HOW DO WE RESPOND TO INCREASING PERSECUTION?

Posted on by

As we see the final days approaching, how do we respond? Do we get overwhelmed by the looming threats to our daily lives? Are we overcome with fear when thinking of the things that are soon to come upon this Earth? Do we look inward and despair or do we look upward to Christ with hope?

“The steps of a man are established by the LORD when he delights in his way; though he falls, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.” Psalms 37:23-24

As believers, we have confidence knowing that our steps are guided by the one who purchased us at Calvary. We have the certainty that our good Shepherd will lead us through the most difficult of times. Why? Because He said He would.

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

We have the assurance that Christ will be with us until the very end. Though many will fall away and betray one another, we can always rely on Christ to remain with us – His sons and daughters.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:9-14

If you doubt the Lord’s provision, let me remind you of the one who led His people out of Egypt and fed them with manna for 40 years in the wilderness. How about the one who fed the 5,000 with just five loaves and two fish?

The one who did these things is also the one who says, “I am with YOU always.” We have no reason to fear the coming days. For if we delight in the Lord and His ways…He will guide our steps.

Pray that we may serve Him well until the very end Maranatha!

GREAT TESTIMONY FOR JESUS CHRIST

Posted on by

Legendary American TV host Kathie Lee Gifford first encountered Jesus as a young girl in a movie theater — a moment that forever transformed her heart and mind.

Listen to Gifford detail her journey to Jesus on “The Prodigal Stories Podcast“.

Kathie Lee Gifford arrives at the Pre-Grammy Gala And Salute To Industry Icons at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The popular TV show host offered a passionate call to fellow Christians to reach others with the Gospel.

“The devil doesn’t own the airwaves. … the Lord does,” Gifford said. “Everything belongs to God, and we need to reclaim them for His Kingdom.”

The entertainer, set to release a new film titled “The Way,” a one-night-only Fathom Event on Sept. 1, encouraged fellow Christians to create stellar content.

“We have got to stop putting out dreck (junk) and call it ‘Christian’ and expect it to be blessed,” Gifford said, calling believers to “excellence” when creating entertainment.

She believes her latest film fits that bill. “The Way” is a musically driven movie promising to bring the Bible to life “as you’ve never seen before,” with oratorios (narrations set to music) driving the experience.

The TV host spoke passionately about her love for the Lord and said she feels called to Christian storytelling, which she will pursue for the rest of her life after retiring in 2019 from daytime TV.

“I just know how to put myself in the hands of the Holy Spirit and get out of His way,” she said, explaining how past Bible-based projects led her to realize what God wants for her life. “I realized, ‘Oh my Gosh, this is what I’m supposed to do for the rest of my life.’”

Gifford added, “I’m supposed to take these unbelievably powerful, epic stories of people in the Bible and bring them to life in a brand new way that no one’s ever seen before.”

I love to hear stories from Christians that know they have heard from the Holy Spirit about what they need to be doing with their lives. Moreover, I, for one, look forward to seeing what the Lord produces through Kathie Lee Gifford in the years ahead.

OBEDIENCE NO MATTER WHAT THE OUTCOME

Posted on by

John Chau

On Nov. 15, 2018, John made first contact with the Sentinelese. Later that day, a Sentinelese boy shot an arrow at John that lodged in the Bible he was holding.

John retreated and prayed for wisdom. Should he keep going? Should he turn back?

“God, I don’t want to die,” John wrote in his journal that evening. “WHO WILL TAKE MY PLACE IF I DO? Forgive [the boy who shot me] and any of the people on this island who try to kill me, and especially forgive them if they succeed.”

On the morning of Nov. 17, the fishermen who had dropped John off saw tribesmen burying John’s body on the beach.

“I believe that the measure of success in the kingdom of God is obedience,” John Chau said shortly before his death. “I want my life to reflect obedience to Christ and to live in obedience to Him. I think that Jesus is worth it. He’s worth everything.”

John Chau was one of whom the world was not worthy of. I remember when the news of him got onto the media, people mocked his decision and said it was his fault that he died, sadly even some people who profess the faith condemned his actions. What a beautiful life he lived for the Lord. He reminds me of how Korea got the gospel through Missionary Thomas who got killed on the shore even before he got to preach the gospel just like John Chau, but through that death, a great revival was brought forth upon Korea. May the blood of John Chau bring great revival upon the Sentinelese people. Just like what God’s word says in John 12:24, “Truly, truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Truly humbled by what John Chau realized as he gave his life to serve the Sentinelese people. Thank you, VOM for this beautiful video!

WE MUST SHOW OUR CHRISTIAN COLOURS

Posted on by

Cooper Kupp’s team, the Los Angeles Rams, ended up winning the Super Bowl, and Kupp was named Most Valuable Player. But regardless of that, even if they’d lost and Kupp had not played well, he says it would have still been his best year in football ever. In fact, in the interview, Kupp says that because of his growth in his walk with Christ, even if his team hadn’t won a single game it still would have been his best year in football ever! (Here’s an article) about Cooper Kupp and his wife Anna Marie. She says, “We have prayed for a season to glorify our Savior Jesus Christ and you are doing just that my lovey.)

C. S. Lewis wrote, “We must show our Christian colours if we are to be true to Jesus Christ.

We cannot remain silent or concede everything away.” Even the Apostle Paul requested that the Ephesian believers “Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” (Ephesians 6:19–20, NIV)

If Paul needed prayer for boldness, who doesn’t? When he was given the MVP award Kupp said, “I don’t feel deserving of this. God is just so good…”

In these last days may we be fearless in making the gospel of Christ known so that we may bring glory to God just as Cooper Kupp and his wife Anne Marie are doing.

STORY OF MUSLIM CONVERT

Posted on by

(Morning Star News) – Muslim relatives of a Christian evangelist, Malingumu Bruhan on Feb. 6th beat and tied him up to be burned to death after he returned home for a funeral in eastern Uganda, he said.

Despite the fact Uganda is a majority Christian country that affords its citizens religious freedom, there have been some cases in recent years that mirror Bruhan’s ordeal. Despite being 84% Christian, certain pockets of Uganda — particularly the eastern region — are Muslim-dominated.

Malingumu Bruhan, 34, returned to Kaliro District for his grandfather’s funeral in Muhira village, Nawaikoke, and then accepted his uncles’ request to stay and visit, as they said they had not seen him for a long time.

“Subsequently, my uncle accused me of embarrassing the family by holding Christian evangelistic, open-air meetings and debates with Muslims,” Bruhan told Morning Star News. “He accused me of being an infidel by converting to Christianity, and that Allah will reward them in Jannah [garden paradise] if they kill me.”

“He told me that now is the right time for me to receive punishment from Allah, whereby I was going to be burned alive and the birds of the air will enjoy me as their meat,” Bruhan said. “Some men beat me as others gathered firewood, while another was sent for petrol because they wanted to use it to burn me alive.”

”As his uncle was waiting for the fuel, another convert from Islam who had accompanied Bruhan to the funeral came looking for him but was told he was nowhere in the vicinity”, he said. The friend saw Bruhan’s shoe, which had come off as his uncle and others dragged him off.

Malingumu Bruhan was attacked near Nawaikoke, Kaliro District, Uganda on Feb. 6, 2022

“My friend made several phone calls to friends after finding my shoe, they arrived and started searching for me,” he said. “They found me behind the house, tied and with firewood around me. They called the police, which scared the attackers, and they fled.”

Having sustained head injuries, Bruhan was taken to a clinic at Bulumba town, then later transferred to another area undisclosed for security reasons.

An evangelist well-known in Mbale, Iganga, Jinja and Kampala for his public debates with Muslims about Christianity and Islam, Bruhan has survived 11 murder attempts. “By God’s grace I overcame the Muslims’ planned attacks,” Bruhan said.

His Muslim relatives ostracized him in 2017 following his conversion, saying that as an apostate he had brought shame to the family.

“When I was chased, I went on foot, slept in the bush, and survived on wild fruits for two months,” Bruhan said. “I still trust God to heal me and for divine protection for my life. The church has been a comfort to me. Pray for me so that I recover from the head injuries and will be able to continue with the work of sharing Christ with the lost.”

The assault was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.

We need to pray for our ex-Muslim brothers and sisters that come under intense persecution, particularly evangelists like Bruhan. You can keep up to date by connecting to Morning Star News and Voice of the Martyrs.

DEALING WITH CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS LIKE ABORTION

Posted on by
Why Are You Pro Life? How to Defend the Unborn

Do you struggle with knowing what to say and how to say it when a controversial topic such as abortion comes up?

“Challenging Conversations”, hosted by author and Christian worldview expert Jason Jimenez ia a conversational podcast designed to help Christians overcome their fears and learn to respectfully engage people of a different view or belief system. You will gain insight as Jason and his guests get into deep conversations about the Christain faith and discuss how Christians ought to be defending the Gospel as they speak the truth in love to those around them.

Click on the link below to hear Jason on How to defend the unborn.

https://player.edifi.app/episodes/Why-Are-You-Pro-Life-How-to-Defend-the-Unborn/4391984

PRAYER AFTER WINNING NRL GRAND FINAL

Posted on by

Penrith Panthers Christian teammates including Brian To’o, Jerome Luai and Stephen Crichton – who caught a game-changing intercept – form a circle on the field, bowing their heads to give thanks to God for their exciting premiership win in the National Rugby League (NRL) Grand Final.

As Eternity reported last week, the trio grew up playing together in the west of Sydney and sharing their Christian faith. Crichton’s father, Va’a Crichton, is the pastor of their church, Rooty Hill Assemblies of God.

“It’s so great to see not just boys from our area playing great footy, but those same boys setting a great example for young people. We are believing for the best on and off the field for the boys!” said Sam, a youth pastor in the local Penrith area.

Brian To’o and Moesha Crichton-Ropati

Moments after the final siren, To’o went over to his partner Moesha Crichton-Ropati in the crowd and proposed to her on one knee. The State of Origin star had another cause to celebrate when a surprised Moesha said yes.

“First of all, I want to give all the glory to God, what a year it’s been for not only myself but for my community as well,” To’o told the Nine Network.

“I want to thank my beautiful partner for saying yes and also for the boys for getting us the win. I’m just grateful to be here and so lucky.

“I’m really speechless, not only because of the year I’ve had with Origin but also now to finish the year with a ring.

“It’s a special moment to have with not only my partner but my family in lockdown as well. I’m really happy.”

To’o has always been open about his Christian faith with the media, even opening up about his practices of studying the Bible, prayer and fasting.

Last year, he told an AAP reporter that he fasts for seven hours at the start of every day – abstaining from all food and all drinks, except water – even when he has training.

It is important as more young people believe belief in God is foolish and Christian morality hateful that Christians courageously acknowledge God publicly as these men have done in front of millions.

SATAN’S POWER DEFEATED IN TENNESSEE

Posted on by
May be an image of one or more people, people standing and grass
Baker and Stone players lead in prayer on their knees.

Satan’s power was defeated in Tennessee, as the threat of legal action by administrators with Putnam County Schools to forbid prayer after the game was overwhelmed by player lead prayer supported by parents and fans in solidarity on Overall Field.

Last week, administrators told staffers they would be barred from leading students in prayer in the future, a decision that came as a result of a letter from the group Americans United for Separation of Church and State, according to WZTV-TV.

After the school board in Tennessee told teachers and coaches they could no longer lead students in prayer, members of the football team and their parents took matters into their own hands.

School administrators were told by their attorney to make sure all policies and laws concerning prayer at school-sponsored activities are followed. They said, “case law not allowing prayer or proselytizing is clear. Courts have consistently ruled that prayer and proselytizing can not be sponsored by schools or school personnel.“

The district, for its part, acknowledged “the importance of prayer in the lives of our students, faculty, and staff members,” saying in a statement to the press that administrators “support the right of students to participate in and lead spontaneous prayers.”

“That right is and will continue to be protected,” the district added. “We also understand that faculty and staff members cannot lead or participate in the spontaneous student-led prayers.”

God bless the Baxter and Stone players for their faith and courage. Pray that we will see more Christians standing up for their faith in public places as a witness to the truth of God’s Word.

BEING LIGHTS IN THE WORLD

Posted on by

More tough Scriptures. It is amazing how you look at things very differently when you realise the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity lives within you and that you can grieve Him and quench His work in your life. Moreover, you come to realise that things in your life work out so much better when you get in step with Him.

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world... ” Philippians 2:14-15

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…” Philippians 2:3-5

The reality is you now have a different vision: a way to see things that are unseen. To see this world through our Heavenly Father’s eyes. It means finding hope in the hopeless, blessings in the brokenness and even good in the bad.

What a way to live, living eternally now, knowing God and His Word and knowing how the story ends: life with all three persons of the Trinity on a new earth and heaven.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away… And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1, 3-4

Just to keep things in perspective, Scripture clearly tells us that the Millennial reign of Jesus on this earth with the glorified saints precedes the White Throne judgement and the new heaven and new earth. Sadly, for those that survive the coming wrath of God and those born to the survivors, pain, suffering and death is still a reality but with Jesus and the saints present on earth and Satan bound (1000 years) their effects certainly the first two, will be less intense.

GREAT TESTIMONIES FROM THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Posted on by

Fiji Rugby Sevens thank God with prayer and a hymn after winning Olympic Gold.

Fiji’s rugby sevens team wrote another chapter in one of the great Olympic stories at the Tokyo Stadium, when they won the country’s second gold medal by beating New Zealand 27-12 in the final.
They gathered in a circle and filled the empty Tokyo Stadium with a beautiful rendition of their team hymn. “We always start with our prayers and songs, and we always end with our prayers and songs,” Tuwai said, “and that song says that our God is a loving God, and that while we always tend to go stray from what he expects from us, he still loves us, and gives us good things.” 

Fiji’s players pray and celebrate after their win against New Zealand at the Tokyo Stadium. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

Sydney McLaughlin ‘giving the glory to God’ after earning Olympic gold, another world record

“All the glory to God,” McLaughlin told NBC following the victory. “Honestly, this season just working with my new coach and my new support system, it’s truly just faith and trusting the process. I couldn’t ask for anything more and truly it is all a gift from God.”

“I think the biggest difference this year is my faith, trusting God and trusting that process, and knowing that He’s in control of everything. As long as I put the hard work in, He’s going to carry me through. And I really cannot do anything more but give the glory to Him at this point.”2

McLaughlin often uses social media as tool by which she expresses her faith and shares the Gospel with fans. As depicted by an Instagram post from February, McLaughlin has actively chosen to hand her future over to God.

“We can laugh at whatever lies ahead because we know HE has already won,” McLaughlin wrote. “We can sleep easier at night knowing HE has a plan for whatever may normally trouble us. We can laugh at anything that doesn’t fit the purpose for our lives, because we know God’s plan is greater.”

Through social media, she has revealed that her relationship with God is more than just a matter of believing in God, it is a friendship with Him.

“The peace of knowing I will always have a friend, always have His support, and always have His LOVE; makes even the loneliest of moments feel full,” McLaughlin wrote in May. “My soul finds rest in knowing He is not like us. He doesn’t change, and He will never leave me. Giving the ability to be completely content, no matter the situation. Simply because, I don’t have to face it alone. That. Is. Love.”

Circled on Nicolla’s wrist: “Jesus Makes All things New” and  her book to record and improve her jumps along with encouraging scriptures. 

These three testimonies were stand outs but I have been impressed by the number of Christian athletes that have recognised the importance of acknowledging God when they have achieved victory or even a personal best. There have been many that have given a verbal witness like Thomas Green joint winner of the K2 1000m Canoe Sprint. When asked if he would like to thank anyone, he immediately responded by saying, “I am a man of faith and above all I would like to thank my Lord for all that I have achieved and then went on to thank his parents, coach and support team. Many have gone to their knees in prayer immediately at the conclusion of their race or shown some other physical manifestation such as looking up to heaven and raising their arms in thanksgiving.

It has been inspiring me to me and I am sure challenging to many people that have witnessed these expressions of faith and thanksgiving to God. May God bless abundantly all of these faithful Christian athletes and may we see many more.