Suicide bombers storm church and detonate explosives as congregation worships in Pakistan church attack

Suicide bombers storm Christian church in Pakistan as hundreds of worshippers attended pre-Christmas services

Quetta, Pakistan;  Not one but two suicide bombers have attacked a church in the Pakistani city of Quetta, killing nine people and wounding more than 50.

Sarfraz Bugti, the home minister for the south-western Baluchistan province, said many hundreds of worshippers were attending services at the church before Christmas. He said the attackers clashed with security forces, with one assailant killed at the entrance while the other made it inside.

The Baluchistan police chief, Moazzam Ansari, praised the response of security forces guarding the church, saying the attacker who made it inside was wounded and unable to reach the main building. “Otherwise the loss of lives could have been much higher,” he said.

The Quetta police chief, Abdur Razzaq Cheema, said a search was underway for two suspected accomplices who escaped.

Local television showed ambulances and security patrols racing to the scene while women and children were led out of the church’s main gate.

Islamic State claimed responsibility through its Amaq news agency, saying two “plungers” from the group had stormed the church, without providing further details.

Wasim Baig, a spokesman for Quetta’s main hospital, said three women were among the dead while four women and two children were among 57 wounded.

Aqil Anjum, who was shot in his right arm, said he heard a blast in the middle of the service, followed by heavy gunfire. “It was chaos. Bullets were hitting people inside the closed hall,” he said.

Dozens of Christians gathered outside a nearby hospital to protest at the lack of security.

Pakistan’s president and other senior officials condemned the attack.

“Attack of terrorists on Zarghoon road church in Quetta is condemned. Pakistan’s resolve against terrorism cannot be deterred by these cowardly acts,” Mohammad Faisal, a spokesman for Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs, said.

Baluchistan has long been the scene of an insurgency by separatists fighting against the state to demand more of a share of the gas and mineral-rich region’s resources. They also accuse the central government of discrimination.

No stranger to such attacks

Quetta is the provincial capital of Balochistan province. The city has witnessed recent several attacks in the past two years. This was the fifth attack this year.

In October, eight people including seven policemen were killed in a terrorist attack.


Islamic State or Daesh has claimed responsibility for the attack on social media.


Authorities in Pakistan have expressed their concern over the presence of IS in Afghanistan near Pakistan border. Interior Ministry last month issued directives to security forces to strengthen the security of borders following reports that some IS terrorists had entered Pakistan.

Christians make up about 1.6 percent of Pakistan’s 200 million people and have long faced discrimination - sidelined into low paid jobs and sometimes the target of blasphemy charges.

Along with other religious minorities, the community has also been hit by Islamic militants over the years.

“Attack of terrorists on Zarghoon road church in Quetta is condemned. Pakistan’s resolve against terrorism cannot be deterred by these cowardly acts,” Mohammad Faisal, a spokesman for Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs, said.

SOURCE



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Prayer Requests

Today's Prayer Requests

Patty Hecker | I pray that my husband get out of prison really soon so we can all be a family again. I also ask that I get full time employment work where Im at or somewhere else. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Chaz hahn | David saberski my freind recives jesus in his heart amd gets out of the cult he is in jesus name amen

VERA BANKSTON-JONES | FATHER GOD,Keep my head up that's been a hard test these few days well really this past year. I find myself overwhelmed in the frivolous life I'm living. More so for people then I am self your guidance is always been helpful yeah and I need a strong firm stand! Only with you Lord can I do anything!.......SELAH

Yudaraj p | Please pray for me our India Please pray for me my future  Please pray for me my church ministry Please pray for me our needs

Tamara Baker | I'd like to request a prayer for my father that has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Help him over come, and help us all to understand all that this disease does to someone. And for strength for my mother that deals with more than one should, because she has the biggest heart and will try to help everyone. To let us all have a wonderful Christmas day as a whole family like the ones we had when I was young. I would also to pray for everyone to see and hear the Lord's word's to live in his ways.I pray that I will get what the Lord knows I need, I trust with my whole heart that if I am to get gifts for my grandbabies, children, and parents, that you will show me the way and what I'm supposed to do. Thank you Lord for your love, strength and knowing what is best for me.

Andrey | Please pray to the true God for us to decide the issue with the re-registration of the land. For more than 6 months, we can not re-arrange the inheritance. Money is no longer on the notaries and on the advocates, one hope for the Creator!

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

Jerusalem Decision: 'Biblical Timing of Absolute Precision'

'Biblical Timing of Absolute Precision': John Hagee Praises Trump's Jerusalem Decision

Jerusalem; City of David

Right before President Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and announced the U.S. Embassy in Israel would be moving there, pastor and best-selling author John Hagee joined CBN News' FAITH NATION program for analysis on the Jewish State.

He discussed why Israel is important to Christians, as well as what's behind the Trump administration's support of the Holy Land. Hagee is the founder and chairman of Christians United for Israel.

"What President Trump is doing is one of the most courageous political things that's been done in Washington in a long time," Hagee, who is also the senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, told CBN News.

"Many presidents have promised to move the embassy and declare Jerusalem as the eternal capital, but they have promised without performing," he continued.

"President Trump, when I spoke to him in the White House about this several weeks ago, he said this very emphatically. He said, 'Other presidents have failed you, but I will not disappoint the Christian community in this issue. I will stand with Israel, and we will at some point in time, move the embassy,'" said Hagee.

He also talked with the president about the significance of moving the embassy in this "Jubilee Year."

"...I told him that God measures everything in modules of 50 years," Hagee explained to CBN News. "And I said this is a principle that's carried out in Leviticus, the 25th chapter."

"I said, 'If you look at 1917, it was a Jubilee Year, and the Balfour Amendment came, and then in 50 years, it was 1967, and Jerusalem was reconnected to Israel,'" he continued.

"'And you add 50 to 1967, and you're in 2017.' I said, 'This is the year to move the embassy and make that declaration because it is a biblical timing of absolute precision,'" Hagee said. "Thank God, he's going to do exactly that."

Pastor John C. Hagee

Meanwhile, CBN's Gordon Robertson says that Trump's move for Israel was long overdue from America's leaders.

And Hagee also emphasized the significance of the Jewish state to God and why Christians need to acknowledge its global importance.

"...I believe at this point in time, Israel is God's stopwatch for everything that happens to every nation, including America, from now until the Rapture of the Church and beyond," he said.

"Christians should care about Israel because the entirety of the Bible beginning at Genesis all the way to the end is God's position paper on the Jewish people," Hagee explained.

"God found a man by the name of Abraham and He made a covenant with him," Hagee continued. "Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, recorded in the book of Genesis, that He was going to give them a strip of real estate in the Middle East, and that piece of real estate would be theirs forever."

"Forever means today, tomorrow and forever," he said. "It has nothing to do with what the Palestinians think, what the Russians think, what the UK has the opinion of; it belongs to the Jewish people."

"And Israel is the gateway to God's blessing in the Bible," Hagee continued. "Genesis 12: 'I will bless those who bless you.'"

"World history can be summed up in one sentence. The nations that blessed Israel were blessed of God, and the nations that cursed Israel were cursed of God," he said.



Watch the Video interview here


SOURCE

Proclaiming the faith of the Gospel everywhere

India Mission: focusing on the Christian mission

Greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, In 1 Corinthians 9:23; Paul said: "And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you."

Today, I have the privilege to share with you some of Pastor M. Lazar and team mission works from India. How God in His mercy and love has been their rock and hope. here is a brief introduction and the vision God has given to him.

Pastor M. Lazar is from Tamil Nadu, South India. GOD has chosen him from a poor family. Started serving GOD while in Chennai.  During that time GOD gave a vision that: He was taking the Bible and walking in a valley of dry bones.  After that, he prayed to GOD so as to understand the vision and GOD said to him to preach HIS WORDS among poor people and to plant Churches in villages those who don’t know CHRIST.  (According to Ezekiel 37:1-14)

According to that vision, he obeyed GOD and came to a village named as Walajabad in Oct 2001 and started to serve GOD.  Now V.A.Koil(a village) as centre serving GOD for the past 17 years also in many villages.

Photos of the Church in Ki-Thi-Ri-Pet Village

We have been doing ministry in this village for the past 8 years in a rented place in a small hut.  About 50 children and families attend the church. Due to the heavy rain last year this church has been damaged severely.  The place owner also telling us to move the church to some other place. The team is believing God as always.

Ki-Thi-Ri-Pet village place of worship

Ki-Thi-Ri-Pet village church kids

Ki-Thi-Ri-Pet village place of worship

Ki-Thi-Ri-Pet village place of worship

Ki-Thi-Ri-Pet village place of worship

Here is the church building in Indira Nagar village

Due to the same storm last year, the church building roofs have been damaged very much. About 15 families (60 members) are coming to this church. the team hope to renovate the church. Praying and believing God

the church building in Indira Nagar village

Indira Nagar village

For the church in V.A Koil Village

The team use this village as the centre because it's surrounded by other villages. Here about 70 people which include more than 100 children come to this church.  For the past 5 years, we prayed to GOD to renovate this church.  GOD heard our prayers.  Last year we have renovated the church.

On every 2nd Sunday believers from our other branch churches gather here for the Holy Communion.  For that, we are using two-wheelers to bring them from their villages to here.  They are coming from around 2 to 3 km to this church.

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION IN V.A.KOIL CHURCH – 2016

V.A Koil Village

V.A Koil Village

With much prayer, I am sending this information regarding the team's ministry.  Please keep this in your prayer.  As God speaks in your heart, support the work of God.  Thank you for your kindness.



Author Bio-
Pastor M. Lazar from Tamil Nadu, South India. GOD has chosen him from a poor family. Started serving GOD while in Chennai.  During that time GOD gave a vision that: He was taking the Bible and walking in a valley of dry bones.  After that, he prayed to GOD so as to understand the vision and GOD said to him to preach HIS WORDS among poor people and to plant Churches in villages those who don’t know CHRIST.  (According to Ezekiel 37:1-14)

According to that vision, he obeyed GOD and came to a village named as Walajabad in Oct 2001 and started to serve GOD.  Now V.A.Koil(a village) as center serving GOD for the past 17 years also in many villages.

Pastor M. Lazar contact details
Facebook Page
Email: pr.lazarwbd@gmail.com

Upcoming Program

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Calls for Prayer for Trump & Israel

Calls for Prayer for Trump, Israel: 'What He Has Done...Will be Eternally Celebrated' Says John C. Hagee

Pastor John Charles Hagee; founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church,
a megachurch in San Antonio, Texas

On the day President Donald Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and announced the U.S. Embassy would be moving there, the founder of Christians United for Israel, Pastor John Hagee, issued a call to pray.

"Let's unite together on this historic day to pray for our president, our nation and the nation of Israel like never before," he wrote on Facebook. "Let's pray that the United States will remain resolute in its commitment and support of Israel."

Hagee, who is also the senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, also delivered a video message in that Facebook post.

"President Trump has made a bold and courageous stand that will be remembered in history forever, like President Harry Truman, who made a bold and courageous decision to recognize Israel at statehood," Hagee said.

"What he has done today will be eternally celebrated," he continued in the video. "This shows the world that Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is not up for negotiation, and America is and shall always remain a loyal ally of Israel."

Hagee also referenced how in the Bible, Israel is referred to as the "apple of His (God's) eye."

"The apple of one's eye is its center," Hagee wrote. "The prophet Zechariah declared that if you come against Israel and her people, it is as if you have thrust your finger in the pupil of God's eye."

"God made a covenant with the Jewish people, and He does not lie or break covenant," Hagee continued.

The New York Times best-selling author went on to write, "Psalm 122:6, King David commands us to, 'Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.'"

"Righteousness and peace are destined to spring forth from Jerusalem to all the nations of the earth; therefore, it benefits all of us to pray for this Holy City," Hagee continued.

"The scriptural principle of personal prosperity is tied to blessing Israel and praying for Jerusalem," he wrote. "Prosperity is not purely associated with material blessings, but to the Lord's favor and protection as well."

Hagee also called upon Christians "to minister to the Jewish people in a substantial and material way," writing it's "our duty" to do this.

He then referenced Romans 15:27: "For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things."

Hagee concluded the post with an expression of gratitude for support and prayers for Israel and the United States.

"While so many in this world may sit in judgment of Israel, THANK YOU for standing in the gap for our support of Israel and our great nation," he wrote. "Let it be known that together we are united in our support and prayers for the nation of Israel and the Holy City of Jerusalem!"






SOURCE

'The Jewish people and the Jewish state will be forever grateful'

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the president’s announcement

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thanked Donald Trump for recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel - while other Middle East leaders have condemned the US President’s decision, saying it could embolden terrorist organisations.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 

“Thank you, President Trump, for today's historic decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The Jewish people and the Jewish state will be forever grateful,” Mr Netanyahu said.

This move, he added, “reflects the President's commitment to an ancient but enduring truth, to fulfilling his promises and to advancing peace.”

“There is no peace that doesn't include Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” he said.

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced Mr Trump's decision, saying the move will aid extremist organisations.

“These procedures do also help in the extremist organizations to wage a religious war that would harm the entire region which is going through critical moments and would lead us into wars that will never end which we have warned about and always urged to fight against,” he said in a televised address.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said the decision “disqualified the United States of America to play any role in any peace process”, even though Mr Trump called the change in Jerusalem’s diplomatic status a step towards working for a lasting agreement between Israel and Palestinians.

Jordanian King Abdullah also joined the chorus of disapproval of Mr Trump’s move.

“There is no alternative to a two-state solution, and Jerusalem is key to any peace agreement,” said King Abdullah, speaking in Ankara - the capital of Turkey - alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is also opposed to Mr Trump’s decision.

According to CNN, the Jordanian King added that any such agreement must allow for an independent Palestinian state and that “ignoring Palestinian Muslim and Christian rights” in Jerusalem “could fuel terrorism.”

 image of an Israeli flag and a U.S. flag displayed proudly next to each other
on the old city wall of Jerusalem

The news outlet reported that Mr Erdogan said a wrong step taken by the Trump administration on the Jerusalem issue would catalyse a reaction across the Islamic world that could destroy the foundations for peace.

Regarding Mr Trump, Mr Erdogan said, “No one person's personal ambitions should be allowed to alter the fates of billions of people. Any such move would only embolden terrorist organizations.”

French President Emmanuel Macron called Mr Trump’s decision “regrettable”, saying it “goes against international law and all the resolutions of the UN Security Council.”

“The status of Jerusalem is a question of international security that concerns the entire international community. The status of Jerusalem must be determined by Israelis and Palestinians in the framework of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations,” Mr Macron told reporters at a news conference in Algiers.

SOURCE

Relocate the US Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem

“This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality,” Trump said.

President Donald Trump formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in a historic speech on Wednesday.

“This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality,” Trump said from the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room. “It is also the right thing to do. It’s something that has to be done.”

He also announced his decision to relocate the US Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is expected to take a few years because there is currently no site or design for the building.

You can read the president’s full speech below.

Thank you.

When I came into office, I promised to look at the world's challenges with open eyes and very fresh thinking. We cannot solve our problems by making the same failed assumptions and repeating the same failed strategies of the past. All challenges demand new approaches.

My announcement today marks the beginning of a new approach to conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. In 1995, Congress adopted the Jerusalem Embassy Act urging the federal government to relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize that that city - and so importantly - is Israel's capital.

This act passed Congress by an overwhelming bipartisan majority, and was reaffirmed by unanimous vote of the Senate only six months ago. Yet for over 20 years, every previous American president has exercised the law's waiver, refusing to move the US embassy to Jerusalem or to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital city.

Presidents issued these waivers under the belief that delaying the recognition of Jerusalem would advance the cause of peace. Some say they lacked courage, but they made their best judgments based on facts as they understood them at the time.

Nevertheless, the record is in. After more than two decades of waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. It would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now produce a different or better result.

Therefore, I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today, I am delivering.

I've judged this course of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. This is a long overdue step to advance the peace process and to work towards a lasting agreement.

Israel is a sovereign nation with the right, like every other sovereign nation, to determine its own capital. Acknowledging this as a fact is a necessary condition for achieving peace.

It was 70 years ago that the United States under President Truman recognized the state of Israel. Ever since then, Israel has made its capital in the city of Jerusalem, the capital the Jewish people established in ancient times.

Today, Jerusalem is the seat of the modern Israeli government. It is the home of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, as well as the Israeli supreme court. It is the location of the official residence of the prime minister and the president. It is the headquarters of many government ministries. For decades, visiting American presidents, secretaries of state, and military leaders have met their Israeli counterparts in Jerusalem, as I did on my trip to Israel earlier this year.

Jerusalem is not just the heart of three great religions, but it is now also the heart of one of the most successful democracies in the world. Over the past seven decades, the Israeli people have built a country where Jews, Muslims, and Christians - and people of all faiths - are free to live and worship according to their conscience and according to their beliefs. Jerusalem is today - and must remain - a place where Jews pray at the Western Wall, where Christians walk the Stations of the Cross, and where Muslims worship at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

However, through all of these years, presidents representing the United States have declined to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. In fact, we have declined to acknowledge any Israeli capital at all. But today, we finally acknowledge the obvious: that Jerusalem is Israel's capital. This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do. It's something that has to be done.

That is why, consistent with the Jerusalem Embassy Act, I am also directing the State Department to begin preparation to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This will immediately begin the process of hiring architects, engineers, and planners so that a new embassy, when completed, will be a magnificent tribute to peace.

In making these announcements, I also want to make one point very clear: This decision is not intended in any way to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement. We want an agreement that is a great deal for the Israelis and a great deal for the Palestinians.

We are not taking a position on any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem or the resolution of contested borders. Those questions are up to the parties involved. The United States remains deeply committed to helping facilitate a peace agreement that is acceptable to both sides. I intend to do everything in my power to help forge such an agreement.

Without question, Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive issues in those talks. The United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides. In the meantime, I call on all parties to maintain the status quo at Jerusalem's holy sites, including the Temple Mount, also known as Haram al-Sharif. Above all, our greatest hope is for peace - the universal yearning in every human soul.

With today's action, I reaffirm my administration's longstanding commitment to a future of peace and security for the region. There will, of course, be disagreement and dissent regarding this announcement. But we are confident that ultimately, as we work through these disagreements, we will arrive at a peace and a place far greater in understanding and cooperation.

This sacred city should call forth the best in humanity - lifting our sights to what is possible, not pulling us back and down to the old fights that have become so totally predictable. Peace is never beyond the grasp of those willing to reach it. So today we call for calm, for moderation, and for the voices of tolerance to prevail over the purveyors of hate. Our children should inherit our love, not our conflicts.

I repeat the message I delivered at the historic and extraordinary summit in Saudi Arabia earlier this year: The Middle East is a region rich with culture, spirit, and history. Its people are brilliant, proud, and diverse, vibrant and strong.

But the incredible future awaiting this region is held at bay by bloodshed, ignorance, and terror. Vice President Pence will travel to the region in the coming days to reaffirm our commitment to work with partners throughout the Middle East to defeat radicalism that threatens the hopes and dreams of future generations.

It is time for the many who desire peace to expel the extremists from their midsts. It is time for all civilized nations, and people, to respond to disagreement with reasoned debate, not violence. And it is time for young and moderate voices all across the Middle East to claim for themselves a bright and beautiful future.

So today, let us rededicate ourselves to a path of mutual understanding and respect. Let us rethink old assumptions and open our hearts and minds to possible and possibilities. And finally, I ask the leaders of the region - political and religious, Israeli and Palestinian, Jewish and Christian and Muslim - to join us in the noble quest for lasting peace.

Thank you, God bless you, God bless Israel, God bless the Palestinians, and God bless the United States.

Thank you very much. Thank you.




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