UK churches pray for peace in Ukraine

A service is being held in Manchester on Sunday in support of Ukraine as the country continues to grapple with instability. Irena Pistun, coordinator for Hope Greater Manchester, said: "There has been bloodshed, families destroyed in Ukraine and current tensions are a serious threat to diplomatic relations in Ukraine."We hope, as we create new links with each other during these difficult times and churches begin to unite through prayer and fasting across the world, we can create one 'peace' at a time". If churches can unite there's hope for us all."The 'One Peace At a Time' service has the support of the Maranatha Community and HOPE 2014, and is taking place at the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Manchester at 3pm.Dennis Wrigley, of Maranatha said: "We are calling on Christians to fast for half a day on 30 March in respect of the grave situation in Ukraine. Just cutting out one meal in the day and all snacks."Fasting is one of the most neglected spiritual admonitions though both Moses fasted and Jesus fasted especially so during difficult times."

Southampton churches working together on homelessness

Churches in Southampton are partnering to offer spiritual and practical solutions to homelessness in the city.A prayer meeting was held last week at CentralBaptist Church in solidarity with rough sleepers and those living in poor quality housing.The Homelessness and Housing Awareness evening was organised by the Love Southampton coalition of local churches to deepen understanding around issues of homelessness.Those present were encouraged to pray as well as support practical initiatives, like the Southampton Churches' Rent Deposit Scheme, a fund designed to support people on low incomes or in receipt of benefits to gain access to privately rented accommodation within the City of Southampton. 

Testimony - Fatuma Shubisa

 Fatuma Shubisa works hard to provide for her and her husband’s nine children. She lives in the little village of Alelu in rural Ethiopia. She considers her simple life a gift from God, because it was God himself who raised her from the dead .Fatuma says "For two months, I was very, very seriously sick."One day Fatuma’s mother came to care for her daughter.  But her daughter passed away. "She came  and touched my face. I was cold. My eyes were open. She closed my eyes and straightened my legs," Fatuma says. "My mother cried when she found out that I was dead. Because of that, everybody came and started crying."The pain Fatuma felt during her long sickness was finally over.  Fatuma grew upMuslim but had converted to Christianity. She says after she died, she felt herself being drawn to heaven."I was very happy, and I was going with a very merry heart."Along the way, Fatuma saw someone she recognized. It was her husband’s brother, who had died two years earlier.

Jokes for the day

Two Trouble Makers

A couple had two little mischievous boys, ages 8 and 10. They were always getting into trouble, and their parents knew that if any mischief occurred in their town, their sons would get the blame. The boys' mother heard that a clergyman in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The clergyman agreed and asked to see them individually.So, the mother sent her 8-year-old first, in the morning, with the older boy to see the clergyman in the afternoon. The clergyman, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, "Where is God?"They boy's mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there with his mouth hanging open.The clergyman repeated the question. "Where is God?"Again, the boy made no attempt to answer.So, the clergyman raised his voice some more and shook his finger in the boy's face and bellowed, "Where is God!?"The boy screamed and bolted from the room. He ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him.When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, "What happened?" The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied: "We are in real BIG trouble this time! God is missing, and they think we took him.

Archbishop of Canberbury on Gay Marriage in UK: Church Has Accepted That It's the Law.

Same-sex marriage becomes legal in England and Wales on Saturday and while the Church of England has accepted that new reality, it still maintains guidelines for its clergy against marrying gay and lesbian couples.

"I think the church has reacted by fully accepting that it's the law, and should react on Saturday by continuing to demonstrate in word and action, the love of Christ for every human being," Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby told The Guardian on Thursday.

Queen Elizabeth II officially approved the gay marriage law in July 2013, after the bill passed the parliament. The Anglican Communion had spoken out against the bill, arguing that changing the definition of marriage will not be good for society.

In February, the House of Bishops of the Church of England issued a statement on same-sex marriage, acknowledging that not everyone in the church agrees on how to handle the controversial issue.

"However we are all in agreement that the Christian understanding and doctrine of marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman remains unchanged," the bishops wrote.

Al Qaeda-Linked Islamists Capture Syrian Christian Village.

Syrian Islamist forces have killed Hilal Assad, a relative of Syrian President Bashar al Assad and key commander of the government military forces who was defending the Armenian Christian city of Kassat last weekend.Led by Al-Nusra forces, fighters from Ahrar al Sham, the Islamic Front, and others affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria took over the 1,700 person town on Sunday, filled with many believed to be backing President Bashar al Assad in hopes that he could better ensure their safety than Islamist rebels, according to the AP. The victorious rebels walked through the streets shouting and praising Allah, the Christian Broadcasting Network has described.

Many of the Armenian-Syrians subsequently lashed out at Turkey for allowing Islamists to cross and transport weapons across the Syrian-Turkish border with few repercussions, and expressed anger towards Turkey shooting down a Syrian war plane the same weekend.

Jefferson Bethke: Why Are Christians Upset With Noah's 'Creative License' but Not 'Son of God's'?

Christian author and spoken-word artist Jefferson Bethke took to social media to express his enthusiasm for the upcoming "Noah" film. He also expressed his confusion on why Christians have been so critical of the movie's fidelity to the Bible.Emma Watson plays Ila, Noah's daughter-in-law, in the upcoming "Noah" film."Does anyone else find it fascinating that Son of God got little backlash, because it was marketed to Christians & churches, yet Noah isn't marketed to the Church and is getting a ton of backlash? Even though both took substantial creative license," Bethke tweeted on Monday.

Steve Patton, a California pastor, responded to Bethke, suggesting that the reaction of Christians might have had something to do with the faith background of those promoting "Noah," as "Son of God's" producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey were not shy about sharing about their Christian faith while doing press for the movie."I think because Noah is made by a known atheist (Darren Aronofsky), people are up in arms. Let me tell it- meh," tweeted Patton.Bethke agreed with Patton's rationale."Ya I'm almost positive that's the reason. Super fascinating tho that most won't explicitly say that's reason. They say license," he responded."Seems to show us Christians want to be catered to? Or we think the director has to be a Christian?" he added.The film has stirred controversy as some Christians believe it does not adhere to the biblical story. Some of the most vocal critics include Ken Ham of the Creation Museum, evangelist Ray Comfort, and more recently conservative radio host Glenn Beck.

Comedian Kevin Hart Recalls How the Bible Contained His Mother's Surprising Heartfelt Gift

Hart told Winfrey that as he began to encounter minor success in his first year of comedy, he was also running low on rent money and repeatedly contacted his mother to help him finance his lifestyle.His mother's response to Hart's calls was always the same, as she asked her son: "Have you been reading your bible?""She's like, 'Are you reading your Bible?,'" Hart told Oprah on her March 23 edition of "Oprah Prime."I said, 'Mom, come on - I don't have time to talk about that right now. I'm late. I need the rent money."Hart's mother replied by saying "When you read your bible, then we'll talk about your rent."The comedian said conversations such as this one went on for weeks until he eventually received an eviction notice on his door. Desperate, Hart decided to take his mother's advice, only to find a relieving surprise when he eventually decided to read his bible."I go home and say, 'Man let me open this Bible up,'" Hart explained. "Open the Bible up, six rent checks fell out. She put all my rent checks in the Bible."Winfrey responded to Hart's story with shock and surprise, replying "Oh my goodness!"Hart, originally from Philadelphia, Pa., has made a name for himself as a comedic actor in the U.S., gaining mainstream recognition just in the past few years by starring in films such as "Grudge Match," "Ride Along" and "About Last Night."

Erica Campbell Exclusive: Mary Mary Singer Talks Overcoming Obstacles On The Road To 'Help'

Erica Campbell is not afraid to admit she needs prayer just because she is a gospel singing sensation, and after overcoming a traumatic year in the public eye she is showing people how to turn to God for Help.Campbell, 42, has Grammy, AMA, ASCAP and Image awards among others as a member of Mary Mary. Now she is forging her individual path with her debut solo album, "Help."However, the road to releasing her first solo effort was paved with obstacles in 2013 including her father's death, a ruptured vocal chord, parting ways with her manager and helping her sister and fellow group member Tina overcome marital infidelities publicly.Instead of folding under pressure, Erica followed God's calling and channeled her experiences into "Help," an eclectic album that she hopes reaches people even if they may not know God."I just want to reach as many people as possible. I want people to be ok with asking for help," Erica told The Christian Post. "A lot of times we let our ego get in the way and we don't ask not only God but we don't ask anybody for help. And we suffer silently, and it's not necessary."Erica's new album showcases her individual suffering and vulnerability in songs like "Eddie," where the singer pays an emotional tribute to her late father who passed away last year. With different sounds like guitars, harmonicas and ukulele the Mary Mary group member makes her mark as an individual in "Help," with some unique production and heartfelt stories that branch out of the traditional gospel music sound."The messages are kind of consistent with the year that I had in 2013 and everything was directing me to God knowing that I would make it through, that I wouldn't stay there long," Erica told CP. "Everything in Mary Mary had been me and Tina. Now it's just me, my voice and opinions."Still, Erica is still very much a part of Mary Mary and will record at least two more albums as a part of the gospel music duo with her sister Tina. While her sister has taken a break from music, the pair currently appear on WE tv every Thursday night for their self titled reality television series, "Mary Mary."

Violence Against Christian Copts in Egypt Continues Despite Fall of Muslim Brotherhood.

Violence in Egypt against Coptic Christians has continued despite the fall of former president Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, with believers still facing abductions and the government seizing their property, the Board of Inquiry in Cairo reported.

The report, according to  Fides News Agency, shows that Copts, who make up close to 10 percent of the population, are continuing to face "endemic forms of violence and abuse" in many parts of Egypt, particularly in the governorates of Luxor, Sohag and Aswan."The worrying scenario has been reconstructed in detail on the basis of meetings with community representatives, civil society organizations and material provided which witness this phenomena of violence," Fides reported.Christians have been heavily targeted in Egypt following the fall of Morsi last July, with Islamic extremists blaming them for supporting the protests that led to the change in government. Believers were killed, and Christian churches, bookstores and orphanages were burned down in violent attacks.

U.S. politicians have spoken out against this violence, with Republican Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) urging the U.S. State Department in October to help stop the sectarian violence and the persecution of Copts."Egypt's Christian minority and their ability to worship are in danger. The situation warrants a clear U.S. response. We are especially troubled by reports that Egyptian authorities have failed to respond to attacks on Christians and churches, or hold perpetrators accountable," the senators wrote to Secretary of State John Kerry.