North Korea Sentences Baptist Missionary from South Korea to Hard Labor for Life - Crossmap Christian News | Church & Ministries

North Korea Sentences Baptist Missionary from South Korea to Hard Labor for Life - Crossmap Christian News | Church & Ministries: "Pastor Kim had been involved with ministry among North Korean refugees. Publicly he tried to persuade many North Koreans to establish underground churches with the purpose of overthrowing the North Korean government. He was enticed into coming to North Korea by a North Korean secret agent in order to discover the fate of some people who had disappeared in North Korea. Pastor Kim was immediately arrested upon entering the country."



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Islamists torch Christian-owned shops in southern Egypt

Islamists torch Christian-owned shops in southern Egypt: "The arson happened just hours ahead of the trial of Kyrolous Shawky, a Christian in southern Egypt who has been charged with blasphemy and contempt of Islam for simply liking a Facebook page.

Despite the overthrow of Mohammad Morsi, Egyptian Christians are still being disproportionately targeted by blasphemy complaints from Muslims; nearly 40 percent of the defendants in blasphemy cases are Christians despite that they only constitute about 10 percent of Egypt's population."



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Government Forcing Churches to Perform Gay Weddings - The Last Resistance | The Last Resistance

Government Forcing Churches to Perform Gay Weddings - The Last Resistance | The Last Resistance: "And so it begins. Denmark has become the first (but likely not the last) western nation to force churches to participate in gay weddings. This should come as no surprise, as the socialist nations of the West have been moving in this direction for years — and yes, I’m talking about America too."



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MissionTrends: 4 Trends for Churches to Consider | The Exchange | A Blog by Ed Stetzer

MissionTrends: 4 Trends for Churches to Consider | The Exchange | A Blog by Ed Stetzer: "Despite what many think, the church in America is not dying (and no serious researcher thinks that). However, there are some challenges and changes to be considered.
When we consider missiology, part of the discipline includes considering how churches relate to their culture. Since we live in changing times, it's worth thinking through what current cultural changes mean for future church engagement of that culture."



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Opposing Homosexuality is Not Bigotry

Opposing Homosexuality is Not Bigotry: "The homosexual, transgender, bi-sexual, and whatever-sexual movement works overtime to hitch its cart to the civil rights horse. . . . Sexual behavior cannot be compared to the struggle of blacks to secure full civil rights. . . . Being black is not a behavior trait. Homosexuality is. Homosexuality is what a person does.”"



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Atheist Complaint Makes Christian-Themed Park In Iowa Turn Down $140,000 State Grant | Urban Christian News

Atheist Complaint Makes Christian-Themed Park In Iowa Turn Down $140,000 State Grant | Urban Christian News: "Organizers of a planned Christian-themed park in Sioux City have declined a $140,000 state grant to avoid a controversy that arose after the grant was announced last month.


The Freedom From Religion Foundation of Madison, Wis., complained last month about funding the Christian-themed park, called the Shepherd’s Garden, with public money from Vision Iowa, a state economic development group. The Wisconsin group said the grant to the Shepherd’s Garden violated the U.S. and Iowa constitutions."



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Christianity Crackdown Spreads on Kim Order- Daily NK

Christianity Crackdown Spreads on Kim Order- Daily NK: "North Korea continues to mobilize resources to deal with its citizens coming into contact with Christianity in China. On the 8th, sources conveyed to Daily NK that personnel from a number of state organs, including the State Security Department, General Reconnaissance Bureau and diplomatic corps, have received additional orders on the matter."



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Why 'God and the Gay Christian' Is Wrong About the Bible and Same-Sex Relationships | Christianity Today

Why 'God and the Gay Christian' Is Wrong About the Bible and Same-Sex Relationships | Christianity Today: "n March 2012, Matthew Vines posted a video on YouTube suggesting that "being gay is not a sin," and that the Bible "does not condemn, loving, committed same-sex relationships." He spoke eloquently from the heart with poise, conviction and vulnerability. The video quickly went viral."



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Should We Try to Make Christianity Popular? | The Wardrobe DoorThe Wardrobe Door

Should We Try to Make Christianity Popular? | The Wardrobe DoorThe Wardrobe Door: "A significant number of people outside of the faith (and some inside of it) have huge misconceptions about Christians and Christianity. While we should work to clear up those, that does not mean our job is to make Christianity popular."



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Plants of the Bible - ODU Plant Site

Plants of the Bible - ODU Plant Site: "A Bible expositor is usually not a trained botanist, nor is the average botanist trained in Bible exposition. Botanical expertise is usually not a problem in Bible exposition except when it comes to explaining Bible portions in which plants play a prominent part, e.g. in some of the parables told by our Lord. The largely agrarian audience addressed by Jesus can be assumed to have enough knowledge of plants to understand the substance and nuances of his teachings involving plants. Most modern Bible readers, on the other hand, may miss or misinterpret some of these teachings through a lack of acquaintance with nature in the Holy Land. "



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