Was MLK’s Civil Rights Cause Misrepresented?
As MLK parades get under way from coast to coast to honor the slain civil rights icon, more than 40 … Read More
Muslim Villager in Pakistan Allegedly Rapes Sixth Christian Girl
A Muslim who allegedly confessed to sexually assaulting five Christian girls raped a 10-year-old Catholic girl in Punjab Province last month, according to her family.
Tarkhani police have charged 25-year-old Muhammad Aftab, also known as Chandu, with raping a minor (section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code) in a sugar cane field in Village 226-GB, according to First Information Report (FIR) No. 429 at the Tarkhani Police Station. Aftab has been arrested and remanded to Central Jail Faisalabad.
More Mysterious Bird and Fish Deaths
The strange animal deaths continue. According to the AP, California wildlife officials are trying to figure out what caused the … Read More
Persecution in Iran, Christian Pilgrims, Haiti Orphanges and Gospel Films
What is secular media reporting about the Christian world this week? Here are some interesting stories worth reading as we … Read More
Black Children Positioned as ‘Endangered Species’
Endangered Species. Those two words are at the heart of a new campaign that aims to raise awareness of the … Read More
Faith Leaders Call On Congress to Halt ‘Toxic Rhetoric’
Are you weary of hearing the debates between the left and the right about who’s to blame for the Tucson shootings? You are not alone.
Now, more than 50 high-profile faith leaders—including T.J. Jakes, Joel Hunter and Sam Rodriguez—are taking action.
Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders have banded together to pen an open letter to Congress. The letter calls for national “soul searching†and praying for members of Congress after Saturday’s shooting spree in Arizona, which left six people dead and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords critically injured.
The open letter is signed by more than 50 prominent national religious leaders, including heads of evangelical, mainline Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Muslim denominations, congregations, and organizations. The signers urge members of Congress to reject vitriolic and rancorous rhetoric, consider the consequences of their words, and engage political adversaries in a spirit of shared American values of civility and cooperation.
Empowered21 Global Council Heads to LA
Jack Hayford and Billy Wilson, co-chairs of Empowered21, held a two-day Global Council meeting in Los Angeles this week. The council discussed and offered oversight to a series of 11 regional leadership teams forming to focus on critical issues Spirit-filled churches are facing around the world.
The Council also adopted vision and purpose statements for the Empowered21 effort. The focus of Empowered21 remains finding ways to help every generation be empowered by the Holy Spirit for effective Christian living.
“Human history stands embedded with social, economic, and political movements. The 21st century world will witness a fresh movement with far greater outcomes,” says Samuel Rodriguez, president of The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and Empowered21 Global Council attendee. “This is a fresh movement of God’s Holy Spirit. Movements liberate and empower. Via Empowered21 the world will experience a movement that will usher in Holiness, spiritual freedom and demonstrate the power of Christ.”
A Prophetic Look at the Tuscon Tragedy
The Jan. 8 assassination attempt of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, along with the killing of six others, including a federal judge, his staffer and a 9-year-old girl, has left Arizonans saddened and shocked. Many ministers and intercessors throughout Arizona have expressed their grief and frustration regarding this unanticipated tragedy, in that it seemingly occurred without divine warning. Nevertheless, the setting and circumstances of this tragedy are covered with Satan’s fingerprints—revealing his diabolical intentions toward not only the victims, but also the state of Arizona.
The shooting occurred at a Safeway grocery store on 7110 N. Oracle Road in Tucson. The word safeway implies a secure passage or refuge, mirroring Arizona’s divine redemptive purpose to become a “state of refuge” for thousands across the U.S. (see Mal. 4:2). The word oracle, which represents prophets and prophetic ministry, reflects another aspect of Arizona’s prophetic destiny—becoming a state of prophetic vision for and declaration to our nation. Moreover, the demonic, premeditated scheme of the assassin is uncovered in the street address of the murder scene: “7110.”
Missions Group Equips Haiti Natives to Preach Gospel to Nation
The best way to reach Haiti’s indigenous population with the Gospel is to equip other Haitians to do the work … Read More
Vanderbilt Backs Down on Forced Abortion Participation
Earlier this week, Charisma reported that Vanderbilt University was forcing nurse residency applicants to pledge that they will participate in abortion procedures. The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) has succeeded in getting the university to back off.
Vanderbilt announced in an e-mail to applicants that it had modified its policy a day after the ADF filed a complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services. The e-mail read:
“While Vanderbilt expects all health care providers, including nurses who participate in the Nurse Residency Program’s Women’s Health Track, to provide compassionate care to all patients, no health care provider is required to participate in a procedure terminating a pregnancy if such participation would be contrary to an individual’s religious beliefs or moral convictions. Attached to this communication is an information sheet that replaces the Women’s Health Acknowledgment form that accompanied the application packet.”
Haiti Permanent Housing Efforts Bearing Fruit
Massive tent camps. Rampant cholera outbreaks. Civil unrest.
Despite the many obstacles to rebuilding Haiti after last year’s massive earthquake, seeds of hope in the form of permanent housing are starting to sprout up.
Fifteen families have been able to move out of the tent camps, away from disease and destruction, into simple decent solid homes through the work of the Fuller Center, a non-profit ecumenical Christian housing ministry working to eliminate poverty housing worldwide.
“It’s been devastating to see the suffering and destruction,” says Heather Nozea who’s been on the ground in Haiti with her husband, Gerson, helping build homes with The Fuller Center. “But I feel great joy that we’ve been able to help these families and plans are underway to help many more families in the future.”
Nine of the 15 Fuller Center homes were built in Leogane, four in Saint Ard, and another two in Bellanton. The homes were built using earthquake- and hurricane-resistant techniques.
Youssef Calls on Clinton to Confront Egyptian Government
As news reports reveal that 23 people were killed and more than 90 injured in the New Year’s Day attack on Egyptian Christians, some leaders are looking to the U.S. government to step in.
Indeed, Michael Youssef, founder and president of “Leading The Way,” a weekly television broadcast that airs in more than 200 countries in 20 languages, is asking U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to pressure the Egyptian Government to bring back law and order, and to grant Christians the same liberties as Muslims.
Are Mysterious Bird and Fish Deaths Prophetic?
If the bird and fish deaths in Arkansas weren’t spooky enough, millions more dead fish have turned up in Maryland. And the United Kingdom and Italy are also reporting unusual animal deaths. What’s going on?
It all started on New Year’s Eve when reports came in that 5,000 blackbirds dropped out of the sky in Beebe, Ark. The next day, about 100,000 dead drum fish floated to the shore of the Arkansas River.
If that’s where it ended, it might not have gained national attention. But a few days later, about 2 million juvenile spot fish were dead in the Chesapeake Bay.
Christian Songwriters Commemorate Haiti Earthquake Anniversary
Christian recording artists Moses and Erica Lugemye are commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake with the release of their new song “Alive.”
All proceeds from sales of the song will benefit the Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Haiti Homes of Hope program, which provides concrete houses for homeless people in Haiti.
Building a Miracle Village in Haiti
Located 55 miles outside Port-au-Prince, the Love a Child Orphanage became a place of refuge for more than just children immediately after the earthquake. For several days, founders Bobby and Sherry Burnette transported the injured from the streets to a small hospital adjacent to their property, then opened their school classrooms for more additional patients when the hospital’s capacity overflowed.
Love a Child continues to grow as a refuge of hope. Plans now include creating a prototype sustainable community called Miracle Village with 500 new homes, a church, marketplace, chicken farm, clinic, some microbusinesses and more.
Israeli Group Saves Muslim Child’s Life
It’s a story that works to break down the walls between Muslims and Jews. It’s the story of Kevin, a 14-month-old Indonesian boy diagnosed with Congenital Heart Disease just eight days after his birth. His fate looked grim–the heart malformation is responsible for more deaths within the first year of life than any other birth defect.
Kevin’s misfortune was an opportunity for Save a Child’s Heart, an Israel-based international humanitarian project focused on improving the quality of pediatric care for children from developing nations, to treat its first Indonesian child.
Kevin’s surgery, which was made possible by donations from the American Jewish Committee (AJC), was a success and doctors are optimistic that Kevin will make a full recovery. Perhaps when he does, he’ll remember the kindness of the Israeli people.
Citizens Plan Rally Defending ‘Unconstitutional’ Memorial
Many are outraged by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ Jan. 4 ruling that the cross within the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in San Diego is unconstitutional because it sends the message of “state-endorsed religion.”
So outraged, in fact, that hundreds of citizens, alongside local and national leaders, are planning a rally to defend the memorial on Saturday, Jan. 15 atop Mt. Soledad.
“The Mt. Soledad Memorial, including its centerpiece cross, has honored our military for decades until an ‘enlightened’ judge had an epiphany which ignores such foundational truths as the fact that our nation’s Capital Building was even used — at one time — as a church, attended by no less than President Thomas Jefferson himself, one who might know something about the alleged “separation of church and state,” says Dr. Jim Garlow, senior pastor of Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, and Chairman of Renewing American Leadership in Washington D.C.
Pakistani Pastors Fear Retaliation after Police Withdraw Charge
Christian leaders in Punjab Province’s Nankana Sahib district said they were apprehensive after a police inspector’s warning on Friday (Jan. 7) that “they would be responsible for anything that went wrong in the villages” if they continued preaching over a public address system.
Eight pastors leading a delegation of more than 100 Christians from Martinpur and Youngsenabad villages had persuaded police to drop the charge of preaching over the church loudspeakers — a practice routinely allowed by Muslims in mosques. They complained of inspector Muhammad Rana Ishaq’s veiled threat to the police chief, but they fear Ishaq will file other false cases against them in retaliation for the withdrawal of the charge.
Vanderbilt University Forces Abortion Pledge
Vanderbilt University is requiring nursing residents to take part in abortions–whether it harms their conscience or not.
The Alliance Defense Fund filed a complaint on Tuesday with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) against Vanderbilt University for this action. Vanderbilt receives more than $300 million in federal tax dollars each year, and federal law prohibits grant recipients from forcing students or health care workers to participate in abortions contrary to their religious beliefs or moral convictions.
Translator Says Bible in All Languages Possible Soon
Bible translators are working to make it possible to not only “go ye into all the world with the Gospel,” but to “go ye” with a Bible penned in the country’s native language.
Bible translators like The Seed Company report great strides with translation efforts in 2010. The Seed Company’s strategy is to come alongside a country’s natives to help them with the work of accurately translating the Word of God.
“The Seed Company was privileged to participate in an amazing acceleration of Bible translation work around the world this past year,†says Larry Jones, senior vice president for Field programs for the company, told Mission Network News (MNN). “Ninety-three new people groups were engaged, and we got them started on the process of having Scripture in their own language.”
Nigeria Attacks, Church of Hate, Faith Mismatches and Bible Theme Parks
Christian news around the world and right here in the U.S. is horrifying in some cases and ridiculous in others. Here are some of the stories I came across as I was scouting for the most important Charisma news headlines:
An attack on a Christian village in central Nigeria early Tuesday morning left 13 people dead. CNN offers more details on the report of yet more violence, which is mostly blamed on Islamist extremists. Not surprising.