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Pastor of Jacob Blake’s mother launches 40 days of humility, prayer, fasting for racial healing

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Insight Church Pastor James E. Ward Jr. says he is on a mission to bring racial healing to the nation and “God’s blessing to black America” through 40 Days of Humility, Prayer, and Fasting. And he’s hoping America will join him.

The Skokie, Illinois, preacher recently catapulted to the national stage through his connection to Julia Jackson, one of his most devout parishioners and mother of 29-year-old Wisconsin father Jacob S. Blake, who was shot multiple times by a police officer in Kenosha on Aug. 23. Blake is currently “in a spinal injury rehabilitation center in Chicago.”

His shooting was one of several primarily deadly encounters between black men and local law enforcement that sparked civil unrest over racial justice and inequality since the killing of George Floyd in the custody of Minneapolis Police Department officers in May.

“The issue that we see in society surrounding race, the protest, the rioting, those things communicate to us that there is a serious problem in our nation and unfortunately in most cases we are not … equipped to solve the problem that we know needs to be solved,” Ward told The Christian Post in an interview Friday.

He is convinced that when it comes to race, America is wrestling with a deep-rooted spiritual problem that must be addressed with a spiritual response. And that’s why he launched the national spiritual prayer movement on Sept. 25 that will culminate with a livestreamed prayer for the nation on Nov. 2 from Washington, D.C.

“40 Days asks all Americans to fervently pray and fast before God for racial harmony and healing in America prior to the national presidential election,” the movement said in a statement to CP.

The group has also launched an initiative called the Zero Victim Community Development Corporation, which was “prayerfully designed to restore and strengthen black lives and families across our country.”

“Part of the expression of our prayer is prayer with action and this new Zero Victim Development Corporation is us engaging to act on behalf of what we believe, and really beginning to target how to bring God’s blessing to black America,” Ward said.

Even in a socially disruptive election year when Christians remain deeply divided on issues of race and politics, Ward is convinced that if people are able to humble themselves in prayer, America can fix its race problem.

“I’m very much aware of the disparity of folks looking at what I call a singular issue through multiple lenses. And that’s basically what you see happening in society where it’s individuals looking at the same bottle. One person is looking at the logo on the front side and the other person is looking at the nutrition label on the backside,” explained Ward.

“The exact reason we are calling ourselves to 40 days of humility, prayer and fasting, not just prayer and fasting, 40 days of humility, prayer and fasting, [is] because there’s a brokenness that we have to have. We have to check our opinions, our own sentiments, self-serving ideologies, identifying selfishness in our own life. It begins with humility and when I start with humility it means I’m willing to give up and enter into surrendering into something deeper through the avenue of prayer and fasting.”

Blake was shot seven times in the back by officer Rusten Sheskey on Aug. 23. The Wisconsin Department of Justice said that a woman called 911 to report that her boyfriend was present and was not supposed to be at the residence. According to audio dispatch obtained by Madison365, Blake had taken the woman’s keys and refused to leave.

When officers arrived at the scene, they encountered Blake, who resisted arrest. They unsuccessfully tried to subdue him with a Taser and Blake then walked around to his vehicle at the scene with armed police officers pointing their guns at his back, according to video posted on social media. Blake opened the driver’s side door of his vehicle and leaned forward. While holding onto Blake’s shirt, the Wisconsin DOJ said Sheskey fired his service weapon.

Blake’s family said the shooting has left him paralyzed from the waist down.

Wisconsin DOJ officials said Blake “admitted that he had a knife in his possession.” It was recovered on the floorboard of the driver’s side of the vehicle.

Brendan Matthews, the attorney representing Sheskey, told CNN that the officer fired the shots because he believed Blake was trying to kidnap a child as he heard a woman say, “He’s got my kid. He’s got my keys.”

There were three children in the back of the car at the time of the shooting.

In an op-ed for The New York Times Thursday, Jacob Blake’s uncle, Rick Blake, described the invisible toll of the shooting on his family, including his brother Jacob Blake Sr., affectionately called “Big Jake.”

“Our story is different from those of many families whose lives have been devastated by police brutality — our Li’l Jake survived. But in mostly every other way, the experience is similar. When the cameras stop rolling, the lights fade and public attention turns away, we’re left with our pain and we return to the battle against racism and for justice and reform,” Rick Blake wrote.

Rick Blake described how his brother, who suffers from diabetes, heart disease and chronic neuropathy, was forced to venture out during the pandemic from his home to support his son in the hospital and how he paid dearly for it with his health.

“The toll on my brother has gone largely unnoticed — except, of course, by members of our family. One night, he sat in the dark on a rock next to the hotel where he was staying, so sick and tired he couldn’t move, his hand swollen to the size of a catcher’s mitt from gout. By chance, the director of the hospital where Li’l Jake was being treated found him and he was taken to the emergency room for treatment,” he explained.

When asked about the Blake family’s revelation, Ward replied: “I think for those of us who have never been through something like this, there is no way to imagine what it feels like.”

Julia Jackson has been leaning on her faith while continuing to support her son’s recovery.

“I know it has to be one of the hardest things that Julia has every dealt with and she’s constantly in need, and I would say Jacob too, of prayer and I think that’s one of the roles that her church family plays for her. Having a church family, having a prayer team that she’s a part of, she has a core group of people around her that are there to encourage her spiritually, emotionally and mentally,” Ward said.

He argued that when shootings like Blake’s occur, people can sometime lose sight of the human toll they bring when they are criticized and politicized in the court of public opinion.

“There are so many negatives things spoken around these situations and publicly I don’t think we always give families the space that they need to grieve,” Ward said.

And it’s one of the reasons he believes a new prayer movement is needed now more than ever.

“It’s the people of America that need to change and when the people of America change, America will change and that’s the beginning of what we are calling for right now,” he said.
Sources: Christian Post

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British Evangelist Slashed, Imprisoned, Threatened with Death, Keeps Going

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LONDON – An ex-Muslim turned Christian evangelist has been beaten, chased by angry mobs, unlawfully jailed and even stabbed, all for the sake of the Gospel.

This is not in Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia. It is officially happening in Christian Britain.

Her name is Hatun Tash, and what has been done to her has even caught the attention of the British media.

Tash grew up in Turkey as a Muslim and became a Christian after moving to England. And being an ex-Muslim speaking out against Islam has made her a target.

She told us she has changed residences more than 50 times in the past four years because she knows Muslims are looking for her in order to kill her. One man has already been sentenced to 24 years in prison for trying.

Because of this ongoing danger, she asked that we interview her from a secret location.

Tash told us her conversion to Christ began when she learned the truth about Islam and Mohammed.

“As I read biography, it was very disturbing to me. So, the man you grew up to love and honor suddenly turns out to be like, yeah, not good, not good. And I decided, I can’t be Muslim.”

Then she learned about a very different God than the one of Islam, telling us, “As you dig into it, you get to meet with a God who is not silent or far or distant from you, but you meet with a God who loves you, who pours out himself on you. And not only that, He just puts himself on the cross and then says, ‘I love you from everlasting to everlasting, Come to me.'”

Tash began sharing this message to Muslims at Speakers Corner, in London’s Hyde Park, where speakers climb atop stepladders and vigorous debates ensue, often between Muslims and Christians.

Her preaching and criticism of Islam has sometimes enraged Muslims, and three years ago a man slashed her face with a knife. He has never been caught.

She however has been arrested unlawfully more than once. The London Police have twice paid her damages for wrongful arrests, including two years ago when she refused to leave the area where she was preaching. Tash was forcibly marched through Hyde Park, followed by Muslims celebrating her arrest. She was placed in a police van, strip-searched, and jailed.

This has not stopped Tash from going to mosques and sharing the Gospel daily.

“I would simply stand in front of the mosques, and I’d say ‘Muhammad is a false prophet. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Tell me, what is your objections?’ Hundreds of Muslims just stop and then they want to talk to you. Sometimes you get harmed, sometimes it gets dangerous. Sometimes you end up in hospitals, sometimes you end up in people’s homes for a cup of tea,” Tash said.

“I don’t care whether people reject me or not. They need to hear the gospel,” she said.

Christian Concern’s Christian Legal Centre has defended Tash. Christian Concern’s Andrea Williams told us, “The truth is that those that have attempted to kill her have been caught on camera. The police know who they are, but they have not been arrested. She is feared by and targeted by Muslim groups because she is fearless for the gospel. She loves Jesus so much that nothing will halt her.”

Tash says she will continue to preach and continue to challenge Islam.

“Things are dangerous. Should I choose to stay silent? Like when people are spending 5,000 Pounds to buy a gun, to shoot you and shoot your loved ones? The Gospel is so glorious, I cannot be silent. And the Lord is the giver of life. So, when it’s my time, He will take me home. But until He gives me breath, we continue to preach.”
Sources:CBN News

http://theendtimeradio.com

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‘Christ Laid His Life Down for Me’: Greg Laurie Gives Powerful Gospel Presentation to Jordan Peterson

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Christian megachurch leader Greg Laurie recently appeared on psychologist Jordan Peterson’s podcast, where he gave the professor-turned-cultural commentator a powerful presentation of the Gospel.

“When everything’s said and done, what’s more important than the afterlife?” the California-based pastor asked Peterson. “What’s more important than where we spend it? According to the Bible, I believe there’s a literal heaven, a literal hell, and I believe we choose in this life where we will spend the afterlife.”

Laurie added he’s going to spend eternity in heaven “not because I’ve lived a good life — because I failed in many ways — but because Christ laid His life down for me on the cross.”

“Coming back to Abraham, and what a picture, the son was willing to go and be sacrificed by the father,” the pastor continued, referring to the Old Testament story of Genesis 22. “[Isaac] knew what was going on: ‘Hey, Dad, where’s the sacrifice?’ ‘My son, God will provide for Himself a sacrifice.’ But Isaac made that sacrifice, too. The Son Jesus made that sacrifice for us, because He knew there was no other way that we could reach God, no other way we could satisfy the righteous demands of God. So Heaven isn’t for good people, as it’s often said; heaven is for forgiven people.”

The conversation between Peterson and Laurie stemmed from the 71-year-old minister opening up about the death of his son, Christopher, who passed away in 2008 as a result of a tragic car accident.

He described that day in July of 2008 as the “worst” day in his life. Nevertheless, Laurie said he is not without hope — because of his faith in the redemptive work of Jesus.

“I believe I’ll see my son again, because he believed in Jesus,” Laurie explained. “He won’t be in heaven because I’m his dad; he’ll be in heaven because he put his faith in Christ and he had that relationship. He’s a part of my future as well, so that gives me hope. But, also, I realize that God can allow these things in our life. I don’t know why. I can’t explain it. I don’t even try to explain it.”

Peterson, author of the new book, “We Who Wrestle With God: Perceptions of the Divine,” admitted to Laurie he struggles to intellectually reconcile a desire to perfect the earthly world with the knowledge the Christian life is heavily weighted toward considering eternity.

The famed psychologist and podcast host asked, “How do you reconcile, in your own mind, the insistence that part of the Christian moral pattern is to perfect the world and to raise the material up to the heavenly with the notion of the afterlife and immortality?”

Laurie referenced 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, in which the Apostle Paul wrote about experiencing a “third heaven,” as well as the thief on the cross next to Jesus, Who promised the man, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43, NIV).

The pastor explained he has felt closest to God — and His promises of eternity — through life’s trials.

“God made a lot of promises,” said Laurie. “I’ve put those promises to the test, including the worst thing of all, to lose a child. And I’ve seen how God had come through for me. If He hadn’t come through for me after my son died, I would have given up preaching, for sure. Why carry on? But He came through for me.”
Sources:faithwire

http://theendtimeradio.com

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Pastor Jack Graham implores Christians to proclaim truth in a shifting culture

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For as long as Prestonwood Baptist Church Pastor Jack Graham can remember, he’s loved the Bible — a connection nurtured during his childhood as he sat on his grandfather’s knee, listening to the Scriptures.

“The Bible has always been a part of my life, and I’m very grateful for that,” the 74-year-old pastor told The Christian Post.

“As a child, I revealed in those great stories of adventure in the Old Testament, whether it was David and the giant or Daniel in the lion’s den. Then, ultimately, I realized that the story was all about Jesus. Jesus stepped out of the pages of Scripture and into my life. From the beginning, like Timothy, since my childhood, I’ve had the privilege of knowing and loving the Scriptures.”

That childhood foundation shaped not only Graham’s faith but also his calling as a pastor and teacher. A prolific author, he’s served two terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. His teachings are broadcast through PowerPoint Ministries, reaching audiences nationwide and globally. In October 2022, he launched the “Bible in a Year with Jack Graham” podcast, which quickly gained popularity, surpassing 60 million downloads.

But for Graham, his latest book, The Jesus Book, represents the culmination of his life’s work.

“If I had never written another book, this is the one book that I’m glad I was able to write, because it basically covers the message of my life; certainly the message of the Christian faith, the Word of God, the testimony of Christ,” he said. “It is everything to me. My whole life’s goal is to stand on the truth of God’s Word and to proclaim it and, of course, live it.”

In his book, Graham recounts his formative years — a nod to the enduring influence of his grandfather’s storytelling — and how, decades later, that connection to Scripture came full circle during a visit to Oxford, where he held fragments of the Gospel of Matthew, the oldest manuscript of the New Testament.

“As I held those pieces of papyrus, my mind flashed back to learning to read by reading the Bible,” he said. “For me, it wasn’t ‘Dick and Jane’; it was Moses, Daniel, Joseph and Jesus. The Bible has been such a treasure in my life.”

At its core, The Jesus Book is an invitation for readers to encounter Jesus in Scripture, Graham emphasized, adding that the Bible isn’t just a historical artifact or a set of moral guidelines, but a living breathing testimony of God’s plan for redemption.

“The more you read your Bible, the more you know who Jesus is,” he said. “And the more you know Jesus, the more you love and serve Him.”

Through stories, teachings and practical advice, the pastor said his book aims to demystify Scripture for those who feel intimidated or unsure about how to approach it. The book’s subtitle, “Reading and Understanding the Bible for Yourself,” he said, captures his goal of empowering readers to approach the Bible with confidence.

“The story of the Bible is clear because it has one central theme,” he said. “That theme is redemption, salvation. There’s one central person in the Bible: God, in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. It’s the story of redemption. And that redemption story is a scarlet thread, that runs through the Bible, from Genesis in the Old Testament all the way through to the New Testament. When you understand the basic themes of the Bible and what the Bible is all about, then it’s not that hard to understand.”

“If a person will make the effort and intentionally read God’s Word and hear God’s Word and ask the Holy Spirit to explain it and interpret it to them, they will understand it,” he reiterated.

At a time when biblical literacy is at an all-time low, Graham stressed that the Bible’s relevance is timeless. His ministry emphasizes the transformational power of Scripture, he said, citing studies that show regular Bible engagement drastically reduces destructive behaviors while increasing spiritual growth.

“People assume that [the Bible] is a religious book without relevance, and it is an antique or an ancient book that has no application for their lives,” he said. “They approach the Bible as though they would approach any book of history or book of archeology. But you have to start by recognizing that the Bible is the Word of God, and that because it’s the Word of God, there is a message for you today.”

In The Jesus Book, Graham also addresses common mistakes, such as approaching Scripture haphazardly or misunderstanding its central message.

“Bible study methods are important, and we talk about some of those methods as you look at a passage of Scripture, how to summarize the passage, how to assess its content and context,” Graham said. “There is a chapter on protecting yourself from bad Bible reading. There’s a lot of people who misinterpret the Bible because they don’t understand its central content.”

One of the key topics in The Jesus Book is developing a biblical worldview. At a time when truth often seems relative and cultural values ​​shift rapidly, Graham urges Christians to see the world through the lens of Scripture rather than allowing culture to dictate how they interpret the Bible.

“Jude 3 says we are to earnestly contend for the faith, and that reminds us that with all the worldviews that we hear and see out there, with so many lies in the culture, so many lies we tell ourselves, the only way to overcome this attack on truth is using truth to support our faith and our beliefs,” he said.

“In a world that is filled with unbelief, we should graciously, but yet forcefully, understand our Bible and proclaim this message without apology,” he added. “In the culture today, it’s important that we give reasonable evidence for the faith, and that we proclaim Scripture with confidence and certainty and conviction. And when we do that, the Word of God works, and there’s power in the Scripture to counteract all the works of darkness.”

With over 50 years of ministry service, Graham said he’s convinced that pastors and church leaders play a crucial role in encouraging a love for Scripture.

“When you preach the Bible, it creates an appetite for things of God, for the truth,” he said. “It’s like eating a meal; you have to try it: ‘taste and see that the Lord is good.’ I’ve always believed pastors should give a proclamation of the Scriptures so that people can understand it; explain what the Bible says, but also illustrate it and apply it to people’s lives.”

Through his book, Graham said his prayer is that readers will encounter Christ through the Bible and learn how to encounter the Scriptures as a living, breathing testimony of God’s plan for redemption.

“ Luke 24 reminds us that Jesus is present in Scripture,” he said. “My prayer is that every Christian would encounter Christ in the Bible and experience His living presence in His Word. He is called the Living Word of God. So He has given us His book, the Bible, and it is true and trustworthy.”

The Jesus Book is now available everywhere books are sold.
Sources:Christian Post

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