New York Truck Attack 'act of terror'

Truck driver kills eight in New York 'act of terror'

A pickup driver killed eight people in New York on Tuesday, mowing down cyclists and pedestrians before striking a school bus, in the city's first deadly attack blamed on terror since September 11, 2001.

Eleven others were seriously hurt when the truck driver struck in broad daylight just blocks from the 9/11 Memorial, on the West Side of Lower Manhattan, close to schools as children and their parents geared up to celebrate Halloween.

"This was an act of terror and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians, aimed at people going about their lives who had no idea what was about to hit them," said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Law enforcement sources identified the perpetrator as Sayfullo Saipov, 29. He was arrested in Missouri on a traffic fine last year.

The Uzbek citizen living in Tampa, Florida had recently been staying in New Jersey, where the truck was rented, reports said.

President Donald Trump denounced him as "very sick" and a "deranged person."

Confronting what could be the most serious terror-related incident since taking power less than a year ago, the Republican commander-in-chief announced that he had ordered the Department of Homeland Security to step up his "extreme vetting program" on foreign travelers to the country.

The United States "must not" allow Islamic State jihadists to "return, or enter" the country after being defeated overseas, Trump said, albeit as New York officials declined to link the assailant to a specific group

The Uzbek citizen living in Tampa, Florida had recently been staying in New Jersey, where the truck was rented, reports said.

President Donald Trump denounced him as "very sick" and a "deranged person."

Confronting what could be the most serious terror-related incident since taking power less than a year ago, the Republican commander-in-chief announced that he had ordered the Department of Homeland Security to step up his "extreme vetting program" on foreign travelers to the country.

The United States "must not" allow Islamic State jihadists to "return, or enter" the country after being defeated overseas, Trump said, albeit as New York officials declined to link the assailant to a specific group

Police said he drove a rented Home Depot pickup down a bike and pedestrian lane, where tourists and New Yorkers were out enjoying brilliant fall sunshine, at 3:05 pm (1905 GMT), before colliding with a school bus, wounding two adults and two children.

The suspect then exited the vehicle brandishing weapons that were subsequently identified as a paintball gun and pellet gun, before being shot in the abdomen by a police officer and taken into custody, police said.

- 'Defeat evil of terrorism' -

Television footage showed the mangled wreckage of the pickup truck, bicycles crushed to smithereens and bodies wrapped in sheets and lying on the ground.

Eight people were killed, six of them men who died on the spot, and two others pronounced dead in hospital. Eleven other people were taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries, officials said.

Five Argentines were among the dead, the Foreign Ministry said. Brussels said a Belgian woman was killed and three other Belgians were wounded.

European allies and Mexico's president condemned the attack. "Together we will defeat the evil of terrorism," said British Prime Minister Theresa May. French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: "Our fight for freedom unites us more than ever."

US media said the suspect shouted "Allahu akbar" and police chief James O'Neill confirmed that he made a statement when he exited the vehicle.

"If you just look at the M.O. of the attack, that's consistent with what's been going on. So that along with the statement has enabled us to label this a terrorist event," O'Neill said.

He was later operated on and was expected to survive, US networks reported.

The FBI and New York police urged members of the public to come forward with any information that could assist the investigation, which the mayor said preliminary information suggested was a lone wolf assault.

The attacker struck in TriBeCa, one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city. In the aftermath of the attack, worried parents and children were seen being evacuated from a nearby public school.

- 'Little bit crazy'-

"There was a smell of gunshots," said John Williams, 22, who arrived at the scene 30 seconds afterward en route to the park. "There was a man lying on the ground. It looked as if he'd been shot."

"When the cops shot him, everybody started running away and it got a little bit crazy right there. So when I tried to look again, the guy was already down," a witness who gave his name only as Frank told local television network NY1.

Heavily-armed police fanned out across the city of 8.5 million, home to Wall Street, Broadway and one of the biggest tourist draws in the United States.

Security was stringent at airports, bridges, tunnels and mass transit systems, with bag searches at Manhattan's Grand Central transit hub and police stationed along a subway platform in Brooklyn.

A planned Halloween parade went ahead as scheduled, albeit under tight security and a large police presence, as State Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered the new World Trade Center to be lit red, white and blue "in honor of freedom and democracy."

Tuesday's attack was the first deadly terror-related incident in the US financial and entertainment capital since the Al-Qaeda hijackings brought down the Twin Towers, killing more than 2,700 people on 9/11.

It came 12 months after a pipe bomb exploded in September 2016 in Chelsea, lightly wounding 31 people. An American of Afghan descent, Ahmad Khan Rahimi, was convicted of terrorism on October 16 in relation with that attack.

In May, a US Navy veteran plowed a car into pedestrians in Times Square, killing an 18-year-old woman and injuring 22 other people in what de Blasio said was not terror-related.

On May 1, 2010 Pakistani immigrant Faisal Shahzad planted a car bomb in Times Square that failed to explode. He was arrested after boarding a flight to the Middle East and sentenced to life behind bars.

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

Prayer Requests

Today's Prayer Requests

Tausha Miller |  would like prayer for my daughter Lauren whom is out on the streets suffering with addiction, afflictions such as mental illness . Please pray that we hear from her and that the Lord lifts her up and out of the mess she is in and sets her feet on a rock and the same prayer goes for my cousin kamone. ease pray that God continues to heal me sensory and short term memory and empowers me and blesses ,me to complete all tasks/jobs that he has called and allowed me to do. In Jesus name amen. Also my grandmother Ann's legs have been swelling and she need supernatural release of all the fluid in her legs and a relief from a painful lump in her shoulder. Please pray for all of our health. Thank you and God bless. I'd like to pray for the salvation of everyone I work with. amen


VERA BANKSTON-JONES | FATHER GOD, GUIDE MY DESTINCTION AND PATHS!.......SELAH

vijay aggarwal | Plz pray for money in abundance for a comfortable life

Michelle Celillo |  Praying for peace and to sell our home as we make our final move. God bless. Thank you.

Jews Speak Up For Christians

 A relatively new sensation has appeared on the Middle East scene by means of Jews standing up for persecuted Christians.

It’s an honest wonder, considering the outrageous history of Jewish persecution at the hands of the ‘church’ throughout the centuries. But it is also inevitably a warm reaction to the growing worldwide support for Israel among Christian people, particularly in Africa.

Thereby, keen to build upon this expanding friendship, the Israeli government has recently hosted an unprecedented media summit in Jerusalem for Christian journalists from around the globe.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used the opportunity to speak up for embattled Christians in Iran and neighboring Syria. “Christians today are generally lashed for sipping wine during prayer services,” he said, “brutally tortured for doing nothing rather than practicing their faith. Some world leaders are likely to ignore this oppression and appear to appease Iran, but I am not one of them.”

Yes, even majority of the Western church is silent over the issue, apparently indifferent to their suffering.

Canon Andrew White, referred to as ‘Vicar of Baghdad’ and also speaking in Jerusalem, asked why, adding: “Here we see Jews standing with us, but where is the Church?”

White saw most of his large congregation murdered during the crisis that followed the invasion of Iraq, and countless Christians have been compelled to flee in the face of the Islamic State advance.

Will this weak reaction to the plight of persecuted Christians reflect the flabbiness of our faith? Do we simply fail to comprehend what it must be like because we are so comfortable and therefore not able to recognize what suffering for Christ means? Generally, we are not even prepared to defend what we believe - for the gospel and also the truth of the Bible - if perhaps we should be charged with ‘hate speech’ or ‘homophobia’.

Although some indeed have spoken out and paid dearly for it, the rest of us are generally fearful into silence as we retreat into our holy huddles. However, if we can’t stand reduced heat now, in what way will we fare once the temperatures are turned up and we are called to experience the sort of persecution Jesus predicted for his followers?

“Be alert,” he warned. “You will probably be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues…You will probably be hated by everyone because of me, however, the anyone that stands strong to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 10. 17, 22) Many Christians remained quiet while Jews were taken away to the gas chambers and, although now a little bit more secure in their very own state, they are still in very serious danger, and therefore we mustn’t neglect them this time around. Nevertheless, they are ready to help us! 

It’s moment to forsake cowardice and accept the kind of bravery which Christians in some regions of the world are having to exhibit in bucketloads. Consider the believers in Iran, for instance, where Mr. Netanyahu drew the media’s attention. Regardless of the danger of following Jesus there, 20 Iranian Christians recently nailed their colors to the mast in a mass baptism. “I’ve been anticipating this moment for nearly nine years,” said one convert. “This was my wish before I die,” said another. Christianity is expanding thereby extreme measures amid reports of Muslims encountering Jesus through dreams and visions. “We have actually been praying for a long time that Iranian people believe in Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus) and get baptized. Now this dream is coming true,” said a convert whose brother was murdered for his faith in 1994.

Yet another tremendously high-risk country to be a Christian is in North Korea, where believers are practically gathering in holes in the ground, much like the faith heroes of old had done according to Hebrews 11.38.

A missionary friend of mine occasionally travels to some part of Africa that is certainly equally dangerous, infested since it is by the Al Shabaab terror organization. Due to this fact, some Christians are forced to sleep in the forest! But my friend was resolute to bring comfort directly to them with his inspiring teaching skills, so he made his way there despite Foreign Office warnings avoiding the region, and the fact he was not able to even be protected by travel insurance for that part of his journey. In addition to that, he nearly died from being infected he picked up on his last trip to the area!

That takes bravery, but he said it was worth it just to see the sheer joy on the faces of his brothers so happy and encouraged by his visit.

I conclude with the heartwarming story of Israeli tennis player Dudi Sela who, due to the courage of his religious convictions, declined the possibility of reaching the semi-finals of an ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Tour event. Just eight minutes into the deciding set, he realized it was almost sunset, which marked the beginning of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (the holiest day of the year for Jews). So the 32-year-old informed the umpire of his decision to retire and left the court.

The match was originally scheduled for Yom Kippur itself (i.e. the next day) but was changed to commence ahead of the fast following demand from Israeli tennis officials. Unfortunately for Dudi (ranked 77 in the world), his quarter-final clash went to three sets and couldn’t be finished in time.

The Day of Atonement, when Jews seek forgiveness for sins committed throughout the last year, is finally fulfilled by the coming of Yeshua, their Messiah, who atoned for our sins through his death on the cross as the perfect Lamb of God. (Isaiah 53.6; 1 John 2.2)

SOURCE

The Book of Acts: Small Group Study Review

The Acts of the Apostles; Study Guide Summary

Through small group study at my local church (Life Church), we've recently concluded the study on "The Acts of the Apostles" using Acts (N.T. Wright for Everyone Bible Study Guides).

ACTS by N. T. Wright

Introduction 

The Acts of the Apostles is an exceptional piece, hence its an important book of the New Testament. It alone offers an intensive view of early church life and history.The book focuses on the acts of two apostles, Peter and Paul. And it also provides the continuation “of everything Jesus began both to do and teach” (1:1).

It provides the acts Jesus achieved after His ascension, through the Holy Spirit, in establishing the church. Saint Luke obviously follows the Great Commission in expanding this theme, showing the commencement in Jerusalem, the outreach to Judea and Samaria, and also the spreading to the faraway city of Rome (1:8).

And Luke's Story

The name of the book of Acts originates from the Greek word praxis, a term often used in early Christian literature to refer to the good accomplishments of the apostles or alternative remarkable believers. This name correctly demonstrates the contents of the book, which is actually a compilation of the lives of key apostles (specifically Peter and Paul) in the years right after Christ’s ascension into heaven.

Luke’s recognition as the author of this work was unquestioned all through history. It indicates an obvious advancement from the gospel according to Luke, picking up precisely where that book ended. A historical prologue to Luke’s gospel suggests that Luke was first a follower of the apostles after which became close with Paul.
This really is the way the book of Acts unfolds, starting with Peter and finishing with Paul. Luke even started to speak in the first person plural in the latter part of Acts, while he traveled the Roman Empire alongside Paul (Acts 16:10).

The Importance of the Book of Acts?

The book of Acts is considered the only biblical book that chronicles the background of the church soon after Jesus’s ascension. Consequently, it gives us with a useful record of ways the church was able to expand and spread out from Jerusalem throughout the entire Roman Empire.
Within thirty years, a small number of frightened Christ-followers in Jerusalem became an empire-wide phenomenon of people who had devoted their lives to Jesus Christ, ending on a high note with Paul on the verge of making the gospel towards the greatest government official on the land-the Emperor of Rome.

Breaking It Down

Acts could be beautifully broken into two segments, the starting dealing mostly with the ministry of Peter in Jerusalem and Samaria (Acts 1-12) while the Ending following Paul on his missionary journeys across the Roman Empire (Acts 13-28). Acts is important for chronicling the spread out of the gospel, besides geographically but also ethnically and culturally.

It points out the switch from bringing the gospel to the entire Jewish audience-with Peter speaking to a few people in the Upper Room-to the gospel going among the Gentiles, mostly under the ministry of the apostle Paul. The switch is best illustrated by Peter’s vision where he heard a voice telling him, “What God has cleansed, will no longer consider unholy” (10:15).

This led Peter to then share the gospel with so many Gentiles. The lesson? God wants His message of hope and salvation to increase to all people-“in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and also to the remotest part of the earth” (1:8).

Applying The Book

What chances for sharing the gospel are you able to take advantage of in the occasions are available? This question should ring through your mind while you study through the entire book of Acts. In practically every chapter, apostles, for instance, Peter and Paul powerfully present the gospel to persons and groups of people.

The apostles shown in Acts stood out with evangelistic energy, showing an eye-catching transition from the often misguided disciples of the Gospels. Clearly, the apostles’ faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus produced an obvious change in their hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Many times, our individual lives usually do not reflect that kind of change. We battle with fears over how others will deal with our faith or with breaking away from our own routine considerable enough to invest in the life of another person else who needs the gospel.

Allow Acts to inspire you to walk more closely with God so that you will make Christ’s name known with all the boldness and the enthusiasm of the apostles.

Lastly, Luke wrote to demonstrate to the Roman world that Christianity is not a subversive political movement. In comparison to some of the Jews of Judea, Christians had not been wanting to overthrow Rome. However they spoke of a different King and rejected the emperor as “lord,” they submitted to political authority.

Nevertheless, the apostles were often imprisoned, they were constantly exonerated. In some cases God Himself intervened; in other cases the governmental authority did, But every time they were vindicated.

Holy Bible

Big thanks to Emerald study group members; Bro Ong, Sis Crystal, Bro Richard, Sis Joanana, Elder Denny, Sis Iris, Bro Kevin & Sis Siet-Choi

Costi Hinn called his uncle's theology "twisted."

Benny Hinn's Pastor Nephew Slams Prosperity Gospel

The pastor nephew of televangelist Benny Hinn has slammed his uncle's promotion of the "prosperity gospel" and urged "real pastors and real churches" to "stand up and say 'No, that is not Christianity."
In an HLN exclusive interview with Carol Costello, Costi Hinn, executive pastor at The Mission Bible Church in Orange County, California, called his uncle's theology "twisted."

"If you take the Bible and you take what Jesus taught and you take some of the promises of heaven and the riches of heaven and the wonderful glories of heaven and you make them a new thing, then you really have a model for your best life now."

"That's really not the heartbeat of Christianity," he continued, "the heartbeat of Christianity is, if you have wealth, you want to be generous and rich in good works. If God has blessed you with a lot, you have a great responsibility."

Prosperity gospel, as defined by the Lausanne Theology Working Group, is the teaching that "believers have a right to the blessings of health and wealth and that they can obtain these blessings through positive confessions of faith and the 'sowing of seeds' through the faithful payments of tithes and offerings."

The prosperity gospel, Hinn said, is particularly dangerous to those living in impoverished nations who give the last of their money to prosperity preachers in hopes that they will receive material blessings.

"You put a guy on a platform in a really nice suit in a very beautiful auditorium and he'll tell a whole bunch of Americans, 'if you do this, and do this, and do this, you'll get this.' And God is like your magic genie," Hinn said.

"If you rub Him right and do all the right things, your bank's going to grow, you're going to get that promotion, you're going to get that woman that you want to marry, that perfect man, your life is going to be perfect, because that's what God wants for you."
Hinn urged "feal pastors and real churches" to "stand up and say 'No, that is not Christianity. That's not what the Bible teaches.'"

Hinn emphasized that the Gospel includes the good news of hope and the bad news of the reality of sin for people in all walks of life.

"Our job as preachers and pastors is to give the whole story," Hinn said, admitting that growing up, he was "greedy" and "very ambitious for all the wrong things." He shared how his family was "living the dream," with flights on a G4 or G5 private Gulfstream airliners, layovers in Monte Carlo, and stays in hotel suites that cost $25,000 per night.

"We were teaching things that were wrong. We were taking advantage of [people], exploiting the poor, using our greed, squeezing every last dollar out of people so we could live the way they could never," while using Jesus to do that, he explained.

Thankfully, Jesus has forgiven him of his sins.

"Jesus died to forgive my sins. He loves me just the way I am in all my mess and all my greed. And if I commit to a change He'll meet me right where I am. And He did. He changed my heart and I just had no taste for it anymore. I did not want that life."

Benny Hinn, 64, is considered the author of a variety of inspirational Christian books, along with his thirty-minute TV program This Is Your Day is among the world’s most-viewed Christian programs

Evangelist Nick Vujicic in Ukraine

Over "400,000 souls gave their to Jesus at Life Without Limbs Tour in Europe

Limbless evangelist Nick Vujicic has thanked God after his team observed 400,000 people repent of sins and start their spiritual journey with Jesus in a recent event in Ukraine.

"The greatest event our team at Life Without Limbs has witnessed and perhaps the biggest event ever in Europe - 800,000 individuals the main roads and streets of Kyiv Ukraine! Thank God," Vujicic said on Facebook on Tuesday.

"400,000 repented of the sins and started their spiritual journey with Jesus - Now LWL celebrates the witness of just one million decisions just to walk with and trust God in everything face to face, he added.

Vujicic, 33, also stated he later stopped in Russia on his evangelism tour, where he remained for 40 hrs.

"Regrettably I wasn't able to meet the President this trip but we still plant seeds of affection, love, and hope across the nation until some unique doorways are available to share - appreciate your support," he wrote in an update.

Vujicic was born without legs or arms, and it was given no medical reason behind this problem. Regardless of the challenges, he's faced, he's today a global-famous inspirational speaker and author.

Stated on the Life Without Limbs website, Vujicic said he began his ministry to inspire other people who, like him, have faced "numerous challenges and obstacles," to understand that with God, anything can be done. Everything is possible.


"Life Without Limbs is about discussing this same hope and genuine love which I have personally familiar with people around the world, Inch he stated. "It has been stated that doorways available to a guy without legs and arms a lot more easily rather than other people, we thankfully for supplying that privilege. I have been asked into very unpredicted places to talk about my belief in Jesus and literally millions have responded."

The evangelist stated he's traveled to in excess of 63 countries to talk about the gospel, and the "finest pleasure within this life would be to introduce Jesus to individuals I meet and let them know of His great desire to get at knowing them personally by permitting and allowing Him to be their Lord and Savior."

"Due to the ministry of Life Without Limbs, God has utilized me in numerous schools, places of worship, prisons, orphanages, hospitals, stadiums as well as in face-to-face encounters with folks, letting them know how very precious they're to God," he stated. "It's our finest pleasure to make sure people who God comes with an agenda for every single life that's significant and purposeful, for God required my life, one which others might disregard as not getting any significance and that he has filled me together with his purpose and demonstrated me he intends to use me to move hearts and lives toward Him."

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

Prayer Requests

Today's Prayer Requests

Lijy | People to hear the word of God and get away from idol worship and pagan festivals. Even Christians are following or celebrating Hindu festivals with the rebellious mind to accept the truth. India is dangerously promoting Hinduism with the indirect support of government.

Alta Young |  pray for me and my boyfriend because we are in love with each other but everyone is trying to tear us down and get in between us. I dont want to lose him. We are also trying to have a little one and I pray that God can give us a beautiful gift from him. We both really need prayers for our relationship and ourselves please keep us both in your prayers. Have a blessed day and thank you!!

VERA BANKSTON-JONES | FATHER GOD,WE AS PPL DO NOT THINK ON THE SAME LEVEL, YET WHERE, WHEN, AND HOW DO YOU DISREGARD FRIENDS?.......SELAH

Laren Hacker | Please pray for my father-in-law, Edwin Vance. He has fallen VERY ill and has been in the ICU for almost 3 weeks! It's very touch and go with him but our family, his family, cannot lose him. He is a big part of our lives. It can't be his time to join the Lord, it's too soon. We need to come together at a time like this. We all need to pray. Thank you.

vijay aggarwal | Plz pray for money in abundance for a comfortable life

Christians Hospitalized After Hindu Mob Attacks

Christians Hospitalized After Hindu Mob Attacks Indian Church During Sunday Worship

Two or more Christians happen to be hospitalized and therefore are in critical condition following a Hindu mob attacked and desecrated a church worship service in India Sunday, the number one Christian persecution watchdog group has reported.

Worldwide Christian Concern, an America based NGO dedicated to promoting for persecuted Christians, has reported that the mob of approximately 300 Hindu radicals interrupted Sunday service in the Bastar for Christ Movement Church found in the Jasapara village within the Dantewada District of India's Chhattisgarh Condition.

Witnesses told ICC the mob beat the boys, ladies and kids of the congregation and pulled them from the building. The extremists allegedly required the worshipers renounce their belief in Christ. However when the Christians declined to do this these were beaten with sticks.

The mob set fire towards the church's furniture as well as stripped a few of the Christian women.

As many as nine worshipers were seriously hurt.

Based on ICC, Raju Sodi and Sangeetha Kartami hurt their heads and hands and were rushed to some local hospital. These were later delivered to a government-run hospital in Dantewada once they were considered to stay in critical condition.

Local police didn't initially cooperate and declined to file for a study concerning the altercation after being accustomed to the incident through the Christian community. Additionally, local Christians told ICC that Hindu radicals had filed a police report from the Christian community prior to the attack happened.

Based on the organization, it required over 24 hrs of protests held through the Christian community prior to the police department recognized the situation, and it is unlikely that participants within the radical mob are going to be arrested and attempted in the court.

"The attack on Jaripara's Christians is inhuman and highly condemnable," an anonymous local pastor told ICC. "These attacks are appearing around the backdrop from the condition elections which are nearing. The [Bharatiya Janata Party], who's in power within the condition, causes it to be even more simple for the Hindu radicals to keep the hate campaign against religious minorities for that political gains."

As Open Doorways USA ranks India as the 15th-worst nation on the planet with regards to Christian persecution, the organization finds that occurrences of Christian persecution in India have skyrocketed within this past year.

Based on Open Doorways USA reports, there have been over 410 occurrences of Christians being harassed, threatened or attacked for his or her belief within the first six several weeks of 2017. In comparison, there have been as many as 441 occurrences as reported by Open Doorways USA set for the whole of 2016.

"Once the Christians are beaten through the extremists, they receive injuries totally on their heads or their vital parts of the body. The assaulters don't care when the person dies of the attack," a nearby partner told Open Doorways USA in August. "They already know they're not going to be punished by the government (and therefore the judiciary) will require their side. In the majority of the cases, the assaulters go unpunished."

Open Doorways notes that the rise in persecution in India "had not been so outstanding" and may come as Pm Narendra Modi and also the BJP has been in power at the federal level. The BJP is basically considered the political arm of the Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

"The government pm belongs to the BJP and that he categorically denies Christians or any other minorities are now being persecuted," Open Doorways USA reports. "Throughout a tv program, he stated he's no understanding from the burning of places of worship or other kinds of persecution."

ICC's Regional Manager William Stark stated inside a statement that attacks on Christians Indians as well as their places of worship have become "a nearly daily occurrence." He stressed that Christians in India "seem like second-class citizens."

"Hindu radicals across the nation appear to possess received a large berth by local government bodies to pursue their hate campaigns against Christians along with other minorities. This lack of ability or unwillingness to safeguard and enforce the legal rights of Christians must end," Stark asserted. "While Article 25 of India's metabolic rate guarantees full religious freedom for those citizens, the possible lack of India's enforcement of the freedom leaves Article 25 as just words in writing. India's leaders should do more to confront the problem of accelerating religious violence."

Business Ethics and Christian Faith

Business Ethics and Christian Challenges

The relationship between Business ethics and Christianity has become a trendy subject in the contemporary context. This consideration must have been as a result of a quest in assessing possible factors capable of influencing business ethics and environment. Many suggest that Christian faith and business ethics are two parallel entities capable of ruining the benefits or true practice of the other. Others insist they are common and wholeheartedly agree with each other.

We can begin by defining the two terms and properly evaluating the intercepting points of Business ethics and Christianity. Before assessing if there’s positive correlation as alleged by many or a full disagreement. Business ethics are measures or principles applied in business for its growth and the best interest/satisfaction of the stakeholders, shareholders, and the business community. Christianity refers to the life of Jesus, the Son of God. Christians are known as the believers of the Son of God who practice the same life like Him.

The Ten Commandments

It can be deduced that business ethics are not explicitly subjecting any businessman or woman into a deviancy from Christianity since it has no specific outlines of contrary activities. However, when business standards are established for only profits, it would be accepted that business ethics may involve cheating, greed, dishonesty, and negligence of trust or others of its kind which are not in concordance with the Christian faith.

Without being bias in Christianity, business ethics include
• Honesty
• Loyalty
• Accountability
• Integrity
• Impartiality
• Trustworthiness
• Respect and concern for others
• Law Abiding
• Commitment to Excellence

The mentioned business ethics above, however, are fully in concordance with the Christian faith. Aside from those mentioned above, there are other business ethics which promote Christian challenges in the corporate world. These challenging ethics are either induced by the business stakeholders, shareholders or business environment. To an extent, some business requires illegal activities before success can be recorded. However, some of this business ethics are fabricated by the operating individuals to enforce business profit regardless of the religious views or Christian ideology to those decisions.

Christian challenges in the corporate world

The corporate world is more centred at profit-making, and being in the position to participate in a business environment can be challenged by many factors. Aside from your personal decisions to ensure stability to your business and to enforce growth, business supervisors can also contribute to these challenges. Not mentioning those from subordinates.

Let’s recall that Business ethics are measures to ensure the business growth. It does not make a necessary account for the legality of the measure. Hence, some of the ethics not promoting Christianity include the following.

Sales of services or products not supported by Christian faith

Some business ethics necessary in making more sales of a product or services may imply an introduction of a complementary product, which is not endorsed by the Christian faith. These complementary products or services sometimes serve as the principal means of selling. While they remain a service Christians cannot support, it leaves them with practising below the required ethics to flourish in such business. Some of these products or services may include the use of prostitutes to promote brothel business.

Contrary demands from business shareholders or Stakeholders

In business ethics, shareholders contribute to every decision carried out to maintain its growth. But profits are usually prioritized as against religious views or positions. Operating as a Christian business manager may become more challenging when the stakeholders demand that some contrary actions are taken to favour the business growth instead of integrity and honesty. A good example of this position may be operating with an expired license for a certain period, delivering an alternative or substandard product in place of the customer’s demand by changing the pack, etc.

Product hoarding to create inflation and exorbitant profit

Another business ethics by most business owners which are highly beneficial especially when they lack competitors is to hoard the products or make it scarce in the area to enforce a new price. This leaves the consumers no choice but to secure the product or services since they would have to travel a considerable distance for anything similar. Hoarding nullifies trust, integrity, honesty, accountability, among others.

 

Overcoming business ethics not in accordance with Christian faith

The most assuring way to overcome business ethics that are not in concordance with Christian faith is first to accept that they are wrong and not to be practised. This strong disagreement with the wrong ethics gives you an edge to the right position (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

Christian faith and business ethics are not to be treated separately by any Christian. Rather, Christianity should superimpose every business ethics to be adopted (Proverbs 3:6, Matthew 6:33). Irrespective of the profit assured by a contrary business ethics, Christians should understand that business environment and ethics should also serve as a medium of teaching salvation. Christians should not forget that every practice awaits rewards. Hence, only good foundations can stand the test of time.




Read Also Ministry through Business

Prayer Requests

Today's Prayer Requests

Debbie boswell | plz pray that my health gets better I was in a coma dec/Jan and wasn't expected to live. my legs don't want to do stand/walk I'm bedridden at the moment I can move my legs now. I need to get better to go home to be with/help my daughter with my 5 grandkids (2 sets of twins) thank u amen

Rebecca Gibson | I have 5 children none are living with me,three are with my sister and they suffer abuse,one is with her father,my other baby was born to God,I miscarried. My prayers request is this,
I pray that my children learn to keep God first in all they do.
I pray they never loose insight on whose in control,God..
I pray that my sister and her husband quit abusing my children and fully open their hearts to God.
I pray for the father of my child to let me see my daughter. I pray for me and my partner to have a closer walk with Jesus and to not stray and to continue to have faith that God will cover my children with the blood of Jesus and protect them from any and all harm that comes their way. My kids names are Curtis Davis jr. Candace Davis,Conner Davis.and Gabrielle Gibson. Thank you and God Bless

Edmund Krzeminski | In the King James Bible, Ezekiel "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." O God, please help us and teach us to build a wall [of prayer] around the USA, Canada and Poland.
Are you ready to stand in the gap, where God is the Helper and Teacher? Please pray that Poland, the USA/Canada would overcome for: (The Acts 26.18).* Poland, pray for freedom from dead religion to saving faith in God through Jesus Christ as the Saviour and the Lord by grace only,
* the Church in the USA, Canada  Pray for repentance and cleansing of the church--Matt. 3.12 "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." * my family:1. Stir up the hearts of my family for ministryfor me, my wife Dorothy, our daughter Ann, and our sons Peter and Daniel - "..but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" Joshua 24.15
Pray God's will and wisdom for me and my family; I ask God for great wisdom in school for Daniel, and for Edmunds work situation, for Dorothy and Peter (also God's direction for his life) and Ann (Ann needs a husband), 3. God's order in my work. I ask God for great wisdom at my work. Blessings and the knowledge of Jesus Christ for my bosses. Thank God for the continuation of my work.Edmund Krzeminski

VERA BANKSTON-JONES | FATHER GOD, A MIS-MANAGEBLE PERSON CAN FLUXUATE A BLESSING INTO DRIBLETTS, AND REGRETS BEFALL! ALTHOUGH YOU PROVIDE, GUIDANCE IS SO WELL NEDED!.......SELAH


KK | Help me pray against spirit of backwardness and stagnation