Category: U.S.

A rash of earthquakes in diverse places has some believers looking for their redemption to draw nigh while others are … Read More

Hundreds of men and women—and boys and girls—made decisions for Jesus Sunday night at Rock the Lakes. The family-friendly evening attracted people of all ages, some 10,000 strong, for music from Canton Jones, The Charlie Daniels Band and Michael W. Smith, and a message of hope from Franklin Graham.

On the final night of Rock the Lakes in Milwaukee, the past and present converged in a way that only God could ordain. Diane from Kenosha, Wisc., came to Veterans Park clutching her copy of Billy Graham’s autobiography, Just As I Am, believing that his son, Franklin, would sign the book for her.

When she was younger, Graham played a huge part in influencing Diane’s faith. But a series of difficulties shook that foundation. Her son suffered brain damage after a drug overdose and she also struggled with substance abuse.

More than 5,000 people attended the Saturday funeral of Zachery Tims, the Orlando, Fla.-area megachurch pastor found dead in a New York City hotel room on Aug. 12.

Bishop T.D. Jakes, founder of The Potter’s House, a 30,000-member church in Dallas, offered a eulogy for Tims. Although the media was not allowed inside, the Orlando Sentinel reported that Jakes talked about how unhappy Tims was.

“I thought I was the only one who knew how unhappy Zach was, how broken he was, how afraid he was if anybody was to see any flaw in him,” Jakes said. “He tried hard to heal himself, to fix himself … I don’t know what happened in that room in New York, but I can only hope that as Zach was dying, Dr. Tims stood up.”

Jakes was referring to the two sides of Tims: Zach, an imperfect man, and Dr. Tims, a caring spiritual leader who helped imperfect people.

“Zach had a way of acting like he was your kid,” Jakes said. “He would come into your house and go straight for the refrigerator. You couldn’t say anything, because he’d bust that big old grin on you.”

Even as the triple-X domain is gaining momentum for pornographers, there’s a new battle in the public school system over Internet access to sexually explicit materials.

It seems the American Civil Liberties Union is demanding that seven public school districts deactivate web filters that block student access to websites with sexually-inappropriate content because the filters also block sites homosexual activist groups run.

The Alliance Defense Fund has sent letters to the districts urging them to reject the ACLU’s demands. In the letter, ADF assures the districts that they are well within their legal rights to retain their filters. The letters also provide the districts with a list of sites that display pornographic images and sexual advice that would be accessible to students if the districts give in to the ACLU’s demands.

ADF sent a similar letter to Gwinnett County Public Schools in Georgia earlier this month after the ACLU threatened that district over its web filter as part of the ACLU’s “Don’t Filter Me Initiative.”

After early plans to stream megachurch Pastor Zachery Tims’ funeral service online, New Destiny Christian Center has decided to keep the event private. The service will not stream online or be open to media.

Tims, 42, was found dead in a New York City hotel room on Aug. 12. The cause of death has not yet been determined. About 2,000 people attended NDCC on Monday night to grieve Tims’ death.

Speakers have not been announced for the funeral, though Orlando, Fla., news station WESH-TV is reporting that Bishop T.D. Jakes may be present. On Thursday afternoon, Jakes tweeted that he was traveling to Orlando to be with Tims’ family.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Charisma magazine in June 2007. In the article Pastor Zachery Tims, who died on Aug. 12 in a New York City hotel room, exhorted Christians to pursue God’s destiny for their lives. The article is characteristic of Tims’ charismatic teaching that helped him build a megachurch with 8,000 members in Orlando, Fla.

Where you’re going in life is more important than where you’ve been.

When you’re driving a car, do you ever pay attention to how big the windshield is compared to the rearview mirror? Why do you think the rearview mirror is smaller? It’s because where you’re going is more important than where you’ve been.

Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of Billy and Ruth Graham, fervently believes the signs of Jesus’ return are being fulfilled and He will return during this generation.

In her book Expecting to See Jesus: A Wake-Up Call for God’s People, released in August, Lotz details the signs of Jesus’ return and the implications that He could return at any moment. She wants America to realize that Sept. 11 was a wake-up call from God, that as a country we have pushed him out of our government and schools, and it’s time to repent and invite him back.

“The signs that Jesus gave and the headlines in the news are coming together in a dramatically sobering way,” says Lotz, president and CEO of AnGeL Ministries, a nonprofit organization that undergirds her efforts to draw people into a  life-changing relationship with God through his Word. “I have held the conviction with intense focus since I was in my early 20s that if I live out my natural lifetime, I will live to see the physical return of Jesus to earth!”

The story of 9/11 survivors will be welcome in New York City after all.

The New York City’s Department of Parks and Recreation has agreed to grant a request from the Christian Action Network to permit the showing of a film made about 9/11 survivors in a number of city parks leading up to the 10th anniversary of the tragic attacks of 9/11.

The decision came just two weeks after the American Center for Law and Justice sent a demand letter urgingc ity officials to permit the film to be shown or face a possible lawsuit.

The following article was originally published in Charisma magazine in September 2006.

Marijuana and cocaine defined his young life.

He started by selling to addicts in a high crime area. Before long he sold drugs to classmates at the Roman Catholic high school he attended, to women willing to barter their bodies for crack cocaine, and later to supervisors wanting to get high on the job. Trafficking turned him on—until, like some of his customers, he got addicted to his product.

But all that changed for Zachery Tims one early morning in March 1989. It was close to 3 a.m., and the blackness of the night sky paled in comparison to the spiritual darkness that had blanketed Tims while he slept. Demons swarmed around him in his dream, trying to pull him into hell. It was the third straight night the hideous creatures seeking his life had invaded his sleep.

This time, Tims bolted from his bed and rushed for the door.

When rumors first emerged that megachurch Pastor Zachery Tims Jr. had passed away, believers took to Twitter and Facebook looking for the truth. Now, Tims’ followers are broadcasting video tributes on YouTube.

The 42-year-old Tims was found Friday at 6 p.m. in a W Hotel room in New York City. Despite rumors in the media world, the official cause of death is not yet known.

Tims pastored New Destiny Christian Center in the Orlando, Fla., area since 1996. The church has grown to more than 8,000 members, many of whom gathered together at the church on Monday night to pay their respects.

As the church world waits for the mystery of Tims’ death to be resolved, some Christians are honoring the man who they will remember for building youth centers and helping people fight the good fight of faith. Here are a few of those videos:

Zachery Tims’ congregation united on Monday night to mourn their senior pastor as a family. Tims was found dead on … Read More

Riva Tims, the ex-wife of the late Pastor Zachery Tims Jr., addressed more than 2,000 people gathered at New Destiny Christian Center in Orlando, Fla., Monday night. The 42-year-old Zachery Tims was found Friday at 6 p.m. in a W Hotel room in New York City. The official cause of death is not yet known.

Riva Tims, who left the church in 2008 during a scandal and eventual divorce in which Zachery Tims admitted to an “indiscretion,” told the congregation that she, her ex-husband and their four children traveled together to Puerto Rico the week prior to his death.

“God saw it fit that we would have an opportunity to spend a few days together with him,” she said to the crowd who never took their seats while she spoke. “He was able to fellowship with his sons and his daughters. He was able to take pictures with them.”

What do a pastor, a young pro-surfer, and a 94-year-old former Olympian and WW II vet have in common? This past weekend, each one of them—Greg Laurie, Bethany Hamilton, and Louis Zamperini—spoke to crowds gathered at Angel Stadium for the 2011 Anaheim Harvest about their shared faith in Jesus Christ.

Hosted by more than 215 churches, from Riverside to Irvine to Temecula, the Harvest Crusades with Greg Laurie marked its 22nd year of evangelistic outreach in Orange County, Calif. with a three-night event, Friday through Sunday (Aug. 12–14).

The 2011 Anaheim Harvest drew a diverse crowd of 115,000 people from 34 states and 11 countries, all of whom gathered to listen to top Christian music from artists like Kutless, Jeremy Camp, Francesca Battistelli, Jars of Clay, Red and Phil Wickham, and to hear the faith stories of Hamilton and Zamperini. But most important was the message of salvation presented by Riverside, Calif. pastor and evangelist Laurie each evening.

The Arizona Court of Appeals upheld new abortion regulations which require any woman seeking an abortion to meet face-to-face with the licensed physician performing the abortion at least 24 hours prior to the abortion.

The law also requires that parental consent forms be notarized in order for a minor to get an abortion. Health care providers, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists, may refuse to participate in abortions, provide contraceptives, or give out the “morning after pill” if they have moral or religious objections. The law also prohibits anyone who is not a licensed physician from performing an abortion.

Megachurch Pastor Zachery Tims’ congregation has called a special meeting to address rumors and speculation surrounding his weekend death in a New York City hotel room.

In an email obtained by Charisma News, New Destiny Christian Center staff has asked the congregation to come together on Monday evening:

“Today has been filled with rumors and speculations regarding Pastor Zach. We are having a meeting on tomorrow, Monday, Aug. 15th at 7:00pm. Please join us. We look forward to seeing you there.”

New York City police are probing Tims’ death. The W Hotel’s housekeeping staff found Tims dead on the floor of his hotel room, according to the Orlando Sentinel. It is not clear how long he was dead before the maids discovered his body, or the purpose of his trip to Manhattan.

Megachurch Pastor Zachery Tims, 42, of New Destiny Christian Center died in a New York City hotel room on Aug. 12. The rumored death of the Orlando-area pastor set the social media world ablaze this weekend. Now, condolences are pouring in through the same web 2.0 channels that first broadcast the news.

Even as Charisma News works to confirm rumors related to Tims’ cause of death in a W Hotel room in Times Square, support for his family and eulogies are flooding his Facebook page. The medical examiner has not yet announced the cause of death. However, New York City police said there will not be a criminal investigation.

“Words cannot fully express the depth of my sorrow that I feel at this moment in time having lost our shepherd, Dr. Zachary Tims. While I do not question God I am simply perplexed,” writes Travis Warren. “I thank God for using DOC to show me and the world that it was cool to be young, gifted, and be connected with a great Church like New Destiny. RIP DOC, you will be truly missed for an eternity. Thanks for keeping it oh so REAL!”

UPDATED: Megachurch pastor Zachery Tims died on August 12 in a New York City hotel room the New York Police … Read More

An “anti-gay” church controversy that’s been brewing has finally become frothy.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has canceled his speech at an influential megachurch in Illinois. The decision comes as a response to a Change.org petition that cast anti-gay aspersions on the congregation. At the same time, a Christian group that opposes homosexuality is also picketing the church.

The Change.org petition accused Willow Creek Community Church of “anti-gay persecution” based on its past association with Exodus International, a Christian ministry that works to help gays and lesbians leave homosexuality. Meanwhile, Americans for Truth About Homosexuality is upset because Willow Creek, an evangelical church in South Barrington, Ill., broke ties with Exodus in 2009.

The Crystal Cathedral’s creditors aren’t backing down. The creditors have made it clear that the megachurch property will be sold whether or not the Schuller family agrees, according to United Press International.

The California church was believing God for a $50 million fundraising miracle, but creditors filed a plan in federal bankruptcy court in Santa Ana, Calif., on Tuesday calling for the sale.

Creditors want at least $50 million, The Orange County Register reported. The plan would reportedly allow the Schullers to lease the 3,000-seat building from the buyer.