Wednesday 17 January 2018

Most Dangerous Countries To Live As a Christian

List of most dangerous countries on the planet as a Christian


Researchers found 1 in 12 Christians face extreme repression and that female followers are some of the most targeted

-List reveals the nations most probably to persecute religion's followers, with North Korea at the very top
-List ranks world countries based on level of violence against Christians and pressure on religious life
-North Korea came out top for the 16th year running followed by Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan and Pakistan
-Causes were radical Islam and governments using religious persecution to support their power, report said

These are the 50 countries in the world where it is most dangerous to be a Christian, according to a study by organisation Open Doors which measured levels of violence against followers and pressures put on their daily lives 

North Korea, Afghanistan and Somalia are the most dangerous countries in the world to be a Christian, according to a new report.

The list was put together by Christian organisation Open Doors which ranked world countries by violence against the religion's followers and pressure place on their everyday life.

Researchers found that 1 in 12 Christians worldwide experience high levels of persecution, with repression by radical Islamic regimes being the main driver.

Other causes include weak governments using religious nationalism to prop up their power in places like India, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, and the resurgence of Islam in central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

North Korea has topped Open Doors' list since 2002 thanks to the brutal repression of all religions, but especially Christians, by the Kim regime.

North Korea topped the list for the 16th year running thanks to the Kim regime's brutal repression of all religion. Christians form part of the third and lowest caste of North Korean society, and are actively discriminated against

Not only are the Kim family leaders of the state, they are also the state religion, and worshipping any deity over them is considered treasonous. Neighbours and relatives are asked to watch out for suspicious behaviour and report it.

Christians, along with Buddhists, form part of the lowest caste of North Korean society, meaning they are subject to constant observation and actively discriminated against with regards to receiving jobs, entering into college, and receiving supplies by the regime.

Afghanistan is Islamic by constitution, which means government officials, ethnic group leaders, religious officials and citizens are hostile toward adherents of any other religion, the report says.

For that reason Christians are without the benefit of property and businesses while being put through beatings and are often killed for practicing their religion.

Somalia, which expects all citizens to be Muslim and is also home to the extremist al-Shabaab group, came in third

In Somalia, Islam is also the state religion and all Somalis are required to follow the faith. Imams and madrasas have stated publicly that there is no room for Christianity nationwide, the report says, while militant group al-Shabaab also threatens Christians with death.

At the moment the report was being put together, researchers recorded 3,066 cases of Christians being killed 1,252 abductions; 1,020 instances of rape or sexual harassment; and 793 church attacks.




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Sunday 14 January 2018

Chinese authorities Dynamite Christian Megachurch

Chinese Authorities Blow up Christian Megachurch with Dynamite

The Golden Lampstand Church in 2009

ASIA: Chinese authorities have demolished a well-known Christian megachurch, inflaming long-standing tensions between religious groups and the Communist Party.

Witnesses and overseas activists said the paramilitary People's Armed Police used dynamite and excavators to destroy the Golden Lampstand Church, which has a congregation of more than 50,000, in the city of Linfen in Shaanxi province.

ChinaAid, a US-based Christian advocacy group, said local authorities planted explosives in an underground worship hall to demolish the structure following, developed with nearly $2.6m in contributions from local worshippers in one of China's poorest regions.

The church had faced "repeated persecution" by the Chinese government, said ChinaAid. Hundreds of police and hired thugs smashed the building and seized Bibles in an earlier crackdown in 2009 that ended with the arrest of church leaders.

Those church leaders received prison sentences of up to seven years for charges of illegally occupying farmland and disturbing traffic order, reported by state media.

The Golden Lampstand Church in Shanxi Province was destroyed this week by paramilitary police officers

There are approximately 60 million Christians in China, the majority of whom worship in independent congregations such as the Golden Lampstand. Many millions of Christians, Buddhists and Muslims also worship in state-sanctioned assemblies.

However, the surging rise in popularity of non-state-approved churches has raised the ire of authorities, cautious of any threats to the officially atheist Communist Party's strict political and social control.

The video below shows the destruction of the Golden lampstand Church in Shanxi Province this week by Chinese paramilitary police officers.



Freedom of religion is guaranteed under China's constitution, so local authorities in many cases are considered using technicalities to attack unregistered churches. Charges of land or building violations and disturbing the peace include the most common.

The state-run Global Times newspaper reported the official basis for the destruction was the structure did not hold the required permits.

"A Christian offered his farmland to a local Christian association so they privately built a church using the cover of building a warehouse," a government department official was quoted as saying.

Religious groups must register with local religious affairs authorities under Chinese law, the report said, adding the church was illegally constructed nearly about ten years ago in violation of building codes.

Pictures made available by ChinaAid revealed the church's steeple and cross toppled in a large pile of rubble.

The authorities used dynamite and heavy machinery to raze the Protestant megachurch.

“The repeated persecution of Golden Lampstand Church demonstrates that the Chinese government has no respect for religious freedom or human rights,” said ChinaAid president and founder Bob Fu.

He added: “ChinaAid calls on the international community to openly condemn the bombing of this church building and urge the Chinese government to fairly compensate the Christians who paid for it and immediately cease these alarming demolitions of churches.”

A pastor at a nearby church, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he saw large numbers of paramilitary police on Tuesday surrounding the area around the church, which was being taken apart by heavy machinery. He later heard a loud explosion.

The Golden Lampstand Church was built by husband and wife evangelists Wang Xiaoguang and Yang Rongli as a permanent home for their followers.

The couple had been preaching around Linfen since 1992, establishing congregations in improvised spaces such as factory dormitories and greenhouses.

While authorities did not block the church's construction, they later cracked down on it, and the couple and other church leaders were sent to prison.

ChinaAid said authorities also demolished a Catholic church in Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi province, on 27 December. Officials smashed crosses and confiscated statues, the Eucharistic altar, and other religious artefacts as they demolished the building with heavy machinery, the organisation said.

The demolition prompted more 100 church members to protest in front of government offices this week.





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Saturday 13 January 2018

Control of Jerusalem

Israel Moves to Strengthen Control of Jerusalem



The Israeli parliament a week ago passed a law that will need a supermajority vote to cede control over any part of Jerusalem.

The move is Israel’s most recent attempt to exert full power over Jerusalem since U.S. President Donald Trump recognized it as the Israeli capital. The latest law shows how far away peace between Israel and Palestine remains.

The amendment to the Jerusalem Law requires approval from at least 80 of the 120 members of the Israeli parliament, or Knesset, to relinquish Israel’s control over any part of the city. The law also enables the government to remove Palestinian territories from Jerusalem and turn them instead into separate municipalities under Israeli control.

Israel claims Jerusalem as its united capital, while Palestinians want East Jerusalem to serve as the capital of their future state. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said the Israeli law is “tantamount to declaring war on the Palestinian people.”


Alan Baker, director of the contemporary affairs institute with the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, told me the law serves more as a political statement. Lawmakers can repeal it with a simple majority of 61 parliamentary votes. “I can’t see any situation where Israel, whatever political party is leading, will give up any part of Jerusalem,” Baker said, ”so it’s probably more symbolic than anything else.”



Ramzy Baroud, the editor of the Palestine Chronicle, said Israeli lawmakers are using the laws to further isolate Jerusalem and clear Palestinians from the city. “They understand that the unparalleled U.S. support must be exploited to the maximum and that any delay on those bills would be a missed opportunity,” Baroud wrote for Arab News.


In a historic move in early December, Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The announcement sparked protests in Palestine and several other countries. Palestinians now worry Trump’s declaration emboldened Israel’s ruling party. In a similar move last week, the ruling Likud party’s central committee passed a non-binding, unanimous resolution that urged lawmakers to annex Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Abbas commented the resolution would not happen “without the full support of the U.S. administration.”

Attempts last year to revive peace talks between Israel and Palestine showed no progress. Baker said Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital will likely have no impact on the peace process since it still remains at a stalemate. After a Saturday meeting with ministers from Palestine, Egypt, and other Arab states, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Arab states will push for an international resolution to make East Jerusalem the Palestinian capital. “We want to lessen any losses on the Palestinian side and lessen the Israeli gains,” said Ahmed Aboul Gheit, head of the Arab League.




SOURCE



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Prayer Requests

Today's Prayer Requests


Steph | Please pray for my family as my daughter's dad is in jail, please pray for his sobriety,as well as the financial issues at our home. Amen

VERA BANKSTON-JONES | FATHER GOD, I see things that I never thought existed in my life. There are some wonderful people in my life after all, everybody's not a knucklehead! Thank you for putting real people in my path!.......SELAH

Phylis Aba Koomson | Please i want you to Remember me in your prayers that go should deliver me from evil thoughts against God and Spirits of doubtness that makes me the doubt God's Word....I pray everyday for God to Remember me, have mercy and save me..


Leo Sourisseau | Prayer For the Second Coming of Jesus - I pray that Jesus Christ returns to Earth soon, to bring the eternal love and peace of the Kingdom of God to all who believe in Him, and for every knee to bow to Him, and for every tongue to confess that Jesus is Lord at His return. Amen.

Sheltravia Hankerson | My mom died 4 years ago, the person I live with treats me unwanted and bad.

Ricky Agdahan | Dear brothers and Sisters in Christ, I am a Mother tongue bible translator in Matigsalug language in the Philippines. Also, I am a current student taking up Bachelor of Elementary Education.  My source of income is from being MTT but this current year we don't have enough source to continue this Ministry(BIBLE TRANSLATION). In line with this, I ask you brothers and sisters in Christ to help us to pray that this ministry will continue. God will lead us to a persons willing to help us financially and prayer.

Deborah Deveroux | After a botched back surgery I am bedridden and in a power chair, although I can stand briefly I am in constant excruciating pain. I pray that God helps me to restore my health and to remove me from the constant pain and medications. The surgery also caused a pulmonary embolism, I beg God to have mercy on me and help me.

vijay aggarwal | Plz pray for money in abundance for a comfortable life
Rev.nipun roy | Pray for we need build 80 church building in india and across the world .God provide all our needs.

Terressa | Pray that all people find their purpose and live for god.Be charitable without judging and give even if you go without.

Dare |  Please, help pray for divine favour and connection to my helper and God should grant me great testimonies concerning my hearth long desire.

Shed | Lord settle me in the land where l live. Change my immigration status and grant my British citizen

Kelvin Fernando | Pray for prison reform worldwide to be more like Norway in treatment of prisoners and for prisoners to be saved.

Maria Garza | I lord I plea my pition.. I don't want to loose my house when I make my income I just hope it covers my bak up payment ..and then keep up with the payments,, and bless my Fiancee whom only u can change him and think Straight to grow up and grow together and be blessed in ur Sight God. Plus bless our Prosperity as Well and Children and grandchildren. And my future inlaws to hv a good Heart for They know what they do. And Lord Jesus I Love You and Bless You For Being So kind and Full of Grace and Love U Mean The World To Me Always,, I would Be Lost without you.. Jesus We Luv u.

krishan | Please pray for all those suffering injustice in silence that these beings may find a way out of such pain, sorrow and hurt for themselves and other beings in similar situations. Amen

Randy Smith |  Please say a prayer for my son this morning. Just for God to look after him. His name is Michael. Thank you brother's and sisters.

lena griffin | pray for me that god will ues me and . I pray that god ope up my my spiritual ear's so I can hear him talk to me.i'm asking god for a triple anointing .i'm asking god to open up my spiritual eye's to see in the spiritual realm and be able to see things before its happens .ask god for wisdom and knowledge and understanding in this words I ask god when I read that god just let scriptures come to me. I just want to be use by god.pray that he give me unlimited favor with peoples .and he give me discernment in other peoples .that he let mr properside to peoples .I'm asking god to help me to get my own restaurant and my bakery and my store up an started and be able to get my own land and own home .I just wanna feed the needed and help peoples .pray that my husband Samuel stop drinking an smoking and get save ,and pray for his family they don't like me .pray that god will give us a long life and pray that my nephew zerbazz will eat and gain weight .that god will heal his !
 stomach and let him eat. and get his appetite back and pray for mr willie linsay. he had a stroke and he went in a combmer.and pray for me my leg it stays swollen every since I had my stroke .and pray that these headaches go away pray that my kidney working fine and also pray for my eyes .that tell me I have diabetes in my eyes an pray rhat I don't have no blood clot in no part of my body .and pray that god will heal me off this boils coming on me .and pray for my husband that he continue be health .and pray that his child support back time be wipe out and pray that all my debts be fully cancelation .I belive god going to do it .just pray for the crayton family and the griffin family and davis family an the greer family and peepbles family and carter family and the weir family

pastor premadhararao palivela | we are distributing the holy bibles freely who took the baptism newly and poor and needyso please provide to me bibles in our local language ''TELUGU BIBLES'' this is my urge and humble request only

PASTOR.V.VARA PRASAD | .i thank you very much for your kind prayers towards my lords ministry here.By the grace of God through your prayers our 2 church activities are going on well.



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