Channelofhealing

Here is an except of the message by Thom S Rainer

It is inevitable that, when we do research on evangelistic churches, we learn about one or more members in the church who, to use the book title by Charles H. Spurgeon, embody the traits of The Soul Winner. Often times one of those members is the pastor. But we have also seen many laypersons who are themselves soul winners.

In our interviews with these people, or with those who tell us about the soul winners, we began to discern some clear patterns. We called those patterns “the seven characteristics of highly evangelistic Christians.”

1. They are people of prayer. They realize that only God can convict and convert, and they are totally dependent upon Him in prayer. Most of the highly evangelistic Christians spend at least an hour in prayer each day.

2. They have a theology that compels them to evangelize. They believe in the urgency of the gospel message. They believe that Christ is the only way of salvation. They believe that anyone without Christ is doomed for a literal hell.

3. They are people who spend time in the Word. The more time they spend in the Bible, they more likely they are to see the lostness of humanity and the love of God in Christ to save those who are lost.

4. They are compassionate people. Their heart breaks for those who don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They have learned to love the world by becoming more like Christ who has the greatest love for the world.

5. They love the communities where God has placed them. They are immersed in the culture because they desire for the light of Christ to shine through them in their communities.

6. They are intentional about evangelism. They pray for opportunities to share the gospel. They look for those opportunities. And they see many so-called casual encounters as appointments set by God.

7. They are accountable to someone for their evangelistic activities. They know that many good activities can replace Great Commission activities if they are not careful. Good can replace the best. So they make certain that someone holds them accountable each week either formally or informally for their evangelistic efforts.

Culled from, Lifeway  Christian Resources

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning — Yes, more than those who watch for the morning” (Psalm 130:5, 6).

What does it mean to wait for the Lord?

To wait means to be alert to something expected or anticipated. To wait for a bus means that we have decided not to walk, but to use public transportation. We must wait, because the bus has not yet arrived. We wait patiently because we have looked at the timetable and believe that the bus will come. We also know that when the bus does arrive, we must be waiting at the right stop.

Sometimes we become impatient. We think, “That bus is not coming!” So we leave the bus stop and start walking. Suddenly the bus zooms by. It does not stop, of course, because there is no bus stop there. Through impatience, we missed our chance.

To wait for the Lord means to continually look to Him for assistance and salvation, to be satisfied that God will work everything out.

If you were lost in a forest at night, you would be waiting, even longing for the morning light. Our souls should be waiting and longing for the help that only God can give.

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning — Yes, more than those who watch for the morning” (Psalm 130:5, 6).

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills — From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1, 2).

“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him” (Isaiah 64:4).

We wait for God continually: “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You; let me not be ashamed; let not my enemies triumph over me. Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause. Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day” (Psalm 25:1-5).

We have courage to face the difficulties of live because we look to God for the help He has promised: “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:13, 14).

“Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You” (Psalm 33:20-22).

Because we wait on God for justice and judgment, we do not allow ourselves to become excessively agitated about evil people: “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret — it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth” (Psalm 37:7-9).

“Do not say, ‘I will recompense evil’; wait for the Lord, and He will save you” (Proverbs 20:22).

“Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it” (Psalm 37:34).

Even in the greatest of difficulties, we may wait for God’s help: “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps” (Psalm 40:1, 2).

Here David is probably speaking of difficulties resulting from sin. For our salvation we wait for God. Who else can help us? “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved” (Psalm 62:5,6).

We wait on God for salvation from death: “He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken. And it will be said in that day: ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation” (Isaiah 25:8, 9).

If we are not waiting for God, then He is waiting for us! He is waiting for use to repent so we can wait for Him: “Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him” (Isaiah 30:18).

Do not keep God waiting! If you are not yet a Christian, repent, turn to God, believe in His Son Jesus Christ, whom God sent as Savior. Confess your faith and be baptized into His body, the church, that your sins can be forgiven. If you are a Christian who does not sufficiently wait for the Lord, and that applies to us all, look to Him for sustenance and salvation from day to day and forever.

“He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31).

Let us wait for the Lord.

Roy Davison

The Scripture quotations in this article are from

The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.

Permission for reference use has been granted.

Published in The Old Paths Archive

(http://www.oldpaths.com)

   By David J. Stewart

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, WHEN THEY KNEW GOD, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen” (Romans 1: 16-25).

Everyone at Some Point in Life Recognizes God

Romans chapter one gives us the “progression” of people who have decided to travel the highway of destruction (to ultimate misery and judgment) in hell. Surely, God doesn’t want anyone to perish. The Bible declares that we are responsible for ourselves—we must decide our own fate! Why would a person reject God? Why would any man or woman despise their Creator? It all begins in Romans one with the easily overlooked little phrase, “…WHEN THEY KNEW GOD…” (Romans 1:21). Every man and woman at some point in life “knew God”. The Greek word for “knew” here means “to be aware of” or “to perceive.” Thus, we have all perceived God’s presence at some point in our life. Everyone has had the chance to do what’s right and seek after God. King Josiah in the Old Testament grew up in the worst of sinful conditions with ungodly parents and yet he served the Lord and did what was right. Anyone can do right! “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to ALL men” (Titus 2:11). God’s “grace” is sufficient for ALL our needs. God is fair! “For the INVISIBLE THINGS of Him from the creation of the world are CLEARLY SEEN…” (Romans 1:20). Wow!, The Scriptures teach that we can indeed see invisible things! How? “…being understood BY THE THINGS THAT ARE MADE…” (Romans 1:20). We read in Psalm 19:1-3 that “The heavens declare the glory (goodness) of God; and the firmament SHOWETH His handiwork. Day unto day UTTERETH speech, and night unto night SHOWETH knowledge. There is NO SPEECH NOR LANGUAGE, WHERE THEIR VOICE IS NOT HEARD.” Just as with music, nature needs no interpreter. The Scriptures plainly teach that God has provided enough light (through the things that are made) for anyone to clearly see the things (which are invisible). “…even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are WITHOUT EXCUSE: Because that, WHEN THEY KNEW GOD, they glorified (to esteem glorious-honor, magnify) Him not as God, neither were thankful” (Romans 1:20,21). Christ-rejecters are without excuse! Those who will someday die and plunder into hell fire will be without excuse! Anyone can come to the knowledge of the truth if they so desire. We all perceive and become aware of God’s presence at some point in our life. We all must decide to go down one of two possible paths: God’s or our own.

Most People Turn Away from God, Refusing to Acknowledge Him

Romans chapter one gives us the step-by-step downfall of those who choose the wrong path by deciding they don’t need God. “…they did not like to RETAIN GOD in their knowledge…” (Romans 1:28). What a sad statement! They simply didn’t want God in their life, not even in their mind.

It all begins with being unthankful and not honoring God. The word “honor” means “to value.” How can anyone not value and want God? When the Scriptures speak of honoring your parents, it means to value them and treat them as such. Jesus, even while dying on the cross, expressed concern for His mother’s well being after He was gone (John 19:26). Do you value (honor) your parents and God? Can you live just as well without Jesus? No, you can’t! Many today are arrogant and self-righteous and don’t want a Savior. They don’t like God and don’t want to think about Him! They mistreat God.

They Become Unthankful Towards God

These people, being unthankful and reluctant to honor God Almighty—became vain and foolish. “…but became vain (empty, silly) in their imaginations, and their FOOLISH HEART WAS DARKENED. Professing themselves to be wise, THEY BECAME FOOLS,” (Romans 1:21,22). So many are foolish today! This lost and wicked world that we are living in today—worships sports and sex; glorifies sin and rebellion; thrives on greed and corruption; practices covetousness and maliciousness; diminishes the sacredness of the family, marriage and God; honors the immoral and heathen; Rejects Christ and has no place or purpose for the Word of God. God says; “…they are WITHOUT EXCUSE” (Romans 1:20); “…Who KNOWING the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but HAVE PLEASURE IN THEM THAT DO THEM” (Romans 1:32). This sounds like TV doesn’t it? People have pleasure in watching others commit sin! Adulterers and homosexuals who would never be allowed into your home to commit their evil deeds are welcomed right into your home through the TV set to do the same. No wonder some have called the TV—Hellivision. Is the TV your idol? Don’t be too quick to say “no”! Read your Bible lately? How much time do you spend watching the box? Idolatry is anything that means more to you than God.

They Become Fools in Their Sinful Pride

By nature man is full of pride, arrogance and self-righteousness. For those who avoid God, live in sin and “do-their-own-thing”—they must redefine God and His truth to maintain self-respect. So they change, discredit and misquote God’s Word. They have a distorted view of God. “And CHANGED the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image…” (Romans 1:23). “Who CHANGED the truth of God into a lie…” (Romans 1:25). So they explain away God and His Holy Word with silly thinking and worldly philosophy. “PROFESSING THEMSELVES TO BE WISE, they became fools” (Romans 1:22). Are you a fool? Did you travel down the wrong path in life after the time “when you knew God?” What a statement—–“WHEN THEY KNEW GOD!” (Romans 1:21). Some people deny God’s Word. Scriptures say that the “invisible” things of God are “clearly seen”. The rich man in hell begged Abraham to send Lazarus from the dead to warn his five brothers “lest they also come into this place of torment”. Abraham said, “If they will not hear Moses and the prophets, NEITHER WILL THEY BE PERSUADED, THOUGH ONE ROSE FROM THE DEAD” (Luke 16:27-31).

There are No Excuses Not to Get Saved!

No excuses! If you go to hell, it will be no one’s fault but YOUR OWN. People are great blame-shifters. Adam and Eve both sinned; Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent. This is typical of humans, to shift the blame elsewhere. If we cannot shift the blame, then we try to cover our sins as Cain did. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Cain killed Able and then pretended he was ignorant concerning Abel’s death. On and on we could go. Everyone wants to shift the blame. No my friend, you CANNOT blame anyone else for your wrong doing and mistakes. Anytime you point your finger at someone else, there are three of your own fingers pointing back at you. We are all losers without God. Accept who you are and turn to God in faith for salvation. Let me also say, “there are no losers with God.” Admit to God you’re a sinner and ask Him to forgive your sins, realizing that Christ paid for them. Decide to rely upon Jesus Christ as your Savior because of all that He did to pay for your sins. Make that decision now! Being saved is the easiest thing in the world but people make it difficult. It’s so simple to be saved. You are a sinner my friend. Because of your sins, you deserve to go to hell. Jesus died on the cross, was buried and rose again to pay for your sins. If you’ll simply trust in Christ as your door into heaven, you can be saved. “I AM THE DOOR: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” (John 10:9). You must simply go to the Lord and believe on Him in faith. Call on Jesus Christ in prayer and ask Him to forgive your sins and take you to heaven when you die. Decide that from this day forward you are going to rely upon Christ and nothing else to save you. Not baptism, NOT the pope, NOT good works, NOT religion, NOT merit, NOT sacraments, NOT turning over a new leaf—But trusting Jesus alone for salvation. Becoming a Christian is a win-win situation. There are no losers in God’s family, only winners! Become a Child of God right now, Call on Jesus the best you know how to save you. God bless.

Hope you have been blessed by this message  brought to you today by the Special Grace of God

God bless you mightily in Jesus Name Amen

Thank you for visiting dear friend in Christ, here is a list of the latest Breaking Persecution News, Below are News Summaries from the Direct Compass News you can go through the links and select the one you would prefer to read and and pray on… God bless

China  -  Detained Uyghur Christian Taken to Hospital

Sri Lanka  -  Buddhist Mobs Attack Churches

Saudi Arabia  -  Authorities Release Christian Blogger

Turkey  -  Local Officials’ Role Emerges in Malatya Murders

Egypt  -  Coptic Church Issues First Conversion Certificate

Sudan  -  Converts from Islam Struggle to Survive

Iran  -  Two Christian Women Imprisoned

Pakistan  -  Suspects in Rape of Christian Girl Cleared

Vietnam  -  Historic Church Building Demolished

Sudan  -  Support for President Leads to Attacks on Churches

Bangladesh  -  Muslim Protests Stall Church Construction

India  -  News Briefs

Iran  -  Three Converts Ordered to Stop ‘Christian Activities’

Morocco  -  Officials Deport Five Foreign Christians

Laos  -  Police Destroy Church Building in Village

Pakistan  -  Christians Brace for Sharia in Swat Valley

Turkey  -  Christians May Appeal Fine for ‘Illegal’ Funds

China  -  Action Urged for Missing Rights Activist

Colombia  -  Six Months Later, Pastor Still Missing

Turkey  -  ‘Insulting Turkishness’ Case Proceeds Under Revised Law

India  -  News Briefs

Colombia  -  Leftist Guerrillas Threaten, Kill Christians

Pakistan  -  Christian Faces ‘Blasphemy’ Abetting Charge, Dangers

India  -  Pastor Shot in Bomb Attack on Church

Pakistan  -  One Woman Dead in Attack on Christians

MOST OF THE WORLD’S GREAT SOULS have been lonely. Loneliness seems to be one price the saint must pay for his saintliness.

In the morning of the world (or should we say, in that strange darkness that came soon after the dawn of man’s creation) that pious soul, Enoch, walked with God and was not, for God took him; and while it is not stated in so many words, a fair inference is that Enoch walked a path quite apart from his contemporaries.

Another lonely man was Noah who, of all the antediluvians, found grace in the sight of God; and every shred of evidence points to the aloneness of his life even while surrounded by his people.

Again, Abraham had Sarah and Lot, as well as many servants and herdmen, but who can read his story and the apostolic comment upon it without sensing instantly that he was a man "whose soul was alike a star and dwelt apart"? As far as we know not one word did God ever speak to him in the company of men. Face down he communed with his God, and the innate dignity of the man forbade that he assume this posture in the presence of others. How sweet and solemn was the scene that night of the sacrifice when he saw the lamps of fire moving between the pieces of offering. There alone with a horror of great darkness upon him he heard the voice of God and knew that he was a man marked for divine favor.

Moses also was a man apart. While yet attached to the court of Pharaoh he took long walks alone, and during one of these walks while far removed from the crowds he saw an Egyptian and a Hebrew fighting and came to the rescue of his countryman. After the resultant break with Egypt he dwelt in almost complete seclusion in the desert. There while he watched his sheep alone the wonder of the burning bush appeared to him, and later on the peak of Sinai he crouched alone to gaze in fascinated awe at the Presence, partly hidden, partly disclosed, within the cloud and fire.

The prophets of pre-Christian times differed widely from each other, but one mark they bore in common was their enforced loneliness. They loved their people and gloried in the religion of the fathers, but their loyalty to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and their zeal for the welfare of the nation of Israel drove them away from the crowd and into long periods of heaviness. "I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children," cried one and unwittingly spoke for all the rest.

Most revealing of all is the sight of that One of whom Moses and all the prophets did write treading His lonely way to the cross, His deep loneliness unrelieved by the presence of the multitudes.

‘Tis midnight, and on Olive’s brow

The star is dimmed that lately shone;

‘Tis midnight; in the garden now,

The suffering Saviour prays alone.

‘Tis midnight, and from all removed

The Saviour wrestles lone with fears,

E’en the disciple whom He loved

Heeds not his Master’s grief and tears.

-WILLIAM B. TAPPAN

He died alone in the darkness hidden from the sight of mortal man and no one saw Him when He arose triumphant and walked out of the tomb, though many saw Him afterward and bore witness to what they saw.

There are some things too sacred for any eye but God’s to look upon. The curiosity, the clamor, the well-meant but blundering effort to help can only hinder the waiting soul and make unlikely if not impossible the communication of the secret message of God to the worshiping heart.

Sometimes we react by a kind of religious reflex and repeat dutifully the proper words and phrases even though they fail to express our real feelings and lack the authenticity of personal experience. Right now is such a time. A certain conventional loyalty may lead some who hear this unfamiliar truth expressed for the first time to say brightly, "Oh, I am never lonely. Christ said, `I will never leave you nor forsake you,’ and, `Lo, I am with you alway.’ How can I be lonely when Jesus is with me?"

Now I do not want to reflect on the sincerity of any Christian soul, but this stock testimony is too neat to be real. It is obviously what the speaker thinks should be true rather than what he has proved to be true by the test of experience. This cheerful denial of loneliness proves only that the speaker has never walked with God without the support and encouragement afforded him by society. The sense of companionship which he mistakenly attributes to the presence of Christ may and probably does arise from the presence of friendly people. Always remember: you cannot carry a cross in company. Though a man were surrounded by a vast crowd, his cross is his alone and his carrying of it marks him as a man apart. Society has turned against him; otherwise he would have no cross. No one is a friend to the man with a cross. "They all forsook him, and fled."

The pain of loneliness arises from the constitution of our nature. God made us for each other. The desire for human companionship is completely natural and right. The loneliness of the Christian results from his walk with God in an ungodly world, a walk that must often take him away from the fellowship of good Christians as well as from that of the unregenerate world. His Godgiven instincts cry out for companionship with others of his kind, others who can understand his longings, his aspirations, his absorption in the love of Christ; and because within his circle of friends there are so few who share his inner experiences he is forced to walk alone. The unsatisfied longings of the prophets for human understanding caused them to cry out in their complaint, and even our Lord Himself suffered in the same way.

The man who has passed on into the divine Presence in actual inner experience will not find many who understand him. A certain amount of social fellowship will of course be his as he mingles with religious persons in the regular activities of the church, but true spiritual fellowship will be hard to find. But he should not expect things to be otherwise. After all, he is a stranger and a pilgrim, and the journey he takes is not on his feet but in his heart. He walks with God in the garden of his own souland who but God can walk there with him? He is of another spirit from the multitudes that tread the courts of the Lord’s house. He has seen that of which they have only heard, and he walks among them somewhat as Zacharias walked after his return from the altar when the people whispered, "He has seen a vision."

The truly spiritual man is indeed something of an oddity. He lives not for himself but to promote the interests of Another. He seeks to persuade people to give all to his Lord and asks no portion or share for himself. He delights not to be honored but to see his Saviour glorified in the eyes of men. His joy is to see his Lord promoted and himself neglected. He finds few who care to talk about that which is the supreme object of his interest, so he is often silent and preoccupied in the midst of noisy religious shoptalk. For this he earns the reputation of being dull and overserious, so he is avoided and the gulf between him and society widens. He searches for friends upon whose garments he can detect the smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory palaces, and finding few or none he, like Mary of old, keeps these things in his heart.

It is this very loneliness that throws him back upon God. "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up." His inability to find human companionship drives him to seek in God what he can find nowhere else. He learns in inner solitude what he could not have learned in the crowd that Christ is All in All, that He is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption, that in Him we have and possess life’s summum bonum.

Two things remain to be said. One, that the lonely man of whom we speak is not a haughty man, nor is he the holier-than-thou, austere saint so bitterly satirized in popular literature. He is likely to feel that he is the least of all men and is sure to blame himself for his very loneliness. He wants to share his feelings with others and to open his heart to some like-minded soul who will understand him, but the spiritual climate around him does not encourage it, so he remains silent and tells his griefs to God alone.

The second thing is that the lonely saint is not the withdrawn man who hardens himself against human suffering and spends his days contemplating the heavens. Just the opposite is true. His loneliness makes him sympathetic to the approach of the broken-hearted and the fallen and the sin-bruised. Because he is detached from the world he is all the more able to help it. Meister Eckhart taught his followers that if they should find themselves in prayer as it were caught up to the third heavens and happen to remember that a poor widow needed food, they should break off the prayer instantly and go care for the widow. "God will not suffer you to lose anything by it," he told them. "You can take up again in prayer where you left off and the Lord will make it up to you." This is typical of the great mystics and masters of the interior life from Paul to the present day.

The weakness of so many modern Christians is that they feel too much at home in the world. In their effort to achieve restful "adjustment" to unregenerate society they have lost their pilgrim character and become an essential part of the very moral order against which they are sent to protest. The world recognizes them and accepts them for what they are. And this is the saddest thing that can be said about them. They are not lonely, but neither are they saints.

Below are News Summaries from the Direct Compass News you can go through the links and select the one you would prefer to read and and pray on… God bless

India  -  News Briefs

Iran  -  Three Converts Ordered to Stop ‘Christian Activities’

Morocco  -  Officials Deport Five Foreign Christians

Laos  -  Police Destroy Church Building in Village

Pakistan  -  Christians Brace for Sharia in Swat Valley

Turkey  -  Christians May Appeal Fine for ‘Illegal’ Funds

China  -  Action Urged for Missing Rights Activist

Colombia  -  Six Months Later, Pastor Still Missing

Turkey  -  ‘Insulting Turkishness’ Case Proceeds Under Revised Law

India  -  News Briefs

Colombia  -  Leftist Guerrillas Threaten, Kill Christians

Pakistan  -  Christian Faces ‘Blasphemy’ Abetting Charge, Dangers

India  -  Pastor Shot in Bomb Attack on Church

Pakistan  -  One Woman Dead in Attack on Christians

Kenya  -  Church Struggling after Islamists Destroy Building

India  -  ‘Anti-Conversion’ Law Considered in Karnataka

India  -  News Briefs

Pakistan  -  Charges Filed against Kidnappers of Young Sisters

Egypt  -  Islamic Lawyers Urge Death Sentence for Convert

India  -  Christian Father of Two Murdered in Orissa

China  -  Christians Wary as Recession, Unrest Hit

Turkey  -  Links to Masterminds of Murders in Malatya Pursued

Somalia  -  Nuns Kidnapped in Kenya Released

Egypt  -  Law Granting Twins to Muslim to be Reviewed

Bangladesh  -  Pastor Threatened for Rape Accusations

Burma  -  Report Documents Abuse of Chin Christians

India  -  Hard-line Hindus Still Forcing Conversions in Orissa

Bangladesh  -  Christians Seek Justice in Church Bomb Blast

Turkey  -  Christian Bookshop in Adana Vandalized

“Say ‘God Bless’ and We’ll Sack You” Christian Legal Centre – March 29, 2009

A homelessness Prevention officer with Wandsworth Council has been suspended from work for nearly two months for encouraging a homeless woman with an incurable medical condition to look to God for help, after doctors told her they’d given up hope.
Duke Amachree, aged 53 who has worked for the local authority for almost 18 years was suspended on 28 January 2009 for discussing his faith with a client, and was told in an investigatory interview on 17 March that he should not raise the issue of religion at work. Not only was Mr Amachree told it was inappropriate to ‘ever talk about God’, he was also told that he may not even say ‘God bless’.
Mr Amachree, a member of the UK World Evangelism Church in London, was summoned to an interview as a result of a complaint made against him by a member of the public.
Mr Michael Phillips, a solicitor working with the Christian Legal Centre, which was consulted by the worker, said: “On 26 January, Mr Amachree met a client who was due to be moved out of her home because her landlord wished to sell the property. Doctors had told the client that she had an incurable illness and, as such, could only work part time. In general conversation, Mr Amachree asked the lady why she believed her condition was incurable, and in encouragement, commented that sometimes doctors do not have all the answers. So concerned was he that the lady was in despair and without hope, he suggested she put her faith in God. The lady, however, explained that she had tried religion and because she did not have any faith she was satisfied with what the doctors had told her and was able to move on. She smiled, thanked Mr Amachree and left.”
Two days later Mr Amachree was handed a letter informing him that a service user (the lady) had made serious allegations against him and he was therefore suspended.
Mr Phillips, who was present at the meeting, added: “On 17 March, Mr Amachree’s employers told him that ‘God had to be kept out of the workplace’. He was accused of crossing boundaries. The issue of religion, according to the interviewer, should not be raised in a housing issue. Mr Phillips, on behalf of Mr Amachree, queried this statement by asking if ‘God bless’ would be an appropriate comment. He was told that it would not be appropriate and that any complaint would again lead to an investigation.”
Mr Amachree is taking legal action against the Council. His claim is that their decision effectively ‘privatises’ Christian faith and is against his human rights. His case comes after a number of public sector workers have seen their employers forcing secularist views on them . The Christian Legal Centre, and its legal team has supported Caroline Petrie, the nurse who was suspended for offering to pray for a patient, a Christian magistrate forced to resign over his reluctance to place children into the care of homosexual couples; a Police Officer sacked for using the internal email system to respond to blatant pro-gay advertising in his force, and a myriad of cases where Christian foster parents have been refused the opportunity to care for children on the grounds of their faith and practice. CLC has instructed leading Human Rights barrister, Paul Diamond, to take up the case.
Andrea Minichiello Williams, director of the CLC said: “We are supporting Mr Amachree in this case because it is absurd to think that any public body could be in a position to enforce a policy which means that you can’t even say ‘God Bless’ . This would effectively mean that faith would become entirely privatised. A Christian cannot leave faith out of any aspect of his or her life including work .”
‘If you would like to support Mr Amachree we would be very grateful. To do this, please make a donation to the Christian Legal Centre (CLC) by clicking on one of the two links below.’
www.christianlegalcentre.com/view.php?id=716
Andrea Minichiello Williams
020 7467 5421
Christian Legal Centre
www.christianlegalcentre.com

Attacker said he aimed to stop Christian conversions; Hindu extremist connection suspected.

NEW DELHI, March 10 (Compass Direct News) – In an effort to stop conversions to Christianity in the eastern state of Bihar, a 25-year-old ailing man on Sunday (March exploded a crude bomb in a church and shot the pastor.

Police Inspector Hari Krishna Mandal told Compass that the attacker, Rajesh Singh, had come fully prepared to kill the pastor, Vinod Kumar, in Baraw village in the Nasriganj area of Rohtas district, and then take his own life.

“However,” Mandal said, “believers caught him before he could do more damage or kill himself.”

The 35-year-old pastor was taken to a hospital in nearby Varanasi, in the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh and at press time was out of danger of losing his life, according to a leader of Gospel Echoing Missionary Society (GEMS) who requested anonymity.

The church, Prarthana Bhawan (House of Prayer), belongs to GEMS. Around 30 people were in the church when the attack took place. Some women in the church sustained burns in the blast.

“Rajesh Singh threw a crude bomb from the window of the church, and the sound of the explosion created a chaos in the congregation,” said Inspector Mandal. As members of the church began to run out, he added, Singh came into the building and shot the pastor with a handmade pistol from point-blank range.

Singh had more bombs to explode and three more bullets in his pistol, but church members caught hold of him and handed him over to police, the inspector said.

“In his statement, Singh said he was personally against Christian conversions and wanted to kill the pastor to stop conversions,” Mandal said. “He wanted to take his own life after killing the pastor, and this is why he had more bullets in his pistol and an overdose of anesthesia in a syringe.”

Asked if Singh had any links with extremist Hindu nationalist groups, the inspector said no such organization was active in the area, though local Christians say Hindu extremist presence has increased recently. The GEMS source said people allegedly linked with a Hindu nationalist group had sent a threatening letter to the pastor, asking him to stop preaching in the area.

The source said the incident could have been fallout from conversions in nearby Mithnipur village, where a Hindu family had received Christ after being healed from a mental illness around six months ago. Singh also lives in Mithnipur.

“Pastor Kumar had not been visiting the village, fearing opposition from the villagers who were not happy with the conversion of this family,” the GEMS source said. “The same church’s cross had also been damaged about a year ago by unidentified people.”

The source said he believes that although Singh’s affiliation or linkage with a Hindu nationalist group has not been established, it is likely that he was instigated to kill the pastor by an extremist group. Pastor Kumar, married with three children, has been working in Rohtas district for the last 12 years.

Local Christians complain that the presence of the Hindu extremist Sangh Parivar (a family of organizations linked with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS, India’s chief Hindu nationalist group) has recently increased in the area. They say the Hindu nationalist conglomerate has been spewing hate against Christians for more than 10 years, accusing them of using monetary incentives and fraudulent means and foreign money to convert Hindus.

The attacker has an amputated hand and was said to be mentally disturbed since 1996, when he was diagnosed with cancer, Inspector Mandal said.

“According to the villagers,” he said, “Singh had been mentally disturbed ever since he was diagnosed with cancer, and later tuberculosis, although there is no medical report to substantiate this.”

The government of Bihar is ruled by a coalition of a regional party, the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) party, and the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The JD-U is also part of the National Democratic Alliance, the main opposition coalition at the federal level led by the BJP. The JD-U, however, is not perceived as a supporter of Hindu nationalism.

Of the 82 million people, mostly Hindu, in Bihar, only 53,137 are Christian, according to the 2001 census.

END

Yes Christians Todd Bentley has finally said I do to his former live in nanny /Mistress (Jessa). But am not going to go into the nitty-gritty of what Todd has done , for I know that He and his Pastor/Prophets sure know what the word of God says  about these things. This is truly a sad story,  every Christian out there should continue Praying for Todd Bentleys first wife (Shonnah) who has had to endure these recent embarrassing situations she found herself in and, remember the Children (my heart breaks for them)  and neither should we forget Todd and the New wife both who have given in to the lusts of the flesh we ought to hope  that they truly repent and find their way to God. For what I can see and  read so far shows  of people with hardened hearts, those who have chosen their own way  instead of Gods way. so sad indeed(sigh)

Read the full story for yourself from Todd Bentleys Chief apologist Rick Joyner (I call him that for he keeps on making excuses for Todd)

Todd Bentley Begins Restoration Process By Rick Joyner

       Todd Bentley was used to spark the Lakeland Outpouring, which raised the faith level of much of the body of Christ. Testimonies of healings and miracles from it are now virtually all over the world. When Todd’s marriage failed, he abruptly stopped all ministry and virtually disappeared for almost nine months. In the meantime, his divorce was finalized and he has recently remarried.
    Todd has taken full responsibility for the failure of his marriage. He and Jessa also admit that their relationship was premature and should not have happened the way it did. Both are adamant that it was not the cause for the failure of his first marriage, nor did they begin their relationship until Todd was convinced that his marriage was over. They have both expressed that it was wrong and premature. They do not want to try and cover this up even though they know many will never accept them for it. Even so, they are married now and are resolved to make the most of their marriage, their lives, and to continue to serve the Lord in the best way that they can.
    My position all along has been that I will do my best to comply with Galatians 6:1, “If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted” (NKJV). To obey this Word, I have always felt that it did not matter what one had done, and that it was my responsibility to help them find the grace of God to return to the place from which they had fallen. I confess that with Todd, I am not just doing this as a duty. From the time I first met him nearly ten years ago, I knew that he had an extraordinary purpose and a gift of faith for the miraculous that would be desperately needed in these times. I consider helping any of God’s children an honor, and helping Todd is a privilege.
    I also confess to some selfish ambition in wanting to do this. I had a dream two decades ago in which one of my children had fallen into a sewage ditch and could not get up. My child was being scorned and no one would help him. A man came along who helped my child get up and then cleaned up. In that dream, I felt as if I would give everything that I owned to this man who helped my child. Then I heard the voice of the Lord say, “Jim Bakker is My child. Will you help him?” Since that time, I have been devoted to helping any of God’s children that I could who have committed any trespass, because I knew there were few other things that would bring the Father’s favor. I consider this willingness to at least try to help others this way a major reason for the extraordinary favor that our ministry, my family, and I have received. I love Todd and am glad to help him, but I also know by doing this, I will be doing something that means a great deal to our Father.
    When we release someone to minister in the body of Christ, we are releasing him or her to minister to God’s own children, and I personally do not do that with anyone who I would not allow to minister to my own family. For all that was done through Todd, and especially at Lakeland, which touched and helped countless thousands, many were also left confused and hurt by the way it ended. I think Todd is even more sensitive to this than I am. Although in some ways he greatly misses being in ministry and praying for people, he wants to be sure that when he comes back that his life and his ministry are on the most solid ground possible so that he does not cause these kinds of problems again.      
    Jack Deere and Bill Johnson have agreed to be a part of Todd’s restoration process. I asked them to be a part because I know they will probably see things I don’t, but also because both Todd and I trust them and know they would not sign off on something they did not really believe in. However, both of them are going to be involved in this at a distance, and therefore, I will be the main person responsible.
    Being a believer in body ministry, I expect our whole leadership team, and to some degree, our whole local church, to be involved in helping Todd and Jessa. Our staff and all from the church that I have discussed this with are very happy about them being here and want to help them in any way that they can.
    In future Bulletins, we will go into more detail about what we’re doing and why, as well as what we think was a cause of some of the failures Todd experienced. We will only do this for the sake of helping others avoid the same traps. We know that trust has to be earned and that Todd will have to earn the trust of the body of Christ for future ministry, which will not be easy, nor should it be. Todd, more than most, does not want to jump back into ministry prematurely, even as much as he misses it in some ways.
    I for one have been very encouraged by the expressions of grace and genuine concern so many have expressed toward Todd in this situation. It gives me great hope. As we have been constantly reminded, the Lord had great patience with sinners, but He had none for the self-righteous. We’re all here because He had mercy on us, and we know we still need it. However, we also know that true repentance and restoration can only come if we refuse to compromise the clear biblical standards for morality and integrity.    
         Todd wanted to personally say the following:    It has been a long while since I have spoken publicly and openly. I am sorry for the hurt and confusion that my decisions have caused the body of Christ. It has been a true season of brokenness, hiddenness, and a long process of grieving.
    As many of you now know, my previous marriage has endured years of unresolved conflicts. I apologize that it has ended in divorce, and I take full responsibility for my part for the ending of the marriage. I realize that my silence and decisions have caused many of you to feel hurt, confused, and offended. The reason for the silence was for my need of healing, creating a restoration process under a team of qualified leaders, much needed rest after the Lakeland Outpouring, repentance, and the divorce process.
    I have now relocated to Fort Mill, South Carolina and have entered into my restoration and healing process under Rick Joyner, Jack Deere, and Bill Johnson. I am confident of this one thing—that God is faithful to His promise and my hope is to be fully restored, strengthened, healed, and to learn from all the mistakes I have made along the way.
    Thank you friends and partners for your continued prayers, encouragement, and love. I am committed to the work of the Holy Spirit and confident that the good men around me will help me be restored first as a man, as a husband, and ultimately to fulfill God’s call on my life.

    Those of you who were touched by the Lakeland Outpouring do not lose your encouragement. What happened there was from God, and Todd is a true servant of God. He has made some mistakes, and he is trying to get his life back in order, and you can be confident that he will. Throughout the Bible, many of the greatest heroes in it also made some of the worst mistakes. King David, possibly the greatest hero in the Bible after Jesus, made one of the most horrible mistakes, not only committing adultery, but murdering the husband of the woman he committed it with. God knew that was going to happen with David when He called him, and He loved David before, during, and afterward.
    One of the remarkable events in the Bible is that the Lord then used Bathsheba to bring forth the heir to the throne, Solomon, and she is part of the genealogy of Jesus. It still stretches me, but we need stretching in the grace of God. At the same time, we must balance it with how God hates divorce, and it is one of the scourges of our times that is tragically hurting many, many people. Marriage is under such an assault now because it is so important. However, legalism will not overcome lawlessness. This situation and similar ones that almost every church and family are now being faced with is one that we need answers for. We cannot run from Him, but must run to Him with our need. 
    Many of Todd’s friends and former partners have asked if and how they might help to rebuild and establish Fresh Fire USA, which has recently relocated from Abbotsford, BC Canada and is now based at Heritage International Ministries in Fort Mill, SC. Donations can now be made to Fresh Fire USA at the following address:
Fresh Fire USA
C/O MorningStar  Fellowship Church
375 Star Light Dr.
Fort Mill, SC 29715
    Make checks out to Fresh Fire USA, or if you would like to donate by credit card to help in rebuilding Fresh Fire USA, call 1-800-542-0278, and tell the operator that you want to make a donation to Fresh Fire USA.

Be A Man or should I say A Woman

I tell you ,I haven’t  listened to Paul Washer up until now neither would I even boast of having heard of him till I started blogging unlike the other televangelists we all hear about from all over the World, I can say that Paul Washer is truly a man of God, whom I feel many Christians should be listening to, in today’s World, for when He preaches I get moved by the Spirit of God, that is how I know anointed men /women of God when they Preach.(am not boasting, for if  the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you will certainly feel and know these things by the spirit of God  . . .of course)

.Jesus said “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Matthew 7:20

That said I think you should listen to this message and see what am talking about. This is truly a great message especially for us today. Be blessed in Jesus Mighty Name Amen.

The Duck

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on
their farm. And he was given a slingshot to play with
out in the woods. He practiced in the woods but he
could never hit the target. And getting a little
discouraged;  he headed back to dinner.
As he was walking back he saw Grandma’s pet duck. Just
out of impulse, he let it fly, hit the duck square in the
head, and killed it. He was shocked and grieved.
In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile,
only to see his sister watching. Sally had seen it
all, but she said nothing.
After lunch that day grandma said, "Sally, let’s wash
the dishes." But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me
he wanted to help in the kitchen today, didn’t you
Johnny?" And then she whispered to him, "Remember, the
duck?"
So Johnny did the dishes.
Later, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go
fishing, and Grandma said, "I’m sorry but I need Sally
to help make supper." But Sally smiled and said,
"Well, that’s all right, because Johnny told me he
wanted to help." And she whispered again, "Remember,
the duck?"
So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed.
After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and
Sally’s, he finally couldn’t stand it any longer. He
came to Grandma and confessed that he killed the duck.
She knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, "Sweetheart,
I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I
saw the whole thing. But because I love you, I forgave
you.
But I was just wondering how long you would let Sally
make a slave of you."
I don’t know what’s in your past.  I don’t know what one sin the enemy keeps throwing up
in your face. But whatever it is, I want you to know
something.
The Lord Jesus Christ was standing at the window. And He
saw the whole thing. But because He loves you, He has
forgiven you. Perhaps He’s wondering how long you’ll
let the enemy make a slave out of you. The great thing
about God is that He not only forgives, but He
forgets.

HALLELUYAH JESUS REIGNS!!!

This is a touching story because I can relate to this on a personal level without saying much, I want you dear reader to Pray for this sister and use her as a point of contact to reach other sisters who are been molested in any way across the Globe. I Pray that the Lord will guide sister Jesme and show her what true love in Christ really means for I can see and feel her hurt and pain and believe me she cannot say everything she suffered for the shame of it (sigh) Read on

 A former nun’s tell-all story which details illicit relationships, sexual harassment and bullying in the convent where she spent three decades is causing ructions in the Catholic Church in the south Indian state of Kerala.

In Amen – an autobiography of a nun, Sister Jesme says when she became a nun she discovered priests were forcing novices to have sex with them.

There were also secret homosexual relationships among the nuns and at one point she was forced into such a relationship by another nun who told her she preferred this kind of arrangement as it ruled out the possibility of pregnancy.

“I did not want to make this book controversial. I want to express my feelings and to explain what happened to me … I want people to know how I have suffered,” she said, speaking from the town of Kozhikode.
[...]

She also alleges that while senior staff turned a blind eye to the actions of more experienced nuns, novices were strongly punished, even for minor transgressions.
[...]

When she resigned as a college principal, she claimed convents had become “houses of torture”, saying: “The mental torture was unbearable. When I questioned the church’s stand on self-financing colleges and certain other issues, they accused me of having mental problems. They have even sent me to a psychiatrist. There are many nuns undergoing ill-treatment from the order, but they are afraid of challenging it. The church is a formidable fortress.”

The allegations are not the only controversy to rock the Catholic Church in Kerala. Last summer, a 23-year-old novice committed suicide and left a note saying she had been harassed by her Mother Superior.

Reports suggest there have been a number of similar suicides. And in November, police in Kerala arrested two priests and a nun in connection with the killing of Sister Abhaya in a notorious 1992 murder.

Last night, a spokesman for the Syro-Malabar order of the Catholic Church, Dr Paul Thelakkat, dismissed Sister Jesme’s allegations as a “book of trivialities”.

“It’s her experiences, but these are things that might creep into a society of communal living,” he said. Asked if the church would be shocked by the allegations, he replied: “Absolutely not. The church knows about these things.”Bookshops throughout India’s Christian communities in Kerala have already sold out of Amen, the autobiography of Sister Jesme, who has alleged that priests and nuns not only broke their vows of celibacy with each other but regularly forced novices to have sex with them.

The Catholic Church in India is mired in a series of sexual controversies, and has only just begun to recover from the dismissal of a senior bishop who “adopted” an attractive 26-year-old female companion as his “daughter”.

The book by the former nun reveals how as a young novice she was propositioned in the confession box by a priest who cited biblical references to “divine kisses”. Later she was cornered by a lesbian nun at a college where they were teaching. “She would come to my bed in the night and do lewd acts and I could not stop her,” she claims.

When she was sent to Bangalore to stay with a priest known for his piety, he lectured her about the need for “physical love” and later assaulted her.

"People say that everything is OK, but I was in the convent and I want them to know what goes on. I have concerns for others."

Sister Jesme, who quit last year as the principal of a Catholic college in Thrissur, alleges senior nuns tried to have her committed to a mental institution after she spoke out against them.

In her book, she says that while travelling through Bangalore, she was once directed to stay with a purportedly pious priest who took her to a garden "and showed me several pairs cuddling behind trees. He also gave me a sermon on the necessity of physical love and described the illicit affairs that certain bishops and priests had". The priest took her to his home, stripped off his clothes and ordered her to do the same.

She was not allowed to go home after she learnt her father had died. "I was able to see [the body of] my father barely 15 minutes before the funeral," she writes. "The [response] of the superiors was that the then senior sisters were not even lucky enough to see the bodies of their parents."

- Source: Indian nun claims sex is rife Source: Nasty habits: nun’s sex and torture tell all, Andrew Buncombe, The Independent via the New Zealand Herald, Feb. 20, 2009 — Summarized by Religion News Blog

Not every author can get me to cry reading their works but, I sure did cry for this one and I hope you do see the true meaning of this post even as I did and also Pray that the Lord will stir up His love in your heart  to reach others who are lost or are about losing their faith for you may not believe it , but the fact is that we have many Christ-less Christians these days. Read and be blessed in Jesus Mighty Name Amen

Andrew Strom/ "WE’VE LOST CHRISTIANITY"
Despite the thousands in our mega churches today, soaking up the warm entertainment offered to them every week, I want to put it to you that we have lost Christianity. Despite the Christian books now found in every Wal-Mart, and the "crossover" of Christian artists into the mainstream, and our Christian mega-stores and CD’s and DVD’s and Study-Bibles, I want to put it to you that we have lost Christianity.

Despite our lavish Cathedrals in the suburbs (‘Charismatic or not) with their pastel hues and comfortable pews, their projector screens and $30,000 sound systems, I want to put it to you that we have utterly lost Christianity.

We left it behind somewhere when we shifted our churches from the inner city into the "comfortable" suburbs. We left it behind when we stopped welcoming the bums off the street into our meetings and started welcoming only the "respectable" people. We left it behind when we stopped preaching "take up your cross" and turned the gospel into a success formula – ‘Seven Steps to your Best Life Now.’

Somewhere in our comfortable suburban streetscape with its manicured lawns we lost the real thing. Somehow in our concern for "property values" and a better ‘dental plan’ we left it behind. But that is not the worst part of it. The worst part is that we don’t know how to get it back again. Or perhaps we don’t really WANT to get it back again. The cost simply doesn’t bear thinking about, does it? And so, as we drive around in our nice shiny cars with our groovy plastic toys, and attend "church" as we know it twice a week for 2 hours;- As we live a life that is about as unlike Jesus as you can get, a life of comfort and coddling undreamt of by billions around the world;- a lifestyle in the top 10% of the earth today (-in debt up to our eyeballs all the while) – the fact is that we don’t really CARE that we have lost original Christianity, do we? We are too busy, man. Don’t bother us with that kind of talk.

It will all be OK, the preacher tells us. We will all make it to heaven in the end. We are all "decent" people here. We have "prayed the little prayer". We have ‘given our heart to the Lord’.

Oh yes. We will all make it, won’t we? We are all good suburban church-going folks here.

But what is this? What is that thundering voice I hear? "DEPART FROM ME." ‘But LORD… But LORD….’

"I said – ‘DEPART FROM ME’. Don’t call me Lord. You never truly lived like I was your Lord and you know it. For I was hungry and you gave me no food; I was thirsty and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take me in; naked, and you did not clothe me; sick and in prison, and you did not visit me…."

What is the essence of true Christianity that we have lost, my friends? It is simply described by James as follows- "Pure religion and undefiled is this: To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." (James 1:27). Amen.

To respond to this article, write to  prophetic@revivalschool.com

Following a previous post here about the British Nurse that offered to pray for a Patient am glad to announce that has been reinstated after being suspended without pay. I say All glory be to God in the Highest for fighting for His daughter(Caroline Petrie). For She has Victory in Jesus Mighty name Amen!!!

Victory for suspended Christian nurse

Caroline Petrie, who has been reinstated

Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent

A nurse who was suspended without pay for asking a patient whether she would like to be prayed for has been reinstated and will return to work in the next few days.

Caroline Petrie, from Weston-super-Mare, who was subjected to disciplinary action even though the patient did not complain, was told yesterday that she could resume her duties by North Somerset Primary Care Trust.

Mrs Petrie, an evangelical Christian and mother of two, was suspended after her employers discovered that she had asked a patient whether she would like prayers to be said for her. Although the patient was not offended, the incident was reported.

Last week Mrs Petrie, who was supported by the Christian Legal Centre, was summoned to a disciplinary hearing on the basis that she had failed to demonstrate a “personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity” by offering her prayers.

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Last night Mrs Petrie told Channel 4 News: “When I asked her \ the question I saw she didn’t actually look offended at all. Her body language was quite relaxed. She was happy in my presence. It was just basically ’no thank you’.

“I’m happy to pray for anybody. I think the issue is she felt possibly there may be somebody who might be offended by the question of somebody saying would you like prayer.”

When asked if she would do it again, Mrs Petrie replied: “Yes.” She added: “I would like to get this issue resolved and I’m absolutely delighted that I have been offered to go back.”

In a statement last night, North Somerset Primary Care Trust said that it recognised Mrs Petrie had been acting in the “best interests of her patients”, that nurses did not have to “set aside their faith” in the workplace and could “continue to offer high quality care for patients while remaining committed to their beliefs”. The trust also admitted that, for some, prayer is recognised as an “integral part of health care and the healing process”.

Sir Patrick Cormack, the Tory MP for South Staffordshire and a committed Anglican, told Parliament that the case illustrated the “utter absurdities” of political correctness.

Andrea Williams, director of the Christian Legal Centre, said: “This is a great victory for Mrs Petrie and for common sense. It highlights the importance of being able to take personal faith into the workplace.”

The trust’s change of heart comes as the Government is planning to tighten up rules on how far religious believers can go when working in the public sector, or in receipt of public funds for charities in communicating their faith.

According to a document published by the Department of Health last month, any attempt by a doctor or nurse to proselytise at work will be considered harassment or intimidation and subject to disciplinary action.

Religion or Belief: A Practical Guide for the NHS, states preaching or attempting to convert people at work “can cause many problems, as non-religious people and those from other religions or beliefs could feel harassed and intimidated by this behaviour”. The guide says that nurses should be allowed to wear religious dress, symbols and jewellery unless they conflict with health and safety procedure.

Hazel Blears, the Communities Secretary, has told faith groups that the Government is working on proposals that would ban them from using public funds to proselytise. Speaking at the Evangelical Alliance Life Beyond Debt conference in London on Thursday, she said religious charities would be asked to sign a “charter of excellence”.

Patients groups supported Mrs Petrie. George Robins, co-director of Patient Concern, said: “Nurses should do what they think is best for the patient. A lot of people find it very comforting to have someone praying for them.”

By Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

SOMERSET, UNITED KINGDOM – - A Christian nurse from western England has been suspended from her work for offering to pray for an elderly patient.
Caroline Petrie, a community nurse and devout Christian, is facing dismissal for an alleged breach of her code of conduct on equality and diversity in her work in Weston-super-Mare, near Bristol, Somerset, in England’s West Country, according to the Christian Legal Center.

Mrs Petrie, who is married mother of two, has been accused by her employers of failing to demonstrate a “personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity” because of her offer of prayer.

The Christian Legal Center says Petrie was suspended, without pay, on December 17, 2008 and will learn the outcome of her disciplinary meeting this week. She says she has been left shocked and upset by the action taken against her.

Mrs Petrie, who has been a community nurse since 1985 and is employed by North Somerset Primary Care Trust, said she had asked an elderly patient if she would like a prayer said for her after she had put dressings on the patient’s legs. The patient declined and Mrs Petrie took the matter no further.

The CLC says the situation arose at the home of the patient in North Somerset.

Mrs Petrie said: “It was around lunchtime and I had spent about 20 to 25 minutes with her. I had applied dressings to her legs and shortly before I left I said to her: ‘Would you like me to pray for you?’ She said ‘No, thank you.’ And I said: ‘OK.’ I only offered to pray for her because I was concerned about her welfare and wanted her to get better.”

Mrs Petrie was initially confronted the next day by a nursing sister who said the patient had been taken aback by her question about prayer. Subsequently, Mrs Petrie received a message on her home phone from the North Somerset Primary Care Trust telling her that disciplinary action against her would be taken. She was then suspended, the CLC says in a media release.

Caroline Petrie said: “The woman mentioned it to the sister who did her dressing the following day. She said that she wasn’t offended but was concerned that someone else might be. I was spoken to by my manager. She said ‘I’ve got a letter in one hand and an incident form in the other. You won’t be able to work until we’ve investigated this incident. ‘”

Following the events the elderly patient said: “Mrs Petrie was a nice lady, did the job properly and was quietly spoken. Personally I wouldn’t want to see her sacked for something like that.”

Mrs Petrie added: “I have trouble understanding how offering to pray for someone could be upsetting. I feel it’s a nice thing to ask and a way to give hope that circumstances can change.”

Petrie says that she often offers to pray for her patients and that many take her up on it. She either prays with them or after she has left their home.

In October 2008, Caroline Petrie was also warned by The Trust for offering a small, home-made prayer card to an elderly, male patient, who had happily accepted it.

On this occasion, the patient’s carer, who was with her at the time, raised concerns over the incident.

Alison Withers, Mrs Petrie’s superior at the time, wrote to her at the end of November 2008 saying: “As a nurse you are required to uphold the reputation of your profession. Your NMC [Nursing Midwifery Council] code states that ‘you must demonstrate a personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity’ and ‘you must not use your professional status to promote causes that are not related to health.’”

Caroline Petrie was asked to attend an equality and diversity course and warned: “If there is any further similar incident it may be treated as potential misconduct and the formal disciplinary procedure could be instigated.”

Mrs Petrie and her husband Stewart attend Milton Baptist Church every Sunday.

She said: “My faith got stronger and I realized God was doing amazing things in my life. I saw my patients suffering and, as I believe in the power of prayer, I began asking them if they wanted me to pray for them. They are absolutely delighted.”

Caroline Petrie has worked for The Trust since February 2008. The Christian Legal Center is supporting Caroline Petrie in this matter.

Andrea Williams, the founder and Director of the Christian Legal Center, said: “It is of huge concern that Christian citizens, whose desire is to do their jobs well, are increasingly being silenced and pushed out of the ‘public square’ because of Equality and Diversity Policies.

“It is extraordinary, that these policies which purport to ensure tolerance are ushering in a new form of censorship and intolerance which should concern us all.”