AUSTRALIAN PASTOR CRITICIZED FOR POSTING ‘ADAM AND STEVE’ MARRIAGE MESSAGE AT CHURCH

By Stoyan Zaimov , Christian Post Reporter – July 20, 2012

An Australian Baptist pastor has come under criticism for posting what are being called homophobic messages on his church windows – although he has said he is solely expressing his opinion on what the Bible says of human sexuality.

The Hamilton Baptist church in Australia, where the Rev. Trevor Walmsley preaches, displayed electronic messages on the side of the sanctuary reading “You are here because God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve,” and another reading “None of us owe our existence to same-sex sexual relationships”.

A number of local residents who read the messages were “outraged,” News.com.au reported, but Walmsley was quick to explain that the signs represent his views, and not necessarily those of the church.

“I suppose they are a bit controversial, but I am very much in support of marriage as it has been traditionally known,” the Australian pastor said. “I can’t speak for the denomination but for me personally, and probably for our church here, we would stand for the traditional definition of marriage of a man and a woman for life, to the exclusion of all others.”

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Brad Pitt’s mom slams Obama on abortion

by Patrick B. Craine

SPRINGFIELD, Missouri, July 6, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Brad Pitt’s mother has shocked the Hollywood star’s fans after slamming President Obama for his views on abortion and same-sex “marriage” in a letter to the local paper in Missouri.

Jane Pitt says Obama is “a liberal who supports the killing of unborn babies and same-sex marriage” and urges voters to back Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

“Any Christian who does not vote or writes in a name [that isn’t Romney’s] is casting a vote for Romney’s opponent, Barack Hussein Obama – a man who… did not hold a public ceremony to mark the National Day of Prayer,” she wrote in the Springfield News-Leader.

An editor’s note at the bottom of the July 3rd letter on the paper’s website says that after some confusion, they have “verified the letter writer is the mother of actor Brad Pitt and local businessman Doug Pitt.”

Obama has been labeled the “abortion president” because of his radical views on the “right to choose”. His pro-abortion views are so extreme that he has even opposed protections for victims of failed abortions who are born alive.

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ROMNEY TOUR TO EMPHASIZE UNITY WITH ISRAEL AND EUROPEAN ALLIES

By Maeve Reston / Tribune Washington Bureau – July 23, 2012 

BOSTON — Mitt Romney’s seven-day foreign tour this week promises to be an elaborate show of statesmanship — from his meetings with more than a dozen leaders from Britain, Israel and Poland to his attendance at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in London.

But his advisers said voters should not expect any major policy pronouncements. The presumptive Republican nominee for president, they said, is traveling abroad mainly to “learn and listen.”

In a campaign dominated by the economy, the international trip offers the former Massachusetts governor a rare chance to show voters that he would be a capable leader on the world stage. He will he have the chance to brush up his foreign policy credentials — a weak spot in his resume — and his presence at the opening ceremonies of the Olympics on Friday also will allow him to highlight his experience turning around the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City when the organization faced scandal and financial crisis.

Mindful that it would be considered bad form for a presidential candidate to criticize of the nation’s commander in chief on foreign soil, Romney’s aides said that he would not make direct policy contrasts with President Barack Obama while abroad.  But he plans to frame his foreign policy goals and the purpose of his trip in a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars on Tuesday in Nevada.

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Gold Medals and God’s Word

Friday, July 20, 2012 – By Dan Wooding – Founder of ASSIST Ministries

How World Champion Sculler, Tom Treseder, found the ultimate reward in his life

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (ANS) — As the London 2012 Olympics are set to start in the British capital, one man in Australia will be watching the events with keen interest.

He is Tom H. Treseder, who during the last century was a World Champion sculler and whose name is etched in rowing history, yet he has revealed that, despite his success, his early life was empty and he was searching for something he had not yet found.

“The rowing trophies began to fill a whole cabinet in the family home,” he says.

His name continued to take up columns in the Australian press. He was popular with girls and older people recognized him as Treseder, the up and coming champion sculler and rower.

Yet, Tom says with all the popularity and success there was still an emptiness, a void in his heart. However he would never let on to those around him that he was searching for something he had not yet found.

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Amazing Report on CTFM tour of Sri Lanka / Muslims, Hindus & Bhuddists come to Jesus

Dear family & friends in Christ,

After the amazing time in Israel, the whole CTFM group arrived in Sri Lanka and was blessed with 5 star hotel accommodation by the travel agent. This amazing hotel, overlooking the beach, old Parliament House, the Twin Towers and many other 5 star hotels, was just breath taking. It also gave us a view of the helicopter landing pad of the President of Sri Lanka.

After the 24 hour stay, half the group prepared to depart on route back to Australia. Just then, Pr Daniel’s daughter Shannen got on the piano at the 5 star hotel lobby, packed with guests and started singing and playing “He is Lord”. Within seconds the whole CTFM team was around the piano singing and worshipping the Lord!

This hotel, which is owned by an Arab Muslim man attracted many Muslims as their guests. It was most interesting to see many guests stop and watch us worship. Some of us were able to witness to them. Then half the team departed in a bus to the airport, while the rest of us stood at the entrance of the hotel and shouted, “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Ooi, ooi , ooi!”  Many had tears and their was a lot of hugging and kissing as we said goodbye. It was amazing how the team had bonded together. It was truly an amazing trip.

The next day early in the morning we left on our tour of Sri Lanka. Our first stop was the Elephant orphanage. Driving throught the streets of Sri Lanka was very interesting. There were many horns blowing, vehicles coming from every direction, but some how all got through. No road rage, no abusing, but they all just smiled, as one got through at the intersection.

The Sri Lankan people were always smiling, very warm and welcoming. I would love to go and live there for some time. The Elephant orphanage was very exciting. As we came within 2 metres of a herd of 56 elephants, we watched them eat and some of us fed them, and also watched them bathe.

Then we headed up to the hill country of Kandy, the place where the former kings in Sri Lanka ruled from. We visited a tea factory and then stayed the night at a hotel overlooking the lake. Here we had a buffet dinner and were entertained by a clipso band.

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A Million March for Jesus in Brazil

Teresa Neumann (July 17, 2012)  Source: Anugrah Kumar – The Christian Post As of 2011, Brazil is the world's second most Christian-populated country. (Sao Paulo, Brazil)—More than a million Christians united…

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Spiritual Earthquake in Middle East as Holy Spirit “Heats Things Up”

Teresa Neumann (July 4, 2012)  Source: Chris Mitchell, Julie Stahl – CBN News "No government, no leader can block intercession around the world. So, we need to pray as Believers that…

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In UK: Overwhelming Vote of Support for a Christian’s Freedom to Share their Faith

Aimee Herd (July 10, 2012)  Source: Gary McFarlane, Caroline Petrie – ChristianConcern.com

“That this Synod express its conviction that it is the calling of Christians to order and govern our lives in accordance with the teaching of Holy Scripture, and to manifest our faith in public life as well as in private, giving expression to our beliefs in the written and spoken word, and in practical acts of service to the local community and to the nation.“

(United Kingdom)—On Sunday, July 8th the Church of England’s Parliament, the General Synod, agreed to “overwhelmingly back the right of Christians to ‘manifest their faith in the public square,'” said a report from ChristianConcern.com.

Present at the debate prior to the vote, was Nurse Caroline Petrie who had been discriminated against for offering to pray with a patient, as well as Olive Jones, a teacher who had been fired for sharing her testimony with a student.

After the debate, the Synod voted 263 to 25 to pass the following motion:

“That this Synod express its conviction that it is the calling of Christians to order and govern our lives in accordance with the teaching of Holy Scripture, and to manifest our faith in public life as well as in private, giving expression to our beliefs in the written and spoken word, and in practical acts of service to the local community and to the nation.”

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Bells Ring Out with Olympic Prayers

Peter Wooding : Jul 23, 2012 : Assist News Service

“This is an opportunity to be part of a prophetic act, a turning point which will shape the future of our nation. Let’s make a noise, talk about God, pray for peace, pray for reconciliation and commit to love God’s world and His people.” -Rev. Ian Bunce

(London, England)—Christians and churches across the UK are being encouraged to pray and make a noise and join in the nationwide mass bell ringing planned for the first day of the 2012 Games.

Ringing Bells in UK According to a More Than Gold press release to mark the opening of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the London Organizing Committee is calling for thousands of bells to be rung across our nations. The mass bell ringing on Friday 27th July will begin at 8:12am and will last for 3 minutes.

LOCOG are encouraging the tolling of “any bell, anyone, anytime.” It’s an opportunity for everyone to get involved in a special commission by the Turner Prize-winning artist and musician Martin Creed.

More Than Gold, the agency helping churches make the most of the Games, is calling on Christians and churches everywhere to join in and use this moment to ‘Stop and pray at 8:12am on Friday 27th July for God’s Kingdom to come and for a turning to come in our nations.’

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Josh McDowell Launches Website to Fight Porn, ‘Church’s No. 1 Threat’

By Anugrah Kumar , Christian Post Contributor, May 26, 2012

Apologist and author Josh McDowell launched Just1ClickAway.org, a new website to raise awareness about online pornography which he says is a problem big enough to cause the downfall of the church.

“The downfall of the church will not come from a lack of apologetic teaching; it will come from disintegration of the families in the church,” says a video posted on the website, which was launched this week, just in time for summer vacation when students’ media consumption significantly increases.

“The greatest threat to the cause of Christ is pervasive sexuality and pornography,” McDowell, known as an articulate speaker, said in a statement Thursday. “Today we have, by and large, lost control of the controls because an intrusive immorality is just one click away from our children. With just one keystroke on a smartphone, iPad, or laptop, a child can open up some of the worst pornography and sexually graphic content you can imagine. There’s never been such access in history. “

McDowell, who has written or co-authored 120 books since 1960, backs his claims with stunning statistics about the destructive impact of pornography on the Christian family.

More than 1 billion pornographic websites are one click away, and the average age of first-time viewers of pornography is 9 years old. About 80 percent of 15- to 17-year-olds have been exposed to hardcore porn, and the adult pornography industry reports that 20-30 percent of their traffic comes from children. More shockingly, half of all Christian families report that pornography is a problem, and 30 percent of pastors have viewed pornography in the last 30 days.

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HOSTILITY TO CHRISTIANITY IN EUROPE

Dr. Peter Hammond  – July 2012 edition of JOY! Magazine.

The secularisation and paganisation of large sections of Europe is tragic. There are surprisingly dynamic pockets of spiritual vitality and life amidst the general atheism and heathenism, but the general picture in Europe is of spiritual decline.

Missionary Power House

In 1900, Evangelicals in Europe constituted 45% of the world’s Evangelicals. Now less than 4% of all Evangelicals in the world are in Europe. The 19th century was the greatest century of Missionary advance. It was a century of astounding inventions and of spectacular advances in technology. Many countries in Europe experienced dynamic Spiritual Revivals. Christian missionaries from Europe won whole tribes and nations to Christ, in the remotest regions of the globe. For over a thousand years, Europe had been Christendom, the heartland and stronghold of Christian civilisation. The 19th century has seen such staggering growth in numbers, productivity, power and wealth, that most would have imagined that Europe would have continued to dominate the globe for centuries to come. The optimism which had prevailed in the 19th century gave way to profound pessimism after the First World War.

Devastation

However, World War I shattered Europe. An entire generation of young men died in brutal trench warfare. 1914 marked the end of the greatest century of Christian advance and the beginning of what proved to be the worst century of persecution. The consequences of the First World War, continues to have far-reaching repercussions to this present day. Of the 60 million European soldiers who were mobilised from 1914 to 1918, over 9 million were killed, 7 million permanently disabled and 15 million seriously injured.

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Interview: T.D. Jakes on 35 Years of Ministry

By Katherine T. Phan , Christian Post Reporter, June 14, 2012

Bishop T.D. Jakes is a jack of all trades and is recognized in all of them. He is known as the senior pastor of the 30,000-member Dallas-based church, The Potter’s House, the New York Times best-selling author of Let It Go, the producer of the hit comedy “Jumping the Broom,” and the founder of a Grammy award-winning Dexterity Sounds label.

His diverse circle of friends reflects his wide-ranging career: Oprah Winfrey, President Obama, Pastor Paula White, Tyler Perry, and Chaka Khan. In the midst of it all, he still finds time to send love tweets to his wife and support relief efforts at his church.

Last week, Jakes was the guest of honor at a big celebration in Dallas to mark his 35th anniversary of ministry, 55th birthday, 30th wedding anniversary, and 15th anniversary of The Potter’s House.

I sat down with Bishop Jakes immediately following the celebration to get his reflection of the night and on his 35 years of ministry.

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Having children really does make a man more content with life

May 19th 2012 – The Economist

WILL fatherhood make me happy? That is a question many men have found themselves asking, and the scientific evidence is equivocal. A lot of studies have linked parenthood—particularly fatherhood—with lower levels of marital satisfaction and higher rates of depression than are found among non-parents.

Biologically speaking, that looks odd. Natural selection might be expected to favour the progeny of men who enjoy bringing them up. On the other hand, the countervailing pressure to have other children, by other women, may leave the man who is already encumbered by a set of offspring dissatisfied.

To investigate the matter further Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychologist at the University of California, Riverside, decided both to study the existing literature, and to conduct some experiments of her own. The results, just published in Psychological Science, suggest parenthood in general, and fatherhood in particular, really are blessings, even though the parent in question might sometimes feel they are in disguise.

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Christians to Rededicate the USA to God July 1st and July 4th

Pastor Steven Andrew : Jun 29, 2012 : USAChristianMinistries.com

“Individuals and other patriotic groups like the Tea Party, homeschool groups and pro-life Americans are praying the covenant on July 4th.”

(San Jose, CA)—Churches will rededicate the USA to God with a special covenant prayer on either July 4th or Sunday July 1st, based on service times. “As Americans rededicate the USA to God, we invite God to help fix our nation’s problems,” says Pastor Steven Andrew, president of USA Christian Ministries and author of “Making A Strong Christian Nation.”

Flag and Cross Protestants and Catholics are invited to participate as well as individuals and families. This God and Country prayer is a reminder of God giving Christian liberty to Americans. John Adams said the Fourth of July “ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”

USA Christian Ministries has free resources to print. There is a handout and a church bulletin insert for participants to pray as a congregation and to put on their desks and refrigerators at home. The pastor wants everyone to have a free chapter of “Making A Strong Christian Nation.” These tools are available at the source link provided.

There is also a web graphic to share online and an attractive “No King But King Jesus” print. “No King But King Jesus” is an American Revolution motto based on Psalm 47.

“Individuals and other patriotic groups like the Tea Party, homeschool groups and pro-life Americans are praying the covenant on July 4th,” he adds.

“Pastors know that a national covenant with God brings God’s blessings, including God’s presence, protection and economic prosperity,” says Pastor Steven Andrew. The Bible shows us that King Asa and King Josiah affirmed covenant with God and God blessed them (2Chronicles 15, 2Kings 23).

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