A Christian street preacher who was arrested for protesting Islam after the London Bridge terrorist attack in 2017 has had his appeal rejected by the High Court.

Ian Sleeper was arrested under Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 for purportedly causing “harassment, alarm and distress” after displaying a sign that said “Love Muslims, Hate Islam, Jesus is love and hope.”

He was held for 13 hours before being released without charge. He later sued the police for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment but lost and appealed.

In its ruling on Tuesday, the High Court said his arrest was justified due to the risk of public disorder because of tensions following the 2017 attacks. The Christian Legal Centre (CLC), which supported Sleeper in his legal action, said there was no evidence of such a risk.

The CLC called Tuesday’s ruling “a concerning setback to the right of free speech” and alleged “two-tier policing” toward Sleeper after officers failed to take action against pro-Palestine protesters calling for jihad against Israel during recent protests.

Sleeper said the way he was treated was “completely wrong,” adding that he plans to appeal.

“The police have never apologized and continue to believe that what they did was right,” he said.

“Recent events in London following the conflict in the Middle East has [sic] exposed that anyone protesting Israel and calling for violence would not be treated as I was by the police.

“There is no consistency in policing over these matters and what has happened to me and on our streets in the past month should be of grave concern to many.

“I will continue to pursue justice on this matter for as long as it takes and am pleased to have the opportunity to appeal the previous ruling.”

CLC Chief Executive Andrea Williams said police action against Sleeper was “disproportionate.”

“What happened to Mr. Sleeper in 2017 has been prophetic for what we now see on London’s streets during pro-Hamas protests,” she said.

“The police have upheld the right for Islamic protesters to call for genocide without interference, and anyone who counter-protests and disagrees faces the full force of the law.

“Ian explicitly said love Muslims. He meant it — everything about his character and experience says as much. He is a dedicated and effective evangelist who understands that Islam gets in the way of people finding God and experiencing eternal life.

“How can you be free to criticise Islam in public if the words you mean and explicitly say are ignored in the courts?”
Sources:Christian Post

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An inscribed piece of pottery found in an ancient Jewish stronghold in the Jordan Valley has finally been deciphered.

The 2,000-year-old shard was first discovered by archaeologists in the 1980s but has only now been analyzed by experts from Bar Ilan University, thanks to new imaging technology developed by Jerusalem’s Azrieli College of Engineering, according to YNet News.

The advanced imaging method combines hyperspectral photography, artificial intelligence, and image fusion to recover faded texts previously invisible to the naked eye. Using this technology, the Aramaic lettering on the ostracon was found to spell out a Jewish name, “Eleazar Bar Ger” and says that he was “from Beit Akiman.”

The name Eleazar means “My God has helped” and “Bar Ger,” presuming that is the complete text, indicates that he was the son of a convert to Judaism. The letters could also represent the beginning of a family name such as “Gerim” or “Geris” which are names found in ancient texts from the same era.

The second part of the text is presumably the name of a place, Beit Akiman, but its actual location remains a mystery.

The ostracon was found at the Alexandrium Fortress on Mount Sartaba. The fortress is located in the Jordan Valley, which lies about 50 km (30 miles) north of Jericho and close to the border with Jordan.

A large columned structure dating from the Hasmonean and Herodian periods was discovered at the location with an advanced water supply system and Roman siege works.

The site was originally excavated by late Hebrew University archaeologists, professor Yoram Tsafrir and Yitzhak Magen, who found the shard, along with several other ostraca inscribed in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. These fragments are now being studied by professor Esther Eshel from Bar-Ilan University and professor Haggai Misgav from the Hebrew University.

“Ostraca with Jewish names and parallels to rebel-linked texts at Masada support the possibility of insurgent activity here during the Great Jewish Revolt,” said Dvir Raviv, who is now heading up excavations at the site.

He said the inscriptions “shed light on the site’s history as a royal fortress for the Hasmoneans and Herod.”

The Sartaba stronghold is mentioned in Jewish literature from the Second Temple period and was named Alexandrium after Hasmonean King Alexander Jannaeus. It was a burial place for Hasmonean royalty.

Itay Granak, Heritage Ministry director-general, is reported in YNet as saying, “This finding reaffirms the Jewish people’s unbroken bond with Israel.” He added, “Eleazar’s name, etched on a shard at a key Hasmonean site, joins a chain of evidence attesting to continuous Jewish presence across the land — from the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem.”

Benny Har-Even, head of the Archaeology Staff Officer Corps, said, “Resuming work at Sartaba-Alexandrium after 40 years is a historic moment. This inscription’s decipherment highlights the site’s immense potential. We anticipate further discoveries illuminating the Hasmonean-Herodian fortress and ancient Jewish settlement in the region.”
Sources:Christian Post

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As the nation continues to mourn the 67 lives lost when an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines Flight 5342 Wednesday night, victims’ personal stories are beginning to be told.

Among those killed was married couple Bob and Lori Schrock, farmers from Kiowa, Kansas who reportedly ran Premium Grain Inc. Their friend, Michael Simpson, told CBN News about their powerful influence over his life — and their deep faith in Jesus.

He said his friendship with Bob started decades ago when Simpson, president of Freedom Gates Boys Ranch, a Christian residential program that serves kids in need in Hazelton, Kansas, was just 12 years old.

“A few other men in the weight room taught me how to lift weights, kept me accountable with that,” he said, calling Bob’s influence “ridiculously encouraging.” “The weights were great, but the encouragement … as a 12-year-old kid, having people that are adults that are taking the time to walk across the gym, and encourage you, and tell you ‘good job,’ and give you advice … it’s not a common thing.”

Simpson said this motivation helped him as a young person, noting that, decades later, he still maintained the same friendship with Bob.

“Up until a few weeks ago … we’d see each other in the gym,” he said. “We’ve been doing it since I was a kid.”

In addition to those personal acts of service to Simpson, he said Bob and Lori were also known for kindness, goodness, and faithfulness in their local community.

“The best definition of integrity is doing the right thing when nobody’s watching,” he said. “And they just did the right thing and didn’t need people to know.”

The couple, according to Simpson, was driven by their Christian faith and values, expressing a “tremendous, walked-out, fruitful faith.”

As time went on, Simpson began to have more spiritual conversations with Bob. And, about a decade ago, Simpson confided in him about a calling on his heart: to work with at-risk kids from “hard places.”

When he told Bob he was considering quitting his job and getting into this ministry, Bob gave him faith-filled advice.

“I was getting ready to quit my job running cranes in the oil field to come out and be a part of the ministry full time,” Simpson said. “Bob … just encouraged [me], like, ‘Man, is this what you feel like the Lord’s wanting you to do?’”

It was then Simpson realized Bob truly follows the Lord’s promptings and he was encouraged to head down the path of helping young people. Simpson suddenly understood that “this is a guy that just doesn’t go to church and just doesn’t say that he’s a follower of Christ.”

Instead, Simpson saw a deeply rooted faith.

The support carried well beyond that, too, as Bob ended up supporting Freedom Gates Boys Ranch, spending what was likely tens of thousands of dollars to help make the pasture look good for the kids, among other assistance. The kind deeds haven’t been lost on Simpson.

“I didn’t have a lot of friends like that,” he said. “They don’t make a lot of people like that.”

Simpson, like so many friends and loved ones of those lost in this tragedy, said he’s been experiencing “waves” of pain in recent days as he reflects on the loss of Bob and Lori.

One area of reflection has been Simpson’s care for young boys in tough situations — something he now realizes was likely motivated, in part, by Bob’s investment in him as a child.

“I’ve never really thought about that until the last couple of days,” he said. “I never really put a lot of those pieces together until I’m like, ‘Wow, well, we have a weightlifting program here at the ranch.’ You know, why? Because I know how powerful it was for me to have that program and to have people mentor me into helping me get myself better physically.”

Simpson continued, “That would not be the case if it wasn’t for Bob and a couple of other guys there at the gym that encouraged me.”

Looking back, he sees the pure love and care through which Bob operated — a kindness that came with “no agenda” and no expectation of anything in return. And the impact has been profound.

Despite the difficulty of speaking out about his friends, Simpson said it’s important, as he knows Bob and Lori loved the Lord and would want others to know the truth.

“I know, based on the fruit that they had in their life and the profession from themselves, that they have a relationship with Christ,” he said. “They have a love for the Gospel. … I know I will see my friends again.”

Simpson also reiterated a past conversation he had with Bob about the importance of keeping an eternal perspective. Bob spoke about people who have a fear of losing material things.

“He [said], ‘They have no idea the peace that is found when you know that none of it belongs to you,’” he recalled. “We’re here for a short amount of time, and eternity is what matters. That’s what Bob would tell me.”
Sources:faithwire

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