‘Persecution Follows Us … We Can’t Run From It’: Christian Monks in Iraq Refuse to Leave Ancient Monasteries Despite ISIS Threat:

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‘Persecution Follows Us … We Can’t Run From It’: Christian Monks in Iraq Refuse to Leave Ancient Monasteries Despite ISIS Threat:

Iraq CBS 60 Minutes

Christian Post Report – Yousif Ibrahim during 60 Minutes interview

Holding out in one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world, located in Iraq’s Northern Ninevah Plains Region, three monks and a half dozen students vow to stay put despite the possibility of being overrun by ISIS fighters.

U.S. Today reports that the 1600-year-old St. Matthew’s Monastery is constantly under threat and just mere miles from the frontlines in the battle against ISIS. Many of the monks and villagers in the town fled in August of 2014 when ISIS gained more ground in the surrounding area near Mt. Alfaf, Iraq.

“We can see the battles and the airstrikes from here in front of us, especially at night,” declares Yousif Ibrahim. “The sky lights up at night, but we of course are not scared. God protects us.”

St. Matthew’s is currently being protected by the Kurdish Peshmerga military, which is now the last line of defense for the monastery, monks, and students.

Ibrahim has vowed to stay in the region until the last Christians are driven out from Iraq. “The shepherd cannot leave his sheep,” he declared.

Sahar Karaikos is one of six students at St. Matthew’s and fears for the monastery more so than for his life.

“We are not scared, because our teachers give us a feeling of peace here, but we know we are on the frontlines, and in seconds the Islamic State could be here,” Karaikos declared. “I don’t even want to think or speak about the destruction the Islamic State would cause if they took our monastery.”

Karaikos added that ISIL “does not understand what history means, they just understand the breaking of history.

“If a people don’t have the history of their past,” added Karaikos, “then they will not have a future because they won’t know what their origins are, where they came from.”

Chistians in Iraq can trace their history to the first century apostles. Prayer services at St. Matthew’s are spoken in Aramaic, the language of Jesus.

Many of the relics and books from the monastery, some from Christianity’s first century, have been moved to safer Kurdish areas further north in Iraq. The bones of St. Matthew, a 4th century Syriac Christian saint who founded the monastery, were moved because of the potential desecreation of the burial site by ISIS.

“Saint Matthew ended up here because he was fleeing persecution, but persecution follows us,” Karaikos declared. “We can’t run from it, we have to stand in front of our history.”

In March, Iraqi rchbishop Bashar Warda stated the only way to stop the Islamic State and preserve Iraqi Christianity is by defeating them militarily. “Sometimes you take some hard measures, unfortunate measures, to deal and treat this cancer,” he told “60 Minutes.”

The Chaldean Patriarch in Iraq, Raphael Louis Sako, testified at the United Nations Security Council in New York last March: “The Islamic extremists groups refuse to live with non-Muslims.

“They are persecuting and uprooting them from their homes; and erasing all traces of their history,” declared the Chaldean Patriarch. “We are facing a cultural and ideological crisis which monopolizes power, disables institutions, and restricts freedom.”

St. Matthew’s monastery, founded in 363, has survived the Ottoman and Persian Empires, Mongol invaders, and Kurdish conquests.

Nicodemus Sharaf, Archbishop of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Mosul, Iraq’s northern city now under the control of ISIS, told “60 Minutes,” “They take everything from us, but they cannot take the God from our hearts, they cannot.”

Source : Christian Post

United Church of Canada to Investigate ‘Effectiveness’ of Minister Who Professes Atheism

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United Church of Canada to Investigate ‘Effectiveness’ of Minister Who Professes Atheism

pulpit, church, sermon, preaching (Photo: Flickr Creative Commons)

Christian Post Report – File photo.

A regional body of the United Church of Canada will interview a clergywoman who is an outspoken atheist to see about her “effectiveness.”

In June, the Toronto Conference of the UCC will enact a formal process known as a review regarding the Rev. Gretta Vosper, an author and founder of the Canadian Centre for Progressive Christianity who is also a professed atheist.

The Rev. David W. Allen, executive secretary of the UCC Toronto Conference, told The Christian Post about the investigative process.

“A review is a formal process within the United Church which is ordered when serious questions have been raised about a minister’s effectiveness,” said Rev. Allen.

“In this case, a team of five people will interview Ms. Vosper. They will report to a larger committee of 40 people, and that committee will give its opinion to the sub-Executive of Toronto Conference on whether Ms. Vosper is suitable for ministry within The United Church of Canada.”

For Rev. Vosper, Allen explained that the review process will involve interviewing Vosper to see if she continues to affirm certain questions asked during her ordination.

Allen said these specific questions are “Do you believe in God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and do you commit yourself anew to God?” “Do you believe that God is calling you to the ordained ministry of Word, Sacrament and Pastoral Care, and do you accept this call?” and finally “Are you willing to exercise your ministry in accordance with the scriptures, in continuity with the faith of the Church, and subject to the oversight and discipline of The United Church of Canada?”

According to her website, Vosper came out as an atheist back in 2001 and wants the UCC, which she describes as “probably the most progressive Christian denomination in the world,” to be more welcoming of atheism.

“After I spontaneously preached a sermon in which I completely deconstructed the idea of a god named God, rather than fire me, the congregation chose to step out on an unmarked path,” reads the About section of her site.

“With them, I’ve laboured, lamented, lost, and loved. It’s hard road but a worthy one with no finish line in sight. Let’s walk this road together. I promise you’ll be inspired.”

The UCC refers to defrocking of being when a minister is placed on the Discontinued Service List (Disciplinary). Willful removal involves being placed on the Discontinued Service List (Voluntary).

Allen told CP that being place on the DSL(D) has many steps and is “lengthy process because we want to be extremely careful out of concern for both the minister and the church.”

Reverend Gretta Vosper did not return comment to The Christian Post by press time.

Source : Christian Post

Rick Warren Remember’s U2’s Late Manager Dennis Sheehan as ‘a Calm and Kind Christian Man’

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Rick Warren Remember’s U2’s Late Manager Dennis Sheehan as ‘a Calm and Kind Christian Man’

rick warren (Photo: The Christian Post/Sonny Hong)

Christian Post Report – Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, speaks at the Pastors’ Conference 2014, ahead of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Meeting, on Monday, June 9, 2014, in Baltimore, Md.

Evangelical pastor Rick Warren remembered U2’s tour manager Dennis Sheehan, who died suddenly on Wednesday, as a “calm and kind Christian man” and offered up prayers for him.

“U2’s road manager for 33 years, the amazing Dennis Sheehan, died suddenly last night here in LA. Dennis was a calm and kind Christian man,” the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, wrote on Facebook in a post entitled “Why I’m asking you to pray for U2 today.”

Warren noted that U2 band members Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. asked him to share quotes from Scripture, words of comfort, and pray with them before performing at their concert in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Just as the rock musicians were about to take the stage, Warren talked about his wife Kay’s book, Choose Joy, which addresses the suicide of their son in 2013. The book encourages readers to find healing in God, and the pastor advised U2 to “choose joy” despite their sadness ahead of the show.

“After sharing the #ChooseJoy story from my son’s death, I asked ‘So how do you go out and do a concert when your heart is hurting,'” Warren asked in the Facebook post. “Bono said, ‘We choose joy!’ Right. Pray for [Sheehan’s wife] Pam who lost the love of her life.”

Sheehan, 68, died after going into cardiac arrest at a hotel on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood on Wednesday, just one day after U2 kicked off their five-night stint in the Los Angeles area, reported The Associated Press. Sheehan joined U2, which is comprised of Christians, in 1982 after having worked with Led Zeppelin and Patti Smith.

U2 is on their “Innocence + Experience” tour, and shortly after news of Sheehan’s death broke, Bono posted a message to the band’s website in his honor.

“We’ve lost a family member, we’re still taking it in,” Bono noted. “He wasn’t just a legend in the music business, he was a legend in our band. He is irreplaceable.”

During Wednesday’s concert, U2 took a moment to remember Sheehan before performing the song “Iris.”

“U2 is a kind of family,” Bono explained onstage, according to U2.com. “U2 is a brotherhood. Although, there are a lot of sisters in it now that I think about it. The extended family are everything to us. We look after each other. Last night we lost a member of our family.”

Source : Christian Post

Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael Tait Join Kirk Cameron and Elisabeth Hasselbeck at K-Love Fan Awards This Sunday

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Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael Tait Join Kirk Cameron and Elisabeth Hasselbeck at K-Love Fan Awards This Sunday

2015 K-Love Fan Awards (Photo: Courtesy of The Media Collective)

Christian Post Report – 2015 K-Love Fan Awards.

The K-Love Fan Awards have announced that Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael Tait will be among the performers and presenters at year’s show with co-hosts Kirk Cameron and Elizabeth Hasselbeck on Sunday.

Chapman and Tait were announced along with Brett Kern, Ashley Smith, Thomas Davis, Brian Bosworth, Benjamin Watson, Alex Kendrick and Blanca, marking the final group of diverse presenters to appear at the 2015 K-Love Fan Awards in Nashville, Tennessee.

The latest list of presenters and performers are part of an already star-studded line-up that includes Danny Gokey, Jeremy Camp, MercyMe, Natalie Grant, among others, who will attend the ceremony taking place at the Grand Ole Opry House.

Also among the previously announced presenters at this year’s K-Loves is Chris Tomlin, Hawk Nelson, Third Day, TobyMac, Matthew West, Kari Jobe, Plumb, Crowder and The Digital Age. Other musicians, athletes and authors making appearances are for King & Country, Tim Hasselbeck, Newsboys, Louie Giglio, Ryan Stevenson, Lauren Daigle and Matt Maher.

Hasselbeck, who will act as emcee at the K-Loves alongside Cameron, said in a statement that she’s honored to participate in the ceremony.

“K-Love has always had a positive, encouraging impact on my day, and I am thankful to be a part of this year’s awards show,” said the “Fox & Friends” co-host in a statement.

Cameron also celebrated K-Love, a leading Christian radio network with over 13 million listeners a week.

“I am very excited to be co-hosting the K-Love Fan Awards this year,” said the “Fireproof” star. “I have heard a lot of great buzz on the event and am excited to come together with a great brand like K-Love to impact the culture through the arts.”

The K-Love Fan Awards are the only fan-voted awards show in Christian music history. For King & Country and Newsboys lead this year’s nominations, while additional nominees include Casting Crowns, TobyMac and Mandisa. Top awards of the night will include Male Artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year as well as Worship Song of the Year and Best Live Show.

Vote for your favorite artist on KloveFanAwards.com/vote, and the K-Love Fan Award winners will be announced during the live show on Friday, May 29. The awards ceremony will air at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Source : Christian Post

The Power of the Holy Spirit

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The Power of the Holy Spirit

Christian Post Report – Romans 8:11-14

  • Dr. Charles F. Stanley
    (Photo: In Touch Ministries)
    Dr. Charles F. Stanley (File).

Yesterday’s reading offered scriptural proof that the Holy Spirit is a person. Yet there’s a persistent misconception that casts Him as some kind of intangible force. The underlying assumption is that “the power of the Holy Spirit” is something Christians wield for themselves. But in fact, the phrase refers to His work in the believer’s life.

Jesus was clear that serving God is not a one-man or one-woman show. It takes two—a believer and the Holy Spirit—to live the Christian life victoriously (Luke 24:49). The Spirit takes up residence in a person the moment that individual receives Christ’s forgiveness for sins. From then on, His job is to equip the believer so he or she can consistently model Jesus to the world.

When the apostle Paul said, “I can do all things through [Christ] who strengthens me,” he was talking about the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence (Philippians 4:13). What this means is that within the believer is an indescribably rich power source. The Spirit works through people to get done what is impossible for them to accomplish alone. In fact, the Bible says that He can do “far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). And Paul certainly proved that with his prolific ministry.

What is God calling you to do that’s “far more abundantly” beyond all you think you can achieve? Stop making excuses and get to work! Within you lies untapped potential—not your own strength and abilities, but the unlimited might of the Holy Spirit. His power will be unleashed in response to your acting on faith.

Used with permission from In Touch Ministries, Inc. © 2015
All Rights Reserved.

Source : Christian Post

139 Graves of Trafficked Captives Found in Malaysian Jungle Detention Camps Where Victims Were Tortured and Caged

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139 Graves of Trafficked Captives Found in Malaysian Jungle Detention Camps Where Victims Were Tortured and Caged

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  • Malysia(Photo: Reuters/Damir Sagolj)
Policemen monitor as forensic experts dig out human remains near the abandoned human trafficking camp in the jungle close the Thailand border at Bukit Wang Burma in northern Malaysia, May 26, 20Christian Post Report – 15. Malaysian police forensic teams, digging with hoes and shovels, began the grim task on Tuesday of exhuming the bodies of dozens of suspected victims of human traffickers found buried around jungle camps near the Thai border.
  • Malysia(Photo: Reuters/Damir Sagolj)
    • Clothes are photographed near abandoned human trafficking camp in the jungle close the Thailand border at Bukit Wang Burma in northern Malaysia, May 26, 20Christian Post Report – 15. Malaysian police forensic teams, digging with hoes and shovels, began the grim task on Tuesday of exhuming the bodies of dozens of suspected victims of human traffickers found buried around jungle camps near the Thai border.
  • Malysia(Photo: Reuters/Damir Sagolj)
    • Forensic policemen carry body bags with human remains found at the site of human trafficking camps in the jungle close the Thailand border after they brought them to a police camp near Wang Kelian in northern Malaysia, May 25, 20Christian Post Report – 15. Malaysian authorities have found Christian Post Report – 139 graves, and signs of torture, in more than two dozen squalid human trafficking camps suspected to have been used by gangs smuggling migrants across the border with Thailand, the country’s police chief said on Monday.
  • Malysia(Photo: Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha)
    • Malaysian police officers leave the site of the place where human remains were found, near an abandoned human trafficking camp, in the jungle close to the Thailand border at Bukit Wang Burma in northern Malaysia, May 29, 20Christian Post Report – 15. Thailand has 600 new “boat people” in temporary holding areas, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn said on Friday.
  • Malysia(Photo: Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha)
    • A Malaysian policeman leaves the site of the place where human remains were found, near an abandoned human trafficking camp, in the jungle close to the Thailand border at Bukit Wang Burma in northern Malaysia, May 29, 20Christian Post Report – 15. Malaysian police have exhumed the remains of four people from the trafficking camp at Bukit Wang Burma, a hill near Wang Kelian village. There is a police checkpoint and barracks only a few hundred meters from the jungle path that leads up to the Bukit Wang Burma camp. The camps are located in a remote but sensitive border area that many state agencies are tasked with monitoring.

    Malaysian authorities have begun exhuming the jungle graves of Christian Post Report – 139 trafficked migrant captives, who were buried in various human trafficking detention camps along a 30-mile stretch of the Malaysia-Thailand border, where it is believed they were tortured and kept in cages.

    Malaysian Deputy Home Minister, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, told reporters on Thursday that Christian Post Report – 12 police officials have been arrested for alleged involvement in human trafficking, while two of the officers were directly linked to recently discovered graves.

    After it was reported earlier this week that the Christian Post Report – 139 discovered graves contained multiple bodies, Jaafar asserted that the graves only contained one body per grave.

    “The bodies were wrapped in white cloth,” Jaafar explained. “It is like the Muslim burial … some are shallow graves, not all.”

    Both sides of the Malaysia-Thailand border are believed to be used by smugglers to bring people to Southeast Asia from Myanmar on boat. Most of the people migrating out of Myanmar to Southeast Asia are Rohingya Muslims fleeing to avoid further persecution, while people from Bangladesh use the migrant route to seek job opportunity.

    Christian Today reports that thousands of Rohingya Muslims are processed through Southern Thailand every year and smugglers commonly place the migrants in remote detention camps along the Malaysian border until their ransom can be paid.

    “If an individual’s family did not pay, those staying long in the camps were tortured, beaten and deprived of food,” Joe Millman, a spokesman for the International Organisation of Migration, told a news briefing in Geneva.

    Malaysian authorities have discovered 28 human trafficking camps over the course of last weekend. Last month, Thai officials discovered similar graves and human trafficking camps on their side of the border.

    “We don’t know if there is a link between the Thai camps and Malaysia camps,” Phuttichart Ekachan, deputy chief of Thailand’s Provincial Police Region 9, told Reuters.

    “It is possible that because of the Thai crackdown some of the camps moved and some of them (migrants) then walked over or escaped to the Thai side. It is possible but it isn’t something we have been able to confirm.”

    According to BBC, Malaysian authorities gave reporters a tour of some of the discovered camps in Malaysia, which reportedly contained what were believed to be “human cages.”

    Government crackdowns on human trafficking have led to smugglers abandoning their human cargo on boats in the waters of Thailand, which have begun coming ashore on the coasts of Malaysia and Indonesia.

    Source : Christian Post