Former Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll Returns to Seattle to Preach at Gold Creek Community Church

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Former Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll Returns to Seattle to Preach at Gold Creek Community Church

Resuregence Conference (Photo: Resuregence Conference 2013)

Christian Post Report – Pastor Mark Driscoll talks about changing social climate for Christians during Resurgence 2013, a leadership conference held at Mars Hill Downtown Church in Seattle, Nov. 5, 2013.

Mark Driscoll, who resigned last October as the lead pastor of the Seattle-based Mars Hill megachurch due to a controversy surrounding his leadership style, delivered a sermon at Gold Creek Community Church in Mill Creek near downtown Seattle on Sunday.

“Such a powerful message by Mark Driscoll to kick off our Repurpose series. Thanks Mark!” the Gold Creek church wrote on its Facebook page, and quoted him as saying in the sermon, “God doesn’t need you to impress Him, he needs you to trust Him.”

Before the sermon, pastor Dan Kellogg of Gold Creek introduced Driscoll by telling the congregation that he’s qualified to speak on repurposing of life as he’s in the middle of it, and that he had been “unfairly treated by former staff and the media.”

More than 100 people lined up to greet him after the service, according to Seattle Pi.

However, a dozen picketers greeted Driscoll on the street outside the church, according to Patheos. They gave out a flyer, titled “Mark Driscoll — Currently Unfit for Any Pulpit.”

“If you are one of those people who is not excited about him being here and you want to tell him that, I encourage you to go across the street and join those folks over there,” Kellogg told the congregation. “That’s their opportunity to do that and it’s awesome, it’s great, today we’re just going to be positive.”

Driscoll resigned due to his admitted “divisive” leadership style. Members of the Acts 29 church planting network, which Driscoll helped found, had advised that he take time off to get help, and rescinded Driscoll and all Mars Hill Church campuses’ membership from the network.

Patheos blogger Warren Throckmorton, who has been writing about Driscoll, recently wrote that the former Mars Hill pastor could be planning to plant a church in Arizona.

“In recent weeks, several individuals have contacted me with tips that Driscoll is preparing to plant a church in Phoenix, Arizona,” he wrote on May 4. “In recent days, the buzz has intensified from several independent sources which leads me to believe the information is credible. The moves appear to be at the exploratory stage at this point which means that a plant may not materialize.”

Earlier this month, Driscoll made a public appearance at the Thrive Conference at Bayside Church in California where he spoke about how his family has suffered over the past several months and how he’s relying on God to help him forgive those who have wronged him, according to Gospel Herald.

“I don’t want to take this opportunity to talk about me — I want spend this time to serve you,” he was quoted as telling attendees at the conference. “When sin happens, someone has to pay. Forgiveness is where the offended pays. As shepherds, we can sometimes preach a message of forgiveness without practicing it.”

In his resignation letter, Driscoll admitted that “aspects of my personality and leadership style, had proven to be divisive within the Mars Hill context” and that he was resigning because he did not want “to be the source of anything that might detract from our church’s mission to lead people to a personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.”

The Mars Hill Board of Overseers’ statement on his resignation affirmed that although “pastor Mark has, at times, been guilty of arrogance, responding to conflict with a quick temper and harsh speech, and leading the staff and elders in a domineering manner,” they did not find cause for him “to be disqualified from pastoral ministry.”

Mars Hill has sold or transferred all property. The Mars Hill name and brand was completely dissolved at the end of the last year.

Source : Christian Post

‘Bringing Up Bates’ Stars Welcome Son After Several Miscarriages; Baby Carson Defied All Odds

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‘Bringing Up Bates’ Stars Welcome Son After Several Miscarriages; Baby Carson Defied All Odds

Erin and Chad Paine (Photo: Courtesy UP tv)

Christian Post Report – Erin and Chad Paine, along with son Carson and Erin’s parents, Gil and Kelly Jo Bates.

After several miscarriages and a tenuous pregnancy, “Bringing Up Bates” stars Erin (Bates) and Chad Paine welcomed son Charles Stephen Paine IV on Thursday, May 14.

The baby boy, nicknamed “Carson,” defied all odds and was born happy and healthy. Erin’s pregnancy was threatened by a blood-clotting condition, which doctors heavily monitored after it caused several miscarriages.

Doctors thought that this pregnancy would likely lead to complications for the baby, should he make it to full term and be delivered safely. However, Carson beat those odds and was born without any problems and weighed a healthy 6 pounds and was 19 inches long.

“Words cannot describe the joy we feel,” the new parents said. “The pregnancy has been filled with times of excitement and gratitude, but also with many fears about Carson’s safety. We are so grateful to all that prayed and sent encouraging messages. Our hearts are so full and we know our lives will be change forever. We thank the Lord for allowing us to experience this blessing.”

Erin and Chad previously spoke of the heartaches they felt with the loss of several pregnancies, which they shared with viewers.

“Going through a miscarriage is one of the hardest things,” Erin told People magazine in January. “You build up all these expectations, and you prepare, and you have the date in your mind, and it’s just … it’s heartbreaking when that ends. It’s like your world’s been crushed.”

But Erin and Chad never gave up hope of having children and relied on their faith for strength and comfort during those difficult periods.

Carson Paine (Photo: Courtesy UP tv)

Charles Stephen Pain IV (“Carson”) arrived May 14, 2015.

The Bates family has been continually growing beyond the 19 kids born to Gil and Kelly Jo Bates. The Christian family gained national attention with their reality series on UP TV, becoming one of the channel’s highest rated shows. The couple has welcomed three grandchildren in a short time, adding to their joy.

“Seeing Carson arrive here safely has been one of the most precious sights, because we have been praying for his safety for so long. We are truly grateful to welcome our third grandbaby and we feel so blessed to be able to celebrate this moment,” Gil and Kelly Jo said.

Fans of the series will get to see baby Carson’s arrival when the new season premieres on UP TV at 9 p.m. ET on June 4.

Source : Christian Post

ISIS Captures Key Iraqi City of Ramadi as Government Forces Retreat; Sources Report Burned Bodies, Mass Executions, ‘Bloodbath’ of Families

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ISIS Captures Key Iraqi City of Ramadi as Government Forces Retreat; Sources Report Burned Bodies, Mass Executions, ‘Bloodbath’ of Families

<b>Christian Post Report</b> – A car is engulfed by flames during clashes in the city of Ramadi, May 16, 2015.” title=”<b>Christian Post Report</b> – A car is engulfed by flames during clashes in the city of Ramadi, May 16, 2015.” name=”jpg” src=”http://images.christianpost.com/full/83757/a-car-is-engulfed-by-flames-during-clashes-in-the-city-of-ramadi-may-16-2015.jpg” class=”imgPhoto” width=”550″ height=”450″ /> <small class=(Photo: Reuters/Stringer)

Christian Post Report – A car is engulfed by flames during clashes in the city of Ramadi, May 16, 2015.

Terror group ISIS has reportedly captured the key Iraqi city of Ramadi, which it had besieged for months. The Iraqi security forces and tribal fighters fighting the jihadists have been forced to retreat from their positions following heavy car bomb blasts, though U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that the fight is not yet over.

“It is possible to see the kind of attack we have in Ramadi, but I am absolutely confident in the days ahead that will be reversed,” Kerry said on Monday during a visit to Seoul, CNN reported. “Large numbers of Daesh were killed in the last few days, and will be in the next days because that seems to be the only thing they understand.”

Peter Mansoor, a retired U.S. Army colonel, noted, however, that the fall of Ramadi is a “huge setback to Iraqi forces and to the U.S. strategy to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIS.”

Ramadi Mayor Dalaf al-Kubaisy has affirmed that anti-terror fighters have been pushed back to the city’s east. Ramadi is the largest city in western Iraq, and is the capital of the Anbar province, which is a Sunni heartland. It is located only 70 miles from the nation’s capital of Baghdad.

Fox News said that the fall of Ramadi is the biggest loss for Iraqi forces since the U.S. started launching air strikes against ISIS in September 2014.

Iraq (Photo: Reuters/Stringer)

Sunni people are pictured as they flee the violence in the city of Ramadi, Iraq, May 15, 2015. Islamic State militants raised their black flag over the local government compound in Ramadi on Friday after overrunning most of the western provincial capital. The insurgents attacked Ramadi overnight using six suicide car bombs to reach the city center, where the Anbar governorate compound is located, police sources said.

Local officials inside the city reported that burned bodies can be seen littering the streets, while the Islamic militants have began carrying out mass killings. Al-Kubaisi noted that over 250 civilians and security forces have been killed over the past two days, a number which includes dozens of police and other government supporters who have been executed along with their wives, children and other family members.

CNN intelligence and security analyst Robert Baer affirmed that a grim fate awaits the residents of Ramadi who are now in ISIS’ grasp.

“Anybody who supported the government will probably be executed within the next 24 hours,” Baer said. “Their families will be driven out. It will be a bloodbath over the next couple of days.”

Back in April, President Barack Obama revealed that the U.S. had launched over 1,900 airstrikes in Iraq alone, working with a broad coalition of allies looking to push back against the terror group, which has also captured territory in Syria.

Deputy Head of the Anbar Provincial Council Falih Essawi warned at the time, however, that Ramadi is under immense pressure, with government soldiers uncertain how much longer they can hold out.

Sunni tribal leader, Naeem al-Gauoud, revealed that scores of tribal fighters have died defending the city, with many of their bodies being dumped in the Euphrates River.

Muhannad Haimour, a spokesman for the provincial governor of Anbar, added that at least 8,000 people have had fled the city in the past few days. The U.N. has estimated that since April as many as 114,000 residents in total have fled from the besieged city and the surrounding villages.

“Ramadi has fallen,” Haimour had told The Associated Press. “The city was completely taken. … The military is fleeing.”

“They come to Anbar and Iraq to die. It’s very difficult to stop a bulldozer that’s been armored, driven by a suicide bomber, with tons of explosives,” he added. “And dealing with these fighters has been extremely difficult. It’s not a conventional war by any stretch of the imagination.”

Retired Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, a senior fellow at the London Center for Policy Research, said that the crisis in Ramadi is a sign that forces battling ISIS need to think about adapting new strategies.

“Ramadi’s a bad news story, period,” he said. “It’s not going well. The military units we’ve trained in the Iraqi army are basically laying down their guns and running.”

Source : Christian Post

Making Changes to Fulfill God’s Plan

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Christian Post Report – Matthew 16:24-27

As god’s adopted children, we’ve been given a new purpose: glorifying our Father through righteous living. Yesterday we saw that this means making certain modifications in our life. Let’s consider two more changes that may be necessary for followers of Jesus.

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

One potential adjustment relates to our belief system: A Christian’s thinking should match Jesus’. The world’s influence is strong—if we listened to the culture, we’d push ahead of others, take all the credit for our accomplishments, and keep material possessions for our own use. But Scripture teaches that the last shall be first (Mark 9:35), God is the one deserving our praise (Psalms 96:4), and Christians are to be generous people (1 Timothy 6:18). What we believe needs to match what the Bible says is true.

Lastly, we may have to redefine our commitments to be sure the Lord comes first. His desires for us should take precedence over what we want and what others ask us to do. We must evaluate our choices in light of God’s plan for us. This may mean letting go of a favorite activity, taking on a new responsibility, or remaining where we are despite yearning to leave. Our Father wants and deserves His children’s full devotion (Matthew 22:37).

These changes do not all happen instantly at salvation; rather, they take place over a lifetime. Whenever the Holy Spirit reveals a deeper truth or calls us to a new work, we will have additional alterations to make. But such changes are accompanied by the confidence of knowing that God will use us to fulfill His plan.

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

Source : Christian Post

Southern Baptist Missionary Organization to Allow Members Who Have Spoken in Tongues

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Southern Baptist Missionary Organization to Allow Members Who Have Spoken in Tongues

International Mission Board (Photo: The Christian Post)

Christian Post Report – The office of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board in Richmond, Virginia.

The missionary organization of the largest Protestant church in America has adjusted its standards for missionaries so that people who have spoken in tongues may join.

Reversing a decade-old policy, the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Missionary Board has lifted the ban on people who have spoken in tongues or “private prayer language.”

In comments given to The Christian Post, IMB President Dr. David Platt explained that the new policy does not mean that the SBC will endorse speaking in tongues.

“Up until this point, if a person had spoken in tongues or practiced a private prayer language, they were immediately disqualified from being appointed as an IMB missionary,” said Platt.

“IMB trustees voted this week to remove that automatic disqualification. But this was a vote that addressed issues of qualification for potential IMB missionaries in the church, not the practical work of actual IMB missionaries on the field.”

Platt added that “over the course of appointing, training, and supervising missionaries, IMB addresses many significant theological, missiological, ecclesiological, and practical issues, including the use of tongues.”

“Though these issues may not affect our base qualifications, they do affect our everyday work. IMB’s long-held position remains that these practices cannot be normative in teaching or disruptive in practice,” continued Platt.

Allowing for those who have spoken in tongues in the past to become IMB missionaries is not the only change made to the organization’s policies.

According to an online FAQ page about the changes, individuals who have had a divorce will now be allowed to do long-term missions; in the past, having had a failed marriage limited one to short-term projects.

“Divorce is no longer an automatic disqualifier for long-term service. Short-term assignments (two to three years in length) have been open to people with a history of divorce for years. In all categories of missionary service, individuals who have been divorced may be able to serve,” read the FAQ answer.

“However, a person’s role on a missionary team, the circumstances surrounding his or her divorce, and the suitability of the culture where he or she will serve will all be considered by the IMB in cooperation with that person’s local church.”

Regarding reaction to the changes in policy, Platt of IMB told CP that “we have been very encouraged from the spirit of unity among our trustees to the responses we have received from pastors and entity leaders across the SBC.”

“These changes were made to more intentionally unite IMB policies with Southern Baptist belief and practice as expressed in the Baptist Faith and Message,” said Platt.

“There have been various misunderstandings which have been communicated about these policies, but these false reports have given us the opportunity to provide necessary clarifications concerning what this policy change does and does not mean.”

Source : Christian Post

ISIS to Use Militants’ Brides for Suicide Missions Without Husbands’ Consent?

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ISIS to Use Militants’ Brides for Suicide Missions Without Husbands’ Consent?

ISIS Teens (Photo: Courtesy Metropolitan Police)

Christian Post Report – From left: Kadiza Sultana, Amira Abase and Shamima Begum all left home to reportedly join ISIS.

Islamic State appears to be preparing to send the brides of its militants on suicide missions without the consent of their husbands, as the terror group’s leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi claims he has the final authority over the jihadi wives, according to reports.

An ISIS wedding certificate, written in Arabic and signed by both husband and wife and which allows jihadi brides to carry out suicide mission without the husband’s permission, has emerged, the U.K.’s Mail Online reports, carrying a scanned copy of the document.

The certificate defines “conditions of wife,” one of which states: “If the Prince of believers [Baghdadi] consents to her carrying out a suicide mission, then her husband should not prohibit her.”

While this is an extremely worrying development, it shows desperation among the ISIS leadership and reveals their sense of “losing the war,” Professor Anthony Glees, director of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham, was quoted as saying.

Glees suggested it could pose a major threat to the U.K. and other Western nations given the possibility of their return. Women from the West are believed to have joined ISIS and married militants.

The Independent newspaper interviewed one such woman, identified as Aysha (not her real name), a 32-year-old mother of two children, who decided to flee her home in Mosul after the issuance of a fatwa saying a wife should obey her husband in all matters, including becoming a suicide bomber.

“He [the husband] was coming home once a week, but recently he came home every day, and finally asked me to attend a new course showing how a Muslim woman could support Muslim society with her soul and body,” she was quoted as saying.

Aysha had to attend the course for two days. “The course was a sort of brainwashing, teaching women to sacrifice cheap worldly things – blood, flesh, soul – for the victory of more precious things – religion, Allah, the Prophet, and, most importantly, the eternal afterlife.”

She fled her husband’s house last month.

However, Charlie Winter, a researcher at the U.K.-based counter extremism think tank Quilliam, said the emergence of one certificate cannot be interpreted as a new ISIS policy.

“The certificate does say that the wife’s terms are that of if the caliph consents then she is allowed to go on a martyrdom operation and her husband can’t forbid her from doing so,” he was quoted as saying. “Nowhere does it refer to ‘orders,’ nowhere does it suggest this is actually happening and nowhere does it suggest that this is a regular marriage contract. It was even being circulated among ISIS as a curiosity, as something funny.”

ISIS is an offshoot of al-Qaeda and wants to establish a caliphate in the Levant region and beyond. It has gained control over large swathes of territories in Syria and Iraq, and also appear to be seeking to expand its territory.

Source : Christian Post

Will Christians Be Jailed for Their Consciences?

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Will Christians Be Jailed for Their Consciences?

Will Christians Be Jailed For Their Consciences?

Christian Post Report – Religious freedom champion and former Congressman Frank Wolf warned a Harvard audience that freedom of conscience is endangered in the United States and conservative Christians may have to engage in civil disobedience because their views are considered intolerant.

“When tolerance is demanded, when orthodox Christianity is deemed intolerant and when government and even society fails to extend tolerance to people of faith, we are headed down a perilous path,” he said.
Wolf, who retired last year after serving 34 years in Congress, delivered the May 7 address, “After Hobby Lobby: What is Caesar’s and What is God’s?” as part of an event hosted by the Petrie-Flom Center and the Ambassador John L. Loeb Jr. Initiative on Religious Freedom and Its Implications at Harvard’s Center for American Political Studies.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/is-prison-the-fate-for-christians-deemed-intolerant-religious-freedom-champion-frank-wolf-asks-harvard-audience-139084/

Source : Christian Post

Carrie Underwood Leads CMT Music Award Nominations With Faith-Filled Ballad ‘Something in the Water’

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Carrie Underwood Leads CMT Music Award Nominations With Faith-Filled Ballad ‘Something in the Water’

Carrie Underwood (Photo: Reuters/Harrison McClary)

Christian Post Report – Carrie Underwood performs “Something in the Water” during the 48th Country Music Association Awards in Nashville, Tennessee November 5, 2014.

The CMT Music Awards nominations were announced Wednesday and Carrie Underwood is in the lead with five nominations, including two for “Something in the Water.”

Underwood is in comeptition to receive awards in three categories for the June 10 CMT Music Awards show.

The singer received two bids for video of the year category with “Something in the Water” and “Somethin’ Bad” featuring Miranda Lambert, two nominations for female video of the year with “Something in the Water” and “Little Toy Guns,” and finally, one nod for collaborative video of the year with “Somethin’ Bad.”

It comes as no surprise that Underwood’s “Something in the Water” has earned recognition at this year’s CMT Music Awards. A crossover success, the song reached No. 1 on both Billboard’s Hot Country Songs list and the Hot Christian Songs chart. It topped the former chart for seven consecutive weeks and the latter for 26 weeks. Further, “Something in the Water” both set and broke multiple airplay records on country radio in its first week, and earlier this year, the song won a Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance.

No doubt adding to its popularity, “Something in the Water” showcases Underwood’s Christian beliefs with themes of conversion, baptism and keeping the faith. Lyrics to the song include: “I followed that preacher down to the river and now I am changed, and now I’m stronger, there must have been something in the water.”

Underwood also merged her music and faith in her first single, “Jesus Take the Wheel.” Addressing critics in a past interview, the “American Idol” winner explained the longstanding relationship between faith and the country music industry.

“Country music is different,” she told Glamour magazine. “You have that Bible Belt-ness about it. I’m not the first person to sing about God, Jesus or faith [or] any of that, and I won’t be the last. And it won’t be the last for me, either. If you don’t like it, change the channel.”

Meanwhile, other top nominees for this year’s CMT Music Awards include Kenny Chesney and Lady Antebellum, who received four nominations each. Additionally, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Maddie & Tae and Miranda Lambert each scored three nominations. Artists tied at two nods each include Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, Lee Ann Womack, Luke Bryan and newcomers Raelynn and Sam Hunt.

The CMT Music Awards will air on CMT live at 8 p.m. ET June 10 from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Fans can vote online for their favorite artists on CMT.com through June 8 to determine the winners.

Watch Underwood’s video for “Something in the Water” here.

Source : Christian Post

Yazidi Girl Sold for $34 to Australian ISIS Executioner Seen in Propaganda Videos After Being Drugged, Shipped to Syria

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Yazidi Girl Sold for $34 to Australian ISIS Executioner Seen in Propaganda Videos After Being Drugged, Shipped to Syria

Yazidi Sex Slave (Screengrab: New.com.au)

Christian Post Report – An escaped Yazidi sex slave tells of her experience in ISIS captivity.

An escaped Yazidi teen recently revealed that while she was held by the Islamic State terrorist group, she was sold as a sex slave to a well-known Australian ISIS executioner for the equivalent of $34, reports indicate.

In witness testimony given to Iraqi lawyers, a 19-year-old Yazidi girl, who has been given the pseudonym “Kaleela,” said she was in the midst of fleeing from her northern Iraqi village last August when she was taken hostage, like many other girls were, by ISIS.

She recalled being initially kept by the militants inside a three-story home in the group’s Iraqi stronghold of Mosul before she was drugged and shipped off to Syria, where she was sold in ISIS’ sex slave market.

“On the first floor was a group of Yazidi women and girls, and on the second were the princes of ISIS. We [girls] stayed in that building for 15 days, where we were kept drugged,” she was quoted as saying. “We suffered from many inhumane acts such as being sold as slaves. Every day, men would come to buy us.”

Kaleela said she was originally sold to an ISIS fighter named Abu Ayoub. But, when she refused to marry Ayoub, she was sold to another ISIS fighter named Khaled Sharrouf, who is from Australia and is the executioner featured in an ISIS propaganda video in February where he beheaded a man accused of being a spy. Sharrouf is also notorious for posting pictures of himself and his 7-year-old son posing with severed heads.

Kaleela explained that Sharrouf, who now goes by the name of Abu Zarqawi, paid just 40,000 Iraqi dinars for her to become his enslaved wife, which translates to about $33.70.

“I was with my 11-year-old friend when we were separated and I was sold to Abu Zarqawi for 40,000 Iraqi dinar,” Kaleela said. “I was moved to his house which was in an electricity station outside the city of Raqqa — about 5 minutes of driving.”

Although Kaleela was sold for just about $34, the price is inconsistent with a sex slave price guide that the caliphate published in November that stated that women from 10 to 20 years of age should be sold for about $129.

Upon arriving to Sharrouf’s living quarters, there were six other girls there. They were all taken into the living room and Sharrouf laid out what each of their responsibilities were going to be.

“He told me: ‘you and [another girl] are going to be my nikah,’ the term used by ISIS for marrying the girls they have enslaved because they own them,” she recalls. “The rest of you will be my servants.”

Kaleela resisted, saying that she and the other girl were young enough to be Sharrouf’s own daughters. However, she might not have been aware that Sharrouf even married away his own 14-year-old daughter to a fellow ISIS fighter that is 17 years older than her.

“He ordered me to go upstairs and I told him: ‘we are like your daughters, how can you do this to us?'” she stated. “He got very angry with me and shouted: ‘I have bought you to marry me, not to be like my daughter.'”

Two days later, Sharrouf left home for battle and promised that he would marry Kaleela when he returned. Not wanting to wait around for his return, the girls made phone calls and were able to establish an escape plan.

“Our parents said: ‘We are trying to buy you from ISIS.’ They hired someone to pick us up at 4 a.m. near the building that we were living in,” Kaleela explained.

After the girls were picked up from Sharrouf’s living quarters, they were taken to a safehouse, given black clothes, like the ones ISIS wears, to help them make it past the ISIS checkpoint. A few hours later, they were on the other side of the Turkey-Syria border and finally free from ISIS.

Source : Christian Post

Jeremy Lin Reflects on NBA Season, Thanks His Prayer Warriors Ahead of Draft as Free Agent

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  • Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak introduces Jeremy Lin during a press conference at Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California, Thursday, July 24, 2014
    (Photo: Reuters/Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
    Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak introduces Jeremy Lin during a press conference at Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California, Thursday, July 24, 2014.

Christian Post Report – Jeremy Lin is reflecting on his strenuous NBA season and asking fans to help him deal with the frustrations he’s felt as a result.

Lin, the 26-year-old Los Angeles Lakers point guard, missed the playoffs this season but he’s still praising God and thanking fans who joined his digital prayer group during a tumultuous basketball season.

“Praise God for helping me through this past season. Also, thank God for all you prayer warriors,” Lin said in an email addressed to his prayer group which reads “Jeremy’s Prayer Requests 8.”

“This was the first year that I’ve sent out prayer requests and it is something I plan on continuing because I feel SO blessed to have people willing to pray and support me spiritually!”

The NBA player made sure to also also expressed his gratitude for the opportunity he got to rest physically, mentally and spiritually after his season ended three to four weeks ago. Still, Lin admitted that he was dealing with the after effects of a stressful basketball season and asked people to pray for his patience and love.

“In many ways, I feel burnt out from the season so please pray that I continue to regain passion and joy in all aspects of life,” he wrote. “It’s been increasingly difficult to deal with the frustrations of life, as I feel like I’m faster to reach my patience limit (another by-product of feeling burnt out), mostly because the season took a lot out of me.”

Now that Lin is gearing up to become a free agent, the basketball star asked if people could keep his future in the league in their prayers.

“This is a huge summer for me, and I would appreciate prayer that God would speak clearly to me and be over every step of the process,” Lin wrote. “That I would be able to clearly hear His voice and discern where He wants me to play next year.”

While Lin spoke about the impact of his basketball season, he also revealed that he’s taking a trip to Asia in June. He asked people to pray that Jesus Christ would be glorified and that souls would be saved in the process.

Last year, Lin introduced the prayer group to fans which sends an email of prayers to those who subscribe on his website.

“The journey I’ve been on has had its ups and downs and I appreciate all of your support throughout. Some of you have asked how to pray for me so I decided to start a prayer group where I can send out requests for those that want to pray and support,” Lin wrote on his website last year. “Please feel free to share with others you think would be interested. So much of what happens is out of our control, but prayer has been a place I have consistently found peace with God.”

Source : Christian Post

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