This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International with the Whyte House Daily Devotional Bible Reading Episode #103. Where I read three chapters of the Holy Bible in the King James Version a day with my family as a part of our family devotions, to encourage you to read the Holy Bible in a year’s time. Today we are reading Numbers 17, Psalm 7 and Romans 1.

Dwight L. Moody said, The Bible was not given for our information but for our transformation.”

Harper Lee said, “The book to read is not the one which thinks for you, but the one which makes you think. No book in the world equals the Bible for that.”

Numbers 17
1 And the Lord spake unto Mo’-ses, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Is’-ra-el, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.

3 And thou shalt write Aa’-ron’s name upon the rod of Le’-vi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.

4 And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.

5 And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Is’-ra-el, whereby they murmur against you.

6 And Mo’-ses spake unto the children of Is’-ra-el, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aa’-ron was among their rods.

7 And Mo’-ses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness.

8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Mo’-ses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aa’-ron for the house of Le’-vi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

9 And Mo’-ses brought out all the rods from before the Lord unto all the children of Is’-ra-el: and they looked, and took every man his rod.

10 And the Lord said unto Mo’-ses, Bring Aa’-ron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.

11 And Mo’-ses did so: as the Lord commanded him, so did he.

12 And the children of Is’-ra-el spake unto Mo’-ses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.

13 Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the Lord shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?

Psalm 7
Shig-gai’-on of Da’-vid, which he sang unto the LORD, concerning the words of Cush the Ben’-ja-mite.
1 O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:

2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.

3 O Lord my God, If I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands;

4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)

5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Se’-lah.

6 Arise, O Lord, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.

7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high.

8 The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.

9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

10 My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.

11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.

13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.

14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.

15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.

16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

17 I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.

Romans 1
1 Paul, a servant of Je’-sus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

3 Concerning his Son Je’-sus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of Da’-vid according to the flesh;

4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

6 Among whom are ye also the called of Je’-sus Christ:

7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Je’-sus Christ.

8 First, I thank my God through Je’-sus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gen’-tiles.

14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.

15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. A’-men.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

________

PRAY
________

When I was a teenager I wanted to get wisdom and knowledge, so I set out the read the big family Bible that many families had in those days. But I couldn’t get past Genesis 2 before I got bored with reading the Bible. I found out later in life that you have to believe on Christ and get saved before you can understand the Bible. So here is how I became a Christian and how you can too:

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 18:8: “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.” 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’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 whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at [email protected] and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.

God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.

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I am Daniel Whyte III, president of GLM Omnimedia Group, and this is Episode #90 of the “Get Things Done!” podcast. The simple purpose of this podcast is to help you get things done every day so that you can accomplish something worthwhile with your life. I am a firm believer that God has put each person on earth to do something great for His glory.

In this podcast, we are going through the book “Doing It Now” by Edwin C. Bliss. I had just finished speaking at a meeting in Philadelphia many years ago, and as I was walking through the airport, I picked up this little book and read it in its entirety. It is one of the best books that I have ever read on the subject of productivity, getting things done, and avoiding procrastination, and along with prayer and the power of God, it is one of the reasons why I have accomplished so much in my life. Today, I will continue sharing with you some of the principles that Edwin C. Bliss talks about in his book.

As we begin, let me give you this reminder from the Word of God. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says: “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Our quote for today is from James Cameron. He said: “People call me a perfectionist, but I’m not. I’m a rightist. I do something until it’s right, and then I move on to the next thing.”

Today, in the Get Things Done podcast we are looking at Part 16 of Step 11: “Manage Your Time.”

That sporty little sermon leaves just one remaining item on your list of the Terrible Ten: “perfecting.” How does it relate to management of time?

Perfectionism causes procrastination in two separate ways. One way, which we discussed in connection with fear of failure, results in immobility. Many people think that anything short of perfection is failure. Not wanting to fail, they avoid it in the only way possible under that definition: they refuse to try. They may refuse outright, or to deceive themselves or others they may hide their refusal behind the mask of procrastination.

So one manifestation of perfectionism is simply not trying. The other, which concerns time management, is exactly the opposite. The person does undertake the task, but spends so much time perfecting every aspect of it that there isn’t time left for other activities that are equally (or more) desirable.

You seem to be advocating that people be satisfied with something short of their very best. Those extra efforts that may take additional time sometimes make a big
difference. They may seem like trifles, but as Michelangelo said, “Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle.” You appear to be willing to settle for mediocrity.

Not at all. Perfection, fortunately, is not the only alternative to mediocrity. A more sensible alternative is excellence. Striving for excellence is stimulating and rewarding; striving for perfection—in practically anything—is both neurotic and futile.

Oh, I suppose if you were Michelangelo, painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, we might make an exception—although even there I think there comes a time when you
must say, “I could add another angel here, and I could touch up Jeremiah’s beard a bit, and I could remove Adam’s belly button to avoid some awkward speculation about how it got there, but it just isn’t worth it. That’s good enough!” (In addition to that quotation about perfection, I believe Michelangelo is also credited with saying, “The secret of art is knowing when to stop.”)

Few houses are so clean that they couldn’t be a little cleaner, few letters so well worded that they couldn’t be refined a bit, few gardens so immaculate that they contain not a single weed. But if you squander your limited supply of time striving for perfection in those things, some other activity must suffer. Ask yourself what other things you might accomplish with that same time, and ask whether you really want to pay the price.

Author Gail Sheehy put it this way: “Would that there were an award for people who come to understand the concept of enough. Good enough. Successful enough. Thin enough. Rich enough. Socially responsible enough. When you have self-respect, you have enough; and when you have enough, you have self-respect.”

To add anything to that would be . . . well, more than enough!

Lord willing, we will continue this discussion in our next podcast.

– – – – – – – – –

Now, let’s pray our prayer together —

Almighty and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against Thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But Thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare Thou those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore Thou those who are penitent; According to Thy promises declared unto mankind In Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for His sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

Now, the greatest secret to getting things done with your life for the glory of God is to have the Lord Jesus Christ in your life. When you have Jesus in your life, you can say with Paul in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, here’s 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.”

God bless you, and remember: if you have something to do, there is no better time to do it than now.

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Martin Luther said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”

This is Daniel Whyte III with the Prayer Motivator Minute #914 here to remind you that there is still great power in prayer to God Almighty in the holy Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our prayer motivator verse from the Word of God today is 1 John 5:14 which says: “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:”

Our featured prayer motivator quote today is from E.M. Bounds. He said: “Prayer makes a godly man, and puts within him the mind of Christ, the mind of humility, of self-surrender, of service, of pity, and of prayer. If we really pray, we will become more like God, or else we will quit praying.”

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,

Remember, friend, Pray, Think, Do! God Bless You!

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This is Daniel Whyte III president of Gospel Light Society International with The Scripture & the Sense Podcast #438, where I read the Word of God and give the sense of it based on an authoritative commentary source such as the Bible Knowledge Commentary or Matthew Henry Commentary. This podcast is based upon Nehemiah 8:8 where it says Ezra and the Levites “read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” The aim of this podcast is that through the simple reading of the Word of God and the giving of the sense of it, the church would be revived and the world would be awakened.

Today we are reading Amos 4:1.

Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.
________

That was Amos 4:1. Now here is the sense of it.

The Matthew Henry Commentary reads:

What is got by extortion is commonly used to provide for the flesh, and to fulfil the lusts thereof. What is got by oppression cannot be enjoyed with satisfaction. How miserable are those whose confidence in unscriptural observances only prove that they believe a lie! Let us see to it that our faith, hope, and worship, are warranted by the Divine word.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary reads:

In the second message Amos declared that God would exile the upper-class women because of their economic exploitation, and judge the nation as a whole for its religious hypocrisy and obstinate refusal to repent, despite His repeated chastisements. The upper-class women were called cows of Bashan. Bashan, in Transjordan east of the Sea of Kinnereth (Galilee), was famous for its lush pastures, and its well-fed cattle. Amos accused the rich women of being equally pampered, insisting that their husbands continually supplied them with intoxicating drinks. The word for “husbands” is not one of the common Hebrew terms for husband, but a rare word meaning “master” or “lord”. Amos scorned those husbands who were supposed to be “masters” but who in reality meekly obeyed like servants. The only way they could support their wives’ expensive tastes was by ruthlessly exploiting the poor and the needy. (Though the women are said in 4:1 to do the oppressing, apparently they did so by domineering their husbands.) The words oppress and crush describe threats and physical harassments used to squeeze money from the helpless.
____________

Thank you for listening to the Scripture & The Sense Podcast. Remember to read the Word of God each and every day and pray without ceasing to God for wisdom to understand it and apply it to your life. Most importantly, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Please stay tuned for a complete presentation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ so that you can get your soul saved from Hell to that wonderful place called Heaven when you die. May God bless you and keep you is my prayer.

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WASHINGTON – In the face of increasing public health concerns over the spread of coronavirus, some Christians are responding with Bible verses like 2 Timothy 1:7 to calm the growing panic.

It reads, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.“

But many houses of worship also have practical solutions, like adjusting communion practices or live streaming sermons, to limit the potential of COVID-19 from spreading through communities of faith.

DC officials are urging hundreds of parishioners who attend Christ Church Georgetown to self-quarantine after its lead preacher tested positive for coronavirus.

The church had already suspended services and activities as a precaution. The preacher, the Rev. Timothy Cole, remains hospitalized in stable condition in a Washington-area hospital while his wife and two kids are in self-quarantine.

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The Holy See is also taking preventive measures. In an extraordinary move, Pope Francis delivered mass via video Monday morning. The live stream was intended to show solidarity with people who are suffering from the virus.

The Vatican made a similar move Sunday to discourage typically large crowds from gathering in St. Peter’s Square. The pope did, however, briefly pop his head out of the iconic window to wave to the sparse crowd.

Fear is also gripping neighboring France, which now trails Italy with the second most coronavirus cases in Europe.

On Sunday, the government announced it will ban gatherings that exceed 1,000 people.

The new precautionary rule could shut down Paris Christian Center, which welcomed fifteen new converts at its weekend service.

“Many churches have decided to close their service,” Dorothée Rajiah, senior pastor of Paris Christian Center, told CBN News contributing correspondent Chuck Holton. “If the government asks us to shut down our service, we are ready to stream from our website and from YouTube.”

In Greenwood Village, Colorado, parishioners at St. Peter Lutheran Church ditched the traditional handshake in favor of elbow and fist bumps during the Passing of the Peace. 

The church took extra measures for communion, too.

“We’re trying to be careful to make sure our communion servers have their hands well clean and that people know how to be careful and thoughtful when they receive the bread and the wine,” said Dave Risendal, pastor of St. Peter Lutheran.

Last week in Bethlehem, the Church of the Nativity—the site where many Christians believe Jesus was born—shut its doors as a precaution.

And after shuttering Islam’s holiest site, Saudi Arabia temporarily re-opened the Grand Mosque in Mecca for Muslim pilgrims Saturday.

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Once again India’s majority Hindu population has taken another swing at the country’s minority Christian community.  This time, a statue of Jesus Christ was removed from a Christian cemetery after complaints from non-local Hindus.

“It is very sad, unfortunate and regrettable that the police, bowing to the pressure of a few outsiders, have forcefully removed the statue of Lord Jesus,” Archbishop Peter Machado wrote March 4 in an article for AsiaNews. 

“It is a blow to the communal harmony of the people in our villages and also a violation of the religious freedom guaranteed to us by the Indian Constitution,” Machado said.

The Catholic News Agency (CNA) reports the 12-foot tall statue was taken down March 3 from Mahima Betta cemetery in Doddasagarahalli, more than 30 miles north of Bangalore in India’s Karnataka state.

Machado told the CNA that Christians have been visiting the cemetery for the last 30 to 40 years “without any difficulty,” and “there is absolutely no problem from local people to our burials, nor our prayers and devotions on the hill.”  He said the difficulties arose just in the last week or so from people from outside creating tension by spreading false rumors that the cemetery was being used for conversions.

“The local villagers have publicly said that the presence of Christians and their prayers are absolutely no problem for them and, this being the case, why should some outsiders come and disturb the harmony of the village?” the archbishop asked.

Machado called on the government to investigate the allegations instead of interfering with the religious tenets of Christians by yielding to outside groups.

The archbishop said Christians love peace, “obey the rules of the country”, and “render their selfless service to the nation in the best possible ways, irrespective of caste, color or religion.”

“The Christians of Bangalore consider the forceful removal of the statue of Lord Jesus at our legally allotted burial ground at Doddasagarahalli as unacceptable and are greatly shocked and we condemn this high-handed action of the local authorities,” he told CNA.

Machado asked that the Christ statute be reinstalled immediately and that the authorities take action against the perpetrators. 

Since 2014, India’s ruling political party, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has become hostile to religious freedom for minority religions. 

As CBN News reported, a pastor of a local house church in the village of L.B. Patnam village, Andhra Pradesh in India was attacked and injured after he found several local residents trying to build a wall in front of his home to block people from attending services.

It was the latest incident by Hindu villagers against the pastor and his wife. The villagers are angry at the presence of a Christian church in their community.

India ranks number 10 on Open Doors USA’s 2020 Watch List of the world’s top persecutors of Christians. 

As CBN News also reported last month, the President and Mrs. Trump visited India for two days. It’s the world’s largest democracy.

CBN News International Correspondent George Thomas has spent a lot of time covering Christians in India over the past several years. While appearing a recent edition of CBN’s Newswatch program, Thomas said Trump needs to read Open Doors USA’s report. 

“Under the leadership of Narendra Modi, we have seen widespread attacks against Christians led by Hindu radicals. And it’s been devastating. From big cities to small remote villages and towns, Hindu radicals have gone on the rampage attacking churches, attacking Christians,” Thomas explained.

“All these village pastors, all they want to do is tell people about Jesus Christ and these mobs of Hindus would come and attack them. That’s why Open Doors has declared India the tenth worst place in the world to be a person of faith, specifically to be a Christian,” he noted.

Thomas told viewers he believed what the president did was stagecraft since you don’t want to criticize or call out the government official standing next to you.

“Hopefully, behind the scenes, behind closed doors, hopefully, the president has been forthright with Mr. Modi and has really pressed him on the issue of religious freedom in India,” Thomas said. 

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A United Nations “special expert on freedom of religion” says its time for the world’s leading religions to submit to the authority of the UN and its human rights bodies, even though critics say those bodies are laced with fringe, leftist views.

It’s all about who should have the final say on issues of law and policy, and the  UN expert is saying the UN’s ideas should override the beliefs of mainstream religions.

The Center for Family and Human Rights (C-Fam) reports Ahmed Shaheed, who is the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, wrote about how religion and gender equality have reached a clash point in his annual report. Download the report here. 

“I firmly reject any claim that religious beliefs can be invoked as a legitimate ‘justification’ for violence or discrimination against women, girls or LGBT+ people,” said Shaheed. To be clear though, mainstream Christianity doesn’t call for violence or discrimination anyone, even though some opponents of orthodox Christian belief have tried to characterize it that way.

Shaheed then tries to flip the “freedom of religion” upside down saying “the right to freedom of religion protects individuals and not religions as such.” 

He then contends that laws based on traditional morality, which are often religious, should be repealed if they conflict with the opinions of human rights scholars and UN experts.

“States have an obligation to guarantee to everyone, including women, girls, and LGBT+ people, an equal right to freedom of religion or belief,” he said, “including by creating an enabling environment where pluralist and progressive self-understandings can manifest.”

To achieve this end, laws criminalizing unnatural sexual behaviors and abortion would need to be annulled. 

Shaheed makes clear that he knows that religious teachings about the sanctity of life and sexual morality have influenced the creation of laws in some countries that restrict abortion and homosexual behavior. And C-Fam reports that while he doesn’t directly call on Christianity or other religions to change their doctrines, he does cite the work of scholars who have worked to promote “progressive” reinterpretations of faith traditions.  

“The notion of ‘LGBT rights,’ a concept that has only recently entered the parlance of scholars, and which has no international consensus, much less a formally accepted definition, is treated by the report as a given. In contrast, religious traditions, some dating back thousands of years, are treated as subordinate,” according to C-Fam.   

Last week, a joint statement was presented from pro-life and pro-family groups who accuse Shaheed of ignoring the rights of unborn children and the conscience rights of health care professionals who object to being forced to participate in abortions, C-Fam reported. 

The Special Rapporteur position held by Shaheed is a voluntary position, and while his reports are nonbinding, they reflect ongoing efforts to push far-left ideology within the UN. 

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