Doing Church on the Streets of Baltimore

May 05, 2015 – The New York Times – Ron Nixon and Scott Shane

The Rev. Warren Savage, a former gang member, is trying to persuade members of several gangs to direct their energy away from violence. (Gabriella Demczuk for The New York Times)

For the past few days, as a rare national media spotlight has shined on this city’s troubles, the Rev. Warren Savage has taken the opportunity to meet with self-described members of the gangs that many residents blame for some of those woes: the Crips, the Bloods and the Black Guerrilla Family.

He has found them on the streets, sat down with them in churches, and talked to them about their anger and their aspirations, urging them to redirect their energy from crime and violent feuding to more productive ends — including tamping down unrest that followed the death of a young black man, Freddie Gray, who suffered fatal injuries in police custody two weeks ago.

In Ferguson, Mo., community leaders seemed unable to come together to stem the violence after the police killing of Michael Brown in August. But in Baltimore, an array of pastors, politicians, community leaders and even gang members have repeatedly taken to the streets to calm crowds, effectively helping the police impose a curfew so far.

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Ex-Muslim: Qur’an revealed a religion I did not like

May 1, 2015 – By Robert Spencer – Jihad Watch

Mona Walter grew up a Muslim in Somalia. When she moved to Sweden, she started studying Islam, and found that she did not like what she was learning. Now she has left Islam and is called an “Islamophobe” and worse.

What should she have done? Stayed in a religion she disliked and believed to be false so as to avoid threats and opprobrium? What should she do now? Stay silent for fear of charges of “Islamophobia” that inevitably come to everyone who dares utter a critical word about Islam and jihad?

In the West today one must like Islam, or is considered to have some kind of moral defect. One need not like Christianity or Judaism, or socialism or capitalism or democracy or communism, but one must like and respect Islam, or you will be considered to be “hateful,” “bigoted,” and “racist,” as well as “Islamophobic.”

This is one reason why AFDI and Jihad Watch are co-sponsoring the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Cartoon Contest in the Dallas area Sunday. The point is not mockery of Islam. The point is not poking religious people in the eye. The point is defending the principles of free speech and free inquiry, without which society and human beings are not free, but are slaves to the people in power. Those who wield the real power are not necessarily those who hold office. Those who wield the real power are those whom one dares not criticize, to say nothing of mocking, on pain of violent reprisal: if they’re allowed to frighten people into silence, then essentially they can do whatever they wish, knowing that no one will dare to cross them.

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Reinhard Bonnke, Evangelist Who Clashed With Muslims in Africa to Win Millions of Converts for Christ to Get Lifetime Award for Global Ministry

The Christian Post – 4 May 2015

Reinhard Bonnke, a longtime and once hardline global evangelist who clashed with Muslims in Africa to win millions of converts for Christ on the continent, is set to get a Lifetime Global Impact award at the Global Congress of Empowered21 in Jerusalem for his trailblazing ministry next month.

Bonnke will be honored alongside other veteran evangelists Morris Cerullo, Jack Hayford, Marilyn Hickey, David Manise, and Vinson Synan at the 2015 Global Congress to be held May 20-25. Empowered21 seeks to push a “Global Spirit-empowered movement throughout the world by focusing on crucial issues facing the movement and connecting generations for intergenerational blessing and impartation,” according to the organization’s website. This is the first time the organization will hand out lifetime awards.

All have served the Lord in various avenues and were chosen because they are “Spirit-empowered ministry leaders who have made a huge impact in the world. They have also shown a desire to invest in the next generation or implement a ministry succession plan,” Jeremy Burton of Empowered21 told The Christian Post.

“Reinhard Bonnke has totally dedicated himself to soul-winning for 50 years now. He has a laser-sharp focus on winning souls. Through his ministry, Christ for All Nations, over 73 million people have made registered decisions to follow Jesus Christ. To be recognized and honored by the Christian community for this service is an honor for which we give the glory to God,” a Christ for All Nations spokeswoman told CP.

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Christian Betrayal: President Obama Refuses to Acknowledge Genocide

4/22/2015 CBN News

President Barack Obama is once again stopping short of calling the 1915 massacre of 2 million Armenians a genocide.

That’s prompting anger and disappointment from people who have been urging him to fulfill a campaign promise and use that politically significant word on the 100th anniversary of the massacre this week.

“President Obama’s surrender to Turkey represents a national disgrace. It is, very simply, a betrayal of truth, a betrayal of trust,” Ken Hachikian, the chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America, said.

Officials decided against calling the massacre a genocide after some opposition from the State Department and Pentagon.

“We know and respect that there are some who are hoping to hear different language this year,” CNN quoted an administration official.

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George W. Bush Bashes Obama on Middle East

April 26, 2015 – by Josh Rogin

In a closed-door meeting with Jewish donors on Saturday night, former President George W. Bush delivered his harshest public criticisms to date against his successor on foreign policy, saying that President Barack Obama is being naïve about Iran and the pending nuclear deal and losing the war against the Islamic State.

One attendee at the Republican Jewish Coalition session, held at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas with owner Sheldon Adelson in attendance, transcribed large portions of Bush’s remarks. The former president, who rarely ever criticizes Obama in public, at first remarked that the idea of re-entering the political arena was something he didn’t want to do. He then proceeded to explain why Obama, in his view, was placing the U.S. in “retreat” around the world. He also said Obama was misreading Iran’s intentions while relaxing sanctions on Tehran too easily.

According to the attendee’s transcription, Bush noted that Iran has a new president, Hassan Rouhani. “He’s smooth,” Bush said. “And you’ve got to ask yourself, is there a new policy or did they just change the spokesman?”

Bush said that Obama’s plan to lift sanctions on Iran with a promise that they could snap back in place at any time was not plausible. He also said the deal would be bad for American national security in the long term: “You think the Middle East is chaotic now? Imagine what it looks like for our grandchildren. That’s how Americans should view the deal.”

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Baltimore riots: Angry mum smacks her son when she spots him about to join protests

28 April 2015 – by Kara O’Neill, Laura Connor, Ian Simpson

An angry mum has been caught on camera smacking her son across the head after he starting rioting and throwing rocks at police in Baltimore.

The unidentified woman was seen raining blows on her son’s head after she found him joining in the protests.

Despite wearing a black ski mask that covered much of his face, the furious mum was able to spot her son.

A large crowd can be seen looking on during the brief scuffle, which was captured by American news site WMAR.

In the footage, the woman is seen grabbing a hooded male by his balaclava before hitting him repeatedly over the head.

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The End Times According to Islam

The End Times According to Islam3/4/15 – by Robin Schumacher – The Confident Christian

Nine years ago, then president of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated in an interview that he experienced a supernatural experience during a speech he gave at the United Nations the previous year. Ahmadinejad claimed that he was bathed in a light from heaven at the outset of his talk, with the light remaining on him for the full length of the speech.

Ahmadinejad made a number of references during that U.N. speech to the “mighty Lord” who will hasten the emergence of “the promised one,” the one who “will fill this world with justice and peace.”[1] Exactly who was Ahmadinejad referring to? According to another speech he gave that same year, he saw his main mission to “pave the path for the glorious reappearance of Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his reappearance.”[2]

CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen points out that ISIS has similar hopes based on their belief in Islamic prophecy. Believing that their actions hasten a supposed final battle at a small, obscure Syrian town named Dabiq between “Rome” and Islam (where the forces of true Islam triumph), Bergan notes: “ISIS members devoutly believe that they are fighting in a cosmic war in which they are on the side of good, which allows them to kill anyone they perceive to be standing in their way with no compunction. This is, of course, a serious delusion, but serious it is.”[3]

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Political Commentator Glenn Beck Wonders Why ‘No One’ in U.S. Cares for Christians’ Plight in Middle East

By Isaiah Narciso (news@gospelherald.com) Apr 21, 2015

Conservative political commentator Glenn Beck brought up a controversial issue on Monday, asking why Christians in the United States haven’t done more to help their fellow brethren, who are being persecuted in the Middle East.

In a report filed by Erica Ritz of The Blaze, Beck looked at how American Christians reacted when they defended the “religious freedom” rights a pizza parlor in Indiana. He then noticed how little attention was paid in the U.S. to Christians being persecuted across the Middle East.

“Why does no one care?” Beck said. “When we talked about a Christian pizza parlor just the other day, Christians responded in large numbers. … Here people are getting executed. Shouldn’t the response be exponentially greater when Christians are literally being beheaded and crucified, children being raped and killed every single day?”

Beck then shared a graphic video released by the terror group known as ISIS murdering Christian captives in Libya. (more…)

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Guest Speaker Pastor Wally from USA at CTFM this Mother’s Day

Dear friends & family in Christ, Pastor Wally Magnangal from Christians in Crisis, based in the USA, will be ministering God’s prophetic Word and praying for people at CTFM in…

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34,000 Black Churches Break Ties With Presbyterian Church USA

 3/27/2015 Anthony Evans

The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI), a faith-based coalition of 34,000 churches comprised of 15 denominations and 15.7 million African-Americans, has broken its fellowship with Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) following its recent vote to approve same-sex marriage.

The Presbyterian General Assembly, the top legislative body of the PCUSA, voted last June to revise the constitutional language defining marriage. This arbitrary change of Holy Scripture is a flagrantly pretentious and illegitimate maneuver by a body that has no authority whatsoever to alter holy text.

Rev. Anthony Evans, NBCI President noted:

“NBCI and its membership base are simply standing on the Word of God within the mind of Christ. We urge our brother and sisters of the PCUSA to repent and be restored to fellowship.”

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Red Crescent over Hollywood

Religious Freedom Coalition – By Andrew Harrod, PhD. – Mar 4th, 2015 

Hollywood is silent on Islamic extremism being silenced by both money and fear.

“We are primarily in a war of ideas…between freedom and tyranny,” declared attorney and anti-Islamism activist Deborah Weiss on February 24 before an audience of about 20 at Washington, DC’s National Press Club.  Focusing on Hollywood’s media industry as a key “agent for social change” and “information dominance,” Weiss and other panelists examined the dangerous sociopolitical influences of America’s past and present Marxist and Muslim enemies.

Cliff Kincaid, president of event host America’s Survival, Inc., opened the panel by discussing “Hollywood’s anti-American bent,” often under leftist influences.  This had a long tradition, historian Allan Ryskind later explained while discussing “serious Reds” in Hollywood who “were with Stalin in his prime killing years.”  Kincaid elaborated that “America’s media and Hollywood are all for sale.”  The 2012 Red Dawn remake, for example, presented North Koreans, not Chinese, invading America in order not to offend sensibilities in an important Chinese market.

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Ex-Iranian hostages agree with Bibi: Tehran can’t be trusted

By Cristina Corbin and Perry Chiaramonte – March 04, 2015 – FoxNews.com

For 444 days from 1979-1981, 52 Americans were held hostage in the American embassy in Tehran. (AP)

They dealt with the Iranian regime first-hand more than three decades ago, when it was founded in an act of war against the U.S., and several survivors of the hostage crisis say the idea of the U.S. negotiating with an unrepentant Tehran makes their blood boil.

For 444 days, the 52 Americans were held prisoner in the U.S. Embassy by the student revolutionaries that would help usher in the hard-line Islamic theocracy that remains in place today. Many of the hostage takers and guards held key roles in the Iranian government then and continue in important positions today.

“I think it’s very naive because the Iranians talk out both sides of their mouth,” said Clair Cortland Barnes, 69, of Leland, N.C, who was a 34-year-old communications officer at the time he was taken hostage. “Their actions betray their conversations. Their conversations say one thing and then they do something else.’

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