"These staggering numbers alone are reason enough to pray diligently for the lives of Christians whose only crime is courageously declaring 'Jesus is Lord,'" says Anita Levesque, coordinator for IDOP Canada Partnership. "IDOP Sunday plays a vital role in answering the cry of oppressed believers. It encourages and strengthens the persecuted Church and brings awareness to their plight."
Around the world, more than 200 million Christians are currently experiencing persecution. Amid their suffering, the annual International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) calls people of faith to remember, and pray for, their brothers and sisters.
"These staggering numbers alone are reason enough to pray diligently for the lives of Christians whose only crime is courageously declaring 'Jesus is Lord,'" says Anita Levesque, coordinator for IDOP Canada Partnership. "IDOP Sunday plays a vital role in answering the cry of oppressed believers. It encourages and strengthens the persecuted Church and brings awareness to their plight."
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The American Family Association is calling on the U.S. military to stop labeling it as a "domestic hate group" – a label one conservative journalist contends is part of an effort by the Obama administration to plant seeds of doubt about Christians and several prominent ministries in America. Fox News reported Monday that during a recent briefing, several dozen active duty and reserve Army troops were told the Mississippi-based American Family Association (AFA) should be classified as a “hate group” because it advocates for traditional family values. The briefing was held at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, and listed AFA alongside groups like the Ku Klux Klan, Neo-Nazis, the Black Panthers, and the Nation of Islam. Bryan Fischer, director of issues analysis at AFA, says a soldier attending the briefing tipped off both AFA and Fox News. Forty years ago, Egypt and other Arab forces made a surprise attack against Israel, known as the Yom Kippur War, the Ramadan War, or the October War. The attack was launched on the holiest day of the Jewish year—a day on which people were fasting and praying and all communications equipment such as radios and TVs were turned off. Egyptian celebrations of the anniversary of the War turned violent in Tahrir Square; barricades were needed to separate Morsi supporters and the army, and several people were killed. This incident reveals the fragility and volatility of Egypt's current state. (Ynet) Please pray for peace and stability in Egypt. Dr. Rick Warren, founding pastor of Saddleback Church and best-selling author of "The Purpose Driven Life," and renowned Drs. Daniel Amen and Mark Hyman have partnered together to co-author "The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life" (ISBN: 9780310344292, $24.99), releasing Dec. 3 from Zondervan. "The Daniel Plan" details a healthy lifestyle program based on five essential principles of faith, food, fitness, focus and friends. The program was developed and originated at Saddleback Church in 2011 and within the first year more than 15,000 church members lost a collective of more than 250,000 pounds while experiencing decreases in health issues and stress and increases in spiritual growth and energy. "The Daniel Plan is far more than a diet; it is about living a healthier life based on biblical principles," said Warren. "While all five essentials are necessary, it is the components of faith and friends that I believe are the secret sauce that make the plan so effective. When you have God and a group helping you stay on track, you have far more than willpower driving you to make positive changes and you are far more likely to stay consistent." So much for the left’s “consenting adults” rhetoric on sex. Forever the consummate conservationists, our self-described “progressive” friends at the American Civil Liberties Union, MSNBC and elsewhere have been ramping up efforts to downsize from “consenting adults” to merely “consenting”—a far less cumbersome qualifier in the noble struggle for unrestrained sexual license. Tolerating “intergenerational romance” for “minor-attracted” adults is all the rage these days. Ever hear of Kaitlyn Hunt? Over the past year or so, this poor, misunderstood lesbian woman’s “anti-gay persecution” has become a cause célèbre among gay rights activists and other left-wing purveyors of perversion. Representatives from various religious groups in Vietnam issued a statement on 4 October accusing the Vietnamese government of attempting to destroy religions in the country. Religious leaders from the Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant, Hoa Hao Buddhist and Cao Dai are all signatories to the statement, entitled ‘Concerning the Ordinance on Religion and Belief of 2004 and the 2012 Decree on Directives and Measures for Implementing the Ordinance on Religion and Belief.’ In the statement, which is addressed to Vietnamese government officials, clergy, religious groups and citizens, as well as to members of the international community including the United Nations, the authors address both the conceptual and practical obstacles to the realisation of religious freedom in Vietnam. Love Hope and Faith has been a labor of love for my wife Connie and I for over 3 years now. We grew from a small blog with a hand full of quotes from famous people, to a website with over 1 million visitors last year. God has used us to spread His word through over 25 countries for His glory and purpose. Not all of the content posted here was written by us but we never claimed credit for, nor profited from anyone's work. Though we attempted to give credit wherever possible, someone who we will not name, lodged a copyright infringement complaint against us and had us shut down without warning. We have since been given back access to our websites, however the incident has given us pause and we are now considering where to take LHF in the coming years. Please keep us in your prayers over the next few weeks as we ask for God's guidance. Be blessed. Walter Blackwood A so-called “contraceptive” pill, which could work up to a month after unprotected sex, is a “contradiction in terms,” critics say. Researchers have published a journal article calling for such a pill to be developed, saying it is scientifically possible but politically difficult. Dr. Peter Saunders of the Christian Medical Fellowship says this would be “abortion not contraception” because it would destroy an embryo rather than prevent a conception. The General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Minya survived an attempted assassination on 30 September, when unknown gunmen opened fire on his entourage in the village of Al-Sarw (el Sario) in Abu Qurqas, Minya Province. The assassination attempt occurred as His Grace Bishop Makarios was travelling by car to offer condolences to the family of Karim Samir Lamaee, who was killed during recent attacks on the Christian community. As assailants opened fire on the vehicle, the driver managed to reach the home of a local Copt, where the bishop and his entourage took refuge. However, the attackers pursued them and fired at the house for over an hour, damaging doors, windows, and walls. The police were called, but arrived 90 minutes after the gunmen had left the scene. All involved, including Bishop Makarios, were unharmed. |
Walter Blackwood
Associate Pastor with The Bridge Community of Faith in Kelowna BC Canada. Archives
May 2017
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