us news
‘LET’S BURN A CHURCH!’: LGBT Activists Threaten Church, UK Police Warn Pastor Not to ‘Offend’ Them
A Christian pastor in the United Kingdom was told by the local police that if he offends the LGBT community with a social media comment he could be breaking the law, even though a pro-LGBT mob threatened to burn down his church.
Christian Concern, a UK persecution watchdog, reports Pastor Josh Williamson of Newquay Baptist Church, was warned by police to keep his views in a “safe environment” after being targeted by a wave of anti-Christian abuse, including threats of violence and calls for his church to be burnt down.
Last month, Williamson, 34, replied to a post on a local news outlet’s Facebook page that reported this year’s Cornwall pride event would be canceled. Williamson simply wrote, “Wonderful news!” under the post.
When he was questioned about his comment by another user, he replied, “because I don’t think sin should be celebrated.”
Answering more questions from other users, Williamson quoted what the New Testament says regarding homosexuality from the books of John, James, and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.
Then on his personal Facebook page, he shared the news article and wrote, “Hallelujah!! We prayed at our prayer meeting on Tuesday night that this event would be canceled. We also prayed that the Lord would save the organizers. One prayer answered, now we wait for the second prayer to be answered.”
Cornwall Pride organizers saw Williamson’s personal page, took a screenshot of the post, and then tagged Newquay Baptist Church and posted it along with negative comments made by other users about gay pride. They then blocked out the names on each comment, making it appear that all of the comments were posted by the pastor.
The pastor’s wife also received online threats and his head was superimposed onto an image of homosexual pornography, which was then shared online.
The LGBT group then called on their supporters to report the pastor to the police for a hate speech/crime. Activists also made several threats, including protesting at the Newquay church’s Sunday services, having the church’s charity status revoked by the government, as well as threatening to have Williamson deported back to his native Australia.
Following the threats, Williamson was invited to a meeting with two members of the Cornwall pride group, which he accepted to share his beliefs. During the meeting, he shared his Christian beliefs and welcomed members of the LGBT community to attend his church. Before leaving the meeting, he asked permission to leave a leaflet with the pair on what the Bible says about homosexuality.
Images of the leaflet were later shared widely throughout the local LGBT community, creating the illusion the pastor was distributing the leaflet. This resulted in further calls for police to investigate the pastor for a “hate crime.”
A post for one LGBT group called for Newquay Baptist Church, which often houses families, to be burnt down. Another user agreed, responding: “LETS BURN A CHURCH! LETS BURN A CHURCH.”
Another user also threatened to perform a mass sexual orgy at the church, calling on the group to assault anyone who handed them the leaflet.
Williamson reported the threats to the Devon and Cornwall Police, who have been sponsors of the gay organization in the past. He was told that the situation was “complex” and that they did not believe anyone with the group would act on their threats.
The police said that they were working with both sides to pacify the situation, but also told Williamson that he should make sure not to offend anyone in the LGBT community in the future to avoid breaking the law, according to Christian Concern.
The pastor said he and the members of his congregation will not remain silent.
“My family and I, and our church community, have been very concerned by the level of anti-Christian abuse and threats of violence that we have been targeted with over the past few weeks,” Williamson said in a statement. “The police have not formally spoken to me about any hate crime or sought a witness statement to look at the various online comments which have included threats to burn down our church.”
“As Christians, we seek to speak the truth in love and would readily welcome all people to our services. The Bible, however, proclaims a message of repentance which calls on all people to turn from their sin and to trust in Christ. It would be unloving for us to remain silent about what God’s Word says in relation to human sin, including all forms of sexual sin. We, therefore, must proclaim the truth that homosexuality is a sin, but that God loves sinners and Jesus can forgive all our sins.”
“Newquay Baptist Church is made up of sinners who have been forgiven by a wonderful Saviour; since this is the case, we would invite all people, including the LGBT community, to come to our services. Our desire is that all would come to know and love Jesus,” the statement concluded.
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre which is representing Pastor Williamson, said such threats against Christians who speak out against the LGBT community are becoming all to common in the UK.
“It’s becoming worryingly common in the UK to see threats and calls for violence against Christians for voicing their simple opposition to LGBT Pride. Police forces should show Christians they take this seriously by protecting their free speech against mob threats rather than by seeking to keep Christians quiet,” Williams said.
“Christians are called to repay evil with good – I have no doubt that Pastor Williamson will continue to share the reality of sin and the good news of Jesus Christ with the people of Newquay,” she added.
Sources:faithwire
us news
ഒളിമ്പിക്സിനോട് അനുബന്ധിച്ച് രണ്ടു ലക്ഷത്തോളം ബൈബിള്; തയാറെടുപ്പുമായി ഫ്രഞ്ച് ബൈബിൾ സൊസൈറ്റി
പാരീസ്: ഒളിമ്പിക്സിനോട് അനുബന്ധിച്ച് രണ്ടു ലക്ഷത്തോളം ബൈബിളിന്റെ വിതരണത്തിനായി തയാറെടുപ്പുമായി ഫ്രഞ്ച് ബൈബിൾ സൊസൈറ്റി. 140,000 ഫ്രഞ്ച് കോപ്പികളും 60,000 ഇംഗ്ലീഷിലുള്ള ബൈബിളും വിതരണം ചെയ്യാനാണ് സൊസൈറ്റി പദ്ധതിയിടുന്നത്. ബൈബിളിലെ പുതിയ നിയമമാണ് വിതരണം ചെയ്യുക. വിതരണം സുഗമമാക്കുന്നതിന് വിവിധ ക്രിസ്ത്യന് മിനിസ്ട്രികളുമായി സൊസൈറ്റി രൂപരേഖ തയാറാക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. ഫ്രഞ്ച് ഹാൻഡ്ബോൾ ചാമ്പ്യൻ ജോയൽ അബാറ്റി, ഓസ്ട്രേലിയൻ ഹൈജമ്പർ നിക്കോള ഒലിസ്ലാഗേഴ്സ് എന്നിവര് ഉള്പ്പെടെയുള്ളവര് പദ്ധതിയുടെ ഭാഗമാകുന്നുണ്ട്.
ഓരോ രാജ്യത്തെയും ബൈബിൾ സൊസൈറ്റി വഹിക്കുന്നതു സ്തുത്യര്ഹമായ പങ്കാണെന്നും സമകാലിക ലോകത്ത് ബൈബിളിന് ശക്തമായ സ്വാധീനമാണുള്ളതെന്നും ഫ്രഞ്ച് ബൈബിൾ സൊസൈറ്റിയുടെ ജനറൽ സെക്രട്ടറി ജോനാഥൻ ബൗലറ്റ് പറഞ്ഞു. പാരീസ് ഒളിംപിസ്കിനു സാക്ഷ്യം വഹിക്കുവാന് ലോകമെമ്പാടുമുള്ള 11 ദശലക്ഷത്തിലധികം സന്ദർശകർ എത്തുമെന്നാണ് അധികൃതരുടെ കണക്ക്. സെപ്തംബർ എട്ടിന് സമാപിക്കുന്ന ഒളിമ്പിക്സിലും പാരാലിമ്പിക്സിലും ഫ്രഞ്ച് ബൈബിൾ സൊസൈറ്റി പുതിയ നിയമത്തിൻ്റെ പകർപ്പുകൾ വിതരണം ചെയ്യുമെന്നും ഫ്രഞ്ച് ബൈബിള് സൊസൈറ്റി വ്യക്തമാക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട്.
കടപ്പാട് :പ്രവാചക ശബ്ദം
ഡാളസ്: റിച്ചാർഡ്സൺ സിറ്റിയിൽ സയൺ ചർച്ചിൽ വച്ച് ഞായറാഴ്ച (ജൂലൈ 28) വൈകുന്നേരം 6.30ന് സംഗീത ആരാധന നടത്തുന്നു.
ഗായകനായ കെ. ബി. ഇമ്മാനുവലിന്റെ നേതൃത്വത്തിൽ നടക്കുന്ന ഈ വർഷിപ്പ് നൈറ്റിൽ ഗായിക ആഗ്നസ് എൽസി മാത്യുവും ഗാനങ്ങൾ ആലപിക്കും.
മീറ്റിംഗിലേക്ക് എല്ലാവരെയും സ്വാഗതം ചെയ്യുന്നതായി സംഘാടകർ അറിയിച്ചു.
കൂടുതൽ വിവരങ്ങൾക്ക്: റവ. ജസ്റ്റിൻ സാബു – (480) 737 0044, റവ. ബിജു ഡാനിയേൽ – (972) 345 3877.
Sources:azchavattomonline.com
In a world of lies, David Hoffman is on a mission to deliver truth.
Hoffman, author of “Relationships Over Rules: 7 Principles to Lead Gracefully and Love Generously – Harnessing the Power of Relationships to Overcome Your Past and Embrace Your Future,” is a successful business and family man today — but his journey didn’t start out that way.
“The world tells us all these rules of what you can’t do,” he told CBN News, citing some of the lies he was tempted to believe. “I grew up Jewish, so I can’t be a believer … I was raised in a broken household without a lot of love, and so I can’t be married with kids and show them unconditional love.”
While many people might buy into lies like these based on their circumstances, Hoffman said there’s another path, one centered on the Lord.
“I just want to encourage people that, with [God] in the center — with the gifts He gives you — with the relationships He places in your life, you can reach your true potential,” he said.
Hoffman said his upbringing led to complex feelings and emotions. Overall, he felt a lack of love as a child, and this missing puzzle piece left him with a great deal of pain.
“My father left when I was 11,” he said. “I grew up with like a lot of neglect and I felt like I was alone a lot.”
Hoffman continued, “I would ask God why He would let all these bad things happen to good people.”
It’s understandable why he felt so conflicted. Hoffman described a childhood filled with abuse. The challenges were profound — so much so that, when nourishment was reportedly withheld, he resorted to eating dog food when he was hungry.
And that’s just one example of his purported struggles.
Over time, Hoffman came to understand God’s nature and character, realizing the Lord isn’t the author of any of the evil we might face in life.
Rather than living in lament, he came to appreciate this reality.
“I just want to encourage people … that your past does not define your purpose,” he said. “And your past doesn’t dictate your potential. And, so, for me, not having … many loved ones in my life, not feeling a lot of love, not having a lot of opportunity … it made me crave those and appreciate those.”
Hoffman said he has “learned forgiveness” and has “no malice towards anyone” from his past. In fact, the struggles have only made him stronger and more persistent.
“Adversity became a gift as I got older, because, again, I’m grateful,” he said, noting he doesn’t want anyone else to feel the loneliness and pain he once experienced. “I felt like I was always being told, ‘No,’ and so I want to always find the, ‘Yes.’”
For Hoffman, much of the chaos in his life was healed after becoming a Christian. Because he was raised religiously Jewish, he said he didn’t hear about Jesus until he was 30 years old.
“Unbeknownst to me, God had big plans,” he said. “I didn’t even know Him.”
Hoffman had recently moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, at the time and was working hard to find success — something he discovered after getting into real estate in 2005.
By 2008, business was booming, and then the economic crash hit him hard. Plus, Hoffman had a one-year marriage before his ex-wife left him.
“The money dried up and there was no faith foundation, and so we went separate ways,” Hoffman said.
One night, though, he felt a voice speak to him and that message changed everything.
“So, one day, I’m meeting with a dear friend … who loves the Lord, and the night before, I heard God say to me — I didn’t know it was God yet — but I heard an audible voice say, ‘You’ve trotted your way for almost 30 years. Give me a chance,’” Hoffman said. “And the next day, I went to lunch with a dear friend. And he said, ‘David, you’ve tried your way for almost 30 years. You look tired. Give it to God. Give Him a chance.’ And this same friend had taken me to church two days earlier.”
At that lunch in 2009, Hoffman realized how tired he was and how much he needed the Lord. Erupting in tears, he admitted his need for God, and his journey with the Lord commenced.
“That Tuesday afternoon I said, ‘I’m tired. I’m just tired, God. … I’ve tried it my way long enough. I’m just going to give it to you,’” Hoffman recalled. “The next day, I met my wife.”
From then on, the puzzle pieces started to come together. Now, Hoffman sees how it all connected for God to work good in his life.
“God makes no mistakes,” he said. “I just point to Jeremiah 29: 11 — ‘He has a plan for us and for us to prosper.’ And it’s not always on our time.”
Today, he’s focusing his attention on his blessings, and he hopes “Relationships Over Rules” helps people discover God’s plans for their lives.
“I want to encourage people that their past does not define His plan and purpose of their life or their potential,” Hoffman said. “And that adversity they faced last night or 30 years ago … that is actually providing a unique perspective that only they have to really be grateful to see all that God is doing [in] their life.”
Sources:faithwire
ബാംഗ്ലൂരിൽ സൗത്ത് ക്രിസ്ത്യൻ വെൽഫെയർ അസോസിയേഷൻ വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളെ ആദരിച്ചു
ബാംഗ്ലൂർ : ബാംഗ്ലൂർ സൗത്ത് ക്രിസ്ത്യൻ വെൽഫെയർ അസോസിയേഷന്റെ ആഭിമുഖ്യത്തിൽ 10, +2 പരീക്ഷയിൽ 80% നും മുകളിൽ മാർക്ക് നേടിയ മുപ്പതോളം വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളെ റോയൽ പബ്ലിക്...
ഒളിമ്പിക്സിനോട് അനുബന്ധിച്ച് രണ്ടു ലക്ഷത്തോളം ബൈബിള്; തയാറെടുപ്പുമായി ഫ്രഞ്ച് ബൈബിൾ സൊസൈറ്റി
പാരീസ്: ഒളിമ്പിക്സിനോട് അനുബന്ധിച്ച് രണ്ടു ലക്ഷത്തോളം ബൈബിളിന്റെ വിതരണത്തിനായി തയാറെടുപ്പുമായി ഫ്രഞ്ച് ബൈബിൾ സൊസൈറ്റി. 140,000 ഫ്രഞ്ച് കോപ്പികളും 60,000 ഇംഗ്ലീഷിലുള്ള ബൈബിളും വിതരണം ചെയ്യാനാണ് സൊസൈറ്റി...
ഗൂഗിൾ മാപ്സിനെ വെല്ലുവിളിയായി ആപ്പിൾ മാപ്സ് ബ്രൗസറിൽ വരുന്നു
ആപ്പിൾ മാപ്പ്സ് പബ്ലിക്ക് ബീറ്റ വേർഷൻ വെബിൽ പുറത്തിറക്കി. വെബിലെ ആപ്പിൾ മാപ്സ് ലോകമെമ്പാടുമുള്ള ഉപയോക്താക്കളെ അവരുടെ ബ്രൗസറുകളിൽ നിന്ന് നേരിട്ട് സേവനം ആക്സസ് ചെയ്യാൻ അനുവദിക്കുന്നു....
സിയോൺ ചർച്ച് ഡാളസിന്റെ ആഭിമുഖ്യത്തിൽ ഞായറാഴ്ച വർഷിപ്പ് നൈറ്റ്
ഡാളസ്: റിച്ചാർഡ്സൺ സിറ്റിയിൽ സയൺ ചർച്ചിൽ വച്ച് ഞായറാഴ്ച (ജൂലൈ 28) വൈകുന്നേരം 6.30ന് സംഗീത ആരാധന നടത്തുന്നു. ഗായകനായ കെ. ബി. ഇമ്മാനുവലിന്റെ നേതൃത്വത്തിൽ നടക്കുന്ന...
ഇനി കൊച്ചി വിമാനത്താവളത്തില് താമസിക്കാം, വാടക മണിക്കൂറിന്
നെടുമ്പാശേരി രാജ്യാന്തര വിമാനത്താവളത്തിലെത്തുന്ന യാത്രക്കാര്ക്ക് കുറഞ്ഞ നിരക്കില് താമസിക്കാനുള്ള സൗകര്യം ഒരുങ്ങുന്നു. 42 മുറികളും 5 കോണ്ഫ്രറന്സ് ഹാളുകളും 4 സ്വീറ്റ് റൂമുകളും അടങ്ങുന്ന ട്രാന്സിറ്റ് ലോഞ്ച്...
‘God Had Big Plans’: Man’s Incredible Story of Escaping Abuse, Chaos to Find Jesus Christ
In a world of lies, David Hoffman is on a mission to deliver truth. Hoffman, author of “Relationships Over Rules:...
-
us news11 months agoനോര്ത്ത് അമേരിക്കന് പെന്തക്കോസ്തല് റൈറ്റേഴ്സ് ഫോറം; അറ്റ്ലാന്റാ ചാപ്റ്ററിന് പുതിയ ഭാരവാഹികള്
-
National11 months agoബൈബിൾ വിതരണം ചെയ്യുന്നതും നല്ല മൂല്യങ്ങൾ പഠിപ്പിക്കുന്നതും മതപരിവർത്തനമല്ല: അലഹബാദ് ഹൈക്കോടതിയുടെ നിര്ണ്ണായക വിധി
-
world news10 months ago50 രാജ്യങ്ങളിലേക്ക് കുവൈത്ത് പൗരന്മാർക്ക് വിസയില്ലാതെ സഞ്ചരിക്കാം
-
National5 months agoനെയ്തേലിപ്പടി ക്രൂസേഡിന് അനുഗ്രഹീത സമാപ്തി
-
Life11 months agoസൂര്യനെ ലക്ഷ്യമിട്ട് കുതിച്ച് ആദിത്യ എൽ1; ഇന്ത്യയുടെ ആദ്യ സൗരദൗത്യം വിജയകരം
-
National9 months agoPentecostal mission center demolished in India; pastor, 17 others arrested
-
Life10 months agoമനുഷ്യന് താമസിക്കാന് ചന്ദ്രനില് വീടുകള്; നാസ 3ഡി പ്രിന്ററുകള് ചന്ദ്രനിലേക്കയക്കും
-
Travel2 months agoയാക്കൂസ കരിഷ്മ:ഓല സ്കൂട്ടറിനേക്കാൾ വിലക്കുറവിൽ കുഞ്ഞൻ കാർ; സിറ്റി യാത്രകൾക്ക് ഇനി ഇവൻ മതിയാവും