Hurricane Irma update: Category 4 Storm With 130 MPH Winds hits Florida keys

Hurricane Irma Hits Florida Keys as Category 4 Storm With 130 MPH Winds

Hurricane Irma, a Category 4 hurricane and the strongest to hit the Florida Keys in nearly six decades, was making landfall in the Sunshine State early Sunday, threatening catastrophic damage with maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour. More than 6.5 million residents in Florida and over 540,000 people in the Georgia coast were told to leave their homes.

Life-threatening storm surge is likely from the South Santee River southward to the Jupiter Inlet and on the peninsula from North Miami Beach to the Ochlockonee River, including the Florida Keys and Tampa Bay, according to the National Weather Service.

The center of the storm was moving northwest at about 8 mph at 8 a.m. Sunday.

Over 300,000 people in the state were without power Sunday morning even as destructive winds, flooding rain and inundating seas are likely to occur across Florida into Monday.

After raking through the Keys, the storm is expected to strike southwest Florida with Category 4 intensity Sunday, according to The Weather Channel.

Florida officials have asked over 6.5 million residents to evacuate, one of the largest emergency evacuations in the country's history, and Gov. Rick Scott has warned that it's "a deadly storm and our state has never seen anything like it," and that "once the storm starts, law enforcement cannot save you."

Irma was upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane at 2 a.m. The storm could expose St. Petersburg to a direct hit, according to The New York Times.

Neither St. Petersburg nor Tampa, which was earlier expected to be directly hit, has taken a head-on blow from a major hurricane in nearly a century, according to The Associated Press.

At least 25 people have died in the Caribbean due to Irma.

"Unfortunately, there is no way the United States is going to avoid another catastrophic weather event," AccuWeather President Joel N. Myers said. "There will be massive damage in Florida. [It will be] the worst single hurricane to hit Florida since Hurricane Andrew in 1992."

An extensive area of heavy rainbands had already formed well north of the center of Irma over much of the Florida Peninsula, The Weather Channel reported, and said more than 10 inches of rain had already triggered flooding that shut down a stretch of U.S. 1 in Ft. Pierce, Florida, with water reportedly into at least one home.





Cred: Christian Post

Gay Marriage Referendum in Australia

Orthodox Christian leader: ‘There is no same-sex marriage at all’

"Family equals father and mother." -Coptic Pope Tawadros II

SYDNEY, Australia, - The leader of Egyptian Christians says there is no such thing as gay “marriage.”

“According to the Holy Bible, when you read either in the Old Testament or the New Testament, there is no same-sex marriage at all,” Coptic Pope Tawadros II responded to press questions about Australia’s popular referendum on homosexual “marriage.”

Such a union “is completely refused from the Christian faith,” he flatly stated. The Patriarch is visiting the faithful in Australia for 10 days.

“God created man and woman,” Tawadros said. “The first family was made by man and woman.”

Homosexuality “is not acceptable,” the pope, who was elevated in 2012, continued. “It is considered a sin. It is sin.”

“Our constitution as Coptic Christians is the Holy Bible,” Father Angilos Antoun of St. Mina and St. Abanoub Coptic Orthodox Church in Dayton, Ohio, told LifeSiteNews.  “God said (one man and one woman) is the only way to have a marriage.”

“We love all people, any religion, but we follow Jesus Christ,” Fr. Antoun quickly added.

Tawadros said much the same thing to guide Coptic youth. He encouraged young Copts at the International Convention Centre in Sydney to “fight for what is right” regarding the national referendum on same-sex “marriage.”

“Family equals father and mother,” the patriarch told the nearly 1,000 attendees.

A coalition of more than 150 evangelical leaders signed a “Nashville Statement” affirming one man and one woman marriage, calling homosexuality and transgenderism “an essential departure from Christian faithfulness.”

Roman Catholics also stand against sodomic unions. Pope Benedict XVI characterized same-sex “marriages” “a threat to global peace.”

And although recently his appointments and actions cause concern among conservative faithful, Pope Francis reiterated last year what Christianity has always taught.

“There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar to or even remotely analogous to God’s plans for marriage or family,” Francis wrote in “The Joy of Love.”

Tawadros is the pastor of 20 million Copts in Egypt and another 2 million worldwide.  His official title is "Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark."

The Apostle Mark, after missionary activities with Paul and Barnabas, went to Egypt in 49 A.D. When he first arrived in Alexandria, his shoe came apart and he sought a cobbler to repair it. The cobbler seriously injured himself fixing Mark's shoe. Mark made clay of his spittle and spread it on the cobbler's hand, which was instantly healed. News of the miracle spread and masses of the Alexandrians were converted to Christ.

Later, after Sts. Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome, Mark went to Egypt again. He preached the Gospel in Libya and the African interior, exorcising many.  Near Easter, Mark was arrested by angry pagans, bound, and dragged over the cobblestones, all the while giving thanks to God.  The next day, Mark was dragged again, to his martyrdom.

The Coptic Liturgy is still called the Liturgy of St. Mark.




cred: LifeSiteNews

Al-Shabaab Beheads four Christian Men in Kenya

Al-Shabaab Beheads four Christian Men in Kenya, Calls Victims Out by Name in House-to-House Raid

MOMBASA, Kenya - Suspected militants from the Somali group al Shabaab beheaded four men in two different attacks in Lamu County on Kenya's north coast on Wednesday, authorities said, a month after 12 people were killed in similar incidents in the region.

Lamu County Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo said the attacks took place in Silini-Mashambani early on Wednesday where three were killed, while in a separate incident in Bobo village one person was killed.

Kitiyo said about 30 heavily-armed assailants went from house-to-house calling out victims by name before pulling some out and slitting their throats.

"They were dressed in military gear and had AK-47 rifles. They beheaded four men before fleeing into the forest. All the victims are men. Police have already arrived at the scene and taken the bodies to the mortuary," Kitiyo told Reuters by telephone.

He said the attackers surrounded all the victims' houses making it difficult for them to escape.

Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab's spokesman for military operations, said the group was behind the attack, and put the number of those killed at five, saying it had targeted non-Muslims.

In August, al Shabaab attackers killed four men in a similar manner while earlier in July, nine men were slaughtered the same way in nearby villages.

After the latest attacks, protesters burned tires on the roads on Wednesday morning in complaint over insecurity. Riot police to fire teargas and rubber bullets to disperse them.

A government-imposed dusk-to-dawn curfew is in force in the area following past attacks.

The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab aims to topple Somalia's United Nations-backed government and impose its own strict interpretation of Islam. They have intensified attacks in Kenya since it sent troops into Somalia in 2011.

They have also claimed responsibility for a series of cross-border attacks in recent months, including a spate of roadside bombings targeting security forces.




Cred: Christian Post

Florida braces for Hurricane Irma as Congressman asks for prayers

"We are very concerned and we ask for everyone's prayers.” - Rep. Carlos Curbelo

Miami, FL - As South Florida braces for a direct hit from Hurricane Irma, Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Florida, whose district includes a part of Miami and the Key West, says they are bracing for the worst and asking for prayer.

"We are very concerned and we ask for everyone's prayers," Curbelo told CBN News.


"We just marked in South Florida the 25th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew. I was 12 years old. It was a storm that devastated South Dade, the southern part of our community, and this storm looks awfully similar to it," continued Curbelo.

Curbelo is urging his constituents in mandatory evacuation zones to get out now.

He says this could be one of the deadliest storms the area has ever seen.

"Please keep the people of South Florida, the Florida Keys, other countries like Cuba, the Bahamas in your prayers," the Florida lawmaker urged, "because this is one of the deadliest storms, perhaps the deadliest, that I have ever seen develop in the Atlantic."




cred: CBN.com

When hope is fading

Day 36 (11 Sept 2017, Monday)

(Matthew 24:36 - 25:13)
Hope is fading.  Not because we are helpless.  On the contrary, because we are not helpless, when situations are beyond us, that is when we hope the most.  But when we are comfortable, when all is under control, there is little need for hope.  Take for example, a child in Disneyland is definitely not hoping to go home.  But a child fleeing as a refugee is hoping to go home.

The early church faced much persecution.  In their distress, they looked forward to the blessed hope - Jesus’ second coming, the new heaven and new earth, when there will be no more tears, when they will be in the fullness of God’s presence.  We, in comparison, have life pretty good here and now.  Consequently, we are not eagerly anticipating the hereafter.

Reading Matthew 24:36 - 25:13, you will find that what was supposed to be a blessed hope turned out to be quite the opposite because the servant and the five virgins were not expectant or well-prepared.

Their hope had faded over time.  The servant’s terrible lifestyle and the five virgins’ lack of action showed that they were no longer hoping.  Do your lifestyle and actions testify that the blessed hope is alive and well in you?  Or are you so comfortable with the present, like the child in Disneyland that Jesus’ second coming and eternity have faded into the background?

Pray for Unity in the Body of Christ

Pray that Christian leaders will have godly wisdom, courage and strength as they work together to resolve issues with the government & authorities during these critical times.
Pray for the favour of God to be upon them.

Pray that pastors, church leaders & churches to work together as ONE for the faith of the Gospel so that His blessings will flow in our land.

Declare that the body of Christ will see beyond their offences, and choose to live a life of forgiveness and to grow in maturity, so that the people who are outside the circle of our faith community will see His glory in the church.




 Necf Malaysia

Download 2017 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Developing the steadfastness of hope

Day 35 (10 Sept 2017, Sunday)

When trials and tribulations hit the Thessalonian believers, Paul commended their steadfastness of hope in our Lord Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 1:3).  It is through Him we draw our strength and inspiration from God.  The writer of Hebrews reminds us to look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

Here are eight ways of developing steadfastness:
Be positive about trials as they produce steadfastness (James 1:2-3)
Do not be anxious or fearful because God is with us (Romans 8:38-39)
Have faith in God to give us wisdom and strength (James 1:5, 2 Corinthians 12:9)
Affirm that the battle is God’s, not ours (2 Chronicles 20:12)
Worship God as if victory has been secured (2 Chronicles 20:21)
With thanksgiving, prayerfully commit our anxieties to God (Philippians 4:6)
Believe that God’s power can do far more than what we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20)
Recalling God’s past faithfulness and mercies (Psalm 77:11)

Jesus was able to endure the suffering because of the joyful prospect of seeing man reconciled to God.  Out of the anguish of His soul, He shall be satisfied for many are made righteous (Isaiah 53:11).  Therefore, we need to share the heartbeat of God and pray for the salvation of our nation.  Share Christ as we pray for souls to come into His Kingdom.

Pray for Breakthroughs in Evangelism  

Pray that every believer will possess a passion for the lost, especially for people who are close to us such as our family members, friends and colleagues.
Pray for the urgency and power of the gospel message to reverberate in our hearts that we may live it out daily.

Pray for an enlargement of our vision that will go beyond the confines of our comfort zones.
Pray that the vision for the lost will so consume us that it breaks our fear of rejection when it comes to evangelistic effort.

Pray for more workers to be raised up to reach the unreached in our land.
Pray for wisdom to find means to share the love of God to the unreached people groups.





 Necf Malaysia

Download 2017 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Muslim man became a Pastor in Europe

Testimony of a Muslim that became a servant of God

Your Testimony - God’s Story in You

You have a story and if your story is God’s story in you, then that story is a testimony and can be a powerful witness for Jesus Christ. Sharing your story requires thought but no special training. “You are an expert on what happened to you!” And you can share your testimony anywhere with anyone and give them the “reason for the hope that is in you.”

You can share about Jesus Christ through your story - what God has done for you, what He is doing, and how you have experienced his grace and goodness in your life.


Here’s a question for you: Are you Ready to share your faith story with others and how God’s story has transformed your story?  please use the contact us form or send an email via businessofchrist@gmail.com