Is Russell Wilson Influencing Ciara’s Faith? Singer Tweets Bible Verse Amid Dating Rumors

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Is Russell Wilson Influencing Ciara’s Faith? Singer Tweets Bible Verse Amid Dating Rumors

Russell Wilson and Ciara (Photo: Ciara/Instagram)

Christian Post Report – NFL Player Russell Wilson pictured with singer Ciara.

Russell Wilson, the Christian Seattle Seahawks quarterback rumored to be dating sultry pop singer Ciara Harris, now has some onlookers wondering if he is also discipling her after she tweeted a Scripture from Habakkuk touting vision.

Wilson, 26, has been vocal about his Christianity on social media where he often tweets Bible verses and makes it clear that he is a “Jesus follower” who is “too blessed to be stressed” and “too anointed to be disappointed.”

Ciara, the 29-year-old entertainer who portrayed a preacher’s daughter in the 2010 movie “Mama I Want To Sing,” on the other hand, is not known to publicly discuss her faith.

Wilson and Ciara have been exchanging messages on and off social media for weeks and on Sunday she appeared to have picked up his habit of tweeting Bible verses.

“Write The Vision, Make It Plain. –Habakkuk 2:2,” she tweeted.

While it is unclear if Wilson has influenced Ciara’s faith or even her tweet, the NFL player feels blessed to have the singer in his life.

When Ciara announced that she would be modeling new looks for fashion designer Roberto Cavalli’s upcoming Fall-Winter 2015 line, Wilson complimented her in a tweet saying: “I would say #LuckyGuy but I don’t believe in luck… #BlessedMan.”

Minutes later, Wilson glorified God for the people in his life.

“#Grateful for how far God has brought me & continues to Love me,” he tweeted. “The amazing people I have in my life just makes me Praise Him!”

Until Ciara, the NFL player has not publicly appeared with any woman since announcing plans to divorce his wife of two years, Ashton Meem, in 2012. Wilson appeared with Ciara at the Japan State Dinner at the White House in April. The pair held hands, and she even called him “baby,” according to The Washington Post.

Before that, they were also spotted at a Mariners game. Since the Japan State Dinner, they have been seen at San Antonio’s River Walk where Wilson was seen pushing the singer’s 1-year-old son Future’s stroller and holding the boy to shield him from rain on the Memorial Day weekend.

Ciara shares a child with Hip Hop star Future, whom she broke off an engagement to last year.
Although she is not as vocal about her spiritual beliefs as Wilson, Ciara previously said her son is the greatest gift that God has given her.

“Honestly, I feel like everything in life happens for a reason and my son has been the greatest gift that God has given me in my life and been the most game-changing thing that’s happened to my life, in a necessary way,” she said on Power 105.1 FM’s syndicated radio show, “The Breakfast Club” earlier this year.

The Christian Post reached out to Ciara’s representatives to inquire about her faith, but did not receive a response in time for the publication of this story.

Source : Christian Post

Creflo Dollar Will Get $70 Million Gulfstream G650 Jet Says Church; World Changers Board Says It Is ‘Necessary’ for Ministry

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Creflo Dollar Will Get $70 Million Gulfstream G650 Jet Says Church; World Changers Board Says It Is ‘Necessary’ for Ministry

Creflo Dollar, Airplane (Photo: Facebook; gulfstream.com)

Christian Post Report – Televangelist Creflo Dollar (L) and the luxury jet (R) he’s asking the public to purchase for his ministry.

The board of World Changers Church International, founded by popular televangelist Creflo Dollar and conducts business as Creflo Dollar Ministries, said in a strongly worded statement that the organization will acquire the luxury multimillion dollar Gulfstream G650 jet they tried to raise $65 million to purchase through a short-lived crowdfunding campaign which sparked public outcry in March.

The ministry shut down the crowdfunding campaign asking 200,000 of the ministry’s international supporters to donate $300 each in March to purchase the aircraft which reportedly had billionaires waiting in line to purchase one last year.

“It is our belief that this ministry is called to serve people globally — to literally change the world according to the Great Commission — and our infrastructure and operational plan reflect the worldwide nature of that assignment. Our pastors share the gospel of Jesus more than 300 times per year — in churches, arenas, venues, convention centers, stadiums and other facilities across the entire planet — and are committed to aggressive travel schedules that cannot be fulfilled via any means other than private aircraft,” said the WCCI Board in the statement posted on the website of Creflo Dollar Ministries.

“A long-range, high-speed, intercontinental jet aircraft is a tool that is necessary in order to fulfill the mission of the ministry. In light of an unfortunate accident that recently resulted in the ministry’s aircraft being declared a total loss, it is our intention to purchase another airplane at a time, place and price of our choosing,” the statement continued.

It was then confirmed later in the statement that the next plane the ministry intends to acquire is the controversial Gulfstream G650.

“We plan to acquire a Gulfstream G650 because it is the best, and it is a reflection of the level of excellence at which this organization chooses to operate. We, the World Changers family, so value the lives, the safety and the well-being of our pastors and leaders that we wish to provide to them the best air travel experience possible,” said the statement from the WCCI board.

Despite the statement from WCCI, however, it might be a while before the church can acquire the G650 jet even if they are able to raise the nearly $70 million need to purchase the aircraft, according to Gulfstream’s sales director for New Jersey, Delaware and New York, Kevin Valik.

“It’s kind of a tough detail,” Valik told The Christian Post in a telephone interview Tuesday.

He said there are only 120 Gulfstream G650 jets that have been delivered globally since the company started meeting orders on the jet in 2013.

Since 2013, the company has delivered about 50 of the jets annually and they are getting orders for the multimillion dollar aircraft “everyday.” The company now has a backlog on orders for the aircraft through the beginning of 2018.

Getting a used G650 also appears to have gotten a lot tougher since March when the company advertised one on it’s website for $67,950,000.

“We are no longer working with that seller,” said Valik, who noted that he doesn’t know if the seller wants to keep the plane now or might be trying to sell it through other avenues.

  • The Gulfstream G650
    (Photo: gulfstream.com)
    Inside the luxurious Gulfstream G650 airplane.

Earlier in the statement the WCCI board made it clear that the decision to pursue the G650 jet wasn’t made unilaterally by Creflo Dollar.

“All significant projects, policy changes and financial expenditures, regardless of the circumstances, are presented to the Board and approved prior to implementation. A proper system of checks and balances is in place to insure the ministry’s dealings are beyond reproach. When Dr. Dollar steps forward to announce a ministry initiative, please make no mistake that it is actually an action of this Board,” said the statement.

“Our community is centered on biblical principles directly from the Word of God. There is no area of the organization that does not base its foundational principles and operational guidelines on what the Bible has to say to us about God’s love and His grace. We understand that others may interpret biblical truths differently – the freedom to worship as one chooses is a fundamental hallmark of a free society – but wish to assert our God-given right to practice what we believe. This is our faith, the very basis for what we believe, and it is not necessary that we justify it,” the statement noted.

Contact: [email protected]; follow me on Twitter @leoblair

Source : Christian Post

Pope Francis Says Leaving Migrants to Die at Sea Is Like Supporting Abortion and Euthanasia

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Pope Francis Says Leaving Migrants to Die at Sea Is Like Supporting Abortion and Euthanasia

Pope Francis (Photo: Reuters/Alessandro Bianchi)

Christian Post Report – Pope Francis attends during the general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Rome, Italy, February 11, 2015.

Pope Francis has said that leaving migrants to die in the Mediterranean sea, such as the fate of thousands in the past few years, is similar to the “scourge” of abortion and euthanasia. The pontiff spoke out at a meeting of the Italian Science and Life Association, where he warned against several “attacks against life.”

“The scourge of abortion is an attack on life. Leaving our brothers on the boats in the Sicilian channel is an attack on life. Death at work is an attack on life because it does not respect the minimal security conditions,” Francis said, according to an article on LifeNews on Monday.

“The love of Christ urges us to become servants of the small ones and the elderly, of every man and every woman, through which the primordial right to life is recognized and protected.”

The Roman Catholic Church leader also spoke out against “terrorism, war, violence,” but said that euthanasia is also an “attack against life.”

Tens of thousands of people cross the Mediterranean from Africa by boats in an attempt to reach southern Italy and a better life on an annual basis, which sometimes leads to major maritime disasters.

Just this past weekend, more than 5,000 migrants were rescued in a series of naval operations, The Telegraph reported. At least 17 people were found dead by Italian Navy rescuers, however, bringing the total count of men, women and children to die or go missing in the Mediterranean this year to nearly 1,800.

Francis has passionately urged Christians to offer more compassion for the migrants, as much as he has spoken out on the other issues, such as what he calls a “throw-away culture” that supports abortion.

“They are men and women like us, our brothers seeking a better life, starving, persecuted, wounded, exploited, victims of war. They were looking for a better life, they were looking for happiness,” the pope said following another migrant boat collapse in April.

“I invite you to pray in silence first and then all together for these brothers and sisters.”

Back in September 2013, Francis told a group of Catholic gynaecologists: “Every child that isn’t born, but is unjustly condemned to be aborted, has the face of Jesus Christ, has the face of the Lord.”

He added: “Things have a price and can be for sale, but people have a dignity that is priceless and worth far more than things.”

Source : Christian Post

Duggar Family Pastor Speaks Out on Molestation Scandal; Says God Can Forgive Anything

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Duggar Family Pastor Speaks Out on Molestation Scandal; Says God Can Forgive Anything

Ronnie Floyd (Photo: Twitter/Ronnie Floyd)

Christian Post Report – Ronnie Floyd, senior pastor of Pinnacle Cross Church in Rogers, Arkansas.

Ronnie Floyd, pastor of the Duggar family who star in TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting” says the recent allegations that Josh Duggar molested five girls as a teenager can be forgiven.

Floyd, who serves as senior pastor of Pinnacle Cross Church in Rogers, Arkansas, addressed the recent reports that accuse Josh Duggar, now 27, of molesting five young women when he was 14.

“Everyone does wrong, and what was wrong was very wrong as to what was testified to and it’s completely unacceptable,” the pastor told People.com. “But I’m thankful, whether it’s him or any other one, that I serve a God who can forgive everything.”

Floyd went on to reveal that the entire church was surprised by the recent scandal since the Duggar family is well known for their conservative lifestyle and strong Christian faith.

“All of us were surprised by the news because… their reputation in Arkansas is that they are a very Christian family,” said Floyd.

Despite the controversy, the pastor said his “evangelical Christian ministry is alive and well,” despite enduring scandals similar to that being faced by the Duggars.

“Things like [the Duggar scandal] have happened before and will happen again,” he said.

Meanwhile, Duggar, who is the eldest of the children who appear on TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting,” was never charged for the molestation accusations because the three-year statute of limitations has passed. Instead of involving the law at the time of the accusations, Duggar’s parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, decided to punish their son by sending him to the Institute in Basic Life Principles, which “was established for the purpose of introducing people to the Lord Jesus Christ, and… training on how to find success by following God’s principles found in Scripture,” according to the IBLP website.

On Thursday, a police report from 2006 surfaced in the media indicating that Duggar was responsible for “forcible fondling” of five unnamed teenaged girls. Following the reports, Duggar issued an apology for acting “inexcusably.”

“Twelve years ago, as a young teenager I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret,” Duggar wrote on Facebook.

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  • Josh Duggar
    (Photo: Reuters/Brian Frank)
    Josh Duggar, former executive director of Family Research Council Action, speaks at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa, August 9, 2014. The pro-family Iowa organization is hosting the event in conjunction with national partners Family Research Council Action and Citizens United.
  • Josh Duggar
    (Photo: Reuters/Brian Frank)
    Josh Duggar, Executive Director of the Family Research Council Action in Ames, Iowa August 9, 2014.

The reality television star explained that he had confessed his wrongdoings to both his parents and authorities at the time, resulting in counseling for himself as well as for those affected by his actions. In addition to the apology on Thursday, Duggar resigned from his position at the Family Research Council.

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar also addressed the molestation scandal, referring to it as “one of the most difficult times in our lives.”

“That dark and difficult time caused us to seek God like never before,” they wrote on Facebook. “Even though we would never choose to go through something so terrible, each one of our family members drew closer to God.”

“19 Kids and Counting” first premiered on TLC in 2008 and the series is one of the network’s top-rated programs. However, the future of the show is uncertain today. TLC has reportedly canceled “19 Kids and Counting” and pulled the show from its summer lineup.

Source : Christian Post

Almost 100 Public Schools in Kenya Close After More Than 2000 Christian Teachers Refuse to Work Fearing Attack from Radical Muslims

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Almost 100 Public Schools in Kenya Close After More Than 2000 Christian Teachers Refuse to Work Fearing Attack from Radical Muslims

Kenya (Photo: Reuters/Goran Tomasevic)

Christian Post Report – Kenyans attend a memorial vigil for the victims of an attack by gunmen at the Garissa University College, at the “Freedom Corner” in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, April 7, 2015. Kenyan university students marched in the capital on Tuesday to demand more security from the government after gunmen killed nearly 150 people at a campus in the eastern town of Garissa last week. A citizens group planned to hold a vigil in Nairobi’s main park later in the evening, tapping growing public frustration over security in the wake of the attack claimed by al-Shabaab radical Islamists based in neighboring Somalia.

At least 95 public schools in north Kenya have been closed indefinitely after Christian teachers in the area refused to work due to fear of an attack from radical Muslim groups such as al-Shabaab whose members slaughtered 148 Christian students at Garissa University in April.

Many of these schools employ Christians as teachers leaving them unable to operate after this latest walk-out.

“Teachers left and did not report back, so some schools have since closed down,” said Roman Catholic Joseph Alessandro of the Garissa Diocese.

Jacob Kaimenyi, the cabinet secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Education confirmed that about 95 schools have been closed, with nearly 500 others facing the possibility of shutting down as more than 2000 teachers refuse to resume work.

Although the area is predominantly Muslim, many of its teachers are Christian, according to the Catholic publication Crux.

Church schools have also been affected by the walkout, however, many are still open with fewer students and teachers present.

“We are trying our best not to shut down,” said Kaimenyi. “Parents had asked for security in schools and the government has provided some.”

Christian teachers fear the radical Muslim group al-Shabaab which took responsibility for the vicious attack at Garissa University in Kenya where 148 Christian students were shot and killed last month.The terror group reportedly separated Christian students from Muslim students before killing the Christians. Authorities took hours to respond to the attack and arrived at the scene after politicians and journalists and were able to shoot and kill four terrorists carrying out the attack 10 hours after it started.

Activists in the region such as Boniface Mwangi blamed corruption among the security forces for allowing al-Shabaab to kill so many students before a proper response from authorities.

“Entrenched corruption in the security system allows al-Shabaab to move freely in and out of Kenya and carry out such attacks with ease,” said Mwangi in an online statement.

Manoa Esipisu, a spokesman for Kenya’s president and deputy president claimed at the time of the attack that authorities did everything that they could with the information they had.

“With the benefit of hindsight you can always say things could have been done better,” said Esipisu who argued that Kenyan authorities saved a lot of students and “got the job done.”

The government identified radical Islamic jihadist and al-Shabaab senior leader Mohamed Mohamud as the prime suspect behind the attack and posted a reward of 20 million Kenyan shillings which is equivalent to $215,000 for his capture.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and his administration vowed to “respond in the severest ways possible” to the slaughter, and will “fight terrorism to the end.”

Contact: [email protected]; follow me on Twitter @vinfunaro

Source : Christian Post

Marvin Sapp Says Ruth’s Chris Steak House Employee Snubbed Him; I Have ‘Never Been So Offended in My Life’ He Says

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Marvin Sapp Says Ruth’s Chris Steak House Employee Snubbed Him; I Have ‘Never Been So Offended in My Life’ He Says
  • Christian minister and recording artist Marvin Sapp.
    (Photo: Marvin Sapp)
    Christian minister and recording artist Marvin Sapp.

Christian Post Report – Popular contemporary gospel artist and pastor of Full Life Center Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Marvin Sapp, says he was snubbed so badly by an employee at a Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Chicago the offense became a lifetime record for him.

Sapp, 48, took to his Facebook page to speak out about the Ruth’s Chris Steak House Chicago encounter where he had gone with six members of his entourage to dine.

“#‎ToWhomItMayConcern‬ This evening in the city of Chicago as a guest of this city, (Chicago GospelFest) I have been never so offended in my life,” he wrote on Saturday. “At ‘Ruth’s Chris’ a restaurant that I have eaten in across this country on many occasions, turned six members of my party and I away because of our attire. Stating they only serve individuals dressed in business casual attire.”

Sapp insisted, however that others in the restaurant were dressed in casual attire including “ripped jeans, sneakers, t-shirt etc.” The preacher decided he would post the business card of the individual who turned him and his party away.

“We had on the same as many sitting and or waiting to be seated however we were asked to leave. Even after asking for a private room, explaining that we were from out of town and so on we were still turned away,” Sapp wrote. “…. So I decided to post the card of the individual who made the decision not to serve us. ‪#‎doublestandardmaybe.”‬

While thousands of Sapp’s 2 million Facebook fans shared the post, one fan named Leah-Courtney Kelly who said she was at the Ruth’s Chris Steak House at the time of the alleged incident, offered a different account of what happened.

“I was sitting in the restaurant eating that day and actually sir you were wearing sweatpants and they have a business casual dress code that is printed and VISIBLE when you walk in. The manager asked if he had pants to change into, or if he wanted to come back he would buy him some appetizers but he was being ignorant,” Kelly wrote “I wish people would stop using this as a race thing..SERIOUSLY there are people dying of starvation in this world and here we have someone b******* that he’s not allowed to eat at a steak house.”

Sapp however countered Kelly’s account.

“Didn’t have on sweat pants… Had on a pair of Robbins Cargo pants, black t-shirt and Jordan’s. Also there was a 8 month pregnant woman with us,” Sapp noted. “None of us were dressed differently from anyone else in the restaurant respectfully. My issue is seeing people seated with ripped jeans and being told a rule that wasn’t being applied to all patrons…. Rules are made to be followed but not selectively enforced.”

Sapp is no stranger to being vocal on his social media page, and has even used the platform to previously admit some of his own mistakes and reveal how he has overcome being disrespected.

“I made many mistakes, hurt individuals who are very important to me,” Sapp wrote last year. “I’ve been slandered, stalked, accused, disrespected by people that I have helped and more. Yet to the best of my ability I maintain my integrity when I wanted to lose it.”

Source : Christian Post

ISIS Kidnaps Over 500 Children in Iraq Who Could Be Used as Suicide Bombers, Gov’t Officials Claim

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ISIS Kidnaps Over 500 Children in Iraq Who Could Be Used as Suicide Bombers, Gov’t Officials Claim

Syrian child fighter (Photo: Reuters/Muzaffar Salman)

Christian Post Report – Abboud, 12, rests with fellow Free Syrian Army fighters in Aleppo’s Sheikh Saeed neighbourhood, Syria, September 28, 2013. Abboud and his brother Deeb, 14, both school-going children before the civil war, joined the Free Syrian Army after the deaths of two of their brothers and an uncle in the conflict.

The Islamic State terrorist group is being accused by local government officials of kidnapping over 500 children from the Anbar and Diyala provinces in Iraq, and there is fear that some of the children could be forced to carry out suicide bomb attacks.

Farhan Mohammed, a member of Anbar’s Provincial Council, told the Turkish news organization Anadolu Agency on Saturday that the Islamic State abducted approximately 400 children in the Anbar towns of Ar Rutba, Al-Qaim, Anah and Rawa in raids that took place over the course of a week.

Mohammed further added that he believes more children in the area will be recruited to join ISIS and that they could be used to carry out jihadi attacks.

“Daesh [Arabic acronym for ISIS] has kidnapped at least 400 children in the western province of Anbar and taken them to their bases in Iraq and Syria,” Mohammed was quoted as saying.

Additionally, Kasim Al-Saidi, lieutenant general of the Diyala police force, told the agency that ISIS recruited over 100 children from the Diyala province and he believes they will be used as suicide bombers.

Al-Saidi added that the terrorist group will likely give children military and religious training at jihadi boot camps and that some of the child recruits could be taken to other regions under ISIS control, such as the group’s Syrian strongholds.

ISIS (Photo: Screencap/EllieNews video)

ISIS has released a slickly-edited propaganda video showing boys as young as 5 being indoctrinated at a military-style training camp for “cubs,” February 2015.

“Daesh has recruited about 100 children under the age of 16,” Al-Saidi said. “They are going to brainwash these kids into being suicide bombers.”

Although Al-Saidi claims that ISIS could use the abducted children as suicide bombers and other reports have indicated that ISIS has trained at least 1,000 children to carry out suicide attacks, Foundation for Defense of Democracies senior fellow and Long War Journal Editor Bill Roggio told The Christian Post on Monday that he believes claims of ISIS using children as suicide bombers are a bit of a stretch.

Roggio reasoned that because ISIS has “long lines” of willing adults who want to sacrifice their lives to carry out suicide attacks, it makes little sense for the group to use children to carry out such operations.

Roggio further added that it doesn’t make sense for ISIS to kidnap children from towns inside its own territory and force them to carry out suicide attacks, adding that there is “no easier way” for ISIS to make enemies inside its self-proclaimed caliphate.

In April, Rehab al-Abouda, chair of Iraqi Parliament’s Committee for Women, Family and Childhood, said that hundreds of abducted boys have already been used as fighters in battles against Iraqi security forces.

Abouda’s statement came about a week after it was reported that ISIS kidnapped over 120 children from schools in the northern Nineveh province.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported in late March that ISIS recruited over 400 children to join its military ranks in Syria from Jan. 1 through March 23.

“They use children because it is easy to brainwash them,” Rami Abdulrahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory, told Reuters. “They can build these children into what they want. They stop them from going to school and send them to IS schools instead.”

Source : Christian Post

Billy Graham’s Grandson Says the Church Must Hold Child Abusers Within Their Ranks Accountable, Not Marginalize Victims to Protect Offenders

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Billy Graham’s Grandson Says the Church Must Hold Child Abusers Within Their Ranks Accountable, Not Marginalize Victims to Protect Offenders
  • Boz Tchividjian
    (Photo: Courtesy of H. Tchividjian)
    Basyle “Boz” Tchividjian, executive director of Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, known by the acronym of GRACE, and grandson of the Rev. Billy Graham.

Christian Post Report – A grandson of the Rev. Billy Graham says churches must hold child abusers in their ranks accountable for their actions.

Boz Tchividjian, executive director of the group Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, told The Christian Post in an interview on Monday that “all too often the response of the Christian community is contrary to this beautiful Gospel.”

“This is done when the safety and care of abuse victims is sacrificed in order to protect the reputations of individuals and institutions,” said Tchividjian.

“This sacrifice is most commonly demonstrated through ignoring or marginalizing victims and protecting offenders.”

Tchividjian of GRACE told CP that rather than do this churches should adopt a “Gospel-centered approach” to dealing with incidents of child abuse.

“[Churches] should be the place where children and survivors feel most safe and most loved,” said Tchividjian.

“My prayer is that one day churches will be the place offenders feel the least safe knowing that the church is vigilantly watching over its children and won’t hesitate to report suspected abuse to the God-ordained authorities. I think Jesus requires nothing less of us.”

Chaplains for Children

Tchividjian’s comments to CP come as the GRACE leader is planning to attend a multi-day course event at Viterbo University of Wisconsin titled “Chaplains for Children.”

Sponsored by the Gundersen National Child Protection Training Center and scheduled for June 8-10, the conference will focus on equipping individuals to respond and to recognize incidents of abuse.

“The course discusses in detail the impact of child abuse on a victim’s sense of spirituality and offers concrete suggestions for working with medical and mental health professionals to assist a child in coping with maltreatment,” reads an entry on the Gundersen website. “The course also discusses ideal child protection policies for a faith based institution, including handling a situation in which a convicted sex offender seeks to join a congregation.”

Tchividjian told CP that his involvement in the Chaplains for Children conference will center on “the importance of effectively responding to child sexual abuse disclosures.”

“My experience is that the response to abuse disclosures (inside and outside of the church) is all too often dependent upon the influence, charisma, or wealth of the alleged perpetrator,” said Tchividjian.

“The hopeful outcome of this training will be to help church leaders understand the importance and implications of responding to abuse disclosures with excellence.”

Josh Duggar (Photo: Reuters/Brian Frank)

Josh Duggar, former executive director of Family Research Council Action, speaks at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa, August 9, 2014. The pro-family Iowa organization is hosting the event in conjunction with national partners Family Research Council Action and Citizens United.

The Duggar Controversy

Sexual abuse in the church has been extensively covered by major media outlets over the past several years.

Over a decade ago, the Roman Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal made global headlines as it was revealed that numerous Catholic leaders had looked the other way when priests were abusing minors.

Recently Josh Duggar of the conservative Christian family at the center of the popular reality TV series “19 Kids and Counting” was found to have committed child abuse while a minor years ago.

Rather than be legally prosecuted for his actions, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar sent their son to a Christian group known as the Institute in Basic Life Principles for counseling.

The fallout from the controversy has led TLC to reportedly cancel “19 Kids and Counting,” possibly indefinitely.

Regarding the controversy, Tchividjian told CP that the controversy was “tragic” and showed the need for legal accountability regarding incidents of sexual abuse in the church or in a Christian family.

“The Duggar situation has been a tragic reminder to all of us about the necessity of immediately reporting sexual abuse to the proper authorities, regardless of the age of the offender or whether or not the crime occurred inside or outside of the home,” said Tchividjian.

Source : Christian Post

Not the Bait but the Bite

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Not the Bait but the Bite

Christian Post Report – “No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.”
— Genesis 39:9

Sometimes after we have had a little success, after we have come through the adversity, after we have climbed the social ladder, we are more vulnerable than we were before. There was a time we trusted in God because we had to. We trusted in God because if He didn’t come through, we weren’t eating that night. We trusted in God because if He didn’t come through, the rent wouldn’t get paid. If God didn’t come through, we weren’t going to make it through the week.

  • Greg Laurie
    (Photo: rever Hoehne for Harvest Ministries)
    Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California and Harvest Orange County in Irvine, California, shares the Gospel with a sold-out crowd of 19,000 for Harvest America at the American Airlines Center and Victory Park in Dallas, Texas, Oct. 5, 2014.

But now maybe we have a nice amount of money in savings and investments. Maybe we have done very well at work. Maybe we’re not as dependent upon God. Maybe we’ve lowered our guard just a little bit. Know this: greater success leads to greater times of vulnerability.

We see this in the life of Joseph. He was a total success in Potiphar’s house. And then came the temptation. Along came Potiphar’s wife. It must have been very flattering for her to pay attention to him and talk to him about how attractive he was. He had, for a time, been saturated with Egyptian values, and those values that came from his parents might have seemed very worn-out and archaic. He could have rationalized it and said, “Well, if I give in to her, I will move to the top more quickly.” But here is what Joseph knew: God was there, and God was watching. So Joseph refused her advances.

Joseph recognized that temptation isn’t a sin; it is a call to battle. He wasn’t made of stone. He was vulnerable in this area. Yet he resisted her.

You may think that if you’re really spiritual, you won’t be tempted. But it is not the bait that constitutes the temptation. It is the bite.

Copyright © 2015 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000

Used with Permission

Source : Christian Post

Hundreds of Jewish Protesters Block Christians From Visiting King David’s Tomb, Site of Jesus’ Last Supper

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Hundreds of Jewish Protesters Block Christians From Visiting King David’s Tomb, Site of Jesus’ Last Supper

Hundreds of Jewish Protesters Block Christians From Enterning King David's Tomb (Photo: Screengrab/ B’Hadrei Haredim )

Christian Post Report – Hundreds of Jewish protesters block a group of Greek Orthodox Christians from entering the site of King David’s tomb on May 31, 2015.

Hundreds of Jewish protesters blocked a group of Greek Orthodox Christians from entering the site in Old Jerusalem that Jewish tradition believes is where King David is buried and where Christians believe Jesus held his infamous Last Supper on Sunday.

The protesters held a mass prayer service and study while attempting to block access to the building. Israeli Police managed to ensure the Christians access to the site where they held a religious ceremony to celebrate Pentecost, according to a spokesman for the department.

20 Yeshiva students returned early Monday morning to protest and block another Christian group from entering, but were removed by police, according to The Jerusalem Post.

“The Christians called police to remove them and units arrived at the scene immediately to allow the representatives to go into the area,” said Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld. “The group was peacefully dispersed and no arrests were made.”

No arrests were made on either day, according to authorities.

The Jewish protesters were there “to prevent the desecration of King David’s tomb by an idolatrous ceremony of the Greek Church,” according to protest organizer Yehudah Puah.

Jerusalem Municipality council member Arieh King expressed his support for the protests to Jewish publication B’Hadrei Haredim stating “we have gathered here to sanctify God’s name. The debasement of this holy place will not be allowed to take place.”

The protesters included Jews from various sectors, but was comprised mostly of one branch of the Breslov Hassidic community.

A current status-quo arrangement allows Christians to pray at the site on specific holidays. The Vatican is lobbying the nation of Israel to give Christians more access to it which is strongly opposed by Israeli Jewish fundamentalist groups.

A similar protest was held at the site last May by Orthodox Jews looking to thwart a visit from Pope Francis who planned on holding a mass at the place where Jesus held the Last Supper.

Jewish leaders argued at the time that the mass being held there would denigrate the Jewish religion. The mass was held last June.

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Source : Christian Post

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