WHAT A TRUE CHRISTAN REALLY LOOKS LIKE

4/29/2015 Bethany Blankley – Charisma News

It’s easy to understand why nearly all non-Christians, secularists and the media misunderstand Christianity. Today words and their definitions are nearly meaningless because the same words are used to support particular, even opposite agendas. Relativism and proof-texting are the means to this end, justifying the terms people use about themselves and others.

Division among denominations, churches, organizations, and even personalities advocating their own version of truth certainly hinders non-believers from understanding Christianity.

However, identifying real Christianity and the people of the Cross is straightforward.

Christianity is rooted in the historical person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ words and actions communicate God’s unconditional, immeasurable love, expressing God’s unbending commitment to human redemption. To know Jesus is to know God; one’s belief about Jesus yields eternal consequences.

A true Christian believes Jesus is not only the Word of God but he is the key to understanding God’s revelation (John 1, 5, 8; Romans). Jesus made authoritative claims about His deity, the eternal co-existing relational nature of God, and the necessity for salvation, truth and life, all of which only He can provide. His claims got Him killed (John 10:29, 30, 8:24-27, 5:18, 3:35, 15:26, 19:10-11; Luke 2:49, 11:13; 1 John 4; 1 Pet. 1; Matt. 26:39).

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Nigerian Native Christians Standing Firm against Boko Haram; Some Terror Members are Coming to Jesus

News Staff : Jul 6, 2015 : Christian Aid Mission

“In the midst of what is happening, we still thank God, because we are still alive; we are still working. If the Church is in hiding, who will know the Church? There must be missionaries who are so desperate for soul-winning that they’re ready to die.”

(Nigeria)—Far from allowing the Islamic extremist violence of Boko Haram to drive them out, native Christian workers in Nigeria’s northeast have expanded their church-planting ministry to meet the needs of displaced people. Their courage has contributed to several members of Boko Haram repenting and putting their faith in Christ.

Boko Haram rebels continue to lash out after losing ground to government forces earlier this year. Nigeria’s multinational military force, including troops and mercenaries from Chad and Cameroon, took back large swathes of territory in northeast Nigeria that Boko Haram had seized in its six-year crusade to impose sharia (Islamic law) throughout Nigeria. Despite the losses, Boko Haram has continued its campaign of terror, reportedly killing at least 2,700 people since the beginning of the year and some 300 in June alone.

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Anthony Bradley: The South is Being Transformed by Christian Forgiveness

by Anthony B. Bradley – June 27, 2015

During Dylann Roof’s first court appearance after the June 17 murder of nine worshippers at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, several families of the victims offered forgiveness to man who did not deserve it.

Why were they so quick to forgive? The families were simply exercising a fundamental Christian virtue. In so doing, they possibly changed the South forever in the process as Confederate flags and symbols are removed from state buildings across the South.

When we suffer injustice, the human heart craves revenge, vindication and retaliation. These are also desires Christ came to save us from. Christians are commanded to respond to injustice with forgiveness. This principle is central to Jesus’ teaching in the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matt 6:12). Immediately after this prayer, Jesus tells his disciples, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14–15)

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Iranian Muslim Interrogator Surrenders Life to Jesus Christ Thanks To Witness of Christian Prisoner

By Leah Marieann Klett (news@gospelherald.com) Jun 09, 2015

Open Doors is encouraging Christians in Iran to be brave and continue their ministry work despite ongoing persecution. The organization is also urging Christians worldwide to pray for and support believers in Iran, and for the persecution to subside.

An Iranian interrogator known for persecuting religious minorities surrendered his life to Jesus Christ after a Christian woman locked in solitary confinement shared the Gospel with him, Open Doors USA reports.

Noushin, a house church leader in the predominantly Muslim country, was arrested for her faith and forced into solitary confinement for three days.

“I wasn’t ready to go to prison,” she told Open Doors. “I knew it was a dirty place, a place where people are tortured and locked up in solitary confinement. I was afraid that I would be so fearful that I would give up all the names of the members of house church. I even feared that I would deny my faith if they tortured me.”

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China Sees an Explosive Growth In Christianity

June 14, 2015 – BreakPoint – Eric Metaxas

In 1992, Bei Cun, considered to be one of China’s leading avant-garde writers, did something that really shocked his readers and admirers: He converted to Christianity.

But given the explosive growth of Christianity in China, it shouldn’t be all that surprising.

If you haven’t heard of Bei Cun, that’s okay. Neither had I, probably because his work hasn’t been translated into English. I only learned of his story because my BreakPoint colleague and friend Roberto Rivera recently read Philip Jenkins book, “The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South,” which tells Bei’s story.

After becoming a Christian, Bei wrote what Jenkins calls a “Kafkaesque story” entitled “The Marriage of Zhang Sheng.” In it, the protagonist, a scholar, opens a Chinese-language Bible and happens upon Romans 1:18, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.”

The passage leaves Zhang’s “intellectual assumptions in ruins.” Bei, just like his literary creation and hopefully his readers, interprets it as pointing out “the failure of relying upon mere human ideologies that neglect God.”

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Should the Church be involved in politics? – by Ps Daniel Nalliah

Dear family & friends in Christ,

I am sure everyone of us has asked the above question, “Should the Church be involved in politics?“

The simple answer is YES.

For many years, I was a strong believer, like many Christians, that the Church should not get involved in politics. Unfortunately, I believed in this lie for more than half of my Christian life, as the devil very cleverly deceived me.

But thank God that I had a major paradigm shift, when in Saudi Arabia on 21st July 1997 at 3.40am, Jesus appeared in my house and spoke to me for 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Just 40 minutes from Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Jesus very clearly spoke to me with His audible voice and said, “Your time here is over. I am taking you to Australia and you will go into many parliaments and be a voice for the voiceless speaking in My name.”

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Great meetings in Casino, NSW / “Jacob’s Tears” documentary at CTFM this Sunday 2nd August

Dear family & friends in Christ,

1) We praise and thank God for His mighty presence at the meetings in Casino, NSW.

As Pr Daniel and his team arrived in Casino, as usual it started to rain.

They stayed on a farm and had a wonderful time.

The presence of God was so real at every single meeting.

People were greatly blessed as they sat under the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

One lady stated, “I felt like my engine was revving, but I was going nowhere. Thank you Ps Daniel, through you, God has now brought clear direction and hope.”

We praise and thank God we were able to start a monthly RUA prayer meeting in Casino to pray for Australia.

You may click the following link to watch a short video interview with RUAP National President Daniel Nalliah, a local farmer from Casino, NSW and a RUAP candidate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UDMkBWmBFQ&feature=youtu.be

2) We’re very pleased to announce that Hugh Kitson, founder and director of Hatikvah Films, based in Jerusalem, will be showing a short version of his new documentary “Jacob’s Tears”, which is presented by Lance Lambert, at CTFM at 30 Star Crescent in Hallam at the 10am worship service this Sunday 2nd August.

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With More Muslims Converting to Christianity Than Ever Before, Is the Collapse of Islam Imminent?

June 02, 2015 – CBN News – Dale Hurd

The headlines say Islam is going to be the largest religion in the world. But Islam is facing a crisis.

The terrible deeds of ISIS, done in the name of Allah and following the violent example of Muhammed, have horrified Muslims who are now questioning their faith.

Missionaries to the Islamic world say more Muslims have converted to Christianity in the last 14 years (since 9/11) than during the entire 14 centuries of Islamic history.

Secret Lives

Many keep their conversion a secret, afraid for their lives. In London, CBN News talked to Imram (no last name given to protect his identity), a British college student from a Pakistani immigrant family.

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ISIS Fighter Converts to Christianity After Meeting Jesus in a Powerful Dream: Like Apostle Paul

Leah Marieann Klett : Jun 4, 2015 : The Gospel Herald

“Many people are now following Jesus but they keep it quiet. They haven’t gone public about it. They even have church in their own home… they’ll serve communion to one another as they’re watching TV.” -Gina Fadely

(The Middle East)—In a powerful story of redemption and grace, an Islamic State militant known for his brutal killing of Christians has converted to his victims’ religion after dreaming of “a man in white” who offered him a dramatic message, according to one missionary’s account. (Photo via Gospel Herald)

“One of our YWAM workers in the Middle East was contacted by a friend earlier this year and they met up and he was introduced to an ISIS fighter who had killed many Christians already. I mean that’s a horrible situation, and admittedly, he was probably on guard,” Gina Fadely, director of Youth With A Mission Frontier Missions, Inc. (YWAM), said during a recent appearance on The Voice of the Martyrs Radio Network, Christian Post reported.

Fadely went on to reveal that the ISIS fighter confessed that prior to his conversion, he had “actually enjoyed” killing Christians.

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At Closing of Empowered21 Global Congress, Samuel Rodriguez Urges Christians to Stand Up for Their Faith; Warns ‘There’s No Such Thing as Comfortable Christianity’

May 25, 2015 –The Christian Post – Leonardo Blair

Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, tells Spirit-filled Christians at the Empowered21 Global Congress to stand up for their faith at the Jerusalem Pais Arena in Israel on Sunday May 24, 2015.

In a high-energy parting shot to a gathering of several thousand Spirit-filled believers at the closing session of the Empowered21 Global Congress in Jerusalem, Israel on Sunday, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Samuel Rodriguez warned that “there is no such thing as comfortable Christianity” and urged the group to use the power God gave them to declare Him to the world.

“When you are filled with God’s Spirit everything changes. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you are able to do what you were not able to do before. The Spirit came down and Peter did what? He raised his voice…Listen carefully, religion makes us complacent while revival makes us courageous. Today’s complacency is tomorrow’s captivity,” he warned.

Preaching from Acts 2:14 highlighting the reaction of the Apostle Peter after the initial descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, Rodriguez urged the believers to “be filled, stand up, and raise your voice.”

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Teen With Down Syndrome Becomes a Supermodel, Challenges Us to See Disability Differently

Life News –  Sarah Zagorski  – May 19, 2015

18-year-old Madeline Stuart has Down syndrome but refuses to let that stop her from her dream of becoming a model. On her Facebook page she said she is pursuing modeling to “help change societies view of people with Down Syndrome.”

According to Buzzfeed, the woman’s mother, Roseanne Stuart, said her daughter has struggled with her weight throughout her life but recently picked up dance, swimming and cheerleading. Roseanne said, “I think it is time people realized that people with Down syndrome can be sexy and beautiful and should be celebrated.”

Roseanne said that culture is much more accepting of people with disabilities now than when her daughter was first born. She said, “Things were a lot different 18 years ago. I remember having her in a [stroller] when she was a baby and small-minded people telling me she should not be out in public. Even her doctors said Madeline would never achieve anything. But things are changing every day and people are more accepting of what they don’t understand yet.”

Additionally, Roseanne explained that her daughter has become very confident despite her disability and she constantly reminds her that she’s perfect just the way she is. She said, “I have made a point of never letting anyone be critical of her. [I tell Maddy] every day how amazing, funny, smart, beautiful, [and] wonderful she is. It’s that confidence — and beauty, both inside and out — that Rosanne wants others to see. People need to see how she shines, how her personality just bursts out.”

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Pastor Petrus Agung from Indonesia (20,000+ member church) at CTFM on Sunday 28th June / Live webcast with Ps Daniel this Sunday 21st June

Dear family and friends in Christ, 1) It’s our great pleasure to announce that Pastor Petrus Agung Purnomo from Indonesia will be our guest speaker at Catch The Fire Ministries…

Continue ReadingPastor Petrus Agung from Indonesia (20,000+ member church) at CTFM on Sunday 28th June / Live webcast with Ps Daniel this Sunday 21st June

Millions Watch Testimony of Jewish Believer in Yeshua

Sunday, June 07, 2015 |  Ryan Jones

An online evangelism effort by local Israeli Messianic Jews has become something of an Internet sensation over the past month after the video testimony of an Jewish man who came to faith in Yeshua (Jesus) went viral.

Mottel Baleston’s was just one of the latest in a series of video testimonies titled “I Met Messiah” produced by the Israeli Messianic group One For Israel in cooperation with Chosen People Ministries.

But Baleston’s testimony apparently touched a nerve, and by the first week of June well over five million people had viewed the brief video explanation of how he had many years earlier come to faith as a young man in Brooklyn.

Growing up, Baleeston was acquainted with a large number of Italian Catholics, leading him to believe that Jesus must be Italian. In the video he explains how “the understanding that [Yeshua is] actually Jewish was a shock. And then to hear that the New Testament was written by Jews, I couldn’t believe it. …when I open it, I’m reading a story written by Jews about Jewish people.”

What followed as a natural progression for a young man seeking spiritual truth. “As I came to faith that Yeshua – that Jesus was the Messiah, it was clear that that was the most Jewish thing I could do,” he recalled. “This is the One who was promised in our Bible.”

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Persecuted Christians in Middle East send Powerful Salvation Letter to ISIS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5O6Fyl_-Bc

Bethany Blankley : May 4, 2015 : Charisma News

“Love is coming after you! …An army comes, with no tanks or soldiers. But an army of martyrs faithful unto death.

The world is talking about you. Your apocalyptic dreams and spectacular sins are now awakening the Middle East. In your holy war, come to holy ground.

Come, children of Abraham, come. The people of the cross gather at your gates with a message:

Love is coming after you!
Like a rush of wind grazing over the Pacific,
From hills of the Mount of Olives to the desert winds of Jordan,
From the cedars of Lebanon to the silk roads of the East,
An army comes. With no tanks or soldiers,
But an army of martyrs faithful unto death,
Carrying a message of life.
The People of the Cross
Come to die at your gates.
If you won’t hear our message with words,
Then we will show you with our lives
Laid down.

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