Chinese Pastor Who Organized Human Wall Against Church Demolition "Grateful" for Prison Sentence A Chinese pastor maintains that he is grateful for the opportunity to serve a prison sentence. Huang Yizi faces up to seven years in prison for criticizing the government's campaign to demolish church buildings, according to the Christian Post. China Aid...

DEACON FILE LAW SUIT AGAINST PASTOR AFTER HE ADMITTED HAVING SEX WITH CHURCH MEMBERS

Deacons File Suit Against Pastor After He Admitted to Having Sex with Church Members Carrie Derricks Deacons of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Alabama have filed suit against their pastor Juan McFarland after he admitted to having sexual intercourse with several women in the congregation without informing them he had AIDS. The pastor also confessed to drug use and misuse of church funds. According...

catholics welcoming same sex

Catholic parishes should welcome same-sex couples, the synod of nearly 200 bishops on the family in Rome was told on its first full day of meetings. Ron and Mavis Pirola, from Sydney, who are among of a small group of laity who will address the bishops and cardinals over the next two weeks, said: "The church constantly faces the tension of upholding...

Synod on the Family: Could the Catholic Church be liberalising on divorce, contraception and homosexuality?

The Catholic Church has signalled it could be moving towards a liberalisation of its ban on divorced and remarried people receiving Holy Communion, to the growing anger of the conservative wing. Commentators believe a softening of the outright ban on artificial birth control, already ignored by most lay Catholics, is also possible, after the first official...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : Tuesday 14 October 2014 THEME : THE OLD TIME RELIGION

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : Tuesday 14 October 2014 THEME : THE OLD TIME RELIGION Memorise: Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. 1 Timothy 4:16 Read: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction...

Categories: Devotionals

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : Tuesday 14 October 2014 THEME : THE OLD TIME RELIGION

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : Tuesday 14 October 2014 THEME : THE OLD TIME RELIGION Memorise: Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. 1 Timothy 4:16 Read: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction...

Categories: Devotionals

‘Left Behind’ and ‘The Good Lie’ Face Off during Hollywood’s Year of Faith-Based Films Sarah Pulliam Bailey

movies coming out this weekend that aim to attract a faith-based crowd join a glut of biblical films for 2014, testing the limits of Hollywood’s appetite for religion. The two films, “The Good Lie” and “Left Behind,” both opening Friday (Oct. 3), reflect two different filmmaking strategies: One is geared for a wider audience that could attract Christians, while the other produces a movie clearly...

How Lecrae Mixed Rap and Theology to Find Huge, Mainstream Success Sarah Pulliam Bailey |

He’s been crowned the “new hip-hop king” and his newest album, “Anomaly,” topped iTunes and Amazon charts the day of its Sept. 9 release. He’s been invited to birthday parties for both Billy Graham and Michael Jordan and riffed on NBC’s “Tonight Show” with host Jimmy Fallon. It’s the kind of mainstream success that has eluded most Christian rappers....

Categories: christian news

How Lecrae Mixed Rap and Theology to Find Huge, Mainstream Success Sarah Pulliam Bailey |

He’s been crowned the “new hip-hop king” and his newest album, “Anomaly,” topped iTunes and Amazon charts the day of its Sept. 9 release. He’s been invited to birthday parties for both Billy Graham and Michael Jordan and riffed on NBC’s “Tonight Show” with host Jimmy Fallon. It’s the kind of mainstream success that has eluded most Christian rappers....

Lecrae: 'Christians Have Prostituted Art to Give Answers'

They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus That means guns, sex, lies, video tapes But if I talk about God my record won't get played, huh? This is how Kanye West, troubadour of gold diggers and douchebags and Lamborghinis, raps about faith. The irony of his 2004 hit "Jesus Walks" is that it's a direct challenge to radio stations and record studios—"well let this take away from my spins,"...

Categories: christian news

Is Your Church Worship More Pagan than Christian?

There is a great misunderstanding in churches of the purpose of music in Christian worship. Churches routinely advertise their “life-changing” or “dynamic” worship that will “bring you closer to God” or “change your life.” Certain worship CD’s promise that the music will “enable you to enter the presence of God.” Even a flyer for a recent conference...

Categories: christian news

TOPIC: JUDAH [Monday October 13, 2014

TOPIC: JUDAH [Monday October 13, 2014 MEMORISE: Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. Genesis 49:8 READ: Isaiah 1:1-6 1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz,...

Categories: Devotionals

Lesson from David

Man is impressed with the externals; he doesn’t see the heart. God is different. He doesn’t judge by appearance or intelligence. King Saul hadn’t learned that, however, so he looked at David and said, “You don’t have the size for it. You’re just a kid. Look over there at that giant!” (See 1 Samuel 17:17-39 .) As I picture it, David was blinking and thinking, What giant? The only giant in my life...

Categories: Great minds

TESTIMONY ABOUT THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS

At  the General  hospital in Kubwa, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory in Nigeria last weekend a baby girl was born with hands joined together, like someone who is praying. The doctors told the parents that they would operate the hands of that girl and that they would give her antistatic. The operation was easy because it seemed like the hands were simply glued together by one a layer of skin...

SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP

As believers, we recognize the value of imitating Jesus and His leadership style. But if we really think about it, it’s strange that we try to emulate a leader who never developed an organization, regularly encouraged people to stop following Him, and ultimately saw His death as the pinnacle of His accomplishments. Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/ AurelianGogonea What kind of perspective must a...

THE PROPHET ISAIAH'S VISION OF THE KING'S HIGH WAY

THE PROPHET ISAIAH'S VISION OF THE KING'S HIGH WAY Isaiah the Prophet was the son of Amoz and an unnamed prophetess. His name means "Yahweh is Salvation." He lived in Jerusalem (7:1-3, 37:2) and was married to a prophetess, with whom he had two sons, who were given prophetic names, "Shear-Jashub, and Maher-shala-hash-baz." (7:3, 8:3,) He prophesied in Jerusalem during the reigns of Kings Uzziah,...

Categories: Great minds

HIS NAME IS WONDERFUL

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.. DATE : Saturday 11 October 2014 THEME : HIS NAME IS WONDERFUL Memorise: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21 Read: Isaiah 9:6–7 6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,...