s the answer to a vexing problem at work, the location of your lost USB drive, or perhaps it’s just a random, inconsequential (yet totally satisfying) insight.

But, by the time you towel off, the idea already has spiraled away down the drain. We all get these kinds of thoughts, and they don’t just happen in the shower. Long drives, short walks, even something like pulling weeds, all seem to have the right mix of monotony and engagement to trigger a revelation. They also happen to be activities where it’s difficult to take notes. It turns out that aimless engagement in an activity is a great catalyst for free association, but introducing a pen and paper can sterilize the effort.

There haven’t been a lot of experiments on why we get random insights, but psychology does have a theory that describes a mental state that seems to foment these kinds of thoughts. It’s called the default mode network.

“You become less aware of your environment and more aware of your internal thoughts,” said John Kounios, a psychologist who studies creativity and distraction at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

The common thread in these activities is they are physically or mentally active, but only mildly so. They also need to be familiar or comfortable enough that you stay engaged but not bored, and last long enough to have an uninterrupted stream of thought.

Kounios explains that our brains typically catalog things by their context: Windows are parts of buildings, and the stars belong in the night sky. Ideas will always mingle to some degree, but when we’re focused on a specific task our thinking tends to be linear.

Kounios likes to use the example of a stack of bricks in your backyard. You walk by them every day with hardly a second thought, and if asked you’d describe them as a building material (maybe for that pizza oven you keep meaning to put together). But one day in the shower, you start thinking about your neighbor’s walnut tree. Those nuts sure look tasty, and they’ve been falling in your yard. You suddenly realize that you can smash those nuts open using the bricks in your backyard!

As far as Eureka moments go, using a brick as a nutcracker is pretty lame, but as an illustration for how the default mode network frees the things in your brain from external associations, it works quite nicely. As ideas become untethered, they are free to bump up against other ideas they’ve never had the chance to encounter, increasing the likelihood of a useful connection.


Source : GoWeLoveIt

Christian Rapper Dee-1 Interviews Ben Carson on BET

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Christian Rapper Dee-1 Interviews Ben Carson on BET

Ben Carson (Photo: Youtube/Screengrab)

Christian Post Report – Rapper Dee-1 discusses race, poverty and policy with Dr. Ben Carson on BET, January 2016.

BET hosted an #AllVotesMatter livestream at the end of January that featured Louisiana rapper Dee-1 on the stage alongside GOP presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson for a unique discussion on Carson’s policies, faith, family and education.

Christian rapper Dee-1 made several appearances on hip-hop mainstream platforms last year with the release of his album 3’s Up. BET then chose the outspoken New Orleans native to be a voice for the people during the #AllVotesMatter livestream event. Joining Carson and Dee-1 for the discussion was Chris Prudhome, president of Vote America Now.

While Dee-1 agreed with Carson on many of the points discussed throughout the unconventional sit-down, what they were at odds about was how someone can work toward financial independence.

“Where do you get the money when you come from generational poverty?” Dee-1 questioned the neurosurgeon.

To which Carson admitted the process would not be “easy.” The Detroit native provided examples of people who worked hard and made a way for themselves. Although Carson seemingly wanted to avoid making race the main issue, Dee-1 insisted that he believes the problem in fact has to do with race.

The rapper maintained that the voice and outcry for the inner cities aren’t taken seriously as opposed to upscale neighborhoods, referencing the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

The passionate emcee asked the Republican nominee, “What can we do outside of just having faith in God to make people feel important just because they are simply American?”

Agreeing in part with the rapper, Carson pegged the prejudice of the inner city a tragedy and said he believes the right people will be held responsible for it.

As the topics progressed, both men were asked what they thought of Stacey Dash’s recent comments on Fox News about getting rid of Black History month and BET altogether to eliminate the racial divide.

“I was highly upset when I heard [Dash’s comments],” Dee-1 said, pointing out that she used “a poor choice of words,” and her body language was that of someone who was angry.

“I feel like [her comments] were largely hypocritical because Stacey Dash has earned several checks from BET… I realize now that I’m older and am an adult that just because someone looks good, doesn’t mean they’re a good spokesperson for our people.”

Carson agreed with Dee-1 to a degree but took the opportunity to try and clarify her remarks. “I know Stacey, she’s a friend…and that did not come off exactly the way she meant,” he said. “I think what she was trying to say is ‘I wish we were at a stage where it wasn’t necessary to have a black station or black awards, but you know we’re not there.’ That part she didn’t add.”

Throughout the rest of the livestream event the two also talked about the Carson Scholars Fund, education, and more, all the while staying respectful to one another and sharing in common their faith in God.

Source : Christian Post

‘Preachers of Atlanta’s’ Le’Andria Johnson Dresses Up as Prostitute, Passes Out Cigarettes and Condoms

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‘Preachers of Atlanta’s’ Le’Andria Johnson Dresses Up as Prostitute, Passes Out Cigarettes and Condoms

'Preachers Of Atlanta' (Photo: Oxygen/Clay Patrick McBride)

Christian Post Report – “Preachers of Atlanta” premieres February 3, 2016. The cast features (l-r) Pastor Le’Andria Johnson, Pastor Canton Jones, Pastor Judah Swilley, Pastor Corey Hambrick and Pastor Kimberly Jones-Pothier. Premieres Feb. 3 at 10 p.m. ET.

Grammy-Award-winner-turned pastor Le’Andria Johnson admitted that she uses some unconventional methods to get people into the church.

“20 cigarettes, 20 people smoking them… they all came to church,” Johnson told The Grio. “They’re still coming to church. So it works. The method works.”

The season three “Sunday Best” winner admitted that it will take unconventional techniques to reach people in this day and age. Besides passing out cigarettes, some of her other unique methods as seen in episode one include dressing promiscuously to minister to prostitutes and handing out condoms to those in need.

“Condoms, I’m not going pass them out to some 10-year-old girl or some 12-year-old boy, but there are transgender men and women and then you have prostitutes… ‘Here’s a condom.’ At least be safe. How can the world practice safe sex and the church can’t?” Johnson said.

Le'Andria Johnson(Photograph: Twitter/Le’Andria Johnson)Le’Andria Johnson is a Grammy-Award winning gospel singer and the 2010 winner of the BET “Sunday Best” singing competition.

The 33-year-old pastor and founder of Imperfect People Changing Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia, has found herself in some hot water previously for her carefree behavior. Some of her recent social media post have received backlash because she is heard cursing and drinking tequila. Many on Twitter are calling for the minster to be a better example for believers.

“Drinking and saying a few cuss words on Periscope..who doesn’t cuss out there in the church world? I just want to know, any pastors and bishops and missionaries and saints and friends out there that doesn’t cuss,” Johnson questioned as she defended herself on the radio show “Darlene’s Day Party.” “If you’re one of the pastors that doesn’t curse than thank God, but what do you do?”

On the premiere of “Preachers of Atlanta,” a feisty Johnson suggested that the church needed to “catch up.” Her co-star of the controversial show, Pastor Judah Swilley, shares her concerns for the church. As seen on the show, Swilley vouches for Johnson’s tactics and is pushing his own mainstream methods under the banner of gay people in leadership of the church.

Johnson, although focused on cleaning up the streets, appears to be having trouble in her home. The season premiere revealed Johnson’s husband, Forrest Walker, could have fathered another woman’s child.

Nevertheless, Johnson said she will continue to trust God to get her through and at the same time continue taking care of and supporting her family and the church.

Johnson, Swilley and the rest of the “Preachers of Atlanta” cast – pastors Canton Jones, Corey Hambrick and Kimberley Jones-Pothier – can be seen on the Oxygen network, Wednesday nights at 10/9c.

Source : Christian Post

Kenya Rejects Atheist Group’s Request to Be Officially Recognized Over ‘Peace’, ‘Good Order’

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Kenya Rejects Atheist Group’s Request to Be Officially Recognized Over ‘Peace’, ‘Good Order’

Kenya (Photo: Reuters/Goran Tomasevic)

Christian Post Report – A Christian man carries a cross during Good Friday procession outside Nairobi, Kenya, April 3, 2015.

An atheist group is claiming discrimination after the Kenyan government refused to officially recognize the nonbelievers over concerns of maintaining “peace [and] good order” in the country.

The small atheist group had been denied official government recognition multiple times since it began applying last year, the group’s leader Harrison Mumia told the BBC.

A press release announcing the denial reported that government officials explained that “‘the interests of peace and welfare or good order in Kenya would be likely to suffer prejudice’ by reason of our  (atheist’s) registration as a society.”

“This is blatant discrimination,” Mumia stated in the press release, adding that his group is “a part of the Kenyan society, and all we are seeking is to exercise our fundamental freedoms to form a Society.”

“We have had church leaders who have defiled minors yet we know that they have been allowed to register as societies. How does the registrar come to the conclusion that we shall interfere with the good order in Kenya?” Mumia argued.

As the group states on its website, its goal is to “[fight] to protect the absolute separation of religion from government and raise the profile of atheism in the public discourse.”

“Since 2013, Atheists In Kenya has been taking the principled and uncompromising position that our government should give no special treatment or preference to religious belief. Through lawsuits, innovative public relations campaigns, and education, we are working to normalize atheism and allow more and more people to set aside religious belief and superstition,” the atheist group says.

While Kenya continues to refuse to officially recognize the atheist group, it has also clamped down on evangelical Christian churches in the country.

In January, the government announced that it would be requiring all religious groups to officially register and submit their statements of faith for approval. Preachers would also be required to seek police clearance. 

The Evangelical Alliance of Kenya denounced the newly proposed regulations as an attempt to decimate the country’s Christian population, with the group’s chairman Bishop Mark Kariuki telling the Daily Nation newspaper: “We believe this is meant to stop evangelism and growth of the church since other societies are being registered freely.

The proposed regulations were also condemned by the Roman Catholic Church and the country’s Muslim population, ultimately leading government officials to backtrack on their directive.

A spokesman for the president said in response to Christian outcry that the new rules would not violate the religious freedoms of the Kenyan people.

“The President has further directed the Attorney General to ensure that the current draft regulations are subjected to further vigorous public consultations so that they in no way undermine the fundamental values and principles enshrined in the constitution, and which are a way of life for the people of Kenya,” the presidential spokesman said in a statement in January.

According to Pew Research, the vast majority of Kenyans are religious, with 84.8 percent identifying with Christianity and 9.7 percent identifying with Islam.

Only 2.5 percent of the country’s population claim no religious affiliation.

Source : Christian Post

Fixer Upper’s Chip and Joanna Gaines Live Out Their Faith on Hit Show

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Fixer Upper’s Chip and Joanna Gaines Live Out Their Faith on Hit Show

Chip and Joanna Gaines (Photo: Instagram/magnoliamarket)

Christian Post Report – Owners and operators of Magnolia Homes Chip and Joanna Gaines, and stars of the HGTV series “Fixer Upper”, Texas, 2016.

Whether mesmerizing folks with their designs and renovation on their hit HGTV show “Fixer Upper” or using their platform to reflect their faith, Joanna and Chip Gaines have won over the hearts of viewers.  

Every Tuesday night at 9 p.m. EST, families all over America are tuning in to watch Joanna and Chip take broken down but potential-rich houses and turn them into showpieces that are helping revitalize whole neighborhoods throughout central Texas.

“Fixer Upper” is being pegged a glimpse into “everyday Christian living” through the lives and work of the Gaines family. Although the show follows their quest of saving homes that look hopeless, it’s their example of a loving family that is proving to be a true testament to their faith.

The couple told the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, “Our family has made a commitment to put Christ first, a lifestyle our parents modeled for us very well. They showed us how to keep our marriage and family centered around God. As for ‘Fixer Upper,’ we have been surprised at the impact of our faith through the show. We haven’t been overtly evangelical, but the rich feedback we have received on family and love all source from our faith. Jesus said the world would know His disciples by their love for one another, and we’ve glimpsed this in practice and strive for it every day.”

The Gaines own Magnolia Homes, a remodeling and design business in Waco, Texas, that they have operated for years. In a  video for Baylor University, the college in which both Chip and Joanna met at, Joanna shared her testimony. She revealed that it was not until she trusted God with her dreams that all of this success was able to come about.

Growing up as a biracial child, both Asian and White, proved to be very challenging for the now mother of 4. Joanna said that from an early age it was always her faith in God that gave her hope for the future.

“‘Joanna I have a calling for you, you’re going to have a platform one day,'” she testified of a time God spoke to her.

In the video she went on to discuss a time she thought she would have to give up on her business for good to raise her family. “I heard God say very clearly… he said, ‘Joanna if you trust me with your dreams, I’m going to take Magnolia further than you ever dreamed.'”

“Fixer Upper” has been living proof for the couple that what God promised has come to pass. According to multichannel.com the show shattered multiple ratings records for the network in January, making the show the top 15 telecasts in HGTV history and it achieved a series high rating of 1.44 among viewers P25-54.

Although they do not claim to be evangelicals on a conquest to get all of their viewers saved, Chip and Joanna will live out the example they saw from their parents.  

Chip’s father was not a pastor, but according to Chip, his father’s lifestyle preached Jesus and gave him a good role model.

“He was influential in showing me how to live out my faith, even in a secular environment. He impacted my life by spurring me to shape my choices with my faith and to walk in my faith regardless of my ‘calling,'” he told the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

For more information on the hit show visit hgtv.com/shows/fixer-upper

Source : Christian Post

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