Mark Driscoll to Speak at Perry Noble’s Most Excellent Way to Lead Conference

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Mark Driscoll to Speak at Perry Noble’s Most Excellent Way to Lead Conference

Mark Driscoll (Photo: Saddleback Church/Tommy Huynh)

Christian Post Report – Pastor Mark Driscoll of Seattle-based Mars Hill Church leads congregation at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., in prayer during his appearance as guest pastor for a weekend sermon while Pastor Rick Warren is on sabbatical, June 8, 2013.

Pastor Mark Driscoll continues to mount a comeback, with his latest effort being an appearance at megachurch pastor Perry Noble’s The Most Excellent Way to Lead conference on Mar. 3, where he is scheduled to speak.

Hosted at Noble’s South Carolina-based NewSpring Church, The Most Excellent Way to Lead is a one-day conference that aims to provide leaders with tools to effectively guide their teams. Headlining the event will be “six of the most respected leaders in the country,” including Perry Noble, Mark Driscoll, Steven Furtick, Dave Ramsey, Lysa Terkeurst, and Brad Cooper, according to Noble’s website.

In a recent Facebook video, Noble expressed his excitement that the former Mars Hill pastor will be speaking at his upcoming conference, and made it clear that he supports Driscoll’s planned return to ministry, as previously reported by The Christian Post.

“Mark and Grace (Driscoll’s wife), I love you. I mean it. Can’t wait to have you at our leadership conference. I support you one hundred percent, and I believe that for you and your ministry, and your life, the best is yet to come.”

In the video, Noble slammed critics who say Driscoll is not ready to lead another congregation. “Here’s a man (Driscoll) who messed up, made some mistakes, admitted it, apologized, said he was sorry — he’s starting over … Who made you the judge on whether or not he’s ready?”

On Feb. 1 Driscoll announced via his website and Twitter that he was planting a new congregation, The Trinity Church, in Phoenix, Arizona — although news of his new church broke over a month earlier after the Articles of Incorporation document for Trinity Church was discovered.

Driscoll was once called one of America’s “most prominent and celebrated pastors” by Forbes, but he resigned in disgrace as senior pastor of Seattle-based Mars Hill in October 2014 after a confluence of events marred his reputation, including allegations of plagiarism and fostering an abusive work environment. Two weeks after Driscoll’s resignation, Mars Hill Church announced that it would dissolve.

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Source : Christian Post

Raped Nigerian Mothers, Children of Boko Haram Being Rejected by Communities, Report Warns

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Raped Nigerian Mothers, Children of Boko Haram Being Rejected by Communities, Report Warns

Chibok parents (Photo: Reuters/Afolabi Sotunde)

Christian Post Report – Parents of the Chibok girls cry during their meeting with Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja, Nigeria, January 14, 2016.

A new report by UNICEF and International Alert, a peace-building group, has warned that freed Nigerian women that had previously been captured by Boko Haram are being rejected by their communities, alongside their children, due to social stigma.

“As they return, many face marginalisation, discrimination and rejection by family and community members due to social and cultural norms related to sexual violence,” the 28-page report reads, talking about the freed women.

“There is also the growing fear that some of these girls and women were radicalised in captivity. The children who have been born of sexual violence are at an even greater risk of rejection, abandonment and violence.”

Boko Haram, the Islamic terror group that has been waging war on Nigeria for close to six years now, has kidnapped thousands of women and children, marrying many of them off to its fighters and forcing them into sexual slavery.

One of Boko Haram’s most famous kidnapping cases concerns the over 200 Christian schoolgirls taken in April 2014 from the town of Chibok, which has been the target of repeated attacks and mass killings.

The Nigerian Armed Forces have been trying to push out Boko Haram from the country, and although they have rescued large numbers of men, women, and children; many others, including the Chibok girls, remain captive or missing.

As the UNICEF-International Alert report points out, however, many of the victims are shunned by their communities because of the sexual violence that has been inflicted upon them.

The report added, however, that there are also fears that the women might have been radicalized by Boko Haram, pointing to the slate of suicide bombings on behalf of the terror group that have been carried out by women in recent months.

“The rejection and re-victimisation of women, girls and their children, as well as their yet unborn babies, needs to be understood in the context of the ongoing insurgency,” the report stated.

“Many people view these women, girls and their children as a direct threat, fearing that they have been indoctrinated and radicalised by JAS,” it added, using an alternative acronym for Boko Haram.

This is also mixed in with perceptions that the children of Boko Haram fighters, and impregnated women, carry the violent characteristics of their biological fathers.

“Many perceive these victims of conflict as being partly responsible for the violence and losses suffered by entire communities during the insurgency,” the human rights groups warned.

“As a result, children and newborns as well as their mothers are being increasingly ostracised and are at risk of further violence.”

Meanwhile President Muhammadu Buhari has relaunched the investigation into the 219 kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls, with the families of the missing girls demanding that the government does not give up on them.

“I assure you that I go to bed and wake up every day with the Chibok girls on my mind,” Buhari said following a meeting with the parents earlier this year.

Source : Christian Post

Christian QB Kirk Cousins on Free Agency: God Will Decide My NFL Future

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Christian QB Kirk Cousins on Free Agency: God Will Decide My NFL Future

kirk cousins (Photo: Reuters/USA TODAY Sports/Eric Hartline)

Christian Post Report – Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) walks off the field after win against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Redskins defeated the Eagles, 38-24.

As Christian National Football League quarterback Kirk Cousins weighs his free agency options this offseason coming off a career season with the Washington Redskins, the 27-year-old will rely on God to determine what NFL team he signs with in the coming weeks and months.

Coming off a 2015 season in which he broke a number of the Redskins’ single-season passing records, Cousins, the son of a pastor who spent most of his first four NFL seasons riding the bench behind Robert Griffin III, has become quite the desired free agent commodity.

Although the Redskins would like to keep Cousins as a franchise cornerstone, the two sides don’t appear to be close on a long-term contract. ESPN reported earlier this week that the Redskins and Cousins have broken off contract negotiations and further talks have not been scheduled.

Unless the Redskins decide to use a “franchise tag” to keep Cousins through the next season, he could soon be in the driver’s seat in terms of being able to decide what happens next in his NFL career.

Although many professional athletes who hit free agency look to see which team offers the most money and financial security spread out over the rest of their career, the Washington Post reports that Cousins told members of the Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois in early February that he is going to let God determine where he goes in the next stage of his career.

“For the first time in about nine years I’m now able to pick where I want to play,” the former Michigan State quarterback told the congregation. “I go back to what I said on Father’s Day, Proverbs 3: 5 and 6. It’s my life verse: ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Don’t lean on your understanding, but acknowledge Him and He will direct your steps.'”

“So right now, my wife and I are just trying to come before the Lord and say ‘Lord, what do you have for us,'” Cousins continued. “The people on the outside say, ‘Oh, you’ve got to go where the most money is,’ but God, where do you want us, speak clearly.”

Cousins, whose father is the lead pastor of the non-denominational Discovery Church in Orlando, said that his free agency experience gives him and his wife the opportunity to “grow as believers.”

“And again, we can grow, and that’s where we want to grow as believers in hearing the voice of God and discerning what He’s telling us and what He wants us to do,” Cousins added. “But the same verse that was there when I was being benched — ‘trust in the Lord, don’t lean on your understanding, acknowledge Him and He’ll direct your steps’ — is the same verse now after a positive season where we’re looking to see what’s next. We’re going to keep trusting Him and that’s not going to change.”

The Redskins have until the March 1 deadline to decide whether or not to use the team’s franchise tag on Cousins. ESPN estimates that if the Redskins use the franchise tag on Cousins, it could likely cost the team about $20 million over the course of one season.

Follow Samuel Smith on Twitter: @IamSamSmith

Source : Christian Post

Manny Pacquiao Fired by Nike After Christian Boxer Calls Gay People ‘Worse Than Animals’

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Manny Pacquiao Fired by Nike After Christian Boxer Calls Gay People ‘Worse Than Animals’

<b>Christian Post Report</b> – World Boxing Organization welterweight champion and congressman Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines gestures during a press conference in Manila in this March 26, 2012 file photo.” title=”<b>Christian Post Report</b> – World Boxing Organization welterweight champion and congressman Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines gestures during a press conference in Manila in this March 26, 2012 file photo.” name=”jpg” src=”http://images.christianpost.com/full/52893/world-boxing-organization-welterweight-champion-and-congressman-manny-pacquiao-of-the-philippines-gestures-during-a-press-conference-in-manila-in-this-march-26-2012-file-photo.jpg” class=”imgPhoto” width=”550″ height=”450″ /> <small class=(Photo: Reuters/Romeo Ranoco)

Christian Post Report – World Boxing Organization welterweight champion and congressman Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines gestures during a press conference in Manila in this March 26, 2012 file photo.

Sportswear giant Nike has terminated the contract of Manny Pacquiao after the Filipino Christian boxer made a controversial comment calling gay people “worse than animals.”

“We find Manny Pacquiao’s comments abhorrent,” Nike said in a statement, according to BBC News on Thursday.

“Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community.”

Pacquiao, the first boxer in history to win ten world titles in eight different world divisions, is also running for a Senate seat in the Philippines, said in an interview with Filipino station TV5:

“It’s common sense. Will you see any animals where male is to male and female is to female?

“The animals are better. They know how to distinguish male from female. If we approve [of] male on male, female on female, then man is worse than animals.”

Pacquiao later apologized for any offense he might have caused, however, and wrote Tuesday on Twitter: “I’m sorry for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals. Please forgive me for those I’ve hurt. God Bless!”

In a similar post on Facebook he added that his comments were made based on his belief on the Bible:

“I still stand on my belief that I’m against same sex marriage because of what the Bible says, but I’m not condemning LGBT. I love you all with the love of the Lord,” he wrote.

And on Instagram he wrote: “I rather obey the Lord’s command than obeying the desires of the flesh. I’m not condemning anyone, but I’m just telling the truth of what the Bible says. The truth from the Bible is what changed me from my old ways.”

He also quoted from 1 Corinthians 6:9, where he said: “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men.”

Boxing promoter Frank Warren told BBC Radio 5 that the consequences for Pacquiao are going to be very serious, however, and predicted he is going to have trouble getting sponsorship again.

“Pacquiao’s certainly lost any type of sponsorship. That’s all finished. No one’s ever going to sponsor him again,” Warren said.

“The majority of the fans will be totally abhorred about what he said, but that is going be the test – how many people decide they want to watch him fight.”

Pacquiao is scheduled next to fight American Timothy Bradley Jr in Las Vegas in April.

The world famous boxer often talks about his Christian faith in both his sporting and political careers. Back in January, Pacquiao took time to preach before a group of pastors in Davao city.

“Thank you Lord for the privilege to preach to the pastors today. We are humbled and honored to share Your Word,” Pacquiao wrote after his speech. “Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.”

Source : Christian Post

28 Dead in Turkish Capital Ankara Following Terror Bombing; Turkey Launches Air Strikes

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28 Dead in Turkish Capital Ankara Following Terror Bombing; Turkey Launches Air Strikes

Ankara attack (Photo: Reuters/Ihlas News Agency)

Christian Post Report – Firefighters prepare to extinguish fire after an explosion in Ankara, Turkey, February 17, 2016.

After a suicidal car bombing attack in the Turkish capital Ankara killed 28 people on Wednesday night, Turkish warplanes responded by carrying out air strikes on Kurdish militants in northern Iraq only hours later.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has blamed members of the Kurdish YPG militia based in Syria of carrying out the attacks, and revealed that 26 of the 28 people killed on Wednesday were soldiers.

“A direct link between the attack and the YPG has been established,” Davutoglu said, noting that the suicidal bombing targeted military buses that waited at traffic lights near Turkey’s armed forces’ headquarters, parliament and government buildings.

Davutoglu said that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party helped the Syrian Kurds carry out the attack, Reuters reported, but Cemil Bayik, the co-leader of the PKK umbrella group, has said that he does not know who is responsible for the bombing.

Turkey has been fighting PKK rebels in Iraq since the 1970s, and in 2015 started launching air strikes and ground operations aimed at hunting down Kurdish bases in northern Iraq.

As BBC News points out, the Iraqi-based PKK Kurds are closely allied with the YPG, the Syrian-based Kurds, though both groups are separate from the Kurdish Regional Government in Iraq, which is the only one Turkey has good relations with. At the same time, all three Kurdish groups, as well as the Turkish army, are fighting the Islamic State terror group, which has spread throughout Iraq and Syria.

There have been a series of bombings in Turkey in the past year, some blamed on IS and some blamed on the PKK, making it the deadliest period in several decades.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted that the violence will not stand in the way of Turkish unity, however.

“Our determination to respond in kind against such attacks against our unity and future from outside and inside is even more strengthened through such attacks,” Erdogan declared in a statement. “Turkey will not hesitate to use its right to self-defense anytime, anywhere, and in all situations.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said that the White House administration stands beside its NATO ally, CNN reported.

“We strongly condemn this cowardly attack which appears to have targeted buses carrying Turkish military personnel. We stand with our Turkish allies in the face of this horrific act, which only strengthens our resolve to deepen our ongoing cooperation in the fight against terrorism,” Carter said.

Christians have suffered due to the ongoing clashes between the Turkish army and Kurdish PKK, with northern Iraqi bishops speaking out against Turkey bombing border villages.

Reports revealed in January that the Turkish military bombed the border village of Sharanish, home to many Christians, forcing many to flee in panic.

“The attack was carried out under the pretext of the fight against the positions of the Kurdish PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party),” Patriarchate Louis Sako of Babylon of the Chaldeans said, calling the bombings “totally unjustified.”

Sako added that the Turkish government must “respect the lives and property of the population.”

Source : Christian Post

Rapper Andy Mineo Offers Ronda Rousey Christ After She Admits Suicidal Thoughts

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Rapper Andy Mineo Offers Ronda Rousey Christ After She Admits Suicidal Thoughts

Ronda Rousey Reuters

Christian Post Report – Ronda Rousey smiling at a press conference.

In a recent interview with Ellen Degeneres, MMA fighter Ronda Rousey admitted that after her loss to Holly Holm last year, she contemplated suicide. Reach Records rapper Andy Mineo, noticeably touched by her comments, offered some advice.

“MAN! This strikes a chord for me. So often our identities are found in what we do. But what we do isn’t who we truly are. Every public figure fears the day that their ‘moment’ will be over. When there will be somebody else newer, younger, better… and that terrifies us,” Mineo wrote on Facebook after hearing about Rousey’s suicidal admission.

Rousey is a successful American mixed martial artist and actress. The former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion opened up to Degeneres on her Feb. 15th program about the thoughts that ran through her mind after experiencing her first career loss and losing her title.

“Honestly, my thought…I was like, in the medical room and I was down in the corner and I was sitting in the corner like, ‘What am I anymore if I’m not this? I was literally sitting there and thinking about killing myself and that exact second. I’m like, ‘I’m nothing; what do I do anymore? And no one gives a s*** about me anymore without this,” Rousey admitted.

Mineo, a rapper who has built his career promoting a counter cultural message with his Christian faith, sympathized with the popular athlete further.

Andy MineoImage courtesy of Reach RecordsReach Records artist Andy Mineo

“I struggle with my own identity often. My accomplishments are fleeting. What has been able to keep me in my greatest moments of struggle is my faith in Jesus. Knowing God gives me identity and validation that no person can take away.” Mineo continued, “If I succeed, He loves me. If I fail miserably, He loves me. He calls me His son – and like any good father – His love for his children isn’t based on performance.”

He ended his post by wishing her luck on her next match. “Just know you are made in the image of God, valuable and loved regardless the outcome. Blessings!” he concluded.

Although Rousey did not mention having a divine intervention to stop her from suicide, she fortunately had an amazing support system by her side. She said looking at her boyfriend Travis Browne standing outside of her hospital room made her realize that she needs to live because she has yet to have “his babies.”

Rosey has had it rough since birth. According to biography.com, she nearly died after being born with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, which caused slight brain damage and impeded her ability to speak until she was 6. Then soon after, at the age of 8, the California native was faced with the tragedy of her father’s suicide.

Source : Christian Post

The Supreme Court in the Balance: Who Will Replace Scalia?

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The Supreme Court in the Balance: Who Will Replace Scalia?

Christian Post Report – Justice Scalia’s unexpected death last Saturday in Texas at the age of 79 was a shocking blow. On a delicately balanced Supreme Court, Justice Scalia was a towering pillar of conservatism and judicial restraint.

Whoever is elected to be Justice Scalia’s replacement will be the new deciding vote on a host of critically important issues on a court seemingly hopelessly deadlocked in a 4 to 4 stalemate between liberal and conservative justices.

Will judicial restraint or judicial activism prevail? All Americans, and our children and grandchildren, have an enormous stake in the answer to that question.

Source : Christian Post

Keep on Planting Churches!

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Keep on Planting Churches!

Christian Post Report – Right now, there are over 300,000 Protestant churches in America. Just do the division (300,000 divided by 50 states) and that’s an average of 6,000 churches per state. Wow! That’s a lot of churches!

Think about it this way: There are 12,000(ish) Starbucks and well over 300,000 churches! So Starbucks can saturate the United States with caffeinated drinks, but almost 30 times more churches can’t saturate the United States with the Living Water. Seriously?

According to church growth and discipleship multiplication expert Bill Hull, “It still takes 100 church attendees, a pastor and $100,000.00 a year to win a convert. Among evangelicals it is a bit better, 1.7, this is an ugly fact that should grieve us all.”

So our solution is planting more and more churches so that we can reach America for Jesus? Is that really the best solution, or is a revitalization of the current churches the best solution?

My answer is a resounding “YES!

Source : Christian Post