Dear friends & family in Christ, 1) Unceasing prayer is still very much needed in the battle between Rise Up Australia Party, the Greens and Sex Party for the 5th…
October 30, 2014 by Daniel Greenfield
Obama’s foreign policy was supposed to reboot America’s relationship with the rest of the world. Old allies would become people we occasionally talked to. Old enemies would become new allies. Goodbye Queen, hello Vladimir. Trade the Anglosphere for Latin America’s Marxist dictatorships. Replace allied governments in the Middle East with Islamists and call it a day for the Caliphate.
Very little of that went according to plan.
Obama is still stuck with Europe. The Middle East and Latin American leftists still hate America. The Arab Spring imploded. Japan, South Korea and India have conservative governments.
And then there’s Israel.
The original plan was to sideline Israel by focusing on the Muslim world. Instead of directly hammering Israel, the administration would transform the region around it. The American-Israeli relationship would implode not through conflict, but because the Muslim Brotherhood countries would take its place.
That didn’t work out too well. Instead of gracefully pivoting away, Obama loudly snubbed Netanyahu. A photo of him poking his finger in Netanyahu’s chest captured the atmosphere. Netanyahu delivered a speech that Congress cheered. And Obama came to see him as a domestic political opponent.
September 14, 2014 – The Times of Israel – Noru Tsalic
The 20th century saw the rise and fall of two murderous ideologies: Hitler’s Nazism and the ‘Communism’ practiced by the likes of Stalin and Mao. The former was (hopefully) eradicated by mass re-education, after a world war that cost the lives of 70 million human beings; the latter eventually collapsed from within, under the burden of its own profound immorality – but not before claiming the lives of around 100 million people.
These days, we see the rise of yet another vicious ideology – Islamism. Why do I place it in the same category? Quite simply: because it fits there.
True, despite being already guilty of horrendous crimes, Islamism has not – yet – caused tens of millions of victims; but neither had Nazism or Communism by the 1930s.
On the other hand, all three extreme ideologies share the same fundamental characteristics.
Firstly, all three are predicated on supremacist propositions – namely that a group of people is inherently superior to all the others. What exactly that Master Group is depends on the specific differentiator that the particular ideology is centred upon. Since Nazism saw the world through a ‘racial’ perspective, its fundamental proposition was the superiority of the ‘Aryan race’ (the Master Race or Herrenvolk); centred on ‘social’ differences, the Communists decreed that the ‘proletariat’ was inherently loftier than every other class; for the Islamists, whose particular angle is ‘religious’, it is the adherents of Islam that are ‘entitled’ to unquestioned, divinely-ordained supremacy.
Have you ever asked yourself as a church leader, do I worship something or someone other than God? It’s a great question to ask and a great heart check.
I’ll stick my neck out and suggest that you do have idols you worship instead of God. At least I do. Once you identify them and root them out, you’ll become a better leader.
You’re an Idol Factory
I get challenged about my personal and leadership idols every year when I read through the middle part of the book of Isaiah.
Chapter 44, for example, is all about the futility of worshipping idols, which in those days were mostly wood or stone carvings.
So what’s an idol today? You don’t need wood or stone to create one. An idol is anything that takes our focus and reliance off of God.
John Calvin was dead on when he said, “Man’s nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols.” Discard one, and you’ll simply create another.
8 Idols Church Leaders Still Worship Today:
The list could be much longer than eight because Calvin was right. But here are eight with which I struggle or have seen other leaders struggle. These are in no particular order because, well, any idol is bad enough to be No. 1:
1. Strategy. So I’m a strategy wonk. If you read this blog, you know that. I think many churches fail for lack of a clear, coherent strategy. I wrote in detail about how mission, vision and strategy interrelate here.
But strategy is no substitute for trust. As valuable as strategy is (and it is), no strategy is a substitute for trusting God. Strategy makes an excellent servant and a terrible master.
2. Skill. By all means, get better at what you do. Learn, listen, polish and perfect your skills. Skill alone can get you far, but the church is a supernatural thing.
God changes hearts. You can’t. I can’t.
Dear friends & family in Christ, 1) You may click the following link to listen to an excellent radio interview that RUAP National President Daniel Nalliah recently did on a…
People across the world are remembering evangelist Rev. Johnny Lee Clary, a former imperial wizard of the Klu Klux Klan who experienced a radical conversion to Christianity.
Clary, 55, died of a heart attack Oct. 21.
CBN spoke to the evangelist in 2011 about his journey to becoming a Christian after years of hating blacks and other minority groups. Watch his story below.
He said he felt compelled to give his life to the Lord after reading Luke 15, the story of the prodigal son.
“I finally got on my knees and said, ‘God, my life is screwed up. God, I’m in a mess. I need Your help,” he recalled. “I felt like a new person, brand new creation. I felt like I had had a weight lifted off my shoulders.”
In becoming a Christian, Clary learned how to love and live in unity with all people. He became the first Caucasian elder in the Church of God in Christ, a predominantly African-American denomination.
James S. Robbins –
Today’s terrorist incident in Canada should come as no surprise. Both the Canadian government and jihadists have been talking for weeks about a potential attack.
The Ottawa shooter has been identified as Michael Zehef-Bibeau, reportedly a Canadian of Algerian descent whose passport had recently been seized when he was designated a “high risk traveler.”
He was shot down by sergeant-at-arms Kevin Vickers while mounting an attack inside the Canadian Parliament building. Zehef-Bibeau killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, shot down near the War Memorial in Ottawa.
Zehef-Bibeau’s motives have not been confirmed, but it is reasonable to assume they are connected to the war against the Islamic State. On October 7, the Canadian government authorized a six month commitment to the U.S.-led air offensive against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. This move prompted a Canadian-born Muslim convert fighting with Islamic State forces to urge attacks on Canada since it is “permissible to retaliate in a like manner.” This followed a threat in September from Islamic State spokesman Abu Mohammed Adnani that included Canada on a list of approved target countries, also including the United States.
The day after Canada joined the war against the IS, Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney reported that the government was watching about 80 people who had returned to the country from overseas and were suspected of having terrorist ties. NBC news reported that Canadian officials and the FBI had picked up information regarding jihadist discussions of “knife and gun” attacks inside Canada. Last Friday, Canada elevated its terrorism threat level for the first time in four years in response to “increased chatter” from overseas terrorists concerning a potential domestic attack.
By GLORIA Center August 13, 2014
In Islamic societies, Jews are still widely thought of as people of bad character who cannot help engaging in criminal conspiracy. Muslims are advised several times in their canonical writings and by Middle Eastern rulers that the rightful ordering of the world depends upon destroying Jews for fear Jews may destroy them. Recent times have fueled this murderous fantasy. The Jewish state is conceived as the outcome of a criminal conspiracy involving Britain and now the United States. Merely by existing, Israel turns up side down the superiority that Muslims believe is their God-given due and induces a sense of shame that must be wiped out by whatever means are available. Huge crowds assemble to shout “Death to America! Death to Israel!” They mean it.
Ayatollah Khamenei, the “Supreme Leader” in Tehran, describes Israel as “a cancerous tumor” that must be removed. One spokesman of his says that “Zionist officials cannot be called human,” while another goes further, finding “jurisprudential justification” to kill all Jews. The Turkish prime minister is not so far behind in his enmity. All over the region, imams are preaching that Jews are descendants of pigs and apes. Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist militia in Gaza, has the intention to annihilate Israel written into its foundational charter. Their Palestinian rivals on the West Bank treat as national heroes those who have killed an Israeli. Sunni Islamists fighting in Syria promise that after they have settled the score with the Shiites, it will be the turn of the Jews.
…the pathological incitement to mass murder owes more to the recent history of European politics and ideology than it does to religious faith.
Dear friends & family in Christ,
Whether or not to participate in Halloween activities has been a big debate among the members of the Body of Christ. As believers, we have nothing to fear when the Holy Spirit is our guide. What does He have to say about this issue?
The Bible tells us not to “copy the behavior and customs of this world” (Romans 12:2, New Living Translation). But this verse should not be an excuse for us to shut the door on the world. We also need to let our light shine, as my family and I learned a long time ago—especially on the darkest day of the year!
For years my wife, Kim, and I would not turn on our porch light at Halloween. When persistent trick-or-treaters knocked on our door anyway, our family ignored them. We would not let our girls carve pumpkins or color Halloween artwork at school or go trick-or-treating.
Then one year the Lord spoke this scripture to our family: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, New King James Version). We realized that God wanted us to reach out to our neighbors on Halloween night. So we changed our MO! We bought good candy, not the cheap stuff—you know, the kind that has bubble gum in it that loses its flavor as soon as you put it in your mouth. We got chocolate bars! And we began to minister the love of God to those who were participating in Halloween. We handed out candy to our neighborhood kids, gave them tracts, and asked them if we could pray with them about anything.
Halloween is a great time for us to get to know our neighbors. Streets are packed with parents and children. Paul said it this way: “When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:22–23, NLT).
As Christians, we walk every day in the burden-removing, yoke-destroying power of God (see Isaiah 10:27). If we close our door on our neighbors at Halloween, if we “turn our lights off,” we miss a big opportunity to remove burdens and destroy yokes from other people’s lives.
By Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent – 16 Aug 2014
The West is embroiled in a generational struggle against a poisonous brand of Islamic extremism that will bring terror to the streets of Britain unless urgent action is taken to defeat it, David Cameron warns today.
Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, the Prime Minister says the world cannot turn a blind eye to the creation of an extremist caliphate in the heart of Iraq.
Warning that Islamic State fighters already control thousands of square miles of territory, Mr Cameron says that if these “warped and barbaric” extremists are not dealt with now, they will create a “terrorist state” on the shores of the Mediterranean.
He warns that Britain will have to use its “military prowess” to help defeat “this exceptionally dangerous” movement, or else terrorists with “murderous intent” will target people in Britain.
The Prime Minister says he fears the struggle will last “the rest of my political lifetime”.
“The creation of an extremist caliphate in the heart of Iraq and extending into Syria is not a problem miles away from home. Nor is it a problem that should be defined by a war 10 years ago. It is our concern here and now,” he says.
It was wise old Solomon who said, “There is nothing new under the sun.”
Megachurch leader Brian Houston’s response to the LGBT issue talks about “the world we live in, there’s the weight we live with, and there’s the Word we live by.” The present world we live in is no different than the world of the past. Jesus made it abundantly clear that the world of Noah’s day was no different than the world of today or that of the future. “As it was during the days of Noah so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man.” That being the case, then the weight we live with has not changed either. The issue of sin and depravity is as old as the fall of man. Likewise the Word we live by is just as relevant today as it ever was. God is not in catch up mode when it comes to being abreast of current trends, trials, and temptations.
What every spiritual leader needs to remember is that God chose His first priesthood on the basis of their willingness to separate themselves from the idolatry and immorality that the rest of His people were condoning and practicing. Allow me to jog your memory for a moment. God had originally planned for the head of every household to function in a priestly calling. We see this in operation at the first Passover when the children of Israel did not have to wait for a delegated priest to preside over the sacrificing of the Passover lamb. The responsibility was given to the head of each house. This today we refer to as the priesthood of all believers.
What brought about the change in leadership happened at the time of the golden calf. Israel, you recall, became anxious about Moses who had left the camp to meet with God. Following his departure the people pressured Aaron into giving them a god that would go before them and lead them. Aaron bowed to the pressure and created the golden calf. What followed was nothing less than a sexual orgy. Israel gave themselves over to every base and degrading sexual passion imaginable. During the height of this sex feast God issued a challenge through Moses who had now returned to the camp for anyone and everyone to separate themself and stand with God against all the carnality, immorality and idolatry. Out of the twelve tribes, only the tribe of Levi responded and answered God’s call.
theguardian.com, Tuesday 22 July 2014
More than 700 million women worldwide were married as children, with one in three of them married before their 15th birthday, according to a global prevalence study.
As activists, politicians and campaigners gather for the first Girl Summit on child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM), a report by Unicef, the UN’s children’s agency, reveal the devastating situation of millions of women.
The study, the first of its kind, also reveals that more than 130 million girls and women have experienced some form of FGM, and states that urgent efforts are needed to tackle gender inequality or the number will not reduce. If the current decline in FGM continues at the same rate, more than 63 million more girls could be cut by 2050.
About a third of child brides live in India, according to Unicef. If nothing more is done to end the practice, the number of married girls could increase to more than 1 billion by 2050. Population estimates suggest the number could leap from 700 million to 950 million by 2030 and 1.2 billion by 2050. At least 280 million girls are at risk of becoming brides by the time they turn 18.
By Nicola Menzie , Christian Post Reporter – October 18, 2014
Hillsong Church pastor Brian Houston has issued a statement specifying his position on marriage and homosexuality after a news outlet reported that he “won’t take (a) public position on LGBT issues.”
The news report came after Houston brought up the topics of homosexuality and same-sex marriage at a press conference held on Thursday with New York City media, on the occasion of Hillsong Conference being held at Madison Square Garden.
“I encourage people not to assume a media headline accurately represents what I said at a recent press conference,” Houston says in a statement emailed to The Christian Post on Saturday.
“Nowhere in my answer did I diminish biblical truth or suggest that I or Hillsong Church supported gay marriage,” he adds. “I challenge people to read what I actually said, rather than what was reported that I said. My personal view on the subject of homosexuality would line up with most traditionally held Christian views. I believe the writings of Paul are clear on this subject.”
(Photo: The Christian Post/Scott Liu)
Pastors Brian Houston and Bobbie Houston of Hillsong Church appear at a press conference on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014, at The Eventi Hotel in New York City. The press conference came on the occasion of the Hillsong Conference being held at Madison Square Garden from Oct. 16-18 in NYC.
The question that resulted in Houston’s remarks on homosexuality centered on how his church tries to remain relevant. In his response, the Hillsong pastor offered homosexual marriage as an issue that is a challenge for some churches. Traditional Christian teachings define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
The Flaming Herald – 10/9/2014 Bert M. Farias
Are these popular ministerial personalities great in the sight of the Lord or only in the sight of man? Are they really known in heaven or only on the Earth? Are they God-anointed or self-appointed? Is it ministry they deliver or some subtle form of hype?
“Many who are great in the sight of the Lord are living in cottages and hovels, and are scarcely known, unless to a few neighbors equally obscure,” said William Jay.
Believers, especially Christian ministers, need a baptism of clear seeing and holy discerning. Our ministry marketing budget may be soaring high, but our perception can sometimes be so low. Our motives need refinement. The refiner’s fire is near the door. Will you open it? Can you see the narrow way to holiness? Or is all the smoke blocking your view?
Before me now I see the impression I saw months ago. There are two scenes. One is of a clear and sunny horizon lined with an endless row of people. The other is of a vast forest. Dense fog covers the forest, and out of the fog comes the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ, for the most part, is not found among the general populace. People have to really look to recognize Him.
Think about it. Our Savior was not born in a big metropolis, but in the small town of Bethlehem. And He grew up in the despised region of Galilee. He was not born in a palace where kings are, but in a lowly stable. The wise men had to really search and diligently follow the star to find Him. When Jesus entered into ministry, it is written that He had no place to lay His head (Luke 9:58). He did not have a ministry headquarters. He died a criminal’s death on a cross, naked and nearly alone. His grave was a borrowed tomb. His throne was an invisible one hidden from the multitudes of those who were healed and delivered through His ministry. He was called meek and lowly; certainly not the description fitting for a king. But today, ministry is so different.
Robert Spencer Aug 22, 2014 – Jihad Watch
James Foley’s parents cannot be faulted for this naivete. After all, the official U.S. government line is that Islam is utterly peaceful and benign. This group calls itself “the Islamic State,” and is, of course, “extremist,” but the Foleys may have hoped that they would ultimately recall some of the vaunted peaceful, tolerant, benevolent and magnanimous teachings of their holy book and prophet, and let their son go. The Foleys’ failure to realize how brutal the Islamic State really could and would be is a byproduct of the general denial by both government and media of the fact that there are texts and teachings of Islam that preach hatred and violence. Their naivete is a manifestation of the general willful ignorance and the demonization of all who speak the truth about this as “racists,” “bigots,” and “Islamophobes.”
“Foley’s parents ‘underestimated how brutal they were,’” ITV, August 22, 2014:
The mother of James Foley, the US journalist executed by Islamist militants, told NBC’s Today show that they had previously attempted to negotiate with the extremists holding their son hostage.
