Father’s House,

Brotherhood Missions,

4/364 E, Anna Salai 1st Cross Street,

ECR, Palavakkam, Chennai 600041.

Tamil Nadu, India.

National Worship Centre is a centre where the Lord of hosts, the Lord God Almighty is worshipped in His majesty all the 24 hours. Per day 12 worship teams come to worship from different parts of the Nation. One slot consists of 2 hours. The opening of NWC also turns to be the trumpet sign to start the fatal war against satan to this Nation for Christ! Do you want to join this praising Army?

Book your slots

Tel : 7708505152

Email ID: worshipcentreindia@gmail.com

Praise God for the successful completion of  21160 slots in National Worship Centre with a Non Stop Worship (24/7) 

The Rising Tide Of Christian Antisemitism in America

Soon after I came to faith in Jesus in 1971 as a 16-year-old, drug-abusing, hippie rock drummer, my father said to me, "Michael, I'm glad to see the changes in your life, but we're Jews, and we don't believe in this." He introduced me to the new rabbi of our synagogue, fresh out of Jewish Theological Seminary, and the rabbi and I quickly became friends, a friendship that has lasted to this day. One of the first books the rabbi gave me detailed the history of antisemitism in the Church -- a shocking, painful, and often bloody history. It made for some very difficult reading, replete with disturbing quotes from famous Church fathers, Catholic popes, and the great reformer, Martin Luther. In the eyes of many Jews, there was a straight line from the Church Fathers to the Holocaust. How could this be?

Unaware of Our History

The Christians I had met had a great love for the Jewish people, even a reverential respect. And to this day, evangelical Christians are Israel's best friends. How could there be such a thing as "Christian" antisemitism? As an Iranian Christian once said to me, "You cannot love Jesus and hate the Jews!" One of the first books the rabbi gave me detailed the history of antisemitism in the Church -- a shocking, painful, and often bloody history.

Over the years, I discovered that many contemporary Christians were completely unaware of their painful history with the Jewish people. As expressed by the Catholic historian Edward Flannery in his book The Anguish of the Jews, "The vast majority of Christians, even well educated, are all but totally ignorant of what happened to Jews in history and of the culpable involvement of the Church. ... It is little exaggeration to state that those pages of history Jews have committed to memory are the very ones that have been torn from Christian (and secular) history books." This is what led me to write the book Our Hands Are Stained with Blood: The Tragic Story of the 'Church' and the Jewish People, which came out in 1992 and has never gone out of print. Since I could relate to both Church and Synagogue, I wanted other Christians to feel the pain the Jewish people had felt.

Christian Philo-Semitism and a Rising "Christian" Antisemitism

But to be perfectly candid, in all my travels across America and around the world (almost always in evangelical circles), I witnessed very little "Christian" antisemitism first hand. To the contrary, I experienced an outpouring of philo-Semitism in nation after nation, from Mexico to Korea and from Kenya to India. And where I did see signs of "Christian" antisemitism, it was on the fringes. Not so today. It is rising again in some influential, Catholic circles as well as among evangelicals, some of whom seem obsessed with bashing the Jews. As I prepared to release an updated and revised edition of my book, what I discovered was chilling.

According to bestselling evangelical author Texe Marrs, "Of all the diseased schools of racial supremacism, I am convinced that the Jewish specimen is the most evil and most threatening to the lives, bodies, and eternal destinies of humankind." Yes, Marrs states, "Zionism has existed as a satanic ideological force in opposition to all things good and even to life itself for three thousand years."

Indeed, "Zionism and its accompanying religious disease, Judaism, are the champions of all time in terms of the total number of innocent men, women, and children being imprisoned in concentration camps, beaten, bludgeoned, raped, robbed, humiliated, and unmercifully slaughtered" (from his book Blood Covenant With Destiny: The Babylonian Talmud, the Jewish Kabbalah, and the Power of Prophecy).

"Synagogue of Satan"

Echoing these sentiments is evangelical broadcaster Rick Wiles on his TruNews TV network. He recently claimed that, "Our culture has been decimated through abortion, pornography, the sexual liberation movement, filthy, raunchy movies [and] television shows, vile, violent rap music and hip hop and all of it owned by the synagogue of Satan." Consequently, he opined, "I cannot be a preacher of the Gospel and not confront the synagogue of Satan, even if it costs me my life. A day is coming [when] Christians are going to lose their lives as they confront the synagogue of Satan. You cannot stand for Jesus Christ and righteousness in this world without confronting the synagogue of Satan." It's time we wake up to these harsh, disturbing realities and uproot these insidious lies once and for all.

So, not only are these nefarious Jews everywhere, they are deadly as well. To expose their evil deeds is to risk your life.

Echoing similar sentiments (albeit, with more erudition) is Catholic scholar E. Michael Jones, who opined that, "Jews are never content to integrate themselves into existing structures, whether those structures are states, universities, art museums or the military. They feel compelled to infiltrate and subvert the institutions which admit them as members." Consequently, "If the Church wants to have its history back, then it will have to contend with the Jews once again as the Apostles and the Church Fathers did 2000 years ago." (From his book The Jews and Moral Subversion.) And what, exactly, will it look like when the Church once again "contends" with "the Jews"?

Uproot Dangerous Antisemitic Lies

Jones, in turn, has influenced Owen Benjamin, a conservative comedian and professing Christian. As pointed out by Dexter Van Zile, Benjamin "declared that Jews use pornography to destroy the masculine strength of American men so that they will be unable to father children and have the courage to protect their families from Jewish control. 'It is literally by design so the West doesn't have kids,' he said, adding later, 'The Jews are only one percent of the population and yet they're in control of the media, all of banking, pornography, opioids.'"

These quotes represent but the tip of a very dangerous, lie-infested iceberg. And they reflect the alleged ideology of the Poway, California, synagogue shooter, who felt it was his Christian duty to slaughter the Jews. It's time we wake up to these harsh, disturbing realities and uproot these insidious lies once and for all. Antisemitism has no place in the heart or mind of a true Christian.

Father’s House,

Brotherhood Missions,

4/364 E, Anna Salai 1st Cross Street,

ECR, Palavakkam, Chennai 600041.

Tamil Nadu, India.

National Worship Centre is a centre where the Lord of hosts, the Lord God Almighty is worshipped in His majesty all the 24 hours. Per day 12 worship teams come to worship from different parts of the Nation. One slot consists of 2 hours. The opening of NWC also turns to be the trumpet sign to start the fatal war against satan to this Nation for Christ! Do you want to join this praising Army?

Book your slots

Tel : 7708505152

Email ID: worshipcentreindia@gmail.com

Praise God for the successful completion of  21120 slots in National Worship Centre with a Non Stop Worship (24/7) 

Prophecy Unfolding: Israel & Iran Prepare For War                         

Are we about to see World War 3 erupt in the Middle East?  Over the past several days, Israel has attempted to prevent attacks by Iranian forces and their allies by striking targets in Syria, Gaza, Lebanon and Iraq.  

As you will see below, political leaders in both Lebanon and Iraq are now accusing Israel of a "declaration of war", and Hezbollah is pledging to strike Israel back extremely hard.  

Of course if a full-blown war erupts between Israel and one of her neighbors, it is likely to become a multi-front war almost immediately.  

But at the core, this is a conflict between Israel and Iran.  The Iranians have repeatedly pledged to wipe the nation of Israel off the face of the planet, and the coming "final war" is going to literally be a matter of life or death for those two nations.  

Both sides have been preparing for this "final war" for a very long time, and once it fully erupts the death and destruction that we will witness will be off the charts.

Just within the past few days, the fighting has escalated dramatically as the Israelis have conducted operations in four different territories...

Israeli forces openly claimed attacks over the weekend in Syria and the Palestinian-administered Gaza Strip and were blamed for two more operations in Lebanon and Iraq. As reports of what occurred across the region emerged, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at his country's ongoing efforts abroad, telling a Monday planning meeting that "we will deepen our roots and strike at our enemies."

The attacks in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq specifically targeted Iranian forces and their allies, and the goal was to prevent imminent attacks against Israel...

In Syria, Israeli warplanes killed two members of the Lebanese Hezbollah. Israel says the individuals were supporting an Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps plot to launch explosive-laden drones into Israel. 

The Israelis say that the specific Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps unit responsible was the Quds Force, led by Qassem Soleimani. If true, the Quds Force was likely using Hezbollah as a deniable proxy to avoid direct links between the plot and Tehran.

In another operation in Lebanon, Israel targeted another Iranian-allied group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. In Iraq, senior Iran-aligned figures accused Israel of another air strike.

Missiles are not flying directly back and forth between Israel and Iran yet, but at this point a state of war essentially exists, and many are deeply concerned about what is going to happen next.

In particular, it looks like Hezbollah could launch a large scale attack against Israel at any moment, because their leadership is absolutely furious that the Israelis just hit their headquarters building in Beirut...

Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's secretary-general, threatened to attack Israel in retaliation for a drone attack over the weekend on the organization's headquarters in Beirut. Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah are now at their highest point since the 2006 war.

And the Lebanese government itself is extremely angry as well.  In fact, the president of Lebanon has publicly stated that what Israel has just done is essentially the equivalent of "a declaration of war"...

Lebanese President Michel Aoun met Monday with the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis, calling Israel's moves in Beirut and Qusaya "a declaration of war."

The statement echoed the words of Iraq's powerful Fateh Alliance, which called separate strikes that killed a militia commander in the border town of Al-Qaim "a declaration of war on Iraq and its people," according to the Associated Press.

This is an extremely serious situation.  Israel is literally on the brink of war with Hezbollah, and many feel that such a war is inevitable.

Meanwhile, a very powerful bloc in the Iraqi government has also accused Israel of "a declaration of war"...

A powerful bloc in Iraq's parliament has called for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, following a series of air raids targeting Iran-backed Shia militias in the country that have been blamed on Israel.

The Fatah Coalition said on Monday that it holds the United States fully responsible for the alleged Israeli aggression, "which we consider to be a declaration of war on Iraq and its people."

We had not seen the Israeli military strike targets in Iraq until just recently, and this latest attack has absolutely enraged the Shia militias.  During the funeral procession for the commander that was killed in the attack, some of the Shia fighters were actually trampling the American flag...

The Shia militia group, meanwhile, held a funeral procession in Baghdad for the commander killed on Sunday.

"There is no greater God but God!" the mourners shouted as they marched behind a banner with the words "Death to America" and "Death to Israel." Some trampled on an American flag as they marched.

Thousands of U.S. soldiers died, thousands more were injured, and we spent trillions of dollars in the process of "liberating" Iraq, and this is how they feel about us.

What a colossal waste.

Ultimately, nothing is going to be able to stop the massive war that is coming to the region.  The Iranians and all of their allies have a religiously-fueled hatred for Israel that most people living in the western world will never understand, and they are absolutely obsessed with permanently destroying the nation of Israel as it exists today.  

There will never be peace between the two sides, and the coming apocalyptic conflict will literally be a battle for national survival.

This can definitely be described as a time of "wars and rumors of wars", and the situation on the ground is extremely fluid right now.  The fact that the Israelis have another national election coming up adds another layer of complexity to all of this, and that election may cause events to accelerate even faster than many were anticipating.

Let us pray for peace, because right now tensions are extremely high and things are beginning to spiral out of control.

And when a full-blown war does break out, it is highly likely that the U.S. will get involved, and that will have enormous implications for all of us.

Father’s House,

Brotherhood Missions,

4/364 E, Anna Salai 1st Cross Street,

ECR, Palavakkam, Chennai 600041.

Tamil Nadu, India.

National Worship Centre is a centre where the Lord of hosts, the Lord God Almighty is worshipped in His majesty all the 24 hours. Per day 12 worship teams come to worship from different parts of the Nation. One slot consists of 2 hours. The opening of NWC also turns to be the trumpet sign to start the fatal war against satan to this Nation for Christ! Do you want to join this praising Army?

Book your slots

Tel : 7708505152

Email ID: worshipcentreindia@gmail.com

Praise God for the successful completion of  21080 slots in National Worship Centre with a Non Stop Worship (24/7)

The Push To Kill Cash - Next Up Is Australia                             

The supposed coordination of governments and tech companies to create a one-world, cashless society is often viewed as little more than fodder for silly YouTube conspiracy videos. After all, cash is still king in daily life, even in extremely high-tech, innovative societies like Japan. 

Upon closer examination, though, current realities like Australia's proposed cash transaction ban for 2020, the continuing removal of higher denomination bills from several world economies, and the creation of centralized, state cryptocurrencies by governments worldwide cannot be ignored.

These trends signal a global push to kill paper money in the name of safety, security, and financial inclusion.

You Can Pay, But It Better Be Our Way

Australia's "Black Economy Taskforce" wants to put people accepting over 10,000 AUD (~$6,750) in cash in the slammer for up to two years, or fine them up to 25,000 (~$16,890), in an ostensible bid to fight black market economies. The Currency (Restrictions on the Use of Cash) Bill 2019 states:

Transactions equal to, or in excess of this amount would need to be made using the electronic payment system or by cheque. The Black Economy Taskforce recommended this action to tackle tax evasion and other criminal activities.

Note the similarity here with talking points of other governments. India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, when announcing the devastating surprise removal of 86% of the country's circulating paper cash in 2016, proclaimed:

Black money and corruption are the biggest obstacles in eradicating poverty. Not surprisingly, Modi's shock move put the dominantly cash-based society in a panic, forcing people to take their now worthless 1,000 and 500 rupee notes to banks within 50 days of the announcement, to exchange them for smaller denominations. Now The Royal Bank of India is moving to ban all cryptocurrencies but one, the state-approved, digital rupee.

The removal of large cash bills is a worldwide, ongoing reality, with the European Central Bank (ECB) stopping production of the 500 euro note earlier this year. The note, dubbed by the media as "the Bin Laden," was said to be used disproportionately in financing terrorism. 

The U.S. used to have banknotes worth $500 and higher as well, some which were known as gold certificates, entitling the bearer to physical gold upon redemption. As fractional reserve banking took over, however, and national debt increased, these systems were progressively abandoned. The trend continues today in the form of Negative Interest Rate Policy (NIRP), and the resultant push for digitization of money.

Stop Holding Cash and Take Our Debt

"If everyone is holding cash, negative interest rates become useless." These are the words of former People's Bank of China (PBOC) governor Zhou Xiaochuan after the Chinese government had just completed a trial run of their new national cryptocurrency back in 2017. Now the country's sovereign digital currency is "almost ready." Zhou has also officially stated:

At the current stage, the central bank's major goal of issuing digital currency is to replace the physical cash.

Earlier in the same interview, he maintained that "The cost for cash transaction will gradually increase in the later stage. 

For instance, banks do not charge any fee for counting a large amount of coins now, but in the future they may charge their clients for such services." Zhou's remarks about negative interest rates are arguably the biggest giveaway as to what is going on here. If people are holding cash outside of banks, reckless, Keynesian NIRP policies won't have the desired effect of coercing spending in the populace.

New Zealand Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr agrees with Zhou:

Let's tax cash holdings, simple as that: we're back to monetary policy as usual; people are disincentivised to be holding large lumps of physical cash; they are having to think harder about putting money to work. While draconian government monetary policy is alarming, the lack of support for actual financial sovereignty in the crypto and tech space is indicative of another problem. 

Government's designs on eliminating paper money and fighting permissionless, decentralized crypto exchange -- both moves to control money supply and populations of individuals -- are obvious, and to be expected. But even big tech companies and exchanges like Facebook and Binance are jumping on the propaganda bandwagon, dragging many well-meaning enthusiasts into the fight against financial freedom (even if unintentionally) right along with them.

"We believe that we all have a responsibility to help advance financial inclusion, support ethical actors, and continuously uphold the integrity of the ecosystem." - Libra whitepaper

"This is why we believe in and are committed to a collaborative process with regulators, central banks, and lawmakers..." - Facebook's David Marcus

"Binance is looking to create new alliances and partnerships with governments, corporations, technology companies, and other cryptocurrency companies and projects involved in the larger blockchain ecosystem, to empower developed and developing countries to spur new currencies." - Binance's 'Venus' announcement

The common theme here is eager compliance with Keynesian value destroyers. And these examples are illustrative of the true financial epidemic.

Forced 'Perfection'

Digital currencies really are extremely convenient. Everybody in the world really should have a chance at financial inclusion. Holding wads of paper cash and coins really can be a bother, as well as a safety hazard, where crime is concerned. 

In Finland, passengers on state railways won't be able to purchase tickets with cash for long-distance trips, starting in September. Much easier than messing with the paper stuff. ATMs are becoming less common worldwide, even in countries like China, the U.S., and cash-obsessed Japan. Settlements and payments can be made effortlessly, though, with just a quick scan or entering a PIN, so it's no big deal. But this is not a perfect world. Governments are corrupt. Artificial monopolies and seas of red tape exist, keeping the life-threateningly impoverished and entrepreneurial from accessing crypto and banking services via strict KYC and AML policy, and by mandating, like Modi in India, that their hard-earned and hard-saved money is worthless. People already have the opportunity for extreme financial inclusion. 

A $40 smartphone and an internet connection enables anyone, anywhere in the world, to make or receive money with Bitcoin. In the name of regulation, safety, and financial inclusion, however, the state makes the situation more chaotic, less safe, and extremely exclusive where real human need is concerned.

Some of us crazy people still like paper cash, and prefer to pay that way. Some annoying, behind-the-times Luddites still put money in their mattresses, where global financial policy turns more and more toward negative rates, continued inflation, and devaluation of money sitting in banks.  Some entrepreneurs and tech-savvy fans of crypto simply think it's nobody else's business, preferring paper wallets, coin shuffling, and VPNs, in a world where everyone but those in power are presumed guilty until proven innocent. 

Some of us "conspiracy nuts" just like crypto for crypto, and paper cash is still closer to that clean and private model than any slimy, centralized digital state currency could ever hope to be.

Christians Beg for Government Protection after Nigerian Pastor Is Killed in Cold Blood, His Wife Abducted

A Nigerian pastor has been killed in cold blood while traveling along a dangerous stretch of highway with his wife and child. Kaduna pastor Jeremiah Omolara of Living Faith Church was gunned down and his wife was abducted when militants stopped the family’s car on the notorious Abuja-Kaduna Highway Sunday evening.

According to Nigerian outlet The Punch, the pastor’s son was miraculously able to escape the brutal assault. The captors, however, are demanding a staggering $137,500 ransom for the release of Omolara’s wife, whose life is currently in grave danger.

The chairperson of the Christian Association of Nigeria’s Kaduna chapter, Joseph Hayab, confirmed the details of the horrific incident and urged security forces to do more to protect the Christian population in light of a spree of additional attacks.

"Now the Living Faith Church pastor was killed along Kaduna-Abuja in the presence of his wife, who was later abducted," Hayab explained, according to the Daily Post Nigeria. "That tells you that the new trend is to attack us in our homes or in our churches or on the roads. We are just not safe anywhere and we are asking the same question we have been asking: 'where are our security agencies?'"

Hayab continued to plead with security agencies to help the Christian population, which remains under siege from militants, including the fierce Islamic terror organization Boko Haram.

“Are we being told tactically that we should defend ourselves?" Hayab asked. "If we start defending ourselves, it means that we no longer have security or we no longer have government. Or is this government only for those they love and they don’t care about others?"

On Wednesday, two female Boko Haram suicide bombers killed three civilians and wounded eight more after detonating their explosives while walking through crowds in the town of Mafa, according to the Defense Post.

Boko Haram’s vicious war against anything non-Islamic has claimed the lives of more than 30,000 people over the past decade, according to the BBC. Indeed, with new links developed with the so-called Islamic State and a rejuvenated mission to kill and destroy, the heavily-armed group appears to be going nowhere anytime soon – unfortunately, this means that the threat to Nigerian Christians is likely to remain extremely high. 

Foreign Christians Arrested on Charges of 'Converting' in Nepal

NEW DELHI, Aug. 8, 2019 (Morning Star News) – A Christian from South Korea arrested in Nepal on charges of “attempting to convert” was released on bail on Wednesday (Aug. 7), sources said.

Cho Yusang, a 73-year-old evangelical Christian, posted bail of 150,000 Nepalese rupees (US$1,330) after being arrested on July 23. His health deteriorated after he was incarcerated, and he had been hospitalized, said Tanka Subedi, chair of the Religious Liberty Forum Nepal (RLFN).

On Monday (Aug. 5), Subedi told Morning Star News that Cho had been released from hospital care.

“Though he was out of hospital, he was feeling dizzy this morning also,” Subedi said. “His health is still not good. He does not want to go back to the hospital, because he does not have much money left. He does not have insurance cover to pay his bills.”

In Nepal on a business visa, Cho was also charged with misuse of visa.

The charge of “attempting to convert” under Section 158 (1) of the Nepal Penal Code of 2017 calls for as much five years in jail and/or a fine of up to 50,000 Nepalese Rupees (US$445), according to Subedi.

Cho and two other foreigners working separately from him were found involved in conversion activity in Pokhara, in central Nepal, Raj Kumar KC, spokesperson of the District Police Office in Kaski, reportedly said.

Police arrested Cho for allegedly distributing leaflets and Bibles in the Barachi area of Kaski District, in Gandaki Pradesh Province, KC told the Kathmandu, Nepal-based news outlet Republica. The police spokesman said officers also arrested two Japanese nationals, Jehova's Witnesses unaffiliated with Cho, in the Ratna area of the same district on the same charges.

KC reportedly said their arrest shows that “some foreigners do not come with good intentions,” and that they would be charged with proselytizing.

B.P. Khanal, national coordinator of Nepal for the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief [IPPFoRB], told Morning Star News that after arresting Cho from his lakeside lodging, police raided his room and confiscated some Bibles and Christian literature.

Khanal, who is responsible for inter-faith relations for the Nepal Christian Society, said possession of a Bible and Christian literature is not evidence of a crime.

“In this case the law is discriminatory, because it is not an offense to have Bibles in your room,” Khanal told Morning Star News. “The recovery of some Bibles and Christian literature from Yusang’s personal belongings is projected as an offense and as a crime Yusang committed. Anybody can have a Bible – it is not a drug or an explosive. Carrying a Bible should not be and must not be a criminal offense.”

The Nepal Christian Society has hired an attorney for Cho, he said. 

U.S. Citizen Charged 

Earlier, in Basgadhi of Bardiya District, police on June 21 arrested U.S. citizen Bradley Navarro Anagaran on a charge of possessing Christian literature, according to the RLFN.

When local pastor Hira Singh Sunar went to the police station to inquire about his arrest, officers arrested him as well, according to an RLFN statement. Both Anagaran and Pastor Sunar were charged with “attempting to convert,” it stated. 

Anagaran was found with two discipleship leaflets designed for use within a church circle, Christian sources said.

“Apart from the literature on discipleship, police have confiscated a few pairs of reading glasses from his backpack, which means that the police did not find him distributing the literature to anybody,” Khanal of the IPPFoRB said.

The two Christians were moved from district headquarters of Gulariya to Bansgadhi police station. They were released on bail on July 3, and Anagaran has returned to the United States, but he must return for a hearing at the end of this month and every court date thereafter, Subedi of the RLFN said.

“I personally don’t know how he will be able to do that, as it is a great financial burden to travel every time for his court date from the United States to Nepal,” Subedi told Morning Star News. “The court procedures in Nepal take several years and are tiresome.”

A team from the Nepal Christian Society in Kathmandu, including Khanal, went to speak with local officials.

“We met with about 60 local pastors and mobilized prayer, as well as formed a task force,” Khanal said. “We met Bradley and Sunar inside the jail and comforted them. We met the police inspector who arrested Bradley, the deputy superintendent of police, chief district officer and the prosecuting attorney to discuss how the charges in the case could be minimized, for there was no ‘conversion attempt’ in the case at all.”

After the initial order for a week’s remand ended, police kept them in custody while extending the investigation for no apparent reason, sources said.

“Both Bradley and Sunar were being kept in a miserable condition while in custody,” read an RLFN newsletter. “They were treated as criminals even though they had not committed any crime.”

The Rev. Mukunda Sharma, spokesperson of the RLFN, was a part of the team visiting the duo in jail. He urged human rights and diplomatic officials to support them.

Khanal issued a plea for foreigners visiting Nepal to refrain from doing anything that will land them in legal trouble. He said that sharing the gospel where there are already local churches should not be taken up by Christians from other countries.

“Their role can be to inspire, educate and train local churches if they really want the bring the gospel to the people,” he said. “Let the local church in their local language share the gospel.”

As the Nepal Christian Society is taking up an increasing number of legal cases, he asked that the international Christian community pray for those accused under Nepal’s new criminal code.

An increase in persecution of Christians in Nepal began after a new criminal code was passed in October 2017, which took effect in August 2018. 

Targeting Christians 

Pastor Sagar Baiju, a senior Christian leader in the country, said that such incidents make it clear that government officials, police and politicians are targeting Christians.

“Unless this new law is revoked, such incidents will continue to increase in Nepal,” Baiju told Morning Star News. “When I travel to foreign counties, I carry my identity with me – and my identity is that I am a Nepali, but apart from being a Nepali, I am a Christian, so I always carry my Bible with me. How is it a crime, when foreign tourists come to Nepal to tour the country or to visit their friends, and carry their Bible in their hands?”

People of other religions erect huge tents, gather in large numbers and use loud sound systems for worship, and the lawmakers do not question them, he said.

“All the schools in Nepal have their morning devotions according to the faith that the school authorities follow," he said. "In schools run by Hindus, they make the children perform Saraswati Vandana [a common Hindu mantra] in their morning devotion, and nobody objects to it. Then why is it a crime, if a Christian school makes the children say The Lord’s Prayer in the assembly? Why are objections raised and Christians ghettoized as criminals?”

There is a need for Christians to unite and raise the issue with a single voice, he said.

“A hospital owned by a Hindu has a big Hindu temple inside the premises,” he said. “They are free to write Hindu scriptures on the walls of the hospital and nobody objects. But if a Christian hospital has a Bible inside the hospital or a Bible verse hung on any wall, we are accused of preaching our religion, and the authorities running the hospital are in trouble.”

Nepal was ranked 32nd on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2019 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. 

Father’s House,

Brotherhood Missions,

4/364 E, Anna Salai 1st Cross Street,

ECR, Palavakkam, Chennai 600041.

Tamil Nadu, India.

National Worship Centre is a centre where the Lord of hosts, the Lord God Almighty is worshipped in His majesty all the 24 hours. Per day 12 worship teams come to worship from different parts of the Nation. One slot consists of 2 hours. The opening of NWC also turns to be the trumpet sign to start the fatal war against satan to this Nation for Christ! Do you want to join this praising Army?

Book your slots

Tel : 7708505152

Email ID: worshipcentreindia@gmail.com

Praise God for the successful completion of  21040 slots in National Worship Centre with a Non Stop Worship (24/7)

Vice President Mike Pence Is Criticized for Saying He Prays for His Critics

Vice President Mike Pence, who has been routinely criticized for his faith, said he handles such attacks by praying for his critics—which garnered him a few more.

"No. 1 is, spend more time on your knees than on the internet," Pence said during an Aug. 6 Q & A session with Michael Farris, president and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom. The gathering included ADF staff.

The vice president went on to talk about the power of forgiveness.

"As a Christian believer, we’re charged to pray for our loved ones but also pray for our enemies,” Pence said.

“You have lots of opportunities in politics to do that," he said. "But I would say that forgiveness is a great gift, and my wife and I literally try to work through forgiving people who might speak woefully against us or might mischaracterize who we are and what our family’s all about,” he said.

Since taking office Pence has been targeted numerous times for his biblical approach to living.

As covered by Christian Headlines early in the Trump administration, the vice president was ripped on social media for saying he protects his marriage by avoiding situations where he is alone with a woman.

Earlier this year, 2020 Democrat presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who served as mayor of South Bend, Indiana while Pence was governor of the state, challenged the vice president’s biblical view of marriage and mocking his Christian faith, Christian Headlines previously reported.

And in January, Pence’s wife, Karen, was criticized for taking a teaching job at a Christian school in Virginia that has a “moral purity” policy that prohibits LGBT students and faculty.

During his talk with ADF, Pence admitted he and his wife were taken aback by the reaction to her job.

“We honestly didn’t see that one coming,” the vice president said. “Our kids went to the school when I was in Congress.”

Not long after the conversation with ADF, Twitter users began mocking Pence’s comment on prayer, some twisting the intent of spending “more time on your knees.” Comments quickly turned sexual, including an obscene cartoon of Pence with President Trump, and a retort by Monica Lewinsky, the intern who had an affair with President Bill Clinton while he was in office. Others made reference to the NFL players’ protest of taking a knee during the national anthem.

Author Sasha Strachan used the NFL controversy as a backdrop to challenge Pence’s faith and call the president racist.

Another user, calling himself the Tattooed Theologian, also took a swipe at Pence’s faith and integrity, saying: “On your knees...That sounds pretty authoritarian to me. I don't have to be on my knees to pray.

“@VP should spend some time reading the #Gospels. If he did, he wouldn't be supporting @realDonaldTrump.”

Comedian and atheist Paula Poundstone dismissed praying outright saying, “I will spend no time on my knees.”

During his conversation with ADF, Pence said that when he’s in the midst of criticism he tries “just focusing on the cause.”

“I really do think it's important that we stay focused on things that are more important than ourselves, that are more important than any intermittent controversy that might arise,” he told Farris. “And for me, that's about being a part of an administration, standing next to a president that's rebuilding our military, who's revived our economy, who's appointing a historic number of conservatives to our federal courts, who's standing, as I said, for our first freedom, for religious liberty, for the right to life. I get up every day and I just... I feel incredibly blessed to be a small part of an administration that is making America great again. So focus on the positive.”

Ironically, a portion of the discussion at the ADF event also included the topic of religious liberty and free speech, especially on America’s colleges and universities.

“Whenever I was governor or vice president... I see somebody waving an unflattering sign, or we... Some people shouting something out. I always look at my kids and I say, ‘That's what freedom looks like.’
“That's what freedom sounds like, right? And the ability to disagree, the ability to be critical of people that are in public life, that's at the very center of what the people that founded this country had in mind and has been preserved through the generations. And we have to make sure it's preserved on the campuses of America.”

16 Percent of Christians Think the Church Should Apologize for America's Racist Past

According to a new study undertaken by Barna research group, just a tiny fraction of the American church feels obliged to repent of the country’s racist past.

In Barna’s latest publication entitled, “Where Do We Go from Here?,” just over 1,500 practicing Christians were asked what they believe should be done to make amends for the decades of racist history that plagued the United States.

Respondents were presented with several different answers to choose from, including nothing, "repair the damage, "repent," "pursue restitution," "lament," and "don't know." Shockingly, just 16 percent of American Christians asserted that the Church needed to repent for America's racist history of slavery and segregation.

Among African-American participants, the percentage of those who believe repentance to be the way forward was at 24 percent, whereas among the white respondents it plummeted to just 13 percent.

Interestingly, some 26 percent of all respondents indicated they "don't know" when asked about what the church’s response should be to historical racism, perhaps indicating a lack of insight or understanding on the issue.

"This could represent confusion over the specific options provided, which range from the symbolic to the material, or it could simply be a way of saying respondents are unsure what should — or even what can — be done by churches to help with racial reconciliation," Barna noted.

In light of the survey’s results, well-known left-leaning Christian leader, Jim Wallis told the Christian Post that “until the Church, notably the white Church, acknowledges its history and complicity with racism, we cannot move towards healing.”

Often, white Christians “refuse to recognize that racism is more than a problem from the past,” Wallis added, before noting that “until the operative word in 'white Christian' is Christian, we won’t move towards a place of healing.”

Wallis insisted that an active repentance “for the sin of racism” will “bring congregations together." 

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110-Year-Old Woman Credits God’s Blessing for Longevity: ‘He’s the One Keeping Me’

A Texas woman who celebrated her 110th birthday Saturday isn’t crediting diet or genes for her long life, instead, she is giving all of the credit to God. 

“Blessing of the Lord. He's the one keeping me. That's why I'm living,", Elizabeth Francis told ABC 13 in Houston. 

Francis was born in Louisiana in 1909. That year, William Howard Taft was president. Wilbur and Orville Wright had flown their famous plane just six years earlier. World War I had not yet started. Civil War veterans were still alive. 

In 1909, the life expectancy of a woman in America was only 54 years old. Francis defied those odds for yet another year, as she celebrated her 110^thbirthday this Saturday.

For her birthday this year, Francis celebrated surrounded by family, friends, community leaders and balloons. She even wore a “Happy Birthday” crown. 

Among the community leaders joining the Francis Family in celebration of Elizabeth was Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.

Louisiana born and Houston, Texas resident, Francis has enjoyed six generations of family members. According to ABC 13, the 110-year-old has remained mentally sharp and is “relatively healthy.”

"It’s really special because she's been able to watch and see all of her grandchildren grow up and be a part of their lives," said Francis’ granddaughter Ethel Harrison.

ABC 13 reports that the Francis family described the birthday party as the perfect way to celebrate this next century of life the family’s matriarch is in. 

Two Mass Shootings in Two Days: God’s Question for His People Today

 Horror. Anger. Grief. Anguish. Heartbreak. Mourning. Shock.

These are some of my emotions this morning. But surprise is not among them. And that is one of the tragedies of these tragedies. 

A man opened fire at an El Paso shopping area Saturday morning, killing at least twenty people and wounding twenty-six others. He was apprehended at the scene. 

Early the next morning, another shooter opened fire, this time in an entertainment district in Dayton, Ohio. At least nine people were murdered, including the gunman’s sister, and twenty-six others were wounded. The shooter was killed by police. 

There have now been 251 mass shootings in America this year. And 2019 is little more than seven months old. 

A MURDERER LIVING TWENTY MINUTES FROM MY HOME 

Watching the national reaction to these tragedies, it seems to me that despair has captured our collective soul. 

We are afraid that no place in America is safe today. We can’t put metal detectors at every store, mall, movie theater, and office building. And even if we did, murderers would just attack us in the parking lot. 

How do you know that wherever you’re going today won’t be next? The fact is, you don’t. Dallas is not safer than Dayton. A garlic festival in California is not safer than a Walmart in El Paso. 

A young man living in Allen, Texas (twenty minutes north of my home) drove ten hours to massacre people in El Paso and is now one of the most infamous mass murderers in American history. Perhaps someone living in your community will be next. 

On a morning like this, it’s easy to wonder how the Christian message can possibly be relevant to the crisis of mass shootings. How can the gospel protect us from the next massacre? How can it make a difference in this epidemic? 

WHAT MASS SHOOTERS HAVE IN COMMON 

Tomorrow, I plan to answer our question in the context of the racist worldview that reportedly motivated the El Paso shooter. For today, I’d like to respond more personally. 

In the wake of the El Paso massacre, the Los Angeles Times published a vitally important op-ed by Jillian Peterson and James Densley. These university professors run The Violence Project, a nonpartisan think tank dedicated to reducing violence in society and improving policy and practice through research and analysis. 

Working on a project funded by the research arm of the US Department of Justice, they have studied mass shootings since 1966, along with media, social media, manifestos, suicide notes, trial transcripts, and medical records. They have discovered four commonalities among the perpetrators of nearly all the mass shootings they have studied: 

One: The vast majority experienced early childhood trauma and exposure to violence at a young age. 

Two: Nearly every mass shooter reached an identifiable crisis point in the weeks or months leading up to the shooting. 

Three: Most of the shooters studied the actions of other shooters and sought validation for their motives. 

Four: They all had the means to carry out their plans by obtaining weapons legally, illegally, or from family members. 

As a result, Peterson and Densley recommend tighter control of media sites that validate violence, improved security and weapons control, and proactive responses to those in personal crisis. 

THE DARKER THE NIGHT, THE MORE CRUCIAL OUR LIGHT 

While society should obviously take all effective measures to protect itself, here’s my biblical point: Jesus can change any life he touches. He can heal any trauma. He can redeem any crisis. The God who turned a murdering Pharisee into a missionary of grace can transform anyone. 

Do you believe that any person stands beyond the transforming power of our Savior’s love? What about the person planning the next massacre? 

The more secularized our culture becomes, the more evangelistic our churches must become. The more people during a crisis ridicule our prayers, the more they need our prayers. The more traumatized and victimized our society, the more vital our compassion. (For more, see Ryan Denison’s “The Gilroy Garlic Festival: Moving forward by not moving on.”) 

The greater the threat of violence, the more urgent our message. 

That’s why we must do all we can to reach the next shooters before they strike. We must use our influence to permeate our broken culture with biblical truth and grace. We must share God’s word and love with everyone we can in every way we can.

GOD’S QUESTION FOR HIS PEOPLE TODAY 

Jesus is weeping beside twenty-nine graves today (John 11:35). He is calling us to join him with heartbroken compassion for the victims and their families and a renewed commitment to our gospel mandate. 

We are still the only “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). The darker the night, the more crucial our light. 

One lesson of El Paso and Dayton is that every community is a mission field. As a result, every Christian is a missionary. 

This morning, I hear our Lord asking, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (Isaiah 6:8).  

What is your answer to him?

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National Worship Centre is a centre where the Lord of hosts, the Lord God Almighty is worshipped in His majesty all the 24 hours. Per day 12 worship teams come to worship from different parts of the Nation. One slot consists of 2 hours. The opening of NWC also turns to be the trumpet sign to start the fatal war against satan to this Nation for Christ! Do you want to join this praising Army?

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Elderly Christian Woman Raped, Stoned to Death in Syria

Islamic militants have subjected an elderly Christian lady to a prolonged rape before stoning her to death.

International Christian Concern reported that 60-year-old Suzan Der Kirkour, who was a gardener and Arabic teacher, was discovered dead outside her village of Al-Yaqoubiyeh July 9 after being subjected to a sickeningly cruel ordeal of sexual violence.

The sordid details of the attack were confirmed by humanitarian organization SOS Chrétien’s d’Orient, who obtained an autopsy report conducted after the attack. Kirkour “died under the repeated assaults of the jihadists of al-Nusra,” the charity noted.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also confirmed the incident. “The body of a citizen woman in her fifties was found on Tuesday the 9th of July 2019, and it was revealed later that she is a Christian woman,” the group noted in its report.

“The woman is from Ya’qubiyah village north of Jisr Al-Shughur in the western countryside of Idlib, where her body was found with marks of torture on it, and according to the forensic medicine; the woman had been tortured for about 9 hours before she was stoned till death by unidentified persons.”

Jabhat al-Nusra group is a terrorist organization that was formerly affiliated with al Qaeda.

In a statement, ICC’s Regional Manager for the Middle East, Claire Evans, said that Suzan “was a pillar in her community.”

“Her untimely death and the manner of her murder is horrifying,” Evans added. “It further deepens the shadow which has fallen upon any Christians who have remained in Syria throughout nearly a decade of violent conflict.”

Urging peace and reform, Evans implored that the “rule of law, justice, and accountability must be restored in Syria.”

If things don’t change, she said, the Christian faith is under serious threat and we will be “witness to the slow, but fierce, extermination of Christianity from a country where it has existed for over 2,000 years.”

Celebrating New Religious Freedom Law, Bolivian Evangelicals Push for More

(RNS) — After 183 years as a Roman Catholic nation, Bolivia officially became a secular country in 2009, when a new constitution, promulgated by the administration of its first indigenous leader, President Evo Morales, dropped any mention of the historic faith of its Spanish colonial rulers, bolstering the position of its pre-colonial religions.

But the surprising winners in the transition to the new constitution have been the country’s long-ignored evangelical Christians.

Angered when the 2009 charter failed to recognize them, Protestant denominations have spent the past decade mobilizing their growing numbers of followers, finally forcing a religious freedom law that codifies their tax status and, perhaps more importantly, giving them standing in Bolivian society.

“For the first time, the religious entities have a legal identity, with the rights to self-determination and independence from the State,” said Munir Chiquie, president of the National Association of Evangelicals of Bolivia, also referred to as ANDEB.

The turning point for the evangelicals’ long campaign for recognition came in December of 2017, when Morales’ administration replaced the penal code written under Bolivia’s dictatorial president, the former Gen. Hugo Banzer, who is also credited with shepherding the country toward democracy in the 1980s.

Evangelical Christians, led by ANDEB, protested a provision of the new penal code, Article 88, aimed at combating terrorism and trafficking, that established a 12-year prison sentence for anyone who “captures, transports, transfers, deprives of freedom, welcomes or hosts persons” with the purpose of recruiting them for “participation in armed conflicts or in religious or cult organizations.”

Christians charged that Article 88’s language was so expansive and vaguely written that it could result in the persecution of clergy for evangelizing. The article sparked criticism across South America, and evangelicals stirred fears that it would result in the criminalization of preaching in public. ANDEB organized a national day of fasting and prayer in protest.

President Morales denied that the measure was intended to quash evangelizing, but within two months of promulgating the new code, he moved to have it revoked. “It became clear afterwards that the article had been poorly written and its real intent was not to criminalize us,” said Chiquie. “But we protested it, and the law — which had other major problems — was suspended.”

This intermediate victory prompted the evangelicals to press for additional changes. They revived their criticisms of the 2009 constitution, which they felt privileged traditional Andean beliefs that pre-date the Inca empire, and strongly opposed new bills concerning sexuality and gender. In 2017, an article of the law of gender identity that allowed same-sex marriage was declared invalid by Bolivia’s Constitutional Court.

“Another menace to religious freedom was posed by the emergence of themes such as gender ideology,” said Chiquie. “Some segments of society were proposing restrictions on the right of the evangelicals to disagree with them.” It had also become gradually harder for evangelical leaders to express their views in schools and in the media, he said.

The draft that became the religious freedom act had been circulating since a few years after the new constitution went into effect but had been stalled until about five years ago, when Morales’ government took up the project. Talks moved slowly until the Article 88 debacle turbocharged negotiations between government officials and Christian organizations.

The new law, which Morales signed in April, imposes regulations on religious organizations, including a requirement to report their activities to the government annually, but in return no taxes are levied on them. And the very fact of being monitored gives them a legitimacy in the eyes of the government that Protestant churches have never enjoyed.

Julio Córdova, a sociologist who has studied Bolivia’s evangelicals, said the true victory of the law is the visibility it grants.

Córdova also believes the legislation is mostly symbolic. “From a strictly legal perspective, this law is not that important. It establishes the administrative procedures to register the religious entities and not much more than that,” he said.

But Córdova and other experts said that the process of passing the law itself marks a turning point for Christian denominations that have historically tended to keep their distance from politics.

Their quest for a broader role in the country’s affairs has come as the share of the population in Bolivia who are Protestant has increased from 7.6% in 1985 to an estimated 17% today.

“In the last few years, a new wave of Protestantism gained strength in the country, especially with the Neo-Pentecostals and their so-called prosperity theology. Some of them are exploring new ways to obtain power,” said Nelson Jordán Bazán, a professor at Nur University in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. “There is a trend of steadily raising their political participation in the Bolivian society.”

Indeed, some evangelical Christians are pushing for a greater recognition still. Already there is a campaign against the new religious freedom law, promoted by conservative Christians, on the grounds that it forces churches to submit to the state.

In their surging numbers and confidence, Bolivia’s conservative Christians are following a pattern established in Brazil, where evangelicals are said to have played an important role in electing far-right President Jair Bolsonaro last year.

In Bolivia, where general elections are scheduled for October, Morales is being opposed in his pursuit of a fourth term by Víctor Hugo Cárdenas, whose running mate, Humberto Peinado, is pastor of the Church of the Christian Family in Santa Cruz. Both men have criticized the religious freedom law.

In a recent interview with a local newspaper, Página Siete, Peinado claimed that the world is going through a “Christian Spring” and that evangelicals are helping to oust “populist socialists” everywhere, from Brazil all the way to the United States.

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National Worship Centre is a centre where the Lord of hosts, the Lord God Almighty is worshipped in His majesty all the 24 hours. Per day 12 worship teams come to worship from different parts of the Nation. One slot consists of 2 hours. The opening of NWC also turns to be the trumpet sign to start the fatal war against satan to this Nation for Christ! Do you want to join this praising Army?

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10 Christians Are Dying Every Day for Their Faith in Nigeria

Life has become increasingly difficult for Christians in Nigeria, as persecution continues to rise and an average of ten Christians are dying for their faith every day. 91 million Christians live in Africa’s most populous nation, but many of them face consistent harassment and violence from Muslim extremists.

David Curry, CEO of Open Doors USA, recently spoke about the struggles facing Nigerian Christians on the Pure Flix Podcast. He explained that “There are these Islamic terrorist groups with safe haven in the north and the government has done little to nothing to root them out. That makes the north of Nigeria one of the most dangerous places for Christians.”

Curry pointed to a May 18^thincident in which Islamic extremists attacked a church’s choir practice and are still holding 17 members captive. He said, We don’t know who is alive and who is not. The women are either forced into marriage to jihadists – under Sharia law there is often nothing they can do to get those individuals back – they are ransomed to raise money for terrorist activity or they are killed.”

In an area known as Nigeria’s Middle Belt, Christian farmers face attacks from militant Fulani herders and from Boko Haram. According to the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, more than 500 Christians have died at the hands of Fulani herders since 2016. Boko Haram, while weakened in many places, still remains active in Nigeria and has increased its attacks on Christians there this year.

Some Nigerian Christians have reached out to the United States for help. According to Fox News, a delegation of Nigerian activists traveled to Washington in June with the support of Save the Persecuted Christians and the International Committee on Nigeria. 

Rebecca Sharibu was among those who traveled to Washington. Her daughter Leah was kidnapped from her school by Boko Haram militants more than a year and a half ago. Many of her schoolmates were set free, but Sharibu claims her daughter is still in captivity because she “would not relinquish her Christian faith.” She said, “Leah is a beautiful child. She loves the Lord and I am so proud of her for not giving in. But she has spent her 15^thand 16^thbirthdays in captivity and we need her home.”

Leah appeared in a video released by the militants last August. She was draped in traditional Islamic garb and begged for the Nigerian government to meet Boko Haram’s demands. Those who made the video said Leah would be killed if the government did not acquiesce to their demands. Leah has not been heard from since.

David Curry said that Christians in Nigeria have remained firm in their faith even though they face overwhelming obstacles. He explained that “Their life is stripped down to the basics and they decide what is the most important. And it comes down to their spiritual life and that peace you get from Scripture and wisdom to help you live every day, even in these really hard circumstances… You can find that these folks that are held captive for a long time and you see their faith walk grow despite [the fact that] they have been stripped of every comfort.”

Egyptian Committee Legalizes 127 Churches That Were Previously Outlawed

An Egyptian committee has approved the legalization of 127 churches in the country.

According to CBN News, the churches previously were operating illegally. 

Legal churches must obtain state approval in a process that had been criticized for being too restrictive and slow. In response, thousands of churches set up without permits.

“Egypt has a long history of regulating the building of churches, but many churches were not able to complete this process,” said a release from the International Christian Concern. “Instead, they were built illegally.”

The churches must only be used for religious activities, according to a media release.

But in 2016, the Egyptian government passed a new law that aimed to speed up the legalization process. International Christian Concern says that more than 1,000 churches have been granted permits since the law change.

Under the new law, a cabinet committee of the prime minister and the ministers of justice, housing and antiquities, review church requests for approval.  

In late 2018 after more than 100 churches were approved, the president of the Protestant Churches of Egypt said the process would continue to improve.

“I am pleased,” said Andrea Zaki. “The process has been slow in the beginning, but I think going forward it will be better.”

According to Open Doors USA, Christians in Egypt are still facing daily persecution from the Islamic population, but this is a step in the right direction. Open Doors USA said the Islamic religion "fuels discrimination and creates an environment causing the state to be reluctant to respect and enforce the fundamental rights of Christians.”

The Islamic State group, according to World Watch Monitor, killed more than 100 Coptic Christians in 2017. Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of the population.

Egypt is 16^thon the World Watch List for persecution of Christians.

Global Earthquakes 3 Times above Normal - Dozens More Hit the Ring of Fire                               

Within the last 48 hours we have seen large earthquakes going off like firecrackers all along the Ring of Fire.  As you will see below, a magnitude 6.1 quake just hit Japan, a magnitude 6.6 quake just hit Australia and a magnitude 7.3 earthquake just hit Indonesia.  

And of course all of this comes just about a week after southern California was hit by the two largest earthquakes that it has experienced in more than two decades.  So is all of this shaking unusual?  

Just a few moments ago, I pulled up the most recent data from Earthquake Track, and what I discovered is more than just a little bit alarming.  Looking at the entire globe, we have averaged 193 earthquakes of magnitude 1.5 or greater per day so far in 2019.  That is very high, but it pales in comparison to what we have witnessed over the last week.  Within the last seven days, our planet has experienced an average of more than 677 earthquakes of magnitude 1.5 or greater per day.  That means that the number of global earthquakes right now is more than 3 times above normal.

And the number of very large earthquakes is at a frighteningly high level as well.  According to the USGS, there have been 121 earthquakes of at least magnitude 4.5 around the world within the last seven days, and that includes the magnitude 6.1 earthquake that just hit Japan.

Incredibly, that quake in Japan brought the number of global earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater that we have seen so far this year up to a grand total of 84.  The following comes from the Big Wobble...

Last nights quake brings the total of major quakes (mag 6+) to 84, incredibly all but 7 of them striking the Pacific Ring Of Fire. The last 38 major quakes this year, going back to the 3rd of May have occurred along the Pacific Ring Of Fire. But on Sunday we had to add two more to that total.

The first actually tied the record for the largest earthquake that western Australia has ever seen...The equal-largest earthquake recorded in Australia has hit off the Kimberley coast, shaking items off shelves and stunning local residents who had never felt a tremor before.

The 6.6 magnitude undersea quake struck at 3.39pm AEST on Sunday between Port Hedland and Broome, GeoScience Australia reported. The second was even larger.  When a magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit Indonesia on Sunday, it sparked tsunami fears and made headlines all over the globe...

A terrifying 7.3-magnitude earthquake has sparked panic after it rocked the remote Maluku islands in eastern Indonesia today. Scared residents were seen fleeing through the streets and heading for high ground, though no tsunami warning was issued after the land-based quake struck. None of this is "normal".  As I keep warning my readers, we have entered a time of tremendous global instability, and the U.S. is certainly not going to be exempt.

In fact, we just witnessed a magnitude 4.0 earthquake in Montana.  The following comes from Ricky Scaparo...

According to reports from the USGS, A 4.0 earthquake has rattled Manhattan, Montana. This earthquake follows the string of quakes that have rattled the globe over the past few weeks producing powerful earthquakes in Southern California and rattling Seattle, Washington. We will give you more information as we receive it.

The magnitude 4.6 earthquake in Seattle that he mentioned definitely got a lot of attention when it struck very early on Friday morning.  According to a USGS geophysicist, that quake was "widely felt throughout the Seattle area"...

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake shook Seattle and the Puget Sound region just before 3 a.m. Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey.

"It's been widely felt throughout the Seattle area," said Paul Caruso, a USGS geophysicist.

I know that California is receiving most of the attention right now, but we definitely need to keep a close eye on the Northwest, because they are definitely overdue for a "Big One" of their own and there are several volcanoes in the region that could literally go off at any time. Meanwhile, the shaking in southern California simply will not stop.  According to Cal Tech, there have been 10,303 earthquakes of all magnitudes in California and Nevada within the last seven days.

In case you are wondering, that is not "normal" either. The magnitude 7.1 earthquake that we witnessed back on July 5th did not cause an enormous amount of damage because it happened in a very remote location.

But we should definitely not take that quake lightly, because it was extremely powerful.  According to the Los Angeles Times, it actually "packed the energy of 45 nuclear bombs"... When the magnitude 7.1 earthquake ruptured the earth in the Mojave Desert, it packed the energy of 45 nuclear bombs of the type that fell on Hiroshima. Can you imagine if such a quake had happened in downtown Los Angeles?

And if a magnitude 9.0 earthquake were to hit southern California someday, it would be 707 times more powerful than the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that we just witnessed. Hopefully such a quake is still a long way off, but we have witnessed renewed shaking in the region within the last 24 hours.  The following comes from the Express...

California has since experienced a number of aftershocks with a seismic swarm hitting southern California in the past 24 hours. Over the course of the last 24 hours, there have been 762 earthquakes in California, 29 earthquakes were over a magnitude of 2.5. Unfortunately, this is not just a localized phenomenon. As I showed at the beginning of this article, the number of global earthquakes is three times above normal right now.

Our entire planet is being greatly shaken, and many believe that what we have witnessed so far is just the beginning.

Pregnant Woman Changes Mind Mid-Abortion, Saves Twin Babies

A North Carolina woman undergoing a chemical abortion had a change of heart when she learned she was carrying twins and was able to save her babies thanks to the work of a pro-life pregnancy center.   

The woman was six weeks pregnant when she visited a Charlotte, N.C., abortion clinic – A Preferred Women’s Health Center – with the goal of ending the pregnancy. 

Pregnancy Help News first reported the story. 

“Oh – twins,” the technician at the abortion clinic said while performing an ultrasound.

The pregnant woman had always wanted twins, and she swallowed the first pill without having time to consider the consequences. 

A chemical abortion is a two-step process involving a pair of drugs, RU-486 (mifepristone) and misoprostol. Together, they’re known as the abortion pill. Mifepristone blocks the natural hormone progesterone and causes the lining of the uterus to release the unborn baby. Misoprostol starts the contractions that result in delivery of a dead baby.

Leaving the clinic, the woman heard a sidewalk counselor: “It might not be too late for you – AbortionPillReversal.com– they can still help you save your baby.”

The woman, known pseudonymously as “Alexis,” visited the website and called the phone number that was listed. She wanted to save her babies. 

“We got her started on the abortion pill reversal treatment extremely fast,” Courtney Parks of HELP Pregnancy Center told Pregnancy Help News. “It was a matter of hours.”

Reversal treatment involves an extra boost of progesterone to offset the effects of mifepristone. About 750 babies have been born thanks to the treatment and to pregnant women changing their minds.

Parks and sonographer Kelly Byrum let Alexis view her unborn babies on an ultrasound machine. 

“They were tiny, little babies and they had beautiful, little heartbeats,” Parks said. “I just remember sitting with her in that ultrasound room and her crying, and just hoping that this would work for her so that she could save her babies.”

The reversal treatment worked, and several months later, Alexis delivered healthy twins.

The pregnancy center even threw her a baby shower.

“She told me, ‘If I had known what I know now and I had seen how the Lord has provided for these babies, I would have never even walked into that clinic.’ So she’s just been overwhelmed with just how good God has provided for her throughout this,” Parks said.

Three Christians Forced to Convert to Buddhism in Rakhine State, Burma

YANGON, Burma, June 19, 2019 (Morning Star News) – Local authorities in western Burma (Myanmar) last month forced three Christians to convert to Buddhism, area sources said.

In Ann Township in southern Rakhine state, five local officials led by U Tin Shwe Maung took two ethnic Chin Christians from their homes in Padi Kyin village to a monastery on May 24 and threatened to expel them from the village if they did not convert to Buddhism, according to the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO).

Forcing pastor U Aung Thin and a member of his 30-member house church who requested anonymity to sign documents stating their conversion to Buddhism before the Buddhist monk in charge of the monastery, the officials also threatened that the two Christians would be fined 100,000 kyats (US$80) if they engaged in Christian activities, villagers told CHRO.

Previously local officials have demanded money from other Christians, according to area Christians.

In a separate case the next day (May 25), a Buddhist monk took Padi Kyin village Christian U San Tin Aung to a village administration office and compelled him to sign documents stating conversion to Buddhism or else he would be expelled from the village, according to CHRO.  

“We released a statement publicly to let the Burmese government know that ethnic Chin people in Padi Kyin village were forced to convert to Buddhism,” CHRO Field Director Salai Terah told Morning Star News. “We are trying to travel to that area to find out and solve the problem.”

Village officials have told CHRO leaders that they do not want them to visit, and Terah said doing so now would only worsen treatment of Chin Christians there.

“We can’t travel there at the moment because local authorities and local residents don’t want us,” he said.

Christians told CHRO that after the men signed the documents, area officials again threatened to expel them from the village if they continued practicing Christianity.

The officials also banned the three men from visiting the homes of Christians and doing business with them. Authorities patrol the village announcing through a loudspeaker that if the three men fail to obey, they will be fined 100,000 kyats (US$80) each, local sources told CHRO.

Some local Christians who have been insulted and physically assaulted by local authorities because of their faith have moved to nearby villages, according to CHRO.  

Many ethnic Chin retain their ancestral animist beliefs and practices, though today most are Christians, according to the Joshua Project and other sources. Encouraging Buddhism to try to unite Burma’s disparate peoples, the Burmese government has long persecuted Chin Christians for their faith.

In July 2018, a group of Buddhists physically assaulted a pastor and two Christian women in the Ann Township area, beating them and stoning their home, Terah said.

The house church in Padi Kyin is the only congregation in the village. Of the more than 200 households in the village, only 11 are Christian.

Our Christian community who are minorities there suffer discrimination and human rights violations,” Terah said. “We publicly released the news, but the government took no action. We want religious freedom. Don’t the government leaders know our suffering, or do they pretend to not know it?”

CHRO will try to bring the cases in Padi Kyin village before international Christian organizations if the government fails to address them, he said.

Burma is about 80 percent Buddhist and 9 percent Christian. The country is ranked 18th on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2019 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, up from 24^th the previous year. 

Biotech & Human Identity: The Danger Of Tampering With Our Genetic Code                      

When we use our bodies in ways that they are not designed for, bad things can happen. Non-reproductive sexual practices can damage the body in a variety of ways, ranging from STDs to hepatitis to cancers to fecal and urinary incontinence. Our bodies are not infinitely malleable, and whatever our desires for them might be, using the parts of our body contrary to their purposes can cause health problems. But what if our bodies are not operating correctly to begin with? What if we are missing limbs or are blind or deaf or have lost the use of one part of our body? What do we do then?

The answer is obvious: we use whatever technologies or medicines that we can devise to overcome the problem. Tremendous advances in prosthetic technologies, cochlear implants, transplants, surgical reattachments of severed body parts, and the like have enabled people to live normal lives and even to excel in ways that would have been unthinkable just a few decades ago.

Gene Therapies

That much is uncontroversial. Things get more complicated when we are dealing with genetic issues, however, because of the critical importance of our DNA to our identity. On a biological level, it is arguably the fundamental element that distinguishes human bodies from animal bodies.  It also makes each of us physically unique (aside from identical twins). Our genetic code is thus a critical element in defining us as human beings and as individuals, and thus attempts to manipulate it raise important ethical and worldview questions. 

Biotechnology is developing at an incredibly rapid rate, so we need to think these questions through very carefully. The place we need to begin is with the distinction between Somatic Cell Gene Therapy (SCGT) and Germline Gene Therapy (GGT). The former, in current technologies, seeks to cure disorders caused by a single gene such as hemophilia or cystic fibrosis localized to a part of a person's body. SCGT does not change all the cells in a person's body, only those necessary to correct the disorder. This is relatively uncontroversial, at least in its current form.

In contrast, Germline Gene Therapy modifies sperm and egg cells, thereby changing permanently the genetic makeup of the entire organism. Unlike Somatic Gene Therapy, the changes introduced by GGT are passed down to all of the modified organism's descendants. This raises serious ethical questions and as a result has been banned in humans by Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Israel. This is due in no small part to the unknown effect it might have on future generations, who would thus be rendered part of a human experiment without being able to give consent. 

And yet ... if we could use gene-editing technologies to eliminate Sickle Cell Disease or Tay-Sachs or other terrible genetic diseases in cases where we know parents are carriers who could pass them on to their children, some argue that this would be a positive benefit and that the transmission of the corrected gene through the person's descendants would actually be a benefit, whatever the risks involved.

The problem is, we do not know all the things that genes do, and "correcting" a gene for one problem might create enormous problems elsewhere, if not in this generation than some generations down the line. This is why it has been banned in several countries--we don't know enough to properly assess the risks, making it unethical to do the experiment.

Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis

As an alternative, we could use Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) to avoid transmission of the defective genes. PGD is used to analyze the genome of babies produced through in vitro fertilization to determine whether the embryo has the genes for the disease.  If not, the embryo can be implanted; if so, she or he is discarded. In effect, the parents and technicians decide the embryo is better off never being born than being born with the disease. In other words, the approach does not cure the diseases; it eliminates children with them. Other uses of PGD illustrate a fundamental problem with biotechnology. While it can be used to cure diseases, it can also be used for other purposes, such as determining the sex of children so parents can have the child they want--usually a son. Parents in the deaf community have used it to ensure that their child is deaf as well, and parents with dwarfism have done similarly.

And taking the next step, even without genetic technology, the use of sperm bank and in vitro fertilization can enable women to choose the characteristics they want in the father of their baby, including things such as height, hair color, and education level. Babies thus become a consumer commodity, and like all consumer commodities we insist on our right to choose what we want. And in so doing, we impose our will on all future generations coming from our preferences. This devalues human life and leads directly to a War on the Weak that reduces and ultimately rejects the value of the mentally or physically handicapped.

In ancient Greece and Rome, imperfect babies were "discarded"--thrown into a river or down a well, flushed into the sewers, or left to die on a hillside--in the name of eugenics. Now, in a hideous merging of utilitarian ethics and consumerism, we do the same with our embryos, not to "strengthen the race" but to give us the designer baby we want.

Somatic Gene Therapy Issues

There are similar issues surrounding the largely uncontroversial field of Somatic Gene Therapy. To take a simple example, I am red-green colorblind, a sex-linked trait I got from my mother involving a defect on the X chromosome. It's a relatively minor problem, and no one to my knowledge is working on Somatic Gene Therapy to fix it. 

But suppose someone was. Suppose it was possible to introduce genetic material into my eyes that would build the appropriate cones for color vision that I lack. That would be a good thing--it would be repairing something that isn't working correctly. But take it to the next step. The same technology that can heal can also enhance. Suppose I am a Special Operations soldier. We could use the same technology to introduce cones that would respond to infrared or ultraviolet light, enabling me to see in the dark. Wouldn't that be a good thing? Or suppose you could introduce genes to enhance memory and cognition, or to enhance strength and coordination or stamina--in effect, creating a Captain America type super soldier (or super scholar or super athlete). Wouldn't that be a good thing?

Or take prosthetics. We can currently provide prosthetic devices that enable amputees to function on a more normal level; we are even working on powered exoskeletons to restore mobility to people with spinal cord injuries. (We are also working on Iron Man-like military exoskeletons to enhance physical performance and to provide full-body ballistic protection.) It seems inevitable that soon we will have powered prosthetics to further improve amputee abilities, perhaps allowing them more raw strength in the prosthetic limbs than an able-bodied person has.

If an able-bodied person wanted these kinds of prosthetics, should we allow it? There are already "trans-abled" persons who claim to have handicaps they do not and insist on surgical intervention to make them conform to their self-conception. Why not allow people to merge with machines like a disabled person with powered prosthetics? Is there anything ethically wrong with creating the Six Million Dollar Man or a cyborg?

Techno-Gnosticism

If there is no fixed human nature, if we are infinitely malleable, if we have the right to choose who or what we are, none of these possibilities raise any ethical issues.  Our personal perception of our identity is all that matters, regardless of physical facts, and we have an unalienable right to force physical reality to conform to our self-image and our desires. We are, in short, in a technological form of neo-Gnosticism.

All these examples, many of which seem like bad science fiction, have been seriously proposed by thinkers in our world. They all are various forms of Transhumanism, a worldview which argues that human beings should take charge of our own evolution and merge with machines. 

Many of the most important Transhumanists aren't as interested in the body as they are in merging our consciousness with computers--an even more extreme techno-Gnosticism

Three Children among 13 Christians Killed in Attacks in Two States in Nigeria

JOS, Nigeria, June 20, 2019 (Morning Star News) – Muslim Fulani herdsmen on Monday (June 17) killed four Christians in north-central Nigeria’s Kaduna state, including three children, on the same day nine other Christians were slain in neighboring Plateau state, area sources said.

Christian residents in Kaduna state’s Kauru County told Morning Star News that between 3 a.m and 4 a.m. well over 200 armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen invaded two predominantly Christian villages in the Ungwan Rimi Kamuru area, killing 8-year-old Monday Yahaya, 9-year-old Zhime Danladi and Samson David, 15.

“They were all buried today after a brief prayer at the grave site,” area resident Thomas John told Morning Star News in a text message.

A Kaduna police spokesman reportedly confirmed the killings but identified the 9-year-old as Ashimile Danladi and cited Samson David’s age as 17.

Also in Kauru County, that evening herdsmen attacked predominantly Christian Kikoba village, killing Audu Gara, kidnapping a Christian woman, Asabe Deme, and burning houses, according to area resident Matthew Nasamu, 51.

“The Fulani herdsmen attacked Kikoba, a Christian village in Kauru LGA of Kaduna state, in the evening, around 5 p.m.,” Nasamu said in a text message to Morning Star News. “All houses were burned and razed down, farms were destroyed, and all the villagers are now displaced.”

In all, 93 houses belonging to Christians were burned, and farm crops were destroyed, he said.

Plateau State Attack 

About 35 kilometers (21 miles) east in Riyom County, Plateau state, Muslim Fulani herdsmen at about 1 p.m. killed nine Christians and burned two church buildings in attacks on two villages, area sources said.

An attack on Kangbro village killed 25-year-old Gado Peter, Stephen Ziah, 60, and Adam Sabo, 65, said Miango resident Lawrence Zango in text messages to Morning Star News. A fourth Christian, Samson Audu Rivi, was receiving treatment for gunshots wounds at Enos Hospital, Miango, west of Jos.

Two church buildings were burned alongside 185 houses in Kangbro village, said area resident Patience Moses, 23, in text messages to Morning Star News.

“Two churches were burnt by the Fulani herdsmen in Kangbro, and the churches are ECWA [Evangelical Church Winning All] Church, Kangbro, and Catholic Church, Kangbro,” Moses said. “185 houses were burnt and destroyed, while the entire Christian villagers who survived the attacks are now displaced.”

Less than two miles away, Muslim Fulani herdsmen shot six Christians to death in the attack on the second village, Nakai Danwal, according to area resident Lawrence Zango, who said at least 54 houses were set on fire. 

Previous attacks 

Zango said that area Christians area have been under attack from herdsmen before.

In April and May, he said, herdsmen killed nine Christians in attacks on predominantly Christian communities of Kigam, Ri-Do, Rotsu, Hura and Jebbu Miango.

“Fulani terrorists killed nine industrious Nigerian citizens and injured two within a month,” Zango said. “The killings are continuation of their usual genocide attacks on innocent farmers on the plateau, destroying their only means of livelihood.”

Salah Akpa, a Christian and head of Kigam village, was killed on his farm on April 9, he said. The following day, a Christian identified only as Emma from Ri-Do village was killed. Herdsmen killed two other people, Janah Dare and Dadi Ibrahim, in an ambush on April 14 in Hura village, he said.

On April 27, the same Fulani herdsmen killed Sunday Di and a Christian identified only as Baram as they made their way home in Dong village, Zango said. The next day in Rotsu village, the same herdsmen ambushed Christians Emmanuel Ishaya and Jummai Ijah, who along with a 7-month-old baby identified only as Tabitha were wounded but survived, he said.

On May 1 herdsmen killed Monday Audu Rivo as he made his way to his farm, and the same day another unidentified resident going hone to Jebbu Miango was shot and was receiving treatment at Enos Hospital, Miango.

“The activities of the Fulani terrorists are similar and the same with that of Boko Haram in the Northest,” Zango said. “The federal government should direct security agencies to investigate and arrest the leaders of the Fulanis within close environs before it escalates to destroy Nigeria.”

The government needs to send more security personnel to rural areas where Fulani herdsmen are forcefully capturing grazing area, he said, adding that it also needs to send relief aid to victims of attacks and compensate traumatized farmers.

Christians make up 51.3 percent of Nigeria’s population, while Muslims living primarily in the north and middle belt account for 45 percent.

Nigeria ranked 12^th on Open Doors’ 2019 World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most persecution. 

China Forces Churches to Sing Songs Praising Communist Regime

China continues its war against the Christian faith by forcing churches to replace hymns and spiritual songs with those praising the country.

Earlier this year, the Chinese government required all believers to sing from Newly Compiled Hymns, a hymnal published by China’s Two National Christian Council. As reported by Bitter Winter, a magazine on religious liberty in China, the new required singing includes Bible chapters through a secular lens.

“The hymns published by the government only promote political, secularized content,” director of a Three-Self church in China said. “All believers are unwilling sing them.” One of the hymns reads: “China is beautiful; China is great; the sons and daughters of China love China. … Bless China, O Lord.”

“Such hymns aren’t praising the Lord at all,” the director continued. “They are entirely praising the country, and are no different from secular songs. Isn’t the government engaging in dishonesty and deceit?”

Last month, churches in Mudan district were required to create “Christian cultural activity centers.” These places will “write and perform Chinese operas and skits; form activity groups for painting and calligraphy, Chinese operas, fashion shows, and photography; incorporate local cultural characteristics into Christian traditions, and promote the ‘sinicization’ of Christianity.”

Sinicization is the Chinese Communist Party’s attempt to assimilate minorities into the Chinese culture, which includes Christians. Bob Fu, founder of ChinaAid, testified at a congressional hearing in September that China plans to roll out a five-year sinicization plan, which includes the new hymns.

Another part of the plan is to re-write the Bible.

“There are outlines that the new Bible should not look westernized and [should look] Chinese and reflect Chinese ethics of Confucianism and socialism,” Fu told the Christian Post. Chinese elements will also be introduced into worship services, attire, and style of church buildings. 

Nonetheless, the Christian population in China continues to rise. Christian Post reports that China will have the world’s largest Christian population by 2030. “In 1980 there were approximately 3 million Christians in China. By 2010 that number had risen to 58 million…By 2025, there could be 255 million Christians.” 

Open Doors USA, a religious freedom watchdog group, however, believes Christianity may become more difficult. “…the increased power of the government and the rule of President Xi Jinping continue to make open worship difficult in some parts of the country.”

New Poll Shows Majority of Arab World Still Believes Israel Is #1 Threat

A clear majority of the Arab world continues to believe that Israel is the main threat in the Middle East and North Africa, a comprehensive BBC poll of 11 Arab countries revealed on Monday. The poll -- which involved interviews with over 25,000 respondents in Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, Jordan, the Palestinian territories, Yemen, Iraq, Morocco, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria -- also demonstrated that a strict social conservatism prevailed throughout the region.

Opposition to women holding positions of power and influence, as well as sympathy for the practice of "honor killings" -- the execution of female relatives for allegedly shaming their families -- remains widespread as well. The poll, conducted for the British broadcaster by the Arab Barometer research organization, showed that residents of the Palestinian territories were more resistant to liberal democratic values than are their neighbors in several respects.

Notwithstanding a string of brutal internal wars in Arab nations over the last decade in which several million people have been killed and displaced, Israel was still held up as the greatest threat to the region in most countries. In Lebanon, 79 percent of respondents identified Israel as the main threat, while in the Palestinian territories that figure was 63 percent. In all cases, the US came second.

Despite their geographical distance from Israel, a plurality of respondents in Morocco, Algeria and Libya all agreed that the Jewish state was a more significant threat than any other country. Only in Iraq and Yemen did more respondents identify Iran -- which has supported terrorist paramilitaries in the brutal internal conflicts in both countries -- as a bigger threat than Israel.

At the same time, the overwhelming dissatisfaction with living standards in the region meant that at least one in five residents of the Arab world wished to emigrate elsewhere. Europe remained the most popular destination, although a sizable number wanted to move to North America, or to other countries in their own region. About 30 percent of Palestinians would emigrate if given the opportunity, with the number rising to nearly 60 percent in the case of Sudan.

In terms of international outlook, the poll will make comforting reading for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose popularity among Arabs remains high even as it declines dramatically in his own country, in the wake of the resounding defeat suffered by Erdogan's AKP Party in the re-run election for the mayor of Istanbul on Sunday. A full 75 percent of Palestinian, Jordanian and Sudanese respondents said they had a "positive" view of the Turkish Islamist leader. Overall, 51 percent of respondents across the region expressed a liking for Erdogan, compared with 28 percent for Russian President Vladimir Putin and just 12 percent for US President Donald Trump. Although the poll showed that levels of religious observance were falling throughout the Arab world -- especially in the North African countries -- this has not translated into more tolerant attitudes towards women in either public life or within the family.