Europe needs the Holy Spirit – Brian Houston

Published 30 July 2013  |  Anita Bruce-Mills

Thousands made the commute to London’s 02 Arena last week for this year’s Hillsong Conference. Senior Pastor and founder of the Hillsong Church Australia Brian Houston took to the stage to deliver a message on God’s sufficiency and the importance of yielding to the Holy Spirit.

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. We need the Holy Spirit, Europe needs the Holy Spirit,” he said.

“It’s not only in the atmosphere of great services, great conferences or great churches where we can know the power of the Holy Spirit. You can know his power in your life. He lives within, he leads us and empowers us.”

Worship was provided by the Hillsong team from their album Glorious Ruins and also present at the conference was the Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Reverend Justin Welby.

Houston shared how God’s favour has been upon the conference. “I genuinely believe that it is God breathed and Heaven sent, otherwise it couldn’t happen. For many years, according to the Australian tourist blogs, the largest national conference in the country year after year is not some business conference, not some self-motivational help conference. It is a church leadership conference about championing the cause of local churches everywhere. That won’t happen if it’s not God breathed and heaven sent,” he said.

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Federal Election – Christian Values Checklist

Australian Christian Values Institute (ACVI) We write to tell you that the second edition of the Christian Values Checklist, with amendments in the positive for Australian Christians, DLP, Family First…

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Stop arresting street preachers, says Christian rights group to head of London police

LONDON, July 28, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) 

Exasperated with the numerous arrests of Christian street preachers for speaking against homosexuality, a UK advocacy group has written to the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (of London) demanding that guidance be issued to beat officers to put a stop to the problem.

The last straw was the arrest earlier this month of visiting US street preacher Tony Miano for preaching that homosexual conduct is a sin.

“As you might be aware, this is the position adopted by all the major churches in the United Kingdom,” said Andrea Minichiello Williams, the head of the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), in the letter to Sir Bernard Hogan Howe of New Scotland Yard. “I hope we can agree that preaching the Gospel on sexual ethics (absent extenuating circumstances) is a lawful activity.”

Williams said that not only was the arrest unlawful, so was officers’ questioning on the content of Miano’s preaching.

CLC is asking for the dismissal of the officers involved – PC Green, PC Bailey and PC Rutland – and referral of the incident to Independent Police Complaints Commission. “We assert that such officers are unfit to remain within the Police Force,” said the group.

Miano was arrested and detained for several hours after police received a complaint by phone from one woman with whom he said he had tried to engage in dialogue. Miano said that while preaching on “both heterosexual immorality and homosexual immorality,” he  was approached by the woman who, he said, “turned, glared at me and told me to ‘f-off’.” Police subsequently arrived and told him he was “guilty of using homophobic speech that could cause people anxiety, distress, alarm or insult.”

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Does Rick Warren Endorse Chrislam?

by Brandon Cox  – 30th July 2013

No.

Period.

It’s a funny thing. Since we’ve announced that we’ll be planting a new church in cooperation with the new Saddleback Network and that Rick Warren has endorsed and sent us, I’ve gotten quite a few questions about the controversy over “chrislam.” I’m not going to link to any articles – Google tells the story, and it’s a sad and frustrating one.

The rumor is that Rick Warren and other prominent religious leaders are promoting a new belief system known as chrislam, which is a kind of twisted entangling of Christianity and Islam. Let me make a few things clear…

1. Rick Warren affirms that Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved for eternity.

Here’s what Rick says about the issue: “If you can be saved without Christ, missions is a crock. We’re better off not to go.” This is from a recent interview between John Piper and Rick Warren in which Rick had an opportunity to set the record straight on a number of issues.

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Live Webcast this Sunday 25th August

Dear friends & family in Christ, Pr Daniel will be ministering God’s prophetic Word on ‘Rebuilding the Walls’ this Sunday 25th August at the 9:30am worship service at CTFM at…

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‘Libs direct preferences to anti-Muslim party’ – The Age & Canberra Times / Live Webcast – Pr Daniel on Rebuilding the Walls – A must watch

Dear friends & family in Christ, 1) You may click the following links to read an excellent article about RUAP that appeared in The Age Newspaper, Canberra Times and other…

Continue Reading‘Libs direct preferences to anti-Muslim party’ – The Age & Canberra Times / Live Webcast – Pr Daniel on Rebuilding the Walls – A must watch

5 Women Missionaries Beaten Publicly in India for Sharing Gospel

Charisma News – 7/26/2013 Taun Cortado

Five women have been beaten by a man in the Andhra Pradesh region of India while sharing about the love of Jesus in a public marketplace. Amazingly spared, they retreated to safety, thanking God for the honor of suffering for His sake.

The women, all leaders in the Gospel for Asia (GFA)-sponsored Women’s Fellowship ministry, had been sharing with store owners and shoppers when one man demanded to know what they were doing. The assault began with a powerful slap to the face of one woman and continued to the others, one of whom was isolated and surrounded by five men.

“Jesus promised persecuting and hardships,” says Daniel Punnose, vice president of GFA (gfa.org). “These young ladies see it worth facing the beatings in order to share the love of Christ.”

The women, Bansari, Jaladhi, Kuyil, Sunita and Viveka, were beaten on their faces, ears and heads. All report that no bystanders came to their defense during the ordeal and that they miraculously escaped from their multiple attackers and were delivered from further harm.

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Pakistan: Violations against Christians Soar

by Mohshin Habib – July 15, 2013

She is on death row for a comment that Jesus Christ is not dead but that the Prophet Mohammed is dead. Pakistan is now one of the most dangerous places for Christians to live.

Rimsha Masih, a young Pakistani Christian girl, who was arrested in August 2012 by Pakistan’s police for alleged blasphemy, has escaped the country with the direct help of Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and AVAAZ, a civic organization. Local media and her parents said she was as young as 11 at the time of her arrest; medical reports classified her as an “uneducated” 14-year-old with a mental age younger than her years. Accused of burning pages of the holy book for Muslims, the Quran, Masih, under Pakistan’s “blasphemy laws,” faced the death penalty.

Masih fled with her family members to Canada, where Immigration Minister Jason Kenney instructed officials to process the family’s applications for permanent residency on humanitarian grounds.

While Masih and her family are fortunate, no one knows what will happen to the rest of the Christians of Pakistan. Even though they make up only about two percent of the population — or precisely because of it: there are so few, they may appear invitingly vulnerable — they suffer beatings by their neighbors, murder by the police and imprisonment by the courts.

Last month, three Christian women, Arshad Bibi, Sajida Bibi and Sauriya Bibi (Bibi means a lady or girl) were brutally beaten and forced to parade naked by the armed henchmen of a landlord, who happens to connections in ruling party PML(N).

According to reports, the incident occurred on the night of June 3, as the male members of the family were at work. The armed men entered the house by jumping the boundary wall, then unlocked the gate from inside. The women, along with two elderly relatives, were asleep. The attackers looked for the men; when they could not find them, they began to beat the three women. They then took the young Christian women into the street, tore off their cloths and forced them to parade naked.

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Why Is Christianity losing in America?

By S. Michael Craven, Christian Post Guest Columnist – June 4, 2013

This is the question with which all serious Christians must wrestle. To think that Christianity is thriving in America simply ignores the obvious and overwhelming facts of our times. Much like the century preceding the Protestant Reformation and subsequently the Catholic Counter-Reformation, the church was in a dark and desperate period. In its general understanding and representation, Christianity had drifted from its mission and biblical foundations-and the results were devastating.

Similarly, the church in America today has also drifted from its biblical mission and the result has been a church largely divorced from its kingdom purposes and therefore increasingly irrelevant to people living in the real world. At the heart of our present dilemma is our diminished understanding of the gospel, namely the gospel of the kingdom. In reforming the church, the Reformers taught that Jesus-being the Son of God-was born, crucified, and rose again, and because of these facts, your sins can be forgiven. This was and no doubt remains “good news.” However, this summation could be drawn from Paul’s letters without ever reading the four books commonly known as the Gospels.

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Is Our Nation Intolerant of Christianity?

Charisma News – 6/3/2013 – Franklin Graham

Recently I was at a White House meeting with Vice President Joe Biden and had the opportunity to remind him that our main problem in America is that we have taken God out of our society and out of our government. We need God’s Word and His laws now more than ever.

Disobedience to God’s Word and His laws has wreaked havoc across the political, economic, and spiritual landscape of our country. There is scandal after scandal, and yet our nation’s leaders seem even more belligerent toward Christians.

If we hold up God’s standards, we are accused of being intolerant. “Tolerance” is one of today’s hot buttons, but in reality the true and fast-growing “intolerance” is for Christianity—anything that stands for Jesus Christ.

You may have read recently about the IRS apology for targeting conservative groups in 2011–12. I was not surprised to hear this—BGEA was audited last September, and many believe it was because we encouraged voters to take a strong stand on same-sex marriage issues and biblical values. The audit process was complex and time consuming, but as we expected, it ended well. During the process, in fact, the focus that BGEA puts on sound management and financial accountability was acknowledged as excellent.

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Preachers must set an agenda for biblical confrontation over homosexuality

by Albert Mohler – May 30, 2013 

The church’s engagement with the culture involves a host of issues, controversies, and decisions–but no issue defines our current cultural crisis as clearly as homosexuality. Some churches and denominations have capitulated to the demands of the homosexual rights movement, and now accept homosexuality as a fully valid lifestyle.

Other denominations are tottering on the brink, and without a massive conservative resistance, they are almost certain to abandon biblical truth and bless what the Bible condemns. Within a few short years, a major dividing line has become evident–with those churches endorsing homosexuality on one side, and those stubbornly resisting the cultural tide on the other.

The homosexual rights movement understands that the evangelical church is one of the last resistance movements committed to a biblical morality. Because of this, the movement has adopted a strategy of isolating Christian opposition, and forcing change by political action and cultural pressure.

Can we count on evangelicals to remain steadfastly biblical on this issue? Not hardly. Scientific surveys and informal observation reveal that we have experienced a significant loss of conviction among youth and young adults. No moral revolution can succeed without shaping and changing the minds of young people and children.

Inevitably, the schools have become crucial battlegrounds for the culture war. The Christian worldview has been undermined by pervasive curricula that teach moral relativism, reduce moral commandments to personal values, and promote homosexuality as a legitimate and attractive lifestyle option.

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Lee Grady: No More Spineless Christianity

Charisma News –  5/29/2013 Lee Grady

Paul was also not afraid to name sins. He had a spine.

People often complain about angry preachers. I don’t like them either, and I agree that if a person mixes a sermon with hateful language (or if he believes God has called him to picket other churches), he’s in the wrong profession. Yet today we’ve jumped to the opposite extreme. Now we are afraid to confront sin.

We can’t preach about materialism because we might offend rich people in the audience—as well as the poor people who buy Lotto tickets every week. We can’t preach about fornication because there are people in the church who are living together. We can’t preach about domestic violence because there are deacons who sometimes hit their wives. We can’t preach about homosexuality because our culture says it’s hateful to call that a sin.

And the list goes on. In fact, some preachers are avoiding the word sin altogether because it’s too negative. And we all know that the latest polls show people want a positive message.

This temptation to dilute the gospel has produced a new recipe for a trendy sermon. We start with some great motivational speaking (“Your past does not define your future!”), add a few quarts of cheap grace (“Don’t focus on your sin!”), pour in some prosperity gospel (“Run to this altar and grab your financial breakthrough!”), flavor it with some trendy pop psychology (“It’s all about you!”) and voila!—you end up with a goopy mess of pabulum that not even a baby Christian could survive on.

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The Bible Series on Channel Nine Tonight Tuesday 23rd July from 9-11pm

Dear friends & family in Christ, PLEASE SHARE: The Bible Series returns tonight Tuesday at 9pm on Channel 9 for episodes 3 & 4. It's crucial that we continue to…

Continue ReadingThe Bible Series on Channel Nine Tonight Tuesday 23rd July from 9-11pm

More National Media Coverage for RUAP / Campaign Blast in Melbourne on Monday 5th August

Dear friends & family in Christ,

1) Following  are some national newspaper links with some interesting photos about RUAP.

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/smokers-pirates-cola-lovers-8230-new-parties-add-colour-to-electoral-canvas-20130720-2qbco.html

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/smokers-pirates-cola-lovers-8230-new-parties-add-colour-to-electoral-canvas-20130720-2qbco.html

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/smokers-pirates-cola-lovers-8230-new-parties-add-colour-to-electoral-canvas-20130720-2qbco.html

http://www.borderwatch.com.au/story/1650954/smokers-pirates-cola-lovers-new-parties-add-colour-to-electoral-canvas/?cs=8

2) With great excitement we wish to bring to your attention that Rise Up Australia Party will be having its National Campaign Blast at the Windsor Hotel in Melbourne at 111 Spring Street on Monday 5th Aug 2013 from 11am to 1pm.

This is your opportunity to meet with the 52 lower house and 12 upper house candidates and talk to them one on one.  RUAP National President Daniel Nalliah will also share the short and long term vision and plans for Australia in his speech, as well as announce some of the major policies of the Party.

The event will be live webcast throughout Australia and the world for those of you unable to attend.

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Christian Persecution is Motivating Muslims ‘To Know Christ’

By Janet Parshall – Special to CP – May 13, 2013

With all of the unrest being reported in countries like Egypt, Syria and Libya, perhaps the real untold story is the record number of Christians leaving the Muslim world.

According to Open Doors USA, at least 100 million Christians in 65 countries suffer persecution. For example, as the situation in Syria continues to intensify, it is very easy to forget the plight of Syrian Christians who are fleeing the country.

In his new book, Crucified Again, Raymond Ibrahim writes that Christians in that country are being targeted for kidnapping, plundering and beheadings. He reports that regions and towns that were once populated with Christians are now emptied.

Ibrahim was raised by Egyptian Coptic Christians and has detailed how, in October of 2012, the last Christian was murder in Homs, a vibrant Christian community that was once home to 80,000 believers. Tom Doyle, of e3 Partners, has said the Syrian situation is one of the “largest humanitarian disasters in the Middle East in probably the last ten years.”

But the crisis for Christians goes beyond Syria. Nigeria is now the country with the highest number of slaughtered Christians. Last year, more than 900 Christ-followers were victims of the Boko Haram group and other Islamic militants.

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