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Showing posts from November, 2013

Persecuted Pastor's Unshakable Faith Inspires Inmates to Accept Christ

www.charismanews.com As Gospel for Asia pastor Ugyen Tashi entered the prison, three iron gates loomed before him like grim sentinels.His heart felt cold when he passed through the first gate. At the second gate, a searing realization came over him: He would not see the outside world for a few years. He would be cut off from his wife, his infant daughter and his fellow believers.The third gate led him into the dark, cramped cell that would now be his home. As he entered, the high walls seemed to close in on him.“I could not see anything except the sky,” he remembers. Pastor Ugyen had been branded an enemy of his country for sharing the love of Christ, yet he knew God had allowed his prison sentence for a reason. The Gospel for Asia (GFA) national missionary would have three years to tell the murderers, drug addicts and thieves he would now live with about the One who came to break their shackles of bondage and set them truly free.“Our Lord had to go through inhuman beating and humiliat

Largest Pentecostal Groups in the US Gather in Historic Meeting to 'Heal Scars'

         Leaders from the Assemblies of God and Church of God in Christ participated in a historic meeting in Springfield, Mo., earlier this week, marking the first time two of America's largest Pentecostal movements gathered for dialogue. "This is a wonderful day,"  said  AG General Superintendent George O. Wood. "Meeting with our like-minded brothers from the Church of God in Christ is something we and the leadership of COGIC have longed to do for years, and now it has finally happened!" During a chapel service, Wood reflected that the long-standing separation between the two groups occurred because of the racial culture in America almost a century ago, which shaped the church rather than the Bible. He added that the meeting represents a step toward healing that rift and moving forward. COGIC leaders who attended the meeting included current Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr., who also pastors the 24,000-member West Angeles COGIC in Los Angeles; First Assis

Israel Orders Deportation of Jews for Jesus Worker

source; assistnews.net An Israeli immigration judge has ordered the deportation of a Messianic Jewish man from England who was arrested last week for taking part in an evangelistic event in southern Israel, reports Dan Wooding, Founder of   ASSIST Ministries . According to Morning Star News (http://morningstarnews.org), Barry Barnett, 50, a worker with Jews for Jesus UK, was ordered on Sunday (Nov. 24) to leave the country by Dec. 3. Barnett, who is based in England, was volunteering at the Jews for Jesus “Behold your God Israel” campaign around the city of Be’er Shiva when he was arrested Wednesday (Nov. 20) at about 4 p.m. According to his wife, Alison Barnett, six immigration control officers took him from Be’er Shiva, 125 kilometers (78 miles) south of Jerusalem, to an immigration office in Omer, just outside of the city. He was held there for several hours without charge, then transferred to an immigration-holding unit of a prison in Ramle, near Tel Aviv. He spent four days in jai

'My Hope with Billy Graham' Campaign to Continue for the Next Five Years

Reporting: Franklin Graham Millions of people across the United States and Canada watched the My Hope with Billy Graham program over the last few weeks. My father's message, The Cross, has been broadcast on hundreds of TV stations and shown in thousands of churches and homes. It will be several more weeks before we know the full impact, but we already know of tens of thousands of people who have shared with us that they gave their lives to the Savior in repentance and faith. Praise God! One pastor of a very large congregation told me his church had 1,300 small groups that met in homes and neighborhoods to watch The Cross, and an average of more than two people came to Christ in each group. He told me he expected up to 3,000 more people than usual to attend his church the next Sunday. The pastor could hardly believe it. Since my father had asked Christians to invite unsaved friends to watch the broadcast, he wanted to do the same. He had more than 900 guests for a gathering near his

End times will bring greater persecution to Christians, Pope says

In his daily homily Pope Francis reflected on the end times, saying that faith will be increasingly  pushed out of the public square and that persecution of Christians is a “prophecy of what is to come, reports   Catholic News Agency . The Pope directed his comments to those gathered in the chapel of the Vatican's Saint Martha guesthouse for his daily Mass on Nov. 28. Reflecting on the day's reading taken from the Gospel of Luke, in which Jesus speaks of the trials and tribulations that will precede the end times, the pontiff explained that when the Lord refers to this in another passage, “he tells us that it will be a desecration of the temple.” It will be “a profanation of the faith, of the people,” he continued, and “it will be an abomination, it will be desolation and abomination.” “What does this mean?” the Pope asked the Mass attendees, responding, “It will be like the triumph of the prince of this world: the defeat of God.” “It seems at that final moment of calamity, it

Prayers at the Independence Square

In the morning of November 27th thousands of people demanding European integration, gathered at the Independence Square in Kiev, Ukraine, and prayers were sounded several times during the day, reports religious broadcast Around 7:30 am the famous singer Ruslana (winner of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2004), who spent the night on the stage together with the protesters, got a note, which content was a prayer. Together with the people, Ruslana read it and asked Jesus Christ to bless and protect all the participants and Ukraine in general. Shortly after, a woman from a religious school climbed on the stage, and said that she is going to work with her students and will be praying all the time for all participants so that everything will turn good in Ukraine. At the Independence square during the past couple of days, there were also other appeals to God. Recall, that last Sunday more than 100 thousand people gathered in the central square of Kiev demanding the signing of the Associate mem

Pope sets out new vision for Catholic Church and attacks capitalism

The Pope has attacked the greed of capitalism in a scathing new text in which he sets out his vision for the Catholic Church, in the first major written document of his papacy. Pope Francis chose the title: 'The Joy of the Gospel' for his 224-page document which addresses numerous themes, including evangelisation, peace, social justice, the family, respect for creation, faith and politics and the role of women in the Church. Referring to the financial crisis, the pontiff is urging  Catholics to say 'thou shalt not' to an economy of 'exclusion and inequality' that he says 'kills'. The Pope also warns that society is also in a 'constant potential for disintegration and death' because of the 'worldwide crisis affecting finance and the economy'. He also urges political leaders to carry out a 'vigourious' reform of the system saying 'money must serve, not rule'. Pope Francis also touched upon possible reform in the Vatican, say

National Cathedral to Begin Charging Entry Fees Next Year

(photo:reuters/molly riley) One of the largest churches in North America will soon be charging entry fees for visitors who are there for sight-seeing purposes. Washington National Cathedral, located in the District of Columbia, announced Monday that it will begin charging an entry fee in January for a "six-month trial period." David J. Kautter, chair of the  Cathedral Chapter , which serves as the governing board for the cathedral, sent a message out via email explaining the details of the future fee system. "To help supplement our current revenues, beginning in January, adult visitors will be charged $10, while seniors, children, students, veterans, and members of the military will be charged $6," said Kautter. "The Cathedral will remain open for those visiting for prayer, worship, and pastoral care, and we will also offer free admission on Sundays." Kautter also explained that the cathedral was financially independent from any government entity or Christ

Every Day Is Thanksgiving Day In North Korea-By Order Of The State

Thanksgiving is fast approaching-a day every year when Americans stop to give thanks. But according to a news release from Seoul USA, in the country of North Korea, Thanksgiving to North Korea's “Eternal President” Kim Il Sung must be given at every meal, reports Jeremy Reynalds, Senior Correspondent for   ASSIST News Service . “The best wall on every house in North Korea must have well cared for photos of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il,” said Seoul USA CEO Eric Foley speaking in the news release. “At every meal families look up at the picture and pray, thank you, Father Kim Il Sung, for this food.” While most Americans view the Hermit Kingdom as an atheist nation, Foley said in reality, it is perhaps the most religious nation on earth because one hundred percent of its citizens are required to worship Kim Il Sung. North Korea is the world's only “necrocacy” - ruled forever by its deceased eternal president. “This is challenging to Christians who refuse to worship anyone other tha

BREAKING NEWS: China Police Raid Beijing House Churches; Bibles Confiscated

China's devoted Christians can face persecution, with many forced to worship underground in house churches, activists say. BEIJING, CHINA -- Chinese security forces have raided several house churches in China's capital Beijing where they confiscated Bibles and in at least one case destroyed equipment, well-informed Christians narrated Bob Fu, a former Chinese house church pastor who now leads advocacy group China Aid Association (CAA) said more than 20 people, including police officers and religious affairs officials, were involved in the operations since last Sunday, November 17. At least three house church meetings were reportedly broken up by police for being "illegal" gatherings. "They burst into a meeting of 25 believers where they began breaking up the meeting, destroying installations in the room, and removing four or five cases of Bibles," Fu said in comments Friday, November 22. A local radio station quoted officials as saying that "due to secu

Saeed Abedini Alive: Iranian Family Visits Him

via assistnews.net For the first time since he was abruptly transferred from Evin Prison to Rajai Shahr Prison earlier this month, American Pastor Saeed Abedini was allowed visitation with his Iranian family, reports Jeremy Reynalds, Senior Correspondent for  ASSIST News Service . According to a story by Jordan Sekulow for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), this is a positive sign that international pressure continues to work to keep Abedini alive. Abedini’s Iranian family has, for the past two weeks since his transfer, been prevented from visiting him – something they had previously been permitted to do once a week during his imprisonment in Evin Prison. The ACLJ said it is also the first physical confirmation of Abedini’s condition and life since his transfer to the brutal prison. Abedini remains in the violent criminal ward – Ward 3 – of Rajai Shahr, sharing a three meter by three meter cell with other prisoners. This ward of the deadly prison holds some of the worst cr

Pastor and Gospel Artist Marvin Sapp Serious About Educating All Youth

Pastor and chart-topping gospel singer Marvin Sapp is co-hosting a program at his charter school Monday, Nov. 11, with Carol Van Andel to share the school's mission with the community. The Grand Rapids Ellington Academy of Arts and Technology (GREAAT), located at 600 Burton St. SE, is in its second year and serves 420 students in prekindergarten through 9th grade. The school is scheduled to add a grade each year until 12th. "I want the community to know that we are not a fly-by-night organization (and that we're) serious about educating all youth, not just urban youth," said Sapp, who said no other school in West Michigan is offering the performing and fine arts in a core curriculum. "We are passionate about bringing about a change in the lives of young people. We want children to want to be great." Approximately 50 community leaders and partners will attend the event, which is open to the public and runs from noon to 1 p.m. Sapp said his friendshi