12 Assyrians Who Were Held By ISIS Escape By Faking Conversion

12 Assyrians Who Were Held By ISIS Escape By Faking ConversionTwelve Assyrians from Bartella, Iraq who escaped from ISIS.(AINA) — 12 Assyrians from the town of Bartella who had been held by ISIS escaped by falsely converting to Islam, which allowed them to leave the town.

The Assyrians had accidentally remained in Bartella after everyone else had fled when ISIS captured the town.

Eleven of the Assyrians, including a toddler, were brought to Kirkuk where they were met by Father Qais. Ms. Samia Yusuf Iskandar was brought to Arbel. Their names are:

  1. Sabri Gewargis Abdulmassih
  2. Nabeel Salem Simon
  3. Tony Sabri Gewargis
  4. Milad Sabri Gewargis
  5. Khalid Sabri Gewargis
  6. Marvin Sabri Gewargis
  7. Saad Nafi Abdullah
  8. Suhaila Moshe
  9. Bushra Farooq Benham
  10. Salem Matti Gewargis
  11. Joseph Gog Kako
  12. Samia Yusuf Iskandar

The 12 Assyrians were interviewed by local media. Here is the account of their escape.

The reason they did not leave Bartella was because they were sleeping on their roof and did not know the whole town had left. When they awoke and went to the streets they were confronted by ISIS, who ordered them to return to their homes and not leave. ISIS told them they were in contact with their priests and they would let them know of any development.

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A Christian Federation in the Middle East

September 15, 2014 by Daniel Greenfield

The Middle East as it exists now has no future. Its borders were drawn by European colonial powers for their own purposes. The political agendas behind those borders are long dead. The kings and coalitions they were meant to protect have vanished.

ISIS is determined to tear apart the borders of the region and it’s not alone. Iraq and Syria are caught in cycles of violence because their national borders are prisons trapping incompatible religious and ethnic populations in multicultural tyrannies. The world has spent a lot of time trying to redraw Israel’s borders when it should have been redrawing the borders of the entire region.

There are only two solutions for ending the violence in Iraq and Syria; tyranny or denationalization.

As long as Sunni and Shiite Arabs and the Kurds are trapped together in a single country they will never be at peace.

All of this is really bad news for Arab Christians because they are a fragile religious minority in a region swiftly redefining itself by religion. The Arab Nationalism that shielded them is dead. That leaves them with few options except to form temporary coalitions with the representatives of older systems, the Baath Party and the Egyptian military, or the minority Shiite Islamists.

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Boko Haram Is Taking Over Churches, Beheading Christian Men and Taking Their Christian Wives

September 15, 2014 - CBN News The Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram has started taking over churches in parts of Nigeria, beheading men and forcing women to convert to Islam…

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The Root of 9/11: Bad Theology

By Jerry Newcombe , CP Op-Ed Contributor – September 11, 2014

Did you know that since 9/11, there have been 23,780 separate deadly terror attacks carried out by Islamic extremists, according to thereligionofpiece.com?

The 13th anniversary of 9/11 is upon us. Why did it happen at all?

We get a hint of why from a statement from the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hasan al-Banna (1906-1949) of Egypt. He said: “It is the nature of Islam to dominate, not to be dominated, to impose its law on all nations, and to extend its power to the entire planet.”

But there’s another factor as well, and that deals with the personal motivation of the hijackers. 9/11 happened because of bad theology. Nineteen men believed the promise that if they died in a state of Jihad, they would go to Paradise and receive their 72 virgins. Nineteen men sought assurance of salvation in the wrong place and killed thousands of innocent people on the way.

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Council Puts Christ Back Into Christmas – City of Greater Dandenong

Dear friends, Further to the email we sent around six weeks ago, you may click the following link (then click the Springvale Dandenong region) to read an excellent front page…

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Israel May Become New Front in Syria’s Civil War

September 04, 2014 – Daniel Estrin – The Associated Press 

Nusra Front members waving their brigade flag on Jan. 11, 2013. (AP / Edlib News Network ENN)

For the first time in the Syrian civil war, al Qaeda fighters are hunkered down on Israel’s doorstep, and Israelis in the lush, hilly Golan Heights who have long considered Syrian President Bashar Assad their bitter foe are now worried about something more ominous — that they could become the militants’ next target.

The push into the Golan by the Nusra Front, as al Qaeda’s branch in Syria is known, comes just two weeks after Israel ended a 50-day war against Hamas on its southern border with the Gaza Strip, giving the conflict-weary nation another cause for concern.

Israelis in the Golan have grown accustomed to hearing the sound of distant battles between rival forces in Syria’s civil war.

But last week’s seizure of the strategic Quneitra border crossing by a mix of rebels — including the Nusra Front, fighters of the Western-backed Free Syrian Army and others — has created an unprecedented situation that has brought the extremists to within just a few metres of Israeli positions.

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Jordanian-Palestinian Politician: There is no ISIS Ideology — It’s Islam

Posted on 9/7/2014 by DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis

Palestinian-Jordanian politician Muhammad Bayoudh Al-Tamimi recently defended ISIS, saying that its doctrine “stems from the Quran and the Sunna.” The Syrian soldiers recently killed at the Tabqa airbase “deserved to be slaughtered 100,000 times over,” said Al-Tamimi, a member of the Jordanian Umma movement. According to Internet reports, the show was not broadcast by the Jordanian ANB TV channel that had produced it, but it was posted on the Internet by ANB TV on August 31, 2014.

Interviewer: What is our position, here in Jordan, with regard to ISIS and the ISIS ideology?

Muhammad Bayoudh Al-Tamimi: I reject the use of the terms “ISIS” and “ISIS ideology.” It sounds like you are talking about a Satanic weed or a Satanic ideology, which has come from out of nowhere.

Interviewer: But isn’t that true?

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Greg Laurie Says Prosperity Preachers ‘Hijacked’ the Bible; Explains What It Means to Prosper

By Stephanie Samuel , Christian Post Reporter – September 19, 2014

Megachurch pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie chided a teaching known as the “prosperity gospel” for twisting what it means to be prosperous and explained that the prosperity promised Christians in the Bible does not erase hardships from their lives.

In his September 16th blog, Laurie took issue with the prosperity gospel’s assurances that Christians are meant to be “wealthy, healthy and wise.”

He wrote, “Sometimes I think that today’s ‘prosperity preachers’ have hijacked a legitimate biblical term. After all, God does want His sons and daughters to prosper. But what does that really mean? That you’ll never get sick? Never have problems? Never run out of money? Never have strains in your relationships? No, that is not what the Bible means by ‘prosperity.'”

Laurie explained, using the apostle Paul and his ministry in Rome as an example, that the path to biblical prosperity is often littered with unexpected problems and unforeseen circumstances.

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Which of these two parties is too white and too racist? – by Andrew Bolt

To The Age it is obvious

The Greens love diversity in theory:

Australia’s strength lies in the cultural diversity of people from all corners of the globe, the Australian Greens said today… Our country has been greatly enriched by successive generations of immigrants whose influences are reflected in every facet of society.

Not every facet, actually. Greens leader Christine Milne with Greens politicians and candidates in the Victorian election:

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In contrast, Rise Up Australia leader Danny Nalliah with candidates in the Victorian election

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Age writer Ruby Hamad isn’t so sure about this diversity thing, after all:

Yes, it appears that Australia’s far right, ultra-nationalist, evangelical Christian, anti-abortion, and anti-immigration party has an extraordinary amount of gender and racial diversity. More so, as I noted someone comment dryly under the photo, than The Greens.

How is this possible?

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Please keep praying for 5th & final Upper House seat in Victoria / Stan Goodenough speaking at CTFM this Sunday 7th Dec / RUA Prayer in Melbourne this Friday 5th Dec

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…

Continue ReadingPlease keep praying for 5th & final Upper House seat in Victoria / Stan Goodenough speaking at CTFM this Sunday 7th Dec / RUA Prayer in Melbourne this Friday 5th Dec

The Power of Unity – Vic Election and the Christian values based parties / Church leaders refuse to speak out – Will we pay the price?

Dear family and friends in Christ,

First let me take this opportunity to thank everyone who voted, supported and prayed for us. This was the first State Election that Rise Up Australia Party contested (although we contested the Federal Election last year) and I must say that we learned a lot.

Something very significant happened in this election in Victoria. The Christian values based parties worked together as a block in sharing first preferences with each other and the results were very good.

In most regions with the strategic preferences, we came very close to winning Upper House seats, and it seems that at least one Upper House seat will now be secured, with three more seats currently in question. (Some 90% of the upper house votes are yet  to be re-checked).

This clearly shows the power of unity as Jesus said, where He prays for all believers in John 17:20-23.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me”.

On another note, although some church leaders I know of spoke out regarding the election, once again many church leaders refused to speak out and tell the people how to vote.

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Why God Doesn’t Care if You’re Happy

9/9/2014 Joseph Mattera – Charisma News

It is evident there are many in the body of Christ who attempt to integrate their Christian faith with the pursuit of happiness. Some have even gone so far as to have a theology of happiness, in which they obey or disobey Scripture based on what gives them the most happiness. Several years ago a prominent pastor in New York City divorced his wife and married someone else in his church because, he said, “God wants me happy!”

Ultimately, If God’s highest purpose for us is our  personal happiness then He wouldn’t have put us on the earth since Jesus said we would have tribulation in this world (John 16:33).

As believers, our value system should not be based on a temporal paradigm (view) of materialism and earthly significance but on an eternal paradigm based on faith and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. Many in the church succumb to the temporal view because it takes a walk of faith to continually surrender our desires to a God we can’t see, feel, or touch physically.

In examining this subject I believe one reason believers focus so much on happiness is because of a confusion of the concepts of joy and happiness.

Joy is an inward sense of peace, contentment and even ecstasy due to our righteous standing in Christ and fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Joy should be present in all believers in spite of the circumstances or challenges one might be facing. Joy is a supernatural experience that cannot be explained outside of a supernatural act of God. As the song writer said, “The world didn’t give us joy so the world can’t take it away!”

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RUAP (Ps Daniel) in battle with Greens for the final Upper House Seat in South Eastern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne / Urgent Prayer Needed

Dear friends & family in Christ, As we all know by now the state of Victoria has a new Labor Government in place for the next 4 years. However, in…

Continue ReadingRUAP (Ps Daniel) in battle with Greens for the final Upper House Seat in South Eastern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne / Urgent Prayer Needed

Shattering the Myth of Church Success In America

August 25, 2014 – SOURCE: Charisma News

There is a myth of church success in America that says, “The bigger the building, the bigger the budget, the bigger the attendance, the more successful you are.” (Facebook)

There is a myth of church success in America that says, “The bigger the building, the bigger the budget, the bigger the attendance, the more successful you are.”

In the sight of man, this might equal success. But in the sight of God, it may have nothing to do with success. In fact, it might simply be the beautiful facade hiding all kinds of spiritual rot and decay.

To be clear, I have had the privilege of preaching in some of the finest megachurches in America, replete with large buildings, big budgets and multiplied thousands of attendees. And I can personally attest to the fact that some of these churches are healthy in many ways: focused on Jesus, reaching the lost, making disciples, and giving themselves to prayer.

And some of them are doing this at least as well as many smaller churches and house groups.

So, I’m all for “big” as long as that “big” equates to maturity in Jesus, effective outreach to the lost, compassionate giving to the poor, life in the Spirit, and a powerful expression of the Great Commission. It is in that context that Acts records the growing numbers of disciples (see, for example, Acts 2:41; 4:4; 6:7).

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