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Canadian pastor jailed for disobeying COVID-19 lockdown rules says inmates strongly support him
A Canadian pastor who was jailed for holding worship services that violated provincial lockdown rules recounted his recent experiences and the support he received from inmates.
Pastor James Coates of GraceLife Church in Edmonton, Alberta, turned himself in to authorities in February for violating ongoing lockdown restrictions that, among other things, limited in-person worship gatherings to no more than 15% capacity.
He was released in March, with his next court date being on May 3. Coates is accused of violating the Alberta Public Health Act limits many in-person gatherings in response to COVID-19.
Rebel News, an Ontario-based news outlet, talked with Coates about his experiences, with the interview being posted to YouTube on Monday.
Coates recounted his experiences being locked up, noting that initially he was put in quarantine, which allowed him to get out only twice a day for 15 minutes.
“I can remember one day … I had been in my cell for 23 hours between exercises,” said Coats. “When you get out, you’ve got 15 minutes and that’s not a long time.”
“That was a little bit of a challenge, but I was able to get through it and get into a bit of a groove. And initially, you’re just trying to learn the culture that you’re in and there’s a way that things happen and you’re just trying to learn it so you’re up to speed.”
Once out of quarantine, Coates was moved in with a cellmate who he got along with, saying he had “lots of good conversations and discussions” while in jail and the other inmates treated him well.
While in the general population, he was allowed out of his cell multiple times during the day for up to an hour each time, with Coates saying he called his wife a lot during that time.
“I’d have chaplains visit me from time to time. I could play a little bit of basketball in the court outside, which is basically just a cement cube with no roof,” he explained.
Coates then recounted to Rebel News the moment in which he was released, explaining that the inmate population showed their support for him as he was leaving.
“I turned around and I lifted up my hand to wave and the doors of the pod began to shake, as the men in their cells just banged on their doors as a sign of support, love, affection,” he recalled.
“I was with the chaplain actually when that happened and he’s emailed me since then and just shared with me that he’ll never forget that moment, and it was precious to me as well.”
Officials have accused GraceLife of violating public health guidelines on multiple occasions by holding in-person worship services where attendees did not social distance or wear face masks.
Last month, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police charged the church as an entity for holding worship services in February that exceeded the limit of 15% capacity.
“The Church was non-compliant with the Public Health Order in that it was over the allowed capacity. The RCMP members were present for public safety and to support [Alberta Health Services], and did not go inside the church,” said RCMP in a March 10 statement.
“Investigation continues into the church by AHS and supported by the Parkland RCMP. These charges are now before the court and further comments will not be available.”
As part of the effort to help Coates and GraceLife, a GoFundMe page was created by John Klassen to pay for any legal fees the pastor and the church accrue.
“Coates has been a rare and refreshing voice of courage in these [unprecedented] times. He has stood on the word of God faithfully, courageously and uncompromisingly as a man of God when all around him men falter and fail,” read the fundraising page, in part.
“I’m raising money to benefit Pastor James and Gracelife Church of Edmonton, to do good as Galatians 6:10 exhorts us to, and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause.”
Sources:Christian Post
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Why many pastors avoid teaching Bible End Times prophecies — but shouldn’t
I’ve noticed a troubling trend: many pastors are increasingly reluctant to teach Bible prophecy and end-times events. While speaking at churches across America, I frequently hear the same concerns from fellow pastors about tackling this subject.
Yet I’m convinced that avoiding prophecy does a profound disservice to our churches, especially in these unprecedented times.
Why are so many pastors hesitant to preach on prophecy? I’ve identified several common themes in my conversations with pastors.
First, many fear being labeled as sensationalistic or “doom and gloom” preachers. In a culture that prizes positivity and self-help messages, teaching about the Tribulation or the Antichrist might seem uncomfortably negative.
Others worry about controversy. With various interpretations of prophetic passages and timeline debates among sincere believers, some pastors prefer to avoid these topics altogether rather than potentially dividing their congregations. Many have seen how End Times teachings can become a source of unhealthy speculation or fear rather than hope and preparation.
Additionally, some pastors feel inadequately equipped to tackle prophecy’s complexities. Wrestling with the Bible’s apocalyptic imagery, complex timelines or ancient cultural contexts can be intimidating. The temptation is to stick with more straightforward passages and practical life applications.
While these concerns are understandable, I believe they pale compared to the core reasons why we must teach biblical prophecy.
Approximately 30% of Scripture deals with prophecy. When we avoid these passages, we’re neglecting nearly a third of God’s Word. How can we claim to preach “the whole counsel of God” while systematically avoiding such a significant portion of His revelation?
It’s also important that Bible prophecy isn’t primarily about predicting the future — it’s about knowing God’s character and His perfect plan for humanity. When we teach prophecy correctly, we reveal a God who is in complete control, who keeps His promises, and who is working all things together for our good and His glory. This builds faith and confidence in our congregations.
Jesus Himself emphasized the importance of understanding prophetic signs. In Matthew 16:3, He rebuked those who could interpret weather patterns but couldn’t discern the signs of the times. And with today’s headlines increasingly seeming to align with biblical prophecies, our congregations desperately need the prophetic lens of Scripture to make sense of world events.
Most importantly, teaching on End Times prophecy creates an eternal perspective that transforms how believers live today. When people understand that history is moving toward a God-driven culmination — that Jesus is literally returning to establish His Kingdom — it changes their priorities, choices, and sense of urgency in sharing the Gospel.
First, always center on Jesus, not sensationalism. Biblical prophecy ultimately points to Christ’s return and His eternal kingdom. Keep Him as the focus, not speculation about specific details or current events. When we emphasize Jesus, prophecy becomes a source of hope and comfort rather than fear and dread.
Second, teach the clear before the controversial. Start with the major prophetic themes that most believers agree on: Christ’s return, the resurrection of believers, final judgment, and the New Heaven and Earth. Build a foundation before tackling more complicated and controversial aspects of End Times chronology.
Third, emphasize application over speculation. Help people understand how prophetic truth should impact their lives today. What does it mean to live as people expecting Christ’s return? How should prophetic understanding affect our priorities, relationships, and mission?
Fourth, maintain humility and grace toward different viewpoints. Acknowledge that sincere believers can disagree on prophetic details while they stay united on the essential truth that Jesus is coming again. Model how to hold prophetic convictions without becoming angry or divisive.
Finally, connect prophecy to God’s character and promises. Show how prophetic passages reveal God’s faithfulness, sovereignty, justice and mercy. This helps people trust Him more deeply, regardless of what the future holds.
The world is experiencing unprecedented shakings — pandemics, economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and moral decay. Our churches are looking for answers and hope. Bible prophecy provides both: revealing that today’s chaos is part of God’s great plan leading to Christ’s return and the establishment of His Kingdom.
We can’t afford to keep silent any longer. Yes, we must teach prophecy wisely and carefully. But we must teach it. Our churches need the eternal perspective, the hope, and the motivation that comes from understanding Bible prophecy.
When taught properly, Bible prophecy doesn’t stoke fear — it builds faith. It doesn’t promote division — it brings unity around the blessed hope we have in Christ. It doesn’t lead to passivity but to active preparation for the greatest event in human history.
The time has come for pastors to overcome their reluctance and embrace their responsibility to teach all of God’s Word. Our churches have never needed it more.
Sources:Christian Post
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Christian Prayer App ‘Hallow’ Banned in Europe
Europe — Alex Jones, CEO and Co-Founder of the Christian prayer app Hallow, took to X (formerly Twitter) yesterday, announcing that the European Union (EU) would no longer allow its citizens access to the app.
Jones explained that “over-regulation” targeting all religious apps would make it impossible for Hallow to be available in the EU. This news comes shortly after China removed Hallow from its app store in July 2024.
In his post, Jones expressed his heartbreak over the news as Hallow was in the works of expanding its content to Polish, French, Italian, and German audiences. Since its launch in December 2018, Hallow has seen more than 18 million downloads across 150 countries, making its worldwide reach and influence significant.
While the details of the app’s demise in Europe are sparse, some suspect that the EU’s strict data privacy laws are to blame. EU law classifies data that reveals religious or philosophical beliefs as “sensitive” data and prohibits processing such data without explicit consent, with a few limited exceptions.
However, some are preparing to defend the app. ADF International, an international legal organization committed to free speech and religious liberty, replied to Jones on X, encouraging him to “DM them with more details,” stating they “might be able to help.”
As Europe continues to see a decline in religious affiliation, with the Pew Research Center estimating that the continent’s Christian population could shrink by 100 million before 2050, the need for Christian prayer apps and religious content is considered by many to be more important than ever. As Jones shared on X in response to the EU’s actions, “God will not be outdone.”
Sources:persecution
us news
‘The First Time After 2000 Years’: Israel’s Biblical Red Heifers Attract World Attention
Israel – In September 2022, the arrival of five red heifers in Israel caught the world’s attention. Now, more than two years later, those cows are being cared for in ancient Shiloh and continue to attract international visitors.
Moriah Shapira is the manager of the visitor center at ancient Shiloh. She told us why the red heifers are so important.
“Here in Shiloh for the first time after 2000 years, we have real kosher red heifers, which is really exciting,” she explained.
She added, “In the Bible it says when a person wants to enter the Temple, which is called the House of Life, he has to go through a process using ashes of the red heifer, meaning that the red heifers are actually the key to the Temple.”
Shapira described the process is for purification to cleanse someone from death.
So, a person that got in contact with death, either in a funeral, or in a hospital, and he wants to enter the Temple which is called the House of Life, full of the Presence of God, has to go through this process. And the process is – the priest used to take the ashes of the red heifer, mix it with water that comes from a spring – life water – he’s actually taking the source of death, mixing it with source of life, and these together become the purifying water,” Shapira explained.
Jewish tradition maintains that the red heifer ashes are needed to rebuild the Third Temple. Some Christians believe a Third Temple would pave the way for the end times.
Even Hamas reportedly blamed the red heifers in part for their invasion on October 7th, 2023, because of their belief that Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque would be in danger if the heifers were used to build the Third Temple.
The animals are also mentioned in the Book of Numbers, Chapter 19:
Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying ‘Speak to the sons of Israel that they bring you an unblemished red heifer in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never been mounted. And you shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be brought outside the camp and be slaughtered in his presence.'”
For a heifer to be selected these qualifications must be met:
. Be an adult cow with reddish-brown hair
. No hairs of a different color
. No blemishes
. Never used for any other purpose
We were able to see the Heifers on our visit to Shiloh. Two have already been disqualified, but only one is needed to qualify for the purification for the Temple.
Larry Borntrager, a farmer from northern Indiana, takes care of them.
He told us, “My next point is to try to find a farmer who can make hay, which is, you know, the flowers and the leaves and everything stay on them. That way it’s just better for the cow.”
Borntrager admitted, “It’s just a lot of fun to be involved in something that I see God is doing behind the scenes.”
He says what he’s experienced since arriving here is remarkable.
“While I’ve been standing here at Shiloh, every continent, countries I’ve never heard of before, were here to see the red heifers. There’s something happening in Shiloh,” he observed.
Borntrager also believes it’s biblically significant.
“Ideas are becoming a reality. In other words, the idea of a red heifer has been in the Jewish understanding over a couple thousand years. But here at Shiloh, just like it says in Genesis 49, there’s something happening here that’s drawing the nations, and it’s the red heifers.
In this area, Hannah prayed for a son where the prophet Samuel served the Lord and Joshua divided the land between the twelve tribes.
Moria Shapira identified it as “the place where many stories of the bible occurred. And today we also have here the red heifers, which is something new,” she said. “The budgets for this visitor center stopped because of the war (with Hamas and Hezbollah). So we invite whoever wants to be part with us to help this very important thing of the red heifers.”
During our visit, Bible teacher Dr. Todd Fink brought his group to see the red heifers. “Shiloh has so much significance,” he said. “It was the spiritual capital of Israel for 369 years.”
“This is huge. This is huge,” he exclaimed. “And the one gal that we, that was giving us the tour, she said that part of the reason why Hamas invaded is because of these red heifers. And according to prophecy, these red heifers are significant. From the time of Israel’s history, they say that only nine have been killed for these ashes. And so for these to be here, and Shiloh here, and for that to fit in with what appears to be prophecy on the horizon, we’re living in monumental days, unbelievable times.”
Sources:CBN News
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