Charisma Staff

World

Pakistani Muslims Convicted for Beating Christian to Death

Charisma Staff

Three Muslims convicted of killing a Christian in Pakistan’s Punjab Province for refusing to convert to Islam last year have been given life sentences, according to attorneys for the European Centre for Law and Justice in Pakistan.

The Sessions Court in Mian Channu on July 7 convicted Ghulam Rasool, Amjad Iqbal and Kashir Saleem of torturing and killing Rasheed Masih on March 9, 2010, and sentenced them to life in prison, which in Pakistan is 25 years. The court also ordered each convict to pay 100,000 rupees ($1,153) to Masih’s family. A fourth suspect, Muhammad Asif, was acquitted.

U.S.

Christian Radio Personality Charged In Ponzi Scheme

Charisma Staff

For all the talk about the 89-year-old Family Radio Network founder Harold Camping’s end of the world predictions, there’s another elderly radio show host making scandalous headlines these days.

Patrick Kiley, a 73-year-old conservative Christian talk show host, has been indicted in a Ponzi scheme that allegedly involved $194 million in investors’ money, according to Financial Advisor magazine. He and others have been charged with wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering, among other offenses.

World

Spiritual Warfare Campaign Tackles Voodoo in Haiti

Charisma Staff

Haiti has been on numerous emotional roller coasters in the past 18 months. What some may not realize though, is that Haiti has been on this rickety ride for centuries.

But now the tables may be turning. Pastor Robert Ulysse, a minister in the northwest region of Haiti, confirms that a great awakening has been taking place in that region over the past several months. He expects the area is about to stumble upon an even greater revival.

For the last six years, Ulysse has been involved with a development project in Haiti. Out of this project was birthed a Spiritual Warfare Campaign, which has been in effect over the last eight months.


Culture

Christian Leader Points to Gospel, Not Therapy, as Way Out of Homosexuality

Charisma Staff

Although there are many “solutions” offered for how to change one’s sexual orientation—and some believe it cannot even be done—one evangelical Christian says the answer is simple: the gospel.

Dr. Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, says secular therapy to change one’s sexual identity—known as reparative therapy or sexual orientation conversion therapy—is not a viable solution.

This debate, which has already been prominent in the 2012 elections, was started by the pro-homosexual group Truth Wins Out accused a clinic ran by Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann’s husband, Marcus, of offering such treatment.

Culture

Teen Cuts Long Locks to Support Missions

Charisma Staff

Tanner Looft, 18, had been growing his hair out for several years, but it wasn’t until his senior year of high school that he entertained the idea of cutting it.

Looft decided to have his curly brown hair cut to raise money for missionaries. It wasn’t a typical fundraiser, however—Looft’s hair measured 28 inches long when it was cut on June 19.

The hair was donated to Locks of Love, and all money raised was donated to Speed the Light through his youth group at New River Assembly of God in Red Wing, Minn.

“I simply wanted to use everything I had to glorify God in some way,” Looft says. “Even the most simplistic things can be used to glorify God in a huge way. I mean, I cut my hair and we raised a good chunk of money for a missionary somewhere to get around much easier.”

U.S.

Shuttle Program Complete with Atlantis Landing

Charisma Staff

The space shuttle Atlantis made its final touch down in Florida in the pre-dawn darkness just before 6 a.m. Thursday, marking the end of an era in America’s space program.

“After serving the world for over 30 years, the space shuttle’s earned its place in history. And it’s come to a final stop,” commander Christopher Ferguson radioed after Atlantis landed on the runway.

“Job well done, America,” replied Mission Control.

Thirteen days ago the world watched as the shuttle shot into space for the last time.

U.S.

University Makes History

Charisma Staff

In a historic first, seven leaders from the underground church in China received doctor of ministry seminary degrees recently from The King’s University in Los Angeles. Founder Jack Hayford said he believes the school “was raised up for this time.”

While a few degrees have been granted to Chinese students from seminaries in Singapore, this was the first time an American university has awarded doctorates in ministry to Chinese students. Faculty from The King’s University traveled back and forth to China and taught through translators.

The leaders are a part of what some call the “Third Church,” a name often used to describe the Chinese underground church in urban areas. Historically, the country’s underground church has been hidden mainly in the rural areas, away from the communist government’s power bases. The registered, state-approved Three-Self Church accounts for about half the estimated 140 million Chinese believers.

U.S.

A Lutheran President?

Charisma Staff

She’s in. And she says she’s a bold choice. She’s Rep. Michele Bachmann, a Christian voice with a Lutheran background—and she could be the answer to Mormon candidate Mitt Romney. Charismatics have also taken note of her degree from the Coburn School of Law at Oral Roberts University.

Bachmann grew up a Democrat and worked for Jimmy Carter’s election in 1976, but switched parties after seeing Carter’s big budget plans.

“I remember [my grandmother’s] prophetic admonition to my father that the Great Society wouldn’t work because it wouldn’t be my father’s generation who paid for it, but rather my brother, David, and me,” she says. “Now that prediction has come true, and neither my Democrat father nor my Republican grandmother would have condoned this spending and debt.”


World

Canadian Broadcast Council Rules Against Sid Roth Show

Charisma Staff

Sid Roth often has one of two effects on Jews who listen to him speak: They either get saved or they try to shut him up.

Muslims don’t like him much either, and even other Messianic leaders are challenging his assertion that there is a modern awakening similar to what happened in the 1990s among Jews in the former Soviet Union.

Indeed, Roth, founder of Georgia-based Messianic Vision and host of television show It’s Supernatural, is seeing spiritual warfare manifest on all sides. Some don’t want the Messianic Jew preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, nor do they like him giving airtime to people who discern radical Islam’s agenda to dominate the world.

U.S.

The Response Adds Trio of New Co-Chairs for Prayer Event

Charisma Staff

Despite persecution, three more respected Christian leaders have signed on as co-chairpersons of the Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s The Response: a call to prayer for a nation in crisis prayer event on Aug. 6.

Penny Nance, president and CEO of Concerned Women for America; Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council; and Frank Wright, president of the National Religious Broadcasters, have been appointed to serve. Previously announced co-chairpersons include Dr. James Dobson and his wife, Shirley, Rev. Sammy Rodriquez, Dr. Tony Evans and Dr. Richard Land.

Culture

‘Five Love Languages’ Author Holding Webinar

Charisma Staff

As a renowned marriage and family expert, Dr. Gary Chapman has done his fair share of studying, teaching and writing about loving one another.

When he leads a seminar at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove July 29-31, he will address that topic. But he will address the topic in light of the greatest commandment: to love God.

Chapman says that before we can effectively love one another, we must have a genuine love for God. He first loved us, and He demonstrated that love by giving His son to die on the cross, so our love for Him is a response.

“After we understand what God has done for us, we can’t help but say, ‘Yes, I want to love Him,’” explains Chapman. “Then when we have responded to God by loving Him back, we can then be agents of His love to other people.”

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