North Sudan Church Still in Ruins After Muslim Torching
More than seven months after Muslim extremists burned its church building, a Presbyterian Church of the Sudan (PCOS) congregation is … Read More
FCC Kills Controversial Fairness Doctrine
The Fairness Doctrine is dead, and few conservatives will shed a tear. The Federal Communications Commission on Monday official removed the controversial doctrine from the Code of Federal Regulations.
“The elimination of the obsolete Fairness Doctrine regulations will remove an unnecessary distraction. As I have said, striking this from our books ensures there can be no mistake that what has long been a dead letter remains dead,” said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.
The rule enabled the FCC to compel broadcasters to air opposing viewpoints on controversial issues that the government decided to be of public importance. The Fairness doctrine was first put on the books in 1949, and later eliminated in 1987. But there was a push by liberals to give new life to the old rule.
Virginia Earthquake Rattles D.C., New York
New York is shaking—and it’s not just Wall Street. In what some may view as a sign of the end-times, … Read More
Diverse Earthquakes Pump End-Time Discussions
A rash of earthquakes in diverse places has some believers looking for their redemption to draw nigh while others are … Read More
VIDEO: Atheist’s Prayer Answered
God tells us through His Word in Ephesians, that we have been chosen and predestined according to His plan and … Read More
Signs of the Times: Ezekiel’s Prophecies Set to Unfold?
Last year an international crisis exploded when Israel stopped a flotilla of ships from breaking its naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.
The incident left Israel feeling more isolated, but some Jews saw the pages of Scripture coming alive through the crisis.
When Israeli commandos stormed the Turkish-owned flagship, Mavi Mamara, leading the flotilla, things quickly turned deadly. Pro-Palestinian activists attacked the soldiers, who then defended themselves. Nine activists died in the melee.
Rock the Lakes Event Inspires Hundreds
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.
English Camps Open Door to Gospel in China
Teaching English is a big business in China. According to figures reported in state media, the English-teaching industry was worth … Read More
Anti-Christian Attackers Target Mission Churches
Anti-Christian attackers are targeting mission church buildings. One Gospel for Asia-supported missionary suffered an attack on his church building, and another missionary saw his church building destroyed this summer.
The first incident occurred on June 25. When pastor Chandan Dutta showed up to lead worship the next day, he noticed that all the windows in the church were destroyed. The door was also damaged where the vandals attempted to break in.
Chandan reported the incident to the local police, but they have yet to identify the culprits.
T.D. Jakes Says Zachery Tims ‘Unhappy’ Before Death
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.”
US Hiker Sentence Offers Insight Islamic End Time Prophecy
Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were sentenced to eight years in an Iranian prison on charges of espionage over the weekend. Terms like “mockery of justice” are floating around, but radical Islam watchers are not surprised.
“The conduct of this trial has quite simply made a mockery of justice. There does not appear to be any substance to the allegations that Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal are spies,” says Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s Middle East Director.
“The way this case has been handled from the outset strongly suggests that they are being held as a bargaining chip to allow Iran to obtain unspecified concessions from the U.S. government,” Smart continued.
Indeed, no evidence to suggest the men were conducting espionage is known to have been presented in court. The two men, who deny the charges, are planning to appeal the sentence in 20 days, according to their lawyer, Massoud Shafi’e. The men have already spent two years in Tehran’s Evin Prison. During that time, they have seen their family only once.
‘Suing the Devil’ Movie Takes Spiritual Battle to Courtroom
The Bible says when the thief is caught stealing he has to repay sevenfold. But have you ever wished you could just sue the devil?
That’s the idea behind Suing the Devil, a faith-based legal thriller that brings the spiritual battle to the courtroom. The film aims to offer insight into the danger of pride, the power of prayer, and the ultimate victory of faith in Christ over the forces of evil.
At a time when many are questioning the reality of hell and Satan—according to the latest Barna Group poll, only 50 percent of Christians believe in the devil—Suing the Devil aims its guns at Satan’s strategy. The film opens in select theaters nationwide on Aug. 26.
In the film, Luke O’Brien (Bart Bronson), a washed-up janitor turned night law student, sues Satan (Malcolm McDowell) for $8 trillion. Satan, who has 10 of the country’s best lawyers on his legal team, appears to defend himself on the last day before Luke files a defauly judgment. The whole world watches Legal TV to see who will win “the trial of the century.”
Sexually Explicit Content Pushed on Public Schools
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.”
Ethiopian Churches Expanding Despite Persecution
The famine may be crippling. The Muslim voice may be strong. Fleeing refugees may crowd the borders. But the evangelistic churches in Ethiopia are linked in unity and strength like never before.
Global Advance witnessed this incredible unity at their Frontline Shepherds Conference conducted in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, last month.
With the Frontline Shepherds Conference, pastors were even more equipped with a sense of unity as they were trained in church growth, planting and missions. Pastors were also challenged in their personal walk with the Lord, and many committed to plant a new church within the next 12 months.
Korea Finds Christian Help in Wake of Devastating Floods
While droughts and famine are plaguing some parts of the world, flooding is prevalent in others. Dozens of people were … Read More
Same-Sex Marriage Facebook Comments Get Teacher Suspended
A former “Teacher of the Year” at Mount Dora High School has been suspended from the classroom for a comment he made on his own personal Facebook page.
In the Facebook comment, Jerry Buell expressed his disapproval of legalized same-sex marriage in New York. The Florida educator said homosexuality is a sin and that seeing two “grooms” kissing on a news story revolted him.
School officials received a complaint about Buell’s comment on Tuesday from a 2002 Mount Dora graduate, who was never even in the teacher’s class. The Lake County School District responded by taking away his teaching privileges and reassigning him to administrative duties.
Megachurch Will Not Stream Zachery Tims Funeral Service
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.
High Shipping Prices Hinder Spread of Gospel
Gas prices are finally starting to slowly climb back down in the U.S., and the costs are expected to continue their decline. Over the past few months oil prices have gone down, and yet shipping costs—which rose with the rise in oil costs over the last few years—remain high.
Oil prices are still higher than they were a year ago, which is part of the reason that shipping costs have remained higher as well. Even as oil prices go down, some shipping companies are playing catch-up.
Increased shipping costs have presented a significant dilemma for ministries attempting to send large amounts of aid or resources to far-away nations. Global Aid Network (GAiN), for example, has millions of meals prepared to send to East Africa where severe drought has thrown millions into levels of starvation. However, GAiN has had difficulty procuring the funds to actually send the food to Africa.
Family of Demon-Possessed Girl Struggles to Accept Christ
When Pathik Sharma showed a movie about Jesus to a people staunchly devoted to ancestor worship, Bishakha Gupta came to watch—and so did the demon that possessed her body.
As the movie ended, Bishakha’s breathing became erratic. Her parents noticed her distress and decided to take her to a doctor the next day. But Pathik, a Gospel for Asia-supported missionary, asked if he could pray for the young girl instead.
When Pathik stepped toward Bishakha, the girl pushed him away and would not let the missionary touch her. She became violent. The people around her held her hands and feet so Pathik could pray.
VIDEO: 20 Years of ‘Redeeming Love’
Over 1 million copies of the love story have been sold. Since its debut, now 20 years ago, Francine Rivers’ … Read More
Nepal Churches Live Under Constant Threat
Defying pouring rain and flooded streets, over two dozen people have gathered faithfully at the Putalisadak Church in the heart of capital city Kathmandu for the regular Thursday evening Bible study class, bringing a smile of satisfaction on the face of Pastor Dev Kumar Chetri.
The smile fades, however, when he talks about the problems that Nepal’s second-oldest church has faced due to government discrimination. Hundreds of other churches scattered through the former Hindu kingdom have faced the same problem.
