British Christians fed up with coarse, sneering mockery of Christianity

by Hilary White – LONDON, April 5, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) 

Ann Widdecombe, a former Conservative Party MP and social commentator, has written in the Daily Telegraph that British people are fed up with the increasingly unfunny and hateful barbs against Christianity in comedy programs.

The laughs today, she wrote in an op-ed, are sought not in subtlety but in coarseness, sneering at the creed having replaced satire aimed at the believers, and mockery of the person of Christ replacing mockery of His all too fallible followers. It is a vital distinction.

Although Christianity and comedy have long been natural bedfellows, she added, something has changed in recent years. Gentle mockery or sharp satire aimed at Christians and their leaders have been replaced by abuse of Christianity itself.

Widdecombe, a convert to Catholicism from the Anglican Church, was asked by the BBC to investigate why Christianity is such an appealing target for comedians and why Christians might not like it.

After all, the BBC execs reasoned, comedy producers respect Islam sufficiently to avoid laughing at the Prophet, so why are even the most sacred aspects of this country’s major faith seemingly the stuff of so much comedy? Is it because the Church here is seen as part of the Establishment? Or is it due to the rise of militant atheism? Or is it simply that comics would be afraid to do to Islam that which they regularly do in their routines to Christianity?? (more…)

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Such horrific persecution – Bill Muehlenberg of CutureWatch

April 12, 2013 - Bill Muehlenberg of CultureWatch-  http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/ Dear friends One. We will one day stand before our Lord and give an account of why we frittered away our…

Continue ReadingSuch horrific persecution – Bill Muehlenberg of CutureWatch

Rising Up Philippines, China & Hong Kong for Jesus to Catch the Fire!

Dear friends & family in Christ,

Thank you very much for your faithful intercessory prayer support for our recent mission trip with Glory Mission Team from Australia to the Philippines, China & Hong Kong.

Glory to God for His mighty harvest of souls saved, water baptised, filled with Holy Spirit revival, healed, restored, delivered, set free & radically transformed in Rising Up God’s Kingdom in the Philippines, China & Hong Kong to Catch the Fire for 2nd Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to Jerusalem, Israel as reigning King of kings & LORD of lords!

Together, let’s continue to plunder hell and populate Heaven in the matchless Name above all names!

Abundant appreciation, blessings & love in the global harvest of our soon coming Messiah Saviour King,

Evangelist Jason & Pastor Gary

Click link below to see gallery of photos.

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Frontpage newspaper article / Live webcast at CTFM & miracle baby testimony / Pr Daniel on ABC Radio Sunday night / Pr Daniel in Bordertown, SA & Horsham, Vic

Dear friends & family in Christ,

1) Following is the link to a recent front page newspaper article in Horsham, Vic regarding RUAP.

http://www.mailtimes.com.au/story/1414662/rise-up-australia-party-to-contest-mallee/?cs=225

2) We’re pleased to announce that Pr Daniel will be preaching God’s Word and praying for people at both the 9:30am & 6:30pm Sunday worship services at CTFM in Hallam on 14th April.

Please note that the morning service will be broadcast live at www.reformationharvestfire.com beginning at 10am (Australian Daylight Savings Time -ADST).

Also, a family in the church will be sharing their miraculous testimony of how God blessed them with a child, despite medical impossibilities, after Pr Daniel prayed for them in Jesus name!

We serve a God of miracles and we look forward to the mighty things He will do in people’s lives!

3) Please pray and listen to Pr Daniel’s live interview with John Cleary of the Religion Report of ABC Radio this Sun 14th April at 10pm (ADST).

If outside of Melbourne, you may also listen to the interview at http://www.abc.net.au/sundaynights/

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Very Successful RUAP Western Australia Campaign

Dear family & friends in Christ,

From Thursday 4th to Monday 8th April, Pr Daniel, along with Jane Foreman, the Rise Up Australia Party lead Senate Candidate for WA, campaigned in several locations in WA. He also preached at 2 different churches on Sunday.

The meetings were well attended in Geraldton, Bunbury, Mandurah & Perth (in 3 cities). The people responded with great excitement and many joined the party at the ten meetings where they spoke. The Geraldton and Bunbury newspapers published very good articles before the meetings.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/regional/southwest/a/-/news/16554468/controversial-party-to-meet-in-bunbury/

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/regional/gascoyne/a/-/news/16532372/foreman-announced-as-rise-up-president/

Pr Daniel and Jane were interviewed by Howard Sattler on 6PR Radio, a very popular Talk Back Radio Station in WA. Pr Daniel was expected to debate a Muslim youth leader who didn’t show up, who was then to be replaced by an Islamic professor, who also didn’t show up.  Neither were contactable. This gave 30 minutes of airtime to promote Rise Up Australia Party, including the well-known radio host, who even promoted the details of the campaign meetings in all locations in WA.

http://www.6pr.com.au/blogs/6pr-perth-blog/rise-up-on-drive/20130405-2hc7f.html

We thank God for the amazing media favour we have been receiving ever since RUAP official launch on 11th February 2013 at the National Press Club in Canberra.

The Sunday services in Mandurah & Perth were absolutely wonderful as the mighty presence and power of the Holy Spirit touched many!

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Brits are too polite and scared of offending “vocal and aggressive Muslims”: former Obama adviser

Daily Mail (UK) ^ | 16 March 2013 | Steve Robson British society is scared of offending “vocal and aggressive” Muslims, claims a former adviser to Barack Obama. Professor Lawrence…

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With Jesus, Pope’s Seat is Never Vacant as Christ is the Ultimate Head of the Church

 By Ruth Malhotra , CP Op-Ed Contributor – March 1, 2013

Religion rarely dominates global news headlines, but Pope Benedict’s resignation has proven a notable exception. The mainstream media, usually reluctant to focus on matters of faith, is watching and reporting with fascination as the Roman Catholic Church faces a historic and unprecedented transition. Thursday’s coverage was particularly striking, as commentators repeatedly stated – in tones ranging from intellectual curiosity to intense anguish – that “the papacy is vacant” and “the seat of Saint Peter is empty” and “the church around the world is without a leader.”

Social media is also flooded with analysis of these developments, and the official papal twitter account (@Pontifex), is even listed as “Sede Vacante.” For the estimated 1.4 billion Catholics around the world, there does seem to be a sudden void. Some are responding with doubt and despair as the Catholic Church has encountered many tumultuous challenges in recent years, and others express anticipation and hope that a new Pope will usher in a renewed vision for the Vatican.

But amidst all the speculation, perhaps this is valuable time for Catholics – and for all of us who claim the name of Christ – to reflect and be reminded that there is indeed a leader who is always on His throne. A leader whose supremacy and sufficiency and strength are never in question. A leader who is seated in Heaven, and – even at this moment – is interceding to God the Father on our behalf.

Yes, believers must look beyond prominent people and formal institutions – however historic and impactful they may be – to the preeminent role of Jesus Christ as the true Head of the church.

With this in mind, how can we respond with clarity and courage, effectively contending for the faith and comforting our brothers and sisters during these times of transition?

Acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the foundation of the church.

The Bible continually calls believers to focus on the supremacy of Christ and the authority and inspiration of God’s Word in every aspect of our lives, and highlights His role as the foundation of the church. In Colossians 1:18, the apostle Paul says, “And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.”

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London Protest: Christians Persecuted in Pakistan Demand Equality

by Enza Ferreri – 4th March 2013

Saturday 2nd March I attended in London the protest against discrimination and persecution of Pakistani Christians.

Organized by the British Pakistani Christian Association, it included the presentation of a petition both to London’s Pakistani Embassy and to the British Prime Minister’s residence in 10 Downing Street. Several religious figures and human rights campaigners were speakers at the demonstration.

A Peace Rally and Memorial Concert in Trafalgar Square followed, in memory of Shahbaz Bhatti, the Roman Catholic man who was Pakistan’s first Minister for Minorities Affairs from 2008 until Muslim extremists assassinated him in 2011 for his work to abolish the country’s blasphemy law which has been used to persecute faith minorities. He was the only Christian in the government.

Minister Bhatti had received repeated death threats for his consistent defence of the rights of Pakistan’s religious minorities and for his fight for the abolition of Pakistan’s shameful blasphemy laws, which mandate the death sentence for anyone thought to have spoken ill of Muhammad or to have in any way offended Muslim sensitivities: the standard of accepted evidence is very low, and intent or lack of it is not a consideration in passing the sentence.

Two months before the assassination of Bhatti, another man campaigning for the same cause, Provincial Governor Salman Taseer, had been killed by his own bodyguard, who for his crime was welcomed as a hero by many Pakistani Muslims.

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Gay Rights Activists Can’t Put the Church in the Closet

1/28/2013 Michael Brown

 There are many people today who despise conservative religious beliefs, but they are quick to say, “We don’t want to restrict your religious freedoms in any way. Just keep your beliefs in the church.” What they fail to realize is that the church is not a closet, and it is our private beliefs that fuel our public acts. Shouldn’t it be this way?

President Obama claims that it was conversations he had with his daughters, coupled with his interpretation of the teaching of Jesus, that caused him to take a public stand for same-sex “marriage” last May. Did his supporters criticize him for bringing his private beliefs into the public square? (If anyone could be criticized for this, it is the President of the United States, because of his massive powers and influence.)

When gay clergy fought for the redefinition of marriage in their respective states, based on their religious beliefs, were they faulted for this? Did the secular media vilify them for violating the separation of Church and State?

Just a few days ago, Sen. Dianne Feinstein opened up her anti-gun press conference by inviting Rev. Canon Gary Hall, the gay-affirming Dean of the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, to offer up a prayer. As reported by the Washington Examiner, “Hall spoke briefly before the prayer, calling for Washington lawmakers to stop fearing the gun lobby and fulfill their ‘moral duty’ to restrict guns.

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Sex Symbols Who Speak in Tongues?

Charisma Magazine – 12/4/2013 Michael Brown

I was at the grocery store the other day when I was unexpectedly confronted with an adult-oriented magazine located right next to the vitamin section. I immediately had to look away from the front cover, which featured a scantily-clad, seductively-posed, sex symbol. Yet it was only a few weeks ago that I read an article about how this same sex symbol loves to speak in tongues and has to restrain herself from outbursts in tongues while attending church services. What?

This is actually a perfect illustration of American charismatic Christianity, where you can say you love Jesus (like the rapper “The Game” claims to do) and still frequent strip clubs (as “The Game” still does), or where you can flow in the gifts of the Spirit and become a made-for-TV preaching sensation, only to announce that God told you that you married the wrong woman, leading to a quick divorce and remarriage.

Yes, this is the “gospel” of the 21st century, “Spirit-filled” church of America, where the cross is bypassed, denial of the flesh is scorned, purity is called legalism, and anything goes if it feels good.

It is the “gospel” of self, in which Jesus dies to make you into a bigger and better you, a “gospel” in which God is here to serve you and help you fulfill your dreams, and where the measure of all things is not how God feels about it but how you feel about it (or how it makes you feel).

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Neurosurgeon Ben Carson’s Politically Incorrect Speech at Prayer Breakfast a YouTube Sensation

By Leonardo Blair , CP Contributor – February 11, 2013

Dr. Benjamin Carson, Gifted Hands author and director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md., brought an audience of dignitaries, including President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle, to their feet last Thursday after dishing a speech packed with parables, wit, biblical scriptures and punch at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. Now, it’s resounding with everyday Americans, too.

The doctor’s 25-minute speech displayed a “logical” and “common-sense” approach to issues like freedom of speech, education, taxation, the national debt and spirituality, and has already captured more than a million hits on YouTube and elicited headlines and calls like the Wall Street Journal’s “Ben Carson for President.”

“Smart man! Put him in the White House,” agreed Mary Ledet on Monday in her comments posted on the video of Carson’s speech, which was uploaded to YouTube on Thursday.

“LOL! I absolutely love how Ms. Obama was applauding at the end of the speech. I really don’t think she realized how much of what Dr. Carson said was in direct CONFLICT of everything her husband is doing to this country,” noted another commenter under the screen identified as 4stripguy. “I actually think she enjoyed and even agreed with much of what Dr. Carson said for if one does not, one wouldn’t applaud as hard…” the commenter continued.

Faith-based groups like the Pennsylvania Pastors’ Network also gave Carson’s remarks their blessings on Monday.

“Dr. Carson verbalized sentiments felt but rarely voiced by a strong majority of American Christians who are committed to living according to the commands of scripture,” said Sam Rohrer, president of the Pennsylvania Pastors’ Network, in a statement. “Tenets like personal responsibility, moral uprightness, and fiscal restraint are not just smart politics; they are also biblically and constitutionally sound and the basis for America’s success since its inception,” he noted.

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Sydney mum saw son hacked to death

Nine MSN News 19/03/13

The mother of a man hacked to death with meat cleavers during a violent home invasion pleaded with his murderers to kill her instead, a Sydney jury has been told.

Four members of a gang, The United Brotherhood, broke into Kesley Burgess’ home at Lurnea in southwest Sydney on July 1, 2010, attacking him with meat cleavers, the Supreme Court heard on Tuesday.

Mahdi Mir, 22, Mohammad Karimi, 25, and John Khoury, 32, have pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Burgess, as well as several other charges including armed robbery.

The crown alleges Mir was one of four men who entered the Burgess home, while Karimi waited outside.

It alleges Khoury helped plan the attack and supplied weapons, making him part of a joint criminal enterprise to carry out home invasions. (more…)

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WHAT AN ORPHAN CAN TEACH

By Mary Hutchinson , CP Guest Contributor – February 13, 2013

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinner, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” (Ps. 1:1-2)

At 11-years-old, Su Su Thtwe knows more about walking in the counsel of the godly than most people her age do. She knows more about it, even, than some adults.

Every night, Su Su sleeps on the dusty concrete floor of a church in Myanmar. Given away by her mother, and then by her sister, she has nowhere else to go. The only things she can call her own are a little pink dress and a school uniform. But Su Su is happy. She delights in being raised in a Christian ‘home.’

The youngest of six children, Su Su was born in Kywe Lan Village, Myanmar, a small village of bamboo huts, located 3 ½ hours from the nearest major city, Yangon. Her parents struggled to care for the children and an elderly relative, and when Su Su’s father died, her mother gave up.

By then Su Su’s older siblings had married and moved on, leaving Su Su alone. Her mother didn’t want to deal with her, and asked Su Su’s sister, who had two children of her own, to take her in. For almost three years, she lived with her sister in another bamboo hut nearby. (more…)

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Will New Kenyan President Work to End Christian Persecution?

3/14/2013 World Watch Monitor – Charisma News

Among their first formal meetings as president and deputy president-elect of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto met senior religious leaders on Tuesday, even ahead of meeting outgoing President Mwai Kibaki.

Kenyatta emerged the winner by garnering 6173,453 votes, meeting the threshold of the country’s Constitution which required a 50 percent +1 vote of all total votes cast. This was the first election to be held under a new Constitution passed by Kenyans in 2010.

The threshold requirement was the first of its kind in the country, aimed at ensuring Kenya does not slip into a situation such as the last elections in 2007, where disputed presidential results led to post-election violence. Over 1,000 people were killed and 660,000 displaced from their homes.

Kenyatta, son of Kenya’s first post-Independence President Jomo Kenyatta, and his deputy face indictment at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, charged for their alleged role in organizing that 2007-8 post-election violence.

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REAL CHURCH CRISIS

 2/1/2013 Steve Strang

Do you sense a depression in the body of Christ in America, as if something is badly wrong? We’re losing influence within our culture as the anti-Christian sentiment grows, yet you’d never know it in most churches—the smoke, lights, loud music and preaching rolls on as if all is well.

The situation is exacerbated by this simple fact: We don’t have our act together in the body of Christ. Too often people come to the church, are deeply disappointed and as a result are turned off from the gospel. The church promises solutions but only offers lip service. We’ve become excellent at giving people a show on Sunday but lousy at showing them how to actually live. In fact, most church members are as bound up as those in the world—they’re in financial bondage, struggling with addictions and their families are in disarray.

This includes leaders in the church. I believe, as John Maxwell says, that everything rises and falls based on leadership. So allow me to address the leadership situation within the charismatic community.

Charismatic churches and ministries typically grow when leaders are passionate and have a vision. It doesn’t matter if they have seminary degrees; if they can preach the gospel and if people gravitate to them, they suddenly have a growing church! Anointing is more important than academics. That’s partly why our churches are growing while other areas of the body aren’t.

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