Home Blog Page 50

Hillsong Atlanta Launches Sunday Services With Hip Hop and Gospel Worship

Admin
-
0
Hillsong Atlanta Launches Sunday Services With Hip Hop and Gospel Worship

Sam Collier, Hillsong’s first African American senior pastor, calls for revival in the birthplace of civil rights.

Hillsong Church, known for its popular worship music, sounds different in Atlanta. At the new location’s first day of Sunday services, rapper Da’ T.R.U.T.H. kicked off worship in the dimly lit Atlanta Event Center, formerly Club Opera in the heart of downtown.

Donning a sweatshirt, jeans, and a man bun, Da’ T.R.U.T.H., who was also featured in Hillsong Atlanta’s “Welcome Home” launch video, rapped the lyrics to his song “The Faith” in front of the congregation at three opening-day gatherings.

Attendees—few were masked, despite the church advertising mask wearing and social distancing requirements—stood from black folding chairs and gold-seated booths to cheer for Sam Collier, who’s the first African American to serve as lead pastor of a Hillsong church.

The crowd was diverse, and the service felt like a pep rally. “I guess I need to know if anyone who loves Jesus is in the building?” Collier asked. “Lift him up! Welcome to our grand opening!”

Collier, who came to Hillsong from Andy Stanley’s North Point Ministries, has deep connections in the city. He previously ministered at Ebenezer Baptist Church, the home church of Martin Luther King Jr., and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, another well-known Black church in the metro Atlanta area.

Hillsong, which formed its own denomination in 2018, has locations in about a dozen US cities and 28 countries, averaging a total global attendance of 150,000 a week, according to its website. The services drew prominent Atlanta figures and celebrities and featured Hillsong Church global senior pastors Brian and Bobbie Houston.

“It’s been a difficult year, but you’re the greatest leaders I’ve ever met,” said Collier, as he introduced the Houstons. He likely was referencing numerous revelations that have rocked the global church starting with the admission of adultery by Carl Lentz, former pastor of Hillsong Church’s New York City location, last November. “We pray against demonic forces, and that [the Houstons] will have victory in Jesus’ name.”

Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center, was also in the congregation on Sunday to support Collier, whom she called a friend. Atlanta City Council member Michael Julian Bond presented the church with a proclamation.

Most of Hillsong’s existing US locations are in the West or Northeast; the Atlanta church is its first in the South. Last year, Hillsong announced that Collier would co-pastor the church with his wife, Toni, but she stepped out of the role to write (she has a two-book deal with Thomas Nelson).

On Sunday, the Colliers thanked their relatives as well as their “global family” for support before focusing on their vision for Atlanta. In his message, Sam Collier drew from Exodus 3:7 as he called for revival and racial reconciliation in the “birthplace of civil rights.”

“God is talking to Moses about his own people in captivity. He invites Moses into a solution. He told Moses, I need you to go and free the people. Because of Moses’ sacrifice, he sets the captives free,” Collier said. “God is inviting us into revival where Black and white and political divisions will go away. We’ve been separate for too long, every race, every political affinity. We love the same Jesus and therefore we should be together. We should be unified about being unified especially in the city of MLK. What started in Australia will continue here.”

The church has used worship music including Christian hip hop to build momentum and set the tone for its launch, according to Rapzilla, which is partnering with Hillsong Atlanta. Leading up to its June 6 launch, the church involved artists like Lecrae, Andy Mineo, and Natalie Grant in worship nights that drew 2,200 people in person and 30,000 online, the site reported.

“I like the fact that they’re not straying away from the culture of Atlanta and the culture of hip hop,” said Terran Gilbert. Gilbert, a Christian rapper who performs as T-Ran, came from Nashville with his wife Alexis to support Da’ T.R.U.T.H.

Grammy Award–winning gospel artist Jonathan McReynolds, who is also a judge on the BET gospel music talent show Sunday Best also took the stage, beginning his performance with a riff, singing about turning “an old Atlanta night club into awesome place of worship.” He sang his hit song “Not Lucky, I’m Loved,” which Brian Houston enjoyed as he sang a few notes of the song more than once as he spoke to the room following McReynolds.

Houston joked about his accent (“like Bruce the shark in Finding Nemo”) and described the early days of Hillsong’s founding in the Sydney suburbs back in 1983. He also reflected on his marriage of 44 years to Bobbie. “Vision will hold you together when things try to pull you apart,” he said.

Referencing 2 Corinthians 11:23–29, Houston said the apostle Paul had vision and vision creates resilience, faith, discipline, and reward. “God always used people to accomplish his vision,” he said. “Jesus doesn’t play the keyboard.”

Finally, he encouraged the Atlanta attendees, “You guys are pioneers, and this is the beginning of an amazing journey ahead. Thank you for what you’re about to do here. Pray that the Holy Spirit will move in a fresh way in this city and reach people who have never been reached before.”

More critical voices worry that Hillsong, known for its celebrity adherents and global brand of “hypepriests,” will be another force for gentrification in Atlanta.

Following Lentz’s resignation in New York last November, a string of shakeups have taken place this year. The leaders of Hillsong Dallas stepped down, then a New Jersey pastor resigned over Instagram selfies. The church is reevaluating its policies around abuse.

But Hillsong remains a huge force and a familiar name to evangelicals worldwide. Amanda and Jonathan Carmenate, a Black and Hispanic couple who live in Columbia, South Carolina, were in Atlanta for vacation and decided to attend the first service after seeing a social media post. “We were looking for a church to attend while we are here,” said Amanda. “I liked that it was multiethnic and multigenerational.”

Cheryl Rowland, who lives in Gwinnett County, stood in line to get into the second service. She is familiar with the Colliers’ ministry from when they were based at North Point. “I’m starting a new season in my life and want to expand my base of friends and worship opportunities and experience more of Atlanta,” she said.

The church will continue to meet with two services on Sunday. Its eight-week series “Launch” begins next week.

SOURCE: CHRISTIAN TODAY

Hong Kong churches threatened over Tiananmen commemorations

Admin
-
0
Hong Kong churches threatened over Tiananmen commemorations

Seven Hong Kong Catholic churches, which were to hold mass to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre of 1989 by the Chinese Communist Party, found threatening signs posted in front of their buildings, according to reports.

The posters that appeared on Thursday carried an image of Cardinal Joseph Zen, former bishop of Hong Kong who supported the democracy movement, and warned that public functions in remembrance of the Tiananmen Massacre violate the controversial national security law, which was passed last year, AsiaNews reported.

It’s believed that a pro-CCP group was behind the threats.

The Justice and Peace Commission of the city diocese said the masses would go ahead as planned.

Hong Kong authorities had also banned an annual candlelight vigil Friday, which is held every year on June 4 to remember the sacrifice of thousands of Chinese citizens who were demanding freedom and democracy in 1989.

Despite the warnings, thousands of people in Hong Kong defied the ban and took part in the candlelight vigil, The Wall Street Journal reported, saying people started walking toward the city’s Victoria Park, where it is held each year. Many people held their phones up with the flashlights shining at around 8 p.m. Friday.

Friday morning, police had arrested Chow Hang Tung, vice-chairwoman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which organizes the vigil, according to The Telegraph. Police also arrested a 20-year-old food delivery man for promoting an “unauthorized” assembly.

Last year, Hong Kong implemented the mainland China-imposed national security law after delaying legislative elections as pro-democracy candidates could have won due to anger among the city’s people against that law.

The law, which went into effect without a review by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, has four categories of crimes: succession, subversion of state power, local terrorist activities and collaborating with foreign or external foreign forces to endanger national security.

In 1997, China had agreed to a “one country, two systems” arrangement to allow certain freedoms for Hong Kong when it received the city back from British control. The security law undercuts the promised autonomy.

“The law also positions Beijing as over the Hong Kong judicial system in cases deemed related to national security,” China Aid said earlier. “This means that the judges in these cases must be Beijing-approved. Hong Kong residents can now also be taken to China, where they will face a courtroom with allegiance to the government.”

The U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern also warned that “China’s notorious legal system and its lack of transparency can easily criminalize anybody and place them in jail. Many Chinese pastors and Christians, such as Pastor Wang Yi, elder Qin Derfu, Pastor John Cao, are now imprisoned for trumped-up charges, such as ‘subversion of state power,’ ‘illegal border crossing,’ and ‘illegal business operation.'”

After the passage of the new security law, former U.S. President Donald Trump approved sanctions on Chinese officials and banks and also ended Hong Kong’s preferential treatment, saying it will now be “treated the same as mainland China.”

SOURCE: CHRISTIAN TODAY

Pastor of Church Ordered to Close in Algeria Sentenced to Prison

Admin
-
0
Pastor of Church Ordered to Close in Algeria Sentenced to Prison

Less than a week after a court in Algeria ordered pastor Rachid Seighir’s church to close, a judge in a separate case sentenced him to a year in prison and a fine for “shaking the faith” of Muslims with Christian literature at his bookstore, sources said.

Pastor Seighir’s Oratoire Church building in the city of Oran was one of three ordered to be sealed in western Algeria’s Oran Province on Wednesday (June 2). On Sunday (June 6) he and bookstore salesman Nouh Hamimi were sentenced to a year in prison and a fine of 200,000 dinars (US$1,494) in a ruling on their appeal of a prior sentence of two years in prison and a fine of 500,000 dinars (US$3,745).

The pastor was the manager of the now-closed bookstore in Oran, a coastal city 268 miles west of Algiers. The judgment in March read that he and Hamimi were condemned for “distributing publications or any other propaganda undermining the faith of a Muslim.”

Pastor Seighir has said the conviction was mere retaliation in a conflict over the bookstore going back to 2008, when he was convicted of the same charges and acquitted on appeal. The governor of Oran ordered the bookshop closed in 2017, but in April 2018, a court ruled the closure order was invalid due to procedural problems – though authorities continued to keep the bookshop closed, he said.

Sunday’s appeal ruling came after postponements of scheduled hearings on May 16 and May 30. The Christians’ attorney, Farid Khemisti, said they would appeal on Wednesday (June 9) to the Court of Oran and, if necessary, to the Supreme Court.

Algeria’s 2006 law regulating non-Muslim worship, known as Law 03/06, criminalizes the publishing or distributing of any materials “which aim to undermine the faith of a Muslim.” Punishment can range from two to five years in prison and fines of 500,000 to 1 million Algerian dinars (US$3,745 to US$7,490).

CHURCH CLOSURES

The court ruling on Wednesday (June 2) ordering the closure Pastor Seighir’s church building and those of churches in El-Ayaid and Ain-Turk came as a result of efforts to seal the buildings by the governor (wali) of Oran Province.

“This is a judgment that the wali of Oran won against us,” Pastor Seighir told Morning Star News. “It is ordered to proceed with the immediate closure of the three places of worship.”

Ain-Turk is about 35 kilometers (21 miles) west of the city of Oran, and El-AIyaid is about 35 kilometers east of Oran.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t understand what’s going on,” Pastor Seighir said. “This is purely an attack against us Algerian Christians and the churches. There have been three different walis, and that did not prevent the charges against us from remaining. It is therefore clear that the source of our trouble comes from those higher than the walis.”

On Dec. 28, 2017, the then-governor of Oran Province, Mouloud Cherifi, had sent notice that the Oratoire church was “not in accordance with the laws in force,” namely registration under Law 03/06, which regulates non-Muslim worship. The 2006 law requires non-Muslim worship buildings to be licensed, but all applications to do so have remained unattended.

The ruling against Pastor Seighir and Hamimi comes after a Christian who had received and reposted a cartoon of the prophet of Islam on his Facebook account three years ago was sentenced to five years in prison and fined 100,000 dinars (US$750) under an Algerian law against insulting Muhammad.

CHRISTIAN INTERROGATED

In Ain-Defla Province about 145 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of Algiers, Gendarmerie stopped two Christians preparing to travel to worship in the capital, holding one for four hours of interrogation, he said.

Ahmed Beghal (name changed for security reasons) said officers also searched his home and seized Christian books and personal documents.

On April 17 at about 7 a.m. Beghal and his friend had yet to leave his town of Ain Seltane when officers stopped them on the road, he said. Taken to brigade quarters, Beghal was held for questioning while his friend was quickly released after separate questioning.

“Not knowing the reason for our arrest, I questioned the head of the brigade,” Beghal said. “The latter replied, ‘There are many rumors and accusations circulating about you. You are very active, it seems.’”

Beghal, whose wife and children left him in 2017 because of his conversion to Christianity, said that the day before the arrest he and others had shared the gospel with people.

After officers questioned him, they took him to his home to search it.

“They took all my books and documents,” Beghal told Morning Star News. “They told me that to get them back I have to go to the public prosecutor.”

Beghal, who wrote to the prosecutor asking for his belongings to be returned to him, is scheduled to appear before a judge on June 16. He is accused of fundraising for the creation of a Christian association without authorization.

Islam is the state religion in the 99-percent Muslim country. Since 2000, thousands of Algerian Muslims have put their faith in Christ. Algerian officials estimate the number of Christians at 50,000, but others say it could be twice that number.

Algeria ranked 24th on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2021 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, up from 42nd place in 2018.

SOURCE: CHRISTIAN HEADLINES

Illinois School Reverses Course after Banning 2nd Grade Girl from Reading Her Bible during Recess

Admin
-
0
Illinois School Reverses Course after Banning 2nd Grade Girl from Reading Her Bible during Recess

Last week, school officials in Illinois reversed their decision to ban a second-grade girl from bringing her Bible to school.

American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), a conservative law firm focusing on the issues of religious freedom, explained that they were contacted by the girl’s parents after her Bible was taken away during recess.

The girl, whose name is Gabrielle, likes to bring her Bible to school and would sometimes read it aloud during recess. Other kids would often listen and discuss what she was reading with her.

But recently, despite there being no complaints from her fellow students or their parents, a teacher confiscated the Bible from Gabrielle, telling her, “You can’t be doing that.” The school later contacted the little girl’s parents and told them Gabrielle was not allowed to read her Bible during recess.

In response, the parents reached out to ACLJ, which sent a letter to the school citing several cases throughout history where students’ religious beliefs were allowed unless the school believed that the speech or expression could “materially and substantially disrupt the work and discipline of the school.”

The law firm contended that in Gabrielle’s case, “there wasn’t even a hint of disruption of the work and discipline of the school – not even a complaint – there was no reason to crack down on a second grader’s reading of her Bible on the playground or in the classroom during recess.”

After reviewing the letter, the school thanked ACLJ for the input and pulled back its restrictions on Gabrielle’s Bible reading.

ACLJ, which was founded in 1990, has a petition on its website with over 95,000 signatures in defense of student’s religious liberty at school.

“Religious liberty is the cornerstone of America, and our children are its future,” the petition reads in part. “The Bible, prayer, Christian faith – it’s all under attack in our public schools. We won’t tolerate it.”

SOURCE: CHRISTIAN HEADLINES

Saddleback Pastor Rick Warren announces search for his successor: ‘Timing is everything’

Admin
-
0
Saddleback Pastor Rick Warren announces search for his successor: ‘Timing is everything’

Influential Pastor Rick Warren has announced that after more than 40 years as the lead pastor of Saddleback Church in California, he will be soon stepping back from his current role with the church and has begun the process of searching for his successor.

“This next week, we are going to begin the official search for my successor,” Warren, who oversees the 25,000-member, 19-campus Saddleback Church based in Lake Forest,  announced in a June 6 sermon. 

“That’s a big deal, the official search for my successor,” the 67-year-old pastor said. “This isn’t the end. It’s not even the beginning of the end. It’s the beginning of the beginning, but we’re going to start looking for the next-generation pastor who will replace me and lead our family into the future.”

Since they launched the church in 1980, Warren said that he and his wife, Kay, “knew this day would eventually arrive. But he promised to dedicate 40 years of their lives to the church.

“We’ve been waiting on God’s perfect timing, began the process, finding our next lead pastor, and letting me make the smooth transition into a less visible role as founding pastor,” he said. “Now, this is such a significant decision because I’m the only lead pastor our church family has ever had.”

As the church neared the 40-year mark in January 2020, Warren said that he and his wife attended a prayer retreat to uncover God’s calling on their lives.

“We went out, we prayed and we both felt that God wanted us to stay on in leadership past the 40-year commitment,” he said. “Neither of us had any comfort in leaving, we had no idea what the future would hold, but we decided we’re gonna stay on until God gives us His timing.”

“And then we didn’t understand it then, but three weeks later, after our 40th anniversary, the COVID pandemic would shut everything down for a year and a half,” he continued. “As we began to see the light at the end of the tunnel of the COVID pandemic, we started feeling that God was saying, ‘Now is the time to at least start the process, start looking for your successor for your replacement.’”

Warren, whose church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, stressed that the Saddleback staff “doesn’t know all the details” of what searching for his replacement will entail. But he explained, “you don’t have to see the ultimate step to take the first step. You just take the first step in faith.”

The Purpose Driven Life author added he has no intention of leaving the church and that he’s looking forward to the transition into a less visible role with the church. 

He said that while he and Saddleback elders don’t have a particular successor in mind, they will be looking at the “biblical qualifications for a pastor,” including someone who will “love you as much as somebody who’s willing to sacrifice their life for your benefit” and is “already doing purpose-driven ministry.”

Earlier in his message, Warren said that one verse that has guided his ministry is Acts 13:36, which reads, “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.”

“You might think that’s a funny life verse … but to me, that statement is the definition of a successful life serving God’s purpose in your generation. That would be a wonderful verse to have on your tombstone,” he contended. 

“There is a right time for every activity. That includes every activity in your life,” he added. “We’re not supposed to just do the right things, the things that God wants us to do. We are to do it at the right time. Timing is everything in life.”

Warren’s announcement comes just weeks after Saddleback ordained three women pastors, drawing criticism from Southern Baptist leaders, including Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Al Mohler, who said the church acted in “violation” of SBC doctrine. SBC President J.D. Greear also criticized the move. 

SOURCE: CHRISTIAN POST

Controversial Nigerian televangelist TB Joshua dies at 57

Admin
-
0
Controversial Nigerian televangelist TB Joshua dies at 57

T.B. Joshua, one of Nigeria’s most controversial and wealthiest preachers, felt uncomfortable in the middle of an evening church service and died hours later in his apartment in Lagos on Saturday. The cause of Joshua’s death has not been disclosed.

Known as the Prophet by his followers, Joshua founded the Synagogue Church of All Nations megachurch.

“God has taken His servant Prophet TB Joshua home – as it should be by divine will,” the church said on Facebook. “His last moments on earth were spent in the service of God. This is what he was born for, lived for and died for. As Prophet TB Joshua says, ‘The greatest way to use life is to spend it on something that will outlive it.'”

The Nigerian news outlet The Nation reports that Joshua was conducting a church service when he began to feel uncomfortable. He is said to have passed away around 2 a.m., hours after returning to his apartment. 

The outlet reports that his aids discovered him in an unusual position.

According to the church, Joshua’s last words were “Watch and pray.” He died six days before his 58th birthday.

The day he died, Joshua spoke during the Emmanuel TV Partners Meeting, “Time for everything – time to come here for prayer and time to return home after the service.” Emmanuel TV is the broadcast arm of the church and airs across Africa. 

“Prophet TB Joshua leaves a legacy of service and sacrifice to God’s Kingdom that is living for generations yet unborn,” the church said in a statement. 

Joshua rose to prominence in the late 1990s. He became known over the years for his teachings on prosperity and philanthropic efforts. He also made headlines with claims of miracles.

Joshua’s followers believed that he was a faith healer. He was also known by some as “The Man of God.”

Joshua has faced controversy over the years. 

In 2015, he was indicted by a coroner of criminal negligence in a building collapse in September 2014 that killed 116 worshipers.

“The church must be investigated and prosecuted for not obtaining the relevant approval before embarking on the construction of the building,” coroner Oyetade Komolafe said in his ruling, AFP reported at the time. “The church was culpable because of criminal negligence resulting in the death of the victims.”

Joshua had initially claimed that Islamic extremists from Boko Haram could have been behind the collapse.

In 2014, Joshua announced that more than 4,000 bottles of his powerful anointing water, which users claimed had worked many miracles, were sent to help victims of the deadly Ebola virus in Sierra Leone, Liberia.

“The Anointing Water was sent in a private jet that cost an additional $50,000 to charter, making $100,000 given by Prophet T.B. Joshua and the Emmanuel TV Partners to reach out to the troubled nation,” his ministry wrote on Facebook at the time.

“By using the Anointing Water, you are symbolically setting yourself apart for Jesus Christ’s special attention as you pray in faith. I mean, you are positioned for mercy, favor, healing, deliverance, blessing, prosperity and fruitfulness,” Joshua wrote on the website at the time.

“It is not the Anointing Water that heals the sick but Jesus Christ Himself,” he added. “There must be faith both in the person praying and in the person being prayed for. Prayer must proceed from and be accompanied with a lively faith. It is this that brings about the healing, not the Anointing Water.”

Earlier this year, Joshua’s YouTube channel was shut down due to a video in which he claimed to have cured gay members of his congregation, which drew accusations from the United Kingdom-based organization OpenDemocracy of conversion therapy. 

Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari released a statement through a spokesperson calling on Joshua’s church members and supporters to “take solace in the knowledge that life is not measured and defined by chronological longevity but by enduring legacies and lives touched positively.”

SOURCE: THE CHRISTIAN POST

Lessons from the Book of Numbers on the nature of true belief

Admin
-
0
Lessons from the Book of Numbers on the nature of true belief

This morning, I was on my daily rounds when I spied a police car. At the moment it is very dangerous to be Jewish in this country, so I expected the worst, as the police car was parked outside my neighbour’s who is aged 90 and who lives in an easily-accessible ground-floor flat. I thought that at best she might have been burgled and at worst …..

On enquiring further, however, I discovered from the friendly police officer that in fact he was booking a driver for speeding through our area. I was almost relieved – at least my elderly friend was OK.

Why did I make a mistake? Because my perception was all wrong. I was expecting the worst to happen to members of the Jewish community, but on this occasion at least, that expectation and those perceptions were far from the truth.

This Shabbat’s Bible reading comes from Numbers 13-15. It is the story of the spies. And much has been made of the 12 men who are sent by Moses to spy out the Land of Canaan, all but two of whom come back with exaggerated stories of the dangers posed by the Land.

In Hebrew the reading is called ‘Shelach-Lecha’, which means ‘send for yourself’, and has immediate resonances with G-d’s earlier call to Abram, ‘Lech Lecha’, to leave his home of idolatry in Ur and to travel to the same Promised Land, for his own sake and to carry out G-d’s mission in that Promised Land.

So when do things have to be changed and when are things only a matter of our own perception? Much has been made in the last decades about the way we see things being prime in how we go about our way in the world. None of us is a blank page (we have known that for centuries), but where does perception have its limits and politics have to take over?

The case of the spies is a moot point. Some commentators argue that the spies knew very well that they were allowing themselves to be overcome by their own fears because they quite liked their comparatively comfortable lives in the desert.

Hadn’t G-d sent them adequate food, the manna, which miraculously fed them every day, with even enough for Shabbat – the day of rest? Hadn’t G-d even provided them with a leader called Moses, who told them what to do and rebuked them when necessary?

To acknowledge that entering the Land would take them away from their comfort zone was simply too much for some of them to bear. That’s why they made up ‘tall stories’ about giants and other surrounding foes.

And some even wanted to return to Egypt, the source of their slavery and hard labour. But in Egypt the children of Israel at least knew what to expect. Life was consistently back-breaking and awful, but at least it was consistent. Living in the Land of Israel would be unpredictable and new types of resilience would be expected of the people – G-d required no less than the elasticity and creative thinking of pioneers, not the slavish obedience of sheep.

Fourteen years ago at this time of year, in the centre of Jerusalem, I was invited to preach a sermon on this very same Torah reading. At that time, I travelled down from Haifa, marvelling at the early descent of the bus down the Carmel and the final ascent up the hill to Jerusalem, with the flatter bits in between. I really couldn’t believe that I was doing this in the capital city of the Jewish people, by invitation of one of its most innovative synagogue communities.

On that occasion, I chose to discuss the tiny difference between the Hebrew word for ‘pilgrim’ which is a positive concept and the word for ‘spy’, which is of course normally regarded as negative. At that time I pointed out that if the perception of those who now come to spy on the modern State of Israel were only to change one iota, these self-appointed critics would morph almost imperceptibly into the ‘pilgrims’ which the original 12 spies were meant to be.

At that time, I was referring of course to all those journalists, aid workers and pundits who arrive in Jerusalem without the first inkling of the Hebrew language, and basically tell the same tale – the country is awful; apartheid abounds; it’s full of malign Jewish influences; it’s dreadful for minorities; and it doesn’t deserve to survive.

In fact, the modern State of Israel is nothing short of a miracle, and the above perceptions of visiting pundits are almost all the very opposite of the truth. But facts on the ground are alien to the new breed of journalist and aid worker.

And what they really don’t understand, as being alien to Christianity, Islam and western cultures alike, is that self-criticism, argument and heated debate are all part and parcel of the Jewish psyche. These spies (sorry ‘visitors’) simply cannot abide the obvious fact that a country of only 73 years of age has a democratically-elected government (based on Proportional Representation), a well-educated 20% Arab minority (including Muslims and Christians), thriving Druze and Bahai citizens and even people who don’t adhere to any religion and who yet, for some reason or other, want to live in this Jewish country. And the number of people queuing up to convert to Judaism is increasing exponentially.

And yet, what is the secret of the Jewish people and their amazing and often immensely irritating country? The secret is hard slog, blood, toil, tears and sweat (to cite Winston Churchill). There is no such thing as a free lunch and G-d never promised the Jewish people a rose garden. What he promised was a vale of tears and a crown of thorns – and the knowledge that they could never ever take anything for granted.

In order for the Land to be ‘flowing with milk and honey’ (Numbers 13: 27), preparation would be needed. And this is indeed what happened. In the 19th centuries, people trained in agriculture in the lands of their birth (often Russia and Eastern Europe at that time), in order not simply to ‘arrive’ at a ‘Promised Land’, but in order to be useful and to make it work. For if Judaism is anything, it is a faith which believes in the small gesture, tiny steps, little pinpricks, and constant practice and training.

We can’t all be pioneers – and we can’t all build up lands – but what we can do in our lives (and this is surely one of the most salient lessons of the Parsha ‘Shelach Lecha’) is to be ever open and alert to new ideas and possibilities, and to try as hard as we can to approach encounters with an open and positive mind.

If we train ourselves in that way, it seems to me, at least our relations with others will improve and when the time comes to face the real enemy (which may be Hitler, or Hamas, rather than your local burglar), we will at least have been ‘forewarned and forearmed’.

SOURCE: CHRISTIAN TODAY

Canadian Church Fined $66,000 for Holding Outdoor Services against COVID-19 Restrictions

Admin
-
0
Canadian Church Fined $66,000 for Holding Outdoor Services against COVID-19 Restrictions

A Canadian church and its leaders were fined a total of $66,000 this week for holding three outdoor services in violation of local health restrictions.

The Church of God congregation in Aylmer, Ontario, held outdoor services on its property on May 16, May 23 and May 30 after a court ordered the doors locked because members were meeting indoors in violation of COVID-19 restrictions. 

With its doors locked by order of the government, the church members went outside.

“Our building may be locked, but our God deserves all honour, glory, and praise,” the church said in a May 15 Facebook post. “The Church must gather!” 

Superior Court Justice Bruce Thomas ordered the church and two of its officials to pay $66,000 after they violated provincial stay-at-home orders, according to Canadian radio station 980 CFPL.

The $66,000 fine is on top of a $100,000 fine received by the church and its officials on May 14. 

Police monitored the outdoor services and counted attendees. On May 30, 283 attended. On May 23, it was more than 300. On May 16, it was 400-plus. Local media have reported on each violation.

“Aylmer Police will actively pursue further options to ensure compliance with emergency orders of this particular church and participants in order to protect the community from harm,” police said in late May, according to CFPL. 

In April, Justice Bruce Thomas found the church in contempt of court and ordered it to stop meeting. The congregation, though, says it has a biblical obligation to gather. 

The church’s pastor, Henry Hildebrandt, appeared on a live Facebook video on May 14, reading from Acts 5 and saying the congregation would “obey God rather than men.”  

The leaders of the country and the province, he said, have “forgotten” God.

“It is very sad to see a country that calls itself a Christian country would reach … a level so low as what we have seen,” he said. “… God has been forgotten.”

SOURCE: CHRISTIAN HEADLINES

Christian Couple on Death Row in Pakistan Acquitted

Admin
-
0
Christian Couple on Death Row in Pakistan Acquitted

The Lahore High Court (LHC), on Thursday, acquitted a Christian couple sentenced to death on charges of blaspheming Islam, their attorney said.

Justice Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh accepted an appeal challenging the death sentence and acquitted Shagufta Kausar, 52, and her husband, 49-year-old Shafqat Emmanuel, on the basis of “adulterated evidence and manipulated testimonies of the prosecution witnesses,” said attorney Saif Ul Malook.

The couple had been sentenced to death seven years ago in a case that drew international condemnation of Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws.

“It came as a surprise to me, because the LHC had been delaying the hearing for over six years on one pretext or the other,” Malook told Morning Star News. “I believe that the hearing was expedited due to international pressure on the Pakistani government, particularly a resolution passed by the European Union Parliament in April which called for a review of the GSP+ status granted to Pakistan in view of an ‘alarming’ increase in the use of blasphemy accusations in the country.”

The EU resolution expressed particular concern regarding the case of Kausar and Emmanuel, stating, “The evidence on which the couple were convicted can be considered deeply flawed.”

It had noted that the couple allegedly had argued with the accuser shortly before the accusations were made. The EU resolution, which passed overwhelmingly, 662 to 3 with 26 abstaining, also stated that the couple’s appeal had been “postponed multiple times.”

“Nonetheless, the verdict has been given on merit because the court noted the mala fide of the accusers and how the couple was tortured into confessing the false blasphemy allegation,” Malook said.

The court’s detailed verdict will be released soon, Malook said, adding, “I’m very happy that the court gave a compassionate hearing to my arguments regarding the adulteration of the evidence and testimonies of the prosecution witnesses.”

As of this writing, Kausar was still at the Central Prison for Women in Multan, while husband Emmanuel was in Central Jail Faisalabad.

The couple was convicted in 2014 of sending blasphemous text messages insulting the prophet of Islam, Muhammad, to a local imam and the then-president of the local bar council from a phone number registered in Kausar’s name. The mother of four children worked as a cleaner at a local missionary school in Gojra. Her husband is paralyzed from the waist down and cannot work.

They were charged under Sections 295-B (insulting the Koran, punishable by life imprisonment), 295-C (insulting Muhammad, punishable by death) and 25-D of The Telegraph Act of 1985. Section 25-D recommends a maximum of three years for intentionally “causing annoyance.”

According to Malook, who won freedom for Pakistan’s most high-profile blasphemy convict, Aasiya Noreen (better known as Asia Bibi) in 2018, the prosecution lawyers from the Khatam-e-Nabuwwat Lawyers Forum did their best to intimidate the judges during the three days of hearing, “but fortunately the judges did not succumb to their pressure.”

“It’s possible that the Forum led by Advocate Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry will challenge the LHC’s decision in the Supreme Court, but I don’t think it will hold due to the weak grounds,” he said.

He added that, although delayed, the acquittal highlighted that most blasphemy cases were rooted in personal vendettas.

“It’s unfortunate that innocent people are forced to rot in jails for years on false accusations of blasphemy,” he said. “This practice needs to stop now. The charge is so serious that even judges are fearful of conducting hearings and giving decisions on merit.”

One of the justices in the appeal, Rizvi, was the same judge who had rejected Asia Bibi’s appeal to the LHC against her death sentence.

Malook said that, like Asia Bibi, the couple will need to be granted asylum abroad due to serious threat to their lives in Pakistan.

“The forces bankrolling and supporting misuse of blasphemy laws have suffered a major setback due to the couple’s acquittal, and I’m very concerned about their safety,” he said.

A source in the government told Morning Star News that security agencies have been directed to ensure protection of the couple and their lawyer.

“This case is being directly monitored by the government after it was raised in the EU resolution,” the source said on condition of anonymity. “The expedited hearing of the appeal was also due to the government’s intervention.”

DESTROYED LIVES

Church officials and human rights groups say blasphemy allegations are frequently used not only to settle personal scores but to target religious minorities in Pakistan.

Bishop Azad Marshall, president of the Church of Pakistan, welcomed the acquittal of the couple.

“While it is heartening to note that the court has delivered justice after eight years, our hearts are weeping over the suffering the poor family has endured all these years,” he told Morning Star News. “This atrocity in the name of religion must end now.”

Blatant abuse of the blasphemy laws has imperiled the lives of all Pakistanis irrespective of their faiths, Marshall said.

“Mere allegations are enough to destroy the lives of the accused and their families, and it’s time the Pakistani government deals with this critical issue on priority,” he added.

The senior church leader said that while the high court has admitted the innocence of the Christian couple, it should have ordered action against all those involved in framing them in the false allegation.

“Blasphemy allegations must be promptly and thoroughly investigated by an independent and impartial authority, and false accusers must be given harsh punishments if the government intends to thwart misuse of the blasphemy laws,” he said.

He added that the law should be amended so that the FIRs in all blasphemy cases are registered only after permission from the concerned government body before courts take them up.

“We have been raising this issue on all forums, but it seems the government takes selective action only when it comes under international pressure, as has been seen in the cases of Asia Bibi and now in Shagufta and Shafqat’s case,” Marshall said. “When we raise our voices against such cases, we are told that we are maligning Pakistan’s name in the world. They don’t realize that unless the government acts against the misuse of the blasphemy laws and other issues like forced conversion of underage minority girls, Pakistan’s image will not improve internationally.”

A Senate Special Committee on Human Rights and the Islamabad High Court in 2018 recommended that those making false blasphemy accusations be given the same punishments as those for blasphemy convictions, but the government dismissed the recommendation. The recommendation also stated that anyone registering a blasphemy case at a police station must bring two witnesses.

While punishment for blasphemy ranges from several years in prison to death in Pakistan, a person making a false accusation faces potential punishment of only six months in prison or a fine of 1,000 rupees (US$6). Successive governments have acknowledged that the blasphemy laws are blatantly misused, but little effort has been made to stop the abuses.

Rights activists say it’s unlikely that any government will move to repeal or amend the blasphemy laws due to fierce Islamist sentiments in the Muslim-majority country. They say Pakistani authorities must be urged to immediately implement effective procedural and institutional safeguards at the investigative, prosecutorial and judicial levels to prevent abuse of these laws.

At least 35 people in prison in 2020 received death sentences for blasphemy, compared with 29 the previous year, according to the U.S. State Department’s 2020 International Religious Freedom Report, released last month. The report cites the Center for Social Justice, a national Non-Governmental Organization, as reporting that at least 199 people were accused of blasphemy offenses in 202, the highest number of blasphemy cases in a single year in the country’s history. Most of the accused were Shia (70 percent of cases) and Ahmadis (20 percent), according to the report.

The U.S. State Department in December re-designated Pakistan among nine other “Countries of Particular Concern” for severe violations of religious freedom. Previously Pakistan had been added to the list on Nov. 28, 2018.

Pakistan ranked fifth on Christian support organization Open Doors 2021 World Watch list of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.

SOURCE: CHRISTIAN HEADLINES

Atheist Leader in Kenya Resigns After Finding Jesus Christ: ‘I’m so Happy

Admin
-
0
Atheist Leader in Kenya Resigns After Finding Jesus Christ: ‘I’m so Happy

Seth Mahiga, who served as secretary for Atheists in Kenya (AIK) for less than two years, officially resigned from his position with the society on Saturday after giving his life to Jesus Christ.

In a video posted online, Mahiga shares the good news with a group of church members.

“I’ve been going through some difficulties in life and then I decided to resign as the secretary so I’m so happy to be here,” he said.

AIK President Harrison Mumia thanked Mahiga for his service and wished him well in his future endeavors. 

“Seth’s reason for resigning is that he has found Jesus Christ and is no longer interested in promoting atheism in Kenya. We wish Seth all the best in his new found relationship with Jesus Christ,” Mumia wrote in a statement.

Among AIK’s objectives are the promotion and practice of “open, rational, and scientific examination of the universe and our place in it”, and “to advocate that ethics and morality be meaningfully based on rational and humanistic ideals and values”.

The society believes that “human beings are capable of being ethical and moral without religion or God.”

The news of Mahiga stepping down from his role with AIK garnered praise on social media.

Julie J Bird wrote, “It is the power of God. Stronger than anything else in the whole universe.”

Another user tweeted, “Every knee, shall bow and every tongue shall confess, that Jesus, Christ is lord. Amen!”

And Laura RW congratulated Mahiga on his decision, adding “All glory to God in the highest.”

SOURCE: CBN NEWS

1...495051...157Page 50 of 157