مدونة ام النور omelnor jesus

U.K. Christians Urged to Have Robust Faith By Charles Boyd|Christian Today Reporter LONDON – The Archbishop of York has called on Christians to have a robust faith and stand up for what they believe in. Related     * T.V. Actor Says Christianity is Being Marginalized in Britain     * Religion Being Marginalized in Name of Tolerance, Warns Anglican Leader     * Christians: 'Illiberal Secularism' Prevailing in UK     * U.K.'s New Equality Laws Come Into Force     * U.K. High Court Weighs Whether Christian Couple Can Foster Writing in the latest edition of UCB’s Prayer for Today magazine, Dr. John Sentamu said people in Britain should “celebrate what makes us a Christian nation” and “reclaim the symbols and emblems of our nation from those that abuse them for their own ends.” He urged Christians to have “robustness” in their national identity as well as their faith. “We need to stand up for what we believe in, confident that it will withstand the pressures and

Much Violence ahead of Day of Prayer for Persecuted Church By Michelle A. Vu|Christian Post Reporter This year marks the most violence against the Christian community leading up to the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church within the past seven years, said an advocate for persecuted Christians. Related     * Saddleback Church to Host Forum on Persecuted Church     * Millions to Pray for Persecuted Christians on Sunday     * Baghdad is Gripped with Anti-Christian Terrorism, Says Moeller “I would say candidly that in my whole tenure at Open Doors this is a year when more is taking place on the weekend of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church than at any other time,” said Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors USA. This Sunday marks the 15th year of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church – one of the largest prayer events in the world. Half a million churches in 150 countries are expected to participate in the event. In p

Early church inspires 2011 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity by Charlie Boyd Posted: Friday, October 8, 2010, 9:26 (BST) Resources for next year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity are inspired by the early church in Acts. Photo: Christian Today Jerusalem churches have taken their inspiration from the unity of the early church in materials for the 2011 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Churches from across the denominations in the Holy City were tasked with drawing up resources for the week of prayer, which falls next year on January 18 to 25 for churches in the northern hemisphere. They selected as the theme for this year’s resources, “One in the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer,” based on Acts 2.42. As today’s global church seeks to build unity in spite of its huge diversity, the resources encourage believers to turn their attention to the values and practices that united the believers of the early church in Jerusalem. T

Caste-based discrimination is a sin, say Indian churches by Brian Hutt Posted: Saturday, October 30, 2010, 2:36 (BST) Churches in India have committed themselves to being “zero tolerance zones” for caste-based discrimination. At a conference convened by the National Council of Churches in India and the World Council of Churches last weekend, 31 churches condemned the concept of “untouchability”, which is still practiced in India today, despite being abolished from India’s constitution in 1950. In a joint affirmation of faith, the churches described casteism as a “sin, apostasy and rebellion against God”, and a “crime against human beings”. They hit out at the treatment of Dalits, who rank lowest in the caste system and are often given only manual labour work to do, including the removal of human faeces from dry latrines. “We are ashamed that we as Christians have remained silent while our brothers and sisters have been violated and killed,” the church leaders state. They

Early church inspires 2011 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity by Charlie Boyd Posted: Friday, October 8, 2010, 9:26 (BST) Resources for next year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity are inspired by the early church in Acts. Photo: Christian Today Jerusalem churches have taken their inspiration from the unity of the early church in materials for the 2011 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Churches from across the denominations in the Holy City were tasked with drawing up resources for the week of prayer, which falls next year on January 18 to 25 for churches in the northern hemisphere. They selected as the theme for this year’s resources, “One in the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer,” based on Acts 2.42. As today’s global church seeks to build unity in spite of its huge diversity, the resources encourage believers to turn their attention to the values and practices that united the believers of the early church in Jerusalem. T

Prosperity gospel treads fine line between blessing and materialism, say theologians by Michelle A Vu, Christian Post Posted: Sunday, October 31, 2010, 1:34 (GMT) There needs to be a clear distinction between true biblical prosperity and the gospel of materialism, two African theologians have said. The message that God blesses those who give crosses the line from biblical into prosperity gospel when it becomes self-serving and is used to support the preacher’s extravagant lifestyle, said Kwabena Asamoah, the academic dean and associate professor of Religion and Pentecostal Theology at Trinity Theological Seminary in Legon, Ghana, at the recent Lausanne III conference. Asamoah, who also served as senior research fellow at the Center for the Study of World Religion at Harvard Divinity School in 2004, defines prosperity gospel as “preaching, interpreting, teaching the word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord in a self-serving manner that places its emphasis on cons

Methodist church attacked near Bradford by Brian Hutt Posted: Sunday, October 31, 2010, 22:09 (GMT) A Methodist church in a village near Bradford was badly damaged in an attack by vandals last week. Police confirmed that the vandals had not stolen anything in the attack on Birkenshaw Methodist Church, which took place sometime between Sunday evening and Monday afternoon. According to the Christian Institute, Bibles were burned, chairs and hymnbooks were slashed, a large crucifix had been torn from an inside wall, and keyboard and speaker cables had been cut. The cost of repairing the damage has been estimated at £2,000. The church, which has a congregation of around 60, has been left shaken by the attack. The Rev Graham Edwards, the church’s minister, said: “Everyone is very upset and it is very sad to go to the effort of refurbishing the whole place to find somebody will break in and, for what seems like no reason at all, will destroy and ruin things. “What is upsetting p

Gay bishop’s retirement ‘doesn’t change anything’, say orthodox Anglicans by Jenna Lyle Posted: Tuesday, November 9, 2010, 19:59 (GMT) The US Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop has announced his retirement but it does not change the fact that the Church has chosen to “walk apart”, say Orthodox Anglicans in the UK. V Gene Robinson announced on Saturday that he will retire as Bishop of New Hampshire in 2013 in part because of the strain that the controversy over his role has placed on him and his family. In an address to the Diocese of New Hampshire’s annual convention, Robinson said: “Death threats and the now-worldwide controversy surrounding your election of me as bishop have been a constant strain, not just on me but on my beloved husband Mark, who has faithfully stood with me every minute of the last seven years, and in some ways, you,” he said. “While I believe that these attitudes, mostly outside the diocese, have not distracted me from my service to you, I wo

Controversy surrounds bishop’s ‘warfare’ comments on women in the episcopate by Jenna Lyle Posted: Friday, November 5, 2010, 15:27 (GMT) The Bishop of Lewes’ comments over the consecration of women bishops has upset supporters. The Rt Rev Wallace Benn told the recent Reform conference of conservative Anglicans that opponents of women bishops were faced with a similar situation to Europe in 1939. He said: “I’m about to use an analogy and I use it quite deliberately and carefully. “I feel very much increasingly that we’re in January of 1939. “What we must not do is create a phoney war, but we need to be aware that there is real serious warfare just around the corner.” Women bishop’s advocate Christina Rees was quoted by the BBC as calling his comments “demeaning”. “There is a sense of desperation, a fear, and an unwillingness to believe that this is what the Church of England should be doing,” she said. A statement from the bishop’s diocesan office refuted headlines suggestin

Anglican head to visit Vatican for unity celebration Posted: Friday, November 12, 2010, 9:38 (GMT) The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams and Pope Benedict XVI hold a Celebration of Evening Prayer at Westminster Abbey in central London on the second day of his State Visit. AP Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams will join in the anniversary celebration of a unity council at the Vatican next week. The visit follows the announcement from five Church of England bishops of their decision to join the Roman Catholic Church. Dr Williams, the spiritual leader of Anglicans worldwide, will visit the Vatican on November 17 in honour of the 50th anniversary of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. The council aims, in part, to develop dialogue and collaboration with other churches and world communions. Metropolitan John Zizioulas of Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Archbishop Kurt Koch, president of the council, will also

Ariz. Church Faces $50K Tax Bill After 3-Year Delay in Paperwork By Lawrence D. Jones|Christian Post Reporter A rural Arizona church is facing a bill of $50,000 in back taxes and faces the possibility of foreclosure after a local property assessor sat on tax exemption paperwork for three years. The church, known as the Isaiah 58 Project of Arizona, purchased property in 2006 and thereafter submitted paperwork to the La Paz County property assessor to be exempt from taxes. At first, the assessor requested the church's government tax-exempt letter but when the church said Arizona property tax exemption statutes didn't require the letter, the assessor waited three years before granting a property tax exemption for the church. Now, the church has a tax lien on its property for taxes owed between 2006-2008 because the property assessor only exempted it from property taxes after 2009. The lien has been sold to an individual by the county, making foreclosure on the church pro

Christians, Muslims, Buddhists Gather to Remove Fear, Stereotypes By Lillian Kwon|Christian Post Reporter Hundreds of Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and atheists have convened at a Texas church in an effort to try to understand one another. Related     * Christians, Muslims, Jews Worship at Evangelical Megachurch     * Survey: Protestant Pastors View Islam with Suspicion     * Texas Evangelical: We Need to Get to Know Muslims     * Tenn. Residents Express More Sharia Fears The Global Faith Forum kicked off Thursday at NorthWood Church in Keller and Pastor Bob Roberts, Jr., is hoping the crowd will be open to listen to one another and even build friendships. Within a pluralistic world where prejudice and stereotypes often hinder understanding, Roberts says "there is a better way than hate and fear." "Everyone is saying that the tension between the U.S. and the rest of the world is bad, tension between the faiths is bad, and things are spinning

Hillsong Church Expands Locations at Home and Abroad By Elena Garcia|Christian Post Reporter Hillsong Church has been expanding its locations at home and abroad. The Australian-based megachurch recently announced a new extension site for one of its main campuses and began holding gatherings for its first church location in the United States. Related     * Hillsong 08 Inspires Thousands to Change their World     * Hillsong's Darlene Zschech Leaves After 25 Years of Service The Pentecostal church has four main campuses across Sydney and international branches in London, Kiev, Cape Town, Stockholm, Paris, Moscow, and now New York City. Hillsong NYC launched last month and the response has been overwhelming. The church has already expanded to three services due to the growing number of attendees. On their homeland, Hillsong will be taking over Noosa Life Church on Nov. 29, according to an announcement on the departing church's website. Hillsong spokeswoman Karalee Fi

Last-Minute Finalist Wins First Place in National Bible Bee Contest Liesl Lawrence of Georgetown, Texas, was named the 2010 National Bible Bee champion after she was allowed to join the senior division finals as the sixth contestant. Minutes before this year's senior finals at the Marriott Renaissance Convention Center Hotel near Chicago, judges announced that Lawrence was supposed to the be fifth finalist but she had been disqualified due to an error in judges' scoring materials. She was added back in after organizers of the event discovered that some of the judges' scoring materials did not reflect different variances of the Kings James Version that were circulated by the National Bible Bee. Despite the last-minute announcement, Lawrence gave the top performance, receiving the first place crystal trophy and a cash prize of $100,000. She beat out second place winner Mallory Powell of Linden, Tenn., who took home $25,000 and third place winner Mark Heimann of Wexford,

'Voyage of the Dawn Treader' Website Reaches Out to Pastors NarniaFaith.com provides church pastors with sermon outlines, youth study resources, and even lets them sign up for movie screenings in their area. Grace Hill Media, which is taking charge of the movie's publicity to faith audiences, said the response to the website and screening for pastors have been "robust" and "very enthusiastic." Preaching on the movie is an opportunity "to deepen the church's understanding of temptation, grace, forgiveness and transformation all through the prism of C.S. Lewis' vivid and deeply theological imagery," says Dr. Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary, in a video endorsement on the site. The sermon outlines are written by megachurch pastors Ken Foreman, senior pastor of Cathedral of Faith; Jim Burgen, senior pastor of Flatirons Community Church; and Christian leaders like evangelist Luis Palau and filmmaker Dr. Phil Cooke

Burma's Democracy Leader Aung San Suu Kyi Freed The 65-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who was detained for more than seven years, met thousands of supporters who greeted her at her home. "If we work in unity, we will achieve our goal. We have a lot of things to do," she said, as reported by The Associated Press. President Barack Obama welcomed the news and called her a hero. "While the Burmese regime has gone to extraordinary lengths to isolate and silence Aung San Suu Kyi, she has continued her brave fight for democracy, peace, and change in Burma," Obama said in a statement. "She is a hero of mine and a source of inspiration for all who work to advance basic human rights in Burma and around the world. The United States welcomes her long overdue release." Her release comes a week after the country's first general election in two decades. International bodies have accused the ruling military junta of rigging the Nov. 7 election. Acc

Earlier this week, there were conflicting reports on whether Long, minister of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, would show up at the 40,000-strong Stand Campaign rally. The minister is facing a string of lawsuits filed by four young men who accused him of coercing them into sexual relationships. Long has denied the allegations while his church has said that although he did take the four men on trips it could neither confirm nor deny the allegations. The rally in Atlanta on Saturday was a culmination of a series of Jesus Rallies held by the Stand Campaign across the nation. The event, organized by Cory "Coco Brother" Condrey, aimed to unite Christians as one body in Christ. In a letter to participants, Cory Condrey and his wife Joanna, said the body of Christ has become so divided that the only time the world gets to see great numbers of diverse people is at football games. "Sunday has become the most segregated day of the week," writes the Cond

Much Violence ahead of Day of Prayer for Persecuted Church This year marks the most violence against the Christian community leading up to the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church within the past seven years, said an advocate for persecuted Christians. Related     * Saddleback Church to Host Forum on Persecuted Church     * Millions to Pray for Persecuted Christians on Sunday     * Baghdad is Gripped with Anti-Christian Terrorism, Says Moeller “I would say candidly that in my whole tenure at Open Doors this is a year when more is taking place on the weekend of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church than at any other time,” said Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors USA. This Sunday marks the 15th year of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church – one of the largest prayer events in the world. Half a million churches in 150 countries are expected to participate in the event. In particular, Moeller highlighted that Iraq is “

Tottenham's Peter Crouch confident ahead of Arsenal test Crouch scored his first league goal of the season for Tottenham on Saturday against Blackburn, having made more of an impact in the Champions League so far this term. The England striker though believes that the victory over Blackburn sets Spurs up nicely for a trip to the Emirates Stadium to face arch-rivals Arsenal. Crouch told Sky Sports , "We are looking forward to the game at Arsenal. We are not there yet, but we are certainly a lot closer to them than we have been for a long time, "They are a top-quality side with a lot of young players. We changed our side around in the Carling Cup when Arsenal won 4-1 but they were fantastic. "We know that they are a great side but I believe that on our day we can beat anyone. "If you really want to have a proper impact on the league you have to go to places like Arsenal and pick up points. We have a lot of talent to do that." Tottenham a

European wrap-up: Sunderland stun Chelsea, Bayern pound Nurnberg, Real Madrid leave it late to beat Gijon, AC Milan sink Inter (video highlights) Sunderland stunned Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in what is undoubtedly the most surprising score-line of this season so far. The reigning Premier League champions and current leaders were outplayed by the determined visitors, succumbing to a spectacular goal by Nedum Onuoha before summer signing Asamoah Gyan and Manchester United loanee Danny Welbeck sealed the excellent win. Watch Nedum Onuoha cruise past three Chelsea defenders before perfectly guiding the ball into the net:

Rooney has been suffering from an ankle injury for the last few weeks, having struggled for form so far this season.  Rooney has scored just a solitary goal for Manchester United so far this term, following a very disappointing World Cup. The England striker just spent a week in the USA undergoing intensive conditioning work to also help him make up for pre-season training which he missed in the aftermath of the World Cup. Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is upbeat about Rooney's imminent return, telling the Manchester Evening News , “Wayne’s had a good week, he’s trained very hard, two days two sessions, three days three sessions, we’ve achieved what we wanted to achieve.”