Local authorities are not allowing a Baptist church in the Central Java province of Indonesia to complete the construction of its house of worship, which has the required permit, due to opposition from Muslim residents in the area, according to a persecution watchdog.

The construction of Indonesian Baptist Church in the Tlogosari area in the city of Semarang has halted for six months, the U.S.-based group International Christian Concern reported.

Last August, the local government asked the church to collect more than 60 signatures from local residents, and the church got 84 signatures. However, community groups continued to pressure the government to block the church’s construction.

In the Southeast Asian archipelago of Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, churches often face opposition from local groups that typically question the authenticity of the signatures to obstruct the construction of non-Muslim houses of worship.

The church said it will take legal action to resolve the dispute.

“We are ready to take legal channels to fight against the people’s refusal,” the church’s attorney, Zainal Arifin, was quoted as saying. “The reasons for the rejection are changing, starting from falsified signatures, expired IMBs (permits) until finally, the residents’ refusal does not touch the issue of principle permits.”

The church’s pastor, identified only as Wahyudi, said, “We will continue to fight for this because if left unchecked it will set a bad precedent for freedom of religion and worship in Semarang.”

SOURCE: Christian Post, Anugrah Kumar

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Welcome to The Reasons to Believe podcast, episode #169. My name is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International.

Our Reasons to Believe Scripture Passage for today is Hebrews 4:12. It reads, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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.”

Our Reasons to Believe quote for today is from Tim Keller. He said, “The New Testament is filled with accounts of miracles that Jesus performed during the course of his ministry. Scientific mistrust of the Bible began with the Enlightenment belief that miracles cannot be reconciled to a modern, rational view of the world. Armed with this presupposition, scholars turned to the Bible and said, “The Biblical accounts can’t be reliable because they contain descriptions of miracles.” The premise behind such a claim is “Science has proven that there is no such thing as miracles.” But embedded in such a statement is a leap of faith. It is one thing to say that science is only equipped to test for natural causes and cannot speak to any others. It is quite another to insist that science proves that no other causes could possibly exist.”

Our Reason to Believe powerpoint today is titled “The Bible: Myth or History?, Part 1” from “The Handbook of Christian Apologetics” by Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli.

The authors begin with the first part of this chapter subtitled, “Connections among the Bible, miracles and the resurrection.”

The Bible, miracles and the resurrection, each of which takes up a chapter in this book, are closely linked in modern apologetics. They typically stand or fall together. Most of those who do not believe that Christ physically rose from the dead disbelieve for two reasons: (1) “miracles like that don’t really happen,” and (2) “the Bible is myth, not history.”

There is probably no word that causes more confusion in biblical studies today than the word myth. That is because it is used in many different senses by different writers in different fields and genres, which often overlap. G. B. Caird, in The Language and Imagery of the Bible, has distinguished nine distinct senses of the word myth. For our more popular, less technical purposes it is sufficient to distinguish six.

1. The literal sense of myth, from the Greek mythos, is simply “sacred story.” This says nothing about its truth or falsity, historicity or nonhistoricity—just that it is a story and that it is sacred, or about sacred things.

2. The popular sense is simply “something that didn’t really happen,” or “something that isn’t real”—like Santa Claus. Here myth is contrasted with truth or fact. This is the sense in which most people are concerned about the stories in the Bible, especially the miracle stories: did they really happen, or are they only “myths,” that is, mere fictional human inventions?

3. A more technical and narrow sense of myth that is often used to describe biblical stories, especially miracle stories, is that of a literary genre that includes fantasy, talking animals and stories of the gods. These are supernatural stories that are not literally true, nor are they meant by the storyteller to be taken as literally true, but as a way of explaining natural facts by supernatural (or natural) fictions. Both supernatural stories of gods and talking animals, and natural stories like Jesus’ parables, fit in this category.

Lord willing, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

—PRAYER—

Now, if you are listening today, and you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, allow me to show you how.

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now this is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.

Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Until next time, my friend, please keep in mind these reasons to believe. God bless!

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This is Daniel Whyte III with the Second Coming Watch Update. This is update #910. Let’s take a quick look at today’s prophecy-related headlines which point towards the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the end of the world as we know it.

First, today, under the Sign category of INCREASED HOMOSEXUALITY AND SEXUAL IMMORALITY — According to The Times of Israel, Rabbi Meir Mazuz [MEER MAH-ZOOZ], an Orthodox Israeli rabbi, has claimed the spread of the deadly coronavirus in Israel and around the world is divine retribution for gay pride parades. On Saturday night he gave a talk at the yeshiva, during which he said a pride parade is “a parade against nature, and when someone goes against nature, the one who created nature takes revenge on him.” Mazuz [MAH-ZOOZ] said that countries all over the world are being called to account because of their gay pride events, “except for the Arab countries that don’t have this evil inclination.” The outbreak in Iran, one of the most serious in any country, he explained as being due to the wicked ways of Iranians and “their hatred of Israel.”

Second, today, under the Sign category of FAMINES — According to The Times of Israel, Rome-based Senior Locust Forecasting Officer Keith Cressman said a plague of locusts the likes of which have been unseen for over 30 years is about to hit Africa and the Middle East. Adding to the perfect biblical storm, the current coronavirus pandemic is affecting travel of international experts and in-country gatherings for training to combat the locust threat. Cressman works at Locust Watch, a division of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization. According to the organization’s most recent forecast report, there are new “extremely alarming” swarms forming in Horn of Africa. The Locust Watch website says while one locust may not seem a major eater, the swarms can grow to millions of individuals, “with the capacity to consume the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people.” The current widespread breeding in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia represents “an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods at the beginning of the upcoming cropping season.”

Third, today, under the Sign category of EARTHQUAKES IN DIVERS PLACES — According to CBS News, A 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Magna, Utah, Wednesday morning. The temblor knocked out power for tens of thousands and operations at Salt Lake City International Airport came to a halt. It is the largest earthquake to hit the state since a 5.9 magnitude quake struck southern Utah in 1992, according to Utah Emergency Management. The quake was felt across Salt Lake County and in Ogden and as far away as Wyoming. According to the governor, the earthquake damaged both the state’s department of health lab and its coronavirus hotline. According to Johns Hopkins, Utah has 51 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

Fourth, today, under the Sign category of RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF ISRAEL — According to Breaking Israel News, As the COVID-19 crisis worsens worldwide, the Nation of Israel requests that the Vatican immediately return to Jerusalem the Temple vessels that have been stored in Rome for nearly 2000 years. Rabbi Levi Sudri [SU-DRI], an award-winning Bible expert, noted that a divine message must surely be contained within the coronavirus. He pointed out that the coronavirus began in China and very quickly took hold of Italy in a counter-intuitive manner. “What is the connection between China and Italy? They are geographically distant from each other. That is true but they have a spiritual connection in that they are both centers of two different types of idolatry. In Daniel’s vision, he spoke of the feet of the idol which is Rome.” Rabbi Sudri [SU-DRI] noted that the distinctive boot shape of Italy hints at this Biblical reference and is referred to in Hebrew as er-etz ham-a-gaf; land of the boot. Rabbi Sudri [SU-DRI] noted that the word ma-gaf; boot shares the same root as the word ma-ge-fa; epidemic. Rabbi Sudri [SU-DRI] said, “The word ‘corona’ means crown and that is precisely the issue. Rome stole the crown from Israel, the utensils from the Temple, so they are being struck by the crown virus.”

Fifth, today, under the Sign category of ARAB HOSTILITY TOWARD ISRAEL — According to The Jerusalem Post, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute, some members of Turkey’s press and public have said, the coronavirus is a Zionist plot spread by Jews to decrease the world population. MEMRI, which specializes in translating Middle Eastern media into English, has uncovered a number of incidences of Turks blaming the coronavirus epidemic on Jews and Zionism. In a video posted to Twitter on March 13, a minibus driver and his passengers can be heard engaging in antisemitic conspiracy theories. On March 6, Fatih Erbakan [FAH-TEE UR-BAH-KAN], head of Refah Party and the son of former prime minister Necmettin Erbakan, was reported to have said in a speech: “Though we do not have certain evidence, this virus serves Zionism’s goals of decreasing the number of people and preventing it from increasing, and important research expresses this.”

——–

The prophetic passage of Scripture that we are looking at today is Ezekiel 17:22-24. It reads: “Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent: In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell. And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it.”

Allow me to share with you some commentary on this passage from Exploring Bible Prophecy from Genesis to Revelation, by Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson.

The interpretation that Israel will be restored and the temple will be rebuilt can be understood only in light of the ruin of Judah, which was tied to the problem of temple desecration. From the perspective of Ezekiel’s audience, it should be obvious that the prophet’s exhortation to his people of a literal national destruction would be coupled to the prophet’s encouragement of a literal national restoration. Nothing less would meet the need and expectation of the vanquished nation. And nothing less would demonstrate that the Lord was the sovereign and gracious deliverer of His people. The transformation of the restoration promises by the symbolic symbol as merely the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant transferred to the church violates the fundamental law of biblical interpretation, which demands texts to be interpreted within their context. If national Israel received divine restoration, national Israel must receive divine restoration. This is also true of the messianic prophecies woven throughout the first division of Ezekiel, which, though part of the church’s heritage of faith, were exclusively given to national Israel.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at the prophetic passages of the Bible in our next broadcast / podcast.

Our Second Coming quote for today is from Charles Spurgeon. He said, “Apart from the second advent of our Lord, the world is more likely to sink into a pandemonium than to rise into a millennium.”

Let’s Pray

***

If you are not ready for the return of Jesus Christ, may I encourage you to get ready today by receiving Him as your Savior. Here is how.

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now that is bad news, but here is the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Keep looking up for your redemption draweth nigh. Let us join in the prayer of John the Revelator — “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” God bless you.

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California’s Rock Church went solely online for its Sunday worship services due to the coronavirus scare, and the megachurch’s pastor, Miles McPherson, said in his sermon that carefulness was needed, but with faith and not fear. He also interviewed a health official and two mayors about the pandemic.

We have to be careful in the wake of the novel coronavirus crisis, which is “serious and real,” McPherson stressed in his sermon.

In California alone, there are so far 335 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and six deaths.

But “God doesn’t want you to be filled with fear,” he said. “He wants you to be filled with faith.”

He cited 2 Timothy 1:7, which reads, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” and explained each key term.

“Fear” means having “a heart filled with dread and panic.” Power means “the ability to exert the spiritual force necessary for change.” Love means “affection towards God and others.” And having a sound mind means making “sensible, intelligent and reasonable decisions.”

We need to walk around with the faith that God can not only keep us safe but also help us to help others, the pastor said.

We don’t need to pray for the coronavirus to go away, but for God’s presence, he added.

He asked one of the special guests, Dr. Wilma Wooten from San Diego County Health and Human Services, about the symptoms of COVID-19.

Wooten said the symptoms include fever, cough and an acute respiratory syndrome that could include pneumonia. Additionally, doctors would also ask if the person showing these symptoms has been to one of the affected regions like Wuhan in China or Italy or Iran, or has been in contact with someone who has the disease.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Anugrah Kumar

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Assemblies of God General Superintendent Doug Clay is calling churches across the globe to pray against COVID-19 on Friday, March 20.

Churches are encouraged to pray at noon in their local time zone. Clay is scheduled to host an online prayer event on Facebook Live at 12 p.m. CT.

The AG official news outlet reports a list of prayer points churches are encouraged to focus on this Friday. Some of those areas of focus include praying for:

—Wisdom for those on the frontlines of the response to COVID-19 and those creating a vaccine for the virus.

—Safety for first responders as well as for those who work at hospitals, clinics and emergency rooms.

—Wisdom for governmental leaders around the globe.

—Protection for those vulnerable to contracting COVID-19.

—Healing and well-being for those already infected with the virus.

—Freedom from fear, anxiety and feelings of isolation for those under quarantine.

—Provision for those financially impacted by this crisis.

—A spirit of peace to displace a spirit of fear.

SOURCE: Charisma News

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Faith-based streaming company VidAngel announced the company would offer two weeks of free services while many remain quarantined by COVID-19.

“In an effort to make #QuarantinedLife a little more bearable, we are offering free VidAngel—including unlimited filters, access to Dry Bar Comedy and our record-breaking/award-winning series The Chosen—for the next two weeks (from now until March 30),” VidAngel said in a newsletter.

The company says registration is free with “no credit card info required.” But to qualify for the free services, customers “must agree to social distancing.”

VidAngel CEO Neal Harmon says: “We understand how strapped working parents are right now trying to juggle kids at home and work from home, and we also know from personal experience how being away from school and not seeing their friends is a real challenge for all of our kids. That’s why we’re making VidAngel completely free for the next two weeks. We hope free access to our award-winning content, which is both entertaining and educational, will come as a welcome relief in the face of the stress of the pandemic. The VidAngel family, just like your own, has an opportunity to pitch in and do whatever we can to help our communities weather this crisis. We hope that in some small way this will help.”

SOURCE: Charisma News

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Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler Jr. recently denounced the idea of “Christian yoga,” arguing that the origins of the practice are incompatible with Christianity.

In an episode of his podcast “The Briefing” that aired last Friday, Mohler described the origins of yoga, which hail from Hindu and Buddhist practices and philosophy.

“It is deeply based in both Hinduism and Buddhism and the traditional meditative practices that are inseparable from yoga as physical movement involve those traditional Buddhist and Hindu teachings, and it shows up not only in the word ‘Namaste,’ it shows up even in the basic philosophy of what the body is doing,” said Mohler.

“It also shows up in a distinct theological understanding of the body in motion and the body in pose. It also shows up in a deep conflict between Christianity and both Hinduism and Buddhism and yoga as a dimension of both when it comes to the purpose of the mind and how we are as Christians to exercise the mind.”

While acknowledging that there are many churches that have yoga classes, Mohler cautioned that “the mainstreaming of yoga in the United States was driven at least in part by groups such as the Transcendentalists and New Thought, and they were intentionally trying to create a spiritual practice and spirituality that would serve as a clear alternative to biblical Christianity.”

“The Bible doesn’t have a list of acceptable and unacceptable stretches, exercises, or poses, but the Bible does make very clear what is to be a Christian understanding of the relationship between the soul and the body and furthermore, what it means to meditate,” he continued.

“Christians ought to agree that if we have an understanding of yoga and its historical context and in its religious origins, then at the very least we have to understand that there really is no such thing as Christian yoga. If it’s Christian, it’s not yoga. If it’s yoga, it’s not Christian.”

SOURCE: Christian Post, Michael Gryboski

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A Vietnamese Christian jailed for almost 16 years for demanding land rights and religious freedom has been released. Yet his future remains uncertain as he battles health issues stemming from his time in prison.

According to Radio Free Asia, Y Ngun Knul was released from prison last week after spending nearly two decades in Nam Ha and Thanh Chuong prisons in Nghe An province.

He was first arrested and imprisoned on April 20, 2004, for launching protests calling for a Protestant church shut down by authorities to be reopened and for the members of his community to be allowed to live according to their traditions. Knul was initially issued an 18-year sentence which was later reduced.

“As those rights were being taken away, people were becoming upset, and so I called on everyone to take part in the protests. As a result, I was arrested and sentenced to 18 years in prison,” Knul said, speaking to RFA’s Vietnamese Service.

The Christian was visited by his family only four times during his time behind bars, notes RFA, and he and his family have suffered in the past decade. Knul’s family lost their house and land, and he now struggles with poor health due to years of incarceration.

“I have kidney failure and high blood pressure and had a gastrointestinal hemorrhage,” he told RFA. “Now I can eat only a bowl of rice per day because I have stomach problems that make it hard for me to breathe.”

“My foot is swelling, too, making it hard for me to move … I would like to go to a hospital for treatment, but I have no money now.”

SOURCE: Christian Post, Leah MarieAnn Klett

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